Keep your Android automatically unlocked: Go to Settings > Security > Smart Lock. You can set it to stay unlocked when it’s on you, near a trusted device (like your laptop) or in a trusted place (like your house).
Weekend project: 5 simple ways to make your home safer
When building a home security system, every little bit helps. You can make significant changes, like setting up outdoor cameras with facial recognition. This helps you spot familiar faces crossing your street every day.
Or you can make minor tweaks, like recycling old tech for security purposes. For example, you can turn a dusty old phone you no longer use into a surveillance tool. More on that later.
Thanks to our sponsor, SimpliSafe, we have a few tips to help you feel safer around the home. Keep reading for five easy ways to boost your home’s security setup.
1. Turn your old cell phones into security cameras
Security cameras are expensive. The outdated phone in your junk drawer is 100% free. Instead of selling your old phone or trading it in for less than you spent to buy it, try this DIY trick instead.
Turning your old phone into a security camera requires no fancy hardware or tech know-how. You just need to download a security camera app on your phone. Look for something with motion detection and alert features.
Also, when looking for apps, check if they store footage remotely or locally. Your choice of an app depends on how much storage space your old phone has. We recommend Critter.Camera, which also lets you turn old tablets and computers into security cameras.
Tap or click here for a step-by-step guide to turning your used tech into security cameras.
2. Don’t post pictures of your key or your home address on social media
Sure, you might feel proud of yourself for buying your dream home. That might make you want to snap a picture of your key with the caption, “Finally bought my home!” But before you upload your triumphant moment onto social media, hold your horses.
You’re giving burglars the key to your house. Or, at least, the key to creating the key to your home. That’s right: Thieves can make a copy of your house key based on a single picture.
Check your phone! Bad app alert
Is your Android phone running sluggishly? It could be any number of causes, from bloatware to spyware. Here are eight ways to get your phone back up to speed.
Have you seen charges for things you don’t remember subscribing to? Either your kids got their hands on your credit card, or you may be the victim of a thieving app. The apps boast abilities to make you look slimmer, remove imperfections and add filters. Don’t let vanity be your downfall!
8 quick and easy ways to clean up your Android
Your smartphone can get bogged down with software, viruses and too many files like a computer. It can run slowly when that happens, which is less than ideal.
If you own an Android phone and want to keep it running like new, there are some steps you’ll need to take. Here are eight maintenance tips to keep your Android as good as new.
9 simple ways to protect your home from burglars
You might not have a criminal mind, but think how a crook finds the perfect houses to target. An empty home in a neighborhood where people keep to themselves, no cameras or alarms, and dark or dimly lit structures, right?
7 things you didn't know your Android could do
Billions worldwide use their Androids every day, but they might not be making the most of their devices. To be exact, Statista says there are 1.6 billion people with Androids, so if you use one, you’re in good company. One huge draw is the array of apps you can’t get anywhere else.
8 useful Chromebook tricks you aren't using but should
If you’re a Chromebook fan, then you know the lightweight laptops that run Google’s Chrome OS are a bit different than a regular Windows or Mac notebook. They have their own set of secrets and tricks. Tap or click here for Kim’s guide to Chromebook pros and cons.
Samsung Galaxy: 9 tips and tricks to get more out of your phone
Most everyone decides early on whether they’re an Android or iPhone person and stick with it perpetually. No matter which one you chose, you definitely want to add some helpful apps for entertainment and productivity. Tap or click here for the most popular apps of 2020.
7 essential Android security settings: 2FA, spot shady apps, stop location tracking
According to a Pew Research report, 28% of smartphone owners don’t use screen locks or other security features to keep people out of their phones. Does this figure represent your Android security practice?
The same report further indicates 54% of internet users access the web via public Wi-Fi networks to perform sensitive activities, such as online shopping (21%) and banking (21%). Never access public Wi-Fi without a virtual private network. Tap or click to see how you can protect your data with a VPN.
Hackers can unlock your home using just the sound of the key in the lock
When you leave home or head to bed each night, you take the time to secure your house, your belongings and your family. Turning the key in the lock on your way out or securing the deadbolt before bed are routine matters for most people — regardless of how safe your neighborhood, town or city is.
3 crucial security settings for your Android
There’s no denying it, your Android device is indispensable. You trust storing your life’s work on your Android smartphone and assume it is capable of protecting vital information. And, although you take security precautions, they may not be enough, leaving your device vulnerable.
Smart locks and knobs that make it easy to keep your home germ-free
Every time you open your door, you leave behind a trail of microbes like bacteria that linger there until you clean it. And doorknobs are an easy way for a virus to make its way into your home.
As a result, people are obsessively cleaning anything that comes within six feet of their bodies. But as demand for cleaning products goes up, shortages of cleaning supplies are bound to happen.
Automate your life with this super useful web tool
Have you ever heard that acronym for TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More?
Well, the same is true for your connected gadgets and appliances. When they all work together, you get the most out of them. Kind of like what you get with a smart home. Tap or click here for information about a smart home starter kit and what you should buy first.