Reverse image searches can help students and journalists find the origin of an image to ensure it's properly cited. Reverse searching an image can also help people find similar images, which can be great for gathering ideas for a themed party or vetting a dating profile to prevent getting catfished.

Whether on an Android phone, an iPhone, or your computer, performing a reverse image search is a quick and painless process — here's how.

How to reverse image search on Google's website

The easiest way to do a reverse image search is via Google's website.

1. Head to Google.com, and make sure you switch to the Image tab.

2. Search for the image you're looking for and select it.

3. In the bottom left corner of your selected image, tap the Google Lens camera icon to perform a reverse image search.

How to reverse image search from a website

To reverse image search from a website, you'll first need to have the website open in a supported browser or the Chrome mobile app on your phone.

1. Locate the image you want to search.

2. If you're on a computer, right-click the image and select Search image with Google or a similar message, like Search the web for an image. Tap and hold the image to bring up the pop-up menu if you're on a phone.

After selecting this option, you should see multiple instances of the image being used elsewhere on the internet, as well as similar images taken from the same photoshoot.

It's worth noting that many native mobile browsers, like Samsung Internet or Safari, don't currently support reverse image search. Instead, you'll need to navigate to the website you're trying to search from in the Chrome app, tap and hold the image in question, and select Search image with Google Lens.

How to reverse image search with your device files

If there's a photo on your phone or computer you want to do a reverse search on, you can! The easiest way to do this is via Google's search engine.

1. Head to Google.com in your preferred browser. If you're on mobile, you might need the Google or Chrome app for this to work.

2. Click on the Google Lens multicolor camera icon in the search bar.

3. If you're on a computer, you'll be prompted to drag an image to the box, upload an image from your computer, paste an image link in the box, and then click Search. 

If you're on a phone, tapping the camera icon will automatically allow you to search with your camera or load your device's recent images and screenshots to choose from, as long as your browser has the proper permissions. After selecting or taking a photo, tap Search.

4. Optional: For mobile users, there's an option to add more details to your query after searching for an image or screenshot from your device. You could type in price, location, what is this, or buy.

App alternatives for reverse image search

For most people, native reverse image search solutions within your preferred browser work perfectly. But if you'd prefer to have an app dedicated to performing reverse image searches, there are two great free options to choose from:

• Reversee for Android or iOS
• Photo Sherlock for Android or iOS

Recall, a somewhat contentious upcoming Copilot+ exclusive feature that takes frequent snapshots of what the user is doing at any given time — whether that be through applications, websites, documents, or more — is essentially meant to act as a memory for your laptop.

With those snapshots saved, users can go back in time and find any information that they might have trouble remembering themselves.

All of that user data is stored locally on your PC. The feature can not only be turned off, but the user can omit certain applications or websites from appearing in Snapshots if they so please.

However, Recall was delayed from its June 18 launch to a release that's exclusively available to participants in the Windows Insider Program, an open software testing initiative for Microsoft users who want to try out features before they go live.

Now, you can only access the feature by jumping through a few hoops on your Copilot+ PC, with a full launch "coming soon," according to the Windows Experience Blog.

Keep in mind that you cannot use Recall unless you have a Copilot+ PC. Check out our full list of Copilot+ PCs announced so far to get an idea of the types of devices we're talking about.

Without further ado, here's how to activate Recall on your Windows 11 Copilot+ PC.

How to access Recall on Copilot+ PCs

Because Recall is currently trapped behind the walls of the Windows Insider Program, several steps are required to turn it on. 

This process should become significantly simpler when the feature is officially available for all Copilot+ PCs, but for now, let us explore what you need to do.

1. Go to Settings.

2. Go to Windows Update.

3. Select Windows Insider Program.

4. Press Get Started next to where it says Join the Windows Insider Program.

5. Select Link an account when it says Link an account to join the program.

6. Once your Microsoft account is linked, select Continue when it asks to Review the agreements for your account.

7. When it says Choose your Insider channel, select Release Preview.

8. Select Continue when it says Review the agreements for your device.

9. It'll ask you to Restart this device to finish. Select Restart now.

10. Once your laptop has restarted, return to Settings.

11. Go to Windows Update.

12. If it says To access the Insider program, you'll need to turn on optional diagnostic data, select the Open Diagnostics & feedback link at the side.

13. Underneath Diagnostic Data, there will be an option that says Send optional diagnostic data. Toggle that to On.

14. Return to the Windows Update section and select Check for updates next to where it says You're up to date.

15. Once the update is finished, it will say Restart Required. Select Restart Now.

16. Once your laptop is done restarting, go to Settings.

17. Select Privacy & Security.

18. Go to Recall & snapshots.

19. Toggle Save snapshots to On.

Recall is now activated! You can make further changes to the settings, including adding app or website filters to prevent them from being a part of the snapshots, alongside storage allocation options that allow more or less dedicated storage to the feature.

This new feature is called Automatic Super Resolution, or Auto SR for short, and according to Microsoft, it's supposed to provide "a smoother, more detailed gaming experience." by "automatically lowering the game's rendering resolution to increase framerate, then [employing] sophisticated AI technology to provide enhanced high-definition visuals." 

That sounds fantastic on paper, but one of Laptop Mag's own, Rami Tabari, unfortunately didn't experience the positives promised for Auto SR.

Laptop Mag's frustrating experience with Auto SR

Rami was fighting against strange resolution and frame rate problems with multiple games.

When he first launched Control, the game automatically lowered its resolution and apparently lowered the resolution of the laptop's display as well. According to Microsoft, you can turn off this display resolution change in settings, but that's an annoying default feature.

When Control finally launched and was playable, Rami ran into "stuttering and spiked frame drops in combat" — not a great start.

He ran into the same issues with Dark Souls III, even though both Control and Dark Souls III are two games supposedly verified by Microsoft to work with Auto SR. When Rami turned off Auto SR, Control and Dark Souls III instantly captured the native resolution of his Microsoft Surface Laptop review unit.

There are several FAQs covering potential problems and solutions regarding Auto SR, but here's my question: If there are this many possible issues and/or if the feature isn't intuitive for resident gamers to use, why is it available right now?

You can read through Rami's gamer troubleshooting night experience or keep scrolling to see how to turn off the feature if you don't even want to bother with it.

How to turn off Automatic Super Resolution in Windows 11

If you don't even want to risk troubleshooting Auto SR and trying to get it to work correctly with your Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptop, you can turn the feature off — here's how.

1. Open Settings in Windows 11 by using the Windows key + I shortcut or clicking the Start menu button in your taskbar and selecting Settings. 

2. Navigate to the System menu.

3. Click on Display at the top of the System menu.

4. Scroll down and select Graphics from the Display menu, under the Related settings header.

5. Under Default settings, switch the toggle off next to Automatic super resolution. You'll only see this option listed if you have a Snapdragon X Elite-powered PC. 

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It's incredibly frustrating and worrying not to see your external drive pop up, especially when the data it contains includes precious family memories or important work documents. 

If your drive is dead, it'll be difficult to get your data back, if at all. Luckily, there are multiple troubleshooting steps to try before declaring your data lost, whether you're trying to use your external drive with Windows or macOS. 

We'll start with the simplest solutions for how to fix your external drive not showing up, and then, if you still can't access your drive, dive into more complex solutions to try.

Make sure your drive is receiving enough power

If your hard drive isn't even powering on, a lack of power could very well be the culprit. 

Sometimes, simply connecting your external hard drive to your computer via a single USB port delivers enough power, especially if it's a smaller drive. But if you have a larger drive, it may need to be plugged in with an AC power adapter or two USB ports instead of one.

Take a look at your external hard drive's enclosure and check its available ports. If you see a circular power supply port, you likely need an AC power adapter — preferably the one your drive came with — to fully power on your external drive. 

You can always look through your external hard drive's paperwork or, if purchased recently, its listing online to see what cables it came with and what specific power requirements it may have.

Try the classic ‘turn it off and back on’ solution

The cliché advice of restarting your computer is an oldie but a goodie. Computers are finicky, and sometimes a simple restart can be the zap it needs to finally display your external hard drive when you connect it.

Before you restart your computer, make sure your drive is unplugged. Then, wait for your computer to fully boot before trying to plug in the external drive again.

Try a different cable, USB port, or computer

If you know your external drive is receiving enough power, and you've tried restarting your computer, it's time to start troubleshooting your port, cable, and computer. It's important to test only one variable at a time, so you know exactly what's causing the issue.

Start by unplugging the drive, and trying it in a different USB port. If you're using a USB hub or docking station, it's worth unplugging that and trying to connect the external drive to your computer directly.

If your external drive still isn't showing up, test a different cable. It's always best to use the cables that came with your drive, but it's entirely possible that even these included cables could be malfunctioning.

Finally, if you've tried a different port and a different cable, it's time to switch up your machine. Plug your external drive into a different computer using the first cable you tried.

If it's possible to plug it into a computer running a different operating system (OS) than your computer, even better. External drives sometimes aren't formatted for cross-compatibility between operating systems, so a drive may work with macOS and not with Windows, or vice versa.

If you see the drive pop up on a different OS, it's likely a formatting issue. You can easily format the hard drive to be cross-compatible with your computer's OS if you're okay with wiping its data, and then connect the drive to your own computer again to see if it hopefully appears.

For the more technically advanced with desktop PCs, you can also remove the drive from its enclosure, and then test the bare drive by plugging it directly into your PC's motherboard. If your drive finally appears in File Explorer, you'll know there's an issue with your enclosure.

Check and update your drivers

Windows is pretty good about automatically updating drivers, but it's possible something could've malfunctioned or corrupted and caused an issue with the OS recognizing your external drive, so it's definitely worth a shot.

On your keyboard, press the Windows key and X, and select Device Manager from the pop-up menu. Find Disk drives in the Device Manager menu, and click the arrow to its left to expand the Disk drives menu.

Right-click your external drive and select Uninstall device from the pop-up menu. You can also select Update driver here, but fully uninstalling the drive, unplugging it, and reinstalling drivers automatically when you plug it back in is often a better bet.

Similarly, macOS automatically updates drivers along with operating system updates, but it's still worth quickly checking for software updates to see if that's the issue. To do this, you'd click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen, select About This Mac, and then Software Update to see if there are any outstanding updates.

Enable or format drive in Disk Management or Disk Utility

If you know your external drive still isn't showing up in File Explorer, check Disk Management in Windows 11 or Disk Utility in macOS to see if it appears there.

On Windows 11, type "create and format..." into the Search box at the bottom of your screen and click Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions when it pops up in the menu. This will open Disk Management, where you should be able to see or scroll to your external drive.

If your external drive appears both online and formatted, you can try resetting communication between it and your computer by changing the letter assigned to the drive. Right-click the drive's name in the Volume column, and select Change Drive Letter and Paths to switch the letter associated with your drive.

If your drive is offline, right-click the drive's name towards the bottom of the Disk Management window (typically Disk 1, Disk 2, etc.), and select Online from the pop-up menu.

If you see an 'Unallocated' label under a black bar, that means your drive hasn't been formatted. Right-click it using the same process above, and only if you're okay with erasing any data on the drive, select New Simple Volume.

The macOS version of Disk Management is Disk Utility, which you can access by typing "disk utility" into Spotlight. If your device appears grayed out on the left side of the Disk Utility window, you'll need to mount the drive, which is the equivalent of allocating it on Windows 11. 

To do this, select Mount in the top right corner of Disk Utility. If this doesn't work, you can instead select First Aid from the top menu and click Run to see if macOS can troubleshoot and fix your drive for you. 

If your drive doesn't mount and the First Aid process finds no issues, it might be time to erase and format the drive, which would unfortunately delete any data on the drive. Select Erase at the top of Disk Utility, name the drive, select a format from the dropdown menu, and select Erase again to complete the process.

Your last resort is to contact the manufacturer

If you've tried all these fixes and your external drive still isn't powering on, showing up in File Explorer, or letting you access its data, there's a very high possibility it's a dead drive that's no longer salvageable.

From there, the only tool left in your toolbox is to contact your drive's manufacturer. Sometimes, they may have more specific advice for you to try based on your unique situation, or they might be able to start the process of replacing your drive if it's still under warranty. 

If your drive isn't under warranty and can't be replaced by the manufacturer, it's time to start looking for another external drive.

If you're trying to use the same USB drive between macOS and Windows, formatting it can be easy to ensure the file system is compatible with both operating systems before you start using the drive. Formatting a USB drive can also improve performance, remove pesky viruses, and allow you to customize security settings.

Whether you need to format a USB drive for data, cross-platform compatibility, or optimized performance, here's how to do it on both Windows and macOS.

What you should know before formatting a USB drive

The most important thing to know about formatting a USB drive is that it'll wipe your drive of any data. Plug your USB drive into your computer to see if there are any important documents, photos, videos, or other data you want to back up before formatting it.

It's also worth noting that USB drives have multiple file formatting systems. The most common formatting option is FAT32, which is recognized by macOS, Windows, and Linux. However, it limits files to 4GB in size and offers zero security.

The more updated version of FAT32 is known as exFAT. This file formatting system is also compatible with macOS, Windows, and Linux but has a much larger file size limit.

Because FAT32 and exFAT file systems are multi-OS compatible, these are typically the most intelligent choices when selecting a format option.

That said, there are also macOS- and Windows-specific file systems that can be beneficial if you only use one ecosystem. 

NTFS, or NTFS5, is developed by Microsoft for Windows, though it's also compatible with Linux and offers high file size limits. Apple develops APFS to support higher file size limits for macOS, and it's only compatible with newer Macs running macOS 10.13 or higher.

How to format a USB drive on Windows

1. Connect the USB drive to your Windows computer via an available port.

2. Open File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon in the taskbar or using this keyboard shortcut: Windows key + E.

3. Choose This PC from the left menu in File Explorer.

4. Under the Devices and drives header, locate your USB drive and right-click it.

5. From the pop-up menu, select Format. 

6. In the dropdown menu below File system, select the default option. This will usually be FAT32, the most common format recognized by both Windows and macOS.

7. Choose the default option in the dropdown menu below Allocation unit size.

8. Below Volume label, type the name you'd like to recognize your USB drive by.

9. If you've formatted your USB drive before and know it's not broken, you can check the box next to Quick format. Otherwise, leave it unchecked.

10. Click the Start button. A pop-up message will appear, warning that "Formatting will erase ALL data on this disk." Select OK to proceed with formatting.

11. When your drive is finished formatting, click OK to dismiss the pop-up.

How to format a USB drive on macOS

1. Connect the USB drive to your Windows computer via an available port. Many modern MacBooks don't have a USB-A port, so you might need a USB-C hub to connect your flash drive.

2. Click Go from the top menu bar and select Utilities from the dropdown menu.

3. Find Disk Utility and double-click it to launch the application.

4. Locate your USB drive on the left side and click it.

5. Click Erase at the top of the Disk Utility window.

6. Next to Format, use the dropdown menu to select MS-DOS (FAT). You can also change the name of your USB drive here in the text box next to Name. 

7. Click Erase, and then click Erase again after being warned that this will delete all files on the USB drive.

8. Wait for the formatting process to complete, and then close the Disk Utility window. When the process is finished, you should see an icon for your USB drive on the desktop.

The best iPad deals are popping off right now, so it's unsurprising that folks are trying to figure out how to sync their iPhone to their iPad. But you already knew that probably, since you're here.

For new iPad owners, we've also covered how to edit Memoji on iPhone or iPad Pro and how to get Final Cut Pro on iPad.

But now, let's jump into how to sync your iPhone and iPad.

Are you signed in?

First things first, before you sync your iPhone and iPad, you need to be on the same account. If you don't know, go to Settings and look in the top left corner. 

Is your Apple ID identical to your iPhone and iPad? If not, click on the name there and press the Sign Out button on the bottom right.

From here, you can click the top left again and sign into the account you want both your iPhone and iPad to get access to.

Storage check: How much do you need?

How much storage do you have left in that bank? Each account comes with 5GB of free storage, which may not be enough to store all your data. My Google Photos are packing 150GB already, and that's from thousands of vacation photos (I can't stop taking pics of my cute baby).

Need more storage? Go to Settings and click on your name. Then, select iCloud and choose a plan that best suits your needs. There's 50GB for $1.29/month, 200GB for $3.99/month, and 2TB for $12.99/month. The 200GB plan should be more than enough for most people.

How to sync iPhone and iPad

Now that you've got the space, you can sync your iPhone and iPad without worrying about a traffic jam of data. Of course, don't forget to turn on iCloud backups in general, which you can do by going to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup, then toggle everything. Now, here's how to sync your iPhone and iPad.

Step 1. Like before, go to Settings on your iPhone and iPad > Your name > iCloud.

Step 2. In the section labeled "Apps using iCloud," click Show All.

Step 3. This is important: Toggle the apps you want to sync across devices, BUT your iPhone and iPad must share the same settings. So, if you've enabled syncing for iCloud Photos on one device, you need to enable it for the other as well to sync seamlessly.

Step 4. You might also want to sync your downloads, which you can do by going to Settings > App Store > Automatic Downloads. Again, toggle everything.

Your devices should be synced up now. If something doesn't get synced, you can check its status by going to Settings > Your Name > iCloud.

For more news, how-tos, and updates on everything related to the iPad and iPhone and all things tech, follow Laptop Mag on X, Facebook, and Flipboard for the latest news as it arrives.

BIOS updates aren't routine like updating drivers for your processor or graphics card or updating applications and security software. You'll only need to update the BIOS when the motherboard's manufacturer recommends or you receive a Windows update error. 

Additionally, BIOS update methods vary by motherboard manufacturer. With laptops, it is often best to go to the manufacturer's support page for your specific laptop model, but this general guide should help you get your laptop back up and running smoothly.

How to identify your BIOS/UEFI version

Before you try updating your BIOS or UEFI, you'll want to make sure you know which firmware version your laptop is running. Some laptops will receive BIOS updates through Windows Update, so it's possible you're already running the latest BIOS or UEFI version.

You can find your BIOS or UEFI version number through the System Information panel or using Command Prompt.

Find your BIOS/UEFI version using System Information

• Type "System Information" into the search box
• Open the System Information program 
• Scroll down to "BIOS Version/Date"

Find the BIOS/UEFI version using Command Prompt

• Open Command prompt with the keyboard shortcut Windows + R
• Enter "cmd"
• Click "OK"
• In Command Prompt, type the command "wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion" and hit enter

Write down the BIOS number and date. In this case, "UX3405MA.301" from 12/15/2023.

How to update your BIOS/UEFI via Windows Update

Probably the easiest option for updating your laptop's firmware is using the tools already built into Windows Update. Sometimes the manufacturer of your laptop's motherboard will push a BIOS or UEFI update through your usual Windows Update process, but often you'll need to manually select the update.

For folks who are a bit afraid to enter the BIOS or UEFI environment of their laptop, this is the most straight forward way to update your firmware.

• Open Settings
• Go to Windows Update
• Choose "Search for updates"
• Install the BIOS update file

How to update your BIOS/UEFI via a flash drive

The most foolproof way to update your BIOS or UEFI version is the most involved process, but it should work on just about any laptop. 

You'll need a clean USB flash drive with enough space to hold the BIOS update files, anything with a few gigabytes of storage should work fine. You'll want to format the USB drive to "FAT32."

• Download the BIOS or UEFI update files from the manufacturer's support page
• Extract or unzip the files
  • Open the downloaded ZIP file
  • Click the Extract tab at the top of the window
  • Select Extract all
  • Choose a destination folder to save the files
  • Click Extract to confirm
• Transfer the extracted update files to a formatted USB drive
  • Insert your USB drive
  • Open File Explorer
  • Right-click the USB drive
  • Select Format
  • Choose "FAT32" in the drop-down menu
  • Press Start to reformat the drive if necessary
  • Copy and paste the BIOS update file onto the USB storage drive folder
• Access the BIOS/UEFI environment
  • Depending on your laptop, you may be able to use a keyboard shortcut to enter the BIOS menu from the boot sequence
    • Common shortcuts are F1, F2, F10, F12, Del, or ESC
    • Press the shortcut button as the Laptop restarts
  • You can also enter the BIOS menu through the System recovery
    • Open Settings
    • Go to Windows Update
    • Choose Advanced Options
    • Select Recovery
    • Choose Advanced Startup
    • Click Restart now
    • Select Troubleshoot
    • Go to Advanced Options
    • Select BIOS/UEFI Firmware Settings
    • Click Restart
• Install the BIOS or UEFI update
  • This process can vary by manufacturer, but the general process is the same
  • Select the Boot tab
  • Open the Advanced tab
  • Choose USB configuration
  • Allow your computer's BIOS to complete the update

How to update your BIOS/UEFI through Device Manager

Other manufacturers will allow you to update your BIOS using Device Manager rather than an OEM-specific software. This will depend on the manufacturer of your laptop and motherboard.

• Type "Device Manager" into the search bar
• Open Device Manager
• Expand the Firmware menu
• Double-click System Firmware or Device Firmware
• Select the Driver tab
• Click Update Driver
• Select "Search automatically for updated driver" from the menu
• The update will automatically download, then follow the installation prompts

How to update your BIOS/UEFI through the internet

Some manufacturers have software and firmware update applications that let you update your BIOS or UEFI from within the Windows operating system. This is a pretty straightforward option for updating your BIOS because it allows you to skip using the BIOS/UEFI environment or a flash drive.

However, it can be a bit risky because if Windows crashes during the update, you could run into additional troubles getting your BIOS updated. So this version is better to use for a more routine BIOS update rather than while troubleshooting Windows issues on your laptop.

• Go to your manufacturer's software management program
• Select the updates tab or menu
• Wait for the system to automatically search for needed updates
• Install the BIOS/UEFI update
• Restart the computer when prompted

Critical things to remember when updating your BIOS

Any time you're updating firmware on your laptop, don't shut off the laptop while the update is running. This is true whether that's the BIOS/UEFI firmware or device-specific firmware for a keyboard, touchpad, or mouse.

In case your BIOS/UEFI update gets interrupted, make sure to have a recovery key for your Windows version handy. 

Also, be sure to have the repair and support page open for your laptop manufacturer incase the delayed update does more damage to your computer than you can fix on your own.

While BIOS/UEFI updates can go sideways and end up bricking your computer, they're generally nothing to worry about. But it's always good to back up all of your files prior to messing with the BIOS/UEFI just in case. If you need to back up your laptop with years' worth of documents and photo files, it may be a good idea to invest in one of the Best external HDD or SSD drives.

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These features were only available to Pixel 8 Pro previously, but even though it's now on weaker devices, there's a major difference: 8 and 8a need to opt-in to experience Gemini Nano.

Seang Chau, Google Devices & Services Software VP, claims in the Made by Google Podcast that it "wasn't as easy a call to enable it on Pixel 8." 

"We've been doing a lot of testing and validation to make sure that we weren't going to deliver a much worse experience," he continues.

This issue comes from the Google Pixel 8 and 8a featuring 8GB of RAM, while the Pro has 12GB. Chau says "We want to make sure that our updates improve your experience and doesn't actually degrade your experience."

According to Chau, Gemini Nano is "available on PIxel 8 behind a developer option so that developers who know exactly what the impact to the user experience will be are able to use this feature. And of course, any users that also understand the potential impact to the user experience are also able to use this feature."

With these performance setbacks in mind, even if you can use Gemini Nano with a Pixel 8 or 8a, should you?

Is Gemini Nano worth activating?

The risk of activating Gemini Nano on Pixel 8 or 8a is a potentially inconsistent user experience. It may not seem like activating these features are worthwhile if it'll make things much worse, so let's go through what you get with Gemini Nano.

• Summarize in Recorder: The Recorder application's Summarize feature can take recorded audio and provide an AI-generated rundown of the most important notes.
  
• Magic Compose without wifi: Magic Compose now works without an Internet connection, allowing for stylized AI-generated responses when sending messages.
  
• Text summaries: Gemini Nano can analyze text and provide a digestible overview of its most important details, whether messages, emails, or documents.
  
• Image descriptions: Gemini Nano can use accessibility features like TalkBack to provide "vivid descriptions" about what's in photos. Again, this is entirely on-device, so it doesn't require an internet connection.

Gemini Nano's capabilities aren't extensive by any means. It's still early, and its growing availability will breed more features, but that's all there is to take from it for now. If these features seem worthwhile, keep reading to access Gemini Nano on Pixel 8 or 8a.

How to use Gemini AI on Google Pixel 8 and 8a

Google doesn't make activating Gemini Nano easy, as it's deliberately hidden from users. Here's how to get to it in 10 simple steps.

1. Go to Settings.

2. Scroll down and select About Phone.

3. At the bottom of the screen, there will be a section showcasing the Build number. Tap it seven times. After the first three taps, a notification will pop up saying, "You are now X steps away from becoming a developer."

4. After your seventh tap, you will be prompted to input your password, pattern, PIN, or other identification method.

5. You will receive a "You are now a developer!" notification.

6. Go back to Settings.

7. Select System.

8. Select Developer options.

9. Find AICore Settings. You can also select from dozens of experimental or developer-focused features from this list, but most aren't practical for the average user.

10. Select Enable on-device GenAI Features.

Google Nano is now activated. You can always turn this off if you experience performance issues. You can also go to Developer options and toggle Use developer options if you don't want any of them on at all.

With iPhone Mirroring, iPhone users can pair their phones to their Mac device, and catch everything happening on their iPhone directly from their Mac. This exciting new feature lets you see notifications from third-party apps, respond to messages, and answer and make phone calls from your Mac.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is a feature that Android phones and Windows PCs have had for years. And just last month, Microsoft expanded support for its phone-mirroring feature — called Phone Link — to include iPhones. 

So if you have an iPhone and a Windows PC, you're one of the lucky few that won't have to wait for macOS Sequoia to debut in the fall to experience a link between your phone and your computer. Here's exactly how to set up and use this helpful feature.

How to mirror your iPhone to Windows 11 with Phone Link

Enabling a connection between your iPhone and Windows 11 PC is a breeze, but you'll first need to make sure your devices fit the minimum requirements.

According to a Windows blog post, using Phone Link for iOS requires the following:  

• iPhone with iOS 14 or higher
• Windows 11 device
• Bluetooth connection
• Latest version of the Phone Link app

If you have everything listed above, you can set up Phone Link for iOS in just a few minutes — here's how.

1. Open the Phone Link app on your Windows 11 PC. You can quickly do this by typing "Phone Link" in the search box at the bottom of your screen.

2. After the Phone Link app opens, select iPhone below the Pick your phone heading and log into your Microsoft account.

3. Using your iPhone's camera app, scan the QR code that pops up on your computer. Follow any on-screen instructions that appear on your iPhone or Windows 11 PC. 

4. Optional: Customize your notification preferences in the General tab of the Phone Link app on your computer. 

Once you've paired your iPhone to your Windows 11 computer, you'll be able to see and respond to messages, look through your call history, search your contacts list, dial from your computer, and more.

In the blog post mentioned above, there were a few small restrictions noted for using Phone Link for iOS: "Messaging feature is limited by iOS. Image/video sharing and group messaging is not supported."

How to mirror your Android to Windows 11 using Phone Link

Phone Link for Android has been around since 2018, but it's entirely possible Android users might have been unaware of this handy phone-mirroring feature.

To set up a link between your Windows computer and your Android phone, here are the minimum requirements: 

• Computer running Windows 11 or Windows 10 (with the May 2019 update or later)
• Smartphone running Android 8.0 or later
• A shared Wi-Fi network between your computer and your Android phone

If your Windows PC and Android phone meet all the minimum requirements, setting up Phone Link can commence! The process follows the same exact steps listed above for connecting an iPhone to a Windows 11 PC via Phone Link, except you'll choose Android instead of iPhone. 

Here are the steps again for your convenience:

1. Open the Phone Link app in Windows 11 by typing "Phone Link" in the search box at the bottom of your screen.

2. Once the Phone Link app is open, select Android below the Pick your phone heading and log into your Microsoft account.

3. Using your Android phone, scan the QR code that pops up on your computer. Follow any on-screen instructions that appear on your smartphone or Windows 11 PC.

4. Optional: Customize your notification preferences in the General tab of the Phone Link app on your computer.

Different ways you can use Phone Link

Once you have Phone Link set up between your smartphone and your computer, there are a few different ways you can make the most of the connection. 

The most obvious way to use Phone Link is sending and receiving texts and calls from your PC. If you're working on a project for school or work on your computer, it's a lot more seamless to respond to an important text directly from your computer rather than pick up your phone, unlock it, respond, and potentially get tempted by a social media app or a mobile game. 

You can also manage your notifications on both iPhones and Android phones via Phone Link. Android phones can even control audio playback via the Phone Link computer app, and may soon gain the ability to access their phone's photo library through File Explorer, according to @PhantomOfEarth on X.

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The best laptops for college are those that can do the most for as little money as possible. Listen, I didn't have enough spare change to even afford the bus ride to college back in the day, so I get the struggle is real.

You need something that works and won't add to what feels like insurmountable college debt, so let me guide you through some key features to look out for when buying a laptop for college.

4 key features a college laptop should have

There are quite a few aspects that determine if a laptop is good or not, and I'll talk about them further down below, but for right now, you should prioritize four things when shopping for a college laptop:

Battery life

The last thing you need is to run around class or the library looking for somewhere to plug your laptop in because it's about to die. No, thank you. I've spent way too much time suffering this fate to wish it upon anyone else. Want to survive college? 

Get a laptop with at least 10 hours of battery life. That should get you through your classes for the day without issue. Don't take a company's word for it, we test the battery life in laptops ourselves. Just keep in mind that Laptop Mag battery tests account for laptops set to 150 nits of brightness, so as a rule of thumb, keep that display brightness at 50%.

Portability

You could argue for lumping this in with battery life, but this is about size. You don't need to be pulling out an 18-inch monster on a small desk in the middle of class. Or worse, if you're in an auditorium, folks are going to glare at you for taking up both armrests. 

Stick to a reasonable size, like 14 inches. You might get away with a larger laptop since companies managed to fit larger displays in smaller chassis, but keep an eye out for the actual device width in the spec sheet.

Performance

My worst fear is my laptop freezing up when I'm trying to take notes in class. I've had a few close encounters with classes that require certain specs in laptops, and even specific laptops, like MacBooks. 

I can help you choose what you need on the performance end — the bare minimum should be a Core i5 or Ryzen 5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. However, if you want to guarantee you won't run into trouble, find a Core i7 or Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. 

An RTX 4060 GPU will take you far for classes involving graphically intensive tasks. However, if you know you're going into a field that might be intense on your laptop (like computer science or cinema), email your professors beforehand to ask about the minimum requirements to use the required software if those requirements aren't listed on any registration materials.

Operating System

An operating system is a critical feature you need to keep in mind because your classes might require specific laptops. And if not, they might require the use of specific software which may not be available on all operating systems.\

 One film class I took required us to use Adboe's video editor Final Cut Pro. Thankfully, I already had access to a MacBook at the time, so it wasn't a big deal for me. But it's rough if you don't have a readily available macOS device. 

If you're in a technical class, ask about software!

4 college laptops to buy for varying budgets

Premium college laptop — Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425)

Excluding those who need a graphic-intensive laptop, my top choice is the Zenbook 1. It offers nearly 16 hours of battery life in a compact 12.3-inch chassis with a 14-inch display. Top that off with snappy performance thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. It also comes in just under $1,000. It's the cheapest premium laptop you can buy to last you through your college experience. But it also offers great secondary features, like a pretty display, a comfortable keyboard, great speakers, and a privacy shutter for its webcam.

Budget college laptop — Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

I'm not a fan of Chromebooks, but if you find that your college life takes place mostly on the web (meaning that you don't use particular Windows apps), this is a solid choice. It's $499 and offers a Core i3 CPU with 8GB of RAM for that minimum speedy performance. Since it's a 14-inch laptop, it also keeps it light and compact. 

The battery life is solid as well, at 9:43, which is just a few minutes shorter than my 10-hour recommendation. A nice bonus is its great keyboard. However, keep in mind that since this is a Chromebook, you won't have access to the usual apps you would with Windows.

Gaming college laptop — Asus Zephyrus G14 (2024)

I say gaming, but this applies to any field requiring you to use a discrete graphics chip to run apps. But it definitely doesn't hurt to be able to game after a long day of schooling. The Zephyrus G14 is an excellent choice for college students. It supports a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GPU. 

It lasts 8:16 on a single charge (impressive for a gaming laptop). It's an incredibly compact 14-inch gaming laptop, measuring 12.3 inches wide and 0.6 inches thin. Other great features are its springy keyboard and stunning OLED display. You also really don't need to pay that much more for it compared with our top option, which currently runs for $1,299.

MacBook — The Macbook Air M3 is a great choice, and it's at the top of our best college laptops list for a reason. It checks all of the boxes: 15:21 of battery life, 12-inch wide and 0.4-inch thin design, and killer Apple M3 performance. And it's not nearly as expensive as you might think. 

You can find it on sale for $999, just barely staying within a three-digit budget. If a class requires you to use macOS apps, this is the device for you.

Outlook

Above are four great laptops that (mostly) fall into the four criteria I set earlier. Naturally, you know what works best for you, but the most important thing is to research when buying a laptop. 

Not everything a company writes in its specs is technically true. Battery life estimates are often run for unrealistic scenarios, and unit weight also differs based on the configuration you purchase. 

It's important to read our reviews to see what's what.