The Commercial Appeal

DIY steps to take now on your smartphone

How to return to normal as lockdowns are lifted

- Kim Komando Special to USA TODAY

Lockdowns are loosening; people are returning to public life and back to work. We all know the importance of washing our hands, but tech can help.

If you are looking for work, there are legitimate opportunit­ies. The worst thing you can do is Google “find a job.”

You’re probably spending a lot more time than usual on your phone since COVID-19 hit. Take a few minutes now to bring it back to its normal state as you figure out your new normal.

1. Look at your apps

Now that you’re not stuck at home, you may not rely on certain apps for education, entertainm­ent or communicat­ion. Remove the ones you don’t need anymore.

How to delete an app on IOS

❚ Touch and hold the app. Tap Delete App.

How to delete an app on Android

❚ Open the Google Play Store app.

❚ Tap Menu, followed by My apps & games.

❚ Tap on the app or game. Tap Uninstall.

2. Reduce your cellular data use

You probably spent most of your time connected to Wi-fi at home. Now that you’ll be out and about, you don’t want to accidental­ly hit your data cap.

IOS

Low data mode stops background syncing and app refreshes:

❚ Open Settings, then Cellular, followed by Cellular Data Options.

❚ Turn on Low Data Mode.

Android

To enable Data Saver Mode:

❚ Open your phone’s Settings app.

❚ Tap Network & internet, followed by Data Saver.

❚ Turn Data Saver on or off.

3. Change the way your phone charges

When your charger is nearby, it doesn’t matter if your battery life and energy settings are optimized. But when you’re on the go, you’ll want your phone to charge quickly and last as long as possible.

IOS

❚ Open Settings, then Battery and Battery Health, followed by Optimized Battery Charging.

❚ Choose the Battery option, followed by Battery Health.

❚ Turn on Optimized Battery Charging.

Android

Battery optimizati­on is on by default on most Androids. Here’s how to check for Android 8.0 and higher.

❚ Go to Settings > Apps.

❚ Tap the three-dot Menu icon, then tap Special access.

❚ Tap Optimize battery usage.

❚ Tap the Dropdown menu (a small triangle) then tap All.

4. Take a break

Post-lockdown, prepare yourself for a barrage of texts and calls. You can always activate “Do Not Disturb” to avoid feeling overwhelme­d. But there will be certain friends, family or co-workers you want to hear from. Here’s how to exclude them from the Do Not Disturb rule.

IOS

To start, create a group of contacts.

❚ Sign in to icloud.com on your computer and open the Contacts app.

❚ Tap the + button in the sidebar, then choose New Group.

❚ Type a name for the group and hit enter.

❚ To add contacts, click All Contacts. ❚ Drag one or more contacts from the All Contacts group to a group you’ve created.

Next, you’ll set up that group, or your contacts marked as Favorites, to ignore Do Not Disturb.

❚ Open Settings, followed by Do Not Disturb.

❚ Turn on Do Not Disturb.

❚ Tap Allow Calls From and choose from Everyone, No One, Favorites or a group.

Android

For Android, you’ll also start by setting up a group.

❚ Open Contacts, followed by Menu, then Create Label.

❚ Type the Label name for your group and tap OK.

❚ Tap the Add Person icon on the upper right corner of the screen.

❚ Select a contact you want to add to the group.

❚ Repeat for any other contacts you want to add to this group.

Next, select contacts or groups to ignore Do Not Disturb.

For individual contacts, take these steps.

❚ Open the Contacts. Select for the person you want to set an exception for. ❚ Tap Edit in the upper right corner.

❚ Tap Ringtone.

❚ Toggle Emergency Bypass to on.

❚ Go to the Contact card and tap Edit, followed by Text Tone.

❚ Toggle Emergency Bypass to on.

5. Make sure your camera and mic are off

Many of the apps you used for working from home or entertainm­ent activate your phone’s camera and microphone. Leaving these features enabled means any website or platform can also access them. Here’s a way to protect your privacy.

IOS

❚ Open Settings, followed by Advanced.

❚ Scroll to find Content Settings in the Advanced menu and click on it.

❚ From there, click Microphone or Camera to adjust their permission­s. Android

❚ Open Settings. Go to Apps & notifications.

❚ Tap Advanced, then Permission Manager.

❚ Choose a permission, like camera or mic, to see a list of apps that have access.

❚ Hit Allow or Deny to change.

6. Be ready if you lose your phone

If you lose your phone and can’t retrace your steps, use Find My Device. This lets you track down your Android or iphone when it’s out of sight, and you can even remotely wipe your phone if it somehow finds its way into the wrong hands.

Turn on Find My iphone for IOS

❚ Check that you’re signed in to icloud on your iphone.

❚ Tap Settings.

❚ If you see Sign in to your (device), tap it and enter your Apple ID and password.

Turn on Find My Device for Android

❚ Open Settings.

❚ Tap Security, then Find My Device. ❚ If you don’t see Security, tap Security & location or Google, followed by Security.

❚ Make sure Find My Device is turned on and toggle it on if it’s off.

❚ Note: You may need to download the Google Find My Device app.

7. Look at what you signed up for during the lockdown

All those streaming services, games and news subscripti­ons you signed up for are going to impact your wallet in a big way. Now is the time to whittle them down.

IOS

❚ Open Settings and click on the menu with your name, followed by Subscripti­ons.

❚ Tap Cancel Subscripti­on on the subscripti­ons you want to cancel or

Cancel Free Trial – which is located at the bottom of the screen.

Android

❚ Open the Google Play Store app.

❚ Tap Menu, followed by Subscripti­ons.

❚ Find the subscripti­ons you want to cancel and tap Cancel Subscripti­on to close them.

8. Connect to the right networks each time

Your phone automatica­lly joins Wi-fi networks based on how secure they appear to be. Instead, you can set your device to connect to preferred locations automatica­lly and ask permission for unknown networks.

IOS

❚ Open Settings and tap Wi-fi.

❚ Scroll down to Ask to Join Networks.

❚ Select Ask from the menu. Known networks will now be automatica­lly joined and prioritize­d, and your phone will always ask your permission before joining any new or unknown networks. Android

❚ Open Settings, followed by Network & internet. Then choose Wi-fi.

❚ Tap on the Overflow menu, followed by Advanced Wi-fi.

❚ If this gives you a Wi-fi Priority option, set your preferred Wi-fi priority.

9. Silence your emails

Got an email chain with family or coworkers that never stops? End the nonstop alerts by muting certain email threads. iphone’s Mail

❚ Open the Mail app and find the thread that you want to mute.

❚ Swipe the email to the left and hold until the Options menu appears. Use a light touch and don’t swipe all the way to the left of your screen. This will archive the email instead.

❚ Tap More, and choose Mute from the pop-up menu.

Gmail on Android

❚ Open the Gmail app.

❚ Press and hold the email thread you want to mute.

❚ Tap the three-dot button (…) on the upper right corner of your screen.

❚ Choose Mute.

10. Finally, you’re back on the road

Set Do Not Disturb while you drive. Anyone who contacts you will get prewritten texts that tell them you’re in the car. In addition, your phone’s screen will stay dark, and you will not be notified until you come to a stop. iphone

❚ Open Settings, then Control Center. Tap Customize Controls.

❚ Tap the + next to Do Not Disturb While Driving.

Android

❚ Open the Settings app.

❚ Press Sound, followed by Do Not Disturb.

❚ Select the option to Turn on automatica­lly.

❚ Tap Add rule, then choose Driving. For her tips, newsletter­s and more, visit Komando.com.

 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? Consumers can improve the performanc­e of their smartphone­s with a few DIY tips.
GETTY IMAGES Consumers can improve the performanc­e of their smartphone­s with a few DIY tips.

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