Pick your start page: On Chrome, set your browser to open your favorite website every time it launches. Go to Settings > On startup > Open a specific page or set of pages > Add a new page. Type in a URL like komando.com and hit Add. Next time you open Chrome, you’ll get the latest tech news right away.
Speaking of videos: If you have a lot of clips taking up space on your PC or Mac, try HandBrake. It’s free and easy to use. Drag and drop a file, choose where to save it, then pick a preset like Fast 1080p30 and click Start Encode.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On YouTube, you can bookmark videos so you don’t forget about them. Tap the Save button below any video and choose Watch later. When you’re ready to catch up, go to You > Playlists to find them all.
📩 Gmail icons explained: Those tiny icons above your emails can be confusing. Switch them to plain text, so it’s clear what each one does. Go to See all settings > General > Button labels, change it to Text, then click Save changes. You’ll now see words like Archive, Delete and Mark as unread.
📖 Screenshot pages on your Kindle: Want to keep a quote or passage for later? Tap the upper-right and lower-left corners at the same time. You’ll see a quick flash, meaning it worked. To find it, plug your Kindle into a computer and open the Screenshots folder (or the Root folder on older models).
🎨 Design like a pro: I’ve mentioned Canva before, but it’s worth another shout. Besides social posts, you can make birthday cards, mini videos, CVs and slideshows. Sign in with Google to start customizing templates. FYI, teachers can get Pro features for free at canva.com/education. Click Get verified and enter your school info.
Tame your Gmail tabs: Gmail organizes your inbox into Primary, Promotions, Social and Updates tabs. The bad news is it doesn’t always get it right, so you might miss something important. To always see messages from someone (like this fabulous newsletter), drag one from Promotions to Primary. When Gmail asks to do that next time, click Yes.
📄 Share and edit anywhere: One of the best parts of Google Docs, Sheets and Slides is how easy it is to collaborate. Click the Share button in the top right, set General access to Anyone with the link, and give them Editor privileges. Now you can work together in real time. No need to pay for a Microsoft Office subscription.
Sync your Kindle devices: Reading the same book on your phone and e-reader? No need to remember the last page. Go to Settings > Device options and toggle on Sync. Your reading position, notes and highlights update automatically, so you can pick up right where you left off. FYI: Both devices must be connected to the internet.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Searching for documents on Google? Add filetype: to your search. Try filetype:pdf tax form, filetype:doc resume template, or filetype:ppt marketing slideshow. You really need to remember this one. It’s a time saver.
Send emails later: Gmail lets you schedule messages, so you can write them now and send them later. On desktop, open the Compose box, click the arrow next to the blue Send button, and select Schedule send to pick a date. On mobile, open the Gmail app, tap Compose, then the three dots in the top right to do the same. Easy.
▶️ Got YouTube Premium? You can download videos to watch offline anytime. Open a video, tap Download and choose your quality. On PC, find them under Downloads in the left panel. On mobile, tap You (bottom right) > Downloads. Bonus tip: You can play them in the background while your phone’s locked.
🔎 Find anything on your computer: On macOS 26, press Command + space bar to open Spotlight search, and type what you need. You can narrow results by hovering over the search field and selecting Apps, Files, Actions or Clipboard. On Windows, press Windows key + S to do the same, and filter by Documents, Settings or Folders.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: In Gmail, you can see every email from one sender fast. Right-click any message and choose Find emails from Kim Komando. Look at that, you can see all my amazing newsletters you might’ve missed.
✋ Stop Google Photos auto backup: On Android, you can stop Google Photos from quietly uploading every picture you take. It saves some cloud space and keeps your private (or spicy) photos off the internet. Open Photos, tap your profile icon (top right) > Photos settings > Backup, and toggle it off.
📬 Create a Gmail group email: Tired of adding the same people one by one? Make a contact group instead. In Gmail, click Google apps (top right) > Contacts. Select your people, tap Manage labels (top right) > Create label and name your group. Back in Gmail, compose a message, type the group name in “To,” and everyone’s added automatically. Magic.
Share videos with Google Drive: It’s an easy way to send large files to a client or friend. Open your browser, sign in to Google Drive and click + New > File Upload. Choose your video and wait for it to finish uploading. Then open it, hit Share, select Anyone with the link, copy the link and send it off.
Add multiple emails to Outlook: You can connect Gmail, Yahoo or any other account to Outlook. Go to Settings (top right) > Accounts > Your accounts > Add account. Enter your email, tap Continue and sign in. Grant access, then select Open Outlook when prompted, and your new inbox will appear in the left panel.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Want a cleaner bookmarks bar in Chrome? Right-click a bookmark, select Edit, delete the Name and hit Save. You’ll see just the icon, and free up extra space.
✍️ Fix caps in Google Docs: If you’re typing fast during a meeting, capitalization is usually the first thing to go. Instead of fixing every word later, highlight the text, go to Format > Text > Capitalization, and choose lowercase, UPPERCASE or Title Case. In seconds, your notes look tidy and professional.