People are buying high-ticket items on eBay, filing returns, then sending back thank-you cards instead of the product. Sellers are reporting the scam (with proof the return label is on a tiny envelope) but get stuck in an endless appeals process. Good luck getting eBay on the phone to help. I’d steer clear for now.
Privacy tip: How to delete cookies from your phone
Make no mistake: You’re being tracked. Want to be shocked? Look at the secret map on your smartphone that watches your every move. Tap or click here to see the map tracking you and wipe it clean.
What about advertisements that follow you across the web? Facebook is one of the biggest data hogs. Tap or click for ways to stop or limit targeted ads on Facebook.
And then there are cookies, tiny bits of data that track your activity online. They’re not just lurking in your computer. On your smartphone, cookies save your passwords and help you log on more quickly, but they can also collect more than you want.
This security tip is brought to you by our sponsor, ExpressVPN. Keep what you do online private with Kim’s pick and the fastest VPN. Get an extra three months free when you sign up for a year.
Are cookies worth the cost?
Take a good hard look at your priorities when it comes to cookies. Do you prefer the convenience of a browser like Safari or Chrome or the privacy of a browser that doesn’t save cookies in the first place?
It’s a tricky balance, especially considering how convenient cookies make our browsing experience. They save your login info and keep track of your preferences to show you the content you care about, but that comes at the cost of your privacy.
The choice is up to you. If you want to clear them, navigate to your smartphone’s settings. Scroll down to the list of apps. Find your browser and follow the instructions below.
By the way, you can get information like this delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for my free newsletters.
1. Start with Safari
For Safari on an iPhone, follow these steps:
- Open Settings and tap Safari.
- Tap Clear History and Website Data. Tap Clear History and Data.
- Apple will ask if you want to Close Tabs or Keep Tabs. Tap the option you choose.
- That’s it. Your Safari history is now clear.
Privacy tip: How to wipe what you searched for in your browser and on social media
If you share a computer with others in your household, keeping a surprise vacation or gift a secret can be challenging. Saved searches, in particular, can rat you out.
After all, if your web browser defaults to Expedia every time someone types in an “E,” your plans will be found out. Are you traveling soon? Tap or click here for some travel safety tips. Plus, saved searches eat up memory on your hard drive.
🧽 Bathroom brighteners
Little helpers to make your washroom sparkle, your loo shine, your powder room glisten, your restroom glitter … Sorry, I got carried away.
- Get soap scum off your shower walls (with minimal scrubbing!) with the Magic Eraser Ultra Bath. Click the coupon for $3 off.
- Keep that shower bright and shiny with Spray Wet & Forget (20% off). Spray it once a week, leave it on overnight, and say “See ya!” to soap scum and mildew.
- Foaming bathroom cleaner from the folks behind The Pink Stuff works on everything else. It’s 40% off, dang!
- The absolute easiest way to clean a toilet: Clorox ToiletWand, under $14. Or maybe you prefer gel cleaner.
- Clear the gunk from shower corners and grout lines with the Rubbermaid power scrubber. No sweat, literally.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
🦄 Two’s company, but three’s a cloud: Duplicate photos eat up so much storage on our phones. They might be exact duplicates or pics so similar, they might as well be. There are built-in ways to clear them out on your iPhone and Android.
Clear out those junky apps
Is your smartphone a mess? Here are some tricks to get it running in tip-top shape.
🪪 Beyond the airport: Travel verification company Clear is working on facial recognition for everything: Replacing your wallet, driver’s license, passwords and even your house keys with a selfie. They say it’ll help prevent fraud and be more convenient. What happens if hackers steal your face when it’s your universal ID?
70% more searches
For “star bathing.” Yep, that’s a new term you need to know. Campsite booking platform Hipcamp is seeing more guests looking for a site under clear skies so they can become one with nature. It’s a little out there for me.
Google Maps and Apple Maps: 8 hidden settings you'll use all the time
Thanks to the constellation of satellites, we can use GPS to chart our paths. We don’t have to worry about getting lost in new areas because navigation apps help us find our way through unknown territory. They also offer plenty of secret GPS settings you should know about.
Travel pro tip: How to skip the line at the airport for free
When it comes to travel, there’s a lot to stress about. First, you have to make sure you pack everything. Next, you always have to brace yourself for last-minute cancellations, storms and other curveballs.
Thanks to the lingering effects of the pandemic, travel can feel more chaotic than ever before. Tap or click here for eight ways to stay safe while traveling. Plan ahead to survive the swarm of travelers trying to cure their pent-up wanderlust.
Quick fixes for messy spots
- Jumbled sock drawer: Toss in an $8 honeycomb organizer that expands to fit the space. Works for undies, too.
- Dust everywhere: Don’t just rub it around. These damp cleaning sponges have ridges to hold junk as you go.
- Pet hair SOS: Content Queen Allie bought the viral ChomChom roller (29% off) and loves it.
- Washing machine: Gunk collects around the gasket of front-load machines. Clear it out the easy way.
- Closet shelves: No more teetering piles of shirts and sweaters when you have dividers to hold everything snugly.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
I got a kick out of this: Football player Travis Kelce’s dad is banned for life on X. He posted (on Facebook!) about the hypocrisy of arms dealers in Yemen selling weapons on the platform when all he really did was follow sports reporters. X hasn’t given him a clear reason — just a generic Terms of Service violation.
No more messy cabinets
- Under-sink pipes? Not a problem. This under-sink cabinet organizer works around the pipes, and it’s 20% off.
- If you’re a tea drinker like I am, grab a tea organizer station so you can toss the bulky boxes. The white one is on sale for $5 and holds nine types of teas and sweeteners.
- Organize cutting boards, cookie sheets and other items that’d otherwise lay flat with this rack, now 20% off.
- Free up space with spray bottle hangers, on sale for under 10 bucks.
- Clear plastic storage bins (20% off for a pack of four) can help you organize the clutter in your cabinets.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
That’s not quite right: You’re texting with your voice and it went all wrong. To delete the last word you dictated, say, “Delete the last word.” To delete the last sentence, say, “Clear sentence.” If you want to get rid of everything you just said, say, “Clear all.”
Don’t live in the past (or, if you do, erase it): You went down the Facebook rabbit hole while snooping on an ex and you want to wipe away the last 20 minutes of your search history. Log into Facebook on your browser and tap your profile picture. Select Settings & Privacy > Activity Log. Click Logged actions and other activity, then Search history. Tap Clear Searches.
WTH do I do now? Jim in Philly wrote to me because he downloaded an app that totally screwed up his phone — random ads everywhere. Sorry, Jim, but you need to do a full factory reset. It’s a royal pain in the rear, I know, but it’s the only way to ensure your phone is clear from adware and malware. After that, do like I do and get a solid AV software on your phone.
🤰🏻 Born to swim: Couples are turning to Facebook groups to find cheap sperm donors, but the real cost may come in court. In states without clear laws, including Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, if a mom needs public assistance, the donor could be liable for child support — or even declared the lawful father.
Clean your keys
⌨️ Your keyboard needs cleaning — I can just tell (because mine does, too). Here are a few clever ways to get the job done.
- Li’l vac: Oh, this thing is sweet — a little blue box that vacuums up crumbs, dirt, dust and glitter from between your keys. It has a detachable nozzle so you can use it on your desk, too, and it charges via USB. It’s 15% off ($10.70).
- Li’l brush: “Sweep up” this retractable laptop brush from OXO, which makes useful stuff that lasts. It has a built-in microfiber pad for polishing your screen and a cap to keep the brush clean when you throw it in your bag.
- Big can: Grab a can of air to clear out every nook and cranny with a miniature windstorm. I love this stuff, and it’s cheap. This one is 20% off ($7.99). Whoosh!
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
This one trick will make your iPhone run faster
We all would love to push a magic button that makes our iPhones run faster. That doesn’t exist, but there are some interesting tricks that can help boost your smartphone’s performance. One, in particular, is sometimes overlooked, and it involves your phone or iPad’s cache.
Best tech unveiled at this year's CES tech show
CES 2020 has come and gone, but the gadgets that debuted will stick with us for years to come. Whether they’re in the same exact package or wrapped up under a different brand name and enclosure, the beauty of new technology is how adaptable it can be in our daily lives.