How to quickly find and search photos you’ve sent
A friend sent you the name of a great hotel in Palm Springs, but you can’t find the message. Try searching your texts. Tap or click here for tips to find any message you’re looking for in seconds.
You can do the same with your photo album. Instead of scrolling forever, try searching for “sunset,” “Hawaii,” “dog,” or anything else you want to see. Tap or click here for pro tricks to hunt down any image in a snap.
Then there are the photos and videos you send out on your smartphone. Here’s how to find and search your shared media.
See a record of what you’ve sent and received
For better or worse, what we do online leaves behind digital clues. You can easily browse the photos and videos you’ve shared with a contract or group — and the ones they’ve shared with you. Here’s how on iPhone:
- Open Messages.
- Tap on a conversation, then tap on the contact/group name or profile photo.
- Scroll down to the Photos section and tap See All to see your shared photos and videos.
More phone smarts: Having a hard time sending videos from your Android to an iPhone? Use this app
Use an Android phone? Follow these steps to see all your shared media.
- Open the Messages app.
- Tap the search bar at the top. Select images or videos.
- From here, you can scroll through all the photos or videos shared with you or that you have shared in text messages.
Did you lose an important text? Here’s how to get it back on your iPhone. Before that happens, make a backup of your messages. Tap or click for the easy options to get the job done.
Finding media in third-party messaging apps
Now that you know how to find shared media on your phone’s built-in messaging apps, here’s how to do the same with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
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End-to-end encryption is an excellent defense against prying eyes when sharing digital messages between devices. While it’s been available on Facebook Messenger for a while, many noticed that enabling it pared away at some of the more advanced features non-encrypted users could utilize.
Genius trick to find any message you're looking for in seconds
Social media platforms let you pin a post to the top of your page, so it’s always the first thing your audience sees. Did you know that this useful feature is also available on your iPhone? Tap or click here to pin messages for easy reference later.
Data-hungry apps: These are the worst for your privacy
Big Tech is always after your data, and that’s especially bad when it affects national security. TikTok has been accused of spying and sending U.S. data to China. Tap or click here to keep your info safe.
Facebook, Instagram, PayPal, YouTube, eBay, Google, and TikTok. These are some of the biggest names in tech, with billions of active users worldwide. You likely have accounts with some or all of these companies. Did you read the fine print before agreeing to their privacy policies? Most people don’t.
There's a hidden second message folder in Facebook - Here's how to find it
We’ve published quite a few stories about messaging apps and how to use them efficiently. Tap or click here for 12 clever tricks for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage and Google Chat. If you’re using Facebook Messenger, there might be a few more features you don’t know about.
How to use Messenger without a Facebook account
Facebook Messenger lets you send a message to anyone on Facebook, regardless of your friendship status (unless they’ve blocked you). If you are, in fact, friends on the social network, you can also call them or initiate a video chat.
Clicking on one of these texts allows devious malware to take over your phone
Text messages have not gone out of fashion. While platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram have exploded in use, 2.1 trillion text messages were still sent in 2020. Facebook Messenger is also a popular choice, and the company recently introduced end-to-end encryption.
This Facebook scam cost someone $5K - Don't be the next victim
Scams come in all shapes and sizes, but cybercriminals love using social media to trick users. Using services like Facebook Messenger, it’s easy to impersonate someone else. Think you know all the government impersonator scams? Tap or click here for the latest scary twist.
How to know if someone actually read your text
The phone in your hand can do more than the computers we had years ago. It’s a communication device, a camera, a scanner, a fitness tracker, a camcorder, a GPS, a game console — I could go on.
There’s also a lot your phone can do that you would not think was possible. Tap or click for seven brilliant ways your smartphone can help you get things done, from measuring someone’s height to remoting into your computer.
4 free ways to keep track of your friends and family with your smartphone
As GPS trackers become more commonplace with devices like Apple AirTags, we are developing a constant need to know where everything and everyone is at all times. Tap or click here to find out the difference between Tile trackers and Apple AirTags.
Mozilla warns: Avoid these 3 messaging apps if you care about privacy
Chatting online isn’t anything new, but the pandemic has fueled the use of video calling and messaging apps. As social distancing began around the country, these apps saw a surge in popularity. Tap or click here to find out which browser is best for your privacy.
After years of saying otherwise, now we know Facebook can read your WhatsApp messages
Facebook doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to privacy. Even founder Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that in 2019, saying it doesn’t have “a strong reputation for building privacy-protective services.”
12 smart tricks for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, Google Chat
It’s been a long time since AOL instant messenger was the pinnacle of digital communication. Since then, we’ve expanded to dozens of platforms for communication, and it goes way beyond a simple text message.
As new competitors arise daily, messenger platforms try to keep up the competition with fun new features that give your messages a little extra pizazz. Tap or click here for five Facebook Messenger things you didn’t know you could do.
Facebook beta: How to test new features before anyone else
Technology is changing faster than we can keep up with nowadays. Everywhere we look, there’s a new shiny cellphone, laptop, or app that is built to make our lives easier. There’s even a cool new version of Microsoft Windows on the way. Tap or click here to see the best Windows 11 features and how to try them now.
5 apps draining your iPhone battery
Let’s face it, life is short. It’s sensitive, filled with surprises and can sometimes be a nuisance. To clarify, we’re talking about your device’s battery life. It’s become a well-known fact the main reason phone batteries suffer is due to the heavy usage of certain apps.
Tech-how to: Make phone calls to friends and family from Facebook
You may be familiar with Facebook messaging, which allows you to directly message someone when you want to have a conversation outside of Facebook’s public forum, but did you realize that you can also make voice and video calls through the social media platform? RELATED: Facebook Messenger tricks you’ll use over and over.
Update now! Facebook Messenger flaw lets hackers into your PC
When it comes to malware, infection threats are everywhere. Malicious email links, attachments and downloads are still the most common vectors of attack, which means we all need to actively play a role in blocking security threats.
5 alternatives to FaceTime for Android
There’s just something about video chat that makes you feel close to far-away friends and family. Apple’s FaceTime is one of the best options out there for connecting via video, but what if you use an Android phone?
First off, don’t be fooled by apps in the Google Play store branded as FaceTime. They’re fakes, and they’re probably harmful to your device. Tap or click here to learn about other dangerous apps you need to avoid.