Android pro tip: You can download apps onto your phone from your PC as long as you’re signed into the same Google account on both devices. This is super handy when you find a cool app on your computer; you’ll see the option to send it to your phone right there on the app download page.
Drowning in duplicate photos? Here's how to declutter your digital memories
I remember my parents saying, “Kim, stop wasting the film.” Oh, yes, this was back when we’d put film in a camera, take up to 36 pictures, then wait for the roll to get developed to see if any of the shots were good. Those days are long gone, fortunately.
Now, the average American takes around 20 photos every single day. And I’ll bet many of those are duplicate (or triplicate) shots of the same thing. So, how do we tackle the deluge of doubles? I’ll walk you through the steps. This is a perfect weekend project.
Cleaning up your photo libraries
For Windows: There’s no built-in duplicate finder, so you’ll need to download a third-party app. I recommend Duplicate Cleaner.
- Scan your library: After installing Duplicate Cleaner, the app will review your files by size, content and similarity, catching those pesky near-duplicates.
- Review and delete: Once a scan is completed, the app will present you with a list of duplicates. Review these to make sure no photos are incorrectly marked, and delete any copies to free up storage.
For Apple: Lucky you! The Photos app on your iPhone, iPad, iMac or MacBook has a built-in “duplicate photos” tool. (Just make sure you’ve updated to the latest version.) This tool is so easy to use. Here’s how:
- Open your Photos app and select Albums.
- Scroll down and choose Duplicates. (I just looked at mine and had 2,933 duplicate photos and 49 videos!)
- Hit Select > Select all, then tap the Trash icon to delete them. You can also select Merge to combine your dupes into one great shot.
For Android: Don’t delete your duplicates manually; open the Files by Google app, then select Clean. If you don’t have the app, download it for free from the Google Play Store.
- Next, tap Confirm and free up > See junk files and select what you want to clear.
- When you’re ready, tap Clear > Clear. That’s all it takes to remove screenshots, memes, duplicates and other junk mixed in with your important photos.
For Google Photos: There’s no built-in duplicate-cleaning tool here, so it’s up to you.
- Log into Google Photos, and click Photos in the left panel.
- Select any photos you no longer need (or want), and click Delete.
If you have thousands of duplicates, though, this process could take forever. A third-party app like Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro is a quicker solution.
Ask a tech expert: How can I stop annoying group text notifications?
Here’s the deal: Group chats are fun when you’re happy to be there and awful when you don’t care about the convo.
The adult move is to ask whoever added you to remove you. Or you can do the ol’ Irish exit if you have an iPhone. Tap the thread, then select the group icon at the top. Scroll and tap Delete and Block this Conversation.
🚨 Bad apples? More like bad apps: In just one year, more than 200 malware-infected apps in the Google Play Store racked up millions of downloads. Many were disguised as tools or photography, personalization, productivity or lifestyle apps. Before you download an app, always check its reviews and beware of suspicious permissions, like a photo app asking for access to your messages.
Maybe malware? 6 ways to protect your devices
Ah, malware. These insidious little programs crawl into our phones, laptops and other smart devices and wreak havoc.
Usually, you can trust the Google Play Store, Apple’s App Store, Amazon apps and all other official sources. That said, it’s just plain smart to “trust but verify.”
Tech tip: How to use your phone to pay for everything
Get ready to ditch your old wallet for a faster, safer option. Instead of swiping your card at checkout, you only have to hold up your phone. Apple and Android smartphones allow you to pay for everything from your next latte to your new favorite sweater using built-in apps.
🔍 App traps: Over 90 apps with a combined 5.5 million downloads were spotted hiding malware in the Google Play Store. At the top of the list are PDF Reader & File Manager and QR Reader & File Manager, both packing the Anatsa banking Trojan that steals financial info. If you downloaded a compromised app, do a factory reset on your phone ASAP.
Check your phone! Apps caught sending data to China
Another day, another bad app. Cybersecurity researchers at Pradeo spotted two apps in the Google Play Store collecting and sending data straight to malicious servers based in China. Combined, they have 1.5 million downloads. Is one on your phone?
7 annoying Android problems and how to fix them
You love your Android smartphone, right? There’s a lot to like. The operating system is fast, flexible and usually safe. It’s also highly customizable when compared to iOS.
Of course, no device is perfect, and Android has a few annoying features. We have solutions to fix these annoyances. Note: Several manufacturers make Android smartphones. So the steps you use to fix these problems may vary from the ones below.
iPhone and Android annoyances: How to fix the 5 most annoying things for good
When it comes to consumer tech, there’s a massive list of things that can drive us all bananas.
Take your slow Wi-Fi. You can’t stream or join a video meeting, and it always happens at the worst time. Tap or click for clever ways to speed up your home’s connection.
Apps with 421M downloads … and hidden malware
Sorry, Android users. More bad news for you on the app front. (I know, it never ends.) Security researchers at Dr. Web found spyware in more than 100 popular apps. The most popular ones on the list have over 100 million downloads.
Free VPN caught leaking user data
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Some things aren’t worth trying for free. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is at the top of that list. There’s just too much temptation for cybercriminals to hack into those that aren’t adequately secured or for shady developers to offer “free” software that tracks your every move.
Have this app on your Android? Get rid of it
Not every scammy app was designed that way by the developers. Hackers can target popular apps and inject them with malicious code. And it’s incredibly spooky when this happens to one with a ton of downloads.
The app iRecorder – Screen Recorder has more than 50,000 installs … now passes along a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to users, Cybersecurity firm ESET says.
How to customize home screen icons on your Android
Want to customize your Android phone? You can do it in many ways (which is why we love Android so much). Tap or click here for seven ways to customize an Android phone.
Those are some excellent options, but have you ever considered your home screen icons? The boring stock icons get old after a while. It’s time to spruce things up.
Tech fix: What to do when you can't download apps to your Android phone
Unfortunately, there are times when the apps you want to add to your Android won’t download. You may try and try but end up staring at the screen, waiting endlessly for the app to load on your device.
Complicating the issue is there are tons of reasons apps won’t download. Here are some steps to troubleshoot the problem and download apps again on your Android.
Check your phone! Bad app alert
Is your Android phone running sluggishly? It could be any number of causes, from bloatware to spyware. Here are eight ways to get your phone back up to speed.
Have you seen charges for things you don’t remember subscribing to? Either your kids got their hands on your credit card, or you may be the victim of a thieving app. The apps boast abilities to make you look slimmer, remove imperfections and add filters. Don’t let vanity be your downfall!
Android tip: Copy and paste text from your phone to your PC
We all love Universal Clipboard, an Apple-exclusive feature that allows you to share a copied chunk of text between your iPhone and Mac.
Did you know that Windows 10 and 11 users can do the same on Android? It’s true. You should give it a shot if you’re not already doing it. Tap or click here for seven things you didn’t know your Android could do.
Fake ChatGPT apps in Apple's Mac Store
You can have some fun with ChatGPT and even use it to help craft emails, recipes and essays, but there’s one thing you should never do with any chat app.
No surprise here: The hype around ChatGPT has made it a prime target for hackers and scammers. Several fake OpenAI/ChatGPT apps were found on the Mac App Store. The apps mimic the logo and color schemes used by OpenAI. Here’s what you need to know.
3 Google changes you need to know about
It’s getting warmer, and you’re probably itching to hit the road. With gas prices still high, who doesn’t want to save money? And while you’re at it, getting to your destination faster would be nice, wouldn’t it? Here are seven ways to save time and money with Google Maps.
Delete these malicious Android apps immediately
We’ve warned you about Chinese apps you need to remove from your phone, and now we need to look to another part of the world.
Over 60 Korea-based apps were removed from Google Play and the ONE store (Korea’s biggest app store). The apps were downloaded more than 100 million times. Here’s what you need to know