Android Archives

Who’s watching your phone?

ChatGPT

I’ve been hearing lately from more and more people who believe they’re being watched or listened to through their phones. Whether it’s an ex, a snooping spouse or someone with too much time and too little ethics, digital stalking is real and it’s sneaky.

If your gut is telling you something’s off, don’t brush it off. Here are a few simple checks you can do right now to take back control.

🔁 Check for text message forwarding

This is a hotbed for creep behavior. Someone could be reading your texts, and you wouldn’t even know.

On iPhone: Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Text Message Forwarding
If you see a device you don’t recognize, that’s a red flag. Turn it off and change your Apple ID password ASAP.
On Android: Open Messages > More (three dots) > Settings > Permissions > SMS
If there’s an app listed you don’t know, it could be intercepting your texts. Contact your carrier right away.

📍 Who’s tracking your location?

Built-in location sharing is helpful, but only if you control it.

iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Share My Location
Tap Find My and check who can see you. Remove anyone suspicious.
Android: Open Settings > Location > Location services > Google Location Sharing
Look at who has access. If you don’t recognize them, cut them off.

🎤 Check your camera and mic access

Apps don’t need to be spying tools unless you let them.

iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera and Microphone
Turn off access for apps that don’t absolutely need it.
Android: Settings > Security and privacy > Permission Manager, then check Camera and Microphone permissions.
Be ruthless. You’re the boss of your phone, not some creepy app.

👤 Review your account access

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Hidden folders: The secret hoarders of your phone

ChatGPT

You deleted that weird photo of your ex’s mom from your vacation three summers ago … or did you? Hidden folders on your phone are holding your “deleted” pictures and videos hostage, quietly clogging your storage and embarrassing you long past their expiration date.

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Gear up, buckle in

🚗 Ready to upgrade your car? Let’s get rolling.

This retractable fast car charger (39% off) keeps your cables neat.
Hold your iPhone or Android steady with a magnetic car mount (35% off).
These phone and key bags ($10) block signals, so your info stays safe.
Need a tissue? Just clip this leather holder ($10) onto your sun visor.
Make your ride comfy with a two-pack of wool seat belt covers ($15).

🌦️ Clear vision = safer drives: These windshield wipers (15% off) can handle rain or snow and work through all seasons.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

How to take a screenshot on your phone

Open/download audio

Turns out, tons of people still don’t know how to do it. If that’s you, here’s the quick fix for iPhone and Android.

🤖 Llama mia: Meta just launched a stand-alone AI app (iOS, Android) to compete against ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude and all the others. It’s the same chatbot you’ve used inside Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, built on their Llama model. I’ll report back after I’ve used it for a bit.

On the grid: Turning on the grid on your phone’s camera helps you line up your shot. Using the rule of thirds, it splits your screen into nine boxes. On iPhone, go to Settings > Camera and toggle on Grid. For Android, open your Camera app > Settings (gear icon) > switch Grid lines on.

These tech tips will make you too powerful

ChatGPT

When you’re the tech-savvy friend, it’s basically your job to fix everything that plugs in. Who saves the saviors? Me! Now, depending on your OS, model, updates and general tech karma, your screen might not match mine exactly. Don’t panic, just keep moving forward. You’ve got this!

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Tech deals hiding in plain sight

ChatGPT

You made it through the week. Time to treat yourself! I dug through the sea of fake reviews and gimmicks for sweet savings on gadgets you’ll actually want. Let’s dive in.

🚘 Eyes on the road 24/7: Redtiger’s 4K dual dash cam ($118.99, 30% off) covers your ride from front to back, even when parked. Your protection is worth the investment.

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We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

🔎 I spy a virus: If your connection’s dragging, a virus might be the culprit. I trust and recommend TotalAV. It’s just $19 a year to protect up to five devices on Windows, Mac, Android and more. That’s total peace of mind for your phone, laptop and tablet.

🔔 See old notifications: Swiped an alert away too fast? Turn on Notification history on your Android. Go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings > Notification history and toggle it On. Bonus: If a text or DM popped up before it was deleted, you might still catch it here.

No “regerts”: Don’t tap all over your screen to fix a typo. Here’s a better way. On your iPhone, press and hold the spacebar until your keyboard goes away. Without letting go, slide your finger until your cursor lands where you want it. If you’re using Gboard on Android, do the same thing.

I spy a virus: If your connection’s dragging, a virus might be the culprit. I trust and recommend TotalAV. It’s just $19 a year to protect up to five devices on Windows, Mac, Android and more. That’s total peace of mind for your phone, laptop and tablet.

💬 Name dropper: Give your family and friends fun nicknames on Facebook Messenger. Just open a conversation from the Chats tab. Tap their name at the top, and go to Nicknames > [their name] > Save (iOS) or Set (Android) when you’re done. The other person will see it, so keep it friendly.

📱 Seeing double: Need to check your notes while writing an email? Android lets you use two apps at once. Go to Recent Apps, press and hold the first app you want, then choose Split screen. Tap your second app, and a black bar will separate them. Done? Drag the black bar to the app you want to close.

📱 Be our guest: Android’s Guest mode creates a temporary profile that keeps your stuff separate if you lend your phone. Open Settings > System > Multiple users. Toggle on Allow multiple users and Delete guest activity to wipe their data when you switch back. Press Add guest > Switch to Guest to launch it.

🖨️ Proof in the print: Need to print your text messages? For iPhone, iExplorer lets you access, view and transfer music, messages, photos and files from any iOS device to Mac or PC. On Android, you can use SMS Backup & Restore.

Weather the storm: Get alerts about severe weather and earthquakes right on your phone. On Android, go to Settings > Notifications > Wireless emergency alerts. For iPhone, open Settings > Notifications. Under “Government Alerts,” toggle on Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Alerts.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Streaming on your phone? Flip on Wi-Fi Assist (iPhone) or Adaptive Connectivity (Android) to prevent buffering when Wi-Fi drops.

🚨 Android alert: Watch out for a fake bank text asking you to call about a suspicious transaction. That’s when they’ll get you to share your card info and install a so-called Reader app. Next, you’re told to tap your bank card to your phone, and just like that, the app steals the card’s chip data with full access to your bank account.

🤓 Lost your glasses? Save a digital copy of your prescription, so it’s always handy while you’re away from home. On iPhone, open the Health app > Browse > Body Measurements > Vision Prescription > Add a Prescription. Tap Add once you’ve filled in your info. Android crew, scan your card and upload it to Google Drive. The future is 20/20, but only in your file storage settings.