'Mewing,' 'Sigma,' and Other Gen Z and Gen Alpha Slang You Might Need Help Decoding

It’s been a minute since Lifehacker looked at the slang of Generation Z—long enough that Generation Alpha has had time to develop and spread some of its own special buzzwords and jargon. Below is an alphabetized collection of slang taken from both Gen Z and Gen A, in case someone younger than you says something you don't understand. As with all slang, if you need an online list to know what a word means, you are too old to say it aloud.

304: Hoe. (Type "304" on a calculator and turn it upside down.)

4+4: Ate. Four plus four is eight, or "ate." (See "ate")

Alpha male: Taken from animal ethology, an alpha male is the dominant member of a group of males, or just a male who is in charge. (See "beta male" and "sigma male.")

Ate/eat: Done very well, often regarding clothing. e.g.: "You ate that outfit." See also: "serving."

Aura: Someone who is mysterious and cool is said to "have aura."

Baddie: A bad/wild girl. Meant as a compliment.

Baka: Japanese word meaning “crazy" or “foolish.” Used mainly in the anime community.

Based: Independent in a cool way.

Bed-rotting: Staying in bed all day. You may know it as “lazing around.” See also: "Hurkle-durkle."

Beta male: A beta male, or just "beta," is a weaker, subservient male. (See "alpha male" and "sigma male")

Bop: A girl who sleeps around. Also: a great song.

Boysober: Someone who has sworn off sex, relationships, and/or dating.

Brain-rot: A description of the overuse of stupid slang. See also: “Skibidi.” Also used to describe the effects of being overly online.

Brat: The contemporary meaning of "brat" is an adjective describing a person who is edgy, imperfect, and confident. It was coined by pop star Charli XCX who defined it as "that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown."

Bruzz: Bros. Part of the -uzz family of slang words. See "Huzz" and "-uzz"

Bubba truck: A lifted or otherwise modified pick-up truck.

Bussin': Very good or excellent.

Cap: A lie. Often used to say "no cap."

Cake: Butt, especially a nice butt.

Chad: An attractive man; an “alpha male.” See "Giga-Chad."

Chat: A reference to streamers addressing their chat windows aloud. Saying “chat” in real life is an ironic joke. 

Chud: A physically unappealing person. Sometimes used for a man who holds right wing views.

Coomer: A man who masturbates too often.

Corn: “Corn” is algo-speak that means “porn.” Used in online spaces where the word might cause your account to be flagged or banned. 

Coworker-core: A catch-all description for things that are unfunny or uninteresting in a way that appeals to older people.

Dead: Past tense of having died laughing. If someone responds to a joke with "dead" or a skull emoji, they find it funny.

Deadass: Seriously. Used like, "I am deadass not lying."

Delulu: Delusional.

Doomer: A person who is overly negative and/or cynical.

Drip: A fashionable or stylish look.

Edgar: A variation of the Caesar haircut worn especially among Hispanic males. Also refers to the kind of person who wears the haircut. 

Fanum tax: The theft of food between friends. Named for streamer Fanum, known for “taxing” his friends by taking bites of their meals or stealing fries. 

Fax, no printer: Telling the truth, since "fax and "facts" are pronounced the same. It's a colorful way of saying "facts, no cap."

Fent-fold: A description of the bent-over posture of people nodding on heavy drugs.

Fit: Short for "outfit."

Fuhuhluhtoogan: Supposedly from Baltimore slang, this is a nonsense word used so people will ask what it means but never receive an answer. Often paired with "Jittleyang."

Gamer dent: The temporary indentation left on someone’s hair or skin after wearing headphones for too long.

Geeker: Someone who uses a lot of drugs.

Giga-Chad: A Chad among Chads.

Glaze: To overly praise someone, often insincerely, or with the hope of getting something in return.

Gleek: An older slang term that is gaining prominence lately, gleeking describes squirting saliva from under the tongue.

Glizzy: Hot dog. "Glizzy" was originally slang for Glock or gun, but came to mean hot dog based on the hot dog shape of a Glock's magazine.

Green fn: An interjection one might used when someone does something cool or impressive. Often used ironically. 

Gooning: Extended masturbation without orgasm done for the purpose of entering an altered state of consciousness.

Gyatt or Gyat: Once an interjection used when seeing someone sexy, like “god-DAMN,” “gyatt” has come to mean “attractive booty.”

Hewwo: An overly cute way of saying "hello." Usually used online, and often ironically.

HGS: Abbreviation for "home girls" used in comment sections.

Hurkle-durkle: Based on an archaic Scottish word, “hurkle-durkle” means to lounge in bed after it is time to get up. See also: “bed-rotting."

Huzz: -uzz slang for "hoes." See "bruzz" and "-uzz."

"It's giving": Used to convey that something has a specific vibe. Example: "That dude texts you every 10 minutes; it's giving desperate."

"It's so over": The situation is hopeless. The opposite of "we're so back." See also: "Doomer."

Jelqing: The use of stretching or weights in an attempt to increase penis size.

Jit: A kid. Used ironically online.

Jittleyang: Supposedly from Baltimore slang, this is a nonsense word used so people will ask what it means but never receive an answer. See also: "Fuhuhluhtoogan."

JOMO: A play on FOMO (fear of missing out) JOMO is an acronym that stands for “joy of missing out.”

"Learn Chinese": Sports slang directed at failing players. They are in danger of being sent to play in China, so they should "learn Chinese."

Looksmaxxing: Maximizing one’s physical attractiveness through personal grooming, working out, and dressing stylishly. See also: “-maxxing.”

-maxxing: A suffix used with any word to indicate trying to improve. Seeing your friends could be called "friendmaxxing," working out could be called "gymmaxxing," making jokes could be called "jestermaxxing," etc.

Mid: Average, bland, expected.

Mewing: A facial exercise meant to strengthen the jawline.

Mirror sex: Using a mirror to watch yourself have sex.

Mog: To be more attractive than someone, usually in an intentional or aggressive way. Example: "I was rizzing up this girl, but he walked in and totally mogged me."

Neurospicy: A different way of saying “neuro-divergent.”

NPC: Non-player character. Originally describing video game characters, NPC is now used on the internet to mean people who don't think for themselves.

Opp: Short for "opposition." Someone who is out to get you. An enemy.

Pink cocaine: Also known as "pink snow," pink cocaine is slang for a powdered drug mixture that usually contains some combination of ketamine, MDMA, meth, opioids, and other substances.

Pole: A gun. See "up pole."

"Press F for respect:" In 2014 video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfighter, the player attends a funeral and a prompt is given that reads "Press F to pay respects." Now, a singular "F" in a chat window indicates respect. It's usually ironic.

Regarded: “Regarded” is algo-speak for “retarded."

Rizz: As a noun, "rizz" means charisma. As a verb, "rizz" or "rizz up" means attracting someone with your charisma.

Serve: Wearing a particularly stylish outfit. See also: "ate."

Serve cunt: To act in a powerfully and unapologetically feminine way; to slay.

Sigma male: An internet-created male classification, a "sigma male" is as dominant as an alpha male, but is outside the male hierarchy, i.e.: a lone wolf. Originally used seriously, the concept was so widely derided it's now almost always used ironically. (See "Alpha male" and "Beta male.")

Skibidi: Named after “Skibidi Toilet,” a popular series of YouTube videos, “skibidi” itself has no specific meaning, beyond ridiculing the overuse of slang itself. See “brain-rot.”

Skrt: Onomatopoetic word for the sound of tires squealing upon acceleration.

Sweat: A person who tries too hard, usually used in reference to video games. The adjective form is "sweaty."

Spawn point: Mother. Based on the spot you start in a video game.

Spoopy: Spooky.

Striker: Stolen/no-title car.

Tradwife: Believer in traditional married gender roles.

Treatler (and Treatlerite): "Treatler" and "Treatlerite" are online insults that combine "treat" and "Hitler" to refer to entitled users of services like Doordash or Uber Eats who regard luxury delivery services as a human right, and don't consider the hardships of the people who do the work that makes "private taxis for burritos" possible.

TS: TS originally was AAVE shorthand for "this shit," but it is often used to just mean "this."

Turnt: Excited or intoxicated, or excitedly intoxicated.

Unc: Short for "uncle," used to describe slightly older people. Example: "The class of 2024 are unc-status to the class of 2028." See "yunc."

-uzz: -uzz slang words use "uzz" at the end of any word, so "bros" becomes "bruzz," "hoes" becomes "huzz," "granny" becomes "gruzz," etc.

Up pole: To raise a gun.

Twelve: Police.

Twin: Best friend.

"We're so back": Opposite of "it's so over."

Wojack: The name of a style of internet drawings used to quickly stereotype someone. See this post for a full explanation of the Wojak universe.

Yapping: Describes a presentational style often seen on online streams of talking a lot and/or quickly while not saying anything worthwhile.

Yeet: To quickly and/or forcibly eject.

Yunc: Yunc is a variation of "unc." In AAVE, a "yn" is a "young n-word." So "yunc" means something like "young uncle," or a person who may be young but has uncle vibes or unc status.

Zoomer Perm: A curly on top, short on the sides haircut popular among young people. 

This Experimental Google Feature Lets You Send Robocalls to Local Businesses

Usually, it’s the businesses that are behind robocalls, but if you work at a nail salon or an auto repair shop, get ready for customers to start sending hordes of AI Karens your way.

Google’s latest experimental AI feature, available to those who sign up for “Ask for me” on Google Search Labs, is aiming to be a sort of personal AI secretary for you. Once enabled, it’ll pop up an “Ask for me” button under certain searches, promising to call local shops for you to help you figure out availability, service costs, and the like.

Clicking the “Ask for me” button will take you to a form, where you’ll fill out, for example, the make and model of your car, what services you need, and when you can come in. Google will then canvass local shops (there doesn’t seem to be an option to send a call only to a specific shop) and then email or text you back with results.

On their end, business owners will hear a message at the start of every call indicating that it’s an automated system calling on behalf of a potential customer, Google spokesperson Craig Ewer told The Verge.

If that sounds annoying, business owners can opt out, either within their Google Business Profile settings or by simply telling the AI not to call them back. For those that decide to humor the robocalls, Ewer told The Verge that Google is doing its best to ensure businesses don’t get overloaded with calls, and will use information collected from prior calls to help answer future ones without bothering an employee.

Over on X, Google product lead Rose Yao said Ask for me is powered by Duplex, an existing Google feature that (mostly) uses AI to make reservations on your behalf, but it’s more geared towards research than actually booking anything. As it’s still experimental, it’s limited to nail salons and auto shops for now, though it could presumably expand in the future.

As someone with social anxiety, I can see the surface level appeal here, although I’m not sure I’d ever want to commit the sin of making someone else talk to a robot.

Another Healthcare Data Breach Compromised a Million Patients' Information

The healthcare sector is one of the most common targets for hackers and cyber criminals, and yet another data breach has put the personal data of more than a million patients at risk. Community Health Center (CHC), a nonprofit healthcare provider in Connecticut, has disclosed that hackers gained access to its system in October and stole sensitive health and personal information belonging to 1,060,936 individuals.

What happened with CHC?

According to reporting by Bleeping Computer, hackers had access to the CHC network for several hours on October 14, 2024, though the breach was not discovered until January 2, 2025. Stolen data may include names, birthdates, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and Social Security numbers as well as medical records and health insurance information. CHC has indicated that it was not a ransomware attack, and no data was locked or deleted.

What you can do if your data was stolen

While you can't un-leak your personal data, you can (and should) be on the lookout for signs that it is being used maliciously. CHC is offering 24 months of free identity theft protection through IDX, including credit and cyber monitoring and ID theft recovery. According to CHC's filing with the Maine attorney general, those affected by the breach were notified by letter beginning on Jan. 30—and that consumer notice includes a QR code to activate monitoring services, or you can go to the IDX website and enter the enrollment code provided. The deadline to sign up for identity theft protection is April 30.

You should also commit to other best practices for securing your data, including utilizing credit monitoring services (even if you don't qualify for IDX enrollment), activating credit freezes and fraud alerts, staying skeptical of requests for your personal information (don't give anything out via text, email, or phone until you've verified), and never clicking strange links.

Of course, the CHC incident isn't the only one to compromise patient data—and it's far from the largest. The major breach of UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Change Healthcare (first reported in October 2024) is now believed to impact nearly twice as many people as previously disclosed. That ransomware attack included the health insurance, billing, and payment information as well as medical records and sensitive personal data of nearly 190 million patients. Ascension Health suffered a similar breach in February 2024, which affected nearly 6 million individuals.

Watch Out for This 'Chrome Update' Scam

Software updates are important and inevitable. To expand features and patch existing security issues, you need to update your apps and machines. If you avoid updating, you might find certain programs, functions, or even websites stop working as they should.

However, if you visit a website, and you see a prompt to update Chrome in order to proceed, run away. In all likelihood, you just encountered a scam. Don't fall for it.

WordPress sites are getting hacked

The scam in question is targeting WordPress websites—10,000 of them, in fact. That's according to c/side, a web security company, whose research uncovered the current attacks.

Here's what's going on: Hackers are hijacking sites that are running outdated versions of WordPress and plugins. (c/side hypothesizes attackers are exploiting a vulnerability in a particular WordPress plugin to execute their schemes.) Attackers are using two types of "popular" malware variants: AMOS (Atomic macOS Stealer), which goes after Apple devices, and SocGholish, which is designed for Windows devices.

When you visit one of these affected websites, hackers override the actual content of the site with a new, fake page. This manipulated content purports to be an alert that you need to update your browser in order to visit this site, as the page uses "the new chromium engine." The hackers sprinkle in a few different elements on this page to sell the scam, including two different update options, a check box to sign up or automatic usage stats and crash reports, and links to Google's, Chrome's, and ChromeOS' Terms of Service. You'll also see a Chrome logo, different menu options, and a rendering of a Chrome window.

Credit: c/side

These hackers are more clever than most. To an untrained eye, this alert page might look quite real. There are some red flags, of course: The hackers don't have the best grip on grammar, and haven't capitalized "Chromium," or the first word in "by downloading Chrome." You also wouldn't expect to see Google use a comma between "The site uses the new chromium engine, to continue it needs to be updated."

But if you're trying to access a site and you see this message pop up, a quick glance might not be enough to distinguish this from a typical Google Chrome update alert. However, if you click one of the update options, that's where the trouble starts. The hackers' goal is to get you to download a malicious file onto your machine. Whether you have a Mac or a PC, this malware is designed to steal your password and other important information. AMOS malware, for example, steals data from Macs like usernames, passwords, cookies, and crypto wallets.

Obviously, this type of hacking is dangerous. Imagine you inadvertently download this "update" onto your computer, and the malware gets to work scraping your usernames and passwords. It can then report back to the hackers, who take that information and break into your accounts—particularly your financial accounts.

c/side hasn't disclosed a full list of the affected websites, but says that some of the internet's most popular websites are affected.

Where to go from here

If you run a WordPress site, c/side recommends updating your WordPress installation and plugins and remove any you no longer use. You should also look for any of the scripts the researchers identified and look for any signs of malicious activity.

For the rest of us, if you believe you downloaded any malicious files from these websites, you should clear out your machine as soon as possible. You could try to identify the compromised files and remove them, but you may want to try a program that can scan your machine for you, such as Malwarebytes or Bitdefender. (c/side offers a similar service as well, which it promotes in its findings.)

How to Cast Your Phone to a Hotel TV

It’s hard to imagine a time when hotels TVs didn't feel vestigial. Not all that long ago, some made their TVs a selling point, plastering “free HBO” all over their roadside signs. These days, guests are more likely to stick to their phones, sacrificing their room’s beautiful 48-inch flatscreen on the altar of TikTok and YouTube. But with just a little extra work, you can get the best of both worlds and cast whatever is on your phone to your hotel room's smart TV.

How to cast your iPhone to a hotel TV

There are official and unofficial options to send what's on your iPhone to a TV. Let’s start with the most legit. 

Use AirPlay (provided your hotel supports it)

iPhones can now use AirPlay to stream content from their phone directly to a TV at select hotels. The feature is available at “more than 60” IHG Hotels & Resorts locations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, so give it a try the next time you’re staying at a Holiday Inn or Candlewood Suites.

The process is pretty painless: Upon turning your TV on, you should notice a QR code on the welcome screen. Simply scan it with a compatible Apple device to both connect to your room's wifi and authorize AirPlay to that screen.

And that’s it—because the QR code is unique to your hotel room, you shouldn’t find yourself accidentally streaming to other guests' sets, or vice versa. Apple says more locations will be added “in the coming months,” which makes sense—the limited rollout probably has something to do with the special LG TVs required for the setup, meaning it'll take time for other locations to stock the new displays.

But what if you’re not staying at an IHG property? This is where the hacks come in.

Other ways to cast an iPhone to a hotel TV

There are plenty of dongles, like Roku and Fire TV sticks, that work with AirPlay right out of the box. The problem is getting a hotel TV to accept them.

Hotel TVs tend to be a bit strict about which devices they’ll let you plug in. That’s thanks to special control boxes that lock them down. Luckily, if you can physically get to your TV’s hookups, you can (carefully) remove these boxes. Lifehacker has covered it before, but the gist is to look for an ethernet cable (or possibly an HDMI cable), gently remove it, and restart the TV before hooking up your accessories. Depending on your hotel, you might also want to disconnect the control box from power if you’re able. Note that you do this at your own risk—it's possible your hotel won't be happy with you unplugging its hardware.

Once your device is plugged in, try swapping the TV input to your dongle and seeing if it works. If it does, simply connect it to wifi (you might need to open a browser page to do it, depending on your hotel) and you’re good to go. If using the hotel's wifi isn’t an option, don’t worry—AirPlay can work without it, and you can always fall back on a mobile hotspot.

(Just be sure to hook your TV’s control box up again before checking out!)

Chromecast HD With Google TV

$53.27 at Amazon

$53.27 at Amazon

How to cast an Android Phone to a hotel TV

Streaming an Android phone, like a Pixel 8 Pro or Galaxy S24 Ultra, to a hotel TV is much like streaming an iPhone, but with a few extra quirks, some of which can work in your favor. For instance, hotel chains like Wyndham and Hyatt already have Chromecasts connected to their TVs, letting you cast from your phone, or at least log into your streaming services, depending on how locked down they are. If you’re lucky enough to have a Chromecast officially set up from the start, just follow your hotel’s instructions and you should be good to go. As time goes on, you might also see hotels with Google TV Streamers instead, as the Chromecast brand has technically been discontinued.

Alternatively, your TV could have Google Cast built-in. Much like with Airplay, LG is now adding built-in Cast support to its hotel TVs, letting you sign-in via a QR code and requiring no extra hardware. LG says this will work on any hotel TV running webOS23 or later, which comes pre-installed on models released from 2023 on, and can also be applied to certain models from 2022. Theoretically, this should allow for wider availability than even LG's Airplay support, although it might take a while for the hotel industry's TV hardware to catch up.

That's why you might also want to bring your own dongle, like a Fire TV Stick or Chromecast, with you. While it’s possible to stream content from an Android phone to a TV without a dongle, it’s probably not going to be easy in a hotel environment, since these workarounds usually require accessing specific smart TV apps or functions that you can’t depend on your hotel to have or allow you to access.

For the most seamless experience, I recommend a Chromecast (it'll be cheaper and smaller than a Google TV streamer, and will still work despite being discontinued), as certain other dongles can only mirror your screen, rather than cast content across devices. With casting, you’ll ensure you get the best resolution, and generally have a more intuitive experience. (Note, though, that Chromecasts do require wifi when they boot.)

Once you’re in your hotel room with your dongle, you’ll want to connect it to your TV following the same steps outlined in the iPhone section above: gently remove the hotel control box’s connection to the TV, restart the TV, plug your Chromecast in, and swap to the proper input to test that everything worked.

If it did, try to connect your dongle to wifi (again, you may need to open a browser page). If the hotel’s wifi isn’t working, you can either use a mobile hotspot to try casting, or you can screen mirror without using wifi at all, depending on your dongle (the Fire TV Stick is a good choice if this is a concern).

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

$49.99 at Best Buy

$49.99 at Best Buy

The Five Best Tax Filing Services for 2025

It's officially tax season. While you're probably eligible to file your taxes for free, with so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right service. Here are some of the most popular tax filing services, their pros and cons, and who they might be best suited for.

Intuit TurboTax

TurboTax is one of the most well-known and widely used tax filing services. It offers a range of options, from free filing for simple returns to more comprehensive packages for those with more complex tax situations.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface and step-by-step guidance

• Extensive help resources, including live support

• Ability to import data from previous years or employers

• Guaranteed maximum refund or reimbursement of fees

Cons:

• Can be expensive for more complex returns

• Upselling of additional services or products

Best for: Those with relatively straightforward tax situations who value convenience and a user-friendly experience.

H&R Block

H&R Block is another major player in the tax filing game, offering both online and in-person services.

Pros:

• Robust online platform with solid support resources

• Option for in-person assistance at local offices

• Free filing for simple returns

Cons:

• Online product can be more expensive than competitors

• In-person service fees can add up quickly

Best for: Those who prefer the option of in-person assistance or have more complex tax situations that may require professional guidance.

TaxAct

TaxAct is a more affordable online option that still offers a range of features and support.

Pros:

• Lower prices compared to some competitors

• Good support resources, including live chat and video tutorials

• Free filing for simple returns

Cons:

• Interface may not be as user-friendly as some others

• Fewer hand-holding features for complex situations

Best for: Budget-conscious filers with relatively straightforward tax situations who are comfortable with a more DIY approach.

FreeTaxUSA

As the name implies, FreeTaxUSA offers free federal tax filing for all filers, with paid state filing options.

Pros:

• Truly free federal filing with no income limits

• Clean, straightforward interface

• Good support resources

Cons:

• Limited hand-holding for complex situations

• State filing fees, though relatively low

Best for: Those looking for a solid, no-frills free option for federal filing, especially those with simple tax situations.

Cash App Taxes

Cash App Taxes (formerly known as Credit Karma Tax) is the go-to example of truly free tax filing. If you're determined to file your taxes for free, Cash App Taxes is the way to go.

Pros:

• Really, truly free

• Supports major IRS forms and schedules

• Simple, understandable website and mobile app

Cons:

• Missing some forms and situations

• No expert tax help

• Requires a Cash App account to use

Best for: People who have only W-2 income and a few deductions and credits.

Tips for getting the most from your tax software

The best thing you can do is get started on your taxes as soon as possible. Gather all necessary documents before beginning, and even take advantage of early-bird pricing when available.

The more time you give yourself, the more likely you'll be to really maximize deductions. Use the service's deduction-finding tools, and consider upgrading to premium versions if they offer additional deduction-finding features.

Finally, keep records of everything. Here's my guide to creating the ultimate spreadsheet for your taxes now, so that next year will be a breeze.

The closer it gets to the deadline, the harder it will be to get support from tax filing services if you run into issues or have questions. Their customer service lines and live chat queues will be overloaded. Start now and beat the last-minute rush. And if you run into trouble, here's how to finally reach a real human on the phone at the IRS.

Your Phone Makes a Great Reading Device, Actually

I don't like how scrolling makes me feel these days. Every headline, meme, and take I scroll past leaves me feeling worse about the world. It isn't entirely unwarranted—there's a lot of bad happening—but marinating in that feeling doesn't help.

Scrolling isn't always detrimental, of course. It can be relaxing, for one thing, and it can be a way to keep up with what's happening with your friends. But I think we all know there are diminishing returns when it comes to scrolling—the overall quality goes down the longer you keep going. And that's why reading is possibly more important now than its ever been: There aren't diminishing returns. Scrolling is briefly thinking about lots of things; reading is taking the time to think about one thing.

That's why I'm trying to do more reading and less scrolling. Seeing hundreds of memes about the latest dumb thing that one billionaire said doesn't help me reach any of my goals. Taking the time to get context on the issues I care about—and thinking deeply about them—might. So I've been taking active steps to nudge myself toward scrolling less and reading more. I hope these tips will help you achieve the same.

Hide (or uninstall) social media apps

Are there social media icons on your phone's home screen? The simplest thing you can do in order to scroll less is to get those icons off of there. You can do this by removing the icons from the home screen or by uninstalling the application entirely. Either way, the process is easy: tap and hold on the icon. Both Android and iOS will give you the option to either remove the application from your home screen or delete it.

I, personally, tend to just remove the apps from my home screen. This reduces the number of times I turn on my phone and reflexively open an app to scroll in, but leaves the applications available when I actively want them.

That might not be enough for you, though. You might find yourself going out of your way to scroll even if it means pulling up the app outside the home screen, or sucked in when there's a notification. If that's you, I recommend just uninstalling the application entirely, if only while you're trying to create the habit of scrolling less. It will cut off the problem entirely.

Put books on your phone

Getting books onto your phone isn't hard. There are the big apps, including Kindle and Kobo, if you want to purchase current titles. (Apple has its own proprietary "Books" app as well.) You can access millions of books in the public domain with a little bit of searching. And there's also a good chance your local library offers free e-books: Libby is a common app for this.

Set up one or multiple of these applications and put them right on the home screen of your phone. Ideally, you'll put the icon right where the social application you used to open constantly lives. The idea is to trick yourself into opening books. This isn't magic—you're going to need to force yourself to actually read. Over time, though, the habit may begin to form.

Another thing to consider: audiobooks. Some people can't get into reading no matter how hard they try. Others can't find the time. In either case, I think audiobooks can be a great alternative. Listening to a book while driving, cleaning the house, or just hanging out at home is a great way to take in and reflect on books. Some people get elitist about this—ignore them. Listening to books is great. Most local libraries offer audiobooks, whether in the Libby app or as physical CDs. Otherwise, there are services like Audible and even Spotify to get your audiobook fix.

Make reading articles easy for yourself

If you don't want to read entire books on your phone (I personally don't), you'll likely find its the perfect device for reading articles, and there are plenty of ways to do that without the need to scroll.

I like having read-it-later apps on my phone's home screen. These let you save articles you find on the web for future reading. I tend to clip articles during my work day, when I shouldn't be reading, and come back to them in the evening. I personally use FlyLeaf, which is a great option for Apple users, but Instapaper is also a very good tool for the job.

But it's also a good idea to have a few publications that you browse regularly. There are all kinds of ways to do this. The simplest is to bookmark the homepages of a few of your favorite websites and blogs so that they show up every time you open your browser. The more techie solution is to find an RSS reader, which shows you the headlines from as many websites as you like. That way, you can keep up with everything in one place.

Or, you could look into apps that let you read entire print publications. I recently discovered Press Reader, which offers full versions of magazines and newspapers. It's offered for free by some libraries and lets you read the entire print version of all sorts of publications. Odds are your local library has something similar, or you could physically go there and read the magazine they have on the shelf. (I love doing this.)

Mange your notifications

Nothing disrupts reading faster than being pulled into something else. If you're actually going to read, take advantage of your phone's Do Not Disturb (DND) functionality. We've talked a bit about how to customize your Android notifications and your iOS notifications, so dig into those articles for more details. But the gist is you don't want notifications popping up when you're trying to read. You can turn DND modes on or off manually, if you want, but can also schedule them. For example, if you read before bed, you could set up your phone to never buzz during your usual nighttime routine.

You can get fancy about this: Newer Apple devices can use AI to filter out all but the most important notifications. I've tried this feature and so far it's a great way to unplug without missing the important stuff.

Swap out your phone for something else

I've been talking about phones a lot in this article because that's where the bulk of scrolling happens. If you really want to read more, though, it's probably a good idea to do it on something other than your phone. E-ink devices work, but so do paper books and magazines. It's literally impossible to scroll Reddit on a book.

Depending on how your brain works, though, a new gadget might help. My colleague Joel Cunningham wrote about how the Boox Portable helped him stop doomscrolling, and I can can understand why. This is basically an e-ink Android device, roughly the size of a phone. If you want something bigger, you can look into an e-ink tablet. These are great for both reading and jotting down ideas. I personally use a Remarkable for reading papers and researching articles. Getting away from my colorful and animated computing devices for a bit is helpful. There are all kinds of e-ink devices out there that can give you the best of both paper and electronics. Look into them—they might be what you need to trick your brain into reading more.

Windows Is Expanding Its Start Menu Phone Integration to iPhones

Sharing files or accessing messages between a Windows PC and an iPhone can be an utter pain in the rear, mostly because, without third-party utilities, you can’t rely on AirDrop to do it. There’s the Phone Link app, but even that requires opening up a separate window—your PC won’t even be able to serve you iMessage notifications unless it’s open. Meanwhile, Android users currently have a smoother experience, able to access their connected phones’ battery levels, messages, and calls right from the Windows Start menu. Now, iPhone users are finally about to get the same.

In a blog post on its site, Microsoft announced that its Windows Insider beta testers are currently getting expanded Start menu phone integration, bringing features Android users have been enjoying since October to iPhone.

These include the ability to connect a phone to your PC right from the start menu, plus that battery status and message/call information (seemingly, you'll finally be able to get your iPhone notifications on Windows without needing to open the Phone Link app first). The only thing that appears to be missing is the ability to browse your photos right from the start menu, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to access them.

That’s thanks to the new “Send files” button, an addition for both Android and iPhone. This will let you access your phone’s files without having to go through the Phone Link app, and it should make photo sharing much simpler, as doing so with an iPhone currently requires relying on either another test feature or going through the multi-step process to connect iCloud to the Windows Photos app.

To see iPhone integration in the Windows 11 Start menu, you’ll need to have an iPhone running iOS 16 or higher (meaning nothing older than an iPhone 8), plus the Phone Link app on both your iPhone and Windows 11 PC. You’ll also need to register for the free Windows Insider program, but most importantly, you’ll need to wait.

Microsoft says these features are “gradually rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels,” so just being signed up might not be enough to access them at first. You can check if you have them by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Start.

T-Mobile Is Expanding Its Starlink Beta to iPhones

If you have T-Mobile, and either an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy device, you now have access to Starlink—potentially.

Here's the scoop: Back in December, T-Mobile announced a partnership between itself and SpaceX to bring Starlink service to customers. Then, earlier this month, the company started accepting users into the beta, but only those with specific, recent Samsung devices.

However, that changed when Apple released iOS 18.3 this week. It seems the iPhone maker has been working with SpaceX and T-Mobile to roll out Starlink support to iPhones as well—though none of this was announced from Apple as part of the update.

T-Mobile isn't letting all iPhones customers into the beta just yet. If you get in, you'll receive a text message that reads: "You're in the T-Mobile Starlink beta. You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere. To start experiencing coverage beyond, please update to iOS 18.3."

How to join the T-Mobile Starlink beta

If you're interested in getting into T-Mobile's Starlink beta, you first need a compatible device. On the Samsung front, that includes the Galaxy S24 5G, Galaxy S24 Plus 5G, Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G, Galaxy Z Fold 6 5G, and Galaxy Z Flip 6 5G. Any iPhone that can run iOS 18.3 is compatible.

From here, you'll need to head to T-Mobile's official Starlink page, and choose "Register now," or scroll down to the registration section. You'll need to enter your first and last name, email address, and phone number.

Don't worry if you can't get in yet: T-Mobile says it is expanding the plan soon, so expect more spots to open up imminently.

What's the big deal with satellite connectivity?

Being able to connect your smartphone to satellites is, quite literally, a game changer. It means you no longer need to worry about losing cell service or being able from a wifi connection. As long as you have a somewhat clear view to the sky, you're able to connect to the outside world.

To be clear, this feature only works when you do not have available cellular service. At this point, your phone can then connect to the nearest satellites. You will not have the option to manually connect to satellites when you have a network connection.

At this point in time, T-Mobile's Starlink beta only works for texting. But, according to Elon Musk, the current Starlink technology should support medium resolution images, and music and podcast streaming. But even if T-Mobile only supports texting at this time, you can imagine what a lifeline that is. If you have no cell service, and would otherwise not be able to reach out to emergency services or essential contacts, you can connect to a Starlink satellite and send text messages to either (or both).

That said, this is not the first time iPhones have been able to connect to satellites. Apple has offered satellite connectivity since 2022, when it debuted "Emergency SOS via satellite" with the iPhone 14. The company expanded upon the feature with iOS 18: Before, you could only contact emergency services or roadside assistance via satellite, but since last year's big update, you've been able to send messages to anyone.

For the past two and a half years, Apple has worked exclusively with Globalstar Inc. for satellite connectivity. Going forward, however, if you have an iPhone, and are enrolled in this T-Mobile beta, your phone will default to connecting to SpaceX's satellites. From here, you'll be able to manually connect to Apple's exclusive satellite services if you wish. Interestingly, while Apple's satellite feature makes you point your phone towards the sky to search for the closest satellite, Starlink's service should connect automatically.

My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The M4 iPad Pro

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Apple has been top dog in the premium tablet space for years, and the iPad Pro with an M4 chip released last year is no exception. If you've been waiting for a discount on the best-performing tablet you can get, consider the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro for $849.99 (originally $999.99) after the additional $50 discount at checkout. This brings it down to the lowest price the this iPad model has been since its release, according to price-tracking tools.

Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch (M4)

Ultra Retina XDR Display, 256GB, 12MP Front/Back Camera, LiDAR Scanner, Wi-Fi 6E, Face ID.

$849.99 at Amazon

$999.99 Save $150.00

$849.99 at Amazon

$999.99 Save $150.00

The M4 is about 1.5 times faster than the M2, the chip used in the previous generation of iPads. That's a big difference for anyone looking to use their iPad for more than just navigating the web and streaming media apps. The 11-inch screen is an OLED display with a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits and a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, making it ideal for creators who need to see accurate colors for pictures or videos. The processing power can easily handle heavy-duty apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, or Photoshop. A 120Hz refresh rate also means games will look smooth.

As far as battery life, you can expect about 10 hours depending on your use, and a charge that takes about two hours to get to full. Keep in mind Apple switched to USB-C charging, and this iPad does not support wireless charging. Since this is not the cellular version, you'll be limited to wifi signal. You can get the Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard if you want to complete the set, but of course, they're not necessary.

If you're not going to be doing heavy work, the iPad Air will do just fine. But if you're looking for the best tablet to perform professional tasks, the iPad Pro M4 is at a great price right now.

How to Try DeepSeek AI (and Why You Might Not Want To)

It seems every tech company on the planet has something AI-related to tout these days, but to most people, I'd wager "AI" is synonymous with ChatGPT. Sure, plenty of other AI platforms are out there, from Google Gemini, to Microsoft Copilot, to Apple Intelligence, but ChatGPT holds the enviable position of both having been the "first" to the generative AI boom, and having kept the crown in the years since. At least, that was the case—but now, a Chinese startup is threatening to take that crown for itself.

That company is DeepSeek, a name you're likely familiar with if you have been following AI news. Like ChatGPT's OpenAI, DeepSeek develops generative AI models. The company's latest, R1, rolled out on Jan. 20, and made headlines for two key reasons: The model performs as well (if not a bit better) than OpenAI's o1 model, and it does so while requiring far fewer resources.

R1's power and efficiency were great enough to make an impact on the stock market, as shares of companies that are heavily invested in AI, including Nvidia, Alphabet (Google's parent company), Meta, and Oracle tumbled in the wake of news about DeepSeek's latest rollout. (These stocks have largely bumped back up since.) The general public is taking note too: As of this article, DeepSeek is the number one free app in both the iOS and Android app stores—ChatGPT is number two on iOS, and number eight on Android.

Long-story short, DeepSeek is the latest ChatGPT competitor to enter the AI race. Trying it out isn't complicated (if you can even access it), but, on the flip side, there are reasons you might not want to.

How to try DeepSeek

DeepSeek is currently available as an app on iOS or Android, or available on the web. Unfortunately, accessing the service is currently somewhat difficult.

Using the app, you can try signing up for an account, either by providing an email or phone number and a password, or connecting your Google or Apple account. But you likely won't have a ton of success doing so, unless you're persistent. I wasn't able to make an account the first time I tried, nor could I access the model on the website. After some time passed, the app finally let me in, but I still can't get the web version to do so. Perhaps once the hype dies down a bit, it'll be easier to access. But for the moment, good luck.

Once you are in, you'll find the chatbot is quite similar to other generative AI bots you have tried. You can write out prompts for DeepSeek to answer, upload images and documents for analysis, or share a live camera feed. Like o1, DeepSeek has a reasoning model (DeepThink) that "thinks" through questions and prompts in an effort to provide more detailed and accurate results. You can also search the web, if you choose.

DeepSeek may censor more topics than other bots

However, where DeepSeek differs is in the content it censors from users. Like other chatbots, DeepThink shouldn't return results for prompts it considers inappropriate, offensive, or dangerous. However, since DeepSeek is a Chinese-based company, its chatbot censors any result that, “incites to subvert state power and overthrow the socialist system,” or “endangers national security and interests and damages the national image," as reported by The Guardian. As such, ask it about information regarding the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, or why Xi Jinping is often compared to Winnie the Pooh, and you'll get back, "Sorry, that's beyond my current scope. Let's talk about something else."

The Guardian found that the bot will sometimes respond with answers to potentially controversial questions. When asked whether Taiwan was a country or not, DeepSeek did answer, albeit with an response that would likely be endorsed by the Chinese government. Notably, though, the outlet also found that while other chatbots offer fuller or more nuanced responses to these questions, they weren't always forthcoming either: Gemini, for instance, also refused to answer certain questions, so it's not like American-based chatbots are free from this type of censorship.

When I asked DeepSeek about the marginalized Uyghur people of China, the chatbot started to generate a full report, before deleting it and replacing it with the same error message. (The Chinese government has been accused of human-right violations and even genocide of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang.) The Guardian found similar "glitches" when testing these types of prompts with DeepSeek. It does seem like there are workarounds that trick the model into generating uncensored responses, although you might have to deal with some unconventional text formatting.

In general, don't expect to see DeepSeek results that might piss off the Chinese government. Other than that, it's basically ChatGPT.

Why you might not want to try DeepSeek (it's a privacy nightmare)

It's no secret that tech companies scrape a lot of our data in exchange for using their products, but that usually doesn't deter users from downloading interesting new apps. But DeepSeek is a little more aggressive with its data collection policies than most.

Taking a look at DeepSeek's privacy policy, you see some of the usual suspects: The company collects the information you provide when setting up an account, like date of birth, username, email address, phone number, even your password. It also collects information as you use the app, including what device you're using, which OS it's running, your IP address, system language, and general diagnostic information. Third-parties can share information they've collected about you with DeepSeek, so they know more about you as you use their service. They also employ cookies to track your activity, but you can disable this tracking in settings.

DeepSeek users a keylogger

From here, it's important to know that DeepSeek is collecting everything you do with the AI model. All text inputs, audio inputs, prompts, files, feedback, or any other way you interact with the model are saved by the company. Again, this isn't necessarily unique—you shouldn't share any confidential or private information with any AI bot—but if you're not comfortable with a company storing documents or recordings of your voice, think twice about what you share with DeepSeek.

It's not awesome for DeepSeek to collect some of these data points, but they are far from the only company to do so. However, they push beyond the norm: Not only will DeepSeek collect any text you send its model, it tracks your keystroke patterns or rhythms as well. That means any time you interact with your keyboard while using DeepSeek, the company is analyzing both what you type, as well as how you type. Yikes.

DeepSeek stores your data in China

Also concerning is how DeepSeek stores the data it collects. Per the privacy policy, DeepSeek stores all information in servers in China, which was part of the reasoning behind the U.S. government's push to ban TikTok. There is also no time limit on how long DeepSeek keeps your data, other than "as long as necessary." This is also how Meta handles user data, but other companies have time limits: OpenAI has a similar clause about keeping data for as long as necessary, but says temporary chats are deleted from servers after 30 days. Meanwhile, Google says it'll keep data for up to three years.

It's no secret that big tech is rarely privacy friendly, and AI is no exception. Even in those terms, however,DeepSeek is not a fantastic option for the privacy-minded. If you want to try it while preserving some privacy, I recommend signing in with Apple, which lets you hide your real email address from the company. If you don't have an Apple account, you could use an email platform like Proton or DuckDuckGo that offer similar shielding services. Just remember that even if DeepSeek can't see your email, it's still paying attention to how you type.

Five Reasons Your Fridge Might Be Leaking (and How to Fix It)

If you’ve noticed water dripping from or pooling under your fridge, there's no need to panic (right away). There are some basic troubleshooting steps you can take to diagnose the problem, and you might even be able to fix it yourself. If your fridge is leaking, here are five problems to check for before calling a professional–and how to fix them before your trickle becomes a flood.

Damaged door seal

Your refrigerators has a big, rubberized gasket that seals the outer edges of the door and maintains the proper moisture inside the fridge. If it's dirty, cracked, or damaged, it can allow air to flow between the interior and exterior of the fridge, causing water to condense in the area. You can usually remove the old gasket with a Phillips head screwdriver or a hex wrench. Check online with the model number of your fridge for a compatible replacement gasket. You can install the new one by inserting it into the slot in the edge of the door and replacing the hardware that holds it on.

Cracked drip pan

In some cases, a cracked drip pan can be the culprit. You can check the drip pan by removing the front grill of the fridge at the bottom, usually by either unclipping or unscrewing it. The drip pan will be under the fridge, behind the grill, and will be able to slide out once the grill is free. If your drip pan is cracked, you should use your model number to look up the appropriate replacement part for your fridge, and then you can slide the replacement in and replace the grill.

Clogged ice dispenser

If your ice dispenser is leaking, there's probably ice lodged in the chute; that ice will melt over time and slowly drip. If the chute is really jammed up, future ice will also become lodged inside, causing the appearance of a leak. To fix it, allow the clogged shoot to thaw for a few hours before trying to use it again. If there’s no ice in the chute, you should look for problems with the water line.

Worn out water lines

Sometimes, your fridge's water lines can get damaged, or just wear out over time. The first step to address this problem is to look over the hoses on the back of the fridge to see if there are any visible kinks or cracks in them. Check near the valves as well to see if the connectors are snug. If you find damaged hoses or valves, you can find replacement parts for most systems online or at a hardware store. To avoid an even bigger leak, turn the water off before removing damaged tubing or undoing kinks in the line. Make sure to measure the length of hose you need to allow for adequate length when installing—and always check your connections before turning the water back on.

Ice on defrost drain

Sometimes, ice can build up in the defrost drain of your fridge, causing moisture to find another exit. Look for the defrost drain in the bottom of your freezer toward the back to see if there’s an ice blockage. If that’s the case, you can unclog it using a mixture of two cups of hot water and two tablespoons of baking soda. Use a turkey baster to squirt your drain cleaner into the drain at the back of your appliance, and you should see the ice melt away pretty quickly.

All the Ways to File Your Taxes for Free in 2025

Tax season is now open, and the last thing you want to do is pay money to, well, prepare your return and pay your taxes by April 15. Thankfully, more taxpayers are eligible to file their taxes for free this year thanks to the expansion of the IRS' new Direct File program alongside its long-standing (but income-capped) Free File partnerships.

Here are all the ways to file your taxes for free in 2025.

IRS Free File

IRS Free File is one of several free filing options provided by the IRS. With Free File, you complete your tax return using guided software via a partner site, which then e-files it with the IRS. Most commonly used federal tax forms and schedules are available through Free File. However, your adjusted gross income must have been $84,000 or less in 2024 to be eligible for this option.

If you do qualify for Free File, go directly through the IRS website—you'll see a list of trusted third-party preparers with their eligibility criteria, or you can use the guided tool to find the best option for your situation. Note that some IRS partners will also file your state return for free, while others charge an additional fee.

IRS Direct File

The IRS piloted a new free tax filing option last year, and that program is now more widely available for completing your 2024 return. Direct File is a guided software program offered by the IRS (rather than through a third-party preparer), and unlike Free File, it does not have any income limits.

However, to use Direct File this tax season, you must have lived and worked in one of the following 25 states for all of 2024:

• Alaska

• Arizona

• California

• Connecticut

• Florida

• Idaho

• Illinois

• Kansas

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Nevada

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• North Carolina

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Washington state

• Wisconsin

• Wyoming

If your state is listed, be sure to check the specific residency and filing requirements.

Direct File has a few other limitations: It only accepts a handful of income, credit, and deduction types, so if you report business or rental income, itemize your deductions, or have a more complex tax situation, you won't be able to use the program. Direct File also does not include state filing—it will prompt you to a different tax prep tool once you complete your federal return.

You can get started with Direct File on the IRS website by logging in with your ID.me account (or creating one if you don't have one already). This year, the IRS will also import your tax information to autofill your W-2 and other forms.

Other ways to file your taxes for free

If you make too much for IRS Free File and live in one of the 25 states not covered by Direct File, you may still be able to file your taxes for free.

• Free Fillable Forms: This option is just like it sounds. You enter your information into the IRS' fillable forms using the provided instructions and file the return yourself. There are no income limits for Free Fillable Forms, but it does have limited guidance, and state returns are not included. You will still need to create a Free File account.

• Commercial tax software: If your taxes are relatively simple, you can go through tax preparation companies like TurboTax and H&R Block without paying any fees. Cash App Taxes is another free option. Note that these companies also have paid services, so make sure you understand what you are signing up for.

• Volunteer tax prep help: The IRS offers free tax prep support for eligible taxpayers through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs. Taxpayers who make less than $67,000 per year, who have disabilities, or who have limited English proficiency qualify for VITA, while TCE supports those who are age 60 and older. Enter your zip code into the locator tool to find volunteer tax prep options in your area.

• MilTax: MilTax offers free tax preparation and filing for eligible military members, including up to three state returns.

Apple Might Release a Powerful New iPhone SE This Year

Thinking about getting a new iPhone? You certainly have options: Apple's latest generation of smartphones, the iPhone 16 series, offers four different models, each with their own plusses and minuses. If you're not set on having the latest and greatest, you could consider last year's iPhone 15, or even 2022's iPhone 14. They're all great.

However, there's one iPhone that stands out from the rest: the iPhone SE. Unlike every other iPhone Apple currently sells, this one has a Home button. In fact, the phone looks nearly identical to the iPhone 8 Apple released back in 2017, which itself borrows the design from 2014's iPhone 6. That means it has a smaller, lower quality display than many might be used to these days, a single camera that isn't as capable as newer iPhones, and poor battery life for its size. In short, the current SE is a bit of a black sheep, and is probably not the iPhone I'd recommend you buy in 2024—even if it only costs $429.

That price is the main selling point of the SE brand, especially when this particular model launched back in 2022. Apple takes the design from the last generation (in this case, the iPhone 8 style), packs a modern chip inside, and slashes the MSRP. In effect, you get an iPhone that can keep up with the performance of the flagship Apple phones, but at half the cost, if not more. Sure, the cameras aren't as good, and the device looks a bit dated, but again, you get a lot of iPhone for the price.

To be frank, if you're eyeing a mid-range device at a good price, I wouldn't recommend buying an iPhone at all right now. But if you can wait until spring, Apple might just have exactly what you're looking for in a brand-new SE (which, according to rumors, might even have a different name).

2025 could be the year of the SE

As reported by MacRumors, analysts have confirmed Apple is working on a fourth-generation iPhone SE. The only "confirmed" spec from this report is an Apple-made 5G modem. If true, it would be the first iPhone with a non-Qualcomm 5G modem, but it's not clear whether that would mean any performance gains or other positive changes for customers. Analysts say the SE is set to launch at the end of Q1 2025, which might track with a rumored March announcement. Apple unveiled the SE 3 in March 2022, so it'd be consistent.

According to the rumors, we'll see an iPhone SE 4 (or whatever it releases as) with some decent specs. MacRumors says the new SE could have a 6.1-inch OLED display with Face ID, an upgraded A-series chip (though it's not certain which chip Apple would use), USB-C, a 48 MP rear camera, 8GB of RAM, and this new 5G modem. That extra RAM would allow the SE 4 to run Apple Intelligence, which is obviously important to Apple, but perhaps not to anyone who has already turned it off.

If those features come to pass, this would be quite the upgrade over the current iPhone SE. The SE 3 is rocking a 4.7-inch 750p LCD, a much smaller and lower resolution display than what's rumored. It also uses the A15 Bionic chip, which is still powerful enough in 2024 (it's the same chip used in the iPhone 14), has a Lightning port, a 12 MP rear camera, 4GB of RAM, and, of course, a Qualcomm 5G modem.

The SE always borrows from the previous generation of iPhone, and right now, that's likely the iPhone 14. Based on these rumors, the new SE would have some edge over the iPhone 14: The 14 has 12 MP rear cameras, 6GB of RAM, a Lightning port, and doesn't support Apple Intelligence, all of which the rumored SE improves upon. And while the 14's A15 Bionic chip is plenty powerful for iOS 18, the SE 4 will undoubtedly come with a newer A-series chip. The A15 was the newest iPhone chip at the time when the SE 3 came out: If Apple continues the trend, the SE 4 could get the iPhone 16's A18 chip. Even the 15 Pro's A17 chip would be quite the upgrade.

There's also a potential name change in store for the iPhone SE 4, as noted leaker Majin Bu (don't you have Saiyans to fight?) has said Apple is considering naming it the iPhone 16E, pushing it as a budget version of its most recent model rather than a separate line altogether. Bu's report follows a similar statement from popular Chinese account Fixed Focus Digital.

What would a new iPhone SE look like?

Aside from the internals, leakers have also now gotten their hands on supposed dummy units of the iPhone SE 4. As expected, these look a lot like the iPhone 14, but with two noticeable changes.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The biggest changes here, at least according to a video from also coming from Majin Bu, are the swap to a USB-C port and the move to a single camera lens. The former is necessary for the phone to be sold in the EU and constitutes a modest upgrade over the 14, while the latter is likely a cost-cutting measure, but could still be considered an upgrade if the single lens is more powerful than the prior dual lenses, as rumored. Notably, while the move to a single camera lens is a change from the iPhone 14, the current iPhone SE also only uses a single camera lens, and it does provide for a less noticeable camera bump.

Over the old SE, the Home button is also now gone, and noticeably, a notch is here in place of the Dynamic Island Apple made standard on all new iPhones starting with the iPhone 15. That's not wholly a surprise, given the base iPhone 14 had a notch too, but anyone who was hoping Apple would leave notches entirely in the past after the iPhone 15 announcement will likely need to wait for the SE 5 (or whatever it's called) to see that wish come true.

Bu isn't the first leaker to come forward with an iPhone SE 4 dummy, although their post is certainly clearer than prior looks, especially regarding the notch.

Will Apple keep the price low?

Of course, the value of a rumored SE all hinges on the price. Ideally, Apple would keep the same $429 price point for the SE 4—which, itself, was a hike from the $399 starting price for past SE models. These rumors point to a excellent all-around iPhone that omits certain modern or "Pro" features like a Camera button, Action button, zoom lens, titanium build, 120Hz ProMotion display, Always-On display, Dynamic Island, and a brightness maximum of 2,000 nits. Hopefully, scrapping these features most users don't want or need can motivate Apple to price the SE accordingly. As of this writing, rumors don't suggest what Apple will do, one way or another.

At the end of the day, most people looking to buy an iPhone want something that can handle iMessage and FaceTime, run their favorite apps, and take great photos and videos. The SE traditionally handles these tasks without issue, so if the fourth-generation iPhone SE does indeed deliver on these rumors, and is priced appropriately, it might be the best iPhone for most of us.