You don’t need to spend money on new gadgets to get access to some great features.
Sometimes all you need is a little help learning something new. Check out these clever ways to get more out of your Amazon Echo and Alexa.
Have an iPhone? Tap back is one of the most useful features, and most people have never even heard of it. Now you have.
Keep going on your tech know-how journey with my answers to three common questions. Share these with your friends and family and you don’t even have to give me credit.
“Is there a better way to share something online than screenshotting?”
It depends, but if you’re looking to share a website but you want your recipient to get to an exact spot, you can! This way they don’t have to hunt for the info you’re trying to send and they can save the page for later.
Want to share a specific section of a webpage?
- In Google Chrome, highlight the text, then choose “Copy link to highlight.”
- Paste in that link, and it’ll send your recipient right to that spot.
You can do the same with YouTube vids
Try this if you want to share a specific moment in a longer video. So useful!
- Find the video you want and scroll to the time you want to share.
- Right-click and select Copy video URL at current time.
- You can also click the Share button and check the Start at box. Enter the time you want, then click Copy.
Here are five more YouTube tricks everyone should know.
“Can I read texts without the person who sent them knowing?”
For whatever reason, you don’t want the person who sent it to know you’ve read it. I’ve got your back.
Option 1: Enable notifications on your phone. This way, when a message comes in, you’ll see the entire thing on your home screen — or just enough to know what it’s about without opening it.
Option 2: Here’s an option that doesn’t require any settings changes. Once you get a text, immediately put your phone in airplane mode, then turn off Wi-Fi. This totally cuts off the internet. You can still look at the message, but there’s no way for a read receipt to be sent.
Whatever messaging app you use, make sure the option called read receipts is off.
“How do I get Google to stop showing me pics of my ex?”
The same goes for Facebook. They love to remind us of the past. It stinks when that memory is something you’d rather forget.
Did you know you can hide photos from showing up? You’re not removing them — just hiding them from view.
On Facebook:
- Open Facebook on your phone and tap the three-line menu icon.
- Tap Memories, then the gear icon.
- You can choose to get notifications for All Memories, Highlights (special videos and collections, as deemed by Facebook) or None.
- Under Hide Memories, you can tap People or Dates to hide memories that involve people and dates you’d rather not see.
On Google:
- Open the Google Photos app on your phone, choose your Google account and tap Photos settings.
- Choose Memories, Hide people and pets. Select from the profiles listed to hide photos or videos individually.
While you’re at it: Get all the interior pics of your house off real estate sites. Think of it as a virtual blueprint for would-be thieves. Here’s how.
Stay ahead of the tech game and keep your knowledge razor-sharp!
Try my award-winning podcast, “Kim Komando Today!” Join me for a power-packed 30 minutes of tech news, valuable tips, and engaging callers from across the country, just like you.
PODCAST PICK: Voice authentication hacked, YouTube’s psych tricks & erase photos easily
Plus, I talked to an IT pro laid off from the public school system due to budget cuts. He needs help finding a new gig. The reason your real flight reservation could be a scam, Amazon launches a small biz network, and the one place you shouldn’t use WD-40.
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Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”
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