Apple’s iOS 14 introduced widgets, a new app library and a bunch of new privacy and security features. Some of the biggest changes, though, are all around messaging. In this Komando DIY, three new iPhone texting and messaging tricks you need to try.
Tech tip: Share your ETA on the go
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I hate being late. No one wants to leave friends hangry at a restaurant. Here’s a trick I use: Share your ETA right from your map app. It keeps everyone in the loop.
It’s way better than sharing your location 24/7. Imagine if we’d had this tech back in our 20s. Total concert and party game‑changer!
Google Maps in navigation mode
- Tap the card at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose Share trip progress.
- You can either pick a contact to send updates to through Google Maps or select a messaging app to send a link with your location.
- Tap the bottom card > Stop Sharing to stop sharing your ETA. (It won’t share your whereabouts after you end the trip.)
With Google Maps on Android Auto, you’ll see the same navigation card showing the time left on your journey. Tap Share journey to let folks know where you are. Easy‑peasy.
Apple Maps in navigation mode
- Tap the Share ETA link that appears as soon as you start a journey.
- If the link has disappeared, tap the arrow at the bottom, then tap Share ETA.
- Choose a contact to share your arrival time with.
- Tap Stop Sharing ETA at any time, if you need to.
If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll get a link to see your location on Apple Maps. Team Android gets a text saying what time you’ll show up (and another text if that changes).
In an Uber
After you accept a ride, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the trip details. Tap Share Status on iPhone or Share My ETA on Android. (This works on the Lyft app, too.) Share this with anyone who takes an Uber alone.
Don’t want to be late in the first place?
Schedule a reminder to leave on time. Google Maps has it built right in when you look up a route!
Security tip: Next time you stay at a hotel, turn on your VPN
Did you know the average American spends more than 24 hours each week online? That is a considerable chunk of time.
If you’re one of many with multiple devices regularly accessing the internet, you probably know you need a secure connection to protect sensitive data. A virtual private network or VPN is the best way to do this.
💬 Discord is super popular with kids: If yours use it the chat app, go to User Settings > Privacy & Safety > Safe Direct Messaging > Keep Me Safe. This enables the explicit media content filter. It’s worth explaining to your kiddo why you’re turning this on.
Chinese hackers hit U.S. telecoms: What you need to know
A cyberattack exposed data, and it’s still happening. The government says to use encrypted messaging — but what does that mean? I’ll tell you in this short podcast.
Check your kid’s phone for Zepeto: If you have kids, think Roblox meets Facebook, where people create avatars and explore virtual worlds. A mom says a predator used the private messaging feature to contact her 12-year-old daughter. The sicko pretended to be a teen, asked if she’d had sex and demanded photos. Gross.
For your favorite person: On Android, you can make a contact Priority status. They’ll stay at the top of your messaging list, and you’ll get home screen notifications when they respond. Go to Settings > Notifications > Conversations to set it up.
Save battery on your iPad: By default, most apps run in the background and drain power. Social media and messaging apps might need this, but many others don’t. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh, check what’s important, and turn off the ones you don’t need.
Amazon scandal, self-aware AI, new airport rules
A software engineer says Google has a self-aware AI that’s as smart as a seven-year-old child. Plus, Apple plans to end passwords forever and Delta Air Lines just set strict time limits for airport lounges. I’ve also got the disgusting details on an encrypted messaging app Amazon needs to rein in. In this 30-minute podcast episode, you’ll also get a few helpful tech tips.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Digital privacy in 2021: Take a hard look at your apps
If you’ve ever used an app for messaging, dating or even praying, your secrets have gone to X-Mode, which sells location data to military contractors. Which apps are tracking you the most? Kim talks to Sean O’Brien, the principal researcher at ExpressVPN’s Digital Security Lab, about all the creepy details. By the time you’re done, you’ll be looking at your phone in a whole new light.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Another Facebook lie you shouldn’t believe
The Facebook-owned WhatsApp has a promise: Use it for all your confidential, intimate messaging — and everything you post will be deleted in a week. Now, three major reasons why you CANNOT trust them.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why the government wants to prevent WhatsApp and Facebook from encrypting user messages
As Facebook is working to make its messaging more private for users, the Justice Department is ramping up the fight for backdoor access. Here’s my take on encrypted messages sent through Facebook and WhatsApp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Digital messaging is now open to debt collectors
Debt collectors now have more ways to reach people who haven’t paid up. Along with using phone calls, debt collectors are now allowed to go after a person via text, email and social media messages. What changed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices