Unveiling Everyday Tech Hacks: Master Your Phone Shortcuts and Unlock Webcam Magic

Did you know that there are hidden apps on your phone that you might be missing out on? It’s true! Developers don’t talk about these enough. So, let me take this opportunity to share some smart tech life hacks that will save you time and keep you safe. Trust me, you’ll want to know these!

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Smart Tech Life Hacks to Save You Time and Keep You Safe

I’m here to make your life easier by highlighting all the little time-savers, productivity helpers, and annoyance stoppers that are built into your everyday devices. Here are three tech essentials that I guarantee you’ll use over and over again.

Woman looking at her phone (Cyberguy.com)

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3 Lifesaving Tech Essentials for Every School Child — Parents, Read This Now

Clean up your photos the fast way

Your iPhone has a “duplicate photos” folder that allows you to easily merge any doubles. Here’s how:

Open the Photos app and select Albums.
Scroll down and select Duplicates, which can be found under Utilities.
You have the option to select all duplicates by hitting Select, then Select all, and finally Merge. Alternatively, you can select individual photos and tap Merge.
Confirm your choice and regain some storage space.

On Android, you can achieve the same result by using the Files by Google app, which you can download for free from the Google Play Store. Here’s what you need to do:

Open the Files by Google app and select Clean.
Tap Confirm and free up, then select See junk files. Choose the files you want to remove, and when you’re ready, tap Clear.

By following these simple steps, you can efficiently declutter your photo collection and get rid of screenshots, memes, duplicates, and other unnecessary files.

Protect your beauty sleep

You’re probably already familiar with the “Do Not Disturb” feature, but did you know that you can set it to activate automatically during specific hours? Let me show you how:

If you’re an iPhone user:

Open Settings, then go to Focus, and select Do Not Disturb.
Scroll to the Set a Schedule section and tap Add Schedule. Set the From and To times to match your wind-down routine.
If you still want to receive calls from certain people, select People under Allow Notifications, then Add People and choose from your Contacts list.

If you’re an Android user:

Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the gear icon to open the settings.
Find the Do Not Disturb option. Depending on your Android device, it may be located under Sound or Notifications. Tap on it.
Look for options like Turn on automatically or Schedule, where you can set the start and end times for the “Do Not Disturb” mode.
If you want to allow exceptions for important contacts, enable the Allow exceptions option.

Pro tip: If you find it uncomfortable to sleep with a watch or fitness tracker, consider trying out the Withings Sleep Tracking Pad. It fits under your mattress and can track your sleep cycles, heart rate, and even detect snoring and breathing disturbances.

Use your webcam to scan docs

Your webcam is not just for video meetings. It can also be used as a scanner when you need to digitize documents quickly. Here’s how:

If you’re using a Mac:

Open the Photo Booth app.
Place your document in front of the webcam, align it on the screen, and click on the red photo icon to take a picture.
The photo will appear in the bottom right corner. Drag it onto your desktop or any desired location for safekeeping.

If you’re using a Windows PC:

Open the Camera app.
Position your document in front of the webcam, then click on the white camera icon to take a photo.
The photo will appear in the bottom right corner. Click on it, and in the upper right corner, click on the three dots. From there, select Open folder to locate the stored image on your computer.

By utilizing your webcam’s scanning capabilities, you can conveniently capture documents without the hassle of taking a photo, emailing it to yourself, or formatting it.

Get my podcast

Looking for more tech news, tips, and answers to your tech questions? Check out my podcast, “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a 30-minute show packed with valuable information. Simply search for it on your preferred podcast platform using my last name, “Komando.” Alternatively, you can listen to the podcast by visiting the link below:

Podcast Pick: Food delivery bomb prank, Amazon passkeys & hidden Airbnb cam

In this episode, I’ll share an interesting story about a man who tattoos his online trolls’ faces on himself as a form of unconventional payback. We’ll also dive into the science behind why we continue to lurk on our ex’s social profiles, even when it’s not healthy. Plus, I’ll provide some Amazon shopping hacks and tips to master voice typing.

Listen to “Kim Komando Today” on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast player. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”

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