Tag: android

What Is Google One? A Breakdown of Plans, Pricing, and Included Services
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Photograph: Simon Hill

In the unlikely event that 2 TB is not enough, you can increase your storage, but the option to upgrade to an even larger plan is available only for current subscribers and in select countries. Here are the plans (no annual discount on the 10-, 20-, or 30-TB plans):
- 5-TB Plan: For $25 per month or $250 per year (£20 or £200 in the UK), you get 5 TB with family sharing, the same perks as the original tier, 10 percent back on purchases from the Google Store, and a VPN for Android and iOS.
- 10-TB Plan: For $50 per month (no annual plan) (£40 in the UK), you get 10 TB with family sharing and the same perks as the 5-TB plan.
- 20-TB Plan: For $100 per month (no annual plan) (£80 in the UK), you get 20 TB with family sharing and the same perks as the 5-TB plan.
- 30-TB Plan: For $150 per month (no annual plan) (£120 in the UK), you get 30 TB with family sharing and the same perks as the 5-TB plan.
Google One Benefits

The main benefit of a Google One plan is the extra cloud storage you can share with up to five family members. While families can share the same space, personal photos and files are accessible only to each owner unless you specifically choose to share them. Everyone in the family can also share the additional benefits (provided you all live in the same country).

Let’s take a closer look at those benefits:

Access to Google Experts

You get instant access to Google experts for general questions or tech support for any Google product or service. You can contact support by phone, chat, or email through the Google One app 24/7. Response times for phone and chat are 2 to 3 minutes, while emails can expect a response within 24 hours.

Google via Simon Hill

Extra Editing Features in Google Photos

This adds features like Magic Eraser, enabling you to delete unwanted people or objects from the background of your photos, Portrait Light and Portrait Blur, enabling you to brighten faces and eliminate shadows or blur backgrounds for that bokeh effect, and HDR to enhance brightness and contrast. All features work with eligible shots in your Google Photos app. These features are available on Google Pixel phones, even if you don’t subscribe to Google One.

Cash Back on Purchases

The 200-GB plan nets you 3 percent back in Google Store credit for any Google Store purchases. The 2-TB plan and above nets you 10 percent back. If you’re thinking about buying multiple Google devices, this could prove useful. It can take up to one month to get the credit after your purchase, and it will have an expiry date attached.

VPN for Android and iOS

All plans now come with Google’s virtual private network service, VPN by Google One, for Android and iOS devices. It’s good for privacy and designed to prevent logging (so no one can see what you are doing on the internet), but it is a limited service compared to our favorite VPNs, chiefly because it works only with Android and iOS devices (no web support), and there’s no option to choose servers in specific countries.

Dark Web Monitoring

This is another security feature that scans the dark web and notifies you if any of your personal information (such as your email address or date of birth) is found there. If any of your data shows up, it will suggest next steps, such as setting up two-factor authentication. You can choose exactly what personal data it looks for and make changes at any time via the Google One app. You will also find some basic advice on things like how to avoid malware or create strong passwords.

Google Workspace Premium

Both the Premium plans include Google Workspace Premium, which gives you enhanced features in Google Meet and Google Calendar. For example, you can have longer meetings with background noise cancelation, or create a professional booking page to enable other folks to make appointments with you.

Nest Aware

Only included in the UK so far, a Nest Aware subscription that includes extended storage of video from home security cameras is now part of the 2TB Premium plan and above, starting from £8 per month or £80 per year. Considering Nest Aware costs £6 per month or £60 per year on its own, this seems like a great deal.

Fitbit Premium

Again, only included in the UK so far, Fitbit Premium is now included as part of the 2TB Premium plan and above, starting from £8 per month or £80 per year. Considering that Fitbit Premium currently costs £8 per month or £80 per year on its own in the UK, this deal is too good to pass up.

Gemini Advanced

Google’s AI chatbot (previously known as Bard) is “capable at reasoning, following instructions, coding, and creative collaboration,” according to Google. It can understand and generate high-quality code in various programming languages, and you can input text, images, or code. Google also plans to roll Gemini into Google apps, like Gmail, Docs, Slides, and Meet, but there’s no fixed release date for this yet.

Extra Benefits

A couple of things fall into this category:
- Google Play Credits: You will occasionally get credits to redeem in the Play Store on books, movies, apps, or games. The amount and frequency vary.
- Discounts, Trials, and Other Perks: You may get offers for discounted Google services or hardware, extended free trials of Google services, and other perks (for example, Google offered everyone upgrading to a 2-TB plan a free Nest Mini). These offers pop up and disappear seemingly at random.
How to Subscribe to Google One

If you want to sign up, it’s easy. Create or log in to a Google account, then visit the Google One website or install the Android or iOS app.
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March 17, 2024
How to Set Medication Reminders on Your Phone (2024): Best Apps, iPhone, Android, Samsung
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Medisafe offers short videos for most medications where a doctor describes the medication and explains possible side effects and other useful information. The app will even flag possible interactions if you are taking multiple medications. The free version is excellent, but you can get rid of ads and unlock some extra customization options with a subscription ($5/month or $40/year).

How to Set Reminders on an Android Phone

There are various ways you might set a medication reminder on an Android phone.

Use Google Assistant
Google via Simon Hill
The quickest and easiest way to set a reminder on your Android phone is to use Google Assistant. For example, you can say, “Hey Google, remind me to take my pill every day at 9 am.”

If you have a family group set up, you can also set reminders for other folks in your family by saying something like, “Hey Google, remind Jenny to take her pill every day at 8 pm.”

To review and tweak any reminders you have set, say, “Hey Google, show my reminders.”

Use Google Calendar

You could also set up medication reminders in Google Calendar. Open the Calendar app, select a day, tap the Plus icon, and choose Reminder. You can specify a time and tap where it says Does not repeat, then change to Every day or set another interval. When you are happy with the details, tap Save.

Use a Medication App

As we said above, of the many medication apps available for Android, our top pick is Medisafe’s Pill Reminder and Med Tracker. This slick app is the Android version of the iPhone app we recommend above, and it’s easy to set up and offers the same wealth of features. You can set reminders for multiple medications, track your consumption, set up refill alerts, track symptoms, and get warnings about possible interactions.

How to Set Reminders on a Samsung Phone

As well as the methods listed above for Android phones, Samsung offers excellent medication reminders in its Health app on Samsung phones. Here’s how to set them up:
- Open the Health app, scroll down to the Medications section and tap on it.
- Tap Add medication and start typing the name of your medication. You should see a list of suggestions pop up. If you can’t find yours, tap Add custom medication at the bottom.
- Once you have selected your medication, you can select the type and strength. You can also identify the pill shape on the next screen.
- Now it’s time to set your schedule. You can select the time and dosage required and the period to complete the course (if applicable).
- The last screen allows you to review the schedule you have created and set a medication nickname and notes, if you want to. Hit Save if it all looks good.
- The final screen warns you about potential interactions with other drugs or substances, such as alcohol. You can tap on possible interactions for further information on the risks.
- Once added, you will see medications listed in the Health app via the Medications section with a timeline along the top and a log of what you must take each day. You can mark it off for that day by tapping Take.
- Tap on any medication in the Your medications section to edit that record. You can also add your number of remaining pills and toggle on a Refill reminder.
- When you’re done with a medication, tap on it under Your medications and tap the three vertical dots at the top right to Archive or Delete. You should use Archive if you want to retain a record of that medication and when you took it.
- You can also share medication data by opening the Health app, tapping the Medications section, tapping the three vertical dots at the top right, and selecting Share medication list.
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March 15, 2024
6 Best Cheap Smartphones (2024): iPhone, Android, 5G

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Motorola Moto G Power 5G 2023 for $200: My main problem with Motorola phones is that there’s no NFC (6/10, WIRED Review), which means you can’t use them to pay your ticket fare on the off chance you left your wallet at home. Motorola also only promises one OS upgrade (with three years of security updates). You can get a much better deal with the devices above. However, there is a headphone jack, a microSD card to expand the 256 GB of storage, and a charger in the box.

I tested Samsung’s Galaxy A23 5G and found its performance annoyingly slow, which shouldn’t be the case for a $300 smartphone these days. I also don’t recommend Motorola’s Moto G Play 2023, Moto G Stylus 2023, Moto G Power 2022, and Moto G Pure 2022 because the above phones trounce them in every way and don’t cost much more.

The Nokia G400 5G (6/10, WIRED Review) is a fine phone, but its software policy just isn’t as good as our top recommended devices above and its performance can be stuttery when you juggle multiple apps. The Nokia G100 was OK until the display started locking up and wouldn’t accept touch input. I tried a second unit and ran into the same issue. I have also tested the Doogee S89 Pro, a rugged smartphone. While I didn’t run into any glaring flaws, it’s a pain in the butt to carry around and uncomfortable in the hand, too. Sure, there’s a massive 12,000-mAh battery, but it didn’t last as long as I expected. The company has a spotty record with software updates, too.

Sort of. Any of our top picks are excellent choices, but if you can wait until May or June, we’ll have a broader lineup to choose from. Motorola will likely unveil more of its budget Moto G lineup soon. TCL will release its 50-series this summer, HMD Global might have some budget devices in tow by July, and we will likely see a Pixel 8A at Google I/O in May.

Consider Last Year’s Flagship Phones

If none of these phones have the features you want or they aren’t as powerful as you’d like, your best option is to look for last year’s flagship smartphones, which might be steeply discounted. Sometimes they’re easy to find, but manufacturers may stop selling them altogether. Keep in mind that you’ll lose a year of software support, but that’s often still better than the software support available on cheap phones anyway. The OnePlus 11, for example, has dipped as low as $499. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has started to creep down toward $600.

5G is the latest cellular network and it’s widespread enough that you should try to stick to phones that support it. It’s not completely replacing 4G LTE, so you’ll see this in your status bar as you roam around the country. You can read more about it here, but in short, 5G comes in two major types: sub-6 and millimeter wave (mmWave). The latter is usually only available in flagship phones and allows you to access superfast speeds, but you’ll rarely encounter mmWave (think select areas in major cities and certain venues, like stadiums and airports). Sub-6 isn’t much faster than 4G LTE, but it has a broader range and is more widely accessible these days. Most of the smartphones we recommend here support sub-6 5G, even ones as low as $200.

Check Network Compatibility

If you buy an unlocked phone on this list and try to take it to one of your wireless carrier’s retail stores, they may tell you it isn’t compatible with the network. It likely is. Just use a paper clip or SIM ejection tool to pop the SIM card out of your current phone, then slide that SIM into your new phone. If it doesn’t work at first, reboot the phone or wait a couple of hours.

If you need a new SIM, try ordering one online from your carrier or see if they’ll give you a SIM when you activate a line in the store (if you’re starting coverage). Tell them you have a phone. Many times, reps will want to sell you a phone; that’s one potential reason they might hassle you into buying a different device in the store. Having said that, please make sure whatever phone you buy will work on your wireless network. Listings on retailers like Amazon should state clearly which networks a device will be compatible with. Also, make sure the listing says the phone is being sold “unlocked.”

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March 9, 2024
Nothing Phone (2a) Review: The New Budget Standard

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Budget phones usually don’t perform all that well. They have poor cameras, they look boring and feel plasticky, and they miss out on several luxuries found in flagships. Well, Nothing’s latest smartphone—the Phone (2a)—doesn’t adhere to any of these trademark flaws.

I’ve been using this $349 Android smartphone for the last two weeks, and even used it as my primary phone in Barcelona as I was covering the Mobile World Congress 2024 trade show. These kinds of conventions are demanding, so I need my device to be reliable and snappy when typing notes while asking questions, responding to critical notifications, and taking pictures. It also needs to last long enough that I’m not hunting for an outlet instead of doing my work. The Nothing Phone (2a) did all that without losing any charm or style.

There are comparable phones for folks outside the US who want speed at an affordable price—just look at the Poco X6 Pro—but options are slim stateside. Nothing’s Phone (2a) is a rare blend; one that’s cheap but pretty, fast but also has a slick software interface, with decently long software support. In short: Its compromises are easily overshadowed by its merits.

Nothing to Worry About

You can get the Nothing Phone (2a) in the US, but you have to jump through some hoops to bag one.

Photograph: Nothing

First, it’s worth noting that Nothing is still a small smartphone manufacturer, and this launch isn’t super straightforward. The Phone (2a) is available in several countries, but in the US, it’s only being sold through a developer program. You don’t need to be a developer to buy it though—just sign up and once you’re accepted, you’ll get a link to purchase the device. The US is only getting the 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage model for $349; everywhere else, there’s a base 8 GB RAM and 128 GB version, which starts at £319 or €329.

You’ll likely run into some issues using the device on Verizon. T-Mobile subscribers will have the best experience as the Phone (2a) supports the carrier’s 5G bands. I’ve been using it on AT&T and, initially, I had trouble connecting to 5G networks and was relegated to 4G LTE, but that has recently changed. Since then, I’ve been on 5G and I’ve had no issues with calls and texts.

So much of this phone reminds me of the original Google Pixel 3A, which neatly packed the important parts of a handset in a $400 package back in 2019. Except, here, Nothing manages to impress much more on the hardware specs in its attempt to craft a value-friendly phone.

Take the 6.7-inch AMOLED display to start. It has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,300 nits. Its 2K resolution is sharp, it feels responsive, and I didn’t have many issues reading the screen in the Barcelona sun.

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March 5, 2024
These Companies Have a Plan to Kill Apps

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In another example, Yue asks the phone to find a gift for his grandma who cannot get out of bed. It generated an interface with several products within carousels, and each row had a brief explanation of why the product might be a good fit. He settled on the Kindle.

Yue then did a long-press on the product card to ask another query: “What is the screen made of?” The phone generated the answer as a paragraph of text below (notably with no sources), and when he then asked to watch unboxing videos, it added a row of YouTube videos on the topic.

This wizardry is reminiscent of Siri cofounder Dag Kittlaus’ onstage demo of Viv way back in 2016, which was designed to be a conversational smart layer that let users interact with various services. His live demo also included asking by voice the digital assistant to book him a hotel room in Palm Springs. Clearly mighty impressed, Samsung snapped up Viv later that same year, and we’ve not really seen anything of it since.

You can get a pretty good glimpse of how Brain Technologies’ tech works with its app, Natural AI, which it released in 2020. Yue says his company pioneered the large action models that can enable a digital AI assistant to execute tasks. Since the company had an early start, its AI can purportedly generate interfaces for more than 4 million functions it has trained since 2016. That should cover almost anything you can do on a computing device. “Instead of going to apps, apps come to you,” he says.

But Yue doesn’t think we’re moving away from apps just yet. That’s why this concept device is still an Android phone. If you don’t want to converse with the AI, you can access apps just like normal. The touchscreen isn’t going away either, and he believes this concept is the right combination of AI and a graphical interface.

Brain Technologies has apparently already received tremendous interest from other manufacturers, and Yue says it’s the only AI company the Emerson Collective (Laurene Powell Jobs’ venture capital firm) has invested in. It seems almost inevitable that we’ll see its generated interfaces in more kinds of devices in the future.

“Everything is app-centric,” Yue says. “We’re trying to build a human-centric future. We’re trying to give people more power in this relationship. At the end of the day, whatever the next best interface is, wins.”

Sierra, a startup developing AI-powered agents to “elevate the customer experience” for big companies including WeightWatchers, Sonos, and SiriusXM, is of a similar view, stating that, in the future, a company’s AI version of itself will be just as, if not more, important as its app or website. “It’s going to completely change the way companies exist digitally,” says Bret Taylor, who left his job as co-CEO of Salesforce to start Sierra.

Human After All

The founders of A Phone, A Friend—Tomas Ramanauskas and Tomas Dirvonskas—echoed the same sentiments on making phones more personal with the help of AI. “We think that AI gives an opportunity to humanize this relationship to actually make it more human instead of just this cold, transactional, attention economy kind of thing,” Ramanauskas says.

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March 2, 2024
All the Top New Gadgets at MWC 2024

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Mobile World Congress—or just MWC—isn’t one of our favorite trade shows just because it’s situated in the beautiful city of Barcelona during a seasonally appropriate time of year. (Cheap cava and tapas don’t have anything to do with it either.) No, this show is a favorite because it’s one of the easiest to navigate, and there’s always plenty of interesting, fun, or just plain crazy tech to scavenge through.

This year, such bounty includes transparent laptops, bendable phones, a Barbie flip phone, and more. Here are the highlights.

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HMD Rebrands (Sort of) and Teases a Barbie Phone

Mattel mobile: HMD is working with the toy brand to launch a Barbie flip phone (behold the pink pixelation).

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

HMD was supposed to be the rebirth of Nokia phones back when it made a splash at MWC 2017, but it wasn’t long before the company lost steam and it was clear that the Nokia brand name wouldn’t really compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple anymore. HMD instead put its focus on budget Android phones over the past few years and its feature phone business. At MWC, it announced that 2023 was the company’s first profitable year, and now it’s trying to change things up with a rebrand. First is the name—it’s leaning more on “Human Mobile Devices” (the full version of its acronym) instead of HMD. This year’s lineup of devices will include an HMD phone, an iconic Nokia phone, plus a Barbie flip phone.

Yep, you heard that right. HMD is collaborating with Mattel to launch a Barbie feature flip phone. It’ll be coming this summer, will obviously be pink, and is being touted as a digital detox device. That’s all we know. The only pictures of all the teased phones were pixelated.

What we do know about HMD’s other phone is that it will revolve around a system called HMD Fusion. Similar to Motorola’s Moto Mods or Google’s long-lost Project Ara, it sounds like a system of modular components that developers can build for the smartphone, from an extended battery and a barcode scanner to a payment terminal to medical equipment. It released a toolkit that developers can use to get started.

HMD also had a big focus on repairability—it expects half of its devices launched globally this year to be repairable. But this summer, it says it will have a system that dramatically reduces the number of steps it takes to fix a cracked screen.

Motorola Bends a Phone, and Debuts Smart Connect

Bendy blower: Motorola bendable phone concept can have a number of viewing options.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Late last year at Lenovo’s Tech World event, Motorola unveiled a bendable concept phone called the Adaptive Display. I got a chance to play around with it at MWC. It looks and feels like its Razr folding phones, except instead of having a hinge that snaps the phone closed precisely in half, you can bend the whole thing backward.

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February 26, 2024
Polar ID Is the Face ID Rival for Android Phones, and Could Even Beat Apple

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A little more than six years ago, Apple unveiled Face ID. It was a new method to biometrically unlock iPhones and authenticate purchases by scanning your face. Yet after all this time, there still hasn’t been a meaningful competitor on Android—at least, not with the same level of security and capabilities.

Google’s Pixel 8 has Face Unlock, but it has trouble working in the dark; the Face Unlock available on Samsung smartphones can’t be used for secure applications, such as banking. In Androidland, the fingerprint scanner is king, but that might not be the case for long.

Metalenz, a startup pioneering optics technology called “optical metasurfaces,” is hard at work on introducing secure face authentication to Android with its Polar ID technology. Late last year, it announced a partnership with Qualcomm to port its ongoing development to the chipmaker’s flagship processor. Today, at Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona, it announced that it will be using Samsung’s Isocell Vizion 931 image sensor to power its imaging system.

I visited Metalenz’s headquarters in Boston to get a first look at Polar ID. The system is still in its early stages, and the company is currently gathering large amounts of data to improve its facial recognition machine learning algorithms. But it has plans to send development kits to smartphone manufacturers in the middle of this year for testing, which means there’s a good chance we’ll see a Face ID–like system for Android, one that’s potentially better than Apple’s approach, inside smartphones by early 2026.

New Optics

Metalenz is a startup born out of a research group at Harvard University and was founded by CEO Robert Devlin and physicist Federico Capasso. I’ve been covering its development ever since the company emerged from stealth mode in 2021. That’s when it unveiled its metasurfaces technology—a flat-lens system that takes up far less space than the traditional multi-lens elements used in most smartphones today.

The iPhone 14 Pro, for example, has seven lens elements (layers of glass or plexiglass) stacked above the camera sensor. Having multiple lens elements improves image clarity, captures more light, and corrects issues such as chromatic aberration (where colors are visible on the fringes of images). But it also adds more complexity and requires more space in the smartphone. Metalenz’s metasurfaces is a single lens that uses nanostructures to bend light rays toward the camera sensor, performing the job of multiple lens elements in a much smaller package.

A wafer of multiple metasurfaces, the flat-lens system takes up far less space than multi-lens elements used in most phones currently.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

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February 26, 2024
23 Best Wireless Chargers (2024): Pads, Stands, iPhone Docks, and More

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Does my phone support wireless charging?

Not all phones support wireless charging, but most brands have models that do, so look up your phone model first. You’ll usually see “Qi wireless charging” (the default standard) or simply “wireless charging” if it does. Phones that support the latest Qi2 standard, bear the Qi2 logo and have a ring of magnets for easy alignment (just like Apple’s MagSafe).

Do wireless chargers work if you have a phone case?

Yes, most wireless chargers can charge through cases, unless it’s a particularly thick case. Check the product listing—there’s usually a case thickness limit in millimeters. Phones can get hot when charging wirelessly, so don’t worry if your phone is really warm when you pick it up. Most smartphones have limits to stop accepting a charge if they get too hot.

Yes, cords will charge your phone faster

Some manufacturers like Apple and OnePlus make wireless chargers that recharge their respective phones faster than others, but if you’re looking for speed, you’re better off sticking with a cord. Wireless charging is best for desks or nightstands when you’re not really using your phone or in a rush to recharge it.

What’s a fast wireless charging speed?

We said this at the beginning of our guide, but you’ll see “Compatible with iPhones and Android phones” under each slide, and that means the charger has a standard charging speed of 7.5 watts for iPhones or 10 watts for Android phones (including Samsung Galaxy phones). The latest MagSafe and Qi2 chargers can go up to 15 watts, and there are a handful of proprietary wireless chargers for specific phone models that can charge even faster. It’s worth noting that, even where phones support them, the maximum charging rates are only reached some of the time (the charging rate is automatically adjusted to preserve battery health).

Is wireless charging safe to use?

There’s no definitive evidence that it’s harmful. You may worry the phone’s battery might degrade faster with wireless charging, but manufacturers set safe limits for phone batteries, stipulating how much a battery can be charged and how far it can discharge. Regardless of the charging source you use, whether you plug into a wall adapter or use a wireless charging pad, these limits can’t be overridden. There’s no risk of overcharging your phone by leaving it on a wireless charger all night.

How do I keep my phone’s battery healthy?

However, try to keep your battery between 50 and 80 percent for optimum battery health. Keeping your phone fully charged or fully discharging the battery will degrade it slightly faster, and regularly swinging between full and empty will shorten its life. Battery technology has improved in recent years, and phone batteries are more reliable than ever. If you switch phones every two to three years or don’t mind paying a modest fee for a battery replacement on that timescale, it’s not worth worrying too much about how often or when you charge your phone.

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February 23, 2024
How to Use Quick Share on Android (2024)

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Whether you want to share photos, links, files, and more with others nearby or even across your devices, there is a way to do it. Apple has AirDrop, so folks can seamlessly send almost anything to other nearby Apple devices with just a few taps. Google’s Android equivalent is a feature called Quick Share, and it works across Android phones and tablets, Chromebooks, and even Windows computers.

Quick Share searches for devices in close proximity, then chooses a protocol to use depending on what you’re sending and what your connectivity is like. For example, it will use peer-to-peer Wi-Fi if you’re completely offline, but other sharing protocols include Bluetooth, hot spot, WebRTC, and more. Here’s how to make use of it.

Updated February 2024: We refreshed this article after Google rebranded Nearby Share to Quick Share to align with Samsung.

Does Your Phone Support Quick Share?

Android used to have a sharing feature called Android Beam, which let you bump the back of two phones together (if both devices had a near-field communication sensor) to send photos, files, and more. It never became as well known as AirDrop (which launched the same year). Google killed it in 2019 with the intention to replace it with Nearby Share. In January 2024, Nearby Share became Quick Share, to match the name of the same feature on Samsung smartphones. Some devices may still show Nearby Share, but it should work with Quick Share using the same steps.

Quick Share only works with phones that support Android 6.0 or higher, which is a version of the operating system released in 2015. If you have a phone from 2015 or newer, there’s a very good chance your phone will be able to use it. Some of the features of Quick Share require Android 13 or later (Android 10 or later on Samsung Galaxy phones). To check, head to your phone’s Settings menu, scroll down to About Phone, and you should be able to see the Android version. If the number is 6 or higher, you’re good to go.

Note: Some of our instructions might not be exactly the same on your Android phone, as manufacturers tend to tweak the Settings menu to look a little different.

How to Turn On Quick Share

Android via Simon Hill

The easiest and universal way to find Quick Share is to head to your phone’s Settings menu, scroll down to Google, and tap on Devices and sharing. You should see Quick Share. The other way to find it is through Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Quick Share, but this is where the menus might look different based on your phone. You should also see a Quick Share icon in your Quick Settings menu if you swipe down on the notifications shade (if you don’t, tap the pen or edit to add it). You can always search the settings menu for Quick Share.

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February 23, 2024
How to Use Your Phone as a Bedside Alarm Clock With StandBy and Bedtime Modes
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Whether you use your phone as an alarm to get up in the morning, like to listen to podcasts or sleep sounds as you drift off, or simply want to be sure the battery is full come morning, a nightstand charger is a handy gadget. We are big fans of wireless chargers. Android phones and iPhones also offer nightstand modes to transform your device into a bedside alarm clock for the night.

Having your smartphone sit on your nightstand without enabling a quiet mode of some sort is a bad idea. If notifications are waking you up, check out our guide on silencing your gadgets at night. You should also check out how to create a bedtime routine. But every sleep specialist we have spoken with suggests leaving your phone outside the bedroom at night.

That said, it’s hard to break the habit of sleeping next to your phone, and if it’s on the nightstand anyway, we may as well make itself useful.

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How to Use iPhone’s StandBy Mode

Photograph: Simon Hill

Apple’s StandBy is one of our favorite iOS 17 features. It allows you to use your iPhone as a bedside alarm clock, photo frame, or display for activities or widgets.

To use StandBy, you must have a MagSafe charger that allows you to attach your iPhone in landscape orientation. You can find such a charger in our guides to the best Apple 3-in-1 wireless chargers or the best MagSafe accessories. The Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe ($150) is our current favorite.

Apple via Simon Hill

Here’s how to set up StandBy:
1. Open Settings on your iPhone, scroll down and tap StandBy.
2. Make sure StandBy is toggled on.
3. You should also tap Display and choose when the display should turn off, whether you want to use Night Mode so it dims and has a red tint when it’s dark to minimize disturbance, and whether you want Motion to Wake the display at night. (We recommend toggling both on.)
4. Once set up, simply place your iPhone on a MagSafe charger in landscape orientation and press the side button to see the clock.
5. It will show a clock and calendar by default, but you can tweak it by swiping up and down. You can swipe right to left to get photos with the time display. Swipe again, and you get a large clock display. You can swipe up and down on each mode to cycle through more options.
6. Your iPhone will remember your preferred clock style for that charger, so you might set one style for the charger on your nightstand and something else for the charger on your desk or kitchen counter.
Note: The Always-On Display can stay on permanently if you have an iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. For older models, simply tap the screen, bump the nightstand, or ask Siri to bring StandBy to life.

How to Use Apple Watch Nightstand Mode

The Apple Watch has long had a Nightstand mode that displays the time. Like StandBy, you need a charger that supports Nightstand mode and ideally affords you an easy view of your Apple Watch screen. We like the Belkin Boost Charge Pro Portable Fast Charger for Apple Watch ($60). Here’s how to set up Nightstand mode:
1. Open Settings on your Apple Watch.
2. Go to General > Nightstand Mode and turn it on.
3. If you want to set any alarms, open the Alarms app on your Apple Watch.
4. Tap the plus icon to add an alarm and choose your time. You can also just ask Siri to set an alarm.
5. When the alarm sounds, you can press the Digital Crown to snooze it for nine minutes or the Side button to turn it off.
How to Use Android Bedtime Mode

Although Bedtime started out as a Pixel exclusive feature, Google has rolled it into the standard Android Clock app. If your phone doesn’t have the app, install Google’s Clock app from the Play Store.

We suggest getting a stand (see our Best Wireless Chargers guide) to prop your phone on the nightstand. The Twelve South PowerPic Mod Wireless Charger ($60) is our current favorite.
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February 7, 2024