Samsung is bringing its Galaxy smartphone repair service to more than 100 Best Buy stores across the country starting Tuesday, the company said on Monday. Devices in Samsung's Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines will be the only ones eligible for repair services through Best Buy at launch, but support for Galaxy Z foldable phones is coming in early November.  

It builds on Samsung's existing authorized service center options, which include Samsung stores as well as the repair chain uBreakiFix. Samsung previously offered authorized repair services at some Best Buy locations as part of a pilot program, but it's now expanding those efforts more broadly.

As part of the program, those who own eligible Galaxy devices will be able to schedule an appointment with a Samsung-trained Geek Squad agent to get screen replacements, port and camera repairs, battery replacements and other services. The expansion could help Samsung remain competitive with rivals like Apple and Google, both of which have expanded their in-person retail and repair offerings in recent years. 

Apple similarly partnered with Best Buy in 2019 when it announced that nearly 1,000 locations across the US would offer Apple-authorized support. Google opened its first physical retail store in New York earlier this year, where customers can buy products like Pixel phones and Nest speakers and also explore interactive exhibits. 

Read more: Samsung Care Plus: What to know about Samsung's take on Apple Care

Having more repair options readily available could be especially important as Samsung continues to push its premium foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip. Such devices are among Samsung's most expensive Galaxy phones, with the Z Fold 3 available at $1,799 through Samsung's website, without a device trade-in, and the Z Flip beginning at $999 without a trade-in. Since foldable phones are still relatively new to the market, we don't know much about their long-term durability, as my colleague Patrick Holland mentioned in his review of the Galaxy Z Flip 3. 

The Samsung-authorized services available at Best Buy will include both in and out-of-warranty services as well as software troubleshooting. Samsung's store locator tool can be used to find nearby authorized service centers, and you can view the full list of eligible devices at Samsung's website. 

If you're reading this, it's probably because you're in the market for a mesh router, or you're curious about them. You aren't alone. The pandemic-borne work-from-home age pushed our home networks to the limit, and mesh routers that use multiple devices to spread a more reliable Wi-Fi signal from room to room will offer the clearest, most noticeable home networking boost in most households. Add in the arrival of faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds, and it's no wonder so many people are looking to make the upgrade.

Upgrading to a mesh router with support for that new Wi-Fi 6 standard would seem like the logical choice, but the tri-band models with their own dedicated backhaul channel that really feel like an upgrade are usually expensive (like, a couple of car payments expensive). In 2020, I was commending Asus and Eero for bringing the cost of full-featured, tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers down to around $400 or so -- a nice step in the right direction, but still too much for most folks.

Then came the TP-Link Deco W7200. With a tri-band design that separates the system traffic from your own traffic (which is key if you want to get the most out of a mesh router), plus full support for Wi-Fi 6, the W7200 checks all of the boxes that I'd be looking for in a mesh router upgrade if it were me buying. And then there's the cost: $229 for a two-piece setup. That's less than Nest Wifi, a three-year-old dual-band system that doesn't support Wi-Fi 6 at all. Consider me fully whelmed.

It gets better. Apart from making a breeze out of the setup process, with satellites that automatically join the mesh as soon as you plug them in, the W7200 performs like a champ. In my at-home tests, the system delivered fast, consistent speeds across my entire house, and never once dropped my connection or got tripped up as I moved from room to room running speed tests. 

In fact, the W7200 managed to outperform other tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers that cost a lot more, including the AX6600 version of the Arris Surfboard Max and Amazon's Eero Pro 6. It couldn't quite keep up with fancier, more expensive mesh routers when I tested it on a blazing-fast gigabit network, but on a slower, 300Mbps network that's a lot closer to the average internet speed in the US, it kept right up with routers like those. That includes the AX6000 version of the Netgear Orbi mesh router, a top-of-the-line system that sells in a 2-pack for $700. TP-Link gets you there for $229.

That makes this the easiest mesh router for me to recommend, ever, and a clear Editors' Choice-winner here on CNET. If you've been waiting for the right time to make the upgrade to mesh, or waiting for the right time to buy in on Wi-Fi 6, then wait no longer, because the 2-piece Deco W7200 system is worth every penny.

First impressions

The TP-Link Deco W7200 sticks to the same, basic design as TP-Link's previous Deco devices, most of which are cylindrical or puck-shaped pieces of white plastic. They aren't ugly, but they aren't exactly eye-catching, either -- I've seen cheap, no-name routers from the bargain bin that look more inspired. 

TP-Link pitches that they're built to blend seamlessly into your home's decor, but the bulky, bland-looking build might lead some owners to stash them in closets or behind TVs, where they won't perform as well. It's a relatively minor quibble, but a more distinctive, aesthetically minded design would have gone a long way here.

If the first impression falls flat, it's the second impressions, which you'll form as you set the system up, that save the day. For starters, the Deco app is a clean, tidy-looking interface that makes simple work of guiding you through the setup process -- but my favorite bit comes once you've set the first device up as your main router and the time comes to add in the second device as a satellite extender. Just plug the thing in. It'll automatically find its way onto the mesh and start boosting your signal, no network scans, QR codes, IP addresses, button presses or taps in an app needed.

The two Deco devices are identical, so you can use either one as the main router or as an extender. Together, the two can cover up to 5,500 square feet, TP-Link says, though I'd recommend budgeting one Deco device per 2,000 square feet for a stronger connection at range. 

And don't let the W7200 branding fool you -- these are AX3600 devices, with the "AX" designating support for Wi-Fi 6 and the "3600" designating the combined top speeds of each of the system's three bands. You can only connect to one band at a time, so the true top speed isn't 3,600Mbps, but rather, 1,802Mbps, which is the top speed of the faster of the two 5GHz bands (and keep in mind, that's a theoretical maximum based on lab-based tests, so your real-world speeds will be a lot lower). With the W7200 moniker, TP-Link is basically doubling down on the hyperbole by multiplying the already misleading 3600 part of the speed rating by the number of routers in the box. That's patently ridiculous, but I digress.

Each Deco device keeps it simple, with just two Ethernet jacks and a power port in the back. I would have liked to have seen a USB port there for people who need to plug in a printer or external storage, and a third Ethernet jack would have been nice, too. You'll need one of those jacks to connect the main router to your modem, so if you have multiple smart home dongles, media streamers, gaming consoles or other devices that require or would benefit from a wired connection to your network, you might need to pick up an Ethernet splitter. Still, a growing number of mesh routers these days are ditching the USB port, and some mesh routers don't have Ethernet jacks on the extenders at all, so it could be worse.

I'll also note that all of those Ethernet jacks cap the incoming wired speeds at 1Gbps. That's plenty by today's standards, but it's worth noting that multi-gig internet connections much faster than 1Gbps are now available from several of the top ISPs in the nation. As such, a more future-proofed design would have been great, though it's an understandable omission in a system that's priced as aggressively as the W7200. For now, you'll still need to spring for a system such as the Asus ZenWifi XT8 if you want multi-gig Ethernet jacks equipped for connections like those.

A masterful mesh

All quibbles with the design and the inflated speed rating aside, it's time to talk about performance, and that's where the W7200 truly shines. The graph above shows you the average room-by-room download speeds from my at-home speed tests on a 300Mbps fiber network. The Deco W7200 (red) exceeded that number in every room I tested in, and finished in a very close second to our top performing mesh router to date, the AX6000 version of Netgear Orbi (blue). That system costs more than three times as much as the Deco W7200.

On top of that, the Deco outperformed two other tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers that cost more, the Eero Pro 6 and the AX6600 version of the Arris Surfboard Max. Both of those cost at least $150 more than what TP-Link's asking. And, with its tri-band design, the W7200 leaves most dual-band systems that lack a dedicated backhaul in the dust, including the original Eero 6 and TP-Link's own Deco X20.

I would also expect the Deco W7200 to easily outperform the dual-band version of the Netgear Nighthawk mesh router and also Nest Wifi, which doesn't support Wi-Fi 6 at all. That said, I tested both of those systems before upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 testing equipment here at home, so I'll save the direct, numerical comparisons until I've had a chance to re-test them.

Average speeds are all well and good, but if you really want to understand how a mesh router is performing, you need to dig a little deeper. To that end, the graph with the dots here shows you the results of each of the individual speed tests that comprise those averages. I run multiple rounds of speed tests across multiple days during morning, afternoon and evening hours, so there are lots of dots in that graph -- but it's difficult if not impossible to see all of them because of how closely they overlap. That's consistency. I was hitting the same, impressive top speeds test after test, with very little variance save for the hallway bathroom and the master bedroom, where the system had to decide whether to direct my traffic straight back to the living room router, or to route it through the bedroom extender. Even then, the variance made little to no difference in the quality of my connection.

That overall consistency includes testing rounds where I started my connection close to the router (in the living room) and then worked towards the back of the house, and also an equal number of testing rounds where I did the opposite, connecting far from the router (in the back bathroom) and working towards the front. That approach will often cause a mediocre mesh to trip over itself and get confused about which device to route my connection through, or which band to steer my traffic onto, but that wasn't the case with the W7200. Whether I started my connection up close or from afar, it always managed to optimize my connection and deliver the fastest speeds possible, with an overall front-to-back average of 350Mbps and near-identical back-to-front average of 352Mbps.

I run the majority of those speed tests on a laptop that supports Wi-Fi 6, but I also make sure to run multiple sets of tests to a Wi-Fi 5 device, too. Wi-Fi 6 is backward compatible, so the W7200 and other Wi-Fi 6 routers like it can still connect with older devices like that, but those devices won't be able to take advantage of the new features that make Wi-Fi 6 faster and more efficient. In some cases, that can mean that speeds from a Wi-Fi 6 router to your Wi-Fi 5 devices will be as much as 30% slower than the speeds you'll see on a Wi-Fi 6 device.

With the W7200, however, the difference was minimal. My overall average with a Wi-Fi 6 device was 351Mbps, compared to 337Mbps with a Wi-Fi 5 device. That's only about 4% slower.

If the W7200 has a weak spot with regard to performance, it'd be the upload speeds, which were slightly slower on average than I've seen with other, similar mesh routers. My home's fiber connection is symmetrical, so the uploads are capped at 300Mbps, same as the downloads. Across all of my Wi-Fi 6 tests, the W7200 finished with an average upload speed of 249Mbps -- still fast, but notably lower than the averages I saw from the Netgear Orbi AX6000 (342Mbps), the Eero Pro 6 (296Mbps) and the Arris Surfboard Max AX6600 (261Mbps). Even the Asus ZenWifi XT8, another router I tested back before I was using Wi-Fi 6 gear here at home, finished with overall average uploads of 265Mbps.

Not the fastest pick for a gigabit network

In 2022, I retested the Deco W7200 on a gigabit network (specifically, a fiber network with max download speeds of 940Mbps and max upload speeds of 880Mbps). Like before, the results from multiple rounds of tests were highly consistent, regardless of whether I started my connection close to the router or far from it. 

The speeds, however, weren't quite as strong as I've seen from other top-rated systems here in 2022. Tested across the whole house, the Deco W7200 finished with average download speeds of 403Mbps and average upload speeds of 379Mbps, with close range wireless download speeds about five feet from the router averaging in at 584Mbps. That puts it close to the also-excellent Eero 6 Plus, which finished the same tests with similar average downloads of 427Mbps and average uploads of 380Mbps, but noticeably faster average close-range downloads of 671Mbps. 

Meanwhile, the pricier Netgear Orbi AX6000 was better able to separate itself from the Deco W7200 on a gigabit network, with average downloads of 614Mbps and average close-range downloads of 726Mbps. Same goes for the Eero Pro 6E and TP-Link's own Deco XE75, each of which also adds in support for Wi-Fi 6E and the 6GHz band. Routers like those remain the true upgrade picks for a gigabit network, where your connection comes with enough bandwidth for high-powered models to really shine. Even so, the Deco W7200 held up well, and held its own against the tough competition.

The verdict

Mesh routers promise a fast, reliable connection throughout the majority, if not the entirety of your home. The TP-Link Deco W7200 makes full use of Wi-Fi 6 and a tri-band design to deliver on that promise, with performance that's about as solid as I've seen from a mesh router. At $229 for a two-pack, it offers outstanding value. The only router I've tested that beats it in my tests outright costs more than three times as much.

The W7200 is a great system if your home is lucky enough to have a dedicated fiber connection with speeds up to a gigabit, but if you're living with download speeds of 100Mbps or less, then the W7200 is probably more than you need right now. That said, the W7200 really doesn't cost that much more than the budget systems you might consider in its place, and that makes it easy to recommend for just about everyone. It's a strong top pick in the mesh category, and one that isn't likely to fall until the competition figures out how to offer value that's as strong as this.

This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.

Like peanut butter and jelly or Converse and high socks, Android and other operating systems will soon be a perfect fit. That's Google's plan, anyway. At CES, Google shared its 2022 vision and laid out how it's making Android work better with devices that run Wear OS, Chrome OS, Windows and the new smart home standard Matter.

The main appeal for Android has always been choice. When you buy an Android phone, you can choose a phone based on the design, features and price tag that appeals to you the most. But even if you're a loyal Android fan, it's likely that not everything you own runs on it, which can make setup and synchronicity across devices frustrating. The good news is that Google seeks to smooth out some of those continuity wrinkles throughout the year.

None of the additions Google shared are jaw-dropping, and that's fine because nearly everything is focused on making life simpler and devices more straightforward to use. Some of these features might seem familiar to owners of Apple devices. But keep in mind that Apple only has to support its own hardware, Google has to support hardware from multiple phone, tablet, watch and PC makers.

Android Fast Pair will support more devices, even Windows PCs

Fast Pair, first announced in 2017, helps you set up and quickly pair wearables, headphones, speakers and cars. In a post published Wednesday, Erik Kay, Google's vice president of Multi-Device Experiences, said the company is working to extend Fast Pair's functionality to TVs and smart home devices.

The first improvements are for Chromebooks and they'll let you automatically detect and pair with Fast Pair-enabled headphones with a single click. In the coming months, you'll be able to use Fast Pair to connect new Matter-enabled smart home devices to your home network, Google Home and other apps. You'll also be able to pair headphones to Google TV and Android TV OS devices.

Later this year, you'll be able to set up a new Chromebook with Fast Pair and give it instant access to saved information including your Google login and Wi-Fi password.

You'll also be able to connect your phone with a Windows PC and set up Bluetooth accessories, sync text messages and share files with Nearby Share. Acer and HP PCs will be first to adopt Fast Pair support later this year.

Unlock your Bimmer with a digital key and your Android phone with Wear OS

Currently, you can unlock your Chromebook with an Android phone, but in the coming months, you'll be able to use a Wear OS watch to do the same. The update will let you unlock and access your Chromebook, Android phone or tablet anytime you're close to it.

But easily unlocking things isn't just limited to phones and laptops. Right now, you can use digital car keys via certain Samsung and Pixel phones to lock, unlock and start some BMW cars. And later this year, phones with ultra wideband technology, like the Pixel 6 Pro, will let you use digital car keys without taking your phone out of your pocket and share your car key with friends and family. Google hopes to expand digital car key support to more Android phones and cars later this year.

Automatic audio switching from your Chromebook to your phone

Google is also building support to automatically switch the audio going to Bluetooth-enabled headphones. For example, if you're watching a video on an Android tablet and you receive a phone call, the video will pause and the headphone audio will automatically switch to your Android phone for the call. When your call ends, the audio will switch back to the video.

Another audio addition will be the support for spatial audio which adapts the sound over your headphones based on your movements to seemingly position audio in the space you're in. Spatial audio and automatic audio switching are expected to be released in the next few months.

Phone Hub on Chromebooks will become even more useful

Currently you can use Phone Hub on Chromebooks to browse Chrome tabs that are open on your phone, respond to chat notifications, toggle on Do Not Disturb mode and play an alert to help you find your phone.

Later this year, Phone Hub will be able to access chat apps directly from your Android phone. No word on which specific apps will be supported. You'll also be able to add your phone's Camera Roll to Phone Hub, so you'll be one click away from recent photos and videos.

New Google Assistant remote actions for cars

In the coming months, you'll be able to ask your Google Assistant to warm up your car, lock and unlock it and get information like how much battery you have left. Cars from Volvo will be the first to take advantage of these new voice commands.

Read Google's full post to learn more of what to expect including expanding Chromecast capabilities to more brands.

Whether you're looking to save money, avoid paying so much to your utility or keep some carbon out of the atmosphere, homeowners are generating their own energy with rooftop solar. By some estimates, 13.4% of homes will have solar panels installed by 2030.

While prices are dropping steadily (though supply chain snags have pushed them up recently), rooftop solar costs thousands of dollars, sometimes tens of thousands. Most people don't have that kind of cash laying around, but there are plenty of options for paying for solar.

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Advertiser Disclosure : CNET's corporate partner, SaveOnEnergy, can help you find the right energy fit for your home. The SaveOnEnergy marketplace helps you search, compare, sign up and save on the right energy fit for your home — all for free. If you're interested in solar, answer a few questions to get an exact price quote from our solar advisors.  

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"Financing has always been an issue," said Roger Horowitz, director of co-ops at Solar United Neighbors, a nonprofit and advocacy group helping people adopt solar in 11 states. Being able to finance solar is often dependent on having a bunch of cash, good credit and owning a home. 

This article aims to hit some of the highlights of solar financing, but it should not be taken as financial advice. For that you'll have to find someone more qualified to determine whether going solar makes financial sense for you and how to best pull it off. 

Buying solar panels with cash

Arguably the most straightforward way to buy solar panels is with cash, and the benefits are clear. With a cash payment you avoid paying interest and loan fees and don't need a qualifying credit score. As a result, you'll save more money over the life of your solar panels. 

You do have to cough up more cash up front, however, so it will take a while before you recoup the money that you've spent. That period of time is called a payback period, and it's a useful piece of information when deciding whether or not paying in cash is a good option for you. The average payback period is eight years in the US, and you can find help calculating your payback period here.

A cash purchase gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the federal solar tax credit. If your solar panels are fully installed through 2022, the US government will give you 26% of the cost back when you file your taxes. In 2023 the credit falls to 22% and will disappear after that, barring new legislation.

That means you could be getting thousands of dollars back, but it also means you don't get that money back until tax time.

Paying cash works best for folks who have a stable cash flow and can absorb such a large one-time payment, said Grant Klein, senior dealer relations specialist at Clean Energy Credit Union.

Buying solar panels with a loan

If you can't afford to pay all at once, solar loans are widely available from a number of sources and in a number of forms, though a poor credit score might disqualify you.

It's increasingly common for solar providers to offer loans, often from a third party. While these loans are easy to apply for, they can have higher fees associated with them than options from a bank or credit union.

"The vast majority of folks that purchase solar that we see end up using loans from their installers," Horowitz said. He pins that apparent preference on how easy it can be to get a loan in that way. However, getting multiple loan proposals (at least two, Horowitz said) can save you significant money.

One such option is a home equity loan or home equity line of credit, where you borrow against the equity of your house (what you could get for selling it minus what you owe on your mortgage). You can borrow up to 85% of that amount, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

You can claim the federal solar tax credit if you purchase solar using a loan, though it comes back to you when you file your taxes, not when you buy your system. Still, it might be useful in paying back the loan.

Solar loans can be secured or unsecured. A secured loan is one that's backed by collateral, like your house or the solar panels themselves. Essentially, you're saying the lender can sell your collateral to pay off the loan if you fail to pay it. Solar loans are most often secured by the solar equipment, Klein said. Home equity loans are secured by the value in your house. Unsecured loans don't have that guarantee backing them up. As a result, secured loans offer lower interest rates and longer terms for paying them back. 

With any of these options, it's important to shop around and compare lenders. Again, this article isn't to be considered as financial advice. 

Getting help from the government to buy solar panels

Beyond the federal solar tax credit, the federal government (and sometimes your state) can help with a couple of other financing options.

A HomeStyle energy mortgage from Fannie Mae allows you to add the cost of a solar project into your new or refinanced mortgage. The Federal Housing Administration offers similar additions to mortgages. The amount of money you can borrow is determined based on the value of your home. 

One of the advantages of an energy efficient mortgage is that you're borrowing money once instead of twice. That means you only pay one set of loan costs and fees, and you can pay it back over 30 years, instead of 10 or 15 as can be the case with other solar loans. This keeps your monthly payment low. Not every lending institution offers loans from these programs and the borrowing process can be complicated.

"They tend to be more complicated, because you need to make so many phone calls to reach the right people," Horowitz said. That can place an extra burden on people who have fewer financial resources, the people the program is meant to help. It's important to work with an institution who knows how to navigate these systems, Horowitz said. 

An energy efficient mortgage can be used for other energy saving equipment in addition to solar panels such as new insulation, new windows and doors, smart thermostats or water efficiency improvements. Whatever the upgrade, it must be cost effective, which means it needs to save more money over its lifetime than it costs. For most places in the country, solar panels are sure to satisfy that requirement.

Another option is Property Assessed Clean Energy, which deserves a brief mention despite only being available to residential customers in California, Florida and Missouri. Working with a local PACE office, you can finance your solar panels and pay back the loan over a longer period of time through an additional charge on your taxes. In theory, this makes large purchases more affordable, though early iterations of the program have actually buried some low income homeowners with debt and the possibility of foreclosure. New regulations passed by state legislatures could fix this problem.

Getting solar through a lease or power purchase agreement

If buying solar using cash or a loan is out of reach because of poor credit, lack of cash or some other reason, you still have options. Instead of buying, you can enter into a lease or power purchase agreement with a solar provider. With both options, lumped together as third-party-owned solar, the solar provider owns the panels and you agree to pay for the equipment (via lease) or pay for the power (power purchase agreement), usually at a lower price than you pay your utility.

CNET went into detail on power purchase agreements earlier, but briefly, here's what you need to know.

The biggest benefits to these arrangements are that you don't have to buy solar panels to get solar power. Usually you'll save money on power over the life of your agreement, too. And you won't have to worry about the maintenance of the panels, although maintenance usually isn't a huge burden.

Power purchase agreements usually save you less money than buying panels outright. And, depending on the price of your lease or power purchase agreement and how much your payment increases over time, you could end up saving significantly less. The federal tax credit also goes to the owner of the system, in this case the solar company.

Because these agreements commonly last for 25 years, they work best if you plan to stay in your house long term. Anecdotal reports reveal moving to a house with third-party-owned solar panels can be onerous and expensive. What happens if you move is something you'll want to be sure of before sticking third-party-owned solar panels on your roof.

Also, be aware that third-party ownership of solar panels isn't allowed in every state.

Which solar financing option is best?

Sorry! I'm not giving financial advice here. Before making any decision, make sure you get the advice you need from someone qualified, get multiple offers on solar projects or loans, and make a point of reading all the fine print.

Are there finance options I left out? Others you're curious about? Did you finance solar panels in a way that worked perfectly for you? Reach out via comments and let me know.

Samsung's phone range has something for every budget, from the latest flagship Galaxy S22 Ultra at $1,200 to the $180 Galaxy A12. Whether you want a high-performance phone with one of the best cameras available or a more affordable device that nails the basics, there's a Samsung phone for you.

If you want the flashiest tech around -- and you have deep pockets -- then the company's latest Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 pack innovative foldable displays that are certainly eye-catching. Samsung's non-folding phones like the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy S22 lineup and Galaxy A53 5G are still just a few months old, so they should still feel fresh and new. Samsung also committed to supporting four generations of Android and Samsung operating system updates on these devices.

But if you can hang on six months or so, you might want to wait before making a purchase. Since Samsung typically launches its new Galaxy S phones within the first couple of months of the year, we're likely to see a successor to the Galaxy S22 in the January through March timeframe. 

Finding the best Samsung phone will ultimately come down to preference. Choosing among so many options can get complicated, so here's how to decide which Samsung phone is best for you.

Diagnosing yourself online is a slippery slope. You could Google "why do I have pain in my ribs" and come away with the possibility that you have a pinched nerve (possible) or fatal internal bleeding (unlikely, unless you've been impaled). 

You should certainly know how to take care of yourself in the case of a common cold, migraine, or other relatively benign condition, and online health information can help you make the right decisions when you actually know what condition you have. 

The problem is, the internet might make you think that a common cold is a bacterial infection (it's a virus, which won't respond to antibiotics), that a migraine is a brain tumor or an aneurysm and that an abdominal cramp is appendicitis. 

In fact, research suggests that online symptom checkers are almost always wrong. So before you spiral down the symptom rabbit hole, learn why obsessively Googling symptoms is risky and how to look for accurate health information online. 

Why you should avoid over-Googling your symptoms

There are essentially two bad ways this can go: Either you overestimate your symptoms and end up taking the wrong medication or engaging in the wrong self-treatment, or you underestimate your symptoms and let a condition worsen. 

There's also the risk of developing "health anxiety," real condition that involves excessive worrying that you are sick. You may know this condition as hypochondriasis, and you're probably familiar with the word "hypochondriac." 

Even if you're not a hypochondriac, searching for medical symptoms and illnesses online may add unnecessary worry and a lack of peace of mind to your life. The internet-age term for this is "cyberchondria." 

Research notes that while internet information can help people avoid unnecessary doctor visits for minor (or nonexistent) conditions, some people feel anxiety and fear about medical information they find online. 

Part of the reason that searching for symptoms can send you into an anxious spiral has to do with the fact that there's just so much health information online. While a great deal of online health content is trustworthy and accurate, much of it is not. But you can learn to decipher the good from the bad with the right tips. 

Tips for finding accurate health content online 

If you must search your symptoms, make sure to weed out questionable content by following these guidelines. 

If you're reading lay media

• Look for articles that back up their claims by linking out to or citing peer-reviewed clinical studies. For example, an article that says "eating too much sugar may increase your risk for depression" should link to a primary source that says so, like this one. 
• Whenever possible, read the full report or abstract of those peer-reviewed clinic studies and look for the conclusion to verify the results of the study.
• Articles that quote experts or are written by topic area experts (or both) are also usually reliable. An article titled "5 things that happen to your body when you drastically cut carbs" is likely to be way more trustworthy when it includes insight from a nutrition professional or is written by a nutrition professional. 
• If an article doesn't include expert insights or isn't written by a topic area expert, check to see if it was reviewed by an appropriate health professional. Many health publishers now have review boards that consist of topic area experts who ensure content accuracy. For example, this piece about Crohn's Disease on Healthline was reviewed by a medical doctor.
• Search for the publisher's health editorial policy. Many health publishers have these policies available on their websites, and it's a good sign when they do. It means the publisher has strict editorial guidelines when it comes to writing health content and citing experts or primary sources.  
  

If you're reading primary sources

First, the definition of a primary source: A primary source is a firsthand account of a topic or event. When it comes to health and science, primary sources refer to documents that provide the full account of the original research. In other words, the actual research articles published in scientific journals, such as The Journal of Neuroscience or the Journal of Food Science and Technology. The best place to find these articles is on PubMed, a resource provided by the National Institutes of Health's US National Library of Medicine. 

When reading articles from scientific journals, keep these considerations in mind: 

• Look for author affiliations and conflicts of interest. Anytime a scientist partakes in a research study or writes a scientific article, they must declare their affiliations and potential conflicts of interest so that any bias is disclosed. For example, an article about cryotherapy that was partially written by someone affiliated with a cryotherapy wholesaler would present a conflict of interest. 
• Look for commissioning and funding information. Just like author affiliations and conflicts, commissioning and funding information must be disclosed in the name of bias. Many companies in the health industry commission and fund research studies to prove the efficacy of their products. That's totally fine -- it doesn't necessarily mean the results are skewed -- but just know that company-funded studies are not independent, third-party studies, which are the most reliable. 
• Check to see if the study has been cited in other studies. Since there's so much research out there, scientists often use existing research articles as sources for new research articles. It's not a bad sign if an article hasn't been cited by other articles, but it's definitely a good sign if it's been cited many times. Most research articles have a "cited by [number]" callout online. 
• Check the date. Science -- particularly nutrition and medical science -- evolves quickly. Look for studies no older than 10 years, but preferably no older than five years, if you're looking for answers about a condition or symptoms you currently have.

When the internet fails, see a doctor

If even after scouring through research you still feel lost, just go see your doctor. Not everyone can be a doctor -- and the internet certainly cannot -- so give yourself the luxury of peace of mind by seeing a real health professional. 

And if carving out time for an in-person doctor's appointment isn't an option, try seeing a doctor online via one of the many telehealth companies. You can also talk to a therapist online if your worries sit more in the realm of mental or emotional health. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.