Smart Phone Tips Archives - Page 36 of 65

Scam alert: Malicious apps can ‘root’ Android devices without the owners’ permission

Posted on July 19, 2021

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One of the great things about modern smartphones and tablets is their ability to run apps that perform a wide variety of useful tasks.

If you can think of something for your device to do on your behalf, there is probably an app for it.

In reality, smartphones and tablets are in fact tiny computers, and the apps they run are actually computer programs, and there’s a downside to that…

Any device that can run a computer program is subject to being attacked by hackers. [Read more…]

How to disable automatic app updates on your smartphone or tablet

Posted on July 17, 2021

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Do you have an iPhone, an iPad or an Android device?

If so, you probably know that by default your device will update your apps automatically as soon as updates become available.

Auto-Updates are fine if you are comfortable with accepting every app’s “permissions” and you are almost always in a place where there’s a strong cellular or Wi-Fi signal available.

But if you prefer to review the permissions before allowing your apps to update (yes, permissions are updated at times) or if you are often in places with weak signal coverage, you’d probably be better off setting Auto-Updates to “Off”.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Why are my AirPods dropping their Bluetooth connection?

Posted on July 14, 2021

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Question from Kim: I have a pair of AirPods that I love dearly.

I’ve used many different kinds of headphones and earbuds and the AirPods have the best sound quality of any of them.

I’ve recently started having a problem with them though. At random times the Bluetooth connection drops out and it interrupts my music.

This usually happens several times every time I listen to music on my phone.

Do you think I need a new pair of AirPods or is there something I can do to fix this?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Apple has added a new (and awesome) ‘Account Recovery’ tool to iOS 15

Posted on July 9, 2021

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I frequently receive frantic messages from folks who have managed to get locked out of their own Apple devices because they’ve forgotten their Apple ID password.

I usually reply to those requests for help by sending them the link to Apple’s Reset Password page.

If the stars are aligned just right and the closest creek hasn’t overflowed its banks most password reset attempts end in success.

However, in far too many cases the forgotten password simply cannot be reset using the tools Apple provides on that page.

[Read more…]

How to safely allow someone to borrow your Android phone

Posted on May 24, 2021

Do you often loan your Android phone to other people and worry that they might view your photos or access your online accounts while the phone is in their possession?

If so, you’ll be happy to know that most recent Android devices have a “Guest” account that will allow someone else to use the phone without having access to your photos or data.

All you need to do is switch the phone to the “Guest” account before handing it over to them. Here’s how: [Read more…]