Smart Phone Tips Archives - Page 39 of 65

7 great uses for an old unused smartphone

Posted on October 19, 2020

If you’re like most folks these days, you probably buy a new phone at least every other year or so, and more often than not your old phone is still working just fine when you move on to the new one.

You could always sell your old phone or simply place it in a drawer and forget about it, but you also have the option of giving it a second life by installing an app that turns it into something that’s actually quite useful.

Here are seven great uses for your old, but working smartphone (or tablet for that matter): [Read more…]

You won’t believe Apple’s “fix” for iOS 14 update related issues

Posted on October 6, 2020

Did you update your iPhone to iOS 14 and immediately start having issues with the device?

Numerous iPhone users are complaining that the update to iOS 14 has resulted in shorter battery life and some apps failing to work as they should.

Even worse, a few users have reported that their phones are getting hotter than normal while using a wide range of resource-intensive apps.

Well, Apple has released this Support article explaining what you need to do to fix these iOS 14-related issues. And to be sure, you probably won’t like it.

In a nutshell, Apple is advising you to do the following: [Read more…]

How to protect the photos and videos on your phone from prying eyes

Posted on September 28, 2020

Do you have family photos or videos on your phone that you’d rather not share with just anyone who happens to pick up your phone?

Do you hate it when you let someone borrow your phone and they decide to take a peek at your photos before handing it back to you?

Or perhaps you worry about your phone getting lost or stolen, resulting in a total stranger gaining access to your personal images?

If so, there’s a great free Android app called Vaulty will let you put some or all of your photos and videos into a password-protected “vault”.

That way you can loan your phone to a friend (or even a stranger) without having to worry about them snooping around and seeing your private family snapshots and videos. [Read more…]

How to turn your old smartphone or tablet into an emergency radio scanner

Posted on September 4, 2020

Regular readers of this blog know that you don’t have to just junk your old smartphone or tablet when it comes time to upgrade because there are countless uses for working mobile devices.

In this post I’ll explain how to give your old iPhone, iPad or Android device a second life as a dedicated emergency radio scanner.

You’ll be able to use your “scanner” 24/7 while at home or anywhere that you have access to WiFi (your old phone likely won’t have an active data plan). [Read more…]

Check out Apple’s fantastic free mini-course for taking better photos with your iPhone

Posted on August 12, 2020

It’s no secret that the cameras built into Apple’s most recent iPhones are capable of producing outstanding images that rival those taken by many DSLR cameras.

In fact, a simple Google search for “best iphone photos” returns page after page featuring some of the most incredible images you will ever see.

While most any pro photographer can use virtually any camera to take pro-quality photos, the folks at Apple are on a mission to help us casual photographers use our iPhones to create the very best images possible. [Read more…]