PS Plus Extra and Premium April 2025 lineup has started going live, and its best new game has free DLC On the PS Store. Yes, we’re talking about Hogwarts Legacy, which headlines a relatively scant catalog refresh, but it’s a game that’ll keep players busy for hundreds of hours.
PS Plus users can claim Hogwarts Legacy’s free DLC right away
Both PS5 and PS4 players can head over to the PS Store right now and claim Onyx Hippogriff Mount for free. It’s nothing major, but it’s still a cool cosmetic that costs nothing.
Those who don’t mind forking out some cash can also check out the Hogwarts Legacy Dark Arts Pack, which is currently 75% off until April 24. For $4.99, players will get the following:
Thestral Mount
Dark Arts Cosmetic Set
Dark Arts Battle Arena
Once the promotion is over, the Dark Arts Pack will cost $19.99.
April 2025’s PS Plus lineup is already available in almost all regions except for the Americas. For some reason, Sony hasn’t updated PS Store’s ‘Last Chance to Play’ section with May 2025’s departures, so we can’t share the list of games leaving the catalog just yet.
Stay tuned as we’ll make sure to update our readers when the list of departures appears on the PS Store.
Just before the weekend, the US Customs and Border Protection published a list of products excluded from Trump’s tariffs, including smartphones, PCs, memory chips and let’s say 80 percent of everything we write about at Engadget.
However, that’s more because they’ll be siloed into a specific product category. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview on Sunday: “Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs, which are coming.”
The new exclusions would exempt many devices and parts from both the 10 percent global tariff and the steeper tariff on China. Lutnick told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl that, in doing this, the president was “just making sure everyone understood that all of these products are outside the reciprocal tariffs and they are going to have their own separate way of being considered.”
He added that semiconductor tariffs are coming “in probably a month or two.” Maybe reassess that Switch 2 pre-order.
At $699, it's a bit pricey, but the Espresso 15 Pro has pretty much everything you could want in a travel-friendly 15-inch display. And if you’re regularly wielding two screens on the go, this could be an investment. It’s brighter than predecessors, has a slick design and a stand and can even add touch support to Macs — if you want that.
GPT-4.1 is actually newer and, importantly, cheaper to run.
OpenAI is sunsetting GPT-4.5 from its developer API in favor of its new GPT-4.1 model. (Yeah, confusing. When it launched, OpenAI described GPT-4.5 as its best and most capable model so far, in part because it was a more natural conversationalist. Can’t find it? OpenAI says GPT-4.1 is exclusively for developers using OpenAI’s API. So you won’t find it as an option in the public-facing ChatGPT interface.
Samsung has announced two new rugged devices, the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro and the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro, which feature removable backplates and user-replaceable batteries.
It’s an enterprise affair but comes with all of Samsung’s Galaxy AI features and Google’s latest features, like Circle to Search. The toughness credentials include IP68 water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810H certification for drops, programmable buttons and a battery you can replace yourself.
Bungie finally took the wraps off its upcoming team-based extraction shooter, Marathon, sharing a look at gameplay and a cinematic short during its showcase this weekend. We also now know the release date: September 23. Marathonwill be available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and support full cross play and cross save.
In Marathon, players inhabit a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary scouring the remains of a lost colony of Tau Ceti IV for fortune and power. Players team up in crews of three as they battle rival Runner teams and hostile security forces for weapons and upgrades. Survive and everything they’ve scavenged is theirs to keep for future runs on Tau Ceti IV — or if they’re brave enough, a journey to the derelict Marathon ship that hangs above.
If you missed the live Gameplay Reveal Showcase on Saturday, you can catch up on all the highlights now on Bungie’s website and the official Discord. The team says there will be a “fairly small” Closed Alpha Test from April 23 to May 4, ahead of bigger tests leading up to the release in September.
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Apple is said to be readying some big improvements for iPadOS that could bring it more in line with macOS. According to Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple’s iPadOS 19 will “focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management — with an eye on the device operating more like a Mac.” It won’t quite be macOS for iPad, but Gurman notes that “the changes will likely go far enough” to please those users who are looking to get more out of the tablet’s software.
It's expected to arrive later this year. Chances are we'll hear all about it at WWDC 2025, which Apple has set for the second week of June. This year is rumored to be bringing some major changes to iOS and macOS as well, as Gurman previously reported. It all reportedly comes as part of Apple’s push to make its software look more consistent across its devices.
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Apple hasn’t abandoned its previously rumored plans to release a less expensive Vision Pro, according to Bloomberg. Mark Gurman reports in the Power On newsletter this weekend that the company has two new models in development: one that’s lighter and cheaper than the first generation headset, and one that would tether to a Mac. While Apple had once considered the latter setup for AR glasses, it shifted the idea over to the Vision Pro so it can “create an ultra-low-latency system for streaming a user’s Mac display or for connecting to high-end enterprise applications,” according to Gurman.
Apple’s ultimate goal, though, is reportedly to create AR glasses that are practical and comfortable enough to be worn like regular glasses, and the next iterations of the Vision Pro are seen as steps toward getting there. Gurman reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook is “hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can.”
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This week’s hodgepodge of our top recent tips includes pointers about what the best armor in The First Berserker might be for your build, the best weapons for beginners in Monster Hunter Wilds, the best skills to snag in South of Midnight, and more.
This week, all eyes continue to be on the Switch 2, Trump’s tariffs, and how the latter could impact the former. With the president putting a 90-day pause on the bulk of his announced tariffs and instead maintaining a 10-percent across-the-board tax, Nintendo is stockpiling consoles in the U.S. in advance of the…
Apple’s new Passwords app (introduced with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia) is a big leap forward in making password management simple and user-friendly for Apple users, even if it's not as robust as other password managers. If you’ve ever fumbled through Safari settings to find a saved login or toggled through iCloud Keychain menus to edit credentials, the Passwords app is for you. It’s designed to give you a dedicated home for all your saved login credentials, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords and two-factor authentication codes, all in one secure, easy-to-navigate interface.
What is the Apple Passwords app?
The Passwords app is Apple’s standalone password manager. While Apple users have long been able to save passwords using iCloud Keychain, the actual management experience was buried within Settings or Safari. With the Passwords app, Apple has turned what was once a tucked-away feature into a full-fledged application that works across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
The app holds all your saved login credentials, plus passkeys, verification codes and Wi-Fi passwords. Everything is securely stored, synced via iCloud and protected by Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. With it, you can more easily search for logins, get security recommendations, share credentials with family members and store two-factor authentication codes all in one place.
Rob Webb for Engadget
How to access the Passwords app on iPhone
To access the Passwords app on your iPhone:
Make sure your device is updated to iOS 18 or later.
Find the Passwords app using Spotlight Search, the App Library or your Home Screen.
Tap the app icon and authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode.
Once you've opened the app, you'll see your saved accounts organized alphabetically. A search bar at the top makes it easy to find what you're looking for. Logins are grouped by category, including:
Passkeys (passwordless login credentials)
Codes (verification codes for methods like two-factor authentication)
Wi-Fi
Security (compromised or reused passwords)
Tapping any item shows detailed information, including login URLs, usernames, passwords and any associated notes.
How to add and edit passwords manually
Most passwords are saved automatically when you use Safari to log in to websites, but you can also add entries manually, including verification codes and passkeys. To manually add a login:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap the + icon in the bottom-right corner.
Choose New Password.
Enter the site or service name, username and password.
Add any optional notes using the Notes field.
Tap Save to finish.
To edit a saved password:
Open the relevant entry.
Tap Edit.
Update any details as needed.
Select Set up code (if required), where you will be prompted to enter a setup key or scan a QR code with the camera.
Tap Save to save your changes.
How to enable and use Autofill with the Passwords app
Autofill makes logging in fast and seamless. Instead of typing out usernames and passwords, your iPhone can automatically suggest saved credentials when you visit a login page.
To enable Autofill:
Go to Settings > Apps > Passwords.
View Autofill Settings.
Make sure Autofill Passwords and Passkeys are turned on.
Choose Passwords as your default autofill provider.
Once Autofill is enabled, Safari and many third-party apps will offer login suggestions from the Passwords app when you tap into a username or password field. If there are multiple logins for a site, you’ll be prompted to select the right one.
When creating a new login in Safari, you’ll also be asked to save the new password to the Passwords app. This ensures it’s available across all your Apple devices.
How to sync passwords to your devices with iCloud Keychain
The Passwords app uses iCloud Keychain to sync your saved credentials across your Apple devices. If you use multiple devices like an iPhone, iPad and Mac, enabling Keychain ensures your logins stay consistent everywhere. To enable iCloud Keychain:
Open Settings.
Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
Tap iCloud > Passwords and Keychain.
Turn on Sync this iPhone (or iPad).
You may be prompted to authenticate or confirm your identity with a verification code. Once it’s set up, all your saved credentials will be securely synced via iCloud. This also allows the Passwords app to work in harmony with macOS and iPadOS, meaning you can view and edit your saved data from any of your Apple devices.
Rob Webb for Engadget
How to use passkeys and verification codes
The Passwords app supports two newer authentication features that improve both security and convenience: passkeys and verification codes.
Passkeys
Passkeys are a new way to sign in without using a traditional password. Instead, they use Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode to confirm your identity. They are intended to be more phishing-resistant since they can’t be reused or copied across services.
If a website or app supports passkeys, Safari will prompt you to create one when signing in or registering. Once saved, the passkey is stored in the Passwords app.
To view and manage passkeys:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap Passkeys.
You’ll see a Passkey section if one has been saved.
Passkeys work across Apple devices and can even be used on non-Apple platforms by scanning a QR code when prompted.
Verification codes
Verification codes are used in two-factor authentication (2FA) systems. The Passwords app can now generate these codes automatically.
To set up a verification code:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap the login entry you want to edit.
Tap Edit > Set Up Code.
Scan a QR code provided by the website, or enter the code manually.
The app will generate a six-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds. The code will also autofill when you log into a compatible website or app, saving you the hassle of switching to a separate authenticator app.
How to share passwords securely
You can share saved credentials with others using iMessage. This is helpful for families or teams who need access to shared accounts. The passwords are sent via end-to-end encrypted messages, ensuring privacy and security. To share a password:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap the entry you want to share.
Tap the Share button (a square with an arrow).
Choose a recipient in Messages.
How to check for weak or compromised passwords
Apple includes built-in security checks for your saved credentials.
To view security recommendations:
Open the Passwords app.
Tap Security.
You’ll see a list of passwords that are:
Reused across multiple accounts
Easily guessable
Involved in known data breaches
You can tap any entry to update the password directly. This feature helps improve your overall security hygiene with minimal effort.
How secure is the Passwords app?
Apple uses end-to-end encryption for everything in the Passwords app. That means your data is encrypted on your device and can only be decrypted by your device. Even Apple doesn’t have access to your credentials.
Accessing the app requires authentication via Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. And if someone steals your device, your saved passwords remain locked behind biometric security.
Additionally, Apple participates in the FIDO Alliance, promoting secure, passwordless logins and helping drive adoption of technologies like passkeys.
Using the Passwords app on iPad and Mac
The Passwords app is also available on:
iPad tablets running iPadOS 18 or later
Mac laptops and desktops running macOS Sequoia or later
On iPad, the app works the same way as on iPhone, offering full management of your saved credentials. On Mac, you can find Passwords in System Settings or by using Spotlight Search.
Syncing is handled automatically through iCloud Keychain. If you're logged into the same Apple ID on all your devices, your passwords will stay in sync.
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The Switch 2 should be a slam dunk. Bigger device. Better build quality. More power. New games. But Nintendo can’t seem to get out of its own way when it comes to rolling out the successor to what might eventually end up being the best-selling console of all-time. And charging $90 for the complete version of The…
Staring in 2028, the Academy Awards will feature a new category dedicated to celebrating stunt performers and coordinators working on countless Hollywood movies.
Sony has announced a PS Plus price increase in more countries, resulting in backlash. The hike applies to all three tiers — Essential, Extra, and Deluxe — in Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
EU and US marked safe from PS Plus price increase… for now
A day ago, Sony announced a PS Plus price hike in 15 Latin American countries. Although Japan, European countries, and North America seem safe for now, today’s news has everyone else bracing themselves.
Players who were delivered the update earlier are particularly upset because the affected countries get the inferior version of the Premium tier with no access to PS3 classics or game streaming.
The Switch 2 is shaping up to be one of the messiest console launches ever in the U.S., at least from Nintendo’s point of view. The company’s new $450 console is set to come out on June 5, but it’s also being forced to navigate a chaotic circus around tariffs that could torpedo the rollout at any moment. Bloomberg now…
Blumhouse is teaming up with Facebook parent company Meta to “augment and uplevel” the movie going experience. How? By encouraging people to interact with an AI chatbot while in a theater watching a movie on the big screen. Does this sound like a good idea? Nope! But that hasn’t stopped Hollywood or big tech before.
Sony has announced quite a few first-party games and console exclusives for PS5 in 2025, and another one may join the list. A reliable insider has claimed that Bungie’s multiplatform shooter Marathon, which will be revealed in a showcase this weekend, is also scheduled for release this year.
Bungie’s Marathon could be the next big PS5 first-party game of 2025
All eyes are on Marathon as it happens to be the next big game from Bungie, who hasn’t released anything outside of the Destiny IP in over a decade. The studio’s acquisition by Sony, which cost a pretty penny, is often scrutinized because we have yet to see the gamble pay off.
That might change this year because according to insider Tom Henderson, Marathon will release in 2025. The game was announced in May 2023, but we haven’t really heard anything since and Sony never shared a release window.
Considering Henderson’s track record and the upcoming showcase, we’re leaning towards the rumor being true.
Marathon will be Sony’s first new multiplayer game since the Concord disaster. This time, however, we’re looking at a multiplatform release (including Xbox) that’s being brought to us by live service veterans.
As usual, take all rumors with a grain of salt until official confirmation.
A popular PS3 game has suddenly been pulled from PS Plus Premium as well as the PS Store, causing frustration among its players. Sometime within the last 24 hours, Fallout: New Vegas vanished from PSN without a trace, with dozens of players taking to gaming forums to complain that they were in the middle of their playthroughs and now have no way to continue.
Removal of Fallout: New Vegas from PS Plus PS3 game streaming could be a glitch
While we can’t speak for Sony, we have reason to believe that Fallout: New Vegas’ removal from PSN might be temporary. Here on PlayStation LifeStyle, we’ve been regularly covering the issue of games disappearing from PS Plus, only to end up coming back later, presumably because Sony’s upgrading their SKUs or fixing an issue.
A few players have reported that prior to Fallout: New Vegas being pulled, they experienced some issues with streaming the game as well as its cloud saves. Additionally, Fallout 3 is still available to stream, so this doesn’t look like a case of publisher Bethesda pulling its games.
We advise folks to wait a little before getting their pitchforks out since games disappearing and reappearing on PS Plus has been a regular occurrence in recent months.
As usual, we’ll update our readers when we have more information or if Fallout: New Vegas reappears in the catalog.
A controversial yet award-winning PS5, PS4 shooter is 60% off in a limited-time PS Store deal that expires soon. 2023’s Atomic Heart — a single-player first-person shooter — is available for $27.99 for the next 24 hours, down from its usual price of $69.99.
Atomic Heart PS Store deal offers discount on both standard and premium editions
Those who only want the base game will have access to both the PS5 and PS4 versions of Atomic Heart for $27.99. The game’s premium edition is also 60% off, going for $43.99 rather than its full price of $109.99.
The premium edition grants players access to the game’s season pass. Complete list of premium edition content is as follows:
Atomic Heart (PS4 & PS5)
Atomic Pass (PS4 & PS5)
Golden Age Weapon Skin (PS4 & PS5)
Digital Artbook (PS4 & PS5)
If you already own the base game and just want the Atomic Pass, then you can grab it for $27.99 (30% off from its original price of $39.99).
Do note that Atomic Heart’s fourth DLC has yet to be released, and will be included in the season pass when it launches. For now, the following content is available with the Atomic Pass:
•Instant Reward: a unique polymer glove skin
•Annihilation Instinct DLC
•Trapped in Limbo DLC
•Enchantment Under the Sea DLC
A release date for the upcoming DLC has not been announced.
Each week Sony brings PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR, and PlayStation Plus owners new content, add-ons, games, and more. Here is the complete global PlayStation Store update. PlayStation LifeStyle catalogs the PlayStation Store updates for the major regions across the globe. Check back every Tuesday to keep up to date with each week’s PlayStation Store Update.
An award-winning 2023 Nintendo Switch exclusive is headed to the PS5 soon, according to a new PSN leak. A back end PS Store listing for Disney Illusion Island (Starring Mickey and Friends) has been found alongside a release date for the PS5.
Former Switch exclusive Disney Illusion Island expected to land on PS5 in May
The discovery was made by PSN back end scaper PSDeals (via Gematsu), according to which Disney Illusion Island will release on PS5 on May 30.
For those not familiar with the title, Disney Illusion Island is a Metroidvania style 2D side-scrolling platformer with single-player and local co-op multiplayer modes for up to four players. “Join Mickey & Friends on a quest to explore the mysterious island of Monoth and recover three mystical books to save the world from disaster!” reads an official overview.
The PS5 version will come with the base game + the Keeper Up, Mystery in Monoth, and C.A.S.H. update featuring Scrooge McDuck.
Although Disney Illusion Island earned a mixed critic reception, it went on to be nominated for numerous awards, and won two of them, including Best Social Game at The Independent Game Developers’ Association (TIGA).
An entry for Disney Illusion Island’s PS4 version has not been spotted.
Meta is bringing its “teen accounts” to Facebook and Messenger. Like on Instagram, the company will begin automatically moving younger teens to the new accounts, which come with mandatory parental control features and restrictions on who they can message and interact with.
The company first introduced the feature on Instagram last fall and now has 54 million teens with the more locked-down accounts. (Instagram requires teens between the ages of 13 and 15 to use a teen account and has in-app tools meant to catch those lying about their ages.) Teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger will operate similarly. Teens won’t be able to interact with unknown contacts or change certain privacy settings unless a parent approves the action. Parents will also be able to monitor their child’s screen time metrics and friends list.
Meta is also adding new safety features to teen accounts on Instagram. With the change, teens under 16 will need parental permission to start a live broadcast. The app will also prevent younger teens from turning off nudity protection — the feature that automatically blurs images in direct messages that contain “suspected nudity” — unless they get parental approval.
Those may seem like obvious safeguards (they are) but they at least show that Meta is closing obvious gaps in its teen-focused safety features. The company has come under intense scrutiny over the effect its apps, particularly Instagram, have on teens in recent years. Dozens of states are currently suing Meta over alleged harms to younger users.
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A popular PS5 console exclusive is finally making the jump to Xbox Series X|S more than three months after its timed exclusivity deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment came to an end. MiHoYo’s action RPG Zenless Zone Zero launched in July 2024 on all platforms except Xbox, much to some players’ dismay. However, Xbox’s exclusion from the fun won’t last much longer.
Zenless Zone Zero was timed PS5 exclusive for 9 months before being announced for Xbox
Although Zenless Zone Zero was only confirmed to be PS5 console exclusive for six months, it’s taken nine months for an Xbox port to be revealed, with a release date yet to be announced.
For the uninitiated, Zenless Zone Zero became a hit right away, surpassing 50 million downloads in just three days. The game has already generated hundreds of millions in revenue for miHoYo, the studio behind hits like Honkai and Genshin Impact.
Many criticized the exclusion of Xbox from Zenless Zone Zero’s launch, and some blamed Sony for keeping the game off of a rival platform. However, Microsoft has a history of overlooking gacha games despite their global popularity, with several reports claiming that the company later expressed regret over passing up games like Genshin Impact.
This week, we’re here to point you toward Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ legendary weapons. We’ll also help you find a Split Fiction side story that’s off the beaten path, get ready for Diablo IV’s next season, and score a sweet ring in Avowed. All this and more awaits in the pages ahead.
Finally this week, Nintendo pulled back the curtain on the Switch 2 in a big way, giving us details about its screen, specs, and some of the games we can expect to see at launch and in the months that follow. A few days later, however, the company announced that preorders, previously set to go live on April 9, were…
The official launch of Apple’s iOS 18 brought with it some fresh ways to customize your iPhone’s home screen. Rather than leaving unwanted apps hanging around like a bad smell in places you don’t want them, users can now take full control of app placement and make their home screen their own. Whether you're looking to add useful widgets, reorganize your apps or get rid of the ones you never use, customizing your iPhone home screen can help your device feel a little more unique. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to everything you can do to make your iOS 18 home screen look better and work the way you want.
How to add, edit and remove widgets
Widgets provide a convenient at-a-glance view of an app’s data or functionality, giving you quick access to information and reducing the need to open the app itself. A well-placed widget allows you to check the weather, view your calendar or access music controls, all without opening an app, giving your thumb a well-earned rest. Everybody loves a good shortcut, and with iOS 18, you can add, edit, or remove widgets easily, letting you jump straight to the information that matters.
To add a widget:
Touch and hold an empty area on your home screen until the app icons start to jiggle.
Tap the Edit button in the top-left corner and select Add Widget.
Scroll or search for the widget you want, then tap it.
Swipe left or right to choose a size (some offer different layouts).
Tap Add Widget to place it on your screen.
Drag it to your preferred spot, then tap Done (top right).
To edit a widget:
Press and hold the widget you want to change.
Tap Edit Widget (if available). If Edit Widget isn’t available, you can cycle through the icons for different placement and layout options.
Adjust settings like what calendar it shows, which location for the weather, etc. These options will be unique to each app’s widget.
To remove a widget:
Press and hold the widget.
Tap Remove Widget, then confirm.
Rob Webb for Engadget
How to move apps and widgets on the home screen
Shuffling your home screen apps and widgets is also a cinch thanks to iOS 18’s customization overhaul. It’s a simple but useful way to personalize your iPhone’s home screen and declutter your wallpaper, so your loved ones' faces don’t become buried underneath a wall of app icons.
Tap and hold on any app to reveal a menu.
Select Edit Home Screen, where you can move the apps across pages by dragging them to the edge of the screen.
Tap Done when you're finished.
You can also stack one app on top of another to automatically create a folder (more on that below).
How to customize apps and widgets on the home screen
Moving your most-used apps into prime position is all well and good, but if you’re going for a particular aesthetic with your home screen, the default appearance of an app icon can sometimes spoil the overall look. Luckily, in iOS 18, you can exert more control over how your apps look, including the option to change app icon colors and how widgets are displayed.
To customize your app icon colors:
Press and hold on the home screen and tap Edit at the top.
Choose Customize to change background colors (like dark, light or a custom color) or apply a different layout.
However, bear in mind that not all app icons can change color. If these steps don’t work for you, you may be left with the odd rogue app icon, sticking out like a sore thumb. In which case, you can hide the app icon from view, while still being able to access it easily from the app library.
How to lock or hide an app
Security is a top priority, particularly when it comes to your smartphone. You might have certain apps you want to keep private and for your eyes only. If so, you’ll be happy to know that there are two ways in which you can prevent unwanted eyes on your apps. You can hide or lock an app behind a passcode or Face ID; this prevents unauthorized access and keeps your apps in a Hidden folder. Similarly, you can remove apps entirely from the home screen, still allowing you (and others if they have access) to view them in your App Library.
To lock an app:
Long-press the icon of the app you want to lock on the home screen.
Select Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
Confirm your selection by pressing Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
To hide an app:
Long-press the icon of the app you want to lock on the home screen.
Select Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode).
Confirm your selection by pressing Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode)
Tap Hide and Require Face ID (or Touch ID or Passcode), then tap Hide App.
How to organize your apps in folders
Folders are a great way to declutter your home screen and keep similar apps grouped together. If you’re the type of person who likes to keep things tidy and organized, storing your apps in folders is a good way to do it.
To create a folder:
Drag one app icon over another, and iOS 18 will automatically create a folder with both.
Tap the name to rename the folder (e.g., “Social” or “Work”).
Drag in additional apps if you want.
To remove a folder:
Move all the apps out of the folder, and it will disappear once it’s empty.
How to remove or delete apps
The struggle is real when it comes to app bloat, and sometimes a bit of a spring clean is needed. If your home screen needs a bit of freshening up, you can kick a seldom-used app to the curb, or at least kick it off your home screen.
To remove an app from the home screen (without deleting it):
Tap and hold the app icon.
Tap Remove App.
Select Remove from Home Screen.
When you want to use that app, navigate to the App Library (swipe left past your last home page) or swipe down from the top of your home screen to search for it.
To delete an app completely:
Tap and hold the app icon.
Tap Remove App.
Select Delete App, then confirm.
To re-download a deleted app:
Open the App Store, search for the app and tap the download icon.
Rob Webb for Engadget
A few more tips to personalize your home screen space
Widgets Smart Stacks: Using this feature, you can combine multiple widgets into a stack you can swipe through. To do this, just drag one widget on top of another of the same size.
App Library shortcuts: If you want a cleaner home screen, you can remove most apps and rely on the App Library (swipe all the way left) or the search tool to launch what you need.
Focus mode customization: Each Focus mode can have its own custom home screen. This is a useful tool for separating your work life from your personal life.
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The Last of Us 2 Remastered Update 2.0.1 patch notes
The PS5 patch notes are as follows:
Restores campaign unlockables, such as additional weapon holster and skill points, which had previously been lost after continuing progress from a save created prior to Patch 2.0.0.
To ensure progress is restored, players should access save files created prior to April 3, 2025 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET to restore lost unlockables. Earned unlockables may still be lost if you continue to play from a save created after April 3, 2025 and before updating to patch 2.0.1.
Players whose save files have been overriden seem to be out of luck.
Naughty Dog has also said that it’s investigating reports of missing No Return skins that players unlocked prior to patch 2.0.0. That issue will be fixed in a future update, and the studio has asked those affected to reach out to its support team.
We’ll update our readers when the next hotfix is rolled out.
Following the release of rival Anthropic's Claude for Education, OpenAI has announced that its $20 ChatGPT Plus tier will be free for college students until the end of May. The offer comes just in time for final exams and will provide features like OpenAI's most advanced LLM, GPT-4o and an all-new image generation tool.
"We are offering a Plus discount for students on a limited-time basis in the US and Canada," the company wrote in a FAQ. "This is an experimental consumer program and we may or may not expand this to more schools and countries over time."
On top of the aforementioned features, ChatGPT Plus will offer students benefits like priority access during peak usage times and higher message limits. It'll also grant them access to OpenAI's Deep Research, a tool that can create reports from hundreds of online sources.
AI tools have been widely adopted by students for research and other uses, with open AI recently saying that a third of young adults aged 18-24 already use ChatGPT, with much of that directed toward studies. Anthropic is going even farther than OpenAI to tap into that market with Claude for Education, by introducing a Learning mode specifically designed to guide students to a solution, rather than providing answers outright.
Where Anthropic is positioning itself more as a tutor to students, OpenAI is simply giving them access to its most powerful research tools. That brings up the subject of academic integrity and whether AI tools are doing work that students should be doing themselves. Anthropic's approach may be more palatable to institutions — along with its Claude for Education launch, the company announced that it partnered with several universities and colleges to make the new product free for students.
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After Nintendo revealed the full details around the Switch 2 this week, Engadget's Sam Rutherford got some hands-on time with the new console. In this episode, he talks about the major improvements in the new hardware (especially that 1080p, 120 fps screen) and why he doesn't really miss the older Switch OLED. Also, Sam discusses his time with Mario Kart World, the new semi-open world version of Nintendo's classic racer.
In other news, we dive into the latest updates around the TIkTok ban, and we discuss how the Trump administration's tariff push will affect everything in the technology world and beyond. Stay tuned to the end of the show for our chat with Shinichiro Watanabe, the creator of Cowboy Bebop, about his new anime series Lazarus.
Nintendo’s new console has finally been revealed in full, with magnetically attaching Joy-Cons, a new chat function and a bigger higher-res 7.9-inch screen that supports 120Hz and HDR.
Then there are the new Joy-Cons. Alongside larger SL and SR buttons made of metal, the controllers can be disconnected by pressing a more pronounced release button on the back. The big upgrade, though, is using either Joy-Con like a mouse. (And even use them on your pants, if you want to.)
The Switch 2 also uses DLSS, so it’s easier for developers to port games across to the hybrid console. In a very Nintendo way, it didn’t actually talk up the hardware specifics, so NVIDIA had to fill in the gaps.
According to NVIDIA, responsible for the chip inside, the Switch 2 has “ten times” the graphical performance of the original. DLSS tech means games can be rendered at a lower resolution, and trained AI models and dedicated Tensor Cores can be used to fill in extra details.
With that extra power, the Switch 2 supports up to 60 fps at 4K resolution and 120 fps at 1440p or 1080p resolutions, docked. The 1080p screen can handle variable refresh rates up to 120Hz in handheld mode, too.
Yes, catching up with the last two decades, the Switch 2 can also do video chat (and voice chat, but yawn). However, it demands a sold-separately camera, costing $50. Boo.
I think that strikes at the issue of price. The original Switch was $300 at launch, the PS5 starts at $399 now. The Switch 2 is $450. Sure, that includes the screen and (technically) two controllers, but it’s a bit of a jump.
Is Nintendo factoring in tariffs? Possibly. While some of us think $450 is an appropriate price for the console itself, the costs are creeping up in every direction. Want the new must-have Mario Kart World? That’s $80 now. Meanwhile, older games re-released on the Switch 2 also won't be cheap. Cyberpunk 2077 rings in at $70. Oof.
If you want to expand storage, well, you’d need a microSD express card, the faster, pricier version of the tiny storage card. Need another pair of Joy-Cons? That will be $90, please.
Want to pre-order a Switch 2 ahead of the June 5 launch? We’ve got all the details, but it’s worth noting Nintendo is trying to get ahead of scalpers by offering a dedicated pre-order system for existing heavy Switch users with a Switch Online subscription.
In Nintendo’s words: “Invitation emails will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis to registrants who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2025.”
While we didn’t get to try it at the early hands-on event, voice chat is an integral part of the new Nintendo console. By pressing the new C button on the right Joy-Con, players can jump into a GameChat with friends and family. Nintendo demoed the feature during its recent Switch 2 Direct, alongside a new Switch 2 Camera, enabling video chat too, with a cut-out profile. It looks a lot like a stream on Discord, with windows along the bottom of the screen for every chat participant. Up to four friends can share their screen and join with video chat if they own the Switch 2 Camera.
It’s not long since that Signal messaging app disaster, but US politicians continue showing off their minimal national security expertise. The Washington Post reports that members of the White House’s National Security Council have used personal Gmail accounts for official government business. National security advisor Michael Waltz and a senior aide of his both used their own accounts to discuss sensitive information with colleagues. Government departments typically use business-grade email services, while the federal government also has its own internal communications systems with additional layers of security.
Google’s latest wireless earbuds are on sale via Amazon for just $179. This is a record-low price, down from $229. As per our review, they sound great. They provide a good low end, which is tough to do with earbuds, and crunchy highs. Google says it redesigned the entire audio system, and it shows. We called out the “noticeable improvement” over the original Pixel Buds Pro earbuds.
This will be Wynn-Williams’ first remarks since Meta took legal action against her.
Sarah Wynn-Williams, the former Facebook policy director who wrote a best-selling memoir about her time at the company, will testify at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing next week. In her book, Careless People, Wynn-Williams recounts Meta executives’ interactions with world leaders and government officials as Facebook’s influence expanded globally in the early 2010s. Her account has resurfaced information about Facebook’s attempts to operate in China and revealed new details about its overtures to Chinese government officials.
Prior to her book’s publication, Wynn-Williams also filed whistleblower complaints about alleged misconduct at the company.
Meta’s attempts to curtail sales of the memoir spectacularly backfired, with the book seeing explosive sales after reports suggested Meta took legal action against the author. Now there’s a senate hearing too.
Engineers at Northwestern University have developed the world’s smallest pacemaker. It’s so small that it fits in the tip of a syringe. It safely dissolves into the bloodstream after a time, so it’s a temporary solution. It’s designed for folks who need heart help short-term, like newborn babies with congenital defects. The pacemaker pairs with a wireless device mounted to a patient’s chest. When it detects an irregular heartbeat, it shines a light that activates the pacemaker.
Wikimedia has seen a 50 percent increase in bandwidth used for downloading multimedia content since January 2024, the foundation said in an update. But it's not because human readers have suddenly developed a voracious appetite for consuming Wikipedia articles and for watching videos or downloading files from Wikimedia Commons. No, the spike in usage came from AI crawlers, or automated programs scraping Wikimedia's openly licensed images, videos, articles and other files to train generative artificial intelligence models.
This sudden increase in traffic from bots could slow down access to Wikimedia's pages and assets, especially during high-interest events. When Jimmy Carter died in December, for instance, people's heightened interest in the video of his presidential debate with Ronald Reagan caused slow page load times for some users. Wikimedia is equipped to sustain traffic spikes from human readers during such events, and users watching Carter's video shouldn't have caused any issues. But "the amount of traffic generated by scraper bots is unprecedented and presents growing risks and costs," Wikimedia said.
The foundation explained that human readers tend to look up specific and often similar topics. For instance, a number of people look up the same thing when it's trending. Wikimedia creates a cache of a piece of content requested multiple times in the data center closest to the user, enabling it to serve up content faster. But articles and content that haven't been accessed in a while have to be served from the core data center, which consumes more resources and, hence, costs more money for Wikimedia. Since AI crawlers tend to bulk read pages, they access obscure pages that have to be served from the core data center.
Wikimedia said that upon a closer look, 65 percent of the resource-consuming traffic it gets is from bots. It's already causing constant disruption for its Site Reliability team, which has to block the crawlers all the time before they they significantly slow down page access to actual readers. Now, the real problem, as Wikimedia states, is that the "expansion happened largely without sufficient attribution, which is key to drive new users to participate in the movement." A foundation that relies on people's donations to continue running needs to attract new users and get them to care for its cause. "Our content is free, our infrastructure is not," the foundation said. Wikimedia is now looking to establish sustainable ways for developers and reusers to access its content in the upcoming fiscal year. It has to, because it sees no sign of AI-related traffic slowing down anytime soon.
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