Florida-based pet food and product online retailer Chewy has been around for less than 15 years but has quickly become a popular source for everything pet-related. Chewy even has supplies for farm animals, reptiles, fish, and more, carrying over 3,500 brands, including everything from food to medicine to toys. My cat is constantly throwing up (same) and requires Hill’s Sensitive Skin and Stomach, which costs roughly as much as my car insurance every month. I use WIRED’s Chewy coupons to save money so I can spring for the 50-cent instant ramen while she can remain vomit-free. Browse our roundup of verified Chewy promo codes and special offers on Autoship and pharmacy orders, BOGO deals, and more.

Get $20 Off Sitewide With Today’s Chewy Promo Codes

If you’ve been wanting to see if Chewy is right for you, now’s the time to try. First-time users can get a $20 eGift card when they purchase over $49 on their first order at Chewy. Use Chewy promo code WELCOME at checkout to save and see if Chewy’s discounted prices and scheduled auto-ship works for your (and your pet’s) needs. Some exclusions apply. If you’ve never placed an order with their Pharmacy, use Chewy coupon code RX20 at checkout to save 20% on prescription essentials like Simparica Trio, NexGard Plus, Heartgard, and more pet medications.

If you’re a returning customer, don’t fret. Right now (through September 21), you can get a $30 gift card when you spend $100 or more with promo code STOCKUP. Plus, Chewy has rotating deals on a myriad of pet essentials and supplies, like flea guard, treats, litter, toys, and more.Plus, you can get an extra $5 off on the first order made through the Chewy app with promo code APP. You’ll just need to download the app, and input the above code in the box on the checkout screen for $5 off.

Get Sitewide Chewy Free Shipping

New customers can also get free 1-3 day delivery on first-time orders over $35, which seriously helps in cutting down the convenience cost of being able to get your 40-lb litter box to your third-floor apartment without having to lug it on the L train yourself (speaking from experience, don’t endure what I’ve had to). Get the convenience without having to pay for it with Chewy coupons for free delivery on all items.

Save 50% With Chewy Coupons and Summer Pet Deals

Already a devoted pet-parent/Chewy member? While often the best Chewy promo codes are reserved for first-time customers, existing customers can score daily deals like buy 3, get 1 free offers on toys. Make sure to stay tuned here, because while our top Chewy promo codes unlock over 20% off, there’s more to look forward to., Expect discount codes still to come like 50% off premium dog and cat food, up to $100 off, an easy price to hit when you’re grabbing pet essentials (not to mention I’ll spend any amount to not lug around boxes of concrete clay litter in the pits of hell, aka the subway in the summer). Surprisingly, some deals don’t require you to apply a code or lift a finger. When you set up an Autoship subscription on products you’ll get 35% off your first order, and up to 50% off featured pet food brands; along with an additional 5% off all future deliveries.

How to Use a Chewy Promo Code

Once you’ve found the Chewy promo code that is the best fit for you and your furry friend, copy the code from above and paste into the box at checkout to watch the savings roll (and sit and stay) in. Check back often for our constantly rotating Chewy promo code and other ways to save on those important, but sometimes expensive, pet essentials.

Save on our Favorite Chewy Tech Products

I’m sort of the cat tech guru around here, and have tested a myriad of the best pet tech like automatic feeders and automatic litter boxes, and I have some very strong opinions about which are worth the money (or not). I’m currently using—erm, my cats are using—the Litter-Robot 4 automatic litter box, and although it’s pricey, this box has changed my life. Gone are the days of foul smells, scooping, and pouring litter. This little machine does all the dirty work for you so that you can spend more time on cuddles. I also own the LEVOIT Core Pet Care Air Purifier which has been a game changer for me living in a cramped apartment with two giant cats—it really helps to dissipate any smells, pet hair or pesky dander. I feel like my house overall feels more clean because of this small powerhouse machine. When I transition from WFH I’m going to invest in this inexpensive camera, INSTACHEW Purrsight 360 Degree Wi-Fi Security Pet Camera, to keep an eye on the goings on and shenanigans while I’m at work.

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 19, 2025, a preliminary agreement for the sale of a majority stake in TikTok from Chinese tech giant ByteDance to a group of U.S. investors following Trump’s negotiation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The deal would create a new U.S.-only version of the app, bringing it into compliance with a law signed by former President Joe Biden on April 23, 2024, and upheld by the Supreme Court on Jan. 17, 2025. Specifics of the deal remain to be hammered out, and left unresolved is the fate of the video sharing app’s core algorithm—and what that means for TikTok’s millions of U.S. users.

The Chinese government has indicated it will not permit ByteDance to sell the algorithm, because it is classified as a controlled technology export, per Chinese law. Meanwhile, U.S. tech industry executives and some lawmakers say compliance with the law requires the algorithm to be under American control. The deal as proposed includes licensing the algorithm so that it remains Chinese intellectual property while the U.S. version of the app continues to use the technology.

TikTok’s For You Page algorithm is widely considered the most important part of the app. As one analyst put it: “Buying TikTok without the algorithm would be like buying a Ferrari without the engine.”

The algorithm’s value lies in its uncanny capacity to anticipate users’ content preferences. Many users claim it knows them better than they know themselves—a sentiment that has evolved into a curious mix of spiritual belief and conspiracy theorizing, as my colleagues and I have documented. Other scholars have similarly noted that users feel more intimately seen and known by TikTok’s algorithm than those powering other popular platforms.

I have studied social media algorithms for nearly a decade, exploring how our relationships with them have evolved as they become increasingly entwined with daily life. As both a social media scholar and TikTok devotee, I want to shed some light on how the algorithm works and how the app might change in the wake of its sale.

How the TikTok algorithm works

In some ways, the TikTok algorithm does not differ significantly from other social media algorithms. At their core, algorithms are merely a series of steps used to accomplish a specific goal. They perform mathematical computations to optimize output in service of that goal.

There are two layers to the TikTok algorithm. First, there is the abstract layer that defines the outcome developers wish to accomplish. An internal document shared with The New York Times specified that TikTok’s algorithm optimizes for four goals: “user value,” “long-term user value,” “creator value” and “platform value.”

But how do you turn these goals into math? What does an abstract concept like “user value” even mean? It’s not practical to ask users whether they value their experience every time they visit the site. Instead, TikTok relies on proxy signals that translate abstract outcomes into quantifiable measures—specifically, likes, comments, shares, follows, time spent on a given video and other user behavior data. These signals then become part of an equation to predict two key concrete outcomes: “retention,” or the likelihood that a user will return to the site, and “time spent” on the app.

The TikTok For You Page algorithm relies on machine learning for predicting retention and time spent. Machine learning is a computational process in which an algorithm learns patterns in a dataset, with little or no human guidance, to produce the best equation to predict an outcome. Through learning patterns, the algorithm determines how much individual data signals matter for coming up with a precise prediction.

A Wall Street Journal investigation found that the amount of time users spend watching each video plays a large role in how the algorithm chooses videos it suggests to users. Using the equation it has generated to predict retention and time spent, the algorithm assigns a score to each video and ranks possible videos that could be shown to the user by this score. The higher the score for an individual user, the more likely the video will appear in their feed.

Of course, content characteristics and other users additionally inform recommendations, and there are other subprocesses folded into the equation. This step is where algorithmic moderation usually comes in. If a video looks like engagement bait or has excessive gore, for example, the content’s score will be penalized.

What’s likely to change for US users

The sale has not been finalized, and what happens to the algorithm is unresolved. However, it’s fairly certain that TikTok will change. I see two key reasons for change.

First, the proposed app’s U.S.-only user population will alter the makeup of the underlying dataset informing algorithmic recommendations on an ongoing basis. As the kinds of content and users come to reflect American cultural preferences, values and behaviors, the algorithm may be slightly different as it “learns” new patterns.

Moreover, not all users will choose to join the new app, especially if it is seen as under the control of Trump’s allies. The current deal reportedly would give an 80% share to U.S. investors, including 50% to new investors Oracle, Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz. These investors’ have connections to Trump, and an apparent provision of the deal allows the U.S. government to select one board member. This may result in a user population—and data—reflective of a narrower realm of interests and ideologies.

Second, it’s possible that the majority share owners of the new app will decide to adjust the algorithm, particularly when it comes to content moderation. The new owners may wish to modify TikTok’s Community Guidelines according to their view of acceptable and unacceptable speech.

For example, TikTok’s current Community Guidelines prohibit misinformation and work with independent fact-checkers to assess the accuracy of content. While Meta used to follow a similar approach for Instagram and Facebook, in January 2025 it announced that it would end Meta’s relationships with independent fact-checkers and loosen content restrictions. YouTube has similarly relaxed its content moderation this year.

The bottom line is algorithms are highly sensitive to context. They reflect the interest, values and worldviews of the people who build them, the preferences and behaviors of people whose data informs their models and the legal and economic contexts they operate within.

This means that while it’s difficult to predict exactly what a U.S.-only TikTok will be like, it’s safe to assume it will not be a perfect mirror image of the current app.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Looking for a compact keyboard with a unique twist? The Keychron Q1 HE (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is currently marked down over $35 on Amazon, and comes with Hall Effect switches, a rare offering that adds a ton of functionality to your keyboard.

Think of a keyboard switch like light switches. They have a fixed point where they activate, and all they can report is whether they’re in one of two states. Hall effect switches are more like light dimmer knobs. They know exactly where they currently are and can report that information back to the computer, which has a number of advantages over traditional keyboard switches.

For starters, you don’t have to settle for a fixed actuation point like you do on most keyboards. You can use the software to set the keys to be super sensitive, or require them to be almost all the way down, or even set keys to send different button presses depending on how hard they’re pressed. If you like to play video games, you can set keys to act like an analog joystick or trigger, letting you easily steer in racing games or walk in RPGs without picking up a controller.

The software has a lot of options, but is well thought out and easy to use, although you do need to plug it in to make changes. It’s QMK-based, but Keychron provides their own web-based launcher to make things even easier, particularly if you’re not well versed in that customization software.

It’s a premium mechanical keyboard throughout. The switches themselves are made by Gateron, and our reviewer noted that they’re exceptionally smooth, thanks to the pre-lubed rails and magnetic sensor. The gasket mount design and full aluminum body work together to provide a soft, deep, typing experience. Unless you’re already using linear switches, you might miss some of the crispness and feedback you get from a tactile or clicky mechanical switch.

While the larger Keychron Q6 HE currently sits at the top of our list of favorite mechanical keyboards, if you don’t need the num pad, you might appreciate the extra desk space you can reclaim with the Q1 HE. They’re otherwise extremely similar boards, and you’ll save $50 in the process.