Take a minute to adjust these important Android privacy settings
Security can be complicated with your smartphone, especially for Android users.
What are some of the best ways to keep your device (and yourself!) safe from nefarious actors, illegal surveillance, and malware?
Our sponsor, ExpressVPN, recently shared five easy ways to configure your Android device for a safer and more private experience. All of them should be on your list if they aren’t already.
Hide your Google location history
The first to-do on this list brings a few obvious benefits. Your location history could leave you vulnerable to stalkers in a worst-case scenario. Creepy? Yes, and Google has been tracking your location since you first started using Google Maps.
Unless you rely on your Google location history for one reason or another, you should disable it. Here’s how:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy > Google location history.
- Tap Turn off.
- Scroll down and tap Pause.
After doing this, you’ll be asked if your old data should be flushed. Tap Delete old activity and hit Got it to seal the deal.
While ExpressVPN does note that you would need a VPN to hide your location entirely, your Google profile will be separated through this method.
Cleanse your permission manager
After years of using an Android device, apps tend to pile up. At one point, many needed permission to use the camera, microphone, or contacts.
You can keep access to your device exclusive by revoking permission for odds and ends you don’t use anymore. It’s an excellent solution for apps you rarely use but not every day.
The best new features coming to Android 13
You get excited when an entirely new operating system version is released for your smartphone if you’re anything like us. Still getting to know Android 12? Tap to click here for eight hidden features you should be using.
Best internet browsers: Comparing Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge | Digital Life Hack from Kim Komando
📚 Speakers, spies and scribes: Amazon rolled out their new gear that includes $100–$220 Echo speakers, Show displays with 13MP cams, new 11-inch Kindle Scribes ($430–$630) that let you doodle in color, updated Fire TVs and Ring cams that spot your lost dog. Oh, and Prime members get free Alexa+ (otherwise $20/month), which gives you beefed-up voice skills, smarter search, more natural conversation and overall better personalization.
🖥️ Turn off lock screen ads: On Windows 11, you might see ads pop up when your computer’s locked. To get rid of them, open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Lock screen status. Tap the drop-down menu and choose None.
🌗 Windows has built-in dark mode: If you’ve just installed it, you’ll see light mode across your system and apps. To change it, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode. From there, select Dark or try Custom to set Windows and your apps separately. You can always adjust certain apps in their own settings.
🖥️ Customize your Windows 11 Taskbar: Want quick access to an app? Just drag a desktop shortcut down to the Taskbar, or right-click something in the Start menu and hit Pin to taskbar. To remove an app, right-click > Unpin from taskbar. Don’t like Widgets? Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and toggle them off.
🤖 Change ChatGPT’s vibe: You’re not stuck with the default tone. Go to Settings > Personalization > ChatGPT personality. Cynic is sarcastic, Robot is efficient, Listener is supportive, and Nerd is playful. FYI: Leave it on Default if you’d rather keep it neutral and adaptive. Or prompt “reply in a friendly tone” whenever you need.
⌨️ Add a touch keyboard in Windows 11: Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > System tray icons and set Touch keyboard to Always. A keyboard icon will appear on your Taskbar. Click it to type with your mouse, or hit the settings icon inside the pop-up to switch to Handwriting with your finger or stylus.
📁 Customize your Start Menu: On Windows 11, you can add folders like Documents, Downloads, Music and Pictures next to the Power button. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start > Folders and toggle On what you want. Next time you open the Start Menu, you’ll see those icons right at the bottom.
🖥️ Turn on dark mode in Windows 11: Out of the box, Windows 11 uses a light background with dark text. To switch it up, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode and select Dark. Want more control? Choose Custom to set dark mode separately for menus and apps.
Miss the old Start menu? With Windows 10 support ending in October, you might not love that Windows 11 centers the taskbar icons by default. Good news: You can switch back to the classic look. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and set Taskbar alignment to Left.
Ads begone: Windows 11 sneakily puts ads in your Start menu, but you disable ’em. Go to Start > Settings > Personalization. Hit Start and toggle Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more off.
🧠 ChatGPT update: OpenAI finally rolled out a memory feature for the free version. Now the chatbot can remember things you’ve told it and tailor replies to match. Say you’re dairy-free? Expect vegan recipes. Heads up though: It’s a light version, so only recent convos stick. You can turn it off under Settings > Personalization > Memory.
🖥️ Clear taskbar clutter on Windows 11: You can remove most apps by right-clicking them and choosing Unpin from taskbar. But some, like Widgets and Chat, need extra steps. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and toggle them off under Taskbar items. Finally, room for the stuff you actually use.
🤖 ChatGPT feeling off? If replies start missing the mark, it might be because it’s holding onto too much old info. Over time, the bot stores bits from your chats, which can throw off future answers. The fix? Clear it out once a month. Go to Settings > Personalization > Clear ChatGPT’s memory, then hit Clear memory.
🔒 Auto-lock your PC: Don’t want anyone snooping? Set Windows to lock after a minute or two of inactivity. Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Screen saver settings. In the pop-up, choose a screen saver, check On resume, display logon screen, set a Wait time, then hit Apply and OK.
🖥️ Rest your eyes: Switching to dark mode can help reduce glare. On a Mac, click the Apple menu > System Settings > Appearance > choose Dark. For Windows, open the Start menu > Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode > and select Dark.
🧠 ChatGPT got a memory upgrade: It can now remember your old conversations to give you more personalized replies. Two new features dropped: one for saved memories (stuff you ask it to remember) and one for chat history (info you’ve mentioned before). Want it off? Go to Settings > Personalization > Memory. FYI: It’s for Pro users now, Plus users later.