PSA: Stop sharing your phone’s address book with apps that ask for it

Whether posting a headshot on your LinkedIn profile or uploading a photo to your favorite social media platform, you want to look your best. Anybody can use a camera, but it takes some practice to take a good shot. Tap or click here for five simple tricks to look better in family photos and selfies.

It’s a given that you’re giving up a degree of privacy when using social media. You’re putting your name and photos out there for anyone to see, not to mention any personal information you include in your profile and comments. And your clicks and likes are all being tracked.

When you create an account with Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you’re asked if you’d like to sync your contacts to find friends, family and business associates more easily. Here’s why you should stop doing that right now, brought to you by our sponsor, TotalAV.

Connecting with people on social media

How do you find the people you want to connect with on social media? You can search for their names or add them through mutual friends. But the easiest way is to share your contacts from your phone and let the platform find them for you.

It seems like a good idea, right? What’s the harm?

You’re giving more than just their names when you upload your contacts. You’re sharing the information you have on them with the social network, which can include their email addresses and phone numbers. The platform probably already has this information for those on social media. But it might not!

Even worse, your contacts who don’t use social media now have their information exposed. On top of all that, social networks use this information to target them with ads and suggestions.

You can stop sharing contacts to prevent your future phone book entries from being revealed. You can also delete previously uploaded contacts. We’ll show you how to do it all.

RELATED: Opt-Out Tuesday: How to remove your info from Apollo.io

Stop sharing contacts with Facebook

Facebook continuously uploads your contacts from each device where you’re using the app. You’ll have to repeat the following steps for each device. Here’s how:

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5 simple, useful Google Sheets formulas everyone should know

One easy way to manage your money better is by laying everything out in a spreadsheet. You may think only businesses need them, but everyone needs to keep track of their finances. A spreadsheet is helpful because it provides a bird’s eye view of your financial situation.

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Download my Komando app!

Great news! You can stay up to date on all things digital with the Komando.com App for Android and AppleIt also has your local weather, traffic, and sports news, all in one place. Watch this tutorial to learn how to download and use the Komando.com app!

Best timekeeping, accounting and money-management software

Time is money, and every minute counts. Detailed time tracking and bookkeeping can seem like a hassle if you’re running things independently.

If a skeleton crew operates your business or you’re managing everything on your own, that means relying on the right tech to get the job done. Don’t waste your time and money on software that doesn’t work for your needs.

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10 apps you need to remove from your phone now

Apps used to be fun add-ons to get the most out of your phone. Today, they’re vital to our everyday communication, work and play.

Sadly, it seems like every week, there’s another list of bad apps causing headaches or putting your security at risk. Phony cryptocurrency and financial apps are scammers’ latest grift. Tap or click for red flags that the app you’re about to trust your money with is a sham.

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Data security tip: Best tax prep software, ranked

Tax season is in full swing. Like every tax season, scammers are on the hunt for unwitting victims. File too late and, whoops, someone already did in your name.

This year is set to be even more dangerous, with brand-new schemes already taking people for a ride. We have some warnings you can’t miss below on the biggest scams the IRS has spotted and what you can do about them.

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6 software programs worth paying for

With so many software options available for your computer, it can be tough to wade through the programs to decide what the needs, wants, and wastes are — especially when it comes to programs that you have to pay for.

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This sentence-polishing app keeps the grammar police at bay

Ask anyone who’s ever had to learn English as a second language and they’ll tell you it’s is full of quirks. These idiosyncrasies are a part of what gives the English language its charm — even if it can be a real headache for ESL learners or sleep-deprived freelance writers in search of a metaphor.

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Calling all bookworms! 4 apps to help you read more and read faster

Walk through any bookstore, or even any library these days, and you’re likely to see more people scanning their smartphones than reading actual books. It would be all too easy to jump into a rant about shrinking attention spans, but it does seem like modern life leaves us all with less time to sit and absorb a chapter or two.

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Know where your loved ones are at a glance with this GPS app

Peace of mind is a tough thing to come by these days. The world is still a generally safe place, but we hear news stories about predators both real and virtual. Small wonder the first time our kids get a smartphone is not a calming moment for parents.

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This $39 course bundle can help you master Microsoft Excel

For many of us, working with spreadsheets and formulas does not come naturally. Yet, as data takes an ever bigger role in the workplace, number-crunching skills are becoming essential to many careers.

If you want to improve your data skills, the Professional Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle offers a great education from the comfort of home. This learning library offers 45 hours of beginner-friendly video tutorials, covering a wide range of important skills. 

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Can your phone help you de-stress? It can with this app

We don’t care what your daily routine is. Whether you work from home or in a bustling office, you’re dealing with cranky children or a badly-timed car breakdown, stress has a way of finding you.

Conversely, you’ve got to actively look for peace and quiet. You can find a little zen in a sudden rainbow, a setting sun or the sound of waves. And sometimes, you can find it in some pretty surprising places, too. But the most surprising place to find serenity might be your smartphone.

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Finally, a virtual golf game that feels like the real deal

There’s an ever-increasing lineup of great technology out there, and no small part of it is made to entertain you. Still, for hardcore golfers there will never be a substitute for a great day out on the links.

That includes this next product, but it comes about as close as we’ve seen. And as a bonus, it might just improve your game so you can get more enjoyment out of the real thing.

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Be your own accountant with this QuickBooks master class

Let’s face it: Accounting just isn’t sexy. We can’t blame you if you’re not familiar with QuickBooks, one of the most widely-used pieces of software for small business finance.

But longtime users get excited for every update, because they know what QuickBooks does best is streamline those books, automate the process and let business owners spend much less time doing accounting and more time doing literally anything else.

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This time-saving app summarizes books into 15-minute reads

Some people walk into a library filled with wonder. But it’s also pretty overwhelming. So much knowledge to absorb, so little time.

These days, that knowledge is still out there, waiting to be absorbed by voracious readers. In fact, there’s more of it each day. But time is shorter than ever in this fast-paced world, especially for the movers, shakers and up-and-comers who could benefit from the business and entrepreneurial books written by their peers.

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7 apps and subscriptions you'll want to use in the new year

There’re a lot of subscriptions out there clamoring for a piece of your paycheck each month — everything from the latest streaming service to cologne-of-the-month clubs.

A lot of them are frivolous, but there are services out there that actually give you a lot more than you put in.

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This customizable language app lets you learn your way

Are you thinking about learning a new language? It’s never a bad idea. Being multilingual can not only be a bankable skill on your resume, it can actually make you smarter.

It can seem like there are nearly as many language learning apps out there as there are languages, and that’s good. Not everybody learns the same way. But ask yourself, how did you learn to speak growing up? Everyone used the same method for that: Listening to and mimicking a native speaker.

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9 apps, gifts and recipes to make your Hanukkah brighter

Hanukkah’s here, and there’s a lot of planning that goes into the eight-day Festival of Lights. If you want to keep the little ones busy while you prepare the candles and gifts, we’ve got you covered. The best Hanukkah apps of 2022 can keep your kids or grandkids busy while you cook, clean and prepare.

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Apps known to track you and steal your data

Have you ever had an app ask you to access your phone’s location? Of course you have, we all have. How about those apps that want access to your smartphone camera and contact list?

If you think about why they do this, it might creep you out. In this Komando on Demand podcast, you’ll learn the dirty secrets that some app developers don’t want you to know.

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