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Trump’s Tariffs Explained: What You Need to Know as Inflation Picks Up Again

With inflation creeping back into the US economy, it’s as important as ever to have a firm grasp on Donald Trump’s tariffs and what they mean.

The One Big Beautiful Bill might’ve made it across the finish line but tariffs still remain the dominant focus of President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. This is especially true as the US Labor Department announced recently that consumer prices rose 2.7% in June, the highest spike since February, and a report from CNBC found that prices at Walmart, one of the largest retailers in the US, have steadily gone up since Trump’s tariffs entered the conversation.

After unleashing market chaos on April 2 («Liberation Day») when he unveiled a laundry list of heavy tariffs for countries around the world, they were paused for 90 days after the stock market dramatically tumbled. That 90-day pause was supposed to end earlier this month but have been been extended again through Aug. 1. More recently, the administration hiked tariffs against Canada to 35% and threatened Brazil with a 50% rate.

Amid the uncertainties and upheavals, Trump has barreled forward with his plans, including doubling the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and announcing a new plan to increase the rate for China to 55%. He also hyped up a trade deal on July 2 that leaves Vietnam’s import tax rate at a historically high 20%. The sweeping tariff initiative will likely affect your cost of living, which we know from our surveys is something you’re worried about.

That all came after Trump’s push hit its biggest roadblock yet, when the US Court of International Trade ruled late last month that Trump had overstepped his authority when he imposed tariffs. That ruling was stayed, but the fight is likely to head to the Supreme Court. All the while, major US companies like Apple and Walmart have butted heads with the administration over the tariffs and their bluntness about how tariffs will make affording things harder for consumers.

Amid all this noise, you might still be wondering: What exactly are tariffs, and what will they mean for me?

The short answer: Expect to pay more for at least some goods and services. For the long answer, keep reading, and for more, check out CNET’s price tracker for 11 popular and tariff-vulnerable products.

What are tariffs?

Put simply, a tariff is a tax on the cost of importing or exporting goods by a particular country. So, for example, a 60% tariff on Chinese imports would be a 60% tax on the price of importing, say, computer components from China.

Trump has been fixated on imports as the centerpiece of his economic plans, often claiming that the money collected from taxes on imported goods would help finance other parts of his agenda. The US imports $3 trillion worth of goods from other countries annually. 

The president has also shown a fixation on trade deficits, claiming that the US having a trade deficit with any country means that country is ripping the US off. This is a flawed understanding of the matter, many economists have said, since deficits are often a simple case of resource realities: Wealthy nations like the US buy specific things from nations that have them, while those nations in turn may not be wealthy enough to buy much of anything from the US.

While Trump deployed tariffs in his first term, notably against China, he ramped up his plans more significantly for the 2024 campaign, promising 60% tariffs against China and a universal 20% tariff on all imports into the US. 

«Tariffs are the greatest thing ever invented,» Trump said at a campaign stop in Michigan last year. At one point, he called himself «Tariff Man» in a post on Truth Social. 

Who pays the cost of tariffs?

Trump repeatedly claimed, before and immediately after returning to the White House, that the country of origin for an imported good pays the cost of the tariffs and that Americans would not see any price increases from them. However, as economists and fact-checkers stressed, this is not the case.

The companies importing the tariffed goods — American companies or organizations in this case — pay the higher costs. To compensate, companies can raise their prices or absorb the additional costs themselves.

So, who ends up paying the price for tariffs? In the end, usually you, the consumer. For instance, a universal tariff on goods from Canada would increase Canadian lumber prices, which would have the knock-on effect of making construction and home renovations more expensive for US consumers. While it is possible for a company to absorb the costs of tariffs without increasing prices, this is not at all likely, at least for now.

Speaking with CNET, Ryan Reith, vice president of International Data Corporation’s worldwide mobile device tracking programs, explained that price hikes from tariffs, especially on technology and hardware, are inevitable in the short term. He estimated that the full amount imposed on imports by Trump’s tariffs would be passed on to consumers, which he called the «cost pass-through.» Any potential efforts for companies to absorb the new costs themselves would come in the future, once they have a better understanding of the tariffs, if at all.

Which Trump tariffs have gone into effect?

Following Trump’s «Liberation Day» announcements on April 2 and subsequent shifting by the president, the following tariffs are in effect:

  • A 50% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, doubled from 25% as of June 4.
  • A 30% tariff on all Chinese imports until the new deal touted by Trump takes effect, after which it will purportedly go up to 55%. China being a major focus of Trump’s trade agenda, it has faced a rate notably higher than other countries, peaking at 145% before trade talks commenced.
  • 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and 35% on those from Canada. This applies only to goods from each country that are not covered under the 2018 USMCA trade agreement brokered during Trump’s first term. The deal covers roughly half of all imports from Canada and about a third of those from Mexico, so the rest are subject to the new tariffs. Energy imports not covered by USMCA will be taxed at only 10%.
  • A 25% tariff on all foreign-made cars and auto parts.
  • A sweeping overall 10% tariff on all imported goods.

For certain countries that Trump said were more responsible for the US trade deficit, Trump imposed what he called «reciprocal» tariffs that exceed the 10% level: 20% for the 27 nations that make up the European Union, 26% for India, 24% for Japan and so on. These were meant to take effect on April 9 but were delayed by 90 days due to historic stock market volatility, and then delayed again to Aug. 1. These rates are subject to change until that new effective date, and some have already been altered: the rate against Japan was upped to 25%, the same as the rate against South Korea; Trump has also threatened a 50% rate against Brazil. Another deal announced on July 23 lowered Japan’s rate to 15%.

Trump’s claim that these reciprocal tariffs are based on high tariffs imposed against the US by the targeted countries has drawn intense pushback from experts and economists, who have argued that some of these numbers are false or potentially inflated. For example, the above chart says a 39% tariff from the EU, despite its average tariff for US goods being around 3%. Some of the tariffs are against places that are not countries but tiny territories of other nations. The Heard and McDonald Islands, for example, are uninhabited. We’ll dig into the confusion around these calculations below.

Notably, that minimum 10% tariff will not be on top of those steel, aluminum and auto tariffs. Canada and Mexico were also spared from the 10% minimum additional tariff imposed on all countries the US trades with.

On April 11, the administration said smartphones, laptops and other consumer electronics, along with flat panel displays, memory chips and semiconductors, were exempt from reciprocal tariffs. But it wasn’t clear whether that would remain the case or whether such products might face different fees later.

How were the Trump reciprocal tariffs calculated?

The numbers released by the Trump administration for its barrage of «reciprocal» tariffs led to widespread confusion among experts. Trump’s own claim that these new rates were derived by halving the tariffs already imposed against the US by certain countries was widely disputed, with critics noting that some of the numbers listed for certain countries were much higher than the actual rates and some countries had tariff rates listed despite not specifically having tariffs against the US at all.

In a post to X that spread fast across social media, finance journalist James Surowiecki said that the new reciprocal rates appeared to have been reached by taking the trade deficit the US has with each country and dividing it by the amount the country exports to the US. This, he explained, consistently produced the reciprocal tariff percentages revealed by the White House across the board.

«What extraordinary nonsense this is,» Surowiecki wrote about the finding.

The White House later attempted to debunk this idea, releasing what it claimed was the real formula, though it was quickly determined that this formula was arguably just a more complex version of the one Surowiecki deduced.

What will the Trump tariffs do to prices?

In short: Prices are almost certainly going up, if not now, then eventually. That is, if the products even make it to US shelves at all, as some tariffs will simply be too high for companies to bother dealing with.

While the effects of a lot of tariffs might not be felt straight away, some potential real-world examples have already emerged. Microsoft has increased prices across the board for its Xbox gaming brand, with its flagship Xbox Series X console jumping 20% from $500 to $600. Kent International, one of the main suppliers of bicycles to Walmart, announced that it would be stopping imports from China, which account for 90% of its stock.

Speaking about Trump’s tariff plans just before they were announced, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that they would generate $6 trillion in revenue over the next decade. Given that tariffs are most often paid by consumers, CNN characterized this as potentially «the largest tax hike in US history.» Estimates from the Yale Budget Lab, cited by Axios, predict that Trump’s new tariffs will cause a 2.3% increase in inflation throughout 2025. This translates to about a $3,800 increase in expenses for the average American household.

Reith, the IDC analyst, told CNET that Chinese-based tech companies, like PC makers Acer, Asus and Lenovo, have «100% exposure» to these import taxes, with products like phones and computers the most likely to take a hit. He also said that the companies best positioned to weather the tariff impacts are those that have moved some of their operations out of China to places like India, Thailand and Vietnam, singling out the likes of Apple, Dell and HP. Samsung, based in South Korea, is also likely to avoid the full force of Trump’s tariffs. 

In an effort to minimize its tariff vulnerability, Apple has begun to move the production of goods for the US market from China to India.

Will tariffs affect prices immediately?

In the short term — the first days or weeks after a tariff takes effect — maybe not. There are still a lot of products in the US imported pre-tariffs and on store shelves, meaning the businesses don’t need a price hike to recoup import taxes. Once new products need to be brought in from overseas, that’s when you’ll see prices start to climb because of tariffs or you’ll see them become unavailable. 

That uncertainty has made consumers anxious. CNET’s survey revealed that about 38% of shoppers feel pressured to make certain purchases before tariffs make them more expensive. About 10% say they have already made certain purchases in hopes of getting them in before the price hikes, while 27% said they have delayed purchases for products that cost more than $500. Generally, this worry is the most acute concerning smartphones, laptops and home appliances.

Mark Cuban, the billionaire businessman and Trump critic, voiced concerns about when to buy certain things in a post on Bluesky just after Trump’s «Liberation Day» announcements. In it, he suggested that consumers might want to stock up on certain items before tariff inflation hits.

«It’s not a bad idea to go to the local Walmart or big box retailer and buy lots of consumables now,» Cuban wrote. «From toothpaste to soap, anything you can find storage space for, buy before they have to replenish inventory. Even if it’s made in the USA, they will jack up the price and blame it on tariffs.»

CNET’s Money team recommends that before you make any purchase, especially a high-ticket item, be sure that the expenditure fits within your budget and your spending plans. Buying something you can’t afford now because it might be less affordable later can be burdensome, to say the least.

What is the goal of the White House tariff plan?

The typical goal behind tariffs is to discourage consumers and businesses from buying the tariffed, foreign-sourced goods and encourage them to buy domestically produced goods instead. When implemented in the right way, tariffs are generally seen as a useful way to protect domestic industries. 

One of the stated intentions for Trump’s tariffs is along those lines: to restore American manufacturing and production. However, the White House also says it’s negotiating with numerous countries looking for tariff exemptions, and some officials have also floated the idea that the tariffs will help finance Trump’s tax cuts.

Those things are often contradictory: If manufacturing moves to the US or if a bunch of countries are exempt from tariffs, then tariffs aren’t actually being collected and can’t be used to finance anything. This and many other points have led a lot of economists to allege that Trump’s plans are misguided. 

As for returning — or «reshoring» — manufacturing in the US, tariffs are a better tool for protecting industries that already exist because importers can fall back on them right away. Building up the factories and plants needed for this in the US could take years, leaving Americans to suffer under higher prices in the interim. 

That problem is worsened by the fact that the materials needed to build those factories will also be tariffed, making the costs of «reshoring» production in the US too heavy for companies to stomach. These issues, and the general instability of American economic policies under Trump, are part of why experts warn that Trump’s tariffs could have the opposite effect: keeping manufacturing out of the US and leaving consumers stuck with inflated prices. Any factories that do get built in the US because of tariffs also have a high chance of being automated, canceling out a lot of job creation potential. To give you one real-world example of this: When warning customers of future price hikes, toy maker Mattel also noted that it had no plans to move manufacturing to the US.

Trump has reportedly been fixated on the notion that Apple’s iPhone — the most popular smartphone in the US market — can be manufactured entirely in the US. This has been broadly dismissed by experts, for a lot of the same reasons mentioned above, but also because an American-made iPhone could cost upward of $3,500. One report from 404 Media dubbed the idea «a pure fantasy.» The overall sophistication and breadth of China’s manufacturing sector have also been cited, with CEO Tim Cook stating in 2017 that the US lacks the number of tooling engineers to make its products.

For more, see how tariffs might raise the prices of Apple products and find some expert tips for saving money.

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Technologies

Pixel Watch 4 Features vs. Apple Watch Series 10: Google Came to Play!

Google’s latest watch takes a direct hit at Apple with a new AI health coach and advanced emergency connectivity. Find out how they stack up.

Google’s Pixel Watch 4 is the newest player on the smartwatch field and it’s not holding back. With a sleek design, AI-powered health coach, first-of-its-kind emergency satellite connectivity and improved battery life, it’s a major leap forward for a relative newcomer that’s been edging its way up the ranks to compete with the heavy hitters of the wearable world.

The Apple Watch Series 10, meanwhile, remains a benchmark in the category. While technically at a disadvantage being last year’s model, it holds its own with more than a decade of refinements and deep integration with the iPhone and Apple’s extensive health and fitness ecosystem. 

As smartwatches make the leap from wearable phone extensions to essential health and safety tools, these two flagships are redefining the category — especially with both companies controlling the full hardware and software experience on their respective platforms. And with Apple expected to debut its Series 11 in September, this face-off feels like just the opening move in what’s shaping up to be a high-stakes game of chess between two of the biggest names in tech. Here’s how the specs stack up on paper; we’ll conduct our full suite of tests for the full Pixel Watch 4 review. 

Pricing and availability

Being an older model, the Apple Watch Series 10 can be found for a discounted rate through third party sellers like Best Buy and Walmart, but the original price of $399 is technically higher than the base price of the $350 Pixel Watch 4. However, the larger-size versions have less of a price gap with the 45mm Wi-Fi version of the Series 10 costing $429 and the Pixel Watch 4 equivalent costing $400. And the Apple Watch is the only one that offers a higher-end titanium model that costs about $200 more than the base aluminum. Both watches are rated for 5ATM water resistance and have IP6X dust protection.

Design and display 

Both watches remain true to their original form factor and this category is more a matter of preference. The Pixel Watch 4 sticks with its signature circular design that looks closer to a traditional analog watch than the Apple Watch, with a bubble-like screen that curves outward for a sleek, all-display look. It comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes with silver, dark gray and gold aluminum finishes, plus interchangeable bands.

Apple, by contrast, hasn’t strayed from its signature rectangular shape since its launch. It’s more «tech» looking than the Pixel Watch, but it’s also slightly more practical for navigating apps and notifications. The Series 10 also has minimal bezels with a screen that expands into the thin frame and comes in a 42mm and 46mm version. The Apple Watch has a slightly higher pixel density for better image quality but the Pixel 4 is brighter with up to 3,000 nits peak brightness compared to the Apple Watch’s 2,000 nits.  

Performance, software and AI

Under the hood, both watches run the latest versions of their respective software: WatchOS 10 for Apple and Wear OS 6 for the Pixel. Apple offers the usual tight integration with the iPhone, while Google leans on its Fitbit acquisition for health tracking and now its AI expertise with the built-in Gemini assistant.

And this is where the Apple Watch starts to lose its footing. Google’s Gemini voice assistant handles back-to-back commands, summarizes information from your apps and responds conversationally without shuttling you out to a web link — something Siri still struggles to match. Apple’s assistant remains more limited, often requiring repeat commands and leaning on your iPhone for anything beyond the basics. Even a cautious AI user like myself can’t help notice how Gemini’s added capabilities feel genuinely useful on the wrist, cutting down on screen taps and making it easier to get more done on the go.

Health and fitness features

This is another area where Google’s AI could give the Pixel Watch 4 an extra edge. Both watches set the standard in health and fitness features — Apple because of its longstanding commitment to health and fitness, and Pixel through its integration with Fitbit. Their metrics are accurate and easy to make sense of in their respective apps. But the Pixel 4 just stepped it up with a concierge style AI health coach (coming in October) that can help you interpret your health data and give personalized recommendations: everything from whether to rest or exercise on any given day, to how to improve sleep quality. Apple’s Workout Buddy, coming in watchOS 26, offers live feedback on a handful of workouts but isn’t as far along in pulling together a complete picture of your health data (at least not yet). The caveat, however, is that Google’s coach will require a Fitbit Premium subscription ($10/month after a trial), while Apple’s AI fitness tool is free.

Emergency features

Beyond health tracking, both watches add an extra layer of protection with a range of emergency tools, including fall and crash detection, workout check-ins and Emergency SOS. The Apple Watch leans more on proactive health alerts, like warnings for irregular heart rhythm and potential sleep apnea. 

But the Pixel Watch 4 just boosted its emergency features by adding satellite connectivity. This means you can send a message for help even without a phone or cell service. The Apple Watch, by comparison, still relies on the iPhone or needs network coverage for models that are cellular-enabled to make an emergency call.

Battery and charging

On paper the Series 10 promises 18 hours of heavy use, though in our testing it’s consistently gotten closer to 26 to 30 hours with the always-on display active. Google claims 30 to 40 hours on the Pixel Watch 4 depending on size, giving it a slight edge, but it’s hard to pass judgment without our real world tests.

Charging speed is another strong point for both watches with quick charge capabilities, although the Pixel Watch 4 is still faster when you need a quick top-up. It reaches 50% in just 15 minutes and a full charge in an hour. The Series 10 also takes an hour to reach a full charge, but hits 80% in 40 minutes.

Google has also made the Pixel Watch 4’s battery and display easier to replace for repairs, a big step forward for long-term usability, while Apple hasn’t emphasized the same level of repairability on the Series 10.

Bottom line 

If you’re all-in on Apple, the Series 10 still delivers everything you need in a smartwatch. But for Android users (or anyone curious about AI on the wrist) the Pixel Watch 4 shows Google is serious about challenging Apple’s dominance.

Pixel Watch 4 vs. Apple Watch Series 10: Specs at a glance

Pixel Watch 4 Apple Watch Series 10
Design & sizes Round, 41mm & 45mm Square, 42mm, 46mm
Display AMOLED LTPO, 320 ppi LTPO3 OLED, 446 x 374 ppi
Thickness & weight 12.3mm; 31–36.7g 9.7mm; 30-41.7g (46mm titanium model)
Material & finish Aluminum case: Silver, Champagne gold, Satin Moonstone or Matte black finish Aluminum: Jet black, Rose gold or Silver finish; Titanium: Slate, Gold or Natural finish
Durability 5ATM water + IP68 (dust) 5ATM Water + IP6X (dust)
Battery life 30–40 hrs (always-on) + quick charge dock: 50% in 15min, 100% in 60 min 24-30 (always-on) + Fast charge: 80% in 30 min, 100% in 60 min
Sensors ECG, SpO₂, heart rate, skin temp, loss of pulse detection ECG, heart rate, skin temp, depth gauge, SpO2, Noise monitoring
Emergency features Satellite SOS, Safety Check, Safety Signal, fall & crash detection Emergency SOS, Fall detection, Crash detection, Check in and Backtrack
AI & coaching Gemini voice assistant; Fitbit AI health coach (via Premium) Siri (voice assistant); Workout Buddy
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, Cortex-M55 co-processor S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 Apple wireless chip
RAM/Storage 2GB, 32GB (storage) 64GB (storage)
Payments Google Wallet Apple Pay
Price (US) $350–$500 $399-$750 (titanium)

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Technologies

Say Goodbye to Awful Cell Signal With These 10 Simple Fixes

These quick tricks can help you get better reception almost instantly.

Summer road trips are all about open roads, good company, and spontaneous detours. That is, until your phone loses service and the whole plan comes to a screeching halt. Whether it’s your GPS freezing mid-route, your music app buffering endlessly, or being unable to call for roadside help, poor cell reception can turn a carefree adventure into a frustrating mess. These dead zones tend to show up in the worst spots: backroads, mountain passes, or just that one stretch of highway where nothing seems to work.

Fortunately, you don’t need a new phone or a major tech upgrade to fix spotty service. There are several simple tricks you can try to get better signal on the go. From changing your network settings to repositioning your phone in the car for better line-of-sight, these small adjustments can make a noticeable difference. Whether you’re driving across state lines or just heading out for the weekend, these tips can help you stay connected and keep your trip running smoothly.

Whether you’re doing some routine phone maintenance or you’re stuck in an emergency, there are multiple ways to improve your reception on an iPhone or Android phone, no matter what type of phone plan you’re on. It might even come down to something as simple as toggling Airplane mode. 

To go from dropped calls to full bars, here’s what you need to know. For more on iPhone and iOS, check out everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025.

Note: Although software across different iPhone models is relatively the same, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android phones may have different software versions, so certain settings and where they are located might differ depending on device.

For more, check out how you can use Google Maps when you’re offline and how you can maybe fix your internet when it’s down.

To improve your cellphone service, try these steps first

The settings on your phone can help you get better cell service, but there are other tricks for improving your reception without even touching your phone’s software.

  • Move yourself so that there are no obstructions between your phone and any cell towers outside. That might involve stepping away from metal objects or concrete walls, which both kill reception. Instead, get to a window or go outside if possible.
  • Remove your phone case. It doesn’t hurt to remove whatever case you have on your phone, especially if it’s thick, so that the phone’s antenna isn’t blocked by anything and can get a better signal.
  • Make sure your phone is charged. Searching for and connecting to a stronger signal drains power, so if your phone battery is already low on charge, you may have a difficult time getting good service.

Always start by turning Airplane mode on and off

Turning your phone’s connection off and then back on is the quickest and easiest way to try and fix your signal woes. If you’re moving around from one location to another, toggling Airplane mode restarts the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular network modems, which forces them to find the best signal in the area.

Android: Swipe down from the top of your screen — to access the Quick Settings panel — and then tap the Airplane mode icon. Wait for your phone to completely disconnect from its Wi-Fi and cellular connections. It doesn’t happen instantly, so give it a good 15 seconds before you tap on the Airplane mode icon again.

iPhone: On the iPhone, you can access Airplane mode from the Control Center, but that varies depending on which iPhone model you have. On the iPhone X and later, swipe down from the top-right corner to access the Control Center. On older iPhone models, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Then tap the Airplane mode icon, which will turn orange when it’s enabled. Again, wait up to 15 seconds before turning it off.

If Airplane mode doesn’t work, restart your phone

Our phones are miniature computers, and just like computers, sometimes you can fix issues like network connection by simply restarting them.

Android: Hold down the power button, or the power button and the volume down key (depending on your Android phone), until the on-screen menu shows up, and then tap Restart. If your phone doesn’t offer a restart option, you can simply tap Power Off to shut down your device, and then boot it back up with the power button.

iPhone: On the iPhone X and older models, hold down the sleep/wake button and either one of the volume buttons and then swipe right on the power slider to turn off the device. Wait until it fully turns off, then press down on the sleep/wake button to turn it back on. 

Alternatively, you can do a force reset on your iPhone: Press the volume up button, followed by the volume down button and then press and hold the side button. Keep holding it in, after your phone’s screen goes black and until you see the Apple logo appear again. 

If your iPhone has a home button, hold down the sleep/wake button until the power slider is displayed and then drag the slider to the right. Once the device is turned off, press and hold the sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo. 

Older phone? Take your SIM card out

Another troubleshooting step that might help is to remove your SIM card, if your phone has one, and then place it back in with the phone turned on. If the SIM card is dirty, clean it. If it has any physical defects, you may need to replace it.

You’ll need a SIM card tool — usually included in your phone’s box — or an unfolded paper clip or sewing needle to get the SIM tray out of your phone.

All phones: Remove the SIM card, check to see if it’s damaged and positioned in the SIM tray correctly, then put it back in your phone.

eSIM: For phones with an eSIM — that is, an embedded electronic SIM in your phone — there’s nothing for you to remove. The best you can do is restart your phone.

Check your carrier settings (and update your software)

Mobile carriers frequently send out carrier settings updates to help improve connectivity for calls, data and messages on their network. Although this feature is available on all iPhone models, it’s not universal on Android, so you might not find carrier settings if you don’t have a supported phone.

iPhone: Carrier updates should just appear, and you can update from the pop-up message that appears. To force your iPhone to check for a carrier settings update, go to Settings > General > About on your phone. If an update is available, you’ll be prompted to install it.

Android: As mentioned before, not all Android phones have carrier settings, so you’ll have to open the Settings app and type in «carrier settings» to find any possible updates. On supported Pixels, go to Settings > Network & internet > Internet, tap the gear next to your carrier name and then tap Carrier settings versions.

Reset your phone’s network settings

Sometimes all you need is a clean slate to fix an annoying connectivity issue. Refreshing your phone’s network settings is one way to do that. But be forewarned, resetting your network settings will also reset any saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN connections and custom APN settings for those on carriers that require additional setup.

Android: In the Settings app, search for «reset» or more specifically «reset network settings» and tap on the setting. On the Pixel, the setting is called Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. After you reset your network settings, remember to reconnect your phone to your home and work Wi-Fi networks.

iPhone: Go to Settings > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network settings. The next page will warn you that resetting your network settings will reset your settings for Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth. Tap Reset Network Settings and your phone will restart.

Contact your phone carrier

Sometimes unexpected signal issues can be traced back to problems with your wireless carrier. A cell tower could be down, or the tower’s fiber optic cable could have been cut, causing an outage.

For consistent problems connecting to or staying connected to a cellular or data network, it’s possible your carrier’s coverage doesn’t extend well into your neighborhood. 

Other times, a newfound signal issue can be due to a defect with your phone or a SIM card that’s gone bad. Contacting your carrier to begin troubleshooting after you’ve tried these fixes is the next best step to resolving your spotty signal.

If all else fails, try a signal booster to improve cell reception

If after going through all of our troubleshooting steps, including talking to your carrier to go over your options, you’re still struggling to keep a good signal — try a booster. A signal booster receives the same cellular signal your carrier uses, then amplifies it just enough to provide coverage in a room or your entire house. 

The big downside here is the cost. Wilson has three different boosters designed for home use, ranging in price from $349 for single room coverage to $999 to cover your entire home. To be clear, we haven’t specifically tested these models. Wilson offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a two-year warranty should you have any trouble with its products. 

I Took Hundreds of Photos With the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. These Are My Faves

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 24 #539

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Aug. 24, No. 539.

Looking for the most recent Strands answers? 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 is a tough one. Long words, short words, they’re all over the map. 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: Plug your ears.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Check the decibel level.

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:

  • BLAST, LAST, LABS, TING, STING, BOOT, DENT, DENTS, GOON, NITS, SIRE, STIR, RISE, ROSE

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:

  • LOUD, NOISY, BOOMING, BLASTING, STRIDENT, BOISTEROUS

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is HUBBUB. To find it, look for the H that’s five letters down on the far-right row, and wind backwards.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT. 

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK

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