It’s holiday time! And if you’re preparing to fly out somewhere hot and sunny (just like here in the UK!), you’ll want to make sure your phone can stand up to inadvertent beachside or poolside splashes. First thing’s first. Don’t go in the water with your phone. Even if it says it’s water-resistant, is it really worth it? I mean, there’s a lot of salt in seawater, and your phone won’t like that – just like it wouldn’t like any corrosive substance. Ditto the pool - lots of chemicals in there, which will help keep your pool clean, but not so good for phones. But if you can’t go in the pool with a water-resistant phone, what’s the point – and what does water-resistant mean? Is your phone even water-resistant at all? Read on for the answers. Is my phone water-resistant? To find out how water-resistant your phone is, you’ll need to know its IP rating – a two-digit number, the first referring to its ability to withstand solid particles (dust etc), the second referring to moisture and wa

Love them or hate them, emojis are as much a part of lives as actual smiling, pizza or cats crying with laughter. But if you thought emojis were all pretty self-explanatory, think again (shocked face). Word on the street is that people are giving new meaning to their most loved icons - creating a secret emoji language that lets you take chat between you and your contacts to a whole new personalised level. It’s time to lift the lid on this secret emoji language. Pure cheese If someone sent you an emoji of a pizza or a wedge of cheese, your initial thoughts might be that they’re treating themselves to a Dominos – wrong! In fact, these emojis mean ‘I love you’. Bit cheesy, right? While we’re on matters of heart, the cute octopus emoji means ‘cuddles’, with the more cryptic balloon followed by a teddy bear meaning ‘I’m thinking of you but don’t have the words to say it’. But the ultimate display of affection seems to be the penguin emoji – they mate for life you know. T

If your phone has a problem, it’s tempting to ignore it. But that’s not always wise, because relatively minor issues can be caused by something much more serious lurking behind the scenes. Here are some of the most common phone problems you definitely shouldn’t be ignoring. If you can’t fix them yourself, you can pop into Carphone Warehouse and take advantage of their Free Health Check – even if you didn’t buy your phone from them. More details at the bottom of this article. Your battery life is getting worse Smartphone batteries get worse as they get older. If your phone’s a few years old, it’s just not going to last as long as the day it came fresh out of the box. That’s life, we’re afraid. But if your phone’s really bad at holding its charge, or if it seems to have gotten worse all of a sudden, you should get it seen to. Your battery could be about to fail, you could have a rogue app sucking up all your precious power, or something could be wrong with your charging port or

You’ll have heard of YouTube. But you may not be aware of YouTube Music. Well, it’s the new music streaming service to rival Spotify – with the added benefit of being able to show videos. But is it really a threat to Spotify? Let’s explore further what YouTube Music has to offer. What is YouTube Music? It’s an app that makes it easy to access YouTube’s large selection of music videos – including live performances, covers and remixes – and it features music videos that aren’t available to watch anywhere else. With a subscription, you can enjoy your music offline, too. As well as released material from established bands, YouTube Music will also feature amateur recordings and fan covers, together with exclusive YouTube sessions and documentaries. Basically, plenty of hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. Find songs you don’t know the name of We’ve all been there. There’s a song doing the rounds, but we can’t for the life of us remember what it’s called. All we know is it’

It’s been a busy year for Samsung, and here’s the Korean mobile giant’s latest smartphone offering - the stunning Galaxy J6. Like the recent Galaxy A6, the Galaxy J6 falls into the mid-range category - even though some of its standout features can be found on premium handsets. Let’s take a closer look. Slimline design With its sleek body and smooth curves, the Galaxy J6 looks and feels fantastic. If you’re not a fan of bigger phones, this’ll be right up your street. It sits nicely in your palm, and it’s so compact that you can use it with one hand. A jaw-dropping display One of the first things you’ll notice is how the 5.6-inch Infinity Display goes right to the edges of the phone. The 18.5:9 screen ratio gives you a wider screen for a full-on cinematic experience, and the AMOLED display really packs a punch, with rich colours and deep blacks. Cameras that catch it all For a mid-range phone the 13MP rear camera is right on the money, giving you great-looking photos night

Android P is the most interesting Android update in years, and it’s set to change the way we all use our Android smartphones. From new features to design tweaks, here’s what you need to know… Scroll on The biggest change Android P will bring is new gesture controls – basically the way you move around your phone. The new controls are similar to iPhone X, but with an Android-flavoured twist. Up to now, Android has been all about those three buttons: back, home, and multitask. Now you’ll be able to swipe up on the screen to juggle between apps easily. Swiping up will show you every app you have open. From here, you can swipe right to scroll through these apps. Currently, you scroll up and down to look through your apps. With Android P you’ll be scrolling right to left. While it may complicate things at first, the idea is that you won’t need to use on-screen buttons to navigate, and using your phone will feel more natural. Ration your app use The most curious feature of Android

If you’re an Instagram fan you’ll love the latest raft of updates. They make Instagram much more personal, more useful, and simply… more fun. Here are a few of our favourites. Explore by topic or channel Instagram’s ‘Explore’ tab has always been pretty good at showing you new content based on the photos and videos you like, but the randomised collage layout can seem disorganised and tricky to follow. The good news is, you can now explore by topic. Instagram’s clever AI picks up on the photos and footage you engage with, and groups these into relevant topics that you can search through. You’ll see these displayed along the top of your screen, next to the ‘For You’ box. What you see is personalised to your interests. It’s a much more effective way to find the things that interest you than following hashtags. Go ahead and give it a go! Video chat with friends Yes, you read right, video chat is on Instagram. Until now, many users have been using live video to talk with fr

What a year it’s been for Samsung. And it’s only July! So far at iD Mobile, we’ve had the Galaxy S9, Galaxy A8, and the Galaxy J6. Next up, it’s the Galaxy A6. And it’s pretty special, as you’ll see from our hands-on guide. Budget or premium? The answer is somewhere in the middle. If you think of the A8 as a mid-range to premium handset, then the Galaxy A6 (along with the J6) is a solid mid-ranger, with great specs, but maybe not quite as great as the A8. But for the money, this one’s a winner. How does it look? In a word, it looks… good. Actually, let’s make that two words… very good. With a super-slim aluminium body and smooth curves, it truly looks the part. It’s durable too, thanks to its sturdy metal design and Corning Gorilla Glass to give added protection. What about the display? Considering the fact that this is a mid-range phone, you have to say that the 5.6-inch Infinity Display is very impressive. The screen goes right to the edge of the phone, and because it’s

Having the Google Translate app on your phone makes chatting with non-English speakers a whole lot easier. And with the World Cup in full force, it now gives you a great chance of talking football with fans of other countries. Using the Google Translate app When you use the Google Translate app, everything is automatically translated online. This uses up your data, but the good news is that EU roaming charges are now a thing of the past. So if you’re in an EU country, your standard monthly data allowance will get used and you won’t be charged (unless you run out of data, of course). However, if you’re watching the World Cup in Russia, the rules work a little differently. Russia obviously isn’t in the EU, so you’ll be charged your network’s international roaming rates for using mobile data. Unless you do one of two things… Sign in to Wi-Fi somewhere. If Starbucks (or any other coffee chain) is your usual free Wi-Fi destination of choice, Moscow has around 40 of these qu

Gone are the days when you had to appear on TV to be on a quiz show. With the free HQ Trivia app, you can win real cash prizes on your phone, without having to step out in front of a TV audience. What is HQ Trivia? HQ Trivia is an interactive game show that tests your pop culture and general knowledge. It goes live at 9PM every day, and 3PM on weekdays too. You can win prizes of up to $2500 (it’s American) by answering every question correctly. Every once in a while, the jackpot will be a lot higher. A special event on 11th April 2018 had a top prize of $300,000. And if that wasn’t enough, it was co-hosted by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. How does HQ Trivia work? The game consists of 12 multiple choice trivia questions, and you’ve got just ten seconds to answer each question from choices A, B or C. Having just ten seconds to answer delivers an exciting sense of urgency AND stops any surreptitious Googling from taking place. Yes, we’re afraid so – the questions have been desig

Are you a bit of film buff? Then this is the article for you. If you find yourself in the mood for a bit of movie action when you’re out and about, we’ve put together a list of some of the best apps for watching films on your smartphone. Netflix Let’s start with a familiar name. Netflix has got thousands of films - as well as hundreds of hours of original programming every month - and it’s all available from £5.99 a month, or £7.99 if you want to watch in HD. Or you can sign up free for a month; just don’t forget to remind yourself to cancel (unless of course, you’re enjoying it and want to carry on). Amazon Prime Video Probably Netflix’s biggest challenger, Amazon Prime Video also has an enviable selection of films. If you fork out for Amazon One-Day Delivery at £79 a year, you’ll get Amazon Prime Video included (without one-day delivery, it’s £5.99 a month). So, if you’re a big online shopper, that might be a clincher. Their current movie selection includes Batman v Superman: Daw

As the World Cup rumbles on, stay in the know – and have a laugh along the way – with our pick of the best football-related Twitter accounts. Football 365 | @F365 F365 is always on the ball with the latest football news, which also comes with some high-quality analysis. Their regular writers – and guest bloggers – provide no-holds-barred opinion pieces, and we particularly enjoy their Mediawatch, where they cast a critical eye over the great British press and the way it covers the beautiful game, but not always beautifully. Footy Humour | @FootyHumour This Twitter account is a great way to pass your time. It’s packed with humorous GIFs and loads of funny clips showing things like horrendous goalkeeping mistakes and outrageous timewasting. Fisted Away | @fistedaway Here’s another funny account, but there’s more of an edge to this one. It has its say on the big football issues (and the serious ones too) and there’s no shortage of personal opinion in there. But there’s als

World Cup fever is in full force, and we’re loving every minute of it. But even if you have superhuman levels of dedication, it’s highly unlikely that you’re able to watch every game from your sofa, what with annoying things like work getting in the way. Should you find yourself away from home when a crucial match is about to be played, fear not. You can stay on top of things using your phone. Here’s how: Stream it live… Every match is screened live, and completely free to air, on BBC TV or ITV. And that means you can also watch them free on the BBC iPlayer app or the ITV player app, so you don’t have to miss a moment of the action, even if you’re on the move. …Or just keep an eye on it If you’re not bothered about seeing every kick, and just keeping in touch is enough for you, a lot of media outlets offer text commentaries and minute-by-minute information. A simple Google search should sort you out. Make sure you’ve got enough data… It generally takes up to 750MB of data to w

Summer’s here, and with it comes a whole load of festivals. Glasto’s having a year off, but from Bestival to V, Reading and Leeds – and that’s just the biggies – musos will be well catered for. However, we know that festivals can get messy, and phones don’t like mess. Which is why you need a smartphone for the job (and a few other bits and pieces besides). Here, we pick some of the best festival phones, and a few other accessories you shouldn’t be without. Top budget phones There are plenty of great budget phones, just perfect for a festival. The two we’ve picked are the Nokia 1 and the Moto C. Simply put, the Nokia 1 is just a good, solid phone. There’s a big-enough 4.5-inch screen, a couple of decent cameras and 8GB of internal storages – though this can be added to. It’s good value without looking cheap, and runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition), optimised so you can use apps faster, without annoying lags. We’ve also plumped for a Moto C. It’s affordable, has a nice bright 5-inch

These days when you set off on your holidays, your smartphone is just as essential as sun cream. And now that EU roaming charges are a distant memory, you don’t have to worry about using your precious 4G in Europe – but what happens when you venture further afield? Here are a few simple things you can do to prepare your phone for an overseas jaunt. Cut down on data roaming While you’re free to roam to your heart’s content in the EU, it’ll still cost you a pretty penny when you’re travelling outside. A few years ago, while holidaying in South Africa, a woman was landed with a £2,600 bill after downloading a Neil Diamond album, and we’d prefer that not to happen to you. So we’re going to suggest that turning off your data roaming setting might be a good place to start. This’ll make sure you don’t automatically connect to the local network provider. You won’t be cut off from the modern world though – because here comes Wi-Fi to the rescue. Don’t get lost If you’re getting

The World Cup kicks off on the 14th June. For a whole month, we’ll be able to watch the best players on the planet showing off their skills. England will be there too. We love our footie here at iD HQ, and the World Cup is already a hot topic. Which country will lift the trophy? Which plucky underdog will cause an upset? We can’t wait to find out, but meanwhile, we’ve downloaded our favourite football apps. Here they are… FIFA official app (free on iOS and Android) The World Cup is FIFA’s competition, so this official app will have lots of exclusive content from the big event. You’ll be able to read live match blogs, watch highlights, listen to player interviews, and vote for the man of the match in each game. Outside of the World Cup, the app will keep you bang up to date with breaking football news and live scores from around the globe. Welcome 2018 (free on iOS and Android) If you’re lucky enough to be heading over to Russia and attending a match, this is the app yo

On the face of it, Snapchat is a pretty simple app. You can take photos to share with your friends. But, dig a little deeper, and Snapchat actually lets you do a whole lot more. You can customise pictures, add effects, see what’s happening around you, and keep up with all the latest world news. Here are a few Snapchat tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the app. Shoot 60-second clips You used to only be able to record 10-second video clips on Snapchat. Well, not anymore. You can now record up to 60-seconds of footage by holding down the record button for up to a minute. Snapchat splits the footage into six 10-second segments for easier editing, but don’t worry, once you share the clip, it will play as a continuous 60-second Snapchat story. Send stories to your friends Snapchat’s Discover section lets you catch up on the latest news and current affairs stories from around the world. Seen something you like? Then share it with your friends directly on WhatsApp, Instagra

Sure, your phone may have a dual-lens camera and variable aperture, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a part to play when capturing that crowning shot. Here are a few handy tips to help your next Instagram post get all of the hearts. Compose, compose, compose That camera grid setting on your phone isn’t just there to remind you of your old Maths exercise books. It’s there to cleverly divide the screen into thirds and four lines (2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines) so you can strategically place your subject at the intersections. Doing this perfectly frames your photo so everything is well balanced and in shot. Switch up the POV It’s very common to just whip out your phone, hold it up, snap a shot and move along – but a different angle can really give your photo an edge. And an interesting angle can even make less interesting shots more compelling and ‘artsy’. Get down low, climb up high, bury your body in the sand if needs be - do whatever it takes to get that out-of

Summer is on the horizon at last (it officially starts on 21 June, fact fans), so it seems like the perfect time to start thinking about heading off into the sun. With that in mind, we’ve chosen seven of our favourite free travel apps to help you plan your great escape. Bon voyage! Hopper (free on iOS and Android) You’ll probably have heard of Skyscanner, the well-known app that finds the best prices for your flight. Hopper goes one step further, by telling you the best time to snap them up. A notification will come up on your phone when the time is right, and you’ll be able to book the flight in less than a minute (according to Hopper). KAYAK (free on iOS and Android) KAYAK’s big selling point is that it searches almost everything travel-related - hotels, flights and hire cars - then gives you the best deals. Once you’ve decided on these, it puts them together in one handy itinerary. And if the price changes before you’ve had a chance to book it, KAYAK will let you kno

Looking for an app that’ll help you pass a bit of time? Sometimes, that’s all you need - so we’ve dedicated this article to those addictive little time-wasters that are easy to pick up and hard to put down. If you want to make that train or bus journey go a bit quicker, these are what you need. Cat Condo (Free on Android and iOS) The premise of Cat Condo is simple. You start with small kittens, and then mix and match them so that they upgrade to… you’ve guessed it… cats. There are lots of different cats to discover, and you can complete achievements and gain all sorts of feline-related virtual rewards. Piano Tiles 2 (Free on Android and iOS) Music, maestro! On Piano Tiles 2 you're the pianist, and you hit the piano keys as they appear on-screen to play the song. If your reflexes are sharp enough, it won’t be long before you progress from simple nursery rhymes to having a bash at Meyerbeer’s ‘Schattentanz’. Word Bubbles (Free on Android and iOS) If you’re more in

Looking for a new phone but on a budget? Here’s everything you need to look out for. So, you’re after a new smartphone but money’s a bit tight right now. If you’re thinking a budget phone won’t give you everything you need, think again. We reckon you’ll be surprised by the choice available to you, and you’ll be pleased to hear that lower end devices now share a lot of the technology you’ll have found on premium devices a couple of years ago. When it comes to finding a great budget phone, here are the five key areas to look at. Display It feels like display technology has improved massively in no time at all. For example, it wasn’t long ago that only the leading smartphones could boast a HD (high definition) screen with a 720p resolution (1280 x 720 pixels). But now you’ll be able to get an HD display on a decent budget phone. Camera Look out for how many megapixels (MP) a phone’s camera comes with. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the better, sharper and more detailed th

Today we’re asking - which smartphone would your favourite Star Wars character go for? Poe Dameron Poe is an all-action kind of guy. He wants to experience everything up close and personal, so the Xperia XZ2’s Dynamic Vibration System is right up his alley. He’ll be able to feel the action through his fingertips. Tense moments will feel even more epic, and with S-Force Front Surround sound, he’ll be able to hear everything above the noise of the carnage he always seems to unwittingly create. Poe can buy the Xperia XZ2 from iD Mobile. Finn Finn is a man on a mission. He’s happiest when he’s hopping between planets and running into trouble. To do that, he needs to have his wits about him, and a phone with a decent battery life. He needs a Motorola G5 Plus. The G5 Plus has a 3,000mAh battery capable of lasting all day, and like Finn, it’s tough enough to handle itself. Super-strong Corning Gorilla Glass protects it from everyday scrapes, scratches and direct hits from Firs

Google Lens can translate foreign menus and recognise landmarks, just by looking at your photos. So, what are you waiting for? Ditch your tour guides, and read on for details. How do you get Google Lens on your phone? Until recently, the AI-powered visual recognition technology tool known as Google Lens belonged exclusively on Google Pixel phones. But now, there’s great news for all you non-Pixel phone owners out there. Yes, you can now use Google Lens to reveal more about your photos. It’s no longer a Pixel phone exclusive, and can be found on the Google Photos app (iOS and Android) What does Google Lens do? Google Lens uses Google's massive wealth of data to identify information in your photos. It works on loads of different types of photos including landmarks, menus, books, plants, works of art and animals. Apparently, it can even recognise different breeds of cats and dogs. Depending on what Google Lens recognises in your photo, you'll be given useful information along

Are you thinking of upgrading to a new phone on iD Mobile? It’s a big decision. So to help you out, we’ve rounded up a handful of the most important things to check out. The Operating System The first thing to consider when choosing a new phone is the type of operating system (OS) you want. This is a big decision because it affects how you can use your phone. Here are the differences between the two most popular: iOS. This OS is found on iPhones and iPads. It’s known for being extremely user-friendly, and the look is clean, clear and easy to understand. Android. Most phones use Android, the OS made by Google. It’s very customisable, letting you alter lots of settings and get the look and feel that’s right for you. The Camera A few years ago, you could judge how good a phone camera was by the megapixel count. That’s not really the case anymore – you’re much better off spending time checking out the lenses, aperture and optical image stabilisation. Lenses. Dual lenses

The truth is, your smartphone is probably the most important gadget in your life.So to help you choose the niftiest one out there AND get more bang for your buck - we’ve picked our favourites – all under £15 a month. Kerching! Samsung Galaxy J3 First up is the Samsung Galaxy J3. If you’re looking for great performance as well as price – this is the one for you. A powerful camera, water resistant and wireless charging – just some of the reasons it stands out from the pack: Weight: 138g | Dimensions: 142.3 x 71 x 7.9mm |
 OS: Android 5.1.1 |
 Screen size: 5-inch | 
Resolution: 720 x 1280 | CPU: 1.5GHz quad-core |
 RAM: 1.5GB |
 Storage: 8/16GB |
 Battery: 2,600mAh |
 Rear camera: 8MP | 
Front camera: 5MP From £10.99 per month, now with Double Data! Nokia 6 A small price to pay for a whole lot of appeal. Gone are the days of the indestructible 3310, say hello to it’s better-looking sibling. The Nokia 6 boasts a sleek, aluminium body for a more premium feel. And with add