Lost your Android phone? Here are three apps to help track down and retrieve it

Updated on 05-24-2017 by Carlos Vega to include Android Device Manager.

No matter how cautious people are with their electronic devices, everyone’s endured the awful experience of losing a smartphone –after all, it happens to the best of us. Whether it occurs after a raucous night out with friends, or you’ve had the unlucky experience of running into a skilled pickpocket, it’s always a drag to reach for your digital friend only to come up empty.

Luckily for Android users, there are a range of applications and programs specifically designed for the tracking down and locating a lost or stolen smartphone. To help you sift through the sea of available options, we’ve compiled this list of the absolute best methods for finding and retrieving lost Android devices.

Note: Digital Trends doesn’t condone the use of these phone trackers for anything other than locating a lost or stolen Android phone. While these apps work wonders for finding a wayward phone, it’s never cool to be a creep. Please use sound judgment when employing the services of the following programs.

Find My Device

Features:

• Track your phone via GPS
• Erase your phone remotely
• Remotely play a sound
• Lock your phone remotely

Google’s Find My Device app is a must-have for Android users. The app is simple to use, and all you have to do to get started is download it from the Play Store. After you install the app, it will ask you to log in, and to make sure Location is turned on. Once the app is installed and running, you will be able to locate your device, assuming it’s turned on and connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.

To track your device, go to android.com/find in any browser, whether on your computer or another smartphone. If your lost device has access to the internet, location is on, and Find My Device is running, you will be able to locate it. One of the great features here is that you can lock the device and write a message with an accompanying phone number. That way if someone finds or has your device, all they have to do is press the Call Me button on the screen to call the specified phone number. You can also choose to play a sound or erase the phone remotely if you have no other choice.

Remember that if you track your phone using a browser, however, you will have to log in to your Google account. If you logged in from someone else’s smartphone or desktop browser, then you’ll want to log out of all your accounts when finished. If you leave your account logged in, anyone with access to that computer will be able to track your smartphone. The app only takes a minute to install and set up, and because it is so easy to use, it should be your first choice for finding a lost Android device.

Download now from:

Google Play

Find My Android Phone!

Features:

• See the GPS location of your phone via the app’s built-in map
• Keep tabs on missing or lost phones with real-time updates
• Receive navigational assistance from the app when locating a phone
• Delete any messages from a tracked phone

Family Safety Productions’ app Find My Android Phone! makes it incredibly easy to find a stolen or lost Android phones with its superior tracking technology. Perhaps one of its greatest features is that the application allows users to track the cell phones of any family member who syncs their phone to the program — though, we don’t condone the act of spying on spouses or loved ones unless necessary. When hunting down a lost or stolen phone, the application provides real-time location updates, which constantly change as the phone in question moves. The app also provides accurate GPS directions, and relies on its triangulation algorithm to produce a spot-on location.

The application’s easy-to-use website allows for quick viewing of all synced phones, and also provides the same real-time mapping as the application. Considering that the app is free, Find My Android Phone! remains one of the best options for locating your Android device after it’s either fallen victim to a long night on the town, or become the object of a thief’s obsession.

Download now from:

Google Play

Lost Android

Features:

• Read sent and received SMS messages via your computer
• Wipe your phone or SD card’s memory remotely
• Start a flashing screen alarm on the phone
• Forward any calls to a desired number of your choice
• Start and stop your device’s Wi-Fi and GPS functions
• Locate your phone via a GPS or network connection

Lost Android — or Android Lost, depending on the webpage — is a fantastic app, one that excels when it comes to finding your lost Android device. Although the Android app is technically still in beta, it still manages to provide users an incredible amount of features and benefits, many of which remain exclusive to this impressive app.

For starters, users have the ability to automatically forward any SMS messages received on their phone to their email inbox, and even have the option of sending SMS messages directly from their computer. Lost Android also allows users to activate a remote-controlled alarm, even if your phone is in “Silent Mode.” Moreover, the app allows users to wipe any content from a lost phone, forward all calls sent to the phone, and produce a pop-up message that lets any would-be thieves know to return the device ASAP.

Like Find My Android Phone!, Lost Android doesn’t cost a dime to download, and the fact it affords its users a laundry list of available benefits makes it an attractive solution for find your phone.

Download now from:

Google Play

MSI’s assault on Computex includes new gaming laptops, updated wearable PC

Why it matters to you

MSI is raising the bar for quality PC gaming and VR experiences with its refreshed lineup of desktops and laptops appearing at Computex.

Prior to Computex opening its doors in Taipei, MSI revealed its lineup of products heading to the show. These include an updated backpack PC for anchor-free VR gaming, a new line of gaming desktops, new entries to its GT series of gaming laptops, and a new entry in its Vortex family of compact gaming PCs. The laptops are actually available to purchase now, while all other products have no release dates and pricing.

VR One Backpack PC

For starters, the company updated this wearable PC for virtual reality with seventh-generation Intel Core processors. The device weighs a mere 7.93 pounds, enabling users to freely move around in their virtual experience without feeling weighed down and anchored to a stationary VR-capable PC. It comes with two hot-swappable 90-watt-hour batteries to keep users in the virtual world without having to completely exit due to a dead battery.

The two VR One models are mostly the same outside their obvious graphics chip and price differences. The GTX 1060 model only has 6GB of GDDR5 video memory and 256GB of internal storage whereas the GTX 1070 model has 8GB of GDDR5 video memory and twice the storage. Either model is a great cord-free VR option although you may find that the 256GB SSD may fill up extremely fast.

GeForce GTX 1070 Model
GeForce GTX 1060 Model
Model:
VRONE065
VRONE067
Processor:
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.9GHz base, 3.9GHz boost
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.9GHz base, 3.9GHz boost
System memory:
16GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz
16GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz
Graphics memory:
8GB GDDR5
6GB GDDR5
Storage:
512GB SSD
M.2 NVMe, PCIe Gen3 x4
256GB SSD
M.2 NVMe, PCIe Gen3 x4
Audio:
Nahimic Sound
Nahimic Sound
Ports:
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Thunderbolt 3
1x HDMI 2.0
1x Mini DisplayPort 1.2
1x Audio port
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Thunderbolt 3
1x HDMI 2.0
1x Mini DisplayPort 1.2
1x Audio port
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (2×2) (Killer 1535)
Bluetooth 4.1
Wireless AC (2×2) (Killer 1535)
Bluetooth 4.1
AC power adapter:
230 watts
230 watts
Battery pack:
2x 8-cell 90-watt-hour batteries
2x 8-cell 90-watt-hour batteries
Dimensions:
15.9 x 11.5 x 2.4 inches
15.9 x 11.5 x 2.4 inches
Weight:
7.9 pounds
7.9 pounds
Operating system:
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Color:
Black
Black
Price:
$2,299
$1,999

MSI’s assault on Computex includes new gaming laptops, updated wearable PC

Why it matters to you

MSI is raising the bar for quality PC gaming and VR experiences with its refreshed lineup of desktops and laptops appearing at Computex.

Prior to Computex opening its doors in Taipei, MSI revealed its lineup of products heading to the show. These include an updated backpack PC for anchor-free VR gaming, a new line of gaming desktops, new entries to its GT series of gaming laptops, and a new entry in its Vortex family of compact gaming PCs. The laptops are actually available to purchase now, while all other products have no release dates and pricing.

VR One Backpack PC

For starters, the company updated this wearable PC for virtual reality with seventh-generation Intel Core processors. The device weighs a mere 7.93 pounds, enabling users to freely move around in their virtual experience without feeling weighed down and anchored to a stationary VR-capable PC. It comes with two hot-swappable 90-watt-hour batteries to keep users in the virtual world without having to completely exit due to a dead battery.

The two VR One models are mostly the same outside their obvious graphics chip and price differences. The GTX 1060 model only has 6GB of GDDR5 video memory and 256GB of internal storage whereas the GTX 1070 model has 8GB of GDDR5 video memory and twice the storage. Either model is a great cord-free VR option although you may find that the 256GB SSD may fill up extremely fast.

GeForce GTX 1070 Model
GeForce GTX 1060 Model
Model:
VRONE065
VRONE067
Processor:
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.9GHz base, 3.9GHz boost
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.9GHz base, 3.9GHz boost
System memory:
16GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz
16GB DDR4 @ 2,400MHz
Graphics memory:
8GB GDDR5
6GB GDDR5
Storage:
512GB SSD
M.2 NVMe, PCIe Gen3 x4
256GB SSD
M.2 NVMe, PCIe Gen3 x4
Audio:
Nahimic Sound
Nahimic Sound
Ports:
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Thunderbolt 3
1x HDMI 2.0
1x Mini DisplayPort 1.2
1x Audio port
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Thunderbolt 3
1x HDMI 2.0
1x Mini DisplayPort 1.2
1x Audio port
Connectivity:
Wireless AC (2×2) (Killer 1535)
Bluetooth 4.1
Wireless AC (2×2) (Killer 1535)
Bluetooth 4.1
AC power adapter:
230 watts
230 watts
Battery pack:
2x 8-cell 90-watt-hour batteries
2x 8-cell 90-watt-hour batteries
Dimensions:
15.9 x 11.5 x 2.4 inches
15.9 x 11.5 x 2.4 inches
Weight:
7.9 pounds
7.9 pounds
Operating system:
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Color:
Black
Black
Price:
$2,299
$1,999

You aren’t ready for this crazy 8K monitor. No really, you probably can’t use it

Dell’s UP3218K is more monitor than you can handle. Seriously.

The race to cram more Ks into every device shows no sign of slowing down. 4K televisions are reaching mainstream price points, smartphones are packing in 3K and 4K screens, and Apple seems insistent on making 5K the standard for its premium desktops. These examples are beautiful, cutting-edge, pixel-dense screens. And all of them have nothing on Dell’s new UP3218K monitor.

Parse the name closely, and the gist of what it offers is clear – it’s a 32-inch screen with 8K resolution. 8K is, well, a lot of Ks, and it’s even more impressive in context of the display’s size. The UP3218K’s resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 adds up to over 33 million pixels, or 280 pixels per inch. Even the iMac with Retina comes up shy of 15 million pixels.

It’s a good thing 8K is a niche, because nothing is ready for it.

What does 33 million pixels look like? Exactly like whatever’s on the display, which is the entire point. The individual pixels are virtually impossible to see with the naked eye, and if any hint of them becomes visible, it’s likely due to the source content rather than the display. Apple’s iMac with Retina already managed to achieve this effect when viewed from a couple feet away, but the UP3218K stands up to scrutiny. You’ll go cross-eyed before seeing a jagged edge.

There’s more to the monitor than its pixel count, however. In our tests, we found it can render the entire sRGB, AdobeRGB, and Rec. 709 gamuts, as well as achieve an average color error value below one (after calibration). Contrast wasn’t bad either, at a maximum ratio of 650:1, though the best monitors do manage to exceed a ratio north of 1000:1. The edge-lit panel doesn’t include local dimming – monitors almost never do.

Dell opted for a glossy finish on the UP3218K, as it enhances perceived contrast and lets colors shine. That’s important for a display built for high-end professional work. However, Dell treated the display with a coating that reduces glare. Reflections are still visible, but usually aren’t distracting.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

We were a bit miffed to see the Dell’s on-screen menu, though easy to navigate, doesn’t offer settings for gamma or specific color hue/saturation. It only offers adjustment for brightness, contrast, color space, and color temperature. That’s mostly excused by compatibility with X-Rite colorimeter tools, which Dell says will allow for extremely precise calibration. Still, we’d prefer to see all options built-in to the monitor menu, too.

The little things count

The UP3218K’s pixel count isn’t its only shocking specification. Its price – a whopping $5,000 – will also raise eyebrows. Given how much it costs, it’d be reasonable to expect some luxury, and the monitor delivers. While the chassis itself is plastic, aluminum covers the major touch points such as the edges of the display and the back panel. The materials feel sturdy, even when handled more roughly than most people will treat a display this expensive.

What does 33 million pixels look like? Exactly like whatever’s on the display, which is the entire point.

A rugged silver stand holds the panel upright. It provides a wide variety of ergonomic options including tilt, swivel, and height. It can even rotate 90 degrees to hold the monitor vertically. Dell’s monitor stands have a good reputation, and the UP3218K upholds it, but the VESA mount makes it possible to use a different stand, if desired.

We know none of this sounds incredible, features like these can’t be taken for granted. LG’s Ultrafine 5K monitor, for example, looks and feels chintzy despite its $1,300 price tag. We suspect the kind of people who actually buy the UP3218K won’t care at all about its looks – what it does will be far more important – but Dell’s attention to detail is always appreciated.

Nobody’s ready for this

8K. Yep. That’s a lot. Does anyone really need this?

The answer is yes – but most people don’t. 8K is for those who produce extremely high-end photo and video content. The massive advertisements that span the sides of buildings in cities across the globe are shot, edited, and finalized at massive resolutions, and an 8K monitor gives those designers a chance to see results at 1:1 scale – or, if not that, as close as any monitor yet can come. Cutting-edge video also benefits, as 4K can be edited with plenty of room to spare, and an 8K monitor is obviously the only way to see the result of an 8K video.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

It’s a good thing 8K is a niche, because nothing is ready for it. Connection standards aren’t ready for it, so two DisplayPort connections must be used at once, as was true with Dell’s 5K monitor. Most video cards aren’t ready for it, so only the latest hardware from AMD and Nvidia can drive it. Windows isn’t ready for it, so we ran across numerous bugs, from wallpapers that didn’t fully load to a display driver that regularly crashed just while browsing the web. Even the content isn’t ready for it, so there’s virtually nothing to view or watch.

What about 8K gaming? That, too, is a beautiful dream. Many games will boot up on the UP3218K, and render at 8K resolution, but playing is another story. Even Diablo 3, now five years old, didn’t come close to fluidity when played on a GTX 1080. The hardware to power 8K gaming in modern titles doesn’t exist – yet.

Dell’s UP3218K is a very big, very nice monitor with all the Ks a kid could ever need, but it’s priced at $5,000, and most software just isn’t ready to handle it. To buy it is to buy a small slice of the future. It’s awesome, it’s beautiful, it’s luxurious – but for most people, it won’t be much use until the rest of the world catches up.

Live video is old news, Facebook wants scripted shows now

Why it matters to you

Instead of watching live content on Facebook, soon it may have scripted shows.

Facebook has officially signed deals with Vox Media, ATTN:, and Buzzfeed, and others to produce original video content.

After launching massive ad campaigns branding Facebook Live as the future of video, the platform has taken a different direction to lure users to watch video through its app, Reuters reports. This comes after it closed an estimated $50 million worth of live-streaming deals with publishers such as CNN and the New York Times. Facebook hoped media and personal streaming would give it an edge in the growing video market.

Instead, Facebook will follow the strategy of its (now) competitors, Netflix and Amazon, by paying and claiming ownership for scripted TV shows. The company will pay between $10,000 to $250,000 depending on the length of the shows, which can range anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes long.

By 2020, 82 percent of consumer internet traffic will be video, Cisco reports. This is an attempt to attract that audience and keep the retention of Facebook users high. It also keeps the service in the running with advertisers alongside rivals such as Snapchat, YouTube, and major television networks.

Facebook is already the default destination for sharing personal experiences, information, and customer outreach for businesses. By adding original TV shows and movies, it hopes users will have another reason to stay on the service longer. Ads will run for both long-form and short-term shows, with creators receiving 55 percent of the revenue.

Facebook says that creators will have free reign to stream and sell their content on external platforms after a set period of time. The option to go live on Facebook is still available for news publishers and personal users.

Lost your Android phone? Here are three apps to help track down and retrieve it

Updated on 05-24-2017 by Carlos Vega to include Android Device Manager.

No matter how cautious people are with their electronic devices, everyone’s endured the awful experience of losing a smartphone –after all, it happens to the best of us. Whether it occurs after a raucous night out with friends, or you’ve had the unlucky experience of running into a skilled pickpocket, it’s always a drag to reach for your digital friend only to come up empty.

Luckily for Android users, there are a range of applications and programs specifically designed for the tracking down and locating a lost or stolen smartphone. To help you sift through the sea of available options, we’ve compiled this list of the absolute best methods for finding and retrieving lost Android devices.

Note: Digital Trends doesn’t condone the use of these phone trackers for anything other than locating a lost or stolen Android phone. While these apps work wonders for finding a wayward phone, it’s never cool to be a creep. Please use sound judgment when employing the services of the following programs.

Find My Device

Features:

• Track your phone via GPS
• Erase your phone remotely
• Remotely play a sound
• Lock your phone remotely

Google’s Find My Device app is a must-have for Android users. The app is simple to use, and all you have to do to get started is download it from the Play Store. After you install the app, it will ask you to log in, and to make sure Location is turned on. Once the app is installed and running, you will be able to locate your device, assuming it’s turned on and connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.

To track your device, go to android.com/find in any browser, whether on your computer or another smartphone. If your lost device has access to the internet, location is on, and Find My Device is running, you will be able to locate it. One of the great features here is that you can lock the device and write a message with an accompanying phone number. That way if someone finds or has your device, all they have to do is press the Call Me button on the screen to call the specified phone number. You can also choose to play a sound or erase the phone remotely if you have no other choice.

Remember that if you track your phone using a browser, however, you will have to log in to your Google account. If you logged in from someone else’s smartphone or desktop browser, then you’ll want to log out of all your accounts when finished. If you leave your account logged in, anyone with access to that computer will be able to track your smartphone. The app only takes a minute to install and set up, and because it is so easy to use, it should be your first choice for finding a lost Android device.

Download now from:

Google Play

Find My Android Phone!

Features:

• See the GPS location of your phone via the app’s built-in map
• Keep tabs on missing or lost phones with real-time updates
• Receive navigational assistance from the app when locating a phone
• Delete any messages from a tracked phone

Family Safety Productions’ app Find My Android Phone! makes it incredibly easy to find a stolen or lost Android phones with its superior tracking technology. Perhaps one of its greatest features is that the application allows users to track the cell phones of any family member who syncs their phone to the program — though, we don’t condone the act of spying on spouses or loved ones unless necessary. When hunting down a lost or stolen phone, the application provides real-time location updates, which constantly change as the phone in question moves. The app also provides accurate GPS directions, and relies on its triangulation algorithm to produce a spot-on location.

The application’s easy-to-use website allows for quick viewing of all synced phones, and also provides the same real-time mapping as the application. Considering that the app is free, Find My Android Phone! remains one of the best options for locating your Android device after it’s either fallen victim to a long night on the town, or become the object of a thief’s obsession.

Download now from:

Google Play

Lost Android

Features:

• Read sent and received SMS messages via your computer
• Wipe your phone or SD card’s memory remotely
• Start a flashing screen alarm on the phone
• Forward any calls to a desired number of your choice
• Start and stop your device’s Wi-Fi and GPS functions
• Locate your phone via a GPS or network connection

Lost Android — or Android Lost, depending on the webpage — is a fantastic app, one that excels when it comes to finding your lost Android device. Although the Android app is technically still in beta, it still manages to provide users an incredible amount of features and benefits, many of which remain exclusive to this impressive app.

For starters, users have the ability to automatically forward any SMS messages received on their phone to their email inbox, and even have the option of sending SMS messages directly from their computer. Lost Android also allows users to activate a remote-controlled alarm, even if your phone is in “Silent Mode.” Moreover, the app allows users to wipe any content from a lost phone, forward all calls sent to the phone, and produce a pop-up message that lets any would-be thieves know to return the device ASAP.

Like Find My Android Phone!, Lost Android doesn’t cost a dime to download, and the fact it affords its users a laundry list of available benefits makes it an attractive solution for find your phone.

Download now from:

Google Play

Beyond Zero supercools your booze to make frozen liquor ice cubes in minutes

Why it matters to you

This is the only ice cube maker that makes your drinks stronger instead of weaker as the cubes melt.

It’s one of the great quandaries of life that everyone must ponder and try to arrive at their own answer: Should you add ice to a drink and risk watering it down, or should you battle on with a drink that’s marginally warmer than you’d like it to be?

Such a first-world problem is what a Kentucky-based startup is trying to solve with its new Beyond Zero system. Having officially debuted this month at the 2017 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, the Beyond Zero system allows you to combine the best of both worlds — by making ice cubes not out of water, but out of alcohol instead.

“We developed the world’s first ever machine to freeze liquor into ice cubes so you can enjoy a cool cocktail without diluting the taste of the underlying spirit,” founder, inventor, and all-round happy hour savior Jason Sherman told Digital Trends. “Since it’s so cold, it masks the heat of high-proof spirits like whiskey, tequila, or vodka, and smooths out the taste.”

Sherman’s heartwarming story began back in Miami, where he was a scotch and bourbon drinker, with barely an invention to his name. “Like a lot of other people out there I got tired of my small luxury experience always being watered down and decided to make a machine to solve the problem,” he said.

Technically, the Beyond Zero system is actually two separate gadgets in one: The Liquor Ice Maker and the Liquor Ice Storage Unit. You start out by pouring liquor into the first machine, where it’s chilled to levels way below a regular freezer using a proprietary method. This takes just a few minutes, so you won’t have to wait around making awkward small talk with your drinking buddies for several hours like you would with a normal freezer, making boring, noninebriating ice cubes. It then transfer the cubes into the Storage Unit, and keeps them frozen until they’re ready to be plopped into your drink.

You can even flex your creative muscles by combining more than one liquor together in ice, or creating ice in different colors.

“It’s available for pre-order now with first shipments expected to deliver in August,” Sherman said. “We designed the machines for commercial venues like bars, hotels, restaurants, and casinos, but we also got approvals for home use. Overall, we think it’s a fun, easy-to-use machine for anyone that wants to elevate their cocktail experience.”

How to deal with Gear VR overheating

These tips ought to help if your phone overheats while playing Gear VR.

There are few things quite as frustrating as being in the middle of an awesome VR game and having your phone overheat and shut everything down. Gear VR can overheat, and when it does, it’s never at an opportune time. Thankfully there are a fair few ways that you can get around this problem, and we’ve got the details on them.

Read more at VRHeads.com

A friendly reminder that Android TV is getting a much-needed overhaul

A better home screen and Google Assistant are coming to Android TV — all things announced at I/O in an effort to persuade you to adopt the platform.

There was a bevy of exciting announcements revealed during the keynote at Google I/O 2017, but one of the quieter sleeper hits was the news that Android TV would receive a much-anticipated makeover. In a lengthy blogpost, Google expanded on some of the enhancements and how it plans to make its Android-based living room platform worth adopting into the home:

The new Android TV home screen organizes video content into channels and programs in a way that’s familiar to TV viewers. Each Android TV app can publish multiple channels, which are represented as rows of programs on the home screen. Apps add relevant programs on each channel, and update these programs and channels as users access content or when new content is available. To help engage users, programs can include a video preview, which is automatically played when a user focuses on a program. Users can configure which channels they wish to see on the home screen, and the ordering of channels, so the themes and shows they’re interested in are quick and easy to access.

The top of the new Android TV home screen interface will also include a quick launch bar with your favorite apps, as well as a Watch Next channel, which exists to help you find just that. The latter will feature programs and shows that are based on your own viewing habits, so it should theoretically become more accurate in its suggestions overtime.

Your new Home screen on Android TV.

Google Assistant is also making its way over to Android TV later this year. You’ll be able to use it in the same manner that you do with a smartphone or Google Home when it arrives and it will launch first in the U.S. on Android devices running Marshmallow, Nougat, and Android O.

If you’re a developer curious to get into the trenches, Google’s set up an entire Android TV Developer page on Google+ for your edification.

Instagram is hedging its bets on becoming your go-to messaging platform

The latest additions to the image sharing platform add landscape and portrait photos to Direct messages, in addition to link sharing.

If you would have told me that Instagram would be the go-to social network five years ago, I would have scoffed. But things have really evolved for the app since then, and lately it seems to be undergoing a bit of a renaissance due in part to the multitude of updates.

Today’s update brings with it landscape and portrait photos to Instagram Direct. On the surface, this is a fairly boring, yawn-worthy update, and though it will make direct messages between you and your friends a bit more dynamic, it’s not exactly meant to overhaul your Instagram experience in a meaningful way. But if you use Instagram now and already have a bustling network of friends you chat with on a daily basis, you may find you’ll use it more often, especially now that you have the knowledge of its ability to share links and one-off photos without all the noise of the perpetual feed and the fake news that often floods social networks like Facebook.

Instagram has added direct links in Direct messages.

Instagram has also added support for links in its Direct messages so that you can easily send a link you’re perusing in the Twitter app, for instance. The link functionality will extend to phone numbers and addresses, too, so if the app is your primary method of socializing, you can rest easy knowing it’s possible to have everyday correspondence without having to hop into another chat app. Granted, these aren’t major features that will make or break your daily Instagram routine, but they are a valid reminder that in the social network race, it’s anyone’s game. Instagram is ensuring it stays ahead by offering what its users want, even if it is evolving away from its original objective.

The update is hitting iPhones right now and Android phones later, though links in Direct messages are already available with the latest Android app update.