Getting Started.

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 equally easy to use. For example, some Android phones come with quite a few pre-installed apps that they probably won’t need. A few of these apps can be uninstalled with a few quick taps, but some unfortunately can’t. We love Google Pixel’s ‘original’ feeling take on Android, which strips out all the stuff you won’t really use and doubles down on the essentials. Plus, the Pixel 4a is refreshingly smaller than the big flagship phones. Likewise, iPhones are well-known for their simple-but-flawless software that looks super clean, feels natural and is simple to use. Both, we think, are winners for seniors. Larger text and icons: Both iPhones and Android phones have brilliant accessibility options within their main settings to make things a little clearer. With an iPhone, they can use zoom mode to focus in on anything that’s on the screen, whether they’re searching for an app or reading an email. Android phones have similar customisation options, so the user can change both app icon size and font size. Handy. Help for the hearing impaired: After a phone for someone that’s hard of hearing? Look out for phones with added amplification levels for loud and clear sound. You might also want to go for a phone with hearing-aid compatibility (HAC) like the Samsung Galaxy range, which allows it to be wirelessly paired with a hearing-aid in microphone mode. Buttons? Okay, so we know that the trend has shifted away from physical buttons on phones over the past few years, but there are still some that have them in one form or another. The iPhone SE still has a home button under the display that has haptic feedback (vibration), and you can change the intensity so it feels more like a real button push. What if they want actual buttons, the ability to go on Facebook and chat through WhatsApp, but they don’t want all that other smartphone ‘stuff’? The Doro 7080 ticks all those boxes. This flip phone with a twist has an outer screen that displays the caller’s name and number, and they only have to flip it open to answer. Doro specialise in tech to help seniors, and the 7080 is great for keeping them connected. It’s got loud, clear sound, a decent camera to make video calls, access to Facebook and the web – and traditional buttons. So, it can do all the essentials without any potential touchscreen trial and error! That’s our list of things that make a great phone for senior citizens! Are there any points we’ve missed? What do you think makes a great phone across all age groups? Let us know below!

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 the all-time iD Community leaderboard with 1285 points. At 1285 points, you’re reaching new heights that no iD Community member has yet reached. Not too far behind and currently claiming the silver spot at 1124 points is iD Legend @terrywebbs . Thank you both for being so active and helpful. But hang on… You’re not quite home and clear on those all-time rankings! That’s because, we have a new superhero to the Community who has brought with him a wealth of knowledge and is truly a force to be reckoned with. @WelshPaul you may be new, but wow, you’re already setting records. 331 points earned in a single week! Those are some big numbers and we’re seriously impressed. You’ve got straight into the spirit of things in no time at all – nearly 200 replies in just one month, along with two badges earned and almost 20 resolved queries. All of this effort has landed you in 3rd place on the ‘all time’ leaderboard. Keep it up and not only will you be well on your way to achieve the highest Community rank and become a Legend; but you’ll most definitely move up that leader board too! Can you bring it home and be crowned our new ‘all time superhero’? Want to follow in the footsteps of our superheroes? Find out how below: Think you can make it onto the all-time iD Community leaderboard? Prove it! You’ve seen how fellow members have collaborated with each other, dedicated just a bit of their time to finding perfect answers, and shared their wisdom to give others a helping hand. Why not challenge yourself? If you think you know a good answer to a question someone’s posted on the Community, don’t be afraid to hit that reply button. Even if it’s a trial and error scenario, your suggestion could help the chat work towards the ‘most helpful answer’. You’ll get to work your way up the rankings just like our super three, earn badges for your skills, and you may even see your name up on the leaderboard. Plus, if we all try together, the iD Community gets stronger and stronger. It’s a win-win all round. Points were correct at time of writing (23/06/21) Competition Time… From one competition to another competition about a competition (see what we did there?). That’s right! Better late than never, Euro 2020 is finally here in 2021 and we are excited. It’s fantastic to see crowds back in stadiums enjoying the beautiful game and soaking up the atmosphere. And this month, the iD Community competition is all about the tournament. Here’s how to enter: We want you to predict the winner of the Euros. Maybe you’ll go for one of the favourites like France, Belgium or Spain, maybe you’ll go for an underdog, or maybe, just maybe, you’re convinced it’s coming home this year! Among those who correctly predict the champions of Euro 2020 in the comments below, we’ll select one lucky winner who’ll get their hands on a £100 JD Sports voucher! Standard competition terms and conditions apply. Best of luck! A massive congratulations to@Stuart Neale you guessed correctly and have won the £100 JD Sports Gift Card! Congratulations, we shall be in touch shortly!

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 can do loads of cool stuff. Plus, when you record a scene in 4K and send it in 720p resolution, it just won’t be the same. So, what are the alternatives? ​Wireless Transferring: ​ Well, if you’ve got your mates with you and you have iPhones or Samsung smartphones, the solution is easy – either Apple AirDrop or Samsung Direct Share. These services allow you to transfer files from one Apple or Samsung device to another without using any data or Wi-Fi. Instead they use Bluetooth low energy, so you’ll need to be within range of your mate’s phone. Here’s how to send a file via AirDrop: First, make sure that your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are switched on, and your friend’s too. Then, check that you both have AirDrop set to either Contacts Only, or Everyone. If your friend is set to Contacts Only, they’ll need to have you saved as a contact with either your Apple ID email or phone number. Once that’s done, go to the photo or video you want to send, tap the share icon, tap AirDrop, then select the recipient you want to send it to. Done! For Direct Share, it’s a similar deal. You’ll both need to go to Settings, tap Advanced features and then tap Direct Share to toggle it on. Then, find the file you want to send, tap the Share button and choose the recipient. Nice and simple. The Cloud: Wireless transfer is the no.1 choice if you’re with the person you’re sharing the file with. But what if you’re out and about on your own? The answer is cloud services. These are perfect for sharing large files without having to store them directly on yours or your mate’s phone. If you’re not familiar with cloud storage services and need a helping hand picking one, our guide to managing your cloud is the ideal one-stop shop. Your cloud storage service stores your files in the exact quality you upload them in. There’s no compression or downscaling of quality here. All you have to do is upload that picture-perfect shot or cinematic footage to DropBox, Google Drive or iCloud and not only will it keep it secure, but it’ll free up your phone’s onboard storage. From there, you can go into each photo and video you’ve got and decide who you want to share it with by picking from your contacts. Give it a go! It’s one of the quicker ways to showcase your creativity to friends and family, and they’ll probably thank you for not needing to download an enormous 4K video clip. File Transfer Sites: If you like your photos and videos stored right there on your phone, you’re probably not that fussed about setting up a cloud account right away. Not to worry. There’s one more simple way to send big videos and photo files from one person to another, and that’s by using a file transfer site like WeTransfer. These services allow you to send files that are usually too big to send via email, SMS or WhatsApp, and they’re a seriously useful workaround. WeTransfer allows you to send files up to 2GB in size totally free. You’re extremely unlikely to create a photo that’s 2GB, but if you’re planning to regularly share Ultra HD videos with others, 2GB may be a little light. Fortunately, WeTransfer Pro costs £12 a month and lets you send 20GB files. That’s about the size of two feature length Full HD movies, so by no means a small limit. Why not give it a try? Those are a few ways to transfer your stunning footage and photos to your family and mates without reducing the quality! Give it a go and let us know how it works for you. Are there any alternative methods we’ve missed out? Drop a comment below.

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 & Trace app before. It’s got loads of useful features to always keep you safe, and always one step ahead. You can check any symptoms you’re feeling against the official list of Covid-19 symptoms, log results of a Covid-19 test and even check the risk of exposure in your local area. But the feature we think stands out above all is that you can use it to check into a venue. If you’re planning to head somewhere, be it a shop, bistro, bar, or bowling alley, you’ll probably see a sign at the entrance asking you to check in. When you have the Track & Trace app, all you have to do is open it on your phone and scan the QR code to check yourself in. Not sure what that is? Take a look at our guide to QR codes to find out! Checking yourself in this way each time you go somewhere is the best way to find out if you’ve been near others that have tested positive for Covid-19. It means you find out sooner rather than later, so you can make smart decisions about protecting yourself and others. You may have seen some venues requesting that you write down your name and contact details as an alternative, but this just isn’t as effective. When you write your details, the venue need to contact you manually when a customer has tested positive for Covid-19. By that time, you could be anywhere! With the app, you find out right away. So, while we’re all getting back out there and making big reunion plans with our friends and families, it’s more important than ever to download the Track & Trace app. It’ll help you check into that favourite restaurant, pub, gallery or museum much quicker, and keep your loved ones safe too. Win, win! Competition Time! We mentioned just a few of the things we’ve missed while the nation’s been in lockdown – now it’s your turn! We’ll pick two lucky winners and treat them to a £50 Restaurant Choice gift card. With a great selection of restaurants, it’s on you to choose what you fancy. Our treat! We want to know what are you most looking forward to doing now that restrictions are gradually being lifted? It can be anything from revisiting that eatery where you’re on first name terms with the chefs, getting back to the theatre, or even giving your mates a hug! Standard competition ​t​​​​erms & conditions apply. Best of luck! Congratulations to @VelvetGlove and@daveyboy you are our winners! You will both receive a £50 ‘Restaurant Choice voucher’ - Well done!

QR Codes: What are they? QR codes are everywhere, to the point where you probably see one daily and not think twice about it. They’ve gone from being a novelty feature to an essential part of our digital world. They can help you bag bargains, get onto websites, and even get onto flights. So what exactly are QR codes? QR codes are very similar to the bar codes you see on the back of the products you buy in shops, the parcels you receive in the post and the books you read. Only QR codes can do much more. Where one-dimensional bar codes can store up to 30 numbers, two-dimensional QR codes can store over 7000, and can be scanned either vertically or horizontally. You’ll see them used in lots of places. If you buy a train or flight ticket online to download and use on your phone, the part that gets scanned is actually a QR code. It’s unique to your specific ticket, and prevents it from being duplicated. You may see them in restaurants, too. That’s not all, though. You can use a QR code to link people to music, photos, and apps too. You can even turn a QR code into a link to any webpage. That makes it a clever little feature to add to advertisements, business cards, even your CV. Why not have a go creating your own QR code? Why it matters While QR codes make accessing websites and getting through train barriers faster, they haven’t really been that big a deal until recently. That’s because the NHS Track & Trace app relies on QR codes to record vital data about Covid-19 and its transmission. When you enter a restaurant, café, pub or bar, and you’re asked to check in using the NHS app, you scan a QR code to record your arrival. Many venues require at least one person in your party to have the app and be able to scan the code. With this contact tracing info, the app tells you if you’ve been in close contact with someone that’s tested positive for COVID-19. Find out more about the NHS Track & Trace app. Once you scan it, you might find that the restaurant has removed paper menus altogether and replaced them with a QR code that takes you to the menu on their website. We’ve seen this in many bars and restaurants both in the UK and abroad, and we think it’s an ingenious way to cut down on paper usage! In some places, they’re even a central part of the ordering system. How to use them: It’s easy to scan a QR code. Depending on the type of QR code you are scanning, you may not need any additional apps or services to scan the QR code. Before downloading any apps or services, open your phone’s camera, point it at the QR code and wait for a couple of seconds. If the QR code is compatible with your device, then a pop-up should appear asking if you would like to open a webpage related to the QR code. Simple! If the above doesn’t work, then alternatively you can also try the below: If you have an Android phone, you may find that you’ve got a code scanning tool in your Control Centre (dropdown menu). If not, there are a good few to choose from on the Google Play Store, like Red Laser, Barcode Scanner and QR Scanner. Once you’ve downloaded one of these, all you need to do is point your camera at a QR code to activate it. Certain apps will let you create your own QR codes as well as scan others. It’s a great way to get people engaging with the things you create. If you have an iPhone, you’ve got everything you need from the get-go. The iPhone’s Wallet app has a built-in QR code scanner feature, so you don’t need to download anything. Just open up the Wallet when you see a code you want to scan. Those are the main things that are worth knowing about QR codes. It’s a brilliant thing when technology is versatile, and there really is no limit to what a QR can do. What’s the smartest way you’ve seen them used? Let us know!

If you’re looking to upgrade to a new Android phone, you’re in great hands with iD Mobile. New smartphones are launched regularly, and they get better and better, so choosing the right one for you can be tricky. Here’s our pick of the best to make that all-important decision a little easier. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G The 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 more responsive. And it adapts to your activity, so you can rely on the battery to keep going. Packed with an octa-core processor, 8GB RAM and fast 5G connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G can handle speedy downloads, big apps and intensive multitasking. Check out the Samsung Galaxy S21 here Samsung Galaxy S20 FE The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has everything you need for a cracking smartphone experience - a triple lens camera to make light work of wide-angle and zoom photography, a huge battery to keep you powered up on the move, 5G speed and an immersive Infinity-O display. Like the Galaxy S21 5G, the Samsung S20 FE also has adaptive refresh rate with the option to set it anywhere between 48 and 120 Hz. Crank it up for competitive games and get the upper hand on your opponents with smooth precision. At 6.5-inches, the Samsung S20 FE isn’t a small phone by any means, but thanks to its in-screen fingerprint scanner, you can instantly access all your apps and files without any hassle. There are plenty of colours to choose from too, making it the perfect phone to express your style. Explore the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE here Huawei P30 Lite New Edition This phone is seriously impressive, and it’s not even the flagship P30. Make no mistake - there’s nothing lightweight about the P30 Lite. If a quality camera is your go-to thing when choosing a new phone, the P30 Lite convincingly ticks that box. A 48MP lens captures glorious scenery in Ultra HD resolution and even has 2x optical zoom for detail at a distance. It’s backed up by an Ultra Wide Angle lens with 120° field of view, so you can get everyone into group photos easily. The AI this phone uses is that clever, it detects what you’re taking a photo of and switches the settings to match it. Elsewhere, the P30 Lite has a better-than-Full HD 6.1-inch display, with only a tiny dewdrop at the top housing a brilliant 32MP selfie lens. So, it’s great for diving into both box sets and catch-up video chats. Whatever you use your phone for, this thing won’t slow you down. It has an octa-core processor and 6 GB RAM to keep you multitasking with that responsive, ‘second nature’ feel. And with 256 GB of storage space, you’ve got room for an entire movie library right from the off. Take a closer look at the Huawei P30 Lite New Edition here Google Pixel 5 Want a phone that delivers the best of the Android experience to your fingertips? You’re looking at it. The Google Pixel 5 is a powerhouse, running on Google’s stripped-back iteration of Android 11. With 8GB RAM and a Snapdragon 765G processor designed for 5G compatibility, this phone can handle high-octane gaming and extended browsing with total ease. And the battery is clever, too. It learns which apps you rely on the most and reduces power for the ones you use less. With that kind of AI help, it can go for up to 48 hours on a single charge. And it can reverse charge as well, which is handy for keeping your wireless earbuds powered up. The screen is pretty clever, too. It’s a 6-inch OLED with pinpoint colour precision and detail, while adaptive refresh rate makes everything from scrolling to gaming feel super-smooth. Flip it around and you’ll find a dual-lens camera consisting of a 12MP main lens and 16MP Ultra-Wide. But really, it’s the software that makes the Pixel’s camera a winner. Night Sight is available in Portrait Mode, so you’ll easily get that profile picture first time, even in low light. Check out the Google Pixel 5 in iD Mobile Samsung Galaxy A51 After a brilliant midrange Android phone that can take on big apps and big cinematic scenes? With a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen and Exynos 9611 processor, the Galaxy A51 is a real contender. The Infinity-O display makes sure that although the front camera is able to capture 32MP of bright, sharp detail, it keeps a low profile and uses barely any screen space. On the back, there’s a quad camera fronted by a brilliant 48MP lens that captures the scene in ultra high res. And when you switch to the 123° Ultra-Wide lens, you can shoot sweeping landscapes and family photos like a pro. There’s bundles of space for your files, too. The A51 has a massive 128 GB of built-in storage to get you started. But if you do need more, the dual SIM slot will let you add another 512 GB by microSD. Put simply, you will never run out of room. And you shouldn’t run out of power all that often, either. The A51’s 4000 mAh battery offers over 8 hours of continuous video playback, ideal if you’re a fan of autoplay on YouTube and Netflix. When you do need to recharge, it’ll support 15 W fast charging, so you’ll be browsing and chatting again in no time. Check out Samsung Galaxy A51 deals with iD Mobile

Mobile Phone Refresh Rate What you need to know: If you’ve had your trusty phone for a year or more, you’d be forgiven for thinking little has changed in the smartphone world. However, you couldn’t be more wrong! While it can be said that smartphones are doubling down on tried and tested design, they’re also doubling up on something else at the same time: screen refresh rate. But what does this mean? Imagine a pitch-dark room with strobe lighting – every time the light flickers (or ‘refreshes’), you see a ‘frame’. The faster the light flashes, the smoother motion appears to the eye. Phone screens work in a similar way. Every display must refresh a certain number of times to make it look like what you’re seeing is moving. Refresh rate means how quickly the content on your screen can update, or refresh, moving onto the next frame. Where most phones predating mid 2020 had a refresh rate of 60 Hz (or 60 refreshes per second), the best handsets of 2021 can go all the way to a silky smooth 120 Hz and beyond. So, how does it improve your phone experience? Take gaming to the next level: Love gaming on the go? Refresh rate is your best friend. While phone screen tech has moved on leaps and bounds, mobile game developers have been pushing boundaries on game graphics. There are a good few games out that have been designed to take full advantage of that smooth display. For competitive online multiplayer games, the difference refresh rate makes is stark. Not only does motion feel twice as realistic, but the ability to show extra frames every second means that it’s a sharpshooter’s dream. Super-precise, easy on the eyes, and likely to give you the crucial upper hand against your opponent – everything you need to grab the win. Watch content in style: Let’s be clear, most movies and TV shows are not recorded at 120 frames per second (yet). 24 fps is the minimum number required for the human eye to perceive lifelike motion, and most movies range between 30 and 60 fps. But we’re not far away from 120 fps, and the screens that already support it will be the first to showcase it. While at this moment in time, the majority of content you watch will be from 30-60 fps, phone displays that refresh faster can handle 60 fps without breaking a sweat. That means you can get stuck into that bingeable drama the way it was meant to be viewed, without any juddering motion at all. Effortless scrolling Ever scroll through your contacts to make a call, or your music library to play a tune and find your vision blurring as you try to read the text? We all have! That’s because when you scroll quickly on a phone with a 60hz refresh rate, the moving page is too fast for the refresh rate to keep up, so the text morphs into an imperceptible blur. With higher refresh rate phones, that doesn’t happen. For every frame you see on your current phone as you scroll, a 120 Hz phone will show you an extra frame. That’s what keeps your scrolling smooth, and the text looking like…well, words. Which phones have a high refresh rate? Plenty of the best phones out there pair an OLED screen (the gold standard of displays) with a high refresh rate for good measure. Of course, those premium display benchmarks can make a bit of a dent in the phones battery life, if it weren’t for a neat solution. Samsung’s full Galaxy S21 range and the S20 FE can go all the way to 120 Hz, but they have a clever trick to manage the battery life impact. It’s called Adaptive Refresh Rate, and it works out what you’re doing on your phone to decide if you need the refresh rate maxed out. If you don’t need it cranked up, it’ll drop the refresh rate to save battery. Whenever you touch the screen to navigate, it’ll go up to 120 Hz – if you leave it for a few seconds, it’ll drop down to 60 Hz. Smart. The OPPO Find X3 Pro has a similar feature called Dynamic Refresh Rate. It can actually drop the refresh rate to 5 Hz, drawing out battery life to keep you powered up throughout the day. Or, if you’re after a 120 Hz refresh rate that never drops, the Sony Xperia 5 ii takes Sony’s cinematic style display and combines it with a little OLED magic and super-smooth motion. You won’t believe your eyes. That’s all you need to know about smartphone refresh rates for now! While we’re seeing 120 Hz screens on more premium phones, we think it’s only a matter of time before we see mid-rangers adopt this tech as the new standard. Watch this space! What’s the latest smartphone development that’s left you with ‘the wow factor’? Let us know below.

Advice for our Customers: Customers affected – Android Users What we have identified – We’ve been made aware that a number of our customers may have been targeted with SMS messages that have been made to look like they were sent from delivery services such as DHL, Amazon and Argos (although there may be others). These messages instruct the recipient to download a file to enable tracking of a fictitious package. If this link is clicked on an Android device, an attempt to download malicious software (Malware) will occur. If this malware is permitted to download and install, it could gain permissions on your phone to intercept and send SMS messages, while also attempting to capture any online banking details stored on your device. Users of iOS devices (iPhone & iPad) are unaffected by any attempt to download the above-mentioned file from the SMS message. Advice for ALL customers: If you have received the message but have taken no further action, i.e., you have not clicked on the link in the message: You should simply delete the message (if you wish to report this or any other fraudulent message you can also forward it free of charge to 7726). If you have received the message and have clicked on the link but not downloaded the file: Your phone will not be infected with the malware. You should simply delete the message. If you wish to report this or any other fraudulent message you can also forward it free of charge to 7726. If you have received the message, clicked on the link and downloaded the file on an Android device: You should be advised that your contacts, SMS messages and online banking details (if stored on your phone) may have been accessed and that these may now be under the control of the individuals committing this fraud ulent activity . Should this be the case, in line with industry advice from all networks, we strongly advise that you perform a factory reset immediately. Failure to do this could leave you at continued risk of exposure to fraudulent individuals accessing personal data on your device. When setting up the device following the reset, it may ask you if you want to restore from a backup. You should avoid restoring from any backups created after you downloaded the app, as they may also be infected. Please note that if you don’t have backups enabled, you will lose data such as photos, downloads and contacts etc. Further advice for those who may be affected: If you use your device for online banking, you should contact your bank immediately, advise them what has happened and ask for further guidance. You should change any password that is stored on the device, for example in an SMS, in notes or contacts. You should change any password for any app or online services if they were opened or logged into while the fraudulent app was installed. To protect yourself from future scams like this, you should: Back up your device to ensure you don’t lose important information like photos and documents. Only install new apps on your device from the app store that your manufacturer recommends. For Android devices, make sure that Google’s Play Protect service is enabled if your device supports it. Some Huawei devices provide a similar tool to scan devices for viruses. This will help identify if there is any malware on your phone.

​It’s time to train your brain! Whether you work 9-5 or study, or both, it can be tricky to get your mind into razor-sharp focus without the stimuli of your regular working space. Giving your brain regular exercises is as great way to regain that focus and prepare yourself to handle anything that comes your way, whether it’s a problem that needs solving or several tasks that demand attention at the same time. When you train your mind, you’re actually giving yourself the tools to complete tasks that you might have struggled with before, or even considered impossible. That’s why setting a little time aside each day for mental exercises can help you work, study, focus, and retain information more effectively. Here are a few apps to help you on your brain training journey: Lumosity Free (Android, iOS) Lumosity is one of the most well-known brain training apps around, and it’s no surprise. This app has something for everyone. Whether you want to improve your mental maths skills, add more words to your vocab, or improve your memory, Lumosity can help. Every game is fun and engaging, and some are more stressful than others (Train of Thought, we’re looking at you). But the results are there to be seen. You’ll get insight into your brain speed, memory, attention and more, and you can even compare your stats to other Lumosity users. And with Lumosity Premium (£59.99/year), you can unlock a whole lot more including a personalised training program that works for you, in-depth insights and useful tips on how to improve. Handy. NeuroNation Free (Android, iOS) We love this app. The premise is simple – exercising the mind is as important as exercising the body. There are over 30 great exercises for memory and concentration, and just 15 minutes a day is all that’s required to help improve your memory, thinking speed, focus, and even reduce stress. Don’t just take our word for it though. A study was undertaken at the Department of General Psychology at Freie Universität Berlin, proving the app’s effectiveness. And it’s been awarded with the Google ‘Best Apps’ prize, too. A premium subscription (£83.99/year) offers a comprehensive training program with full personalisation, but we recommend giving the free version a go first. It’s still ace. Elevate Free (Android, iOS) Elevate is all about personalisation from the get-go. It offers personalised daily training sessions to suit you. Awarded ‘App of the Year’ for iPhones by Apple in 2014, this app puts your goals in mind before you even start. You can train to retain more of what you read, articulate your thoughts more clearly, process information faster, the list goes on. You’ll need to take a quick test so the app can see your current level for each skill. Once that’s completed, the app will adjust the difficulty of each training game. It’s not just for your phone, either. You can track your performance progress on your Apple Watch, just like your physical fitness stats. A premium subscription costs £37.99 a year, with a 7-day trial to begin. ​​​​​​Competition Time: We’re giving a £100 Currys PC World voucher to one lucky member from our brilliant Community - treat yourself to some top tech, on us! For your chance to win, answer the question below: ‘What do you do to keep your mind in focus?’ Do you play games to improve cognitive ability and memory, use apps, or even go back to your classic Nintendo DS for some Brain Training nostalgia? Let us know. Best of luck! May’s Competition T&C’s ​

Whether you want to watch a classic movie or keep up to date with top shows, we’ve picked some of the best streaming apps for your mobile. They’re great when you’re travelling home for some festive fun. What is it? One of the biggest streaming platforms around, Netflix has tons of great movies, shows and documentaries to get you in the festive mood. How much does it cost? You won't be charged until after your free month and then there are different plans tailored to you. Basic plan £5.99, standard £8.99 and premier £11.99. Recommended: How the Grinch stole Christmas, A Christmas Prince What is it? Another great app that lets you watch content on the go. Watch plenty of classic Christmas flicks which you’ll have access to with an Amazon Prime subscription. How much does it cost? You can get a 30-day free trial, available on Android and Apple. After the trial it would cost £7.99 per month if you go for a monthly subscription. When you sign up to Amazon Prime, you’ll get a whole bundle of services, including free next day delivery, music streaming service Amazon Music, unlimited photo storage plus TV series and films. Recommended: Home Alone, Elf What is it? The video content giant lets you buy and download content for the big screen and small. Watch movies and TV shows plus content from your favourite channels on YouTube Premium. How much does it cost? The basic package is £11.99 a month for individuals or £17.99 for a family plan. Recommended: Disney’s A Christmas Carol

5G is going to transform our mobile lives, with incredible data transfer speeds making everything quicker. But when is it coming? How fast will it be? And why is it called 5G, anyway? Let us explain… What is 5G and when is it coming to the UK? 5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks. Ever since good old 1G was launched in 1981, a new generation of mobile networks has been introduced roughly every 10 years. 2G appeared in 1991, 3G in 2001 and 4G was standardised in 2012. 5G is next, and plans are well under way to bring it to the UK. It’s impossible to give an exact date, but the 5g.co.uk website says we should expect 5G to arrive in late 2019 or 2020 – that timescale is taken from the government’s 5G strategy, and advice from network operators. How fast will 5G be? 5G is going to be blazing fast. And a lot faster than 4G ever was. Want an exact number? Okay then, here you go – some estimates think that 5G might give us download speeds up to 1,000 times faster than 4G. But we’re not so sure. Average 4G download speeds are around 40Mbps. At a recent event in London, the Chinese phone giant Huawei said that its 5G will be able to offer download speeds of up to 4.6Gbps. That’s well over 100 times as fast, so still an incredibly impressive figure. If you want to put that speed into some sort of context, Huawei says it’ll let you download a 1GB movie in 3 seconds. What are the benefits of 5G? As well as being much faster than 4G, 5G is also expected to have a capacity 1,000 times greater. That will help make sure there’s never a drop in 5G download speeds, no matter how many users are connected at the same time. 5G will also boost the way we use virtual and augmented reality, and we’ll see computer graphics merge with the real world. We’ll be able to view space-age style holographic displays, perhaps giving us directions as we walk the streets. And if you’re always running out of space on your phone, 5G could be the answer. It claims to take cloud computing to a more advanced level – so you can get ready for a future with tons of free space on your phone. When can I get a 5G phone? MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2019 is the world’s biggest mobile show, and this year a few phone manufacturers used it as an opportunity to announce plans for 5G-ready phones: Xiaomi revealed that it was working on a 5G version of its popular Mi Mix 3 smartphone. That’ll make it one of the first phone manufacturers to create a 5G phone for commercial use. And then came Huawei, who wowed us with the foldable Mate X, and then casually announced it was also a 5G-ready phone. Nice work. LG also announced that its LG V50 ThinQ would be 5G-ready, but it might never be released in the UK. Shame. Oh, and before MWC kicked off, Samsung held its own event to announce its new S10 family, with a S10 5G phone being one of the options. 5G won’t just make our phones better. It’ll also have a huge impact on those industries that demand instant, accurate information – especially self-driving cars. It’ll connect us to the whole 'internet of things', not just our mobile devices. And it’ll make us feel like we’re always connected, whether we’re in a city centre or half way up a mountain. Are you excited about 5G? Will you be getting your hands on a 5G handset as soon as you can? Post a comment below and share your thoughts with the rest of the Community!

Get set for our Mega Deals event After that new phone feeling? You’re in the right place. Easter is just around the corner, and we’ve already seen several ground-breaking new devices released this year. There’s the Samsung S21 range and OPPO Find X3 series to name just a couple, but there are loads more smartphones pushing the boundaries – and you’ll find them right here. To make this Easter even better, we’re running a cracking mega deals event with a fantastic line-up of top brand phones. You can get half price line rental for 3 months on a range of devices, and you could even get a free gift when you treat yourself to one of our brilliant deals. Here are just a few of the deals you’ll find with iD Mobile: Looking for a new Samsung or OPPO? Why not treat yourself to the Samsung S20 FE or any of the other devices in the S21 range? Maybe you’ve got your eye on one of the latest OPPO smartphones. Good choice. When you purchase the OPPO Find X3 Neo or Lite with iD Mobile in our Mega Deals event, you’ll also get half price line rental for the first 3 months, AND a gift. You could get a brand-new smartwatch, OPPO Enco X true wireless earbuds, phone case or fast charger. That’ll help you get off to a flying start! OPPO devices are on pre-order from 31/03 and launch 14/04. Not after a flagship phone? No problem. We’ve got plenty of ace mid-range smartphones that offer plenty of the same great functions, like the Samsung Galaxy A52 and A42. And when you purchase either one, you can claim a free pair of Galaxy Buds+. Everything you need for crystal clear music streaming, immersive movies, and competitive gaming on the go. You’ll find loads more fantastic smartphones at great prices over at iD Mobile. Our Mega Deals event ends on 13th April, so be quick! Mega Deals Event T&Cs Half-price monthly line rental ("MRC") for the first 3 months available on selected 24 months handset plans. Offer valid on qualifying purchases between 24/03/21 - 13/04/21. Full plan price payable from month 4 and for the remainder of the contract. Excludes SIM only plans. Offer not applicable to out of bundle usage: standard out of bundle rates apply throughout the contract. Subject to a credit check, eligibility and 24-month minimum term. Monthly cost may increase in line with Retail Price Index (RPI). 5G connectivity is currently not available on iD Mobile and you will get 4G/3G connection on 5G compatible handsets. Standard Network Terms and Conditions apply. Standard T&Cs apply on all plans. See website for full details and full event terms and conditions. Competition Time: Fancy getting your hands on the OPPO Find X3 Neo? To help make your April a belter, we’re running a fantastic prize draw, where one lucky entrant will win a brand-new OPPO Find X3 Neo, worth £699. For your chance to win, all you have to do is simply tell us why you use or visit the iD Community platform. Is it for help & support? To help out other members? Maybe it’s to read interesting articles on tech and lifestyle, or even just to have a chat. Whatever it is, we want to know. The competition closes on Wednesday 14th April, and we’ll announce the winner on Friday 19th. Standard competition T&Cs apply. Best of luck and have a brilliant Easter break from everyone at iD Mobile. This competition has now closed, thank you all for entering. A huge congratulations to….@Dani83 , you are April’s winner.

Calling all Community members…. This is your last chance to enter our April newsletter competition, where you could win the amazing OPPO Find X3 NEO. This competition must end at 12pm midnight tonight. For all the details on how to enter, click the article below. (Competition instructions can be found at the bottom of the article). Best of luck!

Please note: This article has been archived. For more information, click below.

Presenting the OPPO Find X3 Series Since OPPO first arrived to the UK just a little over two years ago, we’ve been treated to a head-turning range of smartphones with a few standout design innovations along the way (remember the retractable ‘shark fin’ camera of the Reno 10?). While OPPO may not currently be a household name like Apple and Samsung, we believe that’s all set to change. To kick off their 2021, OPPO have launched their new flagship Find X3 series. There are 3 phones on offer here: the Find X3 Lite, Find X3 Pro and Find X3 Neo. Each one offers its own distinct camera setup, chipset, and design. We think they all look ace and perform very impressively, but the Find X3 Neo makes for a remarkable all-rounder. This phone has all the power you could need. We’re talking a huge battery and a Snapdragon 865 processor paired with a whopping 12 GB RAM (that’s likely to be more than your laptop or PC). It also supports 65 W fast charging, so just 5 minutes plugged in can power 4 hours of videos. The camera here makes light work of any great photo or video opportunity. The main lens is 50 megapixels and features Sony’s IMX766 sensor, making night-time shots a whole lot clearer. There’s also a 16MP ultra-wide and 13MP telephoto for good measure. And the software that supports the cameras is versatile, too. There’s an AI Highlight Video mode to bring out the colour and detail that’s lost in low light scenes, but we also really like the Focus Tracking skills this phone has. It can automatically focus on the subject in the video while they’re moving, to keep your footage blur-free. Like what you see? Discover the full OPPO Find X3 range at iD Mobile right now.

Parental Controls and Content Filtering: A Quick Guide Smartphones are windows to the world, right there in the palm of your hand. They give you the ability to watch, browse, read, play, chat, and discover, wherever you are. And that barely scratches the surface. These days, kids are learning to use tech at a younger age. In fact, many infants can use a smart device like an iPhone long before they’re able to write their name. That shows just how quickly the digital world moves. However, the digital world isn’t always child friendly. While kids become savvier with technology, it’s down to parents, guardians and of course, tech companies, to prioritise their safety online, set limits and help them get the best out of the web. Whether your child uses your device, or you’ve treated them to their first phone, there are a number of ways to help make their experience a safe one. And there are plenty of apps they’ll love that have neat content controls built right in. Here’s what you need to know: Talk to them first! Before you start setting limits, downloading a parental control app, or applying filters to their phone, have a conversation with them first. Parental control apps are there to make your child’s smartphone experience a lot safer – they aren’t there for spying purposes. Be honest with them about the need to prevent online threats and inappropriate content, and the chances are they’ll be much more onboard with the idea! Take control of app purchases When you first open your phone’s app store, download virtually everything you like without any restrictions. However, many apps on the market are aimed at adults only, or there might be games designed for teens over a certain age, social media platforms made for older people – the list goes on. So, restricting the app store is an important place to start. Not only that, but it’s easy no matter if they have an iPhone or Android phone. For Android phones, simply head to the Play Store > Tap Menu > Settings > Parental controls. Toggle parental controls ‘on’ and add a PIN to prevent them adjusting the settings. You can select the type of content you want to filter, and you can also set an authentication requirement for app purchases. That means they’ll need to enter a PIN or password to authorise downloads. If it’s an iPhone they’re using, you can find Parental Controls within the main settings. Head to Content & Privacy Restrictions, and you’ll see that you can toggle permission to purchase apps or make in-app purchases. Look out for these apps! Did you know you that there are certain streaming apps out there that offer parental controls built in? With services like Netflix, Spotify and Prime Video, you don’t need to fully block the app to keep the content they see age appropriate. Have they got their own user profile on your Netflix account? Try adding a PIN to your profile to make sure they don’t see the full unrestricted content library. Both Netflix and Prime let you limit content according to the film or show’s age restriction, while Spotify can filter any music or content with explicit lyrics. And if you’ve got a Disney Plus account, we don’t blame you. It’s got incredible movies, epic Marvel adventures and every Simpsons episode – but it’s not all U-rated. When setting up your child’s Disney Plus profile on their phone, make sure you toggle Kids Profile to ‘on’. That’ll filter out any PG, PG13 and other restricted content from their menu. Keep an eye on screen time It’s not just what they’re doing on their phone, it’s how much time they spend. Too much time spent on phones isn’t healthy for anyone, particularly just before bed. So, it’s increasingly important to set boundaries from an early age. If they’ve got an Android, download Google Family Link on your phone. This trusty app offers is pretty much a parental control suite. Everything from screen time limits to content restriction can be found here. If you’re worried, they’re staying up late watching shows or playing games, you can remotely lock their phone to help them get to sleep at a good time. It also integrates with their Google Play Store app, so you receive a notification to approve or reject any app purchases or download requests. And you can always view activity to help them make healthy decisions with how they use their phone. For iPhones, you can easily set screen limits within their phone’s settings. Just look for Parental Controls in Settings and tap on Downtime. From here, you can set regular downtime like 10 pm – 7 am Monday to Friday, and a different limit on weekends. Your iD Mobile plan parental controls: Adult content filtering: Login to Self-care and navigate to “My Services” which will either be positioned on the left hand-side navigation bar if you’re using My Account online (the browser application) or will be located on the bottom navigation bar of the App. Scroll down to “Adult Content Filtering” and switch the toggle to ON. Press “confirm” on the confirmation pop-up. It should take no more than a few minutes to switch on but if the toggle still says pending then simply navigate away from the page and then return to see if it’s updated. What do you think is the best way to help kids engage with devices healthily? Is there a parental control app you think helps them keep a good balance? Let us know below.

How to Make Your iPhone More Secure Our phones carry more personal data the more we use them. It’s not just contacts, messages, and WhatsApp. They also store account passwords, financial data, location data, the websites we browse and the searches we make online. As you’ll have seen in our April Newsletter email, your phone privacy, safety, and security are important to us. We want you to have the best experience possible, whether it’s ultra-secure account sign-ins or being pickier with app permissions. Luckily, iPhones make security and privacy a front and centre feature, so keeping your personal info personal couldn’t be easier. Apple’s privacy policy: Of all the big phone brands out there, Apple probably leads the way for user privacy. Every Apple-made app has been built to make your user experience uniquely yours, and not store your data, or worse, sell it to third parties. For example, the Maps app doesn’t link your data to your Apple ID, and it doesn’t record your location history, either. Siri does what it needs to, when you need it, without learning all about you. Apple Pay hides all your credit and debit card details from Apple, and they don’t store your transaction data. Then there’s the Safari browser and its Intelligent Tracking Prevention skills (more on that later). Furthermore, Apple blocks all cookies and tracking on your online activity, you can disable this feature in settings or continuously give your consent when landing on each new website. Overall, iPhones are naturally a lot more secure than many other smartphones. However, there are always extra things you can do to keep your phone and data safe. Here are a few things you can do to make your iPhone much more secure: Downloading apps? Check what permissions you give: Apps need permission to use a few of your phone’s features to work properly. A photo editing app will most likely need access to your camera and photos folder. A food delivery app will need to have access to your location to know where you are to deliver to you. But not every app needs to have access to these features all the time, and there are other features they don’t need access to at all. Here’s how to check what permissions your apps have: Here’s how: Tap Settings, then Privacy. Once you’re there, go through each of the permissions to see which apps have access and simply use the toggle to choose yes or no. With location data, you can give each app permission to use your location all the time, only when the app is open, or not at all. Enable Two Factor Authentication wherever possible: What about passwords? It’s not just your Apple ID that makes your iPhone experience uniquely yours. There are also all your linked accounts for social media, music and movie streaming, news, banking and more. Of course, it’s always worth having a strong, unique password for each of those accounts to minimise the chance of your account being hacked. However, if there’s a Two Factor Authentication option, always opt in. With this, you’ll require your password (as always) and a temporary code to access your accounts. This code is sent to you either by SMS or by an app like Google Authenticator. And with Apple’s security code autofill feature, you don’t even have to manually enter your code when you receive it. Your iPhone automatically inputs the code to give you safe, secure, and exclusive access to your account. Use Keychain: As we mentioned before, iOS puts your security at the forefront of your experience. It’s all down to you to take control of your data, passwords, and info. Take Keychain, for example. This handy encrypted password manager stores all your login info for the accounts you use on your iPhone. But it can also help you assign strong passwords to new accounts. Next time you create an account within an app or online, when you tap the ‘create password’ field, you’ll see that a password has been created for you. Tap Use Strong Password to confirm you want to use it and your iPhone will automatically store it in Keychain. Keychain can even point out where you’ve used the same password for several accounts, so you can create unique passwords and make every account more secure. Try a different search engine: On the whole, Safari is a more private browser platform than Chrome. It features Intelligent Tracking Prevention, which identifies trackers on the websites you visit and stops them from creating that digital profile of you that results in targeted ads. However, Google is still the default search engine on Safari, which is, of course, the default browser for iPhone. That means your search data is still collected. You can change this, though. Just go to Settings > Safari > Search Engine, and you’ll see a host of options. We Recommend DuckDuckGo. It offers a very similar user experience to the trusty Google one, but without any tracking or storage of data. Give it a go! Those are just a few things you can do to make your iPhone a lot more secure. Have we missed any out? What tips do you have to keep your accounts and data safe on your iPhone? Let us know below! Have an Android device and want to know how to keep your data safe? Read:

How to Make Your Android Phone More Secure Our smartphones carry an entire library of personal data to be as useful and versatile as they are. It’s not just contacts, messages, files, and photos. Think about all the account passwords, banking info, location data, websites you’ve visited and searches you’ve made. It’s a lot! As you’ll have seen in our April Newsletter email, your phone privacy, safety, and security are important to us. Your Android experience should always be as good as it can be, and a few quick security provisions can help make it so. Android offers plenty of customisation options, letting you tailor your own phone experience. When you delve into the settings, it’s easy to take control of your data, passwords, and activity. Here are a few things you can do to make your Android phone more secure: Routinely scan your apps: Did you know Google can scan an app to check if it’s safe before you’ve even downloaded it? With ‘Google Play Protect’, your phone can see if apps are suspicious or misbehaving. Once you’ve got it switched on, it’ll periodically scan all your apps to make sure they’re all working as they should. The good news is that Google Play Protect should automatically be switched on, but it’s definitely worth checking to make sure. Just go to Settings > Security > Google Play Protect. Then, tap the cog at the top right of your screen and check that the toggle settings are on. If they’re not, switch them to ‘on’ and your app downloads will instantly be a lot safer and risk-free. Downloading apps? Check what permissions you give: Some apps require permission to use a few of your phone’s features to work properly. For example, Uber needs your location info so you can hire a cab, Instagram needs to access your camera and photos to allow uploads. But not every app needs to have access to these features all the time, and there are other features they don’t need access to at all. Every time you download a new app, double-check the permissions. Here’s how: Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions. You’ll then be taken to the ‘Permission Manager’ where you can see all the apps that have permission to use certain features. These features include your camera, calendar, messages, contacts, files, and location. Just tap on a feature to see which app uses it, then tap on the app to remove permission. With location data, you can choose to give each app permission to use your location all the time, only when you’re using the app, or deny permission entirely. It’s that easy. Set up Two Factor Authentication: Apps and data aren’t the only things your phone stores. There’s also all your account information for things like Facebook, Spotify, Netflix, banking – the list goes on. Of course, it’s always worth having a strong password to minimise the chance of your account being hacked. However, if there’s a ‘Two Factor Authentication’ option, always opt in. With two factor authentications, you’ll need your password (as always) and a temporary code that’s sent to your phone to access your accounts. This means that would-be hackers would not only need your account password, they’d also need your phone to get the code that grants access to your accounts. In other words, you’re doubling your safety measures by adding an extra layer of security. Just head to Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account. Once you’re there, scroll to the Security tab and look for ‘2-Step Verification’. Then, follow the on-screen steps to get it set up. Two factor authentications may add an extra step to the sign-in process, but the extra security it gives, far outweighs the extra login time. Try it out! Got a Samsung? Meet Knox: Samsung phones are built with security in mind from the foundation. As the trend shifted from browsing on PCs to using phones, Samsung saw that phones need increased protection against mobile security threats. That’s why they launched Samsung Knox, a defence-grade security platform that incorporates both hardware and software. With Knox, your Samsung phone can isolate data, placing it in a secure location on your device. It also encrypts your data, so your data remains secure in the event your phone is stolen. As well as privacy, it fends off malicious threats, malware, and all other unauthorised access to your phone. It really is impressive. Top tip: make the most of Samsung Secure Folder. This is a place where you can store private your private documents, photos, files and apps under the protection of the Knox platform. Once you add it all there, you can lock it away and access it all with a PIN, password, pattern or with your fingerprint. To get there, tap Settings > Biometrics and security > Secure Folder, then sign into your Samsung account. Try a different browser: There’s no doubt about it, Google Chrome is an excellent browser. The layout feels natural, intuitive, and easy to use, and the browser has a ton of features. Unfortunately though, those features include online tracking and storage of search history data. Ever wondered how the ads you see online got so accurate? It’s because cross-site trackers follow your activity online and make educated predictions on what you’ll do next. For example, if you visit multiple sites looking for a new TV, online trackers assume that you’re in the market for a new TV. You’re then likely to see targeted ads for TVs from relevant retailers. It is clever, but it’s not the way it has to be. There are plenty of other browsers to choose from. Many of them model their layout on the trusty Chrome interface we’ve all come to love, but they don’t rely on using and storing your data. Try one that puts the focus on your online security and privacy, like DuckDuckGo. Of course, Google apps are naturally the default option on Android devices. So, once you download your new browser, you’ll have to set it as the new default for opening links and surfing the web. Once you’ve done that though, you’ve taken a big leap to make your browsing more private. There you have it – a few easy tips to make security a priority on your Android phone. What apps or tips do you have or use to keep your accounts and data safe? Let us know! Have an Apple device and want to know how to keep your data safe? Read:

Mind Over Matter: Top Apps to Help You Find Your Calm It’s been nearly a year since the first national lockdown was imposed and since then, none of us have been strangers to staying at home, away from our peers and in our own company. While some relish the chance to spend quality time developing skills, honing creativity, or simply basking in the relative peace and quiet, for others it’s not so easy. Of course, in the times we’re all currently going through, it’s only natural to occasionally feel overwhelmed, miss our friends and family, and struggle to complete tasks as efficiently as we might. The trick is to take a step back and work on our mental health, not to fully eliminate challenging emotions, but to effectively work past them when they do pop up. Just as you might exercise three times a week to get in better shape physically, practising mindfulness and meditation are great for building mental strength and resilience. Here are our favourite apps to help you achieve peace of mind: Headspace - iOS/Android In 2020, Headspace grew to 2 million paid subscribers, and it’s easy to see why. It’s designed to give you the tools handle thoughts and emotions constructively, whenever they come around. The app likens these moments to passing cars on a busy road. You simply have to let them go by without getting too focused on a single car. Headspace eases you into the basics of meditation with a free 10-minute basic course. Every session is either three, five or 10 minutes long, so you can pick one that fits perfectly into your day. They’re all easy to follow, and the app even offers meditation for kids, with themes including sleep, focus and kindness. Once you’ve completed the free trial you’ll need to pay for more sessions if you want to continue, but at £9.99, we think it’s worth every penny. Calm - iOS/Android Calm is another brilliant meditation app. When you open it you’re met with the relaxing sound of chirping crickets or a crackling fireplace Once you’re in, take a minute to tell the app how you’re feeling, and you’ll see a personalised choice of guided meditations, sleep stories, calming music and loads more – the choice is huge. We love the ambient music mixes by Sam Smith, Diplo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, as they’re perfect for drifting into restful sleep. But there loads more big names and guest features available, from Sleep Stories told by Idris Elba to motivational meditations delivered by NBA legend LeBron James. Calm also offers a free trial, after which a subscription costs only £28.99 for the year – that’s less than £2.50 a month! Give it a go. Shine - iOS/Android If you’re new to mindfulness and don’t like the idea of starting at the deep end, you’ll love Shine. This app encourages you to take time out of each day to learn one new self-care strategy each day. Build a new daily ritual with quick meditations that are relevant to you and the world around you. You can also connect with other Shine users, strike up a conversation and get support from a really great community. There are two premium options here. You can go for a rolling monthly option for £14.49, or pay for the year at a discounted price of £52.99 (just over £1 a week). Once you go premium, you can explore the full audio library of meditations and find the right one for the right moment, whenever you need calmness, clarity and motivation. Breethe - iOS/Android Combat stress, anxiety and sleepless nights with a single handy app. Breethe offers masterclasses on meditation, mindfulness and much more. You’ll find relaxation music and sleep sounds to help you drift into sleep peacefully, bedtime stories and visualisations to keep you feeling positive at the end of a long day, breathing exercises and inspirational talks. This app has the lot. Whatever you’re looking to get out of meditation, Breethe has plenty to offer. The app has quite a few free meditations to help you get started. And if you’re really getting into it, you can go premium for £12.99 a month. It’s available on your phone, tablet and laptop, so your progress is synced across all your devices. Relax, unwind and develop the mental tools you need to take on each day. The iD team have put together some responses as to what they have done or used to help them during tough times. Find out below: Sophia – Digital Product Manager I used the ‘Balance’ app which has really helped me learn how to meditate and sleep better. It’s encouraged me to take a little time out to clear my head and understand what I need to do, for me, each day. Kieran - Senior Digital and Customer Experience Manager I’ve been using the Calm app for the past few months and it’s been fantastic. I’d definitely recommend giving it a shot and taking 10 minutes out of your day to relax. These are just a few of our favourite lifestyle apps on the Google Play Store and App Store right now. Competition Time! Competition closes 10th March 2021. Click the link for March’s T&Cs for this competition. The lockdown has impacted all of us in different ways. For a chance to win a £50 Google Play Store or App Store voucher, tell us how you’ve worked on and tried to improve your mental wellbeing during lockdown. Did you use any apps? What techniques did you use that you can share with us and the Community? Let us know in the comments below. There were some really good responses on this topic and some great ways of keeping your mind healthy during the lockdown. So, thank you all for entering and sharing your tips and thoughts on this. The winner for this competition is@Nigelwarnes - Congratulations, we have sent you a private message :) Again, thank you all for sharing!

iPhone: What’s new? Every year brings a new iPhone and with it, new innovations that make the experience that much better. Whether it’s ground-breaking smartphone camera tech, 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. At 4.7-inches in size, it’s by no means a big-screen phone, but that does mean it’s super-comfy whether you’re using it single handed or storing it in your jacket pocket. The HD Retina display makes for sharp, detailed entertainment too. The difference between the SE and the iPhone 6, for example, 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. And when you do need a little more power, fast charging will get you up and running again in no time. Amongst all the hardware advancements, the iPhone SE is compatible with Apple’s latest version of its operating system, iOS 14. Get set for Widgets on your home screen, handy features like picture-in-picture mode and incredible privacy protection. Take a look at iPhone SE plans with iD Mobile. iPhone 11 Love gaming and watching movies on the go? The iPhone 11 is perfect for both. At 6.1-inches, it was pretty much the first iPhone to offer what we consider a ‘big’ screen in today’s smartphone landscape, and it runs edge-to-edge. Inside is a great battery that delivers a whopping 17 hours of video playback on a full charge – long enough for an entire season on Netflix. Compared to the iPhone 8, released 2 years before, the camera system is on another level. The iPhone 8 has a 12MP wide angle lens, while the 11 adds another 12MP Ultra-Wide to the back. Between the two lenses and Apple’s clever AI, the iPhone 11 boasts 2x optical zoom and 5x digital, gorgeous colours with next-gen Smart HDR and a bunch of pro-looking portrait effects. The iPhone 11 also comes packed with up to 256 GB of onboard storage - that’s double the iPhone 8! What will you do with all that extra space? Find an iPhone 11 in a colour you love with iD Mobile. iPhone 12 After the latest and arguably greatest iPhone? That’d be the iPhone 12. Just like the iPhone 11, it has a 6.1-inch display, but this time it’s a Super Retina XDR. That means brighter colours, sharper detail and a much, much greater contrast ratio. Put simply, all your content comes to life. With the power of 5G behind it, iPhone 12 can download movies and apps in a matter of seconds and open them almost instantly. Stream shows without any buffering, chat to your mates on FaceTime without any lag – these are things that even the brilliant iPhone XS couldn’t do. But it’s not just about 5G. The iPhone 12’s A14 Bionic chip makes for a lightning fast processor. It can do a bunch of operations at the same time, so multitasking simply isn’t an issue. That’s also great news for things like shutter speed when you shoot photos on the epic dual 12MP camera. Capture the moment, exactly when it happens. Or, if you fancy yourself a budding videographer, shoot it in Dolby Vision HDR and give it a cinematic touch. Find the perfect iPhone 12 plan for you at iD Mobile. Looking to upgrade? Ready to upgrade to a brand-new iPhone? If you’re coming to the end of your contract, you could be eligible for a great value deal on a range of the latest handsets? Find out more about upgrades and get a great value deal with iD Mobile.

Do you miss the mobile quizzing excitement of HQ Trivia? Are you looking for a new quiz game that pits your wits against your family and friends? Then make Quiz Planet your next destination. Who remembers HQ Trivia? It was our favourite quizzing app for oh, almost a year or so. The chance of winning real cash prizes really had us hooked. Then, after a few months, we realised that the chance of winning real cash prizes was almost non-existent. So we lost interest. The fact that HQ Trivia’s quizzes were only held at set times each day was another drawback. It meant we couldn’t just pick up and play the game when we wanted to. Very annoying. And so it came to pass, that HQ Trivia died a death in the UK. On 5 Dec 2018, a message on its Twitter feed said goodbye. Luckily for us mobile quiz fans, we soon found something else to take its place. Quiz Planet is an awesome Facebook Messenger game, and if you haven’t played it yet, you’re in for a treat. Here’s everything you need to know about it. How do you find Quiz Planet on Facebook Messenger? Quiz Planet is one of the many games you can play on Facebook Messenger. To find it, start a conversation and click the ‘games’ icon at the bottom of your screen. You’ll then see a list of available games. Choose to play Quiz Planet, tap ‘Start new game’ and invite your friends to play. Let the quizzing begin! How do you play Quiz Planet on Facebook Messenger? Each game of Quiz Planet is fifteen questions long, with five rounds of three multiple-choice questions. You take it in turns with your opponent to choose a category. Then, do your best at answering the three questions in a round, and wait for them to do the same. At the end of round five, the answers are totted up and the winner declared. The questions in Quiz Planet are a nice mix, and range from the laughably easy to the horrendously hard. Some questions are created by players themselves, which is a nice touch, because it helps built up the number of available questions and avoids any repetition. We’ve been playing Quiz Planet pretty regularly (okay then, almost constantly) for months now and repeat questions are pretty rare. So, any major drawbacks? Not really. It can take a while for your opponent to finish their round of questions - but if you’ve got four or five games on the go at the same time, you won’t have to wait too long for your next round to pop up. What do you win on Quiz Planet? There are no cash prizes in Quiz Planet, but there’s something much better – rockets. When you first start playing Quiz Planet, you get a handful of rockets. If you lose a game, then some of your precious rockets lift off to the winner’s pile. But, when you win a game, you get some of the loser’s rockets. The sight of rockets going from your mate’s pile to yours is oh-so satisfying. It’s the kind of feeling that money just can’t buy. And, there’s a ‘rocket leaderboard’ that you can try and climb to the top of, for even more bragging rights. Do you play Quiz Planet? Have you got an impressive stockpile of rockets or are you running dangerously low? Is there another Facebook Messenger game you’d like to recommend? If so, post a reply below.

Does your phone feel like it’s getting slower performing basic tasks? Is it struggling to get through the day on a full charge? These could be signs that your once reliable and efficient handset is on its last legs. But these aren’t the only indicators. There are other, more subtle signs that, if ignored, could mean reduced functionality or worse performance further down the line. So, we’ve put together a list of a few of those warning signs. If any of these apply to you, it might be time to consider how long you’ve had your phone and if it’s still up to the task! Failing battery and random shutdowns A sure fire sign your phone’s on the way out is when the battery life starts to fail. Smartphone batteries are made with lithium-ion and can go through 300-500 full charge cycles before they start to deteriorate. After that, they tend to only hold between 70-80 % of their original capacity, eventually losing ability to recharge altogether. An indication your battery’s on the way out is when your phone randomly starts shutting down and then slowly stuttering back to life. Or refuses to turn back on. And it’s sure to be at the most inconvenient moment. Argh! ‘New phone time’ we think. You can’t upgrade or update your operating system If you’ve had your phone a long time, your manufacturer may eventually stop supporting your device. This means you won’t be able to upgrade to the latest operating system or install security patches, which may expose your sensitive data to hackers. With every OS update, your smartphone experience should become smoother and more intuitive. When you lose that support, you miss out on a ton of new features. Plus, you may not be compatible with the faster 4G and new 5G networks. Time to move on. Touchscreen slow to respond Is your touchscreen slowing down or has it even stopped responding to your commands? If you’re jabbing and poking at your screen with no response, it’s time to upgrade to a phone that does what you want, when you want it done (throwing it to the floor in frustration is a sure sign too.). After all, if your touchscreen phone isn’t responding to touch, there isn’t very much it can do. Busted screen or damaged phone Let’s face it – we’ve all dropped our phones at some point, and many of us are sporting a cracked screen even now. But there comes a point when it’s had one mishap too many. A cracked screen’s not a good look and all those knocks may eventually affect the smooth running of your device, or the touchscreen’s responsiveness. Imagine the delight of a pristine screen with no cracks or scratches? Go on treat yourself because, well … you’re worth it Poor quality photos and footage An old phone means outdated camera tech. If your photos and videos appear grainy and low-res, or there’s a lag between snapping the photo and seeing the end product, then you could be overdue an upgrade. You’ll be amazed what smartphone cameras can do now. Many feature main lenses with over 48 megapixels backed by another wide-angle lens. These phones can shoot seamless, shake-free Ultra HD footage even as you move. And as for the front facing selfie camera, well, your friends and family will finally be able to see you in Full HD detail on that catch-up video call. Take the plunge. No more storage space You’ve had your phone for years. All those precious photos, videos and apps mean that eventually you run out of storage. If larger apps keep crashing on your device whilst they seemingly work fine with those around you, you probably need more RAM. Look for a phone with upwards of 64GB of storage to store all your photos, videos and other data and plenty of RAM for smooth running of the latest apps. Many new phones feature upwards of 6 GB RAM, for laptop-like responsiveness. Don’t forget to look out for expandable storage, too. That allows you to add a memory card and boost storage space for all your files. If any of that sounds familiar and you’re thinking of taking the plunge, just click the ‘Shop’ button at the top to head straight to our brilliant phone deals. Don’t just chuck your old phone away, though. There are plenty of ways that you can still get use out of your old phone whilst doing your bit to reduce harmful landfill waste. Check out our 14 uses for your old phone and give it a new lease of life! OR Trade-in: Why not consider trading in your old device? If you’re phone is relatively new or was purchased within the last 5 years, you may be able to get a decent amount of money for trading it in, you can then use that money to put it towards an incredible new device. The amount of money we will value your device at will be dependent on it’s market value and it’s physical and internal condition. Our trade-in service is powered by Carphone Warehouse. To see how much we would offer you for your mobile device, click here.

There’s a new flagship phone in town. Get set for next-gen photography, share-ready footage and bundles of power… We love seeing new innovations in the smartphone world, and Samsung have kicked things off early in 2021 with the launch of three new flagship handsets – The Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G and S21 Ultra 5G. From budding photographers to box set bingers, the S21 range has something for everyone to love. Let’s take a closer look: Samsung Galaxy S21 5G The Galaxy S21 5G is compact but packs a serious punch. With a Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.2-inch display, every movie, game and web page looks bright, bold and beautiful. The screen refreshes all the way up to 120 Hz too, making in-game motion feel buttery smooth. And if you ever run low on juice, you can reduce the refresh rate to save energy. That’s smart. Powered by the new Exynos 2100 processor, 8 GB RAM and superfast 5G, the S21 offers ‘never miss a moment’ connectivity. It has the power to download apps and movies in seconds, deliver buffer-free streaming and switch instantly between your favourite apps. Then there’s the awesome camera. This triple lens can shoot in gorgeous 8K, and for the first time ever, you can use all the rear lenses to record footage simultaneously. And because that share-ready footage includes a ton of great photo ops, you can pull out high res stills and share them separately. Nice. Can’t choose what style of shot to go for? Go for Single Take mode. It captures 14 different creative versions of the same image, so you can pick the best one to share without the usual trial and error. Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G Looking for a bigger screen? The Galaxy S21+ 5G takes things up a gear, with a large 6.7-inch display and FHD+ resolution. The gorgeous Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen means you can watch epic battle scenes and season finales, and never feel like you’re compromising. A big screen needs more power, and the S21+ features a 20% bigger battery to keep your browsing, chats, movie watching and gaming going for as long as you need. In fact, there’s so much battery to go around, you can share it with your other compatible devices when they run low. Under the hood, the S21+ has the same processor as the S21, as well as the same cracking camera setup fronted by that brilliant 64 MP lens. And the Night Mode is a serious contender, too. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Make no mistake, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra takes things to the max. A 6.8-inch display with a Quad HD resolution, and that brilliant 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate. With both 12 GB and 16 GB RAM options, this phone is a powerhouse. Internal storage goes all the way up to 512 GB too, so you’ll never run out of space. The real star feature here though is the quad camera. Dual 10 MP tele lenses, a 12 MP Ultra Wide and a massive 108 MP wide angle lens make up one of the most capable phone cameras we’ve ever seen. That huge wide lens takes incredible photos, even at night, while the dual telephoto lenses can do both 3x and 10x optical zoom. You can capture cinematic footage, go ultra high res with 8K shooting, or take the perfect selfie first time with studio lighting. It’s a content creator’s dream. Framed with the toughest Gorilla Glass yet, the S21 Ultra 5G matches its power with durability. Security is practically vault-like, with an in-screen fingerprint reader offering instant secure access to all your apps and content. And for the first time in the history of the S series, you can add a Samsung S Pen and use the S21 Ultra notebook-style. Got your eye on a new Samsung S21 5G? Order now and get a great deal with iD Mobile! *5G connectivity is not currently available on iD Mobile Order now - Here are just a few of our offers: Samsung S21 5G, 128 GB – from £34.99 monthly, unlimited minutes, 20 GB data, £99.99 upfront Samsung S21 5G, 256 GB – from £37.99 monthly, unlimited minutes, 20 GB data, £99.99 upfront Samsung S21+ 5G, 128 GB – from £41.99 monthly, unlimited minutes, 20 GB data, £99.99 upfront Samsung S21+ 5G, 256 GB – from £44.99 monthly, unlimited minutes, 20 GB data, £99.99 upfront Samsung S21 Ultra 5G, 128 GB – from £52.99 monthly, unlimited minutes, 20 GB data, £99.99 upfront Samsung S21 Ultra 5G, 256 GB – from £54.99 monthly, unlimited minutes, 20 GB data, £99.99 upfront

Happy new year! Think you’ve missed the chance to treat yourself to a great phone deal now that Christmas is over? Think again! At iD Mobile, we’re all about great offers all year round. And this month, we’ve got some pretty epic deals on Google’s Pixel range. With the best elements of the Android experience combined with 5G connectivity, a powerful chip, a crystal-clear OLED screen and incredible cameras, Google Pixel phones can handle it all. Both the Google Pixel 4a 5G and the Google Pixel 5 launched in October, and they’re up there with the best smartphones of 2020. The first Google phones packed with 5G compatibility, both the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 offer incredible download speeds and a stripped-back, clean looking interface that’ll please even the most devoted Apple fans. We love the cameras on both phones. While they have the same dual 12MP and 16MP Ultra-Wide lens setup, it’s the brilliant AI that’s the star of the show. The Night Sight feature allows you to capture stunning photography in low light without the need to use the flash. And it’s smart enough to detect when the scene you’re shooting is dark, letting you select Night Sight mode with a quick tap. That AI brings the best out of both phones’ batteries, too. Adaptive Battery learns which apps you rely on the most and gives them priority when it comes to power. The battery can last up to 48 hours with the help of Extreme Battery Saver, so you can leave the charger at home. Next-Gen Google Assistant With the help of next-gen Google Assistant, the Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 5G can do practically whatever you ask. Dictate a catch-up message to a mate to send a text without typing, or request that song you can’t wait to hear. Connect up your smart devices and control your tech at home using your voice, or simply set a reminder to turn the oven on at the right time – Google Assistant makes it all possible. Both phones are available from iD mobile right now, starting from £24.99 a month for the Pixel 4a 5G and £27.99 a month for the Pixel 5. Just tap our handy new Shop button at the top of the Community page to find out more! Competition Time: Speaking of Community, we want to get every iD member’s 2021 off to a great start, and you can help! Simply tell us below what we can do to improve your iD Community experience, what new functions or updates would you like to see to the Community? Let us know below and you could be in with a chance of winning a brand-new Google Pixel 4a 5G. There can only be one winner, but every suggestion is welcome, whether you’re new to the Community or an iD Superhero. The competition closes on Wednesday 13th January 2020, and we’ll announce the winner shortly after. Our standard T&Cs apply. And if you can’t wait till then, you can always check out our fantastic Google Pixel deals. When purchasing a Google Pixel 4, 4a or 5 you will receive a Currys PC World Voucher worth £50-£100. Best of luck, and happy new year! This competition has now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered and shared their ideas. Congratulations to@DaveH you have won the brilliant ‘Google Pixel 4a 5G’

Thinking about treating yourself to a brand-new phone? We’re here to make it easier for you. New smartphones get released all the time and each one promises to top the last, making it tricky to find the phone that truly stands out and suits you. So, we’ve shortlisted what we think are among the best smartphones around right now. These 5 phones do it all and look great doing it – and they’re all available right now with iD Mobile. Let’s take a look: iPhone 12 Pro Make no mistake, the iPhone 12 Pro is a powerhouse. While its screen may be notably smaller than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, they both share the same incredible Super Retina XDR OLED display and A14 Bionic chip. Elsewhere, 5G compatibility and a pro-style camera system take the Apple experience to new heights. And with a choice of Pacific Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite, this thing offers as much style as substance. It looks awesome. Check out our iPhone 12 Pro deals . Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G Love gaming on the go? This might just be the phone for you. The Galaxy S20 FE has an ample 6.5” Full HD+ display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. That’s smooth enough for precision shooting in battle royales to following the perfect line in a rally game. It even makes scrolling through menus look better. Under the hood, the Galaxy S20 FE has the same reliable Exynos 990 processor as the original S20, paired with an even bigger 4,500 mAh battery. That makes it seriously reliable when you’re out. And for those picture-perfect moments, the triple 12 MP lens is ideal for any scene. Not a fan of simple black and silver options? No problem. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G comes in six colours – lavender, mint, navy, orange, red and white. Take your pick with our S20 FE deals. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus Want the best of Samsung with added power? The Galaxy S20 Plus is a solid choice. That Exynos 990 makes another feature here, this time matched with a massive 8 GB RAM – that’s enough to rival a laptop or PC. This pocket-sized machine can flick between apps and web pages like a pro. At 6.7-inches, it’s slightly bigger than the S20 FE and features a higher res display that’ll still push all the way up to 120 Hz. And that stunning screen means watching shows on busy trains and buses never feels like a compromise. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus oozes style, both in looks and performance. Its glass back looks elegant and is comfy to hold, while the 64 MP triple camera really doesn’t hold back. This thing can record in 8K. That’s impressive. Take a look at iD Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus Deals. Google Pixel 5 Google’s stripped back take on Android has always been a major draw, and the Pixel 5 brings it to new levels. It’s seamless, from the minimalist design to the super-accessible interface. Powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 765G processor and 8 GB RAM combo, this phone can handle any tasks you throw its way. We love the efficiency of Google Assistant, too. You can control a ton of smart devices from the Google Pixel 5 using your voice, set reminders, play songs and loads more. With 5G, it’s capable of downloading movies in seconds, while the dual rear 16/12 MP cameras do an amazing job of shooting photos at night. Get the best of Google with our Google Pixel 5 deals. OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G Never run out of battery again. The OPPO Reno4 Pro makes it almost impossible. It’ll fully charge in just over 30 minutes or give you 49% power in only 10. Incredible. Backed up by 12 GB RAM, you can juggle multiple apps and pages and it doesn’t break a sweat. The Reno4 Pro’s display makes TV shows and games pop, too. It’s a 6.5-inch AMOLED with curved edges that help maximise screen space. There’s a high gloss black design with a subtle pattern on the back, or you can go for Galactic Blue with its gorgeous gradient-style colouring that stands out when it catches the light Speaking of light, that triple camera is led by a 48 MP lens that lets in plenty of light to capture all the subtle details in your photos. And for those moments that need recording, Ultra Steady Video 3.0 takes the shakiness out of your footage. Take a peek at our OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G deals. There you have it – just 5 of the phones we think tick both style and performance boxes in a big way. There are of course, plenty more to choose from, and you’ll find a great deal on many of them with iD Mobile. Think we’ve missed a phone that deserves an honourable mention? What phone do you like the look of this year? Let us know below!