Technologies

Use this hidden iPhone feature to drag-and-drop files, photos, links and text across your apps

The drag-and-drop feature on iOS 15 allows you to quickly send a link via text message or add a photo attachment to an email.

The release of iOS 15 finally brought drag-and-drop to the iPhone ($330 at Amazon) — a feature that’s been available on the iPad ($182 at Amazon) for several years now, thanks to iPadOS15’s various multitasking capabilities. However, it wasn’t one of the highlighted features when the big iPhone update released last year, which is why you may not be familiar with it.

With drag-and-drop on the iPhone, you can move seamlessly between apps to quickly upload photos, send links, share files and more. In a few seconds, you can quickly drag a dozen photos to send via text message or drop a link into an email. In the guide below, we’ll show you everything you can do with the new drag-and-drop feature on iOS 15.

How to drag-and-drop photos and videos on the iPhone

The first way you can use drag-and-drop on iOS is to move images from one app to another. Now, this feature works with any application that allows you to press down on an image to share it, like in Photos, Safari, Twitter and more. For this example, we’ll show you how to drag-and-drop from the native Photos application.

1. Open the Photos app.

2. In grid view, press and hold your finger down on a photo or video, until the quick action menu appears, and then move your finger around so that it floats under your finger.

3. If you want to add more photos to share, use your other finger to tap on any other photos or videos, which will automatically be added to the other photo underneath your finger.

4. Use your other finger to leave the application and navigate to where you want to drop the photo or video.

5. You’ll see a green plus sign on the corner of the photo or video if you can drop it off there.

6. Lift your finger to drop the photo and video.

For example, you could drag the photo into the Mail app, to add it as an attachment, or to the Messages app, to quickly send it via text.

How to drag-and-drop files on the iPhone

The files that live in your Files application, like a PDF, WAV, MP4 or PNG, can also be dragged out of Files and into other applications, like Messages or Mail if you want to share the file, or even another file organizer app if you’re trying to upload the file.

1. Open the Files app.

2. In icon or list view, press your finger down on a file until the quick-action menu appears, and then move your finger around without lifting it so that the file follows your finger.

3. Use another finger to leave the Files app and go to another app.

4. Wait until you see a green plus sign, which means you can drop it there, and then lift your finger to release the file.

If you’re already in the Files app, this is a faster way to share files via text or email.

How to drag-and-drop links on the iPhone

Like with photos, you can also drag-and-drop links from applications such as Safari, Calendar and more. Again, you must be able to press down on the link and have the quick action menu appear to be able to drag and drop it. Here’s how to do it from Safari.

1. Open the Safari app.

2. Press your finger down on any link, until the quick action menu appears, and then move your finger around so the link floats under your finger.

3. Use your other finger to leave the app and lift your finger to drop it elsewhere (only if you see a green plus sign).

You can drop links in other apps such as Messages, Mail, Notes, or any number of social media apps.

How to drag-and-drop text on the iPhone

Finally, you have the option to drag any highlighted text into another app.

1. First, find the text you want to drag-and-drop.

2. Use your finger to then highlight the text, as you would if you wanted to copy it.

3. Then press and hold down on the selection and move your finger around, without lifting it, until the text follows your finger around.

4. Use another finger to leave this app and then drop it elsewhere.

Although copy and paste might be a better (and even faster) option, you do have the ability to drag and drop text on iOS.

If you’re a visual learner, Frederico Viticci, editor-in-chief of MacStories, tweeted a screen recording of the process in June.

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For more, check out everything to know before updating to iOS 15 and everything we didn’t get in iOS 15.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

AZALEA, HEMLOCK, FOXGLOVE, OLEANDER, BELLADONNA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is POISONOUS. To find it, look for the P that is the first letter on the far left of the top row, and wind down and across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 23, #395

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 395.

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

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has one of those crazy purple categories, where you wonder if anyone saw the connection, or if people just put that grouping together because only those four words were left. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Fan noise.

Green group hint: Strategies for hoops.

Blue group hint: Minor league.

Purple group hint: Look for a connection to hoops.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Sounds from the crowd.

Green group: Basketball offenses.

Blue group: Triple-A baseball teams.

Purple group: Ends with a basketball stat.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is sounds from the crowd. The four answers are boo, cheer, clap and whistle.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball offenses. The four answers are motion, pick and roll, Princeton and triangle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is triple-A baseball teams. The four answers are Aces, Jumbo Shrimp, Sounds and Storm Chasers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends with a basketball stat. The four answers are afoul, bassist, counterpoint and sunblock.

Technologies

Amazon’s Delivery Drivers Will Soon Wear AI Smart Glasses to Work

The goal is to streamline the delivery process while keeping drivers safe.

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is developing new AI-powered smart glasses to simplify the delivery experience for its drivers. CNET smart glasses expert Scott Stein mentioned this wearable rollout last month, and now the plan is in its final testing stages.

The goal is to simplify package delivery by reducing the need for drivers to look at their phones, the label on the package they’re delivering and their surroundings to find the correct address.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

A heads-up display will activate as soon as the driver parks, pointing out potential hazards and tasks that must be completed. From there, drivers can locate and scan packages, follow turn-by-turn directions and snap a photograph to prove delivery completion without needing to take out their phone.

The company is testing the glasses in select North American markets.

Watch: See our Instagram post with a video showing the glasses

A representative for Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To fight battery drain, the glasses pair with a controller attached to the employee’s delivery vest, allowing them to replace depleted batteries and access operational controls. The glasses will support an employee’s eyeglass prescription. An emergency button will be within reach to ensure the driver’s safety.

Amazon is already planning future versions of the glasses, which will feature «real-time defect detection,» notifying the driver if a package was delivered to the incorrect address. They plan to add features to the glasses to detect if pets are in the yard and adjust to low light.