Take your slow Wi-Fi. You can’t stream, you can’t join a video meeting, and it always happens at the worst time. Tap or click for clever ways to speed up your home’s connection.
What about wading through thousands of photos, looking for the one you want? Tap or click for a quick shortcut, along with four more smart tech fixes — like a hidden way to know a scammer is calling without picking up your phone.
Our smartphones help us get a ton done, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to chuck them out the window sometimes. Here are the top complaints I hear about and ways to fix them.
Apple’s Face ID does more than unlock your phone. It also can tell when you’re paying attention to your phone. If you look away, your screen dims, and your alert volume also decreases.
The fluctuating brightness can be frustrating. You can switch this feature off.
On Android, adaptive brightness or auto-brightness uses a sensor to adjust the screen based on your environment. Sometimes it works well, but not always.
Steps will vary based on your phone’s model, but here’s a starting point.
SECURITY 101: The smart trick to know when your phone’s camera or mic is being used
When you’re on a call, your iPhone monitors the noise around you and tries to cut it down, so the person you’re talking to hears you better. It’s a neat feature, but it might lead to “Wait, what did you say?” too often.
First, check your microphone volume. Press the volume up button on a call to adjust this. You can turn off the noise cancellation feature if people still have problems hearing you.
Another tech annoyance: 5 ways to help Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant to understand you better
Android phones are notorious for coming preloaded with apps you don’t want or need. These extraneous programs slow down your phone and consume storage space and battery life.
There are a few ways to get rid of the bloat.
Some apps can’t be deleted. You can disable them by long-pressing on the app and tapping the Disable option — or you can hide them on some Android phones.
Hide apps by tapping and holding the app and dragging it to the bottom of the screen to the Remove from home screen box. This doesn’t remove or disable the app; it just moves it out of view.
Losing your texts is a nightmare. Don’t be that person. Here’s how to save text messages on iOS and Android before it’s too late.
Group messages are a fantastic way to stay in touch with friends and family, but the constant pings can be too much. Here’s how to silence conversations on your iPhone:
That’s a helpful option, but you’ll still get notifications if someone mentions you in a group text. You can turn this type of notification off, too.
On Android, steps to hide conversation alerts will vary based on your phone’s model. Try this:
Apple secret: This might be the best iPhone feature you never knew existed
The iPhone 8 was the last model with a home button. That was a long time ago, but I know change is hard, and you still might miss it. You can’t install a physical home button on your phone, but there’s a feature that lets you come close:
Keep your tech-know going
My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.
PODCAST PICK: Amazon police plans, flying taxis, robotic manicures
In this episode, get a $10 manicure from a robot, change this secret Google Maps setting, and watch out for flying taxis. Plus, Amazon tests police stations as package pickup points, WFH jobs that pay $20/hour, and YouTube will let creators offer paid video courses next year.
Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”
What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.
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Get even more know-how in the Komando Community! Here, you can enjoy The Kim Komando Show on your schedule, read Kim’s eBooks for free, ask your tech questions in the Forum — and so much more.
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