Whether you're an academically inclined student looking for study hacks, or a more creative person who's just looking to work smarter instead of harder, there are lots of little ways to make getting through school a little easier. Even as students deal with increased competition and rising costs, you can make life just a little bit easier with each of these hacks.

Make the most of student discounts

Everyone knows about student discounts on laptops, streaming platforms, and some productivity services. However, there are plenty of other great deals for students that aren't as widely known. For instance, you can get a Setapp subscription for 50% off as a student, which gives you a year of access to over 200 Mac apps. You can also get some great deals such as scoring a free year of Google's Gemini Pro if you're a U.S. college student (the offer expires on January 31, 2026).

If your college provides you with a .edu email address, that's an easy way to score student discounts with practically every digital service. Some institutions let you keep that email address even after you graduate, as long as you keep the account active. You can also keep your student ID after graduation to get a few more discounts. Although it's not always considered ethical to get student discounts when you're working, this method could help you tide over a difficult time financially, as rent and bills tend to hit a lot harder when you're working on a low wage at the start of your career.

3D printing is sometimes better than buying

I've visited a few universities that have 3D printers their students can use for free (my editor went to one). If that's the case with your college, then you can use it to save yourself a bit of money by 3D printing objects you'd otherwise end up buying. These can include desk lamps, phone stands, small desk organizers, and much more. If you're mechanically savvy, you can even print small car parts that are expensive or hard to find.

Even if your university doesn't have a 3D printer, it's not too hard to find stores or websites where you can upload a design and get the finished product shipped to you. Quite often, 3D printing is a lot cheaper than buying new or even used items. You can check out the FunctionalPrints community and Makerworld for great 3D printing ideas, and often, downloadable design models. This means that you can take the design to a 3D printer near you and get it printed easily.

Consider writing your notes by hand

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I had a rough time studying in high school, as I got distracted immersing myself in novels, video games, and the internet. When I started college, I noticed that my focus time was lower when I was using computers to study. So, I switched to writing notes by hand ,and it was like a switch flipped in my brain. When I read those notes ahead of exams, I was able to recall the parts of the class I wrote them down in, which noticeably improved my scores.

I took the GMAT exam a few years ago and I got a pretty decent score all thanks to handwriting all of my notes, and solving all math problems by hand. I'm not a gifted math student, and in spite of that, I did pretty well in the math exam, only because I avoided using my iPad or Mac for studies. Of course, I used those devices to read textbooks, but I did all my note-taking and problem solving by hand.

While I prefer old-school methods like pen and paper to handwrite notes, you can also use modern technology to your advantage here. An iPad with an Apple Pencil, or something like the reMarkable tablet, can make a great study tool. The reMarkable uses an e-ink screen that mimics real paper, which makes it feel far more like an actual notebook than using an iPad.

Use meditation apps to reduce anxiety

While exercise is my number 1 recommendation to anyone who's looking to relieve anxiety, it's not always possible to make time for workouts during busy periods as a student. If you're in this boat, I highly recommend using a free meditation app to reduce anxiety and focus better on studies. During my GMAT prep, I was confronting multiple demons at once. I was quite scared of math, tests, and had a crippling fear of failure. I had a 40-minute train ride back from work and I used it to do a 20-minute guided meditation on Headspace's free tier.

Doing this for a few weeks helped me calm down immensely. On the day of the test, I remember being completely unfazed by the difficult questions, and I was able to follow all the exam strategies my tutor had suggested. My score was a lot higher than what I was expecting, and most of it was down to getting my anxiety out of the way. You can use any free meditation app to get started. Remember that you don't need to sit under a tree in the forest to meditate. You can start wherever you are.

Try a few different study methods

I must admit that I really didn't know about any study methods when I went to university, and I just did whatever helped me remember things. Working at Lifehacker has been an eye-opening experience in many ways, and one of those is learning that you can actually use more than one method to grasp difficult subjects. My colleague Lindsey Ellefson has written at length about the best study methods, and you should definitely give it a read to see if a different study method can help you.

I'm now a big fan of the Feynman method, which says that once you've finished studying a topic, you should explain it to someone who knows nothing about it. If you're able to do this and answer follow-up questions the person has, then it means you know the subject pretty well. If not, it's time to study again. I generally don't encourage using AI too much to study, but you can tell ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini that you're using the Feynman method to study a concept, and explain what you've learned. These tools will help you identify what you've explained correctly and ask decent follow-up questions to help you deepen your understanding of the subject.

Try flashcard apps for faster learning

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Pretty much every student has used flashcards to study in school, but it's not easy to keep making flashcards for every subject when you have way too much to study. This is when it's a good idea to outsource the work to flashcard study apps. These are great tools to commit things to memory, and particularly useful when you're trying to learn a new language, memorize chess openings, or if you're studying for exams.

You can try Brainscape if you want pre-made flashcards, which eliminates the effort of generating the cards, too. It's great both for students prepping for a specific exam and for adults learning different skills. The variety of pre-made cards is vast, and you probably won't ever have to make any cards on the app. The free tier lets you use text, and the paid version lets you access audio, images, removes limits on studying, and many more useful features. It costs $20/month, $96/year, or $200 for a lifetime membership.

Don't forget the Pomodoro technique

At times, the simplest advice is the best. I only learned about the Pomodoro technique after I started working, and I still wish I'd known about it during my student days. The concept is simple: Follow a schedule where you study or work on a project for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. Rinse and repeat until your large task is done. The work and break time intervals should be changed based on what works best for you.

If you like the idea of using a dedicated app to follow this technique, you should consider FocusPomo, which has a solid 4.5/5 score in Lifehacker's review. The biggest downside of this app is that you still have to check your phone to use it, and if that's a no-go for you, then you can try alternatives such as following this 3-hour Pomodoro study video or using a Pomodoro app that works in your desktop browser, such as My Study Life.

Block distractions to focus better

Credit: Lindsey Ellefson

You should definitely use a distraction blocker app to stop doomscrolling and focus on what you need to do. Be it studying, journaling, meditation, or any other hobby you're fond of, using distraction blocking tools can help you focus at a time when every major internet company is out to get your attention. You can try tools such as Cold Turkey or StayFocusd, both of which let you block distracting websites for free. Similarly, Steppin is a great distraction blocking tool for your smartphone.

Befriend the power nap

When you're focused on studies, don't neglect the importance of a healthy sleep cycle. Ideally, you want to use the wind down feature on your phone to remind you that it's time to stop using all apps and get to bed. On iPhones and Android phones, you can also quickly switch to grayscale mode at bedtime, which is another way to trick your brain into getting off the screen. I find that I sleep better when all my gadgets aren't right next to my bed.

But more than that, I highly recommend taking a power nap when you're tired. Sometimes, I get home from a long day and I feel too tired to do much. If I'm able to take a 30-minute nap, I often wake up refreshed and feeling a lot better. Adding a little bit of rest to your day can make a big difference to your ability to get things done, so you should consider adding power naps to your day.

In case you find it hard to relax and sleep, I've had good results with progressive muscle relaxation. It's a simple technique that requires you to tense and relax various muscles in your body, which in turn helps you relax enough to go to sleep. The Insight Timer app has a great guided relaxation exercise by Shinzen Young, which I've used more often than I can count.

Consider a change in location

Once again, this may sound like simple advice, but it's incredibly effective. Whenever I've found it hard to study or complete assignments at home, it's always helped to go sit at a library or a cafe to get work done. A lot depends on how good the public libraries are in your locality, but even if that's not an option for you, try to see if you can go to a friend's place or anywhere other than your usual place for assignments. Sometimes, a change in environment can help you get work done faster.

If that doesn't help break a pattern of procrastination, then you can consider gamifying the process. You can use Stickk as a motivational tool to stick to your goals. The app makes you commit to donating money or posting on social media if you don't meet your goals, which is one way to put something real on the line as a penalty for not honoring your commitment. There are plenty of tools to help you stay on track with your commitments to hobbies or academics, so there's bound to be one that works for you.

SoundSource, my preferred volume control app on the Mac, just got a major upgrade. The developer, Rogue Amoeba, recently released SoundSource 6 for Mac, which adds support for AirPlay devices, per-app equalizers, output device groups, and much more. It's an incredibly polished app packed with features, but my favorite feature is its ability to turn any random group of earbuds and speakers into a multi-room audio setup.

Multi-room audio with SoundSource 6

Credit: Pranay Parab

You can use SoundSource 6 to create a group of audio output devices, including Bluetooth speakers, wired headphones, AirPods, AirPlay speakers, and literally any other audio device your Mac can connect to. Then, you can send audio from any app to all of these devices at the same time, making for the ideal multi-room audio setup. I've used this to play Apple Music songs simultaneously on my AirPods, Bluetooth speakers, my Mac's speaker, and my HomePod. It's a great way to get music playing throughout your whole house.

To get started, click SoundSource's menu bar icon to open the app, and click the drop-down menu next to any app's volume slider. You'll see a button called Create Output Group or Edit Output Groups. Click this button and select New Group. You can now add as many audio devices as you want to the group.

In theory, you could also use this to chain a bunch of Bluetooth speakers from different brands to enjoy a more immersive audio experience while watching a movie, but in practice, latency makes the experience less than ideal. Even a slight lag in one of the speakers can ruin an immersive audio experience, but that's not SoundSource's fault. It's a difficult job to get multiple speakers from different brands, which use different audio output standards, to work as a perfect surround sound setup. Given the barriers in place, SoundSource does an admirable job with its task.

I found that the multi-room audio feature works best when you're listening to music with one speaker in each room. That way, the slight latency won't bother you at all, and you can have music to keep you company as you run through household chores.

AirPlay support is great to have

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As someone who's used SoundSource since 2017, I've always missed the ability to send audio to AirPlay devices. Until recently, Rogue Amoeba had left that feature to another of its apps—Airfoil. However, SoundSource's latest release adds support for AirPlay devices, which means that you can finally use it to send audio from any app on your Mac to a HomePod, Apple TV, or other AirPlay-enabled device.

I use SoundSource to redirect audio from certain apps to specific speakers, and with AirPlay support, I can send music straight to my HomePod, while restricting notification sounds from messaging apps to the Mac's built-in speakers.

Per-app EQ is a big deal

Credit: Pranay Parab

I first started using SoundSource for its ability to let you set a custom volume level for each app on your Mac. I used this to reduce the volume of notifications from Messages and Slack, while keeping sounds from other apps at a higher level. SoundSource 6 has added another layer to this feature by shipping a per-app equalizer, which lets you set a different sound profile for every single app you use. It ships with nearly two dozen EQ presets for you to choose from. You can choose one EQ preset for music streaming apps and a different one for the apps you use to watch movies. You can locate this feature by clicking the right-arrow button under the FX section in SoundSource.

Set a custom audio level for each device

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SoundSource also lets you set a custom volume level for each audio device your Mac is connected to. This lets me reduce the volume on a particularly loud Bluetooth speaker I own, while keeping my Mac's speaker volume a little higher. The app also allows you to set a maximum volume limit for each audio device, which you should use for two reasons: To prevent hearing loss if you're using headphones, and to avoid damaging your speakers. I've accidentally damaged a speaker by keeping it at 100% volume for a few hours in an outdoor venue, which isn't what the speaker was designed for. Since then, I've shied away from running speakers at full volume, and you can use the maximum volume limit feature here to help with that.

To use this feature, open SoundSource and click the speaker icon in the top-right corner. This will show you all your input and output devices. Select any device and locate the Output tab in the right pane. Here, move the Max Volume slider to an acceptable limit.

More features

Credit: Pranay Parab

SoundSource 6 has many other new features that make it worth the upgrade. You can set a preferred device order to ensure that your Mac doesn't accidentally connect to the wrong audio devices. I use this to set my AirPods as my preferred speaker, followed by my HomePod, my Mac's own speakers, and my Bluetooth speaker comes in last. The app also allows you to add volume controls for individual apps to the menu bar, which means that you can control the audio level of Chrome, Music, Spotify, or any other app without opening the main SoundSource window. This is great for the times when you only want to adjust a single app's volume.

There's also a neat feature where SoundSource can set your AirPods to 'output-only' mode, which means that every app will use the Mac's built-in mic for input and send the audio to the AirPods. Rogue Amoeba says this improves audio quality on the AirPods significantly.

There are many such quality-of-life improvements in this app, which made it an easy decision for me to buy its sixth version. If you've never used SoundSource before, you'll have to pay $49 to use the app. There is a trial mode that lets you try the app for up to 20 minutes for free, after which it degrades the audio. Those upgrading from previous versions of SoundSource can get the updated app for $25.

The internet has become a vital tool for human connection, but it comes with its fair share of risks, with the biggest being your privacy and security. With the big tech giants hungry for every ounce of your data they can get and scammers looking to target you every day, you do need to take a few precautions to protect your online privacy and security. There's no foolproof approach to these two things, and unfortunately, the onus is on you to take care of your data.

Before you start looking for a VPN or ways to delete your online accounts, you should take a moment to understand your privacy and security needs. Once you do, it'll be a lot easier to take a few proactive steps to safeguard your privacy and security on the internet. Sadly, there's no "set it and forget it" solution for this, but I'm here to walk you through some useful hacks that can apply to whatever risks you might be facing.

Don't use real information, unless you have to

When you install an app on your phone, you'll often be bombarded with pop-ups asking for permission to access your contacts, location, notifications, microphone, camera, and many other things. Some are necessary, while most are not. The formula I use is to deny every permission unless it's absolutely necessary to the app's core function. Similarly, when you're creating a profile anywhere online, you should avoid giving out any personal information unless it's absolutely necessary.

You don't have to use your legal name, real date of birth, or an email address with your real name on most apps you sign up for. Some sites also still use antiquated password recovery methods such as security questions that ask for your mother's maiden name. Even in these fields, you don't have to reveal the truth. Every bit of information that you put on the internet can potentially be exposed in a breach. It's best to use information that's either totally or partially fake to safeguard your privacy.

You can remove yourself from Google search results

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If your personal information is easily available on Google, and you want to get it removed, you can send Google a request to remove it. Check Google's support page for how to remove results to see specific instructions for your case. For most people, the simplest way to remove results about yourself is to go to Google's Results About You page, sign in, and follow the instructions on screen.

Use email aliases to identify where your data was leaked from

Most modern email services let you create unlimited aliases, which means that you don't need to reveal your primary email address each time you sign up for a new service. Instead of signing up with realemail@gmail.com, you can use something like realemail+sitename@gmail.com. Gmail lets you create unlimited aliases using this method, and you can use that to identify who leaked your data. If you suddenly start getting a barrage of spam to a particular alias, you'll know which site sold your data.

Your photos reveal a lot about you

When you take a photo, the file for it contains a lot of information about you. By default, all cameras will store EXIF (exchangeable image format) data, which logs when the photo was taken, which camera was used, and photo settings. You should remove exif data from photos before posting them on the internet. If you're using a smartphone to take photos, it'll also log the location of each image, which can be used to track you. While social media sites may sometimes remove location and exif data from your pictures, you cannot always rely on these platforms to protect your privacy for you.

You should take a few steps to strip exif data before uploading images. The easiest way to get started is to disable location access for your phone's camera app. On both iPhone and Android, you can open the Settings app, navigate to privacy settings or permissions, and deny location access to Camera. This will mean that you won't be able to search for a location in your photos app and identify all photos taken there, and you'll also lose out on some fun automated slideshows that Apple and Google create. However, it also means that your privacy is protected. You can also use apps to quickly hide faces and anonymize metadata from photos.

While you're at it, don't forget that screenshots can also leak sensitive information about you. Some types of malware steal sensitive information from screenshots, so be sure to periodically delete those, too.

Think about what you use AI for

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Nearly every single AI tool is mining your data to improve its services. Sometimes, this means it's using everything you type or upload. At other times, it could be using things you've written, photos or videos you've posted, or any other media you've ever uploaded to the internet, to train its AI models. There's not much you can do about mass data scraping off the internet, but you can and should be careful with your usage of AI tools. You can sometimes stop AI tools from perpetually using your data, but relying on these companies to honor those settings toggles is like relying on Meta to keep your data private. It's best to avoid revealing any personal information to any AI service, regardless of how strong a connection you feel with it. Just assume that anything you send to an AI service can, and probably will, be used to train AI models or even be sold to advertising companies.

You can delete information stored with data brokers

Yes, big companies like Facebook or TikTok can track you even if you don't have an account with them. Data brokers collect vast troves of information about your internet visits, and sell it to advertisers or literally anyone who's willing to pay. To limit the damage, you can start by following Lifehacker's guide to blocking companies from tracking you online. Next, you can go ahead and opt out of data collection by data brokers. If that's not enough, you can also use services that remove your personal information from data broker sites.

A VPN isn't always the right answer

Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking that using a VPN will protect you from most of the tracking on the internet. That may be true in some cases, but using a VPN 24/7 is not the right approach for most people. For starters, it just routes all your traffic via the VPN company's servers, which means that you need to place your trust in the company's promises not to log your information, and its ability to keep your data safe and private. It also won't protect you from the types of data leaks that might happen from, say, publicly posting photos tagged with location data.

Many VPN providers claim to be able to protect you, but there are downsides to consider. Some companies such as Mullvad and Proton VPN have earned a solid reputation for privacy, but using a VPN all the time can create more problems than it solves. Your internet speed slows down a lot, streaming services may not work properly, and lots of sites may not load at all because they block VPN IP addresses. In most cases, you'll probably be better off if you use adblockers and an encrypted DNS instead.

Try a different combination of privacy tools

For most people, ad blockers are a good privacy tool. Even though Google is cracking down on ad blockers, there are ways to get around those restrictions. I highly recommend using uBlock Origin, which also has a mobile version now. Once you've settled on a good ad blocker, you should consider also using a good DNS service to filter out trackers, malware, and phishing sites on a network level.

Having a DNS service is like having a privacy filter for all your internet traffic, whether it's on your phone, laptop, or even your router. I've been using NextDNS for a few years, but you can also try AdGuard DNS or ControlD. All of these services have a generous free tier, but you can optionally pay a small annual fee for more features.

Use a good firewall for your computer

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Almost all apps these days send telemetry data to remote servers. This isn't too much of a problem if you only use apps from trusted sources, and can help with things like automatic software updates. But malicious apps or even poorly managed ones may be more open with your data than you would like.

You can restrict some of that by using a good firewall app. This lets you monitor incoming and outgoing internet traffic from your device, and restrict devices from sending unwanted data to the internet. Blocking these requests can hamper some useful features, like those automatic app updates, but they can also stop apps from unnecessarily sending data to online servers. There are some great firewall apps for Mac and for Windows, and you should definitely consider using these for better online privacy.

Switch to a good password manager

I've probably said this a million times, but I will repeat my advice: use a good password manager. You may think it's a bit annoying, but this single step is the easiest way to greatly improve your security on the internet. Password managers can take the hassle of remembering passwords away from you, and they'll also generate unique passwords that are hard to crack. Both Bitwarden and Apple Passwords (which ships with your Mac, iPhone, and iPad) are free to use, and excellent at their job. Go right ahead and start using them today. I guarantee that you won't regret it.

The term 'Mac power user' is a bit vague and almost sounds exclusionary, but I'm here to tell you that if you regularly use your Mac, you absolutely are a power user. You don't need to exclusively be using command line tools or keyboard shortcuts to be a power user. Even though I use my Mac all day, every single day, I keep discovering new shortcuts, awesome apps I'd never heard of, or just general tips that I hadn't come across until now.

So, if that sounds like you, you absolutely are a Mac power user, and I'm here to share some tips that have helped me optimize my workflow over the past few years. From setting up automation routines to save time, to a faster way to launch apps, there's something in this guide for everyone who uses a Mac.

Spotlight Search is your best friend

Spotlight Search is one of the most underrated tools on the Mac. Even though I've had a fair share of complaints with its occasional sluggishness, it's still my go-to for so many things. You can fire it up by pressing Command-Space on the keyboard, and use it for everything from launching apps to converting currencies. Just open Spotlight and type 100GBP (or any other currency), and you'll see it convert that to your local currency automatically. You can also use it to convert imperial units to metric, create calendar events, search for files, or create shortcut actions.

And if it still doesn't suit your workflow, you can always replace Spotlight with a better alternative such as Alfred or Raycast.

Try advanced Spotlight features

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If you've upgraded to macOS 26 Tahoe, you'll notice that Spotlight is slightly better than before. It now allows you to do two things it didn't before—check your clipboard history, and create shortcuts to execute common actions. You can enable clipboard history by going to System Settings > Spotlight > Results from Clipboard, and access it by using the keyboard shortcut Command-Space-4.

As for automation, Spotlight has a new feature that lets you add quick keys to speed up common actions. You can press Command-Space-3 to open the Actions tab in Spotlight, and you'll see a list of supported actions. Next to some, you'll see a button called Add quick keys. Press this button and you can set up a keyboard shortcut to execute it. As an example, I've set up "sm" as the keyboard shortcut to send a message. The moment I type it and select the action via Spotlight, it allows me to type a message and send it to anyone from my contacts without opening the Messages app. Feel free to set up as many quick keys as you want and use Spotlight as your gateway to different actions within apps.

Use an app to control per-app volume

One of the most common annoyances with the Mac is that it doesn't easily let you set a different volume level for each app. If you find that app notifications are too loud and getting in the way of your video viewing experience, the easiest workaround is to use an app to set a custom volume level for different apps. The free Background Music app does a decent job with this, and if you're willing to pay for a much more polished experience, you should get SoundSource ($45).

Optimize your window tiling setups

macOS didn't have any useful window management features for very long, but now it has some good basic options. You can try pressing fn-ctrl-left arrow or right arrow to move windows around, or just drag an app's window to the left or right edge of the screen to see tiling options. You also have the option of hovering your mouse pointer over the green button to the top-left of any app's window, where you'll see lots of options to arrange windows. There are some window tiling settings available under System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Windows, too, so be sure to check them out.

While macOS' built-in window tiling features work just fine, the implementation isn't as polished as that on third-party apps, which also offer lots of advanced features that Apple does not. Free window management apps such as Loop and Rectangle offer many more window positioning and layout options. If you're willing to pay, apps such as Moom ($15) and Rectangle Pro ($10) are even better, as they have support for precise custom layouts, and handling multi-display setups, too.

Make the most of your Mac's display notch

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Newer MacBooks have a notch in the display, which is a design choice Apple made to give you a larger screen without increasing the size of the MacBook. The notch looks like dead space on your MacBook, but some apps add a ton of useful features to this space. You can have things like music controls, calendars, battery status indicators, AirPods connectivity indicators, and more sitting right in your Mac's display notch. Alcove ($15) is my favorite app for this, as it brings the iPhone's Dynamic Island to your Mac. It shows you when your Mac enters a Focus mode, highlights volume and brightness changes, and when AirPods are connected. It also has gesture-based music playback controls, and much more. But if you just want music controls, you can get Tuneful ($5), which does that job quite well and costs a lot less.

The Option key hides a treasure trove of features

The humble Option key on your Mac's keyboard holds the secret to many hidden features. Hold the Option key and click the clock icon in your Mac's menu bar. You'll notice that this toggles Do Not Disturb mode on your Mac. It also reveals advanced wifi network information, shows more export formats in Preview, and has several more tricks that only appear when you press the Option key while opening menus from the menu bar.

You can customize the dock

Your Mac's dock is a great place to keep the apps that you use the most, so that you can launch them quickly. However, there are lots of fun ways to customize the Mac's dock to make it even more useful. Once you've cleaned up the dock by removing apps you don't use and replacing them with ones you do, you can also add spacers to organize the dock and use folders to group multiple apps in one icon. All these options are built into macOS, but third-party apps let you access even more options. The free TinkerTool app makes it easier to add spacers and has extra dock customization options, while uBar ($30) gives you the freedom to completely change the look and feel of the dock. If you're really missing Windows, uBar lets you replace the dock with something that looks like the Windows 11 taskbar, too.

The screenshot tools are great

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Your Mac has some amazing built-in screenshot tools, and you should absolutely make the most of these. Press Command-Shift-5 to see the breadth of the screenshot and screen recording tools you get for free. These tools are great, and have been designed with a lot of thought and care, but for some people, they aren't going to be enough. If you want some neat features like taking scrolling screenshots of entire webpages, repeatedly capturing a specific part of the screen, or showing the keyboard buttons you're pressing during a screen recording, then you should consider replacing your Mac's screenshot tool with something better. My favorite app is CleanShot X ($29) and I've used it for over six years now. It has every screenshot feature you could ask for, and its screen recording tools are quite good, too.

There are easy ways to free up your Mac's storage

If your Mac's storage is full, it'll slow down a lot, and eventually you may experience a system crash. That's why it's important to keep some free space at all times. Your Mac has an easy built-in way to free up storage space now. Go to System Settings > General > Storage to get started. If you just pay attention to the recommendations on this page, you'll find it easy to clear out lots of storage space in just a few clicks. Beyond that, don't hesitate to enable automatically deleting files in Trash on your Mac.

These tools are all really good, but I highly recommend DaisyDisk ($10) for those who want to free up even more space. This app is faster than macOS' built-in methods, has a prettier interface, and lets you see exactly which apps or folders are taking up too much space. Cleaning up also takes just a couple of clicks.

Back up your photos to local storage

Everyone knows about iCloud and uses it to back up photos to the cloud. My only issue with this approach is that iCloud is a sync service and not a true backup option. If you delete iCloud photos from your iPhone, they'll be deleted from all other Apple devices, too. To safeguard against accidental photo deletion or losing your precious memories, I recommend backing up your photos to a second location. Parachute Backup ($5) is an excellent Mac app that backs up your iCloud photos to an external drive . I recently used Parachute Backup to back up over 12,000 photos to a hard drive on my home network, and it did the job flawlessly in around 2 hours.

Raycast is one of the best things to happen to Windows. It brings one of my favorite Mac apps to Microsoft's operating system. In fact, I've enjoyed using Raycast for Windows so much, I can't see myself going back to the non-Raycast life. This app is free to download and use, though there is an optional paid subscription for those who want certain additional features.

What is Raycast?

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At its heart, Raycast is an app that lets you search for apps and files stored in your computer. It stays hidden until you press its keyboard shortcut (Alt-Space on Windows). Once you do, Raycast appears as a floating search bar on the desktop. You can type anything you want to locate in the search bar, and Raycast forages through your computer to find it. I primarily use it as an app launcher since I have way too many apps on my Mac (and PC). Raycast helps me find the right app quickly and open it.

That's just the surface layer of Raycast, though. You can use Raycast to search for files on your computer, retrieve items you've copied to the clipboard, send queries to ChatGPT (or other AI tools), convert currencies and units, and much more. All of these features are available under the same simple floating search bar.

Set up keyboard shortcuts in Raycast

Credit: Pranay Parab

Raycast is designed for people who love keyboard shortcuts. You can totally use it without them, but you'll enjoy it a lot more if you set up a few shortcuts of your own. As an example, if you open Raycast and press Tab, it switches to AI mode, and you can directly send your questions and requests to ChatGPT from Raycast.

Whenever you search for anything in Raycast, you'll probably see a button called Record hotkey next to the results. This is your cue to set up a keyboard shortcut for that action, and doing so will allow you to get to it faster. You can also go to Raycast settings to find commonly used actions and record your preferred keyboard shortcuts for all of them.

Note that the Raycast app is still in beta on Windows, and during this trial period, you can use these AI features for free. Expect that to change, though, once it's out of beta. If you want to keep using these features, the pro tier costs $8 per month for most AI models, but certain advanced AI models are only available in the $16 per month subscription tier.

What I use Raycast for on Windows

Credit: Pranay Parab

I use Raycast for a lot more than just launching apps on Windows. As someone who lives outside the US, converting units and currencies is a big part of my work day. Raycast's workflow is quite seamless for this task. You can just type "$499" or any other number after the dollar sign, and Raycast automatically converts it to your local currency. You can also type something like "EUR499 to USD" and it'll convert euros to the US dollar. I really like the fact that you don't even have to press the Enter/Return key to see the converted currency. The moment you type a currency number, the result shows up without any further prompts.

You can also try other unit conversions with Raycast, eg: "100kg to lbs," "800ml to fl oz," "44 sqm to sqft," etc. This helps me a lot when I'm ordering things from international websites that don't always have dimensions, weight, or pricing available in units I'm used to.

Beyond this, I like using Raycast to store and view clipboard history. You can search for Clipboard in Raycast to access items you've copied, and the app even categorizes these items for you. You can search just for links, images, files, or email address you've copied, which makes it easy to quickly find specific items from your clipboard history.

Raycast also supports many other things such as window management, emptying the recycle bin, restarting your computer, locking your PC, bookmarking links and opening them in specific browsers, and text snippets—which let you quickly create or copy bits of text or code. You can open Raycast, and press Ctrl-, (comma) to open its settings and explore all its features.

The limitations of Raycast for Windows

Credit: Pranay Parab

Raycast only recently launched on Windows, which means there are a few things still missing from the macOS version. This includes the AI Chat feature (more advanced than the quick AI search available now), focus timers, the built-in notes feature, and support for more extensions. Many of its extensions were originally built only for macOS, so it's going to take some time to bring them to Windows. The feature that I miss the most is the ability to sync your snippets, notes, chats, and other data across devices. This feature is yet to come to the Windows app, and I hope the developers change that soon.

Raycast is available on the Mac, iPhone, and now, Windows.

When I switched to a Mac about a decade ago, I immediately fell in love with my MacBook's menu bar, and especially the various icons in its top-right corner. I've always enjoyed keeping useful menu bar apps there, such as clipboard managers, app launchers, or apps that update other apps. But unfortunately, if you've installed more than a few third-party apps on your MacBook, your menu bar might be pretty cluttered. It's nothing a quick clean-up can't fix, though, and now macOS ships with a few ways to help fix your messy menu bar.

Remove apps from the menu bar

Credit: Pranay Parab

Just as you'd remove unwanted items from your desk, you should periodically declutter the menu bar by removing apps that don't need to be there. This doesn't uninstall those apps, but it does free up some space in your menu bar. I do this for menu bar icons I never end up clicking. macOS 26 Tahoe has an easy way to remove apps from the menu bar. Follow these steps to do it:

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your Mac's screen.

2. Go to System Settings > Menu Bar.

3. In the right pane, navigate to the section called Allow in the Menu Bar.

4. You'll see a list of apps that have a menu bar icon. You can uncheck any app you want to remove.

Some apps also offer a way to remove their icons from the menu bar. Try checking your apps' settings to see if they let you remove their menu bar icons.

Note that removing a menu bar icon for an app can sometimes cause the app to become "headless," which means that it'll be running in the background but its icon won't show up in either the menu bar or the dock. This is fine for apps that you only need to configure once, but it can become a problem if you want to use the app regularly. In such cases, you can use a Spotlight search (Cmd + Space, or the magnifying glass icon in the menu bar) or alternatives such as Alfred or Raycast to search for the app's name and open it.

Remove system controls from the menu bar

Credit: Pranay Parab

I'm sure you've noticed that the menu bar has more than just app icons. It's also home to the clock, wifi, volume controls, and more. You can easily add or remove these controls from the menu bar, as long as you're running macOS Tahoe. Here's how:

1. Go to System Settings > Menu Bar.

2. Head over to the Menu Bar Controls section.

3. Uncheck any control you want to remove from the menu bar.

4. You cannot entirely remove the clock from the menu bar, but you can click Clock Options… and switch to Analog to make its icon a lot smaller.

Drag and drop icons to rearrange the menu bar

Credit: Pranay Parab

You also have the option of dragging and dropping your app icons around the menu bar, or using drag-and-drop to remove them from the menu bar. Just hold the Command key and drag any menu bar icon to a different position within the menu bar to rearrange it. To remove icons from the menu bar using drag-and-drop, hold Command and drag-and-drop them outside the menu bar.

Use a menu bar manager app

Credit: Pranay Parab

To tame the chaos at the top of your Mac's screen, I strongly recommend using a menu bar manager app. These apps will automatically show or hide menu bar icons based on triggers (eg: the battery icon will only show up when your MacBook's charge is below 25%), or add a second row of icons that's visible only when you click the menu bar. You'll need to try a couple of menu bar managers to decide which one works best for you. I've been using Barbee for some time, and its my current favorite.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

It's Cyber Monday, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before the sales are over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. 

Bose's QuietComfort Headphones are among the best noise-cancelling over-ear headphones you can buy today. They may be a couple of years old at this point, but they're still competitive, and now there's a Cyber Monday 2025 deal that's bringing them to more than half off. That's a fantastic deal on a really good product, and if you're in the market for over-ear noise cancelling headphones, you should definitely consider it.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones

$159.99

$349.00 Save $189.01

Get Deal

Get Deal

$159.99

$349.00 Save $189.01

In Amazon's Cyber Monday 2025 sale, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones are down to $159.99 (54% off) in black. The best thing about these headphones are the color choices it's available in, and the good news is that multiple color variants are going at $179.99 (50% off). That's still a decent savings, even if it's not quite as high as what you'd save on the more boring color.

PCMag's review gave this product a 4/5, praising it for its controls, sound quality, and noise cancellation. This product misses out on support for newer Bluetooth codecs, unlike the pricier Bose QuietComfort Ultra ($399, 11% off). The older product doesn't charge as fast as the QC Ultra either, but it will still sound great. The review calls out the price for being a bit too high, but this Cyber Monday Sale rectifies that. You can now get the QuietComfort headphones for $239 less than the QuietComfort Ultra.

I recently tried the QuietComfort headphones in-person, and I was impressed by the build quality and how light they felt on my head. The noise cancellation was also great.

These types of headphones serve a dual purpose in my life. They cut out external noise during long flights, and they also keep my ears warm when I'm in windy places in the winter (looking at you, Scotland!). If you're not sure which over-ear headphones to get this Cyber Monday, look no further than the Bose QuietComfort ones.

How long do Cyber Monday deals really last?

Black Friday sales officially begin Friday, November 28, 2025, and run throughout “Cyber Week,” the five-day period that runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates have expanded as retailers compete for customers. Expect sales to wind down by December 3, 2025. 

What stores have the best sales on Cyber Monday?

Nowadays, both large retailers and small businesses compete for Cyber Monday shoppers, so you can expect practically every store to run sales through Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” sales depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to come from larger retailers that can afford lower prices: think places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our live blog. 

Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Cyber Monday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything. 

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

It's Cyber Monday, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before the sales are over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. 

The AirPods Pro 2 are one of the best audio products Apple's launched. Since their release in 2022, the AirPods Pro 2 have received multiple software updates to add features such as controlling Siri with head movements, reduced latency, improved call quality, and more. Even today, they remain a fantastic pair of earbuds, especially now that the Cyber Monday 2025 sale has dropped the price to a record low.

Apple AirPods Pro 2

$135.00 at Woot

$249.00 Save $114.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$135.00 at Woot

$249.00 Save $114.00

During Amazon-owned Woot's Cyber Monday 2025 sale, the AirPods Pro 2 are going for $135, which is 46% off the list price of $250. Sure, some of you are going to want the latest and greatest product in the lineup, the AirPods Pro 3 ($220, 12% off, during Cyber Monday 2025), but for most people, the AirPods Pro 2 are an amazing choice at this price.

Every time I've used the AirPods Pro 2, I've been impressed by their comfort and noise cancellation features. The ANC cuts out a lot of noise in loud places, including concert venues, and for me, they've been a great companion on long flights.

The AirPods Pro 2 work best with Apple products, but they're also compatible with other Bluetooth devices such as a Windows PC or an Android phone. Having said that, if you want to make the most of the AirPods Pro 2, you should pair them with your Apple devices for the seamless device switching, instant pairing, and host of software features that don't work with other platforms.

I've used the AirPods Pro 2 during workouts at the gym, for cycling, and while running half-marathons. They've have never disappointed me through all these situations. I love recommending slightly older products when they're heavily discounted, and with the AirPods Pro 2 getting such a good deal during Cyber Monday 2025, you're basically getting a current-gen product at last-gen prices.

Does Apple do Cyber Monday?

Yes, Apple participates in Cyber Monday, though you may want to compare their sales with other retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. Apple is offering an exclusive $250 gift card for eligible purchases, but so far, the best Cyber Monday sale on an Apple product is the M4 MacBook on sale for cheaper than ever.

How long do Cyber Monday deals really last?

Black Friday sales officially begin Friday, November 28, 2025, and run throughout “Cyber Week,” the five-day period that runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates have expanded as retailers compete for customers. Expect sales to wind down by December 3, 2025. 

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, the distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

It's Cyber Monday, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before the sales are over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. 

It's not easy to find good deals on current-gen Apple products, but the just-released Apple Watch Series 11 is already on sale ahead of Cyber Monday 2025. It's the best non-Ultra smartwatch for your iPhone and, in my experience, its fitness-related features are excellent. This Cyber Monday deal brings the Series 11 down to $329 (18% off), which is an excellent price for a brand new Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS)

$329.00 at Amazon

$399.00 Save $70.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$329.00 at Amazon

$399.00 Save $70.00

The Series 11 is available in two sizes: 42mm and 46mm; and two variants: GPS, and GPS+Cellular. At time of writing, the best deal is on the 42mm GPS variant. All other variants are more lightly discounted, but be aware that your favorite color may not be discounted during this Cyber Monday 2025 sale.

The key to finding great Apple deals is to buy from third-party retailers, and that's true for this Apple Watch Series 11 deal as well. Amazon's Cyber Monday 2025 sales have it cheapest right now.

Lifehacker's Associate Tech Editor Michelle Ehrhardt said she loves the Apple Watch Series 11, but admittedly, she doesn't recommend it to those who already have a Series 10. If you have an Apple Watch that's a few years old, the Series 11 is worth buying, but it's hasn't taken a big enough leap ahead to justify annual upgrades.

The Series 11 is thin, light, and plenty comfortable to wear all day. It has support for hypertension notifications, ECG recording, built-in GPS for tracking outdoor workouts, and an Ion-X display that's more scratch resistant than that of older Apple Watch models. It also has improved battery life compared to the Series 10.

While it's common knowledge at this point, I still think it's worth mentioning that the Apple Watch only works with iPhones. You can't even pair it with an iPad or a Mac, so this device is only for iPhone users. If that sounds like you, this is a great opportunity for an upgrade.

Does Apple do Cyber Monday?

Yes, Apple participates in Cyber Monday, though you may want to compare their sales with other retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. Apple is offering an exclusive $250 gift card for eligible purchases, but so far, the best Cyber Monday sale on an Apple product is the M4 MacBook on sale for cheaper than ever.

What stores have the best sales on Cyber Monday?

Nowadays, both large retailers and small businesses compete for Cyber Monday shoppers, so you can expect practically every store to run sales through Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” sales depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to come from larger retailers that can afford lower prices: think places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our live blog.

Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Cyber Monday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. 

Back in the pre-pandemic days of 2019, I was looking for a universal travel adapter to accompany me across the world. I stumbled upon this older one by Epicka and bought it almost without thinking, something I rarely do. That turned out to be one of my best purchase decisions ever, because that travel adapter is still going strong. I've taken it to multiple countries and have used it extensively while traveling to remote locations in India, where you don't always have a reliable power supply. Last year, I gave it away to a friend I met during a meditation retreat, and she's been happily using it since then.

This is the first time I've had a travel adapter for that long. I'd bought a few crappy ones before, and they couldn't always reliably charge multiple devices or last very long. This Epicka unit was quite impressive in that regard, but it did have a couple of limitations. It was a fairly slow charger, and it had only one USB-C port. I've been looking to upgrade to a better travel adapter for about a year now, and I think I'm going to do it this time. Epicka has another model with three USB-C ports and support for up to 75W charging, which makes it ideal for me. That one is now down to its lowest ever price in a Cyber Monday deal.

Epicka Universal Travel Adapter, GaN 75W

$45.00 at Amazon

$60.00 Save $15.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$45.00 at Amazon

$60.00 Save $15.00

Even at the deal price of $45 (15% off), it is a bit pricey, but I think the premium is worth paying for a fast charger from a brand with a good track record. I will say that this product is a bit bulky, and some people will prefer to travel with a more compact charging adapter, but its size never bothered me much. You also get two USB-A ports (one on each side) in this adapter, which is good for those with older charging cables.

This Epicka universal travel adapter has a 4.8 rating on Amazon, with a total of 336 reviews at time of writing. The general consensus among Amazon reviewers is that this is a great product. One review says that if you charge multiple devices, this adapter splits power evenly across the devices, which means that all devices will be charged reasonably quickly. It has plugs for the US, UK, Australia, and EU, and a nice locking mechanism to keep the plugs in place.

Note, though, that if you're planning to use high-wattage electronics such as hair dryers with this adapter, then it's not for you. This adapter is also not a voltage converter, so be sure to check if your electronics ship with a built-in converter when using the Epicka adapter in other countries. Most phone and laptop chargers are dual voltage, so you probably won't have to worry about it much, but safety first.

How long do Cyber Monday deals really last?

Black Friday sales officially begin Friday, November 28, 2025, and run throughout “Cyber Week,” the five-day period that runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates have expanded as retailers compete for customers. Expect sales to wind down by December 3, 2025. 

Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Cyber Monday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything. 

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Some Cyber Monday deals are still live, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before the sales are over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. 

When buying a new device, it takes me a long time to actually click the "buy" button. I grew out of using my iPhone and Mac to read ebooks a few years ago, but I waited until this year to finally grab the e-reader I'd been eyeing since 2020. It's the Kindle Paperwhite, which I bought on discount a few months ago. I love it, which is why I'm happy to report that it's now on sale for Cyber Monday and is down to its lowest ever price.

I know what you might be about to say, but buying a Kindle doesn't mean that you're forced to opt into Amazon's ebook ecosystem. I've successfully de-Amazoned my Kindle, and it's been going fine so far. You have lots of Amazon alternatives to buy ebooks, and I've made the most of the opportunity to read many of the DRM-free ebooks purchased over the years. The Kindle Paperwhite itself is a great device, too. It's quite snappy and doesn't show any performance issues even if you turn a lot of pages back-to-back.

It's water-resistant, which means that you can use it by the pool, beach, or even while doing the dishes. And yes, there was a time when I got so locked into a book that I actually was reading the series even while doing the dishes. It was a bit annoying to stop and turn the page every minute or so, but the point is that I never worried about causing any water damage to my Kindle Paperwhite.

Yes, there is a cheaper Kindle, too, but it lacks water resistance and has about half the battery life of a Paperwhite, which makes it less appealing to me. If you can afford to do so, I think buying the Kindle Paperwhite is the smart choice. But there still are a few more decisions to factor in. One is the color. The Paperwhite is available in black, green, and pink colors and all are currently at their lowest ever price. Once you've figured out your color, you need to choose if you're buying your Kindle with ads or ad-free. I always recommend spending the extra 20 bucks to get the ad-free version, but if lock screen ads don't bother you, then you can get the lower priced model.

The third and final choice is whether you want to stretch your budget for the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. This variant has 32GB of built-in storage (double that of the regular Paperwhite), an auto-adjusting front light, and support for wireless charging. It's just $5 more than the ad-free Kindle Paperwhite at time of writing, and it's worth remembering that this variant also doesn't have ads.

Personally, I think the choice is really between an ad-supported Paperwhite at $125 or an ad-free Paperwhite Signature Edition at $150. Both are great devices, so no matter what, you can't really go wrong.

How long do Cyber Monday deals really last?

Black Friday sales officially begin Friday, November 28, 2025, and run throughout “Cyber Week,” the five-day period that runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates have expanded as retailers compete for customers. Expect sales to wind down by December 3, 2025. 

Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Cyber Monday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything. 

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, the distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. 

As someone who's still rocking an M1 MacBook Air, an iPhone 12 Pro Max, the Apple Watch SE (Gen 1), and the AirPods Pro (Gen 1), I can proudly say that using older devices is a great lifestyle decision. It saves me a lot of money, and I still get access to premium products with almost all of the features I need. And now that the AirPods Pro 3 are out, it's a great time to start looking for deals on the older AirPods Pro 2 before stocks are cleared. This Walmart deal brings the AirPods Pro 2 to an all-time low price of $139 (which is $100 off the list price), and they're an absolutely fantastic piece technology for that price.

The best Cyber Monday sale on Apple AirPods Pro 2

AirPods Pro 2

$139.00 at Walmart

$239.00 Save $100.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$139.00 at Walmart

$239.00 Save $100.00

Although the AirPods Pro 2 launched a few years ago, they've received enough software updates to make them far more capable than they were at launch. Now, the AirPods Pro 2 are also approved for use as a hearing aid in the US, and still offer excellent noise isolation with great sound quality. I live in a really noisy city and I cannot roam around without wearing my AirPods for fear of triggering my migraines. My AirPods Pro (Gen 1) do a good job at cutting out the noise, but the AirPods Pro 2 take the cancellation to another level. I've used and compared all three generations of AirPods, and the noise cancellation on the Pro 2 is solid. It's not as good as that on the Pro 3, but it's better than on the Pro 1, and the difference isn't big enough to spend nearly twice the price for the latest product.

The AirPods Pro 2 are everything I need to keep migraines away. They block out the worst of the loud noises around me while being light and comfortable enough to wear all day. My city has extremely humid weather, which makes it near impossible to wear over-ear headphones outdoors. However, I feel quite comfortable with my AirPods, and I've been waiting for nearly four years to upgrade mine. While I was saving up for the AirPods Pro 3, this deal is too good to resist, and I may just get the Pro 2 instead and save the rest of my cash to upgrade my Apple Watch.

Does Apple do Cyber Monday?

Yes, Apple participates in Cyber Monday, though you may want to compare their sales with other retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. Apple is offering an exclusive $250 gift card for eligible purchases, but so far, the best Black Friday sale on an Apple product is the M4 MacBook on sale for cheaper than ever.

Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Cyber Monday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything. 

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, the distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.