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How to

It isn’t enough to have great new devices, apps, and games — you also have to know how to use them. Here at The Verge, we offer step-by-step how-tos for experienced and new users who are working with online, macOS, Windows, Chrome OS, iOS, and Android apps, services, phones, laptops, and other tools. From simple instructions on how to install and use new devices, to little-known strategies on how to take advantage of hidden features and the best methods for adding power or storage, we’ve got your technological back.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
If you stayed up way too late last night doomscrolling, you need Android’s Bedtime mode.

Android 13’s Bedtime mode can help you to put your phone away if Twitter, TikTok, or Minecraft is keeping you up past 2AM. Here’s how to use the feature to stop scrolling and get enough sleep.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
If you’ve had enough of Elon Musk and Twitter, you can always just deactivate your account.

It’s actually not that hard to quit Twitter, and you have 30 days to change your mind and reclaim your account. Here are directions on how to wave bye-bye to the social network if you’re so inclined.

How to set up Bedtime mode in Android 13How to set up Bedtime mode in Android 13
Allison Johnson
Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
If you enjoy spatial audio on your AirPods, this new trick makes it even better.

iOS 16 introduced the ability to personalize spatial audio so that the sound profile is tuned for your ears and head shape. It only takes an awkward minute or two to capture images of your ears with your iPhone, but the payoff can make the immersion feel even more convincing.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
You don’t have to be a genius to swap the band on the Pixel Watch — but it helps.

Google’s new smartwatch has a proprietary strap mount that looks great, but can be a little tricky to navigate when you want to switch out bands. So we thought we’d offer some advice on the easiest way to deal with it.

How to swap Pixel Watch bandsHow to swap Pixel Watch bands
Victoria Song
Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
If you’re getting a cool new smartwatch, don’t forget to wipe the old one.

As with laptops, phones, and other tech, you need to clean your watch throughly so that all traces of your personal info is gone before you give it away, trade it away, or recycle it. It’s not hard — here’s how.

How to factory reset your smartwatchHow to factory reset your smartwatch
Victoria Song
How to find your IP addressHow to find your IP address
Emma Roth
Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
You think nobody has noticed all the pet hair clinging to your smart speaker?

The fabric exteriors on smart speakers and other home tech looks great, but it can attract dust, hair, and other dirt — and can be nearly impossible to clean. Here’s some advice on how to keep your home tech reasonably tidy.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
If your Steam Deck has slowed to a crawl, there may be a (relatively) quick microSD card fix.

The cause of slow download speeds on your Steam Deck might not be due to your internet, but rather to how your microSD card was formatted. Cameron Faulkner explains how to reformat your microSD card so that, just maybe, you can download games at a speedier pace.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
Slack can be like Hansel and Gretel’s forest: easy to get lost in.

But you don’t need breadcrumbs to find your way around. Here are some strategies for organizing your Slack conversations — especially if you’re lucky enough to have a paid version.

How to organize your Slack channelsHow to organize your Slack channels
Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
You don’t have to play guessing games about the status of your iPhone’s battery.

iOS 16 now lets you monitor the status of your battery, either in the status bar or via a lock screen widget. Of course, that means the next time you suddenly realize you’re totally out of power, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself...

Monica Chin
Monica Chin
I’m explaining how to share calendars, so listen up.

If you want to share your goings-on with a friend or family member, no need to reach for your phone — this can easily be done from a Mac. It takes like, three clicks. Just be prepared, because they will receive an invitation the instant you press enter.

How to share a calendar on MacHow to share a calendar on Mac
Monica Chin
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
This setting doesn’t fix the green bubble problem, but it does make text messages on iPhone easier to read.

Turns out there’s a setting to increase contrast in the iPhone’s messages app. It changes green bubbles from a bright neon green to a much calmer forest green. It’s nice!

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
A smart home can also be a really scary home.

The Verge smart home reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy describes how she makes her home into a truly fantastic horror house to impress the local trick-or-treaters, and tells you how you can do it too.

How to create a spooky smart home for Halloween

Want the spookiest smart home on the block? Here’s how to get a creepy yet cool setup using smart speakers, smart lights, and video doorbells.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
Your Apple Watch can keep you from getting hopelessly lost.

If you’re hiking out in the wilderness, or even wandering around in an unfamiliar city, your Apple Watch (Series 6 or later) now has a Backtrack feature that can get you back home safely. But only if you know how to use it.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
You can now save your Chrome tab groups — well, sort of.

Tab groups can help organize your dozens of Chrome tabs, and you can now save those groups for later use — although it’s awkward. Google seems to be experimenting with the best way to do it; we’ve updated this how-to to reflect some of the latest changes.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
It’s possible to record calls on your iPhone — with some workarounds.

Because of legal repercussions, Apple doesn’t allow you to directly record a phone call on your iPhone. But there are ways to record a conversation anyway — and one of these methods involves a Google app.

Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
What was the name of that person in the third row of your class photo?

Believe me, as time goes by, some of those names are going to fade in your memory — unless you identify them in your photos. Google Photos has an AI feature that puts names on the faces in your photos, but you have to help. Here’s how to identify the people in Google Photos so you can find them later.

How to add names to your Google PhotosHow to add names to your Google Photos
Barbara Krasnoff
How to rescue your hacked account: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more

Hackers commandeer online accounts at industrial scale. Here’s how to restore and protect your access to Apple, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify, TikTok, and Twitter.

Sean Captain
How to choose your YouTube handleHow to choose your YouTube handle
Barbara Krasnoff
How to increase your personal safety with Pixel and Samsung phonesHow to increase your personal safety with Pixel and Samsung phones
Barbara Krasnoff and Mitchell Clark
How to password-protect your PDFsHow to password-protect your PDFs
Barbara Krasnoff
How to reset your Apple ID passwordHow to reset your Apple ID password
Mitchell Clark