Technology is one of the most important tools in our lives. It’s used for everything from work to school to online shopping.
But it can also be a source of distraction and a hassle. That’s why it’s important to know some basic tech tips and shortcuts.
1. Change the wallpaper
One of the easiest ways to customise your phone is by changing its wallpaper. It’s a great way to show off your personality, and can be a fun way to display photos of your family, friends, pets or holiday snaps.
Changing the wallpaper is an easy task and can be done on almost any Android device. The procedure is simple, as long as you know your phone’s operating system and you have an app installed that allows you to change the wallpaper on the fly.
2. Turn off the sound
There’s nothing worse than having to listen to your phone ringer or notification sounds when you’re trying to focus on something else. These unwanted sound features can quickly take a toll on your peace of mind, but there are a few ways to silence them and make them go away.
One of the simplest things you can do to turn off the sound on your Android device is by using the mute button. Located on the left edge of your phone, you can press it down until the screen goes to silent mode.
Another quick option is to set your phone to mute for a specific amount of time. This will stop all sound, including ringers and notifications.
4. Turn off the TV
If you have a smart TV, it can be difficult to turn off. The remote may not work, or the power button may be broken.
Often, the TV will go into standby mode after a few minutes. This reduces energy usage.
A smart TV can even use voice commands to turn off. This can be a nuisance when you’re binge-watching, but it’s a good way to regulate media consumption.
You can also control your TV with your smartphone or a Google Assistant-enabled device. These can be great ways to control your television from anywhere, and can make it easier to turn off when you’re ready.
5. Turn off the alarm
If your alarm is still going off even after you’ve reset it, you can try turning it off. This will clear any temporary caches that might have accumulated, and reset your phone back to its original settings.
For most Android devices, this means navigating to your settings, tapping Apps > Clock, then Clock Settings. Then, you’ll see a Sound heading. Look for a toggle next to Silence alarms when system sound is off and turn it on.
This is a quick and easy tech tip that will help you wake up when you want without wasting any time. Enjoy! And please don’t forget to follow our Augusta IT Guys on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a new tech tip each Tuesday. We promise you’ll be glad you did! Have a great Thanksgiving! And happy shopping! Stay safe and see you next week!
7. Turn off the Wi-Fi
If your Wi-Fi isn’t working, try turning it off to see if that fixes the problem. Smartphones often provide a software switch to do this.
Laptops also have a physical Wi-Fi switch that can be set to the off position. If this doesn’t work, you can turn off your router through its settings.
Disabling your Wi-Fi improves network security. It can also free up some bandwidth to use on wired devices.
If you’re still experiencing problems, you might need to contact your Internet provider. They’re better equipped to find and solve your issue, and they might be able to come out and check out your connection, too.
8. Turn off the Bluetooth
Bluetooth is one of the most common wireless technologies used in modern electronics. It lets you connect all sorts of gadgets without wires, including smartphones, tablets, smart home devices, wireless headphones, and even your car.
Despite its popularity, Bluetooth also poses security risks. That’s because Bluetooth devices are connected to other gadgets by radio waves, which travel only a short distance and change frequencies hundreds of times per second.
This can open your device to malicious hackers who can use Bluetooth as a gateway to access data or spy on you. Fortunately, you can turn off the Bluetooth on your smartphone when it’s not in use to protect yourself from these threats.
9. Turn off the lights
One of the most fun and useful ways to make your buck go further is to save on energy costs by turning off the lights in the room. While it’s not always possible to do this in the modern age of smart devices and remote controls, a well-executed light bulb change will pay off handsomely over time. There’s also no shortage of high tech light bulbs on the market – and we’re talking about LED based ones here.
10. Turn off the TV
A TV that automatically turns off is a bit odd, but there are several things you can do to fix it. The first thing is to check the power supply.
A loose connection or an aging cord can cause your TV to turn off by itself. Alternatively, a power surge could be causing the issue.
Another potential culprit is the automatic content recognition feature that’s built into many TVs. This technology can identify every ad, movie or TV show you’re watching.
If this feature is enabled, it can collect data about your use and serve ads to you based on your interests. You can disable the feature by going to your TV’s settings and turning off Automatic Content Recognition.
