Share:
8 easy steps to a less frustrating tech life
I’m using the new Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with iOS 18.1. For some reason, Siri responds about 60% of the time when I ask it to call or text someone. Argh, this garbage even happens to me. That’s why I’ve channeled my frustrations into eight easy ways to make your tech less annoying.
🔊 Let’s start with Alexa: Amazon Echo smart speakers have an annoying habit of repeating what you’ve just said, but you can turn off that default setting with just a few clicks. Open your Alexa app, tap More > Settings > Voice Responses, then turn on Brief Mode. Ah, short and to the point.
Stop apps asking for ratings: Don’t want to be nagged to leave a rating for an app? On an iPhone, tap Settings > App Store and toggle off In-App Ratings and Reviews. There’s no fix for Android, unfortunately. Hey, Google, fix that!
👂 Oh, my achin’ ears: Music blaring unexpectedly from a browser tab is no fun, especially when you can’t turn it off right away. Most browsers let you deal with this pretty easily now. In Chrome, for instance, simply right-click on the tab header and click Mute site.
🦆 Fix the ducking autocorrect: This is one reason I rely on voice texting so much. When you type, autocorrect can keep changing the word you meant to write. Adding custom words that don’t get corrected helps. On an Android, head to Settings and choose System > Keyboard > Personal dictionary. From iOS, it’s under Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
30-second cleanup: If your phone’s home screen is a hot mess, folders to the rescue! Use a finger or stylus to drag one app on top of another to make a new folder. I like doing this to create folders by category (think one for social media apps, another for shopping apps and so on).
🔙 Undo drastic changes: Ever spent hours typing something and then — poof! — it all just vanishes on you? Simply hit “Undo” and it should come back. Press Ctrl + Z on Windows or Cmd + Z on a Mac. Ahhhh, there it is.
Stop paying for subscriptions you don’t use: I use Rocket Money* for that. It’s an app that quickly finds all your charges and cancels any you don’t want. The first time I logged in, it saved me $360!
Desktop alerts: Notification overload is too much for my brain when I need to focus. Turn them off in Windows via Settings > System > Notifications. In macOS, it’s under your System Systems > Notifications.
🤵🏻 Speaking of … Here’s an oldie but a goodie about an annoying husband. The husband asks, “When I get mad at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?” His wife replies, “Easy, I clean the toilet.” Her husband says, “How does that help? You’re weird.” His wife answers, “I use your toothbrush.” (Good one, right?)
🫡 Now, it’s up to you. Choose a tip or two above, go through the steps, and I’ll bet you’ll find yourself a little less frazzled. Now, if we could only click to remove all the scammers in life, too …
Don’t get left behind – Stay tech ahead
Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.
- National radio show: Find your local station or listen to the podcast
- Daily newsletter: Join 575,000 people who read The Current (free!)
- Watch: On Kim’s YouTube channel
- Podcast: “Kim Komando Today” – Listen wherever you get podcasts
Tags: Apple
Share: