Do Not Disturb keeps calls and texts from bugging you, but what if there’s a person or two you want to get through any time? Here’s how to flag important contacts and silence the rest.
Quick tech cleanup: Do this every 3 months
When was the last time you cleaned up your digital life? It’s not fun, but just a few minutes of physical and digital decluttering can work wonders. It boosts productivity, clears mental clutter and leaves you feeling like you’ve done something great. Ready? Let’s do this!
📲 Start with your phone
Quick fix: Look through your apps and delete any you’re not using anymore. If it’s been months, you’re not going to use it. While you’re at it, move apps you want to spend less time using from your phone’s home screen.
On iPhone: Swipe left to get past all your app screens and open the App Library. To delete an app, touch and hold the app’s icon > Delete App, then tap Delete to confirm.
On Android: Open the Google Play Store app, and tap your profile icon. Tap Manage apps & devices > Manage. Select the name of the app you want to delete, then tap Uninstall.
If you have more time: Tackle your photo collection or contacts. Do whichever is the messiest or most aggravating. Neither task is particularly pleasant, but you’ll feel enough satisfaction when you’re done to make up for that. Put in a good podcast (ahem, mine!) and get it done.
Bonus points: Sanitize your phone. You take it to the bathroom with you. Enough said.
📺 Tackle the TV
Quick fix: Dust! Too much junk in all those vents and ports can reduce your TV’s life, so give it a good wipe-down. Clean the back with your vacuum’s brush attachment or an air blower (on sale!). Be prepared to vacuum or sweep up all the dust after you’re done.
Bonus points: Clean the screen. Dust with a microfiber rag first, then very lightly buff away fingerprints. I take the easy route with TV wipes, but a rag with electronics cleaner works, too. It’s easy to use too much pressure standing directly in front of the TV cleaning, so go from the side for a lighter touch.
If you have more time: I once signed up for a free trial of an add-on channel to watch a movie I couldn’t find anywhere else. You can guess what happened. I never watched the movie, but I did pay for six months of Sundance. Time to take inventory of your streaming apps. I use the Rocket Money app* to do it for me.
💻 Finish up with your computer
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Looking for work? 5 mistakes that will hurt your chances of getting hired
Social media is a place where we can loosen up a little. You can post jokes, silly pictures, or whatever on Instagram, X, Facebook and more. Unlike most social media sites, our sponsor, LinkedIn, is pretty buttoned-up.
Smartphone shortcut: On a Samsung, go to your Contacts and choose a person you want to talk to. Swipe left to begin a text message to them or swipe right to call them — no extra tapping required. Cool.
Real men cannot be stolen: A woman is going viral on TikTok for the way she discovered her boyfriend of eight years was cheating for the last two years. Yes, you read that right! Mr. “Lyin’ King” got a new iPhone and lost all his contacts. She sent him a text that read, “Hey sexy,” so he could save her number. He replied, saying he needed to leave his apartment but was on his way to bed her, thinking she was the other woman. Yikes.
Tech how-to: Call 911 using a smart speaker
Smart speakers tell you the weather, play music, answer trivia questions, help you prank your spouse (more on that at the end), and they just might save your life one day, too.
Make sure you know these commands to get help in an emergency by heart. Be a pal and tell your friends and family members about them, too.
🔐 Protect your friends and family: New to iOS 18, the option to limit apps so they can only see some of your contacts — not all. Yep, you don’t have to reveal your whole address book. Nice. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Contacts.
Nosy, nosy: With iOS 18, you can now bring up a list of all apps with access to your contacts. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Contacts. Here, you’ll see a list of apps. Tap Limited Access for any that shouldn’t get every little detail.
“Hey, it’s-a-me, Mario!” Here’s how to set a custom ringtone for a contact so you know who’s calling before you pick up:
- iPhone: Head to Contacts, select the contact and then tap Edit > Ringtone. Choose your custom sound and tap Done.
- Android: Under Contacts, select your contact and tap the “i” icon > three-dot icon > Edit > Change ringtone/vibration > Ringtone. Select your sound and tap Save.
💄 This isn’t exactly tech, but there’s tech in it: Esōes Cosmetics created a roofie-detecting lipstick. The bottom compartment contains a test strip. Add a drop of your drink, and it’ll detect drugs. A built-in panic button contacts emergency services. I’d call that $65 well spent if it works.
🚨 Shed light on this: The FTC says most subscription apps and websites use “dark patterns.” These manipulative design techniques push you to buy things and/or put your privacy at risk. Examples: Being forced to enter payment details for a free trial or upload your contacts to access features. Watch out for this.
Commitment issues: Remember when meeting the parents was a big relationship milestone? Now it’s saving someone’s full name in your contacts. Folks these days aren’t wasting precious phone memory on casual flings (paywall link). It’s all fun and games until you text the wrong date.
Call me by my name: In your iPhone contacts, fill out the Add related name field with nicknames like “Mom” and “Bestie.” Now, you can use those nicknames to call and text those individuals using Siri.
You’re my fave: Get quick links to your four favorite contacts on your Android home screen. Tap and hold on a blank spot on the home screen, then pick Widgets to find the list.
Unless you change your settings, anyone with the Venmo app can see all your contacts. Go to Privacy settings > Friends list > Private. While you’re there, turn off “appear in other users’ friends’ lists.”
Stop letting Big Tech decide what emails you see: StartMailis my pick for privacy-first email. It’s super easy to switch over your contacts and mail, or you can treat it as a fresh inbox for only your VIPs. Save 60% now with my special link. Btw, I get no residuals if you buy.
Smartphone shortcut: On a Samsung, go to your Contacts and choose a person you want to talk to. Swipe left to text message then or swipe right to call — no extra tapping around required. Cool.
Buzz off: WhatsApp is full of scammers, and they can add you to a group with others without your consent unless you change a setting. Open the app, then head to Settings > Privacy > Groups. Choose My Contacts or Nobody.
Quick iPhone cleanup: Duplicate contacts are annoying and Apple knows it. Now there’s an easy way to merge them. Open Contacts, then scroll all the way up. At the top, look for Duplicate Found. Tap View Duplicates > Merge All. Done! Sorry, Android pals — it’s not so easy for you.
Stop letting Big Tech decide what emails you see: StartMailis my pick for privacy-first email. It’s easy to switch over your contacts and mail, or you can treat it as a fresh inbox for only your VIPs. Save 50% now with my special link. Btw, I get no residuals if you buy.