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If you’re trying to cut some costs to make up for holiday spending, you can start with the many subscriptions you might have. For instance, if you’re paying for streaming app subscriptions like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Spotify, Hulu and Disney Plus, or more practical things like AppleCare, it’s time to start tracking the things you actively use.

We’ll show you how to find all the monthly services you’re paying for on your mobile device, whether it’s via the Apple Store on your iPhone or via Google Play on Android, and how to cancel the ones you no longer want.

If you’re looking to save money in other ways, check out 10 ways to save on streaming services and how to save on TV streaming with these simple tricks.

Find and cancel your subscriptions on your iPhone

You can find all your monthly subscriptions from the Apple Store in a couple of places on your iPhone, but the easiest is through your settings. To do this, launch the Settings application, tap on your name at the top and then hit Subscriptions in the first section. Here you’ll see a list of all the active (and inactive) subscriptions that you’ve signed up for from apps you downloaded from the App Store.

Under Active, you’ll see all the subscriptions you’re currently paying, with the following information: app or service name, short description, next bill date and cost. To cancel an active subscription, tap on the subscription, hit the red Cancel Subscription button at the bottom of the page and then tap Confirm in the pop-up that appears.

For most subscriptions, you’ll still be able to access the paid services until the end of your billing period. However, some apps won’t let you continue using the service, so you’ll have to read the fine print to see what happens if you cancel. Once it’s canceled, the subscription will remain in the active section but will show, in red text, when it’s expiring.

Find and cancel your subscriptions on your Android

Unlike iOS, Android runs on devices from various brands, such as Samsung, Google and Motorola, but luckily all these versions of Android all have the Google Play Store, and so finding and canceling your monthly subscriptions is similar no matter what phone you’re using.

To find all your subscriptions, launch the Play Store application, tap your profile picture or first name initial that appears on the top-right and go to Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions. Here you’ll see a list of your active and inactive subscriptions.

If you want to cancel a subscription, tap it and then hit the green Cancel subscription button. The Play Store may ask you to consider other cheaper subscriptions and also to give a reason as to why you’re canceling. Accept any prompts to continue until you see a fully green Cancel subscription button. Hit it and your subscription will be canceled, but you should still have access to it until the end of your billing period.

Apple launched the latest and greatest iPhones — the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max — over three months ago, and you’ve probably heard about iPhone 15 features like NameDrop, which lets you share contact info by moving your phones close together, and StandBy Mode, which turns your phone into a smart display.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have a few special new hardware features that you should know about to make the most of your new phone, including five amazing cameras, a new action button and charging at USB 3.0 speeds.

Read more: Best iPhone 15 Deals

If you haven’t had time to explore the features that are exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, there’s no time like the present. We’ve highlighted three Pro and Pro Max exclusive features that you’ll definitely want to set up, configure and put to use. If you’re looking to get the most out of your new iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, here’s what you need to know.

1. Set up the new action button

The action button is one of the biggest changes to the iPhone hardware in a long time, replacing the ring/silent switch that’s been around since the very first iPhone model. Instead of just toggling between ring and switch modes the action can be customized to do things like turn on your flashlight, record a voice memo and run a shortcut.

Read more: Use Your iPhone 15 Pro’s New Action Button for More Than One Thing

In Settings > Action Button, swipe through the various actions you want the action button to perform when pressed. These are the actions you have available:

• Silent Mode (default): Switch between silent and ring mode.
• Focus: Turn on your main Focus mode, like Do Not Disturb.
• Flashlight: Turn on your rear flashlight.
• Voice Memo: Record an audio note.
• Magnifier: Use your camera as a magnifying glass.
• Shortcut: Trigger a shortcut you’ve downloaded or created.
• Accessibility: Use an accessibility feature of your choosing.
• No action

If you see arrows below an action, that means there are additional options. To assign an action to the button, simply swipe and stay on the action in your settings. When you’re finished, exit the settings page.

2. Change the default camera lens when you open your camera

The default main camera on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max is the 24mm lens, which is equivalent to 1x zoom. It’s your standard lens, but if you always find yourself zooming in a tiny bit when you’re snapping a photograph, you can change over to a different default lens for the main camera.

In Settings > Camera > Main Camera, choose between the three main lenses:

• 24mm – 1x (default)
• 28mm – 1.2x
• 35mm – 1.5x

The next time you open your main camera, your camera will start at whatever new focal length you choose, whether it’s 1.2x or 1.5x. If you want to swap between lenses, tap the main camera zoom control to manually switch between 24mm, 28mm and 35mm. You can also press and hold down on the control and drag the slider for more precise control.

3. Take advantage of the iPhone 15 Pro’s USB-C 3.0 speeds

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus both have a USB-C port, but the two models support the same USB 2.0 speeds as prior iPhone models with a Lightning port, which is 480 megabits per second. The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max on the other hand also have USB-C ports, but they support USB 3.0 speeds, which is 10 gigabits per second — making it 20 times faster.

What does this all mean for you? First, you’ll need a USB-C cable that supports 3.0 speeds. The USB-C cable that comes with your iPhone only supports 2.0 speeds, so you’ll need to buy an additional cable (like this one on Amazon).

Now that you have the correct cable, you can quickly transfer data between your iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. If you’re transferring data from iTunes to your iPhone, and vice versa, that should be quicker. It works for really any files being transferred out of your iPhone, especially to a flash drive; that’ll also be faster.

Apple also has a page highlighting that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can support recording ProRes video (high-quality lossy video compression format) directly to an external storage device, at up to 4K at 60 frames per second. It’s a niche feature, but if you’re a cinematographer or a video editor, shooting in ProRes gives you better detail and color depth that you can color grade later on without losing quality. Having it directly recorded to an external storage device saves space and time, allowing you to connect the SD directly to your computer without having to transfer it from your iPhone first.

If you want to cultivate more quality time with your loved ones without leaving the comfort of your own home or — in better weather — your own backyard, a portable home movie projector is probably already on your list. Right now, one of our favorite portable movie projector brands, Xgimi, is having an end-of-the-year sale, where you can save up to 42% off at Amazon as well as on the Xgimi site.

Amazon offers a wide variety plus reliable shipping from Prime, so it’s an easy choice to shop for these projectors at Amazon, but the Xgimi site is offering many of the same deals. For example, you’ll find the Xgimi Horizon Pro on sale at Amazon for $1,100, a 35% discount on the regular Amazon price of $1,699. The same projector is listed on Xgimi’s site on sale for $1,099, down from its list price of $1,899. Either way, you save a bundle.

At the time of this writing, the Halo Plus, which was ranked by CNET’s experts as the best 1080p home projector, was unavailable at Amazon, however, you can nab it for $200 off the regular retail price at Xgimi’s site, making it just $649. Add to your new projector some of the best home theater speakers available, and you’ll soon have your own living room tricked out for an epic movie night.

Even if you’ve never used Windows 11 before, you can quickly boot up the computer and easily use it to surf the web, watch videos and play music. All you really need is your mouse to get to where you need — but if you want to be a Windows power user, and not just a Windows novice, you need to know keyboard shortcuts.

In this story we’ll cover the most important keyboard shortcuts for Windows 11, many of which carry over from Windows 10 and earlier versions of Microsoft’s operating system. That includes the basics, like copying highlighted items and undoing a previous action, as well as lesser-known shortcuts, like snapping an active window into place.

You don’t need to know all of them, but there are likely a handful here that you’ll want to employ in your Windows workflow to improve your overall productivity. And if you want to check out more on Windows 11, here are nine hidden Windows 11 features and how to make Windows 11 act more like Windows 10.

Windows 11 shortcut basics

To start, here are the ones you’ll use most often.

• Ctrl + A: Select all items in a window.

• Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy selected or highlighted item (text, images and so on).

• Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste selected or highlighted item.

• Ctrl + X: Cut selected or highlighted item.

• Ctrl + Z: Undo previous action.

• Ctrl + Y: Redo action.

• Ctrl + N: When File Explorer is your current window, open a new File Explorer window with the same folder path as the current window.

• Windows key + F1: Open “how to get help in windows” Bing search in default browser.

• Alt + F4: Close the current app or window.

• Alt + Tab: Switch between open apps or windows.

• Shift + Delete: Delete selected item permanently (skip the Recycle Bin).

Start menu and taskbar

You can use these keyboard shortcuts to open, close and otherwise control the Start menu and the taskbar.

• Windows key or Ctrl + Esc: Open Start menu.
• Windows key + X: Open the secret Start menu.
• Windows key + T: Cycle through the apps (including pinned apps) on the taskbar.
• Windows key + [Number]: Open the app pinned in the [number] position on the taskbar. For example, if you have Edge pinned in the first position on the taskbar and you click Windows key + 1, Edge will open. If the app is already open, a new instance or window will open.
• Windows key + Alt + [Number]: Open the right-click menu for the app pinned in the [number] position on the taskbar.
• Windows key + D: Show or hide desktop (Windows key + , will display the desktop briefly).

Screenshots

Windows 11 also has several ways to take a screenshot, including three different keyboard shortcuts.

• PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your entire screen and save it to your clipboard.

• Windows key + PrtScn: Take a screenshot of your entire desktop and save it to a folder on your computer.

• Windows key + Shift + S: Open Snipping Tool menu to take a screenshot of only a section of your screen.

The desktop: Windows, Snap Assist and virtual desktops

These shortcuts control how individual windows act on your desktop, including virtual desktops.

• Windows key + M: Minimize all open windows.
• Windows key + Shift + M: Restore minimized windows.

• Windows key + Home: Minimize all windows except the selected or currently active window.

• Windows key + Up arrow: Maximize selected window.

• Windows key + Shift + Up arrow: Maximizes the active window vertically while maintaining its width.

• Windows key + Down arrow: Minimize selected window.

• Windows key + Left arrow: Snap selected window to the left half of the screen.
• Windows key + Right arrow: Snap selected window to the right half of the screen.

• Windows key + Alt + Up: Snap selected window to top half of the screen.
• Windows key + Alt + Down: Snap selected window to bottom half of the screen.
• Windows key + Shift + Left arrow or Right arrow: Move selected window to the left or right monitor.

• Windows key + Tab: Open Task view (virtual desktops).

• Windows key + Ctrl + D: Add new virtual desktop.

• Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow: Move to the next virtual desktop (to the right).

• Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow: Move to the previous virtual desktop (to the left).

• Windows key + Ctrl + F4: Close current virtual desktop.

The Windows key

These keyboard shortcuts use the Windows logo key to perform various tasks, such as launching both Windows and third-party apps.

• Windows key + A: Open the Action Center.

• Windows key + S: Open Cortana in text mode, so you can type in the search bar. (Windows key + Q does the same thing.)

• Windows key + C: Open Cortana in listening mode (similar to saying “Hey, Cortana“).

• Windows key + E: Open File Explorer.

• Windows key + F: Open the Windows 10 Feedback Hub.

• Windows key + Ctrl + F: Search for PCs on a network.

• Windows key + G: Open the Game bar.

• Windows key + H: Open the Share sidebar.

• Windows key + I: Open the Settings menu.

• Windows key + K: Open the Connect sidebar (for connecting to new Bluetooth devices or Miracast).

• Windows key + L: Lock your computer.

• Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation.

• Windows key + P: Open presentation or projection sidebar.

• Windows key + R: Open the Run window.

• Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access center.

• Windows key + W: Open the Windows Ink Workspace for scribbling on tablets or touchscreen laptops.
• Windows key + (+) or (-): Zoom in and out with magnifier.
• Windows key + Esc: Exit magnifier.

The F keys

The F keys at the top of your keyboard can perform a number of actions when used with other keys, but they’re also useful on their own.

• F2: Rename a selected item.
• F3: Quickly search for files in File Explorer.
• F4: Highlight the address bar in File Explorer.
• F5: Refresh your active window.
• F6: Cycle through elements (tab, buttons, search bar, etc.) in a window or your desktop.
• Alt + F8: Show login password on the start screen.
• F10: Activate the menu bar in the active window.

Windows Command Prompt

You can use these keyboard shortcuts inside the Windows Command Prompt.

• Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy selected text to the clipboard.
• Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste copied text inside the Command Prompt.
• Ctrl + A: Select all text on current line. (If the current line has no text, all text inside the Command Prompt will be selected.)
• Ctrl + Up or Down: Move screen one line up or down.
• Ctrl + F: Search Command Prompt via Find window.
• Ctrl + M: Enter Mark mode (allows you to select text with mouse). Once Mark mode is enabled, you can use the arrow keys to move the cursor around.
• Shift + Up or Down: Move cursor up or down one line and select text.
• Shift + Left or Right: Move cursor left or right one character and select text.
• Ctrl + Shift + Left or Right: Move cursor left or right one word and select text.
• Shift + Page Up or Page Down: Move cursor up or down one screen and select text.
• Shift + Home or End: Move cursor to beginning or end of current line and select text.
• Ctrl + Shift + Home/End: Move cursor to beginning or end of screen buffer and select text and beginning or end of Command Prompt’s output.

While iOS 17 has a lot of useful and fun new features, like the Check-In feature and Live Stickers, one feature that can make your phone calls sound better was released in iOS 16. When Apple released iOS 16.4 it March, it brought some new features to your iPhone, like new emoji, Apple Music updates and Voice Isolation for phone calls. Apple rolled out Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum to FaceTime calls with the release of iOS 15 in 2021, but only Voice Isolation is available for phone calls, too.

When enabled, Voice Isolation muffles distracting background noises that interrupt your phone call. That way, if you’re on a business call or catching up with friends, you won’t be interrupted by your dog’s barking or construction outside your home.

To enable Voice Isolation, you have to be on a phone call, and you won’t find the feature in Settings. Once you turn Voice Isolation on, it will stay on for all subsequent phone calls until it’s turned off.

Here’s how to activate and disable Voice Isolation for phone calls.

How to enable Voice Isolation

1. Start or answer a phone call.

2. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to access your Control Center.

3. Tap Mic Mode near the top-right corner of your screen.

4. Tap Voice Isolation.

Pro tip: Instead of turning this feature on during a call with someone else, you can call yourself and enable Voice Isolation by following the steps above.

To disable Voice Isolation, follow the same steps above and tap Standard in Mic Mode. This will return your microphone back to its default setting.

What is Wide Spectrum?

Alongside Voice Isolation in Mic Mode is Wide Spectrum. Unlike Voice Isolation — which muffles background sounds — Wide Spectrum amplifies background sounds without affecting your voice.

Wide Spectrum is useful for calls with multiple people on one phone line. That way, everyone can be heard, not just the person holding the phone.

Currently, Wide Spectrum is only available for FaceTime calls, not phone calls. Since the feature is still present in Mic Mode when accessed during a phone call, this feature might become available for phone calls in the future.

For more iOS news, check out my review of iOS 17 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

Samsung unveiled the latest version of its flagship foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, in July. It features a new, gapless hinge and a speedier processor, but it keeps the same $1,800 price tag as last year’s model, the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in the lighter and slimmer design teased by T.M. Roh, the president of Samsung’s mobile division. The Z Fold 5 weighs 253 grams (8.92 ounces), which represents a 10-gram decrease from last year’s Z Fold 4 and an 18-gram decrease from the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

The Z Fold 5 is 13.46 mm thick when folded closed, making it 2.44mm slimmer than its predecessor. Despite Samsung’s progress, the world’s thinnest foldable phone is the Honor V2, made by Huawei’s former subsidiary Honor. The Honor V2 is 9.9mm thick when in phone mode, but that foldable is only available in China.

The key to the Fold 5’s more portable design is what Samsung calls the flex hinge, which allows for a more streamlined construction with fewer moving parts. The new hinge also makes way for both displays to fold completely flat.

Apart from this, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 received a series of incremental improvements such as the newest Snapdragon processor and a brighter internal screen (1,750 nits). It’s the brightest screen on any Z Fold. There’s also support for three SIMs, and the upgraded hinge. For more specifics, check out the details in CNET’s specs chart below for a side-by-side comparison.

Z Fold 5 vs. Z Fold 4 vs. Z Fold 3

	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
Screen	Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz	Cover: 6.2-inch (2,316 x 904; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels)	Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,268 x 832 pixels); internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,208 x 1,768 pixels)
Pixel density	Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 387 ppi, internal: 374 ppi
Size (inches)	Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in; closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in	Open: 6.11 x 5.12 x 0.25 in; closed: 6.11 x 2.64 x 0.62 in	Open: 5.04 x 6.22 x 0.25 mm; Closed: 2.64 x 6.22 x 0.63 in; hinge ~0.57in (sagging)
Size (mm)	Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1 mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46 mm	Open: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm; closed: 155.1 x 67.1 x 15.8 mm	Open:128 x 158 x 6.4 mm; closed:158 x 67 x 16 mm; hinge: ~14.4mm (sagging)
Weight	253 g (8.92 oz)	263 g (9.27 oz)	271 g (9.56 oz)
Operating system at launch	Android 13	Android 12L	Android 11
Cameras	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
Selfie cameras	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (front cover)
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1	Snapdragon 888
RAM, storage	12GB + 256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB +256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB + 256GB/512GB
Battery capacity	4,400 mAh (dual-battery)	4,400 mAh	4,400 mAh
Charging	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Features	5G-enabled, IPX8 water-resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM	5G, 30x space zoom camera, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger)	5G-enabled; Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate (front cover and main display), water-resistance, S Pen support
US price	$1,800 (256GB)	$1,800	$1,800 (256GB); $1,900 (512GB)
UK price	1,749	1,549	1,599 (256GB); 1,699 (512GB)
Australian price	AU$2,559	Converts to AU$2,970	AU$2,499 (256GB); AU$2,649 (512GB)

Sonos is known for its top-notch home theater systems, but the brand can also help you upgrade your on-the-go audio experience. While its speakers are notoriously pricey, rare deals make it a little more affordable to invest in one without breaking the bank.

Right now, the Sonos Roam and the Sonos Roam SL are discounted by up to $46 at Best Buy and Sonos, meaning you can snag one for as little as $119. That’s a discount of 25% in both cases, making now the perfect time to pick up one of these portable mini speakers for yourself. The sale is slated to last through Jan. 6, so you don’t have long to score the reduced prices.

The Sonos Roam is one of our favorite portable mini Bluetooth speakers. It weighs less than a pound and has an ultracompact design for portability, plus it comes equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It’s also rated IP67 water- and dust-proof and delivers a good sound for its size. A full charge will deliver up to 10 hours of playback. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control, and automatically optimizes sound based on your location. This speaker’s main drawback is the hefty price tag of $179 — but right now, you can score the Roam for just $134 at Best Buy, which has price-matched the cost of buying from Sonos directly.

If you don’t need a smart speaker per se and won’t mind going without the voice-control features available on the Roam, you may prefer the cheaper Roam SL. It’s discounted by $41 right now, dropping the price to just $119 at Best Buy — once again price-matching the deal Sonos is offering.

Both companies are sweetening the deal with some freebies when you buy a Roam or Roam SL. Sonos is offering three months of Apple Music to new subscribers, while Best Buy is offering the same Apple Music trial and four months of SiriusXM for new subscribers. Be sure to check out other smart home deals to get all the devices you’ll want for your home.

You would think that charging your iPhone is as simple as plugging it into a power source, and for the most part yeah that’s true — but not always. If you’re in a rush and need your phone to charge as quickly as possible, you need to take certain things into account, like where your phone is being plugged in, what settings are enabled (or disabled) and what kind of charger you’re using.

If not, you might end up with an iPhone that’s barely charged, and before you know it, it’ll die when you need it most.

In the guide below, we’ll show you nine tips and tricks that can help you charge your iPhone as quickly as possible for when you’re in a hurry. Here’s what you need to know.

If you’re on the go and need to charge your iPhone, check out Apple’s MagSafe portable battery pack for the iPhone and this list of the best power banks in 2023.

Stop using that super old charger

The quickest way to charge your iPhone is with a fast charger: a 20-watt power adapter with a USB-C to Lightning cable. As long as you own an iPhone 8 or later, you can fast-charge your phone from dead back up to around 50% battery in about 30 minutes. If you have an hour to spare, you can fully charge it. Even just 10 minutes of fast charging can boost your battery by double digits, so if you’re short on time, always go for the fast charger option.

Apple no longer provides power adapters when you buy a new phone, only the cable, but you can purchase Apple’s 20-watt power adapter from Apple and Amazon. According to Apple, you can also use other compatible fast-charging power bricks, but you’ll need at least a 20-watt brick to fast-charge an iPhone 12 and later.

A wireless charger is good, but this model is the best

The second-fastest way to charge your iPhone is with Apple’s MagSafe charger and a 20-watt power adapter, but for this to work you must own either an iPhone 12 or an iPhone 13 to get the faster 15-watt wireless charging. If your iPhone is dead, you should get to around 30% battery in about 30 minutes of wireless charging.

However, this doesn’t mean you can use any Qi wireless charger, which is the industry standard, for fast charging. While the MagSafe charger supports 15 watts, a Qi charger only gives you up to 7.5 watts — which is much slower than a MagSafe, and only slightly faster than the traditional 5-watt wall charger. Be aware that magnetic wireless chargers that aren’t MagSafe-certified will also charge at the slower 7.5-watt speed.

Please stop using your computer to charge your iPhone

Your laptop might seem like a convenient way to charge your iPhone, especially if you spend most of your day in front of a computer and want to keep a close eye on any incoming text messages and notifications. Unfortunately, your computer will always charge your phone slower than any wall charger or wireless charger.

Your computer’s USB port, whether it’s a bigger and older USB-A or the newer, smaller USB-C, cannot deliver the same amount of power as any wall outlet can — even a 5-watt power adapter. And that’s especially true if you have an older computer with a faulty USB port or an incompatible charging cable, both of which can slow down the charging process further.

Also, keep your hands off your iPhone when it’s charging

If you want your iPhone to charge as quickly as possible, try to stay off of it as much as possible. If you’re streaming videos or playing mobile games while charging your iPhone, the battery will charge much slower, so just leave it untouched if you can.

One easy way to speed up your battery charge

Even if your screen is sleeping, your phone is still working in the background, constantly refreshing applications, sending out notifications and turning your screen on — all of which wastes battery. If you want your iPhone to charge quicker, the best thing to do is to turn it off.

You don’t need to turn your iPhone off to charge it faster

If you don’t want to turn off your iPhone, but still want to help it charge faster, you can turn on airplane mode, which disables all wireless transmission functions like cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — all of which consume power. If they’re off, your iPhone can charge quicker. And this way, you can also quickly turn airplane mode off to quickly check on any text message or phone calls you might be waiting on.

Tweak these iPhone for charging your battery faster

You know all of those tips that help you preserve battery in the first place? You can use those same features and settings to help your iPhone charge faster if you don’t plan on turning it off.

• Low power mode. Turn it on to reduce or affect battery-consuming features like 5G, display brightness, auto-lock, background app refresh, automatic downloads and more.
• Dark mode: The jury is out on exactly how much dark mode actually saves battery life, but turning it on while you’re charging your iPhone doesn’t hurt, especially if every percent matters.
• Lower your screen brightness: The brighter your screen, the quicker your battery drains, so turn it all the way down while it charges.

This iPhone feature might be slowing down your charging

Apple has a built-in tool that helps prevent your iPhone battery from degrading as fast, but this same feature also makes your device charge slower. While the feature typically only slows down your iPhone during long periods of charging, and usually overnight, it still might be worth disabling when you’re charging your phone. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and toggle off Optimized Battery Charging to turn off this feature.

You might just need a new iPhone battery

In the same settings page where you can disable optimized battery charging, you can also check out your battery’s health. If you see a message, like “Your battery’s heath is significantly degraded,” you should look into making an appointment with Apple to replace your battery. A degraded battery doesn’t hold charge as well, so it’ll drain more quickly. A new battery will improve your overall battery life.

You can check out how much it will approximately cost to replace your battery on Apple’s iPhone Battery Service website. The price depends on your service coverage and the make and model: for the iPhone 15 series, the estimate is $99.

Although Chromebooks are used all over the world now, particularly in schools, misconceptions about these web-based tablets and computers still persist. Yes, you can play games on a Chromebook, and yes you can run applications like Microsoft Office

While it’s true that Windows or Mac software can’t be directly installed on a Chromebook — including the desktop versions of Office apps — that’s not the only option when it comes to using Microsoft’s suite of productivity software.

Read more: Best Chromebook 2024

I’m not talking about the Android versions, either. Although Chromebooks can run millions of Android apps from the Google Play store, the Android versions of Microsoft Office, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive are no longer supported on Chromebooks. When the Android apps stopped being supported on Chromebooks, another option (and in my opinion, a better one) took their place.

Progressive web apps are like mobile app versions of a website but with more features, such as offline use, the option to pin them to the taskbar, support for push notifications and updates and access to hardware features. You can find Microsoft Office 365 PWAs like Outlook and OneDrive, and they work great on Chromebooks. Here’s where to find them and install them so you can still use Office on a Chromebook.

Sign in to Office 365

Open the Chrome browser and go to Office.com, which is the landing page for Microsoft Office 365 online. If you already have an Office 365 account, sign in as you normally would. If you don’t have an Office account, you’ll need to create one. You can use any personal email you want for the account, and setting it up is a straightforward process: put in your email, set up a password, verify your email and prove you’re not a robot.

Install the Office 365 PWA

Once you’re signed in to Office 365 in Chrome, an Install icon will appear at the top right of the address bar. It looks like a computer monitor with a downward pointing arrow. Click on it and it will pop open a prompt to install Office 365. If you only want a single app like Word or Outlook, the same install option in the address bar will appear when you point the browser to the specific apps.

The installation happens fast. In a matter of moments, a window opens that looks exactly like the online version of Office 365. It is essentially a browser window but with the features of Microsoft Office mobile apps.

Read more: Best USB-C Hub 2023

Ready to work

Since the PWA behaves like installed software, you can do things like pin it to the taskbar, get notifications, work offline and easily resize it. The rest of the experience is the same as using the web versions. I actually prefer the PWA versions to the full Office downloads for most things.

If after using the PWAs you’re missing the look, feel and tools of the desktop software, you still can’t install them directly on the Chromebook. You do have other options to run Windows software on a Chromebook.

If you found an Apple Watch under the tree this Christmas, the next thing you need to do buy a bunch of Apple Watch bands to customize it with. The interchangeable bands are one of the best features of the Apple Watch, allowing you to change up the look and feel whenever you wish. And right now you can snag official Apple bands with as much as 50% off regular prices at both Verizon and Amazon.

Apple Watch Ultra owners can grab a 49mm Alpine Loop band on sale to go with it at 50% off, dropping it down to $50 at Verizon. These bands also work with 44mm and 45mm Apple Watch models, so you can use them with larger Series 9 devices and older models, too.

Prefer the Sport Band? Verizon has select colors on sale from just $25, down from $49, and Amazon has dropped prices as low as $21 on the special Black Unity and Pride Edition bands.

In the market for an upgrade on the Apple Watch itself? Be sure to check out our guide to the best Apple Watch deals for the best prices around.