In this article, we’ll walk through how monetization works on YouTube, ways to become monetized, when monetization might be taken away, as well as how to make money on YouTube in other ways. Also, keep in mind that making large amounts of money on YouTube is quite rare and really comes down to chance and persistence in making videos.

How YouTube Monetization Works

Content monetization on YouTube begins when you are able to join the YouTube Partner Program. Besides monetization, partners also receive chat or email support as well as copyright management tools. In order to join this program, a creator must meet the eligibility requirements as well as follow the monetization policies. Below are the requirements for the program.

• Be following the monetization policies
• Live in a region where the Partner Program is available
• Have no active community guideline strikes on your channel
• Turn on 2-step verification
• Have access to advanced features
• Have an active Google Adsense account

Once you meet all of these requirements, you’ll then need to meet a certain amount of subscribers and views to become a YouTube Partner. You can either have 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours throughout the last 12 months, or get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days. Once you meet these requirements, you can apply for a partnership through YouTube Studio by clicking on Earn.

What Happens When You’re a Partner

There are quite a few ways to monetize your channel through the Partner Program once you’ve been accepted besides just advertising. You can add products to your channel for your subscribers to buy, extra revenue from YouTube Premium members, channel memberships, as well as live stream chat donations.

These monetization options also have their own requirements for eligibility, which you can find in YouTube’s Help Center. You will also have to make sure your YouTube channel is always keeping in line with the monetization policies.

What Are the Monetization Policies?

The monetization policies are a set of guidelines that must be followed in order to retain monetization on videos as well as your channel as a whole. The monetization policies include the YouTube Community Guidelines, AdSense program policies, creator responsibility, creator integrity, and more. You can find these policies in the Help Center.

There are a few different things that can happen if you’re not following the monetization policies, which can affect how much money you earn. This may include withholding or adjusting earnings, limiting ad revenue, suspending your YouTube Partner affiliation, or even suspending or removing your YouTube channel. This all depends on the severity of the policy violation and your cooperation with YouTube.

When your YouTube channel gets reviewed to determine whether or not you are following monetization policies, YouTube will look at a variety of things. This will include the theme of your channel, video titles, thumbnails, etc., as well as your most watched videos and newest videos. If any of these disregard the monetization policies, you will either be denied monetization (if you are applying for it) or will have your monetization limited.

Other Ways to Monetize a YouTube Channel

Besides participating in the YouTube Partner Program, there are other ways to make money on YouTube, which can be a good option if you haven’t quite reached the requirements needed for a partnership. This can include merchandise, sponsorships, and donations.

The option to provide merchandise for your subscribers to buy can be a great way to start making an income from YouTube, as well as give yourself some free advertising outside of YouTube. However, making this worthwhile can be difficult if you don’t have a large following yet.

Another great option is to get sponsorships. This is when you partner with a certain brand and promote them on your YouTube channel. You might also receive a special code for your subscribers to use on whatever product is being offered. Going this route, you will receive a payment from the brand to feature them on your channel.

You could also opt to direct viewers to another site, such as Patreon or Ko-Fi, where they can purchase a membership or donate to you. A perk of this option is that you can provide members/donors with special content they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise, allowing for a great incentive for them to donate to you.

There are many other ways to monetize a YouTube channel and start generating income from it, even if you aren’t a YouTube Partner yet. Be creative!

Make Money on Your YouTube Videos With Monetization

Many people have a dream to make money through YouTube. It can be a lot easier to reach that point once you have some concrete goals in mind. YouTube has pretty straightforward guidelines and requirements, so you can work on completing them as you go forward in your YouTube journey. Also, in the meantime, there are other ways to monetize a YouTube channel to get the ball rolling.

What roadblocks do you feel you’re facing to receiving YouTube monetization? Let us know in the comments!

The post A Guide to How YouTube Monetization Works first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

If you’re a Pokemon fan, Pokemon Sleep is a great way to track your sleep while collecting Pokemon and has some added gameplay. This app can be a great motivator if you have trouble getting enough sleep at night. We’ll show you what Pokemon Sleep is and how to play it to maximize your experience.

What Is Pokemon Sleep?

In Pokemon Sleep, your goal is to research the sleep styles of as many different types of Pokemon as possible. To achieve this, you use the app to track your sleep (which works similarly to other sleep-tracking apps), and when you wake up, Pokemon will gather the data to add to your research.

The gameplay mainly centers around powering up a Snorlax, who attracts Pokemon as you sleep. Throughout the game, you can power up Snorlax by feeding him through food dropped by Pokemon in your party or by cooking recipes.

You can also befriend Pokemon and choose some of them to be in your party, and these will be the Pokemon you have around during the day to feed Snorlax and provide you with recipe ingredients. To befriend a Pokemon, you’ll need to feed them biscuits, raising their friendship level with you until it hits the Max friendship level.

There are also missions you’ll need to complete to move forward in the game, and you can get rewards by completing these.

How Do You Track Your Sleep?

The most crucial aspect of Pokemon Sleep is tracking your sleep. To do this, you’ll select the Sleep button to begin the monitoring. You can also set a typical bedtime to try to fall asleep. When the sleep tracking begins, you can set an alarm and play some music if you wish. Then, you’ll want to plug your phone in to stay on throughout the night and put it face down on your bed. You can also use the Pokemon Go Plus+ device to track your sleep.

While you sleep, Pokemon Sleep will use your sounds and movements to determine what stages of sleep you are in, as well as how long you slept for. You’ll see all of this tracked data when you wake up and end your sleep session.

How to Play Pokemon Sleep

From your tracked sleep, the app will give you a Sleep Score from 0 to 100, depending on how long you slept. You will also be given a sleep type: dozing, snoozing, or slumbering. These factors will determine the Pokemon who show up around Snorlax, who you can add to your record and befriend you. Your sleep score will also be multiplied by the Snorlax’s current strength score to get your Drowsy Power, which will draw more Pokemon to the area.

Each Pokemon has multiple different sleep styles, so even if the same Pokemon appears more than once, you’ll want to see if there’s a new sleep style you can record for it. To befriend Pokemon that show up, you’ll need to feed them biscuits.

Using Biscuits

A few different kinds of biscuits are available to feed Pokemon, and each can raise friendship levels by an additional amount.

A Bonus Biscuit can raise friendship levels by 3 points (you need 5 to max out friendship and befriend the Pokemon.) A Poke Biscuit raises levels by 1, a Great Biscuit by 3, a Premium Bonus Biscuit by 4, and the Master Biscuit, which instantly maximizes friendship.

You can get a Bonus Biscuit for free per each sleep session, and you can buy other biscuits in the shops or earn them through rewards by completing missions, leveling up, etc.

Feeding Snorlax

Another goal of the game is to feed Snorlax as much as possible throughout the day. Doing this increases Snorlax’s strength, which allows more types of Pokemon to appear. Feeding Snorlax can be done in a couple of different ways. First, you can tap on your party Pokemon, which stays around Snorlax during the day to get some berries. Snorlax will eat these, and it will slowly increase its power.

You can also cook full meals for Snorlax. You can feed Snorlax three meals throughout the day: breakfast from 6 AM to 12 PM, lunch from 12 PM to 6 PM, and dinner from 6 PM to 6 AM. These meals boost Snorlax’s power much more quickly. To cook a meal, simply tap on Snorlax and select Get Cooking.

Cooking Meals

To cook meals, you need ingredients. You can get these from the Pokemon in your party when you tap on them. When you cook Snorlax a meal, you can choose Auto Cook or Choose a Recipe. First, you’ll need to use Auto Cook to discover new recipes, and then you can choose to cook from these recipes in the future.

Once the meal is cooked, Snorlax will eat it, and his power will increase by the Dish Strength amount. To improve these amounts, cook meals the specific Snorlax in the area likes.

Pokemon Teams

Once you befriend Pokemon, you can add them to your team. These Pokemon stay around during the day and give you berries and ingredients. You can choose which Pokemon you want in your team by going to Pokemon > Edit Teams.

Here, you can create up to five different teams you can choose from to help you during the day. You can check each Pokemon’s stats and the team’s overall stats. There are a few stats you’ll want to pay attention to the most when creating your teams. These are the RP stat or Research Power and each Pokemon’s specialties.

RP tells you how effective a Pokemon is for strengthening the Snorlax. A higher RP means it can give Snorlax more strength. Pokemon can have a high RP naturally, or you can level them up to increase the stat.

When creating a team, you’ll also want to pay attention to each Pokemon’s specialty. Some Pokemon have an ingredient specialty, so their skill set is geared towards providing more ingredients. A Pokemon can also have a skills specialty, which increases stats for other Pokemon so they can offer more help. A Pokemon can also have a berries specialty, allowing you to collect more from them.

Improve Your Sleep and Have Fun With Pokemon Sleep

Sleeping on time can be difficult, but a gamification app like Pokemon Sleep can make it more enticing. This app provides plenty of reasons to keep coming back, especially for Pokemon fans or anyone looking to add some fun to their daily lives.

Have you tried Pokemon Sleep yet? Let us know your thoughts below!

The post Pokemon Sleep: What It Is and How To Play first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

If you want to take steps towards helping the environment, one place you can start is with green technology products. There are products on the market which aim to help consumers reduce their carbon footprint. In this article we’ve gathered some of the best products, with a wide range of functions, so you can find something for any purpose.

1. Wemo Insight Smart Plug

Energy usage can be a big factor in reducing not only your carbon footprint and energy consumption, but also your electric bill. The Wemo Insight Smart Plug provides you with total control over your electronics and appliances, right from your phone. You can remotely turn devices off or on, or even schedule these switches.

Besides these features, this plug also allows you to monitor your energy usage so that you can manage it accordingly, ensuring that you don’t waste energy as well as money. Also, Wemo is compatible with Amazon Alexa for hands-free control.

2. Panasonic Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries

Batteries are often thrown out once their charge has depleted, making for a whole lot of waste that could otherwise be prevented. Rechargeable batteries are a solution to this issue, and can also save you money from having to replace batteries whenever they run out. All you need to do once a battery has lost its charge is to set it into the included charger, and wait a few hours for a fully charged battery.

These Eneloop batteries can be recharged up to 2100 times, and retain 70% charge for up to 10 years when not in use. The charger will also stop charging the batteries once they are full, preventing them from being damaged.

3. Google Nest Thermostat

The Google Nest thermostat is an amazing resource for helping you use less energy. You can control the temperature in your home right from your phone, allowing you to change it when you may be in your home as well as when you’re away. You can turn the temperature down when you may be gone, allowing you to save energy and money.

You can even create a schedule for your thermostat so that it changes temperature automatically, and you can get suggestions on the best ways to create this schedule in the app.

4. House of Marley Portable Bluetooth Speakers

House of Marley is an eco-conscious, sustainable brand of audio devices. Their products are created from bamboo, FSC certified wood, and other sustainable materials. Besides this, House of Marley products are also high quality, providing great sound for your favorite music.

A highlight from the brand are their portable Bluetooth speakers, which come in a large range of shapes and sizes to fit your every need. Some of their best offerings are the Get Together Duo Bluetooth Speakers, as well as the Get Together 2 XL Portable Bluetooth Speaker.

5. LARQ Self-Cleansing Water Bottle

We all know how big of a toll single-use plastic products have taken on our environment. Committing to using reusable water bottles can be a huge help in reducing the amount of plastic waste, and it’s a relatively easy switch to make. One pitfall of a reusable water bottle, however, is making sure it stays clean. LARQ is a great product in this case, because it self-cleans to prevent bacteria or germs from contaminating your water.

The LARQ stainless-steel bottle is suited for both cold and hot drinks, and is double-wall insulated to keep the temperature for hours. And, it comes in six different colors.

6. Rocketbook Reusable Notebook

Notebooks are a necessity for many, however the use of so much paper for these products raises an environmental issue. Of course, there are many notebooks now made with recycled paper, but what if you never had to get another notebook again? This is what the Rocketbook product aims to do; it’s a reusable notebook where you can write, and later wipe it all away to use again.

If you want to save things you’ve written in your notebook, Rocketbook has created an ingenious app where you can scan what’s in your notebook so you can archive it for later. This ensures you’ll never lose whatever you write, and you can still reuse the notebook.

7. Pela Phone Cases

Pela is a company dedicated to sustainability and lessening the environmental impact from items such as phone cases, Airpod cases, and more. Pela makes completely compostable phone cases from plant-based materials, while still providing strong security to your phone. Not only that, but Pela cases come in a huge range of styles, and can be used for iPhone and many different Android phones.

If you eventually want to part ways with your Pela phone case, you can send it back to the company so they can use it to create new products or compost it.

Help the Planet With These Products

It’s a lot easier to be environmentally conscious when you have the tools around you to do so. These gadgets can help you achieve this, whether it’s by reducing waste, fostering sustainable practices, or being more efficient with your energy use.

Do you have any other environmentally friendly products you like to use? Let us know in the comments!

The post 7 Tech Products That Can Help the Environment first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

We’ve chosen the top 10 best mobile games of 2023 across different genres. These are games you can find on both iOS and Android devices. This list contains Triple A games and games created by indie studios, but all are worthy of being played at least once.

1. Minecraft

Now considered a video game classic, Minecraft is well known as a creative open-world game where players can build structures, gather and craft items, encounter creatures, and much more. The game first rose to popularity in 2012; since then, it has remained popular.

You can play Minecraft directly from your mobile device and play with others in multiplayer mode. You can buy Minecraft for $6.99 on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Download Minecraft for iOS

Download Minecraft for Android

2. Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is a popular role-playing game released in 2020. It features open-world exploration and real-time battles. Gameplay centers mainly on its gacha mechanics, which allow you to obtain new characters to add to your party in-game. The game has been widely regarded for its battle mechanics and expansive environment.

Genshin Impact is available on mobile for free, though the game is monetized through the gacha element. Though you can enjoy the game on a smartphone, playing on a tablet is recommended for an enhanced experience.

Download Genshin Impact for iOS

Download Genshin Impact for Android

3. Pokemon Go

Though the initial hype for Pokemon Go has died down over the years, the game still has a substantial player base that keeps the game going strong. The game is based on catching Pokemon through AR technology, meaning you can see the Pokemon in the real world on your screen through your smartphone’s camera. You can also battle at Pokemon Gyms to vie for control over it with other players.

Pokemon Go is completely free to play and is often updated with new events and Pokemon to capture. You can even send some Pokemon you find into other games within the Pokemon franchise.

Download Pokemon Go for iOS

Download Pokemon Go for Android

4. Roblox

Roblox is another game that has been popular for quite some time. It’s a creative multiplayer game similar to Minecraft, though Roblox is more focused on game creation and programming. Players can also fully customize their avatars and buy and sell virtual items.

Roblox is free to play but monetized through an in-game currency known as Robux. Robux can be obtained through a Premium membership or by creating and selling your own items. Mobile is an excellent platform for playing Roblox, as you can take it anywhere.

Download Roblox for iOS

Download Roblox for Android

5. League of Legends: Wild Rift

League of Legends: Wild Rift is a MOBA, or multiplayer online battle arena. It’s a free to play, mobile version of the original League of Legends game for PC. Like the PC game, the objective is to capture the opposing team’s base. However, in the mobile game, map size is reduced, and respawn time is shortened, among other changes which result in shorter game times. If you’re a League of Legends fan, Wild Rift is the perfect way to take the game on the go.

Download League of Legends: Wild Rift for iOS

Download League of Legends: Wild Rift for Android

6. Monument Valley

This is a puzzle game developed by indie studio Ustwo Games. The focus is on guiding the main character, Princess Ida, through mazes of optical illusions. The game has ten levels, and each is beautifully designed and relaxing to play. This game looks wonderful on any device, but you may want to play on an iPad for the full effect. You can get this game for $3.99, and there’s also an expansion of more levels you can purchase for $1.99.

Download Monument Valley for iOS

Download Monument Valley for Android

7. Stardew Valley

One of the most beloved PC games can also be played on mobile devices, with only minor differences. For example, the mobile version has no co-op mode and is also a bit behind on game updates. However, mobile Stardew Valley does offer automatic saves. If you’ve never played Stardew, it’s a farming simulator where you can build your own farm, gather items, complete quests, and much more. All in a cute and colorful 2D pixel world.

Download Stardew Valley for iOS

Download Stardew Valley for Android

8. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

Animal Crossing is a popular console game from Nintendo, but there is also a separate mobile Animal Crossing game that is just as fun to play and free! In this version, you run your campground, and animal campers can come to stay. You can fully customize your campground and character, participate in events, complete daily quests, and more. If you own the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game, you can link it to Pocket Camp to access new, unique items. Although the Pocket Camp is generally free to play, some in-app purchases are available for items or Leaf Tickets.

Download Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for iOS

Download Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp for Android

9. Call of Duty: Mobile

The popular Call of Duty franchise has debuted on mobile, providing fans with a first-person shooter similar to its console counterpart. In COD: Mobile, you can play in ranked or unranked multiplayer matches. You can also play multiplayer against friends in a private game. There is also a battle royale mode and even a zombie mode for fans of this feature. The game is free, though you can make in-app purchases for items and skins.

Download Call of Duty: Mobile for iOS

Download Call of Duty: Mobile for Android

10. Subway Surfers

Subway Surfers is a long-time favorite that has increased in popularity in 2023. It’s a relatively simple endless runner game where you swipe to avoid obstacles for as long as possible. It is, however, extremely addicting and is great for beating boredom or killing some time. You can also collect coins in-game that can be used on powerups and customization. The game is free, but you can also purchase more coins and other items in-app.

Download Subway Surfers for iOS

Download Subway Surfers for Android

Try One of These Best Mobile Games In 2023

If you need a new game, you should try one of these as your first choice. Some of them have been favorites of many for a long time, while others are newer but have received praise.

Are there any other games that you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

The post Top 10 Best Mobile Games of 2023 first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

If you don’t have much programming experience, these beginner programs can help you understand what it takes to create a full-fledged game. Depending on what kind of game you want to make, different types of programs are available to help you. Below we have listed the best of these programs so you can get started on your very own video game.

1. GameMaker Studio

GameMaker Studio is terrific for creating 2D games, even if you have little game development knowledge. This program allows you to easily edit every aspect of your game, making it exactly as you envision. No coding knowledge is necessary. Don’t be fooled by the program’s simplicity, though– indie studios have used it to create games of great acclaim, such as Undertale, Hotline Miami, Forager, and more.

You can start using this program for free, with all features included. However, if you want to export your game to different platforms such as desktop, mobile, or even console, you’ll need to upgrade to a subscription, which runs anywhere from $4.99 to $79.99 monthly.

2. RPG Maker

RPG Maker has everything you need to create a 2D pixel RPG, even if you have zero programming or game development experience. Through this program, you’re provided with plenty of assets to create settings, characters, combat mechanics, and more. Plus, tons of DLC (Downloadable content) are available to further add to your creations. And, if you do have some programming knowledge, you can customize the code to alter RPG Maker’s functions as you wish. Games made through RPG Maker can even be distributed commercially, with no licenses needed.

The RPG Maker brand also has a product called Visual Novel Maker, which you can use to create Visual Novels if that’s more your speed. Either way, RPG Maker provides powerful resources to help make your games, regardless of skill level.

3. Construct 3

Construct 3 is a great program utilized by companies like Sega, Zynga, EA, and more. It’s mainly useful for creating mobile games for Android or iOS but can also be used to develop desktop apps. It can be used to create 2D games with absolutely no programming knowledge required. However, you can tinker around with JavaScript programming if you want to.

You can try Construct 3 for free. However, to use the whole program, you’ll need to buy it. You can pay $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year for a personal license.

4. Core

Core is one of the best programs for amateur game developers looking to make 3D games. It uses Unreal Engine to help beginners create beautiful graphics for their projects, providing many pre-rendered models, game frameworks, and more. You can publish your created games to the Core website, and even monetize it through in-game purchases.

The best part is that Core is free for anyone to use and provides plenty of instructional content to help you start making your game.

5. Stencyl

Stencyl is for amateur game developers to create their games for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and HTML5. The game logic is developed through a drag-and-drop system of command blocks. However, you can also write code for your games too. Stencyl also provides a great graphics editor to get your game scenes just right.

Stencyl is free to use and publish games to the web; however, if you want to publish on other platforms, you’ll need to upgrade. The Indie tier is $99 a year and will allow you to publish to desktop, and the Studio tier is $199 a year and will grant you publishing to mobile app stores.

6. GDevelop

This program is unique as you can create games on your Android or iOS devices. You could potentially work on developing a game wherever you go. However, there’s also a desktop version if you prefer. GDevelop requires no coding knowledge and provides tons of 2D and 3D models for games. And when you’re done with your game, you can export it to many popular platforms, including Steam, Microsoft Store, Facebook Gaming, and more.

This open-source program is free to use, and you retain rights over any games you create. However, you can pay to access certain features of the program. $5.47 a month will get you the Silver tier, while $10.95 a month will get you the Gold tier. Both upgrade cloud space, provide more player experience features, access to the unlimited mobile app, and more.

Make a Game of Your Own With These Programs

Making a basic game doesn’t need to be hard, even if you have never tried any sort of game development before. These programs can become the stepping stones to jumpstart your knowledge and understanding what programming a game entails.

Are there any other programs you’ve used to make your games? Let us know about it in the comments.

The post 6 Programs for Beginners to Make Their Own Video Games first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

My AI works similarly to other chatbots in that you can ask it questions, enter prompts, and discuss ideas. It learns and evolves the more you talk to it, so it can provide better and better responses the longer your conversations go on. In this article we’ll discuss some of the basics of how to use My AI, what it can do, and what it doesn’t do.

How to Use My AI on Snapchat

In order to have access to My AI, you need to ensure your Snapchat app is updated to the latest version. Then, once you open the app, you should see My AI pinned to the top of your Snapchat conversations. To begin talking to My AI, tap on this conversation and you can begin typing to it, similar to any other conversation.

There are many things you can ask My AI to do. For example, you can ask questions, look up directions, ask for recipes, and more. Whatever you ask My AI is really just limited to your imagination.

In order to begin talking with My AI, follow these steps:

1. Open Snapchat, and swipe right to get to your chats from the camera.

2. You will see the My AI chat at the top of your chats with a robot emoji. Tap on it.

3. Begin chatting with My AI by typing into the text field, the same as how you’d talk to your other Snapchat friends.

4. You can even send photos by tapping on the camera icon to the left of the text field.

From here you can chat as much as you wish with the My AI chatbot.

How to Customize My AI

If you want to change up how your My AI avatar looks, change its name, or even its outfit, you can do this quite easily. It works similarly to changing your own Snapchat avatar.

To change My AI’s name:

1. In the Chats tab, tap on My AI’s avatar picture.

2. Tap on the ellipses icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

3. Tap on Manage Friendship.

4. Tap on Edit Name.

5. In the text box, change My AI’s name to anything you wish.

If you’d like to change how My AI looks, here’s how:

1. In My AI’s profile, tap on the Customize option in the banner.

2. Tap on Avatar.

3. Follow the prompts to begin customizing. This works the same as customizing your own Bitmoji.

4. When you’re finished, select Save.

If you’d like to change your My AI avatar’s outfit, you can do this while editing its Bitmoji. However, if you only want to change its outfit, you can do that as well.

1. On My AI’s profile page, tap on Customize.

2. Tap on Outfit.

3. Select an outfit you want your My AI avatar to wear.

4. Tap Save once you’ve finished.

You can always change the My AI Bitmoji or avatar whenever you wish.

Can You Delete My AI?

Some Snapchat users aren’t exactly fond of the AI bot being eternally pinned to the top of their chats. So is it possible to delete My AI if you don’t really want to use it? The answer depends on whether you have Snapchat Plus or not.

If you are a Snapchat Plus subscriber, you can remove My AI. However, if you don’t subscribe to Snapchat Plus, there’s no way to do this currently. Here’s how to delete My AI as a Snapchat Plus user:

1. In Snapchat, go to the Chat screen.

2. Press and hold on My AI.

3. Tap on Chat Settings.

4. Select Clear From Chat Feed.

From there, you’ll no longer see My AI pinned to your chat screen. You can still search for My AI and chat with the bot again if you wish to have it appear at a later time.

How Does My AI Know My Location?

Some Snapchat users have voiced concerns over the fact that My AI is able to give them suggestions relevant to their location, such as restaurants. Users have found that My AI can do this even if you’ve set your Snapchat to Ghost mode.

However, there’s an easy explanation for this, which doesn’t lead to My AI collecting new location information you haven’t already given. If you’ve allowed Snapchat to access your location information before, this is what My AI uses. Using Ghost mode doesn’t mean that the Snapchat app as a whole doesn’t still collect your location information, it just means it doesn’t show it to other users.

If you don’t want Snapchat to use your location, you can go to your settings on your smartphone, find the Snapchat app, and turn off location access.

Using My AI on Snapchat

Whether you like or dislike this new Snapchat feature, it seems to be here to stay for some time. If used correctly, it can be a helpful and accessible tool for getting advice, planning, or finding information.

What do you think about the My AI feature? Let us know below.

The post What Is My AI on Snapchat? first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

If you’re new to playing video games or want to explore new genres, trying to sort through all the different kinds out there can be a bit overwhelming. Below, you’ll find a simple breakdown of each genre and the subgenres within each one. Some of the most popular games within the genre will also be listed, so if you find one you feel you’d enjoy, you can try them out for yourself.

1. Action

Video games in the action genre tend to be fast-paced and focus more on hand-eye coordination skills. They are usually the games that will keep you on the edge of your seat and include many combat mechanics. Some subgenres are shooters, platformers, fighting games, and survival games. Action games often combine elements from other genres, such as role-playing or strategy games.

As you can probably tell, this genre encompasses a variety of video games. Some of the most popular in this genre are Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Doom, Super Smash Bros., Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and many more.

2. Adventure

Adventure games were some of the earliest games created with text-based games. These games aren’t focused on action or any coordination or reflex skills but instead are based on exploration and decision-making. Adventure games are great for casual and laid-back entertainment. Popular adventure games of today include Life is Strange, Myst, Firewatch, and more.

However, many games are considered action-adventure games that combine elements of both genres, such as Fallout, The Last of Us, God of War, and The Legend of Zelda. Action-adventure games tend to be more common than just pure adventure games.

3. Role-Playing Games

Roleplaying games, or RPGs, derive many mechanics from classic tabletop role-playing games. RPGs are heavily focused on gaining experience, leveling up your characters, and growing progressively stronger in strength and skill. RPGs combine adventure elements to the game, such as exploring areas. RPGs may also include strategy or action elements depending on if the combat within the game is turn-based or in real time.

There are quite a few sub-genres to the RPG genre, like MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), roguelikes, which focus mainly on exploring randomly generated dungeons, tactical RPGs, which focus on turn-based combat, and sandbox RPGs, which are RPGs placed in an openly explorable environment.

Some popular RPG games include Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Elden Ring, Pokemon, Witcher 3, World of Warcraft, and many more.

4. Sandbox and Open-World

In open-world and sandbox games, players are not constrained to taking a single route but can explore an environment in any way they wish. Sandbox games give players plenty of creative avenues to alter the in-game world, while open-world games are more geared towards an open environment.

Sandbox and open-world games are often combined with other types of games, especially RPGs. Some examples of sandbox and open-world games include Minecraft, Garry’s Mod, Grand Theft Auto, No Man’s Sky, and more.

5. Strategy

In strategy games, players must make careful and thought-out decisions based on several factors within the game to be successful. For this reason, many strategy games do not have time constraints and are turn-based. Strategy game mechanics are very similar to board games. However, many strategy games still operate in real time as well.

Some popular examples of strategy games include Sid Meier’s Civilization, Warhammer 40,000, Starcraft, League of Legends, and more.

6. Simulation

Games in the simulation genre are generally created to simulate aspects of real life in various ways. Some common types of simulation games are life simulators, farming simulators, and building simulators. These games have many variable mechanics depending on the kind of simulation. They are also usually more geared toward casual play.

Examples of simulation games include The Sims, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, SimCity, Zoo Tycoon, etc.

7. Puzzle

Puzzle games focus on a player’s problem-solving skills to advance through the game. Many other genres employ puzzle elements, but pure puzzle games only focus on puzzles. This is a popular genre for mobile games, like Candy Crush or Cut the Rope. More expansive puzzle games may include a story to follow as puzzles are completed, and the story may directly relate to the puzzles themselves.

Examples of puzzle games include Portal, Professor Layton, Tetris, Scribblenauts, The Room, and more.

Find Your Next Favorite Game By Exploring These Genres

No matter what sort of gamer you are, with so many different kinds of games available, you can always find something new that provides you with an exciting and entertaining experience. Whether you want fast-paced gameplay, games that take time and thought, or relaxing games to play when you have some downtime, video games can provide something for everyone.

The post 7 Most Popular Video Game Genres first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Keeping up with your fitness routine can certainly be challenging at times, especially if you find yourself growing bored with your activities or if you find yourself hitting a plateau. One method of getting around these obstacles is a “gamification” of your fitness. This means you treat your routine as a game, setting up multiple goals and rewards once you reach them.

There are many apps out there designed to help you gamify your fitness journey, which can be extremely helpful when you find yourself hitting roadblocks. Some place you in an in-game story where your fitness activities can help you progress. Others allow you to track your habits and provide you with experience and rewards for meeting your goals. Below we have listed the best gamified fitness apps to help you kickstart a new chapter of your fitness journey.

1. Walkr: Fitness Space Adventure

In Walkr, steps you take from walking are converted into energy, which can be used within the game to explore new planets, feed planet inhabitants, build space stations, and more. Besides this main function, you can also pick up missions to complete once you reach certain planets. You can also design your spaceship with new parts as you progress.

The app also tracks the number of steps you’ve taken overall and a log of planets you’ve discovered. You can also use the social platform on the app to invite friends and see their ranking on a leaderboard compared to your own. Overall, it’s a fun app if you’ve gotten bored with your regular walking routine.

Download Walkr for iOS

Download Walkr for Android

2. Zombies, Run!

This popular app was created to help gamify the physical activity of walking, running, and jogging. The app’s main feature is a post-apocalyptic zombie story that you can listen to while running and imitating the experience of being chased by zombies. You can complete missions to keep the story going whenever you get active.

Besides the zombie chase feature, the app also includes activity tracking with a GPS function, allows music to be played through Spotify or another music app, and you can set the duration of the run. The app also includes a base-building game which is fun to play in between runs or walks. Also, if zombies aren’t your thing, many other stories are available to play instead through the app, such as sci-fi or fantasy adventures.

Download Zombies, Run! for iOS

Download Zombies, Run! for Android

3. Nerd Fitness Journey

This app allows you to create a superhero persona and gain experience points as you complete workouts and exercise routines. This app is apt for any exercise and provides workout plans to complete each day. Besides the main training path, you can also add optional side quests to progress through. As you gain experience points, you’ll level up and can gain new items for your avatar. Your avatar is also fully customizable.

The app provides you with a free trial for seven days. However, after that trial period, you’ll need to pay for a subscription to continue– either quarterly at $38.99 for 3 months or annually at $98.99 for a year.

Download Nerd Fitness Journey for iOS

Download Nerd Fitness Journey for Android

4. Habitica

While this app isn’t focused on fitness, Habitica is still a great way to gamify your workout routines. It functions as a habit tracker where you can add your own tasks, and then when you complete them you’ll earn experience points to level up your character. Each level has set objectives for you to complete, and when you do so you can earn coins. These can be used to reward yourself with items for your character.

If you want a social aspect, Habitica allows you to invite friends to a party or join one yourself. By doing this, you can work with friends to complete objectives by just finishing your daily tasks. To make this fitness oriented, you only need to set tasks to achieve your fitness goals for the day.

Download Habitica for iOS

Download Habitica for Android

5. WayBetter

On this app, a fitness plan is laid out for you, and you can complete objectives to reach higher levels. Each level provides more objectives which will help you become more and more active. You can also find separate fitness games within the app, related to nutrition, fitness and mindset. These change throughout each month, so there’ll always be something new to do.

WayBetter also provides a couple of incentives you can add to your journey: You can plan to make financial commitments based on meeting your goals, or you can invite an accountability buddy to keep you on track.

Download WayBetter for iOS

Download WayBetter for Android

Turn Fitness Into a Game With These Apps

No matter where you are in your fitness journey, these workout mobile apps can help you stay motivated by using game elements to keep you incentivized. So whether you’re just looking to start healthy habits, have met some of your fitness milestones but need a reason to keep going, or just want to have some active fun, you’ll want to try out some of these best fitness apps.

The post 4 Best Gamified Fitness Apps of 2023 first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

To fix these issues, one solution is to download a trading card collection app. These apps allow you to scan in your cards, keep them all organized in one spot, and many of them will even value your cards and collection as a whole. This is a much more efficient option than trying to physically organize and value cards yourself. In this article we’ve listed the best of these trading card tracker apps to help you keep them all in one place.

1.Collectr

Collectr is one of the top apps for organizing your trading card collection. To add a card, you first select from the many different trading card games available on Collectr’s database, which includes Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic the Gathering, and more. From there you can search for the exact card you own and add it to your portfolio.

In the portfolio section of the app, you can look through all the cards you own and sort them through multiple filters, including price, TCG line, name, and more. You can tap on an individual card to see its value. Collectr also has a marketplace tab where you can search for and buy trading cards through eBay and other sites.

Download Collectr for iOS

Download Collectr for Android

2.CollX

If you’re a sports card collector, CollX is a great app to try out. You can scan your cards, add them to your collection on the app, as well as see other’s collections. You can buy and sell cards through the app too, making it an easy way to offload some cards in your collection.

It’s also a great app for connecting with like-minded card collectors, allowing you to follow other’s activity and even message other users. For sports card collectors, CollX should be one of the first you check out.

Download CollX for iOS

Download CollX for Android

3.Cardbase

Another useful app for sports card collectors is Cardbase. You can add cards to your in-app collection by either searching for it, scanning it, or adding a full set of cards you may own. Cardbase also allows you to browse cards to add them to your Favorites, allowing you to find cards you may want to buy next. If there’s a card you’re really interested in, you can add it to your Watchlist, which allows you to track the card’s availability and value.

You can also find Pokemon cards on the app, however the main focus on Cardbase is sports cards. You can buy cards from other users as well as sell cards yourself. You can even see the current value of your collection as a whole. Overall, Cardbase is the perfect app for card collectors looking to organize and value their collection.

Download Cardbase for iOS

Download Cardbase for Android

4.Poke TCG

This app from Dragon Shield allows you to scan in your Pokemon cards and organize your collection easily. You can sort cards into decks, create a wishlist and trade list, and see all your cards in your inventory, which can be sorted into folders. In your inventory, you can also see the value of your cards.

You can also pay for a premium version of the app which allows for an ad-free experience, card price charts, and more. You can get a yearly subscription for $29.99 a year, or a monthly subscription at $2.99 a month. Also, besides an app for Pokemon cards, Dragon Shield also has apps for Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Flesh and Blood cards.

Download Poke TCG Scanner for iOS

Download Poke TCG Scanner for Android

Organize Your Card Collections With These Apps

All of these apps listed are great choices if you need to organize a card collection, no matter what kinds you’re into. What these apps are especially good for too, is finding other card collectors to connect with and buy and sell cards. It’s a great way to easily stay involved with a card collecting community no matter where you are.

What kind of cards do you collect? Let us know in the comments.

The post 4 Best Trading Card Tracker Apps for Organizing Your Collection first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

This includes NES, SNES, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo 64, and even the Sega Genesis. Their libraries have the best games from each console, with remastered visuals for the Nintendo Switch console display.

Here we’ll show you how to get access to these virtual consoles, download and play them, and play them with friends.

How to Get Virtual Consoles on Your Switch

The first step to getting these virtual consoles is signing up for a Nintendo Online subscription. Once you do this, you can download them from the Nintendo eShop. The basic Nintendo Switch Online subscription costs $19.99 per year, and the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription (which you’ll need to play the GBA, Nintendo 64, and Sega Genesis) costs $49.99 per year.

Here’s how to sign up for the Nintendo Switch Online service through the console:

1. Ensure your Switch user account is linked to a Nintendo Online account.

2. On the Switch home screen, select the Nintendo Online icon in the bottom left.

3. Choose the user you want to subscribe to Nintendo Online with.

4. In the sidebar, choose the Home option.

5. Move the cursor to the Become a Member button and select it.

6. You’ll be taken to the eShop. Either enter your password or choose to skip that step.

7. Select the membership type you want by scrolling down through the different prices, and select Proceed to Purchase.

8. Enter your zip code.

9. Select your payment method and enter your details to pay for your membership.

Once your payment goes through, you’ll have your Nintendo Switch Online Membership. Now, you can head to the Nintendo eShop to download the virtual consoles. Here’s how.

1. Select the Nintendo eShop icon and choose the user with the Nintendo Online membership.

2. There are a few ways you can find the virtual consoles on the eShop. Either go to the search function and search for the specific one you want, or you can scroll down to Nintendo Online in the sidebar and scroll down to the Expansion Pack and Special Offers sections.

3. Select the virtual console you want to download. Remember, you can only download the Gameboy Advance, Nintendo 64, and Sega Genesis if you’re subscribed to the Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack membership.

4. Select the Free Download button, then select it again.

The virtual console application you chose will download to your Switch home screen. Once it’s finished, you can navigate to it to begin playing.

How to Use Nintendo Switch Virtual Consoles

For each retro console available on the Switch, there will be a vast library of video games ready to play as soon as you open the application, like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda games. To begin playing a game, simply scroll through the library and select a game to begin playing.

On the bottom of the screen, you’ll see some controls. The + button serves as the Start button, the – as the Select button, and you can press the ZL and ZR triggers at the same time to open the Suspend Menu. You can also hold these triggers down to rewind the game.

When you open the Suspend Menu, a few options are available to help make for a smooth gameplay experience. You can select Continue to unpause the game, Load Suspend Point to load a save point you created, Create Suspend Point to set a save point, Reset Game to go back to the title screen, and To Game Selection to go back to the game library.

How to Play on Retro Consoles With Friends

One great feature of these consoles being available on the Nintendo Switch is that you also can play on them with friends within the console application. Before doing this, make sure the friends you want to play with are added to your Friend List on your Switch.

To start playing with friends, follow these steps:

1. On the sidebar, select Play Online.

2. To host a game, select Play While You Wait.

3. Select whether or not you want a passcode.

4. You can choose to invite a friend to play with on the next screen, and they can choose whether to join your game.

5. If you don’t choose to invite friends, have them go to the Play Online tab and then select your name when it pops up in the list.

6. Select a game from the library to play, and you can play it with your friends.

Once you’re in a game with friends, you’ll play as player one, and others can play as the other players in multiplayer games. In games without multiplayer, once you lose a life, the controls will move to another player.

To end an online session, select Quit Online Session from the application sidebar to go back offline.

Play Your Favorite Retro Games on Your Nintendo Switch

Over time, Nintendo may add more console remakes to the Nintendo Switch game library and new games to existing applications. Switch users can try out older games for the first time or revisit classic games from years past, such as NES games like Kirby’s Adventure, or SNES games like Link to the Past.

What retro console or games do you hope Nintendo adds next? Let us know in the comments.

The post How to Play SNES, Gameboy, Nintendo 64, and More Retro Games on Your Nintendo Switch first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

However, a common issue for users is to not have the lyrics feature work. This can be due to a variety of factors, either from a misunderstanding of how the feature works, to an outdated app, lack of storage space, or other reasons. If you’re trying to use the lyrics feature and it’s not working out, try some of the fixes here and get back to listening to your favorite tunes.

How Spotify Lyrics Work

If you start playing a song and notice that the lyrics aren’t showing up, it may not actually be an issue with Spotify. Lyrics on the platform are provided by the third party Musixmatch, and they have a library of lyrics available for music. However, this library may not include the song(s) you’re trying to find the lyrics for on Spotify.

Artists or publishers add lyrics to their music themselves via Musixmatch, so there’s no way for just anyone to go in and add lyrics to songs. Unfortunately, until those lyrics get added, they won’t show up when the song is played on Spotify. However, if you’re playing a relatively mainstream song or a song which you know previously had lyrics, you may be able to troubleshoot to fix the issue.

Log Out and Back In

The first method you should try is logging out of your Spotify account, and then back in again. This process will be different depending on whether you are using the Spotify smartphone app or the desktop app.

To log out and back in on iPhone/Android:

1. On the Spotify Homepage, scroll to the very top.

2. Tap on the gear icon to get to Settings.

3. Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Log Out.

4. To log back in, tap on your desired method to log into your Spotify account.

5. Enter your credentials and tap Log In.

To log out and back in on desktop:

1. In the top corner click on your profile picture and name.

2. In the dropdown, select Log Out.

3. Now select your desired method to log back in, and select Log In.

Head to a song and check the lyrics feature to ensure they are working again.

Uninstall and Reinstall Spotify

If logging out and back in didn’t fix the issue, it’s possible you may need to uninstall the Spotify app entirely and redownload it. This is specifically for the mobile app.

To do this on iPhone:

1. On your home screen, tap and hold on the Spotify app icon until it begins to move.

2. Tap on the Delete App button and confirm.

3. Head to the App Store and find Spotify.

4. Tap on the cloud icon to redownload the app.

On Android:

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap the Profile icon in the top right.
3. Tap Manage apps & devices > Manage.
4. Tap on the app you want to delete.
5. Tap Uninstall.
6. Search for the Spotify app on the Google Play Store.
7. Tap Install to reinstall it.

Now open Spotify and log in again. Try to play a song with lyrics to make sure they appear and work properly.

Delete Downloaded Songs

If you have a large amount of downloaded songs on the Spotify mobile app, it’s possible this amount of data could cause issues with its functionality. To counter this, you can try deleting some songs or playlists you may have downloaded.

To do this on iPhone/Android:

1. Open the Spotify app and go to the Your Library tab.

2. At the top bar where categories are listed, scroll to the right and tap on Downloaded.

3. Tap on a playlist or album you want to remove from your downloads.

4. Tap on the green down arrow under the playlist or album name.

5. Tap Remove to confirm.

The songs will then be removed from your library, freeing up some data and allowing Spotify to hopefully run a bit smoother.

Getting Lyrics Back on Spotify

By following these tips you should be able to regain the lyrics feature on Spotify. It’s a great feature to learn the lyrics of your favorite songs, or new songs you’ve just heard. If you’re running into songs which don’t yet have lyrics available for them, it may be just a matter of time before they’re added to the database, so don’t lose hope.

The post How to Fix Spotify Lyrics Not Showing first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

There will be quite a lot of changes, and each service has already started preparing for the merge by changing what content they provide. Here’s what you need to know going into the HBO Max Discovery+ merger.

How Much Will It Cost?

An important factor of this ordeal is the cost and how much it will change compared to each service’s original price. For Max, there will be three tiers that can be subscribed to. The first is the ad-supported lite plan, at $9.99 a month, which provides HD quality and 2 concurrent streams with ads.

Next is the $15.99 a month ad-free plan, which includes HD quality, 2 concurrent streams, and 30 downloads. Finally there’s the $19.99 a month ultimate plan, which gets you 4K/HDR quality with Dolby Atmos, 4 concurrent streams, and 100 downloads.

These prices aren’t different from what HBO Max customers currently pay for the service. However, Discovery+ had much cheaper prices at $4.99 a month with ads and $6.99 a month ad-free. Warner Bros. Discovery (the new name of the parent company) decided to provide Discovery+ as a standalone service with the same prices for users who don’t want to use Max.

However, HBO Max is going away entirely and users will automatically be migrated to Max.

When Will the Merge Happen?

Max is slated to release in the U.S. on May 23rd. Latin America can expect Max later on in 2023, and all other areas will be able to access Max in 2024.

At that time, HBO Max will no longer exist, and will go on to operate only as Max. There will also likely be apps released for the streaming service, either at the time of release or soon after, depending on the device.

What Content Will Be Available?

Currently, a lot of shows and HBO Max original movies are being removed from the service, a decision which has seen some backlash from subscribers. Some planned movies, such as Batgirl, have also been canceled completely as a result of the merger.

However, there has also been new content announced such as a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory, Batman spin-off show The Penguin, The Conjuring-based TV show, and more. HBO Max also plans to stop producing new original reality and documentary content, as Discovery+ will provide a huge library of this content to the Max service.

Why Is the Merger Taking Place?

Subscriber counts are lowering for these streaming services due to a variety of reasons, such as the huge market of streaming services already available, lack of interest in certain content, and price point. The idea to merge both HBO Max and Discovery+ will allow the new streaming service to appeal to a larger customer base, drawing in more subscribers.

What Do I Need To Do?

The process for moving onto the new Max service will differ depending on what streaming service you’re currently subscribed to. For HBO Max subscribers, nothing needs to be done, as all user data will automatically be migrated to the new Max service once it goes live in your area.

If you’re a Discovery+ subscriber, you won’t be moved automatically, but you’ll still stay subscribed to Discovery+ once the merge rolls around. If you wish to subscribe to Max instead, you can sign up to subscribe to one of the Max tiers once the service goes live. If not, your subscription price will not change and you can continue watching Discovery+ content as normal.

If you’ve never been subscribed to either service, you can either subscribe to HBO Max now to get access to Max once it becomes available, or you can wait until that time to sign up for Max on the website or released apps.

HBO Max and Discovery Plus In One Service

The main draw to the combination of both HBO Max and Discovery+ is the huge library of shows and movies that will now be available to subscribers. Whether you enjoy movies, documentaries, reality, or TV shows, there will be a lot more to choose from once Max begins operating.

What do you think about the HBO Max Discovery+ merger? Let us know in the comments.

The post The HBO Max Discovery Merger: What You Need to Know first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

These lights can range from indicating errors with your PS4, problems connecting, needing a charge, marking different players, etc. Sometimes, games themselves will change your controller light bar to different colors simply as an effect for the game.

For example, if you’re using a flashlight in-game, the developers may have set the controller to turn white in this instance. However, if you’re not playing a game or you can’t find another reason for your controller color, below you’ll find all the possible reasons for each one.

What a White Flashing Controller Means

If you’re noticing your controller flashing white, there are a couple things that this could mean, but neither are extremely serious. White flashing on your controller could mean:

• Bluetooth or USB connection has failed. You will want to try resetting either or both your controller and the PS4. You’ll also want to check any wires you may be using to connect your controller to your PS4.
• The controller battery is low. If a white light is flashing, you may need to plug in your controller and charge it. You may also see a low-battery indication on your screen if this is the case. To charge your controller, you’ll need to plug a USB cable from the back of your controller to your PS4.

Both of these issues are typically easy to fix if something else isn’t to blame, such as a software or hardware issue.

What a Blue Flashing Controller Means

Blue is the most common color you’ll see on the light bar when using your PS4 controller. It will be a solid blue color when it is successfully connected to your PS4 after pressing the PS button. However, if you’re noticing a flashing blue light instead of a solid one, it could be for one of these reasons:

• Bluetooth connection failed. This is similar to the issue with a white flashing light, and you’ll want to follow a similar route to fix it. Try connecting via USB, restarting your controller, or restarting the console.
• Software or hardware issues. These will have to do with issues that cause the controller to be unable to connect to the console. This could mean your PS4 won’t turn on, or that the charging cables or USB ports on the console or controller aren’t working properly. To fix this, check all cables and ports, then try resetting your PS4.

A blue flashing light could indicate a variety of issues with connectivity, so go through least-invasive troubleshooting techniques to try and fix this first.

What a Red Flashing Controller Means

If your controller is flashing red, this could indicate a more serious issue with your controller’s hardware. It could mean:

• A port, cable, or battery issue is occurring. Typically a red light flash occurs when you’re trying to charge a controller, but a hardware issue is preventing it. To fix this, you could try resetting your PS4 controller. You can find the reset button near the L2 button on the back of the controller. You could also replace the cable or battery you’re using. You can tell the battery is malfunctioning if your controller continues to work when plugged into the PS4.

If you replace the cable or battery and the controller continues to be unable to charge, you’ll likely need to replace the controller itself. Further, you can also purchase a dock charging station to prevent damage to the port and remove the need for a cable.

What an Orange Flashing Controller Means

When an orange light flash is occurring, it means that your controller is currently charging and in rest mode. This will happen when you plug your controller in via USB and it’s low on battery charge, and you aren’t using the controller actively.

This is a good indication to have. If you don’t see it when your controller is low on battery and plugged in, that means that your controller isn’t properly charging while in rest mode. This could be due to port or cable issues.

Tips for Flashing Colors on Your PS4 Controller

If you notice any of the above colors while playing a game, it may not actually be indicating an issue. Typically flashing lights to signal problems or other reasons will only occur outside of playing a game. When different light colors are popping up while in a game, it’s more likely that the game developers programmed the light to come on for certain actions or sequences. For example, if you use a certain move in a game, it could cause a blue light to flash. If you’re low on health, it could cause a red light.

Another reason that different colors show up on a controller is when you’re playing a multiplayer game and have more than one controller paired with your PS4. Each different color light signifies a different player. The first player will be blue, second will be red, third is green, and fourth is pink.

Know Why Your PS4 Controller is Flashing These Lights

Having these flashing lights occur without knowing their meaning can be a bit worrying at first. However, understanding what they are indicating can help you fix any issue that may be happening with your PS4 or your controller. This can keep your console running smoothly for a long time to come.

What issues have you had with flashing lights on your PS4 controller? Tell us in the comments.

The post Why Your PS4 DualShock Controller Flashes White, Blue, Red, and Orange first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Snapchat Plus is a feature that was introduced to the social media platform Snapchat in 2022, and since then it has gained some popularity. You may have seen it being advertised yourself within the Snapchat app. This is essentially a premium subscription version of Snapchat that provides subscribers access to a wide range of features, including those yet to be released to general Snapchat users.

If you’re debating whether or not to get a Snapchat Plus subscription, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the pricing, added features, and other aspects of the premium program before diving in. From there, you can make the choice on your own if Snapchat Plus seems beneficial to you.

Snapchat Plus Features

When you become a Snapchat Plus user, you’ll get access to a whole host of exclusive features. Below are some of these perks and how they will change your Snapchat experience.

Best Friends Forever

With this feature, you have the ability to pin anyone in your Snapchat friends list as a #1 BFF. This means they’ll have the Best Friend emoji signifier and will pop up first in your chat feed. You’ll be the only one able to see this, as well.

Friend Solar System

This feature sets up your friend list as a sort of solar system. Typically on Snapchat you will have eight people who are your closest friends, meaning you interact with them the most often. The Friend Solar System can show you how often you and your friend interact in comparison to their other top friends.

Story Rewatch Indicator

With the Story Rewatch Indicator feature, you’ll be able to see how many times your Snapchat story has been rewatched by your friends. This number is shown next to a small peeking eyes emoji. This feature works for any public, private, or shared story. You’ll only be able to see the total number of rewatches, and not who specifically rewatched the story.

Priority Story Replies

If you ever respond to a Snapchat creator’s story, the Priority Story Replies feature will put your reply closer to the top. This will make it more likely that the creator will respond back to you, as it’ll more likely be one of the first they see.

Custom Notification Sounds

This feature allows you to set custom sounds to play when you get a notification from a certain friend or group chat, or when someone is typing.

My AI

My AI is Snapchat’s iteration of an AI chat bot. You receive access to it as a Snapchat Plus subscriber. This feature was built with OpenAI using ChatGPT. It can help you answer questions, give advice, help with planning, and more. Plus, we’ve got a guide covering everything you want to know about using My AI in Snapchat.

Subscription Prices of Snapchat Plus

Of course, one of the most important factors going into the decision to subscribe to Snapchat Plus is likely the price point. To get access to all the features Snapchat Plus provides, there are a couple options for payment. First, you can pay monthly at $3.99 per month. If you’d rather pay in one lump sum for a year, you can do this for $29.99 and save some money.

Subscriptions, just as they can be bought in the app, can also be canceled, so you don’t have to commit to a certain amount of time. If you buy a subscription for one month and cancel before the month is over, you’ll still have access to Snapchat Plus until the month runs out. The same goes for a year subscription.

Should You Get Snapchat Plus?

The final decision as to whether you should invest in Snapchat Plus might depend the most on how much you use the app and how important it is to you as a mode of communication. For those who just use Snapchat to talk to some friends and share stories every so often, the extra price of paying for Snapchat Plus may not be warranted.

However, if you tend to prioritize using Snapchat as your main method of communication with friends, use it to follow your favorite Snapchat creators, or it’s just one of your favorite social media apps to use, it could be worth it. Especially the fact it’s not too expensive for either a single month or a year, it wouldn’t hurt to try it out once and see how you like it.

Snapchat Plus And Your Snapchat Experience

Snapchat Plus does provide quite a lot of new features for those who enjoy using Snapchat often. However, it also doesn’t impede upon typical Snapchat use and there aren’t any major features blocked behind a paywall due to Snapchat Plus. So, it can be a hit or miss depending on how often you personally use Snapchat and how much of a priority it is for you.

The post What Is Snapchat Plus and Should You Get it? first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

To complete the zoom in effect, you will need to know how to zoom out so you can get back to the original view of your clip. It’s just as easy as doing a zoom in, so once you know how to do that you’ll quickly be able to pick up zooming out too.

In this article we’ll teach you how to do both, and how to use these zoom in and out effects in your own videos.

How to Make a Zoom In Effect

To begin this tutorial, we’ll assume that you already have your project open and the clip you want to apply the zoom in effect to is placed in your timeline. From this point on, you can follow the steps below to create the effect.

1. Click on the clip which you want to have a zoom-in effect.

2. Head to the Effect Controls panel and open the Motion options.

3. To zoom in to a particular area of your clip, in the Program panel locate the circular blue target, called the Anchor Point, likely in the middle of your clip when you select it in the panel.

4. Using your mouse, click and drag the Anchor Point to the point in your clip you want to zoom in to.

5. Now, use the Scale effect by either changing the numerical value or using the slider. Increasing the number will produce a zoom-in on the Anchor Point.

During playback, you may notice the zoom in effect happens as soon as the video clip plays. If you want to have the zoom-in effect take place more slowly, as the clip plays, you’ll need to utilize key frames to do so. If you’re not acquainted with key frames yet, check out our article on the topic first. Then, follow these steps to create a gradual zoom in.

1. First, place the Anchor Point on the area you want to zoom in to on your clip.

2. Click on the stopwatch icon next to Anchor Point in the Effect Controls panel.

3. Now, click on the stopwatch icon next to the Scale effect, after setting it to where you want your zoom in starting point to be.

4. In the keyframe timeline that appears next to your effect controls, slide the playhead (the blue marker in the timeline) to the point in your clip where you want the zoom in to end.

5. Use the Scale effect and set the value so it’s fully zoomed in to the point you want. A keyframe will automatically be set once you change the Scale value.

Keep in mind that the closer together your two Scale keyframes are, the faster the zoom in effect will take place. So, you can adjust the speed by moving the keyframes closer or further apart. This should produce a smooth zoom in effect.

How to Zoom Out

If you’ve already zoomed in and want to zoom back out, the process is relatively simple. Zooming both in and out requires using keyframes, so if you followed the steps above to achieve a zoom in, you can use these next steps to zoom back out.

1. From the keyframe of your zoom in point, move your playhead in the keyframe timeline to the point you want your clip to be fully zoomed out.

2. Use the Scale effect and slide it back to the original value, before the zoom in.

3. The keyframe for the zoom out will automatically be set. You can slide it along the keyframe timeline to alter the speed.

A zoom out of a clip already at its original scale will only make the background behind the clip visible. If you want your clip to begin with a zoom out, you’ll have to first enlarge the scale at the beginning of the clip and use keyframes to create a zoom out from there.

How to Zoom In to Multiple Point In One Clip

Maybe you want not only one, but two zoom in effects within one clip. This is entirely possible, but you’ll have to create your zoom in effects from the beginning with the Position effect instead of the Anchor Point. Follow these steps to create multiple zoom in points within one clip.

1. Turn your attention to the Position effect and turn on its stopwatch, opening the keyframe timeline. Also turn on the stopwatch for Scale, making sure it’s at its original value.

2. Use the Position controls or double-click on your clip in the Program panel and drag the position of your clip to your new zoom in point.

3. Move your keyframe playhead to the point in the clip where you want a second zoom in.

4. Use the Scale effect the same as before to create your next zoom in with keyframes.

You could potentially have as many zoom in effects as you want in one clip by following the method above.

Create Visual Interesting Videos With a Zoom In or Out

A zoom in can have many useful or stylistic purposes within a video, and knowing how to create one is important beginner knowledge to have when it comes to video editing. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult to do this in Adobe Premiere Pro, especially if you have some knowledge already in using effects and editing keyframes.

Do you enjoy zoom in or out effects in videos? Let us know your thoughts below.

The post How to Make a Zoom In or Out Effect in Adobe Premiere first appeared on Online Tech Tips.