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iOS 16 release date rumors, supported iPhones and 5 features we want to see
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After seeing the releases of iOS 15 and the subsequent iPhone 13 series, we’re in the midst of .1 updates that are slowly refining features we’ve been seeing since June, back at WWDC.

However, that doesn’t stop us from thinking of what could be in the next version of iOS that is widely expected to be called iOS 16.

Every iOS release has brought a major feature to the table, whether that’s widgets or dark mode. But iOS could still benefit from some new refinements to better manage how you use your iPhone every day.

We’ve combed through our iPhones to roundup five features we’d like to see arrive in iOS 16 next year, no matter how major or minor these may be. But first, we’ll run you through when we expect it to land and which iPhones will be supported.

iOS 16 release date rumors

Apple has followed a traditional schedule of announcing the latest iOS update in June at WWDC, followed by a release around September.

With iOS 15.2 currently in testing, Apple has been focusing on rolling out significant features across more .1 updates. In previous years, we've seen the trackpad appear on iOS 13.4, alongside ProRes in iOS 15.1 in October of this year.

It wouldn't be a stretch to expect an iOS 15.7 by the time we see iOS 16 with more significant features.

iOS 16 supported iPhones

Apple tries to support a variety of iPhone models in every new iOS release. iOS 15 supports iPhone 6S at a minimum, which was released in 2015.

It wouldn't be a stretch to expect iOS 16 to support the iPhone 7 series at a minimum, but with some features held back, mainly due to the hardware limitations of the camera, or the chip inside certain iPhone models.

Every iOS release comes with a major feature, but also a bunch of minor improvements across the board. If you still have an iPhone 8 for instance, you may reap the benefits of some of the small features in iOS 16 when it arrives. But you will most likely miss out on the big feature that Apple will showcase.

Redesigned Camera app

iPhone 13 Pro

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The iPhone camera has seen huge improvements in recent years, with more lenses being added and features such as Night Mode and Cinematic Mode being introduced.

However, this has meant that the camera app has begun to feel bloated. Accessing forced flash or exposure settings requires a few more swipes than we’d like, alongside hidden gestures that don’t feel needed.

With the impending release of iOS 15.2, we’re also about to see a new macro button appear, which will help you to more accurately set up those close-up shots when needed. This is just for the iPhone 13 series, though.

Starting afresh with the camera app could help new users take photos in a whole new way, alongside giving existing users a fresh way of taking photos and videos.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that Apple has more big plans for the cameras in future iPhone models, which will also mean new features that we’ll be switching on and off when required. Let’s see an app that’s redesigned for what came before, and lays the groundwork for what’s coming next.

QuickNote to iPhone

macOS Monterey Notes and Quick Note

(Image credit: Apple)

This is a feature that appears in iPadOS 15 and macOS 12 Monterey, where you can drag your finger from the bottom-right corner, and you can quickly type in some notes, no matter where you are on your device.

There are many gestures you can do on an iPhone, so there’s no harm in adding one more. Dragging from the bottom right corner would display a note that you could quickly type in, and save for a later date.

With your thumb being your primary point of interaction with your smartphone, it's an easy win that can really help with quickly jotting something down. It will also save the strain of your thumb instead of reaching for the Control Center on the top right, and selecting the Notes icon.

Home Automation widgets

Using the Home app on an iPhone 13 Pro in iOS 15

(Image credit: Apple)

Since widgets were given a makeover in iOS 14, alongside the ability to place them anywhere on the home screen, some other apps have not been forthcoming with their own widgets to help reduce some steps. One blatant example is the Home app.

You may have a selection of smart lights in your home where you use the app to help manage these. But if you want to quickly switch on a light, you may experience a delay if you ask Siri, or if the app isn’t responding, which has happened often in our experience.

Having a widget on your home screen for your smart lights could really help reduce the steps in quickly switching the bedroom lamp on, instead of having to find the Home app.

It’s a little strange that the widget hasn’t appeared as yet, but we’re hoping it arrives, not only to iOS 16, but future versions of macOS and iPadOS as well.

Air apps

Apple AirPods Pro

(Image credit: Apple )

If you own one of the AirPods peripherals, or an AirTag, you may find it very cumbersome to try and manage each of these. AirPods settings are only accessible through Bluetooth from within the Settings app, while AirTags settings are accessible through the Find My app.

Being able to manage these through a centralized ‘AirThings’ app could relieve a lot of confusion as to what you own from Apple.

Third-party vendors such as Sony bring out certain apps that can help you manage headphones and more to better manage the features that these bring. Being able to do the same, without having to go to Bluetooth within the Settings app, could bring a lot of simplicity to managing your devices.

Better theme options

Three iPhones running iOS 15

(Image credit: Apple)

Back in 2019, we saw an onslaught of themes thanks to a few new features that the Shortcuts app provided in iOS 13.

With Shortcuts, you can use the app to create launch commands for other apps, and place an icon of your choice on the home screen for it. This has resulted in many themes being made available for iPhone users.

YouTuber Marques Brownlee created a short guide to create your own icons with Shortcuts.

But iOS 16 could go further. A new category in the App Store could enable themes to be downloaded and then selected within the Settings app. You could also choose different colors and sounds for notifications and set them as a separate theme, which could also be enabled with Automations in the Shortcuts app.

Third-party developers could perhaps make their own sounds and themes available as well. While there would be restrictions on changing other app icons, it could further expand the individuality that users want from their devices.

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This new Gmail update will help you avoid hybrid working confusion
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Showing up alone to an in-person meeting could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new Gmail update.

With workers across the world slowly returning to office life (if they haven't adopted hybrid working of course) physical meetings are unfortunately becoming more common once again.

But as many workforces balance home and office working, this can lead to confusion about who will actually be at a meeting in-person, and who will be there virtually – something Gmail and Google Calendar now hope to have fixed.

RSVP in Gmail

Going forward, Gmail users will now be able to specify whether they will be attending a meeting either virtually or in-person in their email RSVP.

The function had initially been added to Google Calendar back in July 2021, but is now available within Gmail RSVPs for extra functionality. Users will now see a drop-down arrow next to the “Yes” option in a meeting invite where they can select “Yes”, “Yes, in a meeting room” and “Yes, joining virtually” choices.

RSVP in Gmail

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

“With these RSVP options, you can indicate how you plan to join a meeting—in the meeting room, or virtually,” a Google Workspace blog announcing the feature noted. “Then, both the organizer and guests will be able to see how attendees are planning to attend the meeting in the event detail. This will help meeting attendees know what to expect when joining a meeting, and prepare accordingly.”

The blog did highlight that the new RSVP options are not shared with contacts on other platforms, such as Microsoft Outlook.

Google says the feature has begun rolling out now, and will be available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers, within the next few weeks.

The news comes shortly after the launch of a new “Focus time” feature in Google Calendar that will allow users to block out periods of time where they can avoid meetings and get their heads down for actual work.

Setting such a marker in your Google Calendar will also allow users to automatically decline meetings, meaning no last-minute rush to finish off work.

Need extra help? These are the best calendar apps around

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Is free anti-malware good enough?
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If you’ve decided that it’s a good idea to take the plunge with a malware removal tool, there’s probably one question that immediately occurs: will a free app give you good enough protection against all the different (and ever-growing) strains of malware out there?

Let’s dive into the key issues you should consider here, before coming to a conclusion on whether or not a freebie anti-malware will be enough for your needs.

Malwarebytes Premium is today’s best anti-malware tool
Save 25% on your security If you decide to pay for your anti-malware tool, Malwarebytes Premium is reasonably priced and uses heuristic analysis to identify new strains of malware, cleans up existing infections, helps protect you from phishing scams, and helps stop you downloading further malicious software.

Save 25% | $ 39.99 $ 29.99

Free vs premium: the key differences

We’ll start by looking at the differences between free and paid malware removal software, aside from the glaringly obvious – namely that a freebie won’t cost you anything, whereas a premium product will lighten your wallet to some extent.

Naturally, with a paid anti-malware app, you’ll get more in the way of features – what would be the point in stumping up cash if you didn’t? Exactly what those additional functions may be over and above any free version will obviously differ depending on the security vendor, but typically, a freebie will only give you the very basics.

That said, the basics invariably consist of an on-demand malware scanner backed by a library of definitions to hunt out malware – and that’s all you really need to get going with. It’ll allow you to manually fire up a scan to check your PC for malware, and flag up other possible nasties such as PUPs, those being Potentially Unwanted Programs (apps that may not be malicious, but could still interfere with and slow down your system, and might even intrude on your computing activities by, say, popping up an advert).

The scanning capabilities and core anti-malware engine will be the same as the paid product – with any decent app, that is – so you’re certainly getting a worthwhile app for nothing with a free anti-malware.

Indeed, if you already run a paid antivirus program, then a free malware removal app will prove a solid backup as a second line of defense to check with on-demand scans that nothing has slipped through the net of the antivirus. Those already subscribed to a quality antivirus will likely be happy with this two-line defense, and just plumping for a free anti-malware in reserve.

Scan Window

Malwarebytes scan in progress (Image credit: Malwarebytes)

Premium benefits

With all that said, what are you likely to benefit from with premium anti-malware? Let’s take our top pick of the current crop of the best malware removal software, Malwarebytes, as an example of what extra features are typically included.

With Malwarebytes Free you just get on-demand (manually initiated) scanning as mentioned above… and that’s all.

But go for Malwarebytes Premium and you get a host of extras, the most important of which is real-time protection. This means that the app watches over your system constantly, monitoring files that are introduced and processes run, and scanning for any evidence of malware in the daily operation of your device.

The paid version of Malwarebytes also comes equipped with anti-ransomware tech to defend against this particularly dangerous threat, and an exploit shield to guard against vulnerabilities in software or the OS being leveraged by a malicious party. Finally, there’s web protection on hand to keep you safer when browsing and defeat the likes of phishing attacks or other online scams.

This much broader protection against specific types of attacks (and URL filtering for when you’re browsing) is typical of the kind of features you’ll find in a good antivirus; and that’s the key point here. If you aren’t already signed up for such an antivirus, then the alternative is to grab Malwarebytes Premium instead, and get all this, with the additional focused protection against malware that Malwarebytes delivers. (Remember that anti-malware specializes in ‘behavioral detection’ and spotting newly unleashed malware just by its suspicious activity on the system).

In this case, Malwarebytes Premium is a good option for covering your security bases across all core needs, rather than going with the free version. While some antivirus apps may offer even more features – like a built-in password manager, for example – you may already have that functionality, and what Malwarebytes delivers is that honed behavioral detection to seek and destroy more sophisticated or brand new malware that a traditional antivirus might just miss.

Is free anti-malware good enough?

A free malware removal tool is good enough as a backup for a strong antivirus program, and it’s well worth having regardless as its core malware finding capabilities through on-demand scanning are the same as with a paid anti-malware.

That said, forking out for the premium version of an anti-malware app makes more sense if you need the best malware protection with a broad umbrella of other defenses. This way, you can cover all your vital security needs – while benefiting from the specialized behavioral detection which anti-malware majors in – and not need to fork out for a traditional antivirus app at all.

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Microsoft Teams might finally be worth using in Windows 11
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Microsoft has released a new preview build of Windows 11 that makes it even easier to share content from other apps to Microsoft Teams with attendees while in a meeting.

With the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22499 to the software giant's Dev Channel, Microsoft is rolling out a new feature that allows Teams users to quickly share content from open app windows directly from Windows 11's taskbar to their video calls.

This new update builds on another recently released feature that introduced the ability to quickly mute and unmute active meeting calls right from the taskbar.

By making it easier to share content during Teams calls, Microsoft will eliminate the need to switch back and forth between apps just to share or reshare a window. With less interruptions, meeting attendees will have a much easier time focusing on their meetings in Teams.

Sharing open windows in Teams

Windows 11 Insiders can now test out this feature after downloading the latest preview build of Microsoft's new operating system.

When in a meeting in Microsoft Teams, users can share content from their open windows by hovering over the apps in their taskbar. A new “Share this window” button will appear underneath an app's preview and by clicking on it, they can share their open windows with other attendees in a video call. By hovering over the window again and clicking “Stop Sharing”, users can stop Teams from showing content on their PC or they can also choose another window to share content from it instead.

This new feature also works while presenting full screen presentations in PowerPoint and by moving your mouse to the bottom, the taskbar will pop up so that users can share or stop sharing their presentations without interrupting attendees.

According to a new blog post from Microsoft, the company is rolling out this new feature to a subset of Windows Insiders with Teams for work or school installed though it will be rolled out to even more users at a later date. The software giant also plans to bring this functionality to Chat from Microsoft Teams (Microsoft Teams for Home) at a later date.

Looking to improve your video calls? Check out our roundups of the best video conferencing software, best business webcams and best headsets for conference calls

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Microsoft Edge is bombarding people with ads
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Advertisements have begun appearing in  the lower right corner of Microsoft Edge following a recent update to Microsoft's browser.

These ads or recommendations are for service such as Microsoft Start according to a new report from Windows Latest. For those unfamiliar, Microsoft Start is a rebranded MSN feed that provides users with “personalized trusted news, plus games, weather and more – all in one app”.

Apparently Microsoft has begun experimenting with showing more ads and recommendations that appear when a user opens the New Tab Page in its browser. While they can be distracting and somewhat annoying, these pop-ups can be easily dismissed by clicking on the “Maybe later” button.

At the same time, Microsoft appears to be using its new Assistance from Microsoft Edge feature to collect search results from users in an effort to improve its Bing search engine. While the data collected by the software giant isn't associated with users or their devices, not everyone wants to hand over their search data even if doing so does help improve their preferred search engine.

Office integration

Microsoft is also testing out a new Office integration for its browser that will allow users to access Microsoft 365 apps directly from Edge.

On the Microsoft Edge Canary Channel, the company has added a new option called “New Office Tab” to the browser's context menu that can be accessed by right-clicking on an open window. This new feature will allow users to open Word, PowerPoint and Excel directly in Edge without having to leave the browser.

It also appears that Microsoft's new Office integration won't be exclusive to Microsoft 365 subscribers and anyone with a Microsoft account will be able to take advantage of it. However, just like with “Read Aloud”, “Add page to Collections” and the other options in the context menu, users won't be able to disable it.

As Microsoft's new Office integration is currently being tested out in Edge Canary, it likely won't be long until this feature comes to the stable version of the company's browser.

Looking to protect your privacy while browsing the web? Check out our roundup of the best VPN services and our list of the best anonymous browsers

Via Windows Latest

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iCloud for Windows now has its own password generator
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Apple has released a new version of its cloud storage service for Windows and iCloud for Windows 13 now includes a password generator among other new features.

While the iPhone maker released an update back in August that allowed Windows users to leverage its iCloud Keychain password manager app, at that time they could only access their stored passwords.

Now though with the release of the latest version of iCloud for Windows, Windows users can generate strong and unique passwords for all of their accounts regardless of whether they're currently using Apple or Microsoft's operating system.

Apple also released a Chrome iCloud extension at the beginning of this year to make it easier for its users to access their stored passwords from Google's browser or even on a Chromebook.

ProRaw and ProRes support

In addition to bringing a password generator to iCloud for Windows, Apple has also added support for its ProRaw and ProRes photo and video formats to its cloud storage service.

While the ProRaw photo format was first introduced with the launch of the iPhone 12 Pro last year, ProRes is a new video format that debuted with the launch of the iPhone 13 Pro earlier this year. 

As Apple's latest pro model iPhone support both formats, adding them to iCloud for Windows makes a lot of sense as users will now be able to view and edit photos and videos shot using them on their desktop PCs.

Apple users that want to use iCloud on a Windows machine at home or work can now download iCloud for Windows 13 from the Microsoft Store.

We've also rounded up the best password manager, best password generator and best identity theft protection

Via The Verge

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You can finally download Firefox in the Windows Store
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Mozilla has announced that Firefox is the first major browser to become available for download directly in the Windows Store on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Previously, Windows users that wanted to use Firefox instead of Microsoft Edge had to download the browser from the internet and go through a clunky process from Microsoft according to a new blog post from Mozilla. Now though, as Microsoft has changed its Windows Store policies, choosing Firefox as your default browser is a more seamless experience. 

Downloading Mozilla's browser from the Windows Store is not only easier but it also gives you access to all of the latest Firefox features including Total Cookie Protection, Enhanced Tracking Protection, DNS over HTTPS, fast site loading using WebRender and Quantum CSS, Firefox Suggest, Multi Picture-in-Picture and personalization with seasonal Colorways.

Gecko engine

At the core of Firefox and all other browsers is a browser engine that is responsible for loading web pages from sites and displaying them on your screen. While Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome use Chromium as their browser engine, Firefox uses Mozilla's proprietary Gecko engine.

Until recently, Microsoft's store policies required that all browsers use the engine that Microsoft had built into its platform which prevented Mozilla from shipping Firefox to users through the Windows Store. In addition to giving users less choice, these policies also hurt the web as Windows users would only have access to the features Microsoft was willing to provide.

Thankfully though, now that Microsoft has changed its policies, Mozilla and other browser makers will be able to ship their products through the Windows Store regardless of which browser engine their software uses.

Firefox can now be downloaded through the Windows Store by clicking on this link though Mozilla's browser is also available for macOS and Linux.

Looking for a better browsing experience? Check out our roundups of the best browser and the best anonymous browser

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Microsoft Teams is finally getting the update you’ve all been waiting for
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Working together with others outside your organization in Microsoft Teams will soon be possible thanks to a new update to Microsoft's online collaboration tool.

Workgroups often extend beyond one's organization with employees connecting with multiple external stakeholders including customers, vendors and partners. However, up until now, users had to rely on different software or even personal apps to collaborate with them.

Not only does this require employees to use multiple apps which takes longer and can reduce their productivity, it also creates security risks for both workers and their companies.

For this reason, Microsoft is currently working on two updates that leverage Microsoft Teams Connect and the secure access capabilities of Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to make cross-organizational collaboration easier for businesses.

Cross-organizational collaboration

The first update involves shared channels which allow individuals and teams across multiple organizations to work together in Microsoft Teams. When this feature becomes available in preview early next year, shared channels will appear within each Member's Teams tenant alongside other teams and channels. 

Users will also be able to schedule a shared channel meeting, use other Microsoft apps like Office and share each channel with up to 50 teams and as many organizations as they need.  Meanwhile, admins can use cross-tenant access settings in Azure AD to configure granular and differentiated trust relationships for external collaboration with different organizations.

Microsoft is also working on another update scheduled to rollout by the end of this year that will enable Teams users to chat with others outside their network including those using Teams personal accounts. They'll be able to invite any Teams user to chat using an email address or phone number while remaining within the security and compliance policies of their organization.

Cross-organizational collaboration is the Teams update many users have been waiting for as it will allow Microsoft's collaboration tool and video conferencing software to become a one-stop-shop for all of their business dealings both internally and externally.

Looking to improve your Microsoft Teams experience? Check out our roundups of the best business webcams, best headsets for conference calls and best video conferencing software

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Which Adobe Black Friday deal should I get in 2021?
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When it comes to Adobe, Black Friday is a great time to look for a deal if you want to finally try out Photoshop or another of the Creative Cloud apps.

With a push from the company this year to make sure all of its apps work with Apple’s M1 Macs, there’s no better moment to see what offers Adobe may bring out.

In previous years, there’s been deals up to 40% off the Creative Cloud subscription. When you factor in $ 599 / £508 / AU$ 871 for a yearly subscription, it could be a significant discount for Cyber Monday as well, especially if you’re looking to use the suite for a project or a student assignment.

But there could be a bunch of deals that you may be interested in but not sure which one to go for. With this in mind, here’s a few deals we’ve come across in recent years, and which ones to look out for, just in case.

Which deals usually appear?

Adobe Photoshop running on MacBook Pro 2021

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Being able to save on the following plans can make a big difference in the long run, especially if you’ve decided to add Photoshop, Lightroom, or other Adobe apps into your workflow.

With Adobe’s improvements to Apple’s new MacBooks, alongside Photoshop coming to the web, it looks to make that subscription more justified if you’re still wavering.

Adobe Student Plan

While there’s a Student deal that saves users over 65% for a Creative Cloud subscription, in the past there’s been Black Friday deals that have offered monthly discounts of up to 30%, and yearly discounts of up to 45%.

The yearly subscription of $ 599 / £508 / AU$ 871 could be a big dent in your bank account, while a monthly charge of $ 52.88 / £49.99 / AU$ 76.88 can be as much as an iPhone 13 Pro contract for three years.

Adobe Photography Plan

This plan offers Photoshop, Lightroom and 20GB of cloud storage for $ 9.99 / £9.99 / AU$ 9.99 a month.

If you want to only edit photos and only photos, it's an ideal plan for this.

Last year for Black Friday, this plan was 16% off the above pricing, so we may see something similar appear in the coming weeks from Adobe.

Adobe Creative Cloud Plan

The most common plan that many go for, where every essential app from Adobe is included in the plan.

Priced at $ 52.99 / £49.99 / AU$ 76.99 a month, you'll be able to use the apps on your Mac, your PC, and your iPad if you wish.

All of the apps can be downloaded and updated from the main Creative Cloud app, so you can pick and choose which apps you want to install at certain times.

Are subscription plans the new normal?

There was a time where you could buy Photoshop for a one-off fee, and you could use it as many times as you wanted for that specific version before a new one would be announced.

However, as devices became more powerful and the alluring choice of having more than one device, there was a reason for Adobe to replace one-off payments with subscriptions.

Microsoft was one of the first to do this with Office 365, and now it’s a common trait. Apple with iCloud and other services, alongside Microsoft and Game Pass, and much more.

But Adobe doesn't just offer one plan, several are offered to better help your needs. Some that you’ll most likely go for may be the Photography plan that offers Photoshop, Lightroom and 20GB of cloud storage for $ 9.99 / £9.99 / AU$ 9.99, to the Dreamweaver plan for $ 19.99 / £19.99 / AU$ 19.99.

We aren’t far from seeing what Adobe will offer for Black Friday weekend. But if you’ve recently upgraded your PC or Mac, and you want to get the best out of Adobe’s apps, you’re going to be in a great position once the deals are announced to help save you a significant chunk of change.

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How does Norton 360 for Gamers protect your device?
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Norton 360 for Gamers is a version of the Norton 360 security suite which is specifically aimed at you guessed it – gamers!

But if all you're doing is playing games in the comfort of your own home, why should you need an antivirus tool? In this article, we break down in detail exactly how Norton 360 for Gamers helps to protect your PC, and what additional defenses are present for gamers in particular.

Core antivirus protection

Norton 360 for Gamers gives you the same core defenses against malware as the vanilla Norton 360 internet security suite. To be precise, you receive everything that subscribers to Norton 360 Deluxe get, plus the gaming extras we’ll come onto in the next section.

That includes real-time protection to keep malware off your PC, on-demand scans, heuristics to detect freshly released threats, and dedicated anti-ransomware tech. As we found in our full Norton antivirus review, these combine to provide a very solid level of core protection.

Norton 360 for Gamers

(Image credit: NortonLifeLock)

Norton puts its antivirus money where its mouth is, with the firm’s ‘virus protection promise’ that gives the customer their money back if a device is hit by malware which Norton’s experts can’t remove.

Further protection is provided by some high-quality URL filtering to keep your web browsing safer, and Norton also implements an intelligent firewall. The latter is a very informative firewall that can help you make decisions on untrusted programs which are trying to use your internet connection – this is a pleasingly fresh and useful approach to firewall execution.

Extras, extras…

Those are the main defenses, then, but Norton 360 for Gamers also delivers the security suite extras found in Norton 360 Deluxe. That includes a backup facility with 50GB of cloud storage space, which could come in very handy if things go awry (always back up your important files, no matter how confident you are in the security of your PC). There’s also a password manager and webcam protection.

Another nifty feature is a built-in VPN, which is far from standard with security suites. To be precise, this is Norton Secure VPN and while it might be a relatively basic VPN service, it’s solid enough and a great bundled inclusion adding to the value proposition here.

Using a VPN for gaming helps to protect your privacy and anonymity online, with other benefits such as geo-blocking. That enables you to, say, stream content you wouldn’t otherwise be able to access. A VPN can also help you avoid the likes of DDoS attacks, which can be aimed at you to bog down your internet connection and ruin an online gaming session.

DDoS attack alert showing on a screen

(Image credit: FrameStockFootages / Shutterstock)

Dark Web Monitoring keeps an eye out for any of your personal details or data being involved in a data breach, because the knowledge that something has been spilled online can enable you to react quickly and keep your accounts secure.

Finally, those with children will appreciate the parental control system. This is a seriously good package to protect kids when they’re online, with all manner of content filtering and the ability to set time limits on device usage, as well as thorough location tracking facilities to keep tabs on your offspring not just online, but in the real world via GPS too.

Gaming goodies

On top of all the above, Norton 360 for Gamers offers a number of extras targeted specifically at those who enjoy PC gaming. We’ve already touched on the Dark Web Monitoring feature, which with the gaming suite is extended to also cover gamer tags and accounts, helping to keep these safe from exploits by nefarious types who may come across your leaked details.

Gamers running Windows also get the benefit of fewer notifications from Norton, with the suite able to detect when you’re running full-screen apps like games, only interrupting you if something critical happens like your PC being actively under attack.

The biggest gaming-related feature though, is the Game Optimizer. This allows Norton 360 for Gamers to intelligently allocate CPU resources to the game you’re playing in Windows to get better performance.

The caveat is that it doesn’t work with every game, but supports titles run via the Epic Games Store and Steam, plus game launchers from Bethesda, Blizzard, EA (Origin), Rockstar, and Ubisoft (Uplay). And bear in mind that you’ll need a quad-core CPU to use this feature, but most gamers these days will have one of those in their gaming PC.

Norton 360 for Gamers

(Image credit: NortonLifeLock)

How does Norton 360 for Gamers protect your device?

As we’ve seen, Norton 360 for Gamers delivers a whole raft of protection. From its core anti-malware measures (and specialized ransomware and web protection), through to security features like an intelligent firewall and integrated VPN.

That VPN can help defend against the likes of DDoS attacks aimed at gamers (or even the terrible practice of ‘swatting’, which is trying to call in a SWAT team or similar tactical response unit on false pretences), and the Dark Web Monitoring is a great extra to keep all your gaming accounts more secure.

Overall, Norton 360 for Gamers provides a commendable level of all-round protection and some nifty gaming-related extras for Windows users, particularly as Norton claims that its optimization feature can help some games run faster.

It’s well worth considering as a security package for those keen on gaming, with the main compromise compared to Norton 360 Deluxe being that Norton 360 for Gamers only supports three devices, rather than five. Both offerings are pitched at around the same price typically, and at the time of writing, Norton 360 for Gamers is a touch cheaper.

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