The Kindle has become the default e-reader for many bookworms, and I get it. I've used Kindles for well over a decade, and I've enjoyed using my latest Paperwhite quite a bit. It helped me read more than 30 books last year, so I'm not complaining.

The basic Kindle setup is okay, but if you learn your way around the device's gestures, hidden features, and additional services, you can really get a lot out of this unassuming reading device.

Kindle Gestures that you really should know

There’s only one button on the Kindle. Everything else happens using touch. And like every touchscreen device, there are countless gestures you need to know to use the device. The most obvious ones are for the page turns. You can swipe or tap right to go to the next page and swipe or tap left for the previous one. If you have a Paperwhite Signature Edition, you can also double tap on the back or sides of the device to move to the next page.

Tap on the top of the Kindle to bring up the toolbar, where you can go back to the Home screen, change the settings, view the table of contents, and more.

If you tap the bottom left corner, you can cycle between different stats like reading progress, page number, time left in chapter, and more. Oh, and if you want to quickly change the font size, just pinch in or out to zoom in on the text (like you would zoom into images on your phone).

Want to take a screenshot of what’s on your Kindle screen? Tap any two opposite corners of the screen together (top-right and bottom-left or top-left and bottom-right). The screen will flash for a second, and the image will be saved as a PNG in the root directory. Connect your Kindle to your Mac or PC to retrieve the image file.

Easily navigate between chapters

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

The Kindle isn’t the easiest device to navigate, especially when you’re reading a book where you need to jump between different chapters. Here, again, a hidden gesture can help. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up a new Page Flip mode. You’ll see a slider at the bottom, which you can use to move forward and back. There are buttons to jump to the next chapter as well (I use this all the time).

Switch to dark mode and schedule warm light

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If you love reading in bed, you’ll want to enable dark mode. Pull down from the top edge to bring up the quick settings panel. Here, tap the Dark Mode button to quickly invert the colors. You’ll now read white text on a black background. While you’re here, also check out the Warm Light settings (if you have a Kindle Paperwhite, Oasis, or Scribe). Use the slider to increase the warmth of the screen, making it more amber-toned.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

This is especially useful for reading in the evenings or at night, but I like it so much I keep it enabled at all times. You can also set your color temperature to change on a schedule, so that the display slowly warms up in the evening hours. Do this under Settings > Device Options > Display Settings > Schedule.

Lock your Kindle

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Not everyone needs to know what’s on your Kindle, right? If you read a lot in school, or public areas, you can lock down your Kindle using an optional setting. Go to Settings > Device Options > Security and Privacy > Device PIN. You can then set a numeric unlock code up to 12 digits long, but it might be easier to stick to a four or six-digit code.

Send documents and books to Kindle wirelessly

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Reading on your Kindle doesn’t need to be limited to books you buy from the Kindle store. In fact, you can send any PDF or DRM-free ebook to your Kindle, and wirelessly. I have previously outlined multiple methods for doing this, ranging from using an email address, to using the Kindle app. But the one I keep coming back to is Amazon’s own Send to Kindle website. Open it on any browser, sign in with your account, drag and drop a document in a supported format (.DOC, .DOCX, .HTML, .TXT, .PDF and .EPUB), and send it off. Once you sync your Kindle using Wi-Fi, these documents will be available to read on it, just like that.

Show your book covers as screensavers

Credit: Amazon

Every time I set up a new Kindle, I’m surprised that this is a feature that I still need to enable manually. By default, Kindles shows a couple of images as screensavers when turned off. That's because of the e-ink display, which lets them show a static image without using power. These default screensavers, though, are boring. You can make this feature much more interesting (and useful) by showing the cover of the book you were last reading as the screensaver instead. Go to Settings > Device Options and enable the Display Cover feature.

Read long articles on Kindle

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Kindle’s built-in browser is pretty barebones and laggy, but you can still read long articles on it. For a smoother experience, though, you can wirelessly send articles to your Kindle, where they’ll show up in form of books, devoid of ads, formatting, and images.

The simplest way to do this is by using Amazon’s Send to Kindle Chrome extension. Visit a page, trigger the extension, and send it off to your e-reader.

If you don’t use Chrome, you can also use a dedicated service like Push to Kindle to send articles to your Kindle. You can send up to 10 articles a month for free, and a $2.99/month plan unlocks all limits.

Export your highlights and notes

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

If you’re using your Kindle to research or read non-fiction books for school or work, you’ll end up with a lot of highlights. Those highlights, just sitting in your Kindle, aren’t that useful. Amazon has a dedicated website that lists all the highlights from all the books you’ve purchased via the Kindle Store, but it's not your only option.

Personally, I prefer Clippings, which also works for content not bought from the Kindle Store. With it, you can import all the highlights and notes from your Kindle books and personal documents using a browser extension. You can view and organize all your notes from your browser, too, but if you want to export them to a document, you’ll need to pay for a $1.99/month Professional plan.

Borrow books to read from your local library, for free

There are many places where you can rent and borrow books to read legally and for free. The most popular option is using the Libby app from Overdrive, which loans you books via your library card or student ID. In the Libby app, go to Shelf > Loans > Read With... > Kindle. Here, sign in with your Amazon account and verify your Kindle device. Then, tap Get Library Book. Voila, an ebook from your local library will instantly show up on your Kindle device.

De-Amazon your Kindle

Lastly, you can take inspiration from my colleague Pranay, who uses his Kindle without any Amazon services. You can set up a Kindle without an Amazon account and use it as a perfectly good e-reader. You can buy DRM-free books online from various sources and transfer them to your Kindle simply by transferring the ebook files to your Kindle storage or using the Send to Kindle feature I talked about above.

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The ANC headphones from Sony and Bose are great, but they look like gadgets, not music gear. Luckily, Marshall is offering these Monitor III ANC earbuds, which offer a cool retro look. And right now, they're available for the lowest price ever, at $279.99 (down from $379.99), beating the heavyweights from Sony and Bose on price.

Marshall Monitor III Headphones

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These Monitor III headphones feature the iconic Marshall script logo, a retro brass control knob (instead of touch buttons), and a textured black vinyl finish that mimics Marshall guitar amps.

Other than the looks, the most impressive part is the battery life. These will last you for 70 hours of ANC playback (and 100 hours without ANC). That is a staggering number; for comparison, the Sony XM6 gets you 30-40 hours of playback per charge. The headphones are also collapsible, folding into a small ball. They come with a hard-shell travel case and are pretty lightweight, too, at 250 grams. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack here, but the box does include a USB-C to 3.5mm cable for wired listening.

They feature the signature Marshall sound, warm and punchy. They are tuned for listening to rock, heavy metal and guitar-heavy music, and offer a more fun sound profile compared to Sony or Bose, which can sound a bit more flat or balanced.

In its review, PCMag gave the Monitor IIIs a 4.0 star rating, noting that they deliver a "pleasing audio signature, a comfortable fit with intuitive controls, easy portability, and excellent battery life."

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I really adore my Series 10 Apple Watch. But if I hadn't upgraded last year, I would have gone for the Series 11, just for the extra battery life upgrade. I usually like to wait for discounts before upgrading, though, and if you're like me, Amazon has some good news: While the Series 11 only came out four months ago, it's already down to its lowest price ever. You can get the 42mm Series 11 model for $299 (down from $399) and the 46mm Series 11 model for $329 (down from $429). That's a discount of $100 across the board.

Apple Watch Series 11 GPS 42mm Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L

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The Series 10 was the one with the big redesign, but the Series 11 upgrade is about the smaller, quality-of-life upgrades, the chief of which is the battery life. For the first time in 10 years, the Apple Watch's battery life jumped from 18 hours to 24 hours. I already use some tweaks to make my Series 10 last for two days, so the Series 11 model will go even further still.

The screen is brighter at 2,000 nits peak brightness, and Apple now uses a Ion-X glass for better wide-angle viewing. It's also twice as scratch-resistant as before, IP6X dust resistant, and swim-proof (WR50). And if you plan to go for the cellular mode, you also get 5G for the first time in an Apple Watch. There are also new software features like background hypertension notifications, and a new Sleep Score (though they're available on the older models as well).

Overall, the Series 11 makes for a solid upgrade if you're using an Apple Watch Series 7 or 8. PCMag gave the Apple Watch Series 11 a 4.5 star "Outstanding" rating, and an Editor's Choice award. PCMag notes that "while the watch's design and sensors haven’t changed much this generation, they remain at the head of the class. With top-notch lifestyle and health features, excellent performance, and almost two days of power on a charge, the Series 11 earns our Editors’ Choice award, making it the best Apple Watch for most iPhone users."

I'm someone who routinely switches between Mac and Windows. It's a hazard of being a tech writer. But the thing is, I'm so used to the user friendliness in macOS that whenever I shift to Windows mode, there are some hiccups. Windows tends to throw up walls where there really shouldn't be any. I used to just white-knuckle through it, but that was before I fully embraced PowerToys.

PowerToys is a collection of utilities made by Microsoft itself. It's free to download on GitHub, or a myriad of other places, and unlike with Windows 11, Microsoft actually adds useful and interesting features to it every couple of weeks. You can download and install PowerToys from the GitHub page, the Microsoft Store, or using Windows Package Manager.

Here are a few of PowerToys utilities that have become a must for me (after installing the app, you really should browse all that it offers to see what strikes your fancy). If you took them away, I wouldn't be sure how to use my Windows PC anymore—this thing should really come pre-installed.

Command Palette

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

These days, Windows Search can come across a little heavy and bloated, just like the Start menu. While it’s fine for opening apps once in a while, I can’t really use it for anything more than that. Plus, I’m a macOS user, so I’m used to Spotlight Search’s lightning-fast keyboard launcher. While you can use third-party keyboard launchers on Windows now (Raycast being the latest addition), my favorite option is actually Microsoft’s own keyboard launcher, the Command Palette that’s included in PowerToys.

Like Spotlight Search, it’s light and fast, and you can assign any shortcut to it. I use it to quickly launch apps, search for files, and even search for open windows. Command Palette even has a really helpful Bookmarks feature that I use a lot. I’ve created bookmarks for quickly opening frequently used folders like Downloads and Screenshots, and even websites. A Bookmark can be triggered by searching for a keyword, or through its own dedicated keyboard shortcut (I’ve set one up for my Downloads folder, which is really handy). For more, I’ve got a detailed guide on setting up Command Palette that you should check out.

Light Switch

Credit: Microsoft

It's mind-boggling that Windows 11 still does not have an automatic dark mode. Over the years, Windows 11's dark theme has slowly expanded to cover all the apps you care about. But there's no easy way to toggle it on, and there's no way to automatically turn it on in evening, or on a schedule.

So, of course, there's a PowerToys utility for that. The recently added Light Switch utility lets you create a global custom keyboard shortcut for turning on the dark theme. For the Schedule section in the Light Switch utility, you can set up an automated schedule based on fixed hours, or using the local sunset time, which is how I use it.

Peek

Credit: Microsoft

I shuffle between macOS and Windows 11 all the time, and there are some creature comforts in macOS that I now have a hard time living without. One of them is the ability to quickly preview any file in Finder by pressing the Space button. There is no such option in Windows, and until now, you needed a third-party app to enable it, which wasn't always reliable. Now, Microsoft has included a similar feature in PowerToys' Peek utility. Once enabled, you can press the Space bar after selecting any file to preview it. You can then use the arrow keys to navigate to other files in the folder as well. Press Enter to open the file in the default app.

Text Extractor

Windows has a built-in OCR (or text extractor) feature for images that can be accessed via the Snipping Tool. But it's really slow. When I'm in a pinch and I need to copy text from an image, I prefer to use the Text Extractor utility in PowerToys instead. It's much faster. Use the dedicated shortcut Windows + Shift + T to see an overlay on the screen. Use the mouse to highlight the area that you want to transcribe. Once you let go of the cursor, the text will be saved to your clipboard automatically.

Image Resizer

Credit: Microsoft

This is one of those PowerToys utilities that really should be a default Windows 11 feature by now. Resizing an image, or a batch of them, is something that I need to do often, as someone who writes online for a living. But you might need it too, from time to time, to compress or resize images for an online upload, or a presentation. Instead of opening a heavy image editing program and manually resizing images one by one, use this plugin instead.

Once enabled, it will show up in the right-click menu in File Explorer. Select one or multiple images, click Resize with Image Resizer, choose one of the size presets (you can add more presets from the PowerToys app) or create a custom resolution, click the Resize button, and that's it.

Awake

I can't imagine using Windows without PowerToys' Awake utility. It adds a handy little tray icon that I can click to keep my PC awake longer than the default sleep settings would allow for. I have a custom-built PC with a big honking power supply, so I take my auto-sleep settings quite seriously. But there are times when I'm downloading a large file in the background, or I have a long AI task running, when I want the PC to stay on. That's where the Awake utility really helps. You can choose to keep your PC awake indefinitely, or for 30 minutes, 1 hour, or any custom duration.

FancyZones

Credit: Microsoft

The built-in window management in Windows is quite impressive in its own right, but it falls short for my workflow. I usually like working with my text editor, a browser, and Slack open at all times. Because I have a large monitor, I have my writing app and Slack on one side and a browser on another. But it can take me a while to get everything set up. This is where FancyZones really helps. I can create custom zones for each app I use that helps me puts them where I want them, and resizes them, too.

To set this up for yourself, first go to the FancyZones section in PowerToys utilities. Here, open the Zones Editor and create a new custom layout. You can now use the mouse to move the zones around and to add a new zone. Once a layout is enabled, all you have to do is move a window around and hold down the Shift key. Dropping the window in any designated zone to instantly resize it.

Not to be outdone by the likes of Samsung and TLC, Amazon is joining the picture frame TV space. At CES 2026, the company announced a new line of unobtrusive smart TVs, complete with a new brand name and a redesigned FireTV OS, which will also show up on other FireTV devices.

Meet the Ember Artline TV series

Credit: Amazon

Amazon is calling its new line of art TVs "Ember Artline." They will ship in two sizes, 55 inches and 65 inches, with pricing starting at $899 for the base model—some $200 cheaper than the list price of Samsung's Frame TVs (though those models are regularly discounted on Amazon).

The panels will offer 4K QLED screens with 450 nits of brightness. Because it's an art TV, there is a matte screen coating to reduce glare and make it look less like a standard TV. They also feature Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Wi-Fi 6. Design-wise, they're incredibly thin, around 1.5 inches thick.

Amazon's big selling point here is the Ember Artline offers 10 different frame options, all of which snap on the TV with magnets. You can choose between textures and colors like Walnut, Ash, Teak, Black Oak, Matte White, Midnight Blue, Fig, Pale Gold, Graphite, and Silver. In its art mode, the sets will cycle between 2,000 images of artworks, or your personal selection of photos. "Omnisense technology" will allow the display to turn on when anyone walks in the room, and turns off when they walk out, saving energy.

And of course, this wouldn't be a CES 2026 product announcement without a bit of AI. Amazon is integrating Alexa+ into the FireTV OS on these sets, including an AI feature that will show art pieces on TV that match the decor and room that you're in (after you upload four photos taken from different angles). With an Amazon Photos connection, you can also ask Alexa+ to create slideshows from specific vacations, days, or events.

The Ember Artline lineup will start shipping sometime in spring, starting in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and the U.K.

There's also a redesigned FireTV interface

Credit: Amazon

Along with the new art TVs, Amazon also showed off a redesigned FireTV interface—and it looks quite a bit like Google TV. That's not a bad thing from my point-of-view; one of my biggest issues with the FireTV OS is its slow and inconsistent home page. A refresh with better organization will certainly help, and visually, it looks a lot cleaner, with rounded corners, consistent typography, and much better spacing between elements.

The home screen now has tabs above to quickly switch to movies, TV show, live games, and more. You can also press and hold the Home button to open a Control Center like menu, again similar to Google TV. You will also be able to pin more apps to the home screen. Previously you were limited to six large apps. The refreshed interface has space for up to 20 apps of your choosing.

The refresh will begin rolling out next month in the U.S. to the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2nd Gen, and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series, and will be followed by more countries down the line. It will be available on the Ember TV series at launch.

The iPhone's Focus modes are perhaps its most underrated feature. Once customized, they can become incredibly powerful tools that put you in control of how your iPhone can grab your attention. They can take some time to set up, but it’s worth it. Once you've got everything squared away, you'll have timed boundaries from certain apps, people, and even your work, for that mythical work-life balance. Forget having a personal phone and a work phone—a couple of well-tuned Focus modes might be enough.

Diving into Focus modes

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

What used to be Do Not Disturb on iPhone is now Focus mode, which comes with many more options. Open the Control Center and tap the Focus button to see a list of all available Focus modes. The familiar Do Not Disturb option will be up top, but you’ll also see helpful Focus modes premade by Apple, Sleep being a prominent example. If you have a device that supports Apple Intelligence, you’ll also see a mode called Reduce Interruptions, which automatically mutes all notifications except the really important ones. Other premade modes include Personal, Work, and Sleep, which you can all customize to your own liking.

How to set up your own Focus mode

To get the most out of Focus Modes, you should set some Focus modes for yourself. One for work and one for personal time would be a great place to start. Go to Settings > Focus and tap the Plus button at the top. Here, choose the Custom mode option to get the most flexibility. Give it a name, icon, and tap Next. Then, tap Customize Focus.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

This is where you'll do most of your work. First, tap Choose People and select if you want to allow notifications from only a couple of people, or if you want to silence notifications from particular folks. If you’re setting up a Focus mode for personal time, you might want to stop notifications only from your boss and colleagues. Choose the people to allow, and tap Next. Then, choose who is allowed to call you. You can limit it to just your Favorites, or only a handful of people.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Then, tap Choose Apps and follow the same process for apps as well, either allowing notifications from some apps, or only silencing notifications from particular apps. For example, if you’re setting up a Focus mode for personal time, you might want to disable notifications from work apps like Slack, Teams, Gmail, and more. Tap into the Options menu, and you can also choose to show silenced notifications on the Lock Screen, or to dim the lock screen every time that Focus mode is enabled.

Next, take some time to customize what you see when a Focus mode is enabled. Apple will let you choose a distinct Lock screen, Home screen and even an Apple Watch watch face per Focus mode. For example, your work Focus can feature just your calendar and to do list. This will go a long way towards cementing the Focus state in your mind. For example, when I’m in my Writing Focus mode, my home screen is devoid of everything, including my tasks widget and communication apps.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Then, you’ll see a Set a Schedule section. Here, you can turn on a Smart Activation feature that will automatically enable a Focus mode depending on your location, app usage and so on. This has been hit or miss for me, so I would advise you to avoid it for the most reliable results. But you can definitely create a manual schedule using the Add Schedule button. Here, You can trigger a Focus mode to automatically start or stop at a certain time of day.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

You can even use Focus Filters to further customize exactly what apps can show you when you’re in a Focus mode. For example, you can choose to only see your work calendar when you’re in your work Focus, but not your other calendars. These filters work for Apple’s apps and even third-party apps.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Lastly, you can choose to enable the Intelligent Breakthrough & Silencing feature that's found at the top of the Focus page. If you have an iPhone with Apple Intelligence enabled, you'll see this setting. It uses on-device intelligence to allow priority notifications to interrupt you even when you're in silent mode. This goes over all other customizations that you might've done. But, being an Apple Intelligence feature, its reliability can be a bit iffy. Based on personal experience, I would recommend you take the time to fully customize the Focus mode to your liking instead of handing some of that work over to Apple Intelligence, as it gets things wrong for me fairly often.

With iPadOS 26, Apple is finally giving the iPad a software experience that’s worthy of its increasingly powerful hardware. But it’s still very much a start. Answering calls to make the iPad more like a Mac, Apple has added much-requested features like freeform window multitasking, background app processes, better file management, and more. It’s surprising how much you can now do on an iPad that was just not possible before. And for many users, especially school/college students and some business users, the new changes can actually translate to tangible productivity gains. But for most, it's probably still worth holding onto your Mac.

The iPad's new windowing system is good, but a bit messy

Apple now offers three different multitasking modes on the iPad. And it can be a bit overwhelming. There’s the default Full-Screen mode, the new Windowed Apps mode, and the old-school Stage Manager mode.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

But for most users, I think defaulting to the Windowed Apps mode is the best option. This is where you can use the handle icon in the bottom-right corner of any window to resize it and move it anywhere you want. Need to open another app? Just repeat the process (although I think it's pretty jarring that every new app first opens full-screen, and then needs to be resized down).

If you have a newer, more powerful iPad, Windowed mode lets you comfortably use seven or ten apps together in the same desktop without missing a beat. That's not a limit with iPadOS 26, to be clear, but once you go over 10 apps, things start to get a bit laggy. I can pull off opening a couple of apps together on my aging iPad Pro from 2018, but that's about it.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

You can use the new traffic-light buttons (straight from macOS) to close, minimize, or expand your windowed apps (something I’m still not used to). You can also swipe down from the top to access a Mac-like menu bar. This will hold app-related shortcuts and offer ways to move or dock apps to the left or right.

The Windowed app mode also has a version of the classic Split View, if you just want to dock two apps side by side. Pick up a window, and flick it to the left or right. When there are just two windows on the screen, you’ll see a little handle in the middle to freely resize the windows.

Credit: Jake Peterson

With the iPadOS 26.1 update, Apple also brought back Slide Over, a crowd favorite that lets key apps slide in and out of view as needed, but it works in a slightly different manner now. From the menu bar, you can pin any window to the top of the screen to be your Slide Over app. And because this window itself is freeform, you can now resize it to any size you want (something that wasn’t possible before). Though, it’s still a downgrade in a sense because you can only pin one window at a time (before, you could pin multiple windows in Split View and switch between them like you do on the iPhone).

I'll admit that all of this can seem like a bit much on such a small, touch-based screen, especially for the iPad users who are used to the traditional approach to Split View and Slide Over. Apple really isn't helping the case by separating out the different modes. Though, like most things, it's a learning curve that you can get over pretty quickly. In time, I think the gesture for resizing windows will become second nature.

How the iPad is inching closer to the Mac

Beyond Windowed mode, The iPadOS 26 update rights many other wrongs, all of which bring over key functionality from the Mac, though there are still sometimes caveats.

External monitor support is finally worth using, and doesn’t require you to use Stage Manager. Now, the display automatically adapts to the 16:9 aspect ratio of the monitor, so no more black bars. But you still can’t use the external display as the primary display, as you can on the Mac (the menu bar and Control Center still only work on the iPad). That means you always have to have the iPad display on, and you can't connect to more than one external monitor.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

The Files app is also much improved, combining a column layout with the ability to expand nested folders while in the same view. You can also add custom-colored icons. Plus, you can now add folders to the Dock for quick access. And finally, you can assign a default app for file extensions right in the Files app. The new Preview app makes it easy to view and mark up PDFs and images, too.

There’s also support for background tasks in the Files app and some third-party apps. That means longer actions, like moving large folders or downloading large files, can continue in the background (monitored via Live Activities). Switching to a different app won’t kill large exports of render jobs. There’s even a new Local Capture feature that lets you record professional audio from any attached microphone, and it supports independent audio capture from multiple microphones at once. A boon for podcasters and YouTubers.

How the iPad still falls behind the Mac

The iPadOS 26 update has a lot of useful, desktop-like features. But at its core, it’s still iPadOS, built on iOS. It is still sandboxed, and installing apps from outside of the App Store is not intended and requires lengthy workarounds. Many popular desktop-class apps also just won’t work on the iPad (like the full version of Adobe Premiere, the macOS version of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, coding IDEs, and more). Even Safari on the iPad is limited, and doesn’t offer desktop-class support. A lot of heavy/dynamic sites refuse to function on the iPad, but work well on Safari on a Mac.

There’s also no Terminal, so you can’t do things like running Homebrew projects, automation scripts, and more. iPadOS 26, is still single-user focused, so you can’t create multiple accounts like you can on the Mac. As discussed above, the external display mode, while a nice addition, is also severely limited.

Can you replace a Mac with an iPad?

Can an iPad replace your MacBook? The answer to that question is more personal than ever. Subjectively, I can say not yet. While the new windowing system and background processes are a great start, it still lacks the core features that make a Mac so helpful. For someone like me who relies on desktop-class apps, dynamic websites, and loves the hundred little utilities that are only possible on the Mac, the iPad really can’t replace my MacBook.

But the iPad can be a great companion for me, and is. I love using the iPad for research, reading, taking notes, and watching media. Now, with the new features in the iPadOS 26 update, I can see podcasters and even content creators take up an iPad as their main computer. It really depends on your workflow. For light workflow like editing documents, managing PDFs, taking notes, emails, and online meetings, the iPad is very much comparable to the Mac. And thanks to its cellular connectivity, it might even have an edge for people who are always on the road. If you like the idea of a light-weight tablet that’s built-really well, or if you’re a creative, the iPad can make a lot of sense for you.

For everyone else, I would recommend you pick up at least an M4 MacBook Air, which goes on sale regularly and costs less than an iPad Pro.

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Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. 

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The iPad Air is the best iPad for most users. It features an 11-inch screen, Touch ID sensor, M3 processor, and sufficient RAM to power even pro-level workflows, along with the new free-flowing windowing features introduced with iPadOS 16. For Prime Day, the 11-inch iPad Air with 128GB storage is now just $449, $150 off its usual selling price. This is tied with the lowest rate I’ve seen yet, matching the discount from a previous Prime Day sale.

Apple iPad Air 11" M3 128GB WiFi Tablet (Purple)

$559.50 at Walmart

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The device has an 11-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and 2360×1640 resolution. It's powered by the M3 chip from last year, which remains highly capable, featuring an 8-core CPU, a 9-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. There's also 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

The iPad Air is compatible with both the USB-C Apple Pencil and the Apple Pencil Pro, which offer additional features such as Squeeze to Select, Barrel Roll for rotating pen tips, haptic feedback, and more. In its expert review, PCMag gave the M3 iPad Air a 4-star rating and an Editor's Choice award, noting, "[The] iPad Air remains the best choice for students and creators who need a powerful tablet at a decent price."

If you’re looking for a smaller iPad, consider the iPad mini, which is now $120 off, the lowest price I’ve seen yet for the compact and portable tablet. The regular iPad, on the other hand, is also discounted to $279.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Apple’s open-ear earbuds are a more comfortable alternative to the AirPods Pro, and they’re much cheaper, too. And now, with the AirPods 4, Apple has even introduced an Active Noise Cancellation option, as well as premium audio features once limited to the AirPods Pro.

Right now, you can get both versions of AirPods 4 at their lowest prices, matching the prices they reached during Amazon's Prime Day sale in July 2025. The base AirPods 4 are discounted to $89.00 (down from $129) and the AirPods 4 with ANC are $119 (from $179).

Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds

$89.00 at Amazon

$129.00 Save $40.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$89.00 at Amazon

$129.00 Save $40.00

The AirPods 4 feature shorter stems than their predecessors and a smaller case, but with the same open-ear iconic design. The tips now feature a better in-ear fit, without the need for the silicone tip found in the AirPods Pro.

The AirPods 4 feature the same H2 chip found in the premium AirPods Pro 2, bringing the same level of audio processing, and features like Voice Isolation, Conversation Awareness, and Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. The model with ANC gets a slightly less powerful version of noise cancellation, though (thanks to the absence of the silicone tips). AirPods 4 with ANC get Apple’s Transparency mode, which pumps in the sounds from the outside world, adjusting the intensity so it’s not too loud, while keeping you aware of your surroundings.

Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds

$118.98 at Amazon

$179.00 Save $60.02

Get Deal

Get Deal

$118.98 at Amazon

$179.00 Save $60.02

There’s USB-C charging in the case, and the AirPods 4 with ANC are also compatible with Qi and MagSafe charging, plus they have a built-in speaker for Find My tracking.

The AirPods 4 last for five hours on their own, and the case adds up to 30 hours of listening time. In ANC mode, they last for four hours. But a quick five-minute charge adds around one hour of listening time.

The AirPods 4 are a great choice for anyone looking for ANC on a budget, and for people who don’t like silicone ear tips. PCMag gave the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation four out of five stars, and an Editor’s Choice award. According to PCMag, “The AirPods 4 are capable of what no other open earbuds have yet to attempt: high-quality active noise cancellation. They also deliver excellent audio performance.”

And if you don’t want the ANC, you can save even more. The base AirPods 4 at $90 are one of the best deals in tech.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

YouTube is a bit of a mess right now. It’s nowhere near as bad as Instagram or TikTok on this front, but it’s still easy to lose hours scrolling through YouTube videos and Shorts on your recommendation feed. The algorithm will get you at some point, no matter how hard you try. But there’s an alternative. A saner way to watch YouTube videos that you actually really do want to watch, without getting sucked into the YouTube black hole of recommended content.

The answer you've been looking for is a third-party Watch Later app like Play. Play isn’t a fully-featured YouTube client (Google made sure to nerf all of those), but that’s actually a good thing. You use the app to find and sort videos you actually want to watch, without getting bothered by the algorithm. No comments, no feed, and yes, there’s an option to disable Shorts as well.

Gather all your YouTube videos using the Play app

The Play app can help you build your own watch later playlist that’s separate from YouTube itself. There’s no YouTube login here. You are free to save videos with multiple tags or folders. The point is to build a queue of interesting YouTube videos that you can watch at your leisure, and with intention.

The Play app is supported on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. And there’s an Apple TV app for viewing all your saved videos as well. The Play app comes with a built-in extension so you can add any YouTube video to the app easily. You can also just paste in a video’s link to add the video to the Play app.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

When adding a video to Play, you can also tag it so all your Taskmaster binge sessions stay organized (as they should).

Saved videos will show up in the New folder. Tap on a video to open the detailed view, where you can see the description, transcription, and all other details. There’s an option to start video playback, too, so you don't need to rely on the YouTube app to watch your saved content.

And yes, you can make videos full-screen as well. If you have YouTube Premium, you can also connect your account to Play to get rid of ads and enable picture-in-picture, under Settings > Video Player > Connect YouTube Account.

And there it is. A simpler, calmer YouTube experience, devoid of Shorts and the algorithmic feed.

Play Premium Lets You Subscribe in the App

The base Play app is just $3, and can be a great way to find YouTube videos online, and then to save them to watch later (perhaps on the Apple TV). But the Play Premium subscription ($20/year) goes a step further, letting you subscribe to your favorite channels right in the app.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

There’s a dedicated Channels Inbox where you can go through all the new videos from your subscribed channels. You can subscribe to channels by searching for them, or by importing your entire subscription feed using Google Takeout. There’s also an option to automatically add all videos from a channel to your Later list, although that can be a bit extreme for most channels out there—I wouldn't recommend it. Play Premium users can also enable an option to disable Shorts in the Channels Inbox.

Alternatively, you can also check out Unwatched for YouTube, which is a free and open source YouTube watch later app. The app is much simpler, but the interface is quite chaotic. It’s not as polished or seamless as the Play app. Still, Unwatched also lets you subscribe to YouTube feeds, and lets you build your own queue of videos to consume outside of the YouTube app, all at no cost. And if you're on Android, check out the NewPipe app instead.

Update 08/08/2025 at 11:02 am: A previous version of this article asserted that Play could disable ads without a YouTube Premium subscription. This has been corrected.

Instagram is copying major features from three other social networks in one sweeping update. It’s adding a Snapchat-like Snap map, a Repost option clearly inspired by X (but implemented in style of TikTok), and for good measure, it’s also rolling out its TikTok-like "Friends" Reels feed globally. That’s a lot to take in, so let’s break this down.

Reels and reposts

Credit: Instagram

Reposts are finally coming to your Instagram profile. The new Repost feature will let anyone repost public reels or posts onto their own page, without having to bother with the previous Instagram Story workaround. These will show up in your friends' feeds, but unlike on other sites, reposts won't be mixed in with your regular posts on your own profile, and will instead be housed in a new Reposts tab. Like a quote post over on X, you can also add your own comments to reposts, which will show up on top of them in a small bubble. To control whether your posts can be reposted, navigate to Settings and activity > Sharing and reuse.

Welcome to Instagram Map

Credit: Instagram

Instagram’s new Map feature will let users share their most recent active location with their fiends on an interactive map, which the site can use to promote more location based content. It's reminiscent of Snapchat's Snap Map feature, but with one major difference. Snapchat lets you share your location even when you’re not using the app, but Instagram limits location updates to when the app is actively open. It’s also important to note that location sharing is disabled by default, so you'll need to turn it on manually (under Messages > Map > Settings) to post your location to Instagram Map.

Instagram hopes that users will use the Map feature to plan hangouts, but I’m personally looking forward to using it to make sure I’m nowhere near my Instagram followers. Instagram will also display Stories with location-sharing enabled on the Map page, so if your friend or favorite local influencer posts about a new cafe, it will show up there as well, and you won't even need to have location sharing on to see it. Similarly, users can also share Notes, or short messages, directly to the Map.

“Friends” tab in Reels goes global

Credit: Instagram

Meta has already trialed a dedicated Friends feed for the Reels tab in the U.S., but now it’s rolling out globally. If you ever wanted one place that shows you all the weird reels your friends are liking and commenting on, this is it. This will only show Reels that your friends have created, liked, commented on, or reposted, but if you do want some extra privacy, Meta says it's working on rolling out ways to hide your own likes and comments from showing up in this feed, as well as mute activity from specific friends. The Friends tab is found right on top of the Reels screen, although I have yet to locate the new privacy controls—they'll likely need some time to reach everyone.

iOS 26 is all about the new Liquid Glass redesign. While that’s mostly just a new coat of paint, it has lead to a lot of changes to app layout, making navigation easier for Pro Max users. But alongside these changes, you also have new visual and feature upgrades coming to the Messages app, for all iPhone users. The new layered design finally lets you set custom backgrounds for an iMessage conversation, and you can now add polls to texts, or easily copy/paste text (all features that have been in third-party messaging apps for a long time now). But iOS 26 isn't just about the visual changes: Apple is also rolling out stricter parental control features, and better spam filtering.

Filter out spam texts

The Messages app now has new folders with automatic filtering. When opening the app, you’ll see the new Filter button in the top-right corner. Among the default folders is one for Unknown Senders, and another for Spam.

This two-step system allows Apple to choose how aggressive it is with going after suspicious texts. Most messages and updates from unknown numbers will end up in the Unknown Senders folder, but don’t worry—this doesn’t apply to OTP messages, shipment updates, and transaction messages. You can’t reply to messages here, but if the Messages app has wrongly filtered a message for you, you can use the Mark as Known button to move it to the main inbox.

The Spam folder is more locked down. You won’t get any notifications for messages that show up here, and all links included in them will be disabled automatically as well. There’s also no way to interact or reply to messages here, but like with the Unknown Senders folder, you can move a spam message to your main inbox if necessary. As for phone calls, better spam filtering is also making it to the Phone app, too.

Customize your message background

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

You can finally change the background in iMessage conversations or group chats on a per-chat basis. Tap the Chat title towards the top of the page, then choose the Backgrounds option. You’ll find preset options here like "water" and "sky," but you can also choose a solid color if you like. You can also choose any photo from your library, or if you have a compatible phone, use Image Playground to generate an AI image to use as a background.

Once you choose a background, it will show up for everyone in a group chat, or the other party in an iMessage chat.

You can disable custom backgrounds in iMessage

Custom backgrounds are fun, but they might not be for everyone. If you don’t like the backgrounds for the group chats that you’re in, you can disable the feature entirely. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn off Conversation Backgrounds.

Easily copy and paste text from messages

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

This one has been a long time coming. There’s now an easy way to select just the specific text you need from a very long message. No more pasting entire texts into the Notes app just to extract something like an address. Now, to get only what you need, simply tap and hold a message and choose the new Select option. This will bring up a new text selection mode. Use the text cursor to select the text you want, and choose the Copy option.

Stop your kids from texting unknown numbers

The spam feature in the Messages app also extends to parental controls. If you’re using the Screen Time parental controls features for your child's iPhone, you’ll now get an option to stop them from messaging unknown numbers without your consent. If your kids try to message an unknown number, you’ll get a notification about it, similar to when they try to purchase an app. You can then choose to approve the request if it’s legitimate, like if your child is reaching out to a new classmate.

Live Translation

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

On devices with Apple Intelligence, the Messages app will now support Live Translate. This means that two people can type in their native languages, but their messages will get real-time translation on the other end of the line. With this, I can talk to my Spanish friend in English, while he replies in Spanish. To enable the Live Translate mode, select a message and choose Live Translate from the menu, then enable it for either the whole conversation or just that message. From my experience, the Live Translation feature works fast and doesn’t slow down conversation.

Live Translate currently supports Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified), French, German, Italian, English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).

Polls come to Messages

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

This is a small addition, but can be quite useful when you’re trying to decide on something in a large group. In the Messages app's Plus menu, you’ll now find a new Polls option. To use it, add a few options (you can choose up to 12), type out a message as question or context, and send it along. Everyone in a texting group (or even an iMessage conversation) will be able to vote on it. Other members of the group can also add more choices to the poll.

Smaller Messages app changes I’m excited for

Finally, here are a couple of smaller changes that I’m looking forward to:

• The Messages app now has a new typing indicator for people who are typing in the chat.

• Apple Cash is now supported in group chats, so you can transfer money without going into iMessage conversations.

• The Genmoji feature's integration in the Messages app has been updated to support multiple Genmoji. Now, you can create a new Genmoji by combining two or more emojis together. You can even edit them further using a text description.

• Emoji Tapbacks are now available in CarPlay, so you can quickly react to a message from your car’s screen without manually swiping through the conversation.

If you're like me, your phone is always on silent, which makes it easy to miss calls. That in itself isn't a problem, at least until you forget to return those missed calls. Luckily, the redesigned Phone app in iOS 26 comes with an unexpected new feature that might actually be more useful than either auto-hold or call screening: the ability to quickly set reminders for calling someone back. Here's how it works.

How to set up reminders for missed calls on iPhone

This is an iOS 26 feature, so, of course, you'll need to be running this version of iOS on your iPhone to access it. As of this article, iOS 26 is in beta testing, but Apple plans to release the update to all compatible iPhones in the fall. If you want to try it out early, you’ll have to install the public beta.

This new Reminders feature works in both the Classic layout, and the new Unified layout in the Phone app. (You can change layouts using the new Filter button in the top-right corner). Having said that, the experience is better if you use the Unified layout, since you get a separate Reminders section at the top.

You can create a reminder for any call on your Recents list. (This feature doesn’t work in the Favorites list, or the Contacts list.) Swipe left on a call entry in the Recents list to reveal the new blue Reminder button.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Tap on "Reminder" to reveal the time options. You can choose to be reminded in an hour, at night (9 p.m.), tomorrow, or a custom date and time.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Once you choose an option, your reminder will show up at the top of the Reminders section in the Phone app.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

But this reminder isn't isolated to the Phone app. If you open the Reminders app, and go to the Today list, you’ll find the reminder for the call here as well. There’s even a useful button to place the call in the reminder itself.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

If you want to delete a reminder, swipe left on the call entry, and hit Delete.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 ends tonight, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. 

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. 

If you hate how everything in a living room revolves around a TV, Samsung's The Frame TV—which doubles as artwork—might be for you. And during Prime Day, it’s down to its lowest price ever: At around 50% off, you can get a 2024 55-inch The Frame TV for just under $800—that’s down from its regular price of $1,498.

Samsung 55-Inch Class QLED 4K The Frame TV

$797.99

$1,497.99 Save $700.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$797.99

$1,497.99 Save $700.00

Aesthetics, form factor, and a great TV

The Frame TV comes with a matte anti-reflection coating that reduces the glare and reflections. So even when it’s off, or in art mode, it looks like a painting. The Art Mode can cycle through famous paintings, or your own photos. The Frame TV comes with a frame that looks like a wooden framing for a picture (which itself is customizable, and easy to swap thanks to magnets). It's also quite thin, so it can blend in with any kind of decor.

The TV part of it is also quite respectable. It supports 120Hz refresh rate for gaming, and has HDR10+ support and smart TV features. The 40W speakers support Dolby Atmos as well. The TV uses a OneConnect Box that features all the port connections and the power adopter in one box, which you can hide away in your cabinet. Only a single cable goes to the Frame TV, which is why it’s so thin at just about 1-inch.

The issue with recommending The Frame TV was always the price. At $1,500, it felt too expensive for the TV part. At $800, it’s much more reasonable.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Prime Day 2025 ends tonight, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more. 

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

My wife and I share a collection of over 30 board games, but we end up playing a handful of them over and over again—and many of them are on sale right now for Prime Day. If you’re new to board games and want to start a collection that will entertain your friends and family for years to come, there is no better time to buy than right now, as many are 50% off.

The best board games for friends and family

• Splendor ($19.99, 50% off): I think Splendor is the best gateway board game, it’s how I got into the hobby. It’s a really simple, yet highly addicting game, with quite a lot of strategic depth. You are merchant in the Renaissance, trying to buy gem mines, transport, and shops to get the most prestige points. You can even get a noble to visit you for extra points. The player with the most prestige points at the end wins. This is a quick card-collecting and card-developing game. The gem cards you buy can be used to buy more gems in the future, making the deck-building an important part of the gameplay.

• Ticket to Ride ($24.99, 50% off): I haven’t come across a person who doesn’t like Ticket to Ride. You’re met with a map of old-timey Europe or the U.S. You pick a card randomly, and are tasked to build railway from point A to B, without others knowing about it. The player with the highest points at the end wins.

• Azul ($20.99, 34% off): Azul is the prettiest and most interesting game in my collection. And at $20, it’s a no brainer. You are tasked to create the most beautiful mosaic tile design, inspired traditional Portuguese azulejos. There are elements of drawing the tiles from a pool, minus points when patterns don’t work out, and overall, it's a relaxing and beautiful game.

• Pandemic ($31.49, 30% off): Pandemic is hands down the most fun I’ve had playing a co-op game. You and your friends are playing against a virus that wants to take over the world, and you have to work together to stop it. It is much more interesting that it sounds, trust me. You’ll think you’ve outsmarted the game (as I often have), only to be knocked back down three steps by the stellar game mechanic.

• Codenames ($14.99, 40% off): Codenames is the kind of small game that you should always have around at parties. It’s a brilliant word-association party game, where two teams compete to be the first to identify all their secret agents. Each team chooses a spy master who sits on one side of the table, and has a grid of words, or codenames. The spymaster gives clues to the rest of the team, and the team has to then guess the most correct words possible. The larger the group, the more fun Codenames is.

Pandemic

$31.49

$44.99 Save $13.50

Get Deal

Get Deal

$31.49

$44.99 Save $13.50

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

It might be a bit late to the party, but Threads finally has a dedicated DM feature that’s independent from Instagram. The problem is, it's really basic.

For now, you can only message people who you follow, and who follow you. It will also work for your mutual followers on Instagram even if you don’t follow each other on Threads—a reminder that Threads is really an Instagram product.

Starting a DM on Threads

After updating the app on iPhone or Android (or accessing the site on the web), you’ll see a new Messages icon in the bottom toolbar next to the Home button. Once you're in the new Messages page, you can tap the "new message" button in the top right to start a chat. You can search for a profile, or choose one of the recommended options to start the conversation.

This Messages tab is the only way to start a new chat right now. You can’t DM someone directly from their profile, even if you both follow each other. However, you can now share a Threads post with any of your followers directly in a DM. When I share a Threads post with a friend, it shows up in the Threads DM window, instead of Instagram DM.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Once you send a message, you can long-press it to Unsend it. You can also long-press messages to react to them, reply in-line, or copy them. But that's about it. There's no support for images, voice messaging, chat themes, or many of the common features baked into DMs and messaging apps these days.

Threads DM still needs a lot of work

As it stands, Threads DMs are quite limited. But there are a series features in the works you can look forward to, including:

• Message Controls: The upcoming moderation feature will let you decide who can send you messages, and you can choose to limit DMs only to people who follow you on Threads or Instagram.

• Message requests folder: A dedicated message requests folder for new messages will make sure that spam doesn't land directly in your DMs.

• Group messaging: Threads will enable group conversations in a later update.

• Filters: Threads will also provide filters to find and respond to messages.

Over time, I’ve become something of an audio agnostic when it comes to my Mac. Sometimes I use my AirPods Pro, but when I want to listen to music or take Zoom meetings, I switch to Sony XM5s, mostly because of the comfort and better audio quality. When I’m writing, I like to play background music using my JBL Flip 6 over Spotify. This means I end up spending a considerable amount of time connecting Bluetooth devices, switching sound output, and disconnecting them when macOS inevitably experiences connectivity issues.

This dance of first connecting the device using the Bluetooth menu and then switching to the Sound output from Control Center takes up a considerable amount of time. I went looking for a trusty macOS indie utility that would surely fix my issue—and I found one in ToothFairy.

How to use ToothFairy to connect to devices in one click

ToothFairy is a one-click Bluetooth utility that adds a dedicated button for each Bluetooth device right to your menu bar. Click once, and the device will be connected (as long as it’s powered on, and around you). Click again, to disconnect. It couldn’t be simpler. No need to hunt down menus.

And this isn’t limited to just audio devices—it also works with Bluetooth keyboards, mice, and and other accessories.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

To get started, open the ToothFairy app and click Plus to add a new device. Choose a device that you’ve already connected once using the Bluetooth menu. Then, customize the menu bar icon. If, like me, you’ll be using this app for three different devices, make sure that you’re using different icons for them too. Next, you can also choose to see the battery status for a device (only if the device supports this feature). At any time, you can right-click the device icon to view the battery status anyway.

Click Record Shortcut to record a shortcut that will quickly connect or disconnect from the device.

Lastly, ToothFairy supports automations in the form of Bash scripts, which you can execute when you connect or disconnect your device. You can use the following command to open any app as soon as the device is connected. I use this feature to open Spotify when I connect my JBL Flip 6 (but not any other device).

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Click the Advanced button and enable the Run shell script after connecting feature. Then enter the following code in the text box, replacing the "App Name" part with the exact name of the app you want to open.

open -a “App Name

Then, click OK. The ext time you connect the device, the app of your choice will open automatically.

Once a device is added, it will show up in the menu bar automatically. Each device shows up in the menu bar, so if you feel like your menu bar is cluttered, try using a menu bar management app like Ice or Barbee.

ToothFairy is available from the App Store for a one-time fee of $6.99; it’s also part of the SetApp subscription.

Adding things to Reminders on the iPhone necessitates several steps. You have to open the app, then find the relevant list, then enter the task. Sure, you can use Siri, but in my experience Siri makes mistakes, and I prefer to type things out. In the past, I’ve used and recommended the RemindMeFaster app, which reduces the work required to one tap. Now, Apple has integrated that concept directly into iOS 26, leading to a superior (and faster) experience for adding tasks to the Reminders app.

iOS 26's New Reminder control can be added to the Control Center, Lock Screen, or the Action button. No matter where you trigger it, it brings up a quick entry system that floats above everything else, letting you add reminders with due dates, location, and the list of your choice.

Setting up the new quick reminders shortcut

As mentioned above, you can add the New Reminder control to one of three new places. For fastest entry, you can choose the Lock Screen or Control Center option.

Open the Control Center, tap and hold in an empty area, and tap Add a Control. Now, search for and add the New Reminder control. You are then free to put it anywhere in the Control Center, and you can expand its size as well.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Similarly, go to the Lock screen, tap and hold the wallpaper, choose Customize, and then choose one the two Control buttons at the bottom. Switch it to the New Reminder control, and you’re good to go.

To add it to the Action button, got to Settings > Action Button > Controls > Choose a Control > New Reminder.

I’ve personally set the New Reminder toggle in Control Center, right at the bottom. I don’t use any Action button actions, and I like to keep the Torch and Camera icons on the lock screen, so Control Center is the best option for me.

Using the new quick reminders shortcut

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Now that the New Reminder control is front and center, it’s time to test it out.

Tapping on it will reveal a new floating window on the top of the iPhone screen (this will work on iPad and Mac as well).

Here, you can tap on the dropdown icon to select a list—it will remember the list you used last, so you won’t need to change it every single time. Next, type out the reminder, and you can even add notes here (pasting in notes works as expected). Then, you can use natural language to add a due date (e.g., typing “tomorrow at 9 AM” and then choosing the time from the suggestion bar). You an add a location, or Flag it as an important task. Then, tap the Checkmark icon to save the reminder.

Google’s AI-powered Ask Photos feature was announced last year, but failed to make a splash when it started rolling out to the public. It replaced the regular photo search feature with a Gemini AI search that, often, took too much time when you just wanted to find photos of your pets, or your car. This was such an issue that my colleagues starting using a workaround that let them skip Ask Photos entirely, shifting back to the classic search option instead.

Google seems to have noticed, because early this month, the company paused the rollout of the feature altogether. According to a Google Product Manager, the feature wasn't "where it needs to be, in terms of latency, quality and ux." Now, Google is resuming that rollout again, fixing what was perhaps the biggest issue with Ask Photos.

Ask Photos now works with simple search terms, too

The new, faster Ask Photos search in action. Credit: Google

Ask Photos is Google’s upgraded search feature for Google Photos that combines Gemini AI and regular photo search. So, you can ask it detailed and complex questions like, "find all the photos from 2012 when I had short hair," or "find all the photos of my old van parked at the beach." In theory, it would understand what you’re saying (thanks to Gemini AI), and then go about your photo library finding what you’re looking for.

The problem with Ask Photos was its latency, especially when it came to single word searches, like “cats,” “nature,” “boat,” and so on. Google says that it's fixed this issue, and when you use a short search phrase in Ask Photos, you’ll see search results instantly, like you do in classic search.

Google says that it's made more complex searches faster, too. So when you ask for photos from a particular vacation, or photos with both your kids on the beach, Google will show you the results more quickly. Supposedly, you won’t have to wait forever for Gemini AI to think before you start seeing your photos.

How to try the new Ask Photos update

Google says that the Ask Photos update will start to roll out to a wider set of users now. But it’s still limited to the US. According to Google, you will need to be 18 or older, be based in the United States, and have your Google Account language set to English (United States) for this feature to work. Plus, you’ll also need to have the Face Groups feature enabled.

Once you meet all these requirements, it’s going to be a waiting game fro you to get the update, as Google is slowly expanding the availability of the Ask Photos feature. Until then, you can continue to use the classic search method.