Can’t dial 911 manually? Here are a few ways to get help using only your voice, in 60 seconds.
Erase these private details Google knows about you
Ever think about how much Google knows about you? You don’t have to wonder. Sign in to your Google account and check this page to see exactly what the search giant thinks you’re interested in.
It’s not just search. Your Gmail inbox, Google Drive files, Maps history, YouTube views and much more are added to the dossier of info on you. Here’s a buried Google Maps setting you should change right now.
While this type of data collection is par for the course, you can delete almost everything you’ve shared with Google and regain some of your privacy.
Hide your address and phone number
Have you ever stumbled across your phone number, address or another private detail online? It’s unsettling, and you can ask Google to stop displaying many things, including:
- Confidential government identification like your Social Security number
- Bank account numbers
- Credit card numbers
- Images of handwritten signatures
- Images of ID docs
- Highly personal, restricted and official records, like medical records
- Personal contact info (physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses)
- Confidential login credentials
If you want to put in a removal request with Google, follow these steps:
- Check the requirements on the Google Search Removal page.
- After ensuring you qualify and have the necessary information, click Start removal request.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to request your details be removed.
You’ll get a confirmation email after you submit your request. Google will notify you once the request has been fulfilled, denied or with any further steps you need to take.
Search is a goldmine of data
Google uses your search history to build a detailed profile about you. This personalizes the ads and content you see.
Here’s how you can clear your search history and activity:
Skip the keyboard: How to dictate in Microsoft Word and Google Docs
Old science fiction shows depicting the future made a big deal out of voice control. Much of it came true! Decades later, we can ask questions and control devices with our voice, thanks to virtual assistants and smart home technology.
Yeah, I talk to my phone — you should, too
You’re gonna love this! Forget fumbling with your phone. Start talking to Siri or Google Assistant. (Sorry, Samsung — no one uses Bixby.) Here are a few great voice commands you’re going to love. Just say, “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google” before the command.
Every iPhone and Android user should know these genius commands
Look up next time you’re outside and guess where the airplane above you is headed. Los Angeles? New York? Paris? Ask Siri this phrase, “What flights are overhead?” You’ll see the carrier, flight number and altitude in seconds. I love sharing simple digital life tips that make things easier.
Sick of Google Assistant butting in? How to turn it off on your Android
Siri. Alexa. Google Assistant. We love our smart assistants, and we know you do, too. Sometimes, though, enough is enough. Tap or click for six fixes for annoying Google Assistant problems.
If you’re sick of Google Assistant butting in when it’s unwanted, we feel you. But how do you disable Google Assistant on Android? Luckily, it’s easy to disable with only a few quick commands.
Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook are always listening unless you change these settings
I use my voice to get a lot done. Siri sets meetings for me, silences my phone and lots more. An Amazon Echo can help find your phone, lock the front door and drop in to chat with loved ones.
What’s the downside of always-on devices that listen for commands? Nearly all voice-activated technology uses microphones that listen for “wake words.” That means they are, technically, always listening.
10 Roku app tricks to get the most out of your streaming services
When it comes to streaming services, you’re spoiled for choice: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV, and Disney+ are just some of the more popular ones.
Do you mostly watch network TV shows? Are you a big sports fan? If you answered yes to those questions, you might want to consider switching back to cable. It could even end up costing you less in the long run. Tap or click here for our report.
Genius! 7 must-try voice commands to use with Siri and Google Assistant
A voice assistant is like your own genie: Your wish is its command. For example, you can use it to open navigation apps while you drive. This way, you’re keeping both hands on the wheel and focusing on the road instead of your screen.
5 smart tech tips for the best road trip this holiday season
Planning a road trip? You’ll want to make sure your car is safe for travel. Tap or click here for five maintenance checks to do every month.
AAA predicted 54.6 million people would travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving. That’s a 1.5% increase over 2021 and 98% of pre-pandemic volumes. 49 million said they would travel by car.
10 clever iPhone and Android features you forget to use
Most of us use our smartphones every day without taking advantage of their full potential. Since our iPhones and Androids have so many capabilities, there are a lot of features we might not even know about. That’s why we’re putting together this list of hidden phone features you’ve probably overlooked.
Your Android has a hidden voice command menu - Here's how to find it
Most of us practically live on our smartphones these days. We use them for everything from taking near-professional quality photos to online banking and everything in between. And there are quite a few features baked into your phone you might not know about. Tap or click to see hidden apps on your smartphone and how to find them.
10 hidden Google Maps tips and tricks
Google Maps is more than just a way to get from point A to point B. It’s also a way to learn more about the world around you and even play games. For instance, Smarty Pins is a trivia game within Google Maps. It asks you geography-based questions, and you move your pin around the map to answer.
Ho-ho-ho! How to get Alexa to respond to 'Santa Claus' instead
The North Pole is a long way to go if children want to have a word with Santa Claus. The next best option is to write him a letter. But with almost 7 million letters sent every year, it might take a while to read them all. If you want to track Santa, this fun site is where you can do that.
Use Roku? You may lose access to a popular streaming service
Video and music streaming services have skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years. The onset of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns further increased the user bases of many platforms.
Netflix, the most popular paid-for streaming service by a long shot, added 4 million new subscribers so far in 2021, bringing its total viewers to 208 million. For the same period last year, the platform added 16 million new subscribers. Tap or click here for YouTube tricks and tips you’ll wish you knew sooner.
Alexa can now control your smart gadgets, without your commands
If you’ve got an Alexa-enabled device and a few smart home devices, chances are you’ve used her to control those gadgets. After all, using your smart speaker to control other smart gadgets is a no-brainer. Why do more work than necessary?
Google Assistant: 5 useful tricks to try
When it comes to smart assistants, we tend to hear about Alexa more often than other options on the market. But while Alexa can admittedly do some pretty cool things, so can other smart assistants.
Take Google Assistant, for instance. We got a little taste of Google Assistant during a Super Bowl commercial that had everyone in their feelings last year. It depicted the bittersweet story of a man using Google Assistant to come to terms with the loss of his wife, Loretta.
13 Alexa skills that you’ll use time and time again
At last, you’ve found yourself with an Amazon Echo speaker and it’s the perfect time to have a virtual assistant since you’re spending so much time at home. The Echo (or Echo Dot, or Echo Tap, or Echo Show, or Echo Plus, or Echo Spot) is now in your kitchen, and it’s ready for your every command.
7 Android apps that make controlling your smart home simple
Have you turned your house into a smart home yet? If so, you probably have a greater appreciation for it after being stuck in the house so much lately.
If not you really need to think about making the change. Having a smart home is extremely convenient and just makes life easier. Don’t know how to get started? We can help. Tap or click here for our smart home starter kit guide.
10 smart speaker pro tips: Find your phone, better sleep and more
Smart speakers like the Google Nest, Google Home and Google Mini are fun devices that can act as amazing hubs for other smart tech you keep around your home. But they have many cool functions beyond that.
Google Assistant speakers can do things you might not be aware of but you’d love to use if you only knew how. And the devices are getting new abilities all the time. Tap or click here to learn about functions coming to Google Assistant that you’ll love.