Something that worked yesterday and does not today

Recognize an overnight update for what it is, find the button that has been folded away, and stop searching for what you did wrong.

The single most common cause of "it worked yesterday" is that somebody in California rewrote it while you were asleep.

Apps update themselves automatically, by default, on every phone and most computers. That is mostly a good thing — it is how security holes get mended. What comes with it is redesign: buttons move, names change, whole rows of controls get folded up behind a symbol.

Nothing was deleted. Nothing was lost. It was moved, by them, without a word.

You can always find out whether an app changed, and when. It is written down.

Key points

Recognize a redesign for what it is, rather than hunting for what you did
Look behind the three lines and the three dots for anything that has gone missing
Find the version and the date an app last changed, in writing
Decide, on purpose, whether updates happen automatically

What to remember

When something vanishes, look behind the three lines first and the three dots second.
A screen that looks different is evidence of an update, not evidence about you.

Try this

Open any app on your phone, find the three lines or three dots, and read what is behind them. Doing it once while nothing is wrong means you will already know where to look on the morning something has moved.

Practice: Something that worked yesterday and does not today. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.