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Nuki says its new Smart Lock Ultra is a third the size and three times as fast as previous models. | Image: Nuki

Popular European smart lock maker Nuki has announced the fifth generation of its smart lock. The Smart Lock Ultra is a third the size of the original Nuki, features a new brushless motor for faster operation, and promises at least six months of battery life. Plus, for the first time, the new lock has been designed to work with US deadbolts.
The Nuki Smart Lock Ultra (€349) will be available in Europe in December and is the company’s first full-replacement door lock. Previous Nuki models could be retrofitted over an existing lock, so you could keep using your existing keys. This one requires swapping out the entire cylinder and comes with three new keys. However, the US model, coming next year, will work as a retrofit lock and only require replacing the thumb turn on your door — similar to how the August smart lock works.
Martina Stix, Nuki’s communications manager, tells The Verge that the US version looks identical but comes with a different mounting plate and no replacement cylinder — so you can use your existing keys. She says it should be available in Q2 of 2025, with pricing still to be determined.

Image: Nuki
The Nuki Ultra, pictured on the right, is a third the size of the previous model, shown here on the left.

The big change here is that the Nuki Ultra packs all of the functions of the previous model into a much smaller design thanks to a new built-in battery that does away with the bulky battery compartment. The company says it’s also over three times faster — capable of locking or unlocking in under 1.5 seconds.
That’s very fast; the fastest locks I’ve tested take two to three seconds to fully unlock, and most are closer to five, especially retrofit locks. Stix says the speed comes from an all-new motor: “The new smart lock is powered by brushless engine technology, commonly used in electric cars, used for the first time in a Nuki smart lock.”
The lock can be controlled in several ways: with a key, with geo-fenced-based auto-unlock, with the Nuki app on a phone or smartwatch, or with any compatible smart home platform. It also works with all existing Nuki accessories, including a key fob and a separate Bluetooth keypad mounted outside the door, with the option of a fingerprint reader.

Image: Nuki
The Nuki Ultra Smart Lock uses a new brushless motor.

As with the Nuki Smart Lock (4th-gen) launched last year, the Ultra offers a choice of connectivity options: Wi-Fi, Matter-over-Thread, or Bluetooth. It supports Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and other Matter-compatible platforms.
The company’s existing keypad accessory does not support Apple’s Home Key function, which allows you to tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to an NFC-enabled lock or keypad to unlock it. Stix says Nuki plans to support Aliro when it launches next year, a new standard for smart locks that is reported to include a similar tap-to-unlock capability to Home Key, although the specification has not yet been released.

Image: Nuki
The lock has a built-in rechargeable battery and comes with a two-meter power cable for charging.

Unlike some previous generations of the lock, Wi-Fi connectivity is built into the Nuki Ultra, so there is no need for a separate bridge. The new battery technology promises up to six months of battery life (possibly more, depending on your connectivity choice; Thread or Bluetooth will last longer than Wi-Fi). But it does have to be charged on the door, which seems a bit awkward. The company supplies a two-meter magnetic power cable to reach a nearby outlet and says it can fully charge in under two hours.
The Smart Lock Ultra is available for preorder now at Nuki.io in Europe for €349 and will ship in December. The US version is expected to launch next year.

Nuki says its new Smart Lock Ultra is a third the size and three times as fast as previous models. | Image: Nuki

Popular European smart lock maker Nuki has announced the fifth generation of its smart lock. The Smart Lock Ultra is a third the size of the original Nuki, features a new brushless motor for faster operation, and promises at least six months of battery life. Plus, for the first time, the new lock has been designed to work with US deadbolts.

The Nuki Smart Lock Ultra (€349) will be available in Europe in December and is the company’s first full-replacement door lock. Previous Nuki models could be retrofitted over an existing lock, so you could keep using your existing keys. This one requires swapping out the entire cylinder and comes with three new keys. However, the US model, coming next year, will work as a retrofit lock and only require replacing the thumb turn on your door — similar to how the August smart lock works.

Martina Stix, Nuki’s communications manager, tells The Verge that the US version looks identical but comes with a different mounting plate and no replacement cylinder — so you can use your existing keys. She says it should be available in Q2 of 2025, with pricing still to be determined.

Image: Nuki
The Nuki Ultra, pictured on the right, is a third the size of the previous model, shown here on the left.

The big change here is that the Nuki Ultra packs all of the functions of the previous model into a much smaller design thanks to a new built-in battery that does away with the bulky battery compartment. The company says it’s also over three times faster — capable of locking or unlocking in under 1.5 seconds.

That’s very fast; the fastest locks I’ve tested take two to three seconds to fully unlock, and most are closer to five, especially retrofit locks. Stix says the speed comes from an all-new motor: “The new smart lock is powered by brushless engine technology, commonly used in electric cars, used for the first time in a Nuki smart lock.”

The lock can be controlled in several ways: with a key, with geo-fenced-based auto-unlock, with the Nuki app on a phone or smartwatch, or with any compatible smart home platform. It also works with all existing Nuki accessories, including a key fob and a separate Bluetooth keypad mounted outside the door, with the option of a fingerprint reader.

Image: Nuki
The Nuki Ultra Smart Lock uses a new brushless motor.

As with the Nuki Smart Lock (4th-gen) launched last year, the Ultra offers a choice of connectivity options: Wi-Fi, Matter-over-Thread, or Bluetooth. It supports Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and other Matter-compatible platforms.

The company’s existing keypad accessory does not support Apple’s Home Key function, which allows you to tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to an NFC-enabled lock or keypad to unlock it. Stix says Nuki plans to support Aliro when it launches next year, a new standard for smart locks that is reported to include a similar tap-to-unlock capability to Home Key, although the specification has not yet been released.

Image: Nuki
The lock has a built-in rechargeable battery and comes with a two-meter power cable for charging.

Unlike some previous generations of the lock, Wi-Fi connectivity is built into the Nuki Ultra, so there is no need for a separate bridge. The new battery technology promises up to six months of battery life (possibly more, depending on your connectivity choice; Thread or Bluetooth will last longer than Wi-Fi). But it does have to be charged on the door, which seems a bit awkward. The company supplies a two-meter magnetic power cable to reach a nearby outlet and says it can fully charge in under two hours.

The Smart Lock Ultra is available for preorder now at Nuki.io in Europe for €349 and will ship in December. The US version is expected to launch next year.

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Google’s Learn About website. | Image: Google

Google has launched an experimental new AI tool called Learn About, which is different from the chatbots we’re used to, like Gemini and ChatGPT. It’s built on the LearnLM AI model that Google introduced this spring, saying it’s “grounded in educational research and tailored to how people learn.” The answers it provides have more visual and interactive elements with educational formatting.
We tested Learn About and Google Gemini with a simple prompt: “How big is the universe?” Both answered that “the observable universe” is “about 93 billion light-years in diameter.”
However, while Gemini opted to show a Wikipedia-provided diagram of the universe and a two-paragraph summary with links to sources, Learn About emphasized an image from the educational site Physics Forums and added related content that was similarly focused more on learning than simply offering facts and definitions.

Screenshot: Jake Kastrenakes / The Verge
Learn About’s answer to “How big is the universe?”

Screenshot: Jake Kastrenakes / The Verge
Gemini’s answer to “How big is the universe?”

Learn About’s response also created textbook-style boxes that give you additional context like “why it matters” and ones that help you “Build your vocab” with word definitions. In the sidebar, additional topics appear to continue exploring using the tool.
We also asked Learn About “What’s the best kind of glue to put on a pizza?” (Google’s AI search overviews have struggled with this one in the past), and it managed to get that one right, even if the “common misconception” sticker makes us wonder how many times this question has been asked.

Screenshot: Richard Lawler / The Verge
Learn About tries to explain why you shouldn’t put glue on pizza.

Google’s Learn About website. | Image: Google

Google has launched an experimental new AI tool called Learn About, which is different from the chatbots we’re used to, like Gemini and ChatGPT. It’s built on the LearnLM AI model that Google introduced this spring, saying it’s “grounded in educational research and tailored to how people learn.” The answers it provides have more visual and interactive elements with educational formatting.

We tested Learn About and Google Gemini with a simple prompt: “How big is the universe?” Both answered that “the observable universe” is “about 93 billion light-years in diameter.”

However, while Gemini opted to show a Wikipedia-provided diagram of the universe and a two-paragraph summary with links to sources, Learn About emphasized an image from the educational site Physics Forums and added related content that was similarly focused more on learning than simply offering facts and definitions.

Screenshot: Jake Kastrenakes / The Verge
Learn About’s answer to “How big is the universe?”

Screenshot: Jake Kastrenakes / The Verge
Gemini’s answer to “How big is the universe?”

Learn About’s response also created textbook-style boxes that give you additional context like “why it matters” and ones that help you “Build your vocab” with word definitions. In the sidebar, additional topics appear to continue exploring using the tool.

We also asked Learn About “What’s the best kind of glue to put on a pizza?” (Google’s AI search overviews have struggled with this one in the past), and it managed to get that one right, even if the “common misconception” sticker makes us wonder how many times this question has been asked.

Screenshot: Richard Lawler / The Verge
Learn About tries to explain why you shouldn’t put glue on pizza.

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Image: Valve

Nearly three years to the day after teasing the world with a white version of the Steam Deck, Valve has finally decided to release the normally black handheld gaming PC in that color too. The limited-edition white model is going on sale for $679 on November 18th at 3PM PT / 6PM ET, everywhere the handheld is sold, including Australia and the various regions of Asia served by Komodo.
It’s no different on the inside than a normal model, says Valve:
Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White has all the same specs as the Steam Deck OLED 1TB model, but in white and grey. It also comes with an exclusive white carrying case and white microfiber cleaning cloth.
Since the 1TB OLED normally costs $649, you’re effectively paying $30 for the color. Valve says it’s allocated stock proportionally across each region, but once it’s sold out, it won’t be making any more.
Below, find a few more images of it direct from Valve.

I still highly recommend the Steam Deck OLED, though I could see some buyers picking an Asus ROG Ally X instead for its notable performance and decent battery life advantages, particularly if they decide to dual-boot the Bazzite operating system (which makes it feel a lot like a Steam Deck) alongside Windows.
(Yes, the ROG Ally X is a black variant of an originally white handheld, and this Steam Deck is the opposite.)
Here’s what the old Valve prototype looked like, straight out of Portal with an Aperture Science logo on the back:

GIF by Sean Hollister / The Verge
It’s not for sale.

Here’s hoping someone will print up some high quality Portal stickers, and perhaps we can add our own orange and blue Portal thumbstick covers or something.

Image: Valve

Nearly three years to the day after teasing the world with a white version of the Steam Deck, Valve has finally decided to release the normally black handheld gaming PC in that color too. The limited-edition white model is going on sale for $679 on November 18th at 3PM PT / 6PM ET, everywhere the handheld is sold, including Australia and the various regions of Asia served by Komodo.

It’s no different on the inside than a normal model, says Valve:

Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White has all the same specs as the Steam Deck OLED 1TB model, but in white and grey. It also comes with an exclusive white carrying case and white microfiber cleaning cloth.

Since the 1TB OLED normally costs $649, you’re effectively paying $30 for the color. Valve says it’s allocated stock proportionally across each region, but once it’s sold out, it won’t be making any more.

Below, find a few more images of it direct from Valve.

I still highly recommend the Steam Deck OLED, though I could see some buyers picking an Asus ROG Ally X instead for its notable performance and decent battery life advantages, particularly if they decide to dual-boot the Bazzite operating system (which makes it feel a lot like a Steam Deck) alongside Windows.

(Yes, the ROG Ally X is a black variant of an originally white handheld, and this Steam Deck is the opposite.)

Here’s what the old Valve prototype looked like, straight out of Portal with an Aperture Science logo on the back:

GIF by Sean Hollister / The Verge
It’s not for sale.

Here’s hoping someone will print up some high quality Portal stickers, and perhaps we can add our own orange and blue Portal thumbstick covers or something.

Read More 

Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

The New York Times’ tech employees, who are behind Wordle and Connections among other games and features, will go back to work on Tuesday following a weeklong strike. In a statement published on Monday, the New York Times Tech Guild said union members will “march into the office together in the morning as a symbol of what’s to come for The Times.”
The Tech Guild represents the over 600 workers who manage technology across the digital paper. Union members went on strike the day before the US election, raising concerns about whether the NYT’s vote-tracking tech, like the Needle, would hold up on Election Day. The union and the NYT will continue negotiating on a contract.
“The systems and digital products that worked over the election did so thanks to the hundreds of unit members who worked for months preparing everything to run smoothly,” Kathy Zhang, New York Times Tech Guild unit chair said. “What broke down during this strike broke because our members weren’t at work.”

The Tech Guild says its work stoppage impacted the NYT’s election coverage in a few ways: the outlet didn’t display state-level or non-presidential needles, for instance, while its app and website “were slow to load.” Last week, Business Insider reported that around 100 tech workers crossed the picket line on Election Day.
Now that the strike is over, the Tech Guild says supporters can resume playing the NYT’s games and using the Cooking app. The union previously asked people to avoid playing any of the NYT’s daily puzzle games, and it instead directed users to the games striking workers created on a separate website.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Tech Guild to reach a fair contract that takes into account that they are already among the highest paid individual contributors in the Company and journalism is our top priority,” NYT spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an emailed statement to The Verge.

Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

The New York Times’ tech employees, who are behind Wordle and Connections among other games and features, will go back to work on Tuesday following a weeklong strike. In a statement published on Monday, the New York Times Tech Guild said union members will “march into the office together in the morning as a symbol of what’s to come for The Times.”

The Tech Guild represents the over 600 workers who manage technology across the digital paper. Union members went on strike the day before the US election, raising concerns about whether the NYT’s vote-tracking tech, like the Needle, would hold up on Election Day. The union and the NYT will continue negotiating on a contract.

“The systems and digital products that worked over the election did so thanks to the hundreds of unit members who worked for months preparing everything to run smoothly,” Kathy Zhang, New York Times Tech Guild unit chair said. “What broke down during this strike broke because our members weren’t at work.”

The Tech Guild says its work stoppage impacted the NYT’s election coverage in a few ways: the outlet didn’t display state-level or non-presidential needles, for instance, while its app and website “were slow to load.” Last week, Business Insider reported that around 100 tech workers crossed the picket line on Election Day.

Now that the strike is over, the Tech Guild says supporters can resume playing the NYT’s games and using the Cooking app. The union previously asked people to avoid playing any of the NYT’s daily puzzle games, and it instead directed users to the games striking workers created on a separate website.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Tech Guild to reach a fair contract that takes into account that they are already among the highest paid individual contributors in the Company and journalism is our top priority,” NYT spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an emailed statement to The Verge.

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Image: Nintendo

Nintendo is finally ready to show off the next phase of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. In a Nintendo Direct today, the company gave the first proper look at the Donkey Kong Country-themed expansion for the theme park, which includes a mine cart rollercoaster and a real-life, three-player version of the Donkey Konga rhythm game. The expansion opens on December 11th.
To get to the new area, attendees go through a tunnel seemingly made with rocks, that leads to a jungle-themed locale. There’s a towering tree house, a golden temple spewing steam, and lots of banana-flavored deserts. And just like in the games, you can find — and collect — giant letters hidden around the area using the park’s NFC bracelet. Naturally, there are now Donkey Kong-themed wristbands to collect as well. Also, there’s an animatronic Cranky Kong. If you missed it live you can check out the full presentation in the video embedded at the top of this article.
Nintendo first announced the park expansion in 2021, with plans to open this year. And while the stream today featured the Japanese version of Super Nintendo World, the company has previously said that all of the attractions in both Osaka and Los Angeles — including the Donkey Kong section — will be part of the Super Nintendo World in Orlando when it opens next year.

The theme park expansion is all part of Nintendo’s larger plan to become an entertainment company beyond just gaming, which also includes its foray into feature films. The news also follows a string of reveals and launches from Nintendo over the past few weeks that span a surprising range of experiences. In early October, the first Nintendo Museum opened in Kyoto, and that was followed by the launch of the Alarmo alarm clock, an online test for a mysterious MMO, and a music streaming app.
Of course, this all comes as fans await news of the company’s next console, the long-awaited follow-up to the Switch. And while little has been announced to date, last week, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch’s successor would be backward-compatible.

Image: Nintendo

Nintendo is finally ready to show off the next phase of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. In a Nintendo Direct today, the company gave the first proper look at the Donkey Kong Country-themed expansion for the theme park, which includes a mine cart rollercoaster and a real-life, three-player version of the Donkey Konga rhythm game. The expansion opens on December 11th.

To get to the new area, attendees go through a tunnel seemingly made with rocks, that leads to a jungle-themed locale. There’s a towering tree house, a golden temple spewing steam, and lots of banana-flavored deserts. And just like in the games, you can find — and collect — giant letters hidden around the area using the park’s NFC bracelet. Naturally, there are now Donkey Kong-themed wristbands to collect as well. Also, there’s an animatronic Cranky Kong. If you missed it live you can check out the full presentation in the video embedded at the top of this article.

Nintendo first announced the park expansion in 2021, with plans to open this year. And while the stream today featured the Japanese version of Super Nintendo World, the company has previously said that all of the attractions in both Osaka and Los Angeles — including the Donkey Kong section — will be part of the Super Nintendo World in Orlando when it opens next year.

The theme park expansion is all part of Nintendo’s larger plan to become an entertainment company beyond just gaming, which also includes its foray into feature films. The news also follows a string of reveals and launches from Nintendo over the past few weeks that span a surprising range of experiences. In early October, the first Nintendo Museum opened in Kyoto, and that was followed by the launch of the Alarmo alarm clock, an online test for a mysterious MMO, and a music streaming app.

Of course, this all comes as fans await news of the company’s next console, the long-awaited follow-up to the Switch. And while little has been announced to date, last week, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch’s successor would be backward-compatible.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Signal is making a bunch of improvements to calls so they are more competitive with Zoom and Google Meet, including the ability to share a link to a call.
Previously, you could only initiate a call from a Signal group chat, so this new feature should make it much easier to hop on the phone with a friend or co-worker by sending them a link inside or outside of Signal. You can also re-use call links, which could be handy for recurring work meetings or a weekly chat you have with your family.

Image: Signal

Within calls, Signal is getting some upgrades, too, including a “raise hand” button to let people know that you have something to say and emoji reactions so you can spam your emoji feelings. And the app now has a tab just for keeping track of your calls, which could be useful if you want to look back on your call history.
The new call features are available on the newest version of Signal on Android, iOS, and desktop.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Signal is making a bunch of improvements to calls so they are more competitive with Zoom and Google Meet, including the ability to share a link to a call.

Previously, you could only initiate a call from a Signal group chat, so this new feature should make it much easier to hop on the phone with a friend or co-worker by sending them a link inside or outside of Signal. You can also re-use call links, which could be handy for recurring work meetings or a weekly chat you have with your family.

Image: Signal

Within calls, Signal is getting some upgrades, too, including a “raise hand” button to let people know that you have something to say and emoji reactions so you can spam your emoji feelings. And the app now has a tab just for keeping track of your calls, which could be useful if you want to look back on your call history.

The new call features are available on the newest version of Signal on Android, iOS, and desktop.

Read More 

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Amazon says a data breach exposed the email addresses, phone numbers, and building locations linked to its employees, as reported earlier by 404 Media. In a statement to The Verge, Amazon spokesperson Adam Montgomery said the company was “notified about a security event at one of our property management vendors that impacted several of its customers, including Amazon.”
The confirmation follows a report from the cybercrime firm Hudson Rock saying that information posted on the hacking forum includes data from Amazon and 25 other entities, including MetLife, HP, HSBC, and Canada Post.
Hudson Rock says the leaked info dates back to May 2023, and it’s related to the major security vulnerability in the MOVEit file transfer system that came to light last year, adding Amazon to a list of affected organizations that already included the BBC, British Airways, Sony, the US Department of Energy, and many others. They also note that the person who posted the information claimed it’s “just a tiny portion of the data they have.”
“Amazon and AWS systems remain secure, and we have not experienced a security event,” Montgomery said. “The only Amazon information involved was employee work contact information, for example work email addresses, desk phone numbers, and building locations.”
It’s unclear how many employees were affected by the breach, but a screenshot of the hacking forum post shows more than 2.8 million lines in the purported Amazon dataset. Montgomery told The Verge that the breach didn’t involve employee social security numbers, government identity documents, or financial data.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Amazon says a data breach exposed the email addresses, phone numbers, and building locations linked to its employees, as reported earlier by 404 Media. In a statement to The Verge, Amazon spokesperson Adam Montgomery said the company was “notified about a security event at one of our property management vendors that impacted several of its customers, including Amazon.”

The confirmation follows a report from the cybercrime firm Hudson Rock saying that information posted on the hacking forum includes data from Amazon and 25 other entities, including MetLife, HP, HSBC, and Canada Post.

Hudson Rock says the leaked info dates back to May 2023, and it’s related to the major security vulnerability in the MOVEit file transfer system that came to light last year, adding Amazon to a list of affected organizations that already included the BBC, British Airways, Sony, the US Department of Energy, and many others. They also note that the person who posted the information claimed it’s “just a tiny portion of the data they have.”

“Amazon and AWS systems remain secure, and we have not experienced a security event,” Montgomery said. “The only Amazon information involved was employee work contact information, for example work email addresses, desk phone numbers, and building locations.”

It’s unclear how many employees were affected by the breach, but a screenshot of the hacking forum post shows more than 2.8 million lines in the purported Amazon dataset. Montgomery told The Verge that the breach didn’t involve employee social security numbers, government identity documents, or financial data.

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Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

Once upon a time, Twitter — now X — was the place to get your memes, world news, and pop culture. However, even at the time, being an active Twitter user also required sifting through a daily deluge of toxic characters, bots, and deepfakes. Then the Elon Musk circus came to town and began steadily altering the formerly popular social network, to the point that many of its adherents began bailing by moving to one or more of the new social networks, such as Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon.

Now that the 2024 US presidential election is over, Musk looks like he’s going to be at least one of the powers behind the throne. Add to that recent changes that have made X less safe to use, and it’s no surprise that there is now a new wave of X users looking to leave the platform. If you’re one of them, here’s some advice on how to deactivate your account.
Step one: go private
If you’re still active on X or have a lot of friends and followers you want to stay in touch with, you may want to make sure they know where you’re going and why. One way to do that is to first make your account private so that only your current followers can see your account.

Screenshot: X Corp.
You can protect your posts by going private.

Look in the side menu on the browser or tap your personal icon in the mobile app.
In the browser, select More > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and safety > Audience, media and tagging > Protect your posts.
In the mobile app, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and safety > Audience and tagging > Protect your posts.
In the browser pop-up, select Protect.

Now, only the people who follow you will be able to see your posts and other account information. You’ll see a closed lock icon next to your name in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
What you put in your “I’m leaving now” message depends on who your followers are. If you’ve been carefully vetting your account and know pretty much everyone who is following you, you can let them know where you’re going and what your new address is in case they want to follow you.
If, on the other hand, you’re a popular person and may have followers who aren’t completely trustworthy, you can either tell them where you’re going without any details — or, to be cautious, simply say goodbye.
How long should you leave your account private before you’re gone for good? A week or so sounds like a good length of time, but in the end, it’s up to you.
Step two: download your past
If you’ve been on Twitter / X for a while, you’ll probably have a backload of tweets that you might want to keep in case there is info you’ll want in the future or just as a reminder of past glories. If you haven’t been regularly backing up your account, here’s how:

Screenshot: X Corp.
Read everything you should know before deactivating your account.

Look in the side menu on the browser or tap your personal icon in the mobile app.
In the browser, select More > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
In the mobile app, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
You’ll be asked to reenter your password and enter a verification code from your registered email account, along with possibly other verification codes.
Select Request archive.

It may take up to 24 hours to get a copy of your archive; you’ll get notified both via the app and via email. You’ll get your info in two formats: HTML and JSON. According to X, the info will include:
…your profile information, your posts, your Direct Messages, your Moments, your media (images, videos, and GIFs you’ve attached to posts, Direct Messages, or Moments), a list of your followers, a list of accounts that you are following, your address book, Lists that you’ve created, are a member of or follow, interest and demographic information that we have inferred about you, information about ads that you’ve seen or engaged with on X, and more.
Step three: deactivate your Twitter account
Okay, you’ve told your followers you’re leaving, and you’ve got your posts safely archived. Now it’s time to deactivate your account. Here’s how to do it:

In your browser, click More in the bottom left of the screen. In the mobile app, tap your profile icon.
In your browser, select Settings and Support > Settings and privacy > Your account > Deactivate your account.
In the mobile app, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Deactivate account.

There are several paragraphs of information to read before you get to the deactivation link, including links informing you about what data may still be available after you deactivate your account, how to change your username, or how to switch your current username to a different account.
You’ll also be informed that your account won’t be permanently gone after this process — at least, not yet. X retains your information for 30 days before deleting it permanently. To restore your account within that time period, log back in and confirm that you want to reactivate your account.
And remember, if you’re looking for social networking, news, and conversation, you’ve got several alternatives — or you can just come here to The Verge. Don’t worry. We’re always here for you.

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

Once upon a time, Twitter — now X — was the place to get your memes, world news, and pop culture. However, even at the time, being an active Twitter user also required sifting through a daily deluge of toxic characters, bots, and deepfakes. Then the Elon Musk circus came to town and began steadily altering the formerly popular social network, to the point that many of its adherents began bailing by moving to one or more of the new social networks, such as Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon.

Now that the 2024 US presidential election is over, Musk looks like he’s going to be at least one of the powers behind the throne. Add to that recent changes that have made X less safe to use, and it’s no surprise that there is now a new wave of X users looking to leave the platform. If you’re one of them, here’s some advice on how to deactivate your account.

Step one: go private

If you’re still active on X or have a lot of friends and followers you want to stay in touch with, you may want to make sure they know where you’re going and why. One way to do that is to first make your account private so that only your current followers can see your account.

Screenshot: X Corp.
You can protect your posts by going private.

Look in the side menu on the browser or tap your personal icon in the mobile app.
In the browser, select More > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and safety > Audience, media and tagging > Protect your posts.
In the mobile app, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and safety > Audience and tagging > Protect your posts.
In the browser pop-up, select Protect.

Now, only the people who follow you will be able to see your posts and other account information. You’ll see a closed lock icon next to your name in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

What you put in your “I’m leaving now” message depends on who your followers are. If you’ve been carefully vetting your account and know pretty much everyone who is following you, you can let them know where you’re going and what your new address is in case they want to follow you.

If, on the other hand, you’re a popular person and may have followers who aren’t completely trustworthy, you can either tell them where you’re going without any details — or, to be cautious, simply say goodbye.

How long should you leave your account private before you’re gone for good? A week or so sounds like a good length of time, but in the end, it’s up to you.

Step two: download your past

If you’ve been on Twitter / X for a while, you’ll probably have a backload of tweets that you might want to keep in case there is info you’ll want in the future or just as a reminder of past glories. If you haven’t been regularly backing up your account, here’s how:

Screenshot: X Corp.
Read everything you should know before deactivating your account.

Look in the side menu on the browser or tap your personal icon in the mobile app.
In the browser, select More > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
In the mobile app, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
You’ll be asked to reenter your password and enter a verification code from your registered email account, along with possibly other verification codes.
Select Request archive.

It may take up to 24 hours to get a copy of your archive; you’ll get notified both via the app and via email. You’ll get your info in two formats: HTML and JSON. According to X, the info will include:

…your profile information, your posts, your Direct Messages, your Moments, your media (images, videos, and GIFs you’ve attached to posts, Direct Messages, or Moments), a list of your followers, a list of accounts that you are following, your address book, Lists that you’ve created, are a member of or follow, interest and demographic information that we have inferred about you, information about ads that you’ve seen or engaged with on X, and more.

Step three: deactivate your Twitter account

Okay, you’ve told your followers you’re leaving, and you’ve got your posts safely archived. Now it’s time to deactivate your account. Here’s how to do it:

In your browser, click More in the bottom left of the screen. In the mobile app, tap your profile icon.
In your browser, select Settings and Support > Settings and privacy > Your account > Deactivate your account.
In the mobile app, select Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Your account > Deactivate account.

There are several paragraphs of information to read before you get to the deactivation link, including links informing you about what data may still be available after you deactivate your account, how to change your username, or how to switch your current username to a different account.

You’ll also be informed that your account won’t be permanently gone after this process — at least, not yet. X retains your information for 30 days before deleting it permanently. To restore your account within that time period, log back in and confirm that you want to reactivate your account.

And remember, if you’re looking for social networking, news, and conversation, you’ve got several alternatives — or you can just come here to The Verge. Don’t worry. We’re always here for you.

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Though it’s going to be a while before X-Men ‘97 returns to Disney Plus, the third and final season of What If…? is about to bring one of Marvel’s mutants to the MCU in the flashiest way possible.
Ahead of What If…?’s season 3 premiere on December 22nd, Disney Plus has dropped a trailer spotlighting some of the new alternate universe stories featuring slightly different versions of previously-introduced MCU characters. The season will see Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) reimagined as a cowboy, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) in a cosmic flapper guise, and the Avengers become a super sentai team with interconnecting mechs. That all feels like the exact kind of madness that has already made the show a fun, whiz-bang watch, but what’s really surprising to see is Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith) showing up as a hammer-wielding Thor.
In Marvel’s Secret Wars comics event, Storm spent some time as a member of the Thor Corps — a group of people recruited from different universes by Doctor Doom to serve as the police in his Battleworld reality. When What If…? first debuted, the show seemed like a collection of out-there stories that might not have all that much to do with what’s going on in Marvel’s films. But with Doctor Doom on the way and a Secret Wars feature in the works, it’s looking more and more like What If…? might end up being a pretty important piece of the franchise’s ongoing story.

Though it’s going to be a while before X-Men ‘97 returns to Disney Plus, the third and final season of What If…? is about to bring one of Marvel’s mutants to the MCU in the flashiest way possible.

Ahead of What If…?’s season 3 premiere on December 22nd, Disney Plus has dropped a trailer spotlighting some of the new alternate universe stories featuring slightly different versions of previously-introduced MCU characters. The season will see Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) reimagined as a cowboy, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) in a cosmic flapper guise, and the Avengers become a super sentai team with interconnecting mechs. That all feels like the exact kind of madness that has already made the show a fun, whiz-bang watch, but what’s really surprising to see is Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith) showing up as a hammer-wielding Thor.

In Marvel’s Secret Wars comics event, Storm spent some time as a member of the Thor Corps — a group of people recruited from different universes by Doctor Doom to serve as the police in his Battleworld reality. When What If…? first debuted, the show seemed like a collection of out-there stories that might not have all that much to do with what’s going on in Marvel’s films. But with Doctor Doom on the way and a Secret Wars feature in the works, it’s looking more and more like What If…? might end up being a pretty important piece of the franchise’s ongoing story.

Read More 

The smartphone-sized Boox Palma is highly portable and lets you read in a variety of apps. | Image: Boox

Amazon announced a slew of new Kindles recently, but if you’re not already locked into Amazon’s ecosystem they may not be the best options. If you’re looking for an e-reader that offers more flexibility, our readers can currently buy the Boox Palma at a new all-time low of $234.99 ($45 off) from Wellbots with a free flip-cover case (valued at $16) when you apply the code VERGEBFBOOX45.

Unlike many other e-readers, the Boox Palma runs on Android 11 and comes with the Google Play Store built-in, so you can read in a wide range of apps. That’s really convenient, as all you need to do is, say, download Amazon’s Kindle app, and you’ll be able to access your entirely digital library without needing to go through the long, complicated process of sideloading. You can even download other e-reader apps like Rakuten Kobo, Readwise Reader, The New York Times app, and more.
Aside from offering a lot of flexibility, the 6.1-inch Boox Palma is also unique because it’s smartphone-sized and lightweight. It’s exceptionally portable as a result, so you can easily slip it in and out of your pocket while on the go. The size also makes it just more comfortable to hold with one hand, too, so you can easily carry a coffee and read at the same time while on your morning commute.
It’s worth noting that Boox just announced the Palma 2, however, which comes with a new fingerprint sensor integrated into its power button. More notably, it runs on Android 13, so you can take advantage of newer features like copying and pasting. It also means apps will support its OS longer than the original Palma’s Android 11. But if that doesn’t matter to you and you’re more interested in saving money, the last-gen model is still a good choice.
Read our Boox Palma review.

Some more ways to save

Best Buy’s selling a pack of four of Apple’s AirTags at an all-time low price of $69.99 ($29 off). If you own an iPhone, the Bluetooth trackers are the best on the market. They can help you keep tabs on your valuables with an exceptional level of accuracy, thanks to the inclusion of an ultra wideband (UWB) chip and support for Apple’s vast Find My system. The trackers also come with other perks, including IP67 water and dust resistance and user-replaceable batteries. Apple will soon even let you share the location of a lost AirTag with an airline or others, thanks to the forthcoming iOS 18.2 update. Read our AirTags review.

Amazon is selling the Fitbit Ace LTE kids smartwatch for $179.99, which is $10 shy of its all-time low price. The wearable offers much of the same hardware found in Google’s Pixel Watch 2 but with kid-friendly features like step-activated games to encourage kids to exercise. It also offers calling, messaging, and location sharing when you subscribe to a monthly or annual data plan, while the Tap to Pay feature lets kids make purchases wherever Google Pay is accepted under parental oversight. Read our Fitbit Ace LTE hands-on impressions.

Sony’s WH-1000XM5s are currently on sale at Amazon starting at $297 ($103 off), which is one of their better prices to date. We think the over-ears are the best pair of noise-canceling headphones you can buy, delivering a good combination of clear, natural-sounding audio, best-in-class ANC, and comfort. They also offer useful conveniences, including multipoint Bluetooth support for simultaneous connections. Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review.

The smartphone-sized Boox Palma is highly portable and lets you read in a variety of apps. | Image: Boox

Amazon announced a slew of new Kindles recently, but if you’re not already locked into Amazon’s ecosystem they may not be the best options. If you’re looking for an e-reader that offers more flexibility, our readers can currently buy the Boox Palma at a new all-time low of $234.99 ($45 off) from Wellbots with a free flip-cover case (valued at $16) when you apply the code VERGEBFBOOX45.

Unlike many other e-readers, the Boox Palma runs on Android 11 and comes with the Google Play Store built-in, so you can read in a wide range of apps. That’s really convenient, as all you need to do is, say, download Amazon’s Kindle app, and you’ll be able to access your entirely digital library without needing to go through the long, complicated process of sideloading. You can even download other e-reader apps like Rakuten Kobo, Readwise Reader, The New York Times app, and more.

Aside from offering a lot of flexibility, the 6.1-inch Boox Palma is also unique because it’s smartphone-sized and lightweight. It’s exceptionally portable as a result, so you can easily slip it in and out of your pocket while on the go. The size also makes it just more comfortable to hold with one hand, too, so you can easily carry a coffee and read at the same time while on your morning commute.

It’s worth noting that Boox just announced the Palma 2, however, which comes with a new fingerprint sensor integrated into its power button. More notably, it runs on Android 13, so you can take advantage of newer features like copying and pasting. It also means apps will support its OS longer than the original Palma’s Android 11. But if that doesn’t matter to you and you’re more interested in saving money, the last-gen model is still a good choice.

Read our Boox Palma review.

Some more ways to save

Best Buy’s selling a pack of four of Apple’s AirTags at an all-time low price of $69.99 ($29 off). If you own an iPhone, the Bluetooth trackers are the best on the market. They can help you keep tabs on your valuables with an exceptional level of accuracy, thanks to the inclusion of an ultra wideband (UWB) chip and support for Apple’s vast Find My system. The trackers also come with other perks, including IP67 water and dust resistance and user-replaceable batteries. Apple will soon even let you share the location of a lost AirTag with an airline or others, thanks to the forthcoming iOS 18.2 update. Read our AirTags review.

Amazon is selling the Fitbit Ace LTE kids smartwatch for $179.99, which is $10 shy of its all-time low price. The wearable offers much of the same hardware found in Google’s Pixel Watch 2 but with kid-friendly features like step-activated games to encourage kids to exercise. It also offers calling, messaging, and location sharing when you subscribe to a monthly or annual data plan, while the Tap to Pay feature lets kids make purchases wherever Google Pay is accepted under parental oversight. Read our Fitbit Ace LTE hands-on impressions.

Sony’s WH-1000XM5s are currently on sale at Amazon starting at $297 ($103 off), which is one of their better prices to date. We think the over-ears are the best pair of noise-canceling headphones you can buy, delivering a good combination of clear, natural-sounding audio, best-in-class ANC, and comfort. They also offer useful conveniences, including multipoint Bluetooth support for simultaneous connections. Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review.

Read More