Technologies

Cancel All Those Subscriptions You Don’t Need With This Hidden Smartphone Feature

Don’t forget about nixing those subscriptions you never use, with these simple tips.

There’s a subscription for everything now. It used to be that you would just pay for your favorite magazine or cable TV every month, but now you’ll find food delivery, social media, dating, music streaming and ride share companies all charging you monthly for some sort of service. BMW is even charging its customers $18 a month to heat the front seats of their own cars.

And we’re not immune to this service-based economy either. You may be paying hundreds of dollars in recurring payments for apps like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Disney Plus and even AppleCare. With so many services, it’s unfortunately easy to lose track of everything you’re paying for too. If you’re trying to cut some costs, you should start with the many subscriptions you might have on your phone.

In this story, we’ll show you how to find all the monthly services you’re paying for on your mobile device, whether it’s via the Apple Store on your iPhone or via Google Play on Android, and how to cancel the ones you no longer want.

If you’re looking to save money in other ways, check out 10 ways to save on streaming services, how to save on TV streaming with these simple tricks and free options to some of your favorite paid services.

Find and cancel your subscriptions on your iPhone

You can find all your monthly subscriptions from the Apple Store in a couple places on your iPhone, but the easiest is through your settings. To do this, launch the Settings application, tap on your name at the top and then hit Subscriptions in the first section. Here you’ll see a list of all the active (and inactive) subscriptions that you’ve signed up for from apps you downloaded from the App Store.

Under Active, you’ll see all the subscriptions you’re currently paying, with the following information: app/service name, short description, next bill date and cost. To cancel an active subscription, tap on the subscription, hit the red Cancel Subscription button at the bottom of the page and then tap Confirm in the pop-up that appears.

For most subscriptions, you’ll still be able to access the paid services until the end of your billing period. However, some apps won’t let you continue using the service, so you’ll have to read the fine print to see what happens if you cancel. Once it is canceled, the subscription will remain in the active section, but will show, in red text, when it’s expiring.

Find and cancel your subscriptions on your Android

Unlike iOS, Android runs on devices from various brands, such as Samsung, Google and Motorola, but luckily all these versions of Android all have the Google Play Store, and so finding and canceling your monthly subscriptions is similar no matter what phone you’re using.

To find all your subscriptions, launch the Play Store application, tap your profile picture or first name initial that appears on the top-right and go to Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions. Here you’ll see a list of your active and inactive subscriptions.

If you want to cancel a subscription, tap it and then hit the green Cancel subscription button. The Play Store may ask you to consider other cheaper subscriptions and also to give a reason as to why you’re cancelling. Accept any prompts to continue until you see a fully green Cancel subscription button. Hit it and your subscription will be canceled, but you should still have access to it until the end of your billing period.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Aug. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 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 isn’t too tough, and it has some fun movie and TV references. Just remember that «poster» can mean a couple of different things — it’s not always that photo of Def Leppard hanging on the wall. Want help with today’s NYT Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. 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.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Animals holding «Eat Mor Chikin» signs, in a classic ad campaign
Answer: COWS

5A clue: Suffix with Beatle or Wrestle
Answer: MANIA

6A clue: «Au revoir!»
Answer: ADIEU

7A clue: Ugly poster?
Answer: TROLL

8A clue: Be likely (to)
Answer: TEND

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Core group
Answer: CADRE

2D clue: Vegetable combined with celery and carrot to form «mirepoix»
Answer: ONION

3D clue: Handle, as a sword
Answer: WIELD

4D clue: «Better Call ___» («Breaking Bad» spinoff)
Answer: SAUL

5D clue: Damon of «Oppenheimer»
Answer: MATT

Technologies

The iPhone 17 Hasn’t Been Announced Yet, but There’s Already a Case for It

The new case makes a bold style statement, but there’s no official confirmation that it correctly reflects Apple’s upcoming phone.

One of the first cases for the iPhone 17 has made its appearance. Canadian tech accessory company Dbrand announced its Tank Case for the iPhone 17 is set to go on sale in September, the same month we’re expecting Apple to announce the eagerly awaited iPhone 17.

While we don’t know the price of the Tank Case yet, Dbrand has certainly made some striking design choices in the hard black shell case, including plenty of number codes, the Freemason Eye of Providence in what looks like a center designed for MagSafe connections and what appears to be Braille. Dbrand is light on details for now, but you can sign up with your email address to get notifications about the case.

A representative for Dbrand did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Patrick Holland, CNET managing editor and mobile guru, cautions that these early-announced phone designs don’t always end up making it to the release date. Holland saw that happen just last year, when some manufacturers were forced to push quick redesigns to make room for the iPhone 16’s surprise camera control button.

«It’s become a yearly tradition,» Holland said. «We see companies try to be the first out with a new case design for the latest iPhone, even though the phone hasn’t been announced by Apple.»

«For Dbrand, it’s unclear whether the Tank case is designed based on rumors, or if the company got an early look at the iPhone 17 series, or were given a dummy model,» Holland said. «The case does feature a full body width camera bump that has been heavily leaked for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. There’s one thing that’s for certain: Dbrand’s Tank case looks chunky and busy, especially for a sleek new iPhone.»

That’s why we’re also keeping a close eye on all the latest reports of iPhone 17 features, including rumors of a redesigned camera bump and a movable lens that could throw a curveball for third-party cases like this.

Social media buzz

Commenters on X shared a variety of opinions about the case. While one person wrote, «that case looks fire,» another wrote, «that case looks hideous.»

Commenters also wondered if the case design was revealing some previously unknown details about the iPhone 17.

«So the second button is basically confirmed?» one X commenter wrote. «Why would the case sport an area that looks pressable or ‘slideable’ otherwise?»

Another wrote, «Am I seeing that correctly? Three cameras on a base iPhone model finally.»

Others zeroed in on the idea that Apple likely does not want case manufacturers to reveal details about a phone before the company announces it, noting that Dbrand also unveiled a case for the Nintendo Switch 2 before that console came out.

«First the Switch 2, now the iPhone 17,» the one commenter wrote. «Yeahh, they’re never getting shit early to make cases anymore.»

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning AI Comeback, Complete With a Tabletop Robot

Home security cameras and a standalone smart display are also coming, the report says.

Apple wants a bigger place in your home, according to a report posted Wednesday from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. While you might think of Apple primarily because it provides your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, MacBook, AirPods and more, the tech giant reportedly hopes to use artificial intelligence to sell you a number of new smart home devices. Those devices may include a tabletop robot, home security cameras and a smart speaker with a screen.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tabletop robot

According to Bloomberg, it’s the tabletop robot, reportedly coming in 2027, that is the center of the plan. Bloomberg — and CNET — have reported on this plan before. At that time, the company reportedly had two concepts in mind: a robot that can move around the home, and a tabletop robotic device.

Now, Bloomberg says the robot «will feature a lifelike version of Siri and the ability to engage with users throughout the day.» It reportedly resembles an iPad mounted on a movable limb that can reposition itself to face you.

Former CNET senior editor Lisa Eadicicco wrote in 2024 that «perhaps the biggest challenge when it comes to a home robot is that the market is unproven.» We’ve all seen the robot maid Rosie on the old Jetsons cartoon, but do we really need or want a robotic helper in our homes?

Standalone smart display

Another item Apple is reportedly working on is essentially a smart speaker with a screen. Bloomberg calls this a «stripped-down version of the robot.»

It won’t have a robotic arm or conversational Siri, but it should be able to do such things as music playback, note taking, control home devices and video conferencing. Bloomberg says it will run a new operating system called Charismatic.

Home security cameras

Home security cameras are becoming more and more popular, and Apple wants to move into that realm as well. The company will make cameras that will anchor an Apple security system, the report says.