Facebook users are complaining that their groups are inexplicably getting hit with the ban hammer, no matter how innocent they are. Across Reddit and X, birders, Pokémon trainers, and interior designers are complaining that their groups are being deleted, with seemingly no regard to the content posted to them or how large they are. In some cases, such as the aforementioned interior design group, these now-deleted pages had millions of members before being shut down.

Reasons given for the bans vary between groups, from accusations that they hosted "terrorism-related" content to claims of "nudity and adult sexual content." Listen, I know a titmouse is a funny name for a bird, but this is going a bit far.

On the odd chance you thought that Facebook's pet memes or parenting groups did indeed hold some sinister secret, I'll disabuse you of that notion right now: This is a bug. An official cause has yet to be tracked down (although users on social media are blaming AI moderation), but Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told TechCrunch that the company is aware of the problem and are in the process of fixing.

This news follows recent mass complaints about "shadowbanning" on Instagram, where site head Adam Mosseri attempted to emphasize the company's commitment to transparency in its moderation process. Regardless, it's unclear at this point when a fix might arrive for affected Facebook groups, and if it's possible to restore them to their previous status.

In the meantime, admins are taking action. One class-action lawsuit is already underway, and multiple Change.org petitions are garnering thousands of signatures. While not being able to chat with like-minded users or see funny pictures might just be a small interruption for some, for business owners, losing access to their audiences can significantly impact their livelihood.

I've reached out to Meta for additional clarification but have not yet heard back.

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By putting the right security protections in place and applying some common sense caution, you can minimize the risk of your phone getting hacked—but it's not something you can ever 100 percent guarantee you're going to be able to avoid. With that in mind, it helps to know what some of the warning signs of a hack might look like, and what you can do in response.

There are a few different scenarios that the term "hack" covers, so I'll go through them in turn, even if there is some overlap in what you need to be looking out for. Should you be unlucky enough to have your device compromised, by spotting it and fixing it as quickly as possible, you can limit the damage.

The spyware hack

When it comes to phone hacks, the first scenario that would come to mind for most of us is probably someone else gaining control of our device: recording what's being said into the phone mic, perhaps, or recording keystrokes on the keyboard.

On modern-day smartphones, it's quite difficult to carry out a hack like this remotely—though by no means impossible. Exploits can be carried out via an instant message, or through an app that isn't doing what it says it will do, assuming it's sneaked past Apple and Google's checks (or you've sideloaded it).

If an unscrupulous coworker or partner has managed to get physical access to your phone, the hack is easier to carry out. They might be able to install and hide an app without your knowledge, though even then it will need to get past the built-in security checks put in place by Android and iOS.

Check your apps lists for unrecognized entries. Credit: Lifehacker

For exploits of this type, there are a few warning signs to look out for that suggest hidden app activity: battery drain that's faster than usual, apps being slow to load or crashing regularly, and your phone unexpectedly running out of storage space. Both Android and iOS should also alert you whenever the mic or camera is in use, so watch for any unexpected activations.

If you think something is wrong, it's worth browsing through the apps list to see if there's anything you don't recognize: Tap Apps from Settings on either Android or iOS. You can uninstall anything suspicious from the same list.

For a more thorough clean-up, you can reset your phone, which should wipe out any spyware or unwanted apps at the same time—just make sure you have all your files and data backed up safely first, because the device will go back to its original state. On Android, choose System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset) from Settings; on iOS, you need to pick General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings from Settings.

The account hack

Another type of hack is the account hack, where someone else gains access to your apps or accounts. This can expose your data on your computers and on the web too, as well as affecting your phone. Your login credentials may have shown up in a data breach, or they may have been tricked out of you by a phishing scam.

As with the previous hack, what you need to look out for is suspicious activity, though it might not always be obvious: files or emails appearing and disappearing when they shouldn't, for example, or alerts about your account that you didn't expect.

There are a few ways to dig a bit deeper for signs that your accounts may have been compromised. One is to open up your apps with a "recent" or "activity" view first: You can do this in Google Drive, and in your iCloud Drive account. Everything you see should correspond with actions you've taken.

Viewing active logins for Instagram. Credit: Lifehacker

You can also check to see which devices your account is active on, which will tell you if someone has logged in as you on a phone, tablet, or computer you don't own. Most accounts now let you do this in some way or another—for example, you can head here to see everywhere your Instagram account is active. The same page lets you set up alerts for new logins and revoke access from any device you can't identify.

Keep an eye on your email inbox, too, to see if you've got any warnings about unexpected activity on your account—though note that this will only work if your accounts are connected to email addresses that are active and regularly checked.

If you think one of your accounts has been compromised, change the login details as soon as you can, which should lock out any unwelcome visitors. You should also enable two-factor authentication for all the accounts that offer it, which means hackers need more than a username and password to gain access.

The SIM or eSIM hack

Hackers can also target the SIM in your phone, whether it's a physical SIM card or an eSIM. The newer eSIM standard, where digital registration is used instead of an actual card, is the safer option but it still doesn't offer 100 percent guaranteed protection.

The most common type of attack here is a SIM swapping attack (also known as a SIM jacking attack): Essentially, your cell number is rerouted to another SIM, and another phone. Someone else will be getting your calls, your texts, and your security codes if you've set them up over SMS.

This can be done with physical SIMs and eSIMs, and usually involves a hacker convincing your carrier that they're actually you—and that you want to get your number switched to a new device. They'll need some kind of personal information or login credentials to do this, and they may even compromise the account you've got with your network provider (as described above).

Hackers can try and gain control over your SIM. Credit: Lifehacker

As well as being a potentially damaging hack, this is also one that you should spot pretty quickly: It will look like your friends and family are ignoring you, because you won't get any calls or texts, and you won't be able to send any either.

You might also get alerts from your carrier, over email or in-app messages, asking to confirm certain security changes. Be on the lookout for these, as well as any sudden changes in service (like having no cell signal in areas where you can usually connect).

If a SIM swap happens to you, act as quickly as you can. Change the passwords on accounts connected to your number, and speak to your cell carrier or eSIM provider company at the earliest opportunity—even if you have to borrow someone else's phone to do it. Once you've proven that you are actually you, the company you're in touch with should be able to reverse the changes.

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I've mostly been really happy with my M1 MacBook Air (2020), which I've been using for nearly three years now. However, I regret not going for the variant with 16GB of RAM. The base M1 MacBook Air with 8GB RAM is a lot faster, cooler, and lasts longer than the Intel MacBook Air I used before it, but the newer laptop still occasionally slows down when I open too many browser tabs. Luckily, I did some troubleshooting and fixed the problem, and I'm here to share what I've learned with you. So, if Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari or other browsers are slowing down on your computer, try some of these tips to nip that problem in the bud.

Identify what's causing the slowdown

This is the hardest part of a browser slowdown, because quite often, there's no definitive answer to what the root problem is. It could be because you have an old and slow computer, or because you have too many open tabs that you never close, or because an extension is interfering with something, or a combination of multiple factors. To narrow down the list of possible issues, I recommend the golden rule of troubleshooting: deal with one thing at a time. 

This means that you should start by quitting all other apps, running just one browser with one tab, and then seeing if the slowdown is still present. If your browser works fine when you have one or two tabs open, and slows down once you open multiple tabs, that could point to an issue with the browser. If the browser works fine on its own, but slows down when you have other apps running, then the issue could be with a different app, or it could be a hardware limitation.

If, after some troubleshooting, your browser really is the issue, then here's what you can do to fix it.

Use your browser's task manager

Credit: Pranay Parab

Video streaming or web apps can lead to browser slowdowns, but the easiest way to confirm this is by using your browser's built-in task manager. Yes, your browser usually has a separate task manager, which lets you see which of its tabs are causing problems. In Firefox, accessing it as as simple as pressing Shift-Esc. Alternatively, you can click the three lines button in the top-right corner and go to More tools > Task Manager. You can even type about:processes in the address bar to do the same thing.

In Chrome (and derivatives such as Edge and Brave), you'll need to press the three dots button in the top-right corner, then go to More Tools > Task Manager. Unfortunately, Safari doesn't have a built-in task manager, but you can open the Activity Monitor app on your Mac and type Safari in the search bar to view the process linked to each open tab and determine which one is causing a slowdown. 

Opening the browser's task manager is one thing, but it's also important to know what to look for once you have it open. Your browser's task manager shows you each tab's CPU and RAM usage, and you can use that information to determine the problem. If a tab's taking up too much of either, close the tab to see if it makes a difference. Usually, this does the trick.

Close unused tabs

That brings me to my next bit of advice: please, just close those tabs you opened five years ago. You're never going to get to them and you're not losing anything by closing them. This applies to me as much as it does to anyone else, so I'll be the first to admit my sins. I had a Persona 5 game guide open three years ago, when I played the game for 120-odd hours for the second time. I stopped playing the game before I reached the true ending (for a second time), but I still had the game guide tab open until a couple months ago. It wasn't doing anything or consuming too many resources, but when my browser slowed down, I had to let it go. I've accepted that I'll probably never finish the game, or read any of the various articles I have open in my other older tabs, or watch any of those videos I meant to get to. Closing all those inactive tabs helped speed up my browsers significantly.

If you're still not ready to let go of your tabs, then you can also easily save all open tabs in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Delete unused extensions

Credit: Pranay Parab

I love using browser extensions to add useful features to my internet experience, but the extra steps they ask of your browser can sometimes cause slowdowns. This is especially true for extensions you no longer use, and deleting unused and potentially cumbersome extensions is good for performance (and your privacy, because extensions often require access to all your open pages). To quickly delete an old extension, open the about:addons page in Firefox, chrome://extensions page in Chrome and its derivatives, or click the Safari button in the menu bar and navigate to Settings > Extensions.

I've also found some value in disabling extension only on specific webpages. As someone who suffers from migraines, I rely on Dark Reader to force every website to open in dark mode. Bright backgrounds trigger my headaches, which often end up ruining entire days, so I need to be careful with screen brightness and how webpages appear. However, Dark Reader was slowing down some tabs, and I found that disabling it for those specific webpages helped fix the problem. 

Restart the browser (and your computer)

Sometimes, the solution to a slowdown is as simple a quick restart, which will give faulty processes a chance to correct themselves. You can try quitting the browser, restarting your computer, and launching the browser again to see if your issue is fixed. This is quite easy to do, but it's easy to forget the simplest and most obvious solutions, so I thought it was worth mentioning this here as well.

Update your browser

Credit: Pranay Parab

The problem isn't always your computer, open tabs, or extensions. Sometimes, it may be a bug in the browser's code, which could cause a memory leak or use too much of your CPU's resources to run the app. There's nothing you can do to fix this, except ensure that your browser is updated to its newest version. Most browsers are usually quite good at updating themselves, but if you notice you're on an older version, you can update manually, too.

I'll start with my go-to browsers. To update Firefox in Windows, click the three lines button in the top-right corner and select Help > About Firefox. On Mac, hit the Firefox button in the menu bar and select About Firefox. You can update Chrome (or its derivatives) by selecting the three dots button, then clicking Help > About Chrome. 

To update Safari on your Mac, you need to update macOS itself. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and go to System Settings > General > Software Update.

Reduce ads and tracking

Ads and trackers are increasing on almost every website, which tends to increase page loading times and can lead to browser slowdowns, too. You can counter this by using an adblocker such as uBlock Origin on Firefox and Chrome, and one of many good adblockers for Safari. You could also consider using a VPN with adblocking built-in or a good DNS service such as NextDNS. Any of these alternatives should reduce how often sites phone home, and how many trackers and other resource-heavy elements are loaded on webpages, which has a direct effect on your browser's performance (and security).

Clear cookies and data

Credit: Pranay Parab

You could also see a performance improvement by clearing cookies and browser data. Be aware that doing so will require you to log in to your commonly visited websites the next time you visit them, and could also clear your browser's history. If you're okay with that, then you can try this as another option to speed up your browser.

In Firefox, click the three lines button in the top-right corner and go to Settings > Privacy & Security. In the Cookies & Data section, select Clear Data… and confirm when asked. Next, go to the History section and click Clear History….

In Chrome, click the three-dots button in the top-right corner and go to Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data. Go to the Advanced tab, check all the options you want to clear, and select Delete data.

In Safari on your Mac, go to the Safari menu from the menu bar and select Clear History… to remove browsing history. Then, go to Safari menu > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data…. Here, You can either select and remove individual websites' data, or select all and remove everything.

Check the ambient temperature

Ambient temperatures are rising across the world. Particularly in the summer, you could be using your computer in a hot room and experiencing slowdowns as a result. Modern computers have a thermal cutoff built-in, and if a device gets too hot, it will slow down at first, before shutting down entirely in order to protect your machine. This isn't going to slow down just your browser, though. Everything you do on your computer will run slower than usual if it's too hot where you are. You can try using a laptop cooler, an air conditioner, or other methods to cool down your computer. You'll see an immediate performance improvement once the computer is running at a lower temperature.

Consider upgrading your computer

Finally, if none of these solutions are working in the long run, then the problem may just be with the hardware you're using. Even cheap upgrades like replacing a hard drive with an SSD or adding more RAM could help, but in a lot of cases, you might want to get a brand new computer. I don't enjoy telling anyone to spend more money to solve problems, but sometimes that really is the only option. 

Buying my M1 MacBook Air was a solid decision in 2022, and at the time, even though my friends and family members chipped in to help, I couldn't afford the 16GB RAM variant. The next time I buy a computer, I'll ensure that it has a little more RAM than I need, so that browser slowdowns and other performance issues don't surface, at least for the first few years of the computer's life.

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I'm pretty excited about macOS Tahoe. Apple's annual operating system upgrade is poised to introduce a number of exciting new features and changes, including a fresh design and an upgraded Spotlight Search.

Tahoe won't be available to the general public for a while, as the OS is still in beta testing as Apple irons out the kinks. To that end, the company dropped the second beta for macOS Tahoe this week, and it includes three key features I'm particularly interested in.

AirPods beta enrollment

Speaking of beta testing, did you know that Apple has a beta program for AirPods? If you didn't, that's probably by design, since up until now, only developers could enroll their AirPods in the beta.

That's now changing: With Apple's latest releases this fall, users will be able to opt-in to the AirPods beta firmware updates, too. If you want to test out new features on your AirPods, at the risk of glitches or bugs, you can.

On macOS Tahoe beta 2, that option is present in the settings for your AirPods. If you open System Settings > Bluetooth, then choose the (i). Here, you'll see "AirPods Beta Updates," which contains the opt-in toggle. Once you enroll your AirPods, they'll install beta updates when in their charging case and within range of your Mac.

The Finder icon has been "fixed"

Apple's new "Liquid Glass" design has been met with both praise and criticism. But ignoring the love/hate glassy effect itself, one change, at least on macOS, was particularly controversial: the Finder icon.

While Apple's Finder icon has gone through numerous design changes over the years, the overall concept has remained largely the same: The left side of Finder's face is dark blue, while the right side is lighter. Apple literally flipped the script with the first beta of macOS Tahoe, by making the entire logo light, and the right side dark blue. What's more, the right side was reduced, so you could see the light background behind it. It's was a big change, design-wise, and many were unhappy about it.

Luckily, macOS Tahoe is in beta, which means anything can change before the final release. The Finder icon is one such case: With beta 2, Apple has restored Finder logo's original color scheme. As you can see below, the left side of the face, as well as the background as a whole, are dark blue, while the right side is back to light:

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Classic Finder fans will likely prefer this change, though Apple is still sticking with the smaller right face. While that may still be controversial to some, I think it fits the new Liquid Glass theme while retaining the icon's original appeal. Truthfully, I don't actually hate the original attempt from the first beta, and I wouldn't be opposed to Apple offering multiple versions of its icons in future releases that you can change up depending on your personal style. That said, if I had to choose one design right now, I'm going with this one from beta 2.

You can bring back the menu bar's background

Another big design change for macOS Tahoe is the transparent menu bar. It's the first time Apple's menu bar icons will just float on top of your desktop, without a defined bar in place. It's a cool look, but as of beta 2, you don't need to live with it.

Apple has added a new "Show menu bar background" option in Settings, that brings back the menu bar's classic look. If you don't like the transparent look, or you find it difficult to differentiate between the menu bar and you desktop, this might be a good setting to change:

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Most of us get along just fine with our neighbors—sometimes we even become friends. But even if you’re friendly with the people on your block, in your cul de sac, or across the hall, you can still run into disputes with them, and those disputes can turn ugly.

That’s why it’s a good idea to do some negotiating the moment you move into your new place. By addressing potential issues right away, you can avoid any future awkwardness.

Parking

Iif you’re like most people in this country, you rely on your vehicle to get to and from work, to buy groceries—to do almost anything outside of your immediate area.

If you’re going to be relying on street parking, the time to address that need is immediately. Find out how much parking is generally available, and how people approach disputes over sloppy parking that eliminates valuable spaces, "saving" spots with chairs or other items, and those neighbors who seem to think the spot in front of their house is somehow theirs by right. Once you know the traditions and the existing treaties that neighbors have negotiated around parking, you can broach any special needs you might have, like a large truck that’s going to eat up extra space, or a family member who needs easy access to the vehicle due to mobility issues.

If your new home comes with a driveway, you might think you’re in the clear—until a neighbor parks in your driveway because they assume you only need to access it at certain times, or just because it suits them. Bringing up the subject and noting that you need the driveway clear at all times can prevent that moment when you want to drive somewhere but first have to hunt down a neighbor to get their car moved.

Sleep schedules

Not everyone sleeps on the same—or even compatible—schedules. If you work night shifts, or have a routine that includes very early mornings or very late nights, it’s a good idea to let your neighbors know as soon as possible. A little warning that—despite your best efforts—you might make some noise in the wee hours when you go to work, or that you sleep during the day and would appreciate some peace and quiet, can lead to a healthy conversation and an arrangement that avoids future arguments.

Fencing and trespassing

Whether it’s the maintenance of a shared fence, a garden that creeps over the official property line, or tree branches that overhang your roof, it’s a good idea to note potential boundary issues as soon as you move in. If nothing else, you’ll know right away whether your neighbor is going to be reasonable about these issues or if you need to prepare for battle. And if you plan to have any work done to the property that might require an easement or access to your neighbor’s property—even if you don’t plan to start work for a long time—negotiating that access as a general principle can save you trouble when the time comes.

Another boundary issue that’s worth raising: trespassing. The word sounds dire, but any time someone traverses your property without explicit permission, it’s trespassing. That includes the neighbor who finds it easier to cut through your yard than to go around, the neighbor’s kids who use your yard as an extension of theirs, or the "helpful" guy who mows your lawn the way he likes it. It’s your property, and you have every right to allow folks to use it—or not. And the same goes for your neighbor. Having a conversation about what you’re both comfortable with is a great way to keep the peace for as long as you live there.

Pets

Pets bring a lot of joy to people’s lives, but they can be terrible neighbors—they live their lives blissfully ignorant of property law and the rules of polite society. So if you’re bringing a pet into the neighborhood or moving into a spot heavily populated by animal companions, negotiating what’s okay and what’s not okay is a must.

This can also include letting your neighbors know important things about your pets. For example, if you have an inside-only cat, you can ask your neighbor to always let you know if they see it outdoors. Or if your dog has anxiety around strangers, you can warn them not to let their kids get too close.

Shared walls

If you share walls with your neighbors, you might want to go beyond a casual negotiation on moving day and suggest a more formal party wall agreement. Shared walls can be problematic—damage affects both parties, maintenance should be shared, and what you do on your side of the wall will almost certainly be audible on the other side.

Outdoor lights

Outdoor lights in a yard or on a balcony or deck can be delightful—unless it’s three in the morning and the lights are aimed directly into your bedroom window. Neighbors don’t always think about the fact that outdoor lights are often left on all the time, especially now that so many are solar-powered. Asking your neighbors about the placement and operation of your outdoor lights offers the chance to then politely request that your neighbors put their lights on a timer, or orient them so they’re not aimed directly at your house.

Security cameras

Security cameras can help you feel safe in your new home—but the best time to negotiate privacy issues with your neighbors is right away. You don’t want to break any laws when setting up your cameras, of course, and you also have no interest in making your neighbors feel like they’re being watched. But not everyone thinks carefully about how they arrange security cameras, so it’s worth checking out how your neighbors have handled this so you can politely ask for adjustments. Working together to negotiate what is and isn’t on camera will enhance your security—because you’ll have built trust and shared interests with your neighbors—and avoid awkward moments.

Renovations

If you bought your new place with the intention of doing a gut renovation, you know you’ll be the most hated person in your neighborhood pretty much the moment the chaos begins. Anticipating and negotiating aspects of the renovation is a very good idea. If your neighbors understand the scope of the project, they’ll be much less likely to complain and throw up roadblocks. Some aspects of a renovation that you should discuss ahead of time include:

• Contractor parking needs (especially if they’re going to be eating up multiple spaces, or blocking roads and driveways)

• Noise and schedules—your neighbors may have important events coming up, like work meetings or interviews, that would benefit from a break in the endless hammering and sawing

• Property access, especially if there are areas of your property that can only be accessed via a neighbor’s property

You should also ask your neighbors if they have specific concerns. For example, if you’re going to be tearing up your yard, a neighbor might worry about their trees or plantings being affected. Negotiating how you’ll safeguard those areas ahead of time will make everything go a lot more smoothly.

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Earlier this month, Google announced the launch of Android 16, available first on Pixel devices. If you've got a Pixel 6 or a Pixel 6 Pro (launched in 2021) or a later device, you should already have the software update.

What you won't have, however, are many of the new features that Google has been promoting with this Android upgrade—an upgrade that feels like a placeholder for what's coming later in the year. If you're rebooting your phone after installing Android 16 and looking around to see what's new, you might be disappointed.

There are a couple of bits of relevant context: First, Android 16 was launched much earlier in the year (June) than Android 15 (October), most probably to get well ahead of the Google Pixel 10 launch. It looks as though most of the major Android 16 updates will arrive around September or October.

Second, these major Android releases are, now more than ever, mainly for Pixel phones. Every Android phone maker puts its own spin on the Android code Google provides, and may not support every feature—or add extra features Google hasn't got around to. Samsung's One UI 8, based on Android 16, is the best example.

Further adding to the confusion are the additional Pixel Drops that Google regularly pushes out for its own phones and tablets. The most recent one arrived at the same time as Android 16, and brought with it features such as Pixel VIPs, for giving selected contacts a higher priority on your device.

So, while Android 16 doesn't bring much that's new to my Pixel phone right now, there's plenty still on the way: Here are four key upgrades I'm looking forward to.

Material 3 Expressive

Material 3 Expressive is quite a departure in terms of visuals. Credit: Google

Google has already told us about the big design revamp that's coming to Android 16, throwing around phrases like "emotional impact" and "more engaging" and "makes you feel something"—which in reality means more color, more curves, and screens that don't look quite as spartan as they do in Android 15.

From the screenshots Google has shared, it looks good, but I haven't even seen it appear in Google's own apps or the Android settings menus yet (that's due in September, as per an Android Authority source). After that, third-party developers will push their own updates out, so it's going to take a while for everything to be Material 3 Expressive-ized.

Live Updates

How Live Updates will work, eventually. Credit: Google

Android can already show real time information like timers and Uber estimates in persistent notifications, but Live Updates on Android 16 will make these notifications much more prominent, detailed, and interactive—a lot like Live Activities on iOS. Samsung is already ahead on this, with the Now Bar available in One UI 7.

However, I haven't seen a single app take advantage of Live Updates so far. It seems Android 16 is only laying the groundwork for the feature, and it's now over to app developers to get it implemented—something I expect will happen gradually over the coming months.

A full desktop mode

The new desktop mode is live now for tablets. Credit: Google

Android 16 is much more capable on bigger screens, with better management of window resizing and grouping, so it's more desktop-like. This is an upgrade that is actually live now, but only for Android tablets—you're not going to be able to use it yet on an external monitor connected to your Pixel phone.

We know from the Android 16 betas and Google I/O 2025 that the phone functionality support is on the way—so you'll be able to use your phone in desktop mode when connected to a monitor—but it's not here yet. This is another area where Samsung is already ahead, with its Samsung DeX tool.

Notification stacking

How notification groups are going to look. Credit: Google

The final announced-but-not-yet-live Android 16 feature is notification stacking, or "forced notification auto-grouping," as it's officially described. "Your notifications will automatically be grouped together to keep things looking tight and organized," says Google in the Android 16 announcement blog post.

Here, too, I'm still waiting. Android actually already does a decent job of grouping together notifications from the same app, so I'm not exactly sure what's going to be different, but based from the limited number of screenshots that have been shared, it looks as though the grouping will be more compact and easier to manage.

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Right now, Amazon Prime members can get the Soundcore C30i Open Earbuds by Anker for 30% off. Available in black and white, they offer a more breathable alternative to over-ear headphones, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings while listening to music.

Soundcore C30i Open Earbuds by Anker

$48.99 at Amazon

$69.99 Save $21.00

$48.99 at Amazon

$69.99 Save $21.00

The attachable ear grips help keep these clip-on headphones in place during intense workouts. While they’re only rated IPX4 for water resistance—meaning they’re sweat- and rainproof but not designed for full submersion—they hold up well for most active use. Despite the open-ear design, racetrack-style dynamic drivers provide clear sound.

While the earbuds aren't the most bass-heavy headphones on the market, Amazon reviewers were surprised by the depth of the bass for the price point and the open-ear style, and a 3D surround setting on the EQ creates a more immersive listening experience. Battery life is another strong point, with up to 30 hours on a single charge. That said, fit varies by ear shape; while some find them comfortable to wear all day, others find them a bit snug, especially after prolonged use. At .19 ounces, they’re one of Anker’s lightest clip-on earbuds.

Similar to bone conduction headphones, these don’t sit inside the ear canal. Unlike some bulkier models (like Shokz), they're slim enough to wear comfortably with hats, glasses, or masks without interference. If you want to hear your surroundings while enjoying your music on a walk, bike ride, commute, or during a gym session, the C30i is worth considering. 

According to customer reviews, the Soundcore C30i Open Earbuds by Anker deliver strong performance for the current $50 price point, offering good value on a budget, especially in hot weather when over-ear headphones can feel stifling. However, if you’re looking for noise cancellation or plan to make frequent phone calls in noisy environments, you may want to explore alternative options. 

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