Technologies

Reduce Eyestrain With This Hidden iOS 17 Feature

It warns you when your iPhone is too close to your face.

Apple released iOS 17 with new features and improvements, like StandBy mode and upgrades to autocorrect. But one of the less-talked-about new features is Screen Distance.

This feature warns you when you’re holding your iPhone or iPad too close to your face, like a parent telling you to sit farther back from the television or computer screen. Though having a screen near your face might not harm your eyes, it could stress and irritate them, according to health organization Cedars-Sinai. Thankfully, this new iOS 17 feature aims to help you reduce eyestrain, and according to Apple, it could even lower the risk of myopia, or nearsightedness.

Here’s how to turn Screen Distance on and give your eyes a break.

Turn on Screen Distance

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Screen Distance.

Two screenshots side-by-side. On the left, the screen reads Screen Distance and on the right the screen reads How Screen Distance Works

Then you’ll see two screens explaining what Screen Distance is and how it works. Tap Continue on both screens, and Screen Distance automatically turns on after these screens. Both screens appear only the first time you go into Screen Distance.

Now, after holding your iPhone too close to your face for a few minutes, your screen gets blocked by a message reading, «iPhone May Be Too Close.»

Two screenshots side-by-side. On the left the screen reads iPhone May Be Too Close and on the right the screen shows a checkmark and reads Screen Distance

Your screen remains blocked until you hold your iPhone farther away. Then, your screen shows a check mark, and you have to tap Continue to remove the block.

Turning Screen Distance off

Screen Distance is a useful iOS feature that may reduce eyestrain and even decrease the risk of nearsightedness. However, if you find the warnings more annoying than helpful, here’s how to turn Screen Distance off.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Screen Distance.
4. Tap the toggle next to Screen Distance.

Now you can go back to holding your iPhone as close to your face as you want without interruption from your phone, or your parents.

For more information on iOS 17, check out my review of iOS 17 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, July 21

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 21.

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.

My favorite Mini Crosswords are ones that take me on a little journey. Today, I learned something new about Hawaii and also basked in a nostalgic moment while thinking about a childhood board game. Need an assist with today’s 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: Ceremonial band
Answer: SASH

5A clue: First official state hand gesture, following a 2024 Hawaiian bill
Answer: SHAKA

6A clue: Deck with the Major and Minor Arcana
Answer: TAROT

7A clue: Just love
Answer: ADORE

8A clue: Boardwalk has the highest one on a Monopoly board
Answer: RENT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Cool place to be on a sunny day
Answer: SHADE

2D clue: Name that might come first during an alphabetical roll call
Answer: AARON

3D clue: Hybrid athletic garment
Answer: SKORT

4D clue: Just loathe
Answer: HATE

5D clue: One whose name is in lights
Answer: STAR

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 21, #771

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 21, #771.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Hey, Seinfeld fans, today’s NYT Connections puzzle is right up your alley. That makes the blue category fun, but that purple category got me, as always. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: Top it off.

Green group hint: Liquid can change forms.

Blue group hint: Big salad, puffy shirt.

Purple group hint: A certain symbol.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Additional perk.

Green group: Phase transitions for liquids.

Blue group: Concepts from «Seinfeld.»

Purple group: What ‘ can indicate.

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

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is additional perk. The four answers are bonus, extra, gravy and icing.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is phase transitions for liquids. The four answers are condensation, freezing, melting and vaporization.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is concepts from «Seinfeld.» The four answers are Festivus, regifting, shrinkage and yada yada.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is what ‘ can indicate. The four answers are contraction, foot, possessive and quote.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 21, #301

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 21, No. 301.

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.

Golf knowledge is a weak point for me, so I struggled a little with today’s Connections: Sports Edition. It’s nice to see an appearance from one of the best team names in minor league ball. Hello, Yard Goats fans. Stuck? Check out our hints and get the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it 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: Don’t skip this step.

Green group hint: Par for the course.

Blue group hint: Constitution state.

Purple group hint: Not bored.