Technologies
Best Speakerphone in 2023 for Working From Home
Do you make conference calls using Zoom, Microsoft Teams or another platform? Try a compact speakerphone to improve the audio experience in your home office.
Working from home continues for some people, while others have been asked to head back into the office to do their jobs. Still, plenty of folks are still working at home at least a few days a week. You may’ve bought a headset to log in to all those video conference calls you still have to show up for (we have a list of best headsets for working from home if you’re interested in one of those), but some people don’t like to wear anything on or in their ears. That’s where a good speakerphone can come in handy.
Read More: Best Cheap VPN
I’ve tested all the speakerphones on this list and reviewed not only how they perform as a speakerphone but also how they sound for music listening and what connectivity options they offer (and any other noteworthy special features). All of them include some sort of wired USB connection for Windows PCs and Macs, and many also have a Bluetooth option so you can connect wirelessly. Additionally, some include UC Bluetooth dongles that are compatible with the industry standard universal communication format. That USB dongle allows for a more reliable Bluetooth connection to computers. However, like UC headsets, speakerphones with a UC Bluetooth option can cost a little more.
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I’ve included not just the best of the best speakerphones, which can get pretty pricey, but also some top no-frills speakerphones for those want to spend less than $100 — or even less than $50. Except for one, all the speakerphones on this list are portable and easy to take with you so you can use them at home or on the go.
Jabra’s has revamped its speakerphone line up for 2023, adding three new redesigned models that will eventually replace its earlier Speak 410, 510 and 710. The Speak2 55 is the middle model in the line up and only slightly more expensive than the Speak2 40, which I haven’t tried yet, but it seems similar. (It’s the same size and both the Speak2 40 and Speak2 50 have 50mm drivers.) The Speak2 75 is the flagship model and offers the best sound quality and substantially better battery life in wireless Bluetooth mode — 32 hours compared to 12 for the Speak2 55. That’s said, it may be overkill for some people and is also pricey.
I like how Jabra has redesigned the new models, giving them a sleeker, cleaner look, and all the models include an integrated USB-C cable with a USB-A adapter that allows you to plug the speaker directly into a Mac or Windows PC. The relatively compact Speak2 55 comes with a nice felt carrying case and is fairly lightweight, weighing in at 280 grams (9.88 ounces), making it easy to slip into a bag and carry around for conference calls on the go. While it offers Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, it doesn’t come with a USB Bluetooth dongle to plug into your PC for more reliable wireless connectivity with computers.
It’s equipped with four beamforming noise-cancelling microphones with background noise reduction technology (people I was conversing with said my voice sounded clear) and I thought the sound output was better than that of the Anker PowerConf S500, which retails for a little more. You can use the Speak2 55 to listen to music, but don’t expect great sound quality. It’s acceptable for casual listening but there just isn’t a lot of bass. Not surprisingly, you get better sound with the larger and more expensive Speak2 75).
The Luna is eMeet’s latest speakerphone and a good value with a list price of $80, though it sometimes dips to even less with an instant coupon at Amazon. It’s designed to compete with Anker’s PowerConf (see below). It’s not quite as sleek as the PowerConf, nor does it come with a protective carrying case like that model does. Also, its microphone performance is good but not on the level of the Jabra Speak2 55 (see above) or Speak 510 (see below) in terms of clarity. That said, it offers good noise reduction.
The speaker does sound clear and loud, and it’s versatile: You can go wireless over Bluetooth, plug the speaker into the USB port on your PC (with an included cable) or plug in the wireless dongle for a more reliable Bluetooth connection.
It can be daisy-chained with other eMeet speakerphones to add more people — up to 12, eMeet says — in case you’re running a business with multiple employees from home or just have a really large family.
The Speak2 75 is Jabra’s new-for-2023 flagship speakerphone. It’s larger than the Speak2 55 (see above) but still portable, weighing in at 466 grams or 16.44 ounces. (It does feel more substantial than the Speak2 55.) Like the Speak2 55, this model comes with a felt carrying case and an integrated USB-C cable with a USB-A adapter for connecting the speaker directly to computers. It’s IP64 dust- and splash-proof.
The two biggest differences between this model and the Speak2 55 are the size of the drivers — 65mm versus 50mm — and the Speak2 75’s superior battery life (it’s rated for 32 hours in wireless Bluetooth mode, much more than the 12 hours you get with the Speak2 55). It also includes a Bluetooth USB dongle for more reliable wireless connectivity with computers. Alas, the USB-C version of the dongle is currently backordered, so only the USB-A version is available. That will hopefully change soon.
Jabra says the Speak2 75 has «super-wideband audio» and a microphone quality indicator that detects how well the microphones are picking up your voice. It also has four beamforming microphones with the same noise-reduction technology as the Speak2 55. Aside from the better battery life, the biggest difference I noticed was the fuller sound — it’s a bigger speaker so that’s not surprising. And while it’s still not that a great sound if you use it to play music, it does have more bass than the Speak2 55.
Callers said I sounded loud and clear with good background noise reduction. This is a top-notch speakerphone, but it is pricey.
I liked Beyerdynamic’s earlier Phonum speakerphone (see below), which retails for about $100. But the new-for-2022 Space is a slicker product and nice «personal» speakerphone that works well in home office environments. It also has more bass than the average speakerphone and works decently for listening to music, though it doesn’t support the higher-fidelity AAC and AptX codecs — only SBC. If you can afford it, you can wirelessly pair two of them for stereo sound.
The speaker comes in a few different color options and has touch controls on the top along with LED lights that indicate whether you’re connected via Bluetooth, on a call and whether your microphone is muted. You can also connect directly to your computer with the included USB-C cable — the speaker charges via USB-C — and a USB-C to USB-A adapter is included (you can store it in a slot in the base of the speaker, where you’ll also find a threaded tripod mount). Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours, and a 10-minute charge gives you two hours of juice. The speaker is splash-proof and dust-resistant with an IP64 rating.
Callers said I sounded clear and were generally impressed with how I sounded, saying they couldn’t tell I was on a speakerphone. Weighing 354 grams, the speakerphone is quite portable and a carrying pouch is included, While Beyerdynamic describes it as a personal speakerphone, it does have four microphones and is suitable for conference calls with up to six people sitting around it. While it’s a bit expensive at its $179 list price, I do suspect it will come down in price with time.
Anker’s PowerConf offers solid performance for the money, with six microphones arranged in a 360-degree array to pick up the voice of up to eight people in a room. This Bluetooth speakerphone charges and connects via USB-C to your computer (if you want to go the wired route) and easily connects to your cell phone and tablet via Bluetooth technology. With an integrated 6,700-mAh battery, you can also charge your devices with the speakerphone. Battery life is rated at 24 hours for call time.
The speaker performed well, with good clarity and similar sound quality to the Jabra Speak 510 (I didn’t compare it to the newer Jabra Speak2 55). Jabra’s Speak 710 delivers a little fuller sound with a little more bass, but that speaker costs substantially more. While this can also be used as a speaker for listening to music or watching movies — and is a significant step up from the built-in speakers on your smartphone or laptop, particularly in terms of loudness — Anker says it’s first and foremost a conference speakerphone. Whether you’re in a large conference room or smaller conference rooms, it can pick up voices anywhere for up to eight people. A carrying case is included.
Note that you can’t connect more than one Bluetooth device to this conference speaker at the same time. It’s also worth noting Anker also makes the newer PowerConf S3, which is currently selling for $100. I have not tried that model but it seems very similar to this one with an updated design.
The Poly Sync 20 is available with and without a Bluetooth dongle, and there’s also a Microsoft Teams-certified version. Additionally, there’s a new pink version to support Breast Cancer Awareness that currently costs $75 without the dongle.
It’s unclear if you need the dongle because the speaker has an integrated USB-A or -C cord to plug directly into a computer and charge the device, but the dongle makes for easier pairing.
This has everything you want in a compact but portable speaker phone. Along with the USB-A connector, it has Bluetooth. A protective carrying case and lanyard are also included. There’s also a USB out port for charging a phone. Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours.
Performance was solid. I was able to stand up to about 7 or 8 feet away from the speaker and callers said they could hear me clearly. The speaker puts out a decent amount of sound, so volume wasn’t an issue. It’s also worth noting that the touch button with the rocket icon is programmable using the Plantronics Hub app: You can choose between play-pause music, last-number redial and voice assistant as well as hold/resume call. The Microsoft Teams-certified version adds a Teams button next to the rocket button. That said, any model works with Teams.
I played some music through the speaker and it sounds decent though not great for a compact Bluetooth speaker. As you might expect, it’s strongest in the midrange, where vocals live, so it does well with acoustic music.
The Sync 20 Plus version with a Bluetooth dongle lists for $200 but can be had for less. Poly also has the larger Poly Sync 40 for around $200 and the line-topping Sync 60 is around $450.
The Anker PowerConf S500 is an attractively designed speakerphone that offers good performance for around $200. It’s equipped with 4 microphones and Anker says a single PowerConf S500 «delivers performance for rooms of up to 12 people, and you can wirelessly pair two of them to increase coverage for up to 20 people.»
While you can connect your phone or computer via Bluetooth, you can also connect the speaker directly to your computer with a USB-C cable. additionally, it comes with a wireless Bluetooth USB dongle (it’s USB-A) for more reliable wireless connections to PCs. It’s nice that you can store the dongle in a slot on the bottom of the speakerphone when you’re not using it. I also liked the included hard carrying case.
I didn’t think this speaker performed quite as well as from a sound quality standpoint as the Jabra Speak 2 55 (see above), but it is well designed speakerphone that delivers solid performance for its price and does have better battery life than the Jabra (16 hours vs. 12 hours).
This used to be Anker’s flasgship speakerphone model. But now it offers the new AnkerWork SR500 ($350) that’s equipped with 8 microphones.
The best things about the Cyber Acoustics Essential Speakerphone are that it’s compact, lightweight and simple to use. Callers said they could hear me clearly, and the speaker outputs a decent amount of volume for its size. That said, my voice didn’t sound as natural as it did with some of the more expensive models on this list.
This is a fairly basic speakerphone, but it offers Bluetooth connectivity along with a USB wired option. It’s definitely easy to slip in a bag. With it carries a list price of $70, you can find it for less than $50 on Amazon.
Bang & Olufsen has upgraded its dome-shaped aluminum-clad A1 speaker with improved battery life, better speakerphone performance (it now has a three-microphone array) and slightly improved sound. It’s not only the smallest wireless speaker from the Danish company, but also the most affordable with a list price of $250 (you can get certain colors for over $50 less). While it doesn’t have the more robust speakerphone-centric features of other products on this list, this speaker easily sounds the best for music playback.
The speaker drivers remain the same as those in the previous model, but the Qualcomm chipset that powers the speaker has been upgraded (the speaker uses Bluetooth 5.1), bumping the sound quality up a tad, particularly at higher volumes, with better digital signal processing. It remains one of the best-sounding mini Bluetooth speakers, with richer more tonally balanced sound than other Bluetooth speakers its size — and it should sound good, considering its elevated price point..
It’s also worth noting that the A1 has multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect this to your PC and smartphone at the same time and easily switch back and forth between the two if a call comes in on your phone. Additionally, the speaker is Alexa-enabled, meaning you can activate Amazon’s voice assistant by just saying «Alexa.»
Battery life is rated at up to 18 hours at 50% volume (the earlier A1 didn’t live up to its battery life claims, but this number is more accurate) and if you can afford it, you can link two A1 speakers to create a stereo pair. The speaker is waterproof with an IPX 67 rating that allows it to be submerged briefly in shallow water.
The Jabra Speak 510 wireless Bluetooth speaker, which has been out for a few years and is sometimes discounted to closer to $100, can be connected directly to a computer with a USB cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth. It doesn’t offer as much volume as the step up Speak 710 Bluetooth speakerphone, which costs more than twice as much. Jabra says the speaker is suitable for smaller rooms with coverage for four people in a meeting. This portable speakerphone has a 360-degree omnidirectional microphone and its rechargeable battery will last up to 15 hours of battery life in wireless mode. A carrying case is included.
You can get this model with a UC (universal communications) USB dongle that allows you to have a direct wireless connection with a PC. But the wired USB option is fine, and it offers the same softphone features for Windows PCs or Macs.
With Jabra’s Speak 710 wireless Bluetooth speakerphone, you’re getting a noticeable bump up in sound and microphone quality from the Speak 510 Bluetooth speakerphone (it is bigger but still compact). While it costs more, if you’re looking for top-notch performance with excellent noise reduction in a consumer-grade speakerphone, the 710 delivers it. Jabra says this is rated for up to six people in a conference room, but you can daisy-chain a couple of these in a larger room to get twice the number of people involved. It also has an integrated USB cable for connecting directly to a computer and includes a UC (universal communications) USB dongle for reliable wireless connections with a Windows PC or Mac without installing any software (there is a companion app for both).
Don’t expect it to sound great for music or movie watching, but it does have more bass than the Speak 510 and the Anker.
The eMeet M0 is a compact USB speakerphone that connects to your computer with an included USB-A to USB-C cable. No drivers are required — it’s plug and play — but there is no wireless option. It has a four smart microphone array, acoustic echo noise cancellation, noise-reduction technology and is suitable as a conference phone for meetings with up to four people. This conference speakerphone is louder and more clear than your typical laptop speakers and picks up your voice well from several feet away.
From the front, Logitech’s Logi Dock looks like a small speaker. But look around back and you’ll see that it’s also USB-C docking station with HDMI and Mini Display ports that allow you to connect up to USB peripherals and two monitors (there are three USB-C ports and two USB-A ports). It also has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can wirelessly connect your phone or PC to the speaker.
Needless to say, this is designed to work with Logitech peripherals — I hooked up a Logitech webcam to it — and it offers up to 100 watts of power, so it can charge your laptop and is a good option for those looking to declutter their desks.
It works well as a speakerphone with good voice pickup from its microphones and it has volume control buttons on top of the speaker along with a microphone mute button. Because it’s bigger than your typical speakerphone, it does sound better for music listening than many of the speakerphones on this list. But it’s no substitute for even a modestly priced set of computer speakers, which offer stereo sound.
I think it’s a bit expensive at its list price $400, but it has come down in price in recent months, which is why I’ve added it to the list in 2023.
If you can’t afford the Jabra Speak2 75 and are looking for a compact, more «professional» Bluetooth speakerphone, the eMeet M2 costs less than $200, has a strong feature set and performed well in my tests (it plays louder than you’d think for its size). It’s equipped with a four microphone array, acoustic echo along with noise reduction technology and can operate with clear sound in larger rooms with five to eight people participating on a conference call. You can opt to plug the speakerphone directly into a computer (Mac or Windows) with a USB cable or go wireless with the included Bluetooth USB dongle. You can also use Bluetooth connectivity for your smartphone or tablet. A carrying case is included.
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Technologies
All the Important New iOS 26 Features, From Liquid Glass to Photos App Fixes
Your iPhone will look different and get new features when iOS 26 ships in the fall.
While we look ahead to what new iPhone 17 models might bring to the phone’s hardware, we’ve already got a look at the future of iPhone software, iOS 26. The new Liquid Glass interface is a major design refresh that will make its way across all of Apple’s product lines. The Camera and Photos apps are gaining long-awaited functional redesigns; the Messages and Phone apps are taking a firmer stand against unwanted texts and calls; and Apple Intelligence contributes some improvements in a year when Siri has been delayed.
The next version of the operating system is due to ship in September or October (likely with new iPhone 17 models), but developer betas are available now, with a public beta expected this month.
Transparent new Liquid glass design
After more than a decade of a flat, clean user interface — an overhaul introduced in iOS 7 when former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive took over the design of software as well as hardware — the iPhone is getting a new look. The new design extends throughout the Apple product lineup, from iOS to WatchOS, TVOS and iPadOS.
The Liquid Glass interface also now enables a third way to view app icons on the iPhone home screen. Not content with Light and Dark modes, iOS 26 now features an All Clear look — every icon is clear glass with no color. Lock screens can also have an enhanced 3D effect using spatial scenes, which use machine learning to give depth to your background photos.
Dynamic and adaptable lock screen
Translucency is the defining characteristic of Liquid Glass, behaving like glass in the real world in the way it deals with light and color of objects behind and near controls. But it’s not just a glassy look: The «liquid» part of Liquid Glass refers to how controls can merge and adapt — dynamically morphing, in Apple’s words. In the example Apple showed, the glassy time numerals on an iPhone lock screen stretched to accommodate the image of a dog and even shrunk as the image shifted to accommodate incoming notifications. The dock and widgets are now rounded, glassy panels that float above the background.
Camera and Photos apps go even more minimal
The Camera app is getting a new, simplified interface. You could argue that the current Camera app is pretty minimal, designed to make it quick to frame a shot and hit the big shutter button. But the moment you get into the periphery, it becomes a weird mix of hidden controls and unintuitive icons.
Now, the Camera app in iOS 26 features a «new, more intuitive design» that takes minimalism to the extreme. The streamlined design shows just two modes: Video or Camera. Swipe left or right to choose additional modes, such as Pano or Cinematic. Swipe up for settings such as aspect ratio and timers, and tap for additional preferences.
With the updated Photos app, viewing the pictures you capture should be a better experience — a welcome change that customers have clamored for since iOS 18’s cluttered attempt. Instead of a long, difficult-to-discover scrolling interface, Photos regains a Liquid Glass menu at the bottom of the screen.
The Phone app gets a revamp
The Phone app has kept more closely to the look of its source than others: a sparse interface with large buttons as if you’re holding an old-fashioned headset or pre-smartphone cellular phone. iOS 26 finally updates that look not just with the new overall interface but in a unified layout that takes advantage of the larger screen real estate on today’s iPhone models.
It’s not just looks that are different, though. The Phone app is trying to be more useful for dealing with actual calls — the ones you want to take. The Call Screening feature automatically answers calls from unknown numbers, and your phone rings only when the caller shares their name and reason for calling.
Or what about all the time wasted on hold? Hold Assist automatically detects hold music and can mute the music but keep the call connected. Once a live agent becomes available, the phone rings and lets the agent know you’ll be available shortly.
Messages updates
The Messages app is probably one of the most used apps on the iPhone, and for iOS 26, Apple is making it a more colorful experience. You can add backgrounds to the chat window, including dynamic backgrounds that show off the new Liquid Glass interface.
In addition to the new look, group texts in Messages can incorporate polls for everyone in the group to reply to — no more scrolling back to find out which restaurant Brett suggested for lunch that you missed. Other members in the chat can also add their own items to a poll.
A more useful feature is a feature to detect spam texts better and screen unknown numbers, so the messages you see in the app are the ones you want to see and not the ones that distract you.
Safari gets out of its own way
In the Safari app, the Liquid Glass design floats the tab bar above the web page (although that looks right where your thumb is going to be, so it will be interesting to see if you can move the bar to the top of the screen). As you scroll, the tab bar shrinks.
FaceTime focuses on calls, not controls
FaceTime also gets the minimal look, with controls in the lower-right corner that disappear during the call to get out of the way. On the FaceTime landing page, posters of your contacts, including video clips of previous calls, are designed to make the app more appealing.
New Music app features
Do you like the sound of that song your friend is playing but don’t understand the language the lyrics are in? The Music app includes a new lyrics translation feature that displays along with the lyrics as the song plays. And for when you want to sing along with one of her favorite K-pop songs, for example, but you don’t speak or read Korean, a lyrics pronunciation feature spells out the right way to form the sounds.
AutoMix blends songs like a DJ, matching the beat and time-stretching for a seamless transition.
And if you find yourself obsessively listening to artists and albums again and again, you can pin them to the top of your music library for quick access.
New Games app is a reminder that yes, people game on iPhone
The iPhone doesn’t get the same kind of gaming affection as Nintendo’s Switch or Valve’s Steam Deck, but the truth is that the iPhone and Android phones are used extensively for gaming — Apple says half a billion people play games on iPhone.
Trying to capitalize on that, a new Games app acts as a specific portal to Apple Arcade and other games. Yes, you can get to those from the App Store app, but the Games app is designed to remove a layer of friction so you can get right to the gaming action.
Live translation enhances calls and texts
Although not specific to iOS, Apple’s new live translation feature is ideal on the iPhone when you’re communicating with others. It uses Apple Intelligence to dynamically enable you to talk to someone who speaks a different language in near-real time. It’s available in the Messages, FaceTime and Phone apps and shows live translated captions during a conversation.
Maps gets more personal
Updates to the Maps app sometimes involve adding more detail to popular areas or restructuring the way you store locations. Now, the app takes note of routes you travel frequently and can alert you of any delays before you get on the road.
It also includes a welcome feature for those of us who get our favorite restaurants mixed up: visited places. The app notes how many times you’ve been to a place, be that a local business, eatery or tourist destination. It organizes them in categories or other criteria such as by city to make them easier to find the next time.
New CarPlay features
Liquid Glass also makes its way to CarPlay in your vehicle, with a more compact design when a call comes in that doesn’t obscure other items, such as a directional map. In Messages, you can apply tapbacks and pin conversations for easy access.
Widgets are now part of the CarPlay experience, so you can focus on just the data you want, like the current weather conditions. And Live Activities appear on the CarPlay screen, so you’ll know when that coffee you ordered will be done or when a friend’s flight is about to arrive.
Wallet improvements
The Wallet app is already home for using Apple Card, Apple Pay, electronic car keys and for storing tickets and passes. In iOS 26, you can create a new Digital ID that acts like a passport for age and identity verification (though it does not replace a physical passport) for domestic travel for TSA screening at airports.
The app can also let you use rewards and set up installment payments when you purchase items in a store, not just for online orders. And with the help of Apple Intelligence, the Wallet app can help you track product orders, even if you did not use Apple Pay to purchase them. It can pull details such as shipping numbers from emails and texts so that information is all in one place.
New features powered by Apple Intelligence
Although last year’s WWDC featured Apple Intelligence features heavily, improvements to the AI tech were less prominent this year, folded into the announcements during the WWDC keynote.
As an alternative to creating Genmoji from scratch, you can combine existing emojis — «like a sloth and a light bulb when you’re the last one in the group chat to get the joke,» to use Apple’s example. You can also change expressions in Genmoji of people you know that you’ve used to create the image.
Image Playground adds the ability to tap into ChatGPT’s image generation tools to go beyond the app’s animation or sketch styles.
Visual Intelligence can already use the camera to try to decipher what’s in front of the lens. Now the technology works on the content on the iPhone’s screen, too. It does this by taking a screenshot (press the sleep and volume up buttons) and then including a new Image Search option in that interface to find results across the web or in other apps such as Etsy.
This is also a way to add event details from images you come across, like posters for concerts or large gatherings. (Perhaps this could work for QR codes as well?) In the screenshot interface, Visual Intelligence can parse the text and create an event in the Calendar app.
Some iOS 26 updates Apple didn’t mention
Not everything fits into a keynote presentation — even, or maybe especially, when it’s all pre-recorded — but some of the more interesting new features in iOS 26 went unremarked during the big reveal. For instance:
- If you have AirPods or AirPods Pro with the H2 chip, you can use AirPods Camera Remote to start recording video on your iPhone by pressing and holding one of the AirPods.
- You can choose your own snooze duration of between 1 and 15 minutes for alarms.
- Audio recording options have expanded, enabling high-quality recording during conference calls and high-definition recording in the Camera app with AirPods and AirPods Pro that contain the H2 chip.
- Accessibility features include an «all-new experience designed with Braille users in mind,» more options for the Vehicle Motion Cues feature to avoid motion sickness and «a more customizable reading experience.»
- Reminders uses Apple Intelligence to «suggest tasks, grocery items and follow-ups based on emails or other text on your device.»
- The Journal app supports multiple journals, inline images and a map view that tracks where journal entries were made.
- Parental controls have been updated in unspecified ways, including «enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety and the App Store.»
iOS 26 availability
The finished version of iOS 26 will be released in September or October with new iPhone 17 models. In the meantime, developers can install the first developer betas now, with an initial public beta arriving this month. (Don’t forget to go into any beta software with open eyes and clear expectations.)
Follow the WWDC 2025 live blog for details about Apple’s other announcements.
iPhone models compatible with iOS 26
iOS 26 will run on the iPhone 11 and later models, including the iPhone SE (2nd generation and later). That includes:
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
Technologies
Microsoft Offers Free Windows 10 Security Updates for Those Who Don’t Want to Upgrade to Windows 11
You can still get support for a year, under one condition: It requires linking your OneDrive account to your PC.
The Windows 10 era is almost at an end. Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 and stopping security support in October. Initially, Microsoft was offering a one-year extended security update for $30, but we’ve got some good news: Microsoft has added a free option, allowing you to stick with Windows 10 for another year. However, in order to access it, you’ll need to use cloud backup and connect it with your OneDrive account.
The ability to get free updates on Windows 10 is a pretty big deal because it is still the most widely used Windows OS, accounting for just over 53% of installs as of May 2025. That leaves millions of people without security support in just a few months unless they upgrade. So the cloud backup option gives users a way out without costing them any money.
The only potential issue is OneDrive. Anyone with a Microsoft account gets up to 5GB of storage for free. However, as The Verge points out, some backups may exceed this limitation, requiring users to purchase a monthly or yearly plan. At $2 per month for 100GB of cloud storage, a year of OneDrive still costs less than the $30 for a year of additional security updates, but it may still cause frustration among some customers.
Windows 10 was released a decade ago, in July 2015.
How to get Windows 10 security updates for free
Per Microsoft’s blog post, there are now three options for those who want to stay on Windows 10 and still receive security updates:
- Use Windows Backup to sync settings to the cloud via OneDrive.
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Redeeming those points can buy you one year of security updates.
- Pay $30 for the extended security updates program.
You will be presented with these options starting in July, which is when Microsoft plans to roll out the sign-up wizard for the Extended Security Updates program. Signing up for this option will guarantee updates until Oct. 13, 2026, although businesses will have the option to purchase up to three years of additional updates. So, this isn’t a long-term solution, but rather gives you more time to upgrade to Windows 11.
It’s been an uphill battle for Microsoft, as people have been reluctant to upgrade their existing hardware. There are myriad differences between the two operating systems, but Microsoft’s string of unpopular decisions along with Windows 11 compatibility issues have kept the prior generation OS around a lot longer than it normally would be.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 18, #768
Find hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 18, #768, which might be easy if you do yoga.
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.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is all over the place. If you want to solve the blue category, it helps if you know yoga. (I don’t.) 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: Order of things.
Green group hint: Ah, I get it.
Blue group hint: Flexible positions.
Purple group hint: Eddy Grant sang about this avenue.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Sequence.
Green group: Pick up on.
Blue group: Yoga backbends.
Purple group: Electric ____.
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 sequence. The four answers are run, series, streak and string.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is pick up on. The four answers are catch, note, see and spot.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is yoga backbends. The four answers are bridge, cobra, cow and wheel.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is electric ____. The four answers are blanket, eel, guitar and slide.
Toughest Connections puzzles
We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.
#5: Included «things you can set,» such as mood, record, table and volleyball.
#4: Included «one in a dozen,» such as egg, juror, month and rose.
#3: Included «streets on screen,» such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.
#2: Included «power ___» such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.
#1: Included «things that can run,» such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.
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