📶 No bars: When your cell service is wonky, switch your phone to Airplane mode, wait a few seconds, then change it back. This will reconnect you to the nearest cell tower. Sweet!
Smartwatch uses to keep the whole family safe and sound
I bought an Apple Watch years ago. I thought, “This is it! Finally, a watch I’ll wear.” That lasted maybe a week. Hey, watches aren’t for everyone, but if you have one — or if there’s a kid or someone older in your life — they can do a heck of a lot.
Not all the best features are on and enabled by default, though. Let’s fix that.
Fall detection
While, yeah, everyone could use this, it’s especially nice if you care for an older relative or maybe you’re a clumsy one. (No shame!)
If the wearer takes a spill, a prompt appears on the watch screen to call emergency services if a phone isn’t within reach. If the watch detects no movement for more than 30 seconds, an alarm sounds and emergency services are called. This saves lives, folks.
- On an Apple Watch: Open the Watch app on your iPhone, then tap the My Watch tab. Tap Emergency SOS. Turn Fall Detection on or off. If it’s enabled, you can select Always on or Only on during workouts.
- On the Samsung watch: Open the Galaxy Wearable app. Tap Watch settings > Safety and emergency. Tap the switch next to Hard fall detection. If you don’t have any emergency contacts listed, you will need to add them for this feature to work.
Stressing about being stressed?
Look no further than the Google Pixel Watch. A temperature sensor and electrodermal activity sensor continuously measure the electrical currents on the surface of your skin to track stress levels. Get too out of sorts, and you’ll get a notification to breathe and try a mindfulness exercise.
- On the main Today tab, scroll to the Stress & mindfulness section.
- Press Body responses.
- Press the gear icon in the upper right corner.
- Toggle off body response notifications.
The kids are all right
Not ready to get the kids a smartphone? The Apple Watch with a family setup might be your way forward. Basically, you get an Apple Watch and pair it to your phone, giving you the ability to safeguard what functions your kid uses.
They can call and text straight from the watch, plus you can see where they are with the Find My app — and even get an alert if your child doesn’t arrive somewhere at a specific time, like school or sports practice.
The signs you need a new phone, like, now
You know by now your phone’s battery performance degrades the older it gets. That’s just how lithium-ion batteries work, unfortunately. With each charging cycle, they wear down a bit. Eventually, it becomes too big a problem to ignore.
Which of the following smartphone charging facts is actually a myth? Is it … A.) Charging your phone overnight damages its battery, B.) Using your phone while it’s charging can make it explode, C.) Charging only when it reaches 0% extends your battery life, or D.) You should only use the charger that came with your phone?
Keep your comings and goings private
You can prevent iOS and Android from tracking you, but they don’t make it easy. The feature is buried inside your device’s privacy settings and, by default, records your daily routine. Here are the steps to take back some of your privacy.
Turn off location settings on Apple devices
- Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Scroll and tap System Services.
- Choose Significant Locations to see the logged record of where you’ve been and toggle it off.
- You can also remove your history here by clicking Clear History.
Change location settings on Android devices
- Open Settings.
- Scroll and tap Location or Advanced if you have a work profile.
- At the top, turn off Use location.
- To delete your device’s location cache, tap Delete Location History at the bottom of the screen under “Location History.”
- Repeat this process for each Google account you have on your Android device.
Antivirus isn't just for your computer - Here's why you should protect your smartphone, too
You probably know that antivirus software is essential for your computer. Without it, you’re browsing without protection, exposing yourself to ransomware, viruses, Trojans, spyware and countless other threats. But your computer isn’t the only gadget that needs antivirus protection.
Phones that emit the most (and least) radiation
“Kim, I’m concerned that my phone is going to give me cancer. My wife tells me I’m paranoid. What do you think? Thank you for your newsletters and shows. It helps me keep up with our two teens.” — Robert in San Antonio, Texas
Cut down on your kids’ screen time
Studies show too much screen time can hurt a child’s development. It’s good to know you can take control of the situation and limit the time your kiddos spend staring at their phones.
Set up Family Link on Android:
- Open the Family Link app and select your child.
- Tap Controls at the bottom center, then Set up under Downtime to select the hours and minutes for the limit.
Or try Screen Time on iOS:
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Scroll and choose your child’s name under Family.
- Tap Turn on Screen Time > Continue.
- Set up Downtime, App Limits, and Content & Privacy with the limitations you want for your child.
- Tap Use Screen Time Passcode, then enter a passcode when prompted. Re-enter the passcode to confirm.
- Enter your Apple ID and password. This can be used to reset your Screen Time passcode if you forget it.
My advice: Everything in moderation. I’ve known kids who grew up with totally locked-down tech, and later in life, they’re glued to their phones. Be a good role model, too. Yes, you scrolling at the dinner table.
Tacos with a side of TMI
You guac my world. Most people don’t realize all they share when sending a picture via text. Nearly every social media site strips out the metadata that reveals a photo’s little details, like when, where and how it was taken. But that info is not protected if you text a pic. You can stop that.
To stop location sharing on iPhone:
- Open the image you want to send and tap the share button.
- Select Options and toggle off Location. Tap Done.
To disable location tracking in your camera altogether:
- Open Settings. Tap Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Scroll down, tap on Camera, then select Never.
On Android, here’s how to wipe the location data for a single photo:
- Open your gallery and select the photo.
- Go to Details (it may be a three-dot menu) and click Remove location data.
Is your smartphone battery failing?
You know your phone’s battery performance degrades the older it gets. That’s just how lithium-ion batteries work, unfortunately. With each charging cycle, they wear down a bit. Eventually, it becomes too big a problem to ignore and it’s time to replace it.
Apple makes it easy to check
- Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
At the top, you’ll see your battery’s maximum capacity. Don’t panic if it’s below 100%. It’s designed to maintain 80% of its original capacity by 500 charges, so that percentage will tick down over time.
Under Peak Performance Capability, you’ll see whether your battery is operating normally. If it’s seriously degraded, you’ll see a message here.
It’s a little trickier on an Android
Most manufacturers have different steps. Here are a few to try:
- Open the Phone app, dial *#*#4636#*#* and look for an option to check your battery health. If you don’t see it, try another option.
- On Samsung, open the built-in Samsung Members app. Tap Get Help > Check Android battery health.
- Apps like AccuBattery can provide a good estimate if all else fails.
Stop the constant interruptions
🤳🏻 Does it bother you when you’re talking with someone and they get a notification on their phone, look down and read it? It’s like your convo with them wasn’t as important as knowing the exact moment someone liked a tweet or posted a new vacation photo. So rude.
My solution: Let notifications come through at specific times. This way, you can stay focused on what matters.
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Notifications and scroll to select the app for which you want to receive notifications. (NOTE: You’ll need to enable Allow Notifications for this to work.)
- Tap Notification Grouping. Here, you can choose Automatic, By App or Off. To batch your notifications, select By App.
- In iOS 15 and later, you can also receive a summary of notifications at specific times. To set this up, go to Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary and enable it.
On Android:
- Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications. Steps may vary slightly depending on your phone.
- Tap to see a list of all your apps. Pick the app you want batch notifications for, then tap Notifications.
- On the next window, look for an option called Notification Grouping or Bundled Notifications. Turn it on or select how you want your app’s notifications grouped.
Hide your home on Google Maps and Apple Maps
Don’t want your house and address number visible to anyone online? Request a privacy blur over pictures of your home and car. I did it and so should you.
On Google Maps:
- Open Google Maps or the Street View gallery and look up your address.
- Tap the Street View photo you want blurred. It has to show your face, home, license plate or other identifying information.
- Click Report a problem in the bottom right or by clicking the three-dot menu on a photo. Complete the form, then click Submit.
Apple Maps makes it more of a pain. Get this — you actually have to email them. (At least it’s not a fax!) Email your request to MapsImageCollection@apple.com. Include your full address and any property details so they know which house is yours.
😂 I got a Bonnie Tyler GPS. It just keeps telling me to turn around. And every now and then, it falls apart. (I heard you laugh!)
Speed up your phone
Is your phone’s browser a complete mess? Those tabs running in the background eat up valuable memory. There’s a quicker fix than closing tabs one at a time.
On iPhone:
- Open Safari. Tap and hold the icon that looks like two overlapping squares. From the pop-up, choose Close All Tabs. Done!
On Android:
- It’s even easier if you use Chrome. Just say, “Hey, Google, close all tabs.” If you’re using a different browser, there’s usually a menu in the top right corner. Look for the Close All Tabs option. That’s it!
🏁 Speed Rx: Do this once a week to keep your phone’s performance top-notch.
Relationships are like smartphones. You look at your iPhone 8 and think, “It used to be a lot quicker to turn this thing on.”
📍 Where am I? You can ask your smartphone that — really! So handy on vacation or if you’re lost. You’ll get your address and location on a map, which you can then share. Just say, “Hey, Siri” or “Hey, Google,” followed by, “Where am I?”
Must-dos BEFORE your phone goes missing
There are built-in tools to help you locate it using another phone or computer. Here’s the caveat: You have to make sure the feature is enabled ahead of time for it to work. Do it now!
Turn on Find My for your iPhone
- Go to Settings > [your name] > Find My.
- Tap Find My iPhone, then turn on Find My iPhone.
- To see your device even when it’s offline, turn on Find My network.
- To have the location of your device sent to Apple when the battery is low, turn on Send Last Location.
Turn on Find My Device for your Android
- Go to Settings > Security > Find My Device. Or try Security & location or Google > Security.
- Make sure Find My Device is turned on.
✏️ You can even erase your phone remotely if it’s really gone. Here’s how.
A great tip, in my eyes
Sick of squinting to read the small print? Tiny text is no match for your smartphone’s digital magnifying glass. Your phone can make minuscule text readable and menus in dark restaurants crisp and clear.
🔍 This is a great thing to remember. I use it any time I need to read a tiny model number on a device … or the color of my lipgloss.
- On iPhone, open the Apple App Store.
- Search for Magnifier to access the built-in app.
- Use the slider to zoom in and read small text, and tap the flashlight icon in low-light conditions. (It works on iPads, too!)
Use an Android? Open the Settings app, tap Accessibility, then Magnification.
Stop your devices from listening in
What’s the obvious downside for always-on devices that constantly listen for commands? It’s just that — they’re always listening. Voice-activated tech uses microphones that listen for wake words, meaning they can hear personal conversations you don’t want them to hear.
Do this tech step before it’s too late
Someone you love has passed away and you want to save a voicemail to listen to when the grief wave hits. Don’t bet on your phone to keep it for you — I’ve heard from so many people devastated their old messages are gone. Don’t let it be you.
Saving voicemails on iPhone
- Go to the Phone app and tap Voicemail in the bottom right.
- Tap on the voicemail you want to save, then tap the share button. (It looks like a box with an arrow pointing out of it.) You can now share this voicemail via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, Messenger or WhatsApp.
- To save the voicemail on your phone, select Add to New Quick Note or Save to Files. You can access the saved message again in either app — Notes or Files — and play it back at your leisure. Both apps also back up your files automatically to iCloud if enabled.
- To save the voicemail to your computer, select AirDrop, then tap on your computer’s name. Both your phone and computer must be connected to the same network. On your computer, accept the AirDrop and save the message wherever you want.
Saving voicemails on Android
These steps will vary depending on your phone’s model, but you can still follow them for a general idea of how to keep those messages.
- Open your Voicemail app or go to the Voicemail section in your Phone app.
- Tap or tap and hold the message you want to save.
- In the menu that appears, look for options like Save, Export or Archive.
- Select where you’d like the message to be saved on your phone, and tap OK or Save.
Rescue blurry pictures
🤳🏼 Ever had one of those “oops” moments taking pictures? You know, when your hand wobbles and your photo becomes as elusive as a Bigfoot sighting (or, in my case, my dog, Abby, doing something super cute)?
Before you rush to delete it, hang tight! Most phones have a built-in “sharpness” feature. If you’re looking for the quickest fix, this is probably it.
For iPhone:
- Open the Photos app and select the blurry photo.
- Tap Edit in the top right corner. Scroll through the Adjust menu until you find Sharpness.
- Slide your finger left or right on the bar to make the photo sharper. Hit Done to finish up.
For Android:
- Open the Gallery app and choose the blurry photo.
- Tap the Edit icon in the bottom row.
- Tap the Brightness icon and scroll until you find Sharpness.
- Slide your finger left or right on the bar to make the photo sharper. Hit Save.
Note: Steps may vary. Newer Android phones may also have an Unblur feature under Gallery Tools. Adjust the slider to improve your image.
Your phone’s built-in photographer
Android and iPhone cams have built-in photo timers. That means you don’t have to ask a stranger to take your pic — or worse. My friend handed her phone to someone to take a photo of her and her daughter, but the guy ran away and stole it.
For iPhone:
- Prop your phone against something stable, like a rock. Or maybe you’re a smarty-pants and brought a tripod. This one is affordable and small enough to tuck anywhere.
- Once your phone is steadied, open your Camera app and tap the up-facing arrow at the top of your screen to display the app’s secondary menu. Scroll right in this menu to the option that looks like a clock, then tap it.
- Choose between a three- or 10-second delay. For more time to get everyone positioned, pick 10 seconds.
On Android:
- Head to your phone’s camera app, select Timer and turn it on.
- Select from a delay of two, five or 10 seconds. Time to shine!
👉 Why were photographers so depressed before digital cameras were invented? They spent too long processing the negatives. (Too bad only anyone over 35 will get that one!)
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