Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: 29 New Features in Samsung's One UI 2.5 You Won't Want to Miss
Samsung's One UI has slowly become the model for Android skins. The old iOS-like TouchWiz already feels like a relic, thanks in part to the newer user interface's exceptional design and fast but meaningful updates. One UI is so good, other OEM skins have copied elements of it. The latest release is One UI 2.5, which has over 20 new features that make the skin even better.
How To: Sick of Your iPhone Keyboard's Annoying Click Sounds? Try One of These Solutions
If you're in an active Messages chat, writing a large email, or have a lot of notes to jot down, you might be acutely aware of just how loud your iPhone's keyboard can sound — especially with AirPods or other headphones on. "Click, click, click, click, click, click." If the fake keyboard sounds are driving your crazy as you type, there's something you can do about it.
How To: iOS 14 Makes Biking City Roads Better & Safer with Cycling Routes in Apple Maps
It's been a long time coming, but Apple Maps finally has cycling directions for your iPhone. Google Maps has had cycling support for ten years now, though, many of its more useful features had been incorporated within the last few years. Well, with iOS 14, Apple has caught up, and it's done a fantastic job.
YSK: You Can Manage App Downloads & Updates Right from Your iPhone's Home Screen
Everyone knows that app updates on iOS are found in the App Store. What you might not have known, however, is that you don't need to manually open the App Store app to manage your updates and downloads. In fact, that work can be started or completed directly from the first place you interact with on your iPhone — the home screen.
How To: Finally, You Can Hide the 'Hidden' Album from the Photos App on Your iPhone
The "Hidden" album on your iPhone has always had one problem — it was never truly hidden. Since iOS 10, when the feature was introduced in the Photos app, any image or video that you conceal in the private folder could be seen by anyone with access to your unlocked device. Finally, that has changed.
How To: Unlock the Hidden Developer Options on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra
Even if you're new to Android phones, chances are you've heard of the power of Android's customization, and that applies to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series as well. Your brand new Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra's operating system is capable of modification beyond what's available in the basic Settings app — and it all starts with the hidden "Developer options" menu.
How To: The Hidden Way to Delete Numbers on Your iPhone's Calculator
Let's say you're using your iPhone's Calculator app, and you're knee-deep into a complicated calculation with many steps. You type in a large number, for example, "123,466,789," but mess up. You meant to type "5" midway through but accidentally typed "6" instead. The only thing to do now is start over, no matter how far along you are, right? Wrong.
How To: You Can Block Any App from Using Up Your iPhone's Precious Mobile Data by Doing This
If you have a limited mobile data plan on your iPhone, you know how tricky it can be to stay within your given allotment. Large app installs and updates, 4K resolution videos, and photo backups can waste precious data resources in no time. And apps like Apple News, Facebook, Mail, and Netflix eat data like it's candy. But you can nip the problem in the bud by restricting data hogs from your cellular network.
How To: Read YouTube Videos as Articles on Your Phone Instead of Watching Them
Millions of people use YouTube every day, whether it's for trailers, new music, or gameplay walkthroughs. But according to Pew Research Center, over half of U.S. adults use YouTube to figure out how to do things. If you fall into that crowd, adult or not, sometimes it's good to have written instructions to follow along with the video or in lieu of it completely.
How To: Use Your iPhone to Control Your Mac — Lock, Restart, Shut Down, Mute, Sleep, Browse Files, Play Audio & More
Your iPhone and Mac can speak to each other in many ways, allowing you to start work on one device and seamlessly switch to the other, share clipboards between the two, and pick up phone calls and answer text messages on both. The compatibility is incredible, but there's even more you can do by incorporating third-party software into the mix.
How To: See Nearby Recommendations from Brands via Curated City Guides in iOS 14's Apple Maps
When you're in a new city or even your own neighborhood, you might not know where the best places to visit are. The number of parks, restaurants, shopping centers, and other attractions could be overwhelming, so how do you narrow down your choices? The new iOS 14 update has introduced curated city "Guides" in Apple Maps, created by trusted brands to help you find excellent places to explore.
How To: Learn How to Build an Online Audience with This 6-Course Bundle
The gold standard in any business is reaching the front page of Google. You need to get your brand in front of audiences. While it can seem daunting, it's not impossible when you master SEO best practices.
How To: Disable This Wi-Fi Option on Your iPhone to Increase Security & Prevent Unresponsive Apps & Webpages
You're out and about, and nothing on your iPhone will load. A glance at the settings shows a saved Wi-Fi network with full bars that your iPhone had connected to automatically, but you're not getting any internet. If you've experienced this, you're not alone, and there's something you can do about it. You'll even increase privacy and security on your iPhone in the process.
How To: 11 Unique Effects to Make Your iPhone Photos & Videos Less Boring on Social Media
Social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have plenty of editing tools that go beyond the basics, but there are still a lot of things they can't do. So if you want to apply interesting, unique effects to your photos and videos for social media, you'll need to add some other apps to your iPhone's arsenal of tools.
How To: Time Management Will Never Be an Issue Again with This 7-Course Work from Home Bundle
While there are many advantages to working from home, properly managing your time can be a real issue. Working remotely requires a particular skill set, including an ability to focus, self-motivate, and communicate from a distance. Thankfully, all of these skills are teachable.
How To: Binge Netflix Shows Faster by Increasing Playback Speed
Not including playback speed controls in a video app is a design flaw. These controls are useful tools that let you speed up or slow it down a video. Want to catch all the Easter eggs in Avengers: Infinity Wars? Slow it down. Want to rewatch the last season of Strangers Things before the new season arrives? Speed it up.
How To: Deep Fake Yourself into Movie & TV Scenes & Viral GIFs with the Reface App
Deep fakes, the art of leveraging artificial intelligence to insert the likeness and/or voice of people into videos they don't otherwise appear in, typically focus on celebrity parodies or political subterfuge.
How To: Get a Free 4K Flick Through Movies Anywhere That You Can Watch on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube & More (Ends Sept. 9)
Why pay for a movie when you can get it for free? Thanks to Movies Anywhere, you can claim and download a video for your digital film collection right now at no cost. And getting your freebie flick couldn't be any easier.
How To: Become Fluent in This Dynamic Programming Language for $30
Since its release in 1991, Python has become one of the world's most popular general-purpose programming languages. From data mining and web programming to cybersecurity and game design, Python can be used for virtually everything online.
How To: Make Google Calendar Open Meeting Links in Google Meet Instead of the Gmail App
If Google's apps, namely Gmail, Calendar, and Meet, are at the center of your workday, then a new, frustrating change may upset your routine.
How To: Get the Pixel 4a's New 'Eclipse' Live Wallpaper on Any Phone
Google always sets aside a few cool software features to remain exclusive to its Pixel phones. But that's the thing about Android: software features can be ported to other devices.
How To: 12 New Camera Features in iOS 14 That'll Make Your Photos & Videos Even Better
If you spend most of the time on your iPhone shooting photos and taking videos, you'll be happy that Apple has improved a few aspects of its Camera app in iOS 14. Even if you're just a casual photographer or videographer, you'll benefit from the new changes to the default camera app on your iPhone.
How To: Remotely Install Apps onto Your Android Phone
There's an official way to install apps onto your Android phone using basically any device that has internet access — heck, you can even download new apps from an iPhone and they'll install in seconds on your Android device.
How To: Do This to Start Your Day with a Favorite Song, Not an Obnoxious iPhone Alarm Sound
Why are you still waking up to an annoying alarm clock sound on your iPhone? It's 2020, not 2011. That's almost a decade since you were limited to a strict set of default tones. Yes, your iPhone has a ton of tones by now to choose from, but you could be waking up gently to your favorite slow song, or jolting awake by the harsh sounds of metal ringing in your ears to get pumped for the rest of the day.
How To: Make Collaborative YouTube Music Playlists That Your Friends Can Add Tracks To
While Google Play Music fans mourn its demise, its replacement, YouTube Music, is gaining some neat features that its predecessor never had.
How To: Apple Lets You See All the Ratings & Reviews You've Ever Given Apps, Games, Movies, TV, Music, Podcasts & Books
Voicing your displease with a shoddy third-party app or professing your love for an album you've just bought is normal, which is why we have ratings and reviews. You hate something, you write something. You love something, you rate it. But feelings change over time, so your ratings or reviews may need to be updated.
How To: 8 Useful New Camera Features in the Pixel 4a
You may be wondering what exactly makes the Pixel 4a's camera so great. Compared to its predecessor, it has the same Sony IMX363 sensor and no additional hardware. Well, beyond stellar image processing, it also has several great new features that Google has added since they released the Pixel 3a last year.
How To: This Trick Makes It Easier to Type on Your iPhone with One Hand
We're beyond the days where iPhones fit perfectly in most hands. The iPhone 11 Pro is still a bit big for many people, and the 11 Pro Max is truly massive. If you're having trouble typing out your thoughts without using two hands, know that there's a quick way to make one-handed typing possible on any iPhone.
How To: You Can Shoot Better-Looking Videos on Your iPhone if You Change This One Setting
While most smartphones these days take great video, the iPhone is the camera to beat. Recent models like the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro shoot in 4K resolution from every camera, and even a budget device like the iPhone SE delivers an excellent 4K image from the rear shooter. That said, if you haven't touched your camera settings since taking it out of the box, you're likely missing out.
How To: Share Your iPhone Photos & Videos with a Disappearing Link That Expires Automatically
The way you share a group of photos and videos on your iPhone is pretty simple; just select a few items, then choose a service or platform to send them through. Simplicity isn't always the best option, though, and in this case, there's a better way than letting those files send or upload individually, one by one.
How To: Here's the Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Data Ninja
Data analytics is crucial to the operations of every modern business. This trend is going to continue: in three years, 71% of global enterprises predict a rapid increase in data analytics. Experienced professionals that can project manage data initiatives are in high demand.
How To: Stop Getting Those Annoying 'Share Your Name & Photo' Alerts in iMessage Threads on Your iPhone
Your iPhone comes with a feature that allows you to share your name and photo with anyone you iMessage in Messages. It's a useful feature if you want people to see a customized name or fun image that you pick, but seeing all those "Share your name and photo" alerts in conversations can get real annoying quickly. There's a way to stop that from happening, thankfully.
How To: Apps & Services May Have Access to Your Apple Music & Media Library — Here's How to Check & Revoke Their Permissions
Third-party apps on your iPhone must ask for your permission to access your library in the Music app. Some will even want to get access to your Apple Music account. If you no longer use the apps, you shouldn't be letting them have access anymore. It's easy to hunt them down, and doing so might even show some apps you can't even remember giving any permissions to.
How To: Get Dark Mode for TikTok on Your Phone
With bans looming or already happening across the world, TikTok still remains one of the most popular, entertaining, and addicting apps you can download right now. The problem is, browsing TikTok can be a bit painful at night since everything outside of the video feed uses a bright white theme. Thankfully, dark mode for TikTok is here, but there's a catch.
How To: The Fastest Way to Check for Galaxy Store App Updates on Your Samsung Device
If you have a Samsung device, you probably know the hassle of dealing with both the Galaxy Store and the Google Play Store at the same time for apps. Samsung's offering is forced onto you whether you like it or not; however, it's the only way to officially receive essential updates for your Samsung apps. The good news? You can keep on top of these updates with a super simple trick.
How To: There's a Faster Way to Check for System Updates on Your OnePlus
We all know Android updates have been iffy in the past. But Google has implemented several measures recently that have sped up the process substantially, and OnePlus is taking advantage of these. Still, a staged rollout update might keep you waiting for a few days or longer. So if you'd rather skip the wait, there's a better way to manually check for system updates.
How To: Discover the Secrets of Trading Stocks for Under $30
While the stock market can be unpredictable, it's not a complete enigma. There are patterns to watch for that can make you a successful trader. Fortunately, there is an expert guide to becoming an analyst that's now available to everyone.
How To: Activate the Hidden Developer Options Menu on Your Pixel 4a
Developer Options is your first step to becoming a power user. If the Pixel 4a feels a bit slow, Developer Options can fix that. You want to root your device for unprecedented controls and powerful apps? You need to enable OEM unlocking in this hidden menu. ADB, secret features — Developer Options is where it all originates.
How To: Replace Your Alarm with Your Favorite Song or Playlist on Android
Waking up to buzzing alarm clock is so 20th century. Wouldn't it better if the first sound you heard in the morning was your favorite song? Whether it's a track to get you motivated or something to put a smile on your face, a song can do wonders for your mood and help you start the day right.
How To: Manually Switch to a Different 5G Band on Your Samsung Galaxy
Thanks to the Snapdragon X55 modem, the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 are among the most compatible 5G phones on the market. There are few bands they don't cover, as the modem supports both Sub-6 GHz and mmWave. But even with such broad support, the Galaxy S20 doesn't get the best 5G reception.