Privacy settings worth changing on your phone
Your phone knows a lot about you—where you go, who you talk to, and what you search for. While some data sharing is necessary for apps to function, much of it happens in the background without you even realizing it. The good news is that both Apple and Google have added robust privacy controls over the last few years, but many of the best ones aren’t enabled by default.
Taking ten minutes to audit your settings can significantly reduce the amount of data companies harvest from your daily life. It’s not about being paranoid; it’s about making sure your device is working for you, not for advertisers.
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Public WiFi vs. mobile hotspot: Which is actually safer?
We’ve all been there: you’re at a crowded airport or a local cafe, and you need to get some work done. You open your laptop and see two main options for getting online. There’s the “Free Airport WiFi” beckoning with no password required, and then there’s your phone sitting right next to you, capable of spinning up a personal hotspot.
Both will get you on the internet, but they aren’t created equal. While public WiFi is incredibly convenient and easy on your data plan, it comes with a set of security risks that a mobile hotspot largely avoids. Understanding these tradeoffs is the key to staying productive without leaving your data exposed.
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Security and privacy basics: two-factor authentication, what it is and how to set it up
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the most effective security tools available to you right now, yet many people skip it because it seems complicated or inconvenient. The truth is simpler: you need two separate things to prove you are who you claim to be when logging into an account. One is something you know (your password), and the other is something you have (your phone, an app, or a physical key). This two-step verification makes it dramatically harder for someone to break into your accounts, even if they somehow get your password.
If you’ve been putting off setting up 2FA, this is your nudge to actually do it. The benefits are real, the methods are straightforward, and the setup takes minutes per account.
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What happens when a website says your connection is not private?
You’re browsing the web, minding your own business, when suddenly a giant red or gray warning blocks your path: “Your connection is not private.” It’s an intimidating screen that feels like a digital “Keep Out” sign. But what is actually happening behind the scenes, and is your computer really in danger?
In short, your browser is acting as a security guard. It’s telling you that it can’t verify the identity of the website you’re trying to visit, which means any data you send or receive might not be as secure as you think. It’s less about a virus on your machine and more about a broken link in the trust chain between you and the website’s server.
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What happens when you "forget" a WiFi network?
When you tap that “Forget This Network” button, your device isn’t just being polite—it’s performing a digital clean-up that’s more thorough than you might expect. At its simplest level, forgetting a network tells your phone or computer to stop automatically trying to connect to a specific WiFi signal, but there’s a lot happening under the hood to make that possible.
Whether you’re doing it to troubleshoot a spotty connection or just to keep your saved network list from looking like a historical map of every coffee shop you’ve ever visited, understanding what happens next can help you manage your digital footprint and your connectivity.
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