Taking a solo staycation the perfect time to unplug and relax, or try out that new thing you keep talking about – here’s our rundown of the best ways to get the most out of your staycation. Staycations often take place somewhere locally like a hotel, campsite, or holiday apartment - it’s the perfect way to take a break without all the travel and expense of a regular holiday. So why should you take a solo staycation? There are plenty of reasons: • Unplug and take a well-earned break. • Save cash by keeping travel costs down. • It’s a great opportunity to learn more about where you live. So with all that in mind, let’s run through or tips for getting the most out of your solo staycation: 1. Treat yourself to a pamper day Have you been wanting to check out that new spa that opened up down the road, or soothe your aches with a relaxing massage? Now’s your chance. What about a beauty treatment? There are plenty of apps to help out, like Urban, PRIV, or Zeel which lets you book p

It’s no secret that joining a gym is such a popular resolution every new year. Though the festive feasting and relaxation are always a yearly highlight, the time comes when you’ve got to regain that motivation and strive for a healthy body and mind.It doesn’t have to mean running straight to your local gym on January 2nd and signing up for super-duper deluxe membership. There are plenty of things you can do to look after your health! Here are a few ideas that we’ve found incredibly useful for health and fitness goals… Keep an eye on your food intakeLooking at your diet is the best place to start when planning for your health. And no, we don’t mean cutting out everything you love and sticking exclusively to salads indefinitely. What we mean is, everything in moderation!When you track what you eat and plan your meals in advance, you can plan a more effective workout routine – but more on that later. Here are a couple of apps we think are perfect for recording what you eat: See How You Ea

Narrowly missed out on our amazing Black Friday offers and feeling a touch of FOMO? Relax! We think everyone should be able to get an incredible value deal here at iD, so our deals don’t end in November. That’s right, we’re treating everyone to epic deals for the festive season, too.Let’s get started with our Christmas SIM Only offers. As you probably know by now, we’re all about ‘no fluff, just the good stuff’ at iD Mobile. That means features you’ll love, like Data Rollover and Bill Capping, a Help and Support area where you can find the answers you need, and amazing value.Well, this month, we’re throwing in a Christmas gift too. Throughout December, we’ll give you a Currys gift card worth up to £50 when you buy a selected 12 or 24-month SIM Only plan. Starting at £10 a month for 12 months, you’ll get 20GB data, unlimited minutes, and a £25 gift card to spend on the tech you love. And it doesn’t stop there – here’s our pick of the best SIM Only deals this month:  Contract length

Great gifts and amazing food aside, there’s one reason that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and that’s the quality time we spend with family and friends. It’s a chance to unplug from the world and make brilliant memories with those nearest and dearest to us.Not every family’s Christmas Day follows the exact same traditions. Some are ready to break out the board games as soon as the Christmas pudding’s finished, others like to fire up the Nintendo Switch for a Mario Kart grand prix, while others love a festive movie before moving on to swapping gifts. If you’re stuck for things to watch or play together as a family, read on! Bring out the board games!If there’s one time of year you can convince everyone to get involved, it’s Christmas. Sure, we might end up flinging board pieces at each other in frustration, but we'll all be closer for it in the end. Here are a mix of games that can be played offline (i.e on a board) and on your phone, together.Of course, offline gamin

We’ve all done it. A great new phone comes out that ticks every box, and boom! You’ve bought it and you’re upgrading. You back up all your files and apps, pop the SIM out of your old phone and into the new and that’s it. You’re all moved over and ready to crack on with your new, next-gen smartphone. But what are you going to do with your old phone?Whether you want to make a gift of it to a family member or mate, sell it, donate it to charity or keep putting it to good use, there’s always a better option than simply ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Here are just a few of them: Give it as a gift!We all know the latest smartphones are getting better and better, but phones from just a few years ago still work perfectly well in today’s 5G focused world.Think about the flagship phones that launched just two years ago: iPhone 11, Samsung Galaxy S10, Google Pixel 4, Oneplus 7 - these are all still brilliant phones, even now. If your old phone is still as snappy as ever, why not give it to that mat

In need of some Christmas pressie inspo? It can be pretty tricky nailing the perfect gift for all the special people in your life! Whether they’re really into their phones, gaming, fitness,, or a mix of everything, Christmas present planning can turn into something of a project. But when you get it right, there’s no better feeling than the gift of giving.Here are some ideas we think will make their Christmas… Gifts for phone loversAre they thinking about getting a new phone? Here’s our pick of the smartphones that’ll put a smile on their face: For flagship fans - Google Pixel 6There’s so much to love about the Google Pixel 6, but nothing more than the reimagined camera system. Pixel phones are known for having impressive cameras, and this is without doubt the best yet. So, if that friend or relative is into their Insta, you can’t go wrong with this phone.We love the anti-blurring editing feature. If they happen to capture a dud photo where someone’s face is blurred, the clever editing

 Who doesn’t love a great deal? It doesn’t matter if you’re after a couple of seats on a plane somewhere exotic, a new big TV, or an amazing phone offer, the best time to treat yourself is Black Friday. And while the first two may not be in our wheelhouse, our Black Friday event this year has some fantastic phone offers you really won’t want to miss.Whether you’ve got your smartphone all sorted, or you’ve completed your contract and you’re still happy with the phone you’ve got, now’s the time to find the perfect SIM Only deal for you. All the data you could want, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts, all for an incredible price.With our 1-month SIM Only deals this Black Friday, you can save up to £5 on selected plans! Get 16GB of data for just £8 or go bigger at 40GB for only £10. If you’re after something more long term, we’ll give you unlimited data, as in as much as you can use, for only £16 a month on 12 and 24-month SIM Only plans.So, if you’re ready to change up your plan and fi

Our Black Friday Event 2021Planning to get your hands on a brand-new phone or treat yourself to a new SIM deal in the lead-up to Christmas this year? iD Mobile is the place for it!Our Black Friday event is already well and truly under way and features some incredible deals you won’t want to miss. You can save up to £72 when you go for unlimited data with the cutting-edge iPhone 13, or go pro with the Motorola Edge 20 Pro or OPPO Find X3 Pro and get a massive £170 on a 24-month plan. And that’s just for starters.Our Black Friday Event Competition!But it’s not just about amazing deals. At iD, we want to get your festive season off to a flying start, so we’re launching a fantastic prize draw competition to help you kickstart Christmas in style. Here’s how it works…Anyone who purchases a new pay monthly plan between Saturday 20th and Friday 26th November, will get the opportunity to enter our prize draw competition. Once you’ve made your purchase and moved onto the order confirmation page,

We’ve reached 50,000 members!The iD Mobile Community has reached a big milestone this month. That’s right! From humble beginnings, this brilliant Community has grown to a whopping 50,000 members. Wow! We couldn’t be happier to see so many people join. So, from all of us here at iD, to all of our members and iD Superheroes, thank you for making the Community the epic place it is.It’s been a massive year for the Community. Since August 2020, we’ve doubled in size, and that means more iD members making the most of the knowledge on offer in our Help Articles, and learning from our awesome Legend rank holders. Not to mention, all our other smart cookies and helpful newcomers on their journey to Superhero status, sharing their own questions, tips, and help and support. You’ve all made the Community an awesome place to be. The Stats…Thousands of topics have been created in the past year alone, along with around 5,000 positive content helpfulness votes and 3,300 likes for helpful replies. In t

If you’re in the market for a new Android phone that can do it all, you’re in great hands with iD Mobile. Smartphones are getting better and better all the time, so choosing the right one for you can be tricky. Here’s our pick of the Android phones we love, to make that all-important decision a little easier.  Samsung Galaxy S21 5GThe Galaxy S21 5G has three rear cameras (with a big 64MP Telephoto Camera leading the way) and a huge 30x Space Zoom – which makes for some amazing close ups. It can even record in incredibly high res 8K at 24 fps, and you can pick out high resolution stills as crystal-clear, in-the-moment photos. It’s a content creator’s dream.Everything you do on the S21, from general browsing to multiplayer online gaming, feels super-smooth. That fantastic 6.2-inch AMOLED display supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, so every tap, swipe and press feels really responsive. And it adapts to your activity, so you can rely on the battery to keep going.Packed with an octa-core proces

Android: What’s new?Coming to the end of your phone contract and ready for something new? You’re in the right place. Since the last time you treated yourself to a new device, smartphones have got better…a lot better. These days, you can find a great smartphone to suit any budget. Here are a few of our favourites, and how they shape up against the smartphones of yesteryear. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G One of the biggest developments to reshape the smartphone world recently is the introduction of speedy 5G. While it was an exclusive feature for the most premium phones only two years ago, we’re starting to see it introduced in mid-range handsets like the Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G. And it’s a hugely welcome addition.That’s not the only thing that’s new, though. If you’re moving on from the A52s 5G’s predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy A51, you’ll notice plenty more technological leaps. Like the display, for instance. They both have a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen, but this time around, Samsung have dou

‘Tis the season for new smartphone launches, where the biggest brands in the smartphone world unveil their latest innovations. September saw Apple unveil their game-changing iPhone 13 range, and now the titans of Android, Google, have launched their two best smartphones yet. We’re talking about the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro.There’s been a lot of hype about these phones over the past few months in the run-up to their release. That’s partially because they’re the first smartphones to feature Google’s own custom-made processor, but there are plenty of other reasons to love these smartphones.Let’s take a closer look: How do they look?See for yourself! The latest phones in the Google Pixel family sport a radically different look to their predecessors. We love the unique ‘bar’ style camera module at the top, and the two-tone design above and below it is a real point of difference.Elsewhere, the selfie camera moves on both phones to the top centre, and both the front and back are protected

Looking to upgrade to a shiny new iPhone? iD Mobile has got you covered. We’ve got the latest and greatest iPhones, with everything that makes the Apple experience so good – all new iOS 15 software, effortless style, and cameras that set the standard. And you’re bound to find a top deal that works for you, right here. Let’s take a closer look at the line-up: iPhone SE: The SE delivers the best of the iPhone experience to suit any budget. It has the same processor that’s used in the iPhone 11, and a more-than-capable 12MP camera that’ll shoot instantly shareable 4K footage. That’s impressive.With a 4.7-inch screen, it’s the smallest iPhone available right now. But with a Retina HD display, the iPhone SE still delivers bundles of clarity and colour, and the handset feels super comfy and natural to use single-handed.Elsewhere, the SE can run intensive AR apps and offers 13 hours of video playback time. Plus, with up to 256 GB storage, you can download as much as you like.Discover the iPho

Stay toasty warm this winter with some of our favourite tech to beat the cold. We’ve gathered together a handful of handy apps and accessories to help you beat the winter weather this year. Weather apps It’s happened to all of us... you wake up, look outside and it’s a beautiful clear morning. So you leave the brolly and winter waterproofs at home, only for things to take a turn for the worst when you leave work. If only you’d checked before you left home! It’s hardly surprising to discover that there are loads of useful weather apps to help you stay prepared for an unexpected downpour. Here are a few of our favourites: Accuweather (iOS and Android) – It looks great and packed with loads of helpful features. Get alerts for rain, snow or ice and get minute-by-minute weather updates. Weather Channel (iOS and Android) – You’ll see weather forecasts up to 15 days in advance, get storm alerts and safety tips, and see it all on a map of your area. BBC Weather (iOS and Andro

Meet the newest and most refined iPhone operating system yet…Even if you’ve got an iPhone and you’re not in the market for a new device, there’s still a big reason to love Apple phone launches, and that reason is a new OS. Whenever Apple launch a new flagship, you can be sure that a cutting-edge software release will come with it, and this year was no different. Along with the launch of the iPhone 13 family, iOS 15 went live to the world on September 20th, and it really builds on the best bits of the iPhone experience. At first glance, you’ll see a few subtle stylistic upgrades and refinements, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find nifty new features that are bound to make your phone feel smoother.Here are six new iOS features we’re loving right now: Don’t like your tab bar at the bottom of Safari? Change it!Tab bars at the bottom of your browser have always been a bit of a crowd divider. For many iPhone users, the update to iOS 15 has moved the address bar on Safari from the

Google’s operating system just got a big refresh. Here are the new features we’re loving right now…It’s always exciting when you get that alert on your phone to say there’s a big new software update available, and Google’s latest OS release is no different. Android 12 brings some fantastic new features to Android phones, including better privacy and security, a fresh-looking interface and the most in-depth drop-down Quick Settings we’ve seen yet.Whether you’ve got an Android phone that’s around two years old, or you’ve just bought a new Android phone that ships with Android 11, you can expect to get that update ping real soon. In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at the finer points of Android 12: It’s a widget wizard!We all love widgets. They make your home screen personal with info that’s tailored and relevant to you. And with Android 12, they’re clearer to navigate.Widgets are now divided into the apps they belong to, and it should tell you how many widgets are available. It’ll

Find out if your smartphone is beach-ready in this jargon-busting guide… Planning to relax to podcasts by the poolside on holiday, link up with friends at a festival or watch a movie whilst relaxing in the bath? Then you’ll be needing your phone by your side. But before you bring your trusty smartphone with you on your adventures or near water, you should know if it’s as ready as you are to take on the elements. And if not, how can you protect it?We’ve put together this handy guide to explain everything about waterproof phones, from IP ratings to a list of the most water-tight phones around right now. First thing’s first, let’s see just how waterproof your phone really is… How can I find out if my phone is waterproof?To find out how resistant your phone is to water, you need to know your phone’s IP rating. What’s that?An IP rating is essentially a two-digit number that tells you how good your phone is at keeping out dust particles and water. The first number refers to solid particles l

Every year brings a new iPhone line-up and with them, new innovations that make the experience that much better. Whether it’s ground-breaking smartphone camera tech like Cinematic Mode, ever-smarter AI or an all-new, intuitive iOS operating system, the latest iPhones can do things that simply weren’t possible even just a few years ago. So, how does iD Mobile’s current iPhone line-up compare to previous generations? iPhone SE:The 2020 iPhone SE is a more entry level offering from Apple among the current range, but nonetheless a great way to get the best of the iPhone experience.The difference between the SE and the iPhone 6, for instance, is night and day. It’ll offer 5 hours longer battery life and has a higher 12MP camera that captures 4K 60 fps footage. But the biggest development is power. The A13 Bionic chip that powers the iPhone SE performs tasks 4 times faster than the iPhone 6’s A8. That’s a big plus for things like web browsing and opening apps.Amongst all the hardware advance

To celebrate reaching 50,000 Community members we’re giving away five £50 Currys gift cards! To enter the competition, read the article below and follow the instructions to enter. Good luck! 

Is your phone no longer new, looking a bit meh, running slowly or running out of space? Then fret no more!We’re giving you a chance to win the incredible OPPO Find X3 Neo thanks to our friends at OPPO. To bag yourself this incredible prize, click ‘here’ and scroll down until you reach the ‘Competition Time’ section. Read the entry requirements and enter! It’s that simple! Who will it be this time? Good luck ;) Alternatively, you can also click the article below and scroll to the ‘Competition’ section :) 

Whether you’ve just got a shiny new iPhone (congrats!) or have been attached to your trusty old one for years, here are some of our favourite hacks and tips to help you get the most from it… 1. Charge faster in airplane mode Let’s start with a great little tip to make sure your battery charges fast when you really need it. Simply switch on airplane mode, and your iPhone will gain juice much faster. Okay, so you won't be able to make calls or use the internet in airplane mode – but think of all that lovely battery life! 2. Shake your iPhone to undo that thing you didn’t mean to type If you're sending someone a message - or writing a cool Insta caption - and you've just changed your mind about what you've written, just give your iPhone a shake and it’ll ask you if you want to undo. No more tapping the backspace button a million times now! 3. Hold down the camera button and go into burst mode To make sure you capture that moment perfectly, you might want to take loads of pics at the s

Here’s everything you need to know when buying a phone for a senior…Over the past decade, the number of people using smartphones has grown a serious amount. From 2012 to 2020, the percentage of over 65s using a smartphone grew from just 3% to a big 65%, and it’s set to grow further.It’s easy to see why. Smartphones let seniors connect with their friends and loved ones, not just by calls and messages but by video calls and emails, too. It’s all there in one place. There’s also health monitoring apps, the web, their favourite radio station, and much more. Smartphones give everyone the confidence to live independently.Although, not every smartphone is meant for all ages. Some of the more premium phones are made from smooth glass which can be slippery. Others can prove trickier than expected upon setup, and some are more user friendly than others. So, what should you look out for? Easy to use software:Smartphones feel more intuitive than ever before, but that doesn’t mean they’re all equal

We love when iD members really get a feel for the Community and use their charm, knowledge and skills to strike up conversations and help others. Loads of you are getting involved, and as a result, the iD Community is only getting better, stronger and more knowledgeable.That’s down to you guys.We’ve been blown away by your commitment to the Community cause recently, and there are three iD Community superheroes that have got stuck into a ton of great chats, helped members find their way, and seriously showcased their knowhow by resolving other members questions.Of course, we’re talking about @Gregor , @terrywebbs  and @WelshPaul!You guys have been super busy. Over 20 badges earned between you for your expertise, and over 1,500 replies to topics between all three of you since you all joined the iD Community. That’s incredible by itself; but, there’s only one person who can be at the top of the leaderboard.So, who is it? Drum roll please… Congratulations @Gregor ! You’re currently top of

Picture the scene: it’s a beautiful day and you decide to head into the city to capture some fantastic photography and footage of the sights, architecture and passers-by. They all look great – bundles of detail, lighting just right. So, you decide to share a few of the best clips and shots with mates over on the group chat. And that’s when it starts to go a little wrong. How?Simple. Messaging apps like WhatsApp compress the files you send to make quicker to send, quicker to download, and smaller to store. When you send files to friends on WhatsApp, they need to download them to view them. Once you accumulate a few of these files, they start to take up quite a bit of space. Higher res photos and footage take up even more. So, in terms of sending files, chat apps like WhatsApp are better for instant sharing than they are for quality.But if you’re anything like us, you’ll want to show off your creativity in the exact quality you shot it in. After all, you’ve got a phone with a camera that

 Download the NHS Track & Trace app – Competition Heading out?Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer! Lockdown restrictions are gradually easing, and many of us are venturing further from our homes than we have over the past year – but let’s not blow it now!We’re not fully back to ‘normal’ just yet, but we’re able to go out for food and drinks with 6 mates, work out at the gym, get stuck into a blockbuster at the cinema, even attend football matches. Loads of things we’ve sorely missed. NHS Track & Trace App:However, Covid-19 may be around in one form or another a little longer, and things are still a bit different. Head out of your front door and wherever you go, a facemask and anti-bac are as necessary as your phone, cash and house key. But there’s another essential that’ll give you piece of mind, and help protect you and others from Coronavirus at this late stage. We’re talking about the NHS Track & Trace app.We’ve spoken about the Track & Trac