Updates and Fixes

Guides about devices, cars and paperwork age faster than most writing. A menu moves after a software update, a rule changes in one country, or a reader spots a step we simply got wrong. This page explains how we deal with that, so you know what a date on an article really tells you.

What counts as a fix

We sort changes into three kinds:

• Corrections — something was wrong when published: a mistaken fact, a missing step, an instruction that could cause harm. These are fixed as quickly as we can and, where the error mattered, a short note is added at the end of the article saying what changed.
• Updates — something was right but has since changed, such as a renamed setting or a new option on a device. The guide is revised and its updated date changes.
• Tidy-ups — typos, clearer wording or a better heading. These happen quietly, without a note.

How a report is handled

1. One of the team reads the report and opens the guide on a matching device or source where possible.
2. If the reader is right, the writer who owns the topic drafts the change.
3. A second writer checks the revised steps before they go live.
4. Where the fix is a correction, the note at the foot of the article is added at the same time.

When we cannot reproduce a problem, we reply and ask for a little more detail rather than leaving the report unanswered.

Legal and money articles

Articles in the Legal and money sections are written in general terms on purpose, because rules differ from place to place. A reader in one country may find that a detail does not match their local system. In that case we usually add a line making the difference clear, not rewrite the whole piece around one jurisdiction. Either way, those articles are a starting point; speak with a local lawyer or get independent advice before acting.

Older articles in the archive

Some pieces were first written years ago. Many have since been rewritten from scratch to read more clearly, and they keep their original publication date. If an older guide mentions a product or service that has changed, the reasoning usually still holds even if the menus do not.

Recent work on the desk

In October 2026 we added new guides to the thinner sections, including the check engine light, what a notary does and adapters versus converters, and refreshed the wording across the television archive.

Spotted something?

Use Contact the Desk and tell us the page, what you expected and what you found. Specific reports are fixed fastest.