Hot Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: Change Chat Thread Colors in Facebook Messenger Lite
You can now customize your chat experience in Facebook Messenger Lite for Android. You can change your chat bubble colors from steamy red to cool green depending on your mood or who you're chatting with. It's a great way to spice up your standard-issue Facebook blue chat theme.
How To: Turns Out We've Been Selecting Text Wrong This Whole Time — There's a MUCH Better Way
A few things on Android and iPhone have not been perfected. For instance, selecting and copying text is a task I often find myself fumbling over. But recently, we stumbled across a nifty way to select text that's a huge improvement over how we've been doing it.
How To: Make Mario Kart Tour Gameplay More Like the Nintendo Switch
After playing Mario Kart Tour for a little while, you'll notice it's a bit different from previous games in the series. The biggest change is how they've deferred to new players by automating many of the controls. But what if you want the traditional experience? We've got you covered.
How To: Avoid the Spiny 'Blue' Shell in Mario Kart Tour
It happens to all of us. You're ahead of the pack, clearly in first place, when someone launches the Spiny Shell (aka, the blue shell). It catches up and circles you before crashing into your kart, and there's seemingly nothing you can do about it. But what if I told you there are two ways to avoid this fate in Mario Kart Tour?
How To: Reduce Tinder's Data Usage on Your iPhone or Android Device
Most of us swipe on Tinder while on the go. With all the pictures, Tinder on Android and iOS uses a decent amount of data. If you know the pain of Tinder triggering overage fees, limit the data-hungry app. There's a little trick you can use to help keep your swiping up and your mobile bill down.
How To: Schedule Emails to Send Later in Gmail for iPhone or Android
There is power in the detail. Sending an email at a specific time can give you an edge. Depending on what you are doing, it can help your email get read or it can put you at the top of someone's inbox. With the Gmail app for Android and iOS, you can now schedule your messages to maximize the efficiency of your email.
How To: Bring Back Notification Snoozing in Android 10
I'm a notification minimalist. When I get alerts, I want to deal with them ASAP. If the time is not right and I want to reference the notification later, snoozing was always the best course of action. But in Android 10, Google tucked away snoozing, so here's how to get it back.
How To: Enable Dark Mode in Microsoft To Do for iPhone or Android
Microsoft is quickly adding dark mode to its full line of apps. Microsoft To Do is the latest to receive this treatment, and it looks great. Now you can tick items off your to-do list without straining your eyes or draining extra battery life.
How To: Set Nicknames in Your Facebook Lite Chats
Facebook Messenger Lite is more than just a battery-friendly version of the full-fledged Messenger app for Android. It's still packing some pretty neat features and it's so much snappier than its bloated counterpart. All of the essentials are present, down to the ability to give your contacts nicknames.
How To: Keep Safari's Toolbars Hidden While Scrolling Webpages in iOS 13
Normally, when you scroll down a webpage in Safari on your iPhone, it automatically hides the bottom toolbar and minimizes the top Smart Search field. But as soon as you scroll back up, they both reappear, which can be pretty annoying if you don't need them. Apple's iOS 13 update brings many new features to Safari, one of which solves the toolbar issue so you can keep it hidden when reading.
How To: Shoot in 4K with the Selfie Camera on Your iPhone 11, 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max
If you're a vlogger or somebody who relies on high-quality selfie cam footage, the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max are right up your alley. Apple's newest iOS devices all come equipped with a 4K front-facing camera, and the video quality is spectacular. That said, your video won't be in 4K right out of the box. You'll need to set that resolution yourself.
How To: Use These Gestures to Shoot Video Without Ever Leaving Photo Mode in Your iPhone's Camera App
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't hit the "record" button in time, you could miss it. That's why, starting in iOS 13, on select iPhone models, you can start recording a video without having to switch out of Photo capture mode. So you can avoid blowing the perfect video when it matters most, and then go right back to taking pictures without skipping a beat.
How To: Enable Dark Mode in Google's New Gallery Go App
Galley Go is a new lightweight app made by Google that provides a simpler alternative to Google Photos. While it's a lighter app, it still includes dark mode. You just have to turn it on to help boost battery life and save your eyes at night.
How To: Disable Those Annoying Artist Announcements on Pandora
I don't know about you, but I go to Pandora to listen to music. So when the music stops and an audio message from an artist starts updating me on their tour dates or some new product, I get pretty annoyed. The good thing is you can turn these off.
How To: Make All Your iPhone Apps Work with iOS 13's Dark Mode
The biggest feature in the iOS 13 update is a new system-wide Dark Mode. It's a simple switch that you enable to turn system menus and Apple apps dark, but it can also darken third-party apps if their developers elect to support it. Trouble is, most haven't yet, so half of your apps likely still have a blinding white background.
How To: Stop Your Camera from Shooting Video Outside the Frame on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max
The biggest change this year for iPhones comes with the cameras. All three iPhones get a new ultra-wide camera, which allows the device to capture more of what's in front of you. Not so new this year is the 64 GB base storage, which will fill up fast when shooting in 4K at 60 fps. A new feature will also add to your storage concerns, however, a feature that captures more video than it really should.
How To: Get Android 10's New Gestures on Any Phone
Lover it or hate it, Android 10 is a big improvement over Android 9 Pie. Based on previous versions, most flagships released in the last two years will get Android 10, but the question is when. So while you wait for those cool new gestures, how about I show you an app that gives you a nearly identical experience?
How To: Get Quick Access to Your Favorite Apps with a Swipe-Up App Drawer
I go back and forth between two home screen apps: Nova Launcher and Action Launcher. While I prefer the aesthetics of Nova, I like Action's Quickpage feature since it puts some of my favorite apps just a swipe away. But now, I've found a way to replicate this feature on Nova (or any other launcher), and it works even better.
How To: Enable Google Drive's Dark Mode on Any Android Phone
Lots of Google apps are getting dark mode. Google Drive has had it on Android 10 for a few months. But it hasn't been accessible to all Android users until now. With the latest update, there's a manual dark mode switch you can turn on regardless of what OS version you have.
How To: Add Rich Web Link Previews to Your Reminders in iOS 13
With iOS 13, Apple included some major updates to the Reminders app for iPhone. Among them is the ability to add web links to individual reminders, including a rich preview of the link that can be minimized if necessary. So now you can add an Amazon link in a reminder to buy a present or a webpage for a recipe in your grocery list, to name just a few examples.
How To: Make Android 10's Dark Mode Turn on Automatically at Night — No Root Needed
Android 10's new dark mode is a pleasure to behold for longtime users. Ever since OLED panels became widespread, we've been clamoring for the feature. But now that we have it, there's a new problem: it doesn't turn on automatically based on time of day. Thankfully, a simple app can turn dark mode into a true night mode.
How To: Find 3D Snapchat Filters for New Effects with Your iPhone's Face ID Camera
When it comes to filters, Snapchat is no slouch. The chat app's array of effects rivals even the fiercest competition from filter masters like Instagram. Now, the company has a new trick up its sleeve that adds depth to your selfies (and even more new filters), and that feature is called 3D Camera Mode, available for iPhone models with the TrueDepth camera used for Face ID.
How To: Enable Dark Mode in Outlook's Mobile App
Microsoft is catching up by adding the revered dark mode feature to its suite of apps. The biggest name to get this treatment is Outlook, and it looks great. Dark mode is slowly rolling out, meaning only some people have it right now. So it's time to check and see if you have dark mode on Outlook.
How To: Get the Pixel 4's Leaked Camera App on Older Pixels
XDA recently reported on a leaked version of the upcoming Pixel 4's camera app. By testing the app, they were able to find upcoming Pixel 4 features like a new Night Sight mode that can photograph stars. Well that leaked version has leaked itself, so now you can install it on your own Pixel phone.
How To: Disable Swipe Typing in Apple's iOS 13 Keyboard
One core theme with each new iteration of iOS is the introduction of at least one or two features that fans have been hoping to see for years. With iOS 13, that feature is swipe typing, a first for the native iOS keyboard. While some of us have been getting our glide-typing fix with apps like Gboard for years, you might find swiping isn't quite your style. Luckily, the feature is easy to disable.
How To: Sync Chrome's Clipboard from Your Desktop to Your Android Phone & Back
Recently, Android Police highlighted one of the downfalls of Android 10's new privacy protection: the fact that it broke the ability for apps like Pushbullet to sync your clipboard across devices. While third-party apps can potentially find a way around this, there's no guarantee. But have no fear, Google is here to the rescue.
How To: Undo & Redo Typing with iOS 13's New Gestures
Shake to undo is now the worst way to take back what you just typed on your iPhone. Among the many changes in iOS 13, Apple has updated text gestures, including how you select a word, sentence, and paragraph, copy and paste text, and undo and redo what you type.
How To: Enable Dark Mode in Gmail for iPhone & Android
Google's strategy for updating its apps with dark mode options is apparently "one at a time" and "as slow as possible." Even after the company added a dark theme to many of its apps for Android and iOS, such as Calendar, Chrome, Keep, and Photos, Gmail seemed to remain "light" for the longest time. However, the app now supports dark mode on both mobile OSs. Here's how to enable it.
How To: Tips for Preordering an iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max Before the Shipping Dates Get Pushed Back
Starting Sept. 13, you can preorder the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max from Apple, wireless carriers, and various e-commerce websites. However, unlike with Android smartphones, there is only one set of iOS phones that come out each year, so they're pretty hot items. That means being the first to get your hands on one could be a challenge, but we're here to help you out.
How To: Type Curse Words with Apple's QuickPath Swipe-Typing Keyboard in iOS 13
The iPhone's autocorrect feature is wonderful and convenient, but it doesn't always work with informal language like profanity. If you've ever used the F-word, there's a good chance you've had your curse words "corrected" to other words that don't ducking make sense. And with the release of iOS 13, swearing in your messages and on social media could get a little harder.
How To: Stop Trying to Diagonal Swipe — There's an Easier Way to Open Hamburger Menus on Android 10
With the back button gone in Android 10, the new back gesture forced Google to change the way you access side navigation menus. The new angled swipe that you have to do to access the hamburger menu isn't the easiest, so you'll likely go back more times than you want. Well, there's an easier way.
Coming Soon: Colorize Black & White Pictures with Google Photos
Scanning pictures and uploading them to Google Photos is a great way to digitize your collection. With unlimited high-quality storage and text recognition capabilities, it's hard to pass up. And for your older family pictures, Google Photos will soon even colorize black and white images.
How To: There's an Easy Way to Stop Random Popup Ads on Android
"Why do I keep getting popups on my phone when I'm not even doing anything?" I see this question asked all the time. The answer? You have a shady app on your phone and it started showing full screen ads. But people either don't know this (so they don't know they just need to find and uninstall the problematic app), or if they do know it's a bad app, they don't know which app is causing it.
Quick Tip: There's a Faster Way to Open an App's Settings on Your iPhone
While iOS has many strengths, in-app settings are not among them. Sure, third-party apps often come with a settings gear, but stock apps? No way. To change settings in Music, Photos, Camera, and other Apple apps, you'll need to leave the app. But there's a hidden trick to quickly access an app's settings — without needing to open the Settings app itself manually.
How To: 5 Productivity Tips for Getting the Most Out of Gboard
Gboard is often considered the best keyboard for iPhone or Android. Google made sure to jam-pack it full of features, and you should expect nothing but the best when it comes to Google's own first-party software. But with so many capabilities, a few things might slip through the cracks.
How To: Android 10 Gesture Controls Grayed Out? Here's the Fix
So, you just updated to Android 10, ready to explore all of the new features Google has to offer. There's just one hiccup — those gesture controls everyone talks about? They don't work. In fact, the option is completely grayed out, taunting you from the get-go. What's going on here, and how can you restore functionality to a staple Android Q feature?
How To: Switch Tabs Faster in Chrome with This Quick Gesture
As with our desktop browser, our phones often have multiple tabs open at the same time. But phones don't have each tab listed horizontally across the top, so to switch between them, you need to go to the tab switcher page and then find the link you wish to reopen. Well, if you are using Chrome, there's a faster way.
Ranked: The 5 Best Gaming Phones in 2019
Mobile gaming has exploded in recent years, with experts predicting 2.4 billion global mobile players by the end of 2019. It already accounts for 47% of the worldwide gaming market, besting console and PC. No wonder we've seen the rise of gaming smartphones, a class of phones that specialize in mobile gaming.
How To: Get the Most Value from Your iPhone Trade-In
Phones these days are expensive. The iPhone 11 Pro is presumed to start at $999, following the iPhone XS and iPhone X's leads. One way to bring down that cost is to trade in your old iPhone, but there isn't one clear-cut way to do that. You could trade your iPhone into a participating website or put yourself out there and sell the iPhone on your own. It's all about what's best for you.
How To: Watch Apple's Sept. 10 Special Event on Your Computer, Smartphone, YouTube, or Apple TV
Apple revealed its newest line of iPhone models on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at its "by innovation only" event in Cupertino. While the release date for iOS 13 wasn't announced at the event, Apple issued a press release with the date. If you missed the event, you can still watch it from your computer, smartphone, Apple TV, and any other device that YouTube works on.