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We Answered the Most Googled 'How To' Questions


Google Trends just released its Year in Search 2017, including the top 10 “how to” searches. As it turns out, Lifehacker has answered nine out of ten. And that tenth one really doesn’t matter any more.

  1. How to make slime: We’ve got two recipes for you: the Nickelodeon original (vanilla pudding, applesauce, green food coloring, and oatmeal) and a homemade alternative (Paint, hot water, and a thickening agent).

  2. How to make solar eclipse glasses: You don’t want to make your own glasses. (And for another few years, you don’t need to.) But here’s where to buy them, where to buy them at the last minute, how to watch without them, how to recycle them, and how to avoid fakes.

  3. How to buy Bitcoin: We’ve explained how to buy it (through Coinbase, Kraken, or Gemini), how to buy a little each month, how to mine it (join a mining group), and how to lose it.

  4. How to watch Mayweather vs McGregor: We skipped this one; we’re more of an Emmys crowd.

  5. How to make a fidget spinner: We prefer fidget cubes, but here’s how to make a giant fidget spinner.

  6. How to watch the solar eclipse: We had you covered. And here’s where to find the next one.

  7. How to freeze your credit: Nailed it. And we told you how to unfreeze it.

  8. How to play Powerball: Only play at the best times, choose less popular numbers, and get an app that tells you when you’ve won.

  9. How to screen record: iOS 11 does this natively, but Android users have A-Z Screen Recorder. Macs can use Quicktime or the free app Screeny. We collected five popular options for Windows and Mac, and showed how to record your screen with YouTube. You can also record or stream video games, or record a Chrome session.

  10. How to lose belly fat fast: Careful what you Google, because everybody is lying about how to flatten your belly. You can’t target fat loss to a specific area; you can only lose weight overall, and tone your belly muscles. It won’t happen fast. It might change your life, but only from the inside.