Hot Smartphones How-Tos
Gaming: The 9 Best Games to Play When You're Taking a Dump
My bathroom is like my own private arcade room. Whenever I'm seated comfortably on the toilet, no one is going to disturb me, so I can play anything I want on my smartphone. You probably do it, too — and your parents, kids, friends, colleagues, and boss — so don't be afraid to admit it.
How To: Automatically Add Your Shazam Songs to a Rdio or Spotify Playlist
We recently showed you how to recover your Shazam history from Siri, which is a lot less intuitive than finding the songs you've tagged directly in the Shazam app. But with a subscription to Rdio or Spotify, there's no need to even locate your history. You can Shazam songs and have them automatically added to a newly created playlist titled "My Shazam Tracks."
How To: Turn Your Smartphone into a 175X Digital Microscope for Incredible Macro Photos
If you're into photography, you're probably no stranger to the myriad of ways you can take macros with your smartphone. Your phone's built-in camera may not take great pictures up close, but you can modify it to do so with anything from a magnifying glass to a drop of water. However, those types of DIY macro lenses can only get so close.
How To: Play Your PSP Games on Your Android Device with PPSSPP
While there is definitely no shortage of video game emulators in the Android Market, it lacks in modern gaming consoles. Nintendo 64, Game Boys, and Sega Genesis are all accounted for, but what about emulators for some of the gaming consoles that have come out in the, let's say...past decade?
How To: Get a Game Boy Advance (GBA) Emulator on Your BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, PSP, Mac, or PC
For those of you still using a BlackBerry smartphone, this article will show you the tips and tricks to installing emulators and playing some classic Game Boy Advanced games on your device. You can find a few tutorials and videos out there on getting Game Boy Color or NES games on an Android device, but the most elusive mobile emulator is for Game Boy Advanced (GBA) on a BlackBerry.
How To: Make an iPhone secret spy camera
This how to demonstrates how to use your Apple iphone as a spy camera to spy on others. If you're suspicious, paranoid or just downright creepy, this video can show you how to convert your Apple smart phone into a device for surveillance on others.
How To: Install a custom ROM on a Motorola Droid Google Android smartphone
Learn how to load a custom ROM onto a rooted Motorola Droid Google Android smartphone! Custom ROMs help you to unlock your phone's hidden potential and allow you to, among other things, turn your mobile phone into a 3G wireless modem with free WiFi tethering. For all of the details, and to get started running custom ROMs on your own rooted Droid, watch this three-minute hacker's how-to.
How To: Install an NES emulator on a Verizon Droid 2 Google Android smartphone
In this clip, you'll learn how to install and use a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator on a Droid 2 phone. Whether you're the proud owner of a Verizon Droid 2 Google Android smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to see what it takes to play Nintendo ROMs on a Droid 2 cell phone, take a look.
How To: Install APK files on your Motorola Droid
APK files are the EXE files of the Android phone, the executables that mark the point of entry to most programs and Apps. If you have rooted your Motorola Droid or other Android phone, you're probably come in contact of an APK file in or around your custom ROM. This video will show you how to install APK files on a rooted Motorola Droid, which will allow you to find Apps without going to the App Market and take advantage of all of the features of your custom ROM.
How To: Create new folders on an Android cell phone
It's really tempting to put every app and widget you can think of on your Android cell phone's home screen, but eventually you'll have a hard time finding anything in the clutter. That's where folders come in. Creating a folder on your home screen makes life a little easier, and a little more organized. Think about dragging all your games into a one consolidated folder. CNET shows you how to make a folder, how to rename it, and how to manage it on your Android smartphone.
How To: Pre-install new iOS 4 to your iPhone or iPod Touch
In this clip, learn how to install OS 4 on your iPhone or iPod Touch before it is released to the public. This is not the final Apple approved version, so you will be missing some small things like wallpapers and iBooks but you should still have plenty to play around with while you wait for its official release!
How To: Use Quick Launch on an Android smartphone
Looking for an easy way to launch your favorite Android apps? One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial will show you use the Android's Quick Launch feature.
How To: Use your iPhone with a microscope
This video shows us the procedure to use an iPhone with a microscope using iMicroscope. Open the application and focus the object correctly in the microscope. Bring the camera in the phone near the eye piece and click a photo once you get the object correctly focused. Hit 'Use' and put in the magnification of the image. Hit 'Accept' and view the image. You can see a magnification scale, date and an automatically scaled scale bar. You can zoom in the image. Save the picture in the camera roll....
How To: Fast scroll on your Android
This video in the Electronics category will show you how to fast scroll on your Android. Let’s assume you have a lot of contacts and out of them you want to find one in a hurry and you have only one hand free. Instead of scrolling down the entire contact list with your thumb, you can press the scroll thumb called the fast scroll feature, jump down to the letter of your choice and then find it in that. When you are travelling in a new place, bring up the maps, choose ‘my location’ and you will...
How To: Download Google Maps on your Blackberry
Dana Strauss from Best Buy teaches you how to download Google Maps onto your Blackberry. Press your Menu button, click on "Applications". Find "Maps" and click on it and your Blackberry will pull up Google Maps for you. The application will show you exactly where you are and will allow you to enter the address of your destination. It will also give you exact directions to where you're going.
How To: Enable MMS for your iphone
YouTube user diabeticHOWIE instructs you on how to enable MMS (Multimedia Messaging) for your iPhone 3G or 3GS. He claims that this may not work for the first generation iPhone. Using his step-by-step tutorial, you will be able to send multimedia messages to your friends and family.
How To: Install Aircrack on your iPhone
Learn how to install Aircrack on your iPhone to hack into almost any WiFi network. First download Aircrack from iHackMyi, then follow these steps:
How To: Take apart a Palm Tungsten E2
Learn how to take apart your Palm Tungsten E2 PDA for repair. Helpful voiceover guides you through the process.
How To: Video Too Long for Instagram Stories? Here's How to Split It Up
One of the latest trends in Instgram is breaking up larger videos into more digestible clips to use in stories. Stories max out at 15 seconds, making it a pain to show anything meaningful in that short time frame. Fortunately, you can virtually extend the duration of your Stories on both your iPhone and Android phone.
How To: Completely Disable Your Active Status on Facebook & Messenger
Have you ever wondered how some people know you're online even though you swear you set the Messenger app to hide your active status? No, you're not crazy — it's an issue with two conflicting settings, and there's an easy fix.
How To: 7 Free Pass 'n' Play Games for Your Phone That Make Coronavirus Bearable at Home
If you're quarantining with other people, consider yourself lucky — but it's not always easy. Staying in one space for so long with too many people can be challenging, so you need to find things to do to make the time go by (and to keep everyone sane). Our advice? Try out these seven free multiplayer games that only require one iPhone or Android device to play.
How To: Open Google Maps Street View in Just 1 Tap
When you're going somewhere for the first time, it's nice to know what the destination will look like. Street View in Google Maps is the perfect tool for that, though it's always been a little awkward to access. But now, Google added a new overlay that will put Street View content literally one tap away at all times.
Signal 101: How to Register Using a Google Voice Number
Signal Private Messenger is famous for its end-to-end encryption, but you can't even use the messaging app without having a real phone number attached to it. Luckily, there is a way around this limitation, so you can use Signal even if you don't have a valid SIM card in your smartphone.
How To: Take Screenshots of Disappearing Photos on Instagram Direct Without Getting Caught
If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, then Snapchat must be blushing profusely as Instagram continues to shamelessly copy its features and dig into its wallet. Instagram has also managed to copy some of the security aspects — or lack thereof — of one of Snapchat's hottest characteristics.
How To: Tell if Someone Has Read Your WhatsApp Message—Even if They Have Read Receipts Turned Off
We've all been there... admit it. You sent a couple messages, but your friend had the "Read Receipts" option turned off in WhatsApp, so after a few minutes, you start wondering if they're away from their phone right now or just flat-out ignoring you.
How To: Download Entire Maps for Offline Use in Google Maps
Spotty cellular reception is a fact of life that we all have to deal with, especially when you're traveling. For those of us who rely on our smartphones for navigation, driving through areas with bad mobile data service can be a cause for major headaches.
Gaming: The 11 Best Free Word Games for iPhone & Android
Word games fit perfectly with the on-the-go nature of mobile gaming. They're easy to pick up whenever you feel like exercising your brain, but they're also fairly easy to put down when you need to get back to the real world.
How To: TikTok's Latest Hidden Feature Will Change the Way You Watch Videos in the App
A hidden TikTok feature changed how I watch videos in the app, and it's about to transform your TikTok video-watching habits too.
How To: 3 Ways to Find TikTok Videos You've Already Watched
It's easy to lose the TikTok video you were watching when you accidentally refresh your For You feed, but it's not gone forever. TikTok has a new feature for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device that can show you all your watched videos over the last seven days. There are also other, more hidden ways to see your watch history — one that goes well beyond a week.
How To: The Easiest Way to Keep Your Lock Screen from Blinding You at Night
Picture it: you wake up in the middle of the night and check your phone. Maybe you want to check the time (your phone is your alarm clock, after all) or see if that person ever replied to your message. You double-tap or lift to wake it, and the screen lights up. You flinch at the bright light, squeezing your eyes shut. It takes a few moments to adjust, even if your screen's brightness is as low as possible.
How To: Make Any App Work with Android's Split Screen Mode in 30 Seconds Flat
Ever tried using Android's split screen mode only to find the app you wanted to split doesn't support it? Even big-name apps like ESPN still don't support the feature despite the majority of Android devices having split screen. So instead of waiting for the developers, how about we just force compatibility?
How To: Unlock & Use the Morse Code Keyboard in Gboard on Your iPhone or Android Phone
There's a feature in the Gboard keyboard that enables people who cannot talk, type, or swipe normally to still have a way to communicate in the digital age on their smartphones. While it's mainly an accessibility feature for those who actually need it, it's a good way for anyone to learn or brush up on their Morse code skills — and it works on both Android and iOS.
Google Photos 101: How to Use Google Lens to Save Contact Info from Business Cards
Business cards are a great way to keep tabs on the contacts we network with. So why shouldn't our smartphones make them even more useful? Enter Google Lens, which will help you save, search, and expand on the contact information found on all of the business cards you've collected.
Snapchat 101: How to Use Your Selfies to Create a Bitmoji Deluxe
Accompanying Snapchat's core features, like editing snaps and applying filters to them, is Bitmojis. These are small avatars that you create in your own likeness and use all throughout Snapchat. Formerly, there were two "styles" that you could pick from to make your Bitmoji: Bitstrips style and Bitmoji style. But Snapchat has a third style now that will redefine the way you use Bitmojis.
How To: Do Your Part & Track Congress with These 5 Apps for iPhone & Android
If you live in the US, it's your civic duty to understand our governing bodies and the political system that puts them in place. It doesn't matter what your age is, knowing who to vote for is as important as voting at all. That starts with policing your own representatives to help decide whether or not we should re-elect them.
How To: The 5 Best Two-Factor Authentication Apps for iPhone & Android
When it comes to cybersecurity, one layer isn't enough. A complex password (or one created with a password manager) does a good job of protecting your data, but it can still be cracked. Two-factor authentication strengthens this by adding a second layer of security, giving you even more protection against online threats.
How To: There's a Super Easy Way to Select Multiple Pictures in Google Photos
Selecting multiple pictures or videos in Google Photos can be tedious. Usually, you'd long press on the first image to select it, then tap on other pictures one by one to select them as well. But there is a much easier and faster way to do this.
How To: The 5 Best Phones for Video Chat
Video chatting has become an important factor in the overall smartphone experience. Even just a few years ago, 37% of teens were making video calls on a regular basis, and that number has surely grown. 85% of households with infants have used video chat apps to call relatives in other cities, and it's been shown that toddlers can create bonds and learn from visual cues in video calls.
How To: Change the date format on your Android phone
You can change how the date appears on your Android phone. One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial will show you how to adjust calendar display settings on your Android device.
How To: The Best Smartphones to Buy in 2024
If you're in the market for a new smartphone and want nothing but the best of the best, now's the time to act. Some of the greatest phones money can buy are being released as we speak, while others are still in their prime and will continue to be for most of 2024. Whether you want an iPhone or Android, we've rounded up the best picks you have to choose from for top-of-the-line specs and advanced features.