When you get stuck in Reply All hell: Instead of muting every single email that comes through, mute the entire thread. In Gmail, for example, look at the toolbar at the top of the email. Click the three dots, then Mute. Ah, sweet silence.
Freebie alert: Apps that pay you to play
There are plenty of apps that reward you for doing things you probably already do. I’m sure you’ve seen ads for them. You’re not going to pay your rent from the rewards you earn, but you might get enough perks to make your otherwise pointless scrolling worth it.
A quick word to the wise: These freebies aren’t totally free. Depending on the reward programs’ rules and privacy policies, you’re handing over a lot of your data just to make a few bucks.
Cash me if you can
You’ll notice a lot of the advertised freebie apps didn’t make my list below. Anything with seriously sketchy privacy policies didn’t pass muster.
Again, I want to stress these apps collect info, so always — always — check the privacy policy and terms and conditions before you download. You might be able to opt out of having your data sold to third parties in the app’s settings or by submitting a request form. Now, on to the list!
- Shopkick: Shop at places like Best Buy and Target to earn points in the form of “kicks.” Every 250 kicks equals $1 in gift card value, and you can get extra kicks by scanning barcodes and uploading receipts.
- P&G Good Everyday: Procter & Gamble’s program pays out digital rewards for scanning receipts, answering surveys and quizzes, and more. You’ll also get access to coupons and free samples. Rewards vary, but right now, 750 points will get you $5 off any P&G product.
- MISTPLAY: This one has a whole slew of games you can play to earn rewards. Redeem your earnings in the form of gift cards or a payout via PayPal. Expect to make around $15 for 3.5 hours of gameplay.
- InboxDollars: Get cash for completing online surveys. Earn anywhere from $0.10 to $5.00 per survey.
- Microsoft Rewards: Get paid to surf the internet. Microsoft Rewards gives points when you search, shop or play through your Microsoft account. Redeem for gift cards, sweepstakes entries or nonprofit donations. Around 5,000 points equals $5.
This idea is mint
Use an Android? Google Play Rewards gives you points for anything you buy in the Google Play Store, like apps, in-app items, movies, books and subscriptions. Open the Play Store app > tap your profile icon > Play Points > Join.
The Google Play Rewards program has four spending tiers. The more you spend on the platform, the higher you’ll rank and the better your weekly rewards will be. Higher tiers also get access to new mobile games before they’re released.
💰 And, finally, the Google Opinion Rewards program gives you Google Play or PayPal credit for answering surveys. Take a few in your spare time and earn a little extra pocket change. Cha-ching! Hopefully, I helped you make cents of it all.
Don’t get left behind – Stay tech ahead
Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.
- National radio show: Find your local station or listen to the podcast
- Daily newsletter: Join 575,000 people who read The Current (free!)
- Watch: On Kim’s YouTube channel
- Podcast: “Kim Komando Today” – Listen wherever you get podcasts
Bird nerds: Bird-watching apps are making it easier than ever to track, identify and record sky dwellers. One of the most popular, Merlin Bird ID (iOS and Android), uses AI to identify birds by their calls. Just be careful what you post. One woman spotted a rare bird, and over 700 people showed up outside her house to see it (paywall link). Yikes!
⚠️ Don’t lose your work: A bug in Microsoft 365 Word (version 2409, build 18025.20104) is deleting local files instead of saving them. The error happens after you edit a doc and then close Word. It’s more likely to happen if your file name includes a “#” character or a capitalized extension, like “DOCX” or “RTF.” Temporary fix? Hit Save manually instead of waiting for the prompt.
I like big bots: If you play poker online, you might be facing off against bots. It’s shifted the game from human psychology and bluffing to mathematical strategies and percentages. The result? Bots are winning more often, even beating sharks sitting at the virtual table.
🌇 Riding off into the sunset: Verizon’s Message+ is shutting down in November. The suggested replacement is Google Messages, which really is your best bet. It supports RCS texting, the new standard that makes it easier to send pics and videos.
Google Docs quick tip: Hit Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C to check the word count for your current document. The pop-up also has a checkbox to show the word count on screen permanently.
Stop the binge: Streaming apps usually queue up the next episode of a show automatically, but most have a setting to stop this. On Netflix, click your account picture (top right), then Manage Profiles and your profile to find the option.
Built-in teen trackers: Screen Time for iPhone and Google Family Link for Android let you monitor your teens on social media, set usage limits and block apps you don’t want them using. My advice: Don’t be sneaky about it. They’ll find out you’ve set limits, so you might as well have a convo about it upfront.
Your to-do list won’t stand a chance: Use Mac’s free Automator app to do repetitive tasks. You can make a variety of workflows and applications. Here’s a full guide. If you’re a coder, you’ll love this!
📶 Internet connection cutting out? Try a Wi-Fi extender to cover dead zones. Place it as far from your router as possible where it still picks up a strong signal. Pro tip: Download an app like NetSpot WiFi Analyzer (for Android and iOS) to test your signal quality and fine-tune your setup.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
🧼 Your photos are a mess: Find what you want with AI-powered albums. On a Mac, open Apple Photos and choose File > New Smart Album. Pick what you want (like photos of the beach) and it’ll pull in pics that match. In Google Photos for the web, go to Albums > Create Album. Here, you can choose the people and/or pets you want to include.
This Zoom feature isn’t even remotely funny: Zoom’s new AI companion takes notes, summarizes meetings and even tells you who talked most. Click the magic wand icon below the main video window to use it. You can ask it for a quick update or to pull out action items from the discussion, too. Fine print: Available for paid plans only.
📊 Secret you need to know: If you use Google Docs or Microsoft OneDrive, you can go back in time to see earlier versions of your work (or someone else’s). In Google Docs, head to File > Version History > See Version History. In OneDrive, it’s under File > Info > Version History. Bonus tip: If you want to know who does what in real time in a Google Doc, turn on the Track Changes option.
Save data: Chat apps like WhatsApp are excellent for keeping in touch but can eat up a ton of data. If you use one, open its settings and customize how media is downloaded. If you pick Wi-Fi, you won’t download videos and pics until you’re on a recognized network. Nice.
Love this idea: Two Colorado sisters launched a dating app designed for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Users can tap “X” or “❤️” to sort through matches, and there’s a “Dateability Deets” section where you check off terms that describe your condition. Check it out on iOS and Android.
I want to help you Excel at work: Hit Ctrl + [ to view where the contents of a cell came from, like a formula or reference. Sweet. A ton more Excel shortcuts here.
⌛ Podcast magic: You can listen to a podcast more quickly to save time or more slowly when you want to catch every word. There’s usually a “1x” on the now-playing screen. It’s your playback speed. You can increase it (e.g., by 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x) or decrease it (e.g., by 0.75x).
⛽ Tap and go: Use your phone’s electronic wallet app at the gas pump. All you have to do is tap your phone on the reader to pay. This way, you won’t have to worry about card skimmers at the pump stealing from you.
Buying in bulk: There’s a sweet new beta feature in the Costco app. You can search to see if what you want is in stock at your store. Go to the Warehouse tab, then see if you have the option to Search Warehouse Inventory. Log out of the app and log back in if you don’t see it. If it’s a no-go after that, sorry, you’ll have to wait.