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Starting at $350, Google’s first smartwatch has a lot of potential.

The Pixel Watch is Google’s first smartwatch, At an event on Thursday, we got to get our hands on one. The watch has a circular face and is packed with Fitbit tracker features. Google unveiled the Pixel Watch alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones back at its annual developer conference in May, but we haven’t gotten to see them in-person until this week.

The announcement comes after Google teased the Pixel Watch in May during its I/O developers conference. While Google previously revealed what the watch would look like and provided a preview of its software, it saved many of the core details around pricing, design and functionality for Thursday’s unveiling.

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Aside from making the Wear OS smartwatch software that’s used by Samsung, Fossil and Michael Kors, Google’s largely been absent from the smartwatch market. The company also owns Fitbit, which it acquired in 2021. The $350 (£339, AU$549) Pixel Watch, however, is the first smartwatch to be positioned as a Google device under its flagship Pixel brand. It comes as the company has been making a renewed push into hardware to establish itself as a household name alongside Apple and Samsung in the mobile device market.

The Pixel Watch has an elegant design that separates it from most Android-compatible smartwatches available on the market. But coming seven years after the original Apple Watch’s launch, it has a lot of catching up to do from an industry-wide perspective. Apple leads the smartwatch space with 29% of the global market as of the second quarter of 2022, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung is the leader when it comes to Android-compatible smartwatches with 9% of the market, a number that trails far behind Apple.

With its sharp looks and Fitbit health metrics, the Pixel Watch already seems like a promising choice for Android device owners. But I could also see how the Pixel Watch could complicate how Fitbit’s own smartwatches fit into Google’s product lineup. The company says the Pixel Watch is for those who want Fitbit’s health tracking along with additional smartwatch features that Fitbit devices lack, such as optional LTE connectivity and Google Play Store apps.

The $300 Fitbit Sense 2, on the other hand, includes additional health and wellness capabilities such as skin temperature measurements and the ability to detect potential signs of stress. Whether the Pixel Watch becomes a hit could be an indicator of what consumers value most in a smartwatch.

Google said in May it’s positioning the Pixel Watch as a premium smartwatch, and that approach comes across in its aesthetic. The Pixel Watch has a domed, circular glass design with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and a stainless steel housing that makes it look more like a regular wristwatch than most smartwatches I’ve seen.

The watch is water resistant up to 5 ATM, which means it should be able to withstand pressure equal to a depth of 50 meters. It also features an always-on display that can show the time and other information when the screen is idle, just like Apple’s flagship watches and Fitbit’s smartwatches. It will be available in four finish options: matte black with an obsidian active band, polished silver with a charcoal active band, polished silver with a chalk active band or champagne gold with a hazel active band.

There will also be a variety of band styles to choose from, ranging from lightweight sports bands to breathable woven bands designed for sleep tracking to more formal leather and metal mesh options. The stretch band is surprisingly light and soft, and I could see how it would be ideal to wear to bed. It almost feels like wearing a scrunchie on my wrist.

Swapping out the bands is relatively simple; it requires pressing a button where the band connects to the housing and then sliding the band in the same direction. It took me a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but it’s easy once you get used to it.

At first glance, the Pixel Watch feels like the Apple Watch’s closest competitor in terms of design — except it’s round rather than square. As a longtime Apple Watch wearer, the Pixel Watch’s use of premium materials and the look and feel of its straps has given me some deja vu — but in a good way. There’s also a crown along the side of the watch that doubles as a button and a scroll wheel, much like the Apple Watch’s digital crown. But the Pixel Watch’s domed glass gives it a distinguished look that sets it apart from most wearables, even the Apple Watch and high-end hybrid watches such as the Withings ScanWatch Horizon.

That said, I also noticed the bezels framing the display are a bit wide, although they do seamlessly blend into the rest of the watch. The watch itself is also fairly wide, but I’ll have to spend more time with it before I can tell if these factors impact the experience overall.

Pixel Watch software is a combination of Google and Fitbit

The Pixel Watch runs on Google’s Wear OS 3.5 software and inherits some of Fitbit’s health features. In the short amount of time I’ve had to see the Pixel Watch in person, the software looks a lot like the new redesigned interface on the Fitbit Sense 2. It also feels fast and snappy. Compared to the Sense 2, I felt like I was gliding around the operating system, whereas there’s sometimes a pause before launching apps on the Fitbit Sense 2.

Similar to the Sense 2, the Pixel Watch has tiles for showing activity data, heart rate, the weather, exercise shortcuts and other bits of information. Pushing the Pixel Watch’s crown will take you to your apps, similar to how pressing the Sense 2’s side button pulls up your app list. You’ll also get Fitbit-specific metrics such as Active Zone Minutes, which gives you more credit depending on how high your heart rate is while working out and a daily readiness score.

But the software doesn’t seem to be exactly the same. Google is positioning the Pixel Watch as more of a full-featured smartwatch, so it includes some extras like smart home controls, access to the Google Play Store from your wrist and optional LTE connectivity (although the cellular version of the watch will cost slightly higher at $400). Emergency SOS, international emergency calling and mobile payments through Google Wallet will be available, too, and the watch also includes a compass for navigation. From what I’ve seen, the Pixel Watch’s performance also seems snappier than Sense 2’s, although I’ll have to spend time with the Pixel Watch to know for sure.

Watch faces also seem like a much bigger deal on the Pixel Watch; there are 18 styles that Google says can be highly personalized. For example, you can change the color of the face and the dials and add complications. Again, this should all sound familiar to anyone who has used an Apple Watch.

Pixel Watch has Fitbit health tracking

From a health tracking perspective, you could almost think of the Pixel Watch as a really nice-looking Fitbit smartwatch. All of your health data will live in the Fitbit app (although Google says it will continue to support Google Fit, too). You’ll be able to add the Pixel Watch to your Fitbit app just like any other Fitbit device. That means in addition to workout and activity tracking, you’ll get Fitbit-specific metrics like your readiness score and sleep score. The Pixel Watch will also come with six months of free Fitbit Premium, Fitbit’s $10 monthly subscription that provides access to additional health metrics and workout programs.

Google claims the Pixel Watch will offer the company’s most accurate heart rate tracking yet thanks to these sensors and its machine learning algorithms, even surpassing Fitbit’s devices.

It’ll also be updated with the ability to take blood oxygen saturation measurements and can take an ECG from the wrist, just like watches from Fitbit and Apple. Similar to the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch will support fall detection and also has built-in GPS for tracking running routes.

The major feature missing from the Pixel Watch compared with the Fitbit Sense 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Apple Watch Series 8 is a temperature sensor. That shouldn’t be a deal breaker, however, since temperature sensors are relatively new to smartwatches and companies are still figuring out the best ways to make that data useful. Plus, Google sees that as a differentiating factor between the Fitbit Sense 2 and Pixel Watch.

The Pixel Watch should last for 24 hours on a single charge and runs on an Exynos 9110 processor along with a coprocessor, says Google. That should put its battery life at about the same length as the Apple Watch’s, although we’ll know more when we actually get to test the watch. The Fitbit Sense 2, on the other hand, is rated to last for around six days, according to Fitbit. Pixel Watch buyers will also get three free months of YouTube Music Premium, and there’s a built-in speaker and microphone for things like taking calls and using the Google Assistant.

It’s a bit surprising that Google didn’t develop its own Tensor processor for the Pixel Watch considering it’s such a big part of the phone experience. Google says the Pixel Watch’s system-on-a-chip and coprocessor handle different tasks to maximize power and performance. The coprocessor, for example, handles things like step counting, GPS and background heart rate, while the main processor drives Wear OS and LTE functionality.

Pixel Watch early thoughts
When it comes to smartwatches, Android device owners have had to deal with a fragmented ecosystem of products from Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin, Michael Kors and others. Most of those watches specialize in either fitness or fashion with little overlap. The Pixel Watch could be the first Android-focused smartwatch to change that, but the question is whether that alone will be enough to make it a success.

This little-known iOS feature makes typing on your keyboard so much easier. And it works on your iPad too.

Your iPhone and iPad are packed with a bunch of neat hidden features, including on iOS 16, which features the ability to connect your Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers and easily view and share all your saved Wi-Fi passwords from your settings.

However, interesting hidden features have always been around on iOS, and even if you’re running an older software version, like iOS 15, there is always something new to find — like the secret trackpad in your iPhone keyboard.

When you’re editing text, you probably hold your finger down on the screen and move the cursor around all the letters, numbers and punctuation to get to where you want. A magnifying bubble provides some help, by enlarging the text underneath your finger, but there’s another way to move your cursor.

Here’s how to find your iPhone’s hidden trackpad.

If you’re looking for other ways to optimize how you use your iPhone, check out two quick tips that’ll change how you read articles and the feature that brings Instagram-like comments to your shared photo albums. You can also take a look at CNET’s biggest hopes for iOS 16.

How to bring up the secret trackpad on an iPhone or iPad
Here’s how to discover the hidden trackpad on an iOS device.

1. Anywhere you’ve written a block of text, bring up your keyboard and press and hold your finger down on the space key until the keyboard goes blank. You should feel a bit of haptic feedback and see the cursor enlarge for a second, which means you can now use the keyboard as a trackpad.
2. With your finger still pressed down, move it around the entire keyboard to move your cursor, just like you would on your Mac’s trackpad.
3. To place the cursor, simply lift your finger off the screen. You can then use any of the other keys, like Delete, to make any edits in the text. If you want to move the cursor once again, press your finger down on the space key to bring up the hidden trackpad.

Check out the video below to see the hidden feature in action.

If you’re interested in more tips and tricks for the iPhone, check out how to unlock this hidden iPhone feature to quickly ID songs and how to have a secret conversation in the Notes app. And if you’ve got an Apple computer, here are seven of the best hidden features on your Mac.

Apple listened to the complaints about the iOS 16’s battery percentage icon redesign and is making a change with iOS 16.1.

If you’re running iOS 16 on your iPhone and have explored many of the new features, you’ve probably noticed the redesigned battery percentage icon in the status bar. Apple removed the feature back with the release of iPhone X, due to space requirements for various sensors like the camera and microphone, and now it’s back — but not everyone is happy with it.

First, some iPhones didn’t get the new battery percentage meter. Second, some people don’t like way it’s been redesigned. Luckily for both groups, it turns out that Apple has been listening.

Although the software updates haven’t been released yet to the general public, Apple’s iOS 16.1 developer betas bring fixes to two major issues that many have about the new battery icon on iOS 16.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s the deal with the battery status meter on the iPhone?
iPhones used to include the exact percentage of your battery right in the status bar. But after the release of the iPhone X, which introduced the notch — the black bar at the top of your device that houses a speaker and camera — there wasn’t enough screen real estate left to keep the battery percentage in the status bar, so Apple nixed the feature.

Sure, you can swipe down from the top right of your iPhone to view the exact percentage in the Control Center, but that means you can’t glance at the battery percentage from within any app or from the home screen. And it’s nearly impossible to gauge the exact percentage from just the battery icon, which is not good if your iPhone is close to dying.

iOS 16 reintroduces the battery percentage number back in the status bar, inside of the existing battery icon.

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Which iPhone models won’t get the battery percentage feature back?
Not all iPhone users with iOS 16 will see the new battery percentage feature in the status bar, which is frustrating for some. Although there hasn’t been an official statement as to why certain models are excluded from the feature, it seems to be because of lower pixel density for some of the devices, and lack of space for others.

According to this Apple support page, the following models don’t support the feature:

iPhone XR
iPhone 11
iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 13 Mini
The only way you can view your battery percentage on iPhones that don’t support the new feature is to either add a battery widget to your lock screen/home screen or swipe down from the top right of your iPhone to view the battery percentage next to the battery icon (instead of inside it).

However, the new battery percentage feature will come to the iPhone XR, iPhone 11 and iPhone Minis with iOS 16.1, which was released last week for developers. You can check out how to download it here, but it should be pushed out to the general public soon enough.

Even some people who do have the feature are frustrated with its design
Not everyone is happy with the design of the new battery percentage icon. Although the battery percentage itself is always visible in the status bar on supported devices, the battery icon itself always shows as full, whether the phone is idle, charging or on low power mode — only the color changes. So it can be a bit confusing if you just glance at it.

The only time the design really changes is when the battery reaches 20% or less — the battery icon then shows as depleted, or about a fifth full, and turns red.

On Twitter, Mikael Johansson created a mockup that shows the battery icon changing along with the percentage. Thousands of people have liked the tweet and many have agreed it’s an improvement over the current design.

Apple listened and is redesigning the battery percentage icon with iOS 16.1
Apparently, Apple has heard the criticism leveled by iPhone users and redesigned the battery percentage icon with iOS 16.1, which is currently in its second developer beta. As the mockups that Johansson posted showed, many people preferred a battery icon that drained, along with the percentage.

And that’s exactly what Apple is changing the battery icon to, as you can see in the tweet below posted by Federico Viticci. Instead of just the percentage going down, the battery icon design depletes as well, making it easier to see how full (or empty) your battery life is.

iOS 16.1 is expected to be released to the general public sometime this year, but if you want it now, here’s how you can download the developer beta.

How to get the battery percentage back in the status bar on iOS 16
Regardless of your thoughts on the design, you should at least take a chance on the battery percentage feature if your iPhone supports it.

To view your battery percentage in the status bar of your iPhone, all you need to do is upgrade to iOS 16. You can wait for your iPhone to alert you with a pop-up notice, or force an update manually by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

Once you update, you should see the percentage in the battery icon in the top-right corner of your screen — from anywhere on your iPhone. That way you can keep a close eye on when your iPhone is topped off or close to running out of battery, and when you should start charging it.

Although the setting is turned on by default, you can go to Settings > Battery and toggle on the Battery Percentage option to make sure it works. When your device is charging, the battery icon will turn completely green, showing you the percentage, while being in Low Power Mode will turn the battery icon completely yellow, but again with the percentage inside.

For more, learn everything Apple unveiled at its “Far Out” event. Plus, here are the best iPhone 14 deals.

The company is scaling back plans to increase manufacturing of the new phones.

Apple is abandoning plans to ramp up production on iPhone 14 models this year due to low demand, according a report from Bloomberg on Tuesday. The company debuted its new series of the flagship phone in September and opened up presales for the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The tech giant reportedly told suppliers to dial back planned increases in manufacturing on the entire product line for the latter half of this year. Instead, Apple aims to make 90 million units during this time period, in line with its original forecast but lopping off a planned production increase of roughly 6 million, Bloomberg reported. Demand is higher for the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro version than the lower-priced model, and one supplier has purportedly changed its production course to focus on Pro models.

All new iPhone 14 phones features camera upgrades and a crash detection feature. The entry-level iPhone 14 and Plus models start at $800 and $900, respectively. The high-end Pro and Pro Max versions come with an A16 bionic chip, crash detection, Dynamic Island, and a starting price of $1,000 for the Pro and $1,100 for the Pro Max.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Windows 11 has features that will transform the way you use your PC. And they’re even better with the new 2022 update.

It’s always a good time to master some of Windows 11’s productivity features — especially since Microsoft released its 2022 update on Sept. 20. (Here’s how to download the update.) These built-in tricks can help you do everything, from setting up Taskbar shortcuts to saving battery power.

No matter which Microsoft, Dell, HP or other Windows rig you have, we’ve got you covered here with our list of hidden features that you can use right now to get the most out of Windows 11.

1. Minimize windows you’re not using
   If your desktop screen has gotten too crowded with open windows, you can quickly minimize them all except the one you are currently working in. You’ll need to turn this on in Windows 11 by heading to Settings > System > Multitasking and turning on Title bar window shake.

Just click the title bar of the window you want to remain open to select it. Then, hold the mouse down and move the window back and forth quickly — shaking it, essentially. After a couple of quick shakes, all other open windows will minimize, leaving only the one you’ve shaken open. Neat, huh?

1. Use the ‘secret’ Start menu
   You know that to get to the Start menu, you hit the Windows icon in the bottom lefthand corner of the screen or on your keyboard, but Windows 11 includes a lesser-known second Start menu. This menu makes accessing important features like the Command Prompt, the Control Panel and the Task Manager much easier. You can access it two different ways, either by pressing the Windows key + X, or right-click the Windows icon/Start button.
2. Take a screenshot on Windows 11
   It’s a basic one, but it’s amazing how easy it is to forget how to take a screenshot on your laptop or desktop when you don’t do it often.

There are at least seven different ways you can take a screenshot with Windows. If you want to capture and save a picture of your entire screen, the easiest way is to hit the Windows key + Print Screen key, and that picture will be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.

Read more: Need a Productivity Boost? Give These Windows 11 Multitasking Features a Try

To capture just one part of your screen, hit the Windows key + Shift + S to open a tool called Snip & Sketch, which allows you to click and drag to create a screenshot, which is saved to your Clipboard.

1. Access pinned items from your Taskbar with keyboard shortcuts
   If you’ve pinned programs to your Taskbar at the bottom of your screen to create a shortcut, you don’t have to click the icons to open them. Instead, use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + [Number key], with the number key corresponding to the position of the pinned program on the Taskbar. For example, Windows key + 2 will open the second pinned item on the Taskbar.

This is especially useful if you’re typing furiously and don’t want to lift your fingers from the keyboard. It may feel more natural to reach for the Windows key.

1. Clean up space-hogging apps
   Computers start running slower as they grow short on space. One quick way to speed them up may be to get rid of apps that take up more space than they should, especially if you don’t regularly use them.

To see how much space apps, temporary files and documents are taking up, navigate to Settings > System > Storage. Tap Show more categories to see a full list.

To get an idea of what to toss, tap Cleanup recommendations to see what Windows 11 suggests. You probably won’t get rid of your browser, but you might find that a game you haven’t played in years is some good dead weight to drop.

1. Save battery by closing background apps
   Apps that run in the background can receive info, send notifications and stay updated, even when you aren’t using them. This can be useful, but it can also suck your battery and your data.

To control which apps are running in the background and save some battery power and data, go to Settings > System > Power & battery. Tap Battery saver and then adjust when battery saver turns on to limit some notifications and background activity.

1. Use background scrolling for multiple windows
   With Windows 11, you can scroll up and down on any window — even if it’s not the one you’re directly working in. This is a useful tool when you have a lot of windows open that you want to look through at the same time — for example, if you want to open new sub-menu options in new windows to save you time clicking back and forward on the same page.

Try opening two programs — say, an internet browser page and a notepad or Word document. Arrange both on the screen so you can see at least some of the text on each. While you are in one window, hover your mouse or use the touchpad to move to the second window, and scroll. Even though you aren’t active in that window, it should allow you to move up and down the page.

The feature should be on by default, but if it isn’t, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse, and toggle Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them to On. Then you can place your mouse over a window that’s in the background and use the scroll wheel to scroll.

1. Show file extensions in File Explorer
   Microsoft hides file extensions by default, which makes life difficult for people who need to look for specific types of files, like JPEGs and JPGs. To see file extensions in File Explorer, do the following:
2. Using Search in the task bar, and type File Explorer Options, and click it. (There are other ways to get here too, such as using search in the Start menu, but this method works fine.)
3. In the window that pops up, click the View tab.
4. If it’s checked, uncheck the box that says Hide extensions for known file types. Click Apply, and OK. You should now see file extensions for all files in the File Explorer.

You can also use the File Explorer Options menu to choose to show empty drives, hidden files and folders, and more.

1. Use Focus assist to minimize distractions
   It’s frustrating to try and get work done when you keep getting interrupted with notifications. You can determine how many you get with Focus assist.

Set it up by going to Settings > System > Focus assist. Choose from three options: Off (get all notifications from your apps and contacts), Priority only (see only selected notifications from a priority list that you customize, and send the rest to your action center), and Alarms only (hide all notifications, except for alarms).

You can also choose to automatically turn this feature on during certain hours, when you’re playing a game or when you’re using an app in full-screen mode, for example.

For more information, check out everything you need to know about Windows 11, the best features in Windows 11 and how it compares to Windows 10.

Twin brothers were arrested last year on charges of fraud.

Two men were sentenced to 52 months in prison after pleading guilty to running a scheme where they fraudulently accessed more than 2,000 AT&T mobile accounts that they used to obtain Apple products, the Department of Justice said in a press release Monday.

The twin brothers, Luis Hernandez Socarras and Jorge Hernandez Socarras, purchased Apple products, including iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches, by charging them to their victims’ accounts. They picked up the devices from across the country in rental vehicles and then resold them in Miami.

The brothers were also ordered to pay $360,937. Their scheme caused a total loss of more than $2 million to all victims, according to the Justice Department. The men pleaded guilty to two counts of access device fraud, interstate transfer of stolen property and aggravated identity theft in April this year after being arrested in March 2021.

Apple and AT&T didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new productivity features alone are a good reason to install the update.

The first big upgrade for Microsoft Windows 11 is here. Arriving just a couple weeks before the operating system’s first anniversary, the update enhances Windows 11 security features, productivity and accessibility tools, as well as gaming features.

It may be tempting to put off installing the update, especially if you have a million tabs and documents open and don’t feel like restarting your computer. But trust us — this upgrade sounds like it’s worth it for the productivity enhancements alone. Find out more about Windows 11’s new 2022 features.

And read on to for step-by-step guidance on how to bring your device up to speed with the new update.

How to download the Windows 11 2022 update

1. Open Settings on your laptop or desktop.
2. Choose Windows Update from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
3. You should see an option at the top of the screen that reads (something like) “2022-09 Cumulative Update for Windows 11.”
4. Click Install.
5. Next you’ll be prompted to restart your device or schedule a restart. If you’re ready, click Restart Now.
6. After your computer reboots, you can verify that you’ve completed the process by clicking Check for Updates.

For more Windows 11 news, check out how Windows 11 differs from Windows 10 and Windows 11 features you should be using now.

The Windows 11 2022 update is here. We break down everything new from Microsoft.

Microsoft released its first major update for Windows 11 on Tuesday. The update includes new security, productivity, accessibility and gaming features. You can check out our step-by-step guide on downloading the new update.

The operating system is fast approaching its one-year anniversary in early October. At launch, the new operating system brought dozens of new features to life, including a redesigned interface, widgets, a more accessible Microsoft Teams experience, multiple desktops and Snap Layouts and Groups, as well as Android apps.

Here’s what you can check out today.

The Windows 11 update makes your PC easier to use
The new Windows 11 update adds a faster, more accurate search to the Start menu, Quick Settings, as well as better local and current events coverage on your Widgets board. In October, Windows 11 will get a long-requested feature — tabs in File Explorer.

Windows 11 now has more productivity tools
Windows 11 launched with features geared towards multitaskers and users who wanted more organization. With this new update, Snap Layouts, which neatly arrange open Windows on your desktop, are more versatile with improved touch navigation and the ability to snap multiple browser tabs in Microsoft Edge.

To minimize distractions, the update introduces Focus sessions and a Do Not Disturb mode to minimize distractions. According to Microsoft, when you start a new Focus session, Windows automatically turns on Do Not Disturb. This silences notifications, turns off taskbar badges and app notifications in our task bar. Focus also improves the Clock App with timers to help you focus and remember to take breaks.

The Windows 11 update adds new accessibility features
Narrator, Windows 11’s built-in screen reader, will receive more natural voices, improving the text-to-speech function.

In addition, new system-wide live captions will go beyond individual apps’ live caption features. System-wide live captions will display at the top of the screen and under the camera by default, but users can switch up the caption location to the bottom of the screen or a separate floating window. Also, by capturing microphone audio, live captions can now transcribe in-person conversations.

Voice access, still in preview, improves on already existing voice commands by allowing you to control your PC and author text vocally. The first time you use voice access, you’ll go through an interactive tutorial on completing common tasks with your voice. The tool also provides real-time feedback if it doesn’t recognize a word.

Smart App Control and security
Smart App Control should give you more confidence when downloading apps on Windows 11, according to Microsoft. The tool blocks untrusted or unsigned apps, script files and potentially malicious macros from invading your machine. Essentially, the tool predicts the safety of an app in real-time. The feature, built on the same AI used in Windows Defender Application Control, is available for personal use or business use.

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen can now identify when you’re entering your Microsoft credentials on a malicious app or hacked website, and send an alert.

The update also enables Hypervisor-protected code integrity, or HVCI, and the Microsoft vulnerable driver block list by default on all new Windows 11 devices. Microsoft has also enhanced identity protection and simplified password management in the update.

Better video calls and creator content tools
At launch, Windows 11 made Microsoft Teams more accessible. The latest update introduces Windows Studio Effects, which can improve audio and video calls. The new Windows Studio camera uses Voice Focus to filter out background noise, a background blurring tool, Eye Contact, for making it look like you’re always looking at the camera, as well as Automatic Framing that keeps the camera with you as you move.

The new Windows 11 update also adds video-editing app Clipchamp.

Gaming and Android apps

The Windows 11 update makes accessing games easier with the new Controller bar. This also provides an updated view of the Xbox Game Bar for quicker access to recently played games and launchers. According to Microsoft, the update will also boost gaming performance optimizations that improve latency and unlock Auto HDR and Variable Refresh.

Gamers can also view a new homepage in Microsoft Edge that features personalized stories, easy access to the Xbox Cloud Gaming library and recently played games. There’s also a built-in feature called Clarity Boost for sharper graphics in cloud gaming.

When Windows 11 launched, the new OS’ partnership with Amazon brought Android apps to Windows PCs. This update expands the Amazon App Store preview and raises its total count of Android apps and games to 20,000. Greener features
The latest Windows 11 update aims to make it easier to reduce your device’s carbon emissions. For example, when devices are plugged in, turned on, connected to the internet and if regional carbon intensity data is available, Windows will schedule updates at points in the day that may result in lower carbon emissions. Microsoft said that it also tweaked the default power setting for Sleep and Screen off to help reduce emissions when PCs are idle.

For more Windows 11 information, check out how the latest OS differs from Windows 10 and how to download Windows 11.

You might want to hold off on downloading the latest iPhone OS.

It’s exciting to update your iPhone to explore all the new features, and that can be especially said of iOS 16. You’ve got lock screen customization (with widgets), the ability to unsend and edit text messages, improved privacy and security features and so much more.

And that should be enough to get you to update to the latest iPhone OS from Apple, but there are always one or two reasons to hit the pause button for just a bit and stick with the OS you’re currently running.

If you haven’t yet updated to iOS 16, here’s why you may want to wait — for now.

However, if and when you are ready to jump in, here’s how to download and install iOS 16 and the first things to do after you install iOS 16.

Your iPhone battery might drain faster than usual
There really isn’t a single general reason why battery drain occurs right after a major software update like iOS 16, but it happens to some people pretty much every year.

If your battery health level is already in bad shape (Settings > Battery > Battery Health), you might want to refrain from updating to iOS 16 for a bit.

Here are a couple reasons why iOS 16 may be draining your battery:

Your phone is working overtime in the background. New features may need to index your files to work properly, such as the improved Search feature and the duplicates feature in the Photos app.
Your apps don’t support iOS 16. Developers are given plenty of time to update their apps to the latest update, but if they don’t, the apps could drain more battery because they’re outdated.
And of course, there are always software bugs that could be using up your battery life in the background.

Even if you wait for future iOS 16 updates, you may still encounter some battery drain for the first few days, but that generally disappears once your iPhone gets settled with the software update.

You might encounter bugs that can cause issues on your iPhone
No matter how polished a software update may seem, a few bugs are bound to slip through the cracks. It’s why Apple sometimes releases a “point update” shortly after a major update, to fix issues like:

Battery drain
Lag
Apps force-closing
Phone restarting
Unusable features
There already seems to be an iOS 16.0.1 update for the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro to fix some activation and photo issues — even though the phone hasn’t even been officially released yet.

If you’re concerned about issues such as these, you may want to wait until most of the major bugs are squashed in subsequent iOS 16 updates.

You can stop others from unsending text messages
One of the biggest new features in iOS 16 is the ability to unsend and edit text messages. You have two minutes to recall a text message and 15 minutes to edit an already sent text message, but if you’re on iOS 15, the feature won’t work as expected, which might be a good thing for you if you’re not a fan of unsent and edited messages.

If you’re on iOS 15 and a person running iOS 16 attempts to recall a text message they sent to you, they won’t be able to. Instead, they’ll receive a message that says “You unsent a message. They may still see the message on devices where the software hasn’t been updated.”

Essentially, they won’t be able to unsend any text messages to you as long as you stay on iOS 15.

Staying on iOS 15 also affects the editing text messages feature, although not by much. Instead of editing the message, it just sends additional texts for every single edit made.

You might not get all the new iOS 16 features you want
And not every iPhone running iOS 16 will get all the new features, like the battery percentage icon in the status bar or real-time captions for videos and FaceTime calls.

Unfortunately, older iPhone models, like the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone XR, will not receive every single new feature that’s available in iOS 16. If you want to check out the full list of features and unsupported devices, you can read more here.

Read more: The Much-Missed Battery Icon Has Returned in iOS 16. So Why Are iPhone Users Annoyed?

Apple has already released a developer version of iOS 16.1, which adds support for the battery percentage feature to the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini. If that’s a feature you’re looking forward to, you might want to wait until iOS 16.1 is released to the general public.

For the most part, you should probably update to iOS 16
Regardless of any hesitations you might have, if you do want to jump in, there are plenty of reasons to just go ahead and update to iOS 16. Aside from all the new features you may benefit from, Apple’s major software updates may fix bugs and other issues in previous iterations.

Note: Apple released iOS 15.7, which fixes several security issues without you having to update to iOS 16.

However, major updates don’t just fix issues, they also bring new privacy and security settings that improve your safety and better protect your personal information.

On iOS 16, you have a few major privacy and security features to look forward to:

Safety Check: Helps people in domestic abuse situations by quickly restricting access that they’ve granted to others.
Pasteboard permission: Apps must now request access to your clipboard when you copy and paste between apps.
Rapid Security Response: Installs important security improvements faster.
Lockdown Mode: Provides better protection to those who are targeted by mercenary spyware.

And then there are all the new accessibility features, which can be incredibly beneficial to those with disabilities:

Live Captions: Transcribes phone call conversations and provides real-time captions to those that may be hard of hearing.
Door Detection in Magnifier: Helps those who are visually impaired by allowing them to use their camera to locate a door, read instructions or labels around the door and get instructions on how to open the door.
For more, here’s our take on the iPhone 14 Pro and Max and its shape-shifting cutout.

If you have not downloaded iOS 16, there are a few reasons why you may want to wait.

It’s always exciting to update your iPhone to explore all the new features, especially with iOS 16. You’ve got lock screen customization (with widgets), the ability to unsend and edit text messages, improved privacy and security features and so much more.

And that should be enough to get you to update to the latest iPhone OS from Apple, but there are always one or two reasons to hit the pause button for just a bit and stick with the OS you’re currently running. If you haven’t yet updated to iOS 16, here’s why you may want to wait — for now.

However, if and when you are ready to jump in, here’s how to download and install iOS 16 and the first things to do after you install iOS 16.

Your iPhone battery might drain faster than usual
There really isn’t a single general reason why battery drain occurs right after a major software update like iOS 16, but it happens to some people pretty much every year.

If your battery health level is already in bad shape (Settings > Battery > Battery Health), you might want to refrain from updating to iOS 16 for a bit.

Here are a couple reasons why iOS 16 may be draining your battery:

Your phone is working overtime in the background. New features may need to index your files to work properly, such as the improved Search feature and the duplicates feature in the Photos app.
Your apps don’t support iOS 16. Developers are given plenty of time to update their apps to the latest update, but if they don’t, the apps could drain more battery because they’re outdated.
And of course, there are always software bugs that could be using up your battery life in the background.

Even if you wait for future iOS 16 updates, you may still encounter some battery drain for the first few days, but that generally disappears once your iPhone gets settled with the software update.

You might encounter bugs that can cause issues on your iPhone
No matter how polished a software update may seem, a few bugs are bound to slip through the cracks. It’s why Apple sometimes releases a “point update” shortly after a major update, to fix issues like:

Battery drain
Lag
Apps force-closing
Phone restarting
Unusable features
There already seems to be an iOS 16.0.1 update for the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro to fix some activation and photo issues — even though the phone hasn’t even been officially released yet.

If you’re concerned about issues such as these, you may want to wait until most of the major bugs are squashed in subsequent iOS 16 updates.

You can stop others from unsending text messages
One of the biggest new features in iOS 16 is the ability to unsend and edit text messages. You have two minutes to recall a text message and 15 minutes to edit an already sent text message, but if you’re on iOS 15, the feature won’t work as expected, which might be a good thing for you if you’re not a fan of unsent and edited messages.

If you’re on iOS 15 and a person running iOS 16 attempts to recall a text message they sent to you, they won’t be able to. Instead, they’ll receive a message that says “You unsent a message. They may still see the message on devices where the software hasn’t been updated.”

Essentially, they won’t be able to unsend any text messages to you as long as you stay on iOS 15.

Staying on iOS 15 also affects the editing text messages feature, although not by much. Instead of editing the message, it just sends additional texts for every single edit made.

You might not get all the new iOS 16 features you want
And not every iPhone running iOS 16 will get all the new features, like the battery percentage icon in the status bar or real-time captions for videos and FaceTime calls.

Unfortunately, older iPhone models, like the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone XR, will not receive every single new feature that’s available in iOS 16. If you want to check out the full list of features and unsupported devices, you can read more here.
For the most part, you should probably update to iOS 16
Regardless of any hesitations you might have, if you do want to jump in, there are plenty of reasons to just go ahead and update to iOS 16. Aside from all the new features you may benefit from, Apple’s major software updates may fix bugs and other issues in previous iterations.

Note: Apple released iOS 15.7, which fixes several security issues without you having to update to iOS 16.

However, major updates don’t just fix issues, they also bring new privacy and security settings that improve your safety and better protect your personal information.

On iOS 16, you have a few major privacy and security features to look forward to:

Safety Check: Helps people in domestic abuse situations by quickly restricting access that they’ve granted to others.
Pasteboard permission: Apps must now request access to your clipboard when you copy and paste between apps.
Rapid Security Response: Installs important security improvements faster.
Lockdown Mode: Provides better protection to those who are targeted by mercenary spyware.

And then there are all the new accessibility features, which can be incredibly beneficial to those with disabilities:

Live Captions: Transcribes phone call conversations and provides real-time captions to those that may be hard of hearing.
Door Detection in Magnifier: Helps those who are visually impaired by allowing them to use their camera to locate a door, read instructions or labels around the door and get instructions on how to open the door.

For more, here’s our take on the iPhone 14 Pro and Max and its shape-shifting cutout.
Read more: The Much-Missed Battery Icon Has Returned in iOS 16. So Why Are iPhone Users Annoyed?

Apple has already released a developer version of iOS 16.1, which adds support for the battery percentage feature to the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini. If that’s a feature you’re looking forward to, you might want to wait until iOS 16.1 is released to the general public.