Garmin has patented long-term blood glucose tracking; here’s how it’d work

Unlike a typical blood glucose monitor, this patented non-invasive system would use pulse spectrometry to track your long-term HbA1c.

A photo of a person wearing a Garmin watch, the screen showing various widgets including a "Dexcom" one with "121 mg/dl" showing.

(Image credit: Garmin)

What you need to know

Garmin filed a patent in May called “Pressure compensation for wrist-based pulse spectrometry” to track users’ “glycated hemoglobin level” via smartwatch.
A Garmin watch would track your HbAlc, or amount of glucose attached to blood cells across a long period, non-invasively.
The patent mentions other trackable “blood content” like COHb, MHb, SHb, O2Hb, and others using the optical PPG sensor.
Garmin watches can currently display continuous data from Dexcom blood glucose monitors.

Smartwatch brands are racing to be the first to offer non-invasive blood glucose monitoring. Now Garmin has thrown its hat in the ring with a U.S. patent for tracking your glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.

You can use theU.S. patent searchto find patent number “20250134464,” which outlines how Garmin could use its watches’ photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals — commonly used for heart rate and blood oxygen — to determine a “user’s glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level.”

As the patent explains, HbA1c checks the volume percentage of your blood’s hemoglobin proteins that are “glycated,” or bound or coated with glucose. Because glucose stays attached to red blood cells for their four-month lifespan, HbA1c “provides a long-term indication of the average blood glucose level…and is typically not impacted substantially by a single meal or activity.”

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A Garmin patent figure showing an "electronic fitness device" placing pressure on "human tissue," with various components calculating the level of pressure and sending it to the processor along with PPG data.

(Image credit: Garmin)

“Determining and monitoring HbA1c levels can help with the management of glucose and insulin,” the patent continues, as diabetics want to maintain their blood levels below 7%. And lowering it below 5% “is believed to improve and maintain an individual’s overall health.”

Since, currently, people must draw blood to test levels, it’s easy for people to be unaware of their growing HbA1c levels, or to avoid frequent testing because of the discomfort. That’s why this “would be of great benefit to users of a wrist-worn device,” to have this data available painlessly and continuously, the patent suggests.

This patented tool wouldn’t replace the spot-check blood tests diabetics use on a daily basis. For that, Garmin partnered with Dexcom so you can continuously see your mg/dl of glucose from an attached Dexcom patch on your Garmin watch.

Instead, this seems more like a preventative tool that would warn prediabetics of bad glucose trends and encourage better fitness and nutritional habits to bring down your HbA1c gradually over weeks and months.

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A Garmin patent figure showing the bottom sensors of a Garmin watch, with dotted lines pointing to a zoomed-in look at the sensors with various labeled components.

(Image credit: Garmin)

What’s the hold-up on seeing this feature in Garmin watches now? The patent warns that “conventional electronic fitness devices” will struggle to provide accurate data in this area. Pressure from a tight band can compress your blood vessels, and the size of your ligaments and bones will also skew the results.

So the watch’s processor will need to determine a “pressure metric value” to compensate for these effects and provide accurate results. Garmin’s patent outlines how it will attempt to pull this off, but it’ll need FDA levels of accuracy before we’d ever see this HbA1c tracking feature in a consumerGarmin watch.

Samsung execs have openly shared plans toput blood glucose tracking in a Galaxy Watch, whileAppleis”many years away” from glucose trackingdespite several patents on the subject. We’ve even seen asmart ring promise non-invasive blood glucose data soon. It’s no surprise, in other words, that Garmin would try to keep up with its rivals.

Interestingly, the patent also suggests its pulse spectrometry method could determine other chemical levels like SHb and MHb, signaling rare blood disorders where iron or sulfur binds with hemoglobin and interferes with your blood oxygen levels. And it would determine levels of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, which could help catch other medical conditions.

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The bottom of the titanium Garmin Fenix 8, showing the charging port, QuickFit watch band connectors, and etched info about the watch

Many patents never see the light of day in consumer products. In this case, no smartwatch brand has offered blood glucose monitoring yet because of the inherent challenges of delivering accurate results.

So anyone concerned about their blood glucose levels shouldn’t go out and buy a Garmin watch just yet. It’s likely that Garmin would only offer this feature in brand-new models with a smarter processor and revamped sensors for better results, such as the successor to the expensiveGarmin Fenix 8.

Still, we’re happy to see Garminattemptto tackle this problem, with HbA1c data that’ll provide early warning to prediabetics that things are getting worse or to diabetics that their efforts at getting healthy are working.

How to transfer data from Nintendo Switch to Switch 2

Switch 2 just arrived? Here’s how to transfer everything from your old console Nintendo Switch 2

If you’ve upgraded to theNintendo Switch 2, you’ll probably want to bring over your game saves, user profiles, and digital purchases from your original Switch.

Thankfully, Nintendo has made it really straightforward to transfer data between consoles, but there are a few steps you’ll need to follow carefully during initialset up, to avoid losing your progress.

Nintendo provides a built-in transfer tool that takes the hassle out of starting over. With just a few steps, you can move your entire digital library — from save files to purchased games — directly to your new Switch 2.

Your profiles come along too, so you can jump back into your favorite titles without missing a beat. Here’s everything you need to know to successfully move your data from Switch to Switch 2.

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1. Start system transfer

Once you’ve followed the previous steps in theSwitch 2 set-up process,you’ll be asked if you wish to transfer data from your original switch.

To do this,select “Start System Transfer”to get things started.

It’s important to note that if you have a microSD memory card, you can insert it to store data for downloadable software, screenshots, etc.

Only microSD Express cards featuring logos labeled “Express” or “EX” are supported. Other SD cards won’t work.

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2. Sign into Nintendo Account

Nintendo Switch 2

Next,you’ll have to sign into your Nintendo Account. Using your phone or tablet,scan the QR code that pops up on the screento sign in.

After that,enter the code you see on your mobile device on the Switch 2’s display. If successful, your profile (avatar) will appear on the screen.

Click OK to confirm your sign-in.

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3. Place Switch 1 close to Switch 2

Next,move the Switch 2 and Switch 1 close together to transfer data.

You’ll have toconnect each system’s respective AC adaptersto start downloading data.Using a different USB-C power delivery method won’t work. You have to use the AC adapters that came with both Nintendo consoles.

4. Start system transfer

On your old Switch,click on the gear icon on the main menu. After that,scroll down to System. On the following menu,scroll down to “System Transfer to Nintendo Switch 2” and click on it. This will start the transferring process.

This process will vary depending on the amount of data you’re transferring, so keep that in mind.

5. Transfer complete

If you’ve followed all the steps above correctly, you should be all set!Click on OK to finish.

After this, you’ll see various pages explaining all of the Switch 2’s different play modes.You can select your preferred play mode, such as handheld or docked mode.

Note that it may take some time for all your games to download and install, so make sure your Switch 2 remains connected to the internet.

Now that theNintendo Switch2 is rolling out to gamers, we’re putting together more guides to help you make the most of Nintendo’s latest console. Stay tuned for more tips coming soon!

Ancient CD ripping tool updated for the first time in 16 years, now supports Windows 11

But Windows 11 was updated in 2022 to rip audio CDs without any extra tools.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

CD ripping tool CD2WAV32 has just been updated toversion 4.00jpafter 16 years in stasis (machine translated). Developer Moroboshi Ramu seems to have been prompted to issue the update to make the software fully compatible withWindows 1124H2, but there are several important changes under the hood compared to the ancient 3.X releases, too. Please excuse the rest of the linked developer’s page being mostly about dolls.

Ramu says that the last update to CD2WAV32 was 16 years ago, when a patch that was authored on a Windows 7 machine was released. Going forward, the dev (and doll enthusiast) says that only Windows 11 will be supported, as that is the only system they use now, though the tool has been casually tested on a Windows 10 PC.

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With the compiler change to the latest Delphi 12.1 Community Edition, Ramu says the following changes were made to create CD2WAV32 for Windows 11 Revision 4.00jp:

The internal character code processing is now mostly Unicode.
ID3Tag related items have also been changed from Shift-JIS to Unicode.
The tool’s GUI, including common controls, has been updated to the latest Windows 11 style.
File size and other information related to the files is now processed in 64-bit format.
The 16-bit code call function of MSCDEX, which can no longer be used, has been pruned, as have TwinVQ compression, and code to alert users of ASPI errors.
Default compression is now provided by the Media Foundation API.
The Help file has been removed and is replaced by a PDF.
It is now possible to start this tool, even if you don’t have a CD-ROM attached.
And various changes have been implemented to get the CDDB service to run again so ripping can be done with meaningful file names, track titles, artist names, genres etc.

Overall, it looks like a capable tool with lots of options for the end-user. As a Japanese program, with no localized English version as far as we can tell, a quick poke around the UI revealed extensive options for CD-ROM support, file format, compression algorithm, and tagging. It did indeed run on my desktop system without an optical disc drive attached.

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Nice tool, but Windows 11’s Media Player App can rip audio CDs

People still hold onto and collect audio CDs even if we are firmly into the age of streaming media, and fast internet connection options abound. Occasionally ripping an audio CD is thus still a useful task, andMicrosoftupdated its Media Player App to be able to rip your tunes back in 2022, with MP3 support added in 2023.

Microsoft’s app is very easy to use, though that is also its weak point – it has fewer configuration options. Nevertheless, settings for audio format (AAC, MP3, FLAC, and more, but no WAV) and quality (from 96Kbps to 320Kbps with lossy formats) are probably enough for most folks.

To use the built-in Media Player App with Windows 11 for ripping, click on the audio CD section to the left (you need to have an audio CD inserted). Then, looking to the right of the highlighted play button, you will see the ‘Rip CD’ option. A menu to the right of this is where you tweak the rip settings and bit rate. Ripped media files will appear in your music library, which is set up in the App’s general settings section.

ARE SNAPDRAGON X LAPTOPS GOOD FOR GAMING?

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Performance Preview: A First Look at What's to Come

Windows began a new chapter about a year ago when Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X silicon, giving yet another try at the ARM architecture. Microsoft is apparently hoping to taste the success that Apple enjoyed after switching Macs from Intel (x86) to ARM-based M-series processors. The efforts paid off to a large extent. So far, I’ve tested four machines with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, X Plus, and X processors. Interestingly, they’ve blown me away with a solid performance across the usual productivity software, paired with a stunning battery life that’s in the same league as MacBooks.

They, however, can’t handle video games. If you’re eyeing a laptop with “work and play” appeal, avoid Snapdragon-powered Windows on ARM laptops. Now, these processors aren’t bad. In fact, they even eclipse Intel’s latest Ultra silicon at raw processing power and efficiency. The problem is the architecture. Software that hasn’t been natively compiled for Windows on ARM goes through Prism emulation, which converts the x86 binaries into an ARM codebase.

With emulation comes a performance hit, even though Microsoft assures that the performance dip won’t be glaring. However, unlike emulating your average Windows software, games are an entirely different beast. The biggest challenge is drivers and the anti-cheat package. The latter simply doesn’t play well with Windows on ARM, so a healthy bunch of your AAA games simply won’t run. Then we have the situation with weak graphics on the Snapdragon silicon, which fares worse than even Intel’s Arc graphics inside laptops.

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Extremely efficient, just not at gaming

Before we dig into the numbers, let’s start with the standard precaution. Microsoft warns, “Drivers for hardware, games, and apps only work if they’re designed for a Windows 11 ARM-based PC.” Games that rely on anti-cheat software simply won’t work, unless the developer wrote an ARM-native version. That rules out titles like “Valorant,” so you’ll have to fully uninstall it. “Apex Legends,” “Diablo,” “Valheim,” and “PUBG” weren’t any different.

The situation is further complicated because anti-cheat software is not a universal concept, as different developers prefer their own flavor. The status-quo isn’t changing any time soon since game developers aren’t particularly enthusiastic about Windows on ARM at the moment. The safest bet? Stick with libraries like GOG. Then there’s the system requirement conundrum, which is only complicated by Qualcomm’s processor hierarchy. The top-tier Snapdragon X Elite, like the $1,300 one in the Dell XPS 13, is where you can imagine games running at an acceptable output.

This silicon could only manage around 20 FPS at full-HD resolution, while the Snapdragon X Plus wasn’t too far behind, but with a lot more stutters and lags. “Skyrim” never went past 30 FPS, and frame drops were pretty frequent and heavy. If you intend to play even oldies like “GTA V,” keep textures and shadow renderings on the lowest preset to get anywhere near 60 FPS. Bells and whistles such as ray-tracing are strictly off the table.

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Look elsewhere

The situation with Snapdragon laptops is a lopsided affair. Some of the most popular titles out there, such as “League of Legends” and “Fortnite” are a no-show. If you are hoping to indulge in graphics-loaded titles such as “Elden Ring,” or even something casual like “Rocket League,” you are in for a disappointment from the get-go. The saving grace? Cloud gaming. If you are invested in the Xbox Game Pass cloud and Nvidia GeForce Now ecosystems, the Snapdragon will actually fare better than most dedicated gaming laptops for two reasons.

First, you can pick options with OLED panels and high-refresh-rate screens. Second, the silicon is incredibly efficient, and the laptop runs pretty cool most of the time. But as you climb further down and land on the baseline Snapdragon X processor, prepare yourself for incompatibility woes, the kind you see in the images above. Just in case you’re wondering about the mid-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus, for example, it only managed about 20 FPS in “Cyberpunk 2077” at full-HD resolution and FSR enabled.

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At the end of the day, you can get a better gaming experience on Intel or AMD-based laptops on the x86 architecture than on Snapdragon laptops. But if you predominantly enjoy the casual mobile titles and cloud gaming, go with at least the mid-tier Snapdragon X Plus variant. I would, however, recommend getting a gaming laptop instead. For around $1,000 you can already get laptops with an Nvidia RTX 4060 silicon and at least an eight-core processor from Intel or AMD.

Fed up with prompts to use Edge? Windows 11 users in Europe won’t get them anymore, but sadly everyone else will

The European Economic Area gets an end to all that nagging

Ability to uninstall the Microsoft Store in the EEA.

Microsoft is changing Edge for the better in the European Economic Area
This is happening due to the Digital Markets Act in that region
It means Edge will stop nagging to be the default browser

Microsoftis relenting with its constant prompting of folks to use theEdge browserunder Windows 11, but not everyone is getting this welcome relief.

Sadly, the pushing of Edge in some notable ways is only being curtailed in the European Economic Area (EEA) due to rules imposed by the Digital Markets Act. With no such regulatory pressure in the US or elsewhere, these restrictions on Edge aren’t happening.

TechSpot noticedMicrosoft’sblog postintroducing these various changes, the key one being that Edge will stop annoying you to set it as the default browser inWindows 10andWindows 11. It’ll only prompt a request to be your go-to app for web browsing if you open Edge directly, and this feature has already been implemented as of the end of May, with version 137.0.3296.52 of the browser.

Another change is that when Edge is uninstalled, you won’t get other Microsoft apps telling you to reinstall it.

Furthermore, when you set anyweb browseras your default choice, it’ll have a whole lot more file formats (and link types) tied to it, rather than having Edge still open some file types. This stood as another sneaky way to get Edge back on your radar after you’ve chosen to give it a wide berth.

Additionally, when using the Windows search box and clicking on a web search result, it will be opened in your chosen default browser, rather than Edge, inBing.

All these changes should be in place soon, and will be rolling out in June in the EEA, save for the main one, which is already in place as noted.

Away from Edge, another potentially sizeable plus point for Windows users in this region is that they’ll be able to uninstall theMicrosoft Store, should they wish. That move won’t be coming until later in 2025, though.

Microsoft clarifies that if you remove the Microsoft Store, but have already used it to install some apps, that software will continue to receive updates in order to ensure it gets the latest security patches, which is good news.

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Analysis: Give us all a break, Microsoft

These are welcome moves for Windows 11 and 10 users in this region, but it’d be nice if Microsoft could implement them elsewhere as well. However, without the relevant authorities breathing down the neck of the software giant, it won’t do anything of the sort. All these behaviors will persist outside the EEA because Microsoft clearly believes they may help drive more users to Edge.

When in fact they are more likely to drive people up the wall.Repeatedly insistingthat folks should use Edge inscenarios of varying degrees of overreachis a tiresome policy, as is popping up Edge whenever possible, rather than using the default browser choice. That should always be the default; no matter what’s happening, the clue is in the name, Microsoft.

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Don’t expect Microsoft’s overall attitude to change anytime soon. Still, at least some people will get to enjoy a slightly less nag-laden experience in Windows 11, and fewer instances of Edge clambering onto their monitor screen in a bid to remind them that it exists. However, the majority of us can doubtless expect more pop-ups and general weirdness in terms of some of the moreleft-field efforts Microsoft has madeto promote its browser.

Google Maps lets you customize your car icon on Android and iOS — here’s how to do it

There are 8 different cars to choose from How to tour the Super Bowl stadium virtually with Google Maps

When you’re driving around on Google Maps, whether you’re an Android or iPhone user, you’ll always be represented on the map with the boring default arrow icon.

But what if I told you that it doesn’t have to be that way? Because you can change the look of your avatar, and Google’s just released a bunch of new options.

In the past Google only offered 3 alternate options, 3 colorful vehicles to mix up your navigation screen. Now, though, Google’s updated Google Maps to offer 5 more options — each available in one of 8 colors. Though it isn’t quite so easy to figure out how.

Here’s how to customize your car icon in Google Maps on Android and iOS.

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1. Start navigation to anywhere

google maps how to change your user icon step by step

The first thing you need to do is start navigation. It doesn’t matter where to, or if you even plan to go, just find a location with the search bar, thentapStart.

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2. Tap your existing user icon

The arrow icon in the center of the screen is your user icon, and the next step is totap it.It may sometimes appear as a large white dot with a blue center

3. Pick a new car icon

You’ll then see a pop-up menu showing off different icons you can use — including the arrow and a bunch of different cars.

Simply scroll left and right until you find the avatar you like, andtap it.

4. Pick your favorite color

Nintendo Switch’s Android app gets a huge update ahead of a Switch 2 summer

With a new console on the horizon and summer break, parents might need this update.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

What you need to know

Nintendo updated its Parental Control app on the Play Store with a redesigned interface and Switch 2 support ahead of its June 5 debut.
The app brings over parental controls for GameChat, letting parents decide who their kids can talk to and when they can use video chat.
The update also lets parents easily extend their child’s play time on a Switch or Switch 2 by five, fifteen, or thirty minutes with the ability to disable the limit.

Nintendo just rolled out an update for its Switch parental control app, giving parents more control and a fancy new look.

The update arrived this weekon the Play Store, spotted by Android Central’s Nicholas Sutrich. One thing users will notice is the Parental Control app now has a cleaner, reworked UI. More importantly, Nintendo announces that the Android app now supports the Switch 2, which is perfect timing as the console is set to launch in a couple of days.

Nintendo states the app lets parents control a Switch 2’s “access to GameChat.” Parents can manage which friends their kids can speak to and “when they can use video chat.” Additionally, the update gives parents the ability to connect and manage multiple Switch devices, as well as the ability to extend playtime limits with ease.

When tapping a connected Switch, parents will see a day-by-day breakdown of its activity. If your child has been playing, you will see how long they’ve played and whether or not you’ve granted additional time. Parents can then hop into a monthly breakdown to see days played and playtime averages.

For the playtime limit, parents will find the option to extend it by five, fifteen, or thirty minutes. However, there is an option, marked by Nintendo’s Starman icon, to disable the daily limit. This will let your kid run wild in whatever games they’re playing without worry (it is summer break, after all).

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Just Gamin’

A snapshot of a parent's overview of a Switch's playtime broken down by days.

The Nintendo Parental Control app lets parents easily extend their child's Switch play time by five, fifteen, or thirty minutes with the option to disable the limit entirely, too.

From the play-time limit area, parents can also manage any “restricted features” on their child’s Switch or Switch 2. Nintendo states these are age-based restrictions concerning the games your child might play. The update was spotted early this week and should be readily available for all Android users to download/install via the Play Store.

Since Nintendo broke the news earlier this year, we’ve known that the Switch 2 was on pace for a June 5 launch. That means we’re only two days away from having it in hand, and this parental control app update is likely in preparation for that occurrence. Aside from the device’s redesign, theSwitch 2 sports a new feature: GameChat. The added “C” button lets users initiate a chat with friends that lets them share their screen to make it feel like you’re right next to each other.

Moreover, there’s a camera that users can grab to make things feel a little closer.

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While we eagerly await the Switch 2 this week, it seems that Nintendo istrying to avoid Switch 2 emulationon Android devices. It looks like Nintendo’s “Game Key Card”

Reminder: Netflix stops working today on some older Amazon Fire TV devices – here’s the list of models

If you’ve had your Fire TV device for a decade, it could enter the No Netflix Zone today cheap fire tv stick

Two 2014 Sticks and one 2016 model are no longer supported
Newer models aren’t currently discounted
The 4K Max would be our choice of replacement

A few weeks ago we reported thatNetflix would stop supporting some older Fire TV devicesfrom June 2025 – and that’s coming into force today, 3 June.

Netflix hasn’t gone into detail about why it’s ending support for the devices, but the usual explanations are that they’re too old to handle the latest security updates, as well as more modern audio and video formats streaming services such as Netflix prefer: the affected Fire TV devices are from 2014 and 2016, which is an eternity in tech years.

These particular Fire TV Sticks haven’t been updated in years, so it’s always been a case ofwhenthey’d go obsolete rather than whether they would.

If you’re going to get another Amazon device to replace yours and don’t mind doing without Netflix for a while, I’d recommend hanging on for a little while: Amazon discounts its Fire TV devices all the time, but it isn’t doing it today. I’ll be very surprised if it doesn’t discount at least one model in time for Father’s Day.

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The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max on a table

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the most future-proof of the current models(Image credit: Amazon)
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What Fire TV Sticks has Netflix stopped supporting?

From June 3, 2025, the first generation versions of the following models will no longer be Netflix-compatible:

Fire TV (2014)
Fire TV Stick (2014)
Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (2016)

And to be fair, Netflix has supported these devices for a very long time.

If you’re looking for a new Fire TV Stick, the model I’d recommend is theFire TV Stick 4K Max. The non-Max version has an official price of $49.99 / £59.99 / AU$79 while the Max is $59.99 / £69.99 / AU$119, and for not much more money the Max gives you more storage, a faster processor and better Wi-Fi connectivity too.The Max has been discounted several times this year so far, taking the US price to $39.99 and taking it under £50 in the UK. So if you don’t mind pausing your Netflix watching for a little while, it’s probably worth waiting for the next Amazon Fire TV Stick deal to pop up.

Time to upgrade? WhatsApp has just dropped support for these older iPhones and Android phones

Pre-iOS 15 devices are doomed

(Image credit: Oasisamuel / Shutterstock)

WhatsApp has stopped supporting a number of older Apple and Android devices
The change came into effect on June 1 after a slight extension was granted by Apple
Now, WhatsApp will only work on devices running on iOS 15 and Android 5.0 and above, pushing users of older models to upgrade

WhatsApphas officially dropped support for another wave of iPhone and Android phones, effective from June 1. So, if you’re still using a pre-2014 iPhone or Android phone, now’s the time to consider upgrading – especially if WhatsApp is your go-to messaging service.

As a result of the latest updates to its OS requirements, WhatsApp now only supports iPhones that run on iOS 15.1 and up, and Android devices running on Android 5.0 and up. Originally, this update was pinned for May 5 2025, however according to9to5Macan extension was granted byAppleto give users of older iOS devices to prepare for the change.

As of June 1, WhatsApp no longer supports the following iOS and Android models:

iPhone 5s
iPhone 6
iPhone 6s
Galaxy S III
HTC One X
Sony Xperia Z

Some reports have also listed the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the iPhone SE (1st gen), but 9to5Mac says that as these models run on iOS 15.8.4 they’re expected to be supported for another year or two until WhatsApp’s nextoperating systemreview.

WhatsApp has posted details of the update on itsHelp Centerstating “every year we look at which devices and software are the oldest and have the fewest users. These devices also might not have the latest security updates, or might lack the functionality required to run WhatsApp”.

This is your sign for that much-needed upgrade

While this update won’t have any effect on users of thebest iPhonesandbest Android phones, a surprising number of people will always be using older models, especially if they’re not particularly tech savvy.

However, if you use WhatsApp and if you’re still rocking a pre-2014 iPhone or Android phone, now is probably a good time to treat yourself to that long-overdue upgrade, and there are plenty of new models to choose from.

Microsoft imposes new rules on Windows 11 laptop makers to ensure they don’t cut corners with key features of USB-C ports

Update to standard ensures every USB-C port is consistent

Microsoft

Microsoft has new rules to ensure more consistency with USB-C ports
This means every USB-C port will offer data, power, and display support
Previously, you weren’t guaranteed to get all of those basic elements if laptop makers cut corners with their connectors

Going forward, the USB-C ports onWindows 11 laptopswill be held to more consistent standards that mean users can expect a minimum amount of functionality with any given connector.

Tom’s Hardware noticedMicrosoft’s blog post explaining a fresh update to theWindows Hardware Compatibility Program(WHCP) that’s designed to end confusion around USB-C ports. The broad idea is to ensure every single one of these connectors deliver certain key features in terms of data transfer, power delivery (charging), and running an external monitor.

Currently, while the USB-C specification encompasses all those separate elements – and a lot of versatility for the port therein – parts can be missing with connectors on some laptops, as it’s not mandatory to include everything.

Microsoft has changed this with its new way of working, observing that: “While the USB specifications give PC manufacturers the ability to choose which optional features the port supports, we set out to establish a minimum bar for USB-C port capabilities on PCs.”

That baseline bar means that withWindows 11laptops (and tablets), all USB-C ports must provide display support (to connect a monitor), PC charging support (power), and of course data transfer (which all USB connectors do, of course) at a certain speed.

Furthermore, Microsoft notes that any port which supports USB 40Gbps will work fine with bothUSB4andThunderbolt 3peripherals.

These updated WHCP requirements have come into play withWindows 11 24H2, and notebooks running 24H2 will already support them.

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Analysis: Consistency with connectors

Windows 11 laptop USB Spec chart with WHCP update

(Image credit: Microsoft)

With the old way of working, the practicality of USB-C ports is that you might buy a laptop which comes with a few of these connectors, and be quite happy chugging along using them for USB sticks or charging. Then, one day, when you plug in a monitor, you’ll suddenly find out that your ports don’t support a display, because the laptop maker produced these USB-C connectors without that particular capability (to save a bit of money).

The problem is there’s no clear labelling on a USB-C port, and you may not find out about any missing pieces of the functionality puzzle until you come across them in this way – and it’s too late at that point.

With the new minimum standard in place, all USB-C ports on WHCP-certified Windows 11 laptops will definitely support all those three basic pillars: power, display, and data transfer.

Now, note that there are still variations in the specs of USB-C ports, in terms of how many displays they may support, or how much power the USB cable will deliver, and the speed of data transfers (all of which should be made clear in the notebook’s spec).

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See the screenshot above for the details, but the central point is that from now on, you know that all three of the fundamental bases are covered with at least some level of functionality when you’rebuying a new Windows 11 laptop– with every single USB-C port on-board the device – which has to be a good thing.