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Tech tip: 3 steps to make your (or a member of the family’s) telephone safer


With regards to tech questions, I’ve gotten all of them. Greater than ever, I’m listening to from folks inundated with requests from older members of the family to repair their units.

Perhaps they clicked a nasty hyperlink, and their pc is appearing up. Faucet or click on for eight indicators it’s contaminated with malware or different malicious software program.

The issue could also be extra mundane, like textual content too small to learn. A number of faucets within the settings menu will make their life a lot simpler. Faucet or click on right here to make textual content bigger on a telephone, pill, or pc.

Presents are nice, however right here’s a present that may final your beloved all 12 months: A telephone privateness and safety tune-up. Do it this vacation season.

MAJOR PASSWORD MANAGER SUFFERS ANOTHER SECURITY BREACH

1. Activate emergency and well being settings

A smartphone can save your life if it’s arrange accurately. It’s important to set this up in 

Within the case of a well being occasion, emergency responders can entry the iPhone Well being app — even when the telephone is locked. Add particulars like your — or your beloved’s — title, age, medical situations, allergy symptoms, and emergency contacts to provide first responders extra info.

How you can arrange emergency settings on an iPhone

When first opening the Well being app on an iPhone, you are prompted to enter fundamental well being info. You may all the time return to replace Well being Particulars. Picture from Apple.com.

Hang onto your phone number. (iStock)

Hold onto your telephone quantity. (iStock)

After you fill out the Well being Particulars part, it’s time to arrange the Medical ID. 

  • Open the iPhone Well being app, then faucet the profile image.
  • Choose Medical ID > Get Began or Edit. Enter any well being info.
  • Faucet Emergency Contact and add a trusted individual’s info.
  • Faucet Accomplished.

Yet another step: Permit emergency providers to entry the Medical ID even when the telephone’s display screen is locked. Right here’s what to do:

  • Open the Well being app and faucet the profile image.
  • Faucet Medical ID > Edit.
  • Within the Emergency Entry part, slide the toggles subsequent to Present When Locked and Share Throughout Emergency Name to the correct to allow.

Now, first responders will have the ability to see vital medical info. 

APPLE IPHONE DATA NOT AS ANONYMOUS AS COMPANY SAYS: RESEARCHERS

How you can arrange emergency settings on an Android

When you or your beloved has an Android telephone, observe these steps. Observe that steps fluctuate relying on what telephone you’re utilizing.

  • Go to Settings > Security & emergency.
  • Choose Medical Data to enter particulars like title, blood kind, allergy symptoms, and medicines.
  • On the backside of the display screen, toggle this setting on: To assist in an emergency, folks can view this data with out unlocking your system.

Lastly, arrange Emergency Contacts. Simply go to Security & Emergency settings > Emergency Contacts > Add Contact. 

Listed here are just a few extra methods to share medical info in your Android in an emergency.

2. Be certain there’s all the time a backup in place

London, UK - July 30, 2018: The buttons of Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messages and other apps on the screen of an iPhone.

London, UK – July 30, 2018: The buttons of Telegram, WhatsApp, Fb, Messages and different apps on the display screen of an iPhone.

A stolen or damaged telephone means you or your beloved may lose the whole lot straight away. That’s why automated backups are so vital. 

I heard from one lady who misplaced textual content messages together with her husband after he handed away. She was heartbroken. Faucet or click on for simple methods to save lots of texts.

To activate iCloud knowledge backup on an iPhone:

  • Go to Settings > [name] iCloud > iCloud Drive.
  • Toggle on Sync this iPhone.

You get 5GB of free storage with iCloud. When you want extra space, you’ll must pay 99 cents for 50GB, $2.99 for 200GB, and $9.99 for 2TB.

To set an Android to mechanically again up, observe these steps:

  • Open the Google One app.
  • Faucet Storage and scroll all the way down to Backup.
  • Faucet View > Arrange knowledge backup > Handle backup.

You get 15GB of free cloud storage together with your Google account. When you want extra storage, a Primary Google One plan prices $1.99 month-to-month and comes with 100GB of storage. A Commonplace plan prices $2.99 month-to-month for 200GB, and a Premium plan prices $9.99 and comes with 2TB of storage. 

From there, you possibly can select your backup settings.

Extra tech smarts: You may ship a textual content out of your pc. Faucet or click on right here for 5 methods to ship a textual content out of your PC.

3. Silence unknown callers

I hear from of us who wish to assist out their mother and father or grandparents who’ve fallen for telephone scams. Crooks are smarter than ever earlier than, and as soon as they get somebody on the telephone, it is simpler than you’d anticipate to get that individual handy over private particulars or cash.

This tip will save your relative the headache of coping with spam. Observe: Silence unknown callers means they may miss a legit name. In my expertise, an actual one who wants to succeed in you’ll go away a voicemail.

To silence unknown callers on an iPhone:

  • Go to Settings > Cellphone > Silence Unknown Callers.
  • Slide the toggle subsequent to Silence Unknown Callers.

Now, the telephone gained’t ring when an unknown quantity calls. It will likely be silenced, despatched to voicemail, or displayed on the Recents checklist. Incoming calls from acquainted numbers will nonetheless ring as common.

It’s also possible to conceal texts from unknown reminders. Right here’s how:

  • Go to Settings > Messages.
  • Slide the toggle subsequent to Filter Unknown Senders.

Right here’s learn how to block calls from unknown callers on an Android telephone:

  • First, faucet the Cellphone icon on the backside of the display screen.
  • Within the top-right nook, faucet the three-dot menu.
  • Choose Settings > Blocked Numbers.
  • Slide the toggle subsequent to Block Calls From Unidentified Callers. 
A burner phone can help you avoid calls made by unknown numbers.

A burner telephone can assist you keep away from calls made by unknown numbers.
(iStock)

Arm the susceptible folks in your life with data. Faucet or click on right here to keep away from scammers’ hottest techniques to idiot older folks.

Maintain your tech-know going 

My in style podcast is named “Kim Komando In the present day.” It’s a strong half-hour of tech information, suggestions, and callers with tech questions such as you from everywhere in the nation. Seek for it wherever you get your podcasts. To your comfort, hit the hyperlink under for a current episode.

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In half-hour, you may be taught 1: What apps to obtain earlier than vacation journey, 2: How you can add your driver’s license to your telephone’s pockets, and three: How you can win a $100 Amazon present card.

Try my podcast “Kim Komando In the present day” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast participant. Simply seek for my final title, “Komando.”

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Get extra tech know-how on The Kim Komando Present, broadcast on 425+ radio stations and out there as a podcast. Join Kim’s 5-minute free morning roundup for the newest safety breaches and tech information. Need assistance? Drop your query for Kim right here.

Copyright 2023, WestStar Multimedia Leisure. All rights reserved. By clicking the purchasing hyperlinks, you’re supporting my analysis. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a small fee from qualifying purchases. I solely advocate merchandise I imagine in.

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