Author: Raymond

I am Raymond Oglesby, an Information Technology (IT) specialist with 30 years in the field. I have taught Microsoft Applications and troubleshot computers in 15 countries and many States. My career was focused on mainframes and desktops from application development to implementation. I have written hundreds of programs for various architectures. I decided to start a blog to share my knowledge and experiences with you. I plan on updating this blog at least twice a week about smart phone apps to Windows. Please feel free to leave a Comment or Tweet. I would love to hear from you. Do you have a computer tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the app and version that you are using. To help me out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

What is Find My Network for Apple Devices?

If you lose your Apple device or an object tagged with an AirTag, you can utilize a network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices with Bluetooth to help get it back.

If you lose your Apple device or an object tagged with an AirTag, you can utilize a network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices with Bluetooth to help get it back. Let’s explore this feature.

This is for Apple devices. Screenshots are from Apple and iPhone XR

Dilbert and Reports — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

What is Find My Network

Apple’s Find My network is a crowdsourced method of locating your lost iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, AirPods, Apple Watch, or Mac. You can also use it to locate lost items that have AirTags attached to them. It’s available as a free service to Apple device owners.

The Find My network utilizes Bluetooth sensors on hundreds of millions of Apple products to report the location of missing Apple devices around them. When an Apple device on the network detects a missing Apple device nearby, it reports the lost item’s approximate location back to the device’s owner through the Internet.

What About Privacy

You might think that with a network of almost a billion Apple devices reporting back on the location of lost items, there might be some privacy issues. However, Apple has taken privacy into account when designing this network.

Apple has worked to avoid privacy issues whenever possible, engineering a system that utilizes end-to-end encryption while also transmitting anonymized data to keep your device’s location known only to you while also keeping your identity and location private when using a device that’s active in the Find My network. According to Apple, neither it nor third parties can access the location of your devices on the Find My network. Only the person seeking the lost device can see the item’s location. Hey, if you don’t trust Apple, who can you trust? I am pessimistic on this feature.

Apple’s AirTags do pose more of a privacy risk, but Apple has taken steps to make it harder to track people who use AirTags without their knowledge. Time will tell if those measures are sufficient.

Setup the Feature

To do so on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, navigate to:

Settings > Apple ID > Find My > Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch

and tap to turn the Find My network switch On. While here, turn On the Find My <device>, for example, Find My iPhone as shown below. Now, exit Settings. Refer to below image:

How to Use the Feature

For you to use the Find My network your lost item or AirTag must first have Find My enabled and also be registered to your Apple ID. To locate the item, open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Mac. Choose the devices tab, tap the device’s name, and you will see its location on a map. If you can’t see it, you can mark the device as lost and hope that someone finds it later and returns it to you. See below image from Apple:

Network 2 — Map of lost device – per Apple

Can I Opt Out

Even though the Find My network does not represent a privacy issue for most people (unless you work in a sensitive, high-security field, we recommend that you keep it enabled), you can still turn it off (and opt out) if you would like.

To do so on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, navigate to:

Settings > Apple ID > Find My > Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch

and tap to turn the Find My network switch to Off. Now, exit Settings. See following image:

To opt out of Find My network on a Mac, open:

System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud

and then click the Options button beside Find My Mac. In the pop-up window, click the Turn Off button beside Find My network.

Keep in mind that if you turn off the Find My network feature not only will your device’s Bluetooth sensors stop assisting others in locating lost devices, but also, you will not be able to take advantage of its benefits if you lose your device.

Throttled Back

Although not a part of this feature, Apple has been noted in recent lab tests to have “throttled back” (reduced speed) in iOS 14.5.1 on iPhone models 10, 11,and 12. You have to wait for the next iOS update for Apple to fix this issue.

Quote For the Day

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas A. Edison

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Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath

How to Locate the Cursor Pointer in Windows 10

If you often lose your Windows 10 pointer in your super-size high-resolution display, there is a simple way to locate the pointer quickly.

If you often lose your Windows 10 pointer in your super-size high-resolution display, there is a simple way to locate the pointer quickly. Let’s explore how to turn it on and add visibility to the pointer.

This is for devices running Windows 10

Dilbert and Zoom — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

First, open the Start menu and type “mouse” (without the quotes) in the Cortana search box. Next, click the Mouse settings shortcut that appears in upper left-hand corner. Refer to below image:

Now, in Mouse settings, locate the Related settings section and click the Additional mouse options link. See below image:

Next, when the Mouse Properties window opens, click the Pointer Options tab and checkmark the option Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key. See following image:

Now, select the Pointers tab. Depending on your display scheme, for example, if you use Dark Mode, you may want to use a white pointer, conversely, for a white or light background, a black cursor is your best option. Now, click OK. Refer to below image:

Your Mouse Properties window will close. Next, exit Settings.

Your pointer will change to your selection. Also, anytime you press the Ctrl key, an animated shrinking circle will appear around the cursor to locate it. See below image:

Quote For the Day

How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.
Arthur C Clarke

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What’s Coming in iOS and iPadOS 15

Apple in June 2021 introduced the latest version of its iOS operating system, iOS 15, which is set to be released in the fall. iOS 15 introduces new features for FaceTime calls, tools to reduce distractions, a new notifications experience, added privacy features, complete redesigns for Safari, Weather, and Maps, and more.

Courtesy of MacRumors.com

In June 2021 Apple introduced the latest version of its iOS operating system, iOS 15, which is set to be released in the fall. iOS 15 introduces new features for FaceTime calls, tools to reduce distractions, a new notifications experience, added privacy features, complete redesigns for Safari, Weather, and Maps, and more.

This is for devices running iOS and iPadOS 15

Dilbert and Auditors — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

Notifications have been redesigned in iOS 15, adding contact photos for people and larger icons for apps. To reduce distraction, a notification summary collects notifications together for delivery at an appropriate time and arranges notifications by priority.

Focus is a new feature that can filter notifications and apps based on what a user wishes to focus on at a certain time. When a user’s Focus is blocking incoming notifications, their status will be displayed to others in Messages. iOS will suggest a Focus for different occasions, such as work hours or winding down for bed, using on-device intelligence, but users can also create a custom Focus. When a Focus is set on one Apple device, it automatically applies to other Apple devices.

Safari features a completely new design. Controls are now easier to reach with one hand and give more focus to a webpage’s content. There is a new, compact tab bar that floats at the bottom of the screen so users can easily swipe between tabs. Tab Groups allow users to save tabs and easily access them at any time across devices. There is also a customizable start page and web extensions for the first time.

The Maps app now offers a new 3D view in cities with significantly enhanced details, showing buildings, pedestrian crosswalks, bike lanes, and more. There is a new city-driving experience with added road details and improved Transit features, such as pinned favorite lines, notifications to disembark, and walking directions.

iOS 15 brings voice isolation and Spatial Audio to FaceTime calls so that voices appear to sound as if they are coming from where the person is located on the screen.

FaceTime also supports Portrait mode and offers a new grid view to see more faces at the same time. SharePlay is a new feature that allows users to share media together in sync during a FaceTime call. Users can also generate shareable links to a scheduled FaceTime call, which can also be opened in Android and Windows devices.

The Weather app has been redesigned in iOS 15, showing more graphical displays of weather data, full-screen maps, and dynamic layouts that change based on weather conditions. Totally new animated backgrounds can now more accurately reflect the sun’s position and current precipitation, and there are notifications to highlight when rain or snow starts and stops.

The Wallet app adds support for new key types in iOS 15, such as homes, offices, or hotel rooms. Later this year, customers in participating U.S. states will be able to add a driver’s license or state ID to the Wallet app.

The Photos app features a major update to Memories with a new design and an interactive interface. Memories how supports integration with Apple Music, using on-device intelligence to offer song suggestions for personalized Memories.

Live Text is a new feature that uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in a photo that users can search for, highlight, and copy it. Spotlight can now search for photos by location, people, scenes, objects, and text. Spotlight now offers web image search and richer results for actors, musicians, TV shows, and movies. Enhanced results for contacts show recent conversations, shared photos, and even their location if shared through Find My.

iOS 15 also introduces new privacy measures, such as processing Siri requests directly on the iPhone, which has the added benefit of better responsiveness, Mail Privacy Protection to stop senders knowing if an email has been opened and detecting a recipient’s IP address, and an App Privacy Report view to show how often apps use the permissions they have been granted.

There are dozens of tweaks and changes for other apps, such as user-created tags, mentions, and an Activity view in the Notes app, Trends, Walking Steadiness, and a new sharing tab in the Health app, a systemwide Shared with You feature for highlighting content that has been shared in Messages conversations, and a new For All of You row in the TV app to suggest entertainment for the whole household.

iOS 15 is compatible with the iPhone 6s and later, which means it runs on all devices able to run iOS 14, and will be released this fall, 2021.

As you have read, lots of new features. Look forward to learning about iOS 15 in upcoming TechSavvy.Life blog posts.

Quote For the Day

I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.
Stephen Hawking

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How to See Labels and Icons in Windows 10 Taskbar

The Taskbar in Windows 10 comes with a lot of customizations. One of those customizations allows you to show/hide texts beside icons in opened windows in the Taskbar. You can show the icon and the name of the window at the same time.

The Taskbar in Windows 10 comes with a lot of customizations. One of those customizations allows you to show/hide texts beside icons in opened windows in the Taskbar. You can show the icon and the name of the window at the same time.

This used to be the Taskbar default behavior way back in Windows 95. Let’s explore how to get this feature back.

This is for devices running Windows 10

Dilbert and Technical — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

First, open some Taskbar apps then right-click the Taskbar and select Taskbar settings. (You can also find this same screen by heading to:

Settings > Personalization > Taskbar

Refer to below image:

By default, Windows 10 hides open application windows under a single Taskbar button that looks like the app’s icon. Lets change this.

Next, in Taskbar settings, click the menu labeled Combine taskbar buttons. See below image:

Taskbar 2 — Accessing Combine Taskbar buttons

Now, in the pop-up list that appears, select Never. See following image:

Next, you will notice that any open windows listed on your Taskbar now show labels as well as the app icon. Refer to below image:

Your opened icons with labels

Here is another example of labels beside its icon. Although its hard to see, the Settings icon is gray indicating it is the top window. Depending on your color scheme, it may be a different color. Also, notice that each opened window is underlined. See below image:

Your opened icons with primary window icon and label highlighted

If you are satisfied with that, close Settings, and you are all set. It’s like Windows 95 all over again as to labels beside its icon!

If you change your mind, you can always undo it by selecting Always hide labels in the Combine taskbar buttons menu.

Quote For the Day

People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.
Alan Kay

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How to Access iPhone Camera From Lock Screen

If you need to quickly take a photo or video on your iPhone, you can swipe into the Camera app quickly without unlocking your phone. Let’s explore how this is done.

If you need to quickly take a photo or video on your iPhone, you can swipe into the Camera app quickly without unlocking your phone. Let’s explore how this is done.

This is for the iPhone

Dilbert and Hats — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

First, wake up your iPhone. Place your finger anywhere on the lock screen and swipe it to the left until the Camera app appears. If you try to swipe on a notification that will reveal options for the notification rather than opening the Camera app. Refer to below image:

Camera 1 — Swipe left to open the Camera

Next, with the Camera app open, you can take photos or videos as you normally would, and they will be saved automatically to your Photos library. You can even use the volume buttons to trigger the shutter if you like. See below image that will be saved to Photos library:

Now, to exit Camera mode, press the top button (for iPhones with home buttons) or the side button (for iPhones without home buttons) to turn off your screen. The photos you took will still be saved.

iPhones Without Home Button

If you have an iPhone without a home button (one that uses Face ID) you might notice a tiny camera icon in the lower-right corner of your lock screen. See following image:

Camera 3 — Access Camera by the photo icon

You can use this button to launch the Camera app with a long-press. Just place your finger on the camera icon for a moment. When you lift your finger, the Camera app will launch.

When you are done, press the side button, and the photos and videos you have taken will be saved automatically.

Quote For the Day

The beginning is the most important part of the work.
Plato

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How to Access Two-Factor Authentication for Major Apps

Two-Factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra security layer to your accounts across the internet. 2FA means your accounts require information beyond user name and password to confirm you are who you say you are before you can get into the accounts. Let’s explore how to access 2FA.

Two-Factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra security layer to your accounts across the internet. 2FA means your accounts require information beyond user name and password to confirm you are who you say you are before you can get into the accounts. Let’s explore how to access 2FA.

This is for iPhone, iPad, PCs and Macs. Screenshots are from Windows 10 and iPhone XR

The “second factor” comes in after you enter your username and password, which are considered to be the “first factor.” 2FA can be used to confirm your identity by asking for an extra piece of information. The additional information can be:

Something you know, like an additional passcode.
Something you have, like your phone to receive a one time authorization code.
Something you are, like a fingerprint or voice print. This is also called biometric security.

The idea is to provide another piece of information a hacker would not have, making it harder for the bad guy to break into your account.

The following is not an exhaustive list of services with 2FA ability, but we cover the major services everyone tends to use, and walk you through how to access. We will cover Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Twitter. Activate 2FA on all of these and you will be more secure. Once you have found their 2FA screens you can can set it up for each app.

Amazon

First, launch Amazon.com on the desktop and login in to your account. Next, click the Menu icon in upper left-hand corner. Now, scroll down the drop-down menu to Your Account option.

Next, click on the Login & Security big button. Now, on the next page, click Edit next to Two-Step Verification (2SV) Settings. The preferred method is an authentication app (scan the QR code); phone number(s) are the backup method. Refer to below image where I already have 2SV based on my phone number (which is dimmed out):

If you think your account has been comprised, go back to Login & Security and click the Edit button next to Secure Your Account.

Apple

Following are the steps on how to access 2FA for Apple using either iOS or macOS.

On iOS go to:

Settings > [your name at the top] > Password & Security > Turn on Two-Factor Authentication.

On macOS go to:

System Preferences > iCloud, then sign in, click Account Details > Security > Turn on Two-Factor Authentication.

Note! once Apple 2FA is activated for two weeks, you can not turn it off. “Certain features in the latest versions of iOS and macOS require this extra level of security, which is designed to protect your information,” according to Apple. See below image for iOS:

Facebook

First, login to Facebook on your desktop. Next, click the Down arrow in upper right-hand corner. Now, from the drop-down menu that appears, click on the Settings & Privacy option. On the next screen, click the Privacy & Checkup option. From there, click on the topic How to keep your account secure. Under this topic, you can access 2FA for Facebook. See following image where 2FA is On with a backup method of sending a text message to a phone number.

How to Perform a Privacy Checkup on Facebook

Google

First, sign in to your Google account on your smart device. Next, at the top of the screen, locate the Security tab and tap it. Now, scroll down and tap the 2- Step Verification option. You can continuing scrolling to see more ways to verify you. Refer to below image where my 2SV is already turned On and I am using the backup method of Voice or text message:

Google calls its system 2SV . It’s all about identifying you via phone. When you enter a password to access your Google account for almost any service, if 2SV is on, there are multiple options to get that second step. First among them now: the Google Prompt. You simply add your smartphone to your account, make sure the Google search app is on the phone, and at login, you can go to the phone and simply acknowledge with a tap that you are the one signing in.

Instagram

First, launch Instagram on your smart device. Next, go to your Profile in lower right-hand corner, then tap the menu (the hamburger icon) on the top-right. Tap Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication. There you can choose how you would like to get your authentication code by tapping the Get Started button. See below image:

Business social network Linkedin makes it easy to set up verification, either by SMS texts or authentication app.

First, launch Linkedin on you smart device, then go to your Profile at upper left-hand screen. Next, go to Settings > Sign in & Security > Account > Two-step verification to activate it or deactivate. See following image:

Microsoft

First sign into your Microsoft account on your smart device. Now, tap your Profile. Next, scroll down and tap Security. 2FA is the second option, tap on it. Once again, tap Two -step verification > Manage. Microsoft will suggest you get app passwords as needed for older service or devices (like Xbox 360); go in later to generate one as needed. Refer to below image:

Twitter

First, to activate Login Verification on Twitter.com on the desktop, login to Twitter, Click the More menu on the left (the three dots) and select Security & Account Access > Security > Two-Factor Authentication. See following image:

Quote For the Day

Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.
Christian Louis Lange

That’s it. With 2FA activated on these apps you are more secure. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

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The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath

How to Insert an Animated GIF Into Word

Adding an animated GIF GIF to your Word document is useful if you want to convey a message, demonstrate an activity, capture the audience’s attention, or just add some flair.

Adding an animated GIF to your Word document is useful if you want to convey a message, demonstrate an activity, capture the audience’s attention, or just add some flair. Let’s explore how this is done.

This is for devices running Windows 10 and Word. Screenshots are from Word in Office 365

Dilbert and Geek — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

Microsoft Word lets you insert animated GIFs stored on your computer’s hard drive. The process for inserting a GIF in a Word document is no different than inserting a photo. Unfortunately, this only works in Microsoft Word for Windows 10. If you are a Mac user, you can still insert a GIF, but it will not be animated.

First, launch Word and place the cursor in the document’s location where you want the GIF to appear. Now, in the Illustrations group of the Insert tab, click Pictures. Next, choose This Device from the drop-down menu. Refer to below image:

Now, the File Explorer will open. Next, locate and select the GIF you want to insert, then click Insert. See below image:

The GiF will appear in your Word document. If you want to pause the Animation, click the pause icon in the bottom-left corner of the image. See following image:

To add alt text, right-click the GIF and then select Edit Alt Text from the context menu. Refer to below image:

GIF 4 — Selecting the Edit Alt Text option

The Alt Text pane will appear to the right of the window. Type the desired alt text in the text box. See below image:

You have now learned how to insert an animated GIF into your Microsoft Word document. Congratulations!

Quote For the Day

If you are not sitting at the table, you are on the menu.
Jenny Boyer, MD, President of Tulsa County Medical Association

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How to Copy an Image or Video From Files to Photos

If you have downloaded images or videos to your Files app on your iPhone or iPad, you might be wondering if you can copy them to your Photos library. The answer is yes.

If you have downloaded images or videos to your Files app on your iPhone or iPad, you might be wondering if you can copy them to your Photos library. The answer is yes. Let’s explore how this is done.

This is for the iPhone and iPad

*Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

First, open the Files app. Refer to below image:

Now, navigate to the folder that contains the media files that you would like to copy to your Photos. In our example, we are using the Downloads folder on the iPhone, but the files could just as easily be copied from other folders in Files, such as Dropbox or your iCloud Drive. See below image:

Accessing the Downloads folder on my iPhone

If it’s a single photo or video, (like our example), tap on it to open up its detailed view.

If you want to select multiple files on an iPhone, tap the ellipsis button (three dots in a circle) in the upper-right corner of the screen and choose Select. (On an iPad, just tap Select). Then, place check marks on the items you want to copy to Photos. See following image:

Either way, once you have a single item opened or multiple items selected, tap the Share button. On the iPad, it’s in the upper-right corner of the screen. On the iPhone, it’s located in the lower left-hand corner. Refer to below image for the iPhone:

On the Share pop-up list, tap Save Image or Save Video. If you selected multiple items, tap Save X Items, where X is the number of items you have selected. See below image:

The next time you open your Photos app, you will see the images or videos you saved from Files.

This process works both ways. If you want to copy photos or images from Photos to Files, select them in the Photos app, tap Share, then select Save to Files.

Quote For the Day

Technology is a gift of God. After the gift of life it is perhaps the greatest of God’s gifts. It is the mother of civilizations, of arts and of sciences.
Freeman Dyson

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The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath

How to Check Your Java Version in Windows 10

Some apps require you to run a certain Java version to properly function. You can check which version of Java you have installed using a graphical tool or via the command line.

Some apps require you to run a certain Java version to properly function. You can check which version of Java you have installed using a graphical tool or via the command line. Let’s explore how to do this.

This is for devices running Windows 10

Dilbert and Hear — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

Check Graphically

If you prefer to avoid the command line, you can use the About Java utility to find the installed Java version.

First, open the Start menu. Next, type in About Java in the Cortana search box in bottom left-hand corner. Now, click the first result in upper-left corner. Refer to below image:

Java 1 — **Accessing your About Java app**

Next, you will see your current Java version listed in the first line. See below image:

Java 2 — **Your Jave Version and Update number**

If you do not see About Java in the Start menu, search for Configure Java in the Cortana search box and click the result. Then click the About button to see your Java Version and Update number. See following image:

Java 3 — **Accessing the Java Control Panel About button**

Note: If you do not see either the About Java or Configure Java tools, you likely do not have Java installed. You can download it here from Oracle’s official website. This may take several minutes; just be patient.

Check Using the Command Prompt

You can check your Java version from the command line, too.

First, open the Start menu. Next, type in Command Prompt in the Cortana search box in bottom left-hand corner. Now, click the Command Prompt app in upper-left corner. Refer to below image:

Java 4 — **Accessing the Command Prompt app**

When the Command Prompt opens, type the following command at the prompt and press Enter.

java -version

Now, you will see your Java version and some numbers next to it. These numbers are your Java version and Update number. See below image:

Java 5 — **Your Java Version and Update number**

If the Command Prompt says that Java is not recognized as an internal or external command, that’s probably because the system variables are not properly set; or perhaps because you do not have Java installed. Reinstall Java on your PC from the download it here link and this should fix the issue for you.

What is the Latest Java Version

To check this, open your browser and search for:

What is the Latest Version of Java for Windows 10

As of this writing , the latest version Update 281. I have Update 271, so I need to upgrade. You can download it here for the latest version from Oracle’s official website. This may take take several minutes; just be patient. You will be prompted to uninstall your older version, just click the uninstall button. When finished, close your Java dialog box. Now, go back to either method above on checking your Java version. See following image where I have updated to the latest version:

Java 6 — **Your updated Java Update number**

Check Your Version of Windows

You are finished. You can do the above for Windows 8 or 7, but in the download, you have to choose the Windows operating system, either 32-bit or 64-bit, download link. To check this in Windows 10 , first, open the Settings app by pressing Windows+i or click Start, then the Settings icon in lower left-hand corner. Next, scroll down to:

System > About

On the right side, look for the System type entry. You will be showned two pieces of information; whether you are using a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system and whether you have a 64-bit capable processor. Refer to below image:

For Windows 8, head to:

Control Panel > System

You can also hit Start and search for system. Look for the System type entry to see whether your operating system and processor are 32-bit or 64-bit.

For Windows 7, click on Start, right-click on Computer, and then choose Properties. On the System page, look for the System type entry to see whether your operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit.

Quote for the Day

The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.
Bill Gates, Microsoft

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The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath

How to Use Spell Check Everywhere on Chrome

We have all been there; looking up a word on Google just to find out how it’s spelled. No matter the typos, Google usually knows what you want to type. Thankfully, Google allows you to use its spell-check feature everywhere in your Chrome web browser.

Called the Enhanced spell check, this setting allows you to access Google’s more advanced spell check whenever you type something on the Internet.

But as is the case with most Google services, there is a privacy cost to this. Turning on Enhanced spell check in Chrome also means agreeing to send everything you type on the web to Google’s server. So enable it at your own risk. But, you can also enable Basic spell check without sending data to Google. Lets explore how to do this.

This is for PCs, Macs, Chrome OS, or Linux running Chrome

Dilbert and Package — dCopyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

First, open your Google Chrome browser. Next, click the three-dot hamburger icon located in the top right-hand corner. Refer to below image:

Spell Check 1 — Accessing the menu hamburger icon

Now, from the drop-down menu that appears, select Settings. See below image:

Alternatively, you can press the Cmd+Comma keyboard shortcut on a Mac or Alt+E on a Windows PC to access the Settings option.

Next, in the sidebar, click Advanced to reveal the advanced menu. Now, choose Languages from the list. See following image:

Spell Check 3 — Accessing Languages under the Advanced section

Under the Spell check section, toggle the radio button in front of the Basic spell check option to turn it On. If you want enhanced spell checking, toggle the radio button in front of the Enhanced spell check to turn it On. Keep in mind, the enhanced option means you are sending your browser activity to Google. Refer to below image:

Spell Check 4 — Enabling Basic spell check option

At the time of writing, Enhanced spell check is not available for Google Chrome’s Android and iPhone clients.

In case you are still not satisfied with your Chrome’s spell check, you can give a third party Chrome extension called Grammarly, a try.

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The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft

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The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath

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