Samsung Galaxy Phones Have a Secret Wifi Menu Packed With Useful Options

Having spent more than two decades writing about gadgets and tech in general, it's not often that I come across a feature that I've never seen or heard of before—but Samsung has surprised me. It turns out the device maker has hidden a rather useful wifi menu in its One UI software that gives you a whole bunch of useful options. It's definitely new to me, and it might be new to you, too.

I'm indebted to the fine folks at Android Authority for spotting it; they, in turn, discovered it via a thread on Reddit, which embedded a TikTok video.The feature is called Connectivity Labs, and it seems to have been added at some point in 2023. You'll find it under the Intelligent Wi-Fi settings that Samsung makes available for the networks you connect to.

How to enable Connectivity Labs

Here's how to enable it: Open Settings on your Galaxy phone, then tap Connections > Wi-Fi. Tap the three dots up in the top right corner, then choose Intelligent Wi-Fi. You'll see some handy options here for switching wifi networks, connecting to hotspots, detecting suspicious networks, and prioritizing real time data.

The Connectivity Labs screen is packed with options. Credit: Lifehacker

To find the hidden menu, you need to tap Intelligent Wi-Fi at the bottom of the screen seven times to enable Connectivity Labs (when you get close, you'll see a message telling you that the feature is about to be enabled). That then gives you an extra Connectivity Labs menu option on this screen. The menu button describes the feature as being "for internal test purposes."

What you can do with Connectivity Labs

Tab Connectivity Labs and you'll first see a stack of statistics about your phone's wifi connection over the last week, including how much data you've used, how much time you've been connected, and even which wifi bands and standards you've been using (this can help you make sure you're getting full use of your new Wi-Fi 7 tri-band router).

Further down you'll find a range of options and toggle switches. One setting of note is Switching to mobile data faster, which should mean your phone is quicker to ditch a shaky wifi network for cellular data, and may be preferable if you've got an unlimited data plan for your handset.

Then there's Auto reconnect to carrier Wi-Fi, which apparently fully automates the process of connecting to public wifi spots provided by your carrier. Whether you want this to happen or not is really going to be down to personal preference and how you want your phone to work, but it's helpful to have the option.

Tap Customize Wi-Fi list settings and you're able to make improvements to the list of available wifi networks you see on your phone. You can change the signal strength threshold that determines whether or not a wifi network is shown as available, for example, and set up more filters to control which networks you see (maybe you only want to see secured, 5 GHz networks, for example).

You can check the strength of the wifi around your home. Credit: Lifehacker

Choose Wi-Fi developer options for even more stats, including a Nearby Wi-Fi information screen that ranks the networks around you based on the quality of their signal strength, from worst to best. This can be useful for troubleshooting problems and for making sure devices are connected to the network with the best signal.

Speaking of checking signal strength, if you open the Home Wi-Fi inspection option from the Connectivity Labs page, you get taken step by step through the process of seeing how good the wifi is at various points around your home. You pick the network you want to analyze, then wander around with your phone to check its strength at various points. Again, it's handy for figuring out why your laptop might be losing connection in the bedroom, or finding the best spot to install your new security camera.

Taken together, all of the tools in Connectivity Labs are so useful, it's something of a surprise that Samsung has placed them in a hidden menu you can't see by default. I'mglad to have discovered it.

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I Tried Five VR Meditation Apps, and One Was Clearly the Best

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There are a surprising number of meditation apps available in virtual reality, and I am their target demographic. I want to make progress down the Noble Eightfold Path, and/or experience the reduction in stress and other benefits that come from meditation. On the other hand, I find meditation tedious, and I think I can get the same relaxation benefits from sitting in a dark room and listening to Hawkwind anyway. But maybe VR is the answer? I checked out a bunch of VR meditation apps to see whether they might be helpful, and rated each on a scale from 1 (wandering ego trapped in the prison of the self) to 5 (liberation from the cycle of suffering and rebirth).

First, an expert weighs in

I know a lot about VR, but less about meditation, so I talked it out with Shawna Thibodeau, a meditation teacher and spiritual mentor. She explained that there are different schools of meditation, and her description of "concentrative meditation" sounds a lot like what the VR experiences I've tried are going for. "With concentrative meditation, we're focusing our attention on what's called an anchor, like the breath," Thibodeau said. "When you focus your attention on something other than your thoughts, you start to gain awareness into your thoughts. And then, with every time that you come back to your anchor, you're training your mind to come into the present moment."

But there's a strong obstacle between the VR meditation applications I've seen and most traditional forms of meditation: visuals. If you're starting transcendental meditation, say, step 2 (right after "sit in a comfortable position") is "close your eyes." But Reality doesn't Virtual with your eyes closed. According to Thibodeau, visualization/manifestation meditations might be better suited to the virtual world:

"What we're doing there is shifting the state of energy that we're sitting in...the state of energy we're sitting in actually influences reality," Thibodeau explained. "If you're sitting in a state of abundance or expansion, that energy will start to influence your outer reality, and you can actually see changes in your outer world. Synchronicities can come to you, new opportunities, and your life can actually start to shift in a really interesting and kind of magical way."

I asked Thibodeau to visualize a VR meditation app that used that kind of practice, and she said: "There'd have to be a visual that basically helps you get into that elevated state, right? So I don't know, maybe they could show you like winning the lottery, and then it prompts you to be like, 'how does this make you feel? Get into that state.'"

Leaving aside the efficacy of meditating for manifestation, it does seem better suited to the virtual world than traditional meditation, but it also seems like virtual reality (and video games) already put people in a state where they are fully engrossed in an experience they presumably want to manifest: most video games are power fantasies. Whether that power manifests in the real world is a bigger question.

Tripp

Tripp might be the most well-known of the relaxation/meditation platforms in VR. It encompasses a ton of experiences designed to get users to practice mindfulness, improve focus, or enter a state of “calm,” There are guided meditations, visual breathing trainers, psychedelic “focus journeys,” and trippy abstract visuals that pulse and swirl, all wrapped in a new-age-meets-techbro aesthetic that's heavy on implied drugs. Some of the experiences are directly inspired by psychedelic experiences—there's a series called "Machine Elves" that is clearly based on DMT visuals, and the app itself nods toward that vibe in its marketing, with references to “inner space,” “expanded states,” and “digital psychedelics.” A lot of people love Tripp, but it felt overwhelming to me. The sessions were slick, but it left me “zen-adjacent” at best. It's meant to be calming, but it amplified my inner critic. It's like taking drugs without feeling like you're taking drugs, if that makes sense. It's pricey too: Monthly subscriptions are $9.99.

Best for: psychedelic seekers who are afraid to drop acid

Enlighten-o-meter score: 2.5 out of 5

Meditate

Credit: Stephen Johnson - Guided Meditation VR

In contrast to Tripp and in keeping with its no-nonsense title, Meditate doesn't offer a ton of gimmicks. It features five 10-minute "experiences" designed to deliver mental clarity, calm the mind, and "renew your body through healing sound frequencies." In practice, this involves a soothing voice telling you to chill and just sit there, droning "music" (I really can't stand the music that is synonymous with spiritually colored relaxation) and graphics of caves, volcanoes, and other natural things that look like they're out of Minecraft. It's relaxing, I guess, but mostly because "relaxing" and "boring" are practically roommates. But, hey, it's only $1.99, so you can try it out fairly cheaply.

Best for: budget-conscious newbs

Enlighten-o-meter score: 2 out of 5

Liminal

Liminal is way more ambitious than Meditate and features graphics that are fully Xbox360-level. It offers a ton of different interactive and non-interactive VR "experiences" grouped into rough categories. It seems like "awe" and "energy" are the most popular and feature some cool tech demos/mini-games, but I was interested in "calm," where the meditative mini-games are. The ones I tried weren't particularly groundbreaking. One was supposed to hypnotize me, but didn't. The other featured that droney "spiritual" music and a reverb-drenched woman's voice telling me to breathe more slowly while I looked at digital birds.

Best for: gamers who want to kind of relax

Enlighten-o-meter score: 3 out of 5 (but mostly for the non-meditation experiences)

Flowborne VR - Biofeedback Breathing Meditation

If you've ever tried to meditate and didn't know if you were breathing from your belly or not, this app will give you the answer! You "play" Flowborne VR by resting a controller on your gut. It tracks how far your belly expands and contracts as you breathe. Deeper breaths from the diaphragm make you move faster through semi-abstract landscapes. In other words, this app gives you a way to track how well you're breathing, and a reason to concentrate on it. Finally I can be the best at breathing! Personally, I don't like thinking about my breathing because it feels like another damn thing i have to worry about, but if breathwork is your thing, and you want to get better at it, this app would do it.

Best for: breathwork nerds

Enlighten-o-meter score: 3 out of 5

Pillow

Pillow doesn't make lofty claims about consciousness-raising, mindfulness, or serenity, but I found it to be a more calming and meaningful experience than any other meditation app I tried. Pillow is played lying on your back in bed, already a more relaxing experience than other apps. Among its five mini-games (called "dreams") is "the Meditator," the best meditation app I tried overall. It uses the same controller-as-breath-monitor as Flowborne VR, but the soundtrack features chill little indie loops instead of weird drones. So much better. Another standout from Pillow: "The Fisherman," an experience that lets you reel in virtual fish from your ceiling. Each fish contains the recorded voice of another user of Pillow answering a question like "What would you most like to do in your life?" or "What moment would you like to relive?" I found that connecting with the thoughts of a fellow human while drifting off to sleep to be way more meaningful/spiritual than being told to stare at outdated graphics and imagine connectedness. It's show, instead of tell, and $9.99 is a small price to pay for such a strangely beautiful experience.

Best for: chill weirdos and insomniacs

Enlighten-o-meter score: 4 out of 5

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How to Broil in Your Oven (Without Ruining Your Food)

Growing up, I loved cooking but I fully avoided the broiler. I’m not sure why, but maybe because my mom never used it or perhaps I just wasn't sure what it was. The entire time, I was wondering how to get a crispy, browned surface on my mac and cheese and toast my breadcrumb-topped casseroles. How did chefs do it?

It turns out, the broiler is exactly the handy tool you need to finish off dishes to crispy, melty, browned perfection, and it’s likely been in your kitchen this entire time. 

Check to see where your broiler lives

The first time I tried to broil, I was an adult and in my first apartment. I had seen enough Food Network to know I was capable of doing it. Emboldened, I set up my casserole in the oven and bravely clicked “broil.” I eagerly awaited crispy edges and bubbly cheese, but nothing happened. The oven actually didn’t feel very hot at all. The only thing that I got was a harsh smell. 

I tried a few more times after that and the same thing happened. The oven was working—I could hear it—but no bubbles and only a nasty smell. Maybe I had been right about broiling the whole time. It's not so great. I gave up. A year later I was moving out and I had to pack up my kitchen pans. I opened the lower storage drawer of the oven and observed a collection of warped, discolored pans. That particular oven had a lower drawer broiler and I was storing pans in there.

The broiler might be inside the main oven cavity, where just the top heating element will fire up. It could be in a lower drawer, in which case the oven's lower heating element will activate but the food goes underneath. (Do not store pots and pans in this area if that’s the case.) Some ovens might have a separate mini oven where you can put food for broiling. I always think of the old Rachel Ray show where her broiler was a hinged trap door she would throw toast in. Before you click any buttons, find out where your broiler lives.

What is broiling?

The broiler function in your oven activates a single, upper (in relationship to the food) heating element that gets turned up to a scorching hot temperature, usually around 500°F. Your job is to put the food item right underneath, or at least close. It’s meant to quickly heat only the top of the food, so the rest of the dish or item needs to be cooked through beforehand. It’s hot and it’s fast. And if it’s not happening fast (like within two to five minutes) then you might need to locate your broiler or the positioning is off.

When you should consider broiling

Broiling only heats from the top, so you’ll use your broiler for crisping any surface that’s facing upward. Broiling is excellent for casseroles that you want to crisp on top. It’s also great for finishing off thick steaks to get some color, oven grilling, fish, or even making broiler s'mores. It uses very high heat, so you probably wouldn’t use the broiler for anything you’ve cooked in a delicate fashion, like custard. However, if you topped said custard with sugar and you want to broil the top for crème brûlée, this could be the perfect usage. Just keep a very close eye on the caramelizing sugar, and how close you put the custard to the heating element, as this Reddit user discovered. 

How to use the broiler

Activating the broiler is simple. Your oven likely has a single button or switch that says “broil.” It has a set temperature so you don’t need to do anything besides press that button and it’ll automatically begin. My oven has a hi-lo option, so I can press it twice for a lower temperature broil. You may need to press the start button, depending on your oven. 

Where you place the food under the broiler is a slightly more nuanced decision. Place it too close and you can burn the food; too far away and the browning will take much longer and you risk overcooking the dish through to the center. When I was first trying out the broiler, the latter was my problem. I ended up overcooking and drying out my mac and cheese because I was trying to broil the top, but it was too far away. 

I recommend placing the surface of the item about five inches from the broiler element. Then you can assess how it’s going. Browning should occur within three minutes. It is seriously fast. So if you’re not pleased with how it’s going, you may want to move the oven rack up one notch to get the item closer. You can also slide an overturned baking pan under the dish to lift it up an inch. 

Best practices for broiling

Be aware of the dish you're using under the broiler. Coated or non-stick cookware can be damaged, so be sure to use casserole dishes that can stand up to broiling (ceramic, tempered glass, or borosilicate), cast iron skillets, or stainless steel frying pans that are oven-safe.

Make sure you set a timer for broiling. Three to five minutes is usually sufficient, and you’d be surprised how easy it is to forget about it for 10 minutes. The aroma of scorched food is loved by none. With that in mind, you’re ready to broil. 

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This Waterproof Sony Portable Speaker Is at Its Lowest Price Right Now

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The Sony ULT Field 1 is the most compact speaker in the brand's ULT lineup, easy to throw in a bag or strap to your bike for on-the-go listening. It’s also down to $88 right now—its lowest price yet, according to price trackers, making it a much more budget-friendly option than usual (it typically goes for $129.99).

At just 1.4 pounds, with a rcarry strap and IP67 water- and dust-proofing, it’s built for the outdoors. While it won’t win any awards for deep bass, the angled mono drivers and passive radiators do a surprisingly solid job of filling small spaces with crisp audio. It has a control panel with buttons for power, Bluetooth pairing, volume, play, and the ULT bass boost button on top, so you can manage controls directly from the speaker rather than relying on an app. The play button also handles calls and lets you skip tracks.

That ULT button is Sony’s take on bass boost, and it’s the main tool for coaxing more punch out of this compact unit. The effect is noticeable but it comes at a cost to battery life. This PCMag review notes that the estimated 12 hours at moderate volume without the ULT effect drops sharply to about 3 hours if you’re blasting it at max volume with the boost turned on. On the plus side, it supports Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint pairing, Google Fast Pair, and works with AAC and SBC codecs. You can also link two units together for stereo playback.

The companion app is a bit limited, offering only basic EQ tweaks and a few power settings. But for casual use outdoors or around the house, this little speaker covers the essentials for under $90.

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You Can Finally Change the Snooze Duration in iOS 26

The iPhone’s Clock app is one of the slowest moving apps on iPhone. It gets less love and attention than even the Phone app. While there are many novel and interesting alarm apps out there, Apple’s default offering remains quite basic and un-customizable.

With iOS 26, Apple is bringing customization to one much requested feature. You can now finally get out of snooze jail. Until now, the snooze duration for alarms was set to nine minutes, and you couldn't adjust it. It was either nine minutes or nothing.

I, personally, like to snooze in five-minute increments. So, I got around this by setting six different alarms, all at five-minute intervals, to help me get up in the morning. But now, I can finally put this chaos aside.

Snooze as you wish

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

In iOS 26, which is currently out in developer beta (and will soon be out as a public beta preview), you can now set the snooze duration to last anywhere between one minute (if you want to really annoy yourself), and 15 minutes (if time is merely a philosophical construct for you). Finally, I can set my snooze to that five minute sweet spot.

Sadly, these changes are on a per-alarm basis, so you’ll have to customize your snooze every time you set a new alarm. Hopefully, though, I won’t have to set nearly as many alarms now as I did before.

To customize your snooze duration in iOS 26, open the Clock app, go to the Alarms tab, and tap the Plus icon to create a new alarm. Or, you can tap on an alarm you already have.

Then, tap the Snooze Duration option and choose any duration between one and 15 minutes. Tap the Done checkmark at the top to save the new alarm.

The next time the alarm goes off, you’ll see a new alarm screen, with two equally big, beautiful buttons for snooze and stop. In previous versions of the app, you’d only see a snooze button in the middle, and a small Stop button below.

And hey, if you’re a bit hardcore, like my colleague Pranay, you can also disable the Snooze button altogether.

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This Microsoft Surface Pro Bundle Is at Its Lowest Price Ever Right Now

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If you're looking to upgrade your everyday computer setup, this Surface Pro bundle on Amazon might actually be worth your attention. For $946.99 (the lowest price it’s hit so far, according to price trackers), you get the latest 12-inch Surface Pro Copilot+ PC (2025 model) with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage—plus the Surface Pro Keyboard with Slim Pen 2 and a full year of Microsoft 365 Personal. Buying each piece on its own would run you nearly $1,150, so this bundle saves you over $200. More importantly, it saves you the hassle of piecing things together later when you realize your “deal” didn’t include a keyboard or the software you need to get anything done.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12" Copilot+ PC (2025), 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD | Keyboard + Slim Pen 2, Microsoft 365 Personal | 3-in-1 Bundle

$946.99 at Amazon

$1,149.97 Save $202.98

$946.99 at Amazon

$1,149.97 Save $202.98

The Surface Pro itself is a versatile machine that works as a laptop when you need it and a tablet when you don’t. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chip and runs Windows 11 with Microsoft’s Copilot+ features built in, which puts AI-assisted tools front and center for everyday use. If you're curious about where Microsoft is going with AI, this is the machine to try. The 12.3-inch PixelSense display is vibrant, and battery life holds up well for a day of remote work, meetings, or creative tasks. The included keyboard snaps on securely and makes typing feel comfortable, while the Slim Pen 2 works well for note-taking or sketching, and charges while docked in the keyboard, so it’s always ready.

The bonus year of Microsoft 365 Personal adds even more value (you don’t need to budget separately for Office apps or cloud storage), especially if you’re already paying for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneDrive separately. Between that and the improved Copilot features coming to Windows 11, this bundle is basically ready to go out of the box. It won’t be for everyone—if you need heavy-duty gaming or full-on video editing, you’ll want a different machine—but for students, hybrid workers, or anyone who likes the flexibility of a tablet/laptop combo, this is one of the most cost-effective Surface Pro bundles we’ve seen so far.

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What's New on Netflix in July 2025

Netflix's July lineup includes Happy Gilmore 2 (July 25), a much-anticipated sequel with Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald reprising their roles as Happy and Shooter McGavin, respectively. The film, set 30 years after the original, sees Happy Gilmore's return to golf to pay for his daughter's ballet school. The list of cameos by pro golfers and other stars in sports and music is long.

Less comedy, more drama is Untamed (July 17), a limited mystery thriller series featuring Eric Bana as a special agent for the National Parks Service as he hunts for a killer in Yosemite National Park. Sam Neill also stars.

Netflix has a long list of documentaries premiering in July, including Apocalypse in the Tropics (July 14), which explores the role of evangelical Christianity on far-right politics in Brasil, including the rise of president Jair Bolsonaro. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in August 2024 and was directed by Petra Costa, who also created the highly acclaimed The Edge of Democracy.

July also brings two new reality series: All The Sharks (July 4), is a six-episode competition in which four teams race to photograph the most sharks and shark habitats, while Building The Band (July 9) brings 50 singers together to form musical groups without ever seeing each other.

Netflix is also dropping five installments of Trainwreck, its anthology docu-series covering major news events gone wrong. This month's stories include the rise and fall of fashion brand American Apparel (The Cult of American Apparel, July 1), the viral 2008 Project X party (The Real Project X, July 8), the 2009 balloon boy hoax (Balloon Boy, July 15), the P.I. moms scandal (P.I. Moms, July 22), and the viral storming of Nevada's Area 51 (Storm Area 51, July 29).

On the sports side, docu-series Tour de France: Unchained (July 2) and Quarterback (July 8) return, alongside the new WWE: Unreal (July 29)—WWE Raw and other WWE content is now exclusive to Netflix. The platform will also host a live boxing match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano on July 11, streaming from Madison Square Garden.

Here's everything coming to Netflix in July, and everything that's leaving.

What's coming to Netflix in July 2025

Available July 1

• Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers—Netflix Documentary

• Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel—Netflix Documentary

• 17 Again

• Annie (1982)

• Blow

• Born on the Fourth of July

• Captain Phillips

• The Deer Hunter

• Friday Night Lights

• Here Comes the Boom

• The Hitman’s Bodyguard

• The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

• Horrible Bosses

• The Karate Kid

• The Karate Kid

• The Karate Kid Part II

• The Karate Kid Part III

• Mission: Impossible

• Mission: Impossible II

• Mission: Impossible III

• Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

• Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

• Mom: Seasons 1-8

• The Notebook

• Pacific Rim

• PAW Patrol Seasons 2-3

• Portlandia: Seasons 1-8

• The Sweetest Thing

• Tangerine

• V for Vendetta

• White Chicks

• Yellowjackets: Season 2

• Zathura: A Space Adventure

Available July 2

• The Old Guard 2—Netflix Film

• Tour de France: Unchained: Season 3—Netflix Documentary

Available July 3

• Countdown: Taylor vs. Serrano—Netflix Sports Series

• Mr. Robot: Seasons 1-4

• The Sandman: Season 2 Volume 1—Netflix Series

Available July 4

• All the Sharks—Netflix Documentary

Available July 5

• The Summer Hikaru Died—Netflix Anime

Available July 8

• A Star Is Born (2018)

• Better Late Than Single—Netflix Series

• Nate Jackson: Super Funny—Netflix Comedy Special

• Quarterback: Season 2—Netflix Sports Series

• Sullivan's Crossing: Seasons 1-2

• Trainwreck: The Real Project X—Netflix Documentary

Available July 9

• Building The Band—Netflix Series

• The Gringo Hunters—Netflix Series

• Mad Max: Fury Road

• Under a Dark Sun—Netflix Series

• Ziam—Netflix Film

Available July 10

• 7 Bears—Netflix Family

• Brick—Netflix Film

• Leviathan—Netflix Anime

• Off Road—Netflix Series

• Sneaky Pete: Seasons 1-3

• Too Much—Netflix Series

Available July 11

• Aap Jaisa Koi—Netflix Film

• Almost Cops—Netflix Film

• Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3—Netflix Live Event

• Tyler Perry's Madea's Destination Wedding—Netflix Film

Available July 14

• Apocalypse in the Tropics—Netflix Documentary

• SAKAMOTO DAYS: Season 1 Part 2—Netflix Anime

Available July 15

• Entitled: Season 1

• Jaws

• Jaws 2

• Jaws 3

• Jaws: The Revenge

• Trainwreck: Balloon Boy—Netflix Documentary

Available July 16

• Amy Bradley Is Missing—Netflix Documentary

• Mamma Mia!

• Wanted

Available July 17

• Catalog—Netflix Series

• Community Squad: Season 2—Netflix Series

• UNTAMED—Netflix Series

Available July 18

• Almost Family—Netflix Film

• Delirium—Netflix Series

• I’m Still a Superstar—Netflix Documentary

• Superstar—Netflix Series

• Vir Das: Fool Volume—Netflix Comedy Special

• Wall to Wall—Netflix Film

Available July 19

• Eight for Silver

Available July 21

• The Hunting Wives: Season 1

• The Steve Harvey Show: Seasons 1-6

Available July 22

• Trainwreck: P.I. Moms—Netflix Documentary

Available July 23

• Critical: Between Life and Death—Netflix Documentary

• Hightown: Seasons 1-3

• House of Lies: Seasons 1-5

• Letters From The Past—Netflix Series

Available July 24

• A Normal Woman—Netflix Film

• Hitmakers—Netflix Series

• My Melody & Kuromi—Netflix Anime

• The Sandman: Season 2 Volume 2—Netflix Series

Available July 25

• Happy Gilmore 2—Netflix Film

• Trigger—Netflix Series

• The Winning Try—Netflix Series

Available July 28

• The Lazarus Project: Seasons 1-2

Available July 29

• Dusty Slay: Wet Heat—Netflix Comedy Special

• Trainwreck: Storm Area 51—Netflix Documentary

• WWE: Unreal—Netflix Sports Series

Available July 30

• Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes—Netflix Documentary

• Unspeakable Sins—Netflix Series

Available July 31

• An Honest Life—Netflix Film

• Glass Heart—Netflix Series

• Leanne—Netflix Series

• Marked—Netflix Series

• The Sandman: Season 2: Special Episode—Netflix Series

What's leaving Netflix in July 2025

Leaving July 1

• 13 Going on 30

• 28 Days

• 3 Ninjas: Kick Back

• Annabelle

• Colombiana

• Constantine

• Couples Retreat

• Crazy, Stupid, Love.

• Do the Right Thing

• Draft Day

• Dune: Part Two

• Friends with Money

• Geostorm

• Get Him to the Greek

• Hotel Transylvania

• Hotel Transylvania 2

• I Know What You Did Last Summer

• Loudermilk: Seasons 1-3

• The Net

• The Nun

• Obsessed

• Ocean's Eleven

• Ocean's Thirteen

• Ocean's Twelve

• Resident Evil: Retribution

• Runaway Jury

• Sicario: Day of the Soldado

• Sisters

• Twilight

• The Twilight Saga: New Moon

• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1

• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2

• The Wonder Years: Seasons 1-2

Leaving July 3

• Insecure: Seasons 1-5

Leaving July 4

• 80 for Brady

Leaving July 5

• The Addams Family

Leaving July 8

• This Is Us: Seasons 1-6

Leaving July 13

• Life or Something Like It

Leaving July 15

• Barbie

Leaving July 16

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Leaving July 22

• Call My Agent!: Seasons 1-4

Leaving July 25

• Scream VI

Leaving July 26

• Wynonna Earp: Seasons 1-4

Leaving July 28

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Leaving July 30

• The Kingdom

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Eight Issues to Negotiate With Your New Neighbors As Soon As You Move In

Most of us get along just fine with our neighbors—sometimes we even become friends. But even if you’re friendly with the people on your block, in your cul de sac, or across the hall, you can still run into disputes with them, and those disputes can turn ugly.

That’s why it’s a good idea to do some negotiating the moment you move into your new place. By addressing potential issues right away, you can avoid any future awkwardness.

Parking

Iif you’re like most people in this country, you rely on your vehicle to get to and from work, to buy groceries—to do almost anything outside of your immediate area.

If you’re going to be relying on street parking, the time to address that need is immediately. Find out how much parking is generally available, and how people approach disputes over sloppy parking that eliminates valuable spaces, "saving" spots with chairs or other items, and those neighbors who seem to think the spot in front of their house is somehow theirs by right. Once you know the traditions and the existing treaties that neighbors have negotiated around parking, you can broach any special needs you might have, like a large truck that’s going to eat up extra space, or a family member who needs easy access to the vehicle due to mobility issues.

If your new home comes with a driveway, you might think you’re in the clear—until a neighbor parks in your driveway because they assume you only need to access it at certain times, or just because it suits them. Bringing up the subject and noting that you need the driveway clear at all times can prevent that moment when you want to drive somewhere but first have to hunt down a neighbor to get their car moved.

Sleep schedules

Not everyone sleeps on the same—or even compatible—schedules. If you work night shifts, or have a routine that includes very early mornings or very late nights, it’s a good idea to let your neighbors know as soon as possible. A little warning that—despite your best efforts—you might make some noise in the wee hours when you go to work, or that you sleep during the day and would appreciate some peace and quiet, can lead to a healthy conversation and an arrangement that avoids future arguments.

Fencing and trespassing

Whether it’s the maintenance of a shared fence, a garden that creeps over the official property line, or tree branches that overhang your roof, it’s a good idea to note potential boundary issues as soon as you move in. If nothing else, you’ll know right away whether your neighbor is going to be reasonable about these issues or if you need to prepare for battle. And if you plan to have any work done to the property that might require an easement or access to your neighbor’s property—even if you don’t plan to start work for a long time—negotiating that access as a general principle can save you trouble when the time comes.

Another boundary issue that’s worth raising: trespassing. The word sounds dire, but any time someone traverses your property without explicit permission, it’s trespassing. That includes the neighbor who finds it easier to cut through your yard than to go around, the neighbor’s kids who use your yard as an extension of theirs, or the "helpful" guy who mows your lawn the way he likes it. It’s your property, and you have every right to allow folks to use it—or not. And the same goes for your neighbor. Having a conversation about what you’re both comfortable with is a great way to keep the peace for as long as you live there.

Pets

Pets bring a lot of joy to people’s lives, but they can be terrible neighbors—they live their lives blissfully ignorant of property law and the rules of polite society. So if you’re bringing a pet into the neighborhood or moving into a spot heavily populated by animal companions, negotiating what’s okay and what’s not okay is a must.

This can also include letting your neighbors know important things about your pets. For example, if you have an inside-only cat, you can ask your neighbor to always let you know if they see it outdoors. Or if your dog has anxiety around strangers, you can warn them not to let their kids get too close.

Shared walls

If you share walls with your neighbors, you might want to go beyond a casual negotiation on moving day and suggest a more formal party wall agreement. Shared walls can be problematic—damage affects both parties, maintenance should be shared, and what you do on your side of the wall will almost certainly be audible on the other side.

Outdoor lights

Outdoor lights in a yard or on a balcony or deck can be delightful—unless it’s three in the morning and the lights are aimed directly into your bedroom window. Neighbors don’t always think about the fact that outdoor lights are often left on all the time, especially now that so many are solar-powered. Asking your neighbors about the placement and operation of your outdoor lights offers the chance to then politely request that your neighbors put their lights on a timer, or orient them so they’re not aimed directly at your house.

Security cameras

Security cameras can help you feel safe in your new home—but the best time to negotiate privacy issues with your neighbors is right away. You don’t want to break any laws when setting up your cameras, of course, and you also have no interest in making your neighbors feel like they’re being watched. But not everyone thinks carefully about how they arrange security cameras, so it’s worth checking out how your neighbors have handled this so you can politely ask for adjustments. Working together to negotiate what is and isn’t on camera will enhance your security—because you’ll have built trust and shared interests with your neighbors—and avoid awkward moments.

Renovations

If you bought your new place with the intention of doing a gut renovation, you know you’ll be the most hated person in your neighborhood pretty much the moment the chaos begins. Anticipating and negotiating aspects of the renovation is a very good idea. If your neighbors understand the scope of the project, they’ll be much less likely to complain and throw up roadblocks. Some aspects of a renovation that you should discuss ahead of time include:

• Contractor parking needs (especially if they’re going to be eating up multiple spaces, or blocking roads and driveways)

• Noise and schedules—your neighbors may have important events coming up, like work meetings or interviews, that would benefit from a break in the endless hammering and sawing

• Property access, especially if there are areas of your property that can only be accessed via a neighbor’s property

You should also ask your neighbors if they have specific concerns. For example, if you’re going to be tearing up your yard, a neighbor might worry about their trees or plantings being affected. Negotiating how you’ll safeguard those areas ahead of time will make everything go a lot more smoothly.

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My Four Favorite Android 16 Features That Haven't Launched Yet

Earlier this month, Google announced the launch of Android 16, available first on Pixel devices. If you've got a Pixel 6 or a Pixel 6 Pro (launched in 2021) or a later device, you should already have the software update.

What you won't have, however, are many of the new features that Google has been promoting with this Android upgrade—an upgrade that feels like a placeholder for what's coming later in the year. If you're rebooting your phone after installing Android 16 and looking around to see what's new, you might be disappointed.

There are a couple of bits of relevant context: First, Android 16 was launched much earlier in the year (June) than Android 15 (October), most probably to get well ahead of the Google Pixel 10 launch. It looks as though most of the major Android 16 updates will arrive around September or October.

Second, these major Android releases are, now more than ever, mainly for Pixel phones. Every Android phone maker puts its own spin on the Android code Google provides, and may not support every feature—or add extra features Google hasn't got around to. Samsung's One UI 8, based on Android 16, is the best example.

Further adding to the confusion are the additional Pixel Drops that Google regularly pushes out for its own phones and tablets. The most recent one arrived at the same time as Android 16, and brought with it features such as Pixel VIPs, for giving selected contacts a higher priority on your device.

So, while Android 16 doesn't bring much that's new to my Pixel phone right now, there's plenty still on the way: Here are four key upgrades I'm looking forward to.

Material 3 Expressive

Material 3 Expressive is quite a departure in terms of visuals. Credit: Google

Google has already told us about the big design revamp that's coming to Android 16, throwing around phrases like "emotional impact" and "more engaging" and "makes you feel something"—which in reality means more color, more curves, and screens that don't look quite as spartan as they do in Android 15.

From the screenshots Google has shared, it looks good, but I haven't even seen it appear in Google's own apps or the Android settings menus yet (that's due in September, as per an Android Authority source). After that, third-party developers will push their own updates out, so it's going to take a while for everything to be Material 3 Expressive-ized.

Live Updates

How Live Updates will work, eventually. Credit: Google

Android can already show real time information like timers and Uber estimates in persistent notifications, but Live Updates on Android 16 will make these notifications much more prominent, detailed, and interactive—a lot like Live Activities on iOS. Samsung is already ahead on this, with the Now Bar available in One UI 7.

However, I haven't seen a single app take advantage of Live Updates so far. It seems Android 16 is only laying the groundwork for the feature, and it's now over to app developers to get it implemented—something I expect will happen gradually over the coming months.

A full desktop mode

The new desktop mode is live now for tablets. Credit: Google

Android 16 is much more capable on bigger screens, with better management of window resizing and grouping, so it's more desktop-like. This is an upgrade that is actually live now, but only for Android tablets—you're not going to be able to use it yet on an external monitor connected to your Pixel phone.

We know from the Android 16 betas and Google I/O 2025 that the phone functionality support is on the way—so you'll be able to use your phone in desktop mode when connected to a monitor—but it's not here yet. This is another area where Samsung is already ahead, with its Samsung DeX tool.

Notification stacking

How notification groups are going to look. Credit: Google

The final announced-but-not-yet-live Android 16 feature is notification stacking, or "forced notification auto-grouping," as it's officially described. "Your notifications will automatically be grouped together to keep things looking tight and organized," says Google in the Android 16 announcement blog post.

Here, too, I'm still waiting. Android actually already does a decent job of grouping together notifications from the same app, so I'm not exactly sure what's going to be different, but based from the limited number of screenshots that have been shared, it looks as though the grouping will be more compact and easier to manage.

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The Best Deals You Can Get on Streaming Services Right Now

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Streaming services have basically come full circle: What started as a cheap alternative to cable TV has become an expensive monthly cost in its own right, as price hikes and crackdowns on password sharing have made subscribing to multiple streaming services just as expensive, if not more so, than some conventional cable plans.

Luckily, there are often discounts, deals, and loopholes to exploit that can make streaming more affordable—and sometimes even free.

This month's best streaming deals

Two of the better streaming deals right now come bundled with services you might already be paying for. Instacart+ members can get a year of Peacock Premium at no extra cost, while DoorDash users with a DashPass Annual Plan can get a year of Max (with ads) included. Both are solid offers if you already use either platform—and worth checking out before you pay separately for another subscription.

Here are the best of the rest of the streaming deals right now:

Amazon Prime Video

Home to buzzy originals like "The Boys," "Reacher," and "Fallout," plus a deep movie catalog.

• You can try a 30-day free trial.

• You can get a free Amazon Prime membership when you sign up for Metro by T-Mobile’s Flex Unlimited Plus plan.

• Prime Video is also available on its own for $8.99 a month, so if you’re only in it for the shows and movies, you can skip the full Prime membership and save yourself six bucks a month.

• Check out what's new on Prime Video this month, as well as the best Prime Video Original movies to watch.

AMC+

Your go-to for "The Walking Dead" universe, "Interview with the Vampire," and prestige dramas.

• You can try AMC+ for $5 for the first month (regular price is $9.99/month) through Sling TV (scroll down to see the deal). You do not need to have a Sling plan to get this deal.

• If you do sign up for a Sling subscription, you’ll get your first month of AMC+ for free.

• You can also try a seven-day free trial.

• Get 30 days of AMC+ free (ad-free plan) with code AMC30FT2—valid only for new Monthly or Annual Ad-Free subscriptions via amcplus.com.

• You can get an annual subscription to ad-free AMC+ through Verizon's +play for $83.88 (saves you $3 per month).

• You can bundle AMC+ with STARZ on Prime Video for $13.99 (saves $6.99/month).

Apple TV+

Critically acclaimed originals like Ted Lasso and Severance.

• You can get a seven-day free trial of Apple TV+.

• You can get a free subscription if you’re a T-Mobile customer with their Experience Plans.

• Verizon’s One Unlimited for iPhone plan gives you an Apple TV+ subscription through its Apple One bundle.

• You get three months of free Apple TV+ when you buy an Apple product.

• Use this link to get three months of Apple TV+ free (for new or eligible returning subscribers). Offer valid through July 31, 2025.

• If that doesn’t work, try this link to get one month free—valid through Jan 7, 2026.

• You can get Apple Music for just $5.99/month with a student discount—and it comes with free access to Apple TV+.

• Check out the best original series from Apple TV.

The Criterion Channel

A haven for arthouse, international, and classic cinema.

• This arthouse streamer is the best service for true movie buffs, and you can sign up for a free trial before being charged the $99.99 annual fee (which already represents a savings over the $10.99 cost of a monthly plan).

Curiosity Stream

 A niche option for fans of science, history, tech, and real-world storytelling.

• Save $32 when you sign up for a Standard Curiosity Stream annual plan, and $71 when you sign up for the Smart Bundle annual plan.

• New users can also score $250 off a lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream’s Standard plan.

DirecTV Stream

Best if you still want a traditional channel lineup plus access to streamers like Max and STARZ.

• You can get two years of Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, Starz, MGM+, and Cinemax with the purchase of the Premier package starting at $124.99 per month (it saves $10 per month, or $240 over two years).

• Or you can try a five-day free DirecTV Stream trial.

• You can also unlock 105+ free live channels just by signing up for MyFree DirecTV with your email and downloading the app.

Discovery+

 For reality TV and docu-series fans.

• You can subscribe to Discovery+ ($9.99/month) as an add-on through Sling TV—no base plan required.

• If you bundle it with Sling Blue or Sling Orange, you’ll get the first month free.

• Or you can also get Discovery+ free for six months with select Verizon Unlimited plans—then you’ll have to pay $6.99/month after the trial ends.

• There's also a seven-day free trial if you just want to test it out.

Disney+

 Everything from Marvel to Mickey Mouse.

• You can get the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle with ads for $16.99 (a 43% discount off its original 29.97/mo price)

• Or you can get the IFTTT

You Can Get Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 for $150 Off Right Now

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The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is Samsung’s latest take on the foldable phone, and right now, the 256GB unlocked version is available for $949.99 on Amazon. That’s a $150 drop from its usual $1,099 list price. It’s still a premium phone, no doubt, but for anyone curious about foldables—or already sold on the style—this is one of the more polished versions we’ve seen so far. It keeps the same compact clamshell design while improving on durability, battery life, and AI-driven features. For more folding phone options, PCMag has a solid roundup worth browsing. And if you’re open to all kinds of Android phones, our 2025 guide to the best ones on the market is a great place to start.

The phone folds in half to a satisfyingly slim square, which makes it feel less bulky in a pocket or bag than most modern flagships. The 6.7-inch inner screen is bright, sharp, and smooth with its 120Hz refresh rate. What’s new here is the hinge—it’s sturdier than previous generations and rated IP48 for dust and water resistance, which is a meaningful step up. Inside, you get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, 12GB of RAM, and a 4,000mAh battery, all of which translate into noticeably smoother performance and longer uptime compared to the last-gen Z Flip 5. This PCMag review notes that it lasted over 16 hours in their video rundown test.

There are still trade-offs. The crease in the middle is visible—less distracting than before, but it’s there. The outer display is handy for quick interactions and widgets, but is still too cramped for typing or anything beyond glancing at a message. And if photography is your top priority, the dual 12MP cameras do a good job, but they don’t quite match up to what you’d get on Samsung’s Ultra line. That said, the Flip 6 adds some fun AI tricks, like real-time translation during calls and the ability to auto-frame your selfies when using the hands-free mode. If you're considering alternatives, you might want to check out the 2024 Motorola Razr+, currently discounted to $799 from its usual price of $999.

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