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How to keep your iPhone Safe from theft and Damage on Summer Vacation

Stolen Device Protection is an anti-theft safety feature that can be crucial in a situation where your phone goes missing. Enabling this feature restricts drastic changes being made to your iPhone or Apple Account in case your password is compromised when your iPhone leaves your home, workplace, or other saved locations. Once enabled, Stolen Device Protection performs two important functions:

  1. Face ID/Touch ID authentication: Certain actions, like accessing your stored cards and passwords, will require biometric authentication, with no option to use your device’s passcode.
  2. Security Delay: Like the security delay that occurs after entering your iPhone’s password incorrectly consecutively, a security delay will be triggered if your Apple Account password is changed (for an hour), ultimately requiring a second biometric authentication once it’s over.

Before you enable Stolen Device Protection, make sure these settings are in place:

  • Your Apple Account uses two-factor authentication
  • Your iPhone’s password, Face ID or Touch ID are enabled
  • Significant Locations under Location Services is enabled
  • Find My is turned on

To turn on Stolen Device Protection, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Enter your iPhone’s password, then toggle on “Stolen Device Protection”.

If you regularly use Apple Wallet for your transactions or to store digital documents, regularly checking on your biometrics (Touch ID or Face ID) is a good precaution to take. As much as I can, I also try to avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks so I can reduce any safety risks that may come with a potentially insecure network. Apple offers other safety features for your iPhone, such as Check In, Emergency SOS, and Crash Detection, which can all come in handy in case of any mishaps during your travel or commute.

  • Back Up to iCloud Regularly

Backing up your iPhone and other Apple devices to iCloud regularly is the most hassle-free way to ensure none of your data and account information is lost in case something happens to your device.

You can either back up your iPhone manually or enable iCloud Backup to automatically sync your data to the cloud. To back up manually, connect your iPhone to a (secure) Wi-Fi network. Then, go to Settings > Profile > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Backup Now.

You can enable automatic backup by navigating to iCloud Backup and turn on “Back Up This iPhone.” Then, connect your iPhone to a power source and a Wi-Fi network and lock your screen to complete the backup. Remember that if you’re traveling and not routinely connecting to a Wi-Fi network, backing up manually over a cellular connection might be necessary (assuming you have the spare data).

You can also consider upgrading to iCloud+ for more storage (starting at $0.99/month), in case your iCloud does not have enough storage for a backup. Summer calls for outdoor fun, but this comes with the risk of damaging your iPhone. Be it hiking, swimming, or bicycling, there’s no guarantee that your phone is completely safe from the perils of a summer adventure (especially if you use apps for summer activities on your iPhone).

Nothing beats a good old phone case when it comes to physically protecting your iPhone. When looking to buy a phone case, it’s better to stay on the side of caution and get a waterproof, sturdy one to prevent scratches, water damage, and breakage. While it can be painful to cover your iPhone’s color with another case (trust me, I hate covering my lilac, gloss finish more than anyone), a good phone case can save you a lot of worry and money in the long run. You can try silicone cases if you’re not a big fan of bulky phone cases, and I’ve found that these also go well with your iPhone’s skin color.

There are a few things to keep in mind when buying a suitable iPhone case (depending on the type of activities you’re into), such as MagSafe, card grip, and texture.

  • Change your Screen Protector when needed

You can reduce the chances of your iPhone incurring damage by using a good screen protector that can prevent your screen from getting scratched in case of falls, bumps, or contact with rough/sharp materials. I am extremely clumsy with my phone and have dropped it on rough surfaces more times than I can count, and have paid my price with hairline stretches on my previous phones. I’ve now made it a habit to regularly check on and change my screen protector when needed.

Apple uses the durable Ceramic Shield for iPhone 12 and later, so a screen protector is not always a necessity. Not everyone is a fan of screen protectors: for the longest time, I was not too sold on the change in touch that comes with that extra layer of protection.

There are also some errors that could occur while applying a screen protector. But during the summer, having a screen protector on your iPhone can prevent scratches that could occur when you go outdoors to places like the beach, a hiking trail, or a mountainous area, since these places can expose your iPhone to materials like sand and rocks.

Regardless of whether you have opted to get a suitable sturdy iPhone case, be wary of where you leave your iPhone during the summer. It’s never a good idea to expose your iPhone to direct sunlight when you’re going out, since this can lead to overheating, battery issues, and temporary shutdowns. If you travel a lot in the summer, be wary of leaving your iPhone out in direct exposure to sunlight in cars, or in open spaces that could make your phone susceptible to spillage, loss, overheating, or other damage.

You can also carry accessories to protect your iPhone when you’re out. When I visit the beach, for instance, I tend to carry a waterproof bag/pouch to keep my iPhone despite having a sturdy case, so there’s no possibility of water damage.

One of the most crucial parts of protecting your iPhone in the summer is preventing heat-related damage. When exposed to high ambient temperatures, there’s a good possibility of your iPhone overheating, since it does not have an active cooling solution inside. If your iPhone overheats, you will receive a warning notification that says “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it.”

But not to fret: if this does happen, there are some simple solutions to fix overheating. If you’re using a sturdy case to protect your iPhone, removing it and letting your iPhone rest indoors at a cooler temperature is a good starting point. Another solution is to stop using your iPhone (especially if you’re running apps that have a higher strain on your iPhone, like gaming or streaming apps) and put it to sleep. You can also temporarily switch it off while limiting exposure to high temperatures.

Be sure to never put an overheating iPhone anywhere cold like a fridge or directly under an air conditioner, as the sudden change in temperature could cause water damage due to condensation. Keeping your iPhone away from direct sunlight during summer is a good rule of thumb to stick by. Regular system updates and not overcharging are some other precautionary actions you can take to manage the temperature of your iPhone.

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How to send Text Messages without Wi-Fi or Cell Service on a Google Pixel

First, let’s talk about messaging standards. The old guard is SMS messages. These traditional texts don’t rely on mobile data or Wi-Fi. They use the cellular network’s voice channel, meaning if you have even a faint cellular connection, an SMS message should go through. However, this only applies to simple text messages. If you’re trying to send pictures, videos, or group messages (which are typically MMS messages), you will still need a data connection.

The SMS mobile phone texting standard turns 30 this year, and its insecurity and legacy features are holding the world back. Here’s why SMS needs to go away as soon as possible.

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next evolution of SMS, and Google is trying to use it as the answer to iMessage. It includes familiar features like read receipts, typing indicators, and higher-quality media sharing. The cool thing about RCS is that it can work over Wi-Fi. So, if you’re in a Wi-Fi-enabled area but have absolutely no cell signal, you can still send RCS messages to anyone else who has RCS enabled on their Android phone or iPhone. At this point, that’s most people.

Now, the important thing to note for situations of poor cell signal is both SMS and RCS are available. RCS generally requires a better connection than SMS, so if you’re in a poor reception area, your phone will fallback to SMS to get the message sent out—as long as you’ve enabled it. As mentioned, that means you should be able to send a message as long as you have the tiniest bit of a cellular connection.

SMS (Short Messaging Service) has been around for a long time, but it’s been slowly being replaced by a newer and much better standard for text messaging called “RCS.” You may have heard this mysterious acronym before, but what is RCS all about, and more importantly, how will it affect you?

Satellite SOS on a Pixel Phone

But what if you have neither cell service or Wi-Fi? This is where things get interesting. If you own a Google Pixel 9 series phone, you have a feature called “Satellite SOS.” This isn’t for casual texting with your friends, but it can be a literal lifesaver in emergencies. If you find yourself in a truly remote area with no signal in sight, your Pixel 9 can connect directly to satellites to send emergency messages.

First, a few prerequisites. As mentioned, you need a Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, or Pixel 9 Pro Fold (or presumably any model released after). Google Messages must be set as your default messaging app. Make sure you have as clear a view of the sky as you can get.

  1. Dial the emergency service line for your area (911 in the US, for example).
  2. If there’s no network coverage, you’ll see a “Satellite SOS” option in the dialer.
  3. Tap “Satellite SOS,” then “Use Satellite SOS,” and “Start.”
  4. You’ll be guided through a questionnaire about your emergency.
  5. Next, you’ll have the option to notify your emergency contacts of your location.
  6. Finally, follow the prompts to position your phone to connect to a satellite. Once connected, you’ll get a response from an emergency provider via text.
  7. When you’re ready, tap “End” to finish the session.

So, while you won’t be sending photos of waterfalls from the middle of nowhere without a signal, your Pixel does offer options for communication in an emergency. The cool thing is that Google lets you try this out on your phone without doing it for real. You can go to Settings > Safety & Emergency > Pixel Satellite SOS and tap “Try a demo”.

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Cum folosești TalkBack pe Google Chrome

With this accessibility feature on, the phone “talks back” to you, reading aloud whatever is on your screen. You just tap the screen, and it’ll read whatever’s currently in focus. That way, you can read web pages or click on buttons and links without ever looking at your screen. It can even describe images to you.

Since you’re using single taps to hear the screen out loud, you can’t use the usual touch gestures to interact with the phone. The Talkback feature comes with its own set of gestures to navigate the phone.Launching the Talkback welcome screen.

They’re pretty straightforward, but you have to learn them and practice getting them down. I hope to help you fast-track that process. We’ll start from the basics and build up from there.

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