Smart Phone Tips Archives - Page 61 of 65

No, iOS 7 will NOT make your iPhone waterproof!

Posted on September 26, 2013

Social media sites are notorious for the numerous scams that make their way among their users, but a new one that’s currently making the rounds on Facebook and Twitter takes the proverbial cake.

This scam is being distributed in the form of an official looking, but fake Apple ad which falsely claims that your iPhone will become waterproof if you upgrade it to iOS 7. Yep, you read that correctly. The “ad” claims that a simple operating system upgrade can defy the laws of physics and prevent water from seeping into your iPhone’s case.

Apple is one of the Internet’s most popular targets for scammers and pranksters, probably because there are so many Apple devices in use today. Most every household contains at least one or two of them.

If you haven’t seen the fake ad yet, here it is: [Read more…]

How to block a number from texting or calling you with iOS 7

Posted on September 21, 2013

Have you ever received calls or texts from someone that you’d rather not hear from? That’s a rhetorical question of course because we all have, and it can get old in a hurry when the annoying calls and/or texts just keep on coming in.

There are a number of ways to block numbers from calling or texting us on our smart phones, but if you have an iPhone running iOS 7 it’s very easy. And best of all, there are no apps to download or a bunch of hoops to jump through.

Here’s how to block a number on iOS 7: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I display the Battery Life Percentage indicator on IOS 7?

Posted on September 19, 2013

Question from Carl: Hi Rick. I have an iPhone 4 that I upgraded to IOS 7 just as soon as it was released. I think it’s a great upgrade, but I can’t figure out how to display the Battery Life Precentage indicator. Can you tell me how?

Rick’s answer: This issue has perplexed a lot of iPhone users Carl. You’d think something as important as the Battery Life Indicator would be enabled by default, wouldn’t you? Anyway, here’s how to turn it on:

1 – Open the Settings Menu

2 – Tap General

3 – Tap Usage

4 – Tap Battery Percentage

Do you have a tech question of your own for Rick? Click here and send it in!

SMS Wakeup lets you know when you receive a text message on your Android phone

Posted on September 10, 2013

sms-wakeup Have you ever received an important text message but didn’t know it until much later because you didn’t hear the audible alert? Me too, and it’s rather annoying. But there’s an easy way to prevent this from happening in the future.

A nifty free Android app called SMS Wakeup will turn on your phone’s screen momentarily whenever a text message hits your inbox. Whenever the app is active, as long as you keep your phone where you can see it you can rest assured that you won’t miss another important text message that really needs to be answered ASAP.

SMS Wakeup also comes in a paid version ($0.99) that has some extra features, but the small and lightweight free version is all you’re likely to need. You can read more about SMS Wakeup (and download it) from the Google Play Store.

Q&A: Should I add my cell number to the ‘Do Not Call’ list?

Posted on August 30, 2013

Question from Daphne W.: Hi Rick. I have a quick question if you don’t mind.

Every now and then I see a post on Facebook stating that cell phone numbers are going to be released to telemarketers soon and that we should all add our cell numbers to the “Do Not Call” list.

Someone else usually comments back that it’s a hoax and that adding a cell number to the list will get you in trouble with the government. What’s the real deal here? Thanks!

Rick’s answer: Daphne, there is absolutely no truth whatsoever to the frequent posts about cell numbers being released to telemarketers. This hoax has been making the rounds on Facebook for years so “soon” should have been here a long, long time ago. Don’t worry, it isn’t going to happen! [Read more…]