Computeractive — Issue 717, 27 August–9 September 2025

VPNs can help you reach websites while adding a layer of privacy—but choosing one calls for care. In this issue of Computeractive, the cover feature weighs free and paid VPN services, with attention to both their usefulness and the risks that can come with free tools.

That practical approach runs through the rest of Issue 717, too: from spotting AI-generated pictures to getting verification codes through an authenticator app, the articles focus on technology decisions readers encounter in everyday life.

Make safer choices online

The VPN feature examines services for accessing websites and protecting privacy, while also reminding readers to use them responsibly. Elsewhere, an article on AI photos offers guidance for distinguishing generated images from genuine ones. Together, these pieces address two questions that increasingly shape how people use the internet: what can you trust, and how can you protect yourself?

Useful help for apps and devices

Practical tutorials cover getting fit with NHS apps, sharing large files using, managing newsletters in Proton Mail, using Copilot Mode and chatting privately with Proton Lumo. There are also tips for editing messages between Android and iPhone, reclaiming Windows storage from Clipchamp, resetting an Office user profile and checking whether a club’s emails have been leaked.

Reviews, news and reader questions

Alongside the how-to advice, the issue reviews a range of technology, including mini PCs, a gaming PC, a smart TV/monitor, a mesh router, a smartphone, a mouse, earbuds and photo-editing software. News coverage and reader-focused sections round out the issue with software recommendations, consumer questions, troubleshooting and technology jargon explained.

A practical read for everyday tech users

Issue 717 brings together service comparisons, timely technology coverage and approachable guidance. It will suit readers who want to understand their options before choosing online tools, keep up with consumer technology, or find clear next steps for common device and software questions.