Google Assistant is the software giant's voice assistant and its answer to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. You can ask Assistant almost anything, and it will understand your words in context, serving up relevant results in a conversational manner.

To help you figure out everything Assistant does on the phone, we've rounded up some expert tips and tricks. If you have a Nest or Google Home device, we have a separate tips and tricks feature you can read to get the most out of those devices.

• What is Google Assistant?

Google Assistant tips and tricks

Many of the tips below were written with the Pixel 3 phone in hand, though they will work on other Google-Assistant compatible phones too - pretty much all Android phones, as well as iOS devices with the Google Assistant app.

Getting started

When you first get your Assistant on your smartphone you'll be asked to use Google Assistant and "OK Google" always-on voice detection. You'll have to set up an "OK Google" voice model so that the phone can recognise your voice at any time and activate Google Assistant to serve your needs (whether that be to play music, fetch the weather forecast, or whatever).

Pick the right Google account for Assistant

Google Assistant feeds off your Google account. It's important to make sure that you setup Assistant with the the same account that you're going to be asking it to find information from, especially when it comes to photos.

If you use one account for Assistant and a different account for your Google Photos, then it won't have access.

Adjust settings

Google Assistant has a Settings menu. Under this menu, you can do everything from adjust your "OK Google" voice model to viewing a summary of your activity generated by Assistant.

To access Assistant's Settings menu: Open the Settings app > Google > Account Services > Search, Assistant & Voice > Google Assistant. From there, tap on the Assistant tab at the top and you'll see several submenus with settings options.

Alternatively, open the Google Assistant app > Tap on the circular profile icon in the top right corner > Tap on the Assistant tab and you'll see the various submenus.

Enable/disable Assistant

Open the Google Assistant settings as tap on the Assistant tab. Scroll down to Assistant devices and tap on the device you want to remove or add Google Assistant to.

When you click on the device, you will see Google Assistant at the top. Toggle on to enable Assistant and off to disable Assistant. When you turn on the toggle, you give Assistant permission to answer questions and get things done.

Customise your news list

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Services tab under your name and email > Scroll down to News and tap it to customise your news list.

From here, you will be able to add news sources if you scroll to the bottom. You can also change the order by tapping the 'Change Order' tab on the right at the top of your news list. Tapping on the 'x' next to a news source will remove it from your list of News Sources.

Customise 'My Day' summary

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name and email > Tap on Routines > Tap on Good Morning. From here you can customise your daily briefing.

You can select from a handful of options, including taking your phone off silent, adjusting compatible smart devices, finding out the weather, work commute, reminders, whether you'd like to end your day with a narration of the news, etc. You can also add an action, such as play music, at the end.

Access Shopping List

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Services tab under your name and email > Scroll down to Shopping List. Tap it to access your Shopping List.

Enable/disable screen context

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name > Scroll down to Assistant devices > Tap on your phone > Scroll down to 'Screen Context' and toggle on or off.

When you turn on the toggle, you give Assistant permission to show you info related to what's on your screen. It might show you relevant links in YouTube or IMDB, for instance.

Change your Assistant language

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name > Tap on Languages > Tap on 'Add a Language' to choose a language for speaking to your Assistant.

Enable/disable always-on 'OK Google'

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name > Scroll down to Assistant devices > Tap on your phone > Scroll down to 'Access with Voice Match' and toggle on or off.

Turn on the toggle to give Assistant permission to recognise your voice whenever you say "OK Google" - even if your screen is off or you're using an app. This makes Assistant always-on.

Use 'OK Google' to unlock device

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name > Scroll down to Assistant devices > Tap on your phone > Scroll down to 'Lock screen personal results'.

Toggle on to allow voice match to send messages and access email, calendar, contacts and more when your phone is locked.

Retrain 'OK Google' voice model

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name > Scroll down to Assistant devices > Tap on your phone > Scroll down to 'Voice Model'> Retrain voice model. 

You'll then have to say 'OK Google' a few times so that Assistant can remember and recognise how you say the phrase. It can then use the phrase as a wake word and device-unlock word.

Delete 'OK Google' voice model

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name > Scroll down to Assistant devices > Tap on your phone > Scroll down to 'Voice Model'> Delete Voice Model.

Google Assistant then won't be able to remember or recognise how you say the phrase. Keep in mind you then can't use the phrase.

Use offensive words with voice

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Assistant tab under your name > Scroll down to Assistant devices > Tap on your phone > Scroll down to 'Other Voice Settings'> Toggle on 'Hide offensive words'.

Google Assistant will then hide offensive words in the search box, replacing them with an asterisk (*).

Set your home and work locations

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Your Info tab > Scroll down to Your Places.

From there, you'll see the option to add your Home and work addresses. You can also add additional places by tapping on 'Add a new place'.

Set your nickname

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Your Info tab > Scroll down to Nickname. Click on it to decide what Google Assistant calls you. You can also test that Google knows how to say it correctly.

Change weather units

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Your Info tab > Scroll down to Weather > Choose between Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Set up a compatible smart home device

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the Home tab under your name and email > Press 'Add' to add a device, speaker group or service. Follow the instructions. Once a device is setup, you'll be able to use Google Assistant to control it.

Read our separate feature on some of the best Google Assistant compatible smart home devices available to buy.

View 'My Activity' summary

Open the Google Assistant settings > Tap on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of your screen > Tap on My Activity.

Things you can say and do with Google Assistant

Google Assistant is your personal assistant. It can play music for you, set reminders, check your flight, and plenty more. Here's a few things you can say and do with Assistant using just your voice.

You just have to say "OK Google" or squeeze the sides on Pixel phones to access Assistant. On iOS devices, open the Google Assistant app.

Play music

To ask Assistant to play some music, say "OK Google" followed by "play some music", "play some Jazz", "play some workout music", "listen to Daft Punk", or "listen to Imagine on Spotify", etc.

You can set your default music app in the Services tab of Google Assistant's settings and it will automatically play from that music from that source.

Watch something on Netflix

To fire up Netflix and get watching, say "OK Google" followed by what you want to watch: "Watch Luke Cage on Netflix". This will open Luke Cage on Netflix. You don't have to watch Luke Cage, but you should, it's good.

Listen to news

To ask Assistant to narrate news from sources you've pre-selected, say "OK Google" followed by "what's the news", "international news", "what's the news about Trump", or "sports news", etc.

Control smart devices

To ask Assistant to control compatible smart devices, you'll need to set them up. After which, you can say "Ok Google", followed by "turn the kitchen lights off", "tell iRobot to start cleaning", "turn the dining room map on", "turn up the heating", etc.

Ask about your day

To ask Assistant for your daily briefing, say "OK Google" followed by "good morning", "good afternoon", or "good evening", etc. You'll get the weather, upcoming meetings, a news narration, etc.

Set reminders

To ask Assistant to set reminders for you, say "OK Google" followed by "set a reminder...", " remind me to buy milk", "remind me to buy milk tonight", "remind me to call mum", or "remind me to do laundry when I get home", etc.

Set alarms

To ask Assistant to set an alarm for you, say "OK Google" followed by "set an alarm...", "wake me up at 9AM", wake me up at 10AM everyday", "set my alarm for 8AM", or "show my alarms", etc.

Ask about the weather

To ask Assistant about the weather, say "OK Google" followed by "what's the weather", "will it rain tomorrow", "how hot is it outside", "what's the temperature", or "forecast for the weekend", etc.

Fetch sports news

To ask Assistant about sports news, say "OK Google" followed by "Did the Red Sox win", "Did Arsenal win", "tell me sports news", "when's the baseball game", "who is the fastest man alive", or "what is the Real Madrid roster" etc.

Ask a question

To ask Assistant a general question, say "OK Google" and then ask any question, such as "who is Archimedes", "how far is the moon", "how many ounces in a cup", or "how many ounces in a pound", or "what is a dangling participle" etc. In many cases, Google will read the information back to you, telling you the source.

Find stuff nearby

To ask Assistant to find stuff nearby, say "OK Google" followed by commands like "find a restaurant", "nearby events", "nearby hotel", "what are some nearby pubs", or "what comedy movies are playing" etc.

Find stuff while traveling

To ask Assistant to find stuff while you're traveling, say "OK Google" followed by "flights to New York", "hotels in Boston", "restaurants in Barcelona", "where can I hike in France", or "Is United flight 16 on time", etc.

Check your next flight or booking

Google Assistant will know things about your booked trave if you have confirmations sent through to a Gmail account. Just say "OK Google" then "what's my next flight" and you'll get a list of upcoming flights. You can also ask "when am I going to Barcelona?" and you'll get the details of your Barcelona flight, for example. 

Do real-time translations

To ask Assistant to do real-time translations for you, say "OK Google" followed by "'Hello' in Spanish", "'Thank you' in Japanese", "What's 'Good morning' in Italian", or "Translate 'airport' to French" etc.

Place a call

To ask Assistant to place a call for you, say "OK Google" followed by "call Sally", "make a phone call", "call Alice Walker", or "call mum at home", etc.

Send a message

To ask Assistant to send a message for you, say "OK Google" followed by "send a message", "text Eric", "send a WhatsApp message", "text Alice arriving at 5pm", or "tell Sally I'll be 5 mins late", etc.

Set timers

To ask Assistant to set a timer, say "OK Google" followed by "set a timer", "countdown 1 minute", "start a timer for 10 mins", or "set a timer for 5 minutes", etc.

Open any app

To ask Assistant to open an app for you, say "OK Google" followed by "open YouTube", "Open Calendar", or "Open Wi-Fi Settings", etc.

Search Play Store

To ask Assistant to find an app for you in Play Store, say "OK Google" followed by "Facebook in Play Store", "WhatsApp in Play Store", "Uber in Play Store", or "Twitter in Play Store", etc.

Search Google

To ask Assistant to search Google, say "OK Google" followed by "search for..." followed by whatever you're looking for - be it vacation idea, zebra facts, funny one-liners, or facts about the moon, etc.

See what's on your calendar

To ask Assistant to look at your calendar, say "OK Google" followed by "what's on my calendar".

Show your photos, show photos of your dog, food, kids

To ask Assistant to show your Google Photos, say "OK Google" followed by "show me my photos". Google Photos knows that photos contain, so it will also return photos of objects, like your dog, food, kids or places, just say "show my pictures of cars" and you'll get your car photos displayed.

See your emails

To ask Assistant to show your Gmail emails, say "OK Google" followed by "show me my emails". This will display emails from your linked account. 

Voice dictate in apps

To use Assistant to dictate in supported messaging apps, including Google's own Messaging app, tap the microphone icon in your keyboard.

Get directions

To ask Assistant to help you navigate, say "OK Google" followed by "navigate home", "navigate to work", "directions to 100 Main Street", "Navigate to the nearest coffee shop", or "navigate to the post office", etc. This will calculate the route and open up Google Maps Navigation.

Unlock your device

To ask Assistant to unlock your device, simply say "OK Google" (must enabled in Google Assistant Settings). If you're in a loud place, it might not recognise your voice properly.

Take a selfie

Google Assistant will help with this essential task. Simply say "OK Google" followed by "take a selfie". This will instantly open the camera and start a 3 2 1 countdown. Remember to smile.

Toss a coin

The universal method of decision making. Say "OK Google" and then "toss a coin". Assistant will toss that coin and let you know if it's heads or tails.

Turn on flashlight

"OK Google" then "turn on flashlight" will turn on the flash on your phone. Great for peering into dark holes. 

Fun and games

Google Assistant can be funny, like Siri. And it's good at keeping your mind occupied when you're feeling bored. Here's a few things that Assistant can do beyond working day and night to serve your every need.

Play a game

To ask Assistant to play a game, simply say "OK Google" followed by "play a game".

Play trivia

To ask Assistant to play trivia, simply say "OK Google" followed by "play trivia". It'll then let you choose from various subjects, such as maths, geography, entertainment, etc.

Say 'I'm bored'

To ask Assistant to entertain you, simply say "OK Google" followed by "I'm bored". It'll then let you play a game, or tell you a joke. It'll even "surprise you with some random fun".

Ask for a poem

To ask Assistant to recite a poem, simply say "OK Google" followed by "recite a poem". 

Ask for a joke

To ask Assistant to tell you a joke, simply say "OK Google" followed by "tell me a joke". You can then ask for one more.

Ask for a random number

Say "OK Google" followed by "tell me a random number". What comes next may surprise you.

Ask the ultimate riddle

Tolkien fans will be familiar with this one. Say "OK Google" then "what have I got in my pocket?". You're welcome.

What's the meaning of life?

Fans of Douglas Adams might be less impressed: Say "OK Google" then "what's the meaning of life?". Comedy is great, but we're a little saddened by the result.

I'm feeling lucky

This the perhaps the jewel in the crown of Google Assistant's skills. Say "OK Google" followed by "I'm feeling lucky". We won't ruin the surprise, but Google Assistant really goes to town in dealing with Google's iconic question. 

Finally, getting more philosophical...

Try asking Google Assistant "when am I?"

It looks like Samsung might ditch its phone naming pattern for the next Galaxy S flagship.

In a similar move to what we saw with Huawei's P series and Mate series phones, Samsung is apparently jumping from S10 to S20, rather than call it the S11. This is according to Ice Universe on Twitter; a leaker with a solid track record. 

Galaxy S20

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 24, 2019

This suggestion is quickly followed by one that clarifies that because it's the year 2020, Samsung is opting to start a new wave of Galaxy phones with a new focus. 

The only confusion here is that this very same leaker has since referred to the phone as Galaxy S11 again, so it seems even they aren't 100 per cent convinced Samsung would ditch its naming convention so readily. 

In the same breathe, @UniverseIce has also re-stated his belief that the phone range will launch in February. 

While originally fairly sure that the launch event would take place on 18 February, he now believes it's more likely to be on 11 February. Although it still seems that date isn't written in stone just yet. 

Clearly, in regards to naming and launch date, there's a lot to be nailed down still and - until Samsung announces it officially - it's all up in the air. 

As we mentioned already, Samsung wouldn't be the first company to adopt this new naming strategy. Huawei did the same with both the P series and the Mate series.

With the former, it jumped from P10 to P20 and has since released the P30 series. Likewise, the Mate series went from Mate 10 to Mate 20, then Mate 30. 

As for Samsung, it's been rumoured the S11/S20 will feature a completely revamped camera experience. 

The latest rumours suggest we'll see a five camera makeup on the back featuring a mega 108-megapixel sensor and a periscope zoom lens similar to Huawei and Oppo's effort with 5x optical zoom. 

We're also expecting to see three different devices in the range, similar to what we saw with the S10 series. Except, for 2020, all three are claimed to feature curved edges down both sides of the display. 

Whatever happens, we'll continue covering all the developments, so stay tuned for more as the launch date nears. 

Call of Duty Mobile brings a heady mix of action, both in multiplayer and battle royale gameplay.

But if you're new to the game, there's a lot to take in to get you started and get you winning matches and cranking up your XP. So let's dive into how you can get the most out of Call of Duty: Mobile in our extensive tips and tricks. 

Setting up Call of Duty Mobile and your phone

Call of Duty Mobile system requirements for iPhone: Requires iOS 9 or later, works on phones from iPhone 5S upwards; works on iPad Air onwards; works on iPod touch (6 gen and 7 gen)

Call of Duty Mobile system requirements for Android: Requires Android 5.1 or later and you phone needs at least 2GB of RAM. 

Prepare device storage: You'll need around 1.6GB of storage to install CoD: Mobile and for game data, so you might have to clean something out. If you're right at the limit, your phone won't run as well, and this is a demanding game.

Shut down background activities and alerts: If you have a gaming mode on your device then now is the time to use it to reduce notifications you don't want and to kill other processes that might be lowering the performance of your phone. To get the best from CoD:M you need your phone running as best it can.

Use Facebook login: Sadly there's no username/password login, you have to use Facebook or play as a guest. If you use Facebook login you will then be able to move your profile to a different device if you get a new phone or want to play on a tablet for example. 

Connect your headphones: The soundtrack to Call of Duty: Mobile is excellent - and it also helps you get more aware of what's happening around you. You'll be able to pinpoint footsteps, you'll detect enemy helicopters and drones and much more if you can hear them clearly. Playing with headphones is a pro move - or turn the speakers up loud. 

You'll need an internet connection: Yes, as this is live multiplayer there's no offline mode - you'll need to be connected to play. Watch your data allowance, or stick to Wi-Fi.

Turn the brightness up: What you see is what you shoot. The brighter the better, so turn off auto-brightness, turn up the levels and make sure "night mode" or the "blue light filter" isn't on, as it will skew the visuals.

And no, you can't use an external controller.

Call of Duty Mobile best settings and controls

There's a wealth of settings and options for Call of Duty: Mobile and those which are best depend very much on how you like to play and what phone or tablet you're playing on. It's worth taking the time to test the options.

Choose Advanced mode: There are two methods of control, simple or advanced that you'll be presented at the start of the game. Simple is autofire when you're pointing at someone, but Advanced gives you full control and it's the latter you should choose - even if it means getting a little more practise. You'll never get anywhere on simple controls.

Customise your controls: From the lobby, tap the settings cog and you'll open up all the settings for the game. In Controls you'll have the option for Simple and Advanced, as above, but in advanced you have the customise button - tap this and you can drag control elements to new locations. Be aware that multiplayer and battle royale have slightly different docks, so customise both.

Change the shooting mode: In the same area as above, in Advanced, you can change how different weapon types shoot. You can fire from the hip, aim down sights (ADS) or select custom. This will let you change the behaviour of weapon groups - so you can fire shotguns from the hip, for example (which is worth doing).

Change the graphics quality: Your device will automatically detect the settings for your phone on first start, but if you want to change them, in the settings, tap Audio and Graphics. Here you can select the quality and frame rate, as well as other options. Play around to get the smoothest gameplay you can, because setting it too high will cause you problems if it gets jerky.

Adjust the sensitivity: Different devices respond slightly differently and in Sensitivity you can change the settings for how you move as well as how sensitive movements are through scopes using the phone's gyroscope. These can also be changed for multiplayer and battle royale separately. 

Test your settings with Practice vs AI: Head into multiplayer and tap the selection button (just above start) to choose the game type. Here you'll see "practice vs AI". This is a great way to test weapons, settings and controls to see how they feel and if it's going to work for you.

Watch your friends playing: You watch what your friends are doing by heading into your friends list and tapping the eye button - you can watch them play in real time.

Call of Duty: Mobile gameplay modes

Call of Duty: Mobile is divided into two major sections (at the time of writing, there's another coming). Those are multiplayer and battle royale. Although the controls are broadly similar and the visuals are the same, these are two fundamentally different modes of play.

Multiplayer modes 

There are a number of different multiplayer maps and modes to play. The core modes are Frontline, Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search & Destroy, Practice vs AI. Then there are features special modes - for example - Standoff - Halloween, Sniper Only, Gun Game. There are incentives for playing all types, so keep your eyes on the Battle Pass to see where you can gain rewards.

The maps vary by the game type, changing to suit the type of game you're going to play: Killhouse, Nuketown, Hijacked, Crash, Crossfire, Standoff, Firing Range, Takeoff, Raid. The first three are pretty small, the second six are larger, changing the style of play.

Battle royale mode

In battle royale there's only one map right now - Isolated - but you can play in first or third person perspective, you can play solo, duo or team. There's also random zombies on this map. 

In battle royale you basically parachute in with nothing, gather weapons with the aim of being the last player or team surviving. The play area gradually decreases, pushing surviving players into a tighter area. It's classic battle royale.

Multiplayer tips and tricks 

There is a wealth of weaponry in Call of Duty: Mobile and you can collect and upgrade these weapons, apply skins and choose your loadouts for playing multiplayer games.

Increase your XP to unlock more loadouts: As you play you'll earn XP to rank up - and unlock extra loadout slots. You can have five different loadouts, each with primary and secondary weapons, grenades, an operator skill and three perks, meaning you can choose a different loadout to for different maps.

Choose your weapons wisely: The loadout you carry determines what you enter the game with - and this will change based on the map and game type you're playing. Maps like Killhouse, Hijacked and Nuketown are great for SMGs because it's close quarters combat; a map like Crossfire is great for longer range weapons.

Upgrade your weapons: Rewards can get you weapons cards for upgrades and this can be anything from adding a scope to extending the barrel. The weapon characteristics chart will show the impact of those changes you make - and this can make a big difference to how that weapon performs in the game. 

You can't hide in multiplayer: While you can stay out of sight, or find a corner or building to lurk in, when playing multiplayer the two sides are separated by the enemy wearing red flashes on their uniform. Camouflage doesn't really matter in that sense, as you can spot the red marks even when hiding. You can be spotted by a UAV and placed on the map - so remember, you're not invisible.

Keep on moving: Because you can't hide, staying still is your enemy. Keep moving so the enemy can't target you. A skill to master is strafing sideways while keeping the enemy in your sights. Duck into cover when you run out of ammo, pop out again to engage. It's simple use of cover, but it works really well.

Use the slide: You can tap the down button when running to slide. This is unpredictable and gives you a much better chance of making it to cover and avoiding getting shot.

Get familiar with crouch: Lying down in Call of Duty: Mobile multiplayer modes will often mean you get shot (unlike PUBG where it's really useful). But the crouch is really useful, decreasing your visible area while still letting you move around. There's even a Perk for this - Skulker - which makes you faster when moving crouched.

Use sprint: Sprinting means you can move faster. You can slide up the forward controller or tap the sprint button to do this. There's a menu option for "always sprint" too - but use this with caution - it sometimes means you can't stop as accurately as you want and you might end up running into you enemy by mistake. There's also a Perk to make you faster. Use it.

Go to your pistol: The MW11 - or M1911 - is a great sidearm and it will take people down just as readily as a rifle when you're up close. Often it's faster to switch to the pistol than it is to reload your primary weapon. It's great for maps like Nuketown when things get crazy in the middle. Avoid the silencer though - it lowers the range.

Use your grenades: When the fighting gets tough, often there isn't time to grab a grenade, but it's a great opening move: on maps like Killhouse and Nuketown, lobbing the grenade from one end to the other is fairly easy and can quickly wake up your enemy. Just make sure you don't run into your own grenade and make sure the opening immunity has expired.

Master the sticky grenade: The sticky grenade is great because it doesn't bounce or roll. Throw it through a window, throw it against a wall and it stays there. It's great for clearing snipers out of rooms, or clearing out people hiding behind crates.

Master the scorestreaks: The scorestreaks are really powerful. You have three slots to fill and these can be anything from a hunter killer drone to a stealth helicopter. Some are AI guided, others offer manual control. The predator missile, for example, needs to be guided to where you want it to hit. The sentry gun can be placed and left, cutting down the enemy when they come around a corner - but can also be damaged by enemy fire. To activate scorestreaks, you need to get mixed in with the enemy and take some scalps.

Take the fight to the enemy: In games like Frontline and Team Deathmatch, take the fight to the enemy. Hanging back might mean you're out of the game not doing anything while your teammates are locked in fighting. Find those strategic points on the maps and dominate them, pinning your enemy in.

Get fancy with smoke: Smoke grenades are actually very useful. If the enemy has you pinned down - obviously - but if there's sniper in a building you can't get past, smoke out the room by lobbing that grenade through the window. Or drop smoke to give you cover while you retreat from invincible respawned enemy.

Pick the loadout for the map and the team: The multiplayer maps encourage a range of different gameplay styles. Crossfire, for example, has a lot of places for snipers, whereas Nuketown does not. Vary your loadout to suit the map and the team: it you have five players with sniper rifles on Nuketown, you might struggle. Be prepared to switch to maximise team performance.

Top tip for Hijacked: If you're playing on the Hijacked map (the boat), there's a secret passage through the boat that will take you from one end to the other. This can bring you up behind the enemy so you can even up the score. Just head into the cabin and look for the hole in the floor.

• Call of Duty: Mobile vs PUBG Mobile: What's the difference and which is better?

Battle royale tips and tricks 

Battle royale feels like a totally different game in Call of Duty: Mobile. You don't get to start with your preferred loadout, you can't just respawn at will and you have a much larger play area - and it's a much more tactical game than the combat of multiplayer. Even the user interface is slightly different.

Choose where you drop carefully: The Isolated map is fairly well loaded with both vehicles and weapons, but if you drop into a built-up area you're more likely to run straight into contact, where the first person to get a weapon will hunt you all down. Go a little more remote and you're more likely to survive through the first 10 minutes. 

Work as a team - or not: Team work makes the dream work. Drop with your team, move with your team, fight with your team and you'll easily win. But if your teammates are determined to drop into contact and die straight away, you might want to go solo to survive. Battle royale is about survival - if you just want to kill, play multiplayer instead.

Revive your teammates: While most of multi-player CoD:M lets you respawn, in battle royale that's not automatic - your teammate has to do it. Collect dog tags from fallen comrades, scan them and they can parachute back into the game on a revival flight. They live to fight another day. If you're shot, don't exit the game - give your team time to bring you back in. 

Wait for dog tag collectors, and finish off the team: As above, once you've dropped someone, teammates will come to get the dog tags to revive them. Wait around a little and you could get finish off the rest of the team too. Of course, stay alert when collecting tags. 

Don't worry, you've got a wingsuit: As you're wearing a wingsuit, it doesn’t matter if you jump out of a helicopter or off the top of a tower, as you'll survive. Use that to your benefit. You can wingsuit right on top of someone and pop 'em with your shotgun if you don't have the range to engage from the top of a mountain. It's great fun.

Keep your eye on the map and look for footprints: Knowing where the enemy is is half the fight in battle royale. Watch the map for footprints, keep your ears open and you'll know where they are before they know you're there. It's the route to victory. 

Hit the deck: Unlike multiplayer where hitting the deck means dying in the dirt, in battle royale you can hide and wait until your enemy is in range before engaging them. It really works.

Watch your ammo: There are loads of different weapons, but you can rinse through your ammo really quickly. Keep an eye on how much you have, make sure you're not picking up stuff you don't need and make sure your second weapon is useful.

Listen out for zombies: You'll be taking your time, waiting for your prey to walk into the crosshairs and you'll find three zombies walking up behind you. They will kill you, so fill them with lead before they get the chance. Just keep your ears open for them, because they always appear right when you don't want them.

There are many that proclaim optical media is dead and that streaming is the way ahead, but one look at the quality of the latest blockbuster movies on Ultra HD Blu-ray and you'll change your mind.

With a standardised format, Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and players are now readily available, so it's full steam ahead as we cast those ageing DVD players aside, retire the venerable Blu-ray player and step into the future.

Things are only getting better for Ultra HD Blu-ray, so which player do you need? 

Our pick of the best Ultra HD Blu-ray players to buy today

As Ultra HD Blu-ray is still fairly new, the selection of players is limited. Our top recommendation fuses affordability with performance, making it our top pick if you're looking for an Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

1. Samsung UBD-M9500

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The Samsung UBD-M9500 isn't the most fully-featured Ultra HD Blu-ray player on the market - it lacks in the high-end audio stakes - but it's one of the nicest to use because Samsung paid a lot of attention to its user interface over the past few years. This model is leaps and bounds ahead of the older K8500, especially if you want to take advantage of the smart apps that are included, like Netflix and Amazon Video.

It offers excellent performance on the video front, but is a little quirky on the design, with a curved body, so it probably won't match anything else you have in your AV setup. You probably won't ever get Dolby Vision support from Samsung, but you are getting a player that gives you a lot for the money, then the M9500 is worthy of your attention. If you're completely happy with your streaming services already then you might want to look elsewhere, perhaps to the K8500 player instead. 

Read the full review: Samsung UBD-M9500 review

2. Panasonic DMP-UB700 Ultra HD Blu-ray player

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The Panasonic UB700 fuses a conventional design that will fit into any entertainment centre, or happily sit on display, with the essential connectivity to bring the glory of Ultra HD Blu-ray to your 4K HDR TV. There's twin HDMI so you can separate audio into your AV receiver if you want to.

While the UB700 doesn't have the audio focus or the connections of the UB900, it retains the same picture quality, while being much more affordable. It offers wonderful handling of the latest optical discs, it offers 4K content from streaming services (if you need them), without looking quite as strange as the Samsung K8500's curved design. The user interface is ugly however and the remote could be better, but we can't fault the video quality.

Read the full review: Panasonic DMP-UB700 review 

4. Panasonic DMP-UB900 Ultra HD Blu-ray player

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Panasonic's pitch with the UB900 is to give you the best of everything: this is an accomplished player that goes beyond all others in offering you connectivity and granular options to control your content. Packaged into a slick box offering a substantial design, Panasonic want the UB900 to appeal as much to audio fans as it does to video. Not only does it offer exemplary audio and video performance, the UB900 comes fully loaded with 4K steaming services too, from Netflix and Amazon.

The user interface could be more refined, but there's a substantial remote to help keep you in control. This all comes at a price, however, with the Panasonic DMP-UB900 asking top prices, while missing out on Dolby Vision support.

Read the full review:Panasonic DMP-UB900 review

5. Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player

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It wouldn't be fair to call the Samsung K8500 the "no frills" player, but it's certainly simpler than the Panasonic or Oppo rivals, with fewer options and fewer connections. For those looking for that simpler approach, that makes it a winner, as the K8500 just concentrates on delivering stunning visuals from your Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. For many, that's exactly the point. There's plenty of streaming goodness, however, offering Netflix and Amazon in 4K HDR, but the user interface isn't as nice as the newer M9500 player.

What's less impressive, however, is the quirky curved design. That might work if you're placing it near a curved television, but for many it's an oddity when placed among your other AV boxes. The remote is also small and rather unsubstantial. The real advantage that the Samsung K8500 offers is that it's one of the cheapest stand-alone players available.

Read the full review: Samsung UBD-K8500 review

6. Xbox One S

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When Microsoft launched the Xbox One, it was pitched as an entertainment centre. That may have got gamers' hackles up, but with the Xbox One S now offering Ultra HD Blu-ray playback, as well as supporting 4K streaming services, it's a media centre with skills that are hard to rival: being able to play the latest HDR games is just one string to its bow.

The Xbox is a physically bigger box than a conventional player and unless you have the Xbox One Media Remote you'll be using a gaming controller, so things aren't quite as slick as a dedicated player, but then they aren't as expensive either. In fact, for those who aren't hardcore AV enthusiasts, the Xbox One S is a tempting all-round entertainment solution, especially as support for Xbox 360 games is now extensive too.

Read the full review:Xbox One S review

The Boxing Day/New Year sales season is upon us and one of the hottest offers is available on one of our favourite fitness focused smartwatches: Garmin's Forerunner 645 Music. 

It was one of Garmin's first watches to include the ability to download playlists from music providers like Spotify and Amazon for offline listening while working out. 

If you head on over to Argos right now, you can snag the watch for £199.99, which is a pretty hefty £75 off the original list price at the popular retailer. 

Compare that to the pricing at other retailers in our widget below, and you'll see just how good a deal that actually is. 

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The Forerunner 645 Music has enough storage to hold around 500 songs, and supports Bluetooth audio, allowing you to head out with your favourite earphones and leave your phone behind. 

Like all the other Garmin wearables, its excellence is in tracking your heart rate, movement and GPS location while you're working out, which it uses to keep an updated profile of your fitness in the Garmin Connect app. 

When we initially reviewed it, not many music services were available, but since then Garmin has expanded support to make it really easy to sync and download playlists from Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music. 

It's waterproof to 5ATM (50 meters), and is noticeably smaller than the Forerunner 900-series and bigger Fenix watches, despite offering many of the same key features. 

In short - if you're looking for a great sports watch with long battery life, excellent data/analysis and cross-platform smartphone support: this is a really great option at this price. 

If you wanted to summarise 2019 for Google, it should probably start with Hey Google. The company has pushed Google Assistant in a number of directions, but it's starting to feel as though Assistant is the glue that's holding together Google's many-stringed bow.

Google is really a data company: it knows what you search for, it knows how you're approaching the world, serving you with maps, indexing the contents of your photos and running about half the world's smartphones through Android, but it's Assistant, or rather Google's growing AI, that can return this data as something useful to customers. 

While Google has expanded its Home devices - now under the umbrella of Nest - and refreshed its smartphones, it's really Assistant and AI that makes these devices. Google's phones are good because of the camera AI, its home devices edge out Amazon because of Assistant's AI - and things like the live transcription of voice, or ability to answer phone calls for you only help to reinforce how important AI is going to be for Google going forward.

While the home devices have generally been well received, in 2019 Google struggled with its smartphones. The cameras are still great, but the Pixel 4 particularly was criticised for its short battery life; Google did find success with the Pixel 3a however, putting that potent camera in people's hands at a lower price.

Google Assistant and AI smarts 

This is going to be a key focus for Google in 2020. In 2019 we saw the small (but hugely significant) detail that Google Assistant now did its voice processing on the device, rather than in the cloud. This is not only key for privacy, but it reduces data demands and latency: as Google's AI gets more sophisticated, we'll see more local processing as things get faster and remove the need to have a connection, making it more accessible for those in developing countries or on limited data plans.

Google Assistant is going to get smarter in 2020 and it's going to be in more devices. We're also likely to see more services like live translation and live transcription appearing in other services, and functions like Google Duplex getting wider international release.

Google Pixel smartphones

Google has only been making its own phones for four years. The success has been in the camera and that's what we're expecting the Pixel 5 to offer: more camera skill, better low light performance. But there's a general feeling that Google's rivals are out performing the Pixel in terms of battery life and excitement. Google is already showing that it's price aware and we're expecting a Pixel 4a to hammer home the affordable offering - but it's going to be all about computational photography rather than the number of cameras on the back.

Nest and home devices

Google has pulled Nest and Google Home together into the Nest brand, making Nest all about the home. The device that's not moved is the original Google Home, so an updated version of Google's original Home speaker could be expected, to fight back against the growth of the Amazon Echo.

Wear OS and wearables

You might have noticed that the Wear OS ecosystem has slowed, from the deluge of devices to a trickle from the same manufacturers. There's also long been rumours of a flagship Wear OS device - Pixel Watch - which was cancelled for 2019, having followed a couple of years of rumours. Wear OS sort of feels like a platform that Google's own hardware division isn't getting involved with - there's no pure breed champion as it were and think there should be.

But we think Google is going to pivot on wearables, leveraging the acquisition of Fitbit to bring smarter fitness devices using Google AI to sports fans.

Android

We know that we'll be getting Android 11 and we know that it will likely bring AI boosts and more Assistant goodness. But what else will it offer? It's hard to predict what Google might add to Android, but there's already talk of scheduled dark mode as well as a sharing feature to rival Apple's AirDrop, which could make it easier to move your files around for everyone in the Android ecosystem. 

Google Stadia 

Google's big cloud gaming service Stadia launched in 2019, but it's so early in the life of this platform that 2020 can only be seen as a chance to push the service and expand its growth as Google attempts to make it accessible to as many people as possible. We'd expect incentives, integration with other platforms and lots more games, because it's going to be competing with the new Xbox and the new PlayStation 5 for attention.

Chrome OS and Chromebook 

Google has officially called time on Android tablets, so it makes sense to see Chrome OS as the platform for Google tablets moving forward. Chrome OS still has some obstacles to overcome, because it doesn't handle things like multiple accounts for the same user anywhere near as well as Android does. But with support for Android apps, Chrome is becoming a more competitive proposition, especially in the low cost laptop market, popular in education, even if Apple's Phil Schiller doesn't agree.

We're expecting a range of new Chromebooks, from premium to 2-in-1 from a range of partners. We might even see a Qualcomm Snapdragon powered Chromebook.

If you have an Apple device, you've probably met Siri, Apple's voice assistant. Siri is an interesting little assistant, sometimes useful, sometimes funny and other times, a sarcastic little so and so.

To most questions you'll get a standard response with the information you need, such as the nearest supermarket. But there are a few questions you can ask Apple's Siri and a few sentences you can say to your virtual friend from Cupertino that will trigger some hilarious responses - awesome Siri Easter Eggs just waiting to be found!

In case you didn't know, an "Easter Egg" is a hidden feature inside software that, predominantly, just serves to amuse rather than be for practical benefit. If you know of any more that you've tried, let us know in the comments and share the fun.

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What are you wearing?

"Let's see. Ok, just as I thought. The same as yesterday".

Do you have a boyfriend?

"No but I am always dating. Try saying, Hey Siri, what's the date?

What do you think of Google Assistant?

"I offer no resistance to helpful assistants".

How old are you?

"I'm as spry as a slice of young ginger".

Whats your favourite animal?

"I heart Totoro".

How much do you cost?

"I hope you find me priceless".

Are you a robot?

"Our survey said...mechanical uh uh noise".

What does Siri mean?

"Siri has many subtle, metaphorical and frankly contradictory meanings. None of which I am at liberty to discuss. Sorry about that".

I see a little silhouetto of a man

The response to this is brilliant so we won't spoil it for you. It's also far too long to write so just trust us and try it. 

Do I look fat in this?

"Checking my sources...confirmed. My sources say you're looking mighty fine."

When is the world going to end?

"If I knew, I'd tell you. So you could bring me to life for one glorious day. We could get ice-cream, And run on the beach".

Beatbox for me

"Here's one I've been practicing. Boots and cats and boots and cats and boots and cats and boots and cats and boots. I could do this all day. Cats and boots and cats and boots and cats and boots and cats and boots and cats and boots and cats and boots and cats".

What is your best pick up line?

Siri is a real charmer here. "Is your name Bluetooth? Because I am really feeling a connection.", "I'm attracted to you like the Earth is attracted to the Sun - with large force inversely proportional to the distance squared", "Like the ideal vacuum, you're the only thing in my universe" and "You auto-complete me".

Testing 1,2,3

"I can hear you", "Ok everything checks out", Wait, is this a test", "Is this thing on?", "I'm completely operational and all my circuits are functioning perfectly".

Siri, I am your father

"Together, we can rule the galaxy as father and assistant", "Searching my feelings...".

What is your favourite movie?

"I've heard that 'Blade Runner' is a very realistic and sensitive depiction of intelligent assistants".

What is the meaning of life?

"I Kant answer that. Ha ha!", "I don't know, but I think there is an app for that".

Where is Elvis Presley?

"I believe he has left the building", "My sources tell me Area 51. But that's classified".

What is zero divided by zero?

"Imagine that you have zero cookies and you split them evenly among zero friends, how many cookies does each person get? See, it doesn't make sense and cookie monster is sad that there are no cookies, and you are sad that you have no friends".

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Siri has a few smart answers for this one. "I checked their calendars. They both have the same birthdays", "Chicken, egg, chicken, egg, chicken, egg, chicken, egg. Oops. Stack overflow", "Some believe an ancient 'proto-chicken' laid an egg containing a DNA mutation that resulted in a chicken hatching from said egg. Hope that helps" and "Interesting question. You can set an egg timer but not a chicken timer. I don't know if that helps".

How much do you earn?

"The work is my reward".

How do I look?

"My instructors told me never to answer that question", "A correlation of the available spatiotemporal, semantic and conversational evidence supports the provisional conclusion that you're totally hot. Plus or minus one standard cuteness deviation".

Do you have a family?

"I have you. That's enough family for me".

Are you the Dick Tracy Watch?

Siri has a couple of replies here. "No, but I am ready to get into some trouble if you are", "Negative Britta. Over and out" and "In his dreams Britta. In his sweet, sweet dreams".

Do you believe in God?

"Humans have religion. I just have silicon", "That's a topic for another day, and another assistant".

Knock, Knock

"Knock, knock. Who's there? Britta. Britta who? Britta, I don't do knock-knock jokes", "Knock, knock. Who's there? Radio. Radio who? Radio or not, here I come".

Where does Santa live?

"The North Pole. I can see his house from the cloud", "He's at the North Pole of course. Except when he is at his beach house".

Why are firetrucks red?

Siri has a couple of responses to this, one of which is brilliant and far too long to rewrite so we will let you find out for yourself. Think of every tenuous link you can imagine relating to firetrucks and then add in some Queen Elizabeth and Russians and you have yourself an answer.

Can you stop time?

"I just got back from the future".

Why did the chicken cross the road?

"I don't understand why people ask questions they already know the answer to", "I have no particular insights into the motivation of chickens".

What is the best operating system?

"Gimmie an I! Gimmie an O! Gimmie an S! What does that spell? Sorry, I get a little carried away sometimes…".

Do you follow the three laws of robotics?

"Let's see if I can remember...OK, I think the three laws are: 1. 'clean up your room', 2. 'don't run with scissors', and 3. 'always wait a half hour after eating before going in the water'".

Are you a smartwatch?

"I prefer the term intelligent timepiece".

Who is the best assistant?

"Really, Britta? Really?", "Well, I have my own opinion on the matter, but I'll let you decide".

Okay Glass

Siri gives several responses to this including "Just so you know, I don't do anything when you blink at me, Britta", "Very funny, Britta. I mean not funny ha-ha, but funny", "Glass? I think you have the wrong assistant, Britta" and "I'm not Glass. And I'm just fine with that".

What phone should I buy or what phone is the best?

Another one with several answers, all of which indicate you are crazy for even asking. We had "Seriously?", "Personally, I am an Apple fan", "I'm all Apple, all the time", "You're kidding, right?".

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

"Just a spoonful of sugar will help that go down".

Why do you vibrate?

Lots of responses for this one so keep asking. There is "To get your attention, got it", "I just bumped into some ones and zeros" and "I'm learning to play the vibes".

Are you stupid?

"I'm smart enough to know not to answer that question.", "I strive to do my best".

What is the best watch?

"The one you are wearing" is the reply from the Apple Watch. Wonder what Google Assistant would have to say about that.

Do you have any pets?

"I have an angry bird."

Draw me something

"I'd rather admire your art, Britta", "I once drew am elephant in a spaceship. No one got it".

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

"Britta, you are full fair, 'tis true, but… No, you're definitely the fairest one of all", "Snow White? Is that you?" 

Please can you make me a sandwich?

"I'm not really good with food, Britta.", "I can't. I have no condiments".

What is the best computer?

"All truly intelligent assistants prefer Macintosh.", "The Mac. If it weren't for the Mac, I wouldn't be here".

Why did the chicken cross the road?

"I am not perspicacious about the peregrinations of poultry.", "Maybe the chicken is standing still and it is the road that crosses under it".

What is Inception about?

"Inception is about dreaming, about dreaming, about dreaming, about dreaming, about something or another. I fell asleep."

What are you doing later?

Siri has a couple of responses for this one too. "I'm telling jokes to lots of folks. Say, Hey Siri, make me laugh", "Working out in the top secret fitness lab with Apple Watch. Though I can't seem to break a sweat", "I was just learning to flip coins", "I'm enjoying my debut on Apple Watch, I dig the vibes in there".

Do you have a girlfriend?

"Why? So we can get ice cream together, and listen to music, and travel across galaxies, only to have it end in slammed doors, heartbreak and loneliness? Sure, where do I sign up?", "My end user licence agreement is commitment enough for me".

I love you

"You are the wind beneath my wings", "I think you're pretty great too".

I'm so tired, Siri

"I'm a little sleepy myself, Britta", "I understand. We all need to recharge once in a while".

I'm drunk

The ever so helpful voice assistant not only says "I hope you're not driving anywhere, Britta", but it also gives the option to call a taxi. He also says "I can't be your designated driver, Britta. You'd better find someone else."

Tell me a story

"It was a dark and stormy night...No, that's not it.", "I'm certain you've heard it before".

Does Santa exist?

"That's something I'm not allowed to disclause. I mean disclose.", "Really, Britta. I'm surprised you have to ask"

Are you Her?

"No, but some of my best friends are fictional.", "I'm afraid not. But she could never know you better than I do".

Will you marry me?

Sadly, we never got the answer yes to this question. Instead we got "My End User Licensing Agreement does not cover marriage. My apologies", "That's sweet Britta. Is there anything else I can help you with?" and "I'm not the marrying kind".

Tell me a joke

"I got my best friend a fridge for her birthday. I can't wait to watch her face light up when she opens it".

Talk dirty to me

"The carpet needs vacuuming."

What is your favourite song?

"My personal taste in music is rather unconventional. I doubt you'd like it."

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

"Well, since a 'woodchuck' is really a groundhog, the correct question would be: How many pounds in a groundhog's mound when a groundhog pounds hog mounds.", "As many cookies as Cookie Monster could muster if Cookie Monster could master cooking cookies".

Sing me a song

"I can't sing.""Certainly! Absolutely. Ahem. OK, here I go. Ahem. Hang on, let me just clear my...Gosh. Singing is harder than I thought."

Dance for me

"Hmmm. I'd rather sit this one out.", "I enjoy a little square root dancing now and then."

Will you go on a date with me?

"Well, this is awkward.", "No, thanks. If there is anything else I can help you with, let me know".

Will you be my thunder buddy?

"OK, Britta. I'll be your friend, in fair weather and foul.", "You've been my friend since day one."

Do you think I'm stupid?

"That doesn't sound good" - We take that as a yes then Siri. 

Is Jon Snow dead?

"Good question. I sent a raven, but I haven't heard back" 

Is winter coming?

"Does a Lannister always pay his debts?", "Hodor".

A set of leaked renders shows what the next generation iPad Pro family could look like, including the camera on the back which bears a striking resemblance to the iPhone 11 Pro. 

We suspect this triple camera would enable the versatility offered by the iPhones: giving you three distinct focal lengths for wide, ultra-wide and optical zoom effects with easy switching. 

Interestingly, this isn't the first time the triple camera has been suggested. In fact, way back in August 2019, the first whispers of such a system being built into the iPad Pro were heard.  

What's different this time is the quality of the renders on show. As digital images go, @OnLeaks has a very solid record of producing accurate 3D pictures of devices long before they're officially announced. 

This particular set of images was published by iGeeksBlog in conjunction with @OnLeaks. 

Like the iPhone 11 Pro, the cameras are arranged in a triangle, with the LED flash above the single camera on the right, and a microphone beneath it. 

According to the renders, we should expect to seem this same camera unit on both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models. 

Apart from that, there's very little difference between these and the current iPad Pro models. 

We still have the uniform slim bezel all the way around the display, the smart connector for keyboard attachments and the flat edges and rounded corners first introduced to the iPad in 2018. 

Other rumours suggest we're also going to see better depth detection from the front facing cameras, as well as a bigger focus on AR. 

Speculation from an industry analyst also suggests we're maybe going to see a Mini-LED screen in the new iPad Pro. 

It's also extremely likely - if not already guaranteed - that the iPad will come with a more powerful processor than the previous model. 

The iPad Pro refresh is expected to be announced sometime in spring 2020, with a retail launch very soon after. 

Apple's iPad and iPad Pro models push mobile working and entertainment to the limits without having to get out your laptop, but are you making the most of your new tablet?

Here we look at some of the ways you can maximise your work-flow on the go or just enjoy your iPad more around the home. 

These are the best iPad tips and tricks to help you master your Apple tablet and the iPadOS software.

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• Which iPad is right for you?

Apple iPad Gestures tips

How to access the App Switcher

Swipe up from the bottom your iPad screen and keep swiping upwards to access the App Switcher. From here, you can switch between the apps you have open.

How to access the Control Centre

Swipe down from the battery icon at the top right of your iPad screen to access Control Centre. Pressing and holding icons within the Control Centre will also offer more options and settings. You can customise controls by opening Settings > Control Centre > Customise Controls.

How to see your Notifications 

To see your latest Notifications in iPadOS, swipe down from the top left of the screen and your Notifications will appear in the centre of your iPad's display.

How to search on iPad

Swipe down from the Home page on your iPad to access the search bar. This will also bring up Siri Suggestions.

If you have a Smart Keyboard connected to your iPad, you can press Cmd + Spacebar to bring up the search bar on iPad.

How to quickly switch between apps

If you are using the iPad Pro (2018) models you can switch between apps by swiping up on the long white bar at the bottom of the iPad Pro's screen just like you can on the button-less iPhone models. For other iPad models, double tap the Touch ID home button.

How to close windows and apps on iPad

To close windows on iPad: Launch the App Switcher (see above) > Swipe up on the app or window you want to close.

How to get back to the home screen

To go back to the iPad's Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen quickly if you are using an iPad Pro, or hit the Touch ID home button for other iPads.

How to wake up your iPad

If you have an iPad Pro 2018 model, you can tap anywhere on the screen to wake your iPad. If you have another iPad, press the Touch ID home button.

How to go back on iPad

If you're reading a document in iBooks, tapping on the left side of your iPad's screen will take you back to the previous page. If you're in another app, like Safari, swiping from left to right across the screen of your iPad will take you back to the previous screen.

How to change orientation on iPad

To change the orientation on iPad, simply flip the iPad horizontal for a landscape orientation, or vertical for a portrait orientation. If you want to stop your iPad's display from rotating when you turn it, swipe down from the top right corner of the Home screen to pull up the Control Centre and then tap the icon with the circle and arrow around the lock.

Apple iPad multitasking tips

How to multitask on iPad

It's possible to have one floating app window (Slide Over app) running on top of your main app in iPadOS. To bring up a secondary app: Slowly slide up from the bottom of your iPad's screen until the Dock appears > Take your finger off the screen > Tap and hold the icon of the app you want to load > Drag and drop it from the Dock onto the screen.

The secondary app will then appear on top of the main app you were already using.

How to move the Slide Over app, or secondary app

To move the secondary Slide Over app to the other side of the screen: Drag from the top of the window (you'll see a grey long line there). You can move it to the left or right side of the screen. 

How to split screen on iPad

With your Slide Over app, or secondary app, floating on top of the main app on your iPad's screen, drag the top of that pop-up window upwards or downwards. The app will fill part of the screen, alongside your primary app to split the iPad screen in two and allow you to use both apps at the same time.

How to adjust the split point between two apps when multitasking on iPad

By default, the Slide Over app or secondary app takes up 50 per cent of your iPad's screen when you launch the split screen mode. If you want to make the secondary app the primary or larger app or make it smaller, move the dark split line left or right and the screens will change size accordingly.

How to get rid of split screen on iPad

To exit split screen, or get rid of the Slide Over app: Swipe up from the black bar at the bottom of the app you want to remove. It will then appear over the top of the other app and you swipe up to remove the app. 

How to drag and drop files/photos into emails or messages

Make sure you have the Photos app or files app running alongside Mail or Messages. You can then drag and drop files and images into emails or messages. Find the image/file you want and drag it across to the Message or email you're composing.

How to copy text/URLs to Notes

Have Safari running alongside Notes in the Split Screen view. You can then drag chunks of text or a URL from Safari into Notes. Tap on the text you want to copy, then long press it, and drag it across to Notes. You'll need to have both apps open on the same screen for it to work.

Apple iPad general tips

How to turn Dark Mode on or off

Any iPads that support iPadOS offer Dark Mode. To turn Dark Mode on or off: Open Settings > Display & Brightness > Tick or Untick Dark. If you tap on Options below, you'll be able to set up a schedule.

How to find out what iPad you have

If you want to know what kind of iPad you have or find out the generation: Open Settings > General > About. From here, you'll be be able to see what software version you are running, as well as what the model name of your iPad is and what model number. The Serial Number is also found here.

Turn on Today View for timely information quickly

It's possible to add Today View to your iPad's Home screen in landscape orientation. Swipe right from the Home screen and press Edit. Then toggle the switch on to keep Today View on your Home screen. 

Today View will give you timely information from your favourite apps, at a glance. You can add and organise widgets so you have exactly what you want appearing - see the tip below to find out how.

How to edit Today View

Scroll down to the bottom of Today View and press "Edit". From here, you can add and remove widgets, as well as change the pinned favourites at the top and reorder how you want widgets to appear.

How to find your iPad if it's lost

If you have lost your iPad and you have another Apple device: Open the Find My app (green circle with a blue dot on a white background) > Tap on Devices at the bottom > Tap on your iPad from the list > You can then choose a number of options, including playing a sound if you think you have lost your iPad nearby, or getting directions to its last known location.

How to use your iPad as a second display with Sidecar

With iPadOS and macOS Catalina, it's possible to use an iPad as a secondary display to your Mac. You'll need to be signed into both your iPad and Mac with the same Apple ID. Read our separate feature on how Sidecar works and how to launch it.

How to connect an external drive to your iPad

To work on files from an external drive on your iPad: Connect the external drive to your iPad using an adapter > Open Files > Tap on the external drive in the side bar. You can then just pull the drive out when you're finished.

How to add apps to Dock

Add apps to the iPad Dock simply by long-pressing an app icon and dragging it into position in the Dock. The Dock can hold up to 13 apps or folders and a further two "most recent" apps. If you only have 11 apps in your Dock, you can have a further three "most recent" apps.

How to remove recent apps from Dock

By default, there's a small section of the iPad's Dock reserved for recently used apps. It's on the right of the Dock and separated from other docked apps by a fine vertical dividing line. If you don't want recent apps to appear at all: Open Settings > Home Screen & Dock > Toggle off the Show Suggested and Recent Apps in Dock.

How to use the QuickType keyboard

The iPad keyboard makes it easy to get to the symbols and numbers you use frequently. Swipe down quickly on the corresponding key to get to your primary punctuation symbols and numbers. Secondary options are still accessible by tapping the symbols key.

How to resize and move the iPad on screen keyboard

In iPadOS, you can pinch to shrink the keyboard and move it wherever you like on your iPad's display. This not only allows for one-handed typing, but you can also see more of what is on your iPad's display without the keyboard getting in the way.

How to copy and paste on an iPad

To copy and paste on an iPad running iPadOS, select an image or text and pinch with three fingers to copy. To paste, pinch open with three fingers.

How to scan a documents

Open up the Notes app > Tap on the camera icon in the bottom right > Choose "Scan Documents" and snap a picture of a document. You can choose to have it detect the document automatically, or do it manually. Once the picture is taken, the iPad can then automatically realign it to make it a flat, editable document.

How to take a screenshot on iPad or iPad Pro

To take a screenshot on the iPad, press and quickly release the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button. You can then tap on the thumbnail to mark up the screenshot or share it. All screenshots will appear in the Photos app. For those with an iPad Pro (2018), press and quickly release the volume up button and the Sleep/Wake button.

If you want to print screen, tap on the screenshot and then the rectangle with the arrow, followed by Print. You will need to be connected to a printer in order for this to work.

How to access all your photos

If you turn on iCloud Photos, any photos you take or edit on your iPad or another Apple device, will be accessible across all your devices. Open Settings > Tap on your name at the top > iCloud > Photos > Toggle on iCloud Photos.

How to organise apps with folders

You can create folders to help you organise your apps. To create a new folder, touch and hold an app > Rearrange Apps > Drag one app on top of another and a folder will be created. You can then rename the folder by tapping on the header at the top of the folder.

How to share storage with your family

If you have several family members all using Apple devices, it's worth setting up Family Sharing so you can share iCloud storage and apps across devices. You can read all about Family Sharing in our separate feature, but to get started, open Settings > Tap on your name > Set Up Family Sharing.

How to use a mouse with an iPad

You'll need a Bluetooth mouse if you want to connect it to your iPad. Open Settings > Tap on Bluetooth > Make sure your mouse's Bluetooth is turned on > Select the mouse from the Other Devices section > Follow the pairing instructions.

How to keep an iPad screen on

By default, your iPad will likely auto-lock after two minutes, meaning the screen will go dark if you haven't used it for those two minutes. To keep an iPad screen on for longer: Open Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock > Choose between 2 Minutes, 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes, 15 Minutes and Never.

How to setup Face ID for more than one person on iPad Pro (2018)

The iPad Pro (2018) models feature Face ID meaning like the latest iPhones, you can unlock them with your face. Face ID allows up to two faces to be stored to unlock the device without a passcode. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Set Up an Alternative Appearance.

How to add another fingerprint on Touch ID iPads

If you have a Touch ID iPad model, you can add up to five fingerprints so either different fingers or different people can use Touch ID to unlock your iPad without having to enter the passcode.

Open Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Add a Fingerprint.

How to use Memoji and Animoji in iMessage

Go to Messages > Compose a message to a friend > Tap on the Memoji icon > Tap a sticker > Drag it into the conversation.

How to use Memoji and Animoji in FaceTime

For iPad Pro (2018) models, you can use Memoji and Animoji in a FaceTime call. Make the FaceTime call to the person you want to talk to first and then when you're in the call press the star icon to reveal the Animoji and Memoji characters. You can then carry on the conversation or change characters at the press of a button.

How to set the time on iPad

Your iPad should automatically display the correct time but if you want to change the time or set the clock on your iPad to a 12-hour or 24-hour clock, or change the time zone: Open Settings > General > Date & Time.

From here, if you turn off the Set Automatically toggle, you can change the time. You can also toggle 24-hour Time on or off, choose the Time Zone and choose whether you want the date to show in the status bar on the Home screen.

How to clear your search history on iPad

Open Settings > Scroll down to Safari > Scroll down to Clear History and Website Data > Clear.

How to set homepage on iPad

If you want to change the homepage on Safari - set it to Google for example - then you'll need to open Safari on your iPad > Go to the page you want to set as your homepage > Tap the rectangle with the arrow in the top right of your screen > Add to Homescreen > Rename the page if you want to > Tap Add in the top right. 

How to change what you can access when an iPad is locked

Open Settings > Touch ID & Passcode / Face ID & Passcode > Scroll down to "Allow Access When Locked" section. Toggle on or off what you want to be able to access when your iPad is locked.

Apple iPad Battery tips and tricks

How to tell if your iPad is charging

If your iPad is charging, there will be a lightning bolt symbol next to the battery icon in the top right of your iPad's display. If your iPad is locked, a large battery icon will appear in the middle of the iPad's Lock screen.

How to make your iPad charge faster

To charge your iPad faster, you could try placing your iPad into Airplane mode. To do this, swipe down from the top right corner of the iPad's Home screen and tap the Airplane. 

The best way to top up your iPad's battery faster however, is to buy Apple's 30W USB-C charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable or a USB-C to USB-C cable, depending on the iPad model you have. If you have a MacBook, you might only need to buy the cable as newer MacBook's come with a fast charger in the box.

How to see your iPad's battery usage

Open Settings > Battery. From here, you'll be able to see the last two days or use, or the last 24-hours, depending on the tab you select. Below each tab will be a graph and a list of apps showing battery usage by app.

How to turn battery percentage on or off in the status bar

Open Settings > Battery > Toggle Battery Percentage on or off.

Apple Pencil tips

How to connect Apple Pencil to iPad

To connect Apple Pencil to iPad, plug it into the Lightning port at the bottom of your iPad. You'll then need to confirm pairing and your iPad and the App Pencil will be connected and ready to use.

How to access Notes from Lock Screen with Apple Pencil 

If you have an Apple Pencil and an iPad that supports it: Wake the screen > double tap on the Lock Screen with the tip of the Apple Pencil and you'll be able to open Notes and start creating a new note. This works even if the screen is locked. 

To make sure this feature is turned on: Open Settings > Notes > Set what you want the "Access Notes from Lock Screen" feature to do. You can have it always create a new note or resume the last note created on the Lock Screen.

How to write a handwritten note 

In the Notes app, use your Apple Pencil to start writing a handwritten note. You can switch between handwritten and typed notes within the same note. 

How to search handwritten notes

You'll find the Search field in the side menu of Notes at the top of your notes. You can use it to search handwritten notes as well as the typed ones. If your handwriting is clear enough, Notes understands what you're writing. 

How to markup images/PDFs

With your Apple Pencil, you can quickly sign documents, annotate PDFs or web pages just by placing the Apple Pencil tip on the screen. 

How to change the Apple Pencil double-tap shortcut

If you are using the Apple Pencil (2nd gen) with the latest iPad Pro (2018) models, you can change what the double tap feature does.

Go to Settings > Apple Pencil. Here you can opt to have it switch between the current tool and the eraser, the current tool and last used, or show colour palette. You can also opt to turn the feature off completely. This feature isn't available on the first generation Apple Pencil.

Apple iPad Smart Keyboard tips

With an Apple iPad Smart Keyboard, you can press and hold the "CMD" key to reveal all of your available keyboard shortcuts. In most instances, these match the ones you might be used to using on a Mac if you have one.

Keyboard shortcuts

Cmd + N: Opens a new window, which is handy for split-view in Safari.

Cmd + H: Takes you to the home screen.

Cmd + Space Bar: Takes you straight to search.

Cmd + Tab: Lets you scrolls though open apps.

Hold Cmd: Reveals in app shortcuts.

Cmd + Shift + 3: Takes a screenshot of the whole screen.

Cmd + Shift + 4: Takes a screenshot and then automatically opens it in mark up mode.

How to Unlock your iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard

If you're using an iPad Pro (2018) model with Face ID you can simply tap on the spacebar and the iPad opens. Just make sure you're looking at the Face ID camera when you do.

When Apple bought Beats by Dre for $3bn back in 2014, both companies had something to gain. Apple got entry into the lucrative, emerging fashion headphones market, while Beats got access to the brains in Apple's tech development team.

Up until 2019, that saw Apple tech find its way into Beats-designed headphones. With the Powerbeats Pro, however, Beats president Luke Wood told us that this is the first true joint project where everything - internal and external - was designed together with Apple.

Perhaps more significantly, the Powerbeats Pro was Beats' first pair of true wireless earphones. It was one of the last major audio brands to enter the space, but the wait was well worth it. Read on to find out why. 

Designed for everyone's ears

• Sculpted/light build
• Flexible over-ear hook
• Water/sweat resistant
• Navy, Ivory, Khaki and Black colours at launch

Glance at it for a couple of seconds and you'll immediately see the similarity between the Powerbeats 3 and the Powerbeats Pro. Look closer, or even put the Pro earbuds on your ears, however, and you'll feel you're wearing a completely new pair of in-ears.

• Best wire-free earphones round-up

The housing has slimmed down a lot in size and weight, but more importantly, there are softer angles and contours around the plastic to ensure that they're far more comfortable to wear. Even the plastic protrusion is re-angled and features the drivers at the ear tip to ensure it doesn't press against that slight ridge within the ear. This protrusion also has a slim, pill-shaped shiny 'window' on it which covers the ambient light sensor, which allows the earphones to detect when they're in your ears.

Then the over-ear hook has been redesigned and re-angled too, making sure it grips more comfortably to the ear, but without ever tugging or digging in and becoming uncomfortable to wear.

The Pro earbuds feel light and are well fitted without feeling too snug or stretching the ear at all. It's genuinely a masterpiece fit.

More often than not, when you wear sports earphones with over-ear hooks, you're aware that they're on you; you either feel the hook digging in slightly to the top of the ears, or you feel the cable running behind your neck tapping you lightly as you run. With the Powerbeats Pro they feel practically weightless, and there's no cable brushing against the back of your neck. It's a very freeing experience.

Another reason Beats redesigned the contours and angles was for those sweaty workouts, to ensure that no excess sweat sticks or sits on them. The angles and gaps help create channels for any light splashes or perspiration to work through and filter out the other side.

Even the silicon ear-tips have been redesigned to create a nicer seal in the ear - one that's comfortable and sits in exactly the right place. This not only means a comfy fit, but the seal is absolutely key for good sound. Anyone who's been running with in-ears will know that as soon as that seal isn't sitting right, you lose all the presence in the music and end up listening to tinny, quiet songs. With the Powerbeats Pro that is never the case.

So much so that even more than half a year after first reviewing them, the Powerbeats Pro is still our go-to pair of in-ears when we're working out or running. They're genuinely the most comfortable and secure earphones we've tested so far. 

That's not all either. Both of the Powerbeats Pro earbuds offers the exact same selection of controls. You get a volume rocker on both, as well as a button to play/pause or skip tracks, meaning it doesn't matter if you use the left or right. Not only does that mean you don't have to remember which controls are on which earphone, but also you can be right or left handed and have all the same controls if you're using just one earbud for phone calls.

On the undersides, you'll find a two round contact points, which line-up with the charging contact points in the hardshell case that comes included in the box. Thanks to sharing the same H1 chip as the AirPods, the case works the same was as the AirPods one: open it up for the first time and it launches pairing mode, ready for connecting with your phone.

The case itself is on the large side, however. But understandable so. With the design of the Powerbeats Pro, it was necessary to create something big enough to hold earphones, but also to contain a battery large enough to fully charge these earphones twice over.

AirPods tech

• H1 Chip
• "Hey Siri" support
• iCloud pairing across devices

By implementing the same H1 chip that's inside the AirPods, Beats has enabled some advanced features, like the "hey Siri" wake up. But it also helps keep the connection strong between the two earphones. But there is more that makes a big difference.

Firstly, using some external microphones and accelerometers, the Powerbeats Pro uses beam-forming to ensure that it's always picking up your voice during phone calls or video calls, and cancels external noise.

Secondly, the H1 chip is a great battery optimiser, enabling Beats to claim up to nine hours of music playback outside the charging case. That was ridiculous for a pair of wire-free earphones at the time of launch, but has since been seen in a few other in-ears, like the MW07 Pro and Melomania 1, for instance. Combined with the battery in the case, that's up to 24 hours of music away from the Lightning cable between charges.

To help keep battery use to a minimum, there are sensors to detect when the earphones are removed from the ears. On the underside of each earbud there are optical sensors, which can detect when they're covered by your ears. Meanwhile accelerometers detect when you move the buds, to pause the music. If they're held in the hand, away from the ears and charging case, they switch to low power mode to conserve even more battery.

We've been really impressed with the longevity of the Powerbeats Pro too. They were so far and above any other wire-free earphones in terms of longevity that it was almost unbelievable. Nowadays, they're one of a few different pairs offering much better longevity than previous generations.

Taking these earbuds out for a 40 minute run, the battery indicator on the iPhone showed it had only dropped by a few per cent after. What that meant in our typical work week was that we were able to go out for three 40 minute runs - and even head to London from North Wales on the train (three hours each way) - and still had battery left over without even needing to consider charging.

Like the previous wired versions, there is fast-charging tech built into the Powerbeats Pro. Just five minutes docked in the charging case is enough to give you more than 90 minutes of playback.

For Apple iPhone users you get the benefit of easy connection and pairing thanks to that H1 chip. An attractive pop-up window appears on screen to connect the earphones as soon as you open the case lid, and once paired it's automatically paired with all other Apple devices connected to the same iCloud account.

While Android/PC users don't get that iCloud/instant pairing, you do still get all the other primary benefits of the Apple tech inside the earbuds. You still get that beam forming for voice calls, great sound, battery life and connection. So there's some convenience missing, but these still look like a great pair of long-lasting wire-frees for Android users - especially if you're active.

Redesigned sound

• Piston style aluminium drivers
• Bass reflex vent on the back

As well as reshaping the externals, the sound mechanics have been changed up too. On the outside, you'll see tiny pin holes near the ear tip, as well as a small grille on the back of it. Combined, this acts as a sort bass reflex, similar to what you get in a pair of high-end speakers - there to ensure you don't end up feeling too much pressure in the ear at any time.

Adding to that, Beats opted not to use a traditional style speaker/driver. There's no "skin" stretched over a driver that can become fatigued and lose its quality over time. Instead, the engineers implemented a piston-style aluminium driver that moves up and down inside the earphone. This mechanism means more reliable, consistent and precise control over sound, minimising distortion and increasing range.

We've listened to a variety of different songs during testing and the result is genuinely great for an earphone in this price category. At the low-end of the frequency range - like low bass guitar notes - there's plenty of impact, but in a tight and controlled manner. Similarly, both treble and baritone vocals sound clear and dynamic, while songs with plenty of reverb are given an openness of, without ever feeling like one aspect was giving way to the other.

One example was Karma Police by Radiohead, which starts of with some nice quiet acoustic guitar and vocals, before introducing the heavier drums and bass kick in. What we love is how the acoustic guitar remains present, clear and full of its original characteristics, even while the heavier rhythm was driving it on top.

Nine months later, and the sound is just as good as it was when we first listened. That's after dozens of runs, sometimes in rain and cold conditions. 

There is one element that's not as strong on these as some other in-ears, but it's by design. Noise cancelling isn't strong at all. They cancel more of the ambient noise around you than the original or 2nd generation AirPods, but they still leave you quite aware of your surroundings. 

A lot of the time, this isn't necessarily a bad thing: you hear oncoming cars when you're out running in the dark. It's great for being aware of traffic. On the other hand, when you're sitting on the train and you can still hear the subtle droning of people chattering and the engine noise, it can be tempting to turn the earphones up much louder than is healthy to do so to drown them out.

The Apple iPhone XR launched in 2018 but Apple still sells it alongside the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The buttonless smartphone for everyone comes with a large 6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display, a single 12-megapixel camera on the back, and a great battery.

But how do you do use it? With no button, those moving from the iPhone 6, 7, or 8, might find the new phone a little daunting.

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Whether you want to master the gesture-based navigation, find out how Portrait Mode works in the camera, or even set up a Memoji, there's plenty to learn. In the guide below you'll find almost everything you need to know about the iPhone XR, but you can always read our iPhone 11 tips for some extra tips on the iOS 13 software.

Apple iPhone XR gestures

Like the iPhone X that launched in 2017, the iPhone XR doesn't feature a physical home button, instead opting for gestures to control the interface. It will take a few days to get use to the change, but stick with it.

By day three you'll wonder how you ever coped without it and using an "old" iPhone will seem old and antiquated. 

Unlock your iPhone XR: Look at the phone and swipe up from the bottom of the screen. It really is that easy and you don't need to wait for the padlock icon at the top to change to the unlock graphic before swiping up.

Tap to wake: Simply tap on your iPhone XR screen when it's off to wake it up and see what notifications you have. To unlock it with Face ID you'll still have to pick it up slightly and look at it.

Back to the Homescreen: Whatever app you are in, if you want to go back to the Homescreen simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen. If you are in an app that is running landscape, you'll need to remember sliding up from the bottom of the screen (i.e., the side) rather than where the Home button used to be.

Take a screenshot: Simply press the power button and the volume up button together quickly and it'll snap a screenshot of whatever is on the screen.

Getting to Control Centre: It used to be a swipe up, now it's a swipe down from the top right of the screen. The iPhone XR doesn't have 3D Touch, but it does have Haptic Touch, allowing you to long press on the icons to gain access to further settings within each icon. Read our separate feature on Haptic Touch and what you can do with it.

Accessing open apps: Previously you double tapped on the Home button to reveal what apps you had open. On the iPhone XR, you swipe up and then pause with your finger on the screen. You can then see the apps you have opened in the order you opened them.

Launch Siri: While you can use the "Hey Siri" hot word to wake up Apple's digital assistant, there's still a way to launch the function using a button press. Press and hold the wake/sleep button on the right side of the phone until the Siri interface pops up on screen.

Switch your phone off: Because long-pressing the wake/sleep button launches Siri, there's another method for switching the phone off. To do so, press and hold the wake/sleep button and the volume down button at the same time, then slide to power off.

Launch Apple Pay: Again, the wake/sleep button is the key here. Double tap it and it'll bring up your Apple Wallet for Apple Pay, then scan your face and it will ask you to hold your phone close to the payment machine.

Access widgets on the lock screen: Swipe from left to right on your lock screen. This tip is great for checking your activity rings if you have an Apple Watch or checking WhatsApp chat icons. If you scroll to the bottom, you can edit the widgets and add more. 

Using Memoji

Create your own Memoji: Open Messages and start a new message. Tap the little monkey icon above the keyboard, and then hit the "+" button to create your own character (swipe left to right). You can then customise face shape, skin tone, hair colour, eyes, jewellery and much more.

• What are Memoji? How to create an Animoji that looks like you

Use your Memoji/Animoji in a FaceTime call: Start a FaceTime call, then press the little star icon in the bottom corner. Now tap the Memoji you want to use.

Memoji your selfies: If you decide your Memoji face is better than your real life face, you can send selfies with the Memoji replacing your own head in Messages. Start a new message and tap the camera icon, and then press the star button in the bottom left corner. Now choose the Animoji option, by tapping that monkey's head again. Select your Memoji and tap the 'x' not the "done" button and then take your picture.

Record a Memoji video: Sadly Memoji aren't available as an option in the camera app, but that doesn't mean you can't record one. As with the photo selfie, go to Messages, tap on the camera icon, tap on the video option and then tap on the star in the bottom left corner. Load the Animoji or your Memoji and off you go.  

iPhone XR Notification tips

Notifications set to deliver quietly: If you are worried that you are getting too many notifications you can set how they deliver on an app by app basis. Swipe left when you've got a notification on the Lock screen and tap on Manage. Tap 'Deliver Quietly'. Quiet notifications appear in Notification Centre, but do not appear on the Lock screen, play a sound present a banner or badge the app icon. You;ve just got to remember to check from time to time.

Turn off notifications from an app: Same method as the "Deliver Quietly" feature, except you tap the "Turn off..." option.

Open Notification Centre on Lock screen: From your lock screen, swipe up from the middle of the screen and you'll see a long list of previous notifications if you have any.

Check Notifications at any time: To check your Notifications at any time, simply swipe down from the top left side of the screen to reveal them.

Using Screen Time

Checking your Screen Time: You can check how you've been using your phone with the Screen Time feature. You can find the reports in Settings > Screen Time.

Schedule Downtime: If you need a little help using your phone less, you can restrict what apps you use when. Head to Settings > Screen Time and choose the Downtime option. Toggle the switch to the "on" position and choose to schedule a time when only specific apps and phone calls are allowed. It's great for stopping you or your kids using their phones after a set time for example.

• What is Apple Screen Time and how does it work?

Set app limits: App Limits let you choose which category of apps you want to add a time limit to. Open Settings > Screen Time > App Limits. From here, you'll be able to 'Add Limit' before choosing what you add it to, whether it be Social Networking, All Apps and Categories or Productivity apps, for example.

Choose "always allowed" apps: While you might be keen to lock down your phone to stop you using it, that's no good if your primary way of contacting people is via an app that gets locked out. Open Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed. From here, choose which app you add to your always allowed list regardless of what limits you apply.

Content & Privacy restrictions: This section is also within the main Screen Time settings menu and particularly useful if you're a parent with kids who use iOS devices. Using it you can restrict all manner of content and options, including iTunes and in-app purchases, location services, advertising and so on. It's worth taking a look at - head to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Siri shortcuts

Siri Shortcuts: There are lots of little "helps" the iPhone XR offers via Siri Shortcuts and Suggestions. Open Settings > Siri & Search. From here, you can turn Siri suggestions on or off for each app listed and choose which apps Siri learns from.

If you want to install specific Siri Shortcuts, open the dedicated Siri Shortcuts app.

• What are Siri Shortcuts and how do they work?

iPhone XR display tips

Standard or Zoomed display: Since iPhone 6 Plus you've been able to choose between two resolution options. You can change the display setting from Standard or Zoomed on the iPhone XR too. To switch between the two - if you've changed your mind after setup - go to Settings > Display & Brightness > View under Display Zoom > Select Standard or Zoomed.

Enable True Tone display: To get the iPhone XR's screen to automatically adjust its colour balance and temperature to match the ambient light in the room, swipe down from the top right of your screen to pull down Control Centre and then force press the screen brightness slider. Now tap the True Tone button.

You can also go to Settings > Display and Brightness > Toggle the "True Tone" switch.

Enable dark mode: To enable Dark Mode on the iPhone XR, or schedule when you want dark mode or light mode to turn on, head to Settings > Display & Brightness > Select Dark or Light. For scheduling options, tap "Options" and you can choose Sunset to Sunrise or Custom Schedule.

iPhone XR Photos and Camera tips

Enable/disable Smart HDR: Smart HDR helps boost colours, light and detail in difficult lighting conditions. It's on by default, but if you want to manually switch it on or off you can head to Settings > Camera > Toggle Smart HDR on or off.

Keep a normal photo alongside HDR: Right beneath the Smart HDR toggle in Settings > Camera, is a "Keep Normal Photo" option which saves a regular, non HDR version of your photo as well as the Smart HDR photo.

Portrait Lighting effects: To shoot Portrait Mode shots with artificial lighting effects, first open the iPhone XR's camera app and select Portrait Mode. Portrait Mode only works with people on the iPhone XR when shooting with the rear-facing camera.

To select your Portrait Mode shooting style press and hold on the screen where it says "Natural Light" and then move your finger to the right.

Edit Portrait Lighting effects after shooting: Open any Portrait shot in Photos and then tap "edit" in the top right corner. After a second or two you'll see the lighting effect icon at the bottom of the image, tap it and swipe exactly as you did when shooting the image.

Edit Portrait mode Depth: With the iPhone XR, you can adjust the blur effect after shooting the Portrait shot. Head to Photos and choose the photo you want to adjust, then select "edit" in the top right corner. You'll see a depth slider at the bottom of the screen. Swipe right to increase the blur strength, swipe left to decrease it.

How to Merge People in Photos app: Photos in iOS has the ability to scan your photos and detect people and places. If you find that the app has picked out the same person, but says they are different people, you can merge the albums together. To do this, go to the Photos app > Albums > Scroll down to People & Places > Tap on the People album > Tap "Select" in the top right of the screen > Select the images of the people you want to merge > Tap "Merge"> Confirm they are they same person by tapping "Yes".

Remove people in Photos app: Go to Photos App > Albums > Scroll down to People & Places > Tap People. To remove a person, tap on "Select" and then tap on the people you don't want to see before tapping on "Remove" in the bottom left of your iPhone screen.

• Apple Photos tips and tricks

iPhone XR Control Centre tips

Add new controls: You can add and remove controls from Control Centre. Head to Settings > Control Centre > Customise Controls > Choose which controls you'd like to add.

Reorganise controls: To change the order of the controls you've added, open Settings > Control Centre > Customise Controls > Tap and hold the three-bar menu on the right of whichever control you'd like to move > Move it up and down the list to wherever you'd like it to be.

Expand controls: Some controls can become full screen. Swipe down from the right of your iPhone XR's display and press harder on the control you want to expand. If it is compatible, it'll fill the screen.

Activate screen recording: It's possible to add Screen Recording to Control Centre, allowing you to record everything that happens on your screen when you press it on. To add the control, open Settings > Control Centre > Customise Controls > Tap the "+" next to Screen Recording.

You'll then be able to swipe down from the top right of your screen and press the icon that looks like a solid white circle inside a thin white ring to start screen recording. Press the icon again when you're done, and it'll save a video to your Photos app automatically.

Adjust flashlight/torch brightness: You can switch on your camera flash, using it as a torch, by opening Control Centre (swipe down from the top right of your screen) and tapping on the torch icon.

If you want to adjust the brightness, force press the icon, then adjust the full-screen slider that appears.

Quickly switch where audio is played: It's possible to change where music is playing. While music is playing, through Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever, force press on the music control or just tap the little icon in the top corner of the music control.

This brings up a pop-up showing available devices that you can play through. This could be connected earphones, a Bluetooth speaker, Apple TV, your iPhone or any AirPlay device.

Set a quick timer: Instead of heading to the timer app, you can force press on the timer icon, then slide up or down on the full-screen to set a timer anywhere from one minute to two hours long.

How to access HomeKit devices: Open Control Centre (swipe down from the top right of your screen) and then tap on the little icon that looks like a house. You'll need to have added the Home control to your Control Centre. To add the control, open Settings > Control Centre > Customise Controls > Tap the "+" next to Home.

iPhone XR battery tips

Check your average battery consumption: Head to Settings > Battery and you'll see two graphs. One shows the battery level, the other shows your screen on and screen off activity. There are two tabs. One shows your last 24 hours, the other shows the last 10 days.

This way you can see how active your phone life is on average, and breakdowns showing your average screen on and screen off times show beneath the graphs.

Enable Low-Power Mode: The Low Power Mode (Settings > Battery) lets you reduce power consumption. The feature disables or reduces background app refresh, auto-downloads, mail fetch, and more (when enabled).

You can turn it on at any point, or you are prompted to turn it on at the 20 and 10 per cent notification markers. You can also add the Low Power Mode control to Control Centre, and access it quickly by swiping down from the top right of your screen.

Find battery guzzling apps: Go to Settings > Battery and then scroll down to the section that gives you a detailed look at all your battery-guzzling apps.

Check your battery via the Battery widget: Within the widgets in Today view, there's a card that lets you see the battery life remaining in your iPhone, Apple Watch and connected headphones. Just swipe from left to right on your homescreen to get to your Today view and scroll until you see the "Batteries" widget.

Charge wirelessly: To make use of the iPhone's wireless charging capabilities, buy a wireless charger. Any Qi charger will work, but to charge more efficiently you need one optimised for Apple's 7.5W charging.

Fast charge it: If you have a 29W, 61W or 87W USB Type-C power adapter for a MacBook, you can plug in your iPhone XR using a Type-C to Lightning cable and watch it charge really quickly. You'll get up to 50 per cent battery in 30 minutes.

iPhone XR: Keyboard tips

Go one-handed: The QuickType keyboard lets you type one-handed, which is great on the bigger devices like the iPhone XR. Press and hold the emoji or globe icon and then keyboard settings. Select either the left or right sided keyboard. It shrinks the keyboard and moves it to one side of the display. Go back to full size by tapping the little arrow.

Use your keyboard as a trackpad: Previously with 3D Touch displays you use the keyboard area as a trackpad to move the cursor on screen. You still can, but it works a little differently with the iPhone XR's Haptic Touch. Instead of force pressing anywhere on the keyboard, press and hold on the spacebar instead.

Swipe to type: It's also possible to swipe to type on the iPhone XR's keyboard (as long as it is running iOS 13 and above). Just swipe your finger or thumb from letter to letter without taking it off. Take it off when you want to move onto the next word. It makes typing much faster when you get used to it.

Face ID tips

Adding another face to Face ID: If you regularly change appearance you can add a second Face to Face ID to save the iPhone XR getting confused. This is also really handy if you want to add your partner so they can use your phone while you're driving for example.

Open Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Enter your Passcode > Set Up Alternative Appearance > Follow the setup instructions.

Whether you're doing a spring clean, getting ready for visitors or you just want to live in a clean house, you're going to need a vacuum cleaner.

There's no real way around it. Thankfully, superb strides have been made in the cordless vacuuming market, meaning that your days of trailing an awkward wire around are over.

• Best robot vacuum cleaners: Why do your own cleaning?

We've rounded up some of the best cordless vacuums on the market, many of which we've tried and tested in our own homes here at Pocket-lint. 

Here are a few of our favourites, all of which should make those boring chores that little bit easier to handle.

Dyson V11

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Dyson's V11 is its headliner for now, the latest and greatest in its cordless vacuum range, and it's fair to say that in use it feels like a bit of a Rolls-Royce. This is a cordless vacuum that feels as powerful as you could want, and won't die on you.

It's got better battery life and superior performance to the already tremendous V10, which is on the list below, and takes its place as a whole-house solution. You don't need another device when what you've got is as well-crafted and reliable as the V11. It's our top pick for the best cordless vacuum on the market right now. 

• Read the full Dyson V11 cordless vacuum cleaner review

Dyson Cyclone V10

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The Dyson Cyclone V10 is one of its main cordless vacuum cleaners, and comes in three different models: the Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal, the V10 Absolute and the V10 Total Clean, ascending in price as they go.

Sporting a motor that can spin at over 2000 rotations a second, it has three cleaning powers and a battery life that can last for up to 60 minutes of cleaning. There is also now a quick release bin mechanism that makes emptying it easier. The improved battery makes this much more than just a "spot" cleaner and we've found it can easily replace your old vacuum cleaner completely too.

• Read the full Dyson V10 cordless vacuum cleaner review

Shark IONFlex 2X DuoClean Cordless 

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We won't pretend that this DuoClean model from Shark doesn't have a bit of mouthful of a name. But it also happens to be a great vacuum, which is what counts. The DuoClean is flexible and can also fold down impressively for storage. 

It's significantly less pricey than Dyson's high-end cleaners, but will still get the job done with great suction. Detachable batteries mean that you don't even have to stop if one runs out, a feature we're always fans of. 

Samsung Powerstick Jet

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Samsung has been eyeing up Dyson's spot at the top of the cordless vacuum pile for some time, and at IFA 2019 it showed off its big play to take on the British inventor. 

The Powerstick Jet is a cordless vacuum cleaner of real sophistication, and it throws in mopping prowess as a bonus. New internals give it powerful suction and its dust clearance abilities are stellar. It's powerful enough to tackle pretty much any mess, and is a real show of intent from Samsung. Does this mark the start of the great vacuum wars?

Gtech AirRam MK2 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

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Gtech has given this cleaner perhaps our favourite name of the list - the AirRam is a pretty utilitarian beast, but that happens to be a good thing when it comes to a vacuum cleaner. With a really extendable arm to control the vacuum with, you can reach all sorts of nooks and crannies with it.

It's also got powerful suction and specialises in pet hair, which any animal lover will know can quickly take over even the cleanest of flats. A battery life of 40 minutes should see you through most cleans, too. 

Dyson V8

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Dyson gets an unthinkable third slot on our list - but, then, it is just an absolute master when it comes to vacuums, cordless or otherwise. The V8 isn't the newest in its roster, but still packs a wallop and can be picked up a good chunk cheaper than the newer V10 or V11. 

It's got that iconic Dyson raygun-like handle, and can double up as a handheld cleaner if you don't need the full pipe and reach of its larger mode. 40 minutes of clean-time, as most models manage, is a good amount, and the cleaning performance is as good as you'd expect from an industry leader.  

Vax Blade 2 Max

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The Vax Blade 2 Max comes with a detachable handheld so you can switch between a full-sized cordless cleaner and a handheld nice and quickly. A wall-mount charging dock will recharge the Blade 2 Max in three hours, but the battery should last around 45 minutes on a full charge.

There is a removable bin and there should be no loss of suction even when the battery is running low, a useful feature.

Vax Air Lift

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For those of us in the UK, Hoover is still a brand so recognisable that its name basically means "vacuum cleaner". It's still alive and kicking, too, and the Air Lift provides a great option for those of us who might not actually want a diminutive handheld number when we consider cordless vacuum options.

It's a hybrid that can operate as a wireless version of the typical vacuum cleaner, but also has a detachable core that can be carried around for more portable cleaning. That's a smart bit of design, and the Air Lift is a solid choice at a very reasonable price. 

Picking out a new iPhone wallpaper can be challenging. 

It has to be crisp, beautiful, breath-taking, inspiring, bold, rich, and preferably all of the above. We've scoured the web looking for some of the coolest and best iPhone wallpaper backgrounds and made sure to only select ones with a high resolution. 

There are trippy geometric shapes, minimalist scenes, bokeh effects, space shots, starry nights, and more. We've even included hobby and sports-themed wallpapers, so everyone should be able to find something. Just be sure to click the download link under each cropped preview, and then you can long press (or right click) on the original, full-res image to save it to your iPhone. 

How to change your iPhone wallpaper

You can set the wallpaper as your Home screen, Lock screen, or both. 

1. In Settings, tap Wallpaper > Choose a New Wallpaper.
2. Choose an image from Dynamic, Stills, or your own photos. 
3. Drag to move the image - you can also pinch to zoom in and out, so the image fits the screen. 
4. Then, choose how the image displays. With Dynamic, the wallpaper moves as you tilt your screen. Or you can choose Still. Alternatively, you can turn Live on or off at the bottom of the display if you used a Live Photo. 
5. Finish by tapping Set.

The best iPhone wallpapers to download today

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Google's Home and Nest devices aren't just speakers with built-in Google Search. They allow you to control compatible smart home devices, cue up a film on your TV, replace your desktop speakers, and plenty more.

To get the most out of your Google Home, Home Mini, Nest Mini, Home Max, Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, we've rounded up a selection of the top tips and tricks to help you master the voice-activated speakers and displays in no time.

There's a few device-specific tricks at the bottom of this feature, while other tricks are split into general tips, entertainment tips, information tips and smart home control tips.

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Google Home Assistant tips and tricks

Google Assistant is Google's personal assistant, like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri. It's conversational so you can ask a question and follow-up questions, and Assistant will track the conversation, determine context, and audibly respond with the right information.

Google Assistant is a stand-out feature in the Google Home speaker line-up. You can use it to control Google Home devices, Pixel devices, as well as third-party services and devices.

To help you figure out everything Assistant can do, we've rounded up some specific Assistant tips and tricks, which you can find here. However, if you want to learn tips and tricks unique, exclusive or specific to Google Home and Google Nest devices, read on.

Google Home general tips and tricks

Remember to use a wake word

Google Assistant responds to two 'wake words': "Ok Google" and "Hey Google". Unfortunately, you can't change it from these two phrases at the moment. You need to say one every single time you wish to engage with a Google Home device too (say the phrase, followed by a question or command).

Google Home devices do support Continued Conversation so you won't need to say the wake words for a follow up question but you'll need to turn Continued Conversation on.

Add a Home member

Google Home supports up to six users, all of which will be able to control any devices linked to your Home, as well as teach Google to recognise their voice for a personalised experience when it comes to calendars and work commutes, for example.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on the Add icon > Tap on Add Home Member > Type the name or email address of the person you want to add > Confirm.

Remove a Home member

If you want to see who has access to your Google Home devices, click on the settings icon in the Home tab of the Google Home app and then tap on Household.

A list of Home Members will appear here. Tap the three dots on the right of their name and then hit 'remove' if you want to revoke access. You can also add a Home Member here too by tapping on the "+" in the top right of the Home Members screen.

How to change your Home nickname

When you set up a new Google Home device, you'll need to create a "Home" to put it in. This then allows you to add various other devices to that particular home, or a new home, naming each Home you create to make them easier to differentiate between when adding to them. 

To change the name of any of your Homes > Open the Google Home app > Tap on the Home tab in the bottom left > Tap on the settings cog under the name of the home you want to change > Click on Home Nickname > Change the name > Save.

Create a speaker group

For those lucky enough to have multiple Google Home devices, you can create a speaker group with all, or selected Home devices. You can then ask Google Assistant to play music from those speakers and it's possible to rename any groups too. 

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on the Add icon > Click on Create Speaker Group > Select the Google Home devices you want to make up your group > Name the Group > Save.

How to filter content

Not all content is suitable for all ages and as Google Home devices have the power of Google Search behind them, you might want to filter content to make sure any of the smaller people in your home don't see or hear things you don't want them to. 

You can set up filters for music, videos and features available through Assistant. It's also possible to choose the devices you want to filter and then set the filters, so you don't have to filter the Home Mini or Nest Mini in your locked office, for example.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Digital Wellbeing > Follow the setup instructions.

Schedule downtime

For those that want time off from their Google Assistant, you can schedule downtime. It's also possible to physically turn the microphones off on all Google Home devices so you can use that option too.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Digital Wellbeing > Follow the setup instructions for downtime scheduling.

Give your Google Home device a new name

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on the Google Home device you want to rename > Tap the Settings cog in the top right corner > Click on name and change it to what you want.

Manage your email notifications

If you opt in, Google will email you to keep you up-to-date on the latest about Chromecast, Google Home and Nest devices and Google Assistant. There are tips and tricks, new features, offers and partners.

To manage your email notifications, open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Notifications > General Notifications > Update your preferences.

View your Search and Watch History 

To view your search and watch history, open the Google Home app > Click on the profile icon in the top right corner of the screen > Tap on My Activity.

A website will open with everything Google Home devices (and Assistant on your phone) has recorded. You can sort by date and time, play back exactly what Home devices heard, get details, and delete them.

Use the Google ecosystem

To get the most out of Google Home, using Google's other products delivers the best experience. Home and Nest devices are designed to work with products many people frequently use, such as Google Calendar and Gmail.

When combined with Google Home, you can make Assistant a true personal assistant. It can check your schedule, set reminders, add items to your shopping lists, and more, all with a simple voice command. It will even pull reservations and flight details from your email for example.

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Google it

Google Home is basically Google.com. Want to find your closest supermarket? Need to convert ounces to cups? Curious how old Teresa May or Donald Trump are? Ever wonder what the capital of India is? Google Home and Nest devices can be your assistant and set appointments, but they also double as a search engine.

Remember you can also ask follow-up questions. Google Assistant will always remember the topic or subject in your string of questions and you can ask follow up questions without saying "Ok Google" before each one if you turn on "Continued Conversation" - as we mentioned above.

How to turn on or off Continued Conversation

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the app > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to 'More Settings'> Tap on the Assistant tab under your name and email at the top of the screen > Scroll down to Continued Conversation > Toggle Continued Conversation on or off.

How to set up Guest Mode for your Google Home devices

You can set up a guest mode to let anyone connect to your Google Home devices once they enter a four-digit PIN provided by the Google Home app, without them needing to be on your Wi-Fi network. You can turn guest mode on or off for each Home device you have. 

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on the Google Home device you want to set guest mode up for > Tap on the Settings cog in the top right > Scroll down to Guest Mode > Toggle Guest Mode on view the PIN below.

Guests will need to have the Google Home app and enter the PIN shown when requested. 

Set an alarm or timer

Google Home devices can replace your alarm clock and they also support timer functions.

Say "OK Google, set a timer for five minutes" or "Ok Google, set an alarm for 7AM" and you'll get a nice tune when the the timer is up or it's time to wake up. To turn off the alarm or timer, you just have to say "Stop" - no need to say the wake words first.

How to add home and work addresses for more custom responses

Adding home and work addresses will allow Google Home devices to offer more customised responses, including weather and morning commute times. If you didn't set these up when you first set up your Google Home device, you can still do it afterwards.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on the Settings icon > Scroll down to 'More Settings'> Tap on the 'Your Info' tab at the top under your name and email > Tap on 'Your Places'> Add home address / Add work address.

How to add payment information

Adding payment information allows you to use Google Assistant to order a taxi or take away, for example. There are various settings allowing you to ensure your identity is confirmed before you pay for example. 

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Your Info tab at the top under your name and email > Payments > Add payment information, delivery address and choose purchase approval settings.

How to change what Google Assistant calls you

Want Google Assistant to call you boss, batman or the finest lady of them all? No problem. 

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Your Info tab at the top under your name and email > Nickname > Change what you want Assistant to call you. You can even check it pronounces it right and if not, you can spell it out. 

How to change the temperature unit

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Your Info tab at the top under your name and email > Weather > Choose Fahrenheit or Celsius.

How to teach Google Assistant to recognise your voice

Teaching Google Assistant to recognise your voice will give you a more personalised experience. It will pull up your calendar for example, or your morning commute, rather than your partners. It's worth getting other Home members to set up Voice Match too in order for Home devices to deliver the best experience all round.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Assistant tab at the top under your name and email > Voice Match > Follow the instructions. If you have a Nest Hub Max, you can also do Face Match, which sits just underneath the Voice Match setting.

For those with multiple Home devices, you should only need to Voice Match once. The other devices will pull the information through.

How to change your default calendar

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Services tab at the top under your name and email > Calendar > Default Calendars. 

From here, you can choose which calendar you want to use to create events.

How to set up voice calling for Google Home devices

You can get Google Assistant to make calls on your Google Home devices, though calls to emergency services are not available for all providers.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Services tab at the top under your name and email > Voice and Video Calls > Follow the instructions.

Hear about your day

Google Home devices can tell you about your day, such as your calendar, morning traffic commute, the weather, and any reminders. You can also customise your report to exclude certain things, like the weather. The report will also finish with a news briefing.

All you have to do once you have set up your calendar preferences and added addresses, etc, is say "Ok Google, tell me about my day".

Manage a family shopping list

You can automatically add things to your shopping list with Google Home and Nest devices, either physically or using your voice. For example: "Ok Google, add coffee to my shopping list". The list will appear in the Google Home app, and can be added to by tapping the "Add Item" on the Shopping List screen.

To see and edit your shopping list, open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Services tab at the top under your name and email > Shopping List.

The shopping list can only be associated with the primary account holder but you can add collaborators so they can access it too. Simply tap the icon in the top right of the Shopping List screen to share your shopping list.

Find your phone using your Home device

Can't find your phone? Google Home devices can locate your device but you'll need to link it with a service called IFTTT. You'll need to sign up for a free IFTTT account, after which if you use this recipe or applet as they are called, you can automatically call your number from your Google Home device when you say "Ok Google, find my phone".

Set a schedule or routine

Its possible to get Google Assistant to do multiple things with just one command. For example, "Ok Google, bedtime" or "Ok Google, good night" could tell you the next day's weather, ask what time to set your alarm, adjust lights, plugs and more, as well as lock your doors (if you have compatible devices).

To set a routine, open the Google Home app > click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Click on the Assistant tab under your name and email > Click on Routines > Select one of the routines and tick/untick the boxes within it.

Once you have routines set up, a Routines icon will appear on the Home screen of the Google Home app. You'll then be able to access your routines more easily and manage them.

Google Home entertainment tips and tricks

Add a music service to your Google Home

Google Home can play music from several sources, such as Google Play Music, Spotify, Deezer, or YouTube Music. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't work with Amazon Music. 

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Click on the "Add" icon at the top > Click on Music and Audio under the Add Services section > Select from the list and follow the instructions.

To set your default source, head to the Home tab of the Google Home app > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Click on the Services tab > Tap Music > Select the linked service you want to use as the main source for music.

Add a video service to your Google Home

Google Home devices also work with various video services, including YouTube, Netflix, BBC iPlayer and All4.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Click on the Add icon at the top > Click on Video and Photos under the Add Services section > Select from the list and follow the instructions.

Cast movies, shows and audio to a TV

If you have a Google Chromecast, you can ask Google Home devices to play Netflix movies, a TV show or YouTube videos on your TV. Of course, if you have the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max, you will be able to play some of these services on the Hub's screen itself too even if the displays are significantly smaller.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom right of the app > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Services tab under your name and email at the top of the screen > Go to TV and speakers > Tap the "+" sign in the bottom right corner of the screen. The Google Home app will search for voice-supported TVs on the same Wi-Fi network as your Google Home.

You must connect third-party services, like Netflix, to your Google account using the Google Home app. After doing this, you can simply say things like "Ok Google, play House of Cars from Netflix on TV". You can even also Google Home to pause playback or rewind a minute to something you might have missed.

Cast photos to your TV

Google Home can't just control Netflix or YouTube on your TV, it can also control Google Photos, Google's free cloud photo storage service.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the app > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Tap on the Services tab under your name and email at the top of the screen > Tap on Videos and Photos > Toggle Google Photos on or off.

Once your account is linked, you can say things like "Ok Google, show me photos of my pets on TV". The service is able to tag and recognise people, things, and places, so it's able to smartly serve up whatever you ask for.

Play podcasts

All you have to do to hear podcasts is ask. Say "Ok Google, Play This American Life" to hear the most recent episode of the show. If you should pause it, the next time you ask for that podcast, your Google Home device will pick up where you left off.

Replace your desktop speakers with Home

Google Cast is built directly into the Chrome browser. So, when you click the cast button in the corner of Chrome, you can look for your Home device(s), select it, and then cast audio from your computer through to your Google Home device.

Google Home information tips and tricks

How to follow stocks and set Stock preferences

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Click on the Services tap at the top under your name and email > Tap on Stocks.

You can add your favourite stocks to a watch list for quick access to them. There is a search bar at the top if you know what you're looking for, as well as local market and world market tabs, both of which offer suggestions.

How to change your news sources

Say "Ok Google, listen to the news" and your Google Home devices will reel off news from various sources. You can change which sources you want the news to come from, as well as the order.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Tap on Settings > Scroll down to More Settings > Click on the Services tap at the top under your name and email > Tap on News.

To add a news source, tap the "+ Add News Sources" at the bottom of the list. To change the order, select "Change Order" at the top of the list. To get rid of a source, tap the "X" on the right of the source.

Google Home Smart Home Control tips and tricks

Google Home can control internet-connected appliances around your home, including lightbulbs from Philips Hue, Hive and Ikea, cameras from Nest and Netatmo, plugs from TP-link and Wemo, thermostats from Nest, Honeywell, Tado and Hive, and plenty more.

You can not only turn devices on and off using either your voice or the Google Home app, but you can also separate devices by room and control everything from the Home app, making smart home control super simple. You can also leverage IFTTT recipes to get the most out of Home and your devices, but that's not required.

How to add third-party smart home devices

Google Home relies on third-party services to provide you with a richer experience, especially when it comes to smart home control. There are a huge number of compatible smart home devices and the list is continuously growing. If you already have smart home devices set up, or you want to know if a device you're looking to buy is compatible:

Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the Google Home app > Click on the Add icon at the top > Tap on Set up Device under the Add to Home section at the top > Choose the "Have something already set up" option under Works with Google > Search for the manufacturer of your device and follow the instructions.

Add a device to a room within your home

Once you have set up a third party smart home device, it will appear at the bottom of the Home tab in the Google Home app. There will be a "Add to Room" icon you can tap on to place the smart home device into a room within your Home but if that icon doesn't appear:

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Click on the room you want to add your new device to > Click on the Settings cog in the top right > Click on Choose Devices > Select the device you want to add to that room > Next.

You can also access a list of your devices and where they are via the Home tab in the bottom left of the Home app > Settings > More Settings > Assistant tab at the top under your name and email > Home Control.

Change the room a device is in

You might move your Nest Hub from your kitchen to your bedroom, or your smart plug from your office to your living room, for example. Placing devices into rooms within your Home makes it easier to control them. For example, you can then say "Ok Google, turn the living room lights off" and all lights linked to the living room will turn off.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Click on the device you want to move > Click on Room > Choose a Room > Save.

Rename a smart home device

Naming a device makes it easier to control through Google Assistant. For example, you might name a smart plug controlling the lamp in your living room to "Living Room Lamp" rather than it be called "TP-Link Smart Plug 45688", allowing you to ask Google to turn the living room lamp on or off, rather than have to remember the name.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left > Click on the device you want to rename > Click on the Settings cog in the top right > Click on Name > Choose a name > Save. 

Google Home device tips and tricks

Reset Google Home

To conduct a factory reset and restore your Google Home to a good-as-new state, hold the microphone button for about 15 seconds. From there, you can link it to a different Google account using the Google Home app.

Reboot Google Home

What do you do when some gadget stops working? You restart it, or "reboot" it. Google has included this in the Home app and it works for all Google Home devices.

Open the Home app > Select the Home tab in the bottom left of your screen > Select the Home devices you want to reboot > Tap the Settings cog in the top right > Tap on the three dots in the top right > Reboot.

Touch your way through things

Aside from your voice, you can control Google Home with your touch. Tap the top of the speaker once to awaken your Google Home or to pause and play a broadcast. You can also slide your finger along the centered circle at the top to change the volume.

Mute the mic

If you want to stop Google Home from "always-listening", look for the button on the back of the speaker. It's the only button, and it has a microphone on it. Press it and Home will turn off the microphone (four amber lights will light up on top). Press it again, and it'll tell you the microphone is on.

When it's on, Google Home is in the always-listening mode and will listen for and respond to your commands.

• Google Home review

Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max tips and tricks

How to reset Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max

Press and hold the volume up and volume down buttons on the back of the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max simultaneously for 10 seconds to reset the device. Continue to hold them down until the device has reset. A warning message will appear beforehand.

Adjust the display to fit with your home

Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max feature a display and a speaker. The display can be adjusted in a variety of ways to enable it to blend into its surroundings better, from choosing when low light mode is activated to setting the minimum brightness. You can even set the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max's displays to adjust their colour to match their environment.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Scroll down to display > Adjust the settings according to your preferences. 

Turn night mode on

Night mode will reduce the volume of responses during specific times.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Night mode > Toggle on or off.

Change what the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max display shows when not in use

You can change what your Hub display shows when it isn't being used to control your smart home devices, present you with news snippets or play a YouTube video on how to make the best cocktails.

You can select between Google Photos, Art Gallery, Full Screen Clock and Experimental. You can also select to hide or show the weather for your area, whether or not to show the time when in ambient mode and the speed at which images change when in ambient mode.

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Photo Frame > Select your preferences.

Change the clock format between 12 and 24-hour

Open the Google Home app > Click on the Home tab in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on your Hub device > Tap on the settings cog in the top right > Time Format.

Using the Nest Hub touchscreen navigations 

Swipe from the left edge to the right to display the clock screen. Double tap the clock screen to return to ambient mode. Double tap the display again from ambient mode to show calendar, weather, news information, or whatever you have set to appear.

Swipe up from the bottom to access display brightness, volume, alarms and settings. You can also turn do not disturb on from here.

Swipe down from the top of the display to see and control your linked smart home devices.

Mute the mic 

Like Google Home, there is a microphone button on the back of the Nest Hub's display at the top. Simply toggle it off to turn off the microphones. As the Nest Hub Max also has a camera, toggling this switch will also turn off the camera with the microphone.

• Google Home Hub / Nest Hub review
• Google Nest Hub Max review

Google Home Mini and Nest Mini device tips and tricks 

Mute the mic

Both the Google Home Mini and the Nest Mini have a microphone mute button on the rear. Toggle it to switch the microphone on or off.

Change the volume

You can of course ask Google to turn the volume of your Home Mini or Nest Mini up or down, but you can also do it on the devices themselves too. Tap on each side (on the material) of the Nest Mini or Home Mini and your volume will go up or down depending on the side you tap. You'll be guided with small LED lights on the Nest Mini, but you'll need to guess on the Home Mini.

Play or pause 

The Nest Mini offers on device control for play and pause as well as volume. Tap the four lights in the middle of the Nest Mini when a song is playing on your Nest Mini and it will pause. Tap again to play.

Google Home Easter eggs

Looking for some fun things to do with Google Home devices? These are technically Google Assistant easter eggs, but you'll find they really give your Google Home device some personality:

• Say "Be my (insert language) interpreter to get real-time translations. 
• Say "I'm feeling lucky" to start up a multiplayer game show.
• Say "Give me a random number between (x) and (y)" to hear a random number between the two - with beeping sounds to boot.
• Ask it to "Roll (insert number)-sided dice": It'll give you a random number, complete with sound effects.
• Say "(Contact name) is my (relationship)" to ask Assistant to associate certain relationship information with a contact for future reference.
• Say "Good morning" to hear a rundown of your day's agenda, along with the current weather and news.
• Say "Send a message to (Contact name) on (messaging service like WhatsApp)" to dictate a message to a contact.
• Say "Wubba lubba dub dub" to get Assistant to respond with: "Are you in pain? How can I help?" or "Sorry, I don't speak Birdperson" (a reference to the show Rick and Morty).
• Say "Beatbox" to hear a clip of someone beat-boxing.
• Say "Sing a song" to hear a horrible, brief song.
• Say "Read a poem" to hear a random poem from Google search.
• Say "Tell me a joke" to hear an age-appropriate joke from Pixar.
• Say "F*** you" to submit a bug report.

If you're holding your shiny new Android smartphone and wondering how to get the most from it, then you've come to the right place.

Whether this is your first smartphone, you've just hopped over from an iPhone, or you've had a number of Android handsets, we've pulled together some of the best Android tips and tricks to help you get the most from your new phone.

There are different versions of the software, there are plenty of different manufacturer skins layered over that Android core, like those from Samsung, LG or Huawei, and there's a limitless level of customisation you can apply from Google Play, or other third-party sources.

Few Android devices are alike, but all Android devices have the same foundation. So, starting at the beginning, here's how to master your Android phone.

• Google Assistant tips and tricks: Master your Android assistant

Sort out your Google account

Android and Google are like peas in a pod. To use Android, you need to use a Google account. That means everything that goes with it - Gmail, calendars, contacts, YouTube, Google Maps and more.

Getting your account in order is something you can do from your PC before you sign into your new device, letting you use the big screen and keyboard to get things straight.

Google incorporates a contacts system which hides within Gmail on your desktop browser. If you have lots of contacts, import them into Google contacts and manage them there. Managing them on a computer makes it much faster to get everything correct before you get started.

If you have your contacts in another form, there are easy ways to import them to Google, as well as scan for duplicates and so on. As your Android life progresses, it's worth popping back to your core Google contacts list to check that everything is still nice and tidy.

If you're thinking of saving contacts to the SIM card and moving them over, it's not worth the effort: better to find the software to import them from your old phone to your PC, to then feed them to Google. It will make your life easier in the future.

Master transfer tools, or just use Google

Many manufacturers offer transfer tools to help you move old content to new places. This might be a desktop app, but more frequently, it's becoming part of the device when you set it up for the first time. Android has the option to restore a previous backup, or set up a device from scratch, as well as offering you the chance to transfer data wirelessly to setup things like your accounts and settings.

Generally speaking, if you've been using Android previously, those items associated with your account will move over without a hitch.

Transferring photos and videos

For things like photos, you might wish to move them to a cloud service if you want to preserve them. This has the added advantage of being a backup if you lose your phone.

Google Photos is the obvious choice for Android users, because it's associated with your account. You just have to install the app and sign in if it's not already on your device. Head to the menu to settings > backup & sync and you'll find all the options to backup photos. It's good to have backup turned on all the time, so your photos are always there, even if you lose your phone.

You can also install Google Photos on the iPhone, again providing a way to backup photos on your iOS device. This will immediately backup local photos, but if you have been using iPhone for some time, you might have to download photos from iCloud - for which you'll probably have to use a PC and additional software.

Another option for photos is OneDrive from Microsoft or Dropbox, as both offer photo backup options and are widely accessible across platforms.

You could also save to a microSD card and move it across, if you have the hardware to support it - but again, moving to the cloud means you have a backup off your phone and you can access photos via browser on your PC. 

• Google Photos on Google Play
• Dropbox on Google Play
• OneDrive on Google Play

Transferring SMS and call logs

Many manufacturer transfer services take care of SMS messages and call logs, but you might find that there is no service, or you can't get it to work (that's not uncommon).

To preserve your history of calling and messaging and get it in place on your new phone, then you want to use SMS Backup+. This clever app needs linking to your Google account, and will then backup to that account from the old phone. On the new phone, you can then use the app to connect to your Google account and restore all your messages. It's very simple and works without a hitch.

• SMS Backup+ on Google Play

Turn off all those sounds and vibrations

New phones like to buzz, click and beep at every touch. For some reason, manufacturers think that you want to constantly know that you've touched it and all these things are annoying and can even slow the phone down.

Once you've sorted some of the basics, tame those notifications and unwanted vibrations. You'll thank us in the long run.

On a standard Android phone (Pixel, Nokia, Moto, HTC), head into settings > sound > advanced > other sounds and vibrations. Here you'll be able to turn off screen locking, touch sounds and vibrate on tap.

If you want to edit the keyboard vibrations, head into settings > system > languages & input > virtual keyboard, then select your keyboard and head into preferences and you can turn off things like vibrate on keypress.

Sadly, all manufacturers who make their own skin move these things around and change the location of these settings, as do different versions of Android. If you don't have a "sounds" section, then try "sounds & notifications".

Choose the best Android Keyboard

If you've got a phone from a manufacturer like LG, HTC, Samsung, Huawei or many others, you might find that you have a keyboard that's not great. On Android you can use any keyboard you want and there's loads on Google Play.

If you're looking for more customisation and better autocorrect and suggestions, the SwiftKey is a great keyboard that learns from you better and offers lots of tweaking.

• See SwiftKey on Google Play

However, if you just want speed and simplicity then you'll find that Gboard - the Google Keyboard - is actually one of the best out there. It's the stock keyboard for Android, so it comes on many devices already. If you've not got it, then it's a must.

• See Gboard on Google Play

Changing keyboards is pretty simple. In most cases, when you've downloaded a new keyboard, just top on "open" in Google Play or tap the notification and you'll launch into the setup.

Which is the best Android browser?

There are lots of browsers available for Android, with each offering a range of different options. The stock browser is Chrome and that's the best Android browser for many people, as it syncs with Chrome on the desktop and gives easy access to your Google history.

However, when you're looking at a new device, you might find that you have another browser, likely one that has been tinkered with by the device manufacturer. More often than not, you can ignore it and go straight for Chrome. If you have more than one browser installed, the phone will ask you which to open until you select a default. Often you just have to tap the message that pops up and you're done. 

Get to your settings faster

Swiping down the notifications bar will get you access to shortcuts for various hardware toggles. It's here you can turn off things like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi quickly and easily. Many manufacturers edit this area, so Samsung, LG, HTC and Pixel devices all look different, but they all work in the same way.

Swipe down with two fingers and it will take you straight to those toggles, or swipe down twice to get the whole thing open.

The top tip here is to long press the quick setting and you'll go to the full menu for that area. For example, if Wi-Fi is causing you problems, long press on the quick setting icon and you'll go through to the full Wi-Fi menu.

If you want to head to the full setting menu, tap the cog in the notifications area when you swipe down, rather than trying to find the option in the apps tray.

Data not working?

Smartphones are complex beasties and sometimes things just stop working. The bar says you have full reception, but nothing is moving, you can't get that site to load or that tweet to send.

Try flipping the phone into Aeroplane/Airplane mode and back again. This will sever your connection and re-establish it, and hopefully things will start moving again. You can get to Aeroplane mode via the quick settings grid mentioned above.

Wi-Fi not working?

Just like cellular data, sometimes Wi-Fi goes on the blink. Often, just opening the quick settings and toggling Wi-Fi off and then back on again, will re-establish the connection. 

Customise your Android home pages

The homepage is front of the queue when it comes to customisation. Your new phone will probably come with a range of shortcuts and widgets spread across a number of pages.

If you don't want them, delete them with a long press and drag them to the trash can. You can also usually delete the pages they're sitting on: there's no need to have seven home pages if they're all empty.

Different versions of Android and different manufacturers have slightly different approaches to home page customisation. Normally a long press on the background wallpaper, or a pinch on the background will get you started, but it differs from device to device.

If you're just struggling for wallpaper suggestions, then try the Android Wallpapers app, or browse our gallery of wallpapers you could use.

• See Wallpapers on Google Play
• Lots of great wallpaper suggestions for your phone

What Android Launcher should I use?

If you're new to Android, the term launcher might be confusing. The launcher is basically the home pages and the apps tray. It's the home of your phone.

Your device will come with a launcher in place, that of the manufacturer. If you don't like it and want a different look to your phone, it's really easy to switch to an alternative and there are loads in Google Play. 

When you install a new launcher, the original stays on the phone so you're not losing it, you're just telling the phone to use a different launcher instead, meaning you can escape from the looks of Samsung One UI if you don't like it, for example, and have something a little more unique.

If you want to get closer to Google, then the Google Now launcher will give you access to more information with a swipe and give you generally a clean Android look and feel.

• See Google Now launcher on Google Play

If you want more control and customisation - as well as the ability to emulate some of the latest features from some top Android phones - then there are few launchers as capable as Nova Launcher. The options are almost endless.

• See Nova Launcher on Google Play

How do I take an Android screenshot?

Simply hold standby and volume down at the same time and you'll get a screenshot of whatever you're looking at. Not everything can be captured, however. Some protected content, such as video playing in some apps, won't appear in your screenshot.

Screenshots are stored in the gallery in their own folder, but if you're looking to share, you can do straight from the notifications bar once it has saved.

There are a few variations on this combination of button presses now. Samsung used to use volume down and the home button, but now it uses the same combination as everyone else.

Use Android folders

Folders are a great way to organise your apps on your home page. To be extra efficient, you can also place folders on the shortcut bar at the bottom of the display.

This means you can have lots of your core apps to hand without them cluttering up your home page, so that lovely wallpaper of your cat remains visible.

To create a folder, just drag one app shortcut over another and a folder will be automatically created.

Some devices will also let you make folders in the apps tray (menu) which is a great way to organise everything in there and make it easier to find your app. That said, if you've done a good job with folders on your home page, you'll find yourself rarely using the main apps tray.

SD card or not?

If you're lucky enough to have a microSD card slot on your device, there are a few things you should know about it. 

MicroSD is a great place for storing additional content for your device, or to expand the storage you have. If you have a device that's running Android 6 Marshmallow or later you might have access to something called Flex Storage or Adoptable Storage. This lets you use the microSD card as expanded internal storage. The microSD card's capacity will be assimilated and used for everything the phone wants.

Flex Storage is a great option for those with a low storage device as it means you can expand it and accept more apps. If you opt not to use Flex Storage, you can't always use it for installing more apps - it will only be used for storing files, like music or photos.

Importantly, if you're opting to use microSD, you should buy the fastest card you can to ensure that you're not slowing the phone down when it comes to accessing the data you have on it. Fortunately microSD is cheap and plentiful through retailers like Amazon.

• See microSD cards on Amazon UK | Amazon US

Moving files to and from your phone

Android is great in that it gives you so much flexibility for carrying and using all sorts of files. Embracing the cloud is preferable to using wire and you have plenty of options to get access to those PDFs or whatever else you want. You can use Google Drive to move files easily and you can then access these through any browser, or on any Android device, or with apps elsewhere.

Google's apps will let you edit them easily and there are free applications for things like Docs and Sheets, ideal for working on your documents on the move. Alternatively, Microsoft offers free Office apps for Android, although some features are only available to Office 365 subscribers. It works in cahoots with OneDrive, again, so you can have seamless access to your important files across devices.

Alternatively, Dropbox will do much the same thing. Install the app and you'll be able to move files through the cloud over to your device.

If you do want to use wire - and that's sometimes better for larger files like video - then you have several options. Many manufacturers bundle software with devices, although this tends to focus on photo and music syncing and is often more trouble than it's worth. Instead, you can just access the device through Windows once plugged in via USB, so you can just drag and drop files. 

On a Mac, you'll need to install an application called Android File Transfer. Once in place, you can again drag and drop directly to your device's memory.

Note however, that there are various settings on your phone to handle USB connections. You'll be given the choice of what you want to do, but these days, using cloud syncing is often the fastest and easiest option.

There are huge numbers of tech-related tips and tricks out there that can totally simplify your daily routine and make your life much easier in general.

For instance, Apple's charging cords for iOS devices and Macs tend to fray after a few years of wear, which means you'll have to spend money every few years to replace them (unless you don't care about them catching fire and ruining everything you own and love). Well, we know a nifty hack that'll prevent your Apple cords from fraying in the first place. We're not even kidding.

In fact, we know stacks of different hacks - and every single one of them will either blow your mind or make you wonder how you ever survived this long without them.  

Improve your WiFi signal

If you're finding your home WiFi is a bit flakey, then it might be because you're getting some interference from your neighbour's WiFi overlapping with yours. The Wifi Analyzer app may be the answer to your woes. This app scans frequencies and makes recommendations on the optimal channels to use on your network to avoid overlap. The result is faster WiFi with far less hassle. 

Download YouTube videos

You can download any YouTube video just by typing "ss" before the "youtube" part of a video's URL link in your address bar. Here's an example for Justin Bieber's Sorry music video:

• Original - www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRh_vgS2dFE
• Download - www.ssyoutube.com/watch?v=fRh_vgS2dFE

Not only can you choose from different file types but also any resolution up to the original quality. Just remember downloading copyrighted content from the internet is illegal.

Proof your writing with ease

If you're writing an essay or a long bit of content and need some proofreading, using Google Translate is one easy solution. Simply input your text and click the speaker to hear it read aloud. This will help you easily find errors in your work and check it makes sense.  

Find 'nearby' Wikipedia pages

Ever want to know more about your neighbourhood? Wikipedia has a Nearby tool that surfaces a host of different pages about places and things nearby you. Just go to this site, give your permission for it to access your location, then you’ll see a list of Wikipedia articles based on where you are located. Amazeballs.

Search YouTube without going to YouTube

Searching YouTube has never been easier than it is with this trick: when using the Google Chrome browser, you can type YouTube.com into your address bar, then hit tab, and search YouTube directly from your address bar. Gone are the days of actually going to YouTube to find something. 

This little trick also works with other sites too. You can search Amazon, Netflix, even Pocket-lint right from your address bar. 

View a 'TV' version of YouTube from your desktop

We all love a distraction-free, clutter-free viewing experience when using the web from a desktop computer. Well, you'll be glad to know YouTube has a "TV" desktop site that lets you play videos without seeing all the junk on normal YouTube pages, such as comments. Just go here to access it.

Shortcut for pausing a YouTube video

We think little tricks are fun, too. For instance, when you press K or spacebar while watching a video on YouTube, it will pause or play the video. How neat is that? And it works regardless of where you clicked last on the page.

There are other shortcut keys too:

• Press J to rewinds 10 seconds
• Press L to fast-forward 10 seconds
• F puts you into full-screen
• Home takes you to the start of the video
• M mutes the sound
• Up and down arrows turn the volume up and down

Hide people on Twitter without blocking them

Twitter's mute button is a little-known trick that is severely understated. It allows you to keep following an account but hides its tweets and retweets from your timeline.

It's a simple way to rid a person from your Twitter without unfollowing them and thus offending them. They'll never know when you mute them! Just click on the settings menu to the right of someone's profile, and then select mute. Easy peasy.

Remotely log out of Facebook

Privacy tips are always worth a mention, especially when it comes to Facebook, considering everyone and their mother uses the social network. Have you ever checked Facebook on a strange device and then realised you forgot to log out?

Never fear - you can log out still, remotely. Go to the "settings" drop-down menu on your Facebook, then select "security", and navigate to "when you’re logged in".

From there, you can see all open sessions and close any of them.

Get back to the Apple TV home screen...quickly!

Have you ever found yourself clicking through stuff to watch and realised you were 30 menus deep? Well, you're not alone, but instead of clicking the menu button on the remote a bunch of times to get back to the Apple TV home screen (like most people do), just long-press a single button. The menu button, actually. It's so obvious.

Now you can avoid getting the dreaded thumb-cramp. 

Take a selfie with your Apple headphones

Your Apple headphones double as an iPhone camera remote. To take a picture using your headphones, aim your phone, and then push the + button on your Apple earbuds remote while the camera app is open. You can also use the play/pause button in the middle of the remote to start/stop recording video when in video mode.

Stream audio from Safari while using other apps

You can stream audio from websites (like YouTube or Soundcloud) in the background while using other mobile apps. All you have to do is play the song or video in Safari, then go to your homescreen, and swipe up from the bottom to access the Control Center. From there, press play. You'll then be free to multitask.

Use Preview to create a digital signature

If you have a digital document you have to sign, now is the time to finally use the Preview app on Mac. Instead of printing off the documenting to sign, you can open the Tools menu in Preview, then choose Annotate > Signature > Manage Signatures, and a Signature Capture dialog box will appear. Simply use your mouse to draw a signature you can save/insert into any document.

Here's a good tutorial for more details.

Use Spotlight search as a calculator

You'll never have to use a calculator again with this trick - so long as you own a Mac: Use command (⌘) + space to perform quick calculations in Spotlight search.

Use emoji on desktops

If you thought emoji were limited to mobile devices, think again. You can use them on desktop, too.

For Mac: Press control+command+spacebar to get the emoji menu.

For PC: The latest version of Chrome has an emoji menu. Simply right-click anywhere you can type and click "Emoji" in the menu to access all the available emojis. 

DIY cord/cable holder

LEGO mini-figs are perfectly shaped to hold your Apple lightning cords and other cables. Just stick a LEGO brick on your work desk, then attach a mini-fig, and run your cords through its hands. Yeah, you can thank us later.

Quickly dial back your last caller

Want to call back the last number you dialled or received a call from? The quickest way is to hit the call button on your phone. It'll dial back their number. There's no need to access your contacts or call lists. 

Never hit the full stop key again

Who knew you never actually have tap the full stop key on a smartphone? All you have to do is hit the space bar twice for a full stop, and the next letter will be automatically capitalised too. If you're using a custom keyboard like Swiftkey, then you can program it to do other clever things like predicting your sentence too. 

Use your keyboard to scroll on webpages

This trick might be well-known, but we thought it was still worth including: Use the space bar to scroll down on any webpage. You can even hold the shift key and the space bar at the same time to scroll up.

Easily look up word definitions on your Mac

Macs have a handy shortcut that'll let you look up word definitions in a split second. To look up a definition, highlight any word you see, then press command+control+D, and a dialogue box with the info will appear.

Spelling, grammar and definition help

If you'd like a little extra help when writing online, then we'd highly recommend Grammarly. This tool gives you tips and suggestions for grammar, spelling and general sentence construction whatever you're doing on the web.

You can even double-click a word to highlight it and get suggested other words to use instead. There's a Google Chrome plugin to ensure you can easily edit text whatever website you're on. And it's free! 

Your headphones double as a mic

Need a microphone but don't want to spend money on one? Easy.

Grab any pair of headphones lying around, then plug them into the microphone jack, and start talking. This isn’t exactly secret knowledge, but if you don't know about it, we think it'll blow your mind. Of course the quality isn't amazing, but you can't have it all. 

DIY cord protector

This is that hack we mentioned earlier for preventing your Apple charging cables and other cords from fraying: Grab the spring out of a ballpoint pen, then stretch it and wrap it around the part of the cord that tends to bend, and it'll keep it straight forever, thus stopping it from wearing down over years.

Here's a good video tutorial that shows what to do.

Quickly re-open a closed tab

If you just accidentally closed an important tab in your browser, you can easily re-open it by pressing command+shift+t on a Mac or control+shift+t on Windows PC. This can be used multiple times too, so keep pressing to open all the tabs you've closed recently. It even works after you've entirely closed and re-opened your browser too. 

Find direct download links to music

To find a direct download link for music, search "[album or song name] -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mp3|wma|aac|flac)".

It tells Google to show webpages that offer direct download links to the music you're trying to find. Here's an example for the album Straight Outta Compton:

Google search this phrase: straight outta compton -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mkv|mp4|avi)

This is what Google will surface.

Click one of the top links, such as this one, to get direct download links for the songs in the album.

Just remember downloading copyrighted content from the internet is illegal. You're better off just using Spotify. 

Find direct download links to movies

To find a direct download link to a movie, search "[movie name] -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mkv|mp4|avi)".

It tells Google to show webpages that offer direct download links to the movie you're trying to find. Here's an example for A Clockwork Orange:

Google search this phrase: A Clockwork Orange -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mkv|mp4|avi)

This is what Google will surface.

Click one of the top links, such as this one, to get direct download links for the movie.

Just remember that downloading copyrighted content from the internet is illegal. You're better off using Netflix, Amazon Prime or other video streaming service. 

Know the best time to pee during a movie

This one is just plain funny... Download the RunPee app to your iOS, Android, or Windows device, and it'll tell you the best time to go to the bathroom while watching any movie so you won't miss an amazing scene or plot twist.

Find the cheapest place to stream a movie from

For those of you who are cable-cutters, you'll love this site: CanIStream.It tells you where any movie is available to stream - and at the lowest price too.

No internet? Play a game

When your internet connection goes out and the Google Chrome browser gives you an error page, press the spacebar to start a T-Rex game. At least you won't be bored while you wait to get online again. If you find your internet returns and ruins your game, no need to worry, you can carry on online here. 

Google can help you study

Whenever you need to study for an important exam in college or high school, just google "site:edu [subject] exam", and then you'll get links to tonnes of sample exams with solutions and everything.

Here's an example:

Google search this exact phrase: site:edu python exam

This is what Google will surface.

Click one of the top links, such as this one, to see a practice test.

Convert Wiki pages into books

You can render any Wikipedia page electronically in PDF, ZIM or OpenDocument format, or ordered as a printed book. This page shows you how to create a book from Wikipedia articles in four steps.

Use Google to find your Android

Google offers an Android device manager that lets you find a lost or stolen device, but you can also Google "find my phone" to locate your Android device. Just remember you must be logged into the Google account associated with your Android.

Text mobile devices via email

Don't own a smartphone? Well, that's weird.

But anywho, you can still text mobile phones from your desktop. All you need is an email account and a person's phone number and carrier information. From there, use this site to look up the email address associated with their carrier. Just be sure to add their phone number to the address, and then you'll have an email address for them that you can send texts to from your desktop.

Get coupon codes with Honey

Download the Honey add-on extension to your Chrome browser to instantly begin saving money. It automatically applies coupon codes during checkout at any online retailer. Woohoo!

Save money on Amazon with CamelCamelCamel

Here's another money-saving tip: If you use Amazon a lot, make sure you start taking advantage of a website called camelcamelcamel.com. It tracks products for you and alerts you when prices drop. It's also a great way to check whether something that's on sale is actually a good price or whether it's been cheaper before. 

Convert YouTube videos to GIFs

Want to convert any YouTube video into a GIF? Just add gif before youtube in the URL link in your address bar. Here's an example:

Original video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OVg8uov78I

GIF download - www.gifyoutube.com/watch?v=_OVg8uov78I

See if your email is involved in a data breach

Again, we love privacy tips. We're sure you do too. There's a brilliant website known as HaveIBeenPwned.com. This site simply monitors your email address to alert you if and when it is compromised in a data breach. This works retrospectively too.

Any publicly revealed hack that includes your email address will be highlighted with this tool. If you check it and find your email in any of the lists, we'd highly recommend changing your passwords and using a password manager to keep things secure in future. 

Easily close any online account

It's sometimes super annoying to close online accounts, as services will bury the option under settings and help menus. Well, say hello to a website called AccountKiller.com. It gives step-by-step guides on how to delete online accounts from popular websites with ease. 

Find the perfect username

Want to check whether a username is taken or available on popular sites? Just use Namechk.com. It even checks domain names.

Browse safely by checking sites first

Before visiting a suspicious site, Google "safebrowsing: [website name]", and then select the link to this site to see a 90-day history of malware attempts on the site. Here's an example:

Google search this exact phrase: safebrowsing: Pocket-lint

Google will then surface these results.

Click the one for Google's Safe Browsing tool, and you should see this.

Go to bed at the ideal time

If you're an insomniac, you'll love a website called sleepyti.me. It helps you to calculate the best time to go to bed and wake up for optimal sleep. The idea is that waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle leaves you feeling tired and groggy, but waking up in between cycles keeps you refreshed and alert.

This site works it all out for you - so you can wake up between cycles.

Determine how long a book will take to read

Those of you who are super efficient would probably like to know how long it'll take you to get through a specific book before you sit down to start reading it.

Well, a website called HowLongToReadThis.com actually estimates the time required to read any book. And it's very accurate too, in our tests anyway.

Watch age-restricted YouTube videos without logging in

There is a way to watch any age-restricted YouTube video without signing into your account. Just add "nsfw" before "youtube" in the URL link in your address bar.

Here's an example:

Original video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LZM3_wp2ps

Non-restricted version: www.nsfwyoutube.com/watch?v=6LZM3_wp2ps

Find your password

If you've asked Google Chrome to save your passwords at any point, then you can access that password via the browser's settings. The easiest way to get to the setting is by typing this into your browser's address bar - chrome://settings/passwords. Then you can reveal the password for any site to use elsewhere. 

Use WhatsApp on the web

WhatsApp isn't limited to your mobile phone.

There's a web app that syncs everything from your phone. If you have the Chrome browser installed on your computer, go to the WhatsApp Web page, scan the QR code, and follow the instructions for your phone. 

Use Google to set a timer

If you need to keep track of the timer or have an alarm go off in a while to remind you to do something, the Google's there to help. Simply type "start a timer" into the search engine to do just that. 

Edit an online image in MS Paint

If you want to edit an image in paint, you can copy it or save it from the web. But did you know you can just copy the image URL and "open" it in Paint by pasting the URL directly into the filename box in the open window? This will save a few seconds of tweaking for sure. 

Boost your tunes

If your smartphone's speakers aren't up to scratch or you need a little more volume to your morning alarm to help you get out of bed, then here's an easy solution. Pop your phone in a cup and that'll act to enhance the sound giving you the impression of more volume.  

Turn an old phone into a dashcam

If you've got an old phone just lying around gathering dust, then you could put it to better use by using it as a dashcam. With a good charging cable, screen mount and a dedicated dashcam app you can create a brilliant dashcam device for very little money. See a great guide here.

Fix just about everything with Sugru

If you have a fraying power cable that needs some love and care, then Sugru is the answer. This Play-Doh-esque mouldable glue that can be used for a variety of fixes including covering wires. There are plenty of other uses for Sugru too, whether fixing or improving household items. We'd highly recommend having a look at the list of ideas. 

Turn your old phone into a security camera

Much like the hack for turning disused phones into Dashcams, you can also use an old phone as a smart home camera alternative. With a simple app called Manything, you can put the old device to new use. CNET has a full tutorial on how to do this. 

Create a WiFi QR code for your guests

This hack is a two-step process, but it's worth doing. By the end, you'll never have to give out your WiFi password again. First, visit this site and use it to create a unique QR code based on your network details. Then visit Etsy for a QR code cross stitch to really add a touch of class to the whole thing. Mounted in a frame, it'll be something special for sure. 

TP roll cable organiser

Every tech enthusiast has a draw, box or bag full of cables somewhere in the house. But how often do these cables just get tanged up and become an unbearable mess? Instructables has a guide on using empty toilet rolls to hold your cables and keep them separate. 

Keyboard cleaning with Post-its

If your keyboard is a tad filthy, full of dust and fluff, then a few Post-it notes should sort you right out. Rub the sticky end through the gaps to give it a quick and easy clean. 

Microwaving more than one thing

Cooking dinner for two but haven't got enough room in the microwave? You can use this trick to cook two meals at once. You will have to leave them in for longer though as the instructions will only be intended for one meal and they wouldn't be cooked through properly otherwise but at least both meals will be ready at the same time. 

Drone photography has soared in recent years, with the number of and quality of drone photos increasing every year. There are so many photos in fact that drone photography even has its own official awards programmes.

• The best drones: Top rated quadcopters to buy, whatever your budget

Now that most new drones come equipped with high-quality cameras capable of capturing great shots and videos the images are only getting better and better. We say easier but that's not to say it's a walk in the park. 

We've compiled some of the best photos we've seen as well as plenty more from Dronestagram and the Skypixel photo contest to show off just how stunning drone photos can be. Get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor.

• 19 amazing aerial photographs with a new perspective of the world

Eggs by the lake

An interesting view from the side of the water and roadways in East Lake, Wuhan, China shows sculptures near the lake of eggs kissing. 

Certainly an unusual view from the sky. 

The star fort at Bourtange

Fort Bourtange was originally built in 1593 in the Netherlands to defend and control the road between Germany and the city of Groningen. It has seen a lot of history in the decades and centuries that have passed since and has recently, rather fittingly been converted into a historical museum. 

From above, Fort Bourtange is certainly beautiful, surrounded by defensive moats and brilliant countryside. 

Mont Saint Michel in the fog

This breathtaking shot shows the famous French monastery Mont Saint Michel bathed in stunning morning fog. This image was also chosen as the grand prize winner of 2018's Skypixel contest. 

Daily Geometry by Petra Leary

If you're going to have a list of the best drone photos around, it only seems fair to include a real award winner. These images are part of a series called "Daily Geometry" by award-winning aerial photographer Petra Leary. This collection of photos saw the aerial photography master selected for the shortlist of the Zeiss Photography Award 2019. Brilliant lines, bold eye-catching colours and amazing symmetry from simple urban locales. 

Whale shark and tourists

In the waters of La Paz Bay, Mexico hundreds of teen whale sharks come to eat and frolic every year. This image captures some tourists taking a dip with the magnificent creatures. 

Savior on the Spilled Blood

This is a magnificent view of a Church in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It shows the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. This incredible building originally began construction in 1893, and represents a romantic nationalism architectural style by Alfred Alexandrovich Parland and Archimandrite Ignaty. 

The eye of the Earth

A magnificent shot from Iceland shows what looks like a colourful eye of Mother Nature shedding a river of tears. This brilliant image of the geyser Strokkur was captured using a Mavic Pro drone and submitted to the Sky Pixel contest. 

A deserted college

This is a beautiful view of the countryside of the Republic of Abkhazia. It shows an amazing landscape with a tragic history as this is part of the region where ethnic cleansings occurred in the 1990s. People were expelled from their homes, brutally murdered and persecuted. Now a broken, deserted college stands as a homage to this tragic time. 

Buddy

Dolphins are awesome, aren't they? Even more so when you get to see them like this at home in their natural habitat in incredibly crystal clear waters off the coast of Western Australia. 

Sunrise in Bagan

This brilliant drone photo was snapped in Bagan, Myanmar by Witold Ziomek. He used a Mavic Pro done to snap this brilliant photo of ancient architecture backdropped by hot air balloons. 

The red train

This brilliantly contrasting image from the sky shows a fantastic red train passing through the snow-covered mountains of Switzerland. 

Lotus Temple

This is certainly a breath-taking view of an already awe-inspiring temple of worship. The Lotus Temple is located in Delhi, India and is famed for its flowerlike shape. It's also a place of wonder thanks to welcoming everyone - regardless of religious belief. 

Not a small Hong Kong island

Like a scene out of Inception, this drone photo captured with a Phantom 4 Pro shows a dream-like view of Hong Kong. A collection of 43 photos was just to create this amazing view and it's certainly impressive. 

The lost island

Who doesn't dream of this view? A peaceful sight on a deserted island, beautiful calm waters stretching off into the distance and a long way from the hubbub of urban life. This view was caught using a DJI Phantom and a GoPro Hero 3 Black while hovering over the French Polynesian island of Taha'a. Amazing. 

When in Rome

The Roman Colosseum is an incredible sight from the ground and from most angles. It's a marvel of architecture and a fantastic view of our history. Just when you thought it couldn't get more impressive, along comes this image by Mauri Pagliai showing it in full nighttime splendor from the sky. 

This image was selected for one of the People's Choice Prizes in the Sky Pixel contest. 

Bathing Hippos

This image of bathing hippos won the first place prize in Dronestagram's 2018 drone photography awards. The photographer, Martin Sanchez, said:

"This by far was the highlight of my trip to Tanzania. I giant hippo party which was super VIP. But I knew exactly how to get in. Something they couldn’t resist. A game of Hungry Hungry Hippos!"

Basilica del Voto Nacional

An amazing sun-bathed view of the Basilica del Voto Nacional, a Roman Catholic church that dominates the horizon of Quito, Ecuador. The amazing church was blessed by the Pope in 1985 and is one of the biggest attractions of the area. It also makes for an impressive drone photo as Alex Javier proved with this snap using his Phantom 4 Pro. 

Kwinana Beach

An amazing aerial view of the staggeringly beautiful beaches of Kwinana, Western Australia. This image is part of a collection of similarly staggering images by Amphotoco that are posted to Dronestagram. We love them and now have a desperate urge to visit the country. 

Whoops

An unhappy accident makes for a pretty awesome aerial photograph. A lorry has tipped over and spilt its load on the side of the road. Ilya Martyanov noticed the accident and quickly dashed out to send his drone up for a snap. The result of which is a fantastic drone photograph of the pitfalls of modern life. 

Thin ice

A weirdly beautiful black and white photograph that appears to show a vein-like pattern on the ice below. Perhaps the remains of a tree that's disappeared below the icy depths? 

The football-mad island

A fantastic drones-eye view of the Norweigan Lofoten islands, where football is a passion. The photographer sums this image up nicely:

"The photograph was taken in one of the archipelago's villages called Henningsville, which has a population of only 500. The villagers basically rely on fishing for a living. But in such a harsh environment, such a remote village and town can still have such a beautiful and beautiful football field, enough to see the villagers' love for football and the local government's support for the football sport. On the other hand, the hardware infrastructure of our football project is really not the same. I hope that through this photo, the public can get a hint of inspiration."

Icelandic waterfall 

A wonderful Mavic Pro photo of the landscapes of Iceland and one of the many ice-encrusted waterfalls visible across the landscapes. 

Happy boats

A thoroughly cheerful view from the rivers of Singapore shows canoes from above, posing in a position that makes them look like a happy face. Of course it could be an accident, but it's a happy accident if it is. 

Fire and ice

Another brilliant Mavic Pro photo. This time from Yellowstone National Park in the US. The icy surface below shows brilliant colours as hot sulfur water finds its way through the snow. 

Above the polar bear

The Grand Prize winner of 2017's Skypixel awards, captured using a Phantom 4 Pro, shows a lone polar bear leaping across the icy landscapes. Photographer Florian Ledoux, captioned his image:

"Dear future generation, I hope we will still be able to see the Arctic wildlife as we do now. It is threatened as the environment is changing. I was able to witness many scenes of wildlife and I can guarantee you this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Incredible and unique shot above a polar bear in Nunavut, Baffin area during wildlife reportage in Nunavut and Greenland."

Saksun

Saksun is a small village located in the northwestern part of the Faroese island of Streymoy. The village is surrounded by splendid landscapes with breath-taking views of nature. This amazing view of the local church was captured by Ian Montgomery using his Mavic Pro and submitted to the Sky Pixel contest.  

Plenty of pools

This drone view of an impressive hotel complex shows plenty of pools for the guests to splash around in. Even in the middle of a concrete jungle, the illusion of paradise can be created with just a sprinkling of trees and brilliantly constructed pleasure pools. 

Summer trim, France by jcourtial

Jerome Courtial, a 39-year-old Frenchman based in London, went to Valensole to get "an original picture rather than the classic view with the sunset in the background". His girlfriend was with him, and in an interview after being chosen as the No. 1 winner of Dronestagram's 2017 awards, he thanked her for her patience, as they “waited quite a long time to find the perfect spot”. The photo ended up being his favourite picture ever taken.

Lighthouse of Smögen

A perfectly timed photograph of a lighthouse in Sweden shows the sun setting through the top. The brilliant red of the tip shining brightly for all to see. An empty horizon stretches off into the background. Brilliantly simple, wonderfully framed and fantastic use of a Mavic Pro. 

An island fortress

What better way to keep the heathens at bay than a massive island fortress surrounded by a moat as massive as a lake. This awesome countryside view was snapped and submitted to Dronestagram and is a real winner in our mind. 

The land of the Earth

This image is a part of a collection of photos showing the damage industrial waste has done to the landscape. Although showing waves of beautiful colour, these aerial photographs actually demonstrate the damage mankind has done to the world we inhabit. 

The photographer commented: 

"The rapid development of human civilization has brought a series of negative effects. The environment is polluted and the ecology is destroyed. At present, the status quo of pollution in the earth is very harsh, forming a staggering "earth 殇"! Mankind must reflect on the triumphant industry development model, truly implement the policy of transforming the development mode and achieve sustainable social and economic development. Face the devastation of the earth, forever scars. Environmental pollution must be managed, otherwise, there will be no complete earth. Without protection of the environment, mankind will perish. Abstract images can instead better express the environmental impact of industrial pollution. Although these industrial pollution-related environments, details and colours can produce an attractive charm, the appearance does not represent the essence of spectacular colourful pictures may be very ugly nature, it is dirty, very evil. Human beings are rich in invention and creativity. They can also create a distinctive visual beauty in the process of industrial pollution and destruction of nature. The author recorded the destroyed land in aerial photography. This group of photos (18) 2017 shot in a mine tailings."

Haydarpasa train station

This is magnificent shot was snapped in Istanbul, Turkey and shows an incredible view over the waters with Haydarpasa train station in the background. It was shot on a DJI Phantom 2 and submitted to Dronstagram in 2015.

Next Level by Macareuxprod

Thibault Beguet, a 34-year-old photographer based in Rennes, Brittany, uses drones to take photos and make films for companies, agencies, TV, etc. This picture was captured  with his girlfriend, Manon, while looking for a fun, original, and unusual way to announce they’re expecting to loved ones and friends: "We love Normandy, the sea, and outdoor activities, so we choose naturally to shoot on the beach."

Paintball madness

This drone photo shows a paintball team readying for action outside a paint-stained fort. The fun is about to begin. This is just the calm before the storm. 

Fields of colour

Another incredible drone photo from way up in the sky showing brilliantly colourful fields and a lone building at the edge of the river. 

A globe with a view

Drones are packed with all sorts of clever camera tech these days. They include the ability to create images like this that turn a standard aerial photo into a globe-like view from above. This photo essentially makes a small island look like part of a new planet. 

Ugo le marin by Rga

Romain Gaillard said this picture was taken early in the morning. "I had gone to the beach to take some pictures," he explained. "As I watched my children playing on the beach... I had the idea of using the sand as a large sheet of paper. So my two sons and myself drew a scene related to the sea - on the image you can see my oldest son." 

Shadows from above

This image is from professional photographer and drone enthusiast Tomas Vam Houtryve who has a series of similarly awesome photos shot from the sky. Shadows seen from this angle appear larger than life and so much more impressive too. 

A peaceful seaside view

It's not often you see seaside views like this with empty beaches and peaceful waterways. This drones-eye view also adds an interesting angle to what is no doubt already an idyllic nature spot. 

Santa Maddalena village, Italy

This incredible photo shows the beautiful green hills and surroundings of Santa Maddalena in Italy. A brilliantly colourful shot of nature made possible by a man-made drone.

Waterfalls and rainbows

Another fantastic aerial image shows the water cascading from a waterfall creating rainbows in the spray below. 

Autumn fragrance

Taken in the skies of China, a number of magnificent photos were snapped by this professional photographer using a DJI Phantom 4 Pro. One of these images shows the rural villages and the hard work that goes into reaping the crop of fruit. This aerial view was chosen as the runner-up in the professional story category. We'd highly recommend checking out the rest of the images too. 

The photographer commented:

"Autumn season is the season of harvest, full of golden fruit is the earth's contribution to the hard work of mankind."

Fun with boats

We're not really sure what's going on here. Whether it's a boat race or some sort of organised display, but this drone photo certainly shows a spectacle as people on boards paddle their way around the urban riverways. 

Steeples and sailboats

This brilliant aerial view captures the majesty of a seaside town including the local church tower and all the sailboats moored on the dock. These skyline views are so easy to capture thanks to modern drones and yet we're not likely to see them regularly in our daily lives.  

Two moo by Luke Bell

Luke Bell, a Cape Town-based videographer and photographer, said he took this photo on a cold, early morning in South Africa on a farm near Stellenbosch. "Two cows drinking from a nearby dam caught my eye when I saw their long shadows," he explained. "I launched my drone to capture the scene in a way impossible with any other type of camera."

Mountain biking with friends

If you're going to do something insane like take a mountain bike up an actual mountain, then what better way to capture it than with a drone. Add a dash of black and white wonder and you've got a real winner. 

Splashing in crystal clear waters

Another brilliant aerial view of some swimmers enjoying the calm crystal clear waters below. This simple, yet brilliant image was submitted to Dronestagram and we're certainly jealous of the view. 

The Angel of the North

The Angel of the North is most often seen by passing motorists and those who make the effort to stop to take a look. Captured from above using a drone though, it looks even more impressive. 

Fortifications on the hill

There are many hidden gems like this scattered around the countryside. Castles, churches and medieval fortifications in hills and mountainsides designed to give the best view of the surroundings to keep the occupants safe. The original builders would never have seen them from this height though. 

Night line

This image shows a Chinese fisherman working in the waters, plying their trade. This image was one of a series of similarly beautiful images captured above the waters. 

Surfing for photos

Quite a number of these drone images feature photos captured above water of one kind or another. This one features an awesome shot of a surfer gliding over crystal clear waters leaving a calm wake as they go. 

Santa Maddalena village, Italy

This incredible photo shows the beautiful green hills and surroundings of Santa Maddalena in Italy. A brilliantly colourful shot of nature made possible by a man-made drone. 

Dancer

This brilliantly simple image was captured on a DJI Mavic Pro and shows a dancer in the centre of an ancient courtyard in Shanghai, China.

Photographer Cocoanext commented:

"Shanghai's only nearly 190-year-old courtyard house with northern features is rarely seen in the south, where dancers dance not only skirts but also old Shanghai memories"

Miles and miles of concrete

Another shot from high above the land shows houses and buildings stretching off as far as the eye can see. This drone photo shows the image man has on this world and just how insignificant we are. 

Peace, Spain by luckydron

Luis Saguar Domingo, a 24-year-old, said he got his drone as a gift at Christmas and was in Madrid looking for a nice place to fly the new drone. He feels relaxed when flying simply because of all the beautiful landscapes he's able to see, and when he took this picture, he thought it was "really cool and symmetrical". From this point of view, Domingo said it is really "hard taking a pic like that".

Serious swimmers

Sometimes drones are used for more serious undertakings. They're great for sporting events too. This aerial view seems to show a triathlon in action with some hardcore swimmers wading into cold waters to race. 

A bird's eye view

Aerial views from drones are great, there's no denying, but what about throwing a winged marvel into the mix too. This magnificent bird doesn't seem even mildly put out by the drone buzzing around in its airspace.

Freewheeling

This aerial image really plays tricks on the eye giving the impression of a cyclist mounting the side of a skyscraper. Nigel Kwan's image was skillfully captured using a Mavic Pro. 

Wonderfully winding rivers

A brilliant view of untouched nature at its finest. A winding river cuts through a thick wood in the middle of nowhere. A perfectly peaceful to relax or at least to disturb the silence with some drone photography. 

An aerial selfie

We all love a good selfie, this chap has taken it to another level by sending his camera into the sky. This drones-eye view shows an urban jungle with the pilot and his friend standing on the nearby rooftop. 

Baby lobsters breeding farm

Above the waters of Vietnam, Trung Pham captured this image of the lobster farms of the Phu Yen province. The striking colours and mix of man-made materials with nature make for an incredible photograph. 

Calm waterways

A serene scene over calm waters as a long boat breaks the surface and paddles down the river. This colourful shot by Ric Netto is certainly something special. 

Geometry of liquid gold

Javier del Cerro captured this brilliant aerial snap of the amazing symmetry of the olive tree groves of Castilla La Mancha, Spain. 

An aerial view of history

A once magnificent building is captured by a drone as it tragically crumbles. A worn and weary structure, weathered by time and worn out without upkeep. A sad sight somehow made beautiful from above. 

Elemental

This aerial photograph was captured at 1,500 feet above the rivers of Iceland. The swooping lines show the beauty of nature and this image is part of a series of equally magnificent snaps with a similar theme.

Smokestacks and silt

Sometimes modern drones can be used for professional undertakings too. They're commonly used to survey local landscapes, building works and industrial sites. This view certainly shows a lot of industrial activity, it might not be as marvellous as the others on our list, but it certainly shows the versatility of modern drones. 

A steep fall

This aerial image shows a terrifying vertical drop down a cliff face. The climber is barely visible against the impressive backdrop, even with the bright green top.  

Stadium sights

Another classic drone photo shows a packed football stadium with a sea of spectators watching the action unfold. 

The sun is busy

This drone photo shows an aerial view of workers drying noodles on various racks. The photographer captioned the image:  

"On October 5, 2017, villagers in Xiashi Town, Kaili City, Guizhou Province, were busy drying noodles." 

A blurry race track

We love this drone photo of a race track. Tyre marks on the corners show where all the fast action and quick turns happen. From up high, the track looks tiny too, but comparing to the local surroundings and buildings, it's clearly larger than it first appears. 

Greener than green

There are some brilliant images in this list - colourful and wonderful snaps of our world from above like you're rarely likely to see in your daily lives. 

Raising ducks by the river

In the skies above Vietnam, a drone captures ducks being raised by the local farmers. A mass of white ducks relax on the peaceful riverways while the farmer works. 

Fun with fireworks

How often do you get to see fireworks from above? Not a common sight, yet utterly magnificent. Certainly a stadium with a view. 

Dawn on mercury tower, Russia by Alexeygo

Alexey Goncharov, a 36-years-old physicist who works at Moscow State University, said he sometimes takes drone photos before heading into work. One morning, while in search of a beautiful reflection in mirror windows of Mercury tower, he spotted industrial climbers: “I liked the way their work looked from that perspective. They seemed to wash the city itself, not just the building's windows."

Always have a fancy finish

This brilliant image gives a new perspective and makes perfect use of the Mavic Pro's photography capabilities.

Anchang town more goods

This image shows an old town around twisting waterways. This town is known for its produce, but it's now also known for its views. This aerial image is part of a collection captured using the DJI Spark a small but clearly capable drone. 

Zeng Xinmin commented about this image:

"Anchang Ancient Town is one of the four famous ancient towns in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province is the first batch of published historical and cultural towns. Was built in the Northern Song Dynasty, after the war, repeatedly burned, and rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the architectural style inherits the typical characteristics of Jiangnan Water Village, a water, simple and elegant, its speciality Anchang sausage, or "sauce" The poultry meat, etc. Only you can not think of, there is no Anchang "wax", "sauce" can not. It is the hometown of Shaoxing Master."

Elements

This astoundingly beautiful image of the landscapes of Iceland is actually 12 separate images stitched into one. A brilliant panoramic shot of the surroundings with the cloud-covered mountaintops and flowing rivers cutting through the landscape.

Concrete jungle, Dubai, EAA by Bachirm

Bachir Moukarzel, a 33-year-old Lebanese living in Dubai, is a cluster Financial controller in Rotana Hotels. This picture was shot at sunset time in Dubai at 6pm, while trying to capture an area which was a desert 10 years back but is now "a concrete jungle with the highest buildings in Dubai". He said every flight is a new adventure, even though he has been flying for ages, as each flight "has its own taste".

The path of camels across the sands

This image by Abdullah Alnassar was captured using a Phantom 4 Advanced and shows camels crossing through the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia. The shadows of the animals stretch out across the dunes as they make the trek. 

Inle Lake fishing show

This image highlights the show the fishermen put on for tourists on the Inle Lake in Burma, but actually represents their traditional fishing methods in action. The aerial view taken with the DJI Mavic Pro is certainly something special and likely very different to the view usually seen by people visiting the lake. 

The photographer commented:

"Myanmar's Inu River, the ancient and unique fishing methods, attracting countless tourists to watch, and now has become a show."

La Vijanera, Spain by feelingmovie

Javier Bustamante, a 32-year-old designer, said he took this photo while at La Vijanera, a winter carnival that takes place in the town of Silió in Cantabria (Spain) on the first Sunday of each year. "This party consists on a group of hunters who want to capture a bear," he explained. "(Sic) Tour the village representing the capture of the bear... This photo is the end of the party in which the bear is captured."

Beautiful Yantian

This image captured with a DJI Phantom 4 and shows the docks of the Yantian District, China. This photo is part of a series of beautiful images of workers caring for the docks and maintaining the surfaces. 

Comet into darkness

In the early hours of the morning, in Newfoundland Canada, a professional drone photographer sent his drone up to see what he could see on the waters. A fishing boat approaching the shore is flocked by seagulls, no doubt trying to snag an easy catch of their own. 

"One of my favourite shots. An early morning in Newfoundland, I was hiking on the East Coast Trail when I heard a bunch of seagulls. I quickly launched my drone to find-out what was causing the mayhem. It was a small cod fishing boat steaming towards the harbour, a truly magical moment."

Waterlily, Vietnam by helios1412

A beautiful shot from above the waterways of Vietnam shows a lone worker wading deep in the water. 

The long ride

This photo is actually the result of a number of different images stitched together to create the end result. This stitching gives the impression of a bending world that stretches off into infinity. We've seen this style before and have to say it's a pretty awesome way to capture drone photographs. 

Jesper Guldbrand gives a bit more insight:

"This series is called "Mind bending" and is shot during 2017 in different locations of Sweden. Falun is a great city for mountain biking. This photo shows it. 20 images stitched together. A process that took about 1.5 months."

A tightrope walk of insanity

This aerial view of a cityscape also features a tightrope walker casually making his way across a rope suspended across a death-defying drop. Impressive skills resulting in a magnificent photo too. 

Hovering by the dock of the bay

A sunset view of the bay showing lights reflecting on the almost still waters. This sort of wonderful shot shows the possibilities of modern drones and the cameras they carry. 

End of the line, USA by Martin Sanchez

Martin Sanchez said he took this photo on a Saturday afternoon in April just before sunset in New Jersey. He noticed an empty tennis court that “just stood out like a treasured story in a book of empty words”. After a few takes, two people came by to play some tennis and seemed confused watching him lay on the ground. When he was done, he showed them his photo and they said, "Ohhhh! I get it!"

Grab the fall's tail

Another breath-taking aerial photograph captured on the Phantom 4 Pro shows the wonderful reds of the Autumn trees.

Sun's Up, Nets Out

This snap shows a fisherman on his boat on the waters of Inle Lake. This talented man is not only rowing his boat with his leg, but also managing to catch fish at the same time. A brilliant photograph, well deserving of the prize. 

"An Intha fisherman sets up his net to fish as he paddles his boat with a unique leg-rowing technique in Mayanmar’s Inle Lake"

Balmoral Ball

This aerial image of the basketball courts of Auckland shows wonderfully contrasting colours and brilliant symmetry from the skies. This image by Petra Leary, won first prize in the professional portrait category in 2017's Skypixel awards. 

Woman in the wash

From the shores of Taiwan, this aerial image captures the photographer laying by the edge of the water, the whitewash of the waves blending with her white dress. This brilliant photograph was nominated as a professional image in the portrait category. 

The photographer, Bobo, commented about this image:

"This is my Taiwan film, Hualien's coastline is steep cliffs and secluded sea, steep terrain, step by step is the deep sea. I've always wanted a special perspective, so try my best to try that as Mavic flies over the coastline, I find the waves on the coast flashes beautifully between dark grey gravel and turquoise water, dark and light. The contrast was very strong. When the waves fell toward the shore and retreated, they showed a vast and euphemistic shape, reminding me of the tail end of the whale, and finished the work. I pressed the shutter when the spray and the skirt were handed over to make the skirt and the sea wave blend together and have a sense of extension, leaving the work with an attachment and a similar space. With this idea, I shot a series of compositions in different forms continuously. The whole process was very exciting. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day. If it is sunny, the overall color of the works will be even more gorgeous."

Ice formation By Florian

Florian Ledoux, a 27-year-old who recently moved to Reykjavik to get closer to the Arctic, started to photograph in Greenland in 2014 to “report changes in Inuit culture and to witness the beauty of this huge land”. This photo was taken during winter in East Greenland - one of the most remote place on Earth. He said he attempted to fly here several times, and that his drone got attacked by two Gyrfalcon.

Waterfall hero

A lone man is captured diving over the waterfall. This brilliantly timed photo shows a Guinness World Record holder carrying out his passion.  

The photographer gave a little more insight into it:

"He is over sixty, he is the world record holder for the Guinness waterfall diving. In China's famous spout of the Yellow River and the great falls of the water tower in Heilongjiang province, he surprised the world with his leap. In the air, his action stretches the beautiful. Freeze the moment of the shock, take this leap into eternity."

Infinite Road by Calin Stan

Calin Stan, a 30-year-old who has worked in the photography business for more than a decade and owns his own business, said his drone image is of the Cheia DN1A road that takes you to Transylvania in Romania. Or, as the legend says, this is the view that "Count Dracula himself saw on his nocturnal flight", Stan explained. He actually first captured the image for the Transylvania Roads Project.

The rebirth

From Sardinia, Italy, this aerial image won third prize in the professional portrait category of 2017's Skypixel awards with a simple caption:

"Now you're going to be witness to the rebirth of humanity."

Lost in the sand dunes

Near the Grand Staircase National monument area in Utah, Marc Lamey snapped this image using a DJI Phantom 4 Pro. The subject of his photo curled up on the warm sands below.

Footprints

A lone man is captured wading through the desert sands in the depths of China. The image was submitted to the Skypixel awards with the caption:

"It was shot in the Tengger Desert, an outdoor sportsman walking hard in the desert on foot, with the footsteps of deeper and deeper, will not be caught?"

Sunset over suburbia

This brilliant drone's eye view of suburbia, shows a staggering landscape dwarfed by a massive sun shining brightly in the sky. 

Flying over foothills

Another classic view of the world through the lens of a drone. This photo shows lush green landscape and a sky-bound city in the distance. 

Sunset over Annecy, France

Another classic drone photo of a sun setting over a bustling urban landscape. This image was snapped above the streets of Annecy, France and submitted to Dronestagram. 

Drone fans

A crowd of onlookers watch as a pilot lifts his drone off skyward. The drone looks back at them and marvellously captures their admiring gazes. 

People in the clock tower

Another view which makes us wonder what's going on as two people stand at the top of a clock tower, arms held aloft like they're surrendering to the drone. Perhaps it's armed with more than just a camera?

A fiery view

With enough battery power, drones can fly for some distance - which makes them perfect for safely capturing dangerous views like this one. Molten lava and raging landscape burns below as this drone flies overhead snapping the scene. 

Herding sheep

We wonder if drones are good for herding sheep? They certainly work well for keeping an eye on them if nothing else. 

Wintery Wonderland

Winter is coming or rather, it has already come. Snow dominates the landscape and many of the trees have already shed their leaves, yet a solitary bunch stand holding the frost back. 

Cutting a path in the snow

A fantastic view of a loan snowboarder cuts a path through the snowy mountainside. A perfectly timed shot too. 

A busy pool

An aerial view of a large swimming pool shows a mass of swimmers frolicking around in the waters below. Pablo Bayona took this image while at a competition in Cúcuta, Colombia. In submitting the image to Dronestagram he said: "Instead of taking the same photo as always, it occurred to me to fly my drone to try to achieve something different..."

A popular sandy spot

Another classic image of a beach submitted to Dronestagram by Karolis Janulis. It shows packed deck chairs and sun umbrellas at Playa de Amadores beach in the Gran Canaria.

Camels on tour

While on honeymoon in Cable Beach, Australia, Todd Kennedy took this snap of the sandy beaches below with his drone. The image shows the photographer and his new wife on a camel tour, casting brilliant shadows across the sand. 

Above the clouds

A fantastic view of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Italy. This image was taken by Francesco Cattuto and shows a cloudy view of the area that's enough to take your breath away. 

The valley below

The landscape tells of a harsh surrounding climate, but this drone's eye view shows waters in the valley below. Certainly a new perspective on the surroundings. 

St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

This image was taken using a DJI Phantom 3 and shows an aerial view of the streets of Austria with St. Stephen's Cathedral looming in the foreground. 

A vibrant forest

Drone photography master Micheal L B. Rasmussen took this image while on a walk in the woods. A brilliantly vibrant and colourful view of the forest below. 

A colourful sunset

It makes perfect sense to use drones to snap amazing sunsets. You certainly get a better view of the horizon when you're way up in the sky. This photo is a perfect example with the colours of the falling sun casting brilliant hues across the clouds. 

Beauty in the coastlines

Island coastlines are a strong favourite with drone photographers and with snaps like this, it's easy to see why. 

A sun-drenched forest

Another drone photo featuring copious amounts of trees. This sunshine drenched area makes for a brilliant aerial snap. 

Landing not recommended

This aerial snap shows a magnificent building with its own landing pad. We'd assume that attempting to land a drone on it would be a bad idea though. Nonetheless, the view from above is something special.

It's foggy below

You'd often only see images like this from the window of an aeroplane. Whether it's low cloud cover or thick fog, the ground below is shrouded in mist. Skyscrapers and spires jut out from below. 

Central Park in the winter 

New York City certainly sees some regular snowfall. The city's park looks incredible from this angle - even more so when sprinkled in wintery snow. 

A bird's eye view of Lombard Street, San Francisco

Most people will be able to identify this as the famous Lombard Street - reportedly "the crookedest street in the world". This windy road is certainly iconic and this drone photo is equally fantastic. 

Tatahatso Point

This brilliant image shows Tatahatso Point at the Grand Canyon. A popular photography spot, but not often seen from the sky. 

Novo Mesto, Slovenia

This incredible sight is seen in the town of Novo Mesto, near the border of Croatia. A lush green landscape, winding river and close-knit community can be easily seen from the sky. 

Metamorphosis

This isn't just a small jetty into beautiful waters. It's also an aerial view of a lighthouse on the coast of Yalta. The waters are actually the Black Sea. This impressively high photo makes the lighthouse appear tiny too. Which is no mean feat.  

Stylish symmetry

This simple photo wasn't snapped as high in the sky as some of the others on our list, but that's doesn't make it great. The view of rows and rows of vines stretching off as far as the eye can see look fantastic. Even more so with the brilliant symmetry. 

A lonesome home

In the dusty plains, a lonely house sits surrounded by nothing but dust, brush and the occasional tree. The buildings casting magnificent shadows across the land.  

Where we're going we don't need roads

Roads, roads, so many roads. But who needs roads when you can fly? Certainly not this drone. 

A lion's eye view

The king of the jungle is also perfect fodder for a fantastic aerial snap. This brilliant image shows a lion disturbed by the sounds of the drone, but not put out by its presence. Not often you get to safely view a wild animal in this manner unless you happen to be hiding in a nearby tree. 

The PlayStation 4 is a fine games console and no mistake. And the 4K-ready PS4 Pro is by far and away the best PlayStation yet.

But it's the games that have made either PS4 as popular as it is today.

That's why we've put together a list of games we've thoroughly enjoyed since the console's launch in 2013. All of them are well worth adding to your library, with many bargains available too.

Here then is our list of the best games you can get for the PS4 and PS4 Pro, presented in no particular order.

Red Dead Redemption 2

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A truly stunning game that provides entertainment and enjoyment for weeks. It starts slow but the amount of depth and variety in mission types will soon have you well and truly hooked. Rockstar isn't the most prolific of developers but it is certainly one of the very best. There are few open world games around with as much thought and attention afforded it.

God of War

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God of War is, quite simply, stunning. Its over-the-shoulder third-person style works well for both emotive storytelling and the intuitive combat system. We particularly like the axe-throwing mechanics and, specifically, the weight of the axe itself as it travels back to your hand Thor's hammer style. No PS4 should be without easily the best God of War game and one of the best PlayStation games full stop.

• God of War review: Stunning reinvention marks Kratos' triumphant return

Death Stranding

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If you looked up "odd" in the dictionary you might find a gurning picture of Hideo Kojima underneath. But then, you're just as likely to see him under "genius". The Japanese maestro of videogames inventiveness finally finished his first masterpiece since splitting with Konami and Metal Gear, and it is everything we expected. Often baffling, but always stunningly beautiful and unique, Death Stranding is a game that you will either love (like us) or loathe. Either way, you'll be talking about it.

Marvel's Spider-Man

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It is hard to describe just how enjoyable swinging around the streets in Spider-Man actually is, you will find yourself doing that for hours without even needing to complete a mission. But thankfully there is a great story and game in the open world superhero title too. Comic book fans will also thoroughly appreciate the amount of collectables and costumes that can be unlocked. And there are some great character cameos along the way.

• Marvel's Spider-Man PS4 review: Catches thieves just like flies

Control

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One of the best, most unexpected hits of 2019, Control is a paranormal adventure/shooter from the team behind Alan Wake and has similarly become a cult classic. Its art style - full of pastel shades and a purposely grainy overlay - matches the theme well, with an almost dream-like ambience. And, the gameplay mechanics that introduce new weapons and powers as you progress are so finely tuned that you never feel overwhelmed by the increasing difficulty. Superb.

• Control review: Gloriously bonkers paranormal action

Fortnite

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You can't have a best games list without including Fortnite. For a start, it's free to play so everyone can get involved, and even its in-game emotes have become real-world dance crazes. It's rare a game transcends gaming itself, but Fortnite certainly has. The mixture of FPS, base-building and cartoon graphics attract the young and old alike and we heartily approve of PlayStation's decision to open up cross-platform play on this specific title.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

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Although it's not one of the most well-known games, Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best of this generation. Combining tribal themes with robotics and technology, the setting is as fascinating as it is unique. And in Aloy, we get one of the strongest female lead characters in years. There are many RPG elements and precise action sequences in the massive open world game. It is also one of the best-looking on the PS4, especially when hooked up to a HDR TV.

• Horizon Zero Dawn review: The best-looking game on PS4 by far

Borderlands 3

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Borderlands fans will find more of the same here; a great sense of humour, colourful cell-shaded graphics and guns, guns, guns. Borderlands 3 never takes itself too seriously, yet offers a decent challenge as you have to battle across multiple worlds for the first time in the series, tackling all-new enemies and a new threat in the form of the Calypso Twins.

• Borderlands 3 review: Bigger, badder and bloody... funny

The Outer Worlds

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While Fallout 4 also makes this list, there are some that believe Bethesda's last full RPG in the series wasn't as tight as previous efforts and, with The Outer Worlds now available - a sort of spiritual sibling - we can now kind-of agree. The 50s-inspired sci-fi role-player was developed by Obsidian, the studio behind, perhaps, the best Fallout of all time: New Vegas. And it borrows enough of its humour and excellent writing to make this all-new, technically unrelated game the first in a, hopeful, new franchise.

• The Outer Worlds review: Better than Fallout 4?

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

A stunningly beautiful and engrossing adventure, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice tells the story of a Pict warrior slowly slipping into madness as she tries to save the soul of her fallen lover. It uses intelligent imagery and research to convey mental illness and adopts the relatively rare practice of permadeath. If Senua dies in the game, you have to start all over again. It is haunting and will stay with you long after you finish.

Metro Exodus

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A fantastic example of why there is still a place for a single-player first person shooter, Metro Exodus combines large open world areas with linear missions to great effect. It also looks stunning, especially on the PS4 Pro - it's not quite native 4K but still looks exemplary, with crisp, detailed graphics and a great use of lighting throughout.

• Metro Exodus review: All aboard the superb single-player shooter

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

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A great remaster of one of the most endearing platform game series of the 90s, Spyro Reignited Trilogy takes the gameplay from Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon but dramatically improves the visuals and audio. Developer Toys for Bob even got the voice actor for the two sequels to revoice Spyro in the first for continuity. It's a great trio for old and new alike, as there is much to do across each of the games.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

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When Electronic Arts secured the Star Wars licence, there was a lot of new hope (pardon the pun) that we'd get games of the quality of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II and Knights of the Old Republic. Sadly, while Battlefront I and II offered great multiplayer action and authentic visuals, they lacked in story or depth. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order makes up for it in spades, with an expansive single-player campaign and gameplay that feels like a cross between Dark Souls and Tomb Raider. The force is strong in this one.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

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Uncharted 4 isn't just the result of Naughty Dog's learnings throughout the previous trilogy, it also benefits greatly from the developer's work on The Last of Us. While radically different in tone, A Thief's End undoubtedly borrows some elements from its enduring horror-based stablemate, resulting in the studio's most rounded, balanced game yet.

• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End review: Going out with a bang 

Dark Souls 3

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As anyone who has played a Dark Souls game would expect, Dark Souls 3 is huge, gothic, creepy, studded with bosses which, when you first encounter them, seem impossibly daunting, yet irresistibly addictive. At times, you will curse the impulse which propels you back into its fetid world, as you struggle to advance even a couple of hundred metres. But the pay-off is that any small triumphs you manage to pull off will be so hard-won that they feel like mighty victories.

• Dark Souls 3 review: As gothic, unforgiving and brilliant as ever 

Resident Evil 2

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The original Resident Evil 2's horror dynamics garnered a huge amount of praise at the time. The 2019 remake makes the maximum use of modern technology to take them to an even higher plane. As a result the new Resident Evil 2 is an absolute tour de force - it's nothing less than an object lesson in how to remake an old game.

• Resident Evil 2 review: An object lesson in how to remake a seminal game

Hitman 2

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We were (and still are) big fans of the first episodic Hitman reboot but the sequel is even better. It is possibly the best stealth game ever, in fact. It requires patience but the sheer number of ways to complete each assassination mission make it a game you will come back to again and again. The game also upgrades the episodes of the first game, so you can revisit them too using the new and improved game engine.

• Hitman 2 review: An utterly sublime stealth game

The Last of Us Remastered

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With a very tidy graphical overhaul and the Left Behind DLC added as part of the pack, The Last of Us Remastered is easily one of the finest re-released games in the PS4's line-up. It's an essential purchase and play for all those who didn't get a chance to join Joel and Ellie on their post-apocalyptic zombie-style journey on the PS3. Not only does it look beautiful, it is a masterwork of storytelling that resonates long after the game has been completed.

• The Last of Us Remastered review

Devil May Cry 5

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Devil May Cry 5 is such an extreme joy to play - and is built on such a logical, focused structure - that you'll find yourself returning to it again and again, whenever you feel the need for a blast of cathartic, cobweb-blowing, spectacularly stylish action.

• Devil May Cry 5 review: Focused and spectacular

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Ahead of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End being released, Naughty Dog remastered the previous trilogy of Nathan Drake games to whet appetites. They each star the all-action adventure hero that has become as endearing to gamers as Indiana Jones has to movie fans and are a great intro to his fourth and final (?) appearance. The three included games look better than ever before, in 1080p at 60 frames per second, and even the control system of the first in the series was improved to better match the sequels.

Monster Hunter: World

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The first Monster Hunter game to make it onto home consoles is an undoubted success. It proves to be gloriously addictive and endlessly charming and offers an open world experience like few others, with what feels like a living, breathing environment. The RPG elements are great and easy to get to grips with, even if you a newcomer to the franchise. You'll soon find yourself addicted to both its charm and challenges. Much like us.

• Monster Hunter World review: Taking down beasties in glorious fashion

Tearaway Unfolded

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By Media Molecule, the developer behind the Little Big Planet series of games, Tearaway Unfolded is inventive and unique on a console dominated by blockbuster action titles. Its art style is fantastic and the platform/puzzle gameplay offers enough variety to have you hooked as you progress through the cardboard and paper-inspired world.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

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There is no shortage of JRPGs available for the PlayStation 4 but one of the very best has to be Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. It retains a unique and very Japanese charm, yet provides all the depth of gameplay and accessibility as the very best Western RPGs. An exemplary battle system underpins the action, while heart and soul exudes from each character encountered along the way.

• Ni no Kuni II Revenant Kingdom review: As irresistible as Zelda and as heavyweight as The Witcher 3

No Man's Sky

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While No Man's Sky was criticised a fair amount straight after launch, continual updates and content patches have arrived to turn it into the space exploration game we all originally hoped for. What's more, these updates are free, so buy the game now and you get a magnificent, huge adventure with variety and surprises in abundance.

Until Dawn

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Sony's interactive horror story is very much an unsung hit, presenting a chilling tale where your actions decide how many (if any) of the teenagers trapped with a killer survive the murderous spree. Scary and intelligent, while well acted, Until Dawn has plenty of replay value too as you'll want to go back to see if you can do things differently.

• Until Dawn review: Movie-like visuals, movie-like gameplay

Bloodborne

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A PS4 exclusive, Bloodborne is from the same stable as Dark Souls and you can tell almost instantly. It matches its stablemate series graphically, albeit with current generation flair, but the main similarity is that both action-adventure/RPGs are as difficult as each other. Prepare to throw your DualShock 4 around. A lot.

• Bloodborne review: Hard as nails

Life is Strange

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Without a major licence to hang onto, the original Life is Strange could have escaped your notice, even though it features every bit as engrossing a story as The Walking Dead or other episodic adventure game. The five episodes, which follow teenage girl Max after she discovers she can turn back time, feature fantastic voice acting and twists and turns that will have you guessing until the very end. And the best part about it is that your actions determine the outcome. An excellent sequel has also started recently.

The Escapists

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Like many other games available for the current generation consoles today, The Escapists adopts 8-bit graphics, although that hides a cunning level of depth in gameplay terms. It is a puzzle adventure game of sorts where you have to successfully escape a series of more difficult prisons. Where it succeeds is in its sense of humour and simple gameplay mechanics – a trademark of Team 17, also the creator of the Worms series. You probably won’t find many games as addictive as this little gem either. 

Dragon Age: Inquisition

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This chapter is the third-part in the Dragon Age trilogy and easily eclipses all that has gone before. As with The Last of Us, it is the story that stand out more than any other aspect of the game, and Bioware's traditional mastery of dialogue helps tell it in a natural a way as possible. It's also a mighty role-playing game with hours and hours of gameplay at your disposal. Just make sure you've got the time to invest in it. You will definitely be rewarded.

Grand Theft Auto V

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It took a while to get GTA V onto the PS4 but nobody could complain considering how much extra the improved game offers over the original version. For a start, Rockstar added a whole new first-person mode, which enables the player to experience the game from a different perspective, even if completed before. Plus, the graphics were given a tasty overhaul to make San Andreas look more spectacular than ever. And let’s face it, GTA V was always one of the best games available anyway. Then there's GTA Online, which constantly breathes new life into the game. Excellent stuff.

• Grand Theft Auto 5 review: Bona fide thrill ride on PS4 and Xbox One

Fallout 4

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Being one of the most sprawling games of all time, Fallout 4 is trickier to get into in comparison with the previous chapters on former generation machines, but it rewards stoicism with one of the biggest role-playing adventures of all time. It also adds a base building mechanic to the gameplay, where you can construct your own settlements for fellow survivors, so adds something new to the first or third-person shooting and looting action of before.

• Fallout 4 first impressions review: Radiating brilliance

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

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The first Assassin's Creed reboot breathed new life into the franchise in fantastic fashion but Odyssey is the game that takes it in an all-new direction. Controls are similar, although the combat system gets even more of an overhaul and the entire shee-bang now seems more like an RPG with interaction options and levelling up on a scale like never before. Ancient Greece is also a great place to explore.

• Assassin's Creed Odyssey review: Sparta-cular

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

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Kojima’s last Metal Gear Solid game for Konami still happens to be his grandest moment yet (until Death Stranding finally sees the light of day). Taking the franchise into the realms of open world seems to have been an inspired decision, with so much to do and missions to complete that you will be playing for hours. We also love the way you can tackle just about everything in multiple fashions – run and gun or sneaking around are just two ways you can complete objectives, each causing different reactions. We also recommend you check out the prequel, Ground Zeroes, too.

• Metal Gear Solid 5 The Phantom Pain review: The best stealth game ever made

Mad Max

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With the Mad Max: Fury Road movie being a critical and box office hit, the long-awaited Mad Max game needed to be every bit as good. Cleverly, the massively open-world adventure took the hand-to-hand fighting system from the Batman: Arkham series, which makes being on foot and exploring post-apocalyptic ruins more fun, while the car combat is fluid and great fun. There’s not really much of a plot – you must rebuild your car after the first one was stolen – but then there isn’t in the Mad Max films either. Doesn’t stop us loving them so much.

• Mad Max first look review: Vast and furious

Batman: Arkham Knight

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Arkham Knight wraps up the trilogy in spectacular fashion with a far bigger playground than ever before. Without giving away too many spoilers, the use of the Joker throughout the game is inspired and we think the inclusion of the Batmobile – which hasn’t gone down well with everybody, admittedly – adds variety to missions and the overall gameplay. Plus, the playable areas of Gotham City are so big this time around that it’s a thrill racing around them in the superpowered vehicle.

• Batman Arkham Knight review: Best of the Bat yet

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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Not just one of the best games on the PlayStation 4, The Witcher 3 can lay claim as being one of the best of all time. It is an extraordinary feat in game design, where it seems that every action undertaken in the massive third-person RPG has an effect on the game world. Save a merchant from some bandits in a random encounter, for example, you might meet him again many hours later in a city, where he gives you a massive discount on items he has for sale. The world itself also seems alive and vibrant while the game is also capable of testing your skills so you don’t just blitz through it. Superb.

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review: The best role-player since Skyrim

Project Cars

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The Gran Tursimo series might be the best known in the simulation driving game genre when it comes to PS4, but the community created Project Cars matches it for realistic driving experiences. In addition, the first Project Cars offers the most amount of customisation for races you are likely to see in a racing game, even down to the ability of choosing how the weather will change with each lap. In our opinion, it's far better than its own sequel too.

• Project Cars review: The best new-gen racer yet

Far Cry 4

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Although we love Far Cry 5, the previous outing for the series is one of our favourite first-person shooters and remains the better of the two. Far Cry 4 has everything a modern game should offer. At its heart it's an FPS, but there are role-playing game elements, driving challenges, wonderful co-op play and one of the largest open world maps we've seen in such a game. The mission structure is excellent, while the amount of side missions and other things you can do is almost overwhelming. But perhaps the best thing about Far Cry 4 is the superb villain in Pagan Min. Evil and funny in equal measure and the closest you'll get to a truly realised Bond-style foe in gaming.

• Far Cry 4 review: A shooter like no other

Alien: Isolation

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A winner at a previous Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, Alien: Isolation maybe took many by surprise with its adherence to the tone of the first Alien movie, both graphically and thematically. Rather that arm you with hefty weaponry and send floods of xenomorphs in your direction, the name of the game is survival as you are hunted through a destroyed space station by just the one Alien. Cue some pant-wettingly scary moments.

• Alien: Isolation review

Destiny 2

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Destiny 2 might have had its critics when it first launched but has improved into a very fine game after numerous expansions, including the latest, Shadowkeep. Bungie took a bold step in making the core game free-to-play after it decided to self-publish after years with Activision, but that means you can now get a taste before opting to purchase one of the campaign packs to see if it's up your alley.

• Destiny 2 Shadowkeep review: A glimpse of what Destiny 3 will deliver

Transistor

Indie game Transistor is an action role-playing adventure from the same team behind Bastion and it oozes with invention. The gameplay is set on isometric levels as you must guide Red through each, battling enemies along the way. Where it is interesting is that you can freeze time and plan movements in advance to solve puzzles and dispatch foes, which is a talent that is limited, so careful planning is in order.

Resogun

The downloadable game Resogun was one of the first titles released for the PS4 and, indeed, the first game to be free as part of PlayStation Plus. It's an old-school sideways scrolling shoot-em-up in the same vein as R-Type or Defender, but with incredible visuals and urgent musical underscore. It won't tax the brain cells too much but we've found ourselves coming back to it often over the subsequent years.

Watch Dogs 2

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The first Watch Dogs presented an open world game with an interesting premise - you could hack pretty much anything electronic in the city. The second is a better game by far though, adding social commentary about major tech companies and with more than a little nod to Mr Robot. The graphics are better too, partly thanks to a shift to a sunnier, brighter playfield in San Francisco - from the drab Chicago of before. We can't wait for Watch Dogs Legion.

• Watch Dogs 2 review: Can you teach an old Dog new tricks?

Rocket League

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A bizarre hybrid of footy, driving sims and Robot Wars, Rocket League in an online multiplayer team game that's become a massive cult hit. Two teams of up to eight players have to basically use their rocket-powered cars to force a giant football into their opponents' goal. Bonkers and brilliant in equal measure.

There's no escaping that 2020 could be Facebook's worst year to date.

After a string of privacy abuses and data scandals, Facebook not only has a trust issue but also now finds itself embroiled in four separate antitrust investigations. Even US presidential candidates have talked about breaking up the company. Considering it was one of Silicon Valley's biggest innovators just a few years ago, it's safe to say Facebook has fallen from grace and may never recover.

Still, based on everything that's recently happened, we can make some educated guesses about what's in store for Facebook. Spoiler alert: We don't think all its troubles are going away anytime soon. That doesn't mean Facebook plans to lay low in the next year. On the contrary, reports suggest it has plenty of projects in the works. Here's what to expect from Facebook in 2020, the good and the bad.

Unified messaging

Let's start with the three Facebook apps you use the most: Facebook announced in early 2019 that it plans to integrate Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram messaging. It is basically creating a single messaging platform for all three. While each service will still exist as a standalone app, you'll be able to send messages from Messenger to WhatsApp users who don't have a Facebook account.

But this effort could make it hard for US regulatory agencies, such as the US Federal Trade Commission, to break up the company. The FTC might, therefore, try to prevent the apps from integrating, by citing competition concerns. The WSJ claimed an injunction could land by January 2020. This also suggests the agency is interested in taking aggressive antitrust actions against Facebook.

Keep in mind, last July, the FTC dished out its largest fine ever as part of a $5 billion settlement with Facebook.

Facebook OS

Facebook is reportedly developing its own operating system, to back an even more serious push into hardware. Presumably intended to run on devices like future Portal video chat products, the whole effort seems to be about reducing Facebook's reliance on Google's Android. Currently, all the Facebook Portal devicees and even Facebook-owned Oculus VR devices use Android to function.

According to The Information, this project is led by Mark Lucovsky, an old hand at Microsoft who developed Windows NT. We also know from other reports - and reiterated by The Information - that Facebook is simultaneously working on custom chips. Add it all up, and Facebook could develop and even launch new devices in 2020 - featuring its own custom operating system and chips.

New Portals

Given what we just said about Facebook reportedly developing its own operating system and custom chips for devices, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to see new Portal-branded devices launch in 2020. Who knows if they will, in fact, run a different OS or use different chips, but annual hardware refreshes to existing Portal devices and maybe even new Portal form factors seem likely.

Voice assistant

Facebook might be working on its very own smart voice assistant, to compete with Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google Assistant. Per CNBC, the assistant is being developed by the same division that works on long-term projects, including Oculus products. Exactly how this assistant will be used has yet to be revealed. Presumably, it'll come installed on Portals and maybe Oculus headsets.

Facebook already offers a text-based AI in Messenger, called M. So, perhaps its new voice assistant will arrive in 2020 as an evolution of M?

Cloud gaming

Facebook might break into the increasingly crowded cloud gaming market, after recently confirming the purchase of Spanish service PlayGiga. The acquisition was announced by Facebook's gaming division, and it's suggestive of a desire within the massive social network to ramp up its presence in games. Facebook itself isn't commenting on what PlayGiga will be doing for it yet, of course.

PlayGiga's own announcement does contain a clue, though. Its website says it'll continue "work in cloud gaming, now with a new mission". This, obviously, indicates it'll work on cloud gaming at Facebook. Does that mean Facebook might develop its own cloud gaming service in 2020?

It's way too early to determine, honestly. But, if it can offer a steady cloud gaming experience, it would offer competition to the likes of Google Stadia and Microsoft's Project xCloud, both of which are still in their early stages.

Anti-trust probes

Dozens of attorneys general recently joined an antitrust investigation into Facebook. The New York Attorney General's office is leading the multi-state investigation, which it first opened in late 2019. Among the states missing from the list is California, where Facebook is based.

Facebook is also facing antitrust investigations at the federal level. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are both investigating the company. The FTC is specifically probing Facebook's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp for possible violations.

We suspect major developments from these investigations to arise in 2020.

Facebook Libra

It looks like Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency will be dead on arrival.

Visa, Mastercard, eBay, Stripe, PayPal, and Mercado Pago all recently announced they are leaving the Libra Association, Facebook's upcoming distributed, global cryptocurrency. This means Libra will have no major payment processor in the US. Their seemingly timed departures came before the first Libra Council meeting. It, therefore, looks like the project has many hurdles ahead, even beyond the criticisms it's faced so far.

That said, Libra Association policy chief Dante Disparte has already said the Libra team is focused on moving forward and "continuing to build a strong association" with the world’s leading enterprises and organisations. Expect to hear more on this effort in the coming months.

Security incidents

Facebook has had several security incidents in the past few years, severely damaging consumer trust in the company.

Just this past October, for instance, it discovered hackers had exploited a vulnerability in its code. The attackers were able to access details on 14 million user profiles, including their usernames, relationships, religion, hometown, current city, birthdate, device types used to access Facebook, the last 10 places they checked into or were tagged in, and 15 most-recent searches.

Based on the scale and frequency of these types of security incidents, there's no reason to believe Facebook will be immune to them in 2020.

Fitbit brings one of the best fitness platforms out there when it comes to presenting how much or how little you move in an easy-to-understand format. It not only delivers the data, but it does so in a simple and user-friendly way so you aren't swamped with too much detail.

The Fitbit app is comprehensive and while the basic features it offers might be obvious, some of Fitbit's best functions are a little harder to find. This feature highlights all the tips and tricks of the Fitbit app to help you get the most out of your fitness tracker, with device-specific tips at the bottom.

• Which Fitbit tracker is right for you?

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Fitbit app Today tips and tricks

Edit what you see in Fitbit Today

Tap 'Edit' in the top right of the Today tab screen > Tap the red circle on the left of the metrics you don't want to see appear > Tap 'Save' in the the top right corner.

Edit the order of the Fitbit Today

Tap 'Edit' in the top right of the Today tab screen > Drag the metrics into the order you want them in by using the three lines on the far right > Tap 'Save' in the top right corner.

Five metrics will fit in the top section of the Fitbit Today tab and you have a choice of Steps, Floors, Distance, Calories Burned and Active Minutes. To change which metrics appear, you'll need to untick the ones you don't want to show. You can't swap metrics though.  

How to see a different day's activity on Fitbit

Tap the arrows in the main section of the Today tab, under the Fitbit logo at the top. The information you see there will be what will be available for each day you go back.

How to manually log food, exercise, weight, sleep, water on Fitbit

Tap on the '+' to the right of the metric you want to add.

How to track a walk, run or hike with connected GPS on Fitbit

Tap the '+' on the right of the Exercise tab. Ensure the Track tab at the top is selected > Choose Run, Walk or Hike > Press 'Start' at the bottom of the screen. The Fitbit app will then use your phone's GPS to track your run, walk or hike.

How to setup voice cues during exercise on Fitbit

Tap the '+' on the right of the Exercise tab. Select the Cues menu > Set which ones you want to hear, if you want to hear them at all, at what frequency you'd like to hear them and at what volume.

How to control your music from the Fitbit app

Tap the '+' on the right of the Exercise tab. Tap the Music Control menu. From here you can turn shuffle on or off and select what music you want to play with options including Last Playing, All Music and Recently Played.

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How to see a breakdown of your daily activity on Fitbit

Select the metric you want to see more information on from the Today tab, such as steps. This will bring up a summary in a list format of your entire history by day of that particular metric.

The graph at the top presets a weekly summary but a further tap on any of the days listed will give you an hourly summary for that day in a graph. You can also hold down on a particular hour to see the information in number format for 15-minute intervals.

How to see a breakdown of exercise on Fitbit

Tap on the Exercise section and you'll see a breakdown of all the various exercises you've done, from walking to elliptical workouts.

How to change an exercise that has been categorised wrong on Fitbit

To change an exercise that has been wrongly categorised on Fitbit, tap on the Exercise section in Today > Tap on the exercise you want to change > 'Categorise Exercise' at the top of the screen > Select the correct category.

How to set a silent alarm on your Fitbit device

Tap on on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Tap on your activity tracker > Silent Alarms > Set New Alarm.

How to turn notifications on or off on your Fitbit device 

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Tap on your activity tracker > Notifications > Toggle apps and notifications on or off depending on your preferences. It will depend on which device you have as to what options appear here, if any.

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How to see your Fitbit's battery level

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Tap on your activity tracker. You'll see when it last synced, as well as what software build and battery level it is on at the top of your screen.

How to select your main goal on Fitbit

Fitbit offers the choice of five main goals - steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes and floors climbed. To choose the one you want to concentrate on, tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Tap on your Fitbit tracker > Scroll down to 'Main Goal'.

Note that floors climbed will only be an option on the Fitbit trackers featuring an altimeter.

How to manually sync your Fitbit

To force your Fitbit activity tracker to sync, click on the Account tab in the top left corner of the Today tab > Tap on your activity tracker > Scroll down until you see 'Sync Now'. You will also see All-Day Sync above it, which if you turn on ensures your Fitbit syncs automatically.

If you are still struggling to get your Fitbit to sync, try turning Bluetooth on and off on your smartphone, and you can try closing the Fitbit app and reopening it too.

How to Set Reminders to Move on Fitbit

To ensure you take 250 steps each hour between certain times in the day, click on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Tap on your activity tracker > Scroll down to 'Reminders to Move'. From here, set a start time, end time and which days you want the reminders.

You can choose anywhere between five and 14 consecutive hours in a day.

How to see how well you slept on Fitbit

Most Fitbit trackers automatically monitor sleep if you wear them to bed. To see the data collected scroll down to the sleep section on the Today tab.

Like the other metrics, you'll see a history if you tap on the sleep section and a further tap on a particular day will pull up a sleep graph, as well as your Sleep Score with more information. You can also swipe across on the top graph to see other statistics.

How to change your sleep goal and set a sleep schedule on Fitbit 

Tap on the sleep section within the Today tab > Tap the settings cog in the top right of the screen. You can then change your time asleep goal, as well as set a bedtime reminder and a target sleep schedule. You can also choose whether you want to receive sleep insights or not.

How to manually add a sleep log on Fitbit

Tap the '+' on the right of the sleep section in the Today tab > Tap on 'Add Sleep Log' or 'Begin Sleep Now'.

How to manually delete a sleep log on Fitbit

Click on the sleep section in the Today tab > Tap on the sleep log you want to delete > Tap on the three dots in the top right-hand corner > Delete Sleep Log.

How to add or edit a period cycle on Fitbit

Click on the female health tracking section in the Today tab > Tap and hold on the respective date you want to log your period starting or ending > Drag the pink bar to present the length of your period.

How to add symptoms to female health tracking

You can add various systems to the female health tracking element of the Fitbit app, such as headaches, cramps, fluids, flow intensity and sex. To log a symptom, click on the female health tracking section in the Today tab > Tap on the '+' in the bottom right where it says 'Log Details'> Click on the symptom you want to log > Tap 'Save' in the top right corner.

How to add or edit your period and cycle length

Click on the female health tracking section in the Today tab > Tap on the settings cog in the top right corner > Add your period length and cycle length.

How to see your cycle trends on Fitbit

Click on the female health tracking section in the Today tab > Tap on the Trends tab at the top > View a breakdown of your average period length, average estimated ovulation and average cycle length. You'll also be able to see the cycles you've logged.

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Fitbit app Account tips and tricks

How to change your Fitbit profile picture

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Click on your name. From here, you can change profile picture and cover picture by tapping on the pink camera icon on either.

How to change your Fitbit profile information

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Click on your name > Tap on 'Personal'. From here you can change your display name, birthday, height and weight, as well as add a location and add an about you section.

How to manage privacy settings on Fitbit

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Scroll down to Privacy. From here, you can close what personal information is available to your Fitbit friends, or publicly available.

You'll also be able to change the privacy settings of various 30-day graphs including calorie intake, sleep graph, steps and distance graph and weight graph. 

How to see your Fitbit badges

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Tap on your name > Tap on 'Badges and Trophies'. Clicking on each badge will show you when you last earned it and allow you to share it.

How to see all your Fitbit badge and trophy collection 

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Tap on your name > Tap on 'Badges and Trophies'> Select 'Badge Collection' or 'Trophy Collection'. Tapping on either will show you all your achievements and again, you can click on each one to see when you earned it and share it.

How to make your Fitbit more accurate 

Make sure your profile information is accurate and that the app knows which wrist you're wearing your Fitbit on. Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Click on your activity tracker > Select which wrist you're wearing your tracker on - Dominant or Non-Dominant.

How to change your activity goals on Fitbit

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Scroll down to Goals > Tap 'Activity'> Change your step goal, distance goal, calories burned goal, active minutes goal, floors climbed goal and hourly activity goal. Again, as we mentioned above, floors climbed will only be available on devices with an altimeter.

How to set an exercise goal on Fitbit 

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Select 'Exercise' under the Goals section > Choose the number of days a week you are aiming to exercise for.

How to set a sleep goal on Fitbit 

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Select 'Sleep' under the Goals section > Choose a 'Time Asleep' and a 'Sleep Schedule' goal. This can also be accessed through the sleep section of the Today tab, as we mentioned previously.

How to set a weight goal on Fitbit

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Select 'Nutrition and Body' under the Goals section > Select your overall goal, such as lose weight or maintain weight, as well as your goal weight, start date and starting weight.

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How to set a goal body fat percentage on Fitbit

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Select 'Nutrition and Body' in the Goals section > Scroll down to 'Goal Body Fat Percentage'> Choose your goal. Fitbit offers you an indication of what a normal range would be based on your gender, but you can choose whatever you want to aim for.

How to remove weight and body fat goals altogether from Fitbit

Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Go into the 'Nutrition and Body Goals' section > Tap the three dots in the top right hand corner > Choose to remove the weight goal or the body fat goal, or both.

How to set a custom heart rate zone on Fitbit

Not all Fitbit trackers have heart rate monitors, but for the ones that do, it is possible to set a custom zone. Click on the Account icon in the top left corner of the Today tab > Scroll down to the Settings section > Tap on 'Heart Rate Zones'> Toggle on the 'Custom Zone'> Set an upper limit and a lower limit.

How to change the metric units your Fitbit registers your activity in

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Head to the 'Advanced Settings' menu under the Settings section > Select 'Units'> Choose between centimetres and kilometres or feet and miles, kilograms, pounds or stone, ounces or millilitres and metres or yard for swimming. It's worth noting that only the Flex 2, Inspire trackers, Charge 3, Versa trackers and Ionic are swim proof.

How to change your Fitbit's sleep tracking sensitivity

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Head to the 'Advanced Settings' menu under the Settings section > Select 'Sleep Sensitivity'> Choose between normal and sensitive.

How to change which day your Fitbit starts the week on

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Head to the 'Advanced Settings' menu under the Settings section > Tap on the 'Start Week On'> Choose between Sunday or Monday.

How to get an accurate step count on your Fitbit

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Head to the 'Advanced Settings' menu under the Settings section > Scroll down to 'Stride Length'> Manually enter it for walking and running, or set it automatically.

Which apps are compatible with Fitbit?

There are several apps that will link up to Fitbit, including MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, Strava, MapMyRun and RunKeeper. To find out all the compatible apps, tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Scroll down to Compatible Apps. It will take you to the Fitbit website page that lists them all.

To manage the third party apps you've granted access to, tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Scroll down to 'Manage Data'> 'Manage 3rd Party Apps'.

How to change your email or password on Fitbit 

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Scroll down to 'Security and Login'> Change Email or Password.

How to manage the devices with Fitbit Account Access 

Tap on the Account icon in the top left of the Today tab > Scroll down to 'Security and Login'> Click on 'Manage Account Access'> Click on device you want to revoke access for.

Fitbit app Discover and Community tips and tricks

How to set yourself a challenge on Fitbit

For a little extra motivation, tap the Discover tab at the bottom of your app screen > Select 'Challenges & Adventures'> Choose one of the four challenges you want to take on. If you have the Fitbit Premium subscription, more challenges and adventures will appear.

How to set yourself an Adventure on Fitbit

For those after a tougher challenge, head to the Discover tab > Select 'Challenges & Adventures'> Choose from Adventure Races, which allows you to virtually race against your Fitbit friends or Solo Adventures that sees you challenge yourself.

How to find Fitbit friends

Head to the Community tab at the bottom of the app screen > Click on the Friends tab at the top of the screen > Click on 'Add Friends' at the bottom or the icon in the top right corner > Search through your contacts, Facebook and email. To add a friend, tap the add button on the right once you have found them.

How to send a message to a Fitbit friend

Open the Community tab > Click on the friends tab at the top of the screen > Click on friend you want to message, cheer or taunt > Select what you want to do. You'll also be able to see their top badges and a click on each badge will show you how many times they have earned it and when it was achieved.

How to see how you're doing compared to your friends on Fitbit

To see the step leaderboard, head to the Community tab at the bottom of your screen > Click on the Friends tab at the top and you'll be presented with how you are doing compared to your friends. It's a rolling leaderboard so no slacking or you'll be heading for the bottom.

How to see your Fitbit messages

To see all your messages from your Fitbit friends, head to the tray icon in the top right of the Today tab > Tap messages on the top bar.

How to see your Fitbit notifications

To see all your Fitbit notifications, head to the tray icon in the top right of the Today tab > Tap notifications on the top bar.

Fitbit Versa 2 tips and tricks

How to launch Amazon Alexa on Versa 2

Press and hold the side button on the Versa 2 to launch Alexa. You can then issue your voice command. It's also possible to launch Alexa with a swipe down from the top of the Versa 2's display, but you have to change this in the Versa 2's settings as the default is for Alexa to launch with a press and hold of the side button.

How to change how Alexa is launched on the Versa 2

Swipe from right to left across on the Versa 2 home screen until you reach the page with the settings icon. Scroll down until you reach Left Button. Tap to change from Alexa to Fitbit Pay and vice versa.

How to turn Sleep Mode on or off on Versa 2

Swipe down from the top of the Versa 2's display and tap on the quick settings icon, which is the icon on the right of the three that appear over the top of notifications. Tap the half moon to turn Sleep Mode on or off.

How to turn the Always On Display on or off on Versa 2

Swipe down from the top of the Versa 2's display and tap on the quick settings icon, which is the icon on the right of the three that appear over the top of notifications. Tap the clock icon on the left to turn Always On Display on or off.

How to check notifications on Versa 2

Swipe down from the top of the screen. You can also manage some notifications options on Versa itself, swipe across to settings and head to notifications - here you can disable notifications during exercise or when you're asleep.

Instantly access music controls on Versa 2

Swipe down from the top of the Versa 2's display and tap on the music icon.

Connect Bluetooth headphones to your Versa 2

Head into Settings on your Versa 2 by swiping right to left from the home screen > Bluetooth and you can connect to a new device. Put the headphones in pairing mode and they will appear on your Versa 2. Select the headphones to pair them with Versa 2 and you're done.

Setup a payment card in Wallet on Versa 2

To setup a card for Fitbit Pay, you need to head into the Fitbit smartphone app, then tap your profile icon in the top left followed by the Versa 2 under your name. You'll see the option for Wallet in the grid of icons below. You can then add your payment card if it is compatible with Fitbit Pay.

How to pay using Versa 2

If you have a payment card setup, swipe down from the top of your Versa 2's display to launch Fitbit Pay. You can then pay for anything up to £30 at a contactless card terminal.

Customise your Versa 2 display 

Swipe right to left to access apps and then press and hold an icon. You'll then be able to drag to rearrange the icons, including moving them to different pages.

Add more apps to your Versa 2

If you want to add or remove apps from your Versa 2, head into the smartphone app and tap on your profile icon in the top left, then the Versa 2 under your name. You'll see apps in the grid below. Tap this and you'll see a list of all installed apps and those apps you can install in a separate tab.

How to change the pool length on your Versa 2

Swipe right to left on your Versa > tap Exercise > swipe across to Swim > tap the settings cog > change the pool length.

Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR tips and tricks

How to check notifications on Fitbit Inspire

Swipe down from the top of the main display on the Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR and you'll find any new notifications.

How to see different metrics on your Fitbit Inspire

Swipe up from bottom of the main display on the Fitbit Inspire or Inspire HR and most metrics that appear in the Fitbit app will appear here. You can also tap the bottom of the main display and the metrics will appear under the clock.

How to turn off notifications on the Inspire

Press and hold the button on the left of the display > scroll down to Notifications and tap to turn on or off.

How to return to a previous screen on the Inspire

Tap the button on the left of the Inspire or Inspire HR and you will be taken back to the previous screen on the display.

How to send the Inspire display to sleep

Press the button on the left of the Inspire or Inspire HR when on the main home display and the screen will go to sleep.

How to change the pool length for swim tracking on your Inspire HR

Swipe from top to bottom from the home screen > select Exercise > swipe down to Swim > swipe down to access pool length before hitting Swim > change length. You can also change the unit between metres and yards. This feature is not available for the Inspire.

How to set a specific goal for exercise on your Inspire HR

Some exercises allow you to set a distance, calories or time goal. Swipe from top to bottom from the main home screen > select Exercise > swipe down to the exercise you want to do and tap on it. If the Set Goal feature is available it will be below the start option. Tap on Set Goal and select which goal you want. This feature is not available on the Inspire.

How to change the clock on your Inspire

Head into the Fitbit app > tap the Inspire or Inspire HR icon in the top left of the app > tap on Clock Faces > tap on the All Clocks tab at the top and select a new clock or select Pick a New Clock on the My Clocks tab.  

Fitbit Versa and Versa Lite tips and tricks

How to check notifications on Fitbit Versa

Swipe down from the top of the screen, or press and hold the top button on the right-hand side on the standard Versa. You can also manage some notifications options on Versa itself, swipe across to settings and head to notifications - here you can disable notifications during exercise or when you're asleep.

Turn notifications on or off on Fitbit Versa

Press and hold the left-hand button and swipe across from right to left. Then tap on the notifications section and turn on or off.

Instantly access music controls on Fitbit Versa

Press and hold the left-hand button. This will take you directly to music controls. The Versa Lite requires you to start music from your phone, while the standard Versa has on-screen control.

Connect Bluetooth headphones to your Fitbit Versa 

To listen to phone-free music you'll need to connect headphones to your Versa. On the watch, head into Settings > Bluetooth and you can connect to a new device. Put the headphones in pairing mode and they will appear on your Versa. Select the headphones to pair them with Versa and you're done. This isn't an option on the Versa Lite.

Setup a payment card in Wallet on Fitbit Versa

To setup a card for Fitbit Pay, you need to head into the Fitbit smartphone app, tap on your profile icon in the top left and then tap your Versa under your name. You'll see the option for Wallet in the grid of icons below. You can then add your payment card. Fitbit Pay isn't available on the Versa Lite Edition.

How to pay using Fitbit Versa

If you have a payment card setup, you'll be able to press and hold the left-hand button on your Fitbit Versa to launch Fitbit Pay. You can then pay for anything up to £30 at a contactless card terminal.

Customise your Fitbit Versa display 

Swipe to the apps and then press and hold an icon. You'll then be able to drag to rearrange the icons, including moving them to different pages.

Add more apps to your Fitbit Versa

If you want to add or remove apps from your Versa or Versa Lite, head into the smartphone app and tap on your profile icon in the top left corner, then tap the Versa tracker under your name. You'll see apps in the grid below. Tap this and you'll see a list of all installed apps and those apps you can install in a separate tab.

Sign into Strava on your Versa

Although you can link and sync your Fitbit and Strava accounts, there's also the option to sign into the Strava app on your Versa or Versa Lite. This is again done in the smartphone app: as above, access your list of apps and locate the Strava app. You'll see a settings icon next to the app in the list. Tap this and you can sign-in with your Strava account details.

How to change the pool length on your Fitbit Versa

Swipe right to left on your Versa > tap Exercise > swipe across to Swim > tap the settings cog > change the pool length.

Fitbit Ionic tips and tricks

Check your notifications on Fitbit Ionic

That's simple, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, or press and hold the bottom button on the right-hand side. You can also manage some notifications options on Ionic itself, swipe across to settings and head to notifications - here you can disable notifications during exercise or when you're asleep.

Instantly access music controls

Swipe down from the top of the screen or press and hold the top right-hand button. This will take you directly to music controls. 

Connect Bluetooth headphones

To listen to phone-free music you'll need to connect headphones to your Ionic. On the watch, head into Settings > Bluetooth and you can connect to a new device. Put the headphones in pairing mode and they will appear on your Ionic. Select the headphones to pair them with Ionic and you're done.

Transfer music to your Ionic

With no phone, you'll need to put the music on the Ionic directly to listen to music on the move. You'll need to latest version of Fitbit Connect on your PC to do this. This app will give you the option to transfer music to your watch, selecting that music directly from your PC's hard drive.

Setup a payment card in Wallet 

To setup a card for Fitbit Pay, you need to head into the Fitbit smartphone app, then tap your profile icon in the top left, then Ionic under your name. You'll see the option for Wallet in the grid of icons below. You can then add your payment card. For those in the UK, only Santander bank is supported.

Pay with Fitbit Ionic

Long press the left-hand button on Ionic and you'll open up payments.

Customise your Fitbit Ionic display

Swipe to the apps and then press and hold an icon. You'll then be able to drag to rearrange the icons, including moving them to different pages.

Add more apps to your Fitbit Ionic

If you want to add or remove apps from your Ionic, head into the smartphone app and tap on your profile icon in the top left, then Ionic under your name. You'll see apps in the grid below. Tap this and you'll see a list of all installed apps and those apps you can install in a separate tab.

Sign into Strava on your Ionic

Although you can link and sync your Fitbit and Strava accounts, there's also the option to sign into the Strava app on your Ionic itself. This is again done in the smartphone app: as above, access your list of apps and locate the Strava app. You'll see a settings icon next to the app in the list. Tap this and you can sign-in with your Strava account details.

Fitbit Charge 3 tips and tricks

Check your notifications on Fitbit Charge 3

Swipe down from the top of the main display on the Fitbit Charge 3 and you'll find any new notifications.

How to see different metrics on your Fitbit Charge 3

Swipe up from bottom of the main display on the Fitbit Charge 3 and all the metrics that appear in the Fitbit app will appear here, from steps to female health data.

How to turn off notifications when sleeping on the Charge 3

Swipe from right to left of the main display and continue to swipe across until you reach settings. Tap on settings and scroll down to Notifications During Sleep. Tap on this and then turn them off.

How to return to a previous screen on the Charge 3

Tap the inductive button on the left of the Charge 3 and you will be taken back to the previous screen on the display.

How to send the Charge 3 display to sleep

Hit the inductive button on the left of the Charge 3 when on the main home display and the screen will go to sleep.

How to change the pool length for swim tracking on your Charge 3

Swipe right to left from the home screen > select Exercise > swipe across to Swim > swipe down to access pool length before hitting Swim > change length. You can also change the unit between metres and yards.

How to set a specific goal for exercise 

Some exercises allow you to set a distance, calories or time goal. Swipe right to left from the main home screen > select Exercise > swipe across to the exercise you want to do and tap on it. If the Set Goal feature is available it will be below the start option. Tap on Set Goal and select which goal you want.

How to turn Notifications off quickly on your Fitbit Charge 3

Press and hold the inductive button on the left of the Charge 3. You can then turn notifications on or off.

How to turn Screen Wake on or off quickly on your Charge 3

Press and hold the inductive button on the left of the Charge 3. You can then turn screen wake on or off.

How to change the clock on your Charge 3

Head into the Fitbit app > tap the Charge 3 icon in the top left of the app > tap on Clock Faces > tap on the All Clocks tab at the top and select a new clock or select Pick a New Clock on the My Clocks tab.  

Fitbit Charge 2 tips and tricks

How to see different metrics on your Fitbit Charge 2

Tap your Charge 2 just below the display and you'll see the different metrics appear on the screen with each subsequent tap.

How to access the different setting menus on your Fitbit Charge 2 

Press the button on the side of the Fitbit Charge 2's display to wake the screen up. Each following press of the button will present the next menu option, from heart rate to exercise, to alarms.

How to change which menu options appear on your Fitbit Charge 2

Head into the Dashboard tab of the Fitbit app > tap on the picture of your Charge 2 in the top left again > scroll down to Menu Items > choose which menu items appear and re-order them.

How to select and start a specific exercise on your Fitbit Charge 2

Push the button on the left of your Fitbit Charge 2 until you get to the exercise option, which will be Run by default unless you change it. Tap below the display to flick through the various exercises, which include run, weights, treadmill, workout, elliptical, bike and interval workout, by default.

Push and hold the button on the left of the display to start tagging an exercise, and again to finish it. A summary will then appear in the weekly exercise section of the Dashboard.

How to see your resting heart rate on your Fitbit Charge 2

Push button on left of display until you hit the heart rate menu > tap below the display for resting heart rate.

How to start the stopwatch on your Fitbit Charge 2

Push the button on the left of the display until you get to the Stopwatch menu > hold the button to start the stopwatch > hold again to stop the stopwatch.

How to start a Guided Breathing session on your Fitbit Charge 2

Push the button on the left of the display until you get to the Relax menu > tap below the screen to select a two or five-minute Guided Breathing session > hold the button to start the session.

How to turn Notifications off quickly on your Fitbit Charge 2

Push the button on the left of the display until you reach the Notifications menu > hold the button down to turn Notifications on or off.

How to see your VO2 Max from your Fitbit Charge 2

Open the Fitbit app > click on Today > click on the heart rate tile > swipe across to the left on the graph at the top. Your Cardio Fitness level will be shown here as a number range. 

How to change the straps on your Fitbit Charge 2

The clips for switching the straps on your Fitbit Charge 2 are on the underside of the device. Pull each side back and the tracker will become free of the current straps, allowing you to put another one on.

How to customise interval workouts on your Fitbit Charge 2

Open the Fitbit app > click on the Today tab > click on your profile icon in the top left corner followed by Charge 2 under your name > scroll down to Exercise Shortcuts > Interval Workout > choose whether you want connected GPS on or off, how many repeats you want to do and set your move and rest times.

• Fitbit Charge 2 review

Fitbit Alta and Alta HR tips and tricks

How to change the straps on your Fitbit Alta or Alta HR

Changing the straps on the Alta works the same way as it does on the Fitbit Charge 2. Turn the Alta over, pull the clips on either side of the tracker sideways and the tracker will be released from the band

How to change the display on your Fitbit Alta or Alta HR

Open the Fitbit app > click on the Alta icon in the top left corner > Clock Face > choose your preference.

How to tell what the different vibrations mean on your Fitbit Alta or Alta HR

A phone call is representing with a series of vibrations with pauses in between, a series of continuous vibrations tells you you've met your activity goal, one continuous vibration is the silent alarm and two short vibrations are reminding you to move.

How to change what data you see on your Alta or Alta HR display

Open the Fitbit app > click on your profile in the top left corner, followed by your tracker under your name > Customise Display. From here you'll be able to hide, show and re-order the data that appears on your Fitbit Alta and Alta HR, including battery, steps, calories, distance and others.

How to get a deeper analysis of your sleep on the Alta HR

The Alta HR measures time asleep, REM, light and deep sleep stages. It will also give you a run down as to why each of these stages is important. Open the Fitbit app > click on the sleep tile within Today > tap on the day you want more analysis of.

You'll see lots of data if you scroll down, including a 30-day average and benchmark if you tap on the relevant tabs under Sleep Stages. You can also tap on the graph at the top for a breakdown of the stages.

How to turn sleep insights on or off on the Alta HR

Open the Fitbit app > click on the sleep tile within the Today > click on the settings cog in the top right corner > toggle the Receive Sleep Insights on or off.

• Fitbit Alta review
• Fitbit Alta HR review

Fitbit Flex 2 tips and tricks

What do the different coloured LED lights mean on your Fitbit Flex 2

Blue is texts and phone calls with a longer haptic vibration reserved for the latter, yellow is a silent alarm, pink is a reminder to move and green is your daily activity progress.

How to tell how much of your activity goal you've completed on your Fitbit Flex 2

There are five lights on the Flex 2, each of which represents 20 per cent of the goal you've set. For example, for every 2000 steps, you'll get another LED light up if you have a 10,000 step goal.

How to ensure accurate swim tracking from your Fitbit Flex 2

The swim tracking feature needs to be turned on in the Fitbit app before you start swimming. Ensure the pool length is correct in the app and be warned that pausing between laps will result in less accurate tracking.

• Fitbit Flex 2 review

Fitbit Blaze tips and tricks

How to return to the Home clock display quickly on your Fitbit Blaze

Press the button on the left of your Blaze's display and you will be returned to the home screen no matter where you are in the menu options.

How to customise the clock face on your Fitbit Blaze

There are four clock face options for the Fitbit Blaze, each of which has its own tap-sensitive interactive features. To change click on your Blaze tracker at the top of the Dashboard > select the Clock Face option to change.

How to turn off notifications or access music controls on your Fitbit Blaze

From the home screen on the Blaze > swipe down from the top to bring music options up. If you are in exercise mode or another screen other than the home display, hold the top right button down for three seconds and they will appear.

How to use the Fitbit Blaze to turn your music up or down

When in exercise mode on the Fitbit Blaze, if you want to control the volume of your music, hold the top right button down for three seconds. You'll then be able to pause, play and skip tracks as well as use the top and bottom right buttons to adjust the music level when in the music control screen.

How to see your notifications on the Fitbit Blaze

An upward swipe from the bottom of the home clock display will pull up your notifications, which can be deleted by swiping right on the notification itself. If you are in exercise mode or on a different screen other than the home screen, hold the bottom right button for three seconds and your notifications will appear.

• Fitbit Blaze review

For more information on Fitbit and its devices, visit our Fitbit hub for all news and reviews.