Author: Admin

Threads’ rapid growth has begun to taper off, but Meta is pushing forward with more updates and features for its users. After conducting beta tests for Android last week, the platform rolled out a feature this past weekend that lets you see which posts you’ve liked. Just head to settings and tap “Your Likes,” and you’ll no longer wonder if you’re sending your liked posts to the void. It’s an addition that may help put Threads on par with the now-rebranded Twitter.

Meta head Mark Zuckerberg teased that more updates will hit Threads in the coming weeks, including search capabilities and web version of the app. Its last most significant upgrade was the “Following” tab, which allows users to see threads from the people that they follow, in chronological order. Previously, users could see threads only in a “For You” page, which allowed users to see only posts that were being recommended to them based upon an algorithm.

This latest series of updates comes after the initial surge of sign-ups on Threads slowed. Since then, Threads added about 19 million new users over the past few weeks. However, it also looks like Threads’ daily usage has dropped off, as expected for a new platform in a fairly crowded market.

Instagram’s Adam Mosseri took to Threads in July to announce some updates while imploring users to continue to share ideas and hopes for the platform. Along with the Following tab, other new changes included post translations, a new way to filter notifications in the Activity tab, a follow button and a new way to approve followers if you have a private account.

If you’re interested in setting up your own Threads account, you’re in luck — joining Threads is pretty easy. All you have to do is sign in with your Instagram credentials and you get to keep your username, followers and verification status.

The rising popularity of Threads comes at the same time as more and more users are becoming dissatisfied with Twitter. As owner Elon Musk continues to make controversial changes to the app — like imposing a limit on the amount of tweets you could read per day or changing the iconic blue bird logo — more users are jumping ship to Twitter alternatives.

Threads joins a line up of several Twitter alternatives, such as Mastodon and Bluesky. The platform provides the option to post text, videos and photos, and the ability to engage in real-time conversations.

Read on to learn more about how to join Threads and what features are available. For more, here’s why you might want to wait to join Threads and how Meta is using AI to organize your feeds.

What is Threads?

Created by Meta’s Instagram team, Threads is a platform that allows you to publish short posts or updates that are up to 500 characters. You can include links, photos or videos up to five minutes long. The app is linked to your Instagram account, and according to Meta, you can “easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.”

Your feed will include posts from people and accounts you follow on Instagram or Threads, as well as recommendations for undiscovered content. You also have the ability to filter specific words from your feed and restrict who is allowed to mention you.

Threads is free to use and is available to download from the App Store (iOS) and the Play Store (Android).

The app launched in more than 100 countries, but its release has been delayed in the European Union, reportedly due to data-sharing concerns between Instagram and Threads. Meta is also reportedly blocking attempts by people in the EU to access Threads using a VPN, telling TechCrunch in a statement that, “we’ve taken additional steps to prevent people based there from accessing it at this time.”

How to sign up for Threads

You must have an Instagram account to join Threads, as the service requires you to use your Instagram login credentials to sign in.

First, launch the Threads application and select the Instagram profile you want to make a Thread account for. If you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can switch at the login page.

Next, add your name, bio and any links you want to show on your Threads profile. You can also just hit the Import from Instagram button to port over that information from your IG profile.

Finally, choose to follow the same accounts you follow on Instagram, on Threads. You can do this one by one, by scrolling through the accounts you follow on Instagram or by searching for an account. You can also just follow every single account you follow on Instagram with a single tap — hit Follow all.

The last page will give you a bit of info about Threads and its future, like how Threads and Instagram are intrinsically tied and how you’ll soon be able to interact with other social media platforms, like Mastadon. You can hit Join Threads to begin browsing through your timeline.

A quick guide to using Threads

The Threads user interface is pretty simple for now. Everything you need you can find at the bottom in the navigation bar: home, search, new thread, activity and profile. There are also your settings, but we’ll get into that a little bit later. To start, let’s go through what each button in the navigation bar means.

The first, on the left is home, which is where your timeline lives. You may be a bit startled to see posts from users you don’t follow, but that’s how the current iteration of Threads works. Here you can like, leave a comment on, repost and share posts. Threads now has a For You tab, which is a series of recommended threads, and a Following tab. The Following tab displays posts from accounts you follow in chronological order.

Then we have search, where you’ll find recommended profiles and can manually search for other accounts. A few of the biggest existing accounts include Mr. Beast, Jennifer Lopez, the NBA, Marvel, the Kardashians and Zuckerberg himself.

Next is new thread, which is where you create posts. You can write up to 500 characters and include links, photos and videos. For now, hashtags aren’t a thing.

In activity, you’ll see who you recently followed, who recently followed you, replies to your posts, mentions and activity from verified users.

And last we have profile, where you can view your Threads profile. Here you’ll see your name, profile photo, biography, links, followers, threads and replies. You can also edit your profile and browse through various settings.

A little more about the settings in Threads

Speaking of settings, let’s spend a little more time on which settings you can adjust in Threads. In the profile section, hit the globe on the top-left or the two-dash icon on the top-right to access your settings, where you can configure your notifications, privacy and account.

Notifications is pretty straightforward. Toggle off push notifications for threads and replies and following and followers. You can also just pause all of them.

In privacy, you can make your profile private, which means only approved followers can check out and interact with your posts and replies. You can also choose who mentions you, mute accounts and hide offensive words and phrases. At the bottom, you’ll see two settings: one for blocking profiles and the other for hiding likes. If you configure any of these two settings, changes will apply to both Threads and Instagram.

Account is where you can set up reminders to take a break from Threads and deactivate your profile. There are other settings that apply to both Threads and Instagram, including two-factor authentication and password changes.

Can you really not delete your Threads account?

If you’ve seen the news, many users are upset about Meta’s policy regarding deleting your Threads account. Yes, you can delete your Threads account, but you also have to delete your Instagram account, because they’re tied together as one. If you don’t want to delete your Instagram, you do have the option to individually deactivate your Threads account.

This won’t delete your account and data for good, but it will hide your profile, posts and comments from everyone until you decide to come back. Here’s how to deactivate your threads account.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, posted that although Threads is powered by Instagram, the company is looking for a way to allow users to delete their Threads account separately.

What about Hashtags? And Lists?

In Mosseri’s Threads post where he announced the latest updates to the app, he encouraged users to keep sharing their ideas and hopes for the platform. Two of the most commonly mentioned features are hashtags and apps. It seems like users are fairly spilt on whether hashtags should be added, but most agree on the value of the list feature.

Given the number of mentions, users could see these features added in future updates. Mosseri has indicated that hashtags are “on the list,” but there has been no indication about the status of the list feature.

Are there advertisements on Threads?

According to Mosseri, advertisements are currently not a priority. “So humbled by everyone signing up, but we gotta make sure this is an app people want to keep using before we worry about making money…” The company is reportedly talking to advertisers.

What features are coming to Threads?

Mosseri and others have posted about what features may eventually make it to Threads, because according to Mosseri, this current Threads is just the first version. Below are a few of the features and settings mentioned as in the works for Threads:

• Delete Threads account without also having to delete Instagram account
• Improved search
• Hashtags
• Graph syncing
• Messaging (maybe)
• Support for ActivityPub (allows Threads to be part of the fediverse, “a social network of different servers operated by third parties that are connected and can communicate with each other”)
• Multi-account options
• Web interface

Meta’s Threads vs. Twitter

Competition between the two tech giants is going beyond the proposed cage match between Musk and Zuckerberg. With Threads’ built-in connection to Instagram, it can make it much easier to gain users within a short period of time.

Forrester analyst Mike Proulx said that Meta is taking advantage of the current wave of dissatisfaction with Twitter, but noted that the company has had shaky launches of other services.

“While credit should be given to Meta’s steadfast test and learn strategy, the company doesn’t exactly have a successful track record launching standalone apps outside its core family,” Proulx said in a statement to CNET, pointing to projects like Slingshot and IGTV.

Proulx added that the market is inundated with Twitter challengers such as Bluesky, Mastodon and Hive. “This only serves to fracture the Twitter alternative-seeking user base,” he said.

Twitter is clearly aware of the challenge from Threads. A lawyer for the social network sent a letter to Zuckerberg last week threatening legal action over the app, accusing Meta of intentionally stealing “Twitter’s trade secrets.”

For more, check out CNET’s coverage on social media platforms, including TikTok rules and Meta’s paid verification system for Instagram and Facebook.

Netflix is adding a new way to show a title some love (or loathing) with a thumbs rating on mobile.

The streamer said Monday that users will be able to give a series or movie a thumbs up, thumbs down or a double thumbs up at any point while watching on a mobile device. With the update, the streamer aims to make it easier for people to rate and thus receive better recommendations. The update is rolling out now on iOS and later on Android, Netflix said.

Thumbs ratings can also be given if you go into a title’s details page, according to Netflix (and this is currently the only way to give a thumbs up when watching on a TV). An image from the streamer shows what the feature will look like: You’ll be able to tap the screen and see three thumb rating choices appear among other typical on-screen options, like pressing pause on a title or closing out of it.

Here’s more on what differentiates a double thumbs up from a one-thumb thumbs up and tips to help you get the most out of Netflix.

While most TVs these days come with streaming apps built-in, it’s not the only way to easily access all your shows and movies. A streaming device can instantly turn just about any screen with an HDMI port into a smart TV, and right now, you can snag one of our favorite models of 2023 at a discount. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the fastest streaming device we’ve tested, and right now, you can pick it up for just $27, which saves you $28 compared to the usual price.

(Note that you can save a bit more by supplying a trade-in, or — for some users — by adding the code FTV25 at checkout.)

This deal doesn’t quite beat the all-time low price we saw during Amazon’s massive Prime Day sale event last month, but it is the lowest price we’ve seen before or since. It’s the most advanced model in Amazon’s Fire TV Stick lineup and features a quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6 support (with a compatible router), making it 40% faster than the basic 4K model. Plus, it supports Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10 Plus for vibrant colors and sharp contrast, as well as Dolby Atmos for immersive, room-filling audio. It also comes with its own remote with a built-in microphone so you can play, pause and browse hands-free. This streaming device does push Amazon content a little more aggressively, which is why we preferred Roku’s streamers overall. But Amazon’s Fire TV products are better for those looking to widen their streaming content choices with a VPN, and at less than half the usual price, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is still a great value.

It’s been nearly three years since Sony’s ultra-popular PlayStation 5 first hit shelves. And while it was nearly impossible to find one in stock when it was first released, it’s gotten a lot easier to get your hands on one in the past few months. And now, for the first time ever, we’re starting so see some straightforward deals on this next-gen console.

Target, Best Buy and Amazon have all knocked $50 off the full-size console, which drops the price down to $450. There’s no set expiration for these deals, but we don’t expect them to stick around for long, so get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these rare savings.

The discount on the console is coming just before some of the biggest games of the year launch. Spider-Man 2 and Lies of P will be hitting shelves in the coming months, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is officially available now.

And the PS5 console isn’t the only thing on sale right now, either. Amazon, Best Buy and Target also have several colors of the next-gen DualSense wireless controller on sale for $50 right now, which saves you $20 or $25 compared to the usual price.

There are also tons of great PS5 gamest that you can grab on sale right now as well, including Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War: Ragnarok and more.

And for more ways make the most of your new console on a budget, you can check out our roundup of all the best PS5 deals for even more bargains on games and accessories.

We’re just a few weeks away from the start of the fall semester. And if you’re looking to upgrade your phone, tablet or smartwatch before you head back to campus this year, then we’ve got some deals you won’t want to miss. Samsung’s latest generation of Z series foldable phones, as well as the new Tab S9 tablet and Galaxy Watch 6, will hit shelves next week, and there are some exclusive offers for students that can help you snag one for less, or even get your hands on one for free.

Samsung already has some great preorder offers available that can save you up to $1,000 on its latest devices when you trade-in an eligible phone, tablet or smartwatch. However, students and teachers will also get an instant discount of up to 15% off. And these extra savings mean you can potentially get your hands on one of these new devices for free. For instance, the new Z Flip 5 lists for $1,000, and you can save up to $900 when you trade in an eligible device, with the latest high-end phones from Apple or Samsung netting you the biggest discount. But students and teaches will also get another $100 off instantly, which drops the price down to $0.

There’s also the larger Z Fold 5, which lists for $1,800, and is up to $1,000 off with a trade-in. And with the instant $270 education discount, the price drops down to just $530. It’s not totally free, but it’s an impressive price for one of the most advanced phones on the market right now. Both phones also come with a free storage upgrade, which means you’ll get the 512GB model for the same price as the basic 256GB model.

Students and teachers can also save $45 on the new Galaxy Watch 6 smartwatch, or 15% on the new Galaxy Tab S9 lineup, which starts at $800. To take advantage of these education discounts, you’ll need to have or create a Samsung account, and then sign up with an eligible email.

And you can check out our roundups of all the best preorder offers on the Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch 6 and Tab S9 series for even more bargains and savings.

Lionel Messi arrived on these shores amid huge expectations. And the soccer icon has somehow exceeded them, leading his new team, Inter Miami, to three straight wins and netting five goals in the process. Next up for Messi and Miami is a Leagues Cup Round of 16 game against FC Dallas tonight. The Leagues Cup is a 47-team knockout tournament that includes every club from both the MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.

After playing his first three games on his home field in Miami, Messi will get his first road test during Sunday’s game. FC Dallas will host Inter Miami on its home field in Frisco, Texas, for the Leagues Cup knockout game.

Kickoff for Sunday’s contest is set for 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) and will stream on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass. Here’s everything you will need to know on how to watch.

Lionel Messi’s next game: Where and when is Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas?

This Leagues Cup fixture is set to take place at Toyota Stadium in the Dallas suburbs on Sunday, Aug. 6. Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. PT in the US and Canada. That makes it a 2:30 a.m. BST start in the UK and a 11:30 a.m. AEST kick-off in Australia on Wednesday morning.

How can I watch Messi’s MLS games?

Apple TV now has a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer and is the exclusive broadcaster of every MLS game in the 2023 season plus Leagues Cup fixtures in most parts of the world via its MLS Season Pass service.

That means that, unlike Messi’s unveiling event last weekend and his first match, which also aired on Univision, you’ll need an Apple TV Plus or MLS Season Pass subscription to watch this game live.

In the US, MLS Season Pass costs $13 a month or $79 for the season if you’re already a subscriber to the Apple TV Plus streaming service. If you don’t subscribe to Apple TV Plus, the MLS Season Pass costs $15 a month or $99 for the season.

MLS Season Pass subscriptions are also available in over 100 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, the UK and Australia. For prices outside of the US, check here.

Read more: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV: How to Watch Major League Soccer in 2023

You can watch the games on any device that has the Apple TV app, including TVs, phones, tablets and computers. This includes iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Macs, as well as smart TVs and streaming devices that run the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google TV platforms.

If you have a game console, there’s an Apple TV app for Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X, and Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PS5. Recent TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio also have Apple TV apps. More details on supported devices can be found on Apple’s site.

Although Apple does not have Apple TV apps for Android phones and tablets or Windows computers, it does let you stream its shows and MLS games using a web browser by going to tv.apple.com.

How to watch Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas online from anywhere using a VPN

While MLS Season Pass is available in most parts of the world, there are some exceptions. If you find yourself in a country where you’re unable to view either service locally, you may need a different way to watch Messi play — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream live sports events is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Quick tips for streaming Inter Miami CF vs. FC Dallas using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this match live may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

While most people are waiting for Apple to release iOS 17 in the fall, the tech giant is still releasing critical updates for iOS 16. Apple released iOS 16.6 on July 27, a few weeks after the company released iOS 17 to public beta testers. Though iOS 16.6 doesn’t boast many new features, the update includes a lot of bug fixes and security patches, with some for a few issues Apple said might be actively exploited.

To download the update, got to Settings > General > Software Update, tap Install Now and follow the onscreen prompts.

Apple said the iPhone update patches two issues which might be actively exploited. One issue is in WebKit — the engine that powers Safari and other third-party browsers on iOS — and might lead to an arbitrary code execution. That means a third party could steal your data or hack your device for other nefarious purposes, according to the IT services company Okta. The second issue allowed an app to modify your iPhone’s core iOS code, called the kernel.

The update also fixes other issues, including one with the Find My app where an app might be able to read your sensitive location information. Apple doesn’t say this was actively exploited, but you should still download iOS 16.6 to fix this issue.

What else is new on iOS 16.6?

Other than patches and fixes, iOS 16.6 doesn’t bring many new features to your iPhone. An early beta version of iOS 16.6 appeared to have some of the framework for iMessage Contact Key Verification. But that framework isn’t included in the final version of iOS 16.6.

There are some new prompt messages in iOS 16.6 that you might see, like if you try to log into iCloud for Windows when your iPhone and Windows computer aren’t on the same Wi-Fi network.

The website Gadget Hacks also reports there are new alerts for Apple Card, Apple Card Family Sharing and Apple Card Savings. Some of those new alerts include a prompt asking you to verify a purchase with your Apple Card and a prompt asking you to complete your savings account information by including your employment status and source of income.

For more iOS news, check out what features we’re most excited about in iOS 17 and five hidden iOS 17 features you should know about. You can also take a look at features you might have missed in iOS 16.5.

For me, nearly everything in iOS 17 falls into one of four categories that I made up: delightful features, intuitive improvements, personal additions and helpful tools. Those sound like Jeopardy categories, but they all add up to an iOS that’s a major quality of life improvement.

One such delightful feature greets me when I’m seated at my home desk. It’s my iPhone 14 Pro, running iOS 17, on a MagSafe charger. The screen shows a giant clock that every so often fades into an alert for a new message from my friend. I can swipe up and down to change the style of the clock between one that looks chic to one that’s more artistic and another that’s straight out of the ’80s. Apple calls this screen StandBy, and I adore it. StandBy is different from using your phone’s always-on display. It transforms the iPhone into a bedside clock or a smart display showing photos and widgets. Its versatility is compelling because it feels contemporary and looks more like a miniature iPad than my iPhone.

The new feature is one of many additions coming in iOS 17 that Apple announced last month and is now available to the public in beta. Though iOS 17 was largely overshadowed by Apple’s Vision Pro headset announcement, there are many new features worth your time and attention in this upcoming iPhone update. The software is in beta, and you shouldn’t install it onto your primary iPhone, because you might experience the occasional bug or glitch.

Like the last few years of Apple software updates, iOS 17 doesn’t alter your iPhone in major ways and instead adds a bunch of customizations and features you can choose to use or just plain ignore. There are still features I’d like to see Apple add, like an onscreen volume button for the iPhone’s virtual Apple TV remote. The final version of iOS 17 will be out this fall, likely when the rumored iPhone 15 is announced. For a more comprehensive deep dive into everything that’s new in iOS 17, check out my previous story here.

iOS 17 delightful features

The iPhone has a number of features, apps and utilities that are just plain fun to use. And iOS 17 adds even more to what’s already available.

With iOS 17, your iPhone has a home screen, a lock screen, an always on display (if you have a 14 Pro) and that new StandBy screen. When I turn my iPhone on its side while charging, the StandBy screen automatically pops up in lieu of the always-on display. It’s basically a giant clock that can also show photos, a calendar, widgets and notifications. It’s perfect for a nightstand, desk or kitchen counter.

I’ve been using the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 stand, but any physical stand that charges via MagSafe should work.

I like how everything flows in StandBy mode. If I receive a notification while the clock is on screen, my phone displays a simple animation that transitions between the two. If I want to change up the StandBy screen, I can swipe up to select a different style or layout. It can display my photos and live activities, too. When it’s dark (like when you’re sleeping) the StandBy screen turns red, reminiscent of a red light in a darkroom for developing photos.

Another delightful feature is Stickers in Messages. Though message stickers aren’t new, iOS 17 brings many more of them, including emoji stickers. These are useful when you want to be more specific with your expression rather than just responding to a message with a Tapback thumbs up, thumbs down, heart, laugh, question mark or exclamation points.

iMessage apps are no longer located above the keyboard. Instead, they now have their own dedicated menu, which is where you’ll find the Stickers section. Tap the plus sign button on the bottom left of the Messages app to pull it up, and then select Stickers. A Stickers tray pops up with tabs for all your existing iMessage stickers, another tab for emoji stickers and, my favorite, one for customized stickers. And it’s the customized stickers that are truly amazing.

To make a new one, I tapped the Stickers drawer’s plus sign, selected a photo and tapped the Add Sticker button. The subject of my photo was then lifted out of the picture and transformed into a sticker, while the original photo remained unchanged. From there, I could add an effect right away or edit the sticker later. And it’s now saved in my Stickers’ drawer for future use.

You can use a live photo to make an animated sticker, which might now be the best part of Stickers. This is addictive, and I foresee a future where there are hundreds, thousands, millions(?) of customized animated stickers being sent between iPhones. I exaggerate, but you’ll see once you try it. I have definitely bombarded most of my friends with a bunch of these already.

iOS 17 intuitive improvements

In iOS 17, Apple improved a number of existing features and added a number of new tools that make using your iPhone more intuitive and easier. One of these is the ability to swipe to reply in the Messages app. Inline replies are nothing new, and they definitely help keep group threads from turning into a mess. But being able to swipe to respond to a specific message in iOS 17 is something I can’t believe we haven’t had before. It seems quite obvious.

Then there are home screen widgets, which have been available on the iPhone since 2020. Up to now, widgets have mainly been useful for showing glanceable information or serving as app shortcuts. With iOS 17, widgets become interactive. I can start or pause a podcast straight from the widget, and the same goes for music. Right now in the beta, most of the interactive widgets are Apple’s own apps, so I’m excited to see how non-Apple apps take advantage of the function. Here are the apps that have an interactive widget element so far:

• Apple Music.
• Apple Podcasts.
• Safari.
• Home.
• Contacts.
• Books.
• Apple News.

iOS 17 personal additions

Apple added a number of new tools and utilities on iOS 17 that make your iPhone more of a reflection of your style. One of these is contact posters, which basically turn your mundane contact card into a mini movie poster. You can select from a few different templates, like ones that show your initials, a Memoji or a photo of your choosing. This reminds me a lot of the lock screen customizations we got in iOS 16. Your contact card can have a contact poster and a contact photo. And you can share your contact poster using Name Drop, which is a cross between AirDrop and Apple Pay (sans the credit cards). I can hover my iPhone over someone else’s (similar to how you trigger Apple Pay at a contactless payment terminal) and share my contact poster.

I can select the specific phone number or email address I want to share when Name Drop is triggered, which can be helpful if I’m sharing my contact details with a professional colleague and don’t want to hand over my personal email address. And there’s an option to just receive someone else’s contact information, and not share your own.

There’s also another personal addition, aimed at people with pets. The Photos app can now identify and find pet photos better. If I type the word “cat” into the Photos search field, it pulls up all the photos of cats on my phone. Locating pet photos isn’t exactly new, but apparently it works better in IOS 17. For the record, I had 562 cat photos on my phone, which sounds like a lot, but I would’ve thought there were more.

Also, when you pull up a photo of a cat, there’s a new Visual Lookup icon with a tiny cat silhouette on it. There’s a similar icon for dog photos, too. The new icon doesn’t add any functionality but it’s just a nice touch.

There’s now a Photos widget for albums. Once you add the widget to your home screen, you can edit it to show photos from a specific album. Like the swipe to reply in Messages, why hasn’t this been on my iPhone before now?

iOS 17 helpful tools

Over 16 years, the iPhone has evolved from being three revolutionary devices in one, as defined by Steve Jobs, into an essential part of our daily lives that serves dozens of different roles, like showing you the weather, letting you hail a ride or letting you pay for a meal. iOS 17 adds even more useful tools, and one of the most conspicuous is live voicemail transcription; basically a modern day equivalent of screening phone calls using an answering machine in the ’80s, ’90s and early-2000s.

As someone who reviews both iPhones and Android, it reminds me of the Call Screen feature on Google Pixel phones. Essentially, when someone calls and starts to leave you a message, you’ll see a live transcription of the voicemail as the person speaks. You can pick up the call to talk to them at any time. I don’t get a ton of phone calls from people I don’t know, but this can go a long way toward minimizing the anxiety that rises when I get a call from an unfamiliar number.

Messages gets a new arrow button that lets you instantly jump to the first unread messages in a conversation. It’s great for long threads where you need to catch up fast. Just tap the arrow to go to the first unread message.

And then there’s Check In, which lets a friend know automatically when you’ve arrived at a destination safely. It’s location sharing taken to another level, and I found it easy to use. In my tests, I found it straightforward, especially since it’s right there in that new Messages pop-up menu.

iOS 17 arrives in full this fall

iOS 17 still has a month or two of testing and tweaks before it’s fully ready for prime time, but I’m impressed with it so far. Like previous iOS releases, there are far more features, tools and improvements that are still waiting to be discovered. But if you have an old iPhone lying around (iOS 17 works with the iPhone XR and newer), or don’t mind dealing with a few glitches here and there, it’s worth downloading the public beta. iOS 17 pushes your iPhone experience forward not by being a radical reimagining of phone software, but rather by refining and expanding on a number of features we already enjoy.

Qualcomm’s San Diego headquarters includes a museum that is a time capsule of the mobile phone industry. The company, founded in 1985, grew over the decades to develop early satellite communication devices, the CDMA mobile technology protocol that powered 3G phone networks, and more recently the Snapdragon line of processors seen in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23.

The museum is open on weekdays, but requires an appointment in order to visit. So during a recent visit to the headquarters, we took a dive into the museum to see the telecommunications devices of the past on display. You can check out the highlights in the gallery embedded here.

These include the the Omnitracs, an early texting and GPS device built for the trucking industry that used satellite-based technology to allow for communication in remote areas. The museum also shows off the first camera phone — which is a flip phone that uses an attachable external camera to take photos. And the museum shows several exhibits on the development of the CDMA technology, which was recently phased out when Verizon shut down its 3G networks at the end of 2022.

Qualcomm also had a hand in satellite communications for the National Security Agency (NSA), and the museum includes an example of a satellite phone used for the presidential limousine.

Next month, you’ll finally be able to download iOS 17 on your iPhone and try out all the exciting new features. Some new additions from Apple include a new Standby mode, a Journal app and a major update to Messages. However, some iPhone users are getting left out of getting the iOS 17 update, including some older iPhone models like the iPhone X from 2017.

Read more: Don’t Install the iOS 17 Developer Beta on Your iPhone

If you aren’t sure which iPhone you’ve got, a quick check in your settings can show you. Open your Settings app and tap General > About. Next to Model Name, you’ll see which iPhone you have.

We’ll tell you how to find out whether your iPhone will be compatible with iOS 17. If you’d like to try out iOS 17, the public beta is now available. Also, check out our list of best iPhones to discover if there’s a newer model that might work for you.

iPhones that are compatible with iOS 17

If you’ve got one of these iPhones, you’ll have access to iOS 17 when it’s available this year, Apple said.

• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (second generation and later)
• iPhone 14 (including Plus)
• iPhone 14 Pro

What if your iPhone isn’t on the compatibility list?

If your iPhone isn’t listed above, it won’t support iOS 17 and you won’t get a notification to download the newest software. For instance, if you have an iPhone X or older, the latest software you’ll ever be able to use on that phone is iOS 16.

For more about WWDC, check out the new 15-inch MacBook Air and Vision Pro. Also, new features are coming to WatchOS this year.