WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2025 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced more than $6 billion in clean energy investments through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) programs. Rural electric cooperatives and communities will use the funding to support thousands of jobs, lower electricity costs for businesses and families, and reduce climate pollution by millions of tons each year.
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USDA Invests in Additional Domestic Biofuels and Clean Energy Projects to Lower Costs and Increase American Energy Security Across the Nation
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2025 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is funding 586 projects to expand access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels.
U.S. Government Releases First National One Health Plan to Protect People, Animals, and Our Environment from Shared Health Threats
U.S. Government releases first national One Health plan to protect from shared health threats.
Here’s What You Should Do If Your Insurance Company Drops Your Fire (or Flood) Coverage
Currently Los Angeles County suffers from apocalyptic scenes of deadly, uncontained wildfires. Unfortunately, insurance doesn’t function like a gas or electric company; even in the face of disaster, insurers aren’t obligated to service your home. Instead, these companies can choose which properties they’re willing to insure based on their risk assessment models. This selective coverage has become increasingly common in areas prone to natural disasters, particularly in regions facing heightened wildfire or flood risks. While getting a cancelation or nonrenewal notice can be stressful, there are a few steps you should take before you accept force-placed insurance. Here’s what you can do.
Immediate steps after receiving a cancelation notice from your insurance company
Make sure you review your notice carefully. Document both the date you received the notice as well as the effective date of cancelation/nonrenewal. Identify the specific reason(s) given for the coverage change, and then check if the notice complies with state notification requirements.
From here, contact your insurance company:
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Request a detailed written explanation if not provided.
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Ask about specific risks or issues that led to their decision.
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Inquire if any property improvements could change their decision.
As always, get all communications in writing for your records. And make sure you understand—and fight for—your rights here. You could be entitled to a grace period, or your state may require insurers to help you find new coverage. If they don’t do these things, document any violations of state insurance laws.
Another place to turn is your mortgage agreement’s insurance requirements. Contact your lender to discuss the situation, and request additional time if needed to secure new coverage.
State-based insurance options
In the face of your coverage dropping you, look into these national and state-based insurance programs:
California FAIR Plan
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Coverage up to $3 million for structures
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Must be combined with a “difference in conditions” policy
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Requires inspection of property
New York FAIR Plan
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Coverage for hard-to-insure properties
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Basic fire and extended coverage
Florida Citizens Property Insurance
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Last-resort coverage for Florida residents
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Must prove inability to find private coverage
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Special assessment risks during major disasters
Texas FAIR Plan
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Basic coverage for qualified properties
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Available after two private market rejections
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Requires property maintenance compliance
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
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Building coverage up to $250,000
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Contents coverage up to $100,000
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Available in participating communities
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Covers direct physical flood damage
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Property must be in NFIP-participating community
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Coverage effective after 30-day waiting period
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Must meet minimum floodplain management standards
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Annual premium based on flood zone and coverage
You can also look into private flood insurance options, which often provide shorter waiting periods—at a higher cost, unfortunately. Whenever you’re looking to buy insurance, you can look into policy bundling, aka combining multiple policies for better rates. In this case, do some research to work with insurers specializing in high-risk properties.
What else to do if you live in a high-risk area
The risk of losing your physical home makes your community, and the people in it, all the more important. Join local disaster preparedness groups and engage in local emergency planning. You could join or start building neighborhood insurance pools, community-based catastrophe insurance, and other sorts of DIY safety nets for when insurance companies fail you.
In terms of your own finances, natural disasters are one of the top reasons to maintain a robust emergency fund. Remember that while losing insurance coverage can be alarming, there are usually multiple options available. The key is to act quickly, understand your rights, and explore all possible alternatives before accepting more expensive or limited coverage options.
If you’re looking to help the tens of thousands have fled their homes in California this week, you can visit redcross.org, donate to support United Way’s efforts here, or the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund here.
What to Bring to the Gym, According to Fitness Instructors
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January is one of my favorite times of year as a spin teacher because I see so many new faces in my classes, and I love helping people set up their bikes, develop a routine, and make the most of their new membership. Even though you go to the gym to use equipment you don’t have at home, part of maximizing the benefits does include bringing some personal items along with you, so I always make sure to offer recommendations for what the ideal gym bag should look like, too. Whether you’re a complete newbie, a seasoned gym rat, a solo trainer, a group fitness enthusiast, or some combination of those, here’s what you should pack, according to instructors and pros.
First: The gym bag itself
I want to start by talking about your gym bag. There are a lot of benefits to having a designated gym bag. First, it’s a motivational push. I’m the kind of person who sets an outfit out before bed every night to make the next morning smoother. Doing that relieves a bunch of stress because I’m not tired and rushed, fumbling through my closet to find something presentable. I feel the same way about setting out my gym bag. When I see it packed and ready to go by the door, I know a big chunk of work is already taken care of so I should just follow through and head out to the gym.
“I like having a backpack ready with my shoes and gym essentials so I don’t have to think of what to pack before a gym session,” says Christina Phipps, a certified group fitness instructor in Bismarck, N.D. “Same thing for early morning workouts: I prep the night before to make the mornings easier.”
Madison Bailey, a NASM-certified personal trainer in New York City, says one of the most important things you can “bring” to the gym—especially if you’re new to working out in public—is some confidence. Even though I have been going to the gym as a member for all of my adult life and as an instructor for the past four years, I still occasionally need to hype myself up. It’s intimidating to see someone you perceive as farther along in their fitness journey than you are or approach an unfamiliar machine for the first time, so whatever you can do to get some confidence and fake it ’til you make it is key. For me, that involves looking and feeling my best, so I use a bag I consider extra cute and actually enjoy bringing with me: A fleece belt bag from Lululemon (currently on sale for $39).
That’s not very big, I know, so if you’re looking for something that can hold all your equipment, accessories, and even clothes and shoes, try the all-time favorite of Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki, the Adidas Defender. Spacious and durable, this thing will hold it all, so you’ll feel prepared the second you enter the gym.
Drinks are next on your gym list
Even if you’ve never gone to the gym a single time in your life (yet!), you know hydration is a key part of any workout, but if you need to hear it from an expert, here’s what Teddy Savage, National Lead Trainer at Planet Fitness, has to say: “Hydration is the single most important thing you should think about before, during, and after your workout. Your muscles, heart, and mind need that cool refreshing H20 to stay at peak performance and help prevent you from getting sluggish when you need that energy.”
Obviously, you need a water bottle and I’m just going to go ahead and tell you right now that my gold-standard pick is the Owala FreeSip. In the same way I use my little Lululemon pouch for a boost of cuteness that makes me want to take it to the gym, Savage suggests choosing a bottle that is “a bold and colorful representation of you,” one that makes you want to carry it proudly. The FreeSip comes in a variety of colors, so no problem there.
I am obsessed with mine at all times of the day, but especially at the gym, where the 24-ounce version fits in the cupholder of every machine, keeps my drinks super cold, and comes in handy with its dual spout, which can function as a standard sipper or by using the attached straw. It opens with the push of a button, so I don’t have to fiddle with fidgety screw tops and can easily get some water down between shouted cues for my classes. If you’re cruising on a cardio machine, you don’t want to waste time or compromise your safety by fumbling with a bottle. Feel free to put a protein shake or some pre-workout powder in there, too, though it’ll take you some time to figure out the exact ones you like and want to pack. Bailey says that in some fitness spaces, you may hear chatter about the value of fasting before a workout, but you can ignore that if you’re a beginner and focus on eating before the gym and making sure you have plenty of water and electrolytes on hand during your session.
Phipps and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to the importance of an oft-overlooked beverage to pack in addition to your water bottle: the humble treat. If you see me in the gym early in the morning, you see a Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee next to me. In the evening, you’ll catch me with an overpriced, decadent smoothie. Spin class attendees occasionally ask me why I’m dual-wielding beverages—especially when one of them has, God forbid, some sugar—and I’ll tell you the same thing I tell them: Because it’s OK to enjoy yourself at the gym. In fact, it’s imperative. Rewarding yourself for hard work is a huge motivator, especially if you’re doing it while you do the hard work. If you start to look at the gym as something you must do without enjoyment and tasty treats as something you can’t have on your wellness journey, you won’t keep going, no matter how well you pack your bag.
What gym pros recommend you pack in your bag
Other than that, what you pack has a lot to do with what your goals are. Bailey advises you should never forget your headphones, which is definitely true: A good playlist can get you through anything, which is why I keep an old pair of earbuds in my bag at all times.
What else I bring depends on my game plan for the day. I almost always have some one-pound ankle or wrist weights in my bag to increase the intensity of whatever I get up to in the cardio room. I also pack my own cable machine attachments, which might seem finicky, but gives me a little peace of mind that I’m not strapping someone else’s sweat directly onto my body. On leg day, this means I bring my own ankle straps for kickbacks, while days set aside for arms or back muscles call for little handles. Another thing I like about bringing my own attachments is that they’re always the same, so I never have to adjust to a new one and change my routine. I’ve also heard stories from friends whose gyms make them rent cable machine attachments or who workout in spaces where the attachments routinely go missing, leaving the machine unusable for everybody. You don’t have to buy a whole set of attachments—although you can for as low as about $40—but having a few of your own for under $20 solves a lot of problems in one go.
“Something that I find to be helpful with people is lifting straps,” adds Bailey, who has been training people one-on-one for four years. “I prefer figure eight straps, but that’s just me. You can’t just drop weight with them, though; you have to control the weight all the way to the ground. I like them because most people are stronger than their grip allows them to realize.”
In that same vein, don’t forget a stretching band, Phipps says. You can use a resistance band for stretching, then keep using it throughout your workout as designed. Sure, your gym likely has these—but I’ve been to plenty of places where they’re in high demand and almost impossible to access during peak hours. It’s small and folds up into your bag, so again, just consider bringing your own. (I also use mine for hip thrusts, placing it over my hips and hanging two dumbbells from the side. It works just as well as putting a full bar over your hips and cuts down the time you may spend waiting for someone else to finish with the bigger bar.)
Also toss a multi-device charger into your bag. We’ve already been over how important it is to remember your headphones, but it’s just as important to keep them charged so they work when you need them, and the same goes for your phone, which plays your music, and your fitness tracker. When I work out without my Apple Watch on, I get really annoyed with myself. As Savage says, “In your mind, it’s almost as if none of that sweat-inducing work even happened,” and even though that’s not really true, it’s still annoying and a setback in its own way, especially if you’re committed to tracking your progress. I keep a three-in-one charger for my AirPods, Apple Watch, and iPhone with me. It’s better to charge for a few minutes in the locker room and start late than to be without the tech you need to enhance your workout.
Finally, Phipps says you should pack your own sweat towel, and I agree. My secret is that I use a Makeup Eraser, which is super soft so it isn’t abrasive, sucks up all moisture immediately, and costs about $14, so it’s comparable to any of the gym-specific towels on the market. It also folds up teeny-tiny into my bag or the cupholder of a cardio machine, which I appreciate.
Instagram Is Going to Start Adding Politics Back Into Your Feed (Here’s How to Block It)
Do you like your Instagram algorithm, but hate that it’s missing political posts from accounts you don’t follow? You’re in luck: Starting this week in the U.S. (and next week for the rest of the world) Meta is going to start adding political content to your recommendations on Instagram and Threads by default.
If you’re thinking, “Hey, didn’t Instagram have the exact opposite approach to this situation last year?” you’d be right. In February of 2024, the company announced it would explicitly not suggest political content from accounts you didn’t follow. Unless you actively sought out this content, you could browse the app in peace, left to check out whatever interests you have outside politics.
However, it is no longer February 2024. January 2025 is a much different place for Instagram, Meta, and the U.S. As Mark Zuckerberg drastically changes policies surrounding what you can say on Meta’s platforms, Instagram (and, by extension, Threads) are making changes as well. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, took to Threads to announce the changes, stating that while he still doesn’t believe Meta should be showing political content to people from accounts they don’t follow, “a lot of people have been very clear that they want this content.”
Indeed, it seems my Instagram settings have already flipped over, while my Threads settings have yet to. (But I have no doubt they will.) Without intervention, you’ll likely start seeing more political content that may anger, upset, worry, or frustrate you. Luckily, there is something you can do about it.
Removing political content from your Instagram and Threads feeds
Let’s start with Instagram: Open your profile, then tap the hamburger menu in the top right. Scroll down to the “What you see” section, then choose “Suggested content.” Here, tap “Political content,” and you’ll find three options: Standard, the default, which shows “some” suggested political content; See more, which shows you more political content, if that’s your jam; and See less, which is the option you want. Despite the option having “less” in the name, Instagram says it will not share political content with you when it recognizes it, so it should be enough to remove most of the content you’d come into contact with.
If it’s not, however, back out of this page, then tap the toggle next to Snooze suggested posts in feed. This will remove this type of content from your feed for the next 30 days. It’s not perfect, but at least you have a month of peace.
Credit: Jake Peterson
These options should be present in much the same way on Threads, but reaching them is a bit different. Again, head to your profile, then tap the hamburger menu. Only this time, choose “Account,” then “Political content.” Right now, I still see the old Suggest political content setting, which is off by default.
The Difference Between Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Sanitizing, According to the CDC
As we muddle through another flu season, keeping things clean remains an effective way to stay healthy. But cleaning alone isn’t always enough when it comes to the microscopic germs that can make us sick—sometimes you have to sanitize and disinfect, as well.
There’s a defined difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, and a right and wrong way to go about them. Here are the highlights, with guidance from the CDC.
Cleaning vs. sanitizing vs. disinfecting
First, let’s discuss the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, as defined by the CDC:
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Cleaning involves physically removing dirt, debris, and (some) germs from surfaces. This is typically done with soap or other cleaners, water, and a little scrubbing (hence the “physical” part). Cleaning only scrapes away some of the germs that can make you sick, but this is often sufficient to stay healthy in general—the germs left on a dinner plate after you wash it in the sink are usually safe as long as you’re in good health.
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Sanitizing greatly reduces the germs on a surface, leaving behind a level that’s considered safe. Most sanitizers kill bacteria, but they aren’t necessarily intended to kill viruses (though they often can kill some).
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Disinfecting kills everything—both bacteria and viruses.
An important distinction to remember is that sanitizers and disinfectants don’t clean very well—that is, they will kill most or all of the germs, but might not do a very good job of removing dirt and debris. If you only use hand sanitizer, for example, your hands might be sanitized, but they might also still be dirty.
When to clean, sanitize, and disinfect
Since cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting are different things, it makes sense that you should treat them as such. Here’s when to do each:
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Clean everything regularly—every day. In fact, the order of germ-killing operations always starts with cleaning (removing debris and dirt), as you can’t as effectively sanitize or disinfect a dirty surface. Cleaning should always comes first when you want to sanitize or disinfect something.
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Sanitize surfaces and objects that touch food or might end up in your mouth after every use when you’re concerned about illnesses.
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Disinfect surfaces if you’re sick (or someone else in the house is sick), or if you or someone in the home has a compromised immune system.
In other words, you normally don’t need to disinfect every day, but you do need to clean and sanitize specific things every day.
Check your product labels
If you want to sanitize or disinfect a surface, you’ll need to use a cleaning product that’s appropriate to the task—but don’t put too much faith in labels. Many sanitizing products will claim they kill 99% or even 99.9% of germs, but this is usually deceptive. What they mean is that they kill 99.9% of certain bacteria and viruses. Even then, they usually don’t give you any information as to the conditions under which those tests were performed under—that is, how thoroughly the surfaces were cleaned or how the product was applied.
That doesn’t mean sanitizers are useless, but it does mean that you shouldn’t assume your home is antiseptic and completely germ-free after you use them. If you want to really kill the most bacteria and viruses as possible, you shouldn’t rely solely on a sanitizing product, even if it has that shiny 99.9% claim.
If you’re disinfecting, make sure you read the label and follow the instructions. Most products require you to leave the disinfectant on the surface for a prolonged period of time (sometimes as long as 20 minutes) to ensure full efficacy. If you just spray and wipe, you’re probably not really disinfecting. If you’re looking at a sanitizer or disinfectant that uses isopropyl alcohol, also make sure it’s a 70% strength mixture (as opposed to a 99% alcohol mixture)—the lower strength, counterintuitively, is the sweet spot for disinfecting.
The Best Products We Saw at CES 2025
CES 2025 presented us with big innovations, outrageous concepts, and impressive solutions to everyday problems. This year, the CNET Group—made up of sibling sites CNET, ZDNET, PCMag, Mashable and Lifehacker—teamed up with the CTA as the official media partner of the Best of CES Awards. Staff experts and editors weighed in, and from those discussions, we’ve chosen the top products and services at CES and awarded them with the official distinction of Best of CES.
To be eligible for this award, the product or service needs to be an exhibitor at CES 2025, and meet one of the following criteria:
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Includes a compelling new concept or idea
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Solves a major consumer problem
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Is new or is an update to an existing product that sets a new bar in performance or quality
Best AI: Nvidia Cosmos AI model
Credit: Nvidia
CES 2025 was packed with AI tech, but Nvidia Cosmos wins in our book, since it might be what the next big things in AI, robotics, and autonomous vehicles are powered by. Cosmos takes 3D models of spaces in the real world, and, through generative AI, turns them into photo-realistic videos to train robots and self-driving cars. It solves a big problem with AI training data: Traditionally, robots require a huge amount of training data to continuously improve. Cosmos, however, can generate that training data with AI, continuously feeding the training sets for new products. Cosmos will likely run best on Nvidia chips, but the company wants to open-source the code and put it on Github.
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Runner-up: Gemini for Google TV
Best transportation/mobility: Honda 0 Series
Credit: Honda
Honda’s futuristic 0 Series SUV and Sedan are nearly here. The company plans to release these vehicles in North America by 2026, and will be made on Honda’s new battery platform in Ohio. If you pick one up, you should expect to be able to charge up your car in 10 to 15 minutes. 0 Series runs Honda’s ASIMO OS on a new AI chip, with the end goal of powering Level 3 self-driving.
The 0 Series we saw at CES should be pretty close to what Honda releases, unlike some of the other prototype designs shown off. We don’t know how much it will cost, but we’re excited about where Honda is going with its EV program.
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Runner-up: BMW Panoramic iDrive with Operating System X
Best laptop: Asus Zenbook A14
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
The Asus Zenbook A14’s 2.2-pound design makes it obviously portable, but Asus manages to add a 30 hour-long battery life and some extra features to the package. The Ceraluminum chassis is durable (from the aluminum) and scratch-resistant (from the ceramic), not to mention 100% recyclable. The laptop ships with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip, which makes it a Copilot+ PC. You can expect AI features like summarization, text generation, photo editing, and using natural language to search for media. This Zenbook comes with both USB-C and HDMI 2.1, as well as fun tap-and-slide controls for volume, brightness, and track selection. The OLED display impressed our team, and the whole package seems fairly priced at $1,099 (X Elite), or $899 for the X Plus (coming in March).
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Runner-up: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable
Best TV/home theater: LG G5 OLED TV
Credit: James Martin/CNET
The LG G5 was the TV that impressed us most at this year’s CES, and is the front-runner for the highest quality TV of 2025. Its OLED display is 40% brighter for 2025, with better contrast in bright lighting when compared to the G4—one of our favorites of 2024. The remote is improved, while the TV keeps the gallery design that makes it look nearly bezel-less. You might be temped by the M5 wireless TV, as it has the same quality display, but that wireless tech makes it much more expensive.
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Runner-up: Hisense 116UX
Best smart home/home tech: Roborock Saros Z70
Credit: Roborock
The Roborock Saros Z70 is a vacuum-mop hybrid, but it can do a lot more than that. Thanks to a new mechanical arm, the bot can pick up and put away socks off the floor. Plus, it’s no prototype: The Saros Z70 will be available to consumers in April. Its vacuum has 22,000 Pa of suction power, which makes it among the most powerful robovacs out there. That won’t come cheap: This model costs about $2,000. But our hope is it starts a trend where we see less expensive models hit the market.
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Runner-up: BioLite Complete
Best sustainability: Flint Paper Battery
Credit: Katie Collins/CNET
Have you ever seen a battery made out of paper before? Flint brought one it made to CES—a more sustainable, scalable, and affordable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. It all comes down to cellulose, which lets ions transfer between the node and cathode of the battery. Better yet, the battery can be sized down to just about whatever size you need, such as a coin battery or the strap of a smartwatch. When you’re finished with them, they don’t end up in a landfill: They decompose in six weeks.
Best gaming: Lenovo Legion Go S
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
Like many PC handheld consoles, the Lenovo Legion Go S runs Windows 11. But what makes this model stand out is the other operating system it is compatible with: Valve’s SteamOS. That makes it the only non-Valve portable to run this OS, making it a true Steam Deck competitor. It sadly doesn’t have the detachable controllers of the Legion Go, and has a smaller lower-res display, but it has a lot else going for it: two USB-4 port on top of the console, Hall Effect joysticks to prevent drifting, and an interior that better supports upgrading the storage. This will be the least expensive Legion Go device when it launches in May, at $600.
Best wellness/fitness tech: Ozlo Sleepbuds
Credit: Jake Peterson
Ozlo’s Sleepbuds impressed us by not only offering comfortable earbuds for sleeping, but ones that can potentially enhance the quality of your sleep as well. The Sleepbuds are designed to be flush with your ear, which means you can sleep on your side without feeling them pressing into you. The design also prevents them from falling out of your ear. In addition, the Sleepbuds have a number of slumber-specific perks, including biometric sensors in the earbuds that can track your sleep, sensors in the case that can identify potential sleep interruptions in your room, an in-ear alarm that won’t wake up a sleeping partner, and 10-hour battery life, so you won’t wake up to a dead battery notification. You can even play sound directly from the Sleepbuds without connecting to another Bluetooth device, which means you don’t have to look at your phone before going to bed. They earn an official Best of CES award this year for wellness tech.
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Runner-up: YoctoMat
Best mobile: HMD OffGrid
Credit: HMD
If you have a brand new smartphone—say, an iPhone 16 or Google Pixel 9—you may have access to satellite communications, which lets you contact emergency services and other contacts when there’s no cellular signal available. For most of us, however, these features don’t exist on our phones, and if reception goes down, we’re out of luck. HMD’s new OffGrid accessory aims to fix this: With a $200 dongle, you can send texts and contact emergency services on any iPhone or Android device. However, you’ll also need to subscribe to the monthly service, which runs $80 per year.
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Runner-up: TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper
Best privacy and security: Ultraloq Bolt Mission UWB Plus NFC
Credit: Maria Diaz/ZDNET
The Ultraloq Bolt Mission is the first smart lock on the market that supports ultra-wideband technology. With that, the lock can sense within inches when you’re approaching the door, whether you’re approaching from inside or outside your home, and can unlock without you having to touch the lock at all. If that fails for whatever reason, it has NFC for tap-to-unlock, a keypad, and a traditional key. It’s protected by 128-bit AES data encryption, IP65 weather resistance, BHMA Level 1-certified durability, and it supports wifi, Matter, Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung SmartThings. Plus, you only need to worry about changing the battery once a year.
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Runner-up: Lockly Prestige Duet Series
Best weirdest/most unexpected: Kirin Electric Salt Spoon
Credit: Jake Peterson
The Kirin Electric Salt Spoon generated quite a bit of attention at CES this year. The idea is this: The spoon sends an electric current to your tongue to create the illusion that your food tastes saltier. In theory, it’s a great concept, and could enable people who need to cut down on their sodium levels to enjoy food as they wish to. However, our team experienced mixed results with the spoon. Hopefully by the time it’s available in the United States, things will be more consistent.
Best overall: Nvidia Cosmos
Credit: Nvidia
While plenty of tech this year impressed us, the overall winner had to be Nvidia Cosmos. Cosmos is actively solving a problem with how robots can continue improving, and we expect it to power the next big things in tech. Nvidia is already partnering with Toyota to build next-generation self-driving cars, showing that the industry sees the potential here as well.
How to Delete (or Deactivate) Your Instagram Account
This week, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced it is scaling back its fact-checking program in favor of “Community Notes” and either strengthening free speech on the platforms (if you ask Mark Zuckerberg) or loosening protections against hate speech (if you’re someone who doesn’t think it should be OK to suggest being a member of the LGBTQ community is a mental illness). Instagram and Threads will also soon be tossing more political content into your feeds whether you want it or not, a change that is not going over well with some users.
Whether you’re troubled by these policy changes, or you’re just trying to live up to your New Year’s resolution to stay off Isocial media, there are a few ways to make a break from Meta’s offerings. The most obvious is the nuclear option: account deletion. If that sounds too permanent to you, you can also simply deactivate your account, giving you the option to return to it later.
Here is what to consider before making the choice, as well as instructions for each option.
Before you delete or deactivate your Instagram, download your data
Before I get into how to deactivate or delete an Instagram, here’s some free advice: Download your Instagram data before you do either.
You can do this by going to your profile and hitting the three-line menu in the top right (on mobile) or bottom left (on desktop). From there, choose “Your activity,” scroll all the way to the bottom, and select “Download your information.” On the next pages, you’ll be prompted to select exactly what Meta accounts you want to download from. If you have Facebook or Threads in addition to Instagram, for example, you’ll see all of those options.
Credit: Screenshot by Joel Cunningham
On the next screen, you can choose to download “All available information” (all of your images, comments, etc., but not pictures on other accounts in which you have been tagged), or choose “Some of your information,” which will allow you to check off a list of items you want to save.
Credit: Screenshot by Joel Cunningham
On the next screen, you can choose a date range for your download. (If you want everything, select “All time.”) Select “Notify” to choose where you’ll receive a download link when your information is ready (you’ll have to choose from the addresses previously associated with your account). You can also choose the “Format” for your data—HTML, which will let you view your pictures, posts, etc. offline as they appear on the web version of Instagram; or JSON, which will make it easier to upload the data to a different site.
Even if you’re just deactivating, it’s always good to have a copy of your data, just in case something goes wrong with your account—plus you might want to look back on it while your account is offline (or especially if you delete it).
How to deactivate Instagram
Now, onto the deactivation. From that same three-line menu you tapped before, choose “Accounts Center.” Next, you’ll hit “Personal details,” then “Account ownership and control.” You’ll see a button for “Deactivation or deletion.”
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Meta
Depending how many other accounts you have linked under your main one, you may see a few options here, just as you did when downloading your data. I, for instance, see my personal Facebook, one of my anon Instagram accounts, and my primary Instagram account. Select the one you want to deactivate.
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Meta
Deactivating means that your profile will basically disappear from public view. I know people who do this all the time, only to reinstate their accounts when they’re ready to reengage. When you deactivate, everyone who follows you will have their following count go down by one, but no one will be directly notified that you’re the one who deactivated.
Once deactivated, your account will no longer be searchable. To everyone else, it will be like you don’t exist—but you’ll be able to log back in at any time and reinstate your account, along with all of your previous posts. If you just want a little break from the app or you’re not really sure you want to delete it, this is your best option.
How to delete your Instagram account
The steps for deletion are the same as the steps for deactivation. From that same three-line menu you tapped to download your data, choose “Accounts Center.” Next, you’ll hit “Personal details,” then “Account ownership and control.” You’ll see a button for “Deactivation or deletion.” It looks like this:
Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/Meta
Only select “Delete account” from this screen if you are sure you want to zero out the whole account forever.
Once you’ve deleted your account, you can’t recover it. Your username will be freed up for someone else to use. Your photos, videos, DMs, saved posts, archived posts, and highlights will all be wiped. There’s no coming back. Adios. Farewell. Goodbye to all that, and best wishes for improved mental health (or at least more free time) going forward.
Samsung’s The Frame TV Is up to $1,000 Off Right Now
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The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), is in full swing, displaying some exciting tech products you’ll be able to have in your hands over the next year and beyond—but don’t forget that this is also one of the best times to shop for last year’s flagship models. After the announcement of a Pro version of The Frame TV, the 2024 versions dropped in price. The 43-inch The Frame from 2024 is on sale for $797.99 (originally $997.99), the lowest price it has been, according to price tracking tools. The bigger sizes are also discounted, going up to $1,000 off for the 85-inch class.
Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker.
43-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D
$797.99
at Amazon
$997.99
Save $200.00
Save $200.00
$797.99
at Amazon
$997.99
Save $200.00
Save $200.00
Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker.
50-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D
$897.99
at Amazon
$1,297.99
Save $400.00
Save $400.00
$897.99
at Amazon
$1,297.99
Save $400.00
Save $400.00
Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker.
55-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D
$997.99
at Amazon
$1,497.99
Save $500.00
Save $500.00
$997.99
at Amazon
$1,497.99
Save $500.00
Save $500.00
Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker.
65-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D
$1,597.99
at Amazon
$1,997.99
Save $400.00
Save $400.00
$1,597.99
at Amazon
$1,997.99
Save $400.00
Save $400.00
Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker.
75-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D
$1,997.99
at Amazon
$2,997.99
Save $1,000.00
Save $1,000.00
$1,997.99
at Amazon
$2,997.99
Save $1,000.00
Save $1,000.00
Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker.
85-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D
$3,297.99
at Amazon
$4,297.99
Save $1,000.00
Save $1,000.00
$3,297.99
at Amazon
$4,297.99
Save $1,000.00
Save $1,000.00
Samsung’s The Frame smart TVs have come a long way since their 2017 release. Launched to appeal to the crowd that wants a big TV but doesn’t want that TV to dominate their decor, its main feature is an anti-reflection matte display that took the “framed artwork” aspect to new levels—and with 4K picture quality. As the name implies, the allure of this TV is that it can double as a digital art frame, with its anti-glare matte display and customizable frame.
I first saw the 2022 version up close when it was released, admittedly having been fooled by my brother into thinking it was an actual painting (it really does look like one). The matte screen does a good job of making the TV seem like a painting, and it’s great for bright rooms that might otherwise get a lot of glare from the screen. That version had an “average” review from PCMag due mainly to poor contrast and its price. However, the new 2024 version is the latest generation of this series and has notable improvements.
You’ll get an improved refresh rate of 120Hz, the same QLED display, and 4K resolution with a Quantum 4K processor. You can buy frames separately to your taste, and even design them with a Harry Potter theme, like this guy on TikTok did.