Switch up your search: By default, there’s a search box on your iPhone home screen. You can hide it via Settings > Home Screen & App Library. FYI: Whether it’s visible or not, you can search your iPhone with a swipe down from the middle of your home screen.
Block porn on X
The social network X (I still think of it as Twitter) has always had its seedier corners, but now Elon Musk has officially said porn is OK on the platform. And to keep your, uh, activity private, they’re now hiding likes, too. Coincidence? Yeah, I don’t think so.
Running into X-rated images is not going to be OK with millions of X users. If your kid is on X, you should walk them through these steps. If you don’t want to see … well, whatever people start posting, pop into your settings, too. It’s easiest to do on your computer.
To turn off the NSFW stuff on the web:
- Click More > Settings and privacy.
- Choose Privacy and safety > Content you see.
- Uncheck the Display media that may contain sensitive content box.
- Click Search settings and check Hide sensitive content.
You can get specific, too
On the Privacy and safety menu, there’s also a Mute and block option. Use this to hide certain words, hashtags and accounts you don’t want popping up on your timeline (or your kids’ timelines).
- Choose Muted words.
- Click the + (plus) button (top right) > Enter the word to block — like #nsfw.
- Make sure From anyone and Until you unmute the word are selected.
- Click Save.
Pro tip: NSFW means “not safe for work.” Yeah, use your imagination and you’ll know what kind of pics that means.
A word of warning
If you’re setting up these filters for your children rather than yourself, they can turn them right back off again. Don’t sneak in and do it — have a frank chat about why these settings should be adjusted. A good conversation can do wonders.
If all else fails, though, there are stricter options.
- On Apple phones and laptops, use the Screen Time feature to put limits on content and apps. Go to Settings > Screen Time on an iPhone or System Settings > Screen Time on a Mac.
- On Android, install Google Family Link, and on Windows try Microsoft Family Safety.
Where to find hidden trackers in your car
Feel like you’re being followed? Here’s where to search for AirTags, Tiles, or any other GPS trackers on your vehicle.
📍 Never lost in conversation: You don’t need to know the exact name of something anymore to find it in Google Maps. Search for general terms, like “plants and trees,” “frame shop” or “dog park,” and Google will find you spots that match.
7% to 9% of results
On Google Search have an AI Overviews response. That’s when Google’s AI drums up an answer right at the top for you to skim. No surprise, Reddit posts fell out of the cited info big time after Redditors’ sarcastic and/or ridiculous replies made their way into Google’s real answers.
👊 Look, Ma! One hand! Make your Android easier to use with one hand by enabling One-handed Mode. Open Settings, and search for One-handed Mode. Turn it on and you’re good to go.
- For Chrome on a PC, drag the icon from your Start menu to the desktop to create a shortcut. Then right-click and select Show more options > Properties. There, you’ll see the URL string under “Target.” Add -incognito to the end.
- On Safari for Mac, click Settings > General > Safari opens with a private window.
- For Android phones, tap and hold the browser’s icon, then select Open in Private tab.
- On iPhone, press and hold your browser’s icon and choose New Private Tab (for Safari) or Incognito Search (for Chrome).
Byte me: Google says it’s fixed its AI Overviews in search after it told folks to put glue on pizza and eat rocks. Their defense? Ask nonsense questions, get nonsense answers — basically, “It’s not our fault the AI made crap up.” Google’s seriously getting its butt kicked in this AI race.
British Siri, anyone? Yep, you can change your phone assistant’s voice. On iPhone, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice. On most Android phones that use Google Assistant, just say, “Hey, Google, open Assistant settings.” Go to All settings > Assistant voice and choose one.
What are the odds? A San Diego woman found out she had three felonies during a routine background check that relies on people-search databases. The charges, dating back to 2014, included burglary, identity theft and possession of a controlled substance. Turns out, she’s innocent. The real culprit shares her exact name and birthday.
Over Wordle? There’s a new game hidden on your iPhone called Quartiles. You score points by making as many words as you can from three or four lettered tiles. The iOS 17.5 update includes the game for all Apple News+ subscribers (you can get a free three-month trial if you don’t have it already). To find the game, open Apple News and search for Puzzles > Quartiles.
Another lesson on trusting AI, compliments of Google
Less than two weeks ago, Google introduced AI Overview, a major change in web search. The problem? AI Overview sometimes gives odd suggestions, like adding glue to your pizza sauce.
⏫ No cap: Use a Mac? Now, when you click into a form field (like a search bar or login area), you’ll see a blue arrow icon pop up to alert you if you’re typing in all caps. ‘Bout time we got a warning before entering a long, complicated password with Caps Lock enabled!
Not shocked: Google’s AI-generated search results are dishing out some dangerous nonsense. When asked about “cheese not sticking to pizza,” the AI suggested adding glue to the sauce. It also responded to “health benefits of tobacco for tweens” with increased alertness, euphoria and relaxation. Uh‑oh.
I told ya this was coming: Google’s AI search results will soon be loaded with ads. Ask something like, “How do I get wrinkles out of clothes?” and you’ll get summarized suggestions, plus ads for stuff like wrinkle spray, along with links to buy them. Google says it’ll only show ads when it’s relevant. Doubt it.
Don’t live in the past (or, if you do, erase it): You went down the Facebook rabbit hole while snooping on an ex and you want to wipe away the last 20 minutes of your search history. Log into Facebook on your browser and tap your profile picture. Select Settings & Privacy > Activity Log. Click Logged actions and other activity, then Search history. Tap Clear Searches.
Google: soon to be the most distrusted name in news
Online search is changing, and journalists will feel the impact. Here’s why.
Google Search is changing
Web traffic is dying, and now Google is putting AI answers at the top of its search results. What does this mean for your favorite websites? Plus, Uber’s new shuttle service, Tesla drivers ditch self-driving mode, and Jeff Bezos’ email etiquette.
Quick privacy tip: Task Manager on a Windows PC and Activity Monitor on a Mac can give you an overview of everything happening on your machine. On a PC, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Click the Processes tab. On a Mac, hit Cmd + spacebar to open Spotlight Search. Then, type Activity Monitor and press Enter. See anything weird? Google it before you panic.
Search it: My husband, Barry, was scrolling through his photo app looking for a pic of our boat. I leaned over and said, “Type ‘boat’ in the search bar.” He did, and bam — there was the one he wanted. Just type a word or two and find a certain pic fast.