UPDATE: Feb. 22, 2022, 5:05 p.m. EST This story has been updated to reflect the latest savings during the final full week of the month of love, with some more markdowns from Lelo and Pleasure Works.
The We-Vibe Tango is a bullet vibe but better — $59$79 (save $20)
The Lelo Sila is a luxury suction vibrator that just got more affordable — $126.75 $169 (save $42.25)
The Fleshlight Go Stamina Training Unit Lady Pack is an enticing offer from one of the best masturbation sleeve brands in the biz — $69.95$81.85 (save $11.90)
We’re not saying that treating yourself to some new sex toys will almost certainly improve your life, but we’re also not not saying that. Spending some money on upping your solo sesh game or adding a little spice with a partner is well worth the investment. Though we do believe in springing for well-made toys since you’ll be putting them in, on, and around your genitals, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to drop a ton of cash. Every week, we’ll be rounding up the best deals directly from manufacturers and online sex shops alike, so you can find a toy you’ll love, at prices you’ll love (almost) as much. Check out our finds from this week below.
Vibrator deals
Credit: We-Vibe
Our pick: We-Vibe Tango
$59 at We-Vibe (save $20)
Why we like it
Read more from Mashable about the We-Vibe Tango.
Think bullet vibrator, but better. The We-Vibe offers the perfect pinpointed vibrations, with a flat-topped lipstick-shaped head that’s better than the rounded design you’ll find on most bullet vibes. It’s also waterproof and rechargeable, making it clear why Mashable culture reporter Anna Iovine deemed the Tango “the best bullet vibrator I’ve tried.”
More vibrator deals:
Pleasure Works Pirouette Waterproof Vibrator — $22$27.99 (save $5.99)
Fifty Shades of Grey Relentless Vibrations Remote Control Egg — $59.99$99.99 (save $40)
Original Magic Wand — $69.95$99.99 (save $30.04 with code BLOOM)
We-Vibe Touch — $79$99 (save $20)
Lelo Lily 2 — $112$149 (save $37)
MysteryVibe Crescendo — $171.75$229 (save $57.25)
Clitoral stimulator and suction toy deals
Credit: Lelo
Our pick: Lelo Sila
$126.75 at Lelo (save $42.45)
Why we like it
Check out Mashable’s review of the Lelo Sila.
Lelo’s sex toys fall firmly into the luxury category, and their prices reflect that. But with its sonic wave pulsations, the Lelo Sila might just justify its price, especially since it’s enjoying a nice discount as of Feb. 15. If you’ve been waiting to treat yourself with something extra fancy, the time might just be now, with a toy that our reviewer deemed “one of the most worthwhile, standout innovations in the suction toy category in quite a while.”
Satisfyer Twirling Joy Clitoral Vibrator — $39.99 $49.95 (save $9.96)
Satisfyer Pro 2 Next Generation — $39.99$59.99 (save $20)
Better Love Tap Dancer — $69.99$175.99 (save $106)
Lelo Sona Cruise — $90.01$137.99 (save $47.98)
We-Vibe Tango and Satisfyer Pro 2 bundle — $96.99$148.99 (save $52)
Lelo Sona Cruise 2 — $111.20$139 (save $27.80 with code BLOOM)
Lelo Sila — $126.75 $169 (save $42.25)
Lelo Ora 3 — $134.25$179 (save $44.75)
Womanizer Premium — $176$199 (save $23)
Dildo deals
Credit: PinkCherry
Our pick: PinkCherry Lucky Dick Realistic 8.25-inch Dildo
$24.98 at PinkCherry (save $35.01 with code BLOOM)
Why we like it
When it comes down to it, everyone will have their own preferences when it comes to dildos (or any sex toys, for that matter), but here’s why this one is worth a second look. The silicone material gives the dildo some flex, so you can find those just-right angles (which can feel even better thanks to its approachable size). The circular base doubles as a suction cup too, making this dildo easy to hold, fit into a harness, or stick on to the non-porous surface of your choosing.
More dildo deals:
Mr. Swirly 6.5-inch G-Spot Glass Dildo — $14.36 $17.95 (save $3.59 with code BLOOM)
Blush Impressions N5 Vibrating Dildo with Suction Cup — $39.99$69.99 (save $30)
Le Wand Hoop — $115.96$129.99 (save $14.03 with code BLOOM)
Deals on sex toys for penises
Credit: Fleshlight
Our pick: Fleshlight Go Stamina Training Unit Lady Pack
$69.95 at Fleshlight (save $11.90)
Why we like it
When it comes to sex toys specifically for people with penises, Fleshlight might just be the most recognizable name out there, and for good reason — they’re masters at the masturbation sleeve. Fleshlight’s sleeves have made our favorites list before, and this bundle comes with a compact version of one of the brand’s most popular sleeves, the Stamina Training Unit, as well as lube and cleaner.
More deals on sex toys for penises:
Oxballs TRI-SPORT Cock Ring and Ball Sling — $15.99$19.99 (save $4)
Doc Johnson Reversible Stroker — $22$31.99 (save $10)
Satisfyer Men Vibration Masturbator — $49.95 $84.99 (save $35.04)
Buy 2 Fleshlight sleeves, get one free — $99.90$149.85 (save $49.95)
$27.47 at Adam & Eve (save $22.48 with code AESAVE45)
Why we like it
From a glance alone, this Bump pick looks like a pretty good plug — it’s not too big, not too small, has a nice tapered edge and a wind end for keeping things where you want them, and is silicone-smooth so it slides right in without friction. Once you realize it has 10 different vibration modes and can be submerged safely in water, well, you may just feel like you’ve won the butt plug lotto.
UPDATE: Feb. 22, 2022, 4:35 p.m. EST We’ve updated this post with the latest deals from across the Apple universe, including price drops on the latest MacBook and the Apple Watch Series 7 with cellular.
BEST MAC DEAL: MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD), the brand new Pro at a brand new low — $1,799$1,999 at Amazon (save $200)
BEST IPAD DEAL: The 2021 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB) is lightweight, colorful, and powerful— $539$599 (save $60)
BEST IPHONE DEAL: TheiPhone 13 Mini (64GB) at Verizon is a mini phone with plenty of storage space and a battery life worth bragging about — $0 with select trade-ins or BOGO with any unlimited plan $699.99 (save up to $699.99)
BEST APPLE WATCH DEAL: The Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) has a bigger, better watch face and multiple color options on sale — $349$399 (save $50)
BEST ACCESSORIES DEAL: The AirPods (second-gen) are a good pair of wireless buds at a better value than the latest iteration of Apple’s earbuds — $118.98$159 (save $40.02)
You could really kill some time trying to dissect the iron grasp Apple has on the general population, but when it comes down to it, its products look good, work well, and stay cutting-edge — of course people like them. Whether your favorite day of the year is its annual September reveal eventor you just want a solid computer no matter the brand, Apple’s got you covered. Sure, it is a little notorious for its higher prices, but we’ve rounded up the best deals on iPads, AirPods, and more to help you out. Check them out below.
Check out our full review of the 2021 MacBook Pro (M1 Pro).
The latest MacBook Pro has officially hit its best price ever. While it’s enjoyed very minor mark offs in the past, you can now get the laptop with Apple’s speedy M1 Pro chip (second only to the M1 Max), a brand new keyboard (goodbye Butterfly), and an all-workday battery life. While it might be a tad too much for the average user, this supercharged machine is a great pick for creatives and those that need a little more out of their laptop. As with any Apple deal worth its salt, don’t expect this one to last for long — since it went live late last week, the silver has sold out, so you’ll want to act soon to grab the space gray if you’re interested.
More Mac and MacBook deals
2021 MacBook Pro, 14-inch
MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,799$1,999 at Amazon (save $200)
MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,249.99$2,499 at Amazon (save $249.01 with coupon automatically applied at checkout)
2021 MacBook Pro, 16-inch
MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,299$2,499 at Amazon (save $200)
2020 MacBook Pro, 13-inch
MacBook Pro (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,249 $1,299 at Amazon (save $50)
MacBook Pro (M1, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399$1,499 at Amazon (save $120)
2020 MacBook Pro, 16-inch
MacBook Pro (Intel Core i9, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,519.99$2,799.99 at Best Buy (save $280)
2020 MacBook Air, 13-inch
MacBook Air (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $949$999 at Amazon (save $50)
More Macs
2020 Mac Mini (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $649$699 at Amazon (save $50)
2020 Mac Mini (M1, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799$899 at Amazon (save $100)
2021 24″ iMac (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,349.99$1,499 at Amazon (save $149.01 with coupon automatically applied at checkout)
Refurbished Macs and MacBooks
Refurbished 2017 13″ MacBook Air (Intel Core i5, 128GB) — $365 at Walmart
Pre-owned 2015 13″ MacBook Air (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $499.99$579.99 at Best Buy (save $80)
iPad deals
Credit: Apple
Our pick: 2021 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB)
$539 at Walmart (save $60)
Why we like it
iPad deals may be a bit sparse as of late, but this $60 markdown is still worth checking out. The latest iPad Air has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, an A14 Bionic chip for speedy processing, 10 hours of battery life, and is one of our favorite tablets. And with all that, it still holds true to its name by being super lightweight.
More iPad deals
2021 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB) — $539$599 at Walmart (save $60)
2021 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB) — $539$599 at Amazon (save $60)
2021 iPad Mini (WiFi, 256GB) — $599$649 (save $50)
2020 12.9″ iPad Pro (WiFi, 256GB) — $934.99 $1,099.99 at Best Buy (save $165)
2021 12.9″ iPad Pro (WiFi, 128GB) — $999$1,099 at Amazon (save $100)
2021 12.9″ iPad Pro (WiFi, 128GB) — $999 $1,099 at Best Buy (save $100)
iPhone deals
Credit: Apple
Our pick: iPhone 13 Mini at Verizon
$0 with select trade-ins or BOGO with any unlimited plan
Why we like it
Check out Mashable’s official review of the iPhone 13 Mini.
If you’re picking up some new phones for more than one person, it’ll be difficult to find a better deal than this buy one, get one on the iPhone 13 Mini at Verizon. Though this model looks quite similar to its predecessor, its starting storage of 128GB and improved battery life definitely justify the upgrade.
More iPhone deals
iPhone 12 Mini (64GB) at AT&T — $314.99 with a switch to any unlimited plan and no trade-in necessary — $629.99 (save up to $314.99)
iPhone 12 (64GB) at AT&T — $5 per month for 36 months on an unlimited plan, then receive up to $550 in bill credits
iPhone 13 Mini (128GB) at AT&T — $0 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan $699.99 (save up to $700)
iPhone 13 (128GB) at AT&T — $0 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan $799.99 (save up to $799.99)
iPhone 13 Pro (128GB) at AT&T — $100 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan, with installed payment plan $999.99 (save up to $800)
iPhone 13 Mini (64GB) at Verizon — $0 with select trade-ins or BOGO with any unlimited plan $699.99 (save up to $699.99)
iPhone 13 (128GB) at Verizon — $0 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan or BOGO with any unlimited plan $799.99 (save $800)
iPhone 13 Pro (128GB) at Verizon — $0 with select trade-ins $999.99 (save up to $999.99)
Apple Watch deals
Credit: Apple
Our pick: Apple Watch Series 7
$349 at Amazon (save $50)
Why we like it
The price of Apple’s latest smartwatch keeps going up and down. Though it’s not quite as on sale as we’ve seen it in weeks past, it’s only $10 away from its lowest price ever on a watch with a larger face, increased support for biking workouts, better durability. Plus, every in-stock color is available at this discounted price. You can also score these savings at Walmart.
More Apple Watch deals
Series 7
Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) — $349$399 at Amazon (save $50)
Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) — $349 $399 at Walmart (save $50)
Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) — $379$429 at Amazon (save $50)
Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) — $379$429 at Walmart (save $50)
Apple Watch Series 7 (41 mm, GPS + cellular, stainless steel case) — $449.99$699 (save $249.01 with a coupon automatically applied at checkout)
SE
Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $249$279 at Amazon (save $30)
Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $249 $279 at Walmart (save $30)
Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS) — $279 $309 at Amazon (save $30)
Apple Watch SE (44m, GPS) — $279 $309 at Walmart (save $30)
Series 3
Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm, GPS) — $169$199 at Walmart (save $30)
Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm, GPS) — $199$229 at Walmart (save $30)
Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm, GPS) — $199$229 at Amazon (save $30)
Refurbished
Refurbished Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS + Cellular) — $313.99 $399.73 at Amazon (save $85.74)
Renewed Apple Watch Series 5 (44mm, GPS) — $234$429 at Amazon (save $195)
Apple accessories deals
Credit: Apple
Our pick: AirPods (second-gen)
$118.98 at Amazon (save $40.02)
Why we like it
Check out Mashable’s official review of the second-generation AirPods.
Sure, you could spend more on the third-gen AirPods that didn’t really give us anything to write home about. Or, you could opt for the second-gens, which come with an H1 chip for easy pairing, a nice long battery life, andthe honor of being a Mashable Choice pick back in their day.
More Apple accessories deals
AirPods (second gen) — $118.98$129.99 at Amazon (save $40.02)
AirPods (third gen) — $169.95$179 at Amazon (save $9.05)
AirPods Pro — $197 $249 at Amazon (save $52)
AirPods Pro — $197$249 at Walmart (save $52)
AirPods Max— $468.09$549 at Amazon (save $80.91)
Powerbeats Pro Totally Wireless Earphones — $169.95$249.95 at Amazon (save $80)
Beats Studio 3 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones — $208.75$349.95 at Amazon (save $141.20)
Apple TV 4K 32GB — $169.99 $179 at Amazon (save $9.01)
Apple Pencil (first gen) — $89$99 at Amazon (save $10)
Apple Pencil (first gen) — $89$99 at Walmart (save $10)
Apple Pencil 2 — $110.89$129 at Amazon (save $18.11)
Apple Pencil 2 — $110.89 $129 at Walmart (save $18.11)
Explore related content:
8 monitors to take your MacBook Pro to the next level
MacBooks aren’t the only great laptops — and this list proves it
Best headphones for iPhone owners: Think outside the (AirPods) box
Donald Trump’s new social media platform, Truth Social, has already been plagued with signup issues and a long waitlist barring most people from even using the service.
But, perhaps that’s the price users must pay for a truly “free speech” platform, right?
Well, just one day into this very soft-launch of Truth Social and even its “free speech” branding is – perhaps, unsurprisingly – falling apart.
SEE ALSO:
The publisher of ‘Maus’ wants the book taken off the Internet Archive, because profit
Web developer Matt Ortega signed up for the Truth Social service and soon discovered an email from Truth Social telling him that his account had been banned. Ortega confirmed the authenticity of the email and ban in a private message to Mashable.
Furthermore, Ortega had never posted a single thing to Truth Social as his account was one of the many still on the waitlist to join. Ortega was banned simply because of the username he used to sign up for the platform: @DevinNunesCow.
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If that username sounds familiar, it’s because @DevinNunesCow is similar to the name of a Twitter parody account, @DevinCow, that gained notoriety when its creator was sued by then-Republican Rep. Devin Nunes for pretending to be a cow owned by the Congressman. Nunes claimed the account, among others, were defamatory.
The account was created in reference to a report from Esquire detailing how the former Congressman from California has ownership in a family dairy farm based in Iowa, which he had kept secret.
If you’re wondering what Nunes is up to now, he left Congress to become the CEO of Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group.
“Your account @DevinNunesCow has been banned,” reads the subject of the Truth Social email received by Ortega. “After careful review, we have decided to delete your account permanently due to Truth Social community guideline violations.”
So, to be clear, a user was banned from Trump’s new “free speech” social media platform for registering a username that Truth Social’s CEO does not like.
Interestingly, Truth Social has specific rules limiting speech on the platform when it involves Trump and others who own the platform. When Truth Social was first announced last year, the site’s terms of services explicitly prohibited “disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or the Site.”
And Ortega’s not the only one who has already experienced the limits of Truth Social’s “free speech,” albeit under very different circumstances.
Right-wing personality Stew Peters is claiming he was censored on Truth Social, too. Unlike Ortega, Peters already has an account set up on Trump’s platform and is already posting content. According to Peters, his post calling for the execution of those responsible for the COVID-19 vaccine, was labeled as “sensitive content” by Truth Social, requiring users to go through an extra step to view the content in the post.
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The vaccines that are available in the U.S. were developed under the Trump administration, and is something Trump continues to tout as a success.
“I’m ALREADY being censored on Truth Social,” wrote Peters on the chat service Telegram. “Free Speech isn’t free.”
While the action taken against Peters’ post may seem fair, this is the very kind of platform behavior Trump’s supporters are seeking to escape when they start using Truth Social. Trump’s most diehard fans may soon be in for a rude awakening when they find out Truth Social’s “free speech” rules are likely no different from the Big Tech companies they seek to replace, like Twitter.
In fact, in some ways, Truth Social is going to be even more restrictive on speech. (A ban on “excessive use of capital letters?” REALLY?)
UPDATE: Feb. 22, 2022, 8:00 p.m. EST According to new information provided by Matt Ortega, the exact match username @DevinCow, was blocked from being registered on Truth Social, which is why he registered @DevinNunesCow.
In addition, the post has been updated to make it clear that the handle for the infamous Twitter account is @DevinCow. Ortega is not associated with that Twitter account.
Love Is Blind invites you to watch strangers fall in love with each other, sight unseen. But it’s hard to focus on those love stories when all you can think about is a massive set of gold wine glasses. Allow me to explain.
Season 2 of Netflix’s intriguing, well-intentioned, deeply unhinged dating show premiered on Feb. 18, and fans watched contestants fall in love in “the pods,” private rooms with speakers where they can converse with but not see each other. After intimate conversations, a few strong couples get engaged in the pods and are allowed to meet IRL. Then, over the course of several weeks they take a romantic vacation, move in together, meet each other’s families, and prepare for their weddings.
Through nearly every each step of that chaotic journey, one unexpected prop was prominently present: golden wine goblets.
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In Season 2, the extremely extra drinkware is first spotted on the Love Is Blind set. Contestants cheers’d with the opaque metal wine glasses and faithfully sipped from them during pod conversations, but when they left the set to embark on their romantic Mexico getaways, the wine glasses followed! Though the hotel did feature classic, transparent glassware, the gold metal wine glasses returned after paradise. They were spotted in apartments, at a beach reunion, at parents’ houses, at the wedding dress venue, and even at the freaking ceremonies themselves.
These glasses get so much screen time and photobomb so many serious shots in Season 2 that we have no choice but to dub them the Roy Kent of wine glasses. They’re here, they’re there, they’re every-fucking-where.
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It’s worth noting that there are two sets of glasses in Season 2. One is a long-stemmed gold wine glass that’s mostly muted gold, with about an inch of shiny gold around the rim, and the other is a stemless gold glass. Both styles become ubiquitous on the show and appear to be stainless steel or metal of some sort. At one point the stemless glasses even held boiling water. Fascinating.
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The goblets are fit for royalty, and when asked why they’re everywhere, series creator Chris Coelen told Variety it’s because he likes them.
“I don’t know. It’s something I like. When you turn on the show, you know it’s our show. It’s a very authentic, really true following of these people’s journeys, but I like the fact that we have this sort of connective tissue with that in a really light way, it’s fun.”
The true love story in Love Is Blind Season 2 is between Coelen and the golden wine goblets. The contestants might not last together, but we have a feeling Coelen and these gold wine glasses are forever.
The first nine episodes of Love Is Blind Season 2 are now streaming on Netflix. The season finale will stream on Feb. 25.
Update: Slack started seeing “signs of improvement” and many users can now begin using the platform. They are still monitoring the situation. Our original story follows.
Time to call it: Slack is down for some users, and we can all go home.
You might want to check with your boss on the second part, but the first bit holds true.
According to Slack and Down Detector, the communication platform many of us use for work stopped loading for some users around 9:25 est on Tuesday morning. (Full disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Mashable’s parent company, ZiffDavis.)
“We’re investigating the issue where Slack is not loading for some users,” the platform said. “We’re looking into the cause and will provide more information as soon as it’s available.”
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Here’s hoping Slack figures it out before the work day begins in full — or it crashes, and we all get the day off. What a start to the week.
Finding your soulmate is priceless. Sure. But do you have to use a paid site to find a real relationship? Does a monthly fee really weed out people who aren’t taking the process seriously?
This wasn’t really an issue before 2012, but the Tinder-led surge of 30-second profiles and instant access to all single folks within 10 miles gave older sites with tedious personality analyses and upscale subscriptions a run for their money — literally.
Vox said what we’re all really thinking: “At what point in the completely nightmarish process of online dating does one decide that it’s worth spending money on making that experience slightly less terrible?”
Is it worth paying for a dating site?
According to Reddit and Consumer Reports, not really. This Consumer Reports survey found that free sites actually scored better than paid sites on this when it came to overall satisfaction because they’re “better value.” Unless you’re absolutely lost without those heavy-duty matchmaking algorithms, many free sites still offer the questionnaires, detailed bios, and compatibility ratings that indicate red flags and users you wouldn’t get along with.
There’s no one dating site that everyone is particularly psyched about. Swiping exhaustion and creepily persistent users are an omnipresent part of all online dating. Sorry, but a paid subscription isn’t a metal detector that pulls all of the upstanding, faithful singles up out of the crowd. When there are sites that can offer millions of users for free and success stories to prove they work, why not try them before spending $40 per month elsewhere?
A hefty price point doesn’t guarantee the absence of fakes or catfishes, either. (Before the Tinder Swindler hype, in 2019, some guy on match posed as a millionaire and stole $80,000 from the woman he was talking to. In 2020, money lost to online “romance scams” hit a record high.) For what it’s worth however, many free sites are just as big as paid ones on privacy and safety, requiring users to verify themselves through Facebook to increase transparency about age and first names. Plus, no paid sites have the safety features that Tinder does, which was the first of the Match Group apps to offer 911 assistance and location services to make meeting a stranger safer.
The aesthetic experience certainly isn’t what your money is going toward, either. Many of the older, subscription-based sites have been slow to modernize their UX designs, still relying on the very 2000s style of bombarding you with notifications for every wink, message, and whatever else.
Can you actually fall in love with someone online?
We’ve all accepted that online dating is great for finding a friend with benefits, but telling family members that it’s getting serious with that person you met online still takes convincing. However, recent studies show that meeting online can foster a pretty reliable romantic foundation.
A 2017 study cited in the MIT Technology Review found that people who meet online are more likely to be compatible and have a better chance at a healthy marriage if they decide to get hitched. Another study found that heterosexual couples who met online were quicker to tie the knot. These stats don’t take anything from correlation to causation, but they do make the case that people who sign up for dating sites that require thoughtful responses are in a better spot to settle down.
There’s an unspoken assumption that people on free dating sites are young, horny people with no disposable income and that people on paid dating site are mature, employed individuals who are ready to settle down. But nowadays, eharmony, Match, Tinder, and OkCupid have rather similar age demographics, all with surprisingly close splits between people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Which dating sites are actually free?
Waters get muddied when basically every damn dating site has some sort of paid and free version. Truly free apps let users access its key features as a baseline, and then offer paid perks such as the ability to see everyone who has swiped right on you or boosts for your profile for a certain amount of time. Free-but-not-really apps are the ones that are technically free to use, but where you have to pay to do just about anything, including read or respond to messages.
Premium memberships of “freemium” apps are an affordable way to get more control over your pool of potential boos, but they probably don’t do much to expedite the grueling swiping process. When Tinder first released Tinder Gold, it beat out Candy Crush as the Apple Store’s top-grossing app. People were that willing to pay to see who swiped right on them. That might be handy knowledge if you’re looking to get laid, but it’s hard to tell if it would help find someone that you like enough to share your life with. No one I know has kept a paid version of a free app for more than a month.
At any rate, there’s a certain serendipitous feeling that comes with the possibility that, out of the millions of users Hinge could have shown you that day, your soulmate popped up in the crowd of 8 likes you can give out per day (compared to the unlimited likes that come with Hinge Preferred).
These are the best free dating sites for finding a serious relationship in 2022.
Twitter is known for blazing hot takes, lightning fast updates, and memes upon memes dissecting the internet’s obsession du jour. The social media company’s slogan, “it’s what’s happening,” emphasizes the platform’s focus on nowness — it’s signup page, which loudly declares “happening now,” makes that message unmistakable.
SEE ALSO:
How to make your Gmail account self destruct, and why you really should
Twitter finally lets you sort out your messy DMs
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How to keep your Twitter account safe using two-factor authentication (2FA)
That’s why hitting “Tweet” immediately sends your potentially ill-considered musings out into the world without delay. However, if the vibe isn’t right, or if the thing you want to comment on hasn’t happened yet, you can use a little-known feature to schedule your tweets to be sent at a later time of your choosing.
How to schedule tweets
Scheduling tweets works exactly like you might expect. You write the tweet now, but it sends at a later date.
Twitter rolled out the feature in 2020, but, it’s only available on the web app, people who primarily use Twitter on their phones may have never even noticed it.
To schedule a tweet:
1. Open Twitter on your desktop or laptop
2. Compose the tweet you want to send later
3. Select the calendar icon
Yeah, not now. Credit: Screenshot: Twitter
4. Choose the time and date you wish to send the tweet
That looks better. Credit: Screenshot: Twitter
5. Select “Confirm”
6. Hit “Schedule”
That’s it! You’ve now scheduled a tweet for later.
Twitter will remind you of this fact with some text telling you when the tweet is scheduled to post.
Yeah, perfect. Credit: Screenshot: Twitter
You’re all done — except for one crucial and all-important detail: remember that you’ve scheduled the tweet.
You don’t want to be caught off guard months later, when your out-of-date take shows up on Twitter because you forget to change it.
Twitter is, after all, about what’s happening now.
More on Twitter
Twitter’s NFT profile pics are the new blue check
Twitter makes it possible to link NFTs to profile pics (for a price)
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The latest internet villain just reared its head and it isn’t a corporate mega-billionaire, wayward politician, or Twitter troll, but rather an unassuming Spotify bot named Ashley.
Multiple users have complained that their public, collaborative playlists — designed to allow Spotify users and their friends to curate songs in real time together — have been commandeered by bots masquerading as normal users, primarily one account simply named “Ashley.”
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The invasive habits, and general vibe sabotaging, of Ashley and other bots like have turned users into bonafide detectives, including TikTokker and musician @jw__francis. Francis first pointed out the bot in a video about funny playlists that feature his own music, including one touched by the infamous Ashley.
The relatable responses to that TikTok inspired him to dig further, posting a video highlighting the many victims of Ashley and other similarly-disguised bots, including an “Emma” and an “Elsie.” It seems the users hope to ward off the advances of the bots by adding messages in the titles of their playlists, like one titled “STOP FUCKING ADDING SONGS ASHLEY LITERALLY WHO TF ARE U LEAVE.”
The comments on the latest video appear to be filled with Ashley’s victims, as well. “Ashley is a literal virus I got her from a work playlist that got her from a coworker and so on, it’s wild,” replied user @hey_bro_wheres_my_sheep.
“this happened to my group playlist & we kept removing the songs & THEY DELETED EVERY SONG OUT OF OUR 19+ hour playlist i felt so violated,” commented user @bbnaluu.
“Another reason to drop Spotify, this is such an invasion of privacy,” wrote @acidrefluxburps.
Ashley has entered the chat. Credit: Screenshot: Spotify
Ashley strikes again! Credit: Screenshot: Spotify
Ashley isn’t the only perpetrator. Credit: Screenshot: Spotify
Simple, but not effective it seems. Credit: Screenshot: Spotify
In the TikTok, Francis theorizes that these bots are promotional accounts created to boost the listening stats of a single artist’s music by adding them to as many public playlists as possible — it’s a strategy that’s been used by streaming artists and fandoms before. Francis discovered that the Ashley bot was exclusively engaging with and adding the music of one Spotify account called Pesukone. According to Pesukone’s Instagram, the account is a Finnish collective devoted to highlighting unknown musicians (including bots, too, I guess?).
Some of the TikTok’s commenters noticed other bots promoting single artists, like user @middleghostie. “An anni did this to me!! The artist isn’t that bad tho tbh,” they wrote. Other commenters dropped names include a Jeni, an Olivia, Claudia, Julia, and Lily — at least a dozen ghost accounts ruining the playlist vibes with the music of outside artists. At the end of the TikTok, Francis asked a pressing question: Why are all these bots women? There are no answers.
Over on Reddit, users have been theorizing about the Ashley’s of Spotify, while pointing out less subtle and non-gendered bots that have been ruining the vibes on playlists near and far, like “SongSuggestor(beta)” and “Picked Tracks.”
They’ve also asked for assistance to stop the intrusions, some turning to the Spotify Community for help. Unfortunately the summary of responses seems to be a simple, “We can’t help you with that right now.” In reply to a June 2021 request to limit bots adding songs, a Spotify Community moderator responded that the issue couldn’t be resolved with current settings — you can’t block a single user from editing a playlist, and collaborative playlists don’t have an “invite only” setting. Instead they suggested bot victims support a suggested change in future Spotify updates that would allow playlist makers to change the editing permissions on collaborative playlists.
Currently, the only solution to the Ashley problem is to manually remove each song that’s added, block the bot (do this by going to their profile, clicking on the three dots at the top of the page, and selecting “block”), or removing the public settings on your playlists. And pray that Ashley won’t find you again.
As we batten down the hatches on our public playlists, or resign ourselves to the song choices of random bots, what hero will rise to vanquish Ashley? Will our playlists always be vulnerable to such intrusive vibe checks? Will Spotify make time to save us, as it deals with its own streaming controversies? Only time will tell.
Mashable has reached out to Spotify for comment and will update this article if there is a response.
When I first laid eyes (and hands) upon Samsung’s new Galaxy S22 Ultra, I assure you it was not love at first sight.
The 6.8-inch phone, which launches Feb. 25 and sits atop the S22 line as the company’s most premium Android offering, is effectively a cold, smooth slab of sometimes rounded metal punctuated by multiple circular cameras. It’s imposing, austere…anonymous, even, and expensive, with a starting price of $1,199. There’s nary a hint of the whimsy Google infused into the hardware and software design of its rival, the Pixel 6 Pro. The S22 Ultra, by contrast, is all business.
Its no-nonsense vibe is unsurprising, really. The “Ultra” designation has typically been the go-to option for deep-pocketed Samsung fans who want the biggest and best display paired with the most (and best?) cameras. Except now, there’s a third feature pillar: the S Pen. In normal human-speak, we call this a stylus or digital pen.
What’s old is new again
Siblings. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable
The S Pen is effectively a borrowed innovation from the company’s once popular but now defunct Note line, which Samsung put to rest in 2021. The company first flirted with reintroducing this stylus functionality as an optional add-on for last year’s S21 Ultra, but here it’s an inbuilt feature. And that’s turned out to be a very good thing.
SEE ALSO:
Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra review: Enough with the feature overkill, Samsung
I’d initially scoffed at this Ultra feature flourish when it was announced alongside Samsung’s other new phones — the S22 and S22+. It seemed extra for extra’s sake, which is somewhat of a Samsung design hallmark, especially when it comes to its highest-end devices.
“Is this really what it takes to convince people to pay for $1,000-plus phones?,” I wondered. “A stylus?!”
Turns out, Samsung was right and I’m eating crow. I’ll just say it now: I’m an S Pen convert.
While I’m still not comfortable with a world where phones are on par price-wise with laptops, I do think including the S Pen with the S22 Ultra was a wise move. In fact, it’s something that I believe could and should trickle down to the rest of Samsung’s phone portfolio, becoming something of a standard spec.
But before I waltz you through my unexpected love affair with the S Pen, let’s unpack what exactly you’re getting when you cough up all that money.
The category is body
First things first, at 77.9 x 163.3 x 8.9 millimeters, the S22 Ultra is tall, thin, and deceptively heavy, weighing 229 grams thanks, in part, to the beefy quad-camera array. As a result, when you’re holding this phone in hand, you’ll notice its top-heaviness causes it to tilt slightly forward. Its right and left edges are nicely rounded in an aesthetically pleasing way that gives the screen a seamless quality, but the curve is so severe that it makes gripping the phone a bit unpleasant. Sure, the Ultra’s all-metal body — which comes in phantom black, phantom white, green, and burgundy — definitely conveys its premium status to any onlookers, but it’s also quite slippery. Trust me, this is not a phone you’ll want to use without a case.
Black tie but make it a phone. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable
Maybe that’s why Samsung didn’t bother imbuing much personality into this thing — because it’s destined to be covered up in a protective, decorative case. If you don’t take that precaution, you’re simply setting your money on fire. In my short time with the Ultra, it’s nearly gone flying out of my hands at least 10 times while I was out and about.
Trust me, this is not a phone you’ll want to use without a case.
As is to be expected with a phone of this caliber, the S22 Ultra is 5G- and WiFi 6E-capable (the latter bit guaranteeing faster speeds with a compatible router), and bears an IP68 rating, so those of you with a laissez faire attitude to tech can get it dirty, dusty, and wet. But, with a more than $1,000 price tag, you should probably try your hardest to protect it from the elements. Its aluminum body is coated in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, which means it should withstand some wear and tear — you know, car keys in the pocket as well as absent-minded drops. We all do it. No shame.
To Samsung’s credit, it’s managed to keep the S22 Ultra’s physical buttons for volume control and power, housed on the phone’s right edge, somewhat flush with its sleek frame. Even the S Pen, which lives at its base to the left of the USB-C charging port and SIM card slot, only slightly protrudes with a smooth bump. Click this in, and the S Pen will pop out just enough so you can remove it. It’s in there a little snugly, which is reassuring as it won’t just slip out if you accidentally unlock it.
Your S Pen lives here. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable
And, in a nice touch, if you unlock the S Pen while the S22 Ultra’s screen is off, it will immediately launch into note-taking mode with Samsung’s Notes app.
At 6.8 inches, the Ultra’s display maintains the size of last year’s S21 Ultra, but it’s still a beautiful thing to behold, with a bright, saturated WQHD+ (3088 x 1440) AMOLED screen and a 120Hz refresh rate. That rate can ramp all the way down to 1Hz, depending on your app activity, which should help mitigate battery drain. You won’t really notice it in practice as you swap from watching videos to browsing web pages to scrolling through your TikTok feed. It works as it should: YouTube video playback is super fast and smooth as is simply navigating through your phone’s menus and app drawer.
Another feature that Samsung’s carried over from the S21 Ultra is the in-display fingerprint sensor, although here its reliability has vastly improved. When Mashable reviewed the S21 Ultra, one of our biggest gripes was how inconsistent and frustrating this sensor was, forcing us to resort to manual PIN unlocks. That’s happily no longer the case. The sensor on the Ultra is very sensitive, responding very quickly to your touch. To date, I’ve never had to bother with a PIN unlock. A word of advice, though: enable the persistent fingerprint icon from within Settings so you’re not blindly smashing your finger down on the screen to unlock.
Storage-wise, the Galaxy S22 Ultra comes in a variety of memory and storage configurations but bear in mind that more power and space equals a higher cost:
12GB of RAM / 1TB of internal storage
12GB of RAM / 512GB of internal storage
12GB of RAM / 256GB of internal storage
8GB of RAM / 128GB of internal storage
Serving Samsung skin
Just like on the Pixels 6, you can set a theme based on your wallpaper. Credit: Screenshot: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
Fans of the pure (or “vanilla”) Android experience will have to get used to Samsung’s One UI skin, if they aren’t already. It’s not terrible but you will have to customize things to your liking. And you will have plenty of options to do that — a little too many for my taste. But there is one Android 12 customization option called Material You that you should definitely take advantage of during setup. This allows you to select a color palette based on your wallpaper to apply to the UI and apps. So, for example, you’ll see your text chat bubbles correspond to whatever selection of colors you choose. It’s a nice touch that helps to make your phone feel a little more personal.
As for bloatware, well, there’s a bunch and that’s to be expected, sadly. If you’re reliant on Google’s suite of apps, then you’ll find those Samsung has installed to be mostly redundant, like Samsung’s Galaxy app store, its mobile wallet app, Gallery, Messages, and more. No hate if you prefer these services but it’d be nice to let the user decide what to download. You’re also getting a handful of Microsoft apps like LinkedIn, Office, OneDrive, and Outlook which makes sense given that this is a productivity-focused, note-taking phone (Hello, S Pen!).
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One minor point of contention on my end (and you may not agree) has to do with Samsung’s gesture navigation. It’s unintuitive. From the home screen, you swipe up to access the app drawer and immediately shift to swiping horizontally to browse apps. It breaks the flow and is one of the reasons why I prefer operating a Pixel phone. Yes, I know this is a trivial quibble but when I fork out over $1,000 for a device, I want it to zip in all the right ways.
More than enough juice
Now you may be wondering how long this beast of a phone can last on a single charge and (spoiler alert) it’s very good news. The S22 Ultra packs a 5,000mAh battery similar to last year’s model and in testing I managed to drain it to a little more than half capacity (60 percent or so) by bedtime. That comes to about 16 hours with typical use: scrolling through Twitter and Instagram, reading articles on Pocket, browsing on Chrome, and watching videos on YouTube.
But that all-day battery life diminishes if you make moderate use of the cameras. After a few hours of testing the S22 Ultra’s imaging prowess, I had a 20 percent charge left by midnight. It’s a good thing then that this phone supports 45W super-fast charging, which allowed me to fully juice up from 50 percent charge in just under an hour.
S Pensive
I’m a fan. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable
And now we come to the point where I gush about the S Pen, something I never thought I’d say. Hear me out.
For years now, I’ve been cursing my thick fingers and the loss of physical keyboards on smartphones. Once BlackBerries went the way of the dodo in favor of the touch-typing ushered in by the iPhone, I’d begrudgingly resigned myself to a life of non-fluent messaging and browser navigation. I just can’t manage to fluently bang out a text, select copy, or press buttons with the Vienna sausage fingers I was born with. (Don’t cry for me — I managed to learn the piano, regardless.)
Turns out, the remedy I needed was here all along: the stylus, errr…S Pen. The one mobile innovation that brought us the Note series and gained Samsung fame (and exploding phone infamy) is actually a necessary thing for people like me who need precision. I’m not a double-thumb texter — I just can’t do it. Instead, I rely on swipe typing but even that has pitfalls. So imagine my surprise when I could neatly connect letters and gracefully form sentences while wielding that unassuming plastic wand.
It’s great for overall phone navigation, too. There’s just something so satisfying about how the S Pen’s tip feels when it’s sweeping across the screen as you switch apps or scroll through web pages and feeds. The tip is simultaneously silky and rubbery when it needs to be, so you don’t feel like you’re dragging something across the screen. It also makes holding the device for longer periods of time more palatable since your hands aren’t crunched together. Plus, there’s an added unadvertised bonus: it makes you feel like a boss.
Seriously, I may have only been idling around with my phone and reading articles in Chrome but it felt like I was doing something important.
Wield your S Pen like a magic wand. Credit: Screenshot: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
Just a few options available for the S Pen. Credit: Screenshot: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
Case in point: I was checking out a photo comparison of the PS4/PS5 versions of the video game Horizon Forbidden West when I happily discovered I could move the photo slider to the left and right without touching the screen. I did it naturally and felt in control. I was also able to scroll down a page in an app by hovering the pointer at the bottom of the page. I totally love this functionality and I’m sure you will, too.
This next one is entirely climate dependent but worth mentioning as the S Pen is incredibly handy when it’s freezing cold outside and you’re wearing gloves but still want to use your phone. In fact, I now kind of wish all phones had an optional inbuilt stylus. It’s not all necessary but it can be kind of clutch in the right wintry circumstances.
The S Pen is incredibly handy when it’s freezing cold outside and you’re wearing gloves but still want to use your phone.
Oh, and another thing. Air actions, which are triggered when you click the S Pen’s side button, caught me by surprise. When this is enabled, the S Pen has the ability to launch the camera with a longpress and take photos, skip music tracks, navigate the phone’s menus, or even set app-specific actions.
I should also mention that latency when writing with the S Pen is quite low, and it faithfully reproduces your handwriting or, in my case, what my family has not so lovingly referred to as “chicken scratch.” To quickly jot something down, simply tap the floating S Pen icon onscreen and a handy menu will appear giving you options for note taking, screen selection, live messages, AR doodles, translation and more.
If you’re worried about losing the S Pen, have no fear as there’s an option in Settings to enable a warning message if you happen to forget it and walk away. It’ll even tell you the date and time when it was last removed from its slot.
Picture (almost) perfect
Say their names. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
Most mid- to high-end phones like the Pixels 6, Samsung’s S22 series, and Apple’s iPhone 13 line have now gotten to the point where imaging software and hardware are pretty excellent all around. You don’t need the latest and greatest (read: most expensive) phone to take a perfectly acceptable shot to populate your social feeds anymore — but it doesn’t hurt.
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I’m happy to report that you won’t be disappointed at all with the multiple cameras Samsung packed onto the face and back of the S22 Ultra. Here’s what you’re getting:
12MP ultra-wide camera (F2.2, FOV 120˚)
108MP main camera (Dual Pixel AF, F1.8, FOV 85˚)
10MP telephoto camera (3x Optical Zoom, F2.4, FOV 36˚)
10MP telephoto camera (10x Optical Zoom, F4.9, FOV 11˚)
40MP selfie camera (F2.2, FOV 80˚)
Just your average winter NYC day. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
Zoom through the looking glass. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
It’s an arrangement that’s mostly unchanged from what we saw on the S21 Ultra but now the company claims the S22 Ultra can take even better lowlight shots, and even use Portrait Mode at night. While that latter claim is true, it doesn’t exactly yield the results you might want.
Feeling sexy, might delete later (is not a thing I’d say about this shot). Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
I don’t smile when I’m this cold. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
I found Portrait Mode photos taken at night to have an overlit quality to them. It’s akin to bad studio lighting where, yes, the subject is visible and detailed, but there’s an almost cheap look to the final shot. In fact, when I tested it, the weather here in New York had turned from cold to rainy and humid, and any moisture on my face was transformed into an almost shimmery powder look…and not in a good way. Nighttime Portrait Mode shots also have a very warm tone, making them appear almost yellowish. On the upside, you do get some great detail on the subject.
Nighttime shots taken with the rear cameras yielded much better results. As you can see, there’s a dreamy vibe to the shots, with a bit of softness where you’d expect detail and some halo effects around bright light sources.
Take me to church. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
As for normal, daytime photography, you can expect shots with true-to-life colors that don’t appear dull or washed out. There’s none of that candy coated Insta-ready “magic” here like you’d see on the iPhone 13 Pro, which is great. (I’m a fan of realism.) Objects in frame appear sharp and detailed even when using the phone’s 3x and 10x zoom capabilities. 100x zoom also works pretty well but it’s a bitch to hold your hands steady enough to capture anything and, besides, the resulting image will appear more impressionistic than anything.
Don’t let the sunshine fool ya — it was freezing! Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
This one’s for the birds. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
You can even make use of the various editing options Samsung’s crammed into the Ultra to remove people and objects from a shot with Object Eraser, auto-retouch a shot with Remaster picture, or apply various face effects (that wipe you of your beautiful humanity).
Now you see’em. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
Now you don’t. Credit: Joseph Volpe / Mashable
I will say that the S22 Ultra’s rear camera placement did prove a bit troubling as my fingers would often very easily slide into frame and ruin a whole bunch of what were otherwise gorgeous shots. It’s just too close to the edge when you’re holding the phone in landscape orientation. This is where a less rounded phone edge would have been more advisable, Samsung.
Nice but not necessary
If I haven’t already made it abundantly clear, I like this phone. Its design may be lacking but it’s a powerhouse that should satisfy demanding power users who require productivity on the go and superb mobile photography.
Yes, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is a bit of overkill but it’s the Samsung kind of overkill, meaning it works very well despite being a little overwhelming options-wise. I just don’t like it enough to recommend spending over $1,000 for the privilege of having an S Pen and rear cameras on steroids.
For about $300 less, you can pick up the Google Pixel 6 Pro and enjoy a similar level of high-quality performance and fantastic imaging… minus the S Pen, Samsung apps, and feature bloat. And I say that as someone who fell mildly in love with the S Pen on this phone — it’s a game changer if you’re sick of finger-based navigation and typing.
SEE ALSO:
The 10 best Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro features
Or, if you’re not wedded to Android and want something slightly cheaper that takes so-good-they’re-almost-surreal photos, then Apple’s $999 iPhone 13 Pro is the way to go.
But really, no matter which of those three high-end phone options you choose, you can’t go wrong. It’s all a matter of where your loyalties lie and how much money you’re willing to spend.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is good but don’t let its convoluted naming scheme fool you — it’s not out of this world.
If you have a dog you’re probably familiar with the term separation anxiety.
Over 23 million households in the U.S. welcomed a new dog into their home during the pandemic, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. With many of us spending way more time at home, it’s no surprise that our dogs may be having a hard time as we start to leave the house more.
Separation anxiety can be a serious issue for pets and their owners, but with the right training and resources, it doesn’t have to derail you or your dog’s life. Here’s what you need to know about separation anxiety in dogs.
What is separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety is a condition where a dog becomes extremely stressed when they are separated from their guardian, other close humans, or sometimes even another pet. In a 2019 study of over 4,000 dogs published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 13 percent were reported to exhibit overt separation anxiety.
Dogs are inherently social animals, which is what makes them great pets and prone to separation anxiety, said Joanne Basinger, director of Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York City. “All dogs have the propensity to develop some sort of separation intolerance or separation anxiety, because they don’t want to be left alone,” she said. “A healthy well-balanced dog is going to prefer being with its people versus without.”
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In a 2014 webinar presentation, Dr. Nicolas Dodman, a renowned veterinary behaviorist and representative of the Humane Society, said separation anxiety stems from a combination of factors, but “by far and away, the most powerful force is environmental.” He goes on to say that just like babies, puppies need to be given lots of love and affection which makes them independent and secure as they grow up. This is why many dogs with separation anxiety tend to have a “shelter or stray background.
What causes separation anxiety?
Dogs experience separation anxiety when something happens that “disrupts the social bond,” according to Dodman’s webinar. This could be moving homes, children going back to school after vacation, or changing up daily routines.
What are some signs of separation anxiety?
The most common signs of separation anxiety are vocalization, destructive behavior, inappropriate elimination, and not eating while you’re away. But separation anxiety is not always so straightforward. “The owners aren’t there to observe the behavior in person, and some of the symptoms can seem like problems with housetraining or boredom,” wrote Carly Loyer, an animal behavior scientist for the ASPCA, in an email.
Dodman’s webinar lists the following as signs of separation anxiety:
Following (Velcro dog)
Pre-departure anxiety
Vocalization (barking, whining)
Destructive behavior
Inappropriate elimination
Pacing
Houdini Syndrome (trying to escape)
Self-destructive behavior
Salivation
Vomiting
Psychogenic anorexia (not eating while you’re gone)
Exuberant greeting
Make sure you rule out whether or not it’s just puppy behavior or boredom. Credit: Getty Images
What should you do if your dog has separation anxiety
1. Consult with your veterinarian
These symptoms could indicate a variety of issues, so just because your dog is behaving a certain way, doesn’t mean it’s definitely separation anxiety. That’s why it’s important to get an official diagnosis for your vet so you can rule out other behavior or medical issues.
2. Consult with a trainer or animal behavioral specialist
If a veterinarian has determined that your dog has no underlying health issues and may have separation anxiety, Basinger recommends consulting with a trainer “so that they could have a consultation that’s based on the specifics of their lifestyle, where they live, and their dog’s specific behavior.” There’s a lot of information out there, so rather than having to parse through all of it, she said, “Find a person that they trust to talk through it and come up with a plan. That way, they’re really getting the attention that they need for their particulars.”
While the pandemic may have contributed to a rise in separation anxiety, it doesn’t have to inhibit its treatment. “Many professionals are still offering services virtually during this time,” said Loyer, “and luckily separation anxiety is one behavior challenge that lends itself well to virtual coaching.”
There’s no legal requirement for dog trainers to be certified, but there are several highly reputable qualifications that can help you parse out the good from the bad. Listing all the different certifications here would be like alphabet soup, but as a rule of thumb, look for a trainer that is certified in canine behavior consulting or has a good track record with testimonials from clients.
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Dog anxiety is real. These products can help calm your anxious pet.
Consulting with a behavior specialist can give you a specific plan that works for you and your dog. Credit: Getty Images
Helpful tips to prevent or curb separation anxiety
There are preventative measures that you can do to prevent separation anxiety in dogs or stop it from getting worse.
1. Practice healthy boundaries
Many people are still working from home in some capacity, which means now is a good time to start preparing your dog for a future change in routine. Loyer recommends designating some alone time throughout the day.
“Try to leave your home throughout the week – go for a stroll outside or do some yardwork without your pet. Practice with short durations initially so you can make sure your pet is comfortable with you being gone, gradually increasing the duration as much as possible to prepare for longer stretches of time,” she wrote.
For those in an apartment, Basinger suggests crating your dog or working in a separate room, “so there’s alone time, with you, home.”
2. Set your dog up for success
There are a few different approaches to separation anxiety. But for that critical period when you are out of the house, the experts interviewed all emphasized the importance of creating a safe environment where your dog will feel relaxed and comfortable.
What exactly this environment looks like is highly situational, but Dodman recommends a confined space with an open crate they can go into if they want. When creating this environment, he also says to think of the five senses.
For taste, use food puzzles or toys stuffed with high value treats, like peanut butter, liver, or frozen wet food so that it becomes a dog lollipop. Smell has some overlap with taste, and Dodman and Loyer both suggest hiding treats for them to discover like a scavenger hunt. Another idea from Dodman is to enrich a toy with an engaging smell like anise, vanilla, or… deer urine “if you can stomach it.”
For vision, turn on the TV and give them access to a window, perhaps adorned with a bird feeder. Sound could be from the TV, or talk radio, as well as music designed specifically for dogs. Lastly, make sure your dog has a cozy bed and soft comforts. The idea, said Dodman, is to try and make it fun for them. “When you leave it’s party time.” There’s also a ton of YouTube videos specifically made for relaxing dogs.
Above all, remember the adage, “a tired dog is a good dog.” Try and make sure your dog gets some exercise before you leave so they’re mentally and physically calmer.
Make the environment so inviting that they look forward to you leaving. Credit: Getty Images
3. Don’t ignore separation anxiety
You may have heard that ignoring your dog or letting them cry it out will teach your dog to self-soothe or learn healthy boundaries, but for a young puppy or a dog with separation anxiety, this probably won’t work. “When you’re in need of an attachment figure, you’ve just lost your parents, your mother dog, you’ve just lost your litter mate, you find yourself in a new home and now these people are distancing you. That’s the right treatment,” said Dodman.
“They should be kept as close as possible, spoken to kindly and have all their needs met.” That being said, Dodman continued it’s important to strike a balance between loving them and being matter of fact, especially when it comes to departures. Being overly emotional when you leave will make them feel like it’s a big deal and that they should panic.
To help find that balance, Basinger suggests thinking about it as “coaching them on how to learn how to self soothe and self pacify.” If your dog is in their crate or in another room and starts to get upset, get closer to them, allow them to see you and talk to them. The key is to address it, not ignore it, because your dog’s separation anxiety won’t get better on its own.
Remember you’re not alone
“The most important thing is to get your ducks in a row in terms of who you can lean on,” said Shoshi Parks, a professional dog trainer who specializes in separation anxiety. “Whether that’s a dog care provider you trust that can walk your dog, or a doggy daycare that you can bring them to, or a trusted friend or neighbor that you can drop the dog off when you need to be somewhere.”
Having a dog with separation anxiety can be daunting, so look to family and friends for support when you need them. Parks also wants dog owners to know that training can be flexible and tailored to fit particular lifestyles, so getting help for your dog’s separation anxiety doesn’t mean overhauling your entire life. “They can really do it on their own time, and that it really only takes a commitment of about 30 minutes a day.”
Resources and products to help with separation anxiety
There are tons of great resources and products to arm yourself with when taking on separation anxiety. Interactive toys like Kongs, snuffle mats, or food puzzles can keep your dog engaged for a while. Calming aids like treats with L-Theanine and melatonin or weighted blankets can also help.
When in doubt, look to resources like the American Kennel Club, the ASPCA, and the Humane Society for trustworthy information. And be aware that while these suggestions may help, they shouldn’t be substituted for actual training or advice.
