Do Not Disturb keeps calls and texts from bugging you, but what if there’s a person or two you want to get through any time? Here’s how to flag important contacts and silence the rest.
Tech how-to: Call 911 using a smart speaker
Smart speakers tell you the weather, play music, answer trivia questions, help you prank your spouse (more on that at the end), and they just might save your life one day, too.
Make sure you know these commands to get help in an emergency by heart. Be a pal and tell your friends and family members about them, too.
Let’s start with the most popular
Amazon’s Echo line of smart speakers and voice assistant Alexa cannot call 911 for you. They won’t reliably report your location and don’t offer a callback number, so they don’t meet the standard requirements. You have two options:
- Set up an emergency contact to get notified if something is wrong. In the Alexa app on your phone, tap More > Communicate, then tap the two-person icon (top right). This takes you to your “Contacts” screen. Here, tap the three-dot icon at the top right, then tap Emergency Contact to pick one. Now, to use this feature, just say, “Alexa, call for help” or “Alexa, call my emergency contact.”
- Pay for it. Alexa’s Emergency Assist plan costs $5.99 a month or $59 for a year if you have a Prime membership. Add up to 25 emergency contacts, and it’ll put you through to an agent who can call emergency services for you. The command is the same: “Alexa, call for help.”
If you’re in the Google-verse
Google Nest speakers don’t let you specify an emergency contact, but you can call anyone in your Google Contacts list.
- From the Google Home app on your phone, tap the gear icon, then Communication > Video & Voice Apps to make sure everything’s set up. You can then just say, “Hey, Google, call [name of the person you want to speak to].”
With Nest Aware ($8 a month or $80 a year), you’ll get direct 911 access, but the feature’s really designed to serve more as a security system for when you’re out.
- In your Google Home app, tap the gear icon, then Subscriptions > Nest Aware > Emergency calling.
- You can then reach 911 from any speaker screen in the app. Tap the three-lined menu button (top left) > E911 > Call Emergency Services.
And if you’re an Apple person …
You can tell the Apple HomePod, “Hey, Siri, call 911.” Here’s the caveat: The speaker must be connected to an iPhone for this feature to work. If the HomePod can’t find the iPhone used to set it up, it’ll look for any other iPhones on the same Wi-Fi network to do the job.
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Looking for work? 5 mistakes that will hurt your chances of getting hired
Social media is a place where we can loosen up a little. You can post jokes, silly pictures, or whatever on Instagram, X, Facebook and more. Unlike most social media sites, our sponsor, LinkedIn, is pretty buttoned-up.
🔐 Protect your friends and family: New to iOS 18, the option to limit apps so they can only see some of your contacts — not all. Yep, you don’t have to reveal your whole address book. Nice. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Contacts.
Real men cannot be stolen: A woman is going viral on TikTok for the way she discovered her boyfriend of eight years was cheating for the last two years. Yes, you read that right! Mr. “Lyin’ King” got a new iPhone and lost all his contacts. She sent him a text that read, “Hey sexy,” so he could save her number. He replied, saying he needed to leave his apartment but was on his way to bed her, thinking she was the other woman. Yikes.
Big Tech is tracking your emails
I have three different work email addresses — and a Gmail address I set up when it launched in 2004. I could never score the handle again today, but after 20 years, that inbox is a mess.
It’s become my disposable email address for coupon codes, free signups and newsletters — pretty much, the nonessential things in my digital life.
How to set emergency contacts for iPhone
I hope you never need to use them, but everyone should set up emergency contacts. I’ll walk you through the process. It only takes a minute!
Nosy, nosy: With iOS 18, you can now bring up a list of all apps with access to your contacts. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Contacts. Here, you’ll see a list of apps. Tap Limited Access for any that shouldn’t get every little detail.
“Hey, it’s-a-me, Mario!” Here’s how to set a custom ringtone for a contact so you know who’s calling before you pick up:
- iPhone: Head to Contacts, select the contact and then tap Edit > Ringtone. Choose your custom sound and tap Done.
- Android: Under Contacts, select your contact and tap the “i” icon > three-dot icon > Edit > Change ringtone/vibration > Ringtone. Select your sound and tap Save.
💄 This isn’t exactly tech, but there’s tech in it: Esōes Cosmetics created a roofie-detecting lipstick. The bottom compartment contains a test strip. Add a drop of your drink, and it’ll detect drugs. A built-in panic button contacts emergency services. I’d call that $65 well spent if it works.
🚨 Shed light on this: The FTC says most subscription apps and websites use “dark patterns.” These manipulative design techniques push you to buy things and/or put your privacy at risk. Examples: Being forced to enter payment details for a free trial or upload your contacts to access features. Watch out for this.
Commitment issues: Remember when meeting the parents was a big relationship milestone? Now it’s saving someone’s full name in your contacts. Folks these days aren’t wasting precious phone memory on casual flings (paywall link). It’s all fun and games until you text the wrong date.
Call me by my name: In your iPhone contacts, fill out the Add related name field with nicknames like “Mom” and “Bestie.” Now, you can use those nicknames to call and text those individuals using Siri.
You’re my fave: Get quick links to your four favorite contacts on your Android home screen. Tap and hold on a blank spot on the home screen, then pick Widgets to find the list.
Unless you change your settings, anyone with the Venmo app can see all your contacts. Go to Privacy settings > Friends list > Private. While you’re there, turn off “appear in other users’ friends’ lists.”
Stop letting Big Tech decide what emails you see: StartMailis my pick for privacy-first email. It’s super easy to switch over your contacts and mail, or you can treat it as a fresh inbox for only your VIPs. Save 60% now with my special link. Btw, I get no residuals if you buy.
Smartphone shortcut: On a Samsung, go to your Contacts and choose a person you want to talk to. Swipe left to text message then or swipe right to call — no extra tapping around required. Cool.
Buzz off: WhatsApp is full of scammers, and they can add you to a group with others without your consent unless you change a setting. Open the app, then head to Settings > Privacy > Groups. Choose My Contacts or Nobody.
Quick iPhone cleanup: Duplicate contacts are annoying and Apple knows it. Now there’s an easy way to merge them. Open Contacts, then scroll all the way up. At the top, look for Duplicate Found. Tap View Duplicates > Merge All. Done! Sorry, Android pals — it’s not so easy for you.
Stop letting Big Tech decide what emails you see: StartMailis my pick for privacy-first email. It’s easy to switch over your contacts and mail, or you can treat it as a fresh inbox for only your VIPs. Save 50% now with my special link. Btw, I get no residuals if you buy.