Category: Technologies

It can be challenging to read a news article, a short story or really anything in Safari on your iPhone. Advertisements, banners and autoplaying videos are now commonplace on most websites, and they all make it difficult to concentrate.

To help with your focus, Apple introduced Reader mode to Safari over a decade ago, to clear away these distractions. When enabled, Reader reorganizes a webpage so that you see only relevant text and images, and so it’s easier to get through whatever you’re reading.

If you regularly read in your iPhone browser and don’t use Reader, you really should give it a try. In this story we’ll show you how to quickly enable the productivity feature in two ways, so that you can focus on reading what’s most important to you.

Interested in learning more about your iPhone’s underrated features? Check out these 11 hidden iOS 16 features we were surprised to find, how to make your keyboard vibrate and how to recover recently deleted text messages.

Turn on Reader mode in Safari with a single tap

In Safari, navigate to whatever it is you’re reading, whether it’s a trending news story or an in-depth feature. Now all you need to do is press down on the AA icon — which sits to the left of the search bar at the top of the page — for a second or so, and Reader will be enabled.

If Reader is not compatible with the page you’re currently on, nothing will happen, except for a tiny buzz of haptic feedback on your finger. This usually happens with search engine results (for example, Google) and home pages with multiple article links.

To turn off Read, press down on the AA icon once again.

Read more: Change These Browser Settings Right Now to Boost Your Privacy

Automatically turn on Reader mode for your favorite websites

Turning Reader on with a single press is fast, but there’s an even quicker way to get rid of distractions. With a few taps, you can enable Reader automatically for not only a single article but every compatible webpage on your favorite website.

For this to work, make your way to any page on the website you want to enable Reader for in Safari. Now, tap (don’t long-press) the AA icon in the top left and then tap the Website Settings in the list that appears. A few website-specific settings will appear: Toggle Use Reader Automatically. Now, anytime you visit that website, Reader will automatically turn on after the web page finishes loading.

If you want to turn off Reader, you can either tap AA > Hide Reader (Reader will reappear if you refresh the page) or toggle off the Use Reader Automatically setting to turn it off permanently.

Apple has a ton of hidden tips and tricks that can help you get more out of your iPhone. If you’re interested, check out this iPhone hack that makes editing text so much easier, as well as how to unlock this hidden iPhone feature to quickly ID songs.

There are some great benefits to having a laptop that can double as a tablet. These ultrathin and portable devices are touchscreen powerhouses that can do everything a regular laptop can do, but with greater flexibility. From now until March 8, you can choose between 16 different Microsoft Surface laptops, books and tablets for as low as $100 at Woot. Some of these products are refurbished and some are brand-new.

The 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 8 with a cover is now available starting at $590 for a refurbished model and $750 for a new one. This Surface comes with a kickstand and a detachable cover with built-in Slim Pen storage and charging. You can do great things with a larger 13-inch touchscreen, faster connections with Thunderbolt 4 ports and extra speed when you need it.

If you’re not picky about getting the latest model or version of the Surface Pro, consider grabbing the Microsoft Surface Book 2. It has an Intel Core i5 CPU, 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM and Windows 10. It’s new, has a 13.5-inch display and comes with a Microsoft Surface Pen and a shockproof protective sleeve. It’s down to just $600 for the 256GB model right now (save $250).

Another solid option is the Surface Pro 4 tablet with an Intel Core i5 CPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM and Windows 10. This open-box option is only $360. And for the absolute lowest price in this sale, there’s also a refurbished 10-inch Microsoft Surface 3 available starting at $100.

Be sure to check out all the offers here and choose whatever suits your needs the best.

A great screenplay is one of the first steps to creating an acclaimed film, and writers at every level deserve to have industry-quality software for their creative process. Where to find the best screenwriting software? There are so many options it can be overwhelming, with every app and service packed with features that potential buyers have to sort through.

Classic industry favorites like Final Draft and Celtx, for instance, offer different tools than newcomers like Arc Studio Pro, and so many of the choices come down to personal preference and writing process. Some writers may prefer software like Studio Binder, which really allows writers to plan and design every step of the production process. Others might prefer software like Squibler, which is more focused on writing and the writing process. It’s important to invest in the right screenwriting software so that you can follow a screenwriting process that works best for you.

To help discover the best screenwriting software for your needs, we’ve listed out the top options available and their pricing, which can get confusing. For the sake of comparison, one-time purchase prices have been translated into what the monthly cost would be if the software were purchased on a monthly basis. So for example, Final Draft is typically bought with a one-time purchase of $200, but that price put in terms of a monthly subscription would be approximately $17 a month. We’ve done the same for yearly subscriptions, so both the yearly recurring price and what that price would be if the subscription were month-by-month is shown.

Final Draft

Final Draft

Best for the aspiring pro

Final Draft is almost synonymous with screenwriting. It is beloved by big-name industry professionals such as Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian), Christopher McQuarrie (Top Gun: Maverick) and Sophia Coppola (Lost in Translation). In my opinion, the biggest draw to Final Draft is the formatting support the software provides. Users are able to ensure their scripts are formatted to industry standards with features like Tab and Enter, the Reformat Tool and Format Assistant.

Final Draft can be purchased with a one-time payment of $250 (though it’s often on sale for $200), which translates to a monthly subscription price of $21 a month over a year. It’s important to note that upgrades to the Final Draft software aren’t included, and the current price of the upgrade from Final Draft 11 to Final Draft 12 is $100.

$250 at Final Draft

Screenshot by Josh Goldman/CNET

Studio Binder

For the writer who wants to do it all

Studio Binder is a solid catch-all option for writers who are interested in the directing and producing processes. It has features that truly support every stage of production with tools to create and manage call sheets, shooting scripts and more. Personally, I have used Studio Binder for my own projects, and as a low-budget filmmaker, I really appreciate that Studio Binder has all of the tools I need at my disposal.

One of the biggest draws to Studio Binder is its wealth of free content. Not only does the software have a competitive free option for those who aren’t ready to commit to a paid subscription, but Studio Binder also runs a blog loaded with valuable filmmaking information by breaking down popular scripts, scenes and approaches.

Currently, four different subscription packages are available, including a basic free option; the Indie package comes in at $29 a month followed by the Professional package at $49 and the Studio package comes in at $99 a month. Those ready to commit can opt for a yearlong subscription that’ll save you a few bucks off each package. The Professional Package is the best option for indie filmmakers, as it allows you access to all of the most important production features minus some collaborative features and the ability to create custom branding found in the Studio package.

See at Studio Binder

Squibler

Squibler

For those who love simplicity

Squibler is writing software that values the writing process above all. While it doesn’t have the extra bells and whistles of others on this list, it has really powerful features focused on making the writing process more efficient. One of the most impressive features is the Editor mode, which allows writers to have insight into their progress. Squibler is also one of the cheapest options coming in at around $10 a month.

See at Squibler

Arc Studio Pro

Arc Studio Pro

Best for screenwriters on a budget

Arc Studio Pro is a newer entry with some incredible features. Made by writers for writers, it offers many tools to help writers turn out industry-standard screenplays. One standout feature is the Plot Board, which gives writers greater control over storyboarding and outlining while they write. Its formatting shortcuts are incredibly helpful when writing on a deadline, too.

Currently, Arc Studio Pro offers three options for subscriptions: a competitive free option, an Essentials package for $69 a year ($5.75 a month), and the Pro Package for $99 a year ($8.25 a month). The Pro Package is the way to go. For a little more per year, you get some really powerful features like The Stash, which allows you to remove parts of your screenplay without completely deleting them.

See at Arc Studio Pro

Celtx

Celtx

For the writer who can’t stop editing

Celtx is another well-established software in the screenwriting world and another solid option for writers who want to do it all. Celtx stands out by providing some strong editing and revising features. Unique features like Read-Through, which reads your script back to you so you can hear the dialogue you’ve written and Script Insights which shows real-time writing stats so you can make changes based on your productivity.

There are monthly and yearly payment options for Celtx’s packages. The Writer Pro package is about $25 a month or an average of $22 a month for the yearly subscription. Celtx’s Team package is $60 a month for the month-by-month subscription and $54 a month for the yearly subscription. The Team package gives you more access to features specific to producers, such as budgeting tools and scheduling features. Celtx’s Screenwriting Package is the way to go if you just want solid screenwriting software.

See at Celtx

Writer Duet

Writer Duet

Best for the collaborative writer

Writer Duet is a highly collaborative software so screenwriters can work together anywhere in the world. The most impressive collaborative feature is the ability to video and text chat with your writing partners while you are all working on the same project. Writer Duet also has really strong import and export capabilities, meaning users can bring in other projects from other applications and export their projects with many different file types, making it easier to share projects with collaborators.

Writer Duet also has yearly and monthly payment options and four different packages: Free, Plus, Pro and Premium. The free package, like most, offers the least features but is still fairly competitive. The Plus package is $10 a month or an average of $6 a month for the yearly subscription. The Pro package bumps up to $12 a month for the monthly payment schedule or $8 a month if you pay for the year and gives users a good portion of the available features.

Paying for the Premium package is worth the extra cost of $14 a month or $10 a month if you pay for the yearly subscription, as it gives you access to all available features, including all of the amazing collaborative features.

See at Writer Duet

Fade In

Fade In

Streamlined workflow for less

Fade In is another industry favorite that focuses on bringing consistent performance to your writing process. There aren’t many fancy extras here, but there are a couple of unique features from the rest of the market. The Dialogue Tuner, for instance, allows you to edit all of a character’s dialogue at once so you can check for consistency and overused phrases. Fade In is one of the cheaper one-time payment apps on this list, coming in at $80, which breaks down to less than $7 a month over a year. Since it’s not a subscription, though, it’s just $80 and you’re done and updates to Fade In are free.

See at Fade In

If you love music, you ought to invest in a great pair of headphones to really hear every detail in your favorite songs. The over-ear Bose QuietComfort 45 are among the best you’ll find out there, featuring high up on our lists of best over-ear headphones and best noise-canceling headphones, and you can grab a set at a serious discount right now. Over at Amazon, the QC 45s are on sale at $80 off, dropping the price down to $249. That’s the best price we’ve seen on them since the holiday season, though the discount only applies to the white smoke color at the moment.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones offer some of the best noise-canceling capabilities out there. In his Bose QuietComfort 45 review, CNET’s David Carnoy called their noise canceling the “best of the best” in 2021. While they may have since been dethroned by the $400 Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better pair for under $300.

These headphones use Bluetooth 5.1, which has a range of up to 30 feet, as well as an aux port for wired listening. They have a battery life of up to 24 hours on a single charge.

Also on sale today are Bose’s noise-canceling QuietComfort Earbuds 2, down to $249 from $299. If you prefer your audio to be delivered via true wireless earbuds rather than over-ear cans, they’re the best wireless earbuds on the market right now.

Meta’s reducing prices on its VR headsets again. The news comes less than a year after Meta (formerly Facebook) increased the price of the Meta Quest 2 VR headset (formerly, and sometimes still, the Oculus Quest 2).

The changes, announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg this morning, go into effect March 5. The entry-level Quest 2 with 128GB of storage is still $400, but the model with 256GB storage is now down to $430, making it a $30 step-up for double the app space vs. $100 more previously. International prices were not immediately available but $430 is roughly 360 or AU$640.

The Meta Quest Pro, which started at $1,500 (AU$2,550, 1,500) last October and is nearing its half-year anniversary, got a temporary price drop to $1,100 earlier this year. It’s now down to $1,000.

I wouldn’t recommend you get either of these headsets, though — not now, at least. The Quest 2 is a great standalone VR headset with tons of games, and remains CNET’s pick as the best overall VR headset, but it’s two and a half years old and Meta’s Quest 3 successor is expected this fall. According to a leaked internal meeting at Meta, which The Verge received, it’ll be more expensive than the Quest 2, but it should be smaller, have improved mixed-reality features and have a faster processor. After that, Meta may have an even more affordable new headset in 2024.

Also, the 128GB storage on the base Quest 2 is probably more than enough for most people (although, at $430, I’d be more tempted by the 256GB upgrade).

The Meta Quest Pro, aimed at work instead of gaming, has a better display, color passthrough cameras, and eye and face tracking cameras. But it’s still not significantly better enough to merit an extra $600 over the Quest 2, and Meta’s clearly had difficulty selling them.

Plus, there are likely to be other VR headset contenders arriving throughout 2023.

According to Meta’s press release, “Pricing changes will go into effect for the 256GB Meta Quest 2 SKU on March 5 in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK and the US. The Meta Quest Pro price drop will take effect March 5 in the US and Canada and March 15 in all other countries where Meta Quest Pro is supported.”

Microsoft’s AI-boosted Bing and Google’s Bard have begun testing the latest type of AI technology, the large language models that packed such a big wow factor into OpenAI’s ChatGPT. But a much smaller player, Brave, on Thursday added some of those language-processing abilities directly into its web browser with a feature that summarizes search results.

The feature, called Summarizer, generates some abbreviated explanations for questions in some search results, combining that with footnoted links to its information sources. It’s also designed to offer richer snippets of text that you see in more ordinary search results.

It’s a new example of an overhaul that’s sweeping the search engine business. Google for years has been adding more direct answers to search queries, showing maps, business hours, song lyrics and product recommendations along with traditional links to others’ websites. The AI revolution is taking this utility to a new level, for example with Bing’s new AI-boosted search results and sometimes-fraught conversational abilities.

Large language models such as the one that powers ChatGPT are trained to recognize patterns from vast swaths of text from the internet. They can deliver impressive results, synthesizing coherent sentences and even writing essays about an immense variety of subjects. But LLM AIs don’t truly know anything and their authoritative tone can be misleading. Brave, which built its own LLM for Summarizer, offered cautions about its use.

“It’s crucial to remind users that one should not believe everything an AI system produces, in much the same way one should not believe everything that is published on the Web,” Brave said of Summarizer. “At the risk of stating the obvious, we should not suspend critical thinking for anything we consume, no matter how impressive the results of AI models can be.”

In my testing, it delivered useful results for some queries — for example, “What is pixel binning?” and “What do the numbers on tire sidewalls mean?” But it also struggled to coherently handle time elements for current-events questions like, “What happened with the Chinese spy balloon?” and “Will the EU approve Microsoft’s Activision acquisition?”

Brave offers a feedback button for comments on its Summarizer results, and the feature can be disabled in settings.

Brave is an unusual example of an independent browser company that carved a niche for itself despite the dominance of Google’s Chrome and, to a lesser degree, Apple’s Safari. The company relies on Chromium, the Google-led software project that underpins Chrome, but has built its own search engine and ad system.

Brave got a foothold in the browser market by stripping ads and tracking technology out of websites by default, substituting its own privacy-first ad technology as an alternative. About 57 million people now use the browser each month, and the search engine that the company built into the browser now fields 22 million queries per day.

Summarizer is available now on desktop and mobile browsers.

Airbnb will ban some people who are closely associated with already-banned guests. Following a report from Vice, the short-term rental company on Wednesday confirmed that in some circumstances it may restrict the accounts of people “who are likely to travel” with a person that has been removed for “safety reasons.”

Airbnb may also remove an account if a person books a future reservation with the same credit card as a person who was banned from the site for a serious safety incident, according to a scenario detailed by an Airbnb spokesperson.

It’s unclear when Airbnb started banning people associated with already-banned guests or how often it does so.

Airbnb uses a background check system to vet its large number of users. On Airbnb’s website, the company says it’s had 1.4 billion “guest arrivals” as of December 2022. The system, however, can end up banning users for smaller misdemeanor charges on their record, according to a Vice report.

There’s reportedly an appeals process for those who feel they’ve been unfairly banned.

The caution put forward by short-term-rental companies like Airbnb and Vrbo comes as stories have percolated over the years of problem guests turning homes into party houses. Such stories have included complaints by neighbors and in some instances, deaths. To combat this, Airbnb implemented a permanent party ban in the summer of 2022 and launched anti-party tech at the end of last year. Ahead of Super Bowl 2023, Vrbo too implemented tech to prevent renters from turning homes into party houses.

“As an online platform that facilitates real-world travel and connections, this is a necessary safety precaution,” an Airbnb spokesperson said.

The last few years have seen a revival of handheld game consoles thanks to the convenience of on-the-go gaming and streaming technology, no doubt in part due to the success of the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The world of handheld gaming has gained popularity like never before, and last year was no exception. With the release of new consoles such as the Steam Deck and Panic Playdate, as well as the Razer Edge and Logitech G Cloud, more users are looking to handheld consoles for all of their gaming needs. If you’re looking to get back to the days of playing games anywhere you want, we’ve rounded up some of the best handheld game consoles that 2023 has to offer below.

Phones and tablets already do a fine job of playing tons of great portable games, and have been leading the mobile gaming world for years, offering features like game controller cases and game streaming from consoles, PCs and the cloud. Dedicated devices can provide unique features, exclusive games or extra power to do things your phone can’t. It almost feels like a return to the mid-2010s era of the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.

The Nintendo Switch has been the best and most affordable portable game system for years, and continues to be CNET’s clear top pick: At $300 (or $350 for our favorite model), it can play a huge variety of Nintendo games, indie games, it can dock with a TV and can even play some fitness games. But Valve’s Steam Deck offers a unique proposition for those with deeper pockets: It’s large, and it can double as a full gaming PC.

For those who miss retro game handhelds like the Game Boy, you might consider putting yourself on the waiting list to order the Analogue Pocket or Panic Playdate, too, but both of those systems are more niche, and more indie/retro targeted, than the Switch and Steam Deck.

We’ll explain below.

Scott Stein/CNET

Nintendo Switch

Best handheld, but which one to choose?

2019

The Nintendo Switch is over five years old now, but Nintendo has indicated that no true successor is coming right now. A Pro model has been rumored for a while, but in the meantime the existing Switch remains extremely capable, full of great games (including lots of indie offerings), and pretty affordable considering its handheld/TV-connected dual function.

The OLED-screened Switch, which released in October 2021, is the best Switch and our recommended pick. The more vivid and larger display looks fantastic, its rear kickstand works better for tabletop gaming, and both of these upgrades are worth the extra $50. The original Switch (or the V2 version), at $300, works similarly and is also still fine, and occasionally comes in special editions and holiday game bundles. The smaller, handheld-only Switch Lite is a great value pick at $200 for anyone who just wants a basic portable game system, but it lacks any ability to connect to a TV, and its controllers don’t detach. This makes it less versatile for families, and means you can’t replace the controllers if they break.

Read our Nintendo Switch review.

$280 at Amazon

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Steam Deck

Best newcomer, and handheld of the future

Valve’s big and powerful Steam Deck is a marvel. It can play a wide variety of PC games surprisingly well, and is the dream portable for any hardcore Steam fan, or anyone who has a big library of PC games. The Steam Deck can get expensive for the larger storage tiers, but for what it’s capable of, it’s not a bad deal. The ability to play PC games or stream cloud-based games, and to connect to a monitor, keyboard or other accessories, puts the Steam Deck in a class of its own.

Read our Steam Deck review.

$399 at Valve

Scott Stein/CNET

Analogue Pocket

Best handheld for collectors of old games

The Pocket looks like a totally remade Game Boy, and it is, in a sense. Analogue’s gorgeous handheld can play original Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges perfectly, and can even play Sega Game Gear games using an adapter (Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and Turbografx-16 adapters are supposed to be coming soon). It has a high-res color screen and USB-C charging, and there’s a separately sold dock for TV play. One of the most exciting updates to the Pocket is its support for FPGA cores that can replicate classic game hardware, and play ROMs. There’s no game store for buying games: Pocket is a system to play classic cartridges or other games in amazing quality, if you want to tinker around with FPGA. There’s also a growing library of Pocket-compatible software in indie gaming channels like itch.io that can be sideloaded to a microSD card, too.

Read our Analogue Pocket review.

$220 at Analogue

Panic Playdate

Best super-small indie novelty system

The tiny, yellow, black-and-white-screened Panic Playdate looks like a weird Game Boy with a mechanical crank sprouting from its side. But this system, made by the indie game company that developed Untitled Goose Game, plays its own tiny season of 24 indie-developed games, which come included with the purchase and appear over time like weekly presents. The Playdate has Wi-Fi and can download games or sideload other indie-developed titles from sites like itch.io, but you’ll have to learn to love the experiences you discover. We’ve loved playing on it so far, but alas, the Playdate doesn’t have any backlighting — you’ll have to find a lamp instead. The Playdate is on backorder until early 2023.

Read our Panic Playdate review.

$179 at Panic

Lori Grunin/CNET

Should I just use my phone or iPad instead?

Tablets and phones are extremely valid game consoles: The iPad has tons of games on the App Store, and hundreds more on Apple’s subscription-based Apple Arcade. The iPad can pair with Bluetooth game controllers, too. iPhones and Android phones have tons of games as well, obviously, and a number of great game controller cases are available, including the Backbone and the Razer Kishi.

Phones and tablets also offer other advantages, including an ability to cloud-stream games on a growing number of services including Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate and PlayStation Plus.

The handhelds listed above have other advantages: unique game libraries, a chance to connect to a TV and play with others, and the capability to play higher-end PC games or classic game cartridges.

Now that there are a dozen different streaming services to choose from, it can be tough to know which ones are worth the money and which ones you can do without. You’ll certainly want to check out what shows and movies each service carries, but you’ll also want to make sure the app runs smoothly on your devices and the interface is easy to use. Paramount Plus is one of our favorite streaming services available in 2023, and today is your last chance to take advantage of an offer that scores you a free month of Showtime when you sign up for an Essential or Premium plan.

Paramount Plus offers two different plans that are bundled with Showtime, and while you typically get a one-week free trial, right now you can upgrade to a one-month free trial when you use the promo code ALLNEW23 at checkout. There are two different plans to choose from, and after the one-month trial, your subscription will revert to the usual monthly cost. Both plans include full commercial-free access to Showtime content, but vary a bit on the Paramount Plus side.

The $12-a-month Essential plan gives you access to Paramount Plus shows and movies with limited commercials, as well as NFL on CBS, top soccer and CBS live news. The $15-a-month Premium plan has no ads, gives you access to additional sports and your local CBS channel, and allows you to download shows and movies.

This offer is only available to new subscribers and expires tonight, so be sure to get signed up soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings. And be sure to check out our roundup of all the best streaming service deals for even more ways to save.

In February, Twitter announced that it will no longer support text message two-factor authentication after March 20. The only way you can continue using SMS 2FA is if you sign up for Twitter Blue — but that requires a monthly payment.

If you’re an iPhone owner, there’s a more secure 2FA alternative for Twitter that’s already built into your iPhone anyway. And it’s free to use.

According to Twitter, 74% of Twitter users with two-factor authentication turned on use the text message option. While it’s unfortunate that you’ll no longer have that available to you unless you pay, you’re better off without SMS 2FA anyway. Authentication apps such as Google Authenticator are superior because they’re more secure than the text message method — it’s easier for attackers to spoof your texts remotely, especially with SIM swapping.

And if you use an iPhone, you don’t have to download any third-party apps to get better two-factor authentication protection on your device. Apple has an authenticator hidden in your settings that you can use to help better secure your accounts and data.

Here’s how to set it up with Twitter, as well as with other apps and websites.

And if you’re interested in other ways of protecting your accounts, check out the best password managers to use for 2023 and how to transfer your Google Authenticator accounts if you’ve bought a new phone.

How to set up your iPhone’s built-in 2FA with Twitter

If you want to use your iPhone’s built-in two-factor authenticator specifically with Twitter, here’s what you need to do.

In the Twitter app, tap on your profile icon in the top-left and then go to Settings and Support > Settings and privacy > Security and and account access > Security > Two-factor authentication. If you’re asked to enter your Twitter password at any time, do so to continue.

Now, toggle on the Authentication app option, enter your account password, tap Get Started and hit the Link app button. You’ll be redirected to your saved Twitter passwords in your settings — choose the correct one for your account. Next, copy the verification code to your clipboard and enter it into Twitter. Finally, hit Confirm and your Twitter account should now be protected by your iPhone’s two-factor authenticator.

Before you continue, make sure to write down the single-use backup code that appears. This will help you log back into Twitter if you have trouble accessing your iPhone’s two-factor authentication method. Also, you can toggle off text message 2FA now or wait until Twitter automatically disables it for you.

You can also set up iOS’s built-in 2FA with other apps and websites

For every other service that’s not Twitter, launch the Settings application on your iPhone and go into Passwords. Use Face or Touch ID to access your passwords and then tap on whatever account it is you want to set up 2FA for.

Note: This method of two-factor authentication does not work with every website or app.

Next, tap Set Up Verification Code and a menu will appear with two options:

• Enter Setup Key
• Scan QR Code

These are your two options to set up 2FA, which you can find on the website of whichever account you’re attempting to secure. To continue, go to the website, use your credentials to log in and then go into the website’s account settings. There is no single place where you’ll find the setup key or QR code for 2FA, but generally you should find them in “passwords” or “two-factor authentication.”

For this example, we’ll be using the setup key found in the account settings on Mega’s website. If you see a setup key, simply copy it to your clipboard, and then go back to the Settings app on your iPhone and choose the Enter Setup Key option. Next, paste in the setup key and then hit OK. Once you do, a verification code will appear.

Go back to the website you grabbed the setup key from and enter the verification code to enable 2FA. You don’t have to manually enter the setup key, as it should appear at the top of your keyboard, so you can just tap there to enter it. However, you must be quick to enter the setup key because it’ll change every 30 seconds.

If you use the Scan QR Code option, the process will pretty much be the same, but instead of entering the setup key manually, you’ll simply scan the QR code with your smartphone’s camera. However, this option may not be ideal if you’re doing everything on your smartphone, so really only use this if you’re accessing the website on another device.

Once you’re finished, two-factor authentication should be enabled for that website. Anytime you log in to that website in the future, you’ll be asked to enter a verification code as well, which will be generated by the built-in feature.