Apple tries to make the iPhone as simple and intuitive to use as possible—and largely succeeds. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some more advanced features available, if you’re prepared to do a little digging.

We’ll help you with your digging with a few iPhone keyboard tricks you might not know. You no doubt spend a lot of time tapping away on it, so make sure you’re aware of everything it’s able to do for you.

Slide to type

Some people find it easier to slide across letters as they spell them out, rather than tapping on each letter. This is enabled by default on the iOS keyboard, so try it to see if you like it: Just slide your finger across to the letters you want, briefly pausing at each one. If the feature has been turned off somehow, go to General and Keyboard in iOS Settings, and turn on Slide to Type. The Delete Slide-to-Type by Word toggle switch determines whether pausing on the delete key erases the last character or the whole of the last word.

Replace text

If you’ve got a host of phrases that you turn to again and again in your typing, you can set up text replacements for them. You could use the code “myad” to insert your full address, for example. To set these handy shortcuts up, open iOS Settings, then pick General, Keyboard, and Text Replacement. You can use the same feature for words that are always getting corrected by the iPhone—particular surnames or place names, for example.

Trackpad mode

Did you know your iPhone keyboard has a hidden trackpad mode you can make use of? It’s particularly helpful when you’re trying to select something precisely, or when you need to edit text and you’ve got to get the cursor in exactly the right spot. Tap and hold on Space on the iPhone keyboard until the keys go blank, then move your finger to work the trackpad. It’s not available at all times though—only when the keyboard is active.

Go one-handed

There will be times when you only have one hand free to type on your phone, and the iPhone keyboard has you covered here: Tap and hold in the bottom left corner of the keyboard, which will either be an emoji or a globe depending on how it’s configured, to get a pop-up menu. There you’ll see two icons for pushing the whole keyboard towards the left or right of the screen. Repeat the process to go back to the normal keyboard layout.

Tap and hold

You can unlock a whole host of special characters and variations by pressing and holding on keys on the iOS keyboard (you can also tap the 123 button to see more options of course). For example, press and hold on a text character to see variations with accents added, or press and hold on the dollar sign to see other currencies, or press and hold on the period to see an ellipsis. Another tip: Double-tap the Shift key to keep it enabled.

Switch to dictation

You can speak out what you want to say rather than typing it, if you want a change (or if you speak faster than you type). The feature can be turned on and off under General and Keyboard in iOS Settings, via the Enable Dictation toggle switch: As long as it’s enabled, you can tap the microphone button on the keyboard to switch between dictation and typing. You can speak out punctuation and even emojis as you go.

Make iPhone keyboard bigger

The size of the iPhone keyboard is tied to the text size of iOS as a whole, and you can adjust this by opening Display & Brightness from Settings, then choosing Text Size (you can also turn on Bold Text if you want). It’s also possible to switch to upper case rather than lower case for the iPhone keyboard: From Settings, tap Accessibility and Keyboards, and disable Show Lowercase Keys (the Shift key will still work as normal, however).

Configure the keyboard

Open iOS Settings, then go to General and the Keyboard screen, and you’ll see plenty of useful ways you’re able to customize the iPhone keyboard to suit your own needs and preferences. Autocorrect and spell check can be turned on or off as required, for example, as can automatic capitalization (so there’s always a capital letter after a space), and the smart punctuation feature (so curly quotes rather than straight quotes, for instance).

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Besides everything else your smart speaker can do—from weather forecasts to fact checks to playing music—it’s also able to help improve your sleep. That might be by playing sounds to help you drift off, for example, or by waking you up gently in the morning.

The sleep-boosting tricks we’re going to cover here can be used across smart speakers made by Amazon, Google, and Apple (as well as the smart displays)—so there should be something here that fits your smart home setup.

Make some noise

Your smart speaker can work as a noise machine if that helps you fall asleep—and you can even choose between several different colors of noise. If static isn’t for you, smart speakers can play a variety of natural sounds as well, so you can drift off to audio of a thunderstorm or the clack-clack of a train on tracks.

Getting this setup is as simple as saying “play white noise,” “play pink noise,” or “play the sounds of a thunderstorm” to your smart speaker, though they all work in slightly different ways in terms of how they respond. An Amazon Echo will try and find a specific app to help, for example, while a Google Nest might load up a track from YouTube—it really depends on what you’ve asked for.

Head into the companion app on your phone—so the Alexa app, the Google Home app, or the Home app for iOS—to see what’s currently playing and to set options such as a sleep timer. Most sounds can be configured to keep playing all night, or to turn themselves off after a specific amount of time has passed.

Evening and morning routines

Another way that smart speakers can improve your sleep health is by giving you nudges to help you stick to a routine. Every smart speaker can set reminders, for instance: Just ask for a reminder to be read out at a certain time, when you know you need to start getting ready for some shut-eye.

At the other end of the day, you can set an alarm in the same way to get you out of bed. The available alarm sounds—which can be set through the app that accompanies your smart speaker—include a number of gentle and soothing options. If you’re using a Google Nest smart display, meanwhile, in the alarm settings you can customize what’s labeled a Pre-alarm sound to come before the alarm too.

Smart speakers from Amazon, Google, and Apple can all trigger routines alongside an alarm, so you can have your smart lights gradually come on for example, or start a playlist specifically designed to get you out of bed without you having to resort to the snooze button (or a snooze voice command).

In the Alexa app, tap the + (plus) button in the top right corner of the Home tab, then choose Routine. Set the time you want the routine to start (it can start with the sunrise time in your part of the world, if you want), then choose what you want the Echo to do—some of the options include playing specific sounds, starting a playlist, and reading out the news.

In the Google Home app, head to the Automations tab, then choose + Add to get started. The options match those available on the Echo speakers pretty closely: You can pick a specific time for the routine to start or have it synced with your local sunrise time, and you can pick from a variety of sounds and audio sources to listen to, as well as control connected smart devices (so you can get your smart lights to gradually brighten to give you a more gentle wake up, for example).

If you’re using a HomePod, open the Home app for iOS, head to the Home tab, then tap the + (plus) button up in the top right corner. Choose Add Scene, then Custom, and you’re ready to get started: As on the Amazon and Google speakers, your options include being able to gently turn on smart lights, and broadcasting a specific playlist.

Other smart speaker relaxation ideas

There’s lots more you can get your smart speaker to do to help you wind down for bed—just think about all the different types of audio it can cue up. In addition to putting together a specially prepared playlist, you could also have an audiobook play while you’re drowsy, or perhaps run through an audio meditation session.

Sometimes you’ll be able to do this right on the speaker—as with the Guided Meditations skill for the Amazon Echo—and other times you’ll need to manage the audio on your phone and simply have it stream through your smart speaker (it’ll certainly sound better than it does on your phone), maybe through an app like Headspace or Calm.

You can connect to Echo speakers wirelessly via Bluetooth (just say “Alexa, pair” to get into pairing mode), to Nest speakers via Chromecast (tap the Chromecast button in the app you’re using), and to HomePod speakers via AirPlay (tap the AirPlay logo in Control Center on your iPhone). All the necessary settings, including volume and sleep timers, can then be set on your phone before you drift off.

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You may not give it much thought while you’re listening to your favorite tunes, but just about every music streaming service out there comes with social features that help connect you and your musical tastes with other people.

It makes sense that you might want to share tracks and playlists with friends and family, but you likely don’t want to reveal all your musical tastes to the world at large. That’s why it’s worth running an audit of what you’re sharing and with whom in the music apps you’re using.

Here we’ll cover three of the most popular and well-known ones—but if your own streaming service of choice isn’t listed below, you may well find similar options by digging into the various settings and social screens.

Spotify

Did you know you have a Spotify profile that other people can see? Though they’ll need to know your username, or have you in their phone contacts. From the Home tab in the mobile app, tap your avatar (top left), then View profile to take a look. Tap Edit, and you can change the name and picture used on your profile.

Besides your name and picture, all your public playlists are shown on your profile. You can set whether a playlist is public or private by opening it and tapping the three dots at the top of the tracklist—tap Make private or Make public.

Tap your avatar (top left), then Settings and privacy and Privacy and social (Android) or Privacy & Social (iOS), and you can control whether or not your followers, the people you’re following, and your recent listening history show up on your profile.

On the same screen, the Listening activity toggle switch controls whether or not people who are specifically following you can see what you’re listening to (independent of your public profile). There’s also a Private session toggle switch, which you can enable to temporarily hide your listening from your followers.

Apple Music

Load up the Home tab in Apple Music on your phone, and tap your avatar (top right). On Android your Apple Music profile appears straight away, but on iOS you need to tap your name to see it —assuming it’s been set up (it’s not compulsory). Tap Edit to change what’s shown here, from your profile picture to any shared playlists you want to include (long press on a playlist in the app and choose Share Playlist to send it to your profile).

Profiles give Apple Music users the option to follow each other. On the same Edit screen you’ll also be able to allow Everyone to follow you without approval, or only People you approve using the relevant checkboxes. When people follow you, they see more details about what you’re listening to, besides your shared playlists.

To stop this detailed track-by-track sharing on your profile, turn off the Listening To toggle switch on the Edit page. Right at the bottom of the screen you can also tap on the Delete Profile button to scrub all your public-facing activity and just keep your Apple Music listening to yourself.

There are a couple of options you can set to make it easier or harder for other people to discover your profile on Apple Music, but they only appear on iOS (not Android). First, from the Home tab, tap your avatar (top right) then Allow Finding by Apple ID. Second, from iOS Settings, tap Music then Discoverable by Nearby Contacts.

Amazon Music

If you’re in the Amazon Music app, you can open up the Home tab, tap the gear icon (top right), then choose My Profile to check what other people are able to see about you—though they need to know your username to find you. Tap on the pen icon to make changes: You can choose a name, a handle, and a picture that’s visible to other users.

Select Profile privacy to choose whether or not other users can follow your profile. Amazon isn’t particularly clear about what this entails, but we’re assuming if someone follows you it means they can see more details about what you’re listening to—or maybe get updates from you inside the app. You might want to test it out with a friend to see what difference it actually makes.

Public playlists you’ve created on Amazon Music will appear on your profile to everyone, whether or not they’re actively following you. You can toggle between public and private states by opening up one of your playlists and tapping the three dots to find the option. This works separately to sharing playlists with specific people, which is on the same menu.

Compared to Spotify and Apple Music, the features for managing user profiles and following other users seem a little undercooked. If this is a music streaming app you use a lot, it might be worth keeping an eye on the profile and sharing options, to see if more configuration settings are added over time.

The post How to keep your music streaming private appeared first on Popular Science.

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Video games have been around for a long, long time now. Pong made its debut in 1972— though back then you needed a bulky arcade cabinet to run it. Nowadays, you’ve got a much more powerful machine right in your pocket with your smartphone.

Along with all of the modern games available for Android and iOS, you can also dig deep into vast libraries of retro video games from years gone by. Games from old consoles can be brought back to life right on your phone’s screen.

What’s more, the emulators that run these retro games are now available on the iPhone (they’ve been available on Android for quite a while). That means more people than ever can jump into the world of retro gaming.

The caveat: Are emulators legal?

Before you get started, you should be aware that while emulator software is legal, pirating video games isn’t—in the same way that torrenting software is legal, but pirating movies isn’t. At least, that’s the case in most parts of the world, and if you’re in any doubt you should check how the law stands in your country of residence.

Copyright infringement is black and white, but there are shades of gray around its edges. As per the US Copyright Office, you can make backup copies of computer programs you’ve bought, as long as no one else is using them—though it’s difficult to be definitive about the rules here.

Read up around the issue, and you’ll see that video game publishers most often take action against emulators that circumvent digital rights management, or against large distributors of ROMs (Read Only Memory files), which is the name given to retro game files shared online. We’re not going to tell you how to find any ROMs in this guide, so you’re on your own in that respect.

We’ll leave it to your own personal conscience about whether or not you feel comfortable playing retro games that you haven’t paid money for in the past, and which may have been developed by software companies that no longer exist, and which may or may not be still available to buy. However, it’s simultaneously true that video game piracy is illegal, and that these emulators have racked up millions of downloads.

Running emulators on Android

There are plenty of retro game emulators to choose from on Android. RetroArch is one of the most popular picks, and emulates classic consoles including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Atari 2600, Sega Master System, and Sony PlayStation 1. Other emulators are more focused, such as the Dolphin Emulator that covers the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo GameCube.

Here we’re going to take a closer look at one of our favorite emulators for Android, Lemuroid. It’s developed and released as an open source project, and you don’t need to pay anything for it (and you won’t come across any adverts either). Get the app installed on your Android phone, and you’ll be met with a blank screen—you then need to point the app to a folder on your phone that has games in it.

Any compatible titles in the selected folder—and we’re using a free demo ROM of Goodboy Galaxy for the purposes of this guide—can then be selected from the Home tab. Lemuroid will install the necessary code for emulating the necessary game, and when you select it, you’ll see it appear with the relevant on-screen controls. The Favorites, Search, and Systems tabs give you other ways to get at your games.

The final tab in the Lemuroid app is Settings. Here you can change the folder you’re using for games, run a rescan of the folder, enable autosave (so you don’t lose your progress during a game), configure external controllers you might have connected, and manage vibrations and haptic feedback for your games. There’s also a Display filter setting you can experiment with to improve the look of older games.

Running emulators on iOS

Emulators are new to the iOS App Store, so you won’t find as many available as on Android—though the iPhone is catching up fast. One of the first to appear for Apple phones was Emu64 XL, which emulates the classic Commodore 64 computer that first made an appearance back in 1982. The app has support for game graphics, sound, and even peripherals (including joysticks).

The app we’re going to look at here is Delta, which emulates Nintendo consoles such as the NES, the Nintendo 64, the Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS. Again we’re going to use the freely available and legally legit Goodboy Galaxy demo to show you how it works: If you like the demo, you can pay for the whole game.

Open up the app, and you’ll need to point it towards some ROM files—use the + (plus) button up in the top right corner to do this. The files can be anywhere on your iPhone, or you can sync them over from iTunes. When a recognized ROM is found, it’ll be added to your library, and Delta loads up the relevant emulator interface, complete with the appropriate on-screen controls.

Tap the Menu button in game to save or load game stats, to configure button holds, to enter cheat codes, or to head back to the main menu. You can also tap the gear icon up in the top left corner of the game library screen to access Delta’s various settings, which include visual skins for the emulators covered, external controller configurations, on-screen control opacity, and haptic feedback.

The post How to use emulators to play retro video games on your phone appeared first on Popular Science.

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We all carry around a lot of private and sensitive material on our smartphones. That includes text messages—and there might be times when you’d rather certain messages weren’t available for public viewing, even if you still want to save your text messages.

You may have a robust lock screen mechanism in place, but there’s always the chance someone else could get access to your phone, or you might voluntarily lend it to a friend or relative. Whatever the case, you don’t want someone else scrolling through your texts, and here we’ll focus specifically on how to hide text messages on an iPhone.

Another reason for hiding text messages on an iPhone without deleting them might be simply to reduce clutter: Maybe you don’t want to have to sift through a load of messages to find the important ones.

Whatever the reasoning, this is one of those iPhone message tricks that a lot of people are keen to know how to do. The approach you need to take to hide messages on an iPhone depends on the apps you’re using most often, and how exactly you want to hide specific text messages on your iPhone. It’s also worth bearing in mind that these texts can show up in other places where your Apple ID is linked—like iCloud, or your iPad or Apple Watch—so you might want to hide them here too.

Hide text messages on the iPhone lock screen

Depending on your iPhone settings, text messages and messages from other apps might show up on your lock screen—not ideal if you get an incoming message that you’d rather keep private, and someone is looking over your shoulder, or your phone is face up on a table when other people are around.

To stop this from happening, head to Settings in iOS, and tap Notifications then Messages. Choose Show Previews and change this to When Unlocked (Default) to stop the previews from showing up on the lock screen, or Never to stop them showing up anywhere—so you’ll have to go into the Messages app to read them.

You’ll find the same Show Previews settings in your other messaging apps, from WhatsApp to Google Chat. The other option, which you can find on the same screens, is to turn off notifications for these messaging apps altogether.

Hide text messages in iPhone apps

If you know your iMessage tips then you’ll know that both standard SMS text messages and messages using Apple’s iMessage platform appear in the Messages app on your iPhone. However, there’s currently no way to hide messages from the main All Messages list, which shows incoming messages in reverse chronological order.

Your only options, which you can see by long pressing on a conversation, are to delete the message thread entirely, or hide alerts for it—either of those options may match what you’re wanting to do, but when it comes to the question of can you hide messages on an iPhone, it’s a no for the main Messages app.

You do have the option to block contacts, which means their messages will never be delivered to your inbox in Messages (they won’t know about it): It’s an extreme way of hiding texts, but it works. In any Messages conversation, tap the name or number at the top, then the info button (the small person icon) and Block this Caller. You can see blocked contacts from Messages > Blocked Contacts in Settings.

Other apps work differently though. In WhatsApp, for example, you can long press on a conversation thread (either a one-to-one chat or a group chat), and then choose Archive to dismiss the chat from the main inbox. Archived chats don’t prompt notifications unless you’re specifically mentioned or replied to, and you can get at your archived conversations by tapping Archived at the top of the Chats window.

Tap Settings and then Chats, and you’ll find the option to archive all your chats at once, leaving you with a clean inbox. There’s also a Keep Chats Archived toggle switch—this is enabled by default, but if you disable it, archived chats will pop back into the main messages list whenever there’s a new message.

WhatsApp lets you lock chats too—this is like archiving chats, but lock chats can only be viewed with the passcode for your iPhone, or via Face ID or Touch ID. To lock a conversation, tap on the bar at the top of the chat, then choose Lock Chat. To get to these hidden messages, you need to tap Locked Chats at the top of the conversation list.

Facebook Messenger for iOS has an archive feature too, and again you get to it by long pressing on a message then choosing the Archive option that pops up. Tap the menu button (the three horizontal lines, top left), to find the Archive folder: Head into the folder to read archived messages and restore them to the main chat list.

Secret text conversations on your iPhone

Another approach you can take to hiding text messages on an iPhone is to send chats that vanish once they’ve been read, or after a specific period of time. This is something WhatsApp can do, for example: Tap the bar at the top of a one-to-one or group chat, then pick Disappearing Messages to set the options.

You might also have heard of the invisible ink iPhone trick, which works in the default iOS Messages app. When you’re about to send a chat over iMessage, long press on the blue send button, then pick the invisible ink option before sending it—it means the message won’t be visible to the recipient(s) until it’s tapped on. It’s another way of hiding text messages on the iPhone.

It’s worth spending a little bit of time to see what the options are inside your messaging app of choice when it comes to hiding messages, or at least muting their notifications. It’s not possible to hide text messages on every chat app on the iPhone, but many of these apps do have a few related options you can play around with.

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The streaming landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. There are now more platforms, movies, and shows to keep up with than ever, and that means more money heading out of your bank account every month if you’re keen on catching everything you want to see.

It also means an opportunity for apps that collect information on everything playing across streaming services because it can be a challenge to figure out what’s showing where, and which app you need to watch what you want.

These apps can also help you decide which streaming services you might want to unsubscribe from, at least temporarily. You don’t have to sign up for every one every single month, and we’ve included three apps below that will tell you which streaming platforms are currently worth your while.

Watchworthy

You can sign up for Watchworthy for free through the apps for Android or iOS. During the setup process, you’re asked which streaming services you’ve already signed up for, and prompted to rate a few movies and shows so that Watchworthy can get an idea of the sort of content you’re interested in.

As time goes on, you can continue to add ratings. The primary goal of Watchworthy is to direct you towards films and TV shows that it thinks are worth your time, based on what you’ve previously liked. Head to the Worthy tab in the app to see a list, to get more details on a movie or show, and to see why it’s been recommended to you.

Over on the main Home tab, you get a list of titles that you’ve queued up to watch next, together with selected highlights of what’s proving popular with other people, and what’s just arrived and is now available to view across multiple streaming services. You can also tell the app what you’re in the mood for watching right now.

Most importantly for this article, if you tap on Discover, you’ll see a link for Recommended Services: If you tap on Find Out Now, Watchworthy then tells you which streaming services are best for you, based on your recommendations and watchlist. Tap Customize to change the selection based on everything that’s ever aired on a service, or what’s been made available to stream recently.

Queue

Queue for Android and iOS is first and foremost a recommendation service for films and shows, and the idea is that you’re never stuck for something to watch in your queue—no matter which streaming services you’re already signed up for. To get the app’s algorithms started, you’ll be asked to add a few titles you’ve already seen when you sign up.

You’ve then got a few options for finding new content to watch, across the various taps in the app. If you go to My Queue and then tap Spinner, for example, you’re able to ‘spin the wheel’ to get something to queue up next—you can set all kinds of criteria before spinning too, such as the streaming services to include, and the genre you’re in the mood for.

The Updates tab gives you a constantly updated feed of movies and TV shows that are recommended for you, and in each case you can see more details about the recommendation, add it to your queue, or give it a rating if it’s something you’ve already seen. As you would expect, the more ratings you add, the better the recommendations get.

When it comes to weighing which streaming services you should actually be signed up for, it’s the Discover tab that’s the most useful. You can view recommended movies and shows split up by streaming service, so you can see at a glance which has the most compelling offerings, and the options along the top of the screen let you have a look at what’s just been released and what’s coming soon.

JustWatch

JustWatch is one of the best resources out there for finding out which movies and TV shows are on which streaming services—and so it’s also very useful for deciding which streaming services you should be signed up to. You can sign up for a free account with JustWatch on the web, or in the apps for Android or iOS.

You’ll be asked to tell JustWatch about the streaming services you’re currently subscribed to, and the films and TV shows you’ve already watched. Anything you’ve already watched can be rated too, which then feeds into your recommendations about what you should be watching next—most of these recommendations are on the Home tab in the app.

In terms of comparing streaming services against one another, you can use the search tool from any tab by tapping the magnifying glass icon up in the top right corner. You’ll be told which platform a particular title is streaming on (or available to buy or rent), so you can see what’s on where and which services are most useful to you.

Head to the New tab in the JustWatch app and you get a useful breakdown of the movies and shows that are newly added, coming soon, and leaving soon, across all the major streaming networks. This is another useful screen to refer to, because you can make sure you don’t unsubscribe to a streaming platform right before it adds something you’re interested in watching.

The post How to break up with the streaming services you’re not watching appeared first on Popular Science.

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Whether it’s your bathroom, bike, car, or garden, a little bit of regular maintenance makes a big difference—and this applies to your desktop or laptop computer too. Put in a few minutes every week or every month to attend to a few small jobs, and you should get yourself a computer that runs more smoothly for a longer time in return.

We’ve collected seven of the most important computer maintenance tips, and they apply to both Windows and macOS. They’re not difficult to do and shouldn’t take you too long either. And don’t worry if you’ve never done any of them before—you can start now and enjoy the benefits right away.

1. Delete files you don’t need

Computers are happier and run faster when there’s plenty of storage space available. Otherwise they have to work harder—and you might start seeing error messages when space starts to run out completely. You want to get ahead of the problem well before that happens.

In terms of manual steps, be sure to delete files you’re done with (such as downloads from the web). It’s helpful to create a desktop folder for temporary files that you don’t need long-term, which you can then empty on a regular basis—doing an audit once a month or so should be enough.

On Windows, you can choose System and Storage from Settings to see what’s taking up room, and get at the Storage Sense feature that cleans up some temporary files for you. On macOS, select General, then Storage from System Settings to see what’s taking up most room, and access some useful automatic optimization options. You can choose options like Empty Trash Automatically or Optimize Storage.

3. Update your software

Update your operating system, browser, and apps regularly—in most cases, you’re going to be pushed to do this anyway, but it’s worth double checking. It means you’re always going to have the latest bug fixes and security patches installed, as well as the newest features Windows or macOS has to offer.

When it comes to Windows, you can check for updates from Microsoft by opening up Settings then clicking Windows Update. Over on macOS, open System Settings then head to the General tab and select Software Update. In both cases you can check for updates as well as making sure that available updates are automatically installed.

Don’t neglect smaller updates like graphics drivers either. If you have an Nvidia or AMD graphics card installed in your system, use the utilities bundled with the GPU to see if any updates have been pushed out for your hardware. Again, these updates should squash bugs while improving performance.

4. Run a privacy check

Windows and macOS both handle security and privacy pretty well, but it’s worth checking the permissions that apps have every month or so. Go to Privacy & security in Windows Settings to see these permissions, or Privacy & Security in macOS System Settings. Pay particular attention to programs that can get at the camera and mic, and see your location.

5. Tidy up your browser

Many of us do a lot of our computing inside a browser nowadays, and with that in mind it’s important to make sure your browser’s well maintained too. Part of it is keeping your browser software up to date, as we’ve already mentioned: All modern browsers will give you a notification when there’s a new version ready and waiting.

You might also want to clear out the cache of temporary data accumulated by your browser, which may be taking up room unnecessarily. Most browsers have the feature somewhere in their settings: It’s under Privacy and security in Google Chrome, for example, and under Privacy & Security in Mozilla Firefox.

Then there are browser extensions: Stick to the ones you’re actually using, and that you absolutely trust. Keeping the number of add-ons you have installed down to a minimum means less of a strain on your browser, fewer potential security vulnerabilities, and a more lightweight browsing experience in general. In Google Chrome, you can access your extensions by clicking Window and Extensions, or by clicking the puzzle piece icon next to the address bar. 

6. Remove unused apps

Clearing out apps you’re not using can free up storage space and keep the operating system less cluttered. On Windows, head to Apps and Installed apps to choose apps to remove; on macOS, open the Applications tab in Finder, then use the uninstall utility included with an app, or simply drag the app down to the trash can on the dock.

7. Backup your files

If you only take on board one idea from this article, make sure it’s this one: Backup your files so that if something happens to your computer, your data isn’t lost. You should really do this at least once a week, and make sure you have a couple of backups in place, in case something happens to one of them.

There are lots of ways to do this: We won’t go into all of them in detail, but they range from using an external hard drive (most external drives come bundled with their own backup software), to sending your files to the cloud via a service such as OneDrive (built into Windows), iCloud (built into macOS), Google Drive, or Dropbox.
You’ve got backup tools built into the operating system as well. Look for Windows Back Up on the Windows Start menu, or Time Machine under the General tab on macOS System Settings. Both of these tools let you pick the folders and files you want to create backups of, and can handle the data transfer in the background while you keep working.

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Steam continues to be a juggernaut in PC gaming—it recently set a new record for 36.4 million concurrent players all gaming at the same time. And it’s not difficult to see why it’s so popular, with an unbeatable selection of titles, a straightforward interface, and plenty of extras around user communities and content sharing too.

If you’re only using the Steam client to buy and launch your games though, you’re missing out on a lot of other features it offers too—from sharing games to managing the stress on your network. We’ve pulled together six essential Steam tips, which should be helpful for users at all levels of experience.

1. Put your games in collections

By default, Steam will simply catalog your games in a long list, ordered alphabetically—but as you start to get more and more titles added to your library, that can quickly become unwieldy. The built-in collections feature is one way to bring a bit of order to the chaos.

All you need to get started is right-click on one of your games in the list on the left, then choose Add to: You can pick a collection you’ve already set up, or create a new one. You can then select these collections from the main Library page.

2. Share games with your family

In the old days, you could just hand someone a disc or cartridge to share a game with them. These days, we’ve got Steam Family Sharing. It means up to five other people in your household can access the game library you’ve carefully curated.

From the Steam client, open the Steam menu, then choose Settings and go to the Family tab. From here you need to enable Authorize Library Sharing on this device, then use the Manage option next to Family Library Sharing to decide who gets access to your games.

When new users are added, they’ll get an email with an invite link that they need to click on. From there, they have access to your entire library, but you can revoke this access at any time by heading to the Family page in Steam Settings.

3. Choose controller configurations on Steam

Most Steam games work with gaming controllers out of the box, with no extra configuration required—but what if you’re playing a more obscure title? Or you want to change the default setup on your controller in terms of which button presses lead to which actions on screen?

That’s where controller customizations come in. If you open the Steam menu and then Settings in the desktop client, you can head to the Controller page and change the way your connected controller works—right down to the buttons and joysticks if needed.

Click Open next to Calibration & Advanced Settings, and you get a limited number of customizations specific to your controller (like vibration settings and joystick sensitivity). More comprehensive options can be found by clicking Edit next to Desktop Layout—you can even install configurations created by other Steam users.

4. Manage your network

Some of the biggest titles on Steam can take up gigabytes and gigabytes of space, and that means quite a lot of strain on your home network when you’re installing something new. If you’re trying to stream a 4K movie on Netflix at the same time, you might find yourself running into problems.

You can fix this by opening up Steam > Settings > Downloads from the desktop client. Enable the Limit download speed option, then enter a figure in kilobytes per second (taking into account your overall broadband speed).

You’ll be waiting a little longer for your games to download of course, but your network won’t be crippled for hours while a download is in progress.

5. Move your Steam games

Being able to move your Steam games can be really useful if you’re running out of room on your main hard drive—as we said above, some Steam games are substantial in size. It’s possible to move part or all of your games library over to another internal or external hard drive on your system.

Open Settings from the Steam menu in the desktop client, then head to the Storage tab. Via the drop-down menu at the top you can see existing library locations and create new ones—then with a library selected, you’ll see a list of installed games. Select one or move games, then click Move to move them to another drive.

When you’ve got a library selected, there’s also a button with three dots on it to the right of the library location—click on this to make the current library the default one, which is where new games always get installed if you don’t specify a different location.

6. Buy Steam games for less

Our final tip is to head to the very useful third-party SteamDB website, where you’ll find a wealth of information on the Steam platform and the games available through it: From information about which games are currently the most popular, to those that have most recently received updates.

Most importantly for our purposes here, it can tell you when the next big Steam sale is, and tell you when individual games drop in price (and how that compares to their previous price over time). As long as you’re patient and check SteamDB regularly, you need never have to pay full price for your games.

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You might have seen a recent flurry of social media posts questioning Apple’s privacy policies after a “Discoverable by Others” setting was noticed in the new Journal app—a setting that’s turned on by default, even if you don’t use the app itself.

This setting doesn’t actually do what you might think it does, based on its name alone. We’ll explain how the discovery feature works, and why you might want to switch it off—or leave it turned on.

It’s important to be aware of the various security and privacy settings on the iPhone: These are issues Apple takes seriously, but you still need to be aware of what you’re sharing, and with whom. As well as the Journal app option, we’ll cover a couple of other key iPhone privacy settings, both turned on by default, that you might want to review.

Discovery in the Journal app

First is the Journal app, added with iOS 17.2. It’s a place where you can jot down thoughts and memories, collect pictures, and record trips—and, importantly for our purposes here, you can opt in to have the app prompt you with suggestions. If you’ve been to the beach, for example, Journal might suggest you write about it.

These suggestions are kept on your device, so Apple doesn’t see them, and you can turn them on or off by heading to Privacy & Security and then Journaling Suggestions in iOS Settings. You’ll see these suggestions are split up into categories, including Contacts and Photos, so you can keep some of them on while turning others off.

The toggle switch that has attracted a few headlines is Discoverable by Others, which is on by default and separate from journal suggestions. This doesn’t mean other people can see your journal, but it does mean that other users of the Journal app might get prompts to write about time they spent with you, if they have journal suggestions turned on.

You won’t be specifically named—the other person will only see a prompt like “dinner with friends” if a lot of other iPhones turn up in the evening, for instance. And it doesn’t mean your location is being tracked or stored anywhere. From Apple’s point of view, it’s to help other people who want journal suggestions, even if you’re not even using the app yourself—but you can of course disable it if you like.

Significant Locations on your iPhone

When it comes to more iOS features that are enabled by default and that you might want to switch off if you’re privacy conscious, there’s another called Significant Locations. If location services are enabled on your iPhone (and they will be, if you use maps and other apps that need to pinpoint your position), then these significant locations will be logged too—unless you turn them off.

Apple says these significant locations “keep track of places you have recently been, as well as how often and when you visited them”. The data is synced between your Apple devices using iCloud, but it’s end-to-end encrypted: Apple can’t see what these locations are, and nor can anyone else (unless they physically get access to your unlocked iPhone).

They’re tracked “in order to provide useful location-related information in Maps, Calendar, Photos and more”. Two examples of their use given by Apple are these locations appearing higher up when you’re searching for directions in Apple Maps, and the Photos app tapping into this information when compiling slideshows for Memories (so your ‘favorite’ places would show up more often).

It’s up to you whether or not you think this collection of your location data is reasonable and secure. From iOS Settings, tap Privacy & Security, Location Services, System Services, and then Significant Locations to see recently logged locations. You can clear all logged locations to date, as well as turn off the feature completely.

Turn off personalized ads

Apple prides itself on offering a more private and secure user experience than its competitors, but it will still show you personalized ads by default—something Google does as well. However, Apple keeps its advertising networks more locked down than Google in terms of involving third-party marketers and tracking ads across multiple devices.

Some of the data Apple might use to build up your profile includes the apps you download and the services you subscribe to, the apps you frequently open, and the topics you look at on Apple News. This data is then used to put you in a ‘segment’ with thousands of other users, and then those segments can be targeted by advertisers.

In some ways, personalized ads are a win-win: Advertisers reach people who are actually interested in their products, and consumers get adverts that are actually relevant. You don’t necessarily want to see a row of links for baby food products if you don’t have a baby, for example. However, it’s perfectly understandable if you don’t want your iPhone activities tracked in this way.

You can read more about Apple’s advertising policies to help you make up your mind. If you want to turn off personalized advertising, head to iOS Settings, then choose Privacy & Security and tap Apple Advertising to find the Personalized Ads toggle switch. Note that changing this setting won’t change how many ads you see, only whether or not they’re personalized.

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Artificial intelligence tools are developing at a rapid pace, especially when it comes to generative AI engines that can produce something—a poem, a picture, a song, a video clip—based on short text prompts.

If you’re keen to explore the type of AI art that can now be rendered in seconds, we’ve picked out five solid tools to try. Tell these AI art generators what you’re looking for, and you’ll get a computer-rendered picture out the other end.

One key tip: Be as specific as you can be in your text prompts, and include as much detail as you can. That extends to the style of picture you want to create (from photorealistic to cartoonish) as well as what’s actually in the frame.

We’ll leave it to you to weigh the ethical considerations around these AI tools when it comes to deciding how much to make use of them. Remember that the companies behind these tools aren’t always fully transparent when it comes to the images they’ve been trained on—and that there are plenty of flesh and blood human photographers and artists out there looking to make a living.

Dall-E and ChatGPT

Dall-E and ChatGPT are both developed by OpenAI, and there’s some overlap in terms of what you can do with these two interfaces. You can try Dall-E 2 on the web, and that includes the option to add some AI magic to existing pictures, as well as generating them from scratch—115 credits (each image costs one credit) will set you back $15.

Image generation by the more advanced Dall-E 3 is available through ChatGPT on the web, as long as you’re paying $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus, and that lets you generate as many pictures as you like. Again, you can tweak existing images and create new ones. Just type in your prompt, and the image generator gets to work, returning a single image.

Dall-E and Microsoft Copilot

If you’re after a free AI image generator, then Microsoft Copilot is one of the best: You can get at Copilot on the web (with a Microsoft account), and it’s also now available in Windows 11 (search for “copilot” from the taskbar). The AI tech here is actually powered by Dall-E 3, as with ChatGPT, because of the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI.

You get four images back for each prompt, so you can pick the one you like most, and we like the suggested follow-up prompts Copilot offers too. For $20 a month, you can get Copilot Pro, which speeds up the picture generation process and adds a bunch of other AI upgrades (like tighter integration with the Microsoft 365 suite of programs).

Midjourney

To play around with Midjourney, you have to join the Midjourney Discord—so you’ll need an account for the Discord chat app. You’ll see onboarding instructions when you sign up, but essentially you have to register, join one of the “newbie” channels for beginners, and sign up for one of the subscription plans for Midjourney—these start at $10 a month.

With all that done, you can begin creating in Discord on the web or in the mobile apps. Start your prompt with “/imagine” and then just type out what you’d like to see —you get four variations back, and you can then click the buttons underneath to generate more variations or larger images. Your pictures are saved to your online account too.

Adobe Firefly

As you would expect from one of the biggest developers of digital art software, Adobe now has its own AI image generator, and it’s called Firefly. You’ll find it built into Adobe’s other tools, including Photoshop, but it’s also available as a standalone app on the web—you get 25 pictures per month for free, with paid plans (from $4.99 a month) upping this number.

The prompt box is in the center of the screen: Just type out your request and then click Generate. You can use your own images to help suggest a subject or style, and there are simple options for changing a picture’s look or aspect ratio. The community aspect of Firefly is impressive too—a vast gallery of AI artwork generated by other users.

Craiyon

Craiyon isn’t as artistically talented as some of the other AI art generators we’ve mentioned here, but it has a free tier, and is really simple to use on the web (you don’t even need an account). If you need images faster and want to get rid of the watermarks and the ads, you can become a paying member—prices start at $6 per month for this.

Type your prompt into the box, choose the style of picture (if necessary) from the options underneath, then click Draw. A few recently created images are shown on the page, if you’re looking for some artistic inspiration (and these change to respond to what you’re typing too). You get nine image variations back, plus suggestions for follow-up prompts.

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While logging in using a fingerprint or face scan is becoming more common, passwords are still essential for many of the apps and services we use every day. And from shopping to banking, social media to messaging, podcasts to cloud storage, there are a lot of accounts and passwords to keep track of.

Your passwords are all that’s standing between bad actors and your precious data, and of course you don’t want anyone and everyone wandering into your online spaces. With that in mind, it’s crucial that your passwords are hacker-proof, and we’ve rounded up some ways for putting that to the test.

What makes a strong password?

The old adage about passwords is that they should be impossible to guess and very difficult to forget—you’ve no doubt seen those scenes in movies where someone’s password is being guessed at, with significant dates, names, phrases, and pets all usually tried. Trying to get the balance between something unguessable and unforgettable isn’t always easy though, of course.

Longer passwords are better, as are passwords that include special characters (like question marks) and numbers—this all makes brute force attacks, where lots of different combinations are tried in quick succession, far less likely to succeed. Avoid well-known words and phrases, as well as names (of people, brands, or companies). 

Reusing passwords makes digital life more convenient, but it’s something you should never do: It makes the lives of hackers easier, and if one of these accounts gets compromised, then all the others with the same password can quickly follow. It may be more time consuming, but you should always create individual and strong passwords for all of your accounts.

So how do you keep track of all these complex, unique passwords? Using a password manager is recommended, or using the tools built into your web browser. Writing down passwords is okay as well—as long as these notes are hidden somewhere safe and secure, and not (for example) stuck on sticky notes right by your laptop. If you do need to write them down, maybe think about writing hints rather than the passwords themselves.

How to check your passwords

Plenty of apps and websites are available to check the strength of your passwords for you: You might even see an indicator that goes from red to orange to green when you’re typing out a password for a new account. When you do sign up for something new, you may get guidelines you have to follow—like including a special character, for instance.

We do like the checker that password manager NordPass has put online. Type in one of your passwords (the password won’t be saved), and you’ll be told how strong or weak it is, as well as the reasons why. You’ll also see an estimate of how long the password might take to crack, as well as an alert if your password has appeared in a data breach. Similar tools are available from Bitwarden and Security.org, if you want to compare results.

[Related: How to keep all of your accounts safe in a world where people want your data]

Google has an online password checker too, but it scans the passwords you’ve saved to your Google account through Chrome and Android—you can’t just test any password with it. It’ll also warn you about passwords you’ve reused when you shouldn’t have, and passwords included in data breach leaks as well.

If you’re using iCloud to store your passwords on Apple devices, you can check up on the security of your passwords through an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. On the iPhone, for example, head to Settings, then open up Passwords and tap Security Recommendations at the top. As with Google’s tool, you’ll be warned about weak, reused, and leaked passwords.

Those of you making use of a password manager should find something similar in your software too. The popular 1Password, for example, has a feature called Watchtower: It’ll warn you if your passwords aren’t strong enough, are linked to compromised websites, or have been used several times.

Every password manager—including those offered by Google, Apple, and 1Password—should be able to generate random, strong passwords on your behalf. These passwords will be very hard to crack, and because you’re using an app to remember them all for you, you don’t have to worry about forgetting what they are.

How to protect your passwords

Your passwords need to be kept safe, and as we’ve already mentioned, employing the services of a password manager is a great start. Using one of these tools doesn’t mean you can get complacent—you have to make sure no one else has access to your password manager, which would then give them access to all your login credentials.

That usually means locking access to the devices where your password managers are running, so your computer and your smartphone should both be well protected with their own PINs and passwords (or biometric authentication, which is even better). Make sure these devices are never left unattended, and always locked when not in use.

[Related: 15 ways to be more secure online]

As well as your passwords being guessed and brute forced, you also need to think about another popular scam: social engineering. This is where you’ll be tricked into typing your login credentials into a fake website, or giving them over to someone in a telephone call or a direct message conversation.

First of all, never tell anyone your passwords, in any situation—if someone is asking, they’re not legit. As for avoiding fraudulent websites, keep your browser software up to date (these browsers are trained to spot suspicious websites), and avoid following links in your inbox unless you’re sure they can be trusted—if you’ve just requested a password reset, for example. 

The post How to check your password strength—and what to do about it appeared first on Popular Science.

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The web doesn’t have to stay fixed and static. With the right tools, you can type and scribble over the websites you visit, adding all kinds of annotations for all kinds of purposes. Maybe you want to leave notes for yourself or maybe you’re working on a project with others and need to leave notes on a page.

How you go about this varies depending on your browser. It isn’t difficult to do with most of the popular browsers, though you’ll probably need a third-party add-on. The only browser that’s really left out is Apple Safari, which doesn’t offer native annotation tools or any decent extensions—at least on the desktop, which is our focus here.

Google Chrome

Annotation isn’t a built-in feature with Google Chrome, but you’ve got plenty of third-party extensions to choose from that’ll add the functionality. One of our favorites is simply called Annotate: Install the extension, sign up for a free account, and you’re ready to go. You get a floating Annotate icon on the right of the browser window as you navigate around the web, and you can click on this to bring up the annotation tools.

You can scribble on top of web pages, add in text, and temporarily highlight certain sections too. It’s perfect if you’re running a real-time presentation, as basic presentation tools are built right in, and you can also save pages for later. If you need more tools (like shapes), and longer presentation times (above 12 minutes), you can get a Pro account for $35 a year.

Also worth a mention is Awesome Screen Recorder & Screenshot. As its name suggests, this is first and foremost a screenshot tool, but when you’ve grabbed images of websites, you can easily annotate them in a host of ways. Once you’ve captured some or part of an image, you can jump to the annotation workspace in a couple of clicks, where there are tools like pens, text boxes, and shapes to play around with.

Like Annotate, Awesome Screen Recorder & Screenshot comes with some simple presentation tools built right in, and has a premium subscription plan (from $5 a month) available if you need more tools—such as stickers, callout boxes, and watermarking. You even get a small amount of cloud storage space for free, making it easy to sync your annotated website grabs between devices.

Microsoft Edge

Full marks to Microsoft Edge, which has native annotation tools integrated into it—you don’t have to rely on a third-party extension tool if you’re using Edge. However, the tools aren’t quite as advanced as they are with some separate add-ons, so you might find you need some extra help after all.

The website annotation tools are connected to the screenshot feature: Click the three dots (top right), then Screenshot, and you’ll be asked if you want to grab an area of a page or the page in its entirety (including the parts you can’t see on screen). Once you’ve made your choice, a new window pops up on screen with the capture inside it.

Click Draw to start scribbling—if you click the arrow just to the side of Draw, you can change the color and thickness of your digital pen. There’s also the Erase tool, if you want to remove any of the writing you’ve put on top of the page. The options in the top right corner let you save the image, copy it to the clipboard, or share it to other apps.

If that’s not quite enough for you, Nimbus is definitely worth a look. It supports capturing single screenshots and longer screen recordings, and they can be embellished with drawings, shapes, text, and arrows. There’s plenty of functionality included for free, but for $5 a month you can get some additional features, such as watermarking options.

Mozilla Firefox

As with Google Chrome, there’s no native website annotation function in Mozilla Firefox, but you can find several third-party extensions to do the job for you. Out of the ones we’ve seen, Zoho Annotator stands out: Click the extension icon in the toolbar, choose which part of the current website you want to grab, and you’re taken straight to the annotation screen.

All the key tools you might need are included here, letting you add shapes, lines, text, and arrows on top of the page you grabbed. When you’re done, the resulting file can be easily copied to the clipboard, saved to disk, or shared to other apps. The add-on is completely free to use, and you don’t even need to register an account.

Another similar tool worthy of your attention is Memex, which is designed primarily to help you with research projects (though you can actually use it for anything you like). The focus here is on selecting sections of websites, adding comments to them, and sharing them with other people—just as you might do with a document you were collaborating on with a group of people over the web.

The extension lets you save webpages into several custom spaces, pick out particular sections from pages, and add images and comments to them. It works with videos, PDFs and social media posts as well, so it’s a tool that’s comprehensive as well as slick. You’re able to save up to 25 pages per month free of charge, and after that you’ll need to pay from $6 a month for the premium package.

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Even the most powerful computers don’t last forever—otherwise we’d all still be running the PCs we had decades ago. But trying to figure out when a laptop or desktop has passed its sell-by date isn’t an exact science.

You might feel like applications and websites aren’t as snappy as they used to be, but it’s difficult to know for sure when you’re using your computer every day. Here we’re going to introduce some helpful tools that can be more objective in their assessments.

These tools should help you decide when it’s time to upgrade to a new computer, and when it’s time to give your current one a spring clean. We’ve also previously written about ways to speed up Windows, speed up macOS, and speed up your web browsing.

Built-in analysis tools

Both Windows and macOS come with built-in tools for monitoring system performance. On Windows, it’s Task Manager: Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar, then choose Task Manager. Under the Processes and Performance tabs you get a host of details about how your system’s resources are holding up under the software weight—so you could regularly note these figures week by week (or month by month) to look out for any kind of degradation.

Task Manager itself doesn’t keep any historical data, but a more advanced tool called Performance Monitor does—you can search for it and launch it from the Start menu. 

• Right-click on User Defined under Data Collector Sets.
• Choose New and Data Collector Set.
• Name the set, pick Create from a template, then click Next.
• Choose System Performance and Finish.

Using the Action and Start commands you can run a diagnostics check manually, or you can right-click on your new report, then choose Properties and Schedule to have it run automatically every so often.

Performance Monitor isn’t the most user-friendly of tools, so you might find it easier to just keep your own records of Task Manager activity—but if you do want to dig into these performance stats in more detail, it’s an option. If you need more help with the ins and outs of the tool, check out Microsoft’s Performance Monitor guide.

On macOS, the tool you want is Activity Monitor, which you can find by opening Finder and choosing Utilities from the Go menu. As with Task Manager, you can see how busy your system processor, memory, and drives are. There’s no easy way to log this data automatically though, so you’ll have to run Activity Monitor regularly and manually note down the figures you see, to check for performance issues over time.

Benchmarking tools

Third-party benchmarking tools put key components of your computer system to the test and report back on performance. The idea is you run them regularly, note down the scores, and then chart the scores over time to watch out for drops in performance. The tools we’ve listed here are free, but come with paid upgrades for more advanced features (like more extensive tests, and more comprehensive reports).

For Windows and macOS, Geekbench has long been one of the most reliable benchmarking programs out there, and it’ll give your system’s main processor (CPU) and graphics processor (GPU) a good workout. Cinebench is also cross-platform and worth a look, and is often used by professionals to stress test the CPU and GPU.

Disk drives are often the parts of computers that start to fail first, and you can get benchmarking software to look specifically at your system storage. We like CrystalDiskMark for Windows computers and Blackmagic Disk Speed Test for macOS: They’re both straightforward to use and will give you plenty of information about how your drives are holding up.

You may well spend a lot of your computing time inside a browsing window, and there are benchmarks to test browser performance too. Speedometer is a good place to start, as it’s been developed in association with all the major browser companies, but JetStream is another solid option that tests browser start up and website rendering times.

Recording key indicators

There’s nothing wrong with going slightly more basic with your tech: Get your stopwatch out (or the stopwatch on your phone), and time how long it takes for your computer to start up and shut down. These processes are both good barometers of how healthy your Windows or macOS machine is, and how much strain it’s under.

Of course, you’re going to have to do this over several days or weeks to spot if there’s a reduction in performance. Once you’ve got a few data points built up though—in a spreadsheet, maybe—you should have a useful indicator of how your computer’s performing and in which direction that performance is headed.

You can do this with applications as well, though the launch times will be quicker in this case, and any slowdown will be more gradual. If you’ve got a particularly demanding program on your system, like a video editor, you could look at this in particular—and measuring the time it takes to do other tasks, like rendering 4K video, could help as well.

For laptops, battery life can be timed in the same way, and is another indicator of the health of your computer: Components running slower and under more stress tend to use up battery power faster. If you’re measuring time between battery recharges though, make sure you’re doing the same activities on your computer to get a fair comparison (gaming will suck up a lot more battery power than emailing, for example).

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Right out of the box, you’ll notice that Apple’s macOS is sleek and elegant in its appearance. But there are numerous ways to tweak the operating system’s look, if you want something more in line with your tastes.

After all, you’re likely to spend a lot of time staring at macOS if you have a Mac, so it makes sense to get it looking the way you like. (You can also apply a similar set of customizations to Windows, by the way.)

Even if you don’t want to give your Mac a pixel-by-pixel makeover, it’s handy to know what customization options are available. And if you’re wary of change, note that any edits you make can be easily undone.

Change themes and colors in macOS

If you open up the Apple menu and then choose System Settings and Appearance, you’ll see you can pick between three main visual themes for macOS: Light, Dark, and Auto (which switches between Light and Dark automatically, depending on the Night Shift settings under Displays in System Settings).

You can then tweak the look of the theme in smaller ways:

• Select an Accent color to set the color used for emphasis on menus and in dialogs (the default multicolor option uses different colors in different programs).
• Click the Highlight color to set the color you see when text is highlighted in macOS—again this can be set to multicolor, which means it will vary between applications.

There are also options here for controlling when scroll bars appear on screen and how they behave when they do. Enable Allow wallpaper tinting in windows, and some apps will use a subtle shading effect in places, based on the colors in the wallpaper image you’ve set, which brings us neatly to…

Choose different Mac wallpapers

If you open the Apple menu then pick System Settings and head to the Wallpaper section, you can customize the backdrop image used by macOS. This will often be visible around the sides of your open program windows, so you want to choose something you find easy on the eye. Use something inspiring, or soothing, or fun—it’s up to you.

• Click any of the thumbnails shown to use images or videos provided by Apple—the videos are marked with a small playback button, and some of the images change their colors as your system changes between light and dark modes.
• Select Add Photo if you want to pick out an individual image from your system, or Add Folder or Album if you’d like to import a bunch of pictures at once. These are then available as thumbnails you can select.
• Pick any of the static colors if you’d rather use a single color as your wallpaper. If the shade you want isn’t there, click the + (plus) button to open a more detailed color selector.

With a wallpaper selected, you can use the options at the top of the dialog box to change how the picture is resized to fill the screen, if needed. If you’ve picked a video, you can also have it appear as the macOS screensaver—a static image is used for the desktop backdrop, and then the animated version shows up when the screensaver is enabled.

Modify text size and pointer size

Text and pointer formatting might not be the most exciting customizations you can make use of on your Mac, but it makes a big difference to the visual experience, and can also be really useful if you’re struggling to see the text at its default size on screen—something that’s more likely if you’ve got a high-resolution monitor hooked up. Open the Apple menu, then System Settings, then pick Accessibility and Display.

• Click on Text size (which will say Default if you haven’t changed it) to configure the size of text on screen. As well as setting an overall text size, you can apply a different setting for individual apps including Mail and Notes.
• Use the Pointer size slider to change the size of the mouse or trackpad pointer on screen (note you can also shake the pointer to make it larger, if you use it). There are also options for changing the pointer outline and fill color.

Other options on the same screen control the menu bar size, and the contrast and transparency used for various elements in macOS. You’re also able to adjust the overall display contrast, and this can all make items on screen easier to see.

Tweak the dock and menu bar

Besides the desktop, the dock (at the bottom) and the menu bar (at the top) are the other key elements that make up the macOS interface. You can make changes to the dock by opening the Apple menu, then choosing System Settings and Desktop & Dock.

• Right at the top you can change the size of items in the dock, and the magnification used when you hover over them.
• Click Position on screen to move the dock—it can be on the left or the right of the screen, as well as at the bottom.
• Use the Automatically hide and show the Dock toggle switch to set whether the dock stays visible permanently, or only when you hover over the relevant screen edge.
• Enable Show suggested and recent apps in Dock if you want to have these apps included in the list, as well as open apps and those you pin (right click on an icon in the dock and choose Options to do this).

There are fewer options for the menu bar, but if you open up Control Center from System Settings, you can choose which app and shortcut icons get shown in the menu bar, as well as have it automatically hide itself when not in use, like the dock.

The post Give your computer a makeover by customizing macOS appeared first on Popular Science.

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It’s easy to end up with dozens of tabs open as you browse the internet. But what happens when you need to step away? You probably don’t want to lose the webpages you’re currently looking at when it’s time to stop endlessly browsing.

Thankfully, modern-day browsers include features that can put a pin in your browsing journey and help you come back to it later. You don’t have to leave all those tabs open on your computer until you return (which can quickly get confusing, as well as not being the best idea as far as security and privacy goes).

If you’re overwhelmed with browser tabs and need to take a break or start again, here’s how to put those tabs away in a safe place so you can come back to them later.

Google Chrome

If you’re closing down Chrome and want to get back to the same tabs again when it reopens, click the three dots (top right) then choose Settings. Under On start-up, select Continue where you left off. This will keep sessions going even if the browser is closed, but it doesn’t work so well if you want to use Chrome for something else in the meantime, and you want your current tabs to disappear for a while.

Another option is to right-click on a blank area of the tab bar, then choose Bookmark All Tabs. On the dialog that pops up, create a new folder with a name that will remind you what these tabs are for, then save the tabs to them. You can get back to them at any time by clicking the three dots (top right) then Bookmarks and lists.

There’s one more option for Chrome: Right-click on a tab header, choose Add Tab to New Group, and you can create a new group of tabs (right-click on other tab headers to add them to your group). Right-click on the group name in the tab bar, choose Save Group, and it gets added to the bookmarks bar just below—you can then right-click again on the group name and pick Hide group to make it disappear temporarily. Click its entry on the bookmarks bar to bring it back.

Microsoft Edge

Over in Microsoft Edge, click the three dots (top right), then Settings: If you open the Start, home, and new tabs panel, you can select Open tabs from the previous session. This means you won’t lose your tabs when you close and reopen Edge, and will work if you’re just taking a break from your browsing and then coming back to the same task.

For something a bit more comprehensive and flexible, you can save tabs as bookmarks—this means you can close all of the tabs down and come back to them whenever you like in the future. Right-click on a header of one of the open tabs, then choose Add All Tabs to Favorites, then create a folder to hold them in. You can get back to the tabs whenever you like via the three dots (top right) and Favorites.

Microsoft Edge also offers a feature called Collections, which works a bit like a more advanced version of bookmarks. Click the Collections button on the toolbar (two layered rectangles with a plus sign): On the sidebar that appears, you can create new collections and add currently open tabs to them, which can then be brought back whenever they’re needed from the same side panel.

Mozilla Firefox

If you’re a Firefox user, then you can make sure open tabs persist between browsing sessions by clicking the three lines (top right), choosing Settings, and opening up the General tab. Enable the Open previous windows and tabs option, and everything that you’ve currently got open will stay in place even if you close Firefox.

That’s fine if you’re carrying on with the same project between sessions, but if you want to hide the current group of tabs for a while longer, you can use bookmarks. Right-click on a blank area of the tab header bar, then click Select All Tabs. With that done, right-click on a tab header and choose Bookmark Tabs. Give the tab folder a name you’ll recognize later, and you can get back to your tabs via the three lines (top right) and Bookmarks.

Firefox doesn’t have tab grouping like Chrome, or the Collections feature that Edge offers, but it does have some excellent third-party browser extensions you can make use of. One such extension is Workana, which is a comprehensive way of managing open tabs and sessions—it’s free to use for managing up to five different tab groups.

Apple Safari

For those of you who browse in Safari on macOS, you can ensure open tabs stay in place: Open the Safari menu and select Settings, then head to the General tab and the Safari opens with menu. Choose All windows from last session to keep your tabs in place.

To keep a group of tabs accessible over a longer period of time, using bookmarks is a better option: If you open the Bookmarks menu, you’ll see you can add all the open tabs to a folder, or all the selected tabs to a folder (use Cmd+Click on a tab header if you need to select multiple tabs). You can save the tabs to a folder, which is then always accessible from the Bookmarks menu.

Safari supports tab groups too, which are very similar to bookmarks, with a few differences (you can open all the tabs in a group at once, for example, but not in a bookmarks folder). Select one or more tabs, right-click on the tab headers, and then choose Move to Tab Group. Even if you then close down these tabs, you can get them back from the Safari sidebar (View and Show Sidebar if you can’t see it).

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Setting smartphone screen time boundaries can be a struggle. But there are an increasing number of apps and tools to help—including the Focus mode feature that comes built right into iOS.

The idea is you set up different iPhone Focus modes for different scenarios: one for the office, one for driving, and one for home maybe. Each mode sets down certain rules about how notifications are handled, and how many distractions are allowed through.

Your iPhone can then switch between these various modes as needed, making sure you stay connected as much as needed, without missing anything important that’s happening on your smartphone.

These Focus modes are simple to set up, can be extensively customized, and have the potential to be more helpful than you might think when it comes to reducing the amount of attention you give to your phone.

Setting up iPhone Focus modes

Head to Focus from the main iOS Settings menu, and you’ll see some modes already listed, covering standard scenarios: Driving, Fitness, Sleep, and Work, for example. There’s also the traditional Do Not Disturb mode, which the Focus feature builds on top of—you can just stick to one of these modes, or make use of several of them.

[Related: How your daily screen time affects your wellbeing]

Tap on any mode to make changes to it. The two main settings you’ll find cover the contacts who are able to get in touch with you while the mode is active, and the apps that can still send notifications. Tap Options underneath to change how silenced notifications are handled—they can still prompt notification badges and lock screen alerts, if needed.

There are more settings for the Focus mode further down the page. You can choose specific lock screen and home screen layouts to apply when the mode is active, giving you the opportunity to hide certain apps and shortcuts away from view in specific scenarios (it can also give you an at-a-glance indication of when a mode is active).

You can also use the Add Schedule option, which enables you to have the Focus mode turn on based on a certain time of day, a certain location that your phone’s in (such as the gym), or a certain app you’ve loaded. There’s a Smart Activation feature too, where your iPhone will try to intelligently turn on the mode automatically when it’s needed, based on “signals like your location, app usage and more”.

Finally, use Add Filter to have other actions taken on your iPhone when a certain mode is enabled. You can have a particular tab group in Safari pop up, for example, or exclude Apple Music activity from your listening history (maybe you don’t want your sleep playlist affecting your recommendations). You’re also able to turn on Dark Mode, Low Power Mode, or Silent Mode alongside a particular Focus Mode, if needed.

Besides being scheduled, Focus modes can also be enabled from Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner of the screen): Tap the Focus modes button, tap on a mode, and it stays active until you turn it off again. If you tap the three dots next to a Focus mode, you can set it to turn off after a certain time, or when you leave your current location.

How to create custom Focus modes

You don’t have to make do with the Focus modes iOS gives you, if you need something different. Choose Focus from Settings, then tap the + (plus) button up in the top right corner: Pick one of the suggestions on screen, or select Custom to start from scratch, which leads to a page where you can choose a name, icon, and color for the mode.

With that done, you get to the same customization screen that we’ve seen with the other Focus modes. You’re able to choose the people and the apps that have their notifications silenced (or unsilenced), you can pick particular lock screens and home screens, and you can have the mode turn on automatically, if needed.

Whenever a particular Focus mode is activated, you’ll see its icon up in the status bar at the top of the iPhone interface, and its icon and its name on the lock screen. If you find that you’ve got too many Focus modes to manage, you can remove them at any time: Choose a mode from the Focus page in Settings, then tap Delete Focus.

A couple of other options on the Focus page in Settings that are worth mentioning: The Share Across Devices toggle switch, which syncs your Focus status across other Apple devices (like iPads and Macs), and the Focus Status option, which shares your current status with your contacts in certain apps (including Messages).

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Instagram isn’t just for sharing photos and videos. The Meta-owned app also boasts a very capable messaging platform. Instagram messaging offers a lot of the features you’ll find in other messenger apps, and a bunch of new features that are rolling out now.

They’re pretty major ones that we’ve seen on other chat apps, with upgrades such as the option to edit messages after you’ve sent them, and to turn off read receipts if you don’t want people knowing when you left them on read. We’ll show you how to use these features, and explain what else is new.

Make sure you’re running the latest version of the app for Android or iOS to use these new Instagram features. If they haven’t yet been rolled out to you, they should be soon.

Editing Instagram messages

Editing messages can come in very handy when you notice you’ve made a typo or written something that isn’t accurate. It also means you’re able to walk back on something you might have said in the heat of the moment that you want to retract—though the editing window is only 15 minutes, so you need to have a change of heart pretty quickly.

All you need to do to modify something you’ve sent is press and hold on the message, then choose Edit on the menu that pops up. Make your changes, then tap Done. The update will be applied, and a little “Edited” label shows up next to the message.

As with every other app that offers this feature, you should remember  that the original message will still have been sent and delivered. It’s possible that the message recipient(s) have already seen it and read it, and may even have taken a screenshot—so it might be easier or more appropriate to send a second clarifying message instead.

Turn Instagram read receipts on or off 

Read receipts can be a useful way of checking if someone hasn’t got your messages or is simply ignoring you (or perhaps just taking a long time to compose a suitable reply). However, you might not want everyone in all of your chats knowing when you’ve seen something—it certainly increases the pressure to respond quickly.

In the app, tap your profile picture (bottom right), then the menu button (top right), then Settings and privacy (Android) or just Settings (iOS). You can then pick Messages and story replies to find the read receipt option—this toggles read receipts on or off for all the conversations in your Instagram inbox.

If you prefer, you can handle read receipts on a chat-by-chat basis. Inside a chat, tap the bar at the top of the conversation, then pick Privacy and safety to find Read receipts. Note that if you hide your own read receipts, you won’t be able to see when other people have seen messages either.

Other new Instagram messaging features

Those aren’t the only features that the app has rolled out for its messaging. You’re also able to pin up to three chats to the top of your inbox. For the conversations that you want easy access to: Swipe left or press and hold on a chat in the main conversation list, then choose Pin.

You’re also able to reply to messages with stickers, GIFs, videos, photos, and voice messages—just press and hold on a message you’ve received to see the options. It’s also possible to save stickers to use again in direct messages now, and you do this by pressing and holding on a sticker you want to mark as a favorite.
Finally, Instagram has pushed out more themes for your chats, so you can really personalize those one-to-one conversations or group chats. To pick a new theme, tap the bar at the top of a conversation, then select Theme to see everything that’s available, and switch to something different.

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The pre-installed default apps on your phone are meant to perform basic functions–like opening an internet link, placing a call, or sending a text. On Android, you can change the default apps around, if you prefer a third-party alternative to Google’s original choices.

It’s not difficult to do, and it gives you a mobile experience that’s more tailored to your needs and tastes. If you want to return to the original settings, that’s straightforward too, so don’t worry about breaking your phone by switching things up.

What’s a default app anyway?

Default apps are more commonly talked about when it comes to the Windows and macOS operating systems. Double-click on a PDF on your desktop, for example, and what’s the program that appears? Whatever it is, that’s the default app for PDFs. Other file types, from JPEGs to MP3s, will have their own default apps associated with them.

[Related: 12 hidden Android features you should be using]

This matters if you want to be as productive as possible at your desk: If you’re working with documents, you want them to be opening up in your word processor of choice. Double-clicking on a file and having it open in the right program is a speedier, more intuitive way of working than launching the program first, and then having to hunt through menus and folders to find the file you need.

It’s the same on Android. You’re probably not working with the same variety of files in the same way, but the principle still applies: Whether you’re following a web link from an email, or opening up an image from a group chat, you’re going to want to have your preferred app handle the request for you.

This is a feature that Android gives you more control over than iOS: On an iPhone, you can change the default web browser and email app, but that’s it (you always have to use FaceTime as the default way of making video calls, for example). On Android, you can switch up more default apps, and even the whole look of the home screens.

How to set defaults on Android

Some default apps (like Chrome for web links) are configured right out of the box on Android, while others are set the first time you need them. So if you open a document, you’ll be asked which app you want to use to handle it, and that choice is then remembered by Android for the future.

To change these default apps at any time: 

• Open up Settings and choose Apps
• Then look for the default apps option—it’s labeled Default apps on Pixel phones, and Choose default apps on Samsung Galaxy phones. This takes you to a list of all the default app associations currently in place on your phone.
• Tap on any of the entries to make changes. 

To change the app that handles text messages, for instance, select SMS app and then your preferred app. The options list will only include apps currently installed on your phone that are able to handle the file or action in question—so there’s no danger of you choosing an incompatible app.

Switching web browsers is something that you might want to do on your Android device, if you’ve got several of them installed: Tap Browser app and make your choice from the list. Any web links that you follow from instant message chats or emails will then open in the browser you’ve picked.

Some of these options come with different settings attached to them. Pick Digital assistant app, for example, and you can configure how the assistant app works, as well as choosing your favorite (maybe you want Amazon Alexa to pop up whenever you need help, rather than Google Assistant).

The Home app, by the way, is the app that manages your home screen and pops up whenever you ‘go home’ on your phone. This is useful if you want to switch to a third-party launcher to really change up the interface of Android—if you’re completely new to the idea of home screen launchers on Android, we’ve written about Android home screen customizations too.

The post How to change the default apps on your Android phone appeared first on Popular Science.

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Working from anywhere has a number of upsides: You can explore different places, meet new people, and escape the monotony of your usual desk. But you need to take security considerations into account when you branch out from the confines of your home or office. 

TechRadar reports on a new study from Beyond Identity that found 18 percent of remote workers had found their data stolen in a coworking space. While we’d like to believe that everyone around you in a coffee shop or library is honest, the reality is that you need to be vigilant when it comes to working in public.

You can have it all though—the freedom of working anywhere, and the peace of mind that you’ve minimized the risk that anyone else can keep tabs on what you’re doing.

Check your Wi-Fi

In an ideal world, if you need internet access on the go, you want to be running a Wi-Fi hotspot from your phone. It means you’re not sharing a network with anyone, which is inherently safer. However, you might not have the data plan or signal strength needed.

If you need to use public Wi-Fi, make sure you pick the right network—as in, the one advertised by the place you’re in, not the one that the guy three tables over has just set up. If you’re in doubt which is which, ask a staff member. There may also be a sign posted telling you the network name and associated password.

It might be unavoidable, but be wary of giving up too much information when joining a public Wi-Fi network. If you must supply a few details (like an email address) in order to register, only fill out the mandatory fields, and remember that you can create disposable email addresses.

Protect your data

Attaching yourself to a Wi-Fi network that other people can access is inherently riskier than using your home or office Wi-Fi—you don’t know who has set up the network, or who is connected to it. If you’ve got no other choice, avoid logging into anything particularly important or sensitive—like online banking.

Ideally, you want to be running a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your laptop. These VPNs add an extra layer of protection to everything you do online, making it harder for anyone else attached to the same Wi-Fi network, or the people who have set up and who manage the Wi-Fi network, to see what you’re doing.

Even if you can’t use a VPN, keep your browser and desktop software up to date, and avoid connecting to sites without HTTPS validation (you should see a warning if it’s missing). Using a VPN is best, but Windows, macOS, and modern day web browsers have a lot of built-in protection too—as long as you’re running the latest versions.

Assume people are watching

The people around you might seem perfectly innocent, but you can never really tell, can you? Always assume that someone is watching when you’re working in a public space, which means taking extra care whenever you’re typing out a password, address, or credit card number. You should also be careful with the details you reveal about you or your company in emails and on video calls.

You also don’t want to leave your laptop unattended, but if you do step away, lock your user account so a password is required to get back in. It’s Win+L on Windows, and Cmd+Q on macOS, by the way. If the worst should happen and the device is lost or stolen, nobody else will be able to get into it.

All the usual security rules still apply as well: Enable two-factor authentication on all of the accounts where it’s available, be on the lookout for any suspicious account activity, and make sure you’re using unique and strong passwords for each of your logins (you might want to also consider adding a password manager to your software setup).

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ChatGPT only debuted to the public in November 2022, but it’s already had a profound impact on the way content is created and information is shared—though its artificial intelligence capabilities still come with a lot of caveats attached.

Google has also been busy polishing up its own Google Gemini AI bot (albeit with some concerning bumps along the way). The tech giant also announced that it’s pushing Gemini text creation capabilities into many of its current tools, including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, and Google Meet.

You can access the AI features with a Google One AI Premium plan, which costs $19.99 a month after a two-month free trial (and comes with 2TB of cloud storage too). You might also see the AI tools if your employer has signed up for a business plan. Note though that Google says certain functionality is still rolling out, so you might not see everything we’ve mentioned.

We’ll take you through what’s new and what’s possible with Gemini AI inside your Google apps. These features can be a real productivity boost, but there are also reasons not to rely on them too heavily.

Gmail

Create a new message in Gmail on the web, or start a new reply, and you’ll see a little pen icon with a plus symbol next to it. Click on this to start using Gemini’s various writing assistance features.

Click Help me write, and Gemini can help to compose some or all of your message. Enter a prompt—such as “apologize to my boss” or “ask my friends about drinks at the weekend”—and you’ll get some matching text. You can specify particular details or a certain tone too, if you need to.

Click Insert to add the text to your email, or Recreate to generate new text from the same prompt. Via the Refine menu, you can tweak the text that Gemini has produced: You can Formalize, Elaborate, or Shorten it, and those options also pop up if you highlight text already in the email.

It’s handy for finding new words or different ways of saying something, but as Google says, Gemini can produce “inaccurate or inappropriate” information, and shouldn’t be relied on for “medical, legal, financial or other professional advice.” Plus, wouldn’t your friends, relatives, and colleagues prefer to hear from you rather than an AI?

Google Docs

Gemini AI is also baked into Google Docs on the web, if you’re on the Google One AI Premium plan. Look for the pen icon with the plus symbol on the left-hand margin. You can click this to create new text, or to tweak text that you’ve already written.

In the interests of transparency, the article you’re currently reading was written entirely by a human being, except for the following paragraph—which we created by telling Gemini to write some text about using AI in Google Docs:

“Google Gemini is an AI-powered tool that can help users write more effectively. It can be used to generate text, tweak existing text, or offer suggestions for how to improve your writing. Gemini can be a helpful tool for writers of all levels, but it is important to use it wisely and not rely on it too heavily.”

That gives you an idea of what you get—it basically summarizes and repeats what you’ve already written, which is how AI typically operates. The text it produces does tend to be generic and rather dull, but it can be useful.

If you select text before clicking the Gemini AI pen button, you can change its tone, summarize it, rephrase it, expand it, or shorten it. This is perhaps more useful than generating new text, because it gives the AI more to work with.

To get a summary of a document, for example:

• Highlight the text to summarize.
• Click the Gemini AI button (the circle to the left of the selection).
• Choose Summarize.
• Click Insert to add the generated text, or Refine to make further changes.

As with Gmail, avoid using Gemini to generate anything that needs to be factual and accurate, but it’s helpful as a way of tweaking existing text and saving time when you need to summarize sections. Always double check what Gemini has written though, as it does make mistakes.

Google Slides, Sheets, and Meet

Gemini AI is less prominent in Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Meet, but it can still be useful. When it comes to Google Slides on the web and Google Sheets on the web, you’ll see the AI assistant pop up on the right-hand side when you create a new spreadsheet or a new presentation.

With Google Slides, the first bit of help Gemini will offer is image creation. Type your image prompt into the panel on the right, choose a style for the resulting art, then click Create. Any of the pictures that are generated can be loaded into the current slide with a click, or choose View more to see some more options. (Note: Gemini has temporarily disabled the ability to generate images of people after the AI produced “inaccuracies” in race.)

Gemini in Slides is able to generate new slides for you as well:

• Click the Ask Gemini button
• Describe the slide you want, which can include text and images—”create a slide about how to optimally train for a marathon,” for example.
• Click Insert to add the slide or Retry to generate a new one from the same prompt.

In the same prompt box you can also ask for summaries of existing slides or the entire presentation. As in Google Docs, generating lines of text is possible too, in case you need specific text boxes filled out.

In Sheets, Gemini can quickly produce tables of data that you can then edit and organize. Two examples Google gives are “plan a hiking trip in Iceland” and “tracking tasks for a project to build a new website,” so you see what’s possible. Any prompt along similar lines will produce a spreadsheet ready for the task.

You can also get AI to create formulas in Sheets:

• Click the Ask Gemini button.
• Describe the formula—something like “create a formula to find cell C1 in range D:G and output value in column G” or whatever you need—and Gemini writes it for you.
• Click Insert to add the formula to your spreadsheet.
• If you want a different version of the same formula, click Retry.

These are all features that can be useful, but not all the time—the AI doesn’t know all the details of your hiking trips or website projects, for example, so it’s only really creating an approximation you can use as a template.

Last but not least, Google Meet on the web lets you use Gemini AI to come up with backgrounds. On a call, click the AI button in the center of the screen—the three stars—then choose Generate a background. Enter a prompt like “a coffee shop at dusk” or “a cozy ice cave” and pick a style to create a few options to choose from. The same tool appears when you are about to join an existing meeting.

The post How to use Google’s new Gemini AI with Gmail, Google Docs, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

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Hey Google, stop listening. OK Siri, you too. And Alexa? Shhhh.

Our smartphones and smart speakers can listen for specific voice commands and take action accordingly, but maybe you don’t want your devices always having one digital ear open. Aside from privacy concerns, the smart assistants inside our gadgets can be triggered accidentally–by someone else in the house or even someone speaking on television. Turning off the constant eavesdropping can help too, so we’re going to tell you how to adjust your devices to stop listening all the time.

Note that this won’t disable voice control completely. It does mean you’ll need to manually activate the virtual assistant when you want to chat to your gadgets.

On your phone

If you don’t want your Google Pixel phone listening for a “hey Google” 24 hours a day, head to the main Settings screen.

• Tap Apps, then scroll down and tap Assistant.
• Select Hey Google & Voice Match.
• Under This device, turn the Hey Google toggle switch off.

You can still launch Google Assistant for a chat by pressing and holding the power button on your Pixel phone. If you use a Samsung Galaxy phone, it’s the same process for Google Assistant. But if you’re using Bixby, select Bixby Voice and Bixby Voice settings when you get to the Apps screen.

Over on the iPhone you’re making use of Siri, Apple’s digital assistant. To stop your iPhone from listening out for a “hey Siri” command:

• Open up Settings.
• Choose Siri & Search.
• Tap Listen for, then Off.

That’s all there is to it—you’ll no longer be able to activate Siri hands-free. You can still launch Siri for a chat by pressing and holding the Side button (on the right of the iPhone as you look at it), unless you also turn this off on the Siri & Search page.

On your smart speaker

Smart speakers from Google, Apple, and Amazon will by default listen out for voice commands, enabling you to get the weather forecast or turn off your smart lights with a voice command. No matter what model of speaker you have though, you can tweak this behavior.

If you own a Google Nest speaker, you need to find the physical mic-off switch. On the Nest Mini it’s underneath, on the Nest Audio it’s on the back, and on the Nest smart displays it’s around the back at the top. Your speaker will play a message announcing the change. If you want to start talking to Google Assistant again, you need to flick the switch the other way.

On the Apple HomePod and the Apple HomePod Mini, you can just say “hey Siri, stop listening,” then confirm the change. Alternatively, you can use the Home app installed on your iPhone.

• Select your HomePod speaker from the front screen.
• Tap the gear icon (lower right corner).
• Choose Listen for “Siri” or “Hey Siri,” then disable the feature.

You’ll need to use the Home app to turn listening back on because the speaker will no longer be responding to voice commands automatically. To manually put your HomePod in listening mode, tap and hold on the top of the speaker.

If you’ve got an Amazon Echo speaker, as with the Google speakers, there’s a physical mic-off switch. Whether you’ve got an Echo with or without a screen, you’ll see a button showing a circle with a line through it—tap this to stop the device listening for a “hey Alexa” command.

You’ll hear a brief tone, the button will turn red, and you’ll see a red light at the bottom of the speaker or the speaker screen. If you want to chat to Alexa in the future on this device, you need to turn the mic back on again.

With the mic disabled on your smart speaker, you’ll still have access to the other features, such as the ability to stream music through it—you just won’t be able to control these features with voice commands.

The HomePod and HomePod Mini differ from the Google and Amazon speakers in that you can still talk to your speaker when it’s not actively listening, with a press on the top. With Nest and Echo devices, it’s a case of turning the mic switch on and off to fully disable or enable voice interactions.

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Voice notes can be a handy way of recording ideas and reminders while on the go. But in audio form, they have limitations: You can’t easily search through them, and you can’t quickly check them when you need to be quiet (in the library, for example, or next to a sleeping partner).

This is where transcribing comes in, enabling you to have both the voice recording and the written text available. It’s useful not just for recording your own musings but also for interviews, meetings, and other scenarios when typing is burdensome.

You’ve got plenty of apps to choose from for the job, and you don’t necessarily have to pay for the privilege either. We’ve rounded up the best voice note transcription tools that we’ve come across, along with the features you need to know, and how you can get started.

Google Keep (Android, iOS, web)

Google’s note-taking app does a fine job of recording your voice memos and attaching the text at the same time, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is impressive. Google Keep voice notes can be accessed in the app on Android, iOS, and the web, but bear in mind that you can only create voice recordings from the mobile apps, not on desktop.

To create a new note using your voice, tap the little microphone icon at the bottom of the app interface, then start talking. When you’ve finished, your note pops up on screen, with the text on top and the embedded audio underneath (tap the play button to hear it). You can then access the usual note options for adding a title, changing its color, and so on.

Aiko (iOS, macOS)

When it comes to Apple’s own apps, you can’t automatically transcribe text from a voice note in either the Notes or Voice Memos apps that come installed on your iPhone. However, you can use Aiko for iOS or macOS to convert recordings you’ve already made. It’s free to use, and powered by an AI engine from ChatGPT developer OpenAI. Your recordings are kept private on your device too.

When using the app on the iPhone, the opening screen gives you the choice of either recording voice notes directly into the app, or loading in clips that you’ve already created. After the transcription is completed, you’re able to copy the text to the clipboard, send it to a different app, or search through it with just a few taps on screen.

AudioPen (web)

There are no native mobile or desktop apps available for AudioPen at the moment, but the web app is beautifully assembled in its intuitiveness and simplicity, and you can use it on Android and iOS too. Just click or tap on the record button, and start talking—your clip will then be quickly transcribed while you wait, and added to your bank of collected notes.

You can copy the text to the clipboard or turn it into a shareable image suitable for social media. If you pay for AudioPen Prime ($75 a year), you get extra export options, the ability to edit your notes, support for note tags and folders, and the option to upload audio recordings. On a free plan, your recorded notes are limited to three minutes in length.

Pixel Recorder (Android)

Google Pixel phones come with a free Recorder app for Android that works well for recording voice notes and adding transcriptions automatically. Among the useful features it offers are the ability to identify different speakers in the transcript, and tools for easily trimming recordings.

You won’t be able to use Recorder on non-Pixel Android phones, but if you’re using a Samsung Galaxy handset, Samsung makes its own Samsung Voice Recorder app for Android. As with the Google equivalent, it’s super easy to get your voice notes recorded, with text transcriptions popping up alongside them as you talk.

Otter

As you move up to the more professional audio transcription apps and services, you’ll typically need to pay more money, but you get more features in return. Otter for Android, iOS, and the web will make short work of longer recordings, and is suitable for meetings, lectures, and interviews, as well as personal voice notes you make yourself.

You can do all sorts of things with your recordings when you’ve made them, including leveraging AI to pick out certain details. As a free user, you’re limited to 300 minutes of audio per month and 30 minutes per clip. If you need more, paid plans start at $16.99 per month, with bonuses such as enhanced searches.

The post How to turn your voice memos into text appeared first on Popular Science.

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Running Gmail in the cloud has some real benefits: You can get at your emails from a browser tab on any internet-connected device, you don’t need to install any additional software to access it, and all of your messages are safely backed up on Google’s servers, should something happen to your laptop or phone.

However, there might be times when you want local copies of your Gmail emails as well. Perhaps you’re expecting to be without regular internet access, or maybe you want to protect yourself in case Gmail on the web goes down. Maybe you just prefer the feel of a local email client.

You’ve got a couple of options for downloading your Gmail inbox and archive, which are useful in different ways. Note that following these steps won’t affect your emails in the cloud—they’ll remain where they are, unless you actively start deleting messages or decide to close your Google account.

Downloading Gmail emails to a local email app

If you use an email application running on your computer, like Outlook or Apple Mail, you can use it to get at your Gmail inbox through a standard protocol called IMAP (or Internet Messaging Access Protocol).

It means a selection of messages—usually from the last few weeks or months—are kept in sync with your local computer. Any changes made on the web are reflected in your local email client, and vice versa. Technically, it’s more syncing than downloading, but it does mean copies of recent emails will be stored on your computer as well as the web.

To make this work, first you have to enable IMAP from Gmail on the web:

• Click the gear icon (top right), then See all settings.
• Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, then select Enable IMAP.
• Click Save Changes to confirm.

On the same page you’ll see options for how the syncing between your local email app and Gmail on the web is handled, which you can also tweak. Perhaps the most important one is how deleted emails are handled. When you delete a message in a local program such as Outlook, on the web version of Gmail you can choose to have the message archived, sent to the Trash folder, or instantly erased.

With IMAP enabled, you can then add your Gmail account to the email program on your computer. The process for this will vary depending on the program, and we can’t cover them all here—but the option to add a new email account should be fairly prominently displayed.

Gmail is such a well-known service that most email apps will just ask you for your Gmail address and username, and then be able to get connected that way. You don’t need to fill out a long series of configuration options, which was the case in the past.

For example, for the default Outlook email app that comes as part of Windows 11:

• Click the gear icon (top right), then Accounts and Email accounts.
• Select Add account, then enter your Gmail email address.
• Click Continue, then follow the instructions to sign into your Google account.

After a few seconds, you’ll see that your Gmail account is added as a new option in the navigation pane on the left, with all of your Gmail labels represented as folders.

Downloading Gmail emails as an archive

The other option for getting Gmail emails on your computer is to download them all as a complete archive. This is more suitable if you want to keep a backup somewhere safe, and don’t need regular access to your messages in an app.

Head to your Google account on the web, then click Data and privacy, and scroll down to find the Download your data option. Click that link, and you’ll see you can download information from all kinds of Google services, from your Chrome browsing history to the notes you’ve stored in Google Keep.

• Click Deselect all, then select the Mail option.
• Select All Mail data included if you want to pick and choose which messages are included in the download (messages assigned to a specific label, for example).
• Click Next step, and you’ll be met with a series of options about how you want to get the download—you can get a link over email, or have it added to your Google Drive or another cloud storage service.
• Select Create export, and you’ll receive an email when the download is ready.

On the options page, you can also choose to have the same export generated automatically, on a schedule—handy if you want to back up your Gmail account every so often, without having to remember to do it each time.

Bear in mind that if you’re using a Gmail account provided by an employer or other organization, rather than a personal one, you might not have the option to download an archive of your emails. If that’s the case, the Mail entry simply won’t appear when you head to the Download your data page.

The archive download puts your emails in a format called MBOX. Clients such as Apple Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird can open these files, as can Outlook with a plug-in. Note though that this is a static archive, suitable as a backup: If you open the file in a local program, the emails won’t be synced to and from the web.

The post How to download all of your Gmail emails to your computer appeared first on Popular Science.

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Most of us rely on our smartphones many times throughout the day—for everything from banking to photo taking to chatting with friends—and that means losing a phone or having it stolen can be hugely stressful and annoying. It’s also worrying, considering so much of our lives is managed through these handsets.

We spoke to Steve Wilson, a Senior Director at security experts Norton, for some advice about what to do if you lose your phone. Norton develops a range of software for protecting user security and privacy, including Norton 360 Deluxe.

“Our smartphones and computers are more than just devices—they are often lifelines to our personal and professional lives, holding everything from sensitive emails to personal pictures,” says Wilson. “The moment you realise your phone, tablet or computer is missing can be stressful, but it’s crucial to take immediate action to protect your digital identity.”

And that “immediate” is important: Don’t panic, but don’t waste time. Work your way through these steps as quickly as you possibly can, and you should be able to minimise the security risks of losing your phone or having it stolen.

Put in the prep work

Put in some precautions in advance, and it makes the process of dealing with a lost or stolen phone significantly easier. First of all, your phone’s lock screen should be well protected, whether that’s through face or fingerprint recognition, or a lengthy PIN code. Head to Security and privacy in Android Settings or Face/Touch ID & Passcode from the Settings screen on iOS to make changes.

If your phone can’t be unlocked, your apps and accounts are safe—though someone else could still reset your handset and use it for themselves. You should also make sure everything on your phone is regularly backed up, from photos to messages.

[ Related: How to back up your iPhone ]

Both Android and iOS come with built-in backup options. You’ll often find backup settings built into individual apps as well, so you should make sure these are always turned on and functioning as intended—WhatsApp, for example, lets you back up your messages to the cloud, which also comes in handy when you’re switching between devices.

Note that Apple has now introduced Stolen Device Protection on iPhones, which you can access by tapping Face/Touch ID & Passcode and then Turn On Protection. It means that making important changes on your iPhone, such as changing your Apple ID password, require Touch ID or Face ID authorization, even if the phone is already unlocked.

[ Related: Protect all of your accounts with two-factor authentication ]

It’s also important to turn on two-factor authentication for all the digital accounts that support it (which is most of them now): It means that just a username and password isn’t enough to log into your accounts. All of these steps can be taken when you still have your phone with you, and you’ll be thankful for them if something happens to your handset.

Two-factor authentication puts an extra barrier in place if hackers try to access your accounts on another device, and while it’s typically handled with an app on your phone, you’ll still be able to access your accounts using backup methods (such as a link sent to your registered email address).

Access your device remotely

You should also make sure that your handset is registered on your phone’s integrated device tracking service: It’s called Find My on iPhones, Find My Device on Google Pixel phones, and SmartThings Find on Samsung Galaxy phones. You should be asked if you want to enrol your phone when you first set it up, and we’d recommend saying yes.

From the Find My app on your iPhone, the SmartThings Find app on your Samsung phone, or the Security and privacy page in Settings on a Pixel phone, you can make sure that your handset is being tracked, and see where it is on a map. You can also ensure that the feature is turned on if it isn’t already.

Of course, if your phone gets lost or stolen, you won’t be able to use it—but these services can be accessed from other devices too. 

For iPhones:

• Head to iCloud on the web.
• Pick Find My: You’ll be able to see the last reported location for your iPhone.
• Turn on Lost Mode (which gives whoever finds the handset information for getting it back to you).
• Finally, remotely wipe the device (which you should do if you don’t think you’ll get it back).

For Google Pixel phones: 

• Head to Find My Device on the web and you’ll find a similar set of options to the ones offered by Apple. 
• Click Secure device, and the device is locked and signed out of Google, but still visible on the map. 
• Click Erase device, and everything on the phone gets wiped—including its link to the Find My Device service.

For Samsung smartphones: 

• Open up SmartThings Find on the web. There,  you can get access to a map with the same options for your lost or stolen smartphone.
•  You can choose to lock it remotely if you think someone might find it and return it to you, or you can choose to wipe it remotely if you think it’s gone for good.

Protect your accounts

The lock screen protections on your phone should be enough to stop anyone else from accessing your digital accounts, and you also have the remote wipe options that we’ve mentioned above, if they’re enabled. The chances of someone accessing your phone’s email app or payments app are pretty small—but it’s always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to account security.

With that in mind, you might want to think about changing the passwords for your various digital accounts, from social media networks to cloud storage. That then prevents whoever has got your phone from changing them, because they won’t know the new passwords you’ve set up—and you won’t find yourself locked out of your own accounts.

Some services and apps let you disconnect the connection to your phone remotely. 

• For example, head to your Google account page on the web, then click Security and Manage all devices, and you’re able to see the devices that you’re signed in on. 
• To disconnect a lost or stolen phone and protect your account, select it and then click Sign out.

It’s also a good idea to notify other people about what’s happened. You can start with your mobile carrier, which will be able to put a block on calls and text messages for you, to make sure your phone isn’t used without your permission. It’s also a good idea to contact your bank as well, if you’ve been using your phone to access banking apps and other payment services.

We’d also say it’s worth getting in touch with friends and family too, just in case they get a message or call claiming to be from you, when it’s actually from the compromised phone. If you’ve put the right security measures in place, this would be very difficult for someone else to do, but again it’s better to be safe than sorry when you find yourself separated from your smartphone.

The post What to do before and after your phone gets lost or stolen appeared first on Popular Science.

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The beauty of smartphone photography is that you can just point and shoot and end up with a great-looking image most of the time, but this ease of use and convenience might mean that you haven’t fully explored all of the photo-taking options on your phone.

Flagship handsets in particular have a range of different modes and settings that you can take advantage of, from time lapse videos to portrait pictures. It’s worth spending some time exploring what’s on offer, so you can choose the right mode for each scenario.

These are the options you’ll see on iPhones, Pixels, and Galaxy phones when you open up the default camera app. Not every option appears on every model, but we’ll try and flag up the variations where we can.

Apple iPhone

Photo: Your standard photo-taking mode. You’ll see the zoom and macro options just above the shutter button, and you can tap anywhere in the frame to fit the focus and exposure on one spot. Holding your finger on the screen will cause the focus and exposure to lock on a specific area. So, if you’re trying to take a picture of a person against a bright background, you’ll want to lock the focus and exposure on their face so the camera isn’t tricked by a bright background into making your subject too dark.

Live photos: If you’re holding your iPhone in the portrait orientation, up in the top right corner is a button for toggling live photos on or off (it looks like a series of circles). Live photos capture a second or two of snaps, and pick the best one.

Portrait: This one’s for portraits, as the name suggests. It creates a depth-of-field effect, keeping the subject sharp and blurring the background. Use the dial just above the shutter button to switch between lighting modes, and when the cube on the dial turns yellow, you’re the right distance away from the subject. (You may see messages telling you to move further to or closer away from the subject.) Newer iPhones capture depth data with the regular photo function, so you can go back and create portrait-style images later.

Pano: This is the mode to go for if you want to take a panorama photo. The app will guide you in terms of taking each snap and then moving your phone, and everything will be seamlessly stitched together at the end–as long as you hold the phone relatively straight as you pan along.

Video: For recording videos, as you might expect. As with the default photo mode, zoom and macro options are displayed above the shutter button, and you can tap inside the capture window to fix the focus and exposure settings on a certain point.

Action: Assuming you’re holding your iPhone in its portrait orientation, when Video is selected on the iPhone 14 or later, you’ll see an action button in the top right corner (it looks like a person moving fast). Tap this to turn action mode on or off, which applies some video stabilization wizardry to your footage. It works impressively well.

Cinematic: When you’re in cinematic mode, video is shot with a shallow depth of field, and slower focus transitions. The mode is available on the iPhone 13 and later.

Slo-Mo: No prizes for guessing that this is the slow motion mode, which captures video at a high frame rate. That means that when you play the clip back at a normal frame rate, the action appears to move more slowly. You can even edit the effect after shooting.

Time-Lapse: Another impressive video feature on the iPhone is the time time-lapse mode, which takes photos at set intervals, and stitches them all together at the end. It’s perfect for capturing fixed scenes over a longer period of time.

Whatever mode you find yourself using the Camera app, tap the up arrow at the top of the screen to access various configuration options—such as the aspect ratio of the photos that you’re taking, for example.

Google Pixel

Photo: This is where you’re going to do most of your photo taking, and the zoom options are displayed just above the shutter button. If you want to fix the focus and exposure on one particular point, tap somewhere inside the frame.

Night Sight: Pixel phones are usually excellent at taking low light shots, and this is the mode to go for in that situation. Capturing a photo takes longer, but the results are worth it, as several different snaps of varying exposure are combined together.

Panorama: The mode to turn to for when you want to take a panorama shot. Instructions will pop up on screen to help you take several photos in a row, and keep them aligned. Your Pixel phone then stitches them all together as one finished whole.

Portrait: The portrait mode will focus on a subject that’s in the foreground (like a person), and blur the background slightly. If you then open one of these snaps in Google Photos, you can adjust the blur level.

Long Exposure: A long exposure shot keeps the phone ‘shutter’ open for longer, meaning you end up with a blurred subject (if it’s moving) and a static background, and it’s available on the Pixel 6 and later flagship Pixels. Think a blurred car driving across a static city landscape.

Action Pan: Action pan works in the opposite way to long exposure, blurring the background while keeping the (moving) subject in focus—so a clear and visible train inside a blurred tunnel. It’s available on all of the flagship Pixels since the Pixel 6.

Video: Tap on the video camera icon at the bottom of the screen to switch from photos to videos. The default video mode is the most straightforward, with zoom controls appearing just above the record button.

Slow Motion: Go for the slow motion mode, and when you start recording, your Pixel captures video at a high frame rate. Play the clip back at a normal frame rate, and that’s how the slow motion is achieved.

Time Lapse: Time lapse is the opposite of slow motion, capturing video at a very slow frame rate—so the finished video can show a sunset or something being constructed in a short space of time.

Blur: If you want your videos to look a bit more like they were filmed by the professionals, make use of the blur mode. It’s a bit like the photo portrait mode but for moving subjects, keeping the main focus of the clip sharp while softening the background, and you’ll find it on the Pixel 7 and later Pixel flagships.

Pan: The pan mode for videos will apply some extra stabilization tricks to your clips while also slowing them down slightly. If you want to create slow-moving pans that look like they were filmed on expensive equipment, use this mode.

On every photo and video mode, you’ll notice a gear icon down in the lower left corner (if your phone is being held in its portrait orientation). Tap this to access more settings, including top shot for photos, which captures several frames at once so you can pick the best one (or create a short animation).

Samsung Galaxy

Photo: This is the mode you’ll be put into first of all, with zoom controls just above the shutter button, and it’s great for most of your snaps. If a low light scene is detected, the night shot mode (where several exposures are combined) is automatically enabled—tap the crescent moon icon if you’d rather not use it.

Portrait: Opt for the portrait mode, and the camera app aims to detect the main focus of your shot, like a person or a pet. This subject is kept sharp, while the background is blurred—follow the instructions on screen to get the right distance away from your subject, at which point the circle on the right will turn yellow.

Video: The standard video mode on your Galaxy phone’s camera app will be fine for most use cases, and you get the zoom controls directly above the shutter button. Note the icon in the corner of the frame that looks like a box inside another box—this enables auto-framing, which automatically adjusts the video zoom to keep people in the shot.

More: As there are so many modes hidden behind the More option in the Samsung camera app, we won’t give them all their own section, but we will list them here for you. To start, Pro and Pro Video give you more granular controls over photo and video settings, while Expert Raw lets you shoot images in RAW mode.

Some familiar modes you’ll see are Night (for low light shots), Panorama (for wide panorama photos), Slow Motion (for slow motion videos), and Super Slow-Mo (for even slower videos). Food is an interesting one, and has been designed to make the colors of food pop in your images.

Hyperlapse is another name for time lapse, so you can cram a lengthy amount of time into a short video, while Portrait Video keeps the subject of your video sharp, while blurring the background.

Finally, on the Galaxy S21 and more recent flagships, Director’s View lets you capture video from multiple camera lenses at the same time, while Single Take lets you capture several seconds of video and then pick out the best static image—for the best results, keep the phone moving slightly around your subject.

Within all of these modes you’ll find settings that let you adjust options such as aspect ratio and photo and video quality—these pop up automatically as you switch between modes (at the top of the screen, if you’re holding it in its portrait orientation).

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Everyone will have their own preferences when it comes to watching videos on YouTube, whether that’s the playback speed (up to 2x) or the video size (from full screen to mini player). One of the available viewing options that you might not know about, because it’s rather well hidden, is ambient mode.

You can get to it through the YouTube interface on the web, as well as the mobile apps, and YouTube itself describes it as an “immersive” way of watching videos. It’s actually an extension of dark mode and it uses the colors in the video you’re currently watching to create a subtle wash around the edges of the video viewer.

At the very least, it’s worth trying—you might find you prefer it to the regular YouTube viewing experience. Here’s how to enable or disable the feature on the web or mobile—you won’t currently find it on devices like smart TVs or streaming dongles.

On the web

If you’re using YouTube on the web, you need to be using dark mode for ambient mode to work—that’s when the area around videos and thumbnails is black and the text is in white. To enable dark mode, click your Google account profile picture (top right), then choose Appearance and Dark theme.

Ambient mode is actually automatically enabled when you’re in dark mode, so you should start to see a wash of color around the sides of your videos as they play, based on the colors of the current video. Bear in mind that the effect can take a few seconds to appear, and it is quite subtle.

It’s also only visible in the default video view on YouTube on the web: You’re not going to see it if your videos are running in full screen mode (as there will be no borders around the video window), or in cinema mode (where the video takes up the full width of the browser tab). You can switch between default and cinema views by clicking on the icons that appear in the lower right corner when you hover the cursor over a video that’s playing or by tapping T on your keyboard.

To turn off ambient mode, you can switch back to light mode via the Appearance menu. Alternatively, you can stay in dark mode, but turn off the ambient effects: Click on the gear icon that appears as you hover the cursor over a video, then turn off the Ambient mode toggle switch (quickly toggling it on and off is a good way of seeing exactly what difference it makes on screen).

On mobile

If you’re using YouTube on Android or iOS, ambient mode can be enabled from the same page you’re watching any video on. Unlike the desktop version of the feature, it isn’t linked to dark mode—you can use it in either light or dark mode, though you might find the latter option looks more immersive on screen.

With a video playing on screen, tap on it to bring up the playback controls, then tap the gear icon (top right). Choose Additional settings, and the next screen will show a toggle switch for Ambient mode, which you can use to enable or disable the feature (which applies across every video you watch from that point on).

As with YouTube on the web, the effect can be quite subtle—with some videos, especially those that are dark and mainly monochrome, you need to look pretty closely to see it. In the standard portrait view (with the video at the top of the screen), you’ll see the color effects above it; in the landscape view (with the video almost full screen), the colors appear at either side.

The effects are the same whether you’re in light mode or dark mode, but you can change this too: Tap the You icon (bottom right), then the gear icon (top right), then choose General and Appearance: You can tell YouTube to use a light theme or a dark theme, or have it follow the lead set by your phone’s settings.

The post YouTube has a hidden ambient mode: Here’s how to turn it on (and off) appeared first on Popular Science.

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Ever had a song stuck in your head, but haven’t been able to identify it? Of course you have. It could be a hook or a lyric snippet you’re thinking about, but you just can’t name the song or the artist. This common predicament can lead to hours or even days of frustration, with the answer always just out of reach as the cogs in your brain whirr and grind. 

Well, tech is here to help: The song recognition tools that have been developed over recent years are able to match up patterns of music and lyrics. You might be surprised at the quality of the results that turn up with very little information.

A lot of the tools we’re covering here do dual duty—they can recognize songs that you hum or sing part of, and they can also name tracks if the official recordings are being played within range. We’re focusing on the first job here, but you might find the other music recognition features useful too.

Google Assistant and Siri

You can load up your favorite digital assistant on your phone or tablet and have it try and identify a song for you. Just load up Google Assistant or Siri, ask “What’s this song?” and try singing or humming a part of it, or saying some of the lyrics.

Google Assistant or Siri will then do their best to find a match. In our testing, Google Assistant is more adept at identifying songs from fragments, whereas Siri tends to need a lyric line or two. Of course part of the success rate is going to be down to the quality of your singing or humming.

Both these digital assistants do well at music identification when you’ve actually got the song itself playing—though most of the time that you’re playing a track, you’ll know what it is, unless it’s in the background of a film or show, or it’s being played in public.

Shazam and SoundHound

These are the two leading apps when it comes to identifying music: You can pick up Shazam for Android and iOS, and SoundHound for Android and iOS. As you probably know, these apps are adept at identifying songs playing around you, but they’re also able to pull up artist and track name info from audio fragments.

Both apps put music discovery front and center, and all you need to do is tap the big Shazam or SoundHound button on the app’s main screen to get it to start listening. You can try humming, whistling, singing, or reciting lyrics to get a match.

In our tests, SoundHound did a little better than Shazam on recognizing the songs we were trying to do a passable impersonation of—though there are a lot of factors at play here, from the uniqueness of the track, to how accurately you’re humming or whistling it.

Google and YouTube

If you can remember a few of the lyrics of the song you’re trying to identify, then typing them into Google (or your favorite search engine of choice) can often be enough to turn up the name of the track, assuming the lyrics aren’t too generic.

Approximations are okay too—we were recently able to use a Google search to identify a song with the lyrics “hustle to be free” even though what we’d typed in was “hustle to the sea.” Just enter as much as you can remember and see what comes up.

Another Google-owned app, YouTube, has the humming recognition powers that Shazam and SoundHound do. However, it’s only in limited testing at the moment, so it might not be available for you: In YouTube for Android, tap the search icon (the magnifying glass, top right), then the mic icon (top right), then Song.

ChatGPT and Copilot

Generative AI is pretty much everywhere nowadays, and it can be handy for identifying songs you’ve got stuck in your head. Tools like ChatGPT from OpenAI and Copilot from Microsoft can’t understand humming or whistling, but they can understand and combine lots of other bits of information.

For example, if you remember half a lyric, the style of the song, and the nationality of the singer, then there’s a good chance an AI tool will be able to give you an answer. Any kind of clue will help, from the era it was first released in, to where you might have heard it (on the radio or on the soundtrack to a film, for example).

We’ve managed to get both ChatGPT and Copilot to identify some pretty obscure songs based on details like what’s in the accompanying music video, and how many band members there are. However, you won’t always get the right answer—remember that these AI bots are far from infallible.

The post How to find that song stuck in your head appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you’ve bought a flagship-level smartphone in the last few years, chances are that it comes with an always on display: a display where various elements of the interface (like the time and date) are still visible even when the handset is locked.

While this feature uses up a tiny bit of battery life, it undoubtedly has its uses—letting you know what notifications you’ve missed or what weather you can expect in the near future, for example, without you having to pick up your phone.

You can also customize different parts of the always on display to get it working exactly the way you want it to and show the information that’s relevant to you—so you don’t have to settle for the default configuration.

Customizing the always on display on an iPhone

If you’ve got an iPhone 14 Pro, an iPhone 14 Pro Max, an iPhone 15 Pro, or an iPhone 15 Pro Max, then you have the option of an always on display: It’ll be set on by default, but you can toggle this by opening Settings and choosing Display & Brightness then Always On Display.

The same screen has toggle switches for Show Wallpaper and Show Notifications, so you can either show or hide these elements as needed. To change the length of time your iPhone waits before locking itself (and showing the always on display), pick Auto-Lock from the Display & Brightness screen.

Every other aspect of the always on display—like the widgets you see—will match your lock screen settings. To make changes, press and hold on the lock screen, then choose Customize to edit the current lock screen or + (the plus button) to create a new lock screen. You can have several different lock screen configurations if you want to, and then swipe between them as needed.

Tap on the time and date to change their appearance, and on the widgets bar (just below the clock) to choose your widgets—for weather, battery status, and so on. The icon down in the lower left lets you turn the lock screen depth effect or on off, while the icon in the lower right lets you choose between light mode or dark mode. For more details, check out our guide to editing the iPhone lock screen.

Customizing the always on display on a Galaxy phone

Almost all Samsung Galaxy phones released in recent years have an always on display feature—it’s something that’s been around on Android handsets much longer than it has on iPhones. To set how long it is before the lock screen and then the always on display kicks in, tap Display and Screen timeout from Settings.

To enable the always on functionality on a Galaxy handset (it’s off by default), open up Settings, then choose Lock screen and Always On Display. As well as Show always (so it’s always on), you can pick Show as scheduled—this lets you, for example, turn off the always on display at night to avoid distractions when it’s time to sleep.

Further down the same screen, you can set the brightness and orientation of the always on display, and choose whether or not to have music information (from the media player app you’ve most recently had open) on screen. Tap on Clock style, and you’re able to choose the appearance and the color of the time and date widget that appears when your phone is in always on display mode.

To edit other aspects of the always on display, including the style of notifications that show up underneath the time and date, press and hold on the lock screen to make changes. You’re able to show full notification previews or just icons, you can pick a new wallpaper backdrop, and you can change the shortcuts down in the corners of the display.

Customizing the always on display on a Pixel phone

All of the recent Pixel phones released by Google have an always on display, though there aren’t quite as many customization options here as there are with handsets made by Apple and by Samsung. The feature is on by default: You can control this via the Always show time and info toggle switch under Display and Lock screen in Settings.

There are no options to set the brightness level or to set a schedule for the always on feature. What you see on screen when the always on display is enabled is the same as what you’ll see on the standard lock screen that appears when your phone first locks itself—only the elements on the display will dim, and the wallpaper will disappear. To set how long it is before the lock screen appears, tap Display and Screen timeout in Settings.

The Lock screen page in Settings offers a few options that are useful: From here you can add text to the lock screen (and always on display), perhaps including your contact details in case your phone should ever get lost. You’re also able to change what the shortcuts on screen do, while the Dynamic clock toggle switch determines whether or not the clock size changes based on what else is on screen (like notifications).

For all the other options, like the style of the clock and how notifications are handled, choose Wallpaper and style then Lock screen from Settings. Swipe left and right to move between the different clock styles that are available, and tap Clock color and size to set how big the clock is on the lock screen (and therefore the always on display too).

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When you’re on the road, there are two main updates you’ll want to get: What’s happening with the traffic around you and what’s happening with the weather around you. Here, we’re going to focus on weather, and in particular, two apps that are now available for the Apple CarPlay system.

These apps offer real time radar views of current weather conditions, right on your car dashboard, so you can stay up to date with conditions on your route. Apple hasn’t made its own weather app available for CarPlay (though you can ask Siri for the forecast), so third-party developers really are plugging a gap here.

Obviously you’re going to need a CarPlay-compatible head unit in your vehicle for these apps to work: You can see a list here. You can connect your iPhone wirelessly or via a cable, and Apple has a dedicated set of instructions you can follow for getting connected.

Assuming that you’ve already got your iPhone successfully hooked up to your car’s dashboard, these two apps will appear in the app list in the CarPlay interface, once you’ve installed them from the App Store on your phone.

Weather on the Way

First up is Weather on the Way. This app has been built specifically with travel in mind. You can use it when you’re not getting navigation instructions, but it comes into its own when you are being directed to a destination, showing you how the weather conditions are likely to change as your journey progresses.

As well as showing you the temperature and weather conditions at key points along a route and handling the job of getting you from A to B, Weather on the Way also comes with radar maps showing precipitation levels and wind speed. It’s a handy way of getting an overview of conditions across a wider region.

When you’re in the navigation mode, you’ll be warned about weather alerts when needed—so if you’re going to hit a storm in 30 minutes, for example, the app will tell you. It’s a really useful option to have on your car dashboard for those journeys where you think the weather might be inclement and cause you one or two problems. And you can even choose routes based on the best weather conditions.

There are no real options to speak of here, just the map view with the option to have a route on screen or not. Using the buttons on the left of the display you can zoom in and out of the map and pan around, and while you’re navigating you can choose to see the route in its entirety or use a more traditional navigation view where the app focuses in on your current position.

You can use Weather on the Way for free, and get weather and temperature updates as you drive without paying anything. If you want to use some of the more advanced features, including the radar view and data such as road visibility, you’ll need to upgrade to a Pro account (from $4.99 a month)—though you can try out the Pro features for free first.

MyRadar

The other CarPlay app we’d like to draw your attention to is MyRadar, which keeps the radar view to the fore. When the app is loaded up on your CarPlay screen, you’ll be able to see current precipitation levels and wind speeds anywhere in the world, including your current location (or your next destination).

Some of the other useful added bonuses in MyRadar are the hyperlocal weather predictions and the rain warnings you can set up: It’s far better to know that there’s a storm rolling in while you’re on the road than be caught by it unexpectedly, and you might even be able to alter your route accordingly.

When you’re driving, you can opt to have the app follow your current position, or stay fixed in one place, and both modes are useful in different ways—for seeing the weather immediately ahead and for getting more of an overview of a broader area. There are a couple of different views to choose between, and a few tweaks you can make to the weather layers shown on screen.

With the app up on your CarPlay screen, the buttons on the left let you move around the map, or return to your current position. When you’re on the move, you can opt to have the map shown from directly overhead, or have it shown at more of an angle, in a view more reminiscent of Apple Maps or Google Maps.

A lot of the features in MyRadar are available to use for free, but you can pay to remove the ads inside the app, and access several advanced features including a hurricane tracker—which works exactly how you might expect. The cost per year varies depending on the features you want, but there is a free trial available.

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Gmail is a polished and feature-packed email client, but on its own–without its plethora of not-so-obvious capabilities–it doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to find it easy to manage all of the messages flooding into your inbox. Staying on top of emails remains a challenge for a lot of us—but if you dig a little bit deeper into Gmail, you’ll find more and more tools to help.

In the article, we wanted to focus on some relatively quick and simple email management tips you can use to avoid drowning in the email flood. There’s nothing too complex or time-consuming here–just little tricks that you might not have previously come across that can make a significant difference to managing emails in Gmail.

1. Add more labels

Remember that when Gmail first launched in 2004, its emphasis on labels rather than folders was quite revolutionary—so make sure you make the most of them. Emails can have multiple labels assigned to them at the same time, and you’re also able to create sublabels too, by clicking on the three dots next to a label then choosing Add sublabel.

On the web, labels can be applied from the menus at the top of the screen, or by dragging messages on to the label list on the web. They can come in handy for searches—use the “label:” prefix in the search bar at the top—and are useful in combination with filters too, because you can assign all messages that match certain criteria to one of your labels.

2. Use multiple email addresses

Another filtering trick is to make use of the multiple Gmail addresses you have. If your Gmail address is popsci@gmail.com, then emails sent to pop.sci@gmail, p.opsci@gmail, or anything similar will still get to you (the periods are ignored). You can also add a plus sign and a word before the @—like popsci+main@gmail.com to get even more addresses.

How is this helpful? Well, you can use these extra addresses when you’re filling out forms online or messaging certain people. On the web, click the filter icon (to the right of the search box), and you can set up a rule based on an address like popsci+main@gmail.com: You can automatically archive it, or star it, or label it, for example, through a filter.

3. Drag and drop between tabs

The Gmail web interface will show tabs for your emails by default—Primary, Promotions, Social, Updates, and Forums—and you can customize which ones show up by clicking the gear icon (top right), then Customize under Default. Note that messages in any tabs that you choose to hide from view will be moved into the Primary tab, which can’t be hidden.

While you might be familiar with these tabs, you might not realize that you can drag emails between them if Gmail’s algorithms get the sorting wrong. Just click on an email, then drag it up to a tab heading to move it to that tab—Gmail will also ask you if you want to categorize all emails from this sender like this in the future, and set up a filter for it.

4. Swipe to sort

Dragging and dropping emails between tabs is something you can do on the desktop web interface, but there are clever tricks for the mobile apps for Android and iOS to make use of as well. Did you know, for example, that when you’re viewing your Gmail inbox (or any folder in the app), you can swipe on emails to organize them without opening them?

Tap the menu button (top left), then Settings: You then need to go to General settings and Swipe actions (Android), or Inbox customizations and Email swipe actions (iOS), to choose what your swipes do. Left and right swipes can be configured separately, and you can pick from archive, trash, mark as read or unread, snooze, move, and mute options.

5. Learn the keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can speed up everything you do in Gmail, once you’ve learned them: You’ll be able to power through your email jobs without reaching for the mouse (or trackpad), or delving into menus. You can enable keyboard shortcuts on the web via the gear icon (top right), then See all settings, General, and Keyboard shortcuts on.

Some of the more helpful ones that we often make use of are E to archive an email you’re currently reading, R to reply to an email, and A to reply all. You can use C to compose a new email, / (forward slash) to run a search, and G followed by I to get back to your inbox from wherever you are in the web interface. Google has a full list you can refer to.

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It’s probably going to come as no surprise to you that YouTube is tracking what you watch, assuming you’re signed into your Google account: It means you can get back to favorite videos you want to see again, and it helps improve the quality of the recommendations that you get from the YouTube algorithm.

You don’t have to accept this default state of operations though. It’s possible to see your viewing history, to remove items from it (if you don’t want your kids’ YouTube obsessions to affect your recommendations for example), and to clear it altogether.

We’ll take you through all the options available to you, so you can tailor the way your YouTube history works,—and so you know exactly what’s being logged about your viewing habits over time.

Finding your viewing history

To find your viewing history on the YouTube website, open up the left hand navigation panel (if it isn’t already open) by clicking on the three horizontal lines (top left), then choose History. In the Android app, tap your profile picture (bottom right), then View all next to History; on iOS, tap the Library icon (bottom right), then View all next to History.

Assuming viewing history is enabled, you’ll then be shown everything you’ve watched recently on YouTube, with the most recent views at the top. There may well be a few videos you’ve forgotten about here; this is the place to go to if you want to rewatch something good or useful that you’ve seen lately.

If the video that you’re after isn’t listed, you’ll see a search box for your watch history that you can make use of. As far as we can tell, this searches through video descriptions as well as their actual titles, though it’s not as comprehensive as the main search function for YouTube as a whole (you don’t get any filters to narrow the results down, for instance).

If you’re viewing your history on the web, there’s a Pause watch history button: Click this to temporarily stop logging videos that you watch on YouTube, on any device or platform. When this feature is enabled, the option will change to Turn on watch history, which you can select to start recording views again.

There are all kinds of reasons why you might want to pause your watch history, especially if you share your computer with other people: Maybe your kids want to watch something, for example, or you need to research a sensitive medical condition, or a friend wants to briefly borrow your account. While your watch history is paused, video watches won’t be recorded and your YouTube recommendations won’t be affected.

Editing your viewing history

If you’re on the web interface, you can remove a single video from your watch history by hovering over it, and then clicking the X that appears to the right. If you want to get rid of everything you’ve ever watched on YouTube and start again from scratch, click on the Clear all watch history link on the right, then confirm your choice.

More options can be found by clicking on the three dots next to any video in the list: From here you can add a video to the current queue, save it to a playlist, or share it with other people. On mobile, the option to remove a video from your viewing history is included on this menu as well—just tap the three dots to see it.

On the YouTube website you’ll see some extra options for viewing your history of comments, community chat, and live chat responses—click on any of the links to see the details. You can also select Manage all history to see a detailed breakdown of everything you’ve done on YouTube, including videos you’ve watched and searches you’ve run.

Again, you can click the X buttons to remove something from your YouTube history—use the calendar or search buttons at the top of the list to narrow down the results. With the Delete button, you’re able to delete everything that you’ve done on YouTube today, everything that you’ve ever done on YouTube, or everything that you did on YouTube within a particular range of dates.

As with some other types of data stored by Google (including web searches and location history), you can have your YouTube activity automatically deleted after a certain time, without any manual effort needed: Click Auto-delete, then pick from 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months, if you want this feature enabled.

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After Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, next in line is Wi-Fi 7: The new wireless internet standard, also known as IEEE 802.11be, has now been officially certified and launched, which means it’s about to start showing up in consumer gadgets.

Wi-Fi standards are the responsibility of the Wi-Fi Alliance, an industry body that works in partnership with hundreds of technology companies—including Apple, Samsung, Intel, and Sony—to drive forward and regulate Wi-Fi development. 

Now that certification has been approved, you can start thinking about taking advantage of Wi-Fi 7 and upgrading to hardware that supports it. It brings with it a number of key improvements, which should mean faster, more reliable Wi-Fi at home.

The Wi-Fi 7 difference

Like earlier Wi-Fi upgrades, Wi-Fi 7 brings with it more bandwidth.  The analogy usually deployed here is cars traveling along a highway: More bandwidth means more lanes in which the cars can travel. Even if the data packets (the cars) aren’t actually traveling faster, there’s more room for them to move at once, which should mean less interference and congestion, and faster speeds around your Wi-Fi network as a result.

With the latest Wi-Fi routers, you have three frequency bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz, which are a little bit like different types of road (to keep the transport analogy). Data moves more slowly on the 2.4GHz band, but can travel further distances; whereas on the 5GHz and 6GHz bands, data moves faster over a reduced range.

Wi-Fi 7 doesn’t affect these bands, but it does affect the channels they’re made up of. Wi-Fi 7 doubles the bandwidth of the channels, up to 320MHz, but only on the 6GHz band (there isn’t the ‘room’ for more lanes to be built on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands).

From a practical standpoint, this benefits environments with many devices vying for bandwidth. So if you have tons of smart devices, streaming boxes, and other data-hungry gadgets vying for bandwidth, they will appreciate the extra room (once they’re compatible, of course).

Wi-Fi 7 comes with some other tricks too. Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (or QAM) is upgraded from 1K to 4K: In simple terms, that just refers to the efficiency with which data can be packed into the cars traveling along the Wi-Fi roads. The Wi-Fi 7 standard also brings with it some improvements in how data can be routed across two bands at the same time.

Another improvement comes with what’s known as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (or OFDMA), if you can cope with yet another bit of jargon. All you need to know from a consumer level is that OFDMA in Wi-Fi 7 is better able to chat to multiple devices at once, which should improve performance in places with a lot of gadgets wanting to get online at the same time.

Don’t worry if that all sounds very technical: Routers are built to handle everything automatically behind the scenes for you. The end result should be better Wi-Fi signals for your devices—signals that are faster and more reliable—and the capacity for more devices to be connected at once, thanks to those extra highway lanes. All these tricks mean cars can get from A to B more easily, and with more data on board.

How to use Wi-Fi 7

The arrival of a new Wi-Fi standard doesn’t mean that your existing gadgets or home internet is about to become obsolete—everything will carry on working as normal. However, you will start to see Wi-Fi 7 mentioned on phones, laptops, and other devices, showing that they’re capable of supporting the new standard.

In order to take advantage of Wi-Fi 7, you need to have a Wi-Fi 7 router installed, and be using gadgets that support Wi-Fi 7 too. Anything that is compatible with Wi-Fi 7 will also work with older Wi-Fi protocols too (just not at the same level of performance), so you don’t have to worry about changing everything in your home at the same time.

As with any Wi-Fi upgrade like this, bear in mind that Wi-Fi 7 won’t actually improve the speed of the broadband coming into your property—that’s something you’ll need to talk to your internet service provider about.

What Wi-Fi 7 will do is make sure that the internet speeds that you’ve signed up for are available to more gadgets at a greater distance, so you may well see certain pieces of hardware and certain rooms in your home getting faster internet speeds than they were before.

According to Netgear, you might get 4.8x faster speeds across all of your devices, once they’re all upgraded, though to some extent, performance depends on the Wi-Fi 7 router that you have installed. Even kit with a Wi-Fi 7 badge on the box won’t necessarily take full advantage of all the improvements that Wi-Fi 7 brings with it, so be sure to double-check spec listings if you’re planning on making the switch to the new standard.

It’s going to take a while for Wi-Fi 7 routers and other compatible gadgets to appear on the scene, but if you’re buying a new device from this point on you can start looking for Wi-Fi 7 support. Some routers, such as the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S, have already started appearing on the scene—though as we’ve mentioned, they will vary in terms of the Wi-Fi range they offer and the maximum number of devices they can connect to.

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Apple has designed its phones and computers to work together as seamlessly as possible.   Users who have both a Mac and an iPhone (and maybe an iPad and Apple Watch thrown in as well) enjoy some truly convenient synergies. That’s especially true for iOS and MacOS devices–iPhone apps will run on the Mac if you know how to set it up.

There are a few caveats to bear in mind: The developer of the iPhone app must have added Mac compatibility, and you must be running a Mac with an Apple chipset inside (so not one of the older Intel-powered ones). WIth those footnotes out of the way, you can get started with running apps on both platforms.

This comes in useful in a few different ways, not least because it enables you to use a phone app on a bigger screen, without having to keep pulling your phone out or unlocking it. Some iPhone apps have proper desktop apps or web apps to use of course, but sometimes the mobile app option works best.

Finding apps

If you open up the App Store on macOS, then click your name down in the lower left corner and switch to the iPhone & iPad Apps tab, you’ll see a list of all the apps you’ve ever installed on an Apple-made phone or tablet that can also be installed on macOS. Click on any of the items listed to take a closer look at its description and other information.

Those apps that are labeled with just “Designed for iPhone” or “Designed for iPad” and nothing else have also been optimized to work on macOS. Those that haven’t been optimized will also have a “Not verified for macOS” note next to them. You can still install these apps on your Mac, but the quality of the user experience may vary. 

With apps that don’t appear at all, that’ll be because the developer has opted out of making them available on macOS. This includes some of the big ones, such as Instagram and Google Maps—presumably because their developers want you to use the web versions of their apps instead.

To install an iPhone or iPad app on your Mac, just click the blue download button, which looks like a cloud with a downward arrow coming out of it. After the download has finished, you can then click Open to launch it. The app appears in its own window (which you may be able to resize), with its own menu options at the top.

You can also look for apps that you’ve never installed on an iPhone or an iPad: Click inside the search box in the top left corner, then type out the name of the app you’re looking for. On the results screen, you’ll need to switch to the iPhone & iPad Apps tab to find the apps developed first and foremost for iOS and iPadOS.

Running apps

Some iPhone apps are easier than others to run on a Mac—obviously you’ve not got the touchscreen functionality, so you might have to take some time working out the trackpad (or mouse) gestures and keyboard combinations that will enable you to control the app properly in its new desktop environment.

Apps that require a lot of typing are actually more straightforward on a Mac, because you’ve got a full-sized, physical keyboard. Take iOS apps such as Letterboxd or Airbnb for example: They both work on macOS if you don’t want to use the respective websites, and running searches or entering details is much quicker than it is on a phone touchscreen.

The macOS platform does give you a bit of help with touchscreen inputs: If you hold down the Option key on your keyboard, for example, you’re able to use a trackpad as a virtual touchscreen, which can make the control of certain apps and games more manageable. In most apps, clicks equate to taps, and swipes on a trackpad match swipes on a screen.

With an app running, you can click on its name on the menu bar and then choose Settings to configure it further: You can set how opening web links is handled under the General tab, while under Touch Alternatives you can set up different ways that touchscreen inputs are replicated on a keyboard (including the Option trick mentioned above).

Games designed for iPhones and iPads work in the same way as apps, so this is also a good way of enjoying some leisure time on your Mac. Well-known titles such as Crossy Road, Monument Valley, and Two Dots are available on macOS, for example, and are fairly easy to operate with a keyboard and trackpad (or mouse).

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Both Google Maps and Apple Maps are intended to help you get from A to B as efficiently and as safely as possible, and to that end they make use of crowdsourced data on anything that might get in the way of that: Road works, accidents, lane closures, hazards, and speed checks, for example.

We know these apps are smart enough to work out some problems such as traffic congestion on their own, because users will all be slowing down at the same spot. However, it also relies on drivers to report what’s on the road as well, to get a complete picture of what conditions are like.

You can take part in these community reports too, doing your bit to let other users know about problems on the road—these apps don’t just go off one person’s say-so, but if enough reports about something match up, then it’ll be reflected in what you see on the map as you navigate around.

Reporting incidents in Google Maps

You have to be in the navigation mode for Google Maps in order to report something. Tap the icon on the right, that looks like a plus symbol inside a speech bubble: This will bring up the report options. You can get to the same screen by swiping up on the estimated journey time (under the map), to show the Add a report option.

These may vary slightly depending on where in the world you are, but you’ll typically see options such as Crash, Mobile speed camera, Congestion, Roadworks, Lane closure, Stalled vehicle, and Object on road. There are no further options to set, but an Undo button is briefly displayed before the report is logged, if you change your mind.

You can also use your voice to make a report, which is the safer option if you’re driving. Just say “hey Google” and then the report you want to make—”there’s a crash here” for example. As long as your choice of phrasing makes it clear what you want to report, Google Assistant will understand what you mean.

If you’re using Android Auto, at the time of writing, there’s no way to report incidents—either by tapping on the screen or using Google Assistant—so you have to use your phone. It seems a strange omission by Google, but you will still see the incidents and hazards that have been reported by other users on your car’s dashboard.

Reporting incidents in Apple Maps

In Apple Maps on the iPhone, you can report incidents without being in navigation mode (if you’re just walking by, for example): Tap your account picture (next to the search box), then Reports, Report a New Issue, and Report an Incident. If you are in navigation mode, tap the route details underneath the map, then Report an Incident.

The three options are Crash, Hazard, or Speed Check, though they can vary by country. In navigation mode, your report is instantly registered at your current location, but if you’re not using navigation mode then you have the option to specify a location on the map. You can also add some brief written details and even photos to go alongside the report. Tap your account picture on the main maps screen, then Reports to see reports that you’ve previously logged.

All of this can be managed via Siri too, which is also a safer option if your eyes are on the road. Your phrasing doesn’t matter too much, as long as you clearly communicate the gist—”hey Siri, report an accident” or “hey Siri, there’s something in the road” would both be acceptable, for example. If you use Siri, the report is instantly registered.

If you’re using Apple Maps with CarPlay, then you can make use of Siri as described above. If you’re able to use the screen safely, when you’re not navigating, you can also tap on the little blue icon on the left (showing an exclamation mark inside a rectangular speech bubble) to find the report options. If navigation mode is enabled, tap on the route eta box to find the same report options.

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Most of us will find ourselves rather overwhelmed by digital photos these days: The ease with which pictures can be snapped by and stored on a smartphone means we can collect dozens or even hundreds of them per day, most of which we’ll never see again (unless they pop up in some social media recap of the year).

The sheer volume of images we accumulate now, coupled with the frequency with which we switch between multiple devices and share pictures around with friends and family, means that duplicates can quickly appear. Before you know it, you’ve got seven copies of the same meme or the same school photo of your niece on your phone.

Duplicate photos don’t really serve any purpose, other than to take up space on your smartphone (and your cloud storage accounts). Fortunately, weeding them out isn’t too difficult, and there are ways to attempt the task on both Android and iOS that don’t take a huge amount of time or effort.

Finding duplicates on Android

Android phones differ in certain ways depending on their manufacturer, but most Android users are likely to be using Google Photos. You may not realize it, but Google Photos actually has duplicate detection built in: If you try and upload an image that’s exactly the same as an image already in your library, then it won’t be saved. (You can test this feature by copying an image on a computer, and then trying to upload both copies to Google Photos on the web.)

If you do spot photos that look identical in Google Photos, they’re probably just very similar, or set to different sizes. It’s also worth bearing in mind that while Google Photos won’t upload the same photo twice to the cloud, this doesn’t affect the images stored locally on your phone, so duplicates might creep in here. For example, you might have taken a photo and then sent it on through a messaging app, which would create its own backup of the file.

To check for duplicate files (including photos) on an Android handset, you can use Files by Google. Open up the app, then tap the Clean icon on the toolbar at the bottom. If there are indeed duplicate files on your phone, you should see a prompt to delete them with a Select files button: Tap this and you can pick which duplicates you want to delete. To erase them all, pick All duplicates. Note that only the file copies will be wiped—the originals will be left intact.

Samsung offers a similar feature on its Galaxy phones through the Samsung My Files app. Scroll down on the front screen of the app, then choose Manage storage and Duplicate files. If there are any duplicates on your handset, you’ll be able to see them alongside the originals in a list: Select the copies that you want to get rid of, then tap the Delete icon at the bottom.

If neither of those options work for you for whatever reason, there are plenty of third-party tools for the job available on the Google Play Store. One of the best we’ve come across is Duplicates Cleaner. It is fast and free to use—though upgrading to the premium version will give you more advanced search tools and take away the ads.

Finding duplicates on iOS

Over on iPhones, we’re assuming that most people are going to be using the default Photos app that comes with iOS. If you’re using Google Photos, then what we’ve said before still applies: Duplicates can’t be uploaded to the web, even if you have somehow amassed duplicate images on your iPhone’s local storage.

If you open up Apple Photos on your iPhone, you can tap on Albums on the bottom toolbar, and then scroll down to Duplicates to check if there are any on your device. If there are, you’ll be able to see the original images next to the copies in chronological order, with the oldest at the top. Tap the three dots (top right) then Filter to show only photos, only videos, or both together.

Tap the Merge button next to any pair of duplicates to get rid of the extra one. Apple says it keeps the “highest quality version” of the picture and moves the rest to the Recently Deleted album, where they can be recovered if necessary. If you want to select more than one pair of duplicates at a time, tap Select at the top and then Select next to every pair that you’d like to merge.

Opting to select duplicates, rather than simply tapping the Merge buttons, gives you access to some extra features as well: Tap on the three dots in the bottom right corner (with one or more pairs selected) and you have the option to delete both copies of the image, copy them somewhere else, add them to an album, and adjust the metadata associated with them (like the date and time they were taken).

As on Android, there are numerous third-party apps that will do the job of hunting down and removing duplicate photos on your iPhone for you. Remo Duplicate Photos Remover is the best free option that we’ve come across on iOS, which makes short work of finding identical images on your handset and helping you remove them.

The post How to find and delete duplicate photos on Android or iOS appeared first on Popular Science.

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The start of a new year is a time to take stock, a time to make plans, and a time to get your life in better order—and you can, if you like, extend that to the home screens that appear whenever you unlock your smartphone. You’re most likely going to be spending a lot of time staring at these home screens as you navigate between apps and widgets. The better organized they are, the quicker you can get stuff done. 

The more apps you have installed, the more unruly and sprawling your home screens are likely to become, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Both Android and iOS come with features you can use to help bring some order to the chaos. Put aside a few minutes for the job and you’ll soon have your home screens in better shape.

Android

Different Android phone manufacturers take different approaches to home screen management, but some tricks work the same on almost all phones. For example, try dragging one app shortcut on top of another on the home screen: A new folder is created that you can drag more apps into. Tap on a folder to open it and rename it, and drag all the shortcuts out of a folder to delete it.

You can make more room for your app icons by creating more home screens—just press and hold an app icon, drag it to the far right of the screen, and a new home screen will appear–like a new, swipeable page. There’s a balance to be struck between having home screens that are too cluttered and having too many home screens, but you’ve got that flexibility.

On Pixel phones, tap and hold on a blank area of a home screen, then choose Home settings to make further changes. The next page lets you turn off the default behavior of adding home screen shortcuts for every app you install (for a more streamlined home screen). You can also tap Suggestions to have your phone create a bottom row of shortcuts on the first home screen, based on the apps you use the most.

If you’re using a Galaxy phone, press and hold on a blank area of a home screen, then choose Settings to find some configuration options: As on Pixel phones, you can prevent home screen shortcuts from appearing automatically for new apps you install. You can also change the grid size for your home screens and the folders on it.

Widgets are another way of keeping home screens organized: If you have at-a-glance information from an app (like the weather forecast), you may not need a home screen shortcut for it. Tap and hold on a blank area of a home screen, then choose Widgets to see what’s available (the list will depend on the apps you’ve got installed).

[ Related: The best sports widgets for iPhone and iPad ]

To remove an app shortcut from a home screen, press and hold on it, then drag it up to the Remove panel (on Pixel phones) or tap the Remove icon (on Galaxy phones). New shortcuts can be added from the app drawer, where all of your apps are: Swipe up from the bottom of the home screen to find it, then tap and hold on an app to drag a new shortcut to one of the home screens.

iOS

Over on the iPhone, you have your home screens, and also (if you keep swiping to the left) your app library. The app library is where all of your apps are, so you don’t need them all on your home screens too: To change where new apps are added by default, open Home Screen & App Library from the iOS Settings screen, then choose Add to Home Screen or App Library Only.

If there’s an app shortcut on a home screen that you only want in the app library, press and hold on the shortcut, then choose Remove App and Remove from Home Screen—the shortcut disappears, but the app is still available in the app library. You can’t customize the categories that the app library sorts your apps into, but you can use the search box at the top if you’re struggling to find something.

As on Android, just drag one home screen app shortcut on top of another one to create a new folder, which can help reduce home screen clutter further. If you open up the folder, you can rename it by tapping and holding on the current name, and remove apps by dragging them back out again. When only one app is left, the folder disappears.

To find more organization options for your home screens, press and hold on a blank area of any home screen until the apps start shaking. You can then tap on any – (minus) symbol to remove an app shortcut or widget, or tap the + (plus) icon in the top left to add new widgets. You can also drag app shortcuts around to rearrange them.

Tap the dots at the bottom of the screen while you’re in this edit mode, and you’re able to see all of your home screens: Uncheck any of the circles underneath to hide a particular home screen from view, which is handy if there are groups of apps you only use occasionally. Tap and drag on any of the home screens to change the order they’re in.

To add new home screen shortcuts, find the app you want to add a shortcut for in the app library, then tap and hold on it and pick Add to Home Screen from the menu that pops up. If the option isn’t there, then it means there’s already a shortcut for the app somewhere on one of your home screens.

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If you’ve followed the tech headlines in recent months, you’ve likely noticed the influx of artificial intelligence features and tools appearing inside many of our apps and gadgets. This phenomenon includes the excellent  Google Photos app. AI has long played an important role in Google Photos, doing everything from grouping images by the people in them, to brightening up dark spots.

With the launch of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones though, the AI capabilities leveled up. These two handsets are the first Pixel phones to support Magic Editor, a new photo trickery feature that lets you apply a variety of effects with a single tap—effects that would’ve previously needed a computer, Photoshop, and a lot of time and skill.

Magic Editor can move people from one spot to another inside an image, or remove people and other objects altogether. You can use it to change the look of the sky, and even introduce elements that weren’t in the original snap.

Google says that “select Pixel phones” (including the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro) now have “early access” to Magic Editor. Over time, it should come to more handsets—to see if you’ve got it now, open an image in Google Photos on Android, tap Edit, then look for the Magic Editor icon—a glowing button in the lower left corner.

Making changes with Magic Editor

If you do find the Magic Editor button inside Google Photos, your first step is to select something on the image to manipulate. Options include a person, an object, or even the sky. If you want the app to suggest something to alter, tap the suggestions icon—the magic wand symbol at the bottom.

To make a manual selection, you can scribble over something with your finger, or circle it, or just tap it—the AI in Google Photos will try and intelligently select what it thinks you want to select (this is obviously easier if it stands out from the background). If you need to, pinch your fingers out or in on the image to change the zoom level.

Once you’ve made a selection, you can refine it by adding or subtracting from the selection using the buttons in the lower right corner of the interface. You can also make multiple selections if needed, using the same techniques—handy if there are several objects you need to take out of a picture.

If all you want to do is rub out the people or items you’ve selected, just tap Erase. Alternatively, tap and hold the selection to do something else with it: You can move it to a different position, or you can make it larger or smaller by dragging two fingers further apart on the selection or bring two fingers closer together. When you’re ready to start processing, tap the arrow button in the bottom right corner.

Whatever operation you’ve chosen to do, the app will take a few moments to think and to work with what you’ve given it. If you’ve erased something, for example, generative AI will fill in the space that’s left. The app will display four different versions of the resulting image, which you can swipe between to see the differences.

If you’re happy with what Google Photos has done, you can press the checkmark button (lower right) to save a copy of the image. If you’re not happy, you can go back, or swipe all the way to the right and get the app to generate another four images based on the selections you’ve made.

After you’ve performed one magic edit, you can carry on and do others as well, until you like what you see. You’re able to wipe away passersby who have ruined your family photo, for example, or add in a more dramatic sky to a landscape shot, or bring your pet pooch more into the foreground, using the Magic Editor tools.

It’s all designed to be as streamlined and as accessible as possible, but do remember that this is an early version—it’s going to get a lot better and roll out to a lot more devices over time. In essence, it’s advanced photo editing in an instant, in your pocket, and another example of how quickly AI capabilities are progressing.

The post This hidden Google Photos feature on Pixel phones transforms images using AI appeared first on Popular Science.

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The name Fitbit has become something of a catch-all of just about any wearable fitness tracking device. The now-Google-owned company has earned that esteem by producing versatile, reliable, feature-packed fitness trackers and smartwatches that are simple to operate. There’s lots that these wearables can do.

Part of the appeal of a Fitbit device is that it’ll keep tabs on your activity and your fitness automatically while you wear it, quietly logging stats and syncing them to the app on your phone. But, you can also get more proactive with the Fitbit app by setting goals for yourself too.

That means you go from simply recording what you’re up to, to trying to meet targets. That may sound a little daunting, but you’re able to build up slowly and go at your own pace—and it can do wonders for your overall well being. Note: You should talk to your doctor before starting any fitness-related activities or programs to make sure you’re going to be helping yourself and not doing harm.

Setting your goals

Open up the Fitbit app for Android or iOS on your phone, then tap the You tab, and select See all next to the Goals heading. You’ll then get a list of all the goals you can set, and all the goals you’ve configured already—for those categories where you haven’t already put a target in place, you can tap Set goal to do just that. In some cases, the Fitbit app will have already put a goal in place for you.

There are more options for goal setting than you might have realized: Some relate to data automatically gathered by your Fitbit device (like energy burn), while others draw on data that you’ll have to log manually (like nutrition). Your options cover sleep, movement, weight, mindfulness, and more besides.

The exact procedure for setting a goal will vary depending on the goal type. For example, if you tap on Sleep duration, you can adjust the amount of sleep you want to log each night by tapping on the + (plus) and – (minus) buttons to set hours and minutes. Tap on Hourly activity, and you’re able to choose the hours of the day that count towards your goals.

You can jump back in on any of these goals and make changes as you go, if you find that you’ve been a bit too ambitious (or not ambitious enough). If you prefer, you can also make changes to your goals via the Fitbit web dashboard: Hover over the tile showing the goal you want to adjust, then click the cog icon.

Your Fitbit device also has a main goal attached—this is the one featured most prominently in the app and on the web. To set it in the app, tap the devices icon on the Today tab (top left), then pick your device and Main Goal—your options will vary depending on the device, but you can typically choose from Steps, Distance, and Calories.

Staying on track

Once your goals are set, you can rely on your Fitbit to track your progress. If you need to log something manually (such as water intake), tap on the + (plus) button on the Today tab inside the app, then choose whatever it is you want to log. You can also log activities manually if your Fitbit hasn’t picked them up.

The Today tab keeps you right up to date with how close you’re getting to your targets, with the pale green circles filling up with a darker green shade as you go. Tap on any of the stats (such as steps taken or distance covered) to get a more detailed breakdown, and to look back on previous days.

You can change the look of the Today tab if it’s not highlighting the goals you’re most interested in. Tap the pen icon (top right), then swipe left or right to work through the various layouts—there’s also a custom layout where you can pick exactly which goals are shown at the top of the screen. Further down the settings page you can show or hide particular metrics as well. Tap Save to confirm your choices.

The Fitbit app can send you notifications about your progress if you’d find that useful. To set them up, Tap your account picture (top right), then Fitbit settings and Notifications to make your choices. You can opt into a weekly summary of everything you’ve been doing, for example.

You might also find some encouragement from the achievement badges that appear inside the Fitbit app, which you’ll find on the You tab. Tap on the See all links next to any badge category to see the badges you’ve got, and those that you can still aim for—which might give you some additional motivation in hitting those goals.

The post How to set goals and track your progress on your Fitbit wearable device appeared first on Popular Science.

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As movies have become available for digital download or subscription-based streaming, the popularity of physical media has understandably dwindled. Best Buy’s recent announcement that it will no longer stock DVDs or Blu-rays provides an undeniable sign of the times. Digital is quicker, easier, and doesn’t require a trip out into the real world.

The digital model isn’t perfect, however, which makes owning Blu-rays (or even old DVDs) appealing here in the download era. Digital content doesn’t stick around forever—and you may well have noticed content turning up and then disappearing on your streaming service of choice. You’re only really renting access to a library that’s constantly shifting. You may find yourself debating whether you want to pay another four dollars to rent a movie that was on Netflix just two weeks ago.

Complex licensing arrangements can change suddenly and across regions. Even digital content that users “own” can get pulled from a platform completely, as has happened with the PlayStation Store. Imagine spending money to own a digital copy of a movie forever—and then finding it’s been taken away from you.

With all of this in mind—and with home internet connections under more strain than ever—perhaps we’ve abandoned physical media a little too prematurely. There’s still something to be said for building up your own collection of high-definition Blu-ray movies, which will always belong to you in perpetuity (and which will still work even when the Wi-Fi has gone down).

Watching Blu-rays on your TV is simple if you have a proper player (which includes the current Xbox and PlayStation consoles). PC playback requires a bit more work.  You need to make sure you’ve got the right hardware and the right software in place—and you’ll probably need to spend some money—but we’ll guide you through all the considerations.

How to play Blu-rays on a Windows PC

First of all, you’re going to need a Blu-ray player for your Windows PC—they’re not as ubiquitous as they once were, but you can still find them. If you’re buying a custom-made desktop computer, building your own from scratch, or already own one with a free 3.5-inch drive slot in it, then you can go for an internal option like the LG WH16NS40 or the Pioneer BDR-212DBK (both in the $80-90 range at the time of writing).

You will of course need to make sure that your motherboard has the necessary connections to hook up to the drive—SATA (Serial AT Attachment) in the case of the models we just mentioned—so if you’re not sure, get some advice from your local PC builder, or run a web search on your motherboard make and model.

If you don’t want to open up your existing desktop computer, aren’t building a new one, or have a laptop, then an external Blu-ray player is the way to go. Your options here include the Asus BW-16D1X-U ($140) or the Pioneer BDR-XD08B ($145): These drives simply connect up to your Windows PC via a USB cable, and then you’re good to go.

With a Blu-ray drive installed, and a Blu-ray disc of a movie you want to watch, all that’s left is the software. Unfortunately, Windows 11 can’t play Blu-rays natively, so you’re going to need some third-party software to do the job—and due to the video format licensing involved, you’re mostly restricted to paid-for options.

Both CyberLink PowerDVD ($70) and JRiver Media Center ($70) will do the job for you, and you can test them for free first. If you’re ordering a new custom-built PC with a Blu-ray drive included, you might be able to get the software bundled with it for a lower price—but that’s down to the discretion of whomever is building your PC. The good news is that those are one-off costs, and will give you years of Blu-ray watching.

You can watch Blu-ray discs through free software such as VLC Media Player, but it requires a lot of additional, manual work—see here for a comprehensive guide—and isn’t always guaranteed to function properly. If you enjoy tinkering around with software and video codecs, it might be something you want to try first before spending money on software.

The post How to play Blu-rays on PCs (and why you’d want to) appeared first on Popular Science.

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We spend a lot of time staring at the screens on our phones, and those screens are only getting brighter: The iPhone 15 can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, compared with the 1,200 nits of the iPhone 14 that came the year before. Of course, it won’t always operate at those eye-scorching levels, but illumination levels are constantly creeping upward.

While there’s no clear evidence between electronic screens and permanent eye damage, studies are beginning to link excessive phone use with eye strain, at least—and you don’t want to take any chances when it comes to your vision. The effect varies depending on your eyes as well. 

Aside from just using your phone less, these devices come with built-in tools to minimize the negative effects of prolonged screen time. For example, both iPhones and Android phones let you reduce the amount of blue light emitted in the evening—something that’s thought to disrupt sleep if consumed at the wrong times. You can find the blue light controls under Display & Brightness then Night Shift in Settings on iOS, and under Display and Night Light in Settings on Android, but here we’re focusing on a different tool: Screen Distance.

Screen Distance is new in iOS 17, so make sure your iPhone is up to date to make use of it. It’s included in iPadOS 17 as well, so it’s available on your iPad if you need it.

How Screen Distance works

The aim of Screen Distance is to make sure you’re not holding your phone’s screen too close to your eyes. There’s some research associating smart device use with myopia, or near-sightedness, and Apple has introduced Screen Distance to reduce this risk and the risk of eye strain in general.

To measure how far your eyes are away from your phone, the feature uses the TrueDepth selfie camera typically used for FaceID. Every premium iPhone since the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS, and the iPhone XS Max (all launched in 2018) has a TrueDepth camera on the front, with the exception of the iPhone SE, which doesn’t have access to Screen Distance. 

The distance that your iPhone will be measuring for is 12 inches or a little over 30 centimeters, and you have to be holding your iPhone closer to your face than that for “an extended period” of time before an alert will pop up on screen, asking you to move your handset further away from your face.

How to use Screen Distance

Screen Distance isn’t enabled by default when you install iOS 17, but you can turn it on by loading up Settings on your iPhone, then heading to the Screen Time menu. This is where you can manage options like daily time limits on apps and content and privacy restrictions, and it’s also where the Screen Distance feature can be found.

Tap on Screen Distance, and the iPhone will walk you through several pages describing what the feature is and how it works—these will only appear the first time that you enable Screen Distance. After that, you’ll be taken to the toggle switch where you can turn Screen Distance on or off. Note that for kids aged under 13 who are part of a Family Sharing group, Screen Distance is turned on by default.

You won’t notice anything different about the way your iPhone operates with Screen Distance enabled, until your handset gets too close to your face for more than a few minutes. An “iPhone is Too Close” message then covers the screen, and you’ll need to move your phone to arm’s length again to be able to tap Continue and to carry on using the device as normal.

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There’s nothing new about the practice of keeping a daily journal, and there’s nothing new about using a phone to do it—but what is new is Apple’s dedicated app for the job, called (appropriately enough) Journal.

Journal is rolling out now with iOS 17.2, so if you’ve not yet updated your iPhone to the latest software version, you’ll need to do that first. Journal will appear as a new app on your home screen and in your library.

The idea is for users to “capture and write about everyday moments and special events in their lives, and include photos, videos, audio recordings, locations, and more to create rich memories,” says Apple.

Here we’ll guide you through the features available in Journal right now, and why you might want to make use of it. Bear in mind that there are plenty of other great iOS journaling apps out there, including Day One, Moodnotes, and Daylio.

Getting started and options

Launch Journal from the home screen or the app library, and you’ll be introduced to some of its key features: Tap Continue when you’re ready to get started. Clearly your journal is going to look a little sparse until you’ve built up a few days’ worth of entries, but you can create new ones by tapping the large + (plus) button at the bottom of the screen.

At this point you’ll be asked if you want to turn on journaling suggestions: These are prompts based on how you use your iPhone, so they might be based on a FaceTime call you made with someone or a group of photos you took. You can turn them on, carry on without them, or customize the types of suggestions you get.

If you turn on journaling suggestions, you’ll be given some ideas for how to start an entry (with a photo memory for example)—or you can tap New Entry to start with a blank page. If you’re working without journaling suggestions, you’ll just be taken to a blank page, where you can start recording your thoughts.

To manage journal suggestions in the future, you can head to Settings: Pick Privacy & Security and then Journaling Suggestions to turn them on or off (or to turn some of them on). You can also clear the journaling suggestions history, if you’d rather this kind of information wasn’t stored on your iPhone (it’s never sent anywhere else).

Choose Journal from Settings and you’re able to control some aspects of how the app works. You can disable journaling suggestions for new entries (without actually turning the feature off altogether), you can choose to lock your journal behind a separate passcode, and you can choose whether or not to get regular prompts to write something on specific days at a specific time.

Creating and managing entries

When you create a new entry in the Journal app, you get a blank note: There’s nothing too much in the way of form or structure to guide you, so just start writing. Down at the bottom of the new entry screen you’ve got icons for adding photos, voice recordings, and locations to the note you’re creating.

You can also get some smart suggestions for what to include, if the journaling suggestions feature is enabled, by tapping on the icon that looks like a magic wand with stars around it. These suggestions will include writing prompts—you might get asked to think about someone special in your life, for example, or a favorite poem.

Tap the three dots up at the top of the journal entry screen and you can edit the date of the entry, if you need to—very useful for those days when you forget to make a note on the actual day itself, and need to catch up. You can also delete the note from here. You’re also able to bookmark notes using the icon in the top left corner.

Select Done when you’re happy with your entry, and you’ll be taken back to the overview screen, where your posts are listed in chronological order, with a small preview of their contents. You can, if you want, add multiple entries per day—if you need to edit or delete an entry you’ve already made, tap the three dots next to it.

Tap the filters icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner to show specific types of post: Those with photos or voice notes, for example, or those you’ve bookmarked. As you start to use the app in earnest, this filers feature will become more useful in terms of browsing back through previous entries.

The post How to get started with Apple’s new Journal app appeared first on Popular Science.

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You might already be familiar with widgets from your iPhone or Android phone—interactive panels that are something in between shortcut icons and full apps. Using these widgets, you can complete tasks like ticking off a to do list or starting up a playlist right from the home screen, without having to open up the relevant app first.

The same functionality is available on your computer desktop too. Both Windows and macOS let you drop in widgets for checking your schedule, keeping up with the news, showcasing your favorite photos, and much more. They don’t take long to set up, and can be useful in all kinds of ways.

Desktop widgets on Windows

You can bring up the widgets panel in Windows by pressing Win+W or by clicking the icon to the far left of the taskbar: The icon may look like a blue box and a white box, or it may show some dynamic information (like the weather or traffic updates). If the icon isn’t there, head to Personalization then Taskbar in Settings, and make sure the Widgets shortcut is enabled.

Even if you’ve never used the widgets panel before, you’ll see some widgets included. If you click the three dots in the top right corner of one of these widgets, you can hide it from view or pin it to the top. Some widgets will also have a Customize widget link, which lets you change what you see in the widget—the area used for the weather forecast, for instance, or the sports teams you want to see scores for.

To add a new widget to the panel, click the + (plus) button up at the top. You’ll be given a selection of widgets created by Microsoft to choose from, including ones for starting a focused session of work and linking your phone to Windows: Click Pin to add any of these widgets, or Find more widgets to see a broader collection in the Microsoft Store.

While these widgets are close to your desktop, they’re not actually on your desktop: For that, you need a third-party tool called Widget Launcher. If you open the Microsoft Store from the Start menu or from inside the widget panel, you can search for and install the Widget Launcher tool.

From the Home tab of the Widget Launcher, you can see the widgets that are available, covering everything from notes to clocks to calendars. When you find one that you like, click Launch Widget to add it to the desktop—then click and drag on it to reposition it. You’ll notice that many widgets come with a variety of customization settings attached, which you can edit in the Widget Launcher window or by clicking the cog icon next to an individual widget.

Desktop widgets on macOS

Widgets can live in a pop-up sidebar on macOS, which you can see if you click on the time and date up in the top right corner of the screen. They can also be added to the desktop as well, if needed: Ctrl+click on a blank area of the desktop, then choose Edit Widgets to browse through the available selection.

You’ll see there are plenty to choose from, but the exact list will vary depending on the applications you’ve got installed. Click on any entry on the left—like Reminders or Clock—to see the different shapes and sizes of widget you can pick from in that category. In Calendar, for instance, you can just have a badge showing the day and date, or see a more detailed list of your upcoming events.

Click and drag on a widget to position it on your desktop manually, or click the green + (plus) icon on a widget to have it neatly positioned on the desktop alongside other widgets. You can also drag widgets across from the pop-up sidebar (the desktop and sidebar selection don’t have to match, if you don’t want them to).

Ctrl+click on any widget on the desktop to change its size (if multiple sizes are available), and to edit its settings (if any settings are available). In the case of the weather widget, for example, you can choose between a small, medium, or large widget, and set the location for the weather forecast.
If you already use app widgets on your iPhone, you can quickly transfer these over to your macOS desktop as well: Open the Apple menu on your Mac, then pick System Settings and Desktop & Dock: Make sure the Use iPhone widgets option is enabled to see them on macOS. You can also adjust the Widget style setting to choose between monochrome and full color widgets.

The post How to add widgets to your desktop on Windows and macOS appeared first on Popular Science.

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Reminder apps play a larger and larger role in our increasingly busy lives. They work diligently away in the background to make sure we don’t forget groceries, anniversaries, chores, and whatever else might otherwise slip our minds.

There are a whole host of apps in this category to pick from, and of course that includes options from Google and Apple. Google offers  Google Keep, and Apple built its Reminders app directly into the software for  iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Macs, and the web.

While Reminders may look rather basic on the surface, it has plenty to offer, and it’s always close at hand on your Apple devices. Here we’ve collected a few of our favorite and tricks tips for getting the most out of the app.

For the sake of simplicity and brevity we’ve focused on the Reminders app on iOS, but the same features aren’t difficult to find on the same app in iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and through the online iCloud portal.

1. Sort your grocery lists

In iOS 17 (and the equivalent updates on other platforms), the Reminders app offers a Groceries list format.  You can choose this from the List Type selection when you create a new list inside the app, and the main benefit is you get your shopping items categorized for you.

Try adding new items to your list, and you’ll see that the app automatically moves them into subheadings like Bakery and Dairy. It should mean you shop more efficiently—whether you’re wandering around an actual store or ordering online.

2. Get reminders when you’re messaging

You might often find that your reminders are associated with a particular person. Maybe you need to ask them something or follow up on a previous conversation. Apple’s app has you covered in those situations

When you create a reminder (or if you tap the small “i” info button next to it after it’s created), you can turn on the When Messaging toggle switch and pick a contact. You’ll then get a notification about the reminder when you’re chatting with the relevant person in the Messages app.

3. Create list templates

If you’ve set up a list that works particularly well for you and that you think you’d like to use again, make it into a template. You’ll be able to add new lists in the same format and even share them with others.

To create a template, open up a list, tap the three dots in the top right corner, then choose Save as Template. A copy of the list in its current state is then made, and you can access it by going to the app’s front page, then tapping Add List and Templates.

Tap the info button (the small “i”) next to a template name to find the options for editing, sharing it, or deleting it. Tap on the template name itself to create a new version of this list, which you can then edit and work on independently as normal.

4. Make use of subtasks

Sometimes you’ll need lists within lists. For instance,  the reminder to pack your bags for a trip can include an actual list of things you need to bring. This type of scenario calls for subtasks

To create a subtask, tap the small “i” info button next to a reminder, then choose the Subtasks option. Alternatively, you can drag a reminder on top of another to add it as a subtask, or swipe right on a reminder and choose Indent—this makes the reminder a subtask of the reminder above it.

5. Build a smart list

Smart lists are great for pulling together a variety of reminders based on certain criteria such as the time they’re due, or a location they’re associated with. If you’re trying to manage a lot of different reminders and lists, it can be a big help.

When you create a new list, pick Smart List from the List Type drop-down menu, and you get a new Edit Filters option. Tap on this, and you can specify your filters, based on a reminder tag, date, time, location, flag, or priority. You can also limit the reminders that get included to those on specific lists that are already created.

6. Load up on widgets

If you’re using Reminders on your iPhone (or iPad), you can get even easier access to your lists and reminders by setting up widgets on the home screen. Press and hold on a blank area of a home screen, then tap the + (plus) button in the top right, then choose from the options under Reminders.

When iOS widgets first launched, they weren’t interactive—they just sent you to the Reminders app. Now though you can tick off items right from the widget without launching the app, which is much more convenient.

7. Get earlier reminders

When you create a reminder with a time and date attached, by default you’ll get a notification at that time or on that date (at 9am if it’s an all-day reminder). However, you can also get a reminder about your reminder in advance, if you need to.

When you’re creating a reminder, tap Date or Time on the Details page, then look for the Early Reminder option. You can also find it later by tapping the info button (the small “i”) next to a reminder.

Early reminders can be set for days, weeks, or months before the reminder is actually due. Tap on Custom from the drop-down list to make your own choice.

The post 7 tips for Apple Reminders to help you get your life together appeared first on Popular Science.

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Many of us spend hours each day interacting with a web browser like Google Chrome or Apple Safari. Those long sessions mean even small impacts on performance can end up making a big difference in terms of day-to-day productivity. Waiting just an extra half-second for each webpage to load can really add up over weeks, months, and even years.

Just like your computer in general, web browsers can slow down over time, as you start to do more and more with them. Whether that’s having more extensions installed or having more data cached to your computer’s local storage, it takes a toll.

You don’t have to just settle for this increasing sluggishness though, because there are ways to bring back the zippy performance that your browser had when it first started up. Some of these tricks are specific to one browser, but most work across the spectrum.

Installing updates

First and foremost you need to make sure you’re always running the latest version of your web browser of choice. This is so important that it’s now quite difficult to let your browser get out of date, in fact, without being nagged to install the upgrade.

Running the latest code means you have the newest features and the most up-to-date optimizations installed, and that you’re well protected against security exploits and nasty software bugs. It also means that your browser won’t get tripped up by any newer web technologies or complex web apps that it needs to work with.

Updates will be largely handled automatically, but you can check manually too. In Chrome, click the three dots (top right), then Help and About Google Chrome; in Edge, click the three dots (top right), then Help and Feedback and About Microsoft Edge. For Firefox on Windows, click the three horizontal lines (top right), then Help and About Firefox and in Firefox on macOS, open the Firefox menu and choose About Firefox.

When it comes to Safari, the updates for the browser are bundled in with updates for macOS. To make sure macOS is up to date, open the Apple menu, click System Settings, then choose General and Software Update.

Auditing extensions

There’s no doubt browser extensions can be very useful for getting around the web and doing more without having to launch another full program. But install too many of them and they will slowl things down. That’s especially true for add-ons that constantly analyze what you’re pulling up on the web.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to run a regular audit of the extensions you’ve got in-place. Remove the ones you don’t make a lot of use of (you can always install them again in future), and you should get a snappier browser as a result.

In Chrome, you can find your extensions by clicking the three dots (top right), then Extensions and Manage Extensions—use the toggle switches to disable add-ons, and the Remove buttons to uninstall them. With Firefox, you need to click the three horizontal lines (top right), then Add-ons and themes: Again, you’ve got toggle switches for enabling and disabling extensions, but you can click the three dots and Remove to uninstall them.

If you’re using Microsoft Edge for your browsing, click the three dots (top right), then Extensions and Manage Extensions to find the toggle switches (for enabling and disabling) and Remove buttons (for uninstalling). Finally, in Safari, open the Safari menu and pick Settings then Extensions—the checkboxes let you enable and disable the add-ons, and the Uninstall buttons let you remove them.

Enabling optimizations

This one is a bit more specific to your web browser, but most modern day browsers come with a feature or two that’s designed to optimize your browsing experience. Make sure you know what’s available in the browser you use, and how you can enable these features in the browser settings.

In Google Chrome, click the three dots (top right), then Settings and Performance: You can turn on Memory saver to ‘snooze’ inactive tabs and free up memory, and Preload pages, which loads pages you’re likely to visit next in the background. Switch to the System tab to enable hardware acceleration, which delegates more intensive visual and audio tasks to your computer’s dedicated graphics and audio components for more efficient handling. 

You can find hardware acceleration, tab snoozing, and a few other performance-enhancing features in Microsoft Edge by clicking the three dots (top right), then Settings and System and Performance. You can also choose a balance between power (using all your system’s resources) and efficiency (saving the energy demands of the browser).

Firefox has just one setting you should turn on: Click the three horizontal lines (top right), then Settings and General to find Use recommended performance settings, which enables hardware acceleration. In Safari, meanwhile, you can pick Safari, Settings, and Tabs to have inactive tabs automatically shut down after a certain amount of time, freeing up system resources.

Starting again

There is one more option here, which is to uninstall your browser and start again from scratch (although you can’t do this with Safari or Edge, which are tied to their operating systems). It means all of your extensions and personalized settings get cleared out, as well as any temporary data files that haven’t been properly cleared. This is like a fresh start for your browser, and it should mean it gets back to its original speed.

You can uninstall applications in Windows by opening Settings from the Start menu, then choosing Apps and Installed apps—each app has three dots next to it, that you can click to find the option to uninstall. Over on macOS, open the Applications folder in Finder to locate your browsers, then drag the relevant icons down to the trash can icon on the dock to remove them from the system.

If you get asked if you want to clear the data associated with your browser at the same time, you should say yes to this if you want a properly clean start, without any of the baggage that has built up. You can then take to the web to redownload your browser of choice and start the setup process again.

Firefox comes with a feature that lets you do a reset of the software (returning it to its original state) without actually having to go through the uninstall and reinstall processes. Click the three horizontal lines (top right), then Help and More troubleshooting information, and then Refresh Firefox.

The post How to speed up your web browser appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you’ve got an Apple HomePod or HomePod Mini installed in the place where you live, it will support Apple Music out of the box—but there are also a limited number of other streaming services you can switch to instead.

Changing the default music service means that Siri voice commands to hear artists, songs, albums, or playlists will be sourced through a different streaming app. There won’t be much difference in terms of your user experience—what you say and hear—but it will be a different platform serving up the tunes you want to listen to.

You can say “hey Siri, play…” followed by the name of a band, for example, or a particular genre of music that you want to listen to. In certain situations (or all the time, for some people), this feels more natural and convenient than tapping away on a phone.

Perhaps the main reason to do this is to access playlists you’ve created on your music streaming service of choice, but it also means you don’t have to subscribe to Apple Music to play music through your HomePod.

Music playing options

The HomePod speakers come with AirPlay built in, which means you can beam audio from a Mac, iPad or iPad with a few clicks or taps. You can play anything from any app you like, or from any browser tab you like—you just need to make sure your HomePod and the device you’re playing from are on the same Wi-Fi network.

On a Mac, start some audio, then click the Control Center icon on the menu bar (top right—it looks like two toggle switches). Click the AirPlay icon (the upward arrow and two circles) next to the volume level slider, then pick your HomePod from the list that appears to transfer playback duties.

On an iPad or an iPhone, open the app you want to play audio from, then start playing it. Open the Control Center by swiping down from the top right of the screen, then tap the AirPlay icon (the upward arrow and two circles) next to the playback controls—when your HomePod shows up in the list, tap on it to connect.

Supported music services

When it comes to talking to your HomePod and telling it what you want to hear with voice commands—rather than taking the AirPlay route—you can only pick from a certain number of supported services. More supported services have been added over time, but the selection may vary depending on where in the world you are.

At the time of writing, in the US, these are the supported music services other than Apple Music: Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, TuneIn, and YouTube Music. Oddly enough, Apple doesn’t publish a definitive list itself, but a quick web search will turn up the right results for you (and you can always check compatibility with a specific service in the same way).

The biggest name not on that list is Spotify, which, it would seem, is in no rush to enable a closer integration between the music platform and Apple’s smart speakers. If you want to listen to your Spotify playlists on your HomePod or HomePod Mini, then you need to make use of the AirPlay method as described above.

Changing the default music service

The music service that’s the default is the one that activates when you say “Siri, play…” in front of your HomePod. You can in fact use any connected service, but if you want to use something other than the default, you need to specify that: So something like “hey Siri, play Billie Eilish on Spotify” for example.

Connecting a service is usually done inside the specific music app you want to connect: Though the process differs slightly depending on the app, the option shouldn’t be too hard to find. In the case of YouTube Music for iOS, tap your profile picture (top right), then Settings, Connected apps, and Connect with HomePod. Other supported apps will have similar options on their settings pages.

With that done, you can use the music service on your HomePod with Siri voice commands. To set which streaming service is used by default, if you don’t specify one by name, open the Home app on your iPhone: Tap the three dots (top right), then Home Settings, then your name. You’ll see a list of all the music services you’ve connected and you can tap Default Service to specify the default one.

The post How to change the default music service on an Apple HomePod appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple pushed out iOS 17.1 to augment the host of new features we got in iOS 17. The new additions include some important changes to AirDrop, Apple’s short-range wireless tech which allows people to quickly share files between Apple devices and the new features are enabled by default.

These updates have implications for the way that you (and the people in your family) share information, so it’s important to know what’s different and how you can disable the new functionality if you want to keep everything on your iPhone locked down.

AirDrop continues to be a hugely convenient and reliable way of sharing files and data between Apple devices, but there are security and privacy issues that come along with it, and that you need to be on top of.

NameDrop

The first new feature in AirDrop is NameDrop, which takes the hassle out of sharing contact information: If you meet someone new who also has an iPhone, all you need to do is unlock your respective handsets and tap them together to bring up a prompt to share contact information.

When the prompt appears, you can tap Receive Only to receive the new contact details, or Share to receive the contact details and send yours back in return. Note that this only works for sharing information about a new contact—you can’t use it to update the details you already have about someone.

It’s of course important to stay up to date with these features, but don’t panic about news reports (some of which have been shared by local police departments) about strangers grabbing the contact details of kids. Nothing is shared automatically: The on-screen prompt must be manually accepted, and the iPhone must be unlocked with Face ID, Touch ID or a PIN, for anything to happen.

It is true that NameDrop is enabled by default once you’ve got the iOS 17.1 update installed on your phone. If you’d rather this enhanced contact sharing feature wasn’t switched on, open Settings, tap General and AirDrop, and turn off the Bringing Devices Together toggle switch.

Proximity Sharing

Next up is Proximity Sharing in AirDrop, which works like NameDrop but for photos and other types of files, not contact details. Essentially, it removes a couple of steps from the normal AirDrop process—just bring two iPhones close together if you want to share something between them.

Head into the Photos or Files app first of all, and get whatever it is you want to share up on screen. Then, if you hold the top of your iPhone next to the top of someone else’s iPhone, and they’re both unlocked, you should see an on-screen prompt to Share whatever it is—tap on this to initiate the transfer.

On the receiving end, the person you’re sharing something with needs to tap the Accept prompt on screen, just as they would with a regular AirDrop transfer. The feature can’t be used to start pushing photos, videos, or any other content to someone else’s iPhone without their permission.

Disabling this feature is the same as it is for NameDrop—go into the Settings panel on your iPhone, choose General then AirDrop, and turn off Bringing Devices Together. AirDrop itself can be turned on or off from the same screen, but Proximity Sharing works independently—you can have it switched on even if AirDrop is disabled.

SharePlay

The final feature that Apple has enabled for two iPhones that are pushed close together is SharePlay: This is a feature that means you can do stuff together with another person on your iPhones. Maybe you want to watch an episode of a TV show in sync, for example, or listen to a particular song together.

To begin with you need to be in an app that supports SharePlay—right now, these are mostly Apple apps, such as Apple Music and Apple TV. As time goes on, third-party developers have the opportunity to build the same tech into their own apps, so you’ll be able to use the SharePlay feature more widely.

All you need to do is open the content you want to share—like a song, a video, or a multiplayer game that works with Apple’s Game Center—and then bring your iPhone close to someone else’s. Tap SharePlay on your screen, and then there’s a confirmation prompt on the other iPhone that has to be accepted too.

The SharePlay feature can be accessed without bringing your phones together—if you’re on a FaceTime call with someone, for example—but the proximity option was added in iOS 17.1. AirDrop needs to be on for it to work via phone proximity, and you can make this via AirDrop under General in Settings. SharePlay can’t be disabled system-wide, but you can disable it in FaceTime by opening Settings and choosing FaceTime then SharePlay.

The post AirDrop changed big time in iOS 17, so check your iPhone settings appeared first on Popular Science.

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Billions of people currently use WhatsApp to chat on mobile, and with good reasons. The app is packed with features, offers end-to-end encryption for users, and provides a rich experience on multiple platforms.

If you’ve invested a lot of your messaging time into WhatsApp, then you’re not going to want to leave behind those chats when you upgrade to a new handset. Thankfully, WhatsApp has you well covered here, and the migration process isn’t difficult.

There’s even provision for making the typically difficult jump from Android to iOS or vice versa. The process of moving chats is different in each case, but no matter which devices are involved, it won’t take more than a few minutes.

Android to Android

You shouldn’t have much trouble restoring your WhatsApp messages on a new Android phone if your old phone is an Android device too. On your old phone, first make sure everything is backed up to Google Drive: Tap the three dots (top right), then Settings and Chats, then Chat backup. Hopefully you won’t need this backup, but you’ll be glad to have it if something goes terribly wrong.

Then, install WhatsApp on your new phone. Once you’ve signed in with your existing phone number, the app should recognize you have chats on another device that you might want to move over. Tap Transfer from the old device when you see the prompt to do this, follow the instructions, and you’ll get a QR code on screen.

You then need to go back to WhatsApp on your old phone, which will be ready to scan the QR code on your new phone. Once you’ve scanned it, accept the invitation to link the devices together, and you’ll see a progress bar on screen.  When you see the confirmation that the transfer is complete, tap Done and you’re ready to go on your new phone.

You don’t have to use this direct transfer method, but it does mean your chats don’t need to go to Google Drive and back. You can also restore a WhatsApp backup from Google Drive: This option automatically appears if you install (or reinstall) WhatsApp on an Android device, and log in with a phone number associated with an existing backup. Just tap Restore to bring your chats back.

iOS to iOS

As with Android-to-Android transfers, you don’t necessarily need a chat backup if you’re jumping from one iPhone to another, but we’d recommend that you set one up anyway.  On your old iPhone, open WhatsApp and choose Settings, Chats, and Chat Backup. Backups on iOS make use of Apple’s iCloud storage service.

Go back to the Chats screen, then choose Transfer Chats to iPhone and Start, and a QR code is shown on screen. Now you can turn your attention to your new iPhone, where you should install the WhatsApp app and set it up using your existing phone number. When that number is recognized, you’ll be prompted to carry on with the chat transfer process you’ve already initiated, so tap Continue to accept.

Scan the QR code that pops up on your old iPhone using your new iPhone. That gives WhatsApp all the information it needs to beam your conversations between devices, and you’ll see a progress bar shown on screen while this happens. When the transfer is complete, tap Next to carry on using WhatsApp on your new iPhone.

Should that not work as intended, you can restore a WhatsApp backup on iOS instead. The restore option only appears when you first install WhatsApp though (so you might need to uninstall and reinstall it): When you’ve registered your existing phone number, select the Restore Chat History message that appears on screen.

Android to iOS

If you’re going from Android to iOS, then the only way to move your WhatsApp chats over is to use the Move to iOS app for Android. It takes care of transferring data across a whole range of apps, including WhatsApp—it can also move across all of your Google contacts and calendars as well, for example.

Load up the Move to iOS app and just follow the instructions on screen—you’ll need to enter the code displayed on your new iPhone to confirm that you want to link the devices. The important screen is the transfer data screen, where you want to make sure that the WhatsApp option is selected, alongside any other types of data you need to move across.

The Move to iOS app will take care of signing you out on Android, and when you get the confirmation that the data has been sent over, you can go ahead and install and open up WhatsApp for iOS. As long as you log in using the same phone number you’ve been using, you should see a prompt to finish the transfer of conversations.

There’s no way to restore WhatsApp messages from a Google Drive backup (on Android) to WhatsApp on an iPhone—the Move to iOS app is the only option. You can, if you want, export individual chats from Android to an email archive (via Chats, Chat history, and Export chat in Settings), and start fresh on the iPhone.

iOS to Android

If you’re heading the other way, from an iPhone to an Android device, compatibility issues still create hurdles. WhatsApp on Android can’t read WhatsApp backups in iCloud, so you can’t simply sign in on a new phone and restore a backup. You can export chats to email (Chats then Export Chat in Settings), but again these can’t be restored on an iPhone.

What you can do is use the more general iOS-to-Android transfer solution that Google has built into Android, which covers a host of apps, including WhatsApp. However, you must do this when you start up your new Android phone for the first time, during the initial setup—there’s no option to do it later.

As you go through the initial setup process, connecting to Wi-Fi and so on, you’ll see a prompt to copy data from another phone: Make sure you choose Next here and not Don’t copy. Follow the instructions on screen, making sure WhatsApp is selected as one of the entries in the Apps section (it should be by default).

You’ll then need to connect your two phones with a cable: USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Lightning. The transfer utility will then take care of the process of moving all your apps and conversations over, though you’ll still need to log in using your existing phone number when you open WhatsApp on Android for the first time.

The post How to transfer your WhatsApp chats to a new phone appeared first on Popular Science.

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ChatGPT is rarely out of the news at the moment, and the engineers behind it are regularly pushing out new features and improvements to the generative AI chatbot—including, recently, new voice and image capabilities.

[ Related: ChatGPT can now see, hear, and talk to some users ]

In simple terms, as per the OpenAI blog post, these new capabilities mean ChatGPT can now see, hear, and speak. You’re no longer restricted to text prompts when interacting with the bot, although it’s worth noting that these features remain exclusive to paying ChatGPT Plus users for the time being. At first, only a limited number of users got the features as they were rolled out, but now every ChatGPT Plus user should have access. (On November 21, ChatGPT’s voice chat feature has been rolled out to all free users.)

As well as changing how you interact with ChatGPT, these new features also widen the scope of what it can do—read you a bedtime story, for instance. Here’s what’s new, and how to make the best use of it.

Chatting with ChatGPT

If you’re a ChatGPT Plus user and you want to talk to ChatGPT, you need to use the mobile app for Android and iOS (this functionality hasn’t yet been added to ChatGPT on the web). Once you’ve signed into your account and reached the main prompt screen, tap the headphones icon (lower right) to start a voice conversation with the bot.

You’ll get a splash screen explaining what the feature does, then you can tap Choose a voice to do just that. There are five to pick from, and if you select any of them you’ll hear a short preview. Tap Confirm when you’ve decided which one you want to converse with, and you’re then ready to start talking.

Speaking with ChatGPT is as simple as just talking to your phone. When you stop talking, the app will process what you’ve said and generate a response. You’ll often find that when it’s speaking, ChatGPT will end its response with a related question, to keep the conversation going—but you can always ask to talk about something else, or tap the pause button in the lower left corner to start a new chat.

If ChatGPT isn’t quite catching what you’re saying or recognizing your pauses as you talk, you can manually give it voice inputs, walkie talkie style, by tapping and holding the screen. Say what you need to say, then release your finger and the chat will be processed—it’s a more deliberate way of talking that you might find easier.

Think about ways in which spoken responses are better: You can get ChatGPT to tell you a bedtime story, for example, or a poem on a topic of your choice. As with text prompts, you can be as specific as you like about subjects or the tone. When you’re ready to go back to the main ChatGPT interface, tap the red and white cross icon, and you’ll see the responses you’ve been given in text format. 

Image inputs and outputs

You can now prompt ChatGPT using images, whether it’s on the web or via the apps for Android or iOS. On the web, click the paperclip icon to the left of the input box, then pick the image from your computer; in the apps, tap the picture icon to choose an image from your gallery or the camera icon to take a new photo (if you can’t see these icons, tap the + button to the left of the input box).

You’ll be invited to add a prompt alongside your image, and your options here are virtually unlimited. You can ask ChatGPT about what’s inside the image, for example. You can also take a photo of a problem—like a leaky faucet—and ask about the best way to fix it, or show ChatGPT the contents of your fridge and ask for suggestions on what meal to cook.

If you’re in the mobile apps, you can tap on the image before you add the accompanying prompt, and scribble around a particular part of it—this focuses ChatGPT’s attention on a particular part of the image, which can be useful for troubleshooting problems or getting clarity about something specific.

The image generator DALL-E (also developed by OpenAI) is now integrated inside ChatGPT as well. That means you can ask for new images to be generated, as well as using your own as prompts: Ask it to produce a landscape of rolling hills, or a grimy street scene at night, or a cartoon-style rendering of an interior location. You can also ask it to modify or build on an image you provide.

As with text prompts, the more specific you can be, the better—you can be really precise about what’s in your picture, and what style is used, and how color and shade is applied. So, you might say you want to see a cartoon-style picture of fields with a well in the foreground. Or, you might want a photorealistic portrait of a CEO-type figure, rendered in black and white. If you’re not happy with the first attempt at something, you can ask ChatGPT to make changes with further prompts. To save your creations, click or tap on the generated images to find the download option.

The post How to use ChatGPT’s new image and voice options appeared first on Popular Science.

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If your hands are full with groceries or books, or hanging on to a subway car handrail or dog leash, then it’s not easy to operate your Apple Watch in the normal way—by reaching over to tap the screen or pressing the Digital Crown.

That’s the thinking behind Double Tap, a new gesture available with watchOS 10.1. As its name suggests, it lets you tap your forefinger and thumb together twice, with the same hand that your watch is on, to operate the wearable without touching it. It means you can answer calls and browse through screens with one hand rather than two, and it promises to be very helpful.

For Double Tap to work, you do need the latest Apple Watch 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, because the AI smarts of the S9 chipset inside these models is required to recognize the gesture you’re making. You also need watchOS 10.1 (tap My Watch > General > Software Update in the Watch app on your iPhone to look for updates).

Older Apple Watch devices can still make use of a similar feature called AssistiveTouch, which is a more comprehensive way of controlling everything that happens on an Apple Watch with one hand. AssistiveTouch is available on every Apple Watch since the Apple Watch 4, including the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Using Double Tap

As soon as you’ve upgraded to watchOS 10.1, Double Tap should be enabled automatically and ready to go. You can turn it off, if you ever need to, by opening up the Settings app on your watch, then choosing Gestures and Double Tap, and turning off the Double Tap toggle switch.

To double tap, lift up your Apple Watch first, as you would do if you were checking the time. On the hand attached to the wrist where your Apple Watch is, bring your index finger and thumb together twice in quick succession. The only times Double Tap won’t work is when a Sleep Focus mode is active, or when the watch is in Low Power Mode.

What the gesture triggers will depend on what’s on screen. If there’s a call coming in, it’ll answer the call. If there’s a timer running, a double tap will pause it (and restart it). If a notification has come in, it will open the notification so you can read it. In general, a double tap will perform what Apple calls the “primary action” for the screen you’re on.

For a couple of functions, you can customise what a double tap does: When music is playing you can choose whether a double tap pauses playback or skips to the next track, and when Smart Stack widgets are on screen you can choose whether a double tap advances through the widgets or opens the first available one.

To change this functionality, open the Settings app on your watch, then tap Gestures and Double Tap. Select Playback and you can pick between Play/Pause and Skip, or select Smart Stack and you can choose between Advance or Select.

Using AssistiveTouch

Another way of using your Apple Watch with just one hand is to use AssistiveTouch, which is supported on every model back to the Apple Watch 4 from 2018 (including the Apple Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 9). It’s designed for people who are physically unable to use their other hand to operate their watch, but anyone can activate it.

AssistiveTouch covers a wider range of gestures, including a double tap, and is more comprehensive in terms of helping you operate the smartwatch. Activating it is more deliberate though: It doesn’t have the fluidness and ease-of-use of Double Tap, which uses machine learning algorithms to recognize wrist and finger movements. You can’t use Double Tap when AssistiveTouch is active.

To enable AssistiveTouch, open the Settings screen on your Apple Watch, then choose Accessibility and AssistiveTouch, then tap AssistiveTouch. On the same screen you can select Hand Gestures to change which gestures do what on the watch. AssistiveTouch can also be enabled from the Watch app on your iPhone, via Accessibility, then AssistiveTouch on the My Watch tab.

With AssistiveTouch enabled, raising your wrist will show a blue ring around the screen. You then need to clench your fist twice quickly to actually activate the gestures and switch to AssistiveTouch mode, where a focus ring appears on the first item on the screen (the ring indicates that something can be selected by AssistiveTouch).

The default actions include a thumb-and-index-finger pinch to move to the next item, a double pinch to move to the previous item, a fist clench to tap an item, and a double clench to bring up the action menu (where you can pick from actions like scrolling and pressing the Digital Crown). See here for a full guide to getting around all of the watch’s features and functions using AssistiveTouch gestures.

The post How to use Double Tap to control your Apple Watch without touching it appeared first on Popular Science.

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There’s a new feature in the Google Bard AI assistant: connections to your other Google apps, primarily Gmail and Google Drive, called Bard Extensions. It means you can use Bard to look up and analyze the information you have stored in documents and emails, as well as data aggregated from the web at large.

Bard can access other Google services besides Gmail and Google Drive as well, including YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Flights. However, this access doesn’t extend to personal data yet, so you can look up driving directions to a place on Google Maps, but not get routes to the last five restaurants you went to.

If that sets alarm bells ringing in your head, Google promises that your data is “not seen by human reviewers, used by Bard to show you ads, or used to train the Bard model,” and you can disconnect the app connections at any time. In terms of exactly what is shared between Bard and other apps, Google isn’t specific.

[Related: The best apps and gadgets for a Google-free life]

Should you decide you’re happy with that trade-off, you’ll be able to do much more with Bard, from looking up flight times to hunting down emails in your Gmail archive.

How to set up Bard Extensions, and what Google can learn about you

If you decide you want to use Bard Extensions, open up Google Bard on the web, then click the new extensions icon in the top right corner (it looks like a jigsaw piece). The next screen shows all the currently available extensions—turn the toggle switches on for the ones you want to give Bard access to. To revoke access, turn the switches off.

Some prompts (asking about today’s weather, for instance) require access to your location. This is actually handled as a general Google search permission in your browser, and you can grant or revoke access in your privacy settings. In Chrome, though, you can open google.com, then click the site information button on the left end of the address bar (it looks like two small sliders—or a padlock if you haven’t updated your browser to Chrome 119).

From the popup dialog that appears, you can turn the Location toggle switch off. This means Google searches (for restaurants and bars, for example) won’t know where you are searching from, and nor will Bard.

As with other Google products, you can see activity that’s been logged with Bard. To do so, head to your Bard activity page in a web browser to review and delete specific prompts that you’ve sent to the AI. Click Choose an auto-delete option, and you can have this data automatically wiped after three, 18, or 36 months. You can also stop Bard from logging data in the first place by clicking Turn off.

There’s more information on the Bard Privacy Help Hub. Note that by using Bard at all, you’re accepting that human reviewers may see and check some of your prompts, so Google can improve the response accuracy of its AI. The company specifically warns against putting confidential information into Bard, and any reviewed prompts won’t have your Google Account details (like your name) attached to them.

Prompts reviewed by humans can be retained by Google for up to three years, even if you delete your Bard activity. Even with Bard activity-logging turned off, conversations are kept in Bard’s memory banks for 72 hours, in case you want to add related questions.

Tips for using Bard Extensions

Extensions are naturally integrated into Bard, and in a lot of cases, the AI bot will know which extension to look up. Ask about accommodation prices for the weekend, for example, and it’ll use Google Hotels. Whenever Bard calls upon an extension, you’ll see the extension’s name appear while the AI is working out the answer.

Sometimes, you need to be pretty specific. A prompt such as “what plans have I made over email with <contact name> about <event>?” will invoke a Gmail search, but only if you include the “over email” bit. At the end of the response, you’ll see the emails (or documents) that Bard has used to give you an answer. You can also ask Bard to use specific extensions by tagging them in your prompt with the @ symbol—so @Gmail or @Google Maps.

[Related: All the products Google has sent to the graveyard]

Bard can look up information from emails or documents, and can read inside PDFs in your Google Drive. For example, tell it to summarize the contents of the most recent PDF in your Google Drive, or the contents of recent emails from your kid’s school, and it will do just that. Again, the more specific you can be, the better.

In terms of YouTube, Google Maps, Google Flights, and Google Hotels, Bard works more like a regular search engine—though you can combine searches with other prompts. If you’re preparing a wedding speech, for example, you can ask Bard for an outline as well as some YouTube videos that will give you inspiration. If you’re heading off on a road trip, you could combine a prompt about ideas on what to pack with Google Maps driving directions.

We’ve found that some Bard Extensions answers are a bit hit or miss—but so are AI chatbots in general. At certain times, Bard will analyze the wrong emails or documents, or will miss information it should’ve found, so it’s not (yet) something you can fully rely on. In some situations, you’ll get better answers if you switch over to Google Drive or YouTube and run a normal search from there instead—file searches based on dates, for instance, or video searches limited to a certain channel.

At other times, Bard is surprisingly good at picking out information from stacks of messages or documents. You can ask Bard “what’s the most cheerful email I got yesterday?” for example, which is something you can’t do with a standard, or even an advanced Gmail search. It’s well worth trying Bard Extensions out, at least briefly, to see if they prove useful for the kinds of information retrieval you need.

The post How to use Bard AI for Gmail, YouTube, Google Flights, and more appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

The Android versus iPhone debate continues to rumble on. But one thing is certain: Google’s phone software is still more versatile and customizable than Apple’s offering. Dig into the settings and discover Android’s secret capabilities, including a host of hidden features and useful tools. We’ve collected 12 of them here.

A quick note before we begin: Android has a wide variety of makes, models, and versions, which makes it difficult to find features that will be consistent across all devices. We only verified the following tips on stock Android 14—they should also work on related systems, but some of the menus and procedures may vary slightly.

1. Enable flash notifications for silent updates

Loud notifications are annoying, but have you ever heard a phone vibrating on a glass table? Somehow, it’s even worse. So whether you want to stay up to date with your texts in a quieter way or you’re hard of hearing, Android now allows you to set flash notifications, where your phone’s screen or built-in flash will blink to let you know there’s something new requiring your attention. 

To set it up, go to Settings, Accessibility, and Flash notifications. You’ll get two options: toggle the switch next to Camera flash to have the light on the back of your phone flash three times when you get a notification; or toggle the switch next Screen flash so that your device lets you know of any new messages by flashing a yellow overlay on your screen. You can enable either or both of them to get an even more effective visual alert. 

To see how they work, make your preferences and hit Preview. 

2. Run apps side-by-side

This feature has been around since Android 7.0 Nougat, but it’s one of the few users tend to forget about. This side-by-side or top-and-bottom app view (depending on the orientation of your screen) comes in handy when you want to display photos, optimize your social networking, or multitask.

To set it up, make sure both apps you want to see are already open. Then, open the app carousel by doing a short swipe-up gesture from the bottom of your screen. Find the recent app you want to use and press on the circular icon at the top of its preview. On the emerging menu, you should see a Split top option. Keep in mind that not all apps support this feature (like Instagram, for example), so if you don’t see this option, it’s because you can’t use it like this. If you see it, tap Split top, and the app will automatically position itself at the top or left of your screen. On the other side, you’ll see the app carousel, from where you can open a second app. This time, just swipe your way to it and tap on the preview to open it.

You’ll notice a thick black line separating both apps—from the middle drag it up or down to re-distribute your screen. To exit Split Screen mode, just drag the black line all the way up or down.

3. Lock phone borrowers inside one app

This is one of those Android tricks you need to know if you find yourself constantly lending your phone to a friend or young family member. Because if you do, you probably know that sudden anxiety that comes with the possibility of them going through your private information or posting to your social media accounts. 

App pinning lets you be generous without giving up your privacy and will lock one app to the screen until someone unlocks your device. Essentially, the user won’t be able to access any other parts of your phone without your credentials.

[Related: How to safely share your phone with others]

Screen pinning is easy to set up. Open Settings, go to the Security & privacy menu, scroll down to choose More security settings, and tap App pinning. Once you’ve turned on the feature, launch the app your friend needs to use and open the app carousel by making a short upward swipe from the bottom of the screen. Swipe your way to the app you want to pin and tap on the circular icon at the top of the preview. On the emerging menu, tap Pin. To unpin the app, swipe from the bottom of your screen and hold. This will lock your phone and you’ll have to enter your pattern, password, PIN, or biometrics to use it.

4. Activate one-handed mode

As today’s phones continue to grow in size, they become harder and harder to operate one-handed. So Google’s custom keyboard, which is the default option on certain Android phones, has a solution: A special one-handed mode that you can switch to with a simple shortcut. If you own a Pixel phone, this keyboard will be your default typing option. If you’re on a Samsung or LG phone, you’ll have to first download Google’s version and set it as your default keyboard (as demonstrated in Tip 7).

Open up the keyboard as normal and tap and hold on the comma key. Drag up to the right-hand icon to enable one-handed mode. The arrow lets you switch this smaller keyboard from side to side, the bottom icon lets you reposition it, and the top icon restores the full-size keyboard. Other phone keyboards may also have one-handed modes, but they can be harder to access than Google’s. Try looking up your phone model and searching “one-handed keyboard” to learn more.

5. Customize your experience with regional preferences

If you live in a foreign country either permanently or temporarily, you might find it frustrating that all apps and services are built to work according to that area’s specifications—metric units, calendar settings, etc. Some apps allow you to change these settings one by one, but that takes a while and you’ll have to do it all over again if you change phones, for example. 

This is why Android 14 debuted Regional preferences, a menu where you can change these settings at a system level so you don’t have to dive deep into each individual app. Find this feature by going to Settings, System, and then Languages. Once you’re there, open Regional preferences—you’ll be able to pick temperature units, number preferences, and the first day of the week. These changes will apply wherever possible within your device.

6. Choose new default apps

One of the differences between Android and iOS is that Google’s mobile operating system lets you choose different default apps for web browsing, texting, viewing photos, etc. A default app is the one that opens automatically when you try to do something on your phone—so when you click a link, for example, your default web browser app will automatically open it.

Take advantage of this flexibility by setting up the defaults as you want them. Head to Settings, go to Apps and choose Default apps. Select any of the categories on screen to see a list of installed apps that can take over default duties. For example, if you’d prefer to chat with friends via Facebook Messenger, rather than your phone’s built-in SMS app, you can make Facebook’s product your default messaging app.

7. Cast your Android screen

For a number of years, you’ve been able to broadcast your Android phone or tablet’s display to the larger screen of a television using a Chromecast. In addition to beaming video from all the usual movie and TV apps, this streaming device can mirror your phone. Take advantage of a shortcut in the Quick Settings pane especially made for this feature, which you can access by dragging down from the top of the screen with two fingers. You should find a Screen Cast option in this menu. If it doesn’t show up, swipe left on the Quick Settings menu for more options, or tap the pencil icon at the bottom to add the shortcut.

[Related: How to put video calls on your TV]

There’s also another way to set up mirroring. First, check to make sure you’ve installed the Google Home app for Android—you probably already used this program to set up your Chromecast. Open the app and choose your Chromecast and your device’s display should appear on the big screen. On your phone, tap Media and choose from Music, Video, Podcasts, or Radio and select a service to start streaming.

8. Make text and images more visible

If you’re struggling to see what’s on the screen—or, alternatively, if you want to cram as much content as possible onto the display and don’t mind doing a bit of squinting along the way—you can zoom in or out on text and objects. Not all apps will respond to these adjustments, but most of them will.

To change size settings, open Settings and go to the Display heading. From there, tap the Display size and text and drag the slider under Font size to make text larger or smaller as needed. Android 13 introduced a new slider on this menu—Display size. You can play around with it to make icons and the Google search bar chunkier.

9. Disable the lock screen at home

To keep your device safe, you need to set up a PIN code or biometrics scan to unlock your phone. But this makes it more inconvenient to access your apps. Google’s Smart Lock feature lets you remove this obstacle, giving you instant access to your phone—but only when you’re safely at home.

From Settings, tap Security & privacy, go to More security settings and choose Smart Lock. As well as disabling the lock screen when you’re at home (that’s the Trusted Places option), you can also disable the screen when your phone’s Bluetooth is connected to a trusted device, such as your car stereo unit, or when it detects you have it on you.

10. Change volume settings independently

Your device plays several different types of audio—including ringtones, notifications, alarms, phone calls, and media. If you’ve ever gone to the Settings menu and opened Sound & vibration, you’ll have seen that you can use individual sliders to adjust these audio types individually.

However, Android gives you a quick-and-easy shortcut. Tap the physical volume buttons on the side of your device to make whatever’s currently playing quieter or louder (if no media is playing, this action will adjust your ringtone volume). When you do, a small box will pop up on the screen, showing which volume setting is changing and how. At the bottom of that box, you should see three dots. Tap them, and the box will expand to show multiple volume sliders at once. This can save you a trip to Settings.

11. Bring back lost notifications

So you accidentally swiped away one of the notifications that you wanted to read fully and now you have a nagging sense someone emailed you, but are not sure. It happens. If you want to review all of your recent notifications on Android, you’re in luck. This ability is possible—though the option isn’t easy to find.

[Related: Switching from iPhone to Android has never been easier]

Tap and hold on an empty part of the home screen, and a screen-adjusting mode will pop up. Choose Widgets, and find the Settings shortcut. Drag this icon to an empty space on one of your home screens, drop it in place, and a list will automatically pop up. Choose Notification log from the list and tap the icon to open up Android’s notification history.

12. Get an always-handy magnifying glass

Other than changing display options and making icons and text bigger, Android 14 introduced a new feature that lets you magnify specific parts of your screen. To enable it, go to Settings, Accessibility, and Magnification. Start by toggling on the switch next to Magnification shortcut, which will introduce a red magnifying glass button to the right of your screen.

Whenever you need a little help looking at text, pictures, or animations, you can summon the Magnification tool by tapping the red icon. An orange frame will appear on screen, zooming into the display portion underneath it (just like a magnifying glass), and you’ll be able to move it wherever you need it. If the default zoom is not enough, use your thumb and index fingers to expand the view even more. Tap the red icon again to disable the tool.  

This story has been updated. It was first published in 2017.

The post 12 hidden Android features you should be using appeared first on Popular Science.

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One of the new iPhone functionalities ushered in with the arrival of iOS 17—like offline Apple Maps support—is StandBy mode. This feature turns your iPhone into a small smart display that will show you everything from calendar appointments to your favorite photo albums.

Perhaps the obvious use of StandBy mode is to turn an iPhone into a bedside clock, displaying the current time and even dimming the display once the lights go out. But there are plenty of other ways to use it.

StandBy mode is available on iPhones running iOS 17—that’s the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max launched in 2018, and every handset that’s appeared since.

If you have a Pro or Pro Max version of the iPhone 14 or 15, your device can display StandBy permanently on screen. On other models, you’ll need to wake the display to see it: You can do this by tapping the display or waving your hand in front of it.

How StandBy mode works

You can enable StandBy mode by going to StandBy on the Settings screen and turning on the StandBy toggle switch. If you’re using an iPhone with an always-on display, use the Always On toggle switch to determine whether StandBy mode stays permanently on the screen.

[Related: 6 great features to try out on iOS 17]

To have StandBy mode activate automatically, charge your iPhone and prop it up on its side and at an angle (so not flat on a surface). Once your device meets all of these conditions, StandBy mode turns on—the first time that happens you’ll see a message explaining what StandBy mode is. By default, you’ll see clock and calendar widgets appear first. To quit StandBy mode, simply pick up your phone, lay it down flat, or remove it from the charger.

The feature works with both wired and wireless charging, but MagSafe chargers have a bonus functionality: StandBy mode remembers how you’ve configured it on each separate charger, so you can have different setups for different rooms (the bedroom and the kitchen, for example).

Customizing StandBy mode

Swiping left or right on the StandBy mode screen cycles through the different views available to you. There’s a widgets screen, a photos screen, and a clock screen, and on each one you can swipe up and down for different configurations.

On the widgets screen, the display is split in two so you can swipe up and down on them separately to scroll through the available widgets. You can pick from the weather forecast, your upcoming calendar appointments, and any active reminders.

Long press on the widgets screen to remove add-ons from the list (via the minus button) or add new ones (via the plus button). The widgets you see will depend on the apps installed on your phone, but there are a bunch of native ones built into iOS to get you started.

Other than the widgets available to you, you’ll see other options similar to the ones you have for widgets on the home screen. Smart Rotate will intelligently change the available widgets based on the time of day and your usual habits, and Widget Suggestions will add in widgets based on the apps you already use a lot.

A long press also unlocks options on the photos screen, allowing you to choose a particular album in your gallery that’s different to the images StandBy mode chose for you.

A long press on the clock screen brings up the available options of that particular view, but as of yet, there’s no option to add a new clock face.

Back on the StandBy screen in iOS Settings, you can customize the StandBy feature in a few more ways. The Show Notifications toggle switch determines whether incoming notifications appear in StandBy mode—enable the Show Preview on Tap Only option underneath if you’d rather not have previews (like the first lines of messages) appear on screen.

[Related: Hand gesture reactions are one of macOS Sonoma’s coolest new features]

You can also tap Night Mode and enable the Night Mode toggle switch. This feature dims the display and turns everything on it red whenever your iPhone detects it’s in a dark environment. That way, StandBy doesn’t stop you from getting to sleep. The same screen has a Motion To Wake toggle switch: Keep it on if you want to be able to wake the screen with a wave, or turn it off if you find your nightly tossing and turning is constantly lighting up the display while you’re in bed.

The post Turn your iPhone into a bedside clock with StandBy mode appeared first on Popular Science.

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Whether it’s to save messages for posterity, troubleshoot problems, capture memorable gaming moments, or run tutorials, the ability to take screenshots is so essential that it’s built into Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

ChromeOS, Google’s operating system for their Chromebook laptops, is no different and has easy-to-use tools to grab screenshots and screen recordings. The OS also provides some basic integrated editing tools for your captured content if you need them.

Start by launching the screenshot toolbar

Taking screenshots on a Chromebook will require you to summon the screenshot toolbar. There are several ways to do this, so pick the one that works best for you. 

Newer Chromebooks come with a dedicated screenshot key—it looks like a circle inside a rectangle and you’ll find it up on the top row of the keyboard. As you might have suspected, pressing this button brings up the screenshot toolbar at the bottom of the screen.

[Related: The best cheap Chromebooks in 2023]

If your Chromebook doesn’t offer this option, you can try the overview key: This is also on the top row of the keyboard, and looks like a rectangle with two vertical lines next to it. This key brings up an overview of all your open windows, but if you hold down Ctrl+Shift and then press it, the screenshot toolbar will appear.

Finally, you can get to the screenshot toolbar by bringing up the Quick Settings panel. Click the clock in the lower right corner of the screen and on the emerging menu, click the Screen capture button.

Customize how you take screenshots on ChromeOS

No matter how you brought up the screenshot toolbar, once it’s open, your options are then the same. On the far left of it you can click either the camera icon or the video camera icon to switch between the ability to take screenshots and screen recordings.

The next three icons to the right let you grab different portions of the screen. Choose the first one to capture the whole screen, the second one to select part of it, or the third one to grab an image of a specific open window. Further to the right is a cog icon that opens the screenshot settings—most of them relate to videos, but you can also choose where in your Chromebook you save your screengrabs.

If you’re making a recording, you’ll be able to include audio from the Chromebook microphone, the feed from your webcam, along with clicks and presses from your mouse and keyboard. These are all useful options if you’re recording a tutorial or a gaming session, for example.

With everything set up the way you want, it’s time to take a screenshot or start a screen recording: For full screen captures, click anywhere on screen; to grab a specific part of the screen, use the crosshair tool to select a portion of it, or if you want to capture a single app window, just click it.  Your Chromebook will snap screenshots instantly, but for videos, you’ll see  a countdown before recording  starts. You can stop them whenever you want by clicking the red button on the shelf at the bottom of the screen.

Editing your screenshots on Chromebook

When you finish capturing a screenshot or screen recording, a small pop up appears in the lower right corner of the screen—click it to see the image or video stored on your Chromebook.

[Related: Revive your old computer by turning it into a Chromebook]

The pop up for screenshots also has an Edit button on it, though you don’t get this with screen recordings. When you click it, the image will open in the basic screenshot editor included with ChromeOS: Hover over the icons at the top to crop and rotate the picture, resize it, add annotations, or change the exposure, contrast, and saturation. 

It’s the annotation tool labeled Draw that’s perhaps most useful for screenshots. A new pane pops out on the right, showing different pen types and colors. Once you’ve made your choices here, you can start scribbling on the image. Click Done when you’re happy with the changes, or Cancel if you don’t want to save them. There’s also a link to launch the image in Google Photos on the web, where you’ll find more editing options.

The post You should learn how to take screenshots on a Chromebook (and edit them) appeared first on Popular Science.

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Spam’s everywhere: even when you’ve dealt with the junk mail coming through the post and the unsolicited messages clogging up your email inbox, you’ve still got to deal with the spam you get through SMS and other messaging services.

Fortunately, today’s smartphones and messaging apps come with built-in tools for limiting the amount of spam you see. This means that with a little work, you can keep your conversation lists clean and free from junk.

But before technology can do the heavy lifting for you, help it help you by being more careful with your mobile number. To prevent it from ending up in sketchy marketing lists, don’t put it on forms or in any kind of communication if you can help it, and keep it away from your social media profiles on the web.

How to fight spam on iOS’s Messages

The default Messages app on iOS, covering both basic SMS texts and Apple’s iMessage service, lets you block specific numbers: Tap the name or number at the top of any conversation, choose Info and Block this Caller. Blocked texts won’t show up for you at all, but the sender won’t know they can’t reach you. To manage the numbers you’ve blocked, go to Messages and Blocked Contacts from the iOS Settings screen.

[Related: Why it’s still so tricky to track spam calls and texts]

You can also have Messages filter out spam automatically, though this ability only works on texts you receive through Apple’s own iMessage service. From iOS Settings, go to Messages and enable Filter Unknown Senders. This will create a new Filters link at the top of the conversation list in Messages: Tap it to see messages from known senders, unknown senders, or all messages together. This might include new numbers that are not yet in your contact list, so it’s a good idea to check the unknown senders folder from time to time in case you miss anything.

You can also report junk messages to Apple, which doesn’t stop the sender from texting you, but it gives their information to both Apple and your carrier. The company doesn’t explicitly say what good this does, but we’re assuming repeat scammers end up on some kind of blacklist. To report junk, swipe left on a conversation in Messages, tap the red and white trash button, then pick Delete and Report Junk.

How to fight spam on Android’s Messages

For Android users, Google’s Messages should be their default platform for both SMS and RCS texts. This app has built-in anti-spam protections that will automatically detect spam and move it out of your way, but it’s not on by default. To turn on this feature, open Messages, tap your profile picture (top right), go to Messages settings and tap Spam protection.

To see messages that have been filtered out in the app, tap your profile picture, then Spam and blocked. From here, you can tap the three dots (top right), then Blocked numbers to see the current blacklist. While Messages often deals with spam automatically, if the platform isn’t sure about a text, you’ll see a “suspected spam” dialog appear at the top of the message when you open it. If this is indeed an unwanted message, tap Report spam on the dialog to get rid of it.

If the Messages app hasn’t picked up on a spam message, press and hold on it in the main conversation list, then tap the block icon at the top (it looks like a crossed-out circle). Finish by choosing OK on the emerging dialog box to block the number and move the message to spam. The emerging box also gives you the option of reporting the sender’s details to Google, which helps it better detect spam messages in the future.

Fighting spam on WhatsApp

If WhatsApp for Android or iOS is your messaging app of choice, you can deal with spam messages without much fuss. On an iPhone, press and hold on a message in your conversation list to find the Block option. On an Android phone, press and hold on a message on the list, then tap the three dots (top right) and hit  Block.

This will prevent the person behind this number from sending you any more messages. On both Android and iOS, you’ll also see an option to report the sender to WhatsApp as well as blocking them. This means they’ll be known to WhatsApp as a potential spammer, and the platform might ultimately take action against them.

To see the numbers that you’ve blocked, and reinstate them if necessary, tap Settings, Privacy, and Blocked on iOS, or the three dots (top right), Settings, Privacy, and Blocked contacts on Android. WhatsApp won’t identify or filter out spam on your behalf, so it’s up to you to manage this list of contacts.

How to fight spam on Facebook Messenger

Unlike WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger for Android and iOS does attempt to do some kind of spam filtering. Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right of the interface and choose Message requests—you’ll see the messages from people who you aren’t currently friends with or that Facebook Messenger thinks might be spam. Occasionally, you might find genuine messages in here, so it’s worth checking every now and again.

Messages in your main chats list are from people you’re friends with on Facebook, so in theory there shouldn’t be any spam here. But there are exceptions—maybe a spambot has been impersonating a friend of yours, or a scammer has gained access to their account. In that case, verify their identity through other forms of contact and let them know of the situation.

If you go into a conversation with someone, then tap their name at the top, you’ve got three options for dealing with spam or unwanted messages. The first one is Restrict, which won’t result in you blocking the person, but Facebook will auto-archive their messages and won’t send you notifications about them. The others are Block, where the person will no longer be able to message you, and Report, where you’re reporting the account to Facebook for spam messages or something else.

Fighting spam on other messaging apps

We don’t have the space to cover every single messaging app here, but if you dig around you’ll find similar options to these in other platforms. You’ll at least get the ability to block and report spammers, even if your messaging client of choice doesn’t have its own spam filter installed.

[Related: Scammers busted in India for impersonating Amazon and Microsoft tech support]

If you use Instagram for Android or iOS to message people, you’ll see a Requests link at the top of your direct messages inbox—this is where the platform puts messages from people you’re not following. Meanwhile, you can block and report spammers whose messages get through from inside individual conversations: Just tap the sender name at the top of the chat to find the options.

Over on Signal for Android or iOS, messages from senders who are not in your contacts are flagged up as requests, though they still appear in the main chat list. When you open them, you can accept the message or block the sender. To block someone not flagged up in this way, tap the sender name or number at the top of a conversation and choose Block on the next screen.

The post Stop spam texts with some help from your favorite messaging app appeared first on Popular Science.

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Everything that makes email so convenient—free messages, quick delivery—also makes it susceptible to spam. With only a list of addresses (widely available online), professional spammers can merrily bombard their victims with as many messages as they like, and they have a host of automated tools to help them expand their volume and slip past filters.

It’s time to fight back against the deluge. Here are five strategies for banishing junk email and learning how to stop spam emails for good.

1. Train your spam filter

These days, most email clients include some form of spam detection. Your provider will automatically red-flag messages that seem worthless or fraudulent and move them to a special folder where you can review them later. However, these filters will work a lot better if you tell them when they chose well or made a mistake. In other words, the spam filter isn’t an end-all solution for getting rid of spam emails—you can configure its settings and actions to improve its performance. If you’re trying to figure out why you’re getting junk mail in your inbox despite having a spam filter enabled, you probably need to train it a little more.

For instance, every time you open an email in the Gmail web app, you’ll see a Report Spam button (it looks like a stop sign with an exclamation mark inside it) at the top of the page. Click this when you encounter any message that managed to sneak past Google’s spam filters. On the other hand, if you check your Spam folder and find a genuinely useful email, open it and click the Not spam button at the top of the page or the Report not spam banner in the email itself.

[Related: Why you should use whitelists to manage your email]

In Outlook, you mark a message as spam by selecting it in your inbox, selecting Report from the toolbar at the top, and clicking on Report Junk. When you’re browsing the Junk Email folder, restore a flagged message to your inbox by selecting it, clicking Report, and choosing Not Junk.

Just about every email client will include options like these. Simply dig into the settings or review the buttons that appear on the page.

2. Unsubscribe from unwanted messages

Many items that we think of as spam—such as newsletters and emails about deals—do aim to make your life better. However, these well-intentioned messages add up, cluttering up your inbox until they become stressful. Rather than deleting them en masse, look for unsubscribe links to stop receiving emails from that source.

These links usually appear at the bottom of an email—because most of the time, the sender doesn’t really want you to unsubscribe. If you do take time to hunt down these links, they often direct you to a page that asks you to confirm your decision. Once you do so, most sources will respect your wishes and remove you from their mailing lists. For Gmail users, this process is even easier, because if Gmail detects an unsubscribe link in the body text, it displays that link prominently at the top of the email. You can enjoy the same automated action in the Mail app on iOS—it will copy any unsubscribe link in the body text and display it at the top of the email, near the toolbar.

Another option is Unroll.me, a third-party service that scours your inbox for messages from mailing lists and gives you the option to unsubscribe in one click. If you’d like to keep receiving updates, but would prefer to see fewer of them, Unroll.me can condense all of those emails into a single daily message that’s easier to digest. The extension works with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, AOL mail, iCloud, Hotmail, MSN, and Live Mail. Although it’s free and it will help you stop unwanted emails, it makes money by collecting anonymized email data on shopping trends, so be aware of that if you plan to sign up.

3. Use an alternative email address

A lot of unwanted messages make their way into your inbox when you order a product or subscribe to a mailing list—and then the company automatically signs you up to receive unwanted marketing updates or shares your contact information with an advertiser. One workaround for this problem is to create an email alias or a secondary address that you can use for some of these web activities, such as online shopping or hotel booking.

While another email address won’t stop spam from arriving, those unwanted messages will appear in a secondary email account rather than your primary one, keeping your main inbox free from clutter. If you already use Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook, or Mail.com, you can set up a decoy account for free, following the same process you used to establish your original account.

[Related: 4 tips to help you achieve “Inbox Zero” in Gmail]

Depending on your email client, you may not need an entirely new account. Many clients will accept variations of your existing email address. For example, Gmail addresses ignore dots, so emails sent to “johnsmith@gmail.com” and “j.ohnsm.ith@gmail.com” will both arrive at the same inbox. Your emails will also come through if someone sends a message to your email address followed by a plus sign and extra words—so messages addressed to “johnsmith@gmail.com” and “johnsmith+extra@gmail.com” will both land in your inbox.

Why is this helpful? It means you can enter a variation on your current email address whenever you sign up for or buy something, and then create a filter to corral anything sent to that address in its own folder. To create a filter in Gmail, click the settings button (cog icon) on the top right, followed by See all settings and then Filters and Blocked Addresses. Click Create a new filter, enter your tweaked address in the To field, and then decide what you want to do with these types of emails. You could mark them as read immediately, archive them, slap a shared label on them, or some combination of these actions.

4. Download third-party extensions to stop spam emails

If a lot of junk mail slips through your email client’s spam filter, try adding a third-party app to supplement it. This type of service nabs messages as they travel between an email server (the cloud where messages are stored) and an email client (the display where you actually see your messages).

For a free option, we like the effective, easy-to-use Mailwasher. You just plug in your email login details, and this service applies a series of intelligent filters to identify unwanted messages. You can review the captured emails online before they show up in your inbox. For more features, including access to the app version of Mailwasher and support for more than one email address, you’ll need a Pro account, which costs $50 per year.

On macOS, users recommend SpamSieve ($40 with a free trial available). Like Mailwasher, it relies on an intelligent filtering system that gets smarter over time by recognizing the messages you agree are spam or mark as safe. As it adjusts to your preferences, it will only let genuine messages through.

The free SpamCop service works slightly differently. It allows you to report bad actors to internet service providers (ISPs) so they can block these messages at the source. While it requires more effort—you’ll need to report the unsolicited mass emails you receive—you can find help on the SpamCop website. You also get the pleasure of knowing that your efforts are helping others.

5. Protect your email address

We’ve already spoken about setting up a second email address to take the brunt of the spam you receive. In addition, you should aim to keep your primary address as secret as you can. That means hiding it from public pages, such as your personal website or your Twitter profile, where bots and scammers can collect it.

If your job requires that you make your contact information available, try writing out your email address longhand—something like “John Smith at Google’s email service”—whenever you need to display it on the web. This format makes sense to a human, but an automated bot won’t recognize it as an email address it can collect. You’ll often see this tactic on online contact forms.

In addition to collecting email addresses with bots, some email marketers will use what’s called a tracking pixel, or related technology, to figure out which email addresses are valid. This means they’ll send messages to a variety of addresses, and as soon as a real person opens one of these pieces of bait, the sender will receive a confirmation that the address is in use. To keep your contact information private, avoid opening messages you know are spam—just trash them directly.

Another way to fight tracking pixels is to turn off images—if images won’t load, neither will tracking pixels. Gmail users can also lean on the Ugly Email extension, which highlights emails that contain trackers.

Because marketing methods evolve constantly, neither of these options are 100 percent foolproof, but they can still reduce the number of bad actors who get their hands on your email address.

The post How to stop spam emails from destroying your inbox appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

The Meta Quest 3 could lay claim to being the best VR headset around right now, but it actually combines both virtual reality (completely enclosed digital worlds) with mixed reality (where digital elements are mixed with the real world).

With so many types of experiences available on the latest headset from Meta, there are a lot of features and settings to dig into if you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your wearable gadget. Let’s get you started.

You can cast to a phone or a computer, as long as all the devices are on the same WiFi network. On a phone, you’ll need to be logged into the Meta Quest app for Android or iOS: Tap Menu, then Casting to start the show. On a computer, head to oculus.com/casting in a web browser, log into your Meta account, and follow the instructions.

Casts can be initiated from inside the headset as well. Press the Meta button (the Meta logo, a warped infinity symbol) on the Touch Plus controller, then choose Camera and Cast. You can then pick from Computer or Meta Quest mobile phone app.

2. Enter passthrough mode

Beyond the apps and games that make use of the Meta Quest 3’s mixed reality capabilities, you can also let the real world in when you’re browsing through menus and apps in the Horizon Home environment.

Tap the Meta button on the Touch Plus controller, then select the button to the right of the notification bell icon to switch between immersive (VR) mode and passthrough (MR) mode—the button you want looks like a pair of goggles and will be outlined or filled in depending on which view you’re using.

3. Customize your avatar

Your avatar represents you in a variety of places on the Meta Quest 3, so make sure it looks like you and not some generic gray blob of a person (the default). When you’re in your Horizon Home environment, select the mirror to get started.

[Related: Make a Memoji that actually looks like you]

You’ll need to choose an avatar template to get started, but don’t worry if it doesn’t look too much like you—you can customize your facial hair, your outfit, your body shape, and a number of other attributes to get the right VR representation of yourself.

4. Record photos and videos

Capturing screenshots and videos on the Meta Quest 3 is a good way to share what you’re up to. If you press the Meta button on the Touch Plus controller, then choose Camera, you can find Take photo and Record video options, but they’re really just for the Horizon Home environment.

When you’re inside games and apps, you can take a screenshot by holding down the Meta button, tapping the right trigger button, and then releasing both buttons. To take a video, hold down the Meta button, hold down the right trigger button until you see the video recording message, then release both buttons—repeat the action to stop the video.

5. Boost the refresh rate

The Meta Quest 3 comes with a significant boost in graphical capabilities over the Oculus Quest 2, including the ability to hit a 120Hz refresh rate if games and apps demand it. This means motion will look smoother and more fluid, though it also means the headset might get warmer, and the mode is more of a drain on battery life.

If you want to make sure games and apps are looking as good as they can be, tap the Meta button on the Touch Plus controller, then choose Settings, System, Display, and enable the 120Hz refresh rate option. If you’d rather have the extra battery life, turn it off.

6. Reset the view

You might sometimes find yourself a little lost in the VR (or MR) world, with the menu or dialog box you want to look at above or below or behind you. To reset the view so everything is in front of you again, press and hold the Meta button on the Touch Plus controller.

After a few moments, you’ll see a circle on screen—keep holding to complete the circle and reset the view. This works in games and apps as well as the Horizon Home environment, so you can use it whenever you’re disoriented.

7. Use hand tracking

The cameras on the front of the Meta Quest 3 can track the actions of your hands and fingers, so you can ditch the Touch Plus Controllers if you want to. The tracking isn’t perfect, but it’s a more natural way of getting around in VR or MR.

Press the Meta button on the Touch Plus controller, then select Settings, Movement tracking, and Hand tracking. Here you can enable the feature (via the top toggle switch) and customize how it works.

Use the options on this screen to choose how you want to switch between using controllers and using hand tracking: You can simply just put the controllers down, for example, or double-tap the controllers together to switch.

The post 7 hands-on (and off) tips for the new Meta Quest 3 mixed reality VR headset appeared first on Popular Science.

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Spotify has a wealth of options for music lovers: Mixes, new releases, genre picks, recommended tracks, albums you’re already obsessed with, and plenty more.

However, you can also take more control over your listening by making your own Spotify playlists. You can keep these compilations to yourself or share them with others—and you can even work on collaborative playlists with other people.

Putting together a curated list of songs takes longer than just diving into whatever Spotify’s algorithm offers you, but it means you’ll only listen to exactly what you want. It’s a more personalized and deliberate way of enjoying your tunes.

There are several ways to make a playlist on Spotify, and we’ll go over a couple of them plus other features to improve your listening experience.  We’ve focused on instructions for the Android and iOS mobile apps, but the process is similar if you’re using the desktop or web apps.

How to make a playlist on Spotify

You can create a playlist in the Spotify mobile app by tapping on Your Library, in the bottom right corner of your screen, followed by the + (plus) button in the top right, and then Playlist. Give your compilation a name and tap Create—the app will take you straight to your new, empty playlist.

New playlists are public by default, which means everybody will be able to find them, play them, and even access them with a shared link. But even though they’re public, your playlists don’t appear on your profile by default. To change this, open the playlist and tap the three dots: on the emerging menu, tap Add to profile to flaunt your compilation skills or Make private to hide your collection of tunes, remove it from search results, and disable its public link.

[Related: How to listen to Spotify’s huge library of audiobooks]

Straight away on your empty playlist page, you’ll find recommended songs based on your listening history. You can add any of these tunes to the playlist by tapping the musical note icon on the right. You can also tap Add to this playlist to start searching for specific tracks on Spotify.

You can add more tracks by browsing the Spotify catalog. Tap the three dots next to any song, album, or playlist to find the Add to playlist option. From there, you can pick a playlist you’ve previously created or start a brand new one for the songs that you’ve just selected.

You can make, edit, and share playlists whether you pay for Spotify or not, but only Premium subscribers can listen to them in the specific order given by the playlist creator—free users are stuck with shuffle play. To change the order of a compilation’s tracks, as well as its name, tap the three dots on the playlist page and Edit playlist.

Finally, there’s another playlist option worth mentioning. Spotify uses your listening history and machine learning to figure out your music taste and recommend artists, albums and playlists that you’ll like. But the service also acknowledges that there are a lot of reasons to make a playlist, and maybe you don’t want a particular compilation to affect your Spotify suggestions—maybe you created a playlist of kiddy songs to keep your nephews entertained when you babysit them, or a collection of epic tunes for your Dungeons & Dragons games that you don’t want to inform your daily mixes. If this is the case, create your playlist and before you add any songs, open the three-dot menu and choose Exclude from my taste profile.

How to share a Spotify playlist

You can share any public Spotify playlist via a link—just tap the three dots on the playlist page and go to Share and Copy link. You’ll get a unique URL you can paste anywhere you want,  like an email or chat conversation. Instead of choosing Copy link, you can share the link directly  through one of the suggested apps on your phone. To do that, just pick the app you want and follow the steps.

You could even paste this link on your website or in your social media bio to give visitors an idea of your taste in music. The playlist will open on the web, in the desktop app, or the mobile app, depending on the device the person is using when opening the link, and how it’s configured.

[Related: Spotify wants to understand your body on music]

You’ll find the same options for private playlists, but the generated link has a limited lifespan of seven days—if the person you shared your playlist with opens the link within that time frame, they’ll be able to access the compilation indefinitely. But that doesn’t mean they can share it with more people—only you, as the creator of a private playlist, have the power to share it.

On mobile, shared private playlists differ from shared public playlists in that you can see who has access to the compilation. Just below the playlist name, you’ll see the little profile pictures of the people you’ve invited and you can click or tap it to get a full and detailed list. If you want to revoke access from someone there, do it by tapping the three dots next to their name and choosing Remove from playlist.

Another option for sharing playlists is to use a Spotify code, which works a bit like a QR code. Tap the three dots on the playlist, then Show Spotify Code. You’ll see a series of lines that you can share by posting anywhere online or even printing it. People can then scan it using the Spotify app by tapping Search and then the camera icon in the top right corner.

How to make a collaborative playlist on Spotify

Creating collaborative playlists on Spotify can be extremely useful for everything from weddings to road trips. This feature allows you to invite your friends to the creation process and give them permission to add and remove songs on the playlist, as well as changing the order of the tunes.

On each public and private playlist page there’s an invite button—a portrait silhouette with a plus symbol. Tap it to generate a link to pass on to the people you want to give editorial access to your playlist. Just like the sharing link on private playlists, collaborators have to click or tap the URL within seven days. After that, there are no time restrictions on how long they can stick around for.

Pictures of collaborators will show up in small bubbles at the top of the playlist, the same way that people who’ve been invited to shared private playlists do. Tap these bubbles for more details and select the three dots next to any name to choose whether people can collaborate on the playlist or are simply allowed to look at it. From the same menu, you can also remove access completely, if you want.

And if at some point you’re done with your compilation, know that it’s easy to delete your Spotify playlist. Open the collection you want to get rid of, click or tap on the three-dot menu and select Delete. It’s that simple.

Two Spotify features to make your playlists even better 

If you thought those were the only ways to customize and create playlists on Spotify, think again. The streaming service has two more options you can play around with to create the perfect musical compilation. 

Blend

If you tap Your Library, then the + (plus) icon, you’ll see a Blend option next to Playlist. Blend lets you invite up to 10 people to a shared playlist, and then Spotify will automatically build a compilation that mixes the musical tastes and listening history of all the users you’ve invited. It also refreshes with a new mix every day.

Jam 

This feature facilitates collaborations at parties. It lets you invite friends to add tracks to a playlist in real time while still keeping veto power and control over the track order. Spotify will also help by offering up recommendations based on who’s accepted your invitation.

To start a jam you’ll need to be a Premium subscriber, but free users can help out as collaborators. On your phone, tap the devices icon on the Now Playing bar (it looks like a small speaker), then Start a Jam. You can find the same option by tapping on the three dots on a public playlist page. From there, you can invite people to the jam by sharing a link, or by opening the Spotify app and either tapping your phones together or scanning a QR code. 

The post How to make hit Spotify playlists, alone or with your friends appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

As television shows become available online, there’s less of a need to watch your favorites on a set schedule. But if you choose to cut the cord entirely, you’ll miss out on live channels, such as news and sports. Luckily, you can still watch live TV on your computer. You have two options: Plug a TV tuner device—which catches broadcasts like an antenna does—into a USB port, or stream shows through your web browser.

Plug in a TV tuner

Network channels, including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, PBS, and local stations, air for free. All you need to watch them is an antenna to snag the broadcasts and a device to share them with your computer. The latter, called a TV tuner, can come in the form of a dongle or a larger box that plugs into any spare USB port.

Tuners come with bundled software that helps you navigate. When you’re getting started, these built-in applications will install the necessary drivers, scan for available channels, and display them on your computer screen. Then you can click through your options.

Once you’ve finished installation, the bundled software will help you receive channels, browse program guides, and make recordings. However, you can also download alternative applications, such as Kodi and Plex, to do the same tasks. Kodi is free but has a slightly more complicated setup, while Plex has a simpler process but requires a Plex Pass subscription that costs $5 per month, $40 a year, or $120 for lifetime access. Plex also has a handy “discover” feature that lets you track down anything you want to watch.

Buying a tuner

When you go shopping for tuner hardware, first look for compatibility with your computer’s operating system. Also consider whether the device includes extras like a bundled remote control. If you choose a model that comes with two or more integrated tuners, you’ll be able to record one channel while watching another, record two shows at once, or create a picture-in-picture effect with two channels.

We’d recommend the Hauppauge WinTV-DualHD ($80 on Amazon), though it only works with Windows machines. It includes two tuners, which lets you view or record two shows at once. Once you plug it into a spare USB port, the supplied software will take over, which makes the setup process extremely easy.

Buying an antenna

If you’ve already wired your home with a TV antenna, you can connect it to your new tuner and be good to go. If not, you’ll need to purchase an antenna to catch the TV signals flying through the air. Unfortunately there’s no easy way to figure out how many channels an antenna will catch—many factors make a difference, including the presence of surrounding buildings and nearby hills, and the distance between your home and the closest tower. You’ll just have to buy the hardware and try it out, so make sure the seller has a good returns policy, in case the reception is poor. If you live in a place where structures are few and far between, you may also want to check out our review team’s roundup of the best TV antennas for rural areas.

One of our favorite options is the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro ($70 on Amazon), which boasts a sleek-looking design and a 65-mile range. Because it’s multi-directional, you don’t need to point it in a specific direction, so you can lay it flat or mount it to a wall. It’s meant to be used indoors, but it works great wherever you put it.

[Related: The best TV antennas]

Another choice we’d recommend is the 1byone Digital Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna ($18 on Amazon), which is cheaper than the Mohu but has a smaller range—it only connects to transmission towers within 50 miles.

Once you’ve purchased your new gear, connect the antenna to the tuner, then the tuner to your laptop. Finally, download the free installer software (if necessary) and launch the application. It will walk you through the process of bringing up live TV channels on your laptop.

Stream channels online

Don’t want to buy new hardware? You can still watch live TV through your web browser. While services like Netflix focus on on-demand programs, other services include a live component so you can watch broadcasts—such as sports—as they happen.

If you’re only interested in watching a few channels in particular, head to the websites for those companies. Many of them—including ABC, Fox, and NBC—let you stream directly from their sites. However, there’s a catch: Different channels have different rules, and some require that you already have a TV provider or similar subscription (you have to sign in to confirm those credentials before watching). For example, you can watch CBS shows live only if you have a Paramount Plus subscription, which costs $6 per month and still includes ads.

Monthly online TV services

To get more than one channel at once, including premium options, you’ll need to subscribe to a monthly service like Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, or Sling TV. All of these options provide a strong connection and easy setup, but they differ in the channels they offer. For example, YouTube TV doesn’t have a great spread of sports channels, while Sling TV has two plans that contain different stations but doesn’t focus on local ones. Before you invest in any subscription, test out that service’s free trial (they all offer one) to get a feel for the experience and make sure it includes the TV channels you want to watch. Here’s some more information that should help you choose.

Hulu offers four plans that include live TV, and the cheapest is $75.99 a month, but it does not allow you to access Hulu’s regular on-demand library—it’s live stuff only. You can spend $1 more ($76.99 per month) to add access to Hulu’s streaming library, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus, all with ads. You can also pay more for additional features, such as premium channels like Showtime and Max (formerly HBO).

[Related: Watch anything you want without signing up for every streaming service]

With a slightly lower price of of $72.99 a month, YouTube TV offers access to more than 100 live channels, but you will need to enter your ZIP code to see what’s available in your area. For an additional $2 to $30 a month, you can bolt on extra ones, including NFL RedZone and Showtime. It also gives you an unlimited amount of free cloud DVR storage, so you can record as much content as you want and store it on YouTube’s servers.

Sling TV focuses on premium cable channels rather than local networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox, although you may be able to get some local channels, depending on your area. Prices start at $40 a month for a pack of 32 channels, and you can increase your subscription fee to add more. You can watch on a variety of devices besides your computer, including a smartphone or an Apple TV. Sling also offers a cloud DVR service, but you’ll have to pay an additional $5 a month to save recordings in the cloud.

Cable subscriptions

If you already pay for a cable subscription, this may be the easiest way to tune into live television on your computer. All you need are your username and password.

Take Comcast’s Xfinity Stream service. It gives subscribers access to more than 250 channels. Just navigate to the Xfinity Stream site, log in with your credentials, and start watching. DirecTV offers similar services, and you can access it through a web browser.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2019.

The post How to watch TV on a computer, even if it’s live appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

No one likes slow WiFi—it’s right up there with creaking doors and leaking taps as one of the most frustrating household problems. To increase your WiFi speed back to where it should be, try making these tweaks to your router and other devices.

We’ve already covered some of the hardware upgrades you can invest in to remove dead spots and boost your home upload and download speeds. So in this guide, we’ll focus on software fixes and changes you can make to your existing gear. If those adjustments don’t work, switching to a mesh network or buying a WiFi extender can also improve your wireless internet speed.

Upgrade your router software

Just like your laptop and cell phone, routers run their own software. In this case, it’s called firmware because it’s so tightly tied to the hardware—the manufacturer installs and configures it before shipping the device. Companies don’t often issue updates for their routers’ firmware, but many do make new versions of their software available for download. These updates fix bugs and may also include performance upgrades, as well as extra support for newer devices on the market.

The best way to find new firmware for your router is to head to the manufacturer’s website or the internet service provider that gave you the router. If you can’t find a download link, run a web search using “firmware” followed by your router’s make and model.

The exact process for installing firmware varies from router to router. Typically, you open the device settings on your computer and look for the option that lets you install an update from a downloaded file (often a ZIP archive) on your hard drive. The downloaded package usually includes installation instructions, but if you’re still not sure how to do it, consult the router instruction manual or look up the instructions online.

Change the wireless channel

Here’s another trick to try with a slow router: change the wireless channel it uses. This means slightly adjusting the wireless frequency that your WiFi signal is broadcast on. Your router should have a setting that lets you modify the channel, likely listed under a heading like Wireless or Advanced. If you can’t find it immediately, look up instructions online or in the router manual.

Most routers use channel 6 by default. Change this to 1 or 11 (to minimize interference with channel 6), and you might notice better WiFi performance. All of your connected devices will also need to connect to this new channel, but the majority of your gear will do so automatically, with no need to adjust the WiFi name or password. You might have to play around a bit before you arrive at the best channel, but stick to 1, 6, or 11 for the best chance of getting the fastest speeds.

[Related: 6 router settings you should change right now]

In a related trick, some more advanced routers offer two frequency bands: the standard 2.4GHz band and the faster 5GHz band. These bands follow the same principle as the channels mentioned above, but when you switch bands, you’re shifting the frequency much further. That means WiFi-enabled devices you connect to different bands won’t interfere with each other.

If your router supports dual bands (check your model’s documentation for details), you’ll usually see two different WiFi networks you can connect to. Divide your devices across both networks, depending on the speed and range each piece of hardware needs from your WiFi. For example, the 5GHz band typically offers faster speeds but shorter range, so devices closer to your router should use that one. It’ll stream your Spotify tunes more reliably to your gaming console, but it’s not as good at blasting through walls and doors as the older 2.4GHz standard. Use the latter for devices you move around your home, such as phones, or those located farther away from the router, and you should see increased WiFi speeds on all your devices.

Not every router can handle both bands, but most manufactured in recent years support these standards. On either band, if you’re getting sub-optimal WiFi speeds and seeing buffering wheels more often than you’d like, you can still change the wireless channel used in the 5GHz range or the 2.4GHz one. Check out your router’s help pages for more information on your options.

Control the bandwidth

Internet use can quickly eat up your available bandwidth, especially on slow connections or those shared among multiple people. So if you’re struggling to get a decent speed, try investigating what else is happening on your network. For example, running Netflix alongside Hulu while you take multiple video calls probably isn’t the best way to maximize your streaming speed.

As you work, visit a site like Speedtest.net to check your internet speed and see what you’re currently getting. But taking steps to increase those speeds means you’ll have to patrol the specific use of your home WiFi network—which is up to you and the people you live with. The easiest solution for maximum speeds is turning off devices not currently in use. This will not only save you money on your energy bill, but will also make sure that those computers, televisions, and tablets can’t possibly be wasting the bandwidth you need for another application. You can also dig into individual device settings to see which apps are using up the most WiFi.

[Related: Find the perfect internet speed for you]

At the same time, you’ll want to make sure no unwelcome visitors or invasive neighbors are lurking on your home network. Your router should have come with WiFi password protection already enabled. Changing this password on a regular basis—not to mention keeping it secret—will help you keep your network to yourself and your invited guests.

Another option is to specify which internet uses you value most. Some routers include a feature called Quality of Service, or QoS, which lets you prioritize certain applications (like Netflix) or types of content (like video) over others. You could use it to make sure your video calls stay stable even if that makes the Spotify stream spotty. Some routers also let you prioritize certain devices (maybe your computer) over others (maybe your roommate’s). If your router has a QoS feature, look on the manufacturer’s website or in the supplied manual for instructions on setting it up and telling the router what you’d like to prioritize.

Avoid the fish tank (and other large, dense objects)

Plenty of innocuous household objects will slow down your WiFi—including the water inside fish tanks. Now you know why your laptop never gets a signal when it’s behind the aquarium in your study. Even if you keep a fish-free home, try moving your furniture to put as few objects as possible (including walls) between your devices and your router.

In addition to bulky objects, anything that emits a wireless signal can interfere with the WiFi your router broadcasts. That includes wireless baby monitors, wireless landline phones, microwaves, Bluetooth keyboards and mice, and even string lights. All of these generate electromagnetic interference that can reduce your upload and download speeds. In most cases, the disruption should be minimal, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re experiencing problems. Rearranging the aforementioned items can help boost WiFi speed throughout your home, but if that solution is inconvenient, just switch your router to its 5GHz channel: Most microwaves and other wireless gear use the 2.4GHz frequency, so the higher band should be less congested.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2017.

The post How to increase your WiFi speed appeared first on Popular Science.

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The rear camera on your iPhone 15 (also present on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max) is more powerful and versatile than you might have realized. It features a 48-megapixel sensor but default settings only allow it to take 24MP snaps.

The good news is that you can delve into your iPhone’s settings to switch your camera to full capacity and get more detail in your photos. There are some trade-offs you should know about, and the exact options vary depending on the iPhone you’re using. But if you’re serious about your smartphone photography, you should learn about the modes available to you and how they work.

How the iPhone 15 cameras work

When you take a photo on your iPhone 15 without the ultrawide or zoom sensors, iOS uses  the main 48MP sensor to create a 24MP shot. There are two reasons for that—first, it keeps file size down, and second, it allows pixel binning, which means the camera combines multiple pixels to capture more light and produce a better image.

However, if you have the room on your iPhone to store the resulting snaps, you can switch to 48MP photos. Professional photographers often make the switch because capturing more pixels provides more flexibility over the final shot by letting you take control over how those pixels are processed. 

[Related: Check out some of the winners of the latest iPhone Photography Awards]

But you should know there are differences depending on the iPhone you’re using.  The dual-lens on the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus, has a slightly inferior 48MP sensor than the triple-lens on the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max—the number of pixels is the same, but the pixel-capturing tech isn’t quite as good.

The other key difference is that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can capture RAW images, which Apple calls ProRAW photos. This format provides all the raw data from a digital image, providing photographers even more control and options over their work. RAW snaps take a little longer to process, use up a lot more storage space, and need some photo know-how to optimize, which is why the average smartphone photographer doesn’t bother with them.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus don’t have the processing grunt to manage RAW snaps, but they can still capture 48MP images in either HEIF or JPEG format. The result is still 48MP-size pictures but they’ll be slightly compressed, which takes away some of the manual post-processing control you get with RAW images. In certain ways, using a HEIF or JPEG format (which you can also do on the Pro models) goes halfway between shooting 24MP snaps and 48MP ProRAW, with the added benefit of significantly cutting down file sizes.

If you’re considering making the switch to 48MP photos, bear in mind that means a slightly longer time between tapping the shutter button and seeing your image on screen. What’s more, the dynamic range (the spread between the darkest blacks and the whitest whites) won’t be quite as good without pixel binning. 

How to change the iPhone 15 camera settings

Having absorbed all of that information about photo formats, you’re ready to start making changes. Head to Settings in iOS, then tap on Camera. Unless you’re already shooting in RAW, your first choice will be between High Efficiency (HEIF) or Most Compatible (JPEG) for the image format.

Which one you pick is really up to you and will depend on what you’re doing with your snaps after you’ve taken them. HEIF tends to result in smaller file sizes, but JPEG is generally compatible with a broader range of software on desktop and the web. There’s plenty of information about both online.

[Related: The easiest ways to back up iPhone photos without iCloud]

To unlock the 48MP photos, turn on Resolution Control (on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus) or ProRAW & Resolution Control (on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max). On the latter models you can also tap Pro Default to pick your preferred format: The list includes HEIF Max (up to 48MP), JPEG Max (up to 48MP), ProRAW 12MP, and ProRAW Max (up to 48MP). Underneath these options, Apple lists the average file size for each format, so you have an idea of how much space each picture will take up—10MB for a 48MP JPEG, for example, and 75MB for a 48MP ProRAW.

Launch the camera on your iPhone, and the new 48MP option will appear in the corner. It’ll be crossed out to begin with, so tap the icon to turn it on and choose which format you want to shoot—HEIF Max, JPEG Max, or RAW Max. On the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, press and hold on the icon to switch between HEIF/JPEG and ProRAW. Note that you won’t get the option to switch to ProRAW on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.

By default, the Camera app will forget that you enabled 48MP photos when you switch to another app, so the option will be crossed out again when you come back to it. To tell the camera to keep the 48MP enabled, open the iOS Settings screen, tap Camera, Preserve Settings, and then either Resolution Control or Apple ProRAW & Resolution Control, depending on your iPhone model.

Note that because of the way the iPhone 15 produces photos, it will default back to 24MP whenever you’re taking Live Photos or macro shots, or using Night mode or the flash. This will happen no matter what settings you’ve changed simply because those different modes require different types of image processing.

The post How to unlock the hidden, more powerful camera on the iPhone 15 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

If you’re splurging on a foldable phone like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, make sure you’re getting your money’s worth by exploring all the options and features the handset has to offer.

When you’ve got twice as many screens as normal, you get a lot more functionalities and flexibility: From quickly getting apps running side by side, to dragging and dropping texts and images between them.

1. Customize full screen apps

Unfortunately, not every Android app is developed to run on a screen as large as the main display of the Galaxy Z Fold 5. You might see black bars at the side of certain apps, as well as other odd behavior.

But you can fix this by going to Settings, then Display and Full screen apps. Pick an tool, and choose how you’d like it to show up. Full screen is the option to go for if you don’t want any black bars, though it may cause some distortion on certain apps.

2. Drag and drop between apps

With two apps open on screen, the Z Fold 5 is very adept at transferring content between them. Try tapping and holding an image in your web browser, for example, then dragging it across to an email you’re composing on the other side of the screen. The system will drop the picture right into the message—no copying, pasting, or saving required.

[Related: 7 Samsung phone hacks you need to try right now]

Note that this feature doesn’t work in every single app, but it will run smoothly in a lot them: Google’s Gmail and Chrome, Samsung’s Gallery and Notes, and Microsoft’s PowerPoint and Outlook, are some of the apps that support dragging and dropping.

3. Bring up the Flex panel

Flex mode is when you make a 90-degree angle with the Z Fold 5, so you have one half laying flat on a surface while the other is propped up straight. This allows certain apps to display different content on each side. Try opening the Camera app to see what we mean— you’ll see the shutter window at the top and the camera controls underneath.

There’s also the Flex panel, which will work with any app that supports multi-window use (most now do). Open Settings and then go to Advanced features > Labs > Flex mode panel, and enable the feature.

Now, when you turn your phone to landscape mode, you’ll get a little Flex panel icon (a gray diamond shape) in the lower left hand corner. Tap the icon to make the panel pop up: you’ll get a little touchpad to use with the app that’s on the top half of the screen, as well as quick access to certain features and the screenshot tool.

Try using the Flex panel with a web browser to see how useful it can be: You’ll be able to select links and elements on screen just as you would on a desktop operating system.

4. Get more content on screen

Make your way to Settings and go to Display and Screen layout and zoom. This page lets you change the size of the fonts and other elements on screen, which means you can get more content on your Z Fold 5 display at the same time—whether you’re working with one or multiple apps on the screen.

5. Switch seamlessly to the cover screen

By default, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 treats the larger main screen and the smaller cover screen separately, so apps that you’re using on the big display won’t automatically switch over to the outer display when you close the phone.

But if you would like to transfer apps seamlessly, open up Display from Settings, then tap on Continue apps on cover screen. You’ll be able to have this happen with all apps, or only with specific ones.

6. Change how multi window works

One of the key advantages of a foldable device like the Z Fold 5 is how easily you can get multiple apps and windows up alongside each other. Most of the time the Z Fold 5 handles this perfectly well on its own, but you can make some tweaks by heading to Settings, and then going to Advanced features and Multi window.

For example, you can enable Swipe for split screen. This feature will let you swipe in with two fingers from the left-hand edge of the main display to go from full screen mode to split screen mode. When you do, the Z Fold 5 will prompt you to choose another app to go alongside the one you’re already looking at.

7. Customize the taskbar

The taskbar at the bottom of the screen is crucial for getting around your foldable phone and the apps on it, so make sure it’s set up the way you want it. From Settings, pick Display and Taskbar, and choose how many recent apps you want to see at the bottom of the screen. You can also completely hide the taskbar, if you prefer.

[Related: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 review: Powerful vibes]

From the Display screen you can also select Navigation bar and choose whether you want to navigate your phone using gestures or the traditional back, home and recent buttons. If you’re not sure about the differences between these two options, you’ll see explanations for them on screen. Just keep in mind that using gestures will free up more space on the taskbar for you.

Note that the apps on the left of the taskbar are the same as those in the dock on the home screen. You can drag apps in and out of the dock if you want to change this selection.

The post 7 tips to get the most out of your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

If you’re an Apple user, you probably have an iCloud account and several devices filled with your personal information. Whenever high-profile data leaks and hacks hit the headlines, you may think that Apple’s known dedication to security will keep you safe, but that’s no reason to get complacent. There’s plenty you can do on your own to ensure it’s extra-hard for people to snatch up your data.

Once you’ve taken some time to enable two-factor authentication, strengthen your passwords, and work through the security tips listed below, you may want to stay in the same headspace and continue with other important accounts. For starters, check out our guides to locking down your Facebook and Google accounts.

Apple security basics

You should be putting up strong barriers at every door into your Apple world. That means a long, unique password on your MacBook, a lengthy PIN on your iPhone, and a long, unique password for your iCloud account. Passwords should contain a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, plus special characters and numbers, to make them as difficult to crack as possible. (And no, “Passw0rd!” isn’t good enough.) Don’t base your passwords on your address, birthday, or pet’s name, either—a savvy attacker might research this information in order to get past your defenses. Finally, avoid using the same password for both your Mac and iCloud. That way, even if one gets cracked, the other still has some protection.

[Related: All the ways you can customize your iPhone lock screen]

One of your best defenses will be your common sense. Hackers often trick people into revealing their login details, rather than running a sophisticated brute force attack. Be wary of phishing links in emails and on social media, and be suspicious of any that immediately ask you to log in with your Apple ID credentials.

When it comes to Apple device security, Apple is your best ally. Its operating systems (macOS, iOS, and iPadOS) all encrypt data by default. This means nothing can be pulled from your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook without the right password or PIN code.

Enable Apple’s two-factor authentication feature

Apple accounts can be better protected with two-factor authentication (TFA). This feature is available for most major online accounts and means that entering your account will require an extra code beyond your username and password.

In the case of Apple’s two-factor authentication, attempting to log in will trigger a message sent to your phone number or a code that displays on another device associated with your Apple ID. For example, if you’re setting up a new iPhone, you’ll see the code on your existing MacBook.

To turn on two-factor authentication on iOS or iPadOS, open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen. Then choose Password & Security to find the two-factor authentication option. On macOS Ventura or later, click the Apple menu, head to System Settings, and click your name. Then click Sign-In & Security and hit Turn On next to Two-Factor Authentication. Follow the instructions to set everything up.

[Related: 7 sweet new features in macOS Ventura]

If you’re using macOS Monterey or an older version of Apple’s operating system, you’ll find the TFA settings by opening the Apple menu, choosing System Preferences, selecting Apple ID followed by Password & Security, and turning the feature on from that screen.

Once you’ve logged into a device with your Apple ID, password, and TFA code, that device will be marked as trusted, which means you won’t need to log in using TFA again. It’s therefore important that you do have passwords, PIN codes, and other types of protection on your computers and phones to prevent unauthorized access.

Manage Apple security in your web browser

To configure other parts of your security setup, open your Apple ID account page in a web browser. Make sure your registered email addresses and trusted phone numbers are up to date and secure, because you might need them if you ever lose access to your account.

Under the Devices heading (in the menu on the left), you can see the iPhones, iPads, and computers associated with your account. Use this opportunity to remove any devices you no longer use or don’t recognize. It’s a good idea to check this list fairly regularly, just in case your account has been compromised or you’re signed in somewhere you shouldn’t be.

Any web browser on any computer will also let you access the iCloud suite of web apps and services. If you’re on a public computer or a machine you share with others, be sure to sign out after you’ve finished. Some browsers may ask to remember your password. You can allow this on your personal computer, but make sure that something else will prevent a guest from accessing the browser. For example, set up a user account password for getting into the operating system.

When you’re on iCloud.com, you can also sign out of all browsers where you’re currently signed in. To do this, click your Apple ID avatar in the top right corner, hit iCloud Settings, select Sign Out Of All Browsers, and click Sign Out. This way, you’ll ensure no one’s using your iCloud account with any other browser except the one you have open.

Other Apple security tips

The app stores Apple has built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS do a very good job of keeping you safe from dangerous software and viruses. On your phone or tablet, you shouldn’t have to install anything from outside the iOS App Store. On your computer, however, you may need to venture outside the walls of the macOS App Store every now and again. If you do, read user reviews and web write-ups to double-check the safety of any program you install.

As for your devices’ physical security, you definitely want to hope for the best, but plan for the worst. So take the time now to consider what you’ll do if, despite all your precautions, your iPhone, iPad, or computer are compromised. We recommend turning on the Find My feature on your devices. This will let you locate and remotely wipe your device via the web if it falls into the wrong hands, but if you’ve simply lost your tech inside your own home, you can use Find My to get it to play a sound.

On iOS or iPadOS, tap your name in the settings to find the Find My app, and on macOS Ventura or later navigate through Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Find My. If you’re using macOS Monterey or earlier, you’ll need Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud > Find My Mac > Allow.

[Related: How to turn off your location on an iPhone]

Meanwhile, if you’ve gone all-in with your Apple products and got yourself an Apple Watch, you can use the wearable gadget as a secure way to unlock macOS, saving you the trouble of typing out a password each time. To set up the feature on macOS Ventura or later, open the Apple menu, click System Settings, hit Login Password, and choose Use Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac. On macOS Monterey or older, work through Apple menu > System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General to find the same Apple Watch unlock setting.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2017.

The post It’s a great day to secure your Apple and iCloud accounts appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Internet access, whether wired or wireless, has become one of the most precious commodities of our time. But that leaves us singularly unprepared when we lose that access—such as when we travel to the signal-free middle of nowhere or a storm knocks out power to our home router. There are plenty of ways you can avoid being completely cut off from your work and entertainment, though, and using Google Chrome offline is one of them.

The catch, however, is that you’ll have to set up offline access before your internet connection dies. We recommend activating the settings below as you read this article, so you don’t forget and regret it later. When you’re done, consider poking around the settings within your other most-used programs to see what offline features they offer, or download some of the best offline apps. Then, no matter what type of computer you’re on, Chromebook or not, you won’t have to completely give up when those WiFi bars disappear.

Access Gmail offline

If you use Gmail in your browser, you can get into your inbox without a web connection. While you’re still online, simply click the cog icon in the top right, select See all settings, open the Offline tab, and check the box next to Enable offline mail. Doing so will sync recent emails to your computer’s hard drive. Unfortunately, this function can’t make new emails magically appear when your internet is down. But it will let you browse through messages you’ve already cached, and compose new replies that Gmail will automatically send when you get back online.

Keep working

Google Drive and the three online apps within it—Docs, Sheets, and Slides—have an offline mode you can activate when there’s no internet available. You’ll need to set it up before you lose your web connection: From the main Google Drive interface, click the cog icon in the top right, followed by Settings, and finally tick the box under Offline.

This will sync your recent documents, spreadsheets, and presentations to the local storage on your hard drive. It will let you create new documents and edit existing ones in your Drive account, although you won’t be able to access big files like videos and music (unless you download them separately first). Offline Chrome will save all your changes to disk, just as they would normally be saved to the web. Once your browser detects an internet connection again, it will sync everything to bring your files back up to date.

Check your schedule

Beyond Gmail and Google Drive, Google has made most of its web apps work offline—including Google Calendar. You can’t create new events when you’re offline, but you can browse your schedule and respond to invitations. Google Calendar will send those responses when you’re back online.

Stay entertained

It doesn’t matter whether your favorite music or video streaming service works offline—Chrome can play downloaded files in many popular formats, including MP3 tracks and MP4 movies. So as long as you saved your preferred entertainment options to your device ahead of time, you can rock out or kick back no matter what your internet connection looks like. Just drag a file from your hard drive into an empty Chrome window, and it will start to play.

If you’re looking for a place to start, the platforms you use want to keep you engaged and are more than willing to help. Both Spotify and Netflix, for example, have detailed instructions for how you can access their content without internet access. Once you’re all stocked up, you can enjoy accessing the files via Chrome.

Catch up on your reading

Losing your internet connection gives you a great opportunity to catch up on all that reading you’ve been meaning to get around to. But if all that reading happens to be on the web, you’re stuck. The free Pocket Chrome extension can help. Open an article that you’d like to read in Chrome, and Pocket will let you save it for later perusal, when you have more time to do so.

Play games

You can even enjoy certain online games while Chrome’s offline. From the physics-based puzzler Cut the Rope to the all-time classic FreeCell Solitaire, you should be able to find something to while away the time until the internet returns. As long as install your favorite games while you still have internet access, you’ll be good to go.

The post 6 ways you can use Google Chrome offline appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

How many of the apps on your phone are you actually using on a regular basis? It’s not uncommon to have a bunch of apps you installed and eventually forgot about, each of them taking up precious space on your device and making it more difficult to find the tools you actually want to use.

Apple and Google know about their users’ struggles with unused apps, and they’ve built features into iOS and Android to try and handle it. You should know how your phone’s operating system handles forgotten apps behind the scenes, how these features benefit you, and how you can disable them if you want to.

How to offload unused apps on iOS

Apple’s iPhones have a feature called Offload Unused Apps that can help you with your app-hoarding problem, and it’s been around since iOS 11 launched in 2017. It’s sort of a middle ground between having an app installed and uninstalled: The bulk of the app is gone, but data and documents relating to it—like your settings and any files you’ve created in it—remain on your phone. The app icon will also stay on your home screen, with a small arrow next to its name, and you can fully reinstall it by tapping this icon.

This feature is off by default, but you can enable it by opening the Settings app and selecting General, iPhone Storage, and Enable next to the Offload Unused Apps heading. It will then run automatically, so you might notice apps you haven’t opened in a while being offloaded in the background without any input from you. You can follow the same steps to turn the feature off.

[Related: All the ways iOS lets you edit your lock screen]

On the iPhone storage screen, you’ll see how much space you can free up by offloading apps, but Apple doesn’t offer a whole lot of detail about how this works—how long an app has to remain unused for to qualify, for example, or whether your iPhone starts offloading apps once you reach a threshold of remaining storage. You’ll have to try it to see if you like it, but remember that you can easily restore offloaded apps if it isn’t for you.

If you don’t want iOS to automatically offload apps, you can do so manually and individually whenever you want. From the same iPhone Storage screen in Settings, scroll down to the app you want to offload and tap on it. Then choose Offload App on the next screen to partially remove it from your phone. The same screen will let you reinstall the app if and when you need to, or delete it entirely.

Offloading unused apps on Android

Android’s built-in feature for managing unused apps is called Auto Archive. It’s still relatively new, and it works a lot like the offloading iOS does: Auto Archive will free up to nearly 60 percent of an app’s storage space, without removing the app itself or your data from the device, Google says. After being archived, the app will still be there, but a lot of its data and files will have been removed until you need it.

Auto Archive isn’t enabled by default, but Android will prompt you to turn the feature on if you try to install an app and there’s not enough room left on your phone. If this happens, tap Turn on to enable Auto Archive and install the app, or No thanks if you want to try to clear some space manually.

[Related: 9 hidden Android features you’re missing out on]

You can also enable Auto Archive from the Play Store app on your phone: Tap your Google account avatar (top right), then choose Settings and General to find the Automatically archive apps toggle switch. Even when this is on, the process only kicks in when your device starts to run low on available storage.

Google isn’t specific about which apps it archives first, but “infrequently used apps” are apparently first in line. There’s no option to manually archive individual apps, as there is on iOS, but you can wipe all the data stored by an app. To do so, open Settings and head to Apps, tap on an app, choose Storage and cache, and hit Clear storage. Depending on the app, the data you remove could include messages, emails, or playlists that have been synced to your phone.

The post One quick way to automatically save space on your phone appeared first on Popular Science.

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Most modern homes have quite a few WiFi-connected gadgets trying to access the web at the same time. This usually results in strained broadband connections, especially when it comes to demanding activities like online gaming or video streaming. 

To help you manage the load, some routers (like those manufactured by Google, Netgear, Eero, and many others) offer a feature called Quality of Service (QoS). In simple terms, it lets you prioritize certain devices and types of traffic on your WiFi network, so they’re first in line for a high-speed connection whenever bandwidth becomes limited. 

Your router manufacturer may give it a different name, but a quick dig into the manual or an online search should tell you whether or not your particular device offers QoS. If it does, it’s worth getting familiar with the feature and what it can do, as prioritizing devices on your WiFi network can help reduce buffering times and avoid dropped connections when it’s most important.

What is Quality of Service, and how does it work?

The term “quality of service” has been around for decades, and it applies to all kinds of networks. When used in relation to your home’s WiFi, it means marking certain devices or types of activity as being more important than others. Whenever your router is chopping up your WiFi into individual slices, these marked gadgets and apps get first dibs.

Imagining pie slices is one way to think about QoS. Without it, everything connected to your router gets a similarly sized slice: Your PlayStation 5, the laptop the kids are using, the smart TV in the living room, and so on. When you enable QoS, you can give out bigger slices to that important Zoom call. Consequently, less important tasks, like those Windows updates downloading in the background, get smaller slices.

That said, using QoS to prioritize devices on your WiFi network doesn’t necessarily guarantee that those gadgets will always get a healthy, robust internet connection. It also doesn’t mean that the less important hardware on your network will slow to a crawl. A lot of what actually happens depends on the internet speed in your home.

[Related: 6 router settings you should change right now]

Video calls, online gaming, and streaming video tend to be first in line when you enable QoS. Other online tasks, from checking email to downloading updates, usually get reduced priority. 

Ultimately, how you use QoS is up to you, but your router will determine what type of control you get and how much. Some routers let you prioritize certain devices, such as gaming consoles, while others let you prioritize types of internet traffic, such as video calls. Some let you do both. If you’re shopping for a router upgrade, this is definitely a spec you should look out for.

If you have a Google Nest Wi-Fi mesh networking setup at home, for example, you can open up the Google Home app on your phone, tap Favorites, then Wifi, and choose Devices to see a list of the gadgets using your network. Select the device you want to prioritize, tap Prioritize device, decide how long you want it to receive VIP treatment, and hit Save to finish. Keep in mind that you can only give priority to one device at a time.

You can also use the Google Home app to choose the types of activity you want the network to put first. First, tap Wi-Fi, hit the cog icon to open Settings, and choose Preferred activities to tell the network what to prioritize. Your choices will include Video conferencing and Gaming, and the router will continue to give your picks bigger slices of the WiFi pie until you turn them off again.

[Related: What to do when your device won’t connect to WiFi]

If you’ve got a Netgear router, on the other hand, you’ll need to open a web browser, head to routerlogin.com, and log in using your router’s admin credentials (check the documentation that came with the router if you’re not sure what these are). From there, head to Advanced, Setup, and QoS setup to start making some changes.

Pick Upstream QoS, then Setup QoS rule, and finally Add Priority Rule. You can choose Online Gaming to make sure your games stay as lag-free as possible, Applications to prioritize a particular web app, Ethernet LAN port to specify a device connected to a router port, or MAC Address to single out a device hooked up to the network via WiFi.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2021.

The post How to give more WiFi to the devices that need it the most appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Gaming might not be the primary reason you bought your Apple TV 4K box, but it’s a nice extra benefit—there’s a huge selection of games you can play on the device.

The main advantage of doing this is that the connected TV screen is much larger than the one on your iPhone or iPad, and if you’ve already bought games on these mobile devices, you won’t have to pay again to play them on the Apple TV 4K.

For more advanced and involved gameplay, you can even hook up a Bluetooth controller, giving you a true console-like experience, even if the selection of games doesn’t quite match the top-tier titles on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Getting started

For starters, you need a physical Apple TV 4K device to play games on a connected television. That means this article doesn’t apply to the Apple TV app you might have on your smart TV, or on a streaming dongle you’ve connected to it. The Apple TV app is for movies and shows only, while the Apple TV 4K box is for movies, shows, music, photos, and games.

Your Apple TV 4K box is already set up and ready to play games—though it’s always worth checking that you’re running the very latest tvOS software, which you can do through Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software. When up to date, you’ll have the latest bug fixes and performance optimizations installed, so the games you pick should run as smoothly as possible.

It’s also worth checking that the Apple TV 4K is outputting video at the best possible quality: 4K resolution, with HDR, at a 60 hertz refresh rate. You can do this via Settings > Video and Audio > Format, though the available formats you see will depend on the TV you’ve connected your Apple box to.

How to find games for the Apple TV 4K

You shouldn’t have any trouble finding games to play: Open the App Store (the icon showing a white “A” on a blue background) from the home screen, then scroll across to Games to see what’s available. The store will only show you games that will work on the Apple TV 4K, so there’s no danger of installing something that’s incompatible. Scroll across to Purchased to see games you’ve bought and installed on other Apple devices.

If you subscribe to Apple Arcade for $4.99 a month, you get access to an additional pool of more than 200 games. To find them, you can switch to the Arcade tab in the App Store or use the Apple Arcade shortcut on the home screen (an icon showing a white joystick on a red background). Select any game to see details about it, including the category it’s in and the age rating attached to it.

[Related: 14 tips for your Apple TV 4K]

Because your Apple TV 4K box is connected to a display far bigger than the one on your smartphone or tablet, the games that work best will be those that make full use of that extra screen space. If you need inspiration, the games we’ve enjoyed on the Apple TV 4K include the endless scroller Alto’s Odyssey ($4.99), the addictive puzzler Donut County ($4.99), and the classic car-dodging adventure Crossy Road (free with in-app purchases).

How to add a game controller to the Apple TV 4K

As you make your way around the App Store and Apple Arcade portal, you’ll notice certain games say a controller is required, others say a controller is optional, and some don’t say anything at all. For simple single-tap games like the aforementioned Alto’s Odyssey, for example, you can play using just the Apple TV 4K remote.

For more advanced titles, you’ll need to connect a controller like the one you might use on your PS5 or Xbox Series X. Just about any standard gamepad will do, as long as it supports Bluetooth—including the ones that came with your PlayStation or Xbox. If you’re going to buy one, though, make sure it supports the Apple TV 4K.

To connect the controller, you’ll need to make sure your controller is in pairing mode (its instructions or a quick web search will tell you how to do this if you’re not sure), then go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth. The controller should appear on this list, but if not, follow the How to Pair Game Controllers link for extra help.

Play Apple TV 4K games from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac

If you prefer playing a game on your iPhone or iPad, but still want to take advantage of the larger screen your Apple TV 4K is connected to, you can beam them over from your mobile device—as long as everything’s on the same WiFi network. This uses Apple’s AirPlay protocol for streaming video and audio, which is supported by most Apple devices—it’s not quick enough for super-fast gameplay, but it works fine for slower-paced games.

On the iPhone or iPad you’re using, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to bring up the Control Center, then tap the Screen Mirroring icon (two overlapping rectangles). Choose your Apple TV 4K from the list, and the display will be duplicated on your TV. This is a good way to play games that aren’t officially supported by the Apple TV 4K, and you can always add a controller to your iPhone or iPad too.

[Related: 24 iPhone settings that feel like secrets]

If you’re on a Mac, click the Control Center icon on the menu bar (it looks like two toggle switches), choose Screen Mirroring, and select the Apple TV 4K box you want to connect to. Click Screen Mirroring again and choose Use As Separate Display to have the Apple TV 4K act as a second monitor, where you can display any games that can run on your Mac, while still controlling them with your computer. Click Screen Mirroring and the name of the Apple TV 4K to break the connection.

The post Your Apple TV 4K is secretly good for video games appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you’re got smart lights set up at home, then you’ve probably played around with turning them on and off with your phone, and cycling through millions of colors. But if you have Philips Hue bulbs, you can also get them to sync with what’s on your TV screen or monitor.

So, you could have a wash of greens and blues behind your TV when watching Avatar, for example. Or your journeys through the vast world of Red Dead Redemption 2 could be accompanied by shifting colors as you move through deserts, forests, swamps, and snowy mountain ranges.

We’re assuming that you’ve already got your Philips Hue smart lights up and running at home. Then, depending on your setup and what you want, you can either use a desktop app or the Play HDMI Sync Box to have your smart lights react to your favorite content in real time.

Using the Hue Sync app

The easiest and cheapest way to sync your smart lights to your screen is to install the free Hue Sync desktop app for Windows and macOS. A caveat, though: this approach will only sync your lights to what’s on your computer, so it won’t work with your TV. Your laptop or desktop will need to be on the same WiFi network as your smart lights, so the program can see your Hue Bridge and the devices attached to it.

[Related: Find the best smart light for your home]

Download the desktop app and launch it. You’ll have two options: Help me set everything up and Search for bridge. Pick the first one if you’ve just bought your Hue lights and you’re installing them from scratch. The app will then take you step-by-step through the process of getting all the hardware connected. If your lights are already set up, select the second option.

Within a few seconds, the app should easily find the Hue Bridge and connect to it. If you haven’t already done it, turn to the Philips Hue app on your phone to set up what’s called an “entertainment area”: This is just a way of telling your Hue system which lights should be grouped together for syncing with screen content.

In the app, open the Settings tab, then go to Entertainment areas and Create area. Choose For my monitor, give the area a name, and then select the lights to include in it. The app will then prompt you to show the location of the lights within the room, so it knows how to sync them together with what’s on screen.

Once all that is done, head back to the desktop app—the entertainment area that you just created should be selected. Click on the name of the area to bring up the main syncing console: You can choose Start light sync to have the effect enabled on the selected bulbs.

There are also a few options to play around with on the app console. At the top you can choose one of four modes to determine the brightness of the lights: The ones we’re interested in here are Games (optimized for games) and Movies (optimized for video), but you can also pick Scenes to select a fixed Hue scene for your lights, or Music to have the lights sync along with the audio that’s being played.

If you pick Games or Movies, you can then control the strength of the effect: Pick from Subtle, Moderate, High, or Extreme. If the lights are changing color too often and it’s becoming distracting, choose Subtle or Moderate. The last option, Use audio for effect, means the Hue Sync desktop app will take into consideration the sounds in games and movies when choosing colors for the lights.

Based on our testing, the results are usually pretty good, though games and movies with more gradual color changes work best. You can always go back to the Hue app on your phone to tweak the entertainment area settings, as well as adjusting the options in the desktop app, to try and improve the results.

Finally in the desktop app, you can choose Settings to configure different aspects of the program, including which display is used for syncing (if you’ve got more than one), and whether or not the app starts up with your computer. It’s also possible to configure keyboard shortcuts for the desktop app from here.

Using an app can also work when syncing your smart lights to what’s on your TV—but that will only work if you have a Samsung TV from 2022 or newer. Philips Hue makes a Hue Sync TV app for these devices which you can find in the Apps section. The downside is it costs $130, but you might consider the functionality worth it for the seamless integration. The setup process is similar, but you’ll need to choose For my TV when setting up an entertainment area in the mobile app.

Using the Play HDMI Sync Box

If you have another type of TV, then you’ll need a hardware option to sync your smart lights with what’s on it. The Play HDMI Sync Box from Philips Hue is $250 and it comes with accompanying Hue Sync apps for Android and iOS. You can use this little gadget to connect up to four different HDMI sources—just keep in mind that if you’re playing on your console, you’ll need to connect the Sync Box both to your gaming device and your TV.

[Related: Best smart lights of 2023]

There’s support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and 4K resolutions, and the box is clever enough to recognize which source is playing and automatically switch to it. The information from the HDMI feed is beamed to your Hue Bridge at the same time as it’s showing up on screen, so your lights have a detailed map of colors to work from.

Setup is similar to the desktop app in that you need to create an entertainment area in the mobile app first. From the original Hue app on your phone go to Settings > Entertainment areas > Create area, and choose For my TV. The platform will ask you which smart lights are in the same room as your TV and where they’re positioned.

Then, from the Hue Sync app, you can turn effects on and off, switch between Video, Music, and Game modes, and adjust the strength of the effect and the brightness level in the same way as you can on the desktop app for computers. The apps also let you link the Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri for the box, so you can use voice commands to enable or disable sync and switch between modes.

The post 2 ways to sync your Philips Hue smart lights to movies, games, and music appeared first on Popular Science.

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Going incognito in your browser and favorite apps has its benefits, even though it may not be as private as you think. Also known as private mode, this feature temporarily pauses tracking of your browsing or viewing history and doesn’t save data you input, such as login credentials and personal details.

We don’t need to know your reasons, but if you need to go about your business without leaving any tracks, we can show you how to go incognito on apps like YouTube, Instagram, and Google Maps, whenever necessary.

Turn on YouTube’s incognito mode

There are good reasons you might want YouTube to remember what you’re watching. Logging the videos you’ve watched improves your recommendations and makes sure you can easily get back to that hilarious sketch clip you enjoyed several weeks ago. However, if you share your device with someone else, activating incognito mode on Google’s video platform might help you keep your watch history private. 

[Related: Why YouTube is hiding dislikes on videos]

To temporarily go incognito on YouTube’s mobile app, tap your profile picture (top right), then choose Turn on Incognito. You’ll then start browsing on a clean slate, with fresh recommendations and no viewing history. To go back to normal, tap the incognito button (top right) and select Turn off Incognito.

You won’t find an incognito mode available for YouTube on the web, but you can get the same result by simply opening the video platform in a private browsing tab. Note that if you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, the ads will return when you’re in incognito mode.

How to go incognito on Google Maps

Going incognito on Google Maps is useful if you need to research places or plan journeys without leaving any trace, or if you don’t want your searches to affect the recommendations the app gives you about where to go.

If you’re using the mobile app, tap your profile picture (top right), then choose Turn on Incognito mode. Your personalized recommendations and quick links to places like your home address will disappear, and the app won’t save anything you do in this mode. To exit, tap the incognito mode button (top right) and hit Turn off Incognito mode.

As with YouTube, you won’t find this option built into Google Maps online, but you can just open the site inside a browser set to incognito mode instead. You can still look up information about places and get directions, but you can’t leave reviews, save places, or see your location history.

Start a private session on Spotify

Your listening history shows up in a few places on Spotify. The app shares it with friends you’ve connected with on the platform, and your recently played artists show up on your public Spotify profile.

To listen to songs without this automatic sharing and tracking, you can start a private session—Spotify’s version of going incognito. On mobile, tap Home, the cog icon, and under Privacy turn the Private Session toggle switch on. From the desktop app, click the drop-down arrow (top right) to find the switch. To end a private session, just retrace your steps and flick the switch the other way.

If you don’t turn your private session off manually, it will automatically end after 6 hours or when you restart the Spotify app.

Going incognito on Instagram

While Instagram doesn’t have an incognito mode as such, you can stop your friends from seeing when you’re actively online. Tap your profile picture (bottom right), then the menu button (top right), followed by Settings and Privacy. Select Messages and story replies, then Show activity status, and turn off the toggle switch on the next screen. On the web, click the three-line menu in the bottom left corner of the screen, then Settings, and How others can interact with you. On the next menu, toggle on the switch beside Show activity status.

[Related: Why the web version of Instagram is better than the app]

This also means that you won’t be able to see other people’s Instagram activity status in places like the direct message conversation list, so keep that in mind. Retrace your steps and switch Show activity status back to on to go back to normal.

There’s not much you can do on Instagram without logging in, so opening your account in an incognito browser window won’t prevent the platform from tracking what you’re seeing. But if you use one to open direct links to profile pictures and individual posts, your browsing will stay private. 

Clean your viewing history on video streaming apps

Unfortunately, no video streaming service offers an incognito mode, as profiles are only meant for individual use. However, you can edit your viewing history and remove items if necessary. 

On Netflix on the web click your profile picture (top right), then Account. Choose your profile, open Profile & Parental Controls, and then Viewing Activity. Click the hide button (on the right) to remove something from your record—you can hide individual episodes or entire shows. If you want to absolutely hide your viewing history, just select Hide all. Whatever items you remove won’t show up as recently viewed or affect your future recommendations.

[Related: The government won’t protect your internet privacy, so here’s how to do it yourself]

If you’re using Hulu on the web, scroll down the Home page to find the Continue watching section and click View all. You’ll see a tiled view of all the shows and movies you’ve played on the platform—click the three-dot menu next to an item you want out of your viewing history and choose Remove. When it comes to shows, you won’t be able to remove specific episodes, and if you’ve watched every episode of a series, it won’t appear on the list because Hulu doesn’t save a history of the movies and shows you’ve completed. 

Other video streaming apps have similar options if you delve into your viewing history in the settings. They all support profiles, so your viewing record doesn’t have to get mixed up with the habits or preferences of the rest of your family or the people you share a place with.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2021.

The post How to go incognito on these 6 popular apps appeared first on Popular Science.

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Coordinating locations with friends and family can be a real hassle. “I’m by a big tree,” “I’m standing on the corner,” and “My car broke down but there are no signs so just drive along I-95 for a while” simply aren’t helpful when there are multiple corners, dozens of trees, and 1,908 miles of Interstate 95.

It’s a lot easier if you use an app that lets you share your location safely and privately—without broadcasting it to the world. Apple has put tools inside iOS for sharing your location from an iPhone, and Google has done the same in Google Maps, but there are also several third-party apps that can do the job well.

At first it might seem unsettling to let other people know exactly where you are, but you’re in full control of who has this information and how long they have it for—and the next time you’re trying to meet up with someone, this can save you a whole lot of time and a whole lot of messages.

Glympse

Among the apps specifically built for location sharing, Glympse is one of the most comprehensive and competent. It’s great for quick, customized location sharing with people who might not all be using the same brand of phone or the same apps, and there are mapping tools inside the app that will help you find friends and family.

You can send location shares—called, appropriately enough, glympses—over email, text, or through other apps as well as Glympse. If the recipient is on a computer, or using a phone without Glympse, the glympse shows up in that person’s web browser instead, and only for the allotted time. You don’t even need a Glympse account to share your location.

You get full control over who you share your location with and for how long, and you can set up private groups where everyone can see where everyone else is. Another handy feature is the option to add public tags to your glympses: They work a bit like social media hashtags, and you can use them to let the wider world know that you’re at a music festival or a sports event.

Glympse is free for Android and iOS.

Life360

Life360 is aimed specifically at families, so you can keep tabs on where your kids are and make sure they’re safe. You can get alerts when they turn up at home or school, see where they are on a map, and even get alerts if they may have been involved in a crash on the road. With Tile tracker support, you can track your possessions in the app too.

The map view is the center of the Life360 app. It lets you check up on where family members are in real time, and for peace of mind there’s an SOS feature that lets anyone discreetly and quietly send an alert to their family. If your kids want a bit more privacy, they can share their general location rather than a precise spot on the map.

[Related: These smartphone settings could save your life]

You and your family can use Life360 free of charge, but you’ll get access to more features if you sign up for one of the premium accounts, which start at $15 a month. Paying for the service means 30 days rather than two days of location history, alerts for an unlimited number of locations instead of just two, and a road crash detection feature.

Life360 is free for Android and iOS, with a premium version starting at $15.

Messaging apps

Beyond standalone apps dedicated to location sharing, you’ll also find the feature built into several messaging and social media apps. If you want to temporarily share your location with a specific group of people—like when you’re on a family vacation—you might find that these apps are a better fit for you.

How to share your location on WhatsApp

In WhatsApp, tap the paperclip icon at the bottom of any one-to-one conversation or group chat, then choose Location. You can choose between sending a single message showing where you currently are, or broadcasting your live location in real time for 15 minutes, an hour, or eight hours (with the option to cancel the sharing at any time).

It’s perfect for quick and easy location sharing that you don’t want to go on indefinitely, especially as you probably already have the necessary group conversations set up inside the app for your friends, family, colleagues, and special events. Don’t worry: Your location will stay private within these group chats, or within the one-to-one conversation you’ve selected.

WhatsApp is free for Android and iOS.

How to use Snapchat’s location settings

Snapchat has a feature called Snap Map, which you can use to let your friends know where you are. No one who isn’t your friend will be able to see your location, and you can limit it to certain friends if necessary. The Snap Map will also show you public snaps posted to the Snapchat network—usually showing off a particular place or event to the world at large.

Tap the map pin (bottom left) on Snapchat’s camera screen to find the map and see where your friends are. Touch the cog icon (top right), and you can choose which friends can see where you are, or turn on ghost mode to temporarily hide your location. Your location only updates when Snapchat is open, and is removed from the map after 24 hours.

[Related: Make a Memoji that actually looks like you]

On this same screen, there’s also a Share live option: This grants specific friends the privilege of seeing where you are in real time, and you can enable it for one hour, eight hours, or until you turn it off. It’s a useful extra layer of location sharing you can enable for the people you trust the most, like your partner or your kids.

Snapchat is free or $4 a month for Android and iOS.

Share your location in Signal

The primary reason to get yourself and your friends on Signal is the security and privacy it offers: There’s end-to-end encryption, the option to use disappearing messages, and (perhaps most importantly) it’s run by a developer that isn’t interested in advertising to you or trying to keep you locked inside its own ecosystem.

While it’s not worth switching to Signal for its location-sharing features alone, it does have them, so you won’t miss out on being able to let other people know where you are at specific times. Like everything else in Signal, location sharing is handled simply and securely, and can be done within one-to-one conversations or inside group chats.

At the bottom of the relevant conversation, tap the plus button in the bottom right corner, then choose Location from the menu that pops up. You’ll then be able to confirm where you are before sharing your location—it’s shared in a one-off message with the people inside the selected chat, so your location won’t be updated in real time.

Signal is free for Android and iOS.

The post 5 location-sharing apps that aren’t run by Apple or Google appeared first on Popular Science.

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Your Samsung Galaxy phone’s lock screen is likely to be the first one you see in the morning and the last one you see at night. This is why it’s so important to set it up exactly how you want to.

Galaxy handsets come with a good selection of options and features to help you customize your lock screen, whether you want to set a new backdrop, make the clock a lot bigger, or add extra widgets for easier access to your apps.

Lock screen wallpaper and themes

Let’s start with the wallpaper. You can set separate background images for your home screens and lock screen—just press and hold on a blank part of a home screen and choose Wallpaper and style on the emerging menu.

Tap Change wallpapers to pick a new image—you can pick from photos featured by Samsung and pictures in your phone’s gallery. When you select the one you want,  you then get to choose whether you want to apply it to your lock screen, home screen, or both. Don’t worry—before you fully commit to your selection, you’ll see previews of how the backdrop will look.

[Related: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 review: Powerful vibes]

Back on the Wallpaper and style screen, tap Color palette to choose a color scheme for your phone’s entire interface. You can select your favorite from a list of basic hues, or pick a combination of colors based on the wallpaper you picked. Again, you’ll get a preview of how everything will look, so you can try as many as you want until you find one you like.

Instead of choosing a picture and a color scheme separately, you can go with a theme, which is a bundle of items including a wallpaper, a color scheme, and a particular icon and font style, that you can apply with a single tap. Press and hold on a blank part of a home screen, and select Themes to see your options. You’ll find free themes provided by Samsung, alongside others from third-parties, which you may or may not have to pay for. If you’re dealing with a paid theme, you’ll see the price listed next to it.

If you don’t want the trouble of changing the wallpaper regularly yourself, have your phone do it for you. After tapping Wallpaper and style and Change wallpaper, scroll down to Dynamic Lock screen. From here you can pick a collection of images (landscapes and plants, for example), and the device will automatically cycle between them every couple of weeks.

Changing lock screen elements

That’s the wallpaper and colors taken care of, but you can also edit the lock screen widgets and other elements on the display. From Settings, tap Lock screen and the next page will let you control how you unlock your phone and, if your handset supports the feature, activate the always-on display. There’s also a Roaming clock toggle switch—turn it on to see the local time at your location and at home, if you happen to be traveling in a different time zone.

Tap the Lock screen graphic and you’ll be able to change the style and size of the lock screen time and date widget. From this menu you’ll also be able to tweak the way your phone displays notification icons—as small buttons or larger bubbles, for example. Just tap on the element you want to change and the relevant options will appear.

You can also select Contact information to add your contact details to the lock screen, which can come in handy if you lose your handset and someone else picks it up, or if you’re ever involved in an emergency and someone needs to learn your identity. Galaxy phones also have shortcuts in the lower left and right corners of the lock screen, which you can easily change by tapping on the icons. You can use these shortcuts to launch utilities and apps like the camera, phone app, flashlight, voice recorder, or any other app of your choice. Tap Done when you’re finished.

[Related: Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds review: Riding high (fidelity)]

Back on the previous Lock screen page from Settings, tap the Widgets graphic and you’ll be able to pick which widgets show up when your phone is locked. There are a few to pick from, covering your upcoming schedule, any set alarms, the weather, and any music currently playing. Tap on Reorder at the top to change the order of the widget list.

There’s one final lock screen customization you might want to make: If you choose Notifications and then Lock screen notifications from Settings, you can set whether your phone displays notification content (like the previews of incoming messages) when your device is unlocked. If you don’t want anyone seeing something private when they glance at your locked phone, choose Hide content.

The post All the cool ways you can customize your Samsung Galaxy lock screen appeared first on Popular Science.

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You spend a lot of time looking at the lock screen of your Pixel phone—checking the clock, seeing if people have replied to your messages, and so on—so you’ll want to get it set up in the best way to suit you.

In fact, you might not have realized how many different ways you can customize the Pixel’s lock screen, from the size and color of the clock, to the type of notifications that appear before you unlock your handset.

Change your wallpaper and fine-tune your colors

The most basic way to customize the Pixel’s lock screen is by slapping on a new wallpaper, and you can set a lock screen backdrop that’s different from the one you have on your home screens.

To start, press and hold on a blank part of the home screen, then choose Wallpaper and style and Change wallpaper. You’ve got plenty of options here: You can dive into your own photo gallery, pick an image from one of the wallpaper collections Google has put together, or tap Emoji workshop to create a picture using emojis.

When you’ve selected an image, you’ll be taken to a preview screen—tap Lock screen to see how it looks when your phone is locked. If you’re happy, select Set wallpaper, then Lock screen (to set it for the lock screen only) or Home and lock screens (to set it across Android entirely).

Go back to the Wallpaper and style screen and you’ll see you can pick between Wallpaper colors and Basic colors for the operating system: Choose the latter to have the colors of Android menus and icons follow the color scheme of your new wallpaper. This will also affect the clock and widgets on the lock screen.

Adjust the at-a-glance widget

Google puts a handy at-a-glance widget on both the lock and home screens, giving you timely information such as the current weather forecast and appointments you’ve got coming up on your calendar.

To edit what this widget shows, tap and hold on it on the home screen, then choose Customize, and tap the cog icon next to At a Glance. You’ll see a long list of toggle switches for controlling content in the widget (and more behind See more features), including Fitness, Bedtime, Parcel delivery, and Commute.

On this same screen, there are also options for allowing apps you’ve got installed (such as weather apps) to send information to the widget on the home and lock screens, and to hide sensitive content from the lock screen widget—this is handy if you think other people might be looking at your phone while it’s locked.

[Related: Syncing Google and Apple calendars is less annoying now]

Google doesn’t provide a definitive list of what “sensitive content” actually is, but one area where we’ve seen this setting make a difference is with Google Calendar appointments. If you’re hiding sensitive content, these won’t appear on the lock screen, so other people won’t be able to see that job interview or doctor’s appointment you’ve got coming up.

Other Pixel customization settings

You can customize what appears on the lock screen in a few other ways by opening up Settings and tapping Display, followed by Lock screen. The Privacy option lets you show or hide sensitive content in notifications, as they come in—again, Google doesn’t say what “sensitive” means, but it does include the first line of incoming messages and emails.

Another option is to tap Add text on lock screen to do just that. The most common use of this feature is to put your name and perhaps some contact details (like an email address) on the lock screen in case someone finds your phone and needs to return it to you—though you’re free to add any kind of message you like.

Then there’s a series of toggle switches for showing or hiding various elements, including the Now Playing widget that automatically identifies songs that are playing nearby. And if you want a smaller clock that doesn’t take up the whole lock screen, turn off Double-line clock.

The last few options let you choose whether or not the lock screen “wakes up” to show information when you tap the display, pick up your phone, and notifications arrive. You can also turn off Always show time and info to prevent anything from appearing on screen while your phone is sleeping, which should help improve battery life.

The post How to set up the wallpapers and widgets that will make your Pixel more fun appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you own a Google Pixel phone, you’ve now got some fun features to play around with. The latest Pixel drop update added a couple of new options for creating wallpapers on your device, giving you added flexibility when it comes to picking a backdrop.

The first one is cinematic wallpapers, which allows you to add a dynamic, 3D-style effect to any image you use on your lock screen. The second one is the ability to create emoji wallpapers, where you can use any emoji as the basis of your smartphone’s creation and generate a customized backdrop. Both features will give your device a personal touch and are incredibly fun to play around with.

All of the existing wallpaper options on the Pixel remain in place, so you can still pick a regular picture for your home screen or one of Google’s moving images or photos, if you want.

How to make cinematic wallpapers on a Pixel

To get into the wallpaper editor on your Pixel, tap and hold on a blank area of one of your phone’s home screens, then choose Wallpaper and style and Change wallpaper. Tap My photos, then select the image you want to use from your gallery. It can be a photo you took with your camera or a file stored anywhere else on the phone, like a picture you received or downloaded from the web.

When it comes to choosing the best image to turn into a cinematic wallpaper, there aren’t any restrictions, but some photos will work better than others. We found the best results come from images with clear foreground subjects—think kids, pets, or lamps. 

With your image open, tap the icon in the top right corner showing three sparks, and turn on the toggle switch that’s labeled Create Cinematic wallpaper. After a few seconds where Google’s AI will identify the foreground from the background to produce an effect where the two seem more separated, your new wallpaper will be ready to use. Tap Set wallpaper, and choose whether you want to apply it only to your home screens, or your home screens and lock screen.

[Related: Google Pixel 7 Pro review: Viva la (hardware) evolution]

Your Pixel will apply that cinematic effect as you lock and unlock the device, as well as when you switch between the home screens and your apps, swipe through home screens, and tilt your phone. Spend some time playing around with different types of images and you’ll get a better idea of how the feature works.

Keep in mind that animated backdrops usually consume more battery than regular, static wallpapers. It shouldn’t be a big problem, but if you’re regularly struggling to extend your phone’s battery life, you may want to think twice about using a cinematic wallpaper. 

How to make emoji wallpapers on the Google Pixel

To create an emoji wallpaper, tap and hold on a blank area of a home screen, then pick Wallpaper and style and Change wallpaper. This time, select Emoji workshop, and you’ll be ready to start playing around with the emojis of your choice. The system will already have selected some for you, but you can tap Edit emoji in the bottom right corner of your screen to make your own picks.

You can create a wallpaper from a single emoji, or from as many as 14. If you’re stuck for inspiration, use the Randomize button, which will pick some emojis for you. From what we can tell, the software tries to pick related emojis, but it doesn’t always get it right.

There are two other tabs here: Open Patterns to pick how you want your emojis arranged as they repeat across the screen, and the size of the emojis. Open Colors to choose the color scheme for your new emoji-based backdrop. All of these settings can be jumbled up again with a tap on Randomize.

When you’ve got something you like, tap the checkmark icon in the top right corner, and then choose Set wallpaper. You’ll notice your Pixel applies a few animation effects to the emoji wallpaper, as you swipe between home screens and lock and unlock your device. Note that as you create new emoji wallpapers, your old ones will be saved so you can go to the Emoji workshop screen to get them back.

Other wallpapers

If this is the first time you’ve experimented with the wallpaper settings on your Pixel phone, you might be wondering about all the other options that appear when you choose Wallpaper and style and Change wallpaper from the home screen.

The My photos option is fairly straightforward, enabling you to pick an image stored on your phone. You’ll also see curated collections of images provided by Google, covering categories such as Art, Landscapes, and Textures. The Live bloom and Living universe selections are a bit more interesting, as they come with added motion effects, like short video clips.

[Related: 7 tips and tricks to master your Google Pixel Tablet]

Head into Community lens to see images from other users that have been picked out by Google’s team. They cover some pretty dramatic landscape and nature shots, and can be useful if you’re not keen on using any of your own snaps (or generating a custom wallpaper using emoji).

Once you’ve set your wallpaper, back on the Wallpaper and style screen you’ll see a Wallpaper colors setting: Enable this if you want the interface colors on your Pixel (for lock screen items, menus, and other areas) to match the color scheme of the current wallpaper.

The post Emoji wallpapers and cinematic backdrops can make your Pixel phone as fun as you are appeared first on Popular Science.

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You can’t deny the thrill of unboxing a brand new gadget, but sticking to factory-fresh tech every time isn’t cheap. Buying second-hand electronics, on the other hand, can save you a significant amount of cash and is a lot kinder to the environment.

Whether you’re buying used phones or used laptops, you may have valid concerns about the quality and lifespan of your purchase. Fortunately, some common sense precautions can ensure that your previously owned gadgets serve you well for years to come.

No matter what kind of tech you’re in the market for, the rules of engagement are more or less the same when it comes to minimizing the risk of ending up with a dud. Read on to familiarize yourself with them and start enjoying big savings.

Check the seller

What vendor you buy from will depend on how comfortable you are balancing risk and reward. Used gadget sales backed by major companies are a safer bet. Apple’s refurbished program, for example, guarantees brand-new batteries, bundled accessories, and the standard Apple one-year warranty.  But this peace of mind comes at a price, as buying second-hand tech from a big retailer is likely to be more expensive than buying from a random stranger on eBay.

[Related: How to sell your unwanted gadgets for cash]

If you want to go with a name you know, you’ve got quite a few options, including Decluttr, Amazon, and Best Buy. You can also check in with your favorite electronics store or manufacturer website to see what’s available.

Buying second-hand tech from an individual or a smaller company will likely mean cheaper prices and more choices, but less warranties and protections. If you’re happy with that, you can check out sites such as eBay, Swappa, and Facebook Marketplace. All these sites allow you to perform due diligence on the person you’re buying from to find clues of their trustworthiness: you can look at their selling history, the amount of information they give about themselves, and how old their account is.

A useful way of vetting individual sellers is to ask questions about the item you’re interested in. You won’t only learn more about what you’re buying, but how quickly the vendor gets back to you and how they respond should tell you something about them as well. The good news is that the majority of sellers out there aren’t wanting to rip you off: They just want to make some money on older tech.

No matter where you buy from, always check the returns policy and warranty information. Walmart Restored, for example, offers a one-year warranty or 90-day free returns on all purchases. Meanwhile, if you’re buying used on Amazon, you also get a 90-day guarantee on everything.

If you’re buying from individuals, check the listing carefully, and when in doubt, just ask questions—again, this is a good way of weighing up who you’re dealing with. See if they’re able to provide the original receipt and proof of purchase, as the official warranty might still apply. 

Check the item

As well as checking the seller carefully, you’ll need to check the product. Start by taking a detailed look at the images provided by the vendor, and don’t be shy about asking for more if you need them. Then, go over the item description meticulously to look for any mention of damage or faults, which should be revealed up front. In particular, you want to know when the gadget was originally purchased and get a good idea of how much it’s been used and what condition it’s in now.

Some checks will be specific to the device you’re interested in. When buying used iPhones, for example, it’s worth asking the seller to check the battery health (under Battery in the iOS Settings). If you’re buying a used video graphics card, ask to see some benchmarks to check on performance, maybe from 3DMark or a game you’re keen on. The more detail you can get, the better.

It’s also worth double-checking what the item comes with in terms of bundled accessories like chargers and headphones. Sellers can often forget to mention this and it can make a difference when comparing or negotiating prices. When buying used tablets, for example, look for mentions of included cases, screen protectors, or keyboard accessories, and see if they’re the official ones or third-party replacements.

Something else to check for is whether or not the gadget comes in its original packaging. This is usually the case with refurbished items, but not so much when you’re dealing with individual sellers. If the original box and accessories are included, it’s more likely that you’re dealing with a genuine product that’s been obtained through legal means—but it’s no guarantee.

[Related: How to set the right price when selling your old tech]

The price of a second-hand gadget is another indication of whether you should be completing this deal. Be wary of anything being sold too cheaply, or that the buyer is trying to get rid of in a rush. Some sites let you search through completed sales on the platform to give you an idea of what an item should be fetching—on eBay, type in the name and details of the product on the search bar and check Sold items in the left-hand pane.

When you find a deal you’re happy with, make sure you follow whatever rules and methods set by the site you’re using. In the case of eBay, for instance, don’t arrange payment or postage outside of the systems the platform has put in place. You’ll actually get warnings if you try swapping email addresses, for example, because if you’re communicating outside of the site, eBay won’t be able to see the messages you’ve sent and received in the event of a dispute, voiding any kind of buyer protection they might have offered.

The post Pro tips for buying used tech without getting scammed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

You probably know Spotify as a music streaming service, but you may not know exactly how robust its audiobook offerings are. At the time of writing, you can listen to more than 350,000 titles, and you can access them through the Spotify app in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Audiobooks have been integrated pretty neatly into the Spotify user interface, so you can search for titles, add them to your library, and play audiobooks just as you would with podcasts and songs. You don’t have to dig deep to find audiobooks on Spotify, and getting started is straightforward.

How to find and buy audiobooks on Spotify

Depending on the whims of the Spotify algorithm, you may see audiobooks recommended to you as soon as you open up the app. You should also see an Audiobooks link, alongside Music and Podcasts & Shows, up at the top of the Home tab in the mobile app.

Follow any of these audiobook-related links to find titles, or open up the Search tab. Before you type anything into the search box, you should see an Audiobooks thumbnail underneath that will take you to the audiobook catalog. As with music, you’ll get a variety of recommendations, split into categories.

These categories change all the time, but you might see free or new audiobooks highlighted, or books that have been developed into movies, for example. Tap or click on any title to see information about it, including how much it costs, what its running time is, the average star rating left by other users, and who narrates it. In some cases, there will be a sample audio clip you can listen to.

[Related: 7 nifty Audible tips for your audiobook needs]

From the browsing we’ve done, Spotify’s audiobook pricing seems to range from completely free to up to $50 or so. Tap or click Get on a free audiobook to add it to your library, or Buy on a paid-for audiobook. Note that payments are all managed through the web, so if you’re using the mobile or desktop app, you’ll be redirected to a website.

By default, Spotify will suggest that you pay for audiobooks using a payment method you’ve used before, or one associated with your subscription, but you can change this if required. Audiobooks work independently from Spotify Premium subscriptions, too—you don’t need to be a subscriber to buy audiobooks, and if you are a subscriber you won’t get any titles bundled in with your monthly fee.

How to listen to audiobooks in Spotify

After you’ve purchased an audiobook on Spotify, you’ll find it in your library. On the desktop and the web, click the Audiobooks link at the top of the left-hand navigation pane, and on mobile tap Your Library, then Audiobooks. Click or tap Recents at the top to sort the audiobooks by the date they were added, the date they were published, author, or in alphabetical order.

You can actually add audiobooks to this list before buying them, too. On audiobook listing pages, you’ll see a plus symbol—click this to add the title to your library. You won’t be able to listen to it until you’ve purchased it, but it’s a handy way to shortlist audiobooks that you’re interested in.

Once you’ve selected an audiobook from your library, tap or click the play button to get it started. On the playback interface, you’ll see the same play/pause and skip buttons as you do with music—though the skip buttons let you jump between audiobook chapters, rather than between tracks on a playlist. The other controls match the controls for podcasts: You can skip forward or backward 15 seconds, and change the playback speed (from 0.5x to 3.5x).

[Related: Where to find new Spotify playlists when you don’t want to make your own]

It’s impossible to add audiobooks to playlists, but you can add them to the current queue, albeit in a rather clumsy way: You have to click the three dots next to an individual audiobook chapter (desktop and web) or tap and hold on a chapter (mobile) to find the Add to queue option. There’s no way to add entire audiobooks to the queue, which seems a bit of an oversight on Spotify’s part.

You can download audiobooks for offline listening whether you pay for Spotify or not—just tap or click on the downward arrow on the audiobook page. On mobile, you can also pin audiobooks to the top of the list in the Your Library tab. To do this, tap and hold on the audiobook you want to pin, then choose Pin audiobook from the menu that pops up.

The post How to listen to Spotify’s huge library of audiobooks appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Think back to how you felt turning on your phone for the first time. That sparkling, uncluttered interface, speedy performance, and plenty of possibilities. You can actually feel that again whenever you like by completing a full factory reset of your iPhone or Android.

Resetting a phone is about more than just getting a fresh start, though: It can fix persistent bugs, get rid of unwanted apps and dangerous malware, and free up storage space on your device.

And if you’re worried about losing everything, don’t be. As long as you take some time to consider the potential pitfalls and back up your phone beforehand, you can reset your phone without losing any data. Let us guide you.

Before you reset your phone, make a plan

Resetting a phone wipes it clean and takes you back to the setup stage, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve backed up all your important data first. We’ve covered this in plenty of depth elsewhere, but it’s worth dropping some quick pointers here.

Mostly, backups are common sense: Think about what you have on your phone and make sure you have copies of everything you want to save on another device, on a disk drive, or in the cloud before you hit that reset button.

A warning if you use two-factor authentication

If you use your phone to prove your identity for accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), know that this data might disappear when you reset it. You’ll need to make absolutely sure you can still get into your online accounts without 2FA, albeit temporarily.

What this means in practice will depend on your 2FA-enabled accounts and the 2FA method you’re using for each one. Do some diligent research and you should have nothing to worry about. Some accounts will give you backup codes to use if 2FA fails, so if you get one, make sure it’s in a safe, accessible place. For other accounts, it might be easier to just disable 2FA until you’re all set up on your phone again.

Apple and Google both let you use SMS codes as a backup to a 2FA authenticator app and verification code, so that’s an option (assuming you are keeping your SIM after you reset your phone). Beyond that, other authentication apps let you back up your logins to the cloud, which might work best for you, or you could transfer your authenticator app and its codes to another phone or tablet if you have one spare.

[Related: How to do two-factor authentication like a pro]

Once you’ve decided to reset your phone, you should also spend a few days noting exactly how you use it and how easily you’ll be able to get everything back the way you like it. Most software developers know phones get reset, lost, or stolen on a regular basis, so they should have planned for that, but it’s best to make sure.

Bear in mind, too, that backing up your phone can take time, depending on the speed of your connection.

How to reset an Android phone

Google has always developed its software with the cloud in mind, and everything from Gmail to Google Photos lives mostly online. However, you should still make sure that everything you need is in the cloud and that you don’t need anything stored on your phone (such as files downloaded from the web).

It’s also worth double-checking that your password manager is syncing all of your credentials from the apps on your phone—go to Settings, Passwords & accounts, and make sure the toggle next to Automatically sync app data is on. With that done, all you’ll need to remember is the username and password for your Google account. Don’t worry about having to pay for apps you already own—the Play Store will recognize you once you’ve signed into your Google account and will know what you’ve previously purchased.

You’ll find Android’s own backup process under System and Backup in Settings. You’ll then see a list of the items you’ll be backing up, which should include data such as contacts, text messages, and certain device settings (including WiFi passwords). You can tap on some of them (like Photos and videos or Google account data) to get more details and customize what you want to add to or remove from your backup. If you have any doubts about leaving information behind, we recommend reading through the official Google support document for resetting Pixel phones.

When you’re ready to reset your phone, make sure it’s plugged in and charging so the process doesn’t get interrupted. Open Settings, then choose System, Reset options, and Erase all data (factory reset). Android will then show you an overview of the data you’re about to wipe. Tap Erase all data, enter the lock screen PIN code, and tap Erase all data again to start the reset process. Once the reset is complete, you’ll find yourself back at the Android setup process.

How to reset an iPhone

Traditionally, Apple hasn’t been quite as savvy as Google when it comes to constantly syncing data to the cloud, but iCloud has improved in recent years. It can now store a substantial amount of information for you (from contacts to calendars) while you’re busy resetting your phone. When it comes time to reinstall apps, Apple’s App Store will remember what you’ve paid for, so you won’t need to purchase them again.

As for backups, iOS has a comprehensive backup option, which uses either a computer or iCloud. If you open Settings, tap your Apple ID at the top, and then pick iCloud, you can see the apps sending data to the web. You can also choose iCloud Backup from this list to make sure a backup occurred right before you decided to reset your phone.

[Related: The best ways to back up all your photos to the cloud]

Before you proceed, you should also read Apple’s thorough support document on resetting iPhones, just to ensure you’ve done everything necessary. That document also covers how to back up your phone if you need extra help with that (iOS will actually prompt you to create a backup when you reset it, if you haven’t run one in a while).

Finally, get your phone plugged in and charging to make sure the reset isn’t interrupted, then open Settings and pick General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, and choose whether you want to Reset the device or Erase All Content and Settings. You’ll be prompted to enter the passcode for your phone and possibly your Apple ID password to confirm your choice (this is a good way to ensure you remember your Apple ID password, as you’ll need it to sign in again). After the reset, your iPhone will reboot to the setup screen.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2021.

The post How to reset your phone without losing everything appeared first on Popular Science.

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Canva is a graphic design software package available on the web, desktop and mobile, and it can help you make just about anything: from websites, documents, and whiteboards, to presentations, social media posts, posters, and newsletters. You can use the platform for free, but if you pay $15 a month, you’ll have access to more templates and stock content, and more advanced tools. 

Whatever you use Canva for, some tips will help you find more to explore. We’ll focus on the web interface, but you can find the same or similar features in the mobile and desktop apps too.

1. Switch the style up

In the toolbar pane on the left, click Design and then Styles to change up the look of your Canva creation: You’ll have a range of color schemes and font sets to pick from, organized into categories like Modern and Professional.

[Related: 5 ways to get started with Freeform, Apple’s app for creative thinkers]

Click on any style to apply it and see how it looks. All of the text and images you’ve put in place won’t change, but this feature is a quick and easy way to freshen up your layout without effort—especially if you’re stuck for inspiration.

2. Animate design elements

If whatever you’re working on is going to be viewed on a screen rather than in physical, printed form, you can take advantage of animations. Select any item or group of items in your design, and click Animate at the top to see your options. Pro subscribers will be able to do more, and get the ability to adjust the speed and direction of the animation.

Choose an animation style to see a preview.  When used well, adding animations to your presentation or website can really catch the eye, but be wary of overdoing them.

3. Leave comments for yourself (or others)

Right-click on any element on the page, and choose  Comment to attach text to different parts of your design, together with emojis and stickers. It’s a handy way of leaving reminders or notes to yourself.

Canva’s commenting feature is also useful when you’re collaborating with other people or sharing your designs. Everyone with access to the file will be able to access the comments, and you can @ mention other users to get their attention—they’ll get a notification telling them you’ve assigned them a task or have a comment for them they cannot miss.

4. Get everything positioned correctly

Having misaligned design elements can really hurt the visual aesthetic of your Canva creation, but there are tools available to make sure that doesn’t happen. To begin with, you can right-click on any item and choose Align to page to set its location in relation to the digital canvas as a whole.

There’s also a Position button in the toolbar at the top: Click it to set an element’s place down to the exact pixel. If you have multiple items selected (Shift+Click to select one by one or drag over them all using the mouse) you’ll also be able to quickly position them in relation to each other.

5. Pick out a color from anywhere

Select an element in your canvas to pick a color for it—just click the color swatch on the left of the toolbar. You’ll have a wide range of colors to choose from, but if you click the multicolored button with a + (plus) sign on it, you’ll access the color picker tool—it’s the one with a little pipette icon on it.

Use this feature to choose a color from anywhere on the design—you’ll even get a little zoomed-in grid to help you be as precise as possible. In fact, you can pick up a color from anywhere on your computer screen, so you can sample colors from websites or images you’ve got open in other tabs or have saved to your local hard drive without importing them to Canva.

6. Copy styles over

If you’re really happy with a font size and color combo,  or the border and tint you gave to an image, Canva lets you automatically copy this style over to other elements too.

[Related: Best presentation software of 2023]

Click the item whose style you want to take, then click the copy style button on the toolbar at the top: It looks like a paint roller. Finish by selecting another item on the page, and Canva will apply the style to it.

7. Apply colors from an image

Sometimes the most difficult part of creating a design is figuring out a combination of colors to use. But to make things easier, Canva lets you use one of your images as a foundation to develop your own color palette.

Just right-click on an image, choose Apply colors to page, and the platform will apply the scheme of the photo to the other items in your design. It’s a really good way of making sure everything looks cohesive and fits together visually.

The post 7 tips to unleash your creativity on Canva appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Since Apple’s AirTags launched in 2021, they’ve allowed people to keep track of their bags, wallets, cameras, suitcases, and whatever else they can attach to. You can see their locations on a map on trusted phones, tablets, and laptops, and even get alerts when the button-shaped device goes out of range.

As useful as these gadgets are, there are also valid concerns about people using them for the unauthorized tracking of items and even other people. This is why Apple developed anti-stalking tech you can use to detect the close proximity of AirTags that don’t belong to you. 

The good news is that the software is also available to Android users, which means you can protect yourself even if you don’t own Apple hardware.

Tracking your own AirTags

Right now, you’ll only be able to set up a new AirTag using an iPhone or an iPad. Once you take the device out of the package, pull out the tab next to the battery to activate it. Your Apple phone or tablet should automatically notice it’s nearby: Tap on the Connect message that appears on screen to configure the AirTag.

[Related: How to track down your lost devices]

You can then follow your AirTags in the Find My app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The options are the same no matter what device you’re using to track it: You can get your AirTag to make a sound, locate it if it’s nearby, and turn notifications on and off for when you leave it behind somewhere.

There’s also a lost mode option that you can enable if a particular AirTag isn’t showing up on the map. This feature enlists the help of hundreds of millions of Apple devices owned by other people—in an encrypted, anonymous way, according to the company—to see if the tiny gadget and whatever it’s attached to can be found. 

If someone should come close enough to your AirTag to identify it, you’ll both get an alert. On your end, you’ll get a notification saying your AirTag has been found, and its location will be updated in the Find My app. Whoever found your gadget will get a notification with your contact information (phone number and email) and a brief message, if you added one.

How to detect if an AirTag is tracking you

You don’t have to look far to find reports of AirTags being used to keep tabs on people without permission—despite this being a criminal offense. To counter this, Apple has introduced a variety of anti-stalking measures.

Unless you’ve changed certain device settings, an iPhone or iPad will alert you by default if an AirTag you don’t own is moving with you over time. To make sure these options are enabled, go to Settings and head to Privacy & Security and Location Services: Location Services should be on, and under System Services, Find My iPhone and Significant Locations should be on. You also need to make sure you’re not in airplane mode and Bluetooth is on. Finally, head to the Find My app, open the Me tab, and make sure Tracking Notifications are turned on.

 If an unknown AirTag is tracking you, you’ll see an alert to this effect on your device, and you’ll be able to check a trail of red dots on the Find My app that shows how far the gadget has moved with you.

The next step finding out where the AirTag is. You can tap Play Sound in the Find My app to have the tracker emit a noise, which might help you figure out its location. If you have an iPhone 11 or newer, your device is equipped with ultra-wideband (UWB) tech, so you can also tap Find Nearby to get detailed directions to where the AirTag is.

[Related: How to find a lost phone]

Google has built a similar anti-stalking feature into Android. From Settings, choose Safety and emergency, and then Unknown tracker alerts. You can enable or disable automatic scanning, as well as run a manual scan to see if an unknown AirTag has been traveling along with you. As with iPhones, you’ll be able to have the tracker make a sound or see how long it’s been with you on a map.

Additionally, an AirTag that’s been separated from its owner and on the move will occasionally emit a sound on its own. Hold any NFC-enabled device (this includes most modern phones) up to the AirTag to see details about it. The information on screen will show you contact information for the AirTag (if the owner has provided it) and put the tracker in lost mode. You’ll also see instructions for disabling the AirTag, which basically entails removing its battery. 

It’s up to you whether you report the missing AirTag and reunite it with its owner, or disable it completely. If it’s attached to someone else’s bag, chances are it’s genuinely been lost and needs to be returned, whereas if it’s been dropped into your own bag it’s much more likely someone is trying to keep tabs on your location without your knowledge. Whatever you choose to do, make staying safe your number one priority.

The post How to track your AirTags—and protect yourself when they’re not yours appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

There are two settings panels in Google Chrome for desktop: One appears when you choose Settings from the application menu, and one pops up when you type chrome://flags into the address bar and hit Enter.

These Chrome flags are more experimental settings aimed at power users, but anyone can use of them. They let you control the appearance of the browser, tweak performance, speed up downloading, and plenty more.

To find the ones you’re interested in, use the search box at the top of the flags list, and enable or disable them using the drop-down menus on the right-hand side. Here, we have some suggestions. 

If you’d rather use Chrome in dark mode all the time, find the #enable-force-dark flag and set it to Enabled. Every site you visit from then on will get the message to show its contents in dark mode, no matter what the rest of your software is doing.

2. See quick previews of open tabs

3. Keep more web pages in the cache

Locate the #back-forward-cache flag, set it to Enabled, and Chrome will keep more pages cached locally on your computer as you make use of the forward and backward buttons in the browser. 

This improves browsing speed on slower or less stable internet connections (if you’re going forward and backward a lot, at least) because pages won’t have to be loaded from the web each time.

4. Speed up downloads

Parallel downloading is where an application requests a download several times, which should speed up transfer times in a lot of cases. If you don’t mind the extra bandwidth this can take up, you can switch on the feature by finding the #enable-parallel-downloading flag and switching it to Enabled.

6. Fill out forms faster

To save you time when filling out forms and making payments on the web, Chrome will keep information such as addresses and credit card details stored for you if you want. By default, it will suggest details as you move through a form, giving you the option to select suggestions as you go.

But if you switch the #how-autofill-type-predictions flag to Enabled, then these suggestions will automatically be put in for you, no typing required. Assuming Chrome identifies the form fields correctly, it should save you time.

7. Get more privacy with incognito mode

Google Chrome’s incognito mode allows you to surf the web at your leisure without leaving any trace in the cache, history, and other browsing information. But when you’re playing a piece of audio or video, your device’s media player gets involved, and it might disclose the content you are consuming to others via your gadget’s lock screen, for example. 

To keep your operating system out of the equation, enable the #hide-incognito-media-metadata flag and ensure your incognito session is actually as private as it can be. 

8. Enable live captions on Chrome

There are several apps out there with their own live caption capabilities, but for everything else you play on Chrome, you can use the ​​#enable-accessibility-live-caption flag. This setting will generate captions for media playing on Google’s browser, even if the website you’re visiting doesn’t support them. 

This feature is only available in the desktop version of Google Chrome, which means you cannot use it on your mobile device. Luckily, if you have an Android phone, you won’t have to worry about that because these gadgets have a built-in live caption feature you can use.

9. Optimize Chrome for touchscreens  

Some laptop models include touchscreens, turning these devices into computer-tablet hybrids. Unfortunately, not all desktop programs and apps, including Google Chrome, are optimized to work on touchscreens. 

[Restore: How to clean a computer screen without destroying it]

This is where the #top-chrome-touch-ui can help. The setting bridges the gap between your shiny new touchscreen laptop and the desktop version of Chrome, making scrolling and navigating more fluid. 

10. Restore old flags—temporarily 

As we mentioned at the beginning of this story, Google Chrome flags are experimental. This doesn’t just mean that they might glitch, but also that they come and go: Some become part of the browser’s built-in features, while others disappear into oblivion. 

The post 10 Google Chrome flags you need to turn on right now appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

There are lots of reasons why you might want to learn how to take a screenshot on your computer or phone: proving you finally completed that video game, recording a website layout for safekeeping, or even making a custom wallpaper image from your favorite movie for your desktop. 

Whatever the reason, here’s how to get it done on all the major platforms, whether it’s Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS.

How to take a screenshot on Windows

Figuring out how to take a screenshot on Windows is simple: Just make a simple tap on the PrtSc (print screen) button and a shot of your computer’s desktop will automatically save to the clipboard. You can then paste the screen grab into an image editor and save it in whatever file format you want. Windows doesn’t make any sound or show you any animation when you take a screenshot, so don’t be surprised if it seems like nothing is happening. Just go to your favorite image editor, hit Paste (or Ctrl+V) and you should see your screenshot. 

Depending on your keyboard or the make of your laptop, the PrtSc button may only be accessible while pressing another key like Fn, Shift, or Ctrl. If hitting PrtSc by itself gets you nowhere, try combining it with one of those keys until you get the desired results.  

If your keyboard has one, you can also use the Windows key to take a screenshot: Press Win+PrtScn and the image will be automatically saved into a Screenshots folder within your account’s Pictures location. Meanwhile, Alt+PrtScn will grab only the currently active window and copy it to the clipboard. You may also need an additional key like Fn or Shift for these shortcuts.  

[Related: 10 cool features to use Windows 11]

You can get help from various utilities, too. On Windows 11, locate the new and improved Snipping Tool (remember, it’s called Snip & Sketch on Windows 10): You can find it using the search tool on the taskbar or by hitting Win+Shift+S to summon a simplified version of it. Use the crosshair tool to select an area on your screen—the moment you let go of the left mouse button, Windows will add the screenshot to your clipboard. 

Use the buttons at the top of your screen for more options—the Freeform Snip button (second to the right), allows you to make selections in any shape you want; the Window Snip button adds a screenshot of the current open window to your clipboard; and finally, the Fullscreen Snip takes a picture of your entire screen and saves it to the clipboard. You can also use the dialogue box that pops up in the bottom right corner of your screen to open the image on the Snipping Tool app and edit it. 

Take note: You won’t get some of the Snipping Tool’s features when you summon it with the keyboard shortcut. But if you search for the full version of the app, you’ll be able to take screenshots with three and 10-second delays, as well as annotate pictures, crop them, and even measure them. Alternatively, you can use the Xbox Game Bar app that comes with Windows 11 to capture grabs from games.

If you need even more options and features, consider tools such as Dropbox (free, and it has its own screenshot feature) and Snagit ($63).

How to take a screenshot on macOS

Apple keyboards don’t have a PrtScn key—or, of course, a Windows key—so the shortcuts are completely different. Ctrl+Shift+Cmd+3 copies the current screen contents to the clipboard, but you can also drop the Ctrl part and just do Shift+Cmd+3 to save a PNG file directly to the desktop.

If you just want to capture part of the screen and send it to the clipboard for subsequent pasting, use Ctrl+Shift+Cmd+4. Then drag the mouse to outline an area of the screen or press the spacebar to capture a particular window. As before, if you leave out the Ctrl button, your Mac will save the image to your desktop rather than copy it to the clipboard: that’s as simple as hitting Shift+Cmd+4

[Related: 38 advanced Mac keyboard shortcuts for productivity]

Changing the number key to a 5 will give you more options. Press Shift+Cmd+5 to summon MacOS’s built-in Screenshot tool—a small menu bar that appears at the bottom of your screen. The first button to the left will take a screenshot of your entire screen, including the app dock; choose the second button, and your Mac will take a screenshot of the window you select with your mouse. The third button will show you a selection of the screen you can reposition and resize by using your mouse and the circles on each of the selection’s corners. Hit enter to take the image, which the system will save as a PNG file to your desktop. Hit Esc if you decide to abandon your screenshotting adventure once you’ve launched this tool.  

This tool also offers two more buttons to record the entire screen of your Mac or a particular open app. You can also hit the Options button to choose a new location to save your screenshots, access a timer, and see other options, such as remembering the tool you used the last time. 

As on Windows, there are numerous utilities that will help you in your screen-grabbing endeavors. You have a couple of free options, like Lightshot Screenshot and Dropbox. If you’re willing to part with $10, SnapNDrag can give you a few more options in terms of annotations and customizations.

How to take a screenshot on Android

On the majority of Android devices, you can press the volume down button and the power button together to take a screenshot. The screen should flash, and you’ll see a notification that a grab has been captured. Tap this notification if you want to share or edit the image. 

Pixel phone owners can also take screenshots by tapping the back of their phone twice. To set that nifty feature up, go to Settings, scroll down to System, and choose Gestures. The first item on the list will let you use the double tap as a trigger for multiple actions: toggle on the switch next to Use double tap and choose Take screenshot from the list. 

If you need to find the screenshot afterward, it’ll be in your device’s Photos app. If you have Google Photos, tap on Library in the bottom right corner of your screen, then choose the Screenshots folder under Photos on device. You can also go straight to the Files app, tap on Images, and then choose Screenshots at the top of your screen.

That said, Android devices come with all kinds of manufacturer-made software skins running on them, so the shortcut might be slightly different depending on the make and model of your phone. Still, most manufacturers have adopted the same key combo—on both Samsung Galaxy and HTC phones, for example, just press the power and volume down buttons simultaneously to take a grab. If you want to go hands-free, just engage the Google Assistant and ask it to take a screenshot for you.

How to take a screenshot on an iPhone or iPad

Capturing the screen on iOS and iPadOS devices is just as easy as it is on Android devices. 

On iPhones with Face ID, simultaneously press and release the side button and volume up button. On older models, combine the Home button and the side button (or the Sleep/Wake button). It’s much the same with iPads: Simultaneously press and release either the top button and the volume up button, or the Home button and top button. The screen will flash and the picture will be saved to a dedicated Screenshots album on your iPhone or iPad. Then you can review or share it by opening up Photos.

On iPads, you can also set up a specific gesture to take screenshots even more easily. Go to Settings and on the menu on the left choose General. Under Corner gestures, toggle on the switch next to Allow finger to swipe from corner, and choose Screenshot from either the Left corner swipe or the Right corner swipe options depending on what you want. To take the screenshot, just swipe from your chosen corner, and you’re done. 

[Related: The best screenshot and screen recording apps for your phone]

But wait, there’s more! It’s also possible to get your phone or tablet’s display up on a computer and capture it from there. On macOS, connect your device via USB, then run QuickTime, and choose File and New Movie Recording. If you select iPhone (or iPad) from the drop-down menu by the red record button, the device’s display will appear. To capture the window, use the Ctrl+Shift+Cmd+4, spacebar, and click combination we mentioned in the macOS section above.

On Windows, you can use an AirPlay client such as LonelyScreen or Mirroring360, then broadcast the iPhone or iPad screen to your laptop or desktop using the AirPlay feature built into Apple’s operating system. To do so, swipe down from the top right corner (or up from the bottom of the screen on some devices) to open the Control Center, then tap on Screen Mirroring to get connected.

Got all that? Feel free to use your new skills and take a screenshot of any part of this article you’d like to save for reference. 

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2017.

The post How to take a screenshot on any device (we know you want to) appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Using a Windows PC doesn’t mean you can’t make use of Apple’s various apps and services. In recent years, the parent companies of both operating systems have made efforts to get their respective software packages working together, making it easier than it’s ever been.

You won’t have the seamless experience you get with Apple apps and services on macOS, but you have a couple of options to get them working on Windows—and you can choose whichever suits you best.

Use iCloud on the web

Load up the web version of iCloud in your Windows web browser, sign in with your Apple ID, and you’ll have access to a plethora of Apple apps: Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, Drive, Notes, Reminders, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and Find My. For some people, this is all the integration they’re going to need, as everything will sync back to the respective apps on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

[Related: 5 ways to get started with Freeform, Apple’s app for creative thinkers]

Click Customize Home Page to change which widgets show up when you first open the site and click on any of the app links to jump to that app in your browser. For example, choose Photos to browse through everything stored in iCloud Photos. The navigation pane on the left lets you view individual albums, and the icons in the top right let you upload and download images.

There’s a lot of functionality in these web apps, and they’re almost as good as their desktop equivalents on macOS. Everything Apple will stay self-contained inside a browser tab, so it’s a good solution if you want to keep some distance between your Apple apps and everything else on your Windows PC.

Use iCloud for Windows

You can get a tighter integration between operating systems so that your Apple contacts show up in the native MS Outlook, and Windows automatically uploads photos to iCloud. For this, you need to download and install iCloud for Windows.

Sign up with your Apple ID credentials and choose whether you’d like to sync your files. You can pick and choose exactly what you want to integrate into the Windows system: iCloud Drive files, photos and videos, contacts, calendar information, web bookmarks, and browser passwords. Some entries have an Options button so you can configure them further and choose specific Windows locations for your iCloud files, for example.

Make your choices and click Apply—the utility will take care of all the necessary setup and syncing for you. In the case of iCloud photos and videos, you’ll see a new folder on your hard drive and a new iCloud Photos entry in the default Windows Photo app that you can use to browse and sync your files.

Use Apple email

Rather confusingly, Apple says you may or may not see a Mail option in iCloud for Windows, without specifying which system versions support the platform and which don’t. You’ll see that we don’t have it on our test system, but if you see it when setting up the utility, you can check the option to have emails from your Apple account sync with Outlook.

The variation is most likely down to how your PC is set up in terms of recent updates, as Microsoft and Apple are both constantly tweaking their services. If you don’t see the Mail option, you can still add your Apple email account in Outlook or any other third-party email client.

In fact, in the case of Outlook specifically, if you click File, Info, and Add account, you can enter your Apple email address and just click Connect—Outlook already knows the server settings to use. Note that if you have two-factor authentication set up on your Apple account (and you should), you’ll need an app-specific password from here to log in through Outlook, rather than your standard Apple ID password.

Music, TV, and movies

After something of a delay, iTunes for Windows is now Apple Music for Windows, so you can access your music library on your PC just as you would on a Mac computer. If you subscribe to the Apple Music streaming service, you can combine tracks stored in the cloud with those on your local hard drive, and keep everything synced between your devices (including Android).

[Related: iPhone users can also embrace Google and Microsoft apps. Here’s how.]

When it comes to TV and movies, you can either get to the Apple TV app through your web browser or through the official Windows app. The web interface is different in that you need an active subscription to Apple TV Plus, and you can only watch content from the platform—there’s no option to purchase movies and shows or watch them offline.

The Apple TV Windows app is a replacement for the old iTunes for Windows software, which means all the movies and TV shows from your iTunes library are carried over. You can watch content that you’ve purchased and buy or rent new films and shows, whether or not you subscribe to Apple TV Plus. And if you are a subscriber, all that on-demand content is available too.

The post You can use many of your Apple apps on Windows. Here’s how. appeared first on Popular Science.

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As the world’s biggest social network, Facebook can keep tabs on about a third of the global population. Whether you visit the social network daily (as more than 2 billion users do) or only log on to to check hyperlocal neighborhood groups, you should be aware of how much personal data you’re giving to the site and its parent company, Meta.

Facebook primarily uses everything it knows about you to craft more relevant targeted advertising. While some see this as uncomfortably intrusive, others accept the ads as the price they pay for the network’s free services and tools. Whatever you think about the ethics of this data collection, you should know what the company is learning about you—and how you can control the flow of information. While this guide can help, there’s only so much you can do to protect your privacy. If you really want to stop the company from mining your data, your best bet is to delete your Facebook account entirely.

Take a peek at your profile information

When you created your account, you entered basic background information, including your name and email address. The site also prompted you to fill out your location, work and education history, and friends and relatives currently on Facebook. But by observing your behavior on its network, the tech company has gathered a lot more information about you and your habits.

[Related: How to secure your Facebook account]

One quick way to see exactly what details Facebook knows about you—and limit who else can access them—is to visit the Your Facebook information page where Meta stores all that data. If you’d prefer to get there without a link, log into the site and follow these steps:

Both the website and the app will show you several categories of information that you can browse at your leisure, with recent activity displayed on top. What you see may vary depending on how much you use Facebook and what you do there, but we can give you an idea of what to expect.

• Your activity across Facebook: This will show you everything you’ve done on the social network, including posts, photos, activity you’re tagged in, and items you’ve sold on Facebook Marketplace.
• Personal information: Click here to find what Facebook knows about you, including your name, hobbies, relationship status, and employer.
• Connections: If you’d like to see your friends, followers, and requests you’ve sent and received, this is the category you need.
• Logged information: Here you’ll find information Facebook tracks about your activity, such as search history and your primary location.
• Security and login information: Where you’ve logged into Facebook, the devices you’ve used, and a history of every login and logout.
• Apps and websites off of Facebook: If you’ve connected other apps and websites to your Facebook account, you’ll find related data here.
• Preferences: Any actions you’ve taken to customize your account, perhaps to make it more useful and less toxic, will be in this category.
• Ads information: Whenever you interact with ads and advertisers on Facebook, that data is gathered here.

Check your Facebook ad preferences

Ironically, if you want to see the topics Meta thinks you enjoy, you won’t find it under “ads information.” Instead, select Logged information, then Ads interests to see what data Facebook uses to serve you advertisements. To stop the company from showing you ads based on any of these details, simply hit Remove next to any one of them.

This doesn’t require you to eliminate helpful details from your profile—you can share your relationship status, for example, but block ads that target you because of it. Facebook also allows you to dig deeper and learn more about ad preferences if you’re interested. But be careful, editing this data doesn’t benefit you—it benefits Meta, which will be able to target you more effectively.

Even if Facebook isn’t selling your information to advertisers, it could still be collecting it. In addition to making ads more relevant, the company can put your data—everything from the make and model of your phone to your most frequently used apps—to work fixing bugs and changing the social network. If you’re uncomfortable giving certain information to the social network, you can delete it from your profile entirely by going to your Facebook profile and selecting Edit profile to see what you can adjust. You can’t erase everything, but you can delete details such as where you work and go to school. You may also want to check out the More drop-down menu, where you can unfollow pages and manage other things you’ve liked along the way.

However, Facebook isn’t a completely closed black box. If you want to back up your data or save it for any reason, you can download all of it—just navigate to the Your Facebook information page (steps above), find Download profile information and click View next to it. You can select a date range, file format, and the quality of photos and other media in the final file.

[Related: Use these settings to share photos at their best quality]

There were once third-party tools that sought to offer this information and predict how Facebook might track and interpret your data, like the now-defunct website Stalkscan and Google Chrome extension Data Selfie. Now, you can just navigate to the Your Facebook Information page and click Download Your Information. You can select a date range, file format, and the quality of photos and other media included in that file. If you need a little more guidance, we have a full step-by-step within our story on how to delete your Facebook account.

Disable location and web tracking

Beyond the information you list on your profile and the pattern of your clicks (from likes to photo comments), it’s worth discussing two other big pieces of data in more detail: what Facebook knows about your location (determined via your smartphone) and your activity elsewhere on the internet.

[Related: How to stop websites from tracking you]

Letting Facebook’s mobile app know where you are has some upsides. It enables you to check into places, search for interesting spots nearby, and even find your friends more easily. It also tells Facebook where you tend to hang out, allowing the service to be more precise about the ads it shows you.

If this makes you uncomfortable, you can turn off its ability to keep tabs on your whereabouts. On Android phones, open Settings, tap Apps, find Facebook, hit Permissions, and select Location. On an iPhone, open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then Location Services, find Facebook on the list of apps, and choose Never from the list of options that appear. If you don’t see Facebook under Location Services on your iPhone, you probably haven’t done anything in the app that might require your location. Even with these precautions, Facebook still can keep tabs on you—for example, it will take note when your friends tag you.

The simple reason why Facebook tracks you around the internet should be clear by now: better advertising. It can, for example, receive notifications when you spend time on specific webpages. In addition, the marketing platforms and sites to which Facebook sends your information can also give the social network their own carefully gleaned data about you (this is known as off-Facebook activity) What’s in this data? You can’t know exactly, beyond checking the Apps and websites off of Facebook information category we mentioned above.

To prevent Facebook from following you around the web, go to the Your Facebook information page (steps above), and click View next to Off-Facebook activity. You have three options:

Disconnect specific off-Facebook activity

Whether you’re on the web (Disconnect specific activity) or the mobile app (Select Activity to Disconnect), you’ll need to enter your password to proceed. You’ll see a list of brands and websites Facebook associates you with, and you can select the bubble (web) or Turn off (app) next to any of them to make your choices. Then hit Continue (web) or Turn Off Future Activity (app) to disconnect your Facebook account from the ones you’ve selected. Facebook will also provide a bunch of information about the process, including that Meta may still get information from the disconnected places, but it won’t be associated with your account.

Clear your off-Facebook history

Choose Clear previous activity (web) or Clear History (app), and you’ll be able to disconnect your off-Facebook activity history from your account. The data may still exist, but Meta says it won’t be linked to your account.

Manage future off-Facebook activity

There are two paths here: Connect future activity or Disconnect future activity. The former will allow Meta to keep gathering off-Facebook activity from certain places around the web and linking it to your account. The latter will prevent that, the company says. On the web, you’ve got to click the bubble next to your choice, but in the mobile app it’s a simple toggle switch.

open the Ads page, find Ads Settings from the menu on the left, and select Ads shown off of Facebook. Turn the toggle switch to Not Allowed. You can also visit the Digital Advertising Alliance and specifically opt out of numerous cross-site tracking programs, including the one run by Facebook.

These days, Facebook takes more care to explain what type of user data it collects, but you still can’t reclaim all of your information—that’s something you sacrifice when you sign up for the service. What you can do is be more aware of the types of information you reveal as you fill out your profile, react to your News Feed, and browse the web.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2017.

The post How to see everything Facebook knows about you, and what you can do about it appeared first on Popular Science.

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The Windows operating system has been around since 1985, and you’d have to be a true enthusiast to know every single thing the software can do. For most of us, there are features we’ve never come across or taken advantage of, hidden away in the operating system—and a lot of these can be really useful if you know where to find them.

Like the best hidden settings in Windows, these hidden features (there’s a difference, we promise) can make a real difference to the way you use your computer every day, and there’s likely to be at least one or two on this list that you will come to depend upon.

The secret Windows Start menu

The regular Windows Start menu is perfectly fine if you only want speedy access to the applications on your computer—but other times you might want to jump straight to a specific part of the operating system. The Task Manager, perhaps.

That’s where the secret Start menu comes in, although it’s not all that hidden: Just right-click on the Start menu button and it’ll appear. From there, you can access a host of useful shortcuts that have nothing to do with your apps.

Beyond the Task Manager, you can jump straight to the desktop, sign out of the user account you’re currently in,  search your PC, and access screens such as the Device Manager or the Terminal window.

Instant access to emojis, anywhere

Emojis can sometimes express what you want to say better than words, and there’s a way to find them in any Windows app or from any Windows screen that you might not know about. Simply press Win+. (the Windows key and the period key simultaneously) to bring up a panel packed with emojis and other special characters.

Screen recording

You may be familiar with the Windows Snipping Tool for taking screenshots, but it also has the ability to record screen activity—perfect for creating tutorial videos, getting help with a problem, or logging what’s happening on apps and websites.

Launch the Snipping Tool from the Start menu, then click the record button (it looks like a video camera) to do some screen recording. Select part or all of the screen, and the recording will begin. Use the pause and stop buttons at the top of your display to take a break from recording or finish it completely.

[Related: The best screenshot and recording apps for your phone]

Your recorded video will then pop up inside the Snipping Tool, where you can review it and save it to a specific place on your system.

Clipboard history

For a long time, the Windows clipboard could only hold one item at a time—whether it was an image, a line of text, a file, or whatever else. While it’s not immediately obvious from the user interface, the Windows clipboard can now store much more.

To make sure clipboard history is turned on, open System > Clipboard from Settings. Once enabled, you can view the full history by pressing Win+V on your keyboard—and the pop-up window that appears will let you permanently pin items to the clipboard, copy any item from the clipboard, and clear the clipboard history.

Detailed Windows troubleshooters

Windows has a bunch of helpful troubleshooters you can turn to before running a web search, asking a friend or relative for advice, or calling in the professionals to solve an issue. These tools can be quite effective, and cover almost every aspect of your computer’s operation.

Open up Settings from the Start menu, then choose System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Click Run next to a troubleshooter to launch it—the topics they cover include video playback, Bluetooth, printers, and network and internet connections.

Energy recommendations for more efficient power

If you’re not sure about the best way to minimize the amount of energy your laptop or desktop is using, Windows can help by making some suggestions about how your PC is configured. It’s a helpful guide to the key settings involved.

From Settings, pick System, then Power & battery (on a laptop) or Power (on a desktop). If there are ways your PC could be saving energy, you’ll see an Energy recommendations link at the top—click this to view the recommendations.

They can cover everything from the brightness of the display to the way that USB devices are powered when your computer is sleeping. Click Apply next to any recommendation you’d like to follow, or Apply all to set them all at once.

Conversations with the Windows calculator

The apps that come built into Windows have their own share of hidden features too. Take Calculator, for example, which can do much more than your sums. Launch it from the Start menu, click the three lines to the top left, and you’ll see there are a mass of options for performing conversions.

You can run conversions based on currency, volume, length, weight and mass, temperature, energy, area, speed, time, and power, and you can calculate the number of months, weeks, and days between two dates as well.

The post 7 hidden Windows features you should be using appeared first on Popular Science.

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Knowing how to reverse image search is a useful skill. Sometimes called backwards image search, this technique allows you to use a picture from your device’s gallery, a screenshot, or an image URL as a starting point to find out where it’s been used online. 

You may have heard of it used in connection with Google image search, but the Big G is only one of the platforms offering this feature—there are several others you can use for free on your phone, tablet, or computer. The most accurate reverse image search tool will heavily depend on what you’re looking for, so it’s worth trying all of these options to see how the results compare.

Reverse image searching is a good way to find photos similar to ones you already have, or better quality versions of them. You might also want to find the original iteration of a picture or piece of digital art—or make sure no one is using your content without permission.

Search by image on Google

Google allows you to submit your image in a number of ways. Whichever one you choose, you’ll typically end up with a gallery that includes exact matches to your picture, as well as results that look similar to it. Generally, Google can identify what’s in your photo, so you might also see related text results. If it’s a logo, for example, you might see the company’s website, or if it’s a plant you might see its name and information about the species.

[Related: 5 Google search tips for the most accurate results]

1. From a desktop or mobile browser, head to Google Images

2. Click or tap the search by image button—it looks like a colorful camera. 

3. Submit your photo.

• On desktop, you can drag an image in from another window, upload a file from your computer, or paste in the URL of the image you want to find.
• On mobile, you can snap an image with your camera or tap the picture icon to the left of the search button to choose an image from your phone. As soon as you upload the image, Google will show you results for it. 

4. (Optional) To find exact matches from a desktop browser, click Find image source. To access the same tool from a mobile device, tap the image source button in the lower right—the icon looks like a small magnifying glass and globe. You’ll immediately see a list of matches together with their resolution and the website they’re on. This is extremely useful if you want to know where the picture was first posted or grab it at a different size or quality.

How to reverse image search on Bing

If you’d like to run a reverse image search on a platform other than Google, Microsoft’s search engine can also get the job done, and it categorizes the results for easy navigation. 

1. Open up Bing in a desktop or mobile browser and click or tap the square camera icon to the right of the search box.

2. Submit your photo.

• On desktop, you can drag an image into the window, pick one from your system, or enter an image URL.
• On mobile, you can take a snap with your phone’s camera or choose a picture from the device’s storage by tapping the picture icon in the lower left corner of your screen.

3. Bing will immediately present you with a list of matches split into three categories, but depending on the photo you used, you might not see all of them.

• Pages with this image: These are exact matches for the picture you’re searching for. 
• Related content: These are similar kinds of images to the one you’re searching for.
• Shop for similar: These are items on retail sites that closely match your image. This category comes in handy if you’re shopping for a certain top or pair of shoes, for example.

4. (Optional) To sort your reverse image search results, go to the Pages with this image section. There are two buttons on this panel—one specifying how many pages of matches Bing found, and the other specifying how many image sizes are available. Click or tap the pages button to see the individual URLs listed in order. You can also click or tap the image size button to see the matches grouped by resolution, in pixels.

How to reverse image search with TinEye

Another useful reverse image search tool is TinEye. As with Google and Bing, you can access the search box through a desktop or mobile browser. You can also save yourself the typing by getting the platform’s extension, available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. 

1. Tap the Upload button to choose a picture from your phone or computer, or enter an image URL in the box. You’ll immediately see a collection of matches from the web. Alongside each of them, you’ll see the date a picture was first posted, and its resolution. 

2. (Optional) Sort results by using the drop-down menu at the top of the list. You’ll be able to group images by date, size, or closest match. 

3. (Optional) Refine your results using the checkboxes at the top. You’ll be able to filter by images that were recently deleted from the web and are no longer available, results from stock photo companies (handy if you want to license a picture), and items that are part of collections (groups of other similar images). If you’re trying to figure out when a picture was originally posted, that last option can be particularly useful—the image you’re looking for may have been uploaded as part of a set along with other similar ones.

Reverse image search is mostly safe

When you submit a photo for reverse image lookup, platforms like Google and Bing use their algorithms to analyze the file and find others like it online. To do that, they need to store the image for a limited period of time while they process it. 

Google’s terms of service, for example, are vague enough that they don’t say exactly how long they store the pictures you use for reverse image search. However, according to the company’s official community message board, they keep a copy for about a week, but it’s not indexed by Google and is only accessible if you have the file’s URL. After that, the image is deleted forever. 

[Related: Organizing your photos can be a chore. Let AI tag them for you.]

The post How to do a reverse image search appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

If driving your car is your main form of transportation, then Waze (available for Android and iOS) offers a solid alternative to Apple Maps and Google Maps when it comes to turn-by-turn navigation. But one thing that sets the app apart from the rest is the ability to record new voices for directions.

And it doesn’t have to be your own. For example, you could have one of your kids or that friend with the baritone to get you to your destination every time. You might even want to hear how your own voice does the job.

Note that these custom Waze voices only cover the basics of the directions. At the moment, Waze can’t leverage the artificial intelligent power to adapt your voice to pronounce the name of every place, road, city, or town in the world—although it might only be a matter of time before a feature like this is available.

Recording a new Waze voices

Open Waze on your phone. If you have an Android device, tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of your screen, followed by Settings; iPhone users should tap the My Waze heading at the bottom, and then the cog icon in the top left corner of the interface. Select Voice and sound, then the current voice used for navigation (most likely Waze voice), and finally, Add a voice.

You’ll see a safety warning reminding you to make sure that the verbal instructions you record are clear and accurate, and then Waze will ask for your permission to use your phone’s microphone. After that, it’s time to record—let your inner voice actor out or ask the person whose voice you’re using to step in.

[Related: Navigating with GPS is making our brains lazy]

Tap Name your voice at the top of the screen to identify the new narrator, and choose the phrases you want to record: There’s a comprehensive list with everything from “Let’s get started—drive safe!” to “Take the fourth exit”. You don’t have to tackle all of these in one go: you can always come back and finish your recording later, and Waze will default to its regular voice for any clips still pending.

When you choose a phrase, a recording window will pop up. Tap the red circle button to register your voice, and the blue play button to hear it back. Waze will tell you how many seconds you have to get each phrase in, so you can’t drag it out too much—the time will count down as you’re recording to make it easier to fit all of it in there. When you’re happy with a clip, tap Save.

As you start to build up the bank of voice recordings, you’ll see the red record buttons next to each phrase change—tap the blue play button to hear the clip, and a trash can button to delete it and try again. If you’re done for the day, tap Save to go back to the main Waze app.

How to switch between Waze voices

When you record a voice, the app will automatically set it as the default navigation narrator. To change it in the future, head to the settings screen on your phone as detailed above, and choose Voice and sound. A blue checkmark will sit next to the voice you’re currently using.

You’ll notice that Waze offers a wide selection of fun and serious voices to pick from, including cats, dogs, and noir detectives. Some of these voices will have an “including street names” label, which means they’ve been programmed with these specifics on the map. If you choose one that doesn’t (including your own recordings), you’ll have to settle for machine-generated voices and pronunciations for the names of specific streets and places.

[Related: Learning a new language? Here’s how to perfect your pronunciation.]

When it comes to the custom Waze voices, you’ve got two little icons next to each one: Tap the pen icon to go back to the recording screen to make changes and add phrases, or tap the share icon (an arrow pushing out of a box) to send your recorded voice clips to someone else on Waze. Maybe grandparents also want to be directed around town by your kids, so just tap the Share button to confirm and pick a contact or an app to share a link in.

So, next time you need to hit the road, open the map screen on Waze, enter your destination, and your selected voice will guide you there. You can also change the voice mid-drive by tapping the speaker icon next to the estimated time of arrival and choosing then Voice directions.

The post Anybody can be your travel guide with customized Waze voices appeared first on Popular Science.

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Paper copies and filing cabinets have become less common since cloud computing became more ubiquitous. But you may still need to sign a PDF document, which may be a problem if you don’t have a printer and scanner handy.

The solution is to do everything digitally, scribbling your signature with your finger, a stylus, or a mouse cursor, and pasting it on the PDF. There are multiple different ways to go about it, so you can choose the one that suits you best.

 How to sign a PDF document on Windows

If you’re looking for a built-in PDF signing tool in Windows, your best option is the Microsoft Edge browser that comes with the operating system. To open a file, drag it into a browser tab from File Explorer or press Ctrl+O and select the document.

[Related: How to combine PDF files for free without sketchy online software]

Up at the top of the screen, you’ll see a new toolbar: Click the small arrow next to Draw to choose the color and line thickness of your signature. With that done, leave your mark on the document using your mouse or trackpad. You may also use your finger if your Windows device has a touchscreen.

If you don’t like your digitized autograph and need to start again, click the icon that looks like an eraser. Once you’re happy with the result, head over to the save icons you’ll see up in the top-right corner of your screen—they look like floppy disks. Click the one on the left to save over the original PDF or the one on the right (with the pen icon) to save the signed document as a new file.

How to sign a PDF document on macOS

Over on Apple’s desktop operating system, your native PDF-signing tool is the easy-to-use  Preview. By default, all PDFs should open in the tool by double-clicking on them, but if that’s not the case, you can always summon the app via Spotlight search: type “preview” on the search bar that appears when you hit command + spacebar. Select the program and then open the document from there by going to File and clicking Open. 

Once Preview is displaying the relevant file, you should see an icon on the toolbar at the top that looks like a signature. If you don’t see the option, go to View and click on Show Markup Toolbar—it’s towards the bottom of the menu. Click the signature button and choose Create Signature. There are several ways to go about it: You can scrawl your autograph on your trackpad, you can hold a piece of paper with your signature on it up to your Mac’s webcam, or you can sign using your finger or an Apple Pencil on an iPhone or iPad linked to the same Apple ID as your computer.

When you’re done with the result, click Done and your scribble will drop into the document, where you’ll be able to reposition and resize it as needed. Your signature will automatically save for future use, so next time you open a document on Preview, you can click on the signature icon and your autograph will be there ready to be inserted wherever you need it.   

To save over the current PDF, choose File and then Save; or if you’d rather create a new file, choose File and Export instead.

How to sign a PDF file on Android

If you want to sign a PDF on Android you don’t need the hassle of downloading and signing up for another app—Google Drive, which should already be on your device, has you covered. Open up a PDF, then tap the edit button (bottom right), which looks like a pen with a scribble next to it.

Tap the pen tool (bottom left) and choose a color and line thickness for your signature. With that done, you can sign right on the document. Use the eraser or the undo (backward arrow) buttons on the toolbar to go back and start again, if you need to. You can then tap Save to overwrite the PDF, or tap the three dots (top right) and Save copy to create a separate file.

And if you don’t want to use Google Drive, Android has plenty of third-party options to pick from, as well. Adobe Fill & Sign can scan a written signature you’ve got on a piece of paper for example, while JetSign can work with other types of files (like Word documents) as well as PDFs.

How to sign a PDF on iOS or iPadOS

The digital signing features on iOS and iPadOS closely match those on macOS, and you’ll find the relevant tools in the Files app. Open a PDF in Files, then tap the icon in the bottom right corner that looks like a pen filling out a form. This brings up a list of your existing signatures, including ones you might have created on your Mac.

You can also tap Add or Remove Signature and the + (plus) icon to create a new scribble using your finger or an Apple Pencil. Once you’ve selected a signature, you can reposition it on the document by dragging it around with your finger, and resize it by moving the blue handles around the edges. Tap Done to overwrite the existing file. If you want a separate copy, tap the file name (top left) and then Duplicate.

As you would expect, plenty of third-party apps for iOS and iPadOS will take over PDF signing duties if you need them to. PDF Expert gives you access to a host of PDF editing tools, including the ability to add signatures, while SignNow is a good choice if multiple people need to sign the same file.

Other options to sign a PDF document

If you want to test and compare several tools, there are yet more options you can try out. If your PDF documents are in Dropbox, you can open them up on the web, then click Add signatures and Self-sign to add your autograph. You can draw using your mouse or trackpad, create a signature based on a font of your choice, or upload an image of your signature from somewhere else.

[Related: Easily convert a PDF to an image on your phone]

DocuSign also offers a comprehensive set of document-signing tools. Click your profile picture (top right), then Manage Profile and Signatures to assign your personal scribbles to your account, which you can then add to any of your documents. If multiple parties are signing the same document, DocuSign can keep track of who has signed what, and when.

If you want something simple that runs in your browser, you can rely upon ILovePDF for any kind of PDF editing or processing task. Just click Sign PDF and follow the instructions on the screen. You can scribble out a signature with your mouse or trackpad, upload an image of your signature, or generate one using your name and font of your choice.

The post All the ways to digitally sign a PDF appeared first on Popular Science.

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Perhaps you too have frowned whenever you think about those seemingly wasted seconds spent moving your hands from your keys to your mouse and back again, over and over and over. Time is money. That’s why learning—and creating—the right keyboard shortcuts can be such an advantage, as they allow you to whizz around your system faster and more comfortably.

All operating systems have presets you can work with, but if macOS doesn’t have the shortcuts you need, you can easily create your own. These custom key presses can help you get stuff done much more quickly, whether you’re launching apps and menus, manipulating files, or performing repetitive tasks such as closing programs at the end of the day.

This is exciting, but before you dive in and start creating shortcuts for macOS, we’d recommend familiarizing yourself with the hotkeys already available. It’ll save you from duplicating existing combos.

Create macOS shortcuts using Apple’s built-in settings

The good news is that one way to create custom macOS shortcuts is built right into the operating system. The bad news is that it doesn’t give you a great deal of flexibility, and you might also need to use a third-party program, depending on what you want to do. To get started, open up System Settings from the Apple menu, then choose Keyboard and Keyboard Shortcuts. A new dialog box will appear with a list of shortcut types on the left.

Click any of the options in the sidebar (like Mission Control or App Shortcuts), and you’ll see a list of the shortcuts already enabled. The combinations under each category cover a host of actions—from taking a screenshot to opening the Launchpad interface. Many of them can be enabled and disabled using the check boxes to their left.

To assign a new shortcut to an action that doesn’t already have one, double-click none and hit the new keys. To edit an existing shortcut, double-click the existing key combo, then type the new keys.

[Related: 38 advanced Mac keyboard shortcuts]

If you try to assign a keyboard shortcut that’s already in use, macOS will warn you with a message on the screen. You’ll still be able to carry on, though, as when you type in a shortcut, the system will launch all the actions linked to it. This, however, may result in your computer slowing down or even crashing, depending on which programs or actions the shortcuts trigger, so it’s better to keep combinations unique.

To create new shortcuts for your macOS apps, click App Shortcuts, then the plus icon. You’ll get to pick the app and then the menu item inside the app that you want to access. If the action you want isn’t listed on a menu, you can’t create a shortcut to it. Not with this tool, anyway.

Get some help from another program

If the macOS keyboard shortcut creation tool doesn’t cover everything you need, there are plenty of third-party programs that will be able to help you out.

One of our favorites is Alfred, which will be familiar to macOS power users. It acts as a supercharged system search tool and launcher that also supports customized keyboard shortcuts. You can use it to set key combos for a host of actions including opening apps and files and searching the web.

To customize your shortcuts, open Alfred from the menu bar and pick Preferences. There, you’ll see the General tab, where you can set the main hotkey to enable Alfred, and the Features tab, where you can set shortcuts for particular actions related to files and apps. For more complex keyboard shortcuts (including those controlling media and the clipboard), you can upgrade to a Powerpack version for £34 (about $43).

Another alternative is Keyboard Maestro. It’s $36, but it’s a very comprehensive tool and you can try it for free. The program can create more sophisticated shortcuts than Alfred, with the option to tie several actions together, and support for everything—from entering text to controlling system settings.

To create a shortcut for macOS with Keyboard Maestro, click the plus button at the bottom of the interface. You’ll need to assign the keyboard shortcut first, and then you can tell the program what you want it to do. The program is slightly more complicated than Alfred in terms of building actions, so if you don’t find it as intuitive, you can get more information on how the app works by clicking on Tutorial from the Help menu.

Create keyboard shortcuts inside your Mac apps

We’ve got no idea which programs you have on your Mac, but chances are that at least some support customized keyboard shortcuts. If they do, you’ll need to manage your key combos inside each app rather than across macOS as a whole.

Microsoft Word for macOS is one program that allows you to create custom keyboard shortcuts. To find the feature inside Word, you’ll need to choose Tools, then Customize Keyboard. You’ll see a new dialog box with all the commands and menu options you can assign shortcuts to—select one and press your chosen shortcut to link them. Make sure to use unique combinations, as any new ones you create will override the old ones. Don’t worry, though—you’ll be warned if your chosen shortcut is already in use.

[Related: 4 tips and hidden settings that will speed up macOS]

Finally, use the drop-down menu at the bottom of the dialog box to choose whether the shortcuts apply to all Word documents (the Normal.dotm template) or just the current one (Document1 or whatever the currently open file is called).

If you have Adobe Photoshop on your Mac, you can set up customized shortcuts to get to your favorite tools more quickly. Just press Option+Shift+Cmd+K, or select Keyboard Shortcuts inside the Edit menu to start assigning.

Your selected shortcuts can launch menu items, interface panels (like Layers or History), and specific tools—select an entry from the list, click Add Shortcut, and press your chosen combination of keys. As in Word, if your chosen shortcut is already in use, Photoshop will warn you. If you continue, the new action will overwrite the old one.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2020.

The post Master your Mac by creating custom keyboard shortcuts appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

If there are Android apps and games you love and rely on, know that you’re not limited to using them on small displays. Not only will these programs work on a ChromeOS computer, but they’ll also run on Windows and—to a lesser extent—macOS. You may find the extra screen real estate and full keyboard and mouse controls to be a big advantage whether you’re gaming or working.

Some apps may not work perfectly—a consequence of trying to run software on a device it wasn’t intended for—but official tools from Google and Amazon have made this less of a problem. Just two years ago, the best ways to run Android apps on a computer were to buy one with ChromeOS or install an emulator on your PC or Mac. Today, you can also use Google Play Games and the Amazon App Store to do the job on your laptop or desktop.

Run Android apps on a ChromeOS computer

Using a Chromebook (or a Chromebox) is one of the best ways to run Android apps and games on a computer. ChromeOS has Android support built right in, so getting your favorite mobile programs to work won’t require any effort on your part. Click the launcher button (bottom left), find the Play Store icon, and browse for your apps and games just as you would on an Android phone.

If you don’t see the Play Store icon on your Chromebook, head to its settings (click the status bar in the lower right corner, then the cog icon), and select Google Play Store under Apps. From the same section of the settings pane, you can pick Manage your apps to view and uninstall them, or pin your favorite ones to the bottom shelf on ChromeOS.

[Related: The best Chromebook add-ons and tricks]

Newly installed apps will appear in the launcher, and you can open them with a click. Most apps will run perfectly well on ChromeOS, but that may not always be the case. If you notice some odd behavior and positioning, it means that particular app has not been optimized for Chromebooks or other larger screens.

Run Android apps on Windows via the Amazon app store

Windows now officially supports Android apps in a couple of ways. The first is via the Amazon app store, the same one you’ll find on Amazon Fire tablets. The store offers both apps and games, but the selection isn’t quite as wide as it is with the Google Play Store (more on that in the next section).

Open up the Microsoft Store from the Start menu, then search for “Amazon Appstore”. When you find it, click Install to get it set up on your system. You’ll have to sign in with an Amazon account—if you don’t already have one, you can register inside the app store itself.

When you’re up and running, you can search for games and apps using the box at the top, or browse the categories (like Kids and Editor’s pick) in the main panel. When you’ve found something you like, click Get and Download. You can launch any installed apps from the Start menu as normal.

To customize various aspects of how the Amazon app store works on Windows, click the Settings link on the left. You can, for example, choose to set up parental controls for in-game purchases, and have your apps automatically update whenever your computer is connected to WiFi.

Run Android games on Windows using Google Play Games

Microsoft and Google do offer an official way to play Android games on PC, but it’s games only—no apps. It’s also still in beta testing, so expect one or two bugs to occasionally appear. To get started, head to the Google Play Games beta page in your web browser and click Download beta.

Run the downloaded file, and after a few minutes of setup, you’ll be asked to sign into your Google account. When that’s done, you can start browsing—any games you previously installed on an Android phone or tablet will appear on the right, so you can easily install them on Windows if you want to.

[Related: 9 hidden Android features you’re missing out on]

On the left, you’ll see quick links to the home screen (with a selection of recommendations), your library, and the search function (you can browse by category or look for something specific). When you find a game you like, click Install. Note that all games have to be launched from the library inside Google Play Games, and they won’t appear on the Start menu.

To configure Google Play Games on Windows, click your profile picture (lower left), then Settings. You can choose whether or not the games on your system are automatically updated, manage the various permissions games have on Windows, and see details of your Google Play account.

Use an emulator to get Android apps on Mac and PC

Another option for Windows, and the only option for macOS, is to run an emulator. These emulators take code written for Android, interpret it, and then produce the same results on a desktop operating system. That interpretation layer means the apps might be slower than they are on your phone, but it won’t be a noticeable problem on most computers.

One such emulator is BlueStacks, which is speedy, free, and easy to set up. Get started from the Home tab, which will show you both BlueStacks’ own selection of games and a link to the Google Play Store where more apps and games reside. You can also use the search box at the top to look for something specific.

Everything you install needs to be run through BlueStacks’ own interface and app player rather than the Windows Start menu. There’s also a Multi-instance manager tool available from the left-hand navigation pane, which lets you run games and apps using different user accounts at the same time.

Another option worth considering is NoxPlayer, and it checks a lot of the same boxes as BlueStacks: It’s free, easy to configure, and available for both Windows and macOS. When you start up NoxPlayer for the first time, you’ll see a panel showing the key areas in the emulator: Click Game Launcher and then Game Service to start exploring.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2021.

The post 4 ways to run Android apps and games on your computer appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

It’s not often that a new browser comes along promising to transform the way you access the web, but that’s exactly what Arc offers. Now available to anyone on macOS and iOS, with a Windows version due before the end of 2023, the program brings with it a slew of features that will help you browse differently.

For a start, tabs live on the left by default rather than at the top, and are automatically archived after a customizable period of time. You can keep different browsing activities separate with Profiles and Spaces, you can collect stuff from the web in Notes and Easels, and you can even change the look of sites as you browse.

Arc’s ultimate aim is to provide a more intuitive, more focused window to the web—and by exploring how these various features and settings work, you’ll be able to get a feel for whether or not Arc is the right browser for you. 

Getting started with Arc

Once you download Arc for macOS and install it on your system, it’ll ask you to sign up for a free Arc account. This will mainly be used to sync browsing data across devices and file bug reports, and you can’t use the browser without one. Once you’ve supplied a name, email, and password, the initial setup process will start.

Setup involves importing data such as your browsing history, stored passwords, and bookmarks from another browser on your system (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, and Opera are all supported)—click on any of the browsers listed to see the data that will be transferred across. Select a browser and then click Next to do the import, or click Do this later if you’d rather start fresh with Arc.

Arc will then ask you to pick a color that it’ll use as its main accent color, so you’ll have a browser that’s tailored to your tastes right from the beginning. The next stage is picking out web apps that you often have open, such as Gmail or Notion—Arc will ask you to sign into these apps, and will put links to them front and center once you finish setup.

[Related: How to cover your tracks when you’re browsing the web]

For the penultimate step of the setup process, you can choose whether or not to activate Arc’s built-in ad blocker. The choice is yours, but bear in mind that many websites (this one included) rely on advertising revenue to run. Finally, you’ll get your Arc card: A simple image with your name and a graphic that you can use to show off your support for Arc on social media and elsewhere.

Using Arc

When you get into Arc, the first area to be aware of is the sidebar on the left. It’s home to your favorites (which look like app shortcut icons), pinned tabs just below, and unpinned tabs beneath that (under the line). As mentioned above, unpinned tabs are automatically archived after 12 hours by default, but you can change this by going to Arc > Settings > General.

You can view archived tabs via Archive > View Archive, and you can turn an unpinned tab into a pinned one by dragging it up above the sidebar line or pressing Cmd+D. You can also drag tabs back down to unpin them, and reorder them by clicking and dragging within both the pinned and unpinned sections. To visit a new site, enter its URL in the box in the top left corner, then hit Enter and it’ll pop up in a new tab.

That box is also good for running searches, and you can set your default search engine via Arc > Settings > General. Just to the right of the box you’ll see options for copying the current URL, sharing it via another app, taking a screenshot, and applying a boost—boosts let you change the colors and fonts on a page, so you can give any site a custom look. There’s also a “zap” button for removing elements of a webpage, such as menu bars or widgets.

If you’ve got several people using Arc on the same computer, you can set up profiles for each person via File > New Profile. Profiles have their own separate sets of browsing data (such as history and favorites), so you can also use them to keep various parts of your browsing life independent—you might have one profile for work and one profile for leisure.

[Related: The information tracking cookies could be gathering about your family]

Then there are Spaces, which are like profiles within profiles. Again, you could have separate ones for your job, vacation planning, hobbies, side hustle, or whatever you like. Favorites stay constant across Spaces, but pinned tabs and unpinned tabs change, and each Space can have its own color theme. To make a new Space, choose Spaces > New Space. Your Spaces are listed at the foot of the sidebar for easy switching, and can be managed via Spaces > Edit Spaces.

To help you keep track of everything you find on the web, Arc offers Notes and Easels—you can create either by clicking on the plus button at the bottom of the sidebar. Notes are just as they sound, collections of text, links, and images that you can use to record ideas and thoughts. Easels are a bit more creative, combining scribbles and shapes with text, images, and screenshots you’ve grabbed from the web.

Also of note is the Cmd+T keyboard shortcut, which works a bit like Spotlight does on macOS. Hit this shortcut in Arc, and a box will pop up: You can type in a search, the URL of a website you want to visit, the title of a tab that’s already open, a command (such as “pin tab”), or a place within Arc you want to go to (such as “settings”). It’s a one-stop shop for getting anywhere in Arc.

As you can see, Arc is packed with features, many of them not available in other browsers, and there are more that we don’t have the space to explore here, like Split View for multitasking (View > Add Split View) and the stripped-down, Little Arc mini version of Arc (File > Open Little Arc). It’s worth at least giving Arc a try, to see if it offers enough to dislodge your current browser from its default position.

The post The new Arc browser will literally transform how you use the web appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

When you delete a file from your computer, it doesn’t simply disappear from existence—at least, not right away. Even if you immediately empty the Recycle Bin or Trash folder, all your deletion does is earmark the space that file takes up on your hard drive as vacant. Until another file or application makes use of that room, the old data will remain. This is why specialized programs can often recover deleted files for you.

But recovery isn’t always a priority. If you want to securely erase sensitive files, or you’re selling your device to another person, you’ll need to know how to permanently delete files from your computer, tablet, or phone. That way, no clever software will ever be able to bring your old files back from the dead. Follow this guide to make sure unwanted files disappear forever, beyond the reach of even the most determined data forensics team. Just make sure you really want to permanently erase the data before you start.

If you’re on a computer, your first move should be to delete the file from File Explorer in Windows or Finder in macOS. Then clear out whichever undelete tool your operating system uses—either the Recycle Bin or the Trash folder. That’s where most people would stop and move on to another task, leaving their data vulnerable. But you’re not most people.

Permanently delete files from standard hard drives

If you’re using an older desktop computer or laptop, it probably has a traditional mechanical hard drive, also called an HDD. If you’re unsure, a quick glance at the specs should tell you one way or another. Data on these drives is stored close together, which makes the information easier to recover.

To overcome this problem and securely remove a file or folder, you’ll need the help of a third-party program. For Windows, the simple Eraser tool is one of the best, or you can try Recuva, which is billed as a file recovery program but also performs secure deletions. Both free programs work similarly: They overwrite the vacant space on your drive with random data so the original files and folders can’t be brought back.

For a Mac with a mechanical hard drive, the process depends on the age of your machine. On newer HDD Macs, we’d recommend Permanent Eraser, which is free. Simply point this app to the files and folders you want to get rid of, and it will take care of the rest. But if you’re running an older device with Yosemite or an earlier version of macOS, you can simply open the Finder menu and choose Secure Empty Trash, an option that overwrites all the files in the Trash folder with junk data.

The options differ because Apple removed the Secure Empty Trash function from El Capitan and all subsequent versions of its software. The company did so because its new MacBooks use solid-state drives, or SSDs, which work differently than mechanical HDDs. If your Windows or Mac machine has an SSD, you’ll need a distinct approach.

Permanently delete files from SSD drives

Many laptops, especially those built by Apple, contain solid-state drives. These are becoming ubiquitous because they’re much faster than hard drives, though they are more expensive. SSDs also handle file deletions differently than mechanical drives: They don’t give you the same control over where data gets saved, so overwrite programs won’t work.

So, instead of writing over deleted files, SSD users need to encrypt the disk. Encryption means the username and password you use to log onto your computer will act as an unlock code for the files, even if they’ve been deleted. Without that code, no one can read what’s on your computer or recover erased files. The only danger is if someone discovers your username and password combination, logs onto your machine, and fires up a file recovery program. Because SSDs store bits of data at random locations around the disk, you don’t really have any way to prevent people from doing this. Just choose a strong password and be careful about who has access to your computer.

[Related on PopSci+: Stop choosing bad passwords already]

Macs should automatically encrypt files, but you can make sure by opening up System Settings, clicking Privacy & Security, and finding the FileVault option. On pre-Ventura versions of macOS, it’s System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault. If FileVault isn’t already set to “on,” turn it on, and it will make sure your deleted files become inaccessible. On Windows 10 and 11, you can employ the built-in BitLocker tool (search for it from the taskbar), but only if you have Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. If you don’t, you can use a third-party alternative, such as the free VeraCrypt, to encrypt your disks.

If you’re selling your computer and want to permanently delete everything on it, you can go beyond encryption to protect your data. First, transfer everything you want to keep to another machine, remembering to back it up. Then, fully reinstall the operating system to securely wipe all the data on the SSD.

To reinstall macOS, follow Apple’s instructions. For Windows, you can reset Windows 10 or 11, or use SSD manufacturer tools to perform a full wipe as comprehensively as possible. These tools are available for SanDisk, OCZ, Samsung, and other SSDs.

Permanently delete files on tablets and phones

Computers get a lot of data security press, but many of us keep vulnerable information on tablets and phones as well. These devices rely on flash storage similar to that used in SSD drives, so the deletion principles are the same: With no easy way to securely delete files, you must encrypt the data stored on your mobile devices. On the bright side, it’s virtually impossible to recover deleted files because apps only get limited control over the file systems on smartphones and tablets. That means you don’t really have to worry about files making an unwanted return on these devices.

Rather than bothering with secure deletion, you should instead protect your phones and tablets against unwanted visitors: Enable a fingerprint ID or at least a PIN code to prevent anyone but you from accessing your devices. If no one else has access, they can’t mess around and recover erased files, which would take a high level of technical know-how anyway. All iOS devices, as well as all Android devices that run version 6.0 (Marshmallow) or later, apply encryption by default. So as long as you protect your lock screen, you’ll be able to protect your data as well.

[Related: All the ways to edit your iPhone lock screen]

That said, if you’re getting rid of your mobile device, you should perform a complete factory reset to securely wipe everything on it. As always, make sure you have backups before you do. Your next step in iOS will be to hit the Transfer or Reset Phone option within the General menu inside the Settings app, then hit Reset. On an Android device, open Settings and head to System, then Reset options. In there, you’ll find Erase all data (factory reset). In some cases, it is technically possible to retrieve data after such a reset, but that would require FBI levels of skills, so don’t lose sleep over it.

One final option we haven’t mentioned is putting on a pair of safety goggles and taking a hammer to your hard drive or smartphone and bashing it into oblivion. For good measure, you can run a few nails through the hard drive or flash storage to make sure it can never be accessed again. After that type of damage, no one will ever touch your deleted files. If you’re getting rid of your computer or mobile device, physical destruction is the ultimate in paranoid data protection.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on August 20, 2017.

The post Permanently delete files (for real) appeared first on Popular Science.

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The World Wide Web has been up and running since the early 1990s, and countless amounts of text, images, video, and audio have been uploaded since then. Run a web search today though, and it’ll likely prioritize newer pages. Not great if you’re looking for something older.

Going back in time on the internet is possible, but you need to have the right tools and techniques to dig deep into the past. Once you’ve refined your skills, you can pull up everything from your first tweet to famous web pages from the previous century.

Try looking for veteran politicians or long-running TV shows, but adjust the dates to 2000-2010, and you’ll see how opinions can shift dramatically when it comes to people or entertainment. If you’re looking for a specific older article, the date range tool can make the task much easier, and you can add other filters too (e.g. site:popsci.com to restrict the search to a particular domain).

This feature isn’t exclusive to Google—if you prefer the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo, click the Any time filter at the top of the screen after you run a search to get similar date range options. Unfortunately, the same custom date search feature isn’t available everyone on Bing. It used to be, but Microsoft has restricted it to news, image, and video searches. If you’re in Bing’s news tab, click the Any time dropdown menu to get date options, and if you’re in the image or video tabs, click Filter to bring up several dropdown menus, then choose Date.

In many cases, sites will render older pages using their current layout and style—presenting the old content in a new way. If you want to see sites as they were in the past, or look up pages that Google and Bing can’t reach, you can turn to the Wayback Machine. It features hundreds of billions of pages preserved exactly as they were originally published.

Type in the name of a website, like www.popsci.com, into the search box on the Wayback Machine, and you’ll see an overview of the pages saved from that domain. You can click into individual years, months, and days to see how those pages looked when they first appeared. Many of these cached pages are fully browsable too, so it’s just like surfing the web in the old days.

[Related: This free tool can reveal who is behind any internet domain]

The Wayback Machine is the best option for pulling up older pages as they originally were, but there are alternatives. Time Travel searches smaller web archives, including those managed by Stanford and individual countries. You can also find a limited number of official and government sites archived by the US Library of Congress.

If the site you’re looking for is particularly well-known, you might find it preserved in a digital museum. The Web Design Museum has pulled together several hundred significant pages, showcasing some digital design trends of yesteryear, while the Version Museum has captured the changing style of big sites such as Amazon, Apple, Wikipedia, The New York Times, Google, and Facebook.

Find old posts on social media

Searching through older social media posts on Twitter and Facebook requires a different approach. These platforms come with built-in search features and work with a number of third-party tools that you can use to hunt back through years of social media posts, created by you or other people.

The advanced search page on Twitter lets you search for tweets based on the date they were posted (back to when Twitter launched in 2006). Besides the date, you’ll need to enter other search criteria, such as a particular user account or a keyword you want to search by.

You can use this search tool to look for your older tweets, or those made by anyone else, as long as the account is public. There are even filters for narrowing your search based on how much engagement the post got—if you’re running a search with a lot of matches, prioritizing the popular tweets can help filter out the noise.

If you want to go back to the very beginning of a Twitter account, the date an account was created is listed on the user’s profile page—that should help you focus your search. You can also request a download of your Twitter archive by opening Twitter’s settings, clicking Your account, and selecting Download an archive of your data. You may need to verify who you are before you can get the data, but once you have the archive you can open the file in your web browser and quickly get to your earliest tweet using the list of years and months.

[Related: Allow us to show you how to bulk-delete tweets]

Over on Facebook, posts are much less likely to be public and visible to everyone. You can search the posts of someone you’re friends with by opening a profile and clicking the three dots on the right, followed by Search. When you run a search, you’ll see search filters down the left-hand side, including one for Date Posted.

The same filters appear when you run a general search from the box in the top left-hand corner of the Facebook interface: Enter a keyword or two, then hit Enter to run the search. Click Posts and Date Posted to narrow the results based on year. It’s not a precise tool, but it might help you find what you’re after more quickly.

The post 5 ways to go back in time on the internet appeared first on Popular Science.

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Setting up two monitors or a single ultrawide display gives you a huge amount of flexibility when you’re working or gaming on your computer. But if you’re new to this setup, it can be easy to stick with the same grids and single-window layouts you’ve always relied on. Don’t.

Both Windows and macOS have tools and options to optimize your additional screen space, but there are also plenty of third-party apps that will help you intelligently arrange on-screen elements. This means a cleaner, more organized desktop, but also lets you squeeze more productivity and/or entertainment out of your setup.

How to set up ultrawide and dual monitors on Windows

With an extra display hooked up to your Windows 10 or 11 laptop or desktop, head to Settings from the Start menu, then choose System and Display to see your options. Click and drag to set how Windows sees them in relation to each other—this will determine how they’re connected spatially so you can drag windows from side to side naturally.

Scroll down to the Multiple displays settings to pick how to use your two monitors. You can choose to Duplicate these displays to see the same windows on each one, or Extend these displays to use your monitors as one big desktop. The latter will allow you to take full advantage of the additional space.

To move open windows from one screen to another, just click on the title bar and drag them across. Using Windows keyboard shortcuts, it’s even easier—just press Shift+Win+Left arrow or Shift+Win+Right arrow to move the active program straight to the other screen.

By default, Windows will show the taskbar and Start menu button on both displays, but you can change this. From Settings pick Personalization, then Taskbar, and turn off the Show taskbar on all displays toggle switch. (You’ll find it under Multiple displays on Windows 10 and Taskbar behaviors on Windows 11.) This will give you more room on your secondary display for any full-screen windows, which are ideal for movie-watching, gaming, or photo-editing programs.

[Related: Get the Windows 10 taskbar back on Windows 11]

Window-snapping can be useful on two displays as well as one—just drag the title bar of a window to the left or the right of one of your displays to dock it on that half of the screen. But having two monitors can interfere with this process, as dragging windows to one edge of one screen may shift them to the other monitor. To get around this, use the Win+Left arrow and Win+Right arrow keyboard shortcuts to get your windows snapped to the side of the display.

If you’re using an ultrawide monitor, open windows can still look stretched even when they’re running on half a screen. PowerToys, Microsoft’s very own suite of utilities, is one of the best options here. It includes a tool called FancyZones that lets you split a monitor up into as many zones as you like—three columns for an ultrawide monitor might be a good place to start. Hold down Shift while dragging a window to drop it into one of these zones, and confine it there.

DisplayFusion offers even more control over virtual monitors or different areas of your screens. With this app you can have as many different regions as you like and drop your programs into them. That way, you could have YouTube running in a small window in the corner, while Excel takes up half the screen, for instance.

However, that functionality is a paid-for pro feature that will cost you $29 to unlock, but you can decide if you like it first with DisplayFusion’s 30-day free trial. The program includes a wealth of other settings for multiple and ultrawide monitor management too, like the ability to have certain apps open on certain displays, and to set a screensaver that runs simultaneously across all your screens.

One final tool is UltraWideo. This extension runs on Chrome and Firefox, making it compatible with macOS too. If you’ve got an ultrawide monitor, it will expand video playback on sites such as Netflix and Hulu so there are no black boxes at the side of the screen, making the most of the available space.

Ultrawide and dual monitor setup tips for macOS

If you’re on a Mac computer and have a second screen connected, you’ll find the key settings for your monitors by opening the Apple menu, clicking System Settings (System Preferences if you’re using an older version of macOS), and then Displays. To use each one separately, uncheck Mirror Displays and then switch to the Arrangement tab to tell macOS how your screens sit in relation to each other.

Moving open windows from one display to another is easy—just click and drag the title bars to the other screen. You’ll also see options for moving open applications to a different screen if you open up the Window menu from the bar at the top, or you can click and hold the green maximize button on a window to send it to a different display.

Speaking of the menu bar, this will appear on both of your monitors by default when you’ve got two connected. The same happens with the dock at the bottom of the display, and apps will appear on the same screen you used to launch them. If you want to have the dock on only one screen, your only option is to set it to appear on the far left of your left-hand screen, or the far right of your right-hand screen. You can do this through the Desktop & Dock section of System Settings (System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar on older versions of macOS).

[Related: 23 useful Mac settings hiding in plain sight]

It’s worth mentioning that you can use an iPad as a second screen if you employ a built-in macOS feature called Sidecar. If both your Mac and iPad are registered with the same Apple ID, are near each other, and have WiFi and Bluetooth on, you should see the iPad appear as a display option when you click the AirPlay icon (it looks like a TV with a pyramid as a base) in the macOS menu bar.

Apple computers don’t snap and arrange windows in the same way Windows computers do, but you can still put them where you want them to go. Open up the Window menu, and you’ll be able to choose Tile Window to Left of Screen and Tile Window to Right of Screen, which works in a similar way to Window’s snapping.

A neat little utility called Magnet can fill some of the feature gaps remaining on macOS. It’ll cost you $10 but you may find it worth the money if you need to keep control of your open windows.

With any program open, you can click the Magnet button on the menu bar to snap the app to the left or right side of the screen. If you’ve got two displays connected, you can transfer the app from one to the other. There are also options to snap windows to a third or two-thirds of the display’s width, which is handy on an ultrawide monitor.

To get even more control, give Mosaic a try—you can use it for a week for free, after which it’ll set you back $13. It lets you plot out a specific grid of areas for your programs to snap to, and the more room you have to play around with, the more useful Mosaic becomes. You can drag and drop windows into place, use keyboard shortcuts, and more.

Another utility worth recommending is BetterTouchTool, which will be yours for $10 after a 45-day free trial. Its primary focus is on customizing keyboard, mouse, trackpad, and gesture shortcuts on macOS, but it also does a window management well. Not only can you quickly snap programs to a half, a third, or a quarter of the display, you can also create custom shortcuts to do it, too.

As we said before, UltraWideo for Chrome and Firefox also works on macOS, so it’s a great option if you’re dealing with an ultrawide monitor. Finally, you might find more options for optimizing a particular software for the additional space by delving into the settings for the apps and sites you’re using. A good example is Adobe Premiere Pro, which has multiple dockable windows you can move around.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on October 1, 2020.

The post Make the most of your dual or ultrawide monitor setup appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

When you want to download a video from YouTube, a quick web search will reveal several tools that promise to do the job—but even leaving aside the issue of violating the YouTube terms of service, we can’t guarantee that they’re safe or reliable.

If you want to download YouTube videos, there’s only one official way to go about it: To put down $14 a month for YouTube Premium.

That might seem a lot for the privilege of downloading videos, but it also means that you’ll never see an ad again, can keep videos playing in the background on a phone, and will get access to a complete Spotify competitor in the form of YouTube Music.

Download YouTube videos to a computer

When you’re using YouTube in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Opera and are signed into an account that has YouTube Premium, you’ll see a Download button underneath every video when you open up its full page. Click the button, and the download will start. You must keep YouTube open in a browser tab to keep the downloads running, but you can leave the page you’re downloading from to view other videos.

You’ll see the option to download videos in other places, too. On the front page of YouTube, for example, you can click the three dots next to any video to find a Download option there. It’s on search results pages too, if you click the three dots next to any clip.

[Related: How to navigate YouTube videos like a pro]

To see downloads that are in progress and to view your downloaded videos, head to www.youtube.com/feed/downloads (you might want to bookmark the link for future reference). You can also click the YouTube logo in the top left corner and choose Downloads from the menu that appears to get to the same screen. To delete a video, click the three dots next to it, then choose Remove from downloads.

Click Download settings (top right on the downloads page) to change the quality of downloaded videos (better quality means longer download times and larger file sizes)—or get YouTube to prompt you to choose a quality setting every time you initiate a download. You can also turn on smart downloads, which will download a selection of recommended videos in the background for you.

Your browser of choice will cache your chosen videos on your computer’s storage drive for when you need them, but they’ll be in a scrambled format that only the browser can recognize. That means you can’t open up a folder on your Windows or macOS system and see a list of video files. To watch the videos you’ve saved, you need to go through YouTube.

How to download YouTube videos to a phone or tablet

A similar set of download features are available on the YouTube app for Android and iOS. When you’re browsing through videos on the Home tab, you can tap on the three dots next to any clip to find a Download video option, and that will start the download. Tap through on a video to get to its full page, complete with comments, and there’s a Download button there you can use as well.

When you search for videos in the app or browse a channel you’re subscribed to, you’ll see three dots next to each video as you scroll—tap these dots and pick Download video to save it to your phone.

As on a computer, these downloads won’t be saved as separate video files, but as data that only the YouTube app can interpret—so you can’t open downloaded videos in another video app on your device. To see videos that have been downloaded or are currently downloading, open the Library tab and choose Downloads.

[Related: How to use DeArrow to get rid of “YouTube face”]

To remove a video, go to the Downloads screen, tap the three dots next to a video, and then hit Delete from downloads. If you want to manage download settings, tap the three dots up in the top right corner of that screen and then hit Settings—there you can set a download quality for the videos, for example. On Android (but not iOS), you can opt to only download videos when connected to WiFi, and see how much space your downloaded YouTube videos are taking up.

On Android, there’s also a toggle switch for Smart downloads, and an Adjust smart downloads option for setting how much storage space this feature consumes. When enabled, it’ll download recommended videos from YouTube in the background for you, so you’ll always have something to watch when you’re without an internet connection.

The post How to download YouTube videos to watch offline appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

The Whoop 4.0 band is a little different from your standard fitness tracker. It’s designed for people who are absolutely serious about training and exercising (hence the monthly $30 subscription fee) and want to complement their workouts with some of the best fitness technology around.

If you’re interested not just in counting steps but also monitoring body strain and recovery times, as well as getting detailed stats on everything from heart rate to sleep, the Whoop might be for you. This is how you get the most out of your membership, the band, and the app that goes along with it.

1. Start a journal

Journaling can help both you and the Whoop app better track your fitness and health habits, so you can easily identify where you’re doing well and where you could be doing better. The app will remind you to create an entry every morning and you can log as much or as little as you like—from the number of beers you’ve had and your anxiety levels, to whether or not you had any dairy products in the last 24 hours.

[Related: The Army put Whoop bands on paratroopers in Alaska to fine-tune its training]

From inside the Whoop app, tap More and then Journal to get started with the feature or see previous logs. You can also click on Customize Journal to change the prompts you get.

2. Wear the Whoop 4.0 band differently

The Whoop 4.0 comes with a wrist band but that’s not your only option—the company behind the tracker also has a clothing line that offers alternative ways to wear your device.

You can opt for t-shirts, sports bras, leggings, and swimsuits, so you should be able to easily find something that fits your exercise routine and preferences. They’re all designed with a pouch to securely hold the Whoop 4.0 tracker, so you can continue to monitor all of your vital statistics.

3. Track your stress levels

One of the features that set the Whoop 4.0 apart from the average fitness tracker is the Stress Monitor, which gives you a real-time stress score between 0 and 3 based on your heart rate and your heart rate variability.

You can find this tool on the app’s Home tab, where you’ll be able to tap anywhere to see details on how your stress levels have changed in the last 12 hours or so. Here you’ll also find information on how the platform calculates the score and ways in which you can lower your score and relax.

4. Connect your Whoop to other services

Just because you’re using a Whoop 4.0 band doesn’t mean you have to abandon other fitness apps and services if you like them. Whoop can share data with Google’s Health Connect or Apple’s Health for vital health and fitness statistics; Strava for walking, running, and cycling, and TrainingPeaks for all-around training.

To manage these integrations, open the More tab in the Whoop app and choose Integrations. Select any of the items listed on the screen and the app will guide you through the connection process. You can share specific data types to and from the Whoop, including sleep activity and heart rate.

5. Join a Whoop community

You can speed up your fitness journey by training as part of a community, and Whoop has plenty to choose from. Open the Community tab in the Whoop app to browse through recommended teams that you might like to join and enter invite codes for specific ones.

Team communities share data such as strain, recovery, and sleep, and there are daily leaderboards so you can see how you’re doing compared with everyone else. You can also put together your own team and invite family members and friends for a more personal sharing experience. Tap Create team to get started.

6. Charge your tracker in the shower

You might be aware that the Whoop 4.0 band is waterproof, but this protection also extends to the rather unconventional battery charger that comes with the tracker. Whether you’re popping in the shower or doing dishes, you can keep your band on and recharge it right away.

[Related: Best fitness trackers of 2023]

Both the Whoop 4.0 band and its official charger have an IP68 rating, meaning they’re protected against dust and water. The tracker should be able to survive up to two hours in water up to a depth of nearly 33 feet, which gives you some idea of what you can do with it.

7. Wake up at the right time

The Whoop 4.0 is smaller than the average smartwatch, making it more comfortable to wear to bed. The band can track various aspects of your sleep and wake you up at an optimal time with a quiet buzz on your wrist.

In the app, open the Coaching tab, and tap anywhere in the Sleep Coach section. On the next screen, turn on the alarm function: You can tell the band to wake you up at an exact time, whenever you’ve hit your sleep goal, or when it detects your body has recovered.

With the latter two options, you get to specify a last wake-up time so you know you won’t be late to work in the morning. To turn off the alarm on your Whoop 4.0 band, double-tap the top of the device.

The post 7 tricks to squeeze all of the benefits out of your Whoop 4.0 band appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Few among us would not jump at the chance to make their laptop battery last longer. After all, our work and personal lives are at the mercy of the battery packs inside our laptops, smartphones, and other mobile devices. When these batteries die, we have to put our lives on hold until we can find somewhere to plug in again. It’s no wonder battery life estimates are one of the first specs many look for when choosing a new device.

Start with brightness: Dial down the brightness of the screen as much as you can without having to strain your eyes, using whatever keyboard shortcuts your laptop offers. You can make more detailed modifications by opening up System, then Display in Windows’ settings, or Displays in System Settings on macOS (System Preferences if you’re using an Apple OS older than macOS Ventura).

Screens that time out sooner also use less battery. To set this and a bunch of other power-saving options, choose Power & battery inside the System section of Settings on Windows 11 (Power & sleep on Windows 10), or Screen Saver from System Settings on macOS.

[Related: One telltale sign it’s time to replace your laptop’s battery]

Other settings available on the same screens let you put your hard drives to “sleep” (they’ll take longer to wake back up, but they’ll use less power), put USB devices into a low power mode, and more. These adjustments won’t make major differences, but you can eke out some extra battery life by enabling them.

If you’re using Windows, there’s a special battery-saver mode that maximizes the time you’ll get between battery charges. It limits background activity and notifications and automatically adjusts the display brightness once your battery level dips below a certain point. To find this utility, click the battery icon on the taskbar, then Battery settings or the cog icon.

Apple’s low power mode does essentially the same job on macOS, and you can decide when it turns on by opening System Settings, then Battery. On the same settings page, there’s also a Battery Health widget—click the i icon to learn about your battery and decide if you want to enable Optimized Battery Charging to extend your laptop’s battery life.

Both Windows and macOS also feature a dark mode, which can reduce power draw, but only on laptops with OLED screens (an LCD screen draws the same amount of power to show black as it does white). If you have one, the dark mode option is under Personalization and Colors in the Windows Settings.

Reduce your laptop’s workload

The harder your computer is working, the faster it’ll drain your battery. When you’re away from a power source, you should close any programs hanging around in the background that you’re not actually using. If your laptop runs fewer applications and avoids demanding programs (such as games and video editors), its battery should last longer.

Even if you close everything you’re not using, the browser drains your battery more than you might think. Resist the temptation to have dozens of browser tabs open at once (or at least put them to sleep), and your laptop will thank you. And when you’re browsing on battery power, avoid video streaming sites. They typically demand a lot of juice, both because they keep the screen constantly active and because they require a decent amount of processing power.

Audio makes a difference too. Active speakers blaring out music will use up more battery power than silence—or a pair of plugged-in headphones. If you can, turn down the volume or do without sound altogether.

[Related: The best headphones of this year]

Maintaining WiFi and Bluetooth connections also uses up battery power, albeit a pretty small amount. If you can disconnect your laptop and work offline—and do without a wireless mouse and other peripherals—your laptop battery will last a little bit longer as a result. We’re not talking major improvements, but you might just make it to the end of the day.

It’s not just the weather, either—running demanding applications on your computer can generate the heat your battery needs to avoid. This brings us back to the idea of sticking to lightweight tasks and programs while you’re away from a power source. If you really have to have a gaming session or encode some video, consider using a laptop cooler to dissipate heat more effectively, keeping your laptop battery running longer.

There’s an ongoing debate within tech circles over the “healthiest” approach to recharging batteries. The most up-to-date advice suggests that shallow discharges and recharges are preferable in the long-term, rather than allowing your battery to drain completely each time—though you should still do a full discharge about once a month. Unplugging your laptop once it’s fully charged, rather than leaving it always plugged in, tends to be better for your battery’s health as well.

Finally, if you won’t be using your laptop for a while, Apple and others recommend leaving the battery with a 50 percent charge in it—leaving it fully charged or fully discharged for an extended period of time can damage it permanently.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on April 3, 2017.

The post 3 ways to make your laptop battery last longer—maybe all day appeared first on Popular Science.

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Calibrating your monitor means making sure it displays colors correctly—that content other people have created looks accurate on your screen, and vice versa. If you’re working on documents or images for a wider audience, or simply just want things to look good, you want that kind of accuracy.

Color calibration is also important for making sure anything on your screen looks its best, from games to movies. It ensures that light areas aren’t too blown out, that details aren’t lost in dark areas, and that color tones look natural. The process can improve your viewing experience even if you’re not a creative professional.