Technologies

Venmo and PayPal Add Payment-Transfer Support, but Do This First

Starting in November, PayPal and Venmo users will be able to search for each other and send money directly from their accounts — a change 12 years in the making.

Many Venmo users have received a welcome email in recent days, confirming that direct payments will at last be supported between Venmo and PayPal. It’s an integration that users of the payment apps have been waiting for since 2014, when PayPal acquired Venmo.

This direct payment support arrives in November, and will work with basic searches on the mobile app and other portals. PayPal users, for example, will be able to search for Venmo users by their phone number, then send them money. The ability to search for users by email will be added at a later, unconfirmed date. So far, the companies have not said if any additional fees would apply to these types of payments.

Representatives for PayPal and Venmo did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

The change is one of a number of updates PayPal is making in 2025. Others include the PayPal World platform, peer-to-peer payment links and an AI partnership with Google. Venmo is just one of the partners that PayPal plans on integrating with more fully around the world.

Keep your privacy and visibility options in mind

Longtime Venmo users will remember how annoying it was to have Venmo automatically make payment details public to everyone you connect with, something Venmo has improved in recent years, but which can still be a source of frustration.

We’ll have to wait until November to investigate every detail, but there is a critical visibility setting that all users should know about. It looks like PayPal users can find any Venmo user if they have the correct phone number, which could make specific scams easier or lead to spam.

You can adjust this option by heading into your Venmo app, choosing Settings (the gear icon), then Privacy, then navigating to your Find Me options, where you can restrict who can find you on PayPal. Just don’t do it quite yet: Expect a Venmo update in November to make this option available.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.