🫧 Green chat bubbles aren’t going away: When you text from an iPhone to someone on an Android device, there’s a setting you can enable for better image and video quality — plus, no more “Kim liked a photo” responses to emoji reactions. On iPhone (iOS 18 only), go to Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. On Android, open Google Messages, then tap your profile pic > Messaging settings > RCS chats.
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.
But VPNs aren’t just crucial for protecting your home IP address. Here’s why Kim won’t ever leave home without our sponsor, ExpressVPN.
No more sketchy public Wi-Fi hotspots
Using public Wi-Fi hotspots is risky no matter where you go, and the potential consequences can be devastating. It doesn’t make a difference if you stay at a 5-star luxury hotel or have lunch at your neighborhood retro diner. You’re risking being victimized by cybercriminals.
Cybercriminals can intercept your connection and access your most important credentials and private data by setting up a fake Wi-Fi access point or just sitting nearby. You can feel secure logging into your banking websites and everything else with ExpressVPN. Your data stays private and secure.
Keep data private on all of your devices
An ExpressVPN subscription comes with easy-to-install apps for all of your devices. You can protect your PC, Mac, iPhone, Android and more.
You can install the app on unlimited devices and have up to five gadgets connected to one account simultaneously. That means you can protect your whole family while on the go.
It’s quick and easy to switch between gadgets. Simply disconnect one device to connect another.
Unrestricted access to all of your favorite content
After a long day of sightseeing, sometimes all you want to do is head back to your hotel room, pull up YouTube on your laptop and watch the latest video from your favorite cooking channel.
Share your ETA on the go
I hate being late. There’s nothing worse than leaving your friends hangry at a restaurant. But if I am running behind, I always give folks a heads-up.
Today’s apps have so many hidden tricks. Here’s one I use that I wanted to share with you: Use your map app to share your ETA automatically. That way, you can keep your friends in the loop and your eyes on the road.
🕶️ Can’t wait for a new wave of glass-holes: Mark Zuckerberg thinks Meta’s Orion smart glasses will replace smartphones for messaging, video chatting and browsing social media. Zuck and his team have been working on the (really) thick black glasses for 10 years. They include a holographic display only the wearer can see. No price or timeline yet.
Try iOS 17 before its official release
Itching to try out iOS 17 before it officially debuts this fall? You’re in luck! Apple just released the first public beta version.
Is it worth the update? Once an operating system (OS) goes to public beta, it’s pretty stable, but there might still be some bumps along the way. I found the most hyped features so you can decide if it’s worth it.
How to use your iPhone to send your exact location to someone
Remember the days of printing directions from MapQuest? Thankfully, technology has evolved. Tap or click here for map apps better than Google if you have multiple stops. If you have a cell phone, getting lost should be a thing of the past. Just activate Apple or Google Maps, and you are on your way.
✅ Instagram for teens: Congress is laying on the pressure and Meta is finally making changes. “Teen accounts” for anyone under 18 will block non-friends from viewing their content or messaging them. Parents can also see who their kids have recently messaged, set daily time limits and block app usage during certain hours. Full list of changes here. Share this one with anyone with a teen.
⚠️ Scammers’ new tactic? Using social media and messaging apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram to tell you you’re hot or offer tips to show you how to make money. About 86% of victims are tricked into transferring money themselves — without the crooks ever accessing their accounts. Come on! Please don’t fall for it.
💔 Grieving woman texts her late dad and receives a reply: After her dad passed away, a woman thought texting his cell number might help her cope. For months, she messaged. Then one day, she got a reply: “I’m sorry,” it said. “They gave his number away.” She switched to messaging him on Facebook.
Human voice notes are the rage: Ah, the sweet spot between texting and calling (paywall link). Voice notes mean less screen time, and they’re easier than typing and keep your communication personal without the phone call commitment. Just hit the mic icon in your messaging app and start talking. And if your friend likes to ramble, listen at double speed.
Strikeout: A gullible 70-year-old woman was fooled by an online scammer posing as Phillies shortstop Trea Turner. After weeks of messaging with “Trea,” the scammer got the woman to send him $50,000 under the guise of “marriage problems.” The lesson: Don’t just watch out for phishing emails and DMs; you’re also a target when you comment on social media posts.
No beating the Bezos: The FTC is going after Amazon for a price-fixing scheme that generated more than $1 billion in profits. But a lot of the evidence is gone. Shocker, Amazon’s top brass (including Jeff Bezos) used the messaging app Signal to make their texts automatically disappear — forever.
Best hidden iPhone messaging tips and tricks you should be using
Apple’s Messages app has undergone many changes over the years, and why not? Text messaging is one of the core components of any smartphone.
One thing that sets iPhone messaging apart is its higher file size limit. If you’ve ever tried sending a picture from an iPhone to an Android, you’ve probably noticed the degradation in quality. Tap or click here for one way to get around this annoying issue.
Messaging or emailing your doctor? Be careful, it might cost you
If you have a question for your doctor, but it’s not an emergency, sending an email is the easiest way to communicate. But beware. Some doctors are now charging a fee to send emails or text messages.
Read on for details on why doctors are considering a fee for answering medical questions by email.
Update your iPhone now! iOS 15.6 fixes 37 security flaws
With a new year comes a new version of Apple’s operating system. We expect iOS 16 to launch alongside the next generation iPhone in the fall. Ever send a text message and regret it? iOS 16 will let you edit or recall recently sent messages. Finally!
5 ways to create your own emoji
“The Emoji Movie” was popular because it reminded us how much emojis are part of our lives. We once could only text with words, but now we can convey entire sentences, thoughts and feelings with a string of emojis. Tap or click here to find out what the 25 most popular emojis mean.
Tech tip: How to send GIFs without downloading any extra apps
Messaging has come a long way since the first text was sent. You no longer need to be witty or expressive with just your words. Your phone has built-in features to help you show your meaning and mood. Tap or click here for ways to create your own emoji.
Email etiquette - When to CC or BCC someone
Whether you’re messaging a colleague or a friend on the other side of the world, email carries a formality that text messages lack. For example, you wouldn’t ask your boss for a raise through text, would you? Don’t answer that question.
Here’s how someone knows you’ve blocked them on social media
Social media is an effective tool for staying in touch with friends and family. Facebook is the most used platform, with 2.8 billion users worldwide. Are you locked out of your social media account? Watch out for scammers promising to help.
If you use these older phones, you'll lose access to WhatsApp in two days
Updated Oct. 30, 2021 – Access to WhatsApp will be gone for certain devices starting Nov. 1, 2021, so you must act fast. Read on for all the details.
There are plenty of ways to keep in touch with friends and family. But there probably isn’t another platform as popular as WhatsApp. An estimate from June this year pegged the global userbase of service at around 2 billion.