IT General

SAVE $80: The Apple Mac mini M4 is on sale for $499 at Costco, down from the list price of $579.99. That's an $80 discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac mini M4 $499.99 at Amazon
$579.99 Save $80 Get Deal

The Apple Mac mini is a seriously impressive piece of kit. And even with the super compact size, the Mac mini comes with advanced specs like the new M4 chip for snappy performance for multitasking and switching between apps with no lag.

With that in mind, we're always looking out for opportunities to save on the Mac mini. Deals are sparse, but you can still find the Apple Mac mini M4 for under $500. It's on sale for $499 at Costco, down from the list price of $579.99. That's an $80 discount.

The catch is that this special deal is only live through Aug. 3. There's no need to panic, but this is your last chance to secure this popular item for such a low price.

SEE ALSO: Hurry! Apple AirPods 4 are back under $100 on Amazon.

The Mac mini sports two USB-C front ports and a 35mm headphone jack. On the back, you'll get a port for HDMI and ethernet, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports. If you have an iPhone, you'll be able to view and control what's on your phone from the Mac mini with the iPhone Mirroring feature.

Score the Mac mini M4 for under $500 from Costco.

TL;DR: Get help with your online business with this lifetime subscription to Sellful White Label Website Builder and Software’s ERP Agency Plan, now just $349.97 (reg. $1,497) through September 7.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sellful Sellful - White Label Website Builder & Software: ERP Agency Plan (Lifetime) $349.97
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Running a business isn’t easy. Whether you’ve already got one underway or you’re looking to finally get your side hustle off the ground, let Sellful help you out.

This handy AI-powered white-label website builder and software helps you tackle everything from building your website to selling your products, and right now, a lifetime subscription to its ERP Agency Plan can be yours for just $349.97 (reg. $1,497) through September 7.

This AI platform handles website building, newsletters, HR tasks, and more

Let Sellful become your new favorite employee. This white-label website builder and software can wear a whole lot of hats — from web developer to e-commerce coordinator to HR employee.

Sellful can handle web development tasks like creating your website, landing pages, funnels, and more, all with the power of AI. Once your website is up and running, it can also help you sell your physical and digital products right from the site.

Need some customers? Sellful can tackle your marketing. It’s able to create an AI-generated newsletter, social media posts, and even an interactive chatbot that can converse with customers.

After Sellful is done helping you create a site, reach customers, and sell products, it can also help you expand your team. The platform can recruit new employees, manage your payroll, and handle time-off requests. It can even serve as a receptionist, with a built-in scheduler that can help manage appointments and bookings right on your site.

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TL;DR: Get a sleek, powerful, like-new Apple MacBook Pro (3.1GHz i,5 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for just $324.97 (reg. $1,499).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (3.1GHz i,5 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $324.97
$1,499 Save $1,174.03 Get Deal

Need another dependable laptop that looks good, runs fast, and doesn’t require dipping into your emergency fund? Maybe your primary laptop is tied up with work, your kid keeps “borrowing” it for school, or you just want something lighter for travel. Whatever the reason, having a reliable secondary device is more practical than ever.

This Grade A refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is exactly that. It’s powerful and ready for your everyday grind.

Inside, it’s running a 3.1GHz Intel Core i5 processor (with Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz), backed by 8GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage. That means fast boot times, smooth multitasking, and a decent amount of space for files, projects, or that ever-growing download folder you’ve been meaning to clean.

You’ll get Apple’s iconic Retina display at 2560×1600 resolution with 500 nits of brightness — still one of the best in its class. Whether you’re editing photos, streaming, or hammering out a term paper at 2 am, everything should look sharp and vibrant. The second-gen Touch Bar and Touch ID add smart functionality and a secure login option, while four Thunderbolt 3 ports give you all the connectivity you need.

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Pick up this like-new MacBook Pro from 2017 while it’s just $324.97 (MSRP: $1,499) through September 7 only.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97 (MSRP: $199).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $14.97
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Still running Windows 10 and pretending everything’s fine? No shame — we’ve all hit “Remind me later” more times than we care to admit. But with this deal, you can finally make the jump to Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97. That’s a full-fledged, professional-grade operating system for the price of two fancy lattes.

What makes Windows 11 Pro worth the switch? First of all, it’s smooth. Like, way smoother than its predecessors. The redesigned interface is clean, centered, and customizable, which is great for focus and flow. Plus, it comes with features that make multitasking feel like second nature: snap layouts, virtual desktops, and lightning-fast search tools.

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Don’t miss upgrading to Windows 11 Pro while it’s on sale for just $14.97 (MSRP: $199) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Access dozens of top AI tools in one platform — 1min.AI bundles content, chat, design, audio, video, PDF, and more under a single lifetime license for just $79.97.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $79.97
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One of the bigger annoyances of the digital age is the subscription model. Juggling a half-dozen AI tools, each with its own login credentials, pricing tiers, and learning curve, is exhausting. That’s why 1min.AI can be a helpful alternative to the usual chaos.

It’s like your favorite productivity cheat code — an all-in-one platform that brings together top-tier AI features for writing, design, video, audio, and more under a single dashboard. And you can get a lifetime subscription to the Advanced Business Plan for just $79.97 (down from the MSRP of $540) — with no recurring fees, ever.

Need blog posts written in your brand voice? Check. Want to generate YouTube thumbnails, edit PDFs with AI, or even clean up audio? Covered. From chatting with advanced models like GPT-4o and Claude 3 to turning PDFs into summaries, translating audio, or batch-generating marketing copy, 1min.AI does it fast — like, one-minute fast. That’s the whole point.

Whether you’re a solo creator or running a small team, 1min.AI simplifies your stack. You’ll have access to multiple flagship models like GPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, plus unlimited brand voice slots, unlimited prompt storage, and 4,000,000 credits/month to spend on whatever you want to make.

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Get lifetime access to the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for just $79.97 while you can and streamline your digital tools forever.

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TL;DR: Online safety for the whole family is easy with this lifetime AdGuard Family Plan, now just $15.97 (reg. $169) with code FAMPLAN.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $15.97
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The internet isn’t just cluttered with ads; there are also trackers and other hidden threats. AdGuard keeps you safe online by blocking intrusive ads, stopping trackers, and safeguarding your privacy across all your devices.

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The internet should be fun, not frustrating. AdGuard tackles the most annoying parts of online life, like pop-ups, autoplay videos, and banner ads, so that you can enjoy your time browsing, streaming, and scrolling again.

Aside from blocking ads, AdGuard also protects your privacy. Your information will stay safe from trackers and activity analyzers, and you'll be shielded from malware and phishing websites that you or your family members could fall victim to. 

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Secure your own AdGuard Family Plan for life for just $15.97 with code FAMPLAN. 

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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Manly.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

MACHO

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A type of nut.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 3, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ACORN

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Less frequent.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 3 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 3, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

RARER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Style.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 3 Hurdle Word 4 answer

ECLAT

Final Hurdle hint

To mature.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

RIPEN

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The moon is looking brighter every night, and we're inching closer to the next full moon. But let's take a look at where we are in the lunar cycle first.

The lunar cycle is a series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. 

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Aug. 3, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, the moon will be 69% lit up tonight.

It's day 10 of the lunar cycle, and there's a lot to see when we look up tonight. With just your naked eye (no visual aids required), you'll be able to spot the Copernicus Crater, the Mare Fecunditatis, and the Mare Crisium.

With binoculars, enjoy a glimpse of the Aphonsus Crater, Posidonius Crater, and the Mare Frigoris. With a telescope, you can also see the Rima Arladaeus, the Descartes Highlands, and Fra Mauro Highlands, a hilly region of the moon where the Apollo 14 landed.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on August 9. The last full moon was on July 10.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side.

Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Sunday, August 3, 2025:

AcrossWith 5-Down, road trip with frequent stops for reds

• The answer is Wine.

Printer supply

• The answer is Toner.

Use DoorDash or Grubhub

• The answer is Order.

Like thrift shop items

• The answer is Used.

Distortus ___, mutant dinosaur in "Jurassic World Rebirth"

• The answer is Rex.

DownNot as good

• The answer is Worse.

End-of-book reference

• The answer is Index.

Have to have

• The answer is Need.

Go wrong

• The answer is Err.

See 1-Across

• The answer is Tour.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, August 2, 2025:

AcrossTikTok or Tinder

• The answer is App.

Lawyers' org.

• The answer is ABA.

Place with Bunsen burners and beakers, in brief

• The answer is Chem lab.

Product that can be sampled with a spray on the wrist

• The answer is Cologne.

Visibly muscular

• The answer is Toned.

Groceries carrier

• The answer is Tote bag.

Self-indulgent "journey"

• The answer is Ego trip.

AOL alternative

• The answer is MSN.

Things that phone users might accidentally tap on webpages

• The answer is ADS.

DownSports org. that now includes schools from Texas and California, strangely enough

• The answer is ACC.

Hobbyists with cameras, informally

• The answer is Photogs.

Big name in exercise bikes

• The answer is Peloton.

"Solve for x" subject

• The answer is Algebra.

Temporary fix, so to speak

• The answer is Band-Aid.

Pres. Lincoln

• The answer is Abe.

"Show me the ___" (punny request at an art museum)

• The answer is Monet.

President pro ___

• The answer is Tem.

Road trip assistance, for short

• The answer is GPS.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 3 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: To mimic

• Green: Basketball, baseball, soccer, etc.

• Blue: Madness

• Purple: Musical groups

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Emulate

• Green: Sports

• Blue: Mania

• Purple: Single animal in a creatively spelled band name

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #784 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Emulate: COPY, ECHO, MIRROR, PARROT

• Sports: CRICKET, GOLF, POLO, SQUASH

• Mania: BUG, CRAZE, FAD, FEVER

• Single animal in a creatively spelled band name: BEETLE, BIRD, GORILLA, MONKEY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 3

Are you also playing NYT Strands?

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 3 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 3 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: "Sorry, didn't catch that"

The words are game-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of mistakes.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sports Goof.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for August 3

• Fault

• Fumble

• Error

• Sports Goof

• Blooper

• Muff

• Bobble

• Whiff

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for August 3 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 3, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Bumpy.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

LUMPY.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 3

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

Much of what I do on a day-to-day basis involves a lot of typing. As a result, wherever possible, I prefer to not have to break my flow by reaching for a mouse. Here are some of the shortcuts I use the most with Windows File Explorer.

Despite haivng a desktop with multiple monitors, I now do most of my work on a laptop. As a result, there area few peripherals that I've come to love.

Modern audio-video receivers (AVRs) have more ports than you can shake a stick at, but one of them—the humble USB port—is often forgotten. I finally decided to see what mine can do by plugging in some random USB devices I have lying around.

When an Apple product reaches a certain age, Apple renders it either “vintage” or “obsolete.” For people still toting around a second-gen Apple Watch, your time has come. Apple put the Series 1 models on its obsolete list, which means the company has run out of parts and the watch is no longer serviceable. 

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch dealbreaker: Why I’m sticking with Garmin until they fix this frustrating issue

It joins the Series 2, the other half of the second generation of Apple Watches, which was added to the obsolete list last year. 

It can be a bit confusing. The Apple Watch Series 1 and the Apple Watch Series 2 are both considered the same generation. Back in the good old days, the original Apple Watch didn’t have an official Series designation. Thus, when the Series 1 launched in 2016, the original Apple Watch was retroactively referred to as Series 0. The Series 2 was also launched in 2016 alongside the Series 1, so both are considered second-generation products from Apple. 

Apple stopped selling the Series 2 when the Series 3 came out, but left the Apple Watch Series 1 on sale for another year as a low-cost option alongside the Series 3. Thus, the Series 2 went to the vintage and obsolete lists a year before the Series 1. The good news is that the whole second generation is now on the obsolete list, so the confusion ends today. Moving forward, each Series is its own generation, starting with Series 3. 

What does it mean when an Apple product is obsolete?

The way Apple’s product life works is fairly predictable. Apple releases a product, sells it for a while, and then stops when a newer product comes out. After five to seven years (depending on the product), Apple puts the product on the vintage list. This means Apple has ceased making new parts that the company can use to repair broken devices. However, Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) can still repair the devices as long as they still have the parts to do it.

Once Apple runs out of parts, the product winds up on the obsolete list and can no longer be repaired through Apple. 

Since parts can come and go at varying intervals, that likely explains why the Apple Watch Series 4 is already on the obsolete list, despite being a couple of years younger than the Series 1 or Series 2. 

What does this mean for me?

If you own an Apple Watch Series 1, it simply means that you can no longer get the watch repaired through Apple. Third-party repair shops may be able to repair the watch, but they won’t have access to official Apple parts to do it. In short, it means that it’s probably finally time to upgrade your aging watch. We hear the Apple Watch Series 10 is pretty good. 

Routers are usually set up once or twice and then they sit in a corner somewhere until a setting needs to be changed, or the router gets replaced. However, they're mini computers capable of doing far more than we normally use them for. Here are a few good ones to try.

You may have noticed some webpages you own take 10+ seconds to load—you're not alone. Slow webpages cause higher bounce rates, and that's bad. Modern tooling and conventional techniques are the culprit. Fortunately, with a little knowledge and smart strategy, you can easily overcome this common problem.

It’s hard enough getting into the content creator space without the platform you’re on putting up restrictions. However, Instagram is now the latest social media app to institute such a restriction — forcing people to have at least 1,000 followers before they go live on the site. Previously, Instagram let anyone go live, regardless of account status. 

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The news first started circulating after smaller creators posted the notice on other social media channels. 

The notice reads, "Your account is no longer eligible for Live. We changed the requirements to use this feature. Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos."

Credit: Chance Townsend / Instagram screenshot

TechCrunch followed up with Instagram and confirmed that the social network giant made this change intentionally. As expected, small creators aren’t fans of the change, and it’s been mostly maligned across all of social media. Creators with private accounts won’t be able to go live at all, even if the account has over 1,000 followers. Instagram says the change was made to “improve the overall Live consumption experience.”

There are pros and cons to the decision, as TechCrunch notes. On the one hand, small creators will have an even harder time breaking out into the segment than they already do, as accumulating followers without buying them can be a long and painstaking process. By contrast, Instagram likely removed a lot of low-quality streams this way that only have a couple of viewers each, which makes it easier to find better live content while also saving Meta money. 

This change brings Instagram more in line with TikTok’s live streaming rules. However, the number of followers you need on TikTok can vary, with plenty of people getting access long before they reach 1,000 subscribers. As of this writing, Facebook’s Help Center says that going live on Facebook only requires a 60-day-old account and at least 100 followers. YouTube still allows users to go live after just 50 followers, while Twitch remains the easiest to get started with a 0 follower limit.