«Let us know when you’re home.» How many times have you heard that from friends or family at the end of the night, but forgotten to follow up when you get through the door? Snapchat has added a feature to its popular Snap Map that will take care of it for you.

The messaging app launched a new feature on Thursday called «Home Safe,» which will alert friends and/or family that you’re home safely even when you forget to do so. It’s ideal to let folks know when you’re back from a vacation, a night out or a long drive. 

With location sharing already part of Snapchat’s Family Center hub, the new «Home Safe» feature will also be great for parents to get alerts to know when they’re kids are home in one piece.

How Home Safe Works

First, tap your Bitmoji on Snap Map and then «My Home» to set your home location. Then, open the chat conversation with a friend or friends who you want to alert when you get home, tap the map icon and then the «Home Safe» button. Later, when you arrive back home, your friend or friends will get a one-time alert in the chat conversation that you’ve made it home with no problems.

Remember that alerts can only be sent to contacts with whom you are already sharing your location, and the «Home Safe» notification will only be sent once. You will need to go through the process again for future alerts. Also, remember that location sharing on Snap Map is turned off by default.

In May, Snapchat announced that their user base for Snap Maps topped 400 million monthly active users.

Snapchat’s «Home Safe» is a welcome addition to its app, and it’s one of several apps that can help make others aware that you are safe, including:

• Life360
• bSafe
• UrSafe
• Noonlight
• VithU
• Raksha

Google appears to have accidentally unveiled an image of four Pixel 10 models well ahead of when it’s expected to debut its new phone lineup on Aug. 20. 

The website Android Authority posted an image it found while perusing the Google Play Store. The image shows what appear to be four different Pixel 10 models, which the site believes are the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Three of the phones are dark gray. Only the smallest, likely the Pixel 10, is shown in bright indigo blue.

The image Android Authority found was a promo banner that included text about a $50-off offer that expires on Oct. 13.

A representative from Google did not immediately return an email about the purported leak.

So you’re ready to purchase your next iPhone. You can take one of two routes: Buy an iPhone 16 right now, or wait a little longer and get Apple’s next version, which is expected to make its debut in just over a month. What’s the better choice?

With the anticipated launch of the iPhone 17 in September, it could be a good idea to hang tight and either purchase the new phone or get the iPhone 16 at a discounted price. Apple still hasn’t confirmed the existence of the iPhone 17, and we don’t have any official specs or features, but here’s how it could compare to the iPhone 16, according to rumors and speculation. 

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 17: Key rumored specs compared 

We still don’t have any confirmed details about the iPhone 17, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning and purported leaks from making the rounds. Speculation extends across the entire iPhone 17 lineup, from the Pro models to what could be a thinner «Air» version (which may be Apple’s answer to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge). But I’m going to focus on the baseline iPhone 17.  

Screen differences

One of the most highly anticipated changes could be that the iPhone 17 adds a 120Hz display, which would be very welcome. Currently, only the iPhone Pro models have that higher refresh rate, while the baseline and Plus models are stuck with a 60Hz display. Bumping that refresh rate could also prompt Apple to bring the always-on display to the baseline model, making it easier to quickly glance at the time and your notifications without waking your display.  

There’s been some back-and-forth on whether the iPhone 17 will have a scratch-resistant, antireflective display. But the most recent reports suggest that feature will only be available on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, not the baseline iPhone 17 (or the Air). So there may not be major discrepancies between the iPhone 16 and 17 on that front. 

Camera differences

It’s possible the iPhone 17’s selfie camera will get a bump to 24 megapixels, instead of the current 12 megapixels found in the iPhone 16’s front-facing shooter. Megapixels aren’t the only determining factor for good-quality photos, but if it is an upgrade, that could make taking selfies or shooting videos for social media on the front-facing camera less of a compromise. 

There’s also been some conversation about the camera bump on Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup. It’s likely that only the Pro models’ cameras will be nestled in a new, larger panel that stretches horizontally across the back of the phone (perhaps evoking the «Geordi Visor» on the Google Pixel 9) and that the baseline will maintain a similar camera arrangement to the iPhone 16. Only time will tell. 

Design differences

Rumors suggest that like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 will have an aluminum frame. (In fact, it’s possible that’ll be the case for the entire lineup, apart from the iPhone 17 Air, which could have a titanium frame to make it lighter.)

There have also been reports that the iPhone 17 will use a new compact «metalens» technology for the proximity sensor, which could reduce the size of the Face ID sensor and the Dynamic Island. That could give slightly more real estate to the top of the 17’s display. 

Processor and RAM

One key element that could remain unchanged across both phones is the processor. The iPhone 17 is rumored to pack an A18 chip, just like the iPhone 16. 

With Apple’s plans to expand its Apple Intelligence suite of AI capabilities, it’s possible the iPhone 17 lineup could come with 12GB of RAM, instead of the current 8GB — or at least part of it could.

In April, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone 17 Air and Pro models would sport 12GB of RAM but that Apple was still deciding whether to equip the baseline model with that higher amount too. In May, analyst Jeff Pu noted the baseline would remain at 8GB. We’ll have to wait to see what Apple ultimately decides. 

Speaking of Apple Intelligence, a new AI-powered Adaptive Power feature arriving with iOS 26 can help conserve battery by making «small performance adjustments,» like «allowing some activities to take a little longer,» according to Apple. The next iPhone is expected to arrive with the upcoming operating system onboard, but you’ll also be able to download iOS 26 on the iPhone 16, as well as some older iPhones, once it becomes available publicly. That should help to stretch your battery life on either device.

Color options

What’s on the inside may be most important, but people also want to know what fun colors the iPhone 17 could sport. Rumors suggest the upcoming device could come in black, blue, silver, purple and green. 

For comparison, the iPhone 16 is available in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine.

Everything we think we know about the iPhone 17 is still just speculation, so we’ll have to see what Apple unveils this fall. 

Should you buy an iPhone 16 now or wait for the iPhone 17?

If you’re in desperate need of a new phone and can’t wait any longer, who am I to stop you? But if you can hang tight until September, when Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17, you can either score the flashy new device or get a discount on the iPhone 16. (In previous years, the company dropped the price on older models by around $100.)

It’s likely the changes between the iPhone 16 and 17 will be relatively modest. Apple tends to debut newer features on its Pro models before eventually rolling them out across the full lineup, like it did with the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max and the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. So any shiny new capabilities will likely land on its more premium phones first, such as the rumored antireflective display and redesigned cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro models. 

But perhaps the biggest changes could arrive next year with the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, for which Apple is reportedly «preparing a major shake-up» of the phone’s design, according to Bloomberg. That includes a (long-rumored) foldable version and a «bold new Pro model that makes more extensive use of glass.» The iPhone 17 may not even be announced yet, but it’s never too early to be looking even further ahead.