privacy Archives

Why you need a second phone number

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I have a second number on my phone. You should, too.

Your main number? Keep that locked down for the important stuff — your bank, doctor’s office and family. But when you’re ordering takeout, signing up for a one-time deal or making an online purchase, why give out your real number?

That’s where a second number comes in. It keeps your personal line free from spam, telemarketers and who-knows-who selling your info.

Why have one?

🔹 For privacy – Meeting new people? Selling something online? A second number keeps strangers from having your real one. It’s especially useful for dating apps or marketplace transactions.

🔹 For work-life balance – Some people reserve an extra number just for business calls or VIP contacts. This way, when you turn it off, work stays at work.

How do you get a second number?

You don’t need a second phone to get a second number. Here are the easiest ways to set one up:

📱 App-based services – Virtual phone number apps are affordable, easy to manage and don’t require a separate SIM card.

Google Voice – Free with a Google account. You get a U.S. number, and calls can go straight to voicemail when you activate Do Not Disturb. Works internationally for Wi-Fi calling to U.S. numbers.
Burner – Lets you create and swap numbers as needed. Plans start at $10/month, and you can manage multiple lines. It’s mobile only.
Hushed – Purchase temporary or long-term numbers. Plans start at around $7/month for pay-as-you-go or $5/month for unlimited talk and text. Available on mobile only.

📡 Carrier add-ons – Verizon, for example, lets you add an extra number to your existing plan for around $10/month.

What do I use? Google Voice.

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Flying or cruising? They’re watching you.

ID 154706440 © Jakub Gojda | Dreamstime.com

You might not realize it, but airlines and cruise lines collect a lot of data, from your seat choice to the websites you browse on their Wi-Fi.

When you book a flight or cruise, they collect the usual stuff, including your name, email, phone number, passport info and payment details. But it doesn’t stop there. They also track:

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Staple of the team

📝 These nifty upgrades go a long way.

Turn any space into a mini-office with a portable lap desk (13% off).
When you’re at your desk, kick your feet up on an ergonomic footrest.
Keep your tech tidy with a valet tray (12% off) that charges ’em wirelessly.
More ports, less stress. This USB C hub (24% off) simplifies your dongles.
Scan and upload your notes to the cloud with a reusable spiral notebook.

💻 Privacy, please: Keep prying eyes away with a laptop screen for your MacBook or PC (10% off).

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

💬 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.

Flying soon? Here’s how airlines track you

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From the moment you book, airlines collect data on your habits, web activity, and even your complaints. Here’s how to protect your privacy in the skies.

🚨 Amazon privacy alert: Starting March 28, if you own an Amazon Echo speaker or smart display, all your voice commands will automatically be sent to Amazon for “processing.” They say it’s to improve their AI. Turn the option off and Voice ID is bricked. No more getting Alexa to do things like share calendar events, reminders, music and more. Wow.

🔒 Privacy, please: Nearly every social media site strips metadata from photos. This shows when, where and how a picture was taken. But when you text a pic, that info can still show. Stop that. Open the image you want to send and tap the share button. Select Options and toggle off Location. Tap Done.
50% off alert: My home security pick, SimpliSafe, is having a massive sale. Get all the gear to lock down your home. You’ll sleep better at night.

I spent a day on the Dark Web [Part 1]

Kim Komando

When I say Dark Web, what comes to mind? A hacker in a hoodie? Digital drug deals and hitmen for hire? Usually what our imagination cooks up is a lot more dramatic than reality. But when it comes to the Dark Web, not so much.

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Stay safe: Fitness app Strava’s Heatmap feature shows popular workout routes … but it also broadcasts your location. Keep your routes private: Go to Settings > Privacy Controls > Map Visibility and uncheck Contribute your activity data to de-identified, aggregate data sets.

Facebook’s newest snoop: Meet Link History, which Facebook says is a handy tool for saving your browsing. Privacy concern? Absolutely. FB tracks and sells all your clicks. Here’s how to turn it off: Open the Facebook app, tap Menu > Settings & privacy > Settings > Browser, and toggle off Allow link history.

⌛ Quick privacy tip: Use Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac) to open an incognito or private browsing window in most web browsers. Incognito mode doesn’t save your browsing history, cookies or form data.

🍪 Crumble the cookie’s Edge: To keep the trackers away in Edge, click the three dots (top-right corner) for Settings. Click on Privacy, Search, and Services and find Tracking Prevention. Set it to either Basic, Balanced (Edge’s recommendation) or Strict for more protection.

Why you need a burner phone

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Stop giving your personal number to everyone. Protect your privacy with a second number. Here’s how to set one up.

🖥️ Keep your Windows desktop private: Whether you want a cleaner look or a little more privacy, you can hide your desktop icons in seconds. Right-click on the desktop > go to View > uncheck Show desktop icons. Want to resize them instead? Just go to View and pick Small, Medium or Large.

Social media accounts and your privacy

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The U.S. government might soon require social media credentials from green card, citizenship, asylum, and refugee applicants. Here’s what to know.

Hide your Facebook: OK, not completely, but you can make it tougher to find. In the FB app, tap the Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings. Under Audience and Visibility, look for How People Find and Contact You. You’ll see an option to stop search engines from linking to you.

More replies = more reach: Want more engagement on social media? Accounts that reply to comments within 30 minutes see 50% more engagement on future posts. Stay on top of it by turning on post notifications. Look under Settings > Privacy > Notifications.

🏈 Kicking off the ad dollars: All 32 NFL teams got busted for not warning fans that their websites and apps were collecting sensitive data and probably selling it all to advertisers. No notices, no easy opt-out, just silent tracking of your online behavior and location. You’ll start seeing privacy prompts now. As if the NFL doesn’t make enough money.

Delete it: Go ahead and remove the chat app Telegram from kids’ phones because “more than 90%” of drug deals and illegal gun sales start there. Telegram, of course, says crime happens on every online platform. I’m all for privacy, but kids don’t need encrypted chat.

See what’s got the keys to the castle: On Android, go to Settings > Security & privacy. Tap Privacy controls to see if any apps have full device access. Steps and names you see may vary slightly depending on your phone.