Tech / Technology

Black Friday Apple Watch deals: Get a Series 9 at its lowest price ever

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Looking for the best early Apple Watch deals for Black Friday? We’ve got you covered with a Series 9 on sale for just $349 and a Series 8 at just $299.
person running while wearing pink apple watch series 9

Apple Watch deals are starting off strong this Black Friday season — here are the best we’ve seen as of Nov. 8:

Best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals
Best Series 9 deal

Apple Watch Series 9 (40mm, GPS)

$349 at Walmart
(Save $50)

pink apple watch series 9



Best Series 8 deal

Apple Watch Series 8 (40mm, GPS)

$299 at Amazon
(Save $100)

product (red) series 8 apple watch

Best SE deal

Apple Watch SE (second generation, 44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon
(Save $44.11)

midnight 44mm apple watch se

Best Ultra deal

Apple Watch Ultra (first generation, 49mm, GPS + cellular)

$679 at Best Buy
(Save $120)

apple watch ultra with midnight ocean band

The biggest shopping holiday of the year may still be over two weeks away, but the early Black Friday Apple Watch deals are already here.

SEE ALSO:

55+ of the best early Black Friday Apple deals

We know — it seems like these sales start earlier and earlier every year. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when Walmart’s first of two Black Friday events starts on Nov. 8, Best Buy is running a month-long sale, and Amazon decided Black Friday starts on Nov. 17 this year.

But that’s why we’re here rounding up the absolute best Apple Watch deals you can find. So far, we’ve seen the Series 8 get $100 slashed off its price and retail for just $299 (though we’re hoping to see it hit its record-low $279 again) and the first-generation Ultra get down to just $629. And for the latest releases, the Apple Watch Series 9 is down to a new low of just $349.

SEE ALSO:

Target’s Black Friday sale has started and is running the entire month of November

We’ll regularly update this post with the best deals throughout Black Friday season so you can shop easily and save the most money possible on any and all Apple Watch purchases.

Apple Watch Series 9 deals


pink apple watch series 9

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS)

$349 at Walmart (save $50)

Why we like it

Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9.

Double tap. Need we say more? If we had to, it would be that it may not be a surefire upgrade for anyone who already has an 8, but for folks with older Apple Watch models this is a pretty decent upgrade. And as of Nov. 8, Walmart has dropped it down $50 as part of one of the retailer’s two Black Friday deals events this month. Paid Walmart+ members get first access to this deal, but not for too long — at 3 p.m. ET everyone will be able to shop these savings (if you don’t want to wait, Walmart+ memberships are 50% off today). We wouldn’t be surprised if this is the lowest price this watch hits during the holiday season, so if you want to grab it early, now’s your chance.

More Apple Watch Series 9 deals

Apple Watch Series 8 deals


product (red) series 8 apple watch

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS)

$299 at Amazon (save $100)

Why we like it

It may not come in pink like the Series 9, but feature-wise you’re not getting a vastly different experience with the Series 8 (though we do wish it had double tap). The Series 8 has hit some impressive price lows this holiday shopping season, bottoming out at $225, but at the time of writing, $319 is the absolute best price you can get on this smartwatch. It’s not amazing, but it’s not bad either.

More Apple Watch Series 8 deals

SEE ALSO:

Two new Apple Watches are here. How do their prices compare to older models?

Apple Watch Series 7 deals

None this week, check back soon.

Apple Watch SE deals


midnight 44mm apple watch se

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon (save $44.11)

Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE is a great option for those who don’t necessarily need all of the pricey bells and whistles that come with other Apple Watch models. You’ll get all the must-have features you need like health tracking, crash detection, Smart Stack, and emergency SOS options. Also, at $234.89, it costs nearly $5 less than the smaller 40mm SE at its full price.

More Apple Watch SE deals

Second generation

Apple Watch Ultra deals


apple watch ultra with midnight ocean band

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch Ultra (1st gen, 49mm, GPS + cellular)

$679 at Best Buy (save $120)

Why we like it

The Apple Watch Ultra has an ultra-high price point, but that’s because it truly is built different. Not intended for everyday use, this watch is for those among us who enjoy high-speed water sports or scaling mountains. If you’re into diving, a Depth app will help you track your stats, while all adventurers can explore with ease knowing their watch with a built-in emergency siren has 36 hours of battery life, far surpassing other Apple Watches. You won’t get the new, brighter screen of the second-gen Ultra or Double Tap functionality, but you still do have a customizable Action button. And at $679, it’s about $100 less than the newer gen. You’ll also find this watch on sale at Amazon, but Best Buy has more available colorways.

More Apple Watch Ultra deals

Even more Apple Watch deals

Tech / Technology

35+ Early Black Friday Apple deals: iPads, iPhones, more

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Score early Black Friday deals on the AirPods Pro at their record-low price for an iPad mini or Air for $100 off.
person using apple pencil on ipad mini

Black Friday sales have already begun, bringing with them a bunch of Apple discounts. Here are our favorites as of Nov. 2:

Best early Black Friday Apple deals:
Best Mac deal

2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H
(Save $200)

2022 macbook air in midnight

Best iPad deal

2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart
(Save $80)

silver 2021 ipad

Best iPhone deal

iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans
(Save $799)

midnight iphone 14 plus

Best Apple Watch deal

Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon
(Save $44.11)

midnight apple watch SE



Best AirPods deal

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$189 at Walmart
(Save $60)

airpods pro with case

Deals on Apple products actually aren’t too hard to find — if you know where and when to look. While you don’t have to wait for a shopping holiday to get savings on iPads, MacBooks, and more, Black Friday Apple deals tend to be some of the best of the year.

This year, Black Friday savings are in line with years past and starting nice and early, with Best Buy, Walmart, and more all running sales throughout the month before we officially hit Black Friday on Nov. 24.

SEE ALSO:

Black Friday sales are already live. Here are the best early deals we’ve found so far.

If you’re looking to save big on some new Apple gear this holiday season, you can start shopping now. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best Black Friday Apple deals that are already live.

Mac and MacBook deals


2022 macbook air in midnight

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H (save $200)

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

If you’re looking for a zippy work-from-home machine or the perfect school companion, look no further. Though Apple did just release the new M3 chip to its iMac and MacBook lineup, the M2 is still plenty powerful. You’ll also get 13.6 inches of display (as opposed to the 13.3 inches of the previous gen Air), a near-perfect keyboard, and best of all, this laptop at its lowest price ever.

More Mac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Mac

iPad deals


silver 2021 ipad

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart

Why we like it

We’re not going to lie, this $249 price tag is far from a Black Friday exclusive. This tablet has hit this all-time low price a few times this year, including during last month’s Prime Day sale, but it’s also sat at higher price points of $279 and up. We wouldn’t recommend this tablet if you need anything more heavy-duty, but for a basic tablet that gets the job done, you’ll be saving at least $150 more than if you went for any other iPad. Grab it on sale at Amazon and Walmart.

More iPad deals

iPad (10th gen)

iPad (9th gen)

iPad Air

iPad mini

iPad Pro

SEE ALSO:

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: What are the differences?

iPhone deals


midnight iphone 14 plus

Credit: Apple


Our pick: iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans (save $799)

Why we like it

The iPhone 15 may be the shiniest new Apple toy, and while the deals on the phone certainly aren’t bad, they are contingent upon you having a decent trade-in. If you feel any doubt in your trade-in power, going for this Verizon deal on the 14 Plus requires none — only that you open a new line on select unlimited plans. Still some hoops, but far fewer to get an $800 phone basically for free.

More iPhone deals

Apple Watch deals


midnight apple watch SE

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon (save $44.11)

Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE is an affordable option if you’re in the market for a smartwatch, but don’t need many fitness features. Usually, its price will dip down by $30 every now and then, which makes for a pretty decent deal, but Black Friday season has brought us something even better, with this 44mm SE that’s down almost $45. That’s roughly $5 away from its lowest price ever (that we’ve only seen it hit once). If you want to avoid the Black Friday madness and don’t mind opting for the midnight colorway, this is a solid deal to jump on ahead of the official holiday.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 9

Series 8

SE

Ultra

More Apple Watch deals

AirPods deals


airpods pro with case

Credit: Apple


Our pick: AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$189 at Walmart (save $60)

Why we like it

Read our full review of the second-generation AirPods Pro.

If you’re looking for a quality pair of noise-canceling earbuds, look no further than the AirPods Pro. They’re our favorite buds for traveling, with Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder deeming them, “the first pair of earbuds I’d actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones).” They also come with 30 total hours of battery life with the charging case (six hours per charge), great sound quality, and easy pairing to all of your Apple devices. Plus, their $189 price tag puts them back down to their lowest price ever (alongside the USB-C AirPods Pro).

More deals on AirPods

Even more Apple deals

Tech / Technology

What is Best Buy Drops? Here’s why it’s one of the best holiday shopping hacks

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Best Buy Drops is an app feature that alerts shoppers about product releases, limited edition bundles, and deals before they drop. Here’s why it’s one of the best holiday shopping hacks.
Best Buy Drops logo and three smartphones with products from the My Best Buy app on colorful background

UPDATE: Nov. 1, 2023, 11:40 a.m. EDT The new Best Buy Drops tab on the Best Buy app gives you a head’s up about upcoming new product drops, limited edition releases, and major discounts on high-profile items ahead of the holidays. This post has been updated to track the products dropping in the coming week.

When it comes to shopping, a scarcity mindset is just as convincing as that one friend who always enables you to buy something you don’t need. It’s why there’s often a timer breathing down your neck from the corner of the screen during a sitewide sale. It’s why Amazon’s invite-only Prime Day deals popped off (and why they’ll likely be back for Black Friday). It’s probably why Best Buy announced Best Buy Drops right before we hit the full-blown holiday shopping season — and we’re totally falling for it.

SEE ALSO:

Best Buy unveils its Black Friday plans: Early access to deals starts right before Halloween

Best Buy Drops is a new shopping hack dedicated to giving shoppers a heads-up about upcoming high-profile items and deals in categories like gaming, smartwatches, toys, and more dropping at Best Buy in the next week. As long as you have the Best Buy mobile app, you can preview what’s coming on what day so that you’re ready to click “add to cart” when the item or deal goes live. This kind of preparedness is the name of the game with Drops, as some items are so popular that it’s only a matter of minutes (or seconds) before they sell out.

If a drop is currently live while you’re on the app, a status bar showing the percentage of inventory that has been claimed can give an idea of how fast you need to act. Once inventory for a certain drop is gone, it’s gone.

Drops section of Best Buy app showing deals on gaming controller and GoPro bundle

Drops can include a huge price slash on a popular item or availability of product that wasn’t up for grabs before.
Credit: Screenshot / Mashable

The Drops tab also keeps a list of past drops, which have included a limited-edition PlayStation 5 Marvel’s Spider-Man bundle, Pokémon Squishmallows, a super cheap 50-inch QLED TV, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Even if you missed these, you at least have an idea of what similar items could pop up in the coming weeks. To look ahead, check the upcoming tab.

For extra cushion, you can opt-in to Drop Alerts for an extra reminder right before the drop of a product you care about goes live. Joining My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total will unlock even better discounts on drops than what the general public is getting.

What’s dropping at Best Buy Nov. 1 through Nov. 8

Best Buy is only revealing the names of the upcoming products — not their actual drop prices — in the drop preview tab, so any prices listed below are the current price of the said product as it is on Best Buy’s site pre-drop. Drops go live around 11 a.m. ET on the specified day, and inventory is typically fully claimed by 5 p.m. that day.

Dropped: Nov. 1


MSI black transparent gaming desktop with hardware and rainbow lights inside

Credit: MSI


MSI Codex R gaming desktop (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$779.99 at Best Buy (save $220)

At a full price of $999.99, MSI’s Codex R desktop was already on the affordable side for a prebuilt PC with components like NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, an Intel Core i5 CPU, and 1TB of storage, plus an included mouse and RGB mechanical keyboard. At $779.99 with the drop discount, it’s the definition of a bang for your buck — especially if you were originally considering opting for a gaming laptop to stay on a budget. The $220 you’re saving is enough to cover a sick keyboard or condenser microphone.

Dropping: Nov. 2


White mini gaming keyboard with rainbow backlight

Credit: Corsair


Corsair K70 Pro Mini wireless RGB mechanical keyboard

$168.99 at Best Buy (save $10)

Speaking of gaming accessories, the drop following the gaming PC is a wireless mini mechanical keyboard. The Corsair K70 Pro Mini features a compact 60 percent layout, skipping buttons like a function row and arrow keys. It doesn’t skip the RGB backlight, however, and still offers a decent amount of customization options and mouse shortcuts for the conservative size.

The white K70 Pro Mini is already on sale for $11 off at Best Buy, so we expect the drop price to be well under $149.99.

Dropping: Nov. 3


Black headphones case with one earbud in case and one earbud above case

Credit: Jabra


Jabra Elite 8 Active headphones

$179.99 at Best Buy

The pro-truly wireless earbuds but anti-AirPods crowd may consider a pair like Jabra’s noise-canceling Elite 8 Active. These rugged headphones can last up to 56 hours on a single charge through dust, sweat, and water — they actually passed nine tests in a variety of rigorous environments to meet the US Military Standard for durability. What’s less rugged is the immersive audio experience they provide through Spatial Sound powered by Dolby and Adaptive Hybrid active noise cancellation.

Best Buy has already tacked a $20 discount on the Jabra Elite 8 Active ahead of their drop, so their drop discount could push them from their current $179.99 much closer to the $100 mark.

Dropping: Nov. 8


Box of Pokémon trading cards with polka dots on front

Credit: Pokémon


Pokémon Trading card game: 151 6-pack Scarlet and Violet Booster Bundle

$26.94 at Best Buy

Put some respect on the names of the original 151 Pokémon with this Trading card game expansion pack. The booster bundle includes six booster packs from TCG: Scarlet and Violet, including Venusaur EX, Charizard EX, and Blastoise EX special cards, plus the possibility of Mew EW floating around.

This expansion pack is currently sold out at Best Buy but was listed for $26.94, so we expect it to be up for grabs for under $20 when its stock is revived during the drop.

Tech / Technology

Best Apple Watch deals: Save on the SE and more

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Prime Day may be over, but great Apple Watch deals still remain — here are the best ones as of Oct. 31.
person looking down at apple watch with price tag attached on their wrist

UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2023, 12:15 p.m. EDT We’ve updated this post to reflect the most recent pricing and availability on Apple Watches heading into Black Friday season.

Top Apple Watch deals this week:
Our top pick

Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS)

$305.91 at Amazon
(Save $93.09)

white 41mm series 8 apple watch

Best budget pick

Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS + cellular)

$269 at Best Buy
(Save $30 )

Mashable Image

Best Ultra deal

Apple Watch Ultra (First generation, 49mm, GPS + cellular)

$629 at Best Buy
(Save $170)

apple watch ultra with yellow beige trail loop

It’s been over seven years since the first generation Apple Watch began to grace people’s wrists. In that time, the Apple wearable has evolved in size, power, and — because it’s Apple — price. If you’re into the idea of having a fitness tracker, an extension of your phone, and all the world’s conveniences (or, at least a few more than you’re used to) wrapped around your wrist, but aren’t into shelling out the max amount of cash, you’ve come to the right place. Every week, we’ll keep watch and update this post with the best Apple Watch deals from across the internet.

Apple Watch Series 9 deals


pink apple watch series 9

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS)

$389.99 at Amazon and Walmart (save $9.01)

Why we like it

Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9.

Double tap. Need we say more? If we had to, it would be that it may not be a surefire upgrade for anyone who already has an 8, but for folks with older Apple Watch models this is a pretty decent upgrade, and after being officially on store shelves for less than a week, it already has a small discount. It didn’t get any additional discounts during Prime Day, but we’re still keeping our fingers crossed for Black Friday.

More Apple Watch Series 9 deals

Apple Watch Series 8 deals


white 41mm series 8 apple watch

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS)

$305.91 at Amazon (save $93.09)

Why we like it

It may not come in pink like the Series 9, but feature-wise you’re not getting a vastly different experience with the Series 8 (though we do wish it had double tap). The Series 8 has hit some impressive lows this holiday shopping season — bottoming out at $225 — but at the time of writing, $319 is the absolute best price you can get on this smartwatch. It’s not amazing, but it’s not bad either. You’ll just have to go for the silver or midnight watch if you want the savings (as long as you don’t mind pre-owned).

More Apple Watch Series 8 deals

SEE ALSO:

Two new Apple Watches are here. How do their prices compare to older models?

Apple Watch Series 7 deals

None this week, check back next week.

Apple Watch SE deals


Apple Watch SE

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS + cellular)

$269 at Best Buy (save $30)

Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE is a great option for those who don’t necessarily need all of the pricey bells and whistles that come with other Apple Watch models. You’ll get all the must-have features you need like health tracking, crash detection, Smart Stack, and emergency SOS options. Also, it’s $30 off at Best Buy — we’ll never turn down a discount on the already-most-affordable Apple Watch.

More Apple Watch SE deals

Second generation

Apple Watch Ultra deals


apple watch ultra with yellow beige trail loop

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch Ultra (First generation, 49mm, GPS + cellular)

$629 at Amazon (save $170)

Why we like it

Best Buy is continuing to get into the holiday spirit early with this $170 markdown on the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra. This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen this watch hit — and it’s currently $100 cheaper than Amazon’s sale price. While it doesn’t have the same extra bright screen, S9 chip, or Double Tap capabilities as the second-gen Ultra, all in all, it’s a very similar watch that’s still rugged, well-built, and great for the adventurous among us. Plus, at $630, it’s way more affordable than this year’s release. You can grab it on sale in the yellow and beige loop only.

More Apple Watch Ultra deals

Even more Apple Watch deals

Tech / Technology

The best Apple deals for October 2023: AirPods, iPads, and more

Posted on:

Prime Day may have been two weeks ago, but you can still grab second-gen AirPods Pro at their Prime Day price of $189 or the iPad Air for its Prime Day price of $499.99. Plus, check out more of the best Apple deals as of Oct. 31.
Apple iPad Air

UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2023, 12:00 p.m. EDT We’ve updated this post with the best deals from across the Apple universe leading into Black Friday season. Here are our top picks:

Best Apple deals this week:
Best Mac deal

2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H
(Save $200)

space gray m2 macbook air

Best iPad deal

2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart
(Save $80)

a silver 2021 10.2 in ipad

Best iPhone deal

iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 on a new line with select unlimited plans
(Save up to $799)

black iphone 14 plus

Best Apple Watch deal

Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS + cellular)

$269 at Best Buy
(Save $30)

Apple Watch in pink.

Best AirPods deal

AirPods Pro

$189 at Walmart
(Save $60)

second generation airpods pro

Apple may have an iron grasp on the general population, but when it comes down to it, their products look good, work well, and stay cutting-edge — so of course, people love ’em. Whether you build your calendar around Apple events or you just want solid tech no matter the brand, Apple’s got you covered. Sure, they’re a little notorious for their high prices, but we’ve rounded up the best deals on iPads, AirPods, MacBooks, and more to help you save where you can. Check them out below.

Mac and MacBook deals


space gray m2 macbook air

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H (save $200)

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

$899 is no longer a particularly uncommon price to see this M2 MacBook Air at, yet we’re no less excited when we see it return to this all-time low price. That’s because for under $1,000 you get impressive M2 power, a 13.6-inch display (trust us, you’ll notice the difference from a 13.3-inch display), and a keyboard that Mashable’s Alex Perry described as “kingly.” Whether you’re a student, looking for a work-from-home workhorse, or looking for an everyday laptop to replace your old, dusty MacBook, we’re willing to bet you’ll be more than happy with the M2 Air.

More Mac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

iPad deals


a gray 2021 10.2-in ipad

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart

Why we like it

Prime Day brought the ninth-generation iPad back down to its $249 low, and Amazon and Walmart have kept it there for two weeks after the sale’s conclusion. Though this isn’t the iPad for you if you’re planning on doing a bunch of gaming or art, for many people this budget-friendly tablet will be more than enough for note-taking and video streaming.

More iPad deals

iPad (10th gen)

iPad (9th gen)

iPad Air

SEE ALSO:

Are we getting new iPads this year? Probably, but they may disappoint you.

iPhone deals


black iphone 14 plus

Credit: Apple


Our pick: iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans (save $799)

Why we like it

The iPhone 15 may be the shiniest new Apple toy, and while the deals on the phone certainly aren’t bad, they are contingent upon you having a decent trade-in. If you feel any doubt in your trade-in power, going for this Verizon deal on the 14 Plus requires none — only that you open a new line on select unlimited plans. Still some hoops, but far fewer to get an $800 phone basically for free.

More iPhone deals

Apple Watch deals


Apple Watch SE

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS + cellular)

$269 at Best Buy (save $30)

Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE is a great option for those who don’t necessarily need all of the pricey bells and whistles that come with other Apple Watch models. You’ll get all the must-have features you need like health tracking, crash detection, Smart Stack, and emergency SOS options. Also, it’s $30 off at Best Buy, and we’ll never turn down a discount on the already-most-affordable Apple Watch.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 9

Series 8

Ultra

More Apple Watch deals

Apple accessories deals


second generation airpods pro

Credit: Apple


Our pick: AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$189 at Walmart (save $60)

Why we like it

Read our full review of the second-generation AirPods Pro.

The AirPods Pro are some of the best noise-canceling buds in the business, and Walmart’s randomly decided to bring them back to their Prime Day (and record-low) pricing this week. At the time of writing, these buds are sold out at Amazon. Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder wrote in his review that these AirPods are “the first pair of earbuds I’d actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones).”

More deals on Apple accessories

Tech / Technology

How to make your iPhone’s light flash when you can’t find it

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If you have both an iPhone and an Apple Watch, you can use the latter to make your phone’s light flash when you can’t find it.
An iPhone 15.

One of the most useful benefits to having an Apple Watch is its ability to ping your iPhone. Phones are notoriously easy to misplace, forcing you to waste time searching for them when you’re just about to head out the door. Fortunately, the Apple Watch has a button you can press that causes your iPhone to make a noise so you can find it.

This Apple Watch feature is relatively well-known. What’s less well-known is that you can also make your lost iPhone flash its light to help you find it more quickly. This feature was originally intended to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing locate their phones, but there’s no reason everyone else can’t benefit from it as well.

Here’s how to remotely make your iPhone flash its light so you can find it.

Total Time

  • 30 seconds
What You Need

  • iPhone
  • Apple Watch

Step 1:
Press the side button on your Apple Watch to open the Control Center.

The side button is located on the right side of your watch, below the Digital Crown. Don’t confuse it with the Action button if you have an Apple Watch Ultra. The Action button is orange, and on the left side of the watch.

Step 2:
Press and hold the Ping your iPhone button.

The Ping your iPhone button is an image of an iPhone with waves radiating for either side of it. The important step here is to hold the button. Simply tapping it will only cause the sound to play without the light.

Your phone will make a sound to alert you to its location, while its flashlight will flash five times. It won’t continue though, so you’ll have to trigger it again if you still haven’t found your device. Mashable’s tests also found that the light won’t flash if your iPhone screen is unlocked — though you probably won’t need the flashing light if it is.