Latest Mobile How-To Stories
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Smart Mobile Tricks
6 easy ways to keep your Android phone secure
There are plenty of ways to keep your Android handset safe from the most common security threats, all with a minimum of effort. Read on to learn about the right passcodes, security settings and other safeguards.
Smart Mobile Tricks
5 handy things the Photos app can do with your iPhone snapshots
These tips will help you find best features Photos has to offer—draw shapes, write captions, publish a gallery online, un-delete a trashed photo, and more.
Smart Mobile Tricks
6 ways to maximize the Android phone dialer
Rearrange your speed-dial contacts, get phone numbers for nearby businesses, send annoying callers straight to voicemail, duck spam calls, and more.
How-To
How to transform your smartphone into a real-world Star Trek tricorder
Move over, James T. Kirk. The sensors lurking in your smartphone can transform it into a full-blown tricorder rival with the right apps.Max Productivity
How to get notifications of specific Gmail messages on your Android phone
Try this trick to stay on top of important email while staying out of your inbox.
Smart Mobile Tricks
8 handy things to do with your new Google Assistant
From telling it what to call you to playing tic-tac-toe, here are some nifty ways to get started with your new Assistant.
Smart Mobile Tricks
8 Android app shortcuts that are actually useful
Save yourself some taps while freeing up storage space, creating reminders, scanning receipts, recording audio notes, and more.
Answer Line
When cell phone disaster strikes, you have some options
Your cell phone is lost, stolen, or down the toilet. Don't wait until disaster strikes to prepare for the worst. Here's what you can do.
Smart Mobile Tricks
6 gotta-know Spotify tips for Android and iOS
Save Spotify radio stations for offline listening, snip out the gaps between songs, keep the music playing when your playlist runs out, and more.Smart Mobile Tricks
5 alternative (and easier) ways to unlock your Android phone
You can set your Android phone to unlock itself when it's in your pocket, while you're near a certain location, when it hears your voice, and more.Smart Mobile Tricks
6 essential settings to make your iPhone and iPad display easier on the eyes
Make text larger, or just bolder. Zoom in on all of the screen or just parts. And finally get buttons to look like buttons again, with these helpful tips for iOS 9 and later.
Answer Line
Set up your webcam for access from the road
If you have a webcam without a vendor web portal, you can still view it while on the road. Here's how.Smart Mobile Tricks
The safest ways to lend someone your Android phone
You can let people borrow your device without revealing your open apps, browser tabs, or personal data.Smart Mobile Tricks
How to get iOS-style VIP alerts in Gmail for Android
Keep the Gmail alerts on your Android phone quiet except for messages from your hand-picked inner circle.Smart Mobile Tricks
7 ways to make the most of Google Keep for Android and iOS
Add narration to a doodle, color-code your notes, share a note with a friend, save selections from a web page, and more.Smart Mobile Tricks
How to mirror Android SMS alerts on an iOS device
With the help of a clever app, you can create an "applet" that will trigger an iOS alert whenever your Android device gets a text message.Smart Mobile Tricks
4 ways to keep from sleeping through your Android alarm
You'd be surprised how easy it is to accidentally silence a pending Android alarm—or snooze right through it, for that matter.Smart Mobile Tricks
5 ways Google Maps can make your next weekend trip better
Find a scenic route, pinpoint the perfect local restaurant, keep an automatic diary of your stay, and more.Smart Mobile Tricks
9 free ways to get the most out of Google’s Play Music app
Even if you don't pony up $10 a month for Play Music, you can still upload your music collection, create and save "instant" mixes," tweak your equalizer levels, set a sleep timer, and more.Max Productivity
4 great apps for tackling your to-do lists
With scheduling, reminders, and other features, these apps make crossing tasks off a list even more satisfying.Smart Mobile Tricks
8 Android gestures that speed up everyday tasks
Navigate around your Android device more easily by mastering a few handy touchscreen gestures. You can cycle through Chrome tabs, move the cursor with precision, go 3-D with Maps, launch the camera, and more.Hassle-Free PC
How to save your Vine videos right now
Vine is going down unless another company buys it. Here's how to get your memories out of the service right now.Answer Line
The easy way to save Facebook videos
There's an easy way to save any video posted to Facebook—as easy as adding one letter to the URL. Here's how.Smart Mobile Tricks
3 handy apps for iOS-to-Android switchers
Switching from iOS to Android can mean leaving some things behind. If you're worried about losing features like Find My Friends and iMessage's desktop abilities, these helpful Android apps can bridge the gap.Smart Mobile Tricks
6 things you’ll miss if you switch from iOS to Android
From iCloud photo sharing to the cursor's tiny magnifying glass, some of iOS's smallest touches are easy to overlook until they're gone.Smart Mobile Tricks
6 smart settings to make your Android phone anticipate your needs
With the combined power of Nougat and Google Now, you can train your Android phone to know what you want without being asked.Hassle-Free PC
How to find out what Facebook knows about you
Facebook uses your online activity to build an advertising profile about you. Here's how to look at (and edit) some of that information.Smart Mobile Tricks
6 more ways to make the most of Mail for iOS 10
Customize the Mailboxes screen, tinker with iOS 10's mail filter, pick new message-swipe options, and more.Max Productivity
4 scanning apps for easily digitizing your documents
Turn business cards, receipts, contracts, even whiteboards into high-quality scans with these favorites.Smart Mobile Tricks
5 awesome Android widgets for a more useful home screen
Whether you're looking to speed-dial friends, quickly scan documents, or access directions without opening Maps, these widgets will help you get stuff done.Hassle-Free PC
How to use your Android, iOS, or Windows 10 smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot
When you really need to access the internet from a PC, your phone can save the day.Smart Mobile Tricks
3 ways Android Nougat is a must for multitaskers
Side-by-side view and 'quick switch' are a couple of the nifty ways Android Nougat supports multitasking.Max Productivity
FTW: 4 apps that make a game out of getting things done
These productivity tools use game mechanics to turn work into play.Smart Mobile Tricks
5 ways to make the most of Reddit for Android and iOS
The new official Reddit app for Android phones and iPhones makes for a better Reddit browsing experience than the full Reddit website, particularly once you know what you’re doing.Hassle-Free PC
How to install a Chrome extension to your desktop from your smartphone
Google now lets you add Chrome extensions to your PC remotely from any smartphone.Smart Mobile Tricks
Forget your Google password and sign in with your phone
Log in to your Google account with a few simple taps on your phone, no password required.Hassle-Free PC
How to use Windows 10’s Battery Saver mode
Battery Saver in Windows 10 is a handy feature for anyone who prefers to keep their power cords at home.Max Productivity
4 worthy alternatives to Sunrise Calendar
Microsoft is shutting down the popular Sunrise Calendar app on August 31. Here are four of the best substitutes to take its place.Smart Mobile Tricks
6 easy ways to customize Safari on iPhone and iPad
Keep oft-visited sites to yourself, hide the Favorites and tabs bars, pick a new font and background for Reader mode, and more.Smart Mobile Tricks
3 handy ways to use Android’s Do Not Disturb rules
Android has taken the Do Not Disturb ball and run with it, adding a series of nifty options—including "rules"—that the iPhone and iPad have yet to match.Smart Mobile Tricks
6 ways to make the most of iOS 9’s Notification Center
If you find you aren't using the Notification Center in iOS 9, maybe you just don't have all the widgets set up the best way for you.Smart Mobile Tricks
6 ways to take charge of the stock Android keyboard
There's a growing list of customization options available on the "stock" Android keyboard. You can change the color of the keypad; you can also create your own background using an image from your camera roll. Read on for more.Smart Mobile Tricks
4 ways to be a considerate late-night iPhone or iPad user
Keep your iPhone or iPad dark and quiet by switching to dark mode in Safari, inversing screen colors, tweaking your Do Not Disturb settings, and more.Smart Mobile Tricks
3 hidden Android customization settings you need to try
Unlock the System UI Tuner to hide and reveal status-bar icons, rearrange the "quick settings" buttons, and more.Smart Mobile Tricks
5 handy mobile Dropbox features you need to try
Scan receipts directly from Dropbox, create and edit Office files, trade comments with collaborators, and more.Dropbox app with a passcode.Smart Mobile Tricks
5 ways to take charge of the iOS Home button
Slow down the double-click speed on your iPhone or iPad's Home button, keep the Home key from accessing Siri from the lock screen, turn on triple-click shortcuts, and more.
Updated
How to tell if your Android phone has spyware
You know that Google, your service provider, and Facebook follow what you do on your phone. But what about your employer, your spouse, or a criminal? Find out if you have spyware on your Android phone and what to do about it.Smart Mobile Tricks
Get all your iCloud contacts into Gmail, easily
Learn how to pack up and export your iCloud address book into a single file, which you can easily import to Gmail.How-To
How to enable Android notifications on the Windows 10 preview
The feature is a work in progress, but it offers a hint at how your PC might integrate more deeply with an Android phone.Hassle-Free PC