Apple released iOS 16.4.1 on Friday, a little more than two weeks after the release of iOS 16.4. The latest update brings security fixes and bug patches to issues that might be actively exploited on your iPhone. The update also fixes a few problems with iPhone features that some users might have experienced, like Siri not responding to requests.
You can download the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update and tapping Download and Install.
Here’s what you’ll get in the update and why you should download it.
Security fixes and bug patches
The most important things in the latest update are patches for two security issues that Apple said might be actively exploited.
Apple said in one instance, an app could execute arbitrary code kernel privileges. According to MalwareBytes, kernel privileges are a serious issue since they offer greater access than administrative privileges. That means someone could access your personal files, load their own malicious code or programs onto your device or alter your system however they want.
The other fix applies to a WebKit issue where some malicious web content may lead to a code execution. According to Okta, this is a form of hacking that can be used to execute commands on your device without your knowledge. It can be used to load a virus, alter software and cause other issues on your device.
Both of these issues can be exploited, compromising your iPhone and your personal information. However, iOS 16.4.1 should fix both issues and protect you and your device.
Siri and emoji fixes
The iOS 16.4.1 update also fixes two issues users have run into: Siri not responding to requests, and the new pushing hands emoji not showing various skin tones.
Here are Apple’s release notes for iOS 16.4.1:
This update provides important bug fixes and security updates for your iPhone including:
Pushing hands emoji does not show skin tone variations
Siri does not respond in some cases
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
You should be asleep, but instead you’re scrolling through your iPhone in the middle of the night. The display is a bit too bright, so you go to lower the brightness — only to realize that it’s already at the lowest setting possible. If you continue using your phone like this, you could strain your eyes, potentially causing headaches and making it harder for you to fall asleep. And that’s not good.
Fortunately, there are a few iOS features that can help you lower your screen’s brightness more than the standard settings allow.
In this guide, we’ll touch on some built-in features that can darken your screen like you didn’t think possible. No more straining your eyes or disturbing others with your incredibly bright iPhone display.
Before we get started, it’s important to note that you probably shouldn’t use all these features together, so experiment with a combination that works for you and the lighting in your environment.
This tempered glass screen protector, designed for the iPhone 14 and older models, protects your display from cracks, scratches and dust. And the screen protector is coated with a special filter that allows light to pass through only from certain angles, to protect your privacy.
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1. Enable Night Shift to make your display warmer
The Night Shift feature automatically adjusts your display — using your phone’s internal clock and geolocation — to warmer colors that are easier on your eyes. Every morning, the display returns to its regular settings. You can turn it on in your Settings or via the Control Center.
Method 1: Settings
Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. From here, you can either schedule the feature at a certain time or enable it for the entire day and have it disable in the morning. You can also adjust the color temperature by using the slider at the bottom of the page — you can choose between less warm and more warm.
Method 2: Control Center
Swipe down from the top-right to access the Control Center. Then press and hold the Brightness icon and tap the Night Shift button to turn it on and off.
You can access Night Shift from your settings or the Control Center.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
2. Reduce white point to bring down intensity of bright colors
You can also reduce the white point on your iPhone to adjust how intensely colors show up on your screen. Bright colors are especially illuminated at night time, so try this setting to dull them a bit.
In Settings, go to Accessibility >Display & TextSize and toggle on Reduce White Point. A marker will appear under the setting, which you can use to adjust the intensity of bright colors to your liking.
This adjusts the intensity of bright colors on your display.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
3. Use Zoom to add low light filter
If you’re only interested in dropping the brightness, and don’t want warmer colors or less intense colors, there is a way to lower just the display brightness. Using the Zoom accessibility feature, you can add a low light filter over your display to make it darker than usual.
Launch the Settings application and go to Accessibility > Zoom and make sure that the Low Light option is chosen under Zoom Filter. If you’d like, you can toggle on the Zoom feature here, but the easier way is to triple-click the side button from anywhere on your phone to use Zoom.
When Zoom is enabled, your phone will automatically add the low light filter to your display, making it darker, even if your brightness is already at its lowest. A small floating circle will appear on your screen, indicating that Zoom is currently turned on. If you tap the controller, you can hide it. To disable Zoom, simply triple-click on the side button again.
The easiest way to enable the low light filter is to quickly triple-click the side button.
Millions of people use mobile payment apps like PayPal’s Venmo and Square’s Cash App everyday to transfer money directly from their bank accounts to friends, family and merchants. These platforms offer convenience, but they aren’t without security risks, due in part to their combination of finance and social media. Users can also be targets for hackers looking to drain financial accounts.
But don’t worry — there are plenty of ways for you to secure your Venmo and Cash App accounts with a few simple settings changes and privacy best practices. Here’s what to do.
Basic tips for protecting your privacy on Venmo and Cash App
Both payment apps use encryption and fraud detection technology to protect account information. But to better ensure your security, you should take a few extra steps.
Use a randomly generated password
We know — you’re tired of hearing about how you need to use unique, hard-to-guess passwords for every account. But it’s still true, especially when your money’s involved. One easy way to do this is to use a password manager. Our favorites — including LastPass
, 1Password and Bitwarden — offer a free tier of service with all of the basics: password storage, strong and secure password generation and autofill capabilities.
A password manager can help keep your Venmo and Cash App accounts secure.
Angela Lang/CNET
Beware of common scams
Criminals target users of apps like Venmo and PayPal in all kinds of clever ways. There have been reports of hackers posing as Venmo and Cash App support staff, calling or texting users, “helping” them change their passwords and then draining the accounts.
Scammer landlords have asked prospective renters for a deposit before offering apartment tours. Scammer pet owners have used a similar bait-and-switch, offering purebred animals at extremely low prices, asking for advance payment and then disappearing. Cash App’s support page is full of these types of calamities.
“Nobody at Venmo will ever contact you to request a password or verification code to your account,” according to the app’s security support page. The same is true for Cash App.
Don’t use banking apps on public Wi-Fi (or invest in a VPN)
When you log into a financial app on any public Wi-Fi network — at a hotel, airport or coffee shop, for example — it can give malicious actors an opportunity to break into your account. It’s happened on cash-sharing apps before.
Using a VPN while on public Wi-Fi is a good way to protect yourself while using any app related to finance.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Don’t send money to strangers
Avoid sending payments to people you don’t know and trust through Venmo and Cash App. Neither app is currently optimized for buying or selling goods or services, though Venmo is working on a business profiles feature to make retail and commercial sales more secure. If you’re a vendor considering using Cash App, you’re better off creating a business account through Square Payments.
This is an absolute must. When you create a Venmo account, by default all of your transactions are public — which means anyone on the internet can see exactly what you’re sending, and to whom. This public record has been used to figure out everything from who won The Bachelor before a season aired to an alleged political sex trafficking investigation.
Making all of your transactions private by default is extremely easy. Open the Venmo app, and tap the three lines in the upper right corner for the menu. Tap Settings > Privacy, and under Default Privacy Setting, tap Private. Now all of your future payments will only be visible to you and the recipient.
You can also change the privacy settings for past transactions. On the same Privacy page, under more, tap Past Transactions. You’ll see the option to Change to Friends, or Change All to Private.
If you don’t make your Venmo transactions private, anyone can see them.
Venmo
Enable two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication is a solid way to add another layer of security to your account. When you sign in on a new device, Venmo will send a code to the phone number registered with your account, that you’ll need to enter correctly to access your account.
To enable two-factor authentication on Venmo, open the app and tap the three lines in the upper right corner for the menu. Tap Settings, and under security, tap Remembered Devices. You’ll see the device you’re currently using, and possibly others you’ve used in the past. When you sign on with any of the devices on your list, you won’t need to enter a verification code. To remove any of the devices, swipe left and tap Delete. If you want to enable two-factor authentication on all devices, you can delete them all from this list.
On Cash App, every time you sign into your account on a new device, you’ll be sent a one-time login code. The app recommends adding two-factor authentication to your email account associated with the app for better protection.
Set up a pin or turn on Face ID
Enabling Face ID or a pin adds more security to your account when opening the app or making a transaction.
On Venmo, you can set this up so that every time you open the app, you’ll need to enter either your Face ID (or fingerprint scan depending on device) or your pin. To get started, tap the three lines in the upper right corner for the menu. Tap Settings, and under security, tap Face ID & PIN. Tap the toggle to Enable Face ID & PIN. The app will prompt you to enter a new passcode, and, if you’re on an iPhone, you’ll get a pop up notification asking if you’d like to allow Venmo to use Face ID to unlock your account. Tap OK. If you’re on an Android phone, it may say PIN code & biometric unlock.
On Cash App, you can set up a security lock that requires your Face ID, Touch ID or a pin to transfer funds. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Tap Privacy & Security, and under Security, toggle on Security Lock. The app will prompt you to enter a pin, and then enter your email address to confirm your selection with a code.
Setting up a pin or biometric login can help secure your accounts.
Brett Pearce/CNET
Turn on payment send notifications
Get alerted to any unauthorized activity on your Venmo or Cash App accounts by turning on notifications.
On Venmo, go to Settings > Notifications. Choose from push, text or email notifications. Under Push notifications, you can toggle on and off notifications for bank transfers, payment received, payment sent and lots more. Turning on at least the payment sent notification is a good way to get an immediate alert of anyone else sending money through your account.
On Cash App, tap your profile icon, and tap Notifications. Tap to turn on push notifications by text or email.
Link a credit card instead of your bank account
Though you can add a checking or savings account to Venmo, it’s more secure to link it to a credit card. Though you’ll be subject to a 3% transaction fee, credit cards typically have much stronger theft and fraud protection than a conventional bank account.
To change your payment method on Venmo, go to Settings > Payment methods, and tap Add bank or card. Then tap Card, and enter your credit card information.
On Cash App, you need to enter your bank account information before entering a credit card. However, you can sign up for a free Cash Card debit card so you can use funds people send you through the app on the card.
Thinking of spring cleaning? Whether you’re finally cleaning up the junk drawer or upgrading your tech, don’t condemn your old device to your in-home gadget graveyard — or worse, the garbage. We all hang onto outdated tech for our own reasons, but there are also multiple ways to repurpose old devices for your smart home, using them as security cameras and more.
Whatever the tech, when it’s finally time to say goodbye, there’s a right way to dispose of your old gadgets — and there are a lot of wrong ways. We’ll show you which is which.
What to do before you get rid of a device
When you’re finished with a gadget, make sure it’s also finished with you. Make sure to back up anything you want off the device — photos, videos, songs — and then perform a factory reset. Here are a few CNET articles to help clarify the finer points of wiping a device:
Here are the best places here in the US to recycle, repurpose or give new life to your old technology.
How to recycle smartphones
Smartphone Recycling lets you print a free FedEx shipping label or request a recycling kit. Ship your old smartphone and you might even get paid, depending on the device’s condition and age. Smartphone Recycling accepts devices in bulk, so you have to ship a minimum of 10. Depending on how long you’ve been hoarding phones, you might meet this quota on your own. If not, check with friends and family and make it a group effort.
If you succumbed to the siren song of the newest gadget, even if your current device wasn’t on its last leg, we’re not here to judge.
Woot/Screenshot by CNET
What you can recycle: Smartphone Recycling accepts smartphones, cell phones, MacBooks, tablets, iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple Watches, as well as batteries attached or installed in devices.
Best Buy
Best Buy accepts a wide range of tech products and generally takes three items per house per day. Specifics may vary depending on where you live, but you can check with the state-specific recycling information dropdown menu on the site.
What you can recycle: Best Buy can take TVs, cables and chargers, media players, projectors, laptops, hard drives, webcams, cellphones, calculators, radios, landlines, headsets, vacuums, fans, ink and toner cartridges, alarm clocks, speaker systems, e-readers, video game consoles, memory cards, camcorders, digital cameras, GPS devices and more.
If you don’t want to recycle your tablet, there are places to donate technology.
What you can recycle: Staples can recycle accessories, adapters, cables, computers, cordless and mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, routers, tablets, webcams, ink and toner and other office tech items.
Home Depot
Home Depot has an explainer on its website about how to safely dispose of dead batteries, old paint, electronics and other items, as well as tips for upcycling and repurposing. According to RecycleStuff.org, the services are drop-off only for residential customers.
What you can recycle: According to RecycleStuff.org, Home Depot accepts household alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V), lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, rechargeable household batteries, cell phones and LED light bulbs.
US Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA doesn’t handle recycling and drop-offs the same way other businesses do, but it does have a handy guide that makes it easier to get the information you need. The EPA’s directory breaks down donation and recycling by electronic device, company name, logo and any additional details.
What you can recycle: Again, the EPA’s directory links you out to specific companies and their policies, but according to the list, you can recycle and donate mobile devices, PCs and TVs as well as imaging equipment and supplies.
The Electronics Take-back Coalition doesn’t handle the recycling, but it can direct you to the proper resource for your needs.
What you can recycle: Depending on the company, you can find places to turn in iPhones, iPads, smartphones, monitors, computers, printers, keyboards, mice, DVD and VHS players, cameras, TVs and more.
Your laptop can be recycled, donated or repurposed. We’ll tell you where to look.
Josh Goldman/CNET
EcoATM
EcoATM gives you a price estimate for your old phone that you can lock in on the mobile app using your old device’s IMEI number. EcoATM will ask a few questions about your device like brand, model, memory, carrier and condition before generating a quote. From there, you can visit one of the organization’s kiosks, located at stores like Kroger, Walmart and Dollar General.
What you can recycle: EcoATM can help with iPhones, Samsung smartphones, tablets and MP3 players, Google Pixel phones, LG phones and tablets, Motorola phones and ZTE phones. You can also recycle chargers and cellular accessories like cases, but you won’t be paid for them.
Earth911
Earth911 lets you search by device and ZIP code to find appropriate nearby locations to turn in old phones. When you visit the organization’s website, click Where to Recycle at the top of the page to get started. Earth911 works with well-known businesses like Lowe’s and Target, as well as local waste and recycling centers.
What you can recycle: Earth911 helps you find locations to recycle, but it will also note the materials the location accepts, whether it allows drop-off or pickup for residential or businesses, as well as any additional information.
Recycling for Charities
Recycling for Charities accepts technology donations, but gives a percentage of the device’s value to the charity of your choosing. Scroll through a directory of charities, select one, enter the required information and click donate. Charities receive anywhere between 25 cents and $100 from your items.
What you can recycle: Wireless cell phones and corresponding batteries, iPhones, wireless pagers, digital cameras, iPods, PDAs and Palm Pilots.
Call2Recycle
Call2Recycle is a battery-focused recycling program. The organization offers drop-off options at locations like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Staples, as well as shipment boxes for batteries and cell phones. Drop-offs are free, but recycling kits and shipment boxes cost between $45 and $115, depending on the size.
What you can recycle: Rechargeable batteries like Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, Lithium Ion, Nickel Zinc and Small Sealed Lead Acid weighing up to 11 pounds. Call2Recycle also accepts single-use batteries like AA, AAA, 9V, C, D and button cell batteries weighing up to 11 pounds. The organization also accepts cell phones and their corresponding batteries regardless of size, make, model or age.
With the weather getting warmer, are you planning a vacation overseas? Or are you temporarily outside your home country for any other reason? If you’re hoping to watch your favorite Netflix content while away from home, you may find it isn’t available where you’re traveling.
This can be frustrating, especially when you’re a paying Netflix subscriber. But, due to licensing agreements with copyright holders, Netflix can only show certain content in certain countries. This means that when you’re outside your home country, you may be blocked from watching the shows and movies you want to see.
With the help of a virtual private network, you can watch all the Netflix content you want, from wherever you are in the world. Using Netflix with a VPN can make it look like you’re at home even when you’re traveling overseas. Here’s how to do it, with one caveat.
While Netflix does make certain efforts to block VPN use on its platform, the streaming provider doesn’t appear to be aggressively blocking limited VPN use. Regardless, you should always consider Netflix’s terms of use, because terms can change at any time and the company can terminate your account if it detects abuse. We don’t encourage people to violate their user agreements.
Can I watch Netflix internationally with a VPN?
Yes, you can — in four simple steps:
Subscribe to a VPN service. Not all VPNs will be up to the task of unblocking Netflix, but a top VPN service like ExpressVPN or Surfshark should be able to consistently unblock it while you’re traveling abroad. Before you subscribe, however, make sure that VPN use is legal in the country you’re traveling to.
Download the VPN software to your computer or device. The download and installation process will be just like downloading any other app.
Connect to a VPN server in your home country. If you’re from the US and want to access your home Netflix catalog from overseas, you’ll need to connect to a server located in the US. If you’re from the UK, then connect to a server in the UK to access that catalog — and so on down the line, for any country from which Netflix offers service. Simply click on the corresponding country in your VPN app to connect to a server located in that country and you’re good to go
Launch Netflix. Head over to Netflix on your computer or device as you normally would and you should be able to watch all the titles you’re used to watching at home. If you’re having issues or are getting an error message, try connecting to a different server from your country or contact your VPN provider’s customer support.
How does this work?
This works because, when you connect to a VPN server, your IP address changes to the address of the VPN server you’re connecting through. Your real IP address and physical location are hidden from Netflix in the process. Netflix, for all intents and purposes, will therefore register your location as the location of the VPN server you’re connecting through and will deliver the content it makes available in that country.
We can’t guarantee that it will work for you 100% of the time, though, because Netflix does its best to block known VPN IP addresses and uses other methods to preclude its customers from using VPNs to unblock geographically restricted content on its site. But most mainstream VPNs — especially our top picks — are usually reliably capable of providing access to Netflix.
In any case, remember to only try this in geographic regions where Netflix offers its service and, as per the company’s Terms of Use, “have licensed such content.”
Also, keep in mind that while it isn’t necessarily illegal to use a VPN to thwart geo-blocking (unless using a VPN is illegal in your country), Netflix could still potentially suspend or terminate your account if it determines you’ve violated its terms of service. So proceed at your own risk. That said, we haven’t heard of any reports of people’s accounts being terminated for using a VPN to unblock Netflix content.
Now playing:Watch this:VPN explained: A privacy primer — with robots and race…
Garmin is a trusted brand in tech for workout and sports enthusiasts, but that level of quality often comes with a premium price to match. If you’re looking for deals on Garmin products like smartwatches, dash cams, GPS navigators and other gear, Woot has a number of factory-refurbished options available for less than you’d pay for brand-new items. That means these products have been returned, inspected and restored to fully working condition, making them as close to new as you can get without actually being new. These offers are only available today, April 7, while supplies last.
Exercise enthusiasts looking for more than just a tracker can grab the updated version of one of our favorite smartwatches for 2023, Garmin’s Venu 2 Plus. The original Venu 2 won a CNET Editors’ Choice Award in 2021 and the Venu 2 Plus won an Editors’ Choice Award in 2022. This smartwatch works with both Android and iOS devices, making it a great choice for just about anyone. Plus, it has an AMOLED display, offers activity tracking and gives you insight into other health data. It also has speaker and microphone support (unlike other models) and gets up to eight days of battery life per charge. Originally $450, Woot has gray, black and ivory variations on sale for just $300.
Another solid option is the Fenix 6 smartwatch, which is also available for just $300 right now. While it’s not the newest model in the Fenix line, it’s a decent smartwatch with GPS, fitness and sleep tracking. It has a 1.3-inch display and includes convenient features like Garmin pay for contactless payments and also sports solar-charging capabilities, which can extend the battery life as you’re enjoying the outdoors. You can also grab the 6X Pro edition for $30 more.
Dash cams are also a good investment, because they can record your adventures or collect evidence if you ever encounter road hazards or get into an accident while traveling. There are a couple of dash cams available in this sale, starting as low as $110.
Cyclists can score Garmin’s Edge 130 Plus GPS bike computer for just $100, or splurge on the Edge 830 for $280. These devices can track your distance, offer training guidance and record other data that can offer you insights on your performance. And golf enthusiasts can snag savings on a couple of items, too. The Approach Z82 GPS laser range finder, which is down to $400 — a $200 savings on the regular list price of a brand-new version. And the Approach S12 golf watch — which comes preloaded with over 42,000 golf courses worldwide — is just $110 at Woot. That’s a $90 savings over the current price at Garmin.
There are a ton of other options available, and each product comes with a warranty, just in case — so be sure to shop the entire sale selection at Woot and cash in on these deals before they’re gone.
Monitor fitness goals without breaking the bank.
We’ll help you find the best deal on your next smartwatch or fitness tracker.
T-Mobilesaid Thursday that it’ll continue to offer its customers free MLB.TV subscriptions through 2028 as part of the company’s latest deal with Major League Baseball. T-Mobile wrote that this deal has been its most popular offer for the past eight years.
Plans for MLB.TV start at around $150 a year. The service gives customers access to livestreams for out-of-market home games and away games. Customers get access to pre- and postgame shows, and they can pause and rewind games.
CNET’s Matt Elliott found MLB.TV’s blackout restrictions frustrating, but out-of-market baseball fans can still find plenty to enjoy about the streaming service.
Though MLB.TV is a nice perk for T-Mobile customers, the nation’s second-largest wireless carrier disclosed earlier this year that data from 37 million of its customers was stolen in a breach. The hack was the fifth data breach in five years, raising concern over the carrier’s security.
T-Mobile on Thursday also said that it’ll test an automated ball system at some Minor League games using the carrier’s 5G network. The carrier will continue its T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant Program, too.
Apple Watches monitor activity and biorhythms using sensors on the smartwatch’s underside that press against a user’s wrist. But future versions of Apple’s wearable could use sensors in the watch band to track hand gestures too, a new patent suggests.
When an Apple Watch wearer makes a hand gesture, muscles and tendons in the wrist shift, sending electrical signals that could be tracked by electrodes threaded through the watch band, the patent proposes. Figures show the range of movement such a band could track, including palm up and down, rotating the wrist clockwise or counterclockwise, and lateral motions (like when waving).
Apple Watches already have accessibility features that allow users to control their watches by pinching a thumb and finger or clenching their fist, as pointed out by AppleInsider, which reported earlier on the new patent. Increasing gesture recognition capability could expand accessibility in general.
Having more ways to track body movement could lead to improvements in fitness and health monitoring, too, by using your flexed arm position for more precise workout measurements. If the gesture detection is sensitive enough, it could lead Apple to find ways for its wearables to control other devices, whether to play games or navigate around Apple TV menus.
That’s far in the future, when — or if — such a sensor-laden wristband ever makes it to production. While Apple has been able to include more sensors and harness existing ones in its smartwatches to track more metrics like blood oxygen level and skin temperature, it remains to be seen whether they can make a flexible band that can add more bio-tracking to the Apple Watch’s body-monitoring arsenal. We’re still years away from getting smart wearables that function well enough to replace our existing wardrobes.
