Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: Hide or Restrict Apps, Features, Content & Settings on an iPhone
Apple has tools built into iOS to help parents monitor the iPhone habits of their children. However, those same tools can be used by everyday iPhone owners to both hide apps they don't care about, as well as restrict features they don't need or that infringe on privacy. Whether you fit into one category or the other, all iPhone users can benefit from the "Restrictions" feature.
Notes 101: How to Customize Your Paper Style with Lines or Grids
When you have an idea you want to jot down or a quick list to make, the Notes app on your iPhone is a great place to do it. However, by default, Notes use a blank canvas, which doesn't match the physical lined notebooks we're used to. If you've always use unlined or gridless sheets of paper, a blank canvas is probably fine, but you can actually customize your digital stationary with lines or grids.
How To: Set a Video as the Wallpaper on Your Android's Home Screen & Lock Screen
Android users have had access to live wallpapers since the Eclair days, but some newer apps have made this feature even more useful. Now, you have the ability to use GIFs as your wallpaper, and through the marvels of modern technology, you can even set a video as your home screen and lock screen background.
How To: Disable Heads Up Notifications on Any Android — No Root Needed
Android used to have a notification ticker, but those days are long gone. Now, important new messages pop up on the top half of your screen with what's known as a "heads up notification." If you're in the middle of something, these popup notifications can be pretty annoying — luckily, it's pretty easy to turn them off.
How To: What Happens to Your Passwords When You Die?
Most of us have never put much thought into this, but the question needs to be asked — what exactly happens to all of our online accounts when we die? No, the internet won't just know and delete accounts for you, so you need to plan for life's one guarantee. Because without a plan, things become a lot harder to sort out.
How To: Set a GIF as the Wallpaper on Your Android's Home or Lock Screen
Recently, iPhone users have been bragging that they can set Live Photos as their lock screen wallpaper. While this is a great way to spice up a boring lock screen, Android users shouldn't feel left out in the cold. The highly customizable and feature-rich OS has a few tricks up its sleeve too, and it's really easy to set any GIF as your Android's home screen and/or lock screen background.
How To: The 4 Best Password Managers for Android
Over the years, the internet has become a dangerous place. As its popularity has increased, it has attracted more hackers looking to make a quick buck. However, as our dependency on the web grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to sever all ties. This means we have to protect one of our weakest points, the password.
How To: Still Missing Live Photos on Your Android? Try These 3 Apps
Apple didn't invent the concept of photos with videos embedded (that credit goes to HTC and their Zoe feature), but they sure did popularize this functionality when they came out with Live Photos. If you're jealous of iPhone users, you certainly don't need to be — there are several great ways to recreate Live Photos on Android.
Google Play Music 101: How to Adjust Music Quality to Save Data While Listening
The nemesis of music streamers is data caps, cell phone or otherwise. Restricting monthly data and forcing users to decide between quantity and quality of music has had audiophiles tearing their hair out since streaming toppled the iPod. While the problem regarding music quality seems difficult to tackle, it's far from impossible.
Outlook 101: How to Manage Spam & Quickly Delete All Junk Mail
Nobody likes spam, and that's why email apps continue to vie for your digital attention by boasting about new ways to filter and reduce unsolicited messages. Outlook, an already fantastic client for focusing your cluttered inbox, has now joined in on the action, giving its users new, simple tools to fight against junk mail.
How To: Send & Receive iMessages on Your Android Phone
One of Android's most glaring weaknesses is its lack of an iMessage equivalent. That is, of course, until now. There's one app that will allow Android users to experience iMessage on their non-Apple phone, complete with end-to-end encryption, message effects, and group messaging.
How To: Binance Trading Pairs Help You Keep Track of Your Favorite Coins' Values
With the sheer number of alt-coins that you can buy and sell on Binance — Ripple (XRP), Stellar (XLM), and NEO to name a few — keeping track of coins you're interested in is a hassle. But with the tap of a button, you can mark trades and alt-coins that are on your radar for quick access on your Binance account.
YouTube 101: How to Enable the Dark Theme on Your iPhone
One of the downsides to iOS is the lack of a true dark mode. While Apple has offered a workaround, third-party developers have taken it upon themselves to implement dark themes in their apps. While big names like Twitter and Reddit have led the charge for some time, it appears YouTube is the next app to join the party.
How To: This Mod Gives You Custom Icon Packs & More on the Pixel Launcher
Google's launchers are some of the most polished home screen apps out there, but they lack the ability to customize. With the old Google Now Launcher, we had Xposed GEL Settings to add options for tweaking the layout, but that project was abandoned when the Pixel Launcher came out. Now, a new root mod will give us some key customization settings for Google's latest launcher.
How To: Bromite Is the New NoChromo — Open Source Chrome Port with Ad Blocking
A while back, we told you about NoChromo, a no-root ad-blocking browser based on Google Chrome's open source code base, Chromium. That browser was wildly successful, as it offered an identical interface to regular Chrome, but without any ads. Sadly, the developer abandoned NoChromo, but a new ad-blocking Chromium port called Bromite has been released to fill its void.
How To: Transfer Bitcoin, Ether & More from Coinbase to Binance
The most convenient way for US users to buy Ripple (XRP) or Stellar (XRM) is through Binance. However, you can't deposit money directly into this app, but you can deposit cryptocurrency like ether or bitcoins to buy other alt-coins. The easiest way to do that is by using Coinbase, the most popular cryptocurrency app.
How To: Take Notes in a Terminal Interface with This Linux-Style App
Deep down inside, Android is really just a fork of Linux, the popular open source desktop OS. You can see traces of its roots everywhere, and this lineage still holds a certain appeal with many Android fans. If you're in that boat, you'll love the newest notes app we just found.
How To: Edit Android's Share Menu — No Root Needed
Android's share intents system is great in theory, but the execution can sometimes be frustrating. When you tap the "Share" button next to a link, app, or file, you see a list of apps you can share that item with. But it seems like every time you use this function, the list of apps is in a different order — especially when it comes to the Direct Share targets at the top.
Binance 101: How to Enable Google Authenticator for Withdrawals
With so much money on the line, it's no surprise that cryptocurrency exchanges are prime targets for cybercriminals. Because of this, the importance of keeping your personal account as secure as possible cannot be overstated. Binance is one step ahead in this regard, as it requires you to enable two-factor authentication to keep your bitcoins and alt-coins safe.
How To: Stream Games from Your Windows PC to Your iPhone
The greatest pain in owning a high-powered gaming PC is the simple fact that you can't play it all the time. Sometimes you have work or school, and other times, you may just want to go mobile. When something like this impedes your ability to play PC games, you may end up settling for mobile games. What if, instead of doing that, you were able to play your PC games from your iPhone?
Binance 101: How to Deposit & Withdraw Bitcoins & Other Cryptocurrencies
As cryptocurrencies gain mainstream acceptance, it's not far-fetched to think that we'll one day be able to buy alt coins like Ripple (XRP) and Stellar (XLM) using debit cards and bank accounts. Until then, we'll have to rely on using bitcoins and ethereum to buy digital coins. Thankfully, depositing and withdrawing cryptocurrencies with Binance is relatively hassle-free.
How To: Use Odin to Flash Samsung Galaxy Stock Firmware
If you own a Samsung phone and enjoy rooting or modding your device, flashing official firmware can be very useful. Odin is Samsung's own internal program for loading such updates for testing purposes, and it's quite easy to use for your own custom modification needs.
Outlook 101: How to Connect Third-Party Apps to Your Calendar
If you've read our list of the best email clients for iOS, you'll know Apple's Mail app doesn't cut it when it comes to third-party integration. If you want to use some of your favorite apps directly in your mail client's calendar, go with Outlook.
How To: Messages Out of Order on Your iPhone? Use These Fixes to Display Conversations Correctly
One of Apple's best products is iMessage, which allows for quick, creative, and free messaging between iOS and Mac devices. However, users are reporting that conversation threads in the Messages app are occasionally out of order, which is equal parts confusing and annoying. Luckily, we have some ideas on how to fix the problem.
How To: Stream iPhone Games Directly to Twitch
While the Twitch app for iOS came out way back in 2011, livestreaming iPhone games was a rarity until Apple recently updated its ReplayKit in iOS 11. However, Twitch hasn't jumped on the bandwagon yet, but that doesn't mean you can't livestream your iPhone games to Twitch right now.
Google Play Music 101: How to Create the Perfect Music Playlist
For those times when we need music grouped together for a specific task, we have playlists. Playlists are the next natural step after mastering your library and radio stations. While you've probably been an All-Star of curating playlists since your mid-90s mixtapes, Google Play Music has some pretty neat features that are going to really Smash your Mouth.
How To: Install the Leaked Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Update Now
With beta testing coming to a close, it's quite likely we will see the stable Android Oreo OTA roll out for the Galaxy S8 in late January. Yesterday, a Reddit user posted a link to an official Oreo OTA build for the Galaxy S8. We've already detailed everything that's new in this stable build. Now, let's take a look at how you can install the update on your device.
How To: 5 Reasons You Should Use Be Using Norton Mobile Security on Your Android Device
When it comes to your security, you want the best of the best. Why settle for mediocre service with something as valuable as your protection? Malware continues to make its way onto the Play Store, leaving millions of devices vulnerable. You need an app that will shield your devices from both the latest malware threats and threats nearby. And when it comes to antivirus apps, there is only one choice.
Outlook 101: How to Add Additional Email Addresses
If you work with multiple email addresses, you need an app that can organize and declutter your day-to-day messages. Outlook is a great choice, but if you only have one account attached, it somewhat defeats the purpose. Lucky for you, adding additional email accounts is both quick and simple.
Outlook 101: How to Protect Emails with Face ID or Touch ID Security on Your iPhone
Your email is just that — yours. You shouldn't have to worry about other people gaining access to it on your iPhone. Fortunately, Outlook agrees, and has included a way for you to protect your messages with one of two keys no one possesses but you — your face or fingerprint.
Meltdown & Spectre: Here's How to Keep Your iPhone or Android Phone Secure
You may have seen news reports over the last two days detailing a major security flaw in virtually all smartphones. The devices that are at risk are not limited to either iPhone or Android — all of us are affected. If you want to make sure your smartphone and its data stay secure, there are a few steps you can take.
How To: 3 Reasons You Still Need a Good Antivirus App on Android
Many people think antivirus apps are useless — why pay a subscription fee when most malware can be avoided with common sense? But the thing is, there were an estimated 3.5 million malicious Android apps discovered last year, with many of them making their way onto the Play Store. As this number continues to rise, can you truly depend on common sense to protect you?
Binance 101: How to Install the Mobile App on Your iPhone
Binance, a China-based cryptocurrency exchange, is rapidly gaining popularity thanks to the sheer selection of digital currencies you can purchase — Ripple (XRP), Tron (TRX), IOTA, and Stellar (XLM), to name a few — using both Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). Binance has an iOS app, and there are a couple ways to install it. Either way, you can trade cryptocurrency from your iPhone today.
Netflix 101: How to Change the Appearance of Subtitles & Captions on Your iPhone
Whether you're watching Netflix on your Android tablet, smart TV, or computer, the process for changing how subtitles and closed captioning appear is the same. Plus, when you customize the font, size, color, and the background, all devices connected to your Netflix profile will update — except for iOS and tvOS devices. A different process is necessary for an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple TV.
How To: This Is the Best Way to Watch YouTube on Chromecast
Sometimes I'm convinced Google has ADHD. They'll create a great product, then get distracted by the next moonshot and never put the finishing touches on their last project. Case in point, you can't just cast a playlist of your subscriptions from YouTube to Chromecast, even though that's how many people prefer to use YouTube.
How To: Block Popups in Safari on Your iPhone
Safari for iPhone is generally a good mobile browsing experience — except when it isn't. Popup ads are a real issue, and they cause both great annoyance as well as concern over iOS security. How do you stop these nuisances and return to a web without fear of popups?
Compared: The Best Antivirus & Security Suite Apps for Android
The Play Store hasn't been the most secure place for apps lately. A quick Google search for "Play Store malware" will give you a taste of some of the malicious apps that snuck their way onto Android's official app store. Google is aware of the problem and they're tying to fix it, but their new Play Protect program doesn't have a great track record, so you might want to look elsewhere.
Outlook 101: How to Customize Notifications & Alert Sounds for Individual Accounts
With email, one size does not typically fit all. You have multiple email accounts, each for different purposes and with varying levels of importance, so it only makes sense to customize the way your phone alerts you to each account's incoming emails. Luckily, Outlook allows you to do just that.
How To: Get the Pixel 2's Portrait Mode on Your Galaxy S8 or Note 8
The Pixel 2's camera is one of the best you'll find on an Android phone. Among its standout features is the incredible Portrait Mode, which Google accomplished with some impressive software processing. Thanks to a few clever developers, you can now enjoy the Pixel 2's Portrait Mode on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8.
Outlook 101: How to Customize Swipe Actions & Clear Your Inbox with Gestures
Swipe actions are an integral multitasking feature of any good email client, and Outlook is no exception. The application allows for two swipe actions at a time, but offers seven total options for those actions. We'll show you how to choose which actions go with which swipes to best tailor the app to your needs.