Installing a virtual private network (VPN) on an iPhone or iPad is easy. The days are gone when Apple users had to be content with the leavings from the Windows ecosystem — in 2026, all the best VPN services have secure, user-friendly iOS apps on par with every other platform. If you've decided to add a VPN to your iPhone to stay anonymous online and change your virtual location, you've got plenty of great choices.
The best VPNs can make your online life more private with software that's convenient and cheap — sometimes even free.
There's a fundamental question you can ask of both the internet and real life: "How do I enjoy my time here without taking unnecessary risks?" In grass-touching meatspace, you can cut out processed foods, carry pepper spray and avoid skydiving without a partner.
But the best methods for staying safe online aren't as intuitive. The internet is a massive town square where people are constantly bellowing deeply personal facts about themselves. It's no surprise that it's become a breeding ground for scams, theft and other criminal activity.
Ever since reporting earlier this year on how easy it is to trick an agentic browser, I've been following the intersections between modern AI and old-school scams. Now, there's a new convergence on the horizon: hackers are apparently using AI prompts to seed Google search results with dangerous commands. When executed by unknowing users, these commands prompt computers to give the hackers the access they need to install malware.
If you've ever wanted to hear the drummer coughing on your favorite songs or the actors chewing in your favorite shows, Cyber Monday is the time to upgrade your audio. Some of the best speakers our audiophiles have ever tested are down to as low as we've seen them all year, or ever, in the case of some older models.
Were you a Lego set kid or a giant-bucket-of-Legos kid? I was a sets kid all the way — I loved, and still love, the zen feeling of building something incredible a little bit at a time. Also, every time I tried to build something from the giant bucket, it fell apart immediately, but let's not dwell on that.
A lot of people think Cyber Monday subscriptions are just about streaming, but that's not true. Although there are some incredible discounts to be had on the likes of Stars (Outlander and Spartacus) and Paramount+ (Yellowjackets and Star Trek), there's more to the story.
Engadget staffers love our hardware, from high-end gaming headsets to powerful heaters to the fabric