How Xbox One backwards compatibility works: The Xbox 360 games list and more

For a considerable while now, you have been able to play Xbox 360 games on an Xbox One or Xbox One S (reviewed here). Not all of your old library of games are playable, but there are several hundred titles now available. And Xbox is adding to this list regularly as new titles are checked and cleared for release.

But do you have to do anything different to get it to work? Exactly how will Xbox 360 games play on an Xbox One? And can you buy Xbox 360 games on an Xbox One? Here’s our handy guide to the feature.

• Xbox One S HDR games list: All the games you can play in HDR

How does Xbox One backwards compatibility work?

Microsoft first announced that it would be adding backwards compatibility to its current generation console during E3 2015, and the initial wave of 104 games arrived in November that year.

The Xbox One is able to play Xbox 360 games through emulation software that makes the console think it’s a last generation machine for the purposes of playing older games.

When a supported Xbox 360 game is started on the machine, the Xbox One opens the emulator and, in all regards, the game works as if it was running on an Xbox 360. The 360’s opening screen appears first then the game will load.

All other aspects and features that would normally be available on an Xbox 360 are be available on the Xbox One too, including the hub (which can be opened through a simultaneous press of the menu and view buttons on the Xbox One controller). In addition, all new features of the Xbox One work, including the ability to take screen grabs and record and share video of gameplay.

• Xbox boss Phil Spencer explains why your fave Xbox 360 game is not backwards compatible… yet

Does Xbox One backwards compatibility cost me anything?

Although Sony opted for a paid route to play PS3 games on a PS4, through the PlayStation Now cloud gaming platform, Microsoft decided to offer its backwards compatibility for free as part of the November update at the end of 2015.

If you own a supported game already, you do not have to pay anything to play it on Xbox One.

Obviously, it costs to purchase new Xbox 360 games that work on the machine.

Many of the Xbox 360 games with backwards compatibility are also available as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription. For £7.99 a month, you get access to more than 100 games to download and play on your console, made up of a mix of classic Xbox 360 games and Xbox One titles.

• Xbox Game Pass: Release date, price and all the games you can play

Does Xbox One backwards compatibility work with Xbox 360 games I bought through Xbox Live?

Xbox One backwards compatibility works with digital content as well as disc games. In fact, if you enter a supported disc into your Xbox One, the machine will download the game from Xbox Live first – although you will need the disc to be in the machine each time you play.

If you own a digital copy of a supported game it appears in your games list ready for download. Check your Games and Apps hub to see if any are listed among the games yet to be installed.

Can I buy Xbox 360 games on my Xbox One?

Since the March 2016 update compatible Xbox 360 games have been listed for purchase on the Xbox One game store. If you are an Xbox Live Gold member, you now also see free Xbox 360 games to download each month alongside Xbox One titles as part of the Games for Gold scheme.

That means you get two free Xbox One games and two free Xbox One games a month.

Prices for the Xbox 360 games on the online store vary, but start at around £3.

Can I carry on with my previous Xbox 360 game saves on Xbox One?

If you originally set your Xbox 360 to save games to the cloud you will be able to download the save files to the Xbox One version and carry on. The cloud files are permanently associated with your gamertag so the Xbox One should do this automatically.

If you only saved your in-game progress locally, to the hard drive, you will need to restart your Xbox 360 and save them to the cloud instead. If you no longer have your Xbox 360, sadly you won’t be able to access the files.

What games are available with Xbox One backwards compatibility?

There are now more than 300 Xbox 360 titles available as part of the backwards compatibility scheme.

The company’s plan is to eventually support every game it feasibly can bar a few that cannot be made compatible due to requiring additional accessories to run. These include games like the original Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, plus any that worked with the original Kinect. Even if you have the Xbox One Kinect, it will not be compatible with previous Xbox 360 Kinect games.

Here’s a full list of the Xbox 360 games that are currently available with backwards compatibility for Xbox One (as of 7 June 2017):

• 3D Ultra Minigolf
• A Kingdom for Keflings
• A World of Keflings
• Aegis Wing
• Age of Booty
• Alan Wake
• Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
• Alaskan Adventures
• Alice: Madness Returns
• Alien Hominid HD
• Altered Beast
• Anomaly Warzone Earth
• Aqua
• Arkanoid Live!
• Army of Two
• Assassin’s Creed
• Assassin’s Creed II
• Assassin’s Creed III
• Assassin’s Creed Rogue
• Assassin’s Creed Revelations
• Assault Heroes 2
• Asteroids & Deluxe
• Astropop
• Babel Rising
• Band of Bugs
• Banjo Kazooie
• Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
• Banjo-Tooie
• BattleBlock Theater
• Battlefield 3
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2
• Battlestations: Midway
• Bayonetta
• Beat’n Groovy
• Bejeweled 2
• Bejeweled 3
• Bellator: MMA Onslaught
• Beyond Good & Evil HD
• Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
• Bioshock
• Bioshock 2
• Bioshock Infinite
• Blood Knights
• Blood of the Werewolf
• Bloodforge
• BloodRayne: Betrayal
• Blue Dragon
• Bomberman Battlefest
• Boom Boom Rocket
• Borderlands
• Borderlands 2
• Bound by Flame
• Braid
• Brain Challenge
• Bullet Soul
• Bullet Soul -Infinite Burst-
• Bully Scholarship Edition
• Burnout Paradise
• Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013
• Cabela’s Hunting Expeditions
• Cabela’s Survival: SoK
• Call of Duty 2
• Call of Duty 3
• Call of Duty: Black Ops
• Call of Duty: Black Ops II
• Call of Duty: World at War
• Call of Juarez Gunslinger
• Capcom Arcade Cabinet
• Carcassonne
• Cars 2: The Video Game
• Castle Crashers
• Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
• CastleStorm
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
• Catherine
• Centipede & Millipede
• Clannad
• Comic Jumper
• Comix Zone
• Commanders: Attack
• Condemned: Criminal Origins
• Contra
• Counter-Strike: Go
• Crazy Taxi
• Crystal Defenders
• Dark Souls
• Dark Void
• Darksiders
• Darksiders II
• Daytona USA
• De Blob 2
• Dead Rising 2: Case West
• Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
• Dead Space
• Dead Space 2
• Dead Space 3
• Dead Space Ignition
• Deadliest Warrior: Legends
• Deathspank T.O.V.
• Defense Grid: The Awakening
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut
• Dig Dug
• DiRT 3
• DiRT Showdown
• Discs of Tron
• Domino Master
• Doom
• Doom II
• Doom 3: BFG Edition
• Doritos Crash Course
• Double Dragon: Neon
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Dragon’s Lair
• Duck Tales: Remastered
• Dungeon Siege III
• Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
• E4
• Earthworm Jim HD
• Eat Lead
• EnclevermentExperiment
• Escape Dead Island
• Fable II
• Fable III
• Faery: Legends of Avalon
• Fallout 3
• Fallout: New Vegas
• Far Cry 3
• Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
• Feeding Frenzy
• Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
• Final Fight: Double Impact
• Flashback
• Flock!
• Forza Horizon
• Foul Play
• Fret Nice
• Frogger
• Frogger 2
• FunTown Mahjong
• Galaga
• Galaga Legions
• Galaga Legions DX
• Garou: Mark of the Wolves
• Gatling Gears
• Gears of War
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War: Judgment
• Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved
• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
• Ghostbusters
• Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
• Gin Rummy
• Go! Go! Break Steady
• Golden Axe
• Golf: Tee it Up!
• Grand Theft Auto IV + Episodes from Liberty City
• Grid 2
• Gripshift
• Guardian Heroes
• Gunstar Heroes
• Gyromancer
• Half-Minute Hero -Super Mega Neo Climax-
• Halo: Reach
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Halo Wars
• Hard Corps: Uprising
• Hardwood Backgammon
• Hardwood Hearts
• Hardwood Spades
• Harms Way
• Haunted House
• Heavy Weapon
• Hexic 2
• Hexic HD
• Hitman: Absolution
• Hydro Thunder
• I Am Alive
• Ikaruga
• ilomilo
• Injustice: Gods Among Us
• Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
• Interpol
• Iron Brigade
• Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad
• Jet Set Radio
• Jetpac Refuelled
• Joe Danger 2: The Movie
• Joe Danger Special Edition
• Joust
• Joy Ride Turbo
• Juju
• Jurassic Park: The Game
• Just Cause 2
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Kane & Lynch 2
• Killer is Dead
• Lazy Raiders
• Left 4 Dead
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Lego Batman
• Lego Indiana Jones
• Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Limbo
• Lode Runner
• Lost Odyssey
• Lumines Live!
• Luxor 2
• Mad Tracks
• Madballs Babo: Invasion
• Magic 2012
• Mars: War Logs
• Mass Effect
• Mass Effect 2
• Mass Effect 3
• Matt Hazard: BBB
• Medal of Honor Airborne
• Meet the Robinsons
• Mega Man 9
• Mega Man 10
• Metal Slug 3
• Metal Slug XX
• Midway Arcade Origins
• Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
• Military Madness
• Mirror’s Edge
• Missile Command
• Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine
• Monday Night Combat
• Monkey Island: Special Edition
• Monkey Island 2: Special Edition
• Monopoly PlusMoon Diver
• Motocross Madness
• Mr Driller Online
• Ms Pac-Man
• Ms. Splosion Man
• Mutant Blobs Attack!!!
• Mutant Storm Empire
• MX vs. ATV Reflex
• N+
• NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
• NeoGeo Battle Coliseum
• New Rally-X
• Nights into Dreams…
• Nin2-Jump
• Of Orcs and Men
• OFP: Red River
• Omega Five
• Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
• Outland
• Pac-Man
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition
• Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX+
• Pac-Man Museum
• Peggle
• Perfect Dark
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Phantasy Star II
• Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds
• Pinball FX
• Planets Under Attack
• Plants vs. Zombies
• Poker Smash
• Portal 2
• Portal: Still Alive
• Prince of Persia
• Pure
• Putty Squad
• Puzzle Quest
• Puzzle Quest 2
• Puzzle Quest Galactrix
• Puzzlegeddon
• Qix++
• R-Type Dimensions
• Rage
• Raskulls
• Rayman 3 HD
• Rayman Legends
• Rayman Origins
• Red Dead Redemption
• Red Faction: Battlegrounds
• RoboBlitz
• Rocket Knight
• Runner2
• Sacred 3
• Sacred Citadel
• Saints Row IV
• Sam & Max Save the World
• Sam & Max Beyond Time & Space
• Samurai Shodown II
• Scarygirl
• Scrap Metal
• Sega Bass Fishing
• Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
• Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe
• Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
• Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
• Shadow Assault/Tenchu
• Shadow Complex
• Shadowrun
• Shadows of the Damned
• Shank 2
• Shinobi
• Shotest Shogi
• Shred Nebula
• Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution
• Silent Hill: Downpour
• Skate 3
• Skydive
• Skullgirls
• Small Arms
• Soltrio Solitaire
• Sonic 4 Episode II
• Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
• Sonic & Knuckles
• Sonic CD
• Sonic The Fighters
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2
• Sonic The Hedgehog 3
• Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode I
• Soulcalibur
• Soulcalibur II HD
• South Park: The Stick of Truth
• Space Ark
• Space Giraffe
• Space Invaders Infinity Gene
• Spelunky
• Splosion Man
• SSX
• Stacking
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
• Steins; Gate Hiroin’s Love of Love
• Steins; Gate Linear Restraint Fenogram
• Steins; Gate (original version)
• Strania
• Street Fighter IV
• Stuntman: Ignition
• Super Meat Boy
• Supreme Commander 2
• Syberia
• Tekken 6
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2
• Texas Hold ‘Em
• The Cave
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
• The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match
• The Maw
• The Orange Box
• The Splatters
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
• Ticket to Ride
• TimeShift
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2
• Torchlight
• Tour de France 2009
• Tour de France 2011
• Tower Bloxx Deluxe
• Toy Soldiers
• Toy Soldiers: Cold War
• Trials HD
• Triggerheart Exelica
• Trine 2
• Tron: Evolution
• Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
• Unbound Saga
• Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
• Viva Piñata
• Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise
• Wolfenstein 3D
• Word Puzzle
• XCOM: Enemy Unknown
• XCOM: Enemy Within
• Zuma
• Zuma’s Revenge

Tesla Model Y could ditch wing mirrors in favour of cameras

Tesla’s next car, following the launch of the Model 3, will be the Model Y. The company has teased an image of the car and it shows a distinct lack of door wing mirrors.

• Tesla Model 3 is the super electric car you can afford to drive

The image was shown at Tesla’s own Annual Shareholder Conference in California, and along with no door mirrors, it purports to a slightly more striking and angry design, compared to its sleek siblings.

It’s thought that the Model Y will use cameras instead of the door mirrors. Cameras would likely be installed where the mirrors would normally be found, and they will show a live feed on screens inside the cabin. As Autocar – who picked up the picture – states, laws currently require cars to be fitted with door wing mirrors. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has apparently said the Model Y won’t be released until at least 2019, or maybe 2020, so there could be potential for the laws to be changed by then to accept the proposal.The Model Y will be based on the same underpinnings as the upcoming Model 3, but will be fitted a much more advanced version of the company’s Autopilot software, which can already control the car’s steering, acceleration and brakes when on the motorway.

• Tesla: Everything you need to know about the Model 3, Model S, Model X and more
• Tesla Model X preview: An SUV without compromise?

Tesla already has the next few models in its lineup confirmed, and will be producing a minibus, pick-up truck and a cargo van, all based on the Model X platform.

The Morning After: Wednesday, June 7th, 2017

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Say hello to Arms, Nintendo’s next flagship game — and it’s somehow very familiar. We also take a closer look at the story behind many of those Apple announcements earlier this week and hear Hyperloop One’s ideas for fast travel across Europe.

Apple is consciously avoiding direct competition with its obvious rivals.Don’t compare Apple’s HomePod to Amazon’s Echo

When Apple unveiled the HomePod at WWDC, it was tempting to draw immediate comparisons to the Amazon Echo and Google Home — a lot of us did. Yes, they’re all smart speakers, but it’s clear that a one-for-one comparison doesn’t hold up. If anything, Apple is consciously avoiding direct competition with Echo-like speakers — it’s playing up audio quality while downplaying the whole Siri part. Will it help the HomePod stand out?

It’s all about the hardware.Apple doesn’t need your personal information to succeed

In 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote, “A few years ago, users of internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you’re not the customer. You’re the product.” In case you missed it, that’s a dig at Google, which makes most of its money selling ads complete with incredibly rich data about its users. At WWDC, Apple continued to remind its customers (and Google) that it doesn’t need your data to make money. If it wasn’t killing Autoplay videos on its newest version of Safari, it was the HomePod which anonymizes and encrypts your voice inquiries — unlike the competition.

The first episode is free.Apple Music’s ‘Planet of the Apps’ reality show debuts tonight

Apple debuted its new original TV show last night. Planet of the Apps will follow developers as they first present ideas to a celebrity panel of advisors, then develop the idea and prepare a pitch for investors from Lightspeed Venture Partners. The Shark Tank/The Voice-style celebrity panel will consist of Gary Vaynerchuck, Will.i.am, Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow. The series full 10 episode run will be exclusive to Apple Music, but reports suggest that the first episode will also be available for free via iTunes and the show’s website.

9 candidates will be examined by the company’s panel of experts.Hyperloop One reveals its plans for connecting Europe

Hyperloop One’s Global Challenge, let cities pitch for the honor of hosting a Hyperloop. From the suggestions, the company then produced a shortlist of routes that were within the realms of possibility. We’ve already seen the candidate cities in the US, and now the company has revealed its thinking for Hyperloop corridors across Europe.

There are nine potential routes being considered on that side of the Atlantic, running from a 90km hop to connect Estonia and Finland, through to a 1,991km pan-German route. The UK, which has a love/hate relationship with rail travel, gets three proposed routes: one to connect its Northern Cities, one to connect the North and South, and one to connect Scotland with Wales.

They could become a source of clean energy in the future.Researchers create hydrogen fuel with artificial photosynthesis

Scientists all over the world have been attempting to recreate photosynthesis in the lab in hopes of being able to mimic the process to create fuel. Now a team of researchers from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Virginia Tech has figured out the secret behind a human-made molecular system or a “supramolecule” that can do the job well. The researchers have opened up the chance of designing even more efficient molecular systems for artificial photosynthesis. It will take time (a lot of it), but the group can use their findings to conjure up systems that can produce large amounts of hydrogen that we could use as fuel.

Deceptively simple.‘Arms’ is the successor to ‘Punch Out’ the Nintendo Switch needs

Nintendo’s new boxing game will officially launch on June 16th, and according to Sean Buckley, you should get your arms ready for its motion controls. That’s because Arms relies on a puzzle-like format key to any great fighting game. The basic Wii Sports-like gameplay is fun, but interest players will find a deep tactical experience, choosing different arms to counter enemy attacks.

Meet OriMIT’s $10,000 robotic cabinet is coming to small home

If you have more money than space, then this transforming cabinet may help. Designed at MIT and built by Ori Systems, Ori looks like a wooden cabinet, but with the press of a button can eject a bed or shift to create space on its desk side. Is pressing a button too difficult? It will also respond to commands from an app or Amazon Alexa.

But wait, there’s more…

• The OnePlus 5 launch event is scheduled for June 20th
• Here’s our first look at Windows’ adaptive ‘Fluent’ interface
• Apple’s 2TB iCloud plan will cost you $10 a month
• Does the First Amendment mean Donald Trump can’t block people on Twitter?
• HP’s VR backpack PC doubles as a desktop

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you’ll miss if you don’t subscribe.

Watch SpaceX land another rocket in crisp 4K

Missed the SpaceX launch that marked the first time it used a refurbished Dragon capsule for an ISS resupply mission? Well, that capsule has recently reached the space station, and the private space company has just released a 4K video showing the rocket it used for the mission making a perfect landing at Cape Canaveral. This is the 11th time a Falcon 9 was able to stick its landing, and it certainly won’t be the last. SpaceX plans to repeat the feat again and again, both on land and at sea, in an effort to ensure that its rockets are perfectly reusable.

As for the refurbished capsule, it was first sent on a resupply mission back in 2014. The fact that SpaceX might be able to reuse both rocket and capsule in the future could mean great savings for the company and reduced launch costs for NASA and other clients.

You can watch the CRS-11 mission rocket land in the video below:

Source: SpaceX (YouTube)

The head of the US patent office just quit

The head of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Michelle Lee, has unexpectedly resigned from her position. Lee was officially appointed to the top job by President Obama in 2015*, but had affirmed both in November 2016 and March that she was open to staying on with the current administration. She was seen as a big ally of the tech industry, improving the quality of the patent process and earning praise from Amazon, Intel, Facebook, Google and Samsung, amongst others.

Lee, who headed up Google’s patent strategy until 2012, was rumored to be in line for a top job within the current cabinet. The scuttlebutt was that she was being eyed to head up the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It’s not clear if that’s still on the cards, but Politico has reported that despite earning praise from the current administration, Wilbur Ross has been scouting for a replacement. Whoever replaces her will need to continue to work to improve the patent regime in the US, and ensure that things don’t start backsliding.

* Lee was nominated in 2014, but Congress adjourned before confirming her, so served as acting director in the interim.

Source: Recode, Politico

Developer Access to iPhone’s NFC Chip Coming in iOS 11

Developers coding for iOS 11 will be able to create apps that can read NFC tags, opening the door for the wireless exchange of information between an iPhone and various connected devices in a user’s environment.

The NFC chip in the iPhone is currently only used to handle contactless Apple Pay transactions and Passbook check-ins, but a new framework detailed in a developer resource published shortly after Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday lays the foundation for multiple use cases by third-party apps.

Called “Core NFC”, the framework will allow apps to read Near Field Communication tags that are compatible with the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF), which is supported by iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets. The developer support document overview describes the possibilities afforded by the new framework like so:

“Your app can read tags to give users more information about their physical environment and the real-world objects in it. For example, your app might give users information about products they find in a store or exhibits they visit in a museum.”

Apple has limited third-party access to NFC hardware since it first appeared in the iPhone 6, and has closely guarded the technology, as evidenced in the company’s ongoing spat with Australian banks eager to use Apple’s Wallet NFC implementation in their own apps.

However, the possibilities for NFC outside of banking look set to expand with Apple’s next-generation mobile operating systems. Indeed, Apple also demonstrated a new use case for NFC in Watch OS 4, which will allow the Apple Watch to interface with gym equipment and transfer fitness data like heart rate and calorie burn between devices in real time.

How privacy concerns surrounding NFC interfacing will be overcome remains to be seen, but it should be interesting to see the various use cases developers can come up with once iOS 11 launches in the fall.

(Via Engadget.)

Related Roundups: iPhone 7, iOS 11, WWDC 2017
Tag: NFC
Discuss this article in our forums

iOS 11 Users to Gain More Control Over Apps’ Use of Location Services

Users of iOS 11 will be able to restrict the gathering of location data by any third-party app so that it can only access the device’s location status when the app is in use.

Previously the security setting only applied to certain apps that chose to offer it – as well as to developers wanting to test their own app’s use of location data – but it appears Apple is extending the setting for any installed app in iOS 11, potentially handing an additional element of privacy back to the end user.

All apps have While Using the App option for location access in iOS 11! Nicely done @apple. pic.twitter.com/f3Z3WTKGur

— Chengyin Liu (@chengyinliu) 6 June 2017

The new setting in iOS 11 should come as a welcome change for many, given that the use of device location data by some apps has been a point of controversy. For example, Uber has been criticized for forcing users to grant its app full access to location services whether it is open or not, which has been construed by some as creepy or invasive location gathering.

The new setting should also improve the battery life of devices that update to iOS 11, since it puts a limit on the amount of time GPS is activated by apps in the background.

(Via TechCrunch.)

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tags: privacy, Uber
Discuss this article in our forums

iOS 11 Lets AirPods Users Change Tracks With a Double Tap

Owners of AirPods will soon be able to skip forwards and backwards between tracks with a simple double tap of either earpiece, thanks to an additional setting Apple is providing in iOS 11.

Currently, AirPods users can only change tracks from the buds by invoking Siri with a double tap and vocally commanding the virtual assistant to do so, an action some people find cumbersome or simply embarrassing to have to perform in public.

Unfortunately the only available alternative to iOS 10 users is to take out their iPhone and perform the track change manually by tapping the lock screen.

However, as demonstrated by YouTuber Appsolutely Tech, in iOS 11 it’s possible to customize the Bluetooth settings on the AirPods so that a double tap on one earpiece skips to the next track, with the same action on the other earpiece returning to the previous track.

The Next/Previous track options join the existing settings found on the iOS Bluetooth ‘info’ screen that let users double tap to activate Siri, play/pause the track, or turn off the AirPods.

(Thanks, Jonathan!)

Related Roundup: iOS 11
Tag: AirPods
Discuss this article in our forums

How Android Wear 2.0 puts the Huawei Watch 2 ahead of the competition

The Huawei Watch 2 is one of the first smartwatches to run Google’s Android Wear 2.0 software direct from the box. This gives the watch a distinct edge over the competition, offering a mass of features many of its rivals don’t have.

These are meaningful features too. Features that make the watch easier to use and better attuned to the requirements of your daily life.

This isn’t a one-way street, however. Yes, Android Wear 2.0 brings a number of new features to the fore, but the Huawei Watch 2 also enhances much of what the Google operating system brings to the table, by building on the core features to offer something more evolved.

Want to know what cool new features Android Wear 2.0 has brought to the Huawei Watch 2? Here are seven of the most stand-out.

Huawei Watch 2 explored: Standalone apps

The days of your smartwatch being reliant on a synced smartphone to do anything other than simply tell the time are done. Thanks to Android Wear 2.0, the Huawei Watch 2 lets you ditch your handset and go it alone, with standalone watch-based apps. It’s a vast improvement over the original Android Wear’s implementation.

Pocket-lint

There’s 4GB of internal storage on the Huawei Watch 2 just waiting to be filled with applications and your content. A number of popular apps are all ready to run remotely on the device. These include the fitness-focused likes of Strava, through to ways of keeping in touch with friends wherever you are thanks to services like Facebook Messenger. One of these apps is the pre-installed Workout app. Accessed directly from a button on the body, the Huawei Watch 2 is ready to run as soon as you are.

Huawei Watch 2 explored: Android Pay from the wrist

Android Pay has been available on a number of smartphones – including the Huawei P10, P10 Plus and Mate 9 – for some time now. With Android Wear 2.0, it’s now available on your wrist too, with the Huawei Watch 2 letting you ditch both cash and card and pay directly using your smartwatch direct from the wrist.

Pocket-lint

You’ll need to load you bank card details into the watch-based Android Wear app first, with the securely encrypted copy of your banking information then able to be used to make in-store payments. At a supporting store simply load the app and tap your NFC-equipped timepiece against the compatible payment terminal in order to make your purchase. It’s that simple.

Huawei Watch 2 explored: Smarter messaging replies

Many smartwatches have been great at bringing messages to your wrist, letting you see whatever your mates are telling you whether via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or traditional SMS text message form. They’ve never exactly been great at letting you reply to these messages without first fishing your phone out of your pocket though. Until now.

Pocket-lint

Android Wear 2.0 lets you make easier, more advanced message replies direct from your wrist. Instead of simply firing off basic pre-set message replies such as “yes” or “I’ll call you later” (these auto answers are still available, however), you can dictate your replies or use the new gesture-based on-watch QWERTY keyboard to swipe out predictive text enhanced retorts in double-quick fashion.

Huawei Watch 2 explored: Voice control with Google Assistant

Using buttons and touchscreens to navigate your way around a smartwatch is handy, but the Huawei Watch 2 goes more futuristic than that with voice control. Android Wear 2.0 introduced Google Assistant – the search giant’s voice-controlled digital assistant – meaning you can easily and effectively instruct by just talking to your wrist.

Pocket-lint

Activated by tapping the power button and saying the “OK, Google” trigger words, you can then ask the Watch 2 to send messages, set alarms, check the weather and even add items to your shopping list without having to lift a finger or pull your phone from your pocket.

Huawei Watch 2 explored: Remote Play Store access

As well as being able to use certain apps while away from your phone, you don’t need your handset to download new applications either. Thanks to Android Wear 2.0, the Huawei Watch 2 possesses the ability to download new applications on the fly.

Pocket-lint

You can do this by either utilising a Wi-Fi network, or making use of the watch’s built-in 4G SIM slot. The watch-friendly version of the Google Play Store offers instant access to apps that are wearable friendly, letting you search by category of browse the latest Essentials. You can even add new watch faces from here.

Huawei Watch 2 explored: Custom ‘Complications’

Those little data points on your watch face – such as the date or a second timezone – are called Complications. And thanks to Android Wear 2.0, these can be customised to your own, individual wants and needs for the first time.

Pocket-lint

Simply swipe across to select a new watch face and tap the settings wheel beneath the face. Here you can select which Complications you want to adorn your watch face of choice, and what positions you want them to sit in. Depending on the face, these can include everything from a battery meter or real-time steps counter to quick call access and live heart-rate figures.

Huawei Watch 2 explored: 4G benefits

One of features of Android Wear 2.0 that Huawei Watch 2 takes advantage of is 4G. The 4G model lets you insert a nano SIM card, meaning that your Watch 2 can be connected any time, any place, without the need for your phone or Wi-Fi. Although there are number of devices out there running Android Wear 2.0, there are very few that offer a SIM card slot. 

Pocket-lint

Putting a SIM into your Watch 2 brings real flexibility. It means you can be out on a long run or ride and still get messages you’d normally miss, as well as being able to use Google Assistant to find things near you, or let you open Google Maps and find out exactly where you are and how you get home.

Bioware will address more ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ issues soon

Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in rough shape, with issues affecting everything from character creation to in-game animations and facial expressions. In April Bioware laid out some of the issues it planned to fix and while some have already been addressed via updates, the next patch will also attempt to untangle some stickier problems like LGBT representation. According to the changelog, v1.08 will update the game so that a male Ryder player will have a same-sex romance option available within the squad. Beyond making Jaal available as a companion, it also means that someone using Scott Ryder can earn the game’s achievement for completing three romances while sticking to same-sex partners.

This patch will also change dialogue for a transgender NPC, Hainly Abrams, that drew criticism for deadnaming herself. It’s not clear exactly what the changes will entail, but Bioware says it “was adjusted to change the flow of personal information she discusses with Ryder.”

The new update isn’t out yet, but when it arrives the character creator will allow players to use all hairstyles on either Scott or Sara Ryder, add two new heads (one male and one female), plus a new bald hairstyle option. Finally, if you’re stuck with a Ryder that’s not quite right for you, then you can change their appearance while aboard the Tempest.

There are other fixes as well, listed in the official changelog, that will apply when the patch arrives (usually within a day or two of the announcement), including “experimental” addition of Dolby Vision HDR support for PC players.

Once the patch rolls out it should complete the bullet point fixes Bioware promised as part of its “journey ahead,” but questions still remain. Will it be able to bring back players who dumped the game early or avoided purchasing Andromeda altogether? And will there be any DLC, or a sequel in the series future beyond the existing cycle of rotating multiplayer Apex missions? With E3 coming up next week and this new patch, it could be a good time for an update from EA and Bioware on the long-term future for Mass Effect — or a period of disturbing radio silence.

Source: Bioware