We’ve had almost a full year with iOS 16, and while Apple is currently preparing the release of iOS 17, the options and settings available to iPhone users with the current mobile operating system are nearly endless.

The biggest new features in iOS 16 were unsending text messages and emails and cutting objects out of your photos, but there are a ton of smaller and lesser-known features you may have never heard about.

Read more: iOS 16.6: You Should Download This iPhone Update Now

I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about the best lesser-known gems in iOS 16, like password-protected photo albums, easily accessible Wi-Fi passwords and more.

And while you’re here, take a look ahead to the next version of iOS and the 2023 Apple Event, with a roundup of the most exciting new features in iOS 17 and how to try out the iOS 17 public beta if you’re feeling adventurous.

View and share saved Wi-Fi passwords

Apple has allowed iOS users to share Wi-Fi passwords for a while now, but only by placing two Apple devices near each other. And if that feature didn’t automatically work, you couldn’t just dig out the password from your settings. Plus if you wanted to share a saved Wi-Fi password with someone else, like an Android user or someone on a computer, you had to remember the password. Until now.

In Settings, go to Wi-Fi and tap the tiny information icon to the right of the network you want the password for. To view the network password, tap the Password section and then use Face ID or enter your passcode to view it. You can then tap Copy to copy the password into your clipboard and share it.

Find and remove duplicate photos and videos

Maybe you’ve saved the same photo multiple times or downloaded a video more than once, resulting in duplicates littering up your photo album. It may not be a problem if you’ve got storage to spare, but you’re running out of space, you can now remove every single duplicate easily with iOS 16.

In Photos > Albums, you should see a new Duplicates album under Utilities. Apple scans through all of your photos and shows you any photo or video you’ve saved more than once in that album. From there, you can either delete any duplicates, or simply press Merge, which will keep the photo with the highest quality (and relevant data) and then move the others to the trash.

Although you’ll probably want to go through each set of duplicates, to ensure that they’re actually exact copies and not similar photos, you can also hit Select > Select All > Merge to remove every single photo and video that Apple thinks is a duplicate, all at once.

Use Siri to hang up a phone call or FaceTime

Siri does a lot of things. You can use the virtual assistant to send a text message, get directions or play music — but one thing she’s never been able to do is hang up a phone call. Weird right? Now that’s finally a possibility with iOS 16.

In Settings, go to Siri & Search and first make sure Listen for “Hey Siri” is toggled on. If it is, you should see a new option underneath — Call Hang Up. Go into that option and toggle on Call Hang Up. When you’re on a phone call or FaceTime video chat, simply say, “Hey, Siri,” and ask her to hang up your current call.

Pair Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons with your iPhone

Apple has long allowed you to pair third-party controllers, like the PS5 Sony DualSense and Xbox Core Controller, to your iPhone and iPad, in order to more comfortably play mobile video games like the Apple Arcade library, Minecraft and Call of Duty. Now you can add another console controller to that list.

If you own a Nintendo Switch, you can now pair your Joy-Con controllers to your iPhone or iPad running iOS 16. To start, hold down the little black pairing button on the Joy-Con, until the green lights start running back and forth. This means the device is in pairing mode. Next, open your iPhone and go to Settings > Bluetooth and select the Joy-Con from the list. Repeat this step with the other Joy-Con.

Password protect Hidden and Recently Deleted albums

The Hidden album in the Photos app is clearly not hidden, seeing as anyone can easily find it. That makes it impractical for adequately hiding private photos and videos. While Apple does have an option to make the Hidden album “invisible,” anyone with access to your phone could make it visible again and view everything inside.

Thanks to iOS 16, you can now lock the Hidden album. You don’t actually need to do anything to toggle this feature on. If you want to check it out, launch the Photos app and go to the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen. If you scroll down, you’ll see a tiny lock next to the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums. To view the contents of those albums, you’ll need to use Face ID or your passcode.

Copy and paste photo and video edits

If you use the editor tool in the Photos app, you’ll be happy to learn that you can now copy and paste edits, including saturation, contrast and brightness, between photos. If you edit one photo or video and are happy with the look, you can paste those same exact edits to any other photo or video in your camera roll.

To do this, launch the Photos app and open a photo that’s been edited in full-screen. Next, tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and then hit Copy Edits. This option will only appear if the photo has been edited within Photos, not any third-party photo editor. Finally, go to the photo you want to copy these edits over to, tap on the three-dot menu and then hit Paste Edits. After a second or so, you should see the photo edits appear.

Send emojis with Siri

Siri has long been able to send long, complicated text messages and emails by dictation, but with iOS 16, for the first time, you’re now able to use your voice to send emojis. As long as you know the name of the emoji, simply say “face with tears of joy emoji” or “red heart emoji” to insert an emoji into your text with Siri.

If you use the keyboard dictation feature in your iPhone’s keyboard, accessible at the bottom right of your keyboard (microphone icon), you can also say the emoji name to insert an emoji anywhere you can type text, like in a note or a caption on Instagram.

Add haptic feedback to keyboard typing

The iPhone has long had haptic feedback. It’s what you feel underneath your fingertips whenever you attempt to delete an app from your home screen or enter the incorrect password on your lock screen. Strangely enough, haptic feedback has never been available for the stock iOS keyboard — until now.

If you want to enable a slight vibration for every single key you type in, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle on Haptic. The sound option you see is the loud and annoying clacking sound you might hear when you type in something and your phone isn’t on silent mode, so you can keep that disabled.

Pin your favorite tabs in Safari

Safari caps your open tabs at 500, and if you’re nearing that limit, it might be pretty darn hard to find the exact tab you’re looking for. You could scroll endlessly, but there’s now an easier way to find the exact tab you’re looking for.

In Safari, if you press down on an open tab, you now have the option to hit Pin Tab. This will move that tab to the top of Safari, where it will exist as a tiny tab preview, permanently pinned there, which you can then tap to view. If you press down and unpin a tab, it will move to first in your grid of open tabs.

Extend the time you get to cancel an email

It’s easy to accidentally send an email, especially when you’re multitasking or responding to multiple threads at once. But there’s good news: Apple added a feature in iOS 16 that gives you 10 seconds to unsend an email. However, for some, that may not be enough time, which is why you can extend the delay.

In Settings, go into Mail and scroll down until you find Undo Send Delay. By default, the 10 Seconds option will be selected, but you can choose 20 Seconds and 30 Seconds as well.

Use Face ID while you’re lying down

If you’ve ever tried to unlock your iPhone while it’s vertical, like when you’re lying on your side, you might have noticed that it doesn’t work. You have to place your iPhone in portrait orientation, or upright, for Face ID to work. With iOS 16, you can finally use Face ID to unlock your iPhone when it’s in landscape orientation. However, for this to work, you must have an iPhone 13 or 14 running iOS 16.

Allow notifications when you share your screen

As a privacy protection measure, Apple automatically disables notifications when you share your screen, whether it’s via SharePlay or Screen Mirroring. However, if others seeing your notifications isn’t an issue, you can now allow notifications on iOS 16. In the Settings application, go to Notifications > Screen Sharing and toggle on Allow Notifications.

Copy screenshots to your clipboard without saving them

You don’t need to save a screenshot to your photo album to share it with someone else. A new iOS 16 feature allows you to take a screenshot, copy it to your clipboard, delete it from your phone and paste it where you see fit. After you take a screenshot, tap the screenshot preview that appears, hit Done on the top-right and then tap Copy and Delete to copy the screenshot to your clipboard.

Remove more preinstalled Apple apps

Since iOS 10, you’ve been able to remove some preinstalled iOS applications like Stocks, Maps and Calculator — but not all of them. With the release of iOS 16, you can add three more apps to this list of ones you can remove: Find My, Clock and Health. However, deleting these apps can negatively affect and break support with other apps and connected devices, like your Apple Watch.

Make Siri listen to you longer

If you ever find yourself getting cut off by Siri, there’s now a way to force the voice assistant to listen to you longer so that she can catch everything you say. The feature isn’t in an obvious place though — in the Settings app, go to Accessibility > Siri, then choose either Longer or Longest. Play around with the two options to see which works best for you.

For more on iOS 16 and the iPhone, check out our iOS 16 cheat sheet and the 22 iOS 16 settings you should change right now.

We’ve reviewed every Google phone, from the original Nexus line to all of today’s Pixels, so we know what makes a phone truly worthy of your hard-earned money. Google’s Pixels have always been top performers, with specs rivaling those of other flagship phones like the iPhone 14 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Pixel 7 Pro sits at the top of the pile, with the best performance, a slick design and a triple camera system that takes some of the best images you can get from a phone. And it does it at a price that undercuts its rivals by a healthy measure.

But if you’re shopping on a smaller budget, the most recent Pixel 7A still offers a stellar all-round experience, with powerful cameras, a smooth and enjoyable interface and a price that won’t leave quite as big a dent in your bank balance. Then there’s the Pixel Fold. It’s the most expensive of all Google’s phones, but it has a folding display that opens up into a large 7.6-inch screen that’s great for watching YouTube videos or playing games.

The range has grown, and with older models still on sale it can be a bit confusing to work out which one’s best for you. We’ve pulled together the top Pixels currently on sale to help you decide.

Read more: Best phone to buy in 2023

However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are set to launch in early October, so it may be worth waiting a while if you’re specifically looking for a Pixel phone.

What is the best Google Pixel phone right now?

The Pixel 7 Pro remains at the top of Google’s phone lineup, packing the latest Tensor G2 processor and a superb triple camera system into a great-looking body. It’s not the cheapest Google phone, but if you want the best the company has to offer (and you don’t want to splash the cash on its foldable), then the 7 Pro is the one to go for right now.

How we test phones

Every phone on this list has been thoroughly tested by CNET’s expert reviews team. We actually use the phone, test the features, play games and take photos. We assess any marketing promises that a company makes about its phones. And if we find something we don’t like, be it battery life or build quality, we tell you all about it.

We examine every aspect of a phone during testing:

• Display
• Design and feel
• Processor performance
• Battery life
• Camera quality
• Features

We test all of a phone’s cameras (both front and back) in a variety of conditions: from outdoors under sunlight to dimmer indoor locales and night time scenes (for any available night modes). We also compare our findings against similarly priced models. We have a series of real world battery tests to see how long a phone lasts under everyday use.

We take into account additional phone features like 5G, fingerprint and face readers, styluses, fast charging, foldable displays and other useful extras. And we, of course, weigh all of our experiences and testing against the price so you know whether a phone represents good value or not.

Read more: How we test phones

How to choose a Pixel phone

Deciding which Pixel phone is best for you will likely come down to how much you’re willing to spend. As with anything, the more cash you splash, the better features you’ll get. The Pixel 7 Pro is the most expensive of the range (excluding the foldable) and as a result it comes with the best camera system.

But if photography isn’t important to you, then you can save yourself some money and look instead toward the Pixel 7A. It has the same processor as the 7 Pro, so you can expect similar overall performance, but its dual rear camera is aimed more toward those of you simply wanting to take the odd snap of your kid on the beach, rather than those looking for Instagram stardom.

If you want the most cutting-edge piece of tech in your pocket then the Pixel Fold’s foldable display certainly makes it stand out in the range. But you’ll pay a hefty price for this brand-new technology meaning it’s not a phone for everyone to consider.

Pixel phone FAQs

If the rumors are right, the iPhone 15 Pro will get a periscope camera. That’s probably only exciting if you know what one is. If you don’t, we’re here to explain it for you.

In short, a periscope camera uses clever engineering to pack a bulky telephoto lens into a compact smartphone body so you can take photos of distant subjects like mountains or musicians.

Apple didn’t comment for this story, but a periscope camera is a no-brainer. Cameras are the most important feature in most phones, as evidenced by the amount of time manufacturers devote to detailing the new abilities during each launch event and the profusion of lenses sprouting from the backs of new models. Taking photos and videos is one of the most personally important uses of our phones.

We’ll find out Sept. 12 at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event what the company has built into the new iPhone 15 line.

Here’s a look at periscope cameras and why they’re a good fit for the iPhone 15 Pro.

Why would Apple add a periscope camera to the iPhone 15 Pro?

The main reason is to provide iPhone customers with better photography options. The secondary reason is to catch up to the competition.

For iPhone photography, a 5x or 6x optical zoom would be good for lots of situations. Telephoto cameras are useful for photographing people who are a bit farther away, like kids at a playground or Taylor Swift away on a stage. Nature and landscape photography also benefits from better telephoto reach.

The iPhone 14 Pro camera suite comes with a 3x zoom telephoto, the equivalent of a 72mm lens on a DSLR camera. That’s useful, but it falls well short of the 5x camera on Google’s Pixel 7 Pro or the 3x and 10x cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The iPhone is competitive (and taking market share away from Android rivals), but its telephoto photography is a competitive weak point.

How does a periscope camera work?

The basic problem with telephoto cameras is that they require physically longer lens assemblies. There’s no easy way around these limits of optics, physics and engineering.

Periscope cameras, also called folded cameras, work by building much of this length sideways inside the phone body. The outside lens looks like that of a regular phone camera, but behind it is a prism or mirror that bounces light 90 degrees. A 2016 Apple patent for a “folded telephoto camera lens system” shows both options.

Prisms are angled transparent blocks of glass or plastic that’ve been used for decades in optical equipment, for example binoculars or the viewfinders of SLR cameras. High-quality prisms don’t degrade image quality much.

Today’s periscope cameras offer 5x zoom, the equivalent of about a 120mm focal length on a traditional camera. But by using just the central pixels on a high-resolution image sensor, Google’s Pixel 7 Pro also can shoot at 10x zoom, about 240mm, without any digital magnification trickery.

How do periscope cameras compare to traditional cameras?

A periscope camera gives you better zoom, but don’t expect to match what serious photographers can do with a traditional camera and modest telephoto lens, much less a $13,000, 7-pound supertelephoto lens that’s hard to fit in your backpack. In my use, I’ve found the Pixel 7 Pro’s 5x and 10x modes useful for identifying birds, for example, but not for producing particularly good photos of them.

The reason for the limit: Periscope cameras still have relatively small image sensors that struggle with lower light. Bigger sensors offer higher image quality, but they cost more, and the bigger the sensor, the bigger and more expensive the accompanying lens assembly.

One problem with periscope cameras is that they can displace useful medium-telephoto cameras. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra solves this problem by including an entire 3x conventional camera along with the 10x periscope. Higher-resolution image sensors like those in the Pixel 7 and iPhone 14 Pro offer 2x modes that compensate. More unusually, Sony’s Xperia 1 V phone has a true zoom reaching continuously from 3.5x to 5.2x zoom.

If the rumor of a larger main camera sensor in the iPhone 15 Pro is true, that could help facilitate other zoom options for Apple, too. Year by year, flagship smartphones come closer to the traditional cameras’ zoom flexibility.

In a dusty basement, in front of about 100 amused onlookers, sex robot Vanessa 5000 shows off her sexy dance and her preprogrammed personalities for particular tastes. Like all technology, she sometimes needs a reboot, like when she gets stuck gyrating on the floor. A gentle spanking from an audience member in the front row does the trick.

That performance was a highlight of the third consecutive Edinburgh Fringe event I attended where a robot took center stage. But unlike the earlier robots, Vanessa 5000 wasn’t actually made from chips and wires – in spite of what the charging cable hanging down from the back of her neck would’ve had you believe.

Vanessa 5000 was in fact LA-based comedian and clown Courtney Pauroso, who spent the entirety of August waving her not-so-synthetic bare butt cheeks before audiences at the world’s largest arts festival. A skilled physical theater performer, Pauroso was one of multiple artists who brought shows about artificial intelligence to the Edinburgh Fringe festival this year.

The timing was apt, as workers in the entertainment industry across the US strike to protect their livelihoods, in part from the perceived threat that generative AI – think ChatGPT – will steal their jobs. Broadly speaking, AI describes the ability of machines to do things that usually require human intelligence. Generative AI’s spin is that it uses the massive amounts of data at its disposal to generate new material, such as pictures, text, video and, in the case of the arts, scripts.

The rise of generative AI has been one of the most important recent technology breakthroughs, and it isn’t just people in Hollywood who are alarmed. Many are worried about the potential for massive disruptions across fields including law, journalism and education. But there are also those who see an opportunity to use gen AI for innovations in creativity and artistry.

The monthlong Edinburgh Fringe festival, which first took place in 1947, has a storied history of holding up a mirror to society, reflecting back its greatest fears and biggest questions – albeit softened by wisecracks and punchlines. It serves as a forum for musing over the big issues that have defined the previous year’s news cycle, and it provides space for artists and their audiences to work through their feelings about what’s happening in the wider world.

Sometimes the shows look the big issues directly in the eye (see 2017, the year in which Donald Trump was lampooned in endless parodies). But sometimes they do their thing with an averted gaze, as last year when audiences flocked back post-pandemic to celebrate their freedom, and shows tended to touch on the COVID-19 lockdowns lightly rather than making them the main focus.

This year in Edinburgh, performances spanning theater, standup comedy, dance and even clowning explored the nuances of AI. Robots took to the stage, while comics outsourced the writing of new material to algorithms. Audiences likely brought a much greater awareness of AI, given the recent surge of publicly available tools, from ChatGPT to Google Bard to Midjourney.

Around 20% of the 40 or so shows I saw at this year’s festival were either about AI, included references to it or were in some way co-created by it. I wasn’t so much interested in whether the shows could be considered good art (they were a mixed bag in that regard). I was more interested in what I, as a seasoned technology journalist who keeps up with all the latest on AI, could learn about technology inside the dark, hushed space of a theater.

When AI tries its hand at improv and standup comedy

My very first brush with AI at this year’s Fringe came in the form of Alex (or more formally A.L.Ex, for Artificial Language Experiment), a humanoid robot less than 2 feet tall, with red eyes and a tendency to vibrate awkwardly.

Alex was the face of the show Artificial Intelligence Improvisation, by Improbotics (also known as computer scientists Piotr Mirowski and Kory Mathewson). The show’s premise was to get human improv performers to collaborate with Alex to create sketches. Sometimes they conversed directly with Alex, other times Alex fed lines to them through earpieces, based on what other performers were saying.

The Improbotics troupe has been performing since 2016, with its shows getting smarter and slicker in line with technology – the major jumps being the development of GPT-2 and GPT-3 (large language models created by OpenAI, and the precursors to the tech used to build ChatGPT). In spite of those jumps, the show I saw often took the improv in wayward directions, which were extremely funny to watch as the human performers reacted.

It was a classic example of the way comedy shows succeed in spite of, not because of, the presence of AI. On the whole, I witnessed audiences laughing at AI rather than with it, or because of anything especially funny or clever it managed to do.

Whether AI can have a sense of humor was the question at the heart of Colleen Lavin’s standup hour Do The Robots Think I’m Funny? Lavin shared the stage with Murderbot, a robot of her own creation, which judged her based on the laughter she provoked and heckled her if it believed she wasn’t performing at her best. At the end, Lavin invited us to decide whether we cared how Murderbot judged her – and the answer was a resounding “no.”

See also: AI Glossary: Basic Terms All ChatGPT Users Should Know

Murderbot was a metal body framing a tablet that bore the expression of an unimpressed drone, giving a face to Lavin’s laptop, which sat behind the bot and did the heavy lifting. It was a compelling prop, but not as compelling as Lavin and her exploration of her recent hyperfixation with ChatGPT. Even after writing and performing a standup show about AI, she confessed she still doesn’t know how to feel about the technology. She mused over whether the term “AI” will drift into irrelevance as the tech becomes ubiquitous, and she reminded us that not all technology ends up being used by people as its inventors originally intended.

Her show itself was a case in point. Who could’ve guessed AI would be used as a way to outsource the heckling of comedians? Likewise, improv comedy might not seem like an obvious use case to many – though it was to Mirowski. He said he saw clear parallels between statistical language generation and improv, which made combining them feel like a no-brainer. And he’s not the first to view the theater as a venue for experimenting with technology: A 1920 science fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek, called R.U.R., is widely credited with introducing the word “robot” into the English language.

According to Mirowski, there’s a difference between previous Improbotics audiences and those who came to view his work in August. In the past, the lack of expectations and the general skepticism that AI would work at all meant audiences were more likely to cheer on Alex the robot. More recently, many audience members have played with generative AI tools at home, and so they have a better idea of what the tools can do. Plus, he said, they’re more likely to be worried about the threat to their jobs.

In an interview, Mirowski told me he’s been pondering a big ethical question throughout the Fringe festival: how to emphasize to audiences that using AI in the creative process still requires direction from skilled performance artists. “How do we convey the message these tools should be used to create a first draft but not to create a final product?” he asked.

After all, ChatGPT and its ilk, for all their seeming authority, are known for providing wrong, incomplete or “hallucinated” answers. “We’re cognizant of the fact that there can be an impoverishment of our cultural capital if we just start over-relying on these tools instead of finding new ideas,” said Mirowski.

Missing the human connection

To recall what a physical experience it is to be human – an experience no artificial intelligence can truly understand or replicate – there’s nothing quite like attending an Edinburgh Fringe show.

First, there are all the sensations of being squashed into a tiny, overheated, dank venue in one of the vaults under Edinburgh’s South Bridge or in a sweltering Old Town attic. You find yourself pressed uncomfortably up against strangers, while making eye contact with a performer who’s sweating from every pore.

Then there’s the sheer physicality of some of the performances – the skill, strength and beauty of which stand in stark contrast to artificial intelligence as a theme.

In Beyond Boundaries, a showcase of Scottish dance, performer Max Evans embodied what it would be like to have a romantic, sexual relationship with a chatbot. As he propelled himself around the stage, he gave shape to physical frustration and desire, and to pleasure that seemed to ultimately leave him emotionally unfulfilled, in spite of everything his imagined AI companion was able to simulate.

Love in the age of AI was also explored in Distant Memories of the Near Future, a mixture of theater and storytelling from the performer David Head. Head used overlapping narratives about space miners and tech moguls to create a darkly funny show that looked at what humans are left with once AI has “solved” all our problems, romance included.

Like Evans, he imagined a scenario in which an AI was able to study every aspect of a person in order to deliver them everything they wanted and needed in a partner. This too led to a doomed match, one of several bleak outcomes of living in a world where the value in being human rests on us having data to sell to our robot overlords.

Even though he outsourced part of the storytelling to an AI assistant, Head’s warmth, empathy and sense of humor provided a welcome contrast to the dystopian vision he described. His performance – as with all those I saw across the Fringe, no matter how good or bad they were – was a reminder that the power of humanity lies in connection.

That was the emphasis as well in Ctrl, a meta-theatrical performance piece imagining a future in which AI must train people to retain their humanity and creativity. A group of young people is forced to write and perform a play together with scant technological resources. Made all the more poignant by the fact that it was performed by teenagers, the show’s ultimate message seemed to be that we can’t create in a vacuum with AI as our sole collaborator. To make something meaningful, we’ll always need one another more than we need technology.

AI at home in the theater

I went into the Edinburgh Fringe festival this year wondering if shows about AI could make use of the technology in novel ways that would impress me or give me a different perspective on the technology.

The short answer: AI has a long way to go before it can keep pace with human performers in delighting and amusing audiences. But I did appreciate the space it provided me to try to work through my own feelings.

I learned that our questions concerning AI are often about what makes us human, what we value, and how to continue prioritizing those values – even as technology becomes more powerful. I learned that our fears around AI are as much about the intentions and priorities of those shaping the technology and dictating how it should be used as they are about the technology itself.

I also learned that performances are key to letting people explore their emotions about technology, rather than simply demanding they look at tech through the lens of news coverage, company spin, and the viewpoints of politicians or other individuals with vested interests. The debates around AI can often be technical, political and complex. But in the theater, they can be made accessible to people regardless of preexisting knowledge or experience with the technology – even if that simply leads to raucous laughter at a clown pretending to be a sex robot.

Toward the end of Courtney Pauroso’s set, we saw Vanessa 5000 receive an over-the-air update and become Vanessa 6000, acquiring more-complex emotions and a deeper understanding of how women are treated in the world. Then, as if with sentient self-awareness, she broke into a melancholy rendition of Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees.

“She looks like the real thing/She tastes like the real thing/My fake plastic love,” she crooned.

Just like Vanessa 5000, AI and its potential for being a collaborative creative tool will continue to level up. “My hope for the next Fringe: The artists will have figured out some funny ways in which they can use those tools and essentially be empowered by them,” said Mirowski.

How we, as mere mortals, skewer AI, examine it, admire it and laugh at it will continue to evolve, too – and that’s important. For how can AI ever be expected to learn what we find truly funny unless we do?

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

Apple’s “Wonderlust” event is set for Sept. 12, and the company’s invitation could be our first “official” clue hinting at the rumored iPhone 15. We’ve been collecting rumors about the phone for months, but Apple sometimes drops an early hint about its September event into the invite. This doesn’t always mean there are true connections between what’s said and shown in the invitation and what actually emerges at the show, but the invite creates a jumping off point for discussing what we think Apple might spotlight.

Examining Apple’s ‘Wonderlust’ invite

Let’s start by thinking about the name: Wonderlust. With this tweak of “wanderlust,” Apple appears to be invoking a travel theme. And it’s no stretch to say phones are essential travel companions: We use them for photography, GPS, looking up where we want to eat — there are endless possible features that could be developed with just travel in mind.

Moving onto the invitation’s design, we get a disintegrating graphic that shows a blue-and-sand-colored Apple logo being blown apart by an invisible force — perhaps the wind? Or perhaps the pieces of the Apple logo are being pulled together via a magnetic attraction? Either way, an atmospheric element might be what we could extrapolate from this design choice, and phones by their very nature are wireless devices that create constant connections through the atmosphere.

(It’s also true that blue and gray have been iPhone colors in the past, and maybe this logo’s colors provide an early look at what a few of the iPhone 15 models might look like.)

I should reiterate that these thoughts are speculation, but they’re enough to warrant a closer look at how Apple could improve the iPhone 15. The following things all tie into the themes of travel and atmosphere, but they’re also areas in which Apple could demonstrate improvement where rival phones have already staked out territory, or they’re realms closely related to iOS 17 features we already learned about at Apple’s WWDC event.

Even more satellite communication

Tying into both travel and the atmosphere, Apple could make new announcements related to the satellite connectivity features first launched with the iPhone 14 line. Right now Apple’s efforts are focused on its Emergency SOS feature, which lets people with a clear view of the sky use the iPhone to text emergency services where cellular service isn’t available. The iPhone 14 line comes with two years of free emergency satellite service.

Though Apple kicked off bringing satellite service to phones, it won’t be alone for long. Qualcomm, Samsung and other companies have announced plans to bring their own spin to satellite connectivity, including voicing their intention to allow for nonemergency communication over those airwaves.

On this year’s stage, Apple could announce new improvements to its satellite connectivity features, perhaps allowing for an iMessage service while in the wilderness, or limited voice calls.

Faster wireless charging and more MagSafe

Apple’s MagSafe made a splash when it debuted alongside the iPhone 12 in 2020, very literally snapping separate objects together for enhanced wireless charging and stackable accessories. The particle effect in our Apple event invitation — whether it means the logo is being pulled together or apart — could indicate MagSafe as well as the wireless charging feature that MagSafe supports.

And if so, it’s about time. Apple has room to improve the iPhone’s wireless charging speeds, especially when compared with those of rival flagship Android phones. Currently, Apple supports 7.5-watt wireless charging speeds with a regular Qi wireless charger, and 15W speeds with an officially certified MagSafe charger. Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel 7 can wirelessly charge at 12W on a Qi charger with an extended power profile, and that bumps up to 20W when using Google’s Pixel Stand that has a built-in fan. Previous OnePlus phones can get 15W charging from Qi wireless chargers with an extended power profile, and a ludicrously fast 50W on their official stand, thanks to the use of a split battery. All this leaves a lot of room for growth for Apple, and matching Google’s speeds, at least, would be a solid step in making wireless charging more useful on the iPhone.

A new Qi2 wireless charging standard is in the works though, and Apple is a member of the Wireless Power Consortium that’s developing it. Whenever that standard is ready, that might lead to faster wireless charging speeds on future iPhone models.

Regardless of charging, there’s likely even more room to grow MagSafe into a modular accessory platform. Maybe Apple could create a MagSafe dock that instantly starts an AirPlay session with a TV. Or create an attachable projector like Motorola once tried with the Moto Z phone line. How about a portable HomePod speaker that snaps right onto your phone, similar to a number of magnetic speakers that already exist on Amazon? There’s still a lot of untapped potential for MagSafe.

NameDrop and new ways to share in person

Another atmospheric idea starts with an iOS 17 feature we already know: NameDrop. This feature lets you quickly share contact information with someone in person by bringing two iPhones together. But Apple could do so much more with local wireless sharing.

For instance, Apple already allows for sharing iPhone audio between two different sets of AirPods. What if this wireless sharing expanded SharePlay, allowing for simultaneously playing music and video across multiple phones at once — without being on a FaceTime call.

This could be instantly useful if you wanted to share a YouTube video with a friend without having to hand over your phone. Or if you wanted to create a quick surround-sound system by syncing five iPhones together to play music during a dinner party, since your phones are probably sitting on the table anyway.

These all could be natural extensions of other features we already know are on the way. For instance, FaceTime on Apple TV will use its own wireless magic to connect an iPhone’s camera and microphone for video calls. Why not think even bigger and let multiple iPhones share even more media, just by being right next to each other?

Using your camera to scan even more places

Returning to travel, Apple’s Visual Look Up is already capable of identifying landmarks, plants and pets, but you need to move over to the Photos app to take advantage of those features. Perhaps the next iPhone and iOS 17 could speed this, and let you start scanning these items directly from the camera app.

This would bring Visual Look Up into better parity with Google Lens, which quickly identifies items for you without the need to save them into your camera roll. Maybe you could scan a restaurant while you were standing in front of it, and then get its menu. Or scan a friend’s shirt, and then find it on sale to get it yourself. These scenarios are already possible with Google Lens, making this a very noticeable way for Apple to bring more features into its camera app.

Expanding safety features

When you travel in a vehicle, Apple’s new Crash Detection features could provide an essential lifeline in the event of an accident. As it stands, the feature can automatically contact emergency services should a supported iPhone or Apple Watch detect such an event. But perhaps Apple could augment this further by taking advantage of other sensors within the iPhone or a paired up Apple Watch to activate a heart rate sensor at the same time to provide a quick health check to the wearer.

Or maybe Apple could expand its Crash Detection feature so it shares your physical location with your emergency contacts. This could be similar to Apple’s new Check-In feature, which will proactively send alerts when friends or family make it home safely. And maybe it’s already worthwhile to expand this feature for emergency situations, like being unexpectedly taken to the hospital.

Other iPhone 15 rumors we’re watching

Though we don’t have any solid evidence that the above ideas are coming to the iPhone 15, these are all areas where Apple could improve.

The iPhone 15 rumor mill is a busy one though, and even without an invitation to pore over, we’re monitoring the possibility of a USB-C port arriving to replace Lightning, seeing if the new Dynamic Island will expand to every iPhone model after its debut on the iPhone 14 Pro, and wondering whether the iPhone 15 Pro will move toward solid-state volume and power buttons.

Whatever’s ultimately on the way to Apple’s iPhone 15, we’ll likely find out for sure when Apple’s event begins on Sept. 12.

Liverpool will face a tough challenge in maintaining their unbeaten run of 14 Premier League matches on Sunday, as they host an Aston Villa side that looks capable of competing for a top-four spot this season.

Despite failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their three opening matches, the Reds have nevertheless made a solid start to the season, with last weekend’s 10-man comeback triumph away against Newcastle likely to have raised morale at Anfield. That win came at a cost, however, with Virgil van Dijk’s dismissal leaving the Dutch defender suspended for this game.

Villa have been equally leaky at the back, with newly promoted Luton the only side to have conceded more goals so far this term. Unai Emery’s team are nevertheless compensating well for their defensive vulnerabilities with some impressively rapid and clinical attacking play, which has seen them notch up eight goals from their first three games of the campaign.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch all of the action live wherever you are in the world.

Liverpool vs. Aston Villa: When and where?

Liverpool host Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. ET, 6 p.m PT, 11 p.m. AEST).

How to watch the Liverpool vs. Aston Villa game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — 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. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, 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.

Livestream the Liverpool vs. Aston Villa game in the US

Sunday’s Liverpool-Villa match is on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the Liverpool vs. Aston Villa game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). The Liverpool-Villa game is exclusive to Sky Sports — showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.

Livestream the Liverpool vs. Aston Villa game in Canada

If you want to stream Liverpool vs. Aston Villa live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to FuboTV Canada. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Liverpool vs. Aston Villa game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches 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.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his ninth consecutive race last week, tying Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 record. He can make history this week by winning the Italian Grand Prix. Verstappen’s Red Bull team has yet to lose a race in 2023, with Vestappen in first place in the Driver’s Championship and teammate Sergio “Checo” Perez in second. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso sits in third place, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is in fourth.

The Italian Grand Prix will take place today at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy, at 8:55 a.m. EST (5:55 a.m. PST) on ESPN and ESPN Plus.

The entire race weekend, including practice sessions and qualifying, will be shown in the US on ESPN’s family of TV networks. Those looking to follow all the drama will need access to ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNews to catch every second of the action.

No single provider has exclusive rights to the network, so there are plenty of ways to get ESPN and watch the races without cable. We’ve broken down everything you need to know to stream today’s race, and all the other F1 races this season.

When, where and what time are the races?

Races are held on Sunday and are usually spaced two weeks apart. Here’s the entire schedule, all times ET.

F1 2023 schedule

Date	Race	Time
March 5	Bahrain GP	10 a.m. ET
March 19	Saudi Arabian GP	1 p.m. ET
April 2	Australian GP	1 a.m. ET
April 30	Azerbaijan GP	7 a.m. ET
May 7	Miami GP	3:30 p.m. ET
May 21	Romagna GP	9 a.m. ET
May 28	Monaco GP	9 a.m. ET
June 4	Spanish GP	9 a.m. ET
June 18	Canadian GP	2 p.m. ET
July 2	Austrian GP	9 a.m. ET
July 9	British GP	10 a.m. ET
July 23	Hungarian GP	9 a.m. ET
July 30	Belgian GP	9 a.m. ET
Aug. 27	Dutch GP	9 a.m. ET
Sept. 3	Italian GP	9 a.m. ET
Sept. 17	Singapore GP	8 a.m. ET
Sept. 24	Japanese GP	1 a.m. ET
Oct. 8	Qatar GP	1 p.m. ET
Oct. 22	United States GP	3 p.m. ET
Oct. 29	Mexican GP	4 p.m. ET
Nov. 5	Brazil GP	12 p.m. ET
Nov. 19	Las Vegas GP	1 a.m. ET
Nov. 26	Abu Dhabi GP	8 a.m ET

How to watch F1 online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the race locally, you may need a different way to watch the race — 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 race 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 sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, 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.

Livestream F1 racing in the UK

F1 in the UK is shown on Sky Sports and Channel 4 — Sky Sports airs the races, while Channel 4 gets practice rounds and qualifying. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its app, but cord-cutters will need to get the Sky Entertainment and Netflix package starting at 26 per month, plus an additional 20 per month to include Sky Sports.

Best options for streaming in the US without cable

Race weekends normally start on Friday with multiple practice runs and continue on Saturday with qualifying. The races themselves take place Sunday. ESPN typically airs practices and qualifying on a mix of ESPN 2 and ESPNews, while the races tend to air on ESPN. F1 events in North America often land on ABC.

Here are some of the best ways to catch the entire race weekend without cable.

iOS 17 — the new version of Apple’s operating system for the iPhone — will likely arrive in a few weeks, shortly after the big Apple Event on Sept. 12. The iOS update will introduce new features like StandBy mode, the Journal app and major changes for Messages.

However, some users of older iPhones are getting left behind and won’t get to experience the new features in iOS 17. That could be you if you’ve got an iPhone from 2017 or before.

Read more: iOS 17: Delightful Features and Intuitive Improvements

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 the new operating system, the iOS 17 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 iOS 17 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 the Apple Event and new iPhone 15, learn what the Apple invite might tell us about what’s coming, or check out our wish list for the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

The date is set for Apple’s “Wonderlust” Event — Sept. 12. We’re likely to see the announcement of the new iPhone 15 series, the new Apple Watch 9 and the new version of the iPhone’s operating system, iOS 17, which is expected to be released a few days after the event.

You don’t have to wait to try out iOS 17, however. Apple has made a public beta version of the software available to any iPhone users who’d like to install it.

As long as you’re enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program, which is free, you can check out upcoming iPhone features like improved autocorrect, interactive widgets, using your photos to create Live Stickers and sharing your contact information via AirDrop.

The iOS 17 developer beta is currently on its eighth iteration. The public beta is a more refined and stable version of the developer beta, though you may still deal with software bugs, features that don’t fully work or other problems.

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

Not all iPhone models will work with iOS 17, so you’ll first need to check whether your iPhone is compatible — the iPhone XS and later should work with iOS 17. You can also check out our list of our best iPhones for 2023, in case you’re looking to upgrade to a newer model.

If you’re interested in testing the iOS 17 public beta, here’s everything you need to know to install the experimental software on your iPhone.

How to download the iOS 17 public beta on your iPhone

First, before you download anything, make sure to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS 16, and then back up your iPhone either to the cloud or computer.

Backing up your device is incredibly important if you decide you no longer want iOS 17 and want to go back to iOS 16. Without a backup, you could potentially lose important data when you revert. Alternatively, if you have a spare iPhone, consider running the public beta on that instead of your primary phone.

Now that you’re ready, you can proceed.

On your supported iPhone, go to the Apple Beta Software Program website and either sign in (if you’re already a member) or sign up. You’ll need an Apple ID to do either. If you’re signing up, follow all the prompts.

On the Guide for Public Beta page, you’ll get more information about the iOS 17 public beta. Under Get Started, tap the blue enroll your iOS device link. On the next page, scroll down to the second section and depending on what software update you currently have, you have two options:

• If you’re running iOS 16.4 or later, all you need to do is go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the iOS 17 public beta to install.
• If you’re on iOS 16.3 or earlier, you must download a configuration profile (tap on the blue Download profile button), go to Settings, tap the profile, and follow the instructions.

Finally, go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the iOS 17 public beta. Once your phone reboots, you’ll have access to iOS 17.

For more, check out our iPhone 14 review and everything you need to know about the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

In our constantly connected world, losing a cell phone signal doesn’t just mean you can’t check Twitter and Instagram — it could be a matter of life and death. Regardless of what type of phone you use or which cellular service provider, you’re bound to run into service disruptions, bad weather or remote areas that can weaken your phone signal.

That’s not good if you need to get directions in the middle of nowhere or make a call from your dead-zone apartment, but there are several tips and tricks you can use to improve your cell phone signal.

The tried-and-true approach of turning on Airplane mode, waiting a few seconds, and then cycling it off can definitely help with reception. When that doesn’t work, however, you need to take more drastic steps, like removing your SIM card or resetting your network settings.

Before you dive into your phone’s settings, take a few minutes to perform some basic troubleshooting steps that could get your phone working at peak performance.

Note: Although software across different iPhone models is relatively the same, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android devices may have different software versions, and so certain settings and where they are located might differ from device to device.

To improve your cell phone service, try these steps first

The settings on your phone can help you get better cell service, but there are other tricks for improving your reception without even touching your phone’s software.

• Move yourself so that there are no obstructions between your phone and any cell towers outside. That might involve stepping away from metal objects or concrete walls, which both kill reception. Instead, get to a window or go outside if possible.
• Remove your phone case. It doesn’t hurt to remove whatever case you have on your phone, especially if it’s thick, so that the phone’s antenna isn’t blocked by anything and can get a better signal.
• Make sure your phone is charged. Searching for and connecting to a stronger signal drains power, so if your phone battery is already low on charge, you may have a difficult time getting good service.

Always start by turning Airplane mode on and off

Turning your phone’s connection off and then back on is the quickest and easiest way to try and fix your signal woes. If you’re moving around from one location to another, toggling Airplane mode restarts the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular network modems, which forces them to find the best signal in the area.

Android: Swipe down from the top of your screen — to access the Quick Settings panel — and then tap the Airplane mode icon. Wait for your phone to completely disconnect from its Wi-Fi and cellular connections. It doesn’t happen instantly, so give it a good 15 seconds before you tap on the Airplane mode icon again.

iPhone: On the iPhone, you can access Airplane mode from the Control Center, but that varies depending on which iPhone model you have. On the iPhone X and later, swipe down from the top-right corner to access the Control Center. On older iPhone models, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Then tap the Airplane mode icon, which will turn orange when it’s enabled. Again, wait up to 15 seconds before turning it off.

If airplane mode doesn’t work, restart your phone

Our phones are miniature computers, and just like computers, sometimes you can fix issues like network connection by simply restarting them.

Android: Hold down the power button, or the power button and the volume down key (depending on your Android phone), until the on-screen menu shows up, and then tap Restart. If your phone doesn’t offer a restart option, you can simply tap Power Off to shut down your device, and then boot it back up with the power button.

iPhone: On the iPhone X and older models, hold down the sleep/wake button and either one of the volume buttons and then swipe right on the power slider to turn off the device. Wait until it fully turns off, then press down on the sleep/wake button to turn it back on.

Alternatively, you can do a force reset on your iPhone: Press the volume up button, followed by the volume down button and then press and hold the side button. Keep holding it in, after your phone’s screen goes black and until you see the Apple logo appear again.

If your iPhone has a home button, hold down the sleep/wake button until the power slider is displayed and then drag the slider to the right. Once the device is turned off, press and hold the sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo.

Take your SIM card out of your phone

Another troubleshooting step that might help is to remove your SIM card and then place it back in your phone with the phone turned on. If the SIM card is dirty, clean it. If it has any physical defects, you may need to replace it.

You’ll need a SIM card tool — usually included in your phone’s box — or an unfolded paper clip or sewing needle to get the SIM tray out of your phone.

All phones: Remove the SIM card, check to see if it’s damaged and positioned in the SIM tray correctly, then put it back in your phone.

eSIM: For phones with an eSIM — that is, an embedded electronic SIM in your phone — there’s nothing for you to remove. The best you can do is restart your phone.

Check your carrier settings (and update your software)

Mobile carriers frequently send out carrier settings updates to help improve connectivity for calls, data and messages on their network. Although this feature is available on all iPhone models, it’s not universal on Android, so you might not find carrier settings if you don’t have a supported phone.

iPhone: Carrier updates should just appear, and you can update from the pop-up message that appears. To force your iPhone to check for a carrier settings update, go to Settings > General > About on your phone. If an update is available, you’ll be prompted to install it.

Android: As mentioned before, not all Android phones have carrier settings, so you’ll have to open the Settings app and type in “carrier settings” to find any possible updates. On supported Pixels, go to Settings > Network & internet > Internet, tap the gear next to your carrier name and then tap Carrier settings versions.

Reset your phone’s network settings

Sometimes all you need is a clean slate to fix an annoying connectivity issue. Refreshing your phone’s network settings is one way to do that. But be forewarned, resetting your network settings will also reset any saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN connections and custom APN settings for those on carriers that require additional setup.

Android: In the Settings app, search for “reset” or more specifically “reset network settings” and tap on the setting. On the Pixel 6 Pro running Android 13, the setting is called Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. After you reset your network settings, remember to reconnect your phone to your home and work Wi-Fi networks.

iPhone: Go to Settings > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network settings. The next page will warn you that resetting your network settings will reset your settings for Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth. Tap Reset Network Settings and your phone will restart.

Contact your phone carrier

Sometimes unexpected signal issues can be traced back to problems with your wireless carrier. A cell tower could be down, or the tower’s fiber optic cable could have been cut, causing an outage.

For consistent problems connecting to or staying connected to a cellular or data network, it’s possible your carrier’s coverage doesn’t extend well into your neighborhood. To help, some carriers will offer a network extender — a device that acts as a small wireless tower that relies on your internet connection, such as AT&T’s MicroCell or T-Mobile’s Personal CellSpot.

Other times, a newfound signal issue can be due to a defect with your phone or a SIM card that’s gone bad. Contacting your carrier to begin troubleshooting after you’ve tried these fixes is the next best step to resolving your spotty signal.

If all else fails, try a signal booster to improve cell reception

If after going through all of our troubleshooting steps, including talking to your carrier to go over your options, you’re still struggling to keep a good signal — try a booster. A signal booster receives the same cellular signal your carrier uses, then amplifies it just enough to provide coverage in a room or your entire house.

The big downside here is the cost. Wilson has three different boosters designed for home use, ranging in price from $349 for single room coverage to $999 to cover your entire home. To be clear, we haven’t specifically tested these models. Wilson offers a 30-day money back guarantee and a two-year warranty should you have any trouble with its products.

With your signal issues resolved, using your phone as a mobile hotspot for a backup connection is easy, but there are some things you need to know. If you’re looking for iPhone-specific tips and tricks, check out our guide to hidden features on iOS 16. And for Android fans, we have some hidden features for Android 12 as well.