Articles by Ara Wagoner

Android is all about customization.

Don’t like your launcher? Pick out a new one from among the best Android launchers. Don’t like your garishly gray keyboard? Change it up! Got the same ringtone as that annoying coworker at the other end of the room? Just don’t like the lame, old sounds that came with your sweet, new phone? No problem! We have options aplenty for Android sounds these days, and once you get the hang of these tools, the world is your ringtone. Whether you need to find that sweet new sound or just need to know how to add a custom ringtone to your Android phone, we have you covered!

Let awesome ring.

Custom sounds on Android

How to set ringtones with Zedge
How to add new sounds to the Ringtones folder
How to set a custom ringtone in Settings
How to set a custom contact ringtone
How to set a custom notification tone

How to find and set ringtones through the Zedge app

There’s a lot of places to find ringtones, but far and away, the easiest is Zedge. Zedge is a…

The best wireless chargers are a bit of a dream, breaking you out of the old rut of having to plug in your phone every time to sit down to work or sleep. Ditch your cables and quit wearing out your phone’s charging port by getting yourself a handy wireless charger. It’s easier than ever now that more wireless chargers are switching to USB-C so you can stick to one cable.

Fast, slim, and adaptable

Belkin Boost Charge 15W Wireless Charging Pad

Staff pick

Belkin sells flat pads and stands with speeds from 7.5W all the way up to this 15W beauty, which is available in black or white. The outer edge has non-stick pads to keep your phone in place, and it comes with a AC adapter so you can skip the QC/PD confusion.

$35 at Amazon
$35 at Best Buy

Best for Galaxy

Samsung Wireless Charger Trio Pad

$89 at Amazon
$89 at Best Buy

This is the perfect charger for those who have a Galaxy smartwatch and/or Galaxy Buds, as you can charge all three here at the same time. The pad will als…

You’ve had years to get this done. No more excuses!

As someone who loves YouTube, watches a non-healthy amount of YouTube, and even willingly uses YouTube Music as her primary music service, I cannot stay silent any longer: YouTube needs to get off the couch and get things done.

YouTube has a laundry list of problems and broken features as long as my arm that needs fixing, and that’s on top of the FUBAR situation that is YouTube moderation and monetization policy — or more specifically, demonetization policy. 2020 was a huge year for misinformation on media platforms from Twitter to YouTube and beyond, and while Twitter and a few other media platforms have at least earnestly tried to fight misinformation on their platforms, YouTube’s approach has been a lot like Facebook’s: it says its taking action, but it’s barely scratching the surface of what’s needed.

That’s why YouTube’s 2021 resolution needs to be to get its shit together and stop resting on its laurels as the largest vid…

Google’s history of wireless charging on its Pixels is somewhat rocky, but the Google Pixel 5 should work with a wider variety of wireless chargers. Yes, the Pixel 5 might actually end the insanity of wonky compatibility and bizarre charging speeds we saw with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4, thanks to the 15W Extended Power Profile used in the Pixel 5. There are many, many great chargers out there that support this wireless spec, but your Pixel deserves only the best. These are the best Pixel 5 wireless chargers, including pads and stands.

Everything included

Anker PowerWave II Stand

Staff Pick

Skip the confusion about your wall charger being the wrong one by grabbing a wireless charger with a proprietary AC adapter. You should also be able to charge through medium-thickness cases.

$36 at Amazon $40 at Target

Grippy, low profile

Belkin Boost Charge 15W Wireless Charging Pad

Belkin has long been a wireless charging partner for Google’s Pixel line. This 15W pad comes with a wall a…

While the Google Pixel 4a 5G isn’t going to be winning any beauty contests, the best Pixel 4a 5G cases jazz up this affordable 5G phone. Protecting your investment is paramount, but let’s get real. Life’s too short for boring phone cases. Thankfully, these Pixel 4a 5G cases are anything but boring.

Keep it safe

Tudia DualShield Merge Series

Staff Pick

Tudia’s Merge Series has been protecting Pixels big and small for years, and if you need some heavy-duty support for your Pixel 4a 5G from Day One, this case will do the job for less than a large pizza.

$12 at Amazon

Fabulous feel

Google Fabric Case

Google’s fabric case feels just as amazing on the Pixel 4a 5G as it has in previous generations, and this year we have some fun color options like the Blue Confetti and the classic but ever so sophisticated Basically Black.

$40 at Amazon
$40 at Best Buy

Two-tone texturing

Caseology Parallax

If you can’t settle on one cool color for your Pixel 4a 5G case, check out the Paral…

Whether you’re giving your old Chromebook to your kids, selling it to a stranger, or just giving it a deep cleaning to clear out the cobwebs and slowdowns, factory resetting a Chromebook is drop-dead simple and quick enough to do in your average TV commercial break. Here’s how to get your Chromebook cleaned out and ready for a new user.

Products used in this guide

Long-lasting laptop: Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 ($407 at Amazon)
Back it up: SanDisk Ultra Dual (From $9 at Amazon)

Power washing: What it is and when to do it

To reset a Chromebook to factory condition, you power wash it, stripping away all your data and apps until it’s as shiny and swift as the day you got it. power washing usually only needs to be done when you’re wiping a Chromebook to sell it, return it, or send it off to the manufacturer for repairs, but if your Chromebook is misbehaving and a reboot doesn’t fix it, power washing is the next step before contacting your manufacturer for support.

In the rare instan…

It’s no secret that the Galaxy S10e was one of the best Android phones of 2019, and if you’re a proud owner, you want only the best Galaxy S10e cases. Until later in 2020, the S10e saw a bit of a revival as we saw comparisons between the Galaxy S10e vs iPhone SE. Now, if you’re trying to keep your Galaxy S10e pristine, you can take a look at this guide and pick the best Samsung Galaxy S10e case.

Clear as crystal

Spigen Liquid Crystal Air

Staff pick

The Liquid Crystal line is my favorite clear case around — well, except for the sparkly Liquid Crystal Glitter variant — because it’s thin, grippy, and doesn’t get in the way. Perfect port cutouts and easy application make a good case great.

$13 at Amazon

Unique hybrid

Ringke Fusion-X

The Ringke Fusion-X is a unique hybrid case we can’t get enough of. The clear back allows your S10e to shine through, and at the same time, there’s a rugged bumper that offers reliable shock absorption and impact resistance. We also love how m…

Philips Hue makes some of the best smart light bulbs money can buy, and as luck would have it, they work great with Google Assistant. You can turn individual bulbs or entire rooms on or off with a single command, change colors, dim the lights, and more. Here’s how to make sure Google knows what lights to talk to.

Products used in this guide

Best A19 bulb: Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance ($50 at Amazon)
Best smart speaker: Nest Audio ($100 at Best Buy)

Jump to:

Adding Philips Hue to Google Home
Creating scenes in Philips Hue
Deleting scenes in Philips Hue

How to add Philips Hue to the Google Home app

Setting up your Hue bulbs with a smart speaker like the Nest Audio is as easy as signing into your Philips Hue account in the Google Home app. Once you’re in, it’ll automatically configure all of your bulbs using the same rooms you’ve set up in the Philips Hue app.

Open the Google Home app.
Tap the Plus button in the upper-left corner of the screen.
Under Add to Home,…

The best Note 20 cases can be found in all different sizes, colors, and shades, but the materials are what truly separate the class acts from the imitators. Plastic feels cheap, metal inhibits wireless charging, and wood can feel lovely but is inflexible. Leather, on the other hand, is luxurious in the hand, easy to work with, and it keeps your phone looking every bit as premium as its price tag. These are the best leather Galaxy Note 20 Ultra cases on the market today.

First-party perfection

Samsung Leather Cover

Staff Pick

Samsung’s leather cases have been the ones to beat for years now. Perfectly matched to each of the Note 20 Ultra’s colorways, this svelte cover is perfectly sculpted to every curve of the phone.

From $42 at Amazon
$50 at Best Buy
$50 at Samsung

Full grain feel

Snakehive Vintage Wallet

I just absolutely adore the suede-like feel of a full-grain leather like that used on the Snakehive Vintage Wallet case. Even better, it’s available in a half dozen colo…

Originally called “Better Together,” Google’s pairing of Android phone and Chromebook allows you to get back into your computer quicker and stay connected thanks to SMS syncing and Instant Tethering. Turning on this connected device feature on your Chromebook is easy, and you should absolutely use it, especially if you’re already using Smart Lock to keep your phone unlocked when it’s on your person or paired to your smartwatch.

Products used in this guide

Pretty and practical: Lenovo Chromebook Duet ($250 at Best Buy)
Google’s software in a durable shell: Google Pixel 4a ($349 at Amazon)

How to pair your Android phone to your Chromebook

Click the time and battery indicator on the right side of your Chromebook’s dock.

Click the gear icon to open Settings.

Under Connected devices, click Set up.

In the setup window, you can select a single Android phone to link to your Chromebook to a Connected device. If the phone listed under Select a device is not the one you wish to use…