Category: PC

Take Control of Your Social Media Feed with These Tips

Social media feeds are controlled by algorithms that track user interactions to serve content. Although helpful, they can misinterpret preferences. To regain control, users can reset their watch history on YouTube, adjust settings on Facebook and Instagram, and modify interests on LinkedIn and Twitter, or even create new accounts for a fresh start.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 15, 2024 – 9 minutes read time

This is for devices using Social Media. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.6.1

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Overview

Almost everything you see in your social media feeds today is governed by algorithms. Think of them as the digital rules and intelligence that social media companies use to deliver a steady stream of interesting content to your eyes. They are invisible conductors that note everything you like, click, or comment on and use that information to serve up more content you likely engage with.

Algorithms are far from perfect, though. Sometimes, they pick up on the wrong signals and stuff your feed with things you do not care about. If you find yourself increasingly uninterested in the posts you see in your feed, it’s often possible to reset those algorithms. Doing it correctly can completely change what your social networks show when you log in. 

Let’s explore how to take back control of your social media.

YouTube

YouTube feeds you content based on what you watch, search for, and subscribe to. As YouTube says on some pages (accessible below), “Keeping your history makes YouTube more personal.” But familiarity can breed contempt. 

First, reset your Watch History. On the mobile app:

Tap your name > Cog icon > Settings > Manage All History

Refer to the below image:

YOUTUBE WATCH HISTORY IMAGE
Manage YouTube history

From here, you have a few options. You likely have Auto-Delete (Off) set up; click that, and you can tell YouTube to delete the tracked history of anything older than 36, 18, or 3 months. The shorter the time frame, the bigger the reset to your suggestions will be. 

Alternatively, click where it says DELETE with a down arrow to access a menu to delete what you have seen today, in a custom range of time, or everything for all time. That final one is the nuclear option. Your suggestions will be totally fresh. 

While here, click the Saving Your YouTube History link to change what YouTube saves. You may not want it to save searches because you may look for some wacky stuff. Or set it to turn off any YouTube history saving whatsoever. Scroll down the page to YouTube Customize Your Feed Feedback and click Delete to get rid of videos you specifically picked for your home feed in the past. 

(On the desktop, click your avatar at the upper right and select Your Data in YouTube. Scroll down to YouTube Watch History and toggle the On button to Off so your history storage is paused. Click Manage your YouTube Watch History to access the menus as mentioned above, like Auto-Delete).

Clicking “Not Interested” under select videos can also impact the algorithm. 

For a genuinely full reset, unsubscribe to every YouTube channel you follow.

On mobile, click Subscriptions at the bottom, then click All at the top, and you will see the full list. Click the bell icon to the right of each for a menu that includes Unsubscribe. (On Desktop, use Subscriptions> Manage to get to the list with the menus.)

Facebook

Facebook’s main display is called the Feed. It features updates, photos, videos, and more from people, Pages, and groups you follow.  posts based on what it believes you will like. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to adjust the Facebook Feed. Click your avatar profile pic at the upper right on the desktop and go to 

Settings and Privacy > Feed

You will see options here to manage your favorites (people/groups you want to see the most), unfollows (people you do not want to dump, but do not want to see as much of), snoozes (people you want to temporarily unfollow), and reconnect (it lets you turn off unfollows). See the below image:

Facebook Feed Settings
Manage Facebook feed

You can also opt to avoid looking at Facebook’s main page. Go right to Feeds (via the left-hand navigation), and then you can view only the Favorites, Friends, Groups, or Pages you want to see. 

As you use Facebook daily, be sure to perform hides, snoozes, and unfollows on posts as you encounter them to “train” the algorithm and steer it toward the kinds of content you actually want to see. 

You also can and should go into Facebook Ad Preferences and change things so you can impact the advertising in your Feed. You can also do this with ads as they pop up. Click the X to hide an ad immediately, or use the three-dot menu to hide or report it. You can also limit advertising topics you see by going to:

Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Center > Ad Preferences > Customize ads

then click “See All” next to Ad Topics. 

You can use Page Moderation to block certain words or phrases so they do not appear, at least in the comments. Go to:

Settings > Followers and Public Content > Hide comments containing specific words

You choose the list of words to block.  

Since everything you see on Facebook is tied entirely to who you friend and follow, a complete reset would require you to unfriend everyone. Starting a new profile is more manageable. This is also pretty easy; click your profile pic to see a button that says See all profiles. In the following menu, it shows + Create new profile or Page. A personal profile is just for individuals, but you can make a new one to get a fresh, clean feed. A page is more for a business or organization, that multiple people can control. No matter what you create, you can easily switch back and forth between the profiles/pages. See the following image:

FACEBOOK NEW PROFILE.
Create Facebook profile

Instagram

Instagram is part of Meta, just like Facebook, so many of the same rules we listed above apply. For example, the Ad Preferences/Ad Topics are similar. Access them by clicking:

Menu > Settings > Account Center > Ad Preferences. 

Again, there’s no direct way to reset the algorithm, but you can manipulate things by clicking the three-dot menu on posts to set the person as an unfollow or to add to favorites. Click into the account of someone you see, and on the following menu, you can add a person as Close Friend, Favorite, Mute (Posts and/or Stories), Restrict (which limits interaction without a complete block), or Unfollow.

Under Settings, you will find Muted accounts, Blocked accounts, Close Friends, and other lists you can change as desired. 

The best reset is to open a new account. You can do that by logging out of Instagram and creating a new user profile. After that, log in to either account, go to:

Settings > Account Center > Accounts > Add Account

and log into the second one. You can link the two accounts (or even a Facebook account) and switch between them. Remember, if you follow all the same people on the new account, it will look like the previous one. 

X (Twitter)

Twitter gives you so little control over your feed that if you want to reset the type of content that the platform serves you, your best bet is to start a totally new account. If that’s a bit too drastic for you, try to adjust your existing feed by going to

Settings & Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Content You See

This will let you uncheck topics and interests the service believes you are into. Sadly, you can not uncheck them all at once. Also, under Privacy and Safety, scroll down to Ads Preferences, and uncheck all that. 

When using the service, click the 3-dot ellipsis menu on any ads you do not like to block them. Same with anyone you follow that you have lost interest in. If you want to really get rid of everyone you follow to start fresh, go to Following and click the Following button (it will turn to a red Unfollow) next to every name to unfollow; this will take a while if there are a lot of them. If you do not want to do it manually, there’s a Chrome extension called X (Twitter) Mass Unfollow.

LinkedIn

Microsoft’s social network for businesspeople (or those looking for work) does a pretty good job of just showing you the people you follow, but likes to sneak in a few ads based on what it thinks you like. Under your profile, pick:

Settings & Privacy > Advertising Data > Interests and traits

uncheck anything you are not into. Or turn them all off, but of course, then your ads are less relevant.  In fact, go through all the “Data collected on LinkedIn” and “Third-party data” entries. If you turn them all off, you will get a totally new feed, albeit probably irrelevant.

Source: Social Media platforms

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

“Proverbs are all very fine when there’s nothing to worry you, but when you’re in real trouble, they’re not a bit of help.”

LM Montgomery

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Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. 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 you are using. To help us, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the “Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath” can be accessed from a Kindle device or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

Enhance Windows 10 Security Post-Microsoft Support with 0patch

0patch, a Slovenia-based service, offers extended Windows 10 updates after Microsoft’s support ends in October 2025. For €24.95 ($27) per year, users receive small security “micropatches” for critical vulnerabilities, without needing to reboot. This service may appeal to those with incompatible Windows 11 PCs.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 8, 2024 – 4 minutes read time

This is for devices running Windows 10. Screenshots are from Dell XPS PC

Overview

As Microsoft prepares to end support for Windows 10, a third-party service is ready to step into the void by offering five years of extra updates for the popular OS. 

The offer comes from Slovenia-based 0patch, which has made a business out of patching out-of-date Windows operating systems, including Windows 7. It plans to supply critical security patches for $27.00 annually to Windows 10 users once Microsoft officially stops supporting the OS in October 2025. 

“With 0patch, you will be receiving security ‘micro patches’ for critical, likely-to-be-exploited vulnerabilities that get discovered after October 14, 2025,” Refer to the below image:

Protected by Opatch screen

Pricing

The catch is trusting Opatch, an unofficial Microsoft service, to safely maintain your Windows 10 installation. Extended support will cost €24.95 ($27) per year. 

Still, the price might be a bargain. Microsoft will also offer an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, but the cost to business customers starts at $61 per device per year and doubles every consecutive year for up to three years ESU does not include new features, nonsecurity updates, or design changes. It has not announced pricing for consumers yet, but it will likely be more than $27 per year as Microsoft would prefer you upgrade to Windows 11.

The 0patch service may appeal to those with one of the estimated 240 million PCswhich are incompatible with Windows 11.

“Many of us do not want to, or simply can not upgrade to Windows 11,” 0patch wrote in a blog post that also excoriates Microsoft’s efforts to revamp the OS. “We do not want to because of increasing enshittification including bloatware, Start Menu ads, and serious privacy issues. We do not want to have an automated integrated screenshot and key-logging feature constantly recording our activity on the computer”.

How It Works

In contrast, 0patch promises to maintain Windows 10 by serving its critical security fixes. “These patches will be small, typically just a couple of CPU instructions (hence the name), and will get applied to running processes in memory without modifying a single byte of original Microsoft’s binary files,” the service says.  Thus, no CrowdStrike-like crash.

“There will be no rebooting the computer after a patch is downloaded because applying the patch in memory can be done by briefly stopping the application, patching it, and then letting it continue,” 0patch adds. “Users will not even notice that their computer was patched while they were writing a document, just like servers with 0patch get patched without any downtime at all.”

Still, 0patch will not fix every security vulnerability for Windows 10, only “the important ones, such as those exploited in the wild or those without official vendor patches.” If demand for 0patch’s Windows 10 support is high, the service plans will support the OS beyond five years.

Source – PC Mag, Microsoft

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

“Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.”

-Terry Prachett

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That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. 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 you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the “Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath” can be accessed from a Kindle device or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

Protect Your Privacy: How to Opt Out of Yahoo Data Selling

This post provides instructions for protecting your privacy on Yahoo Mail for iPhone and PC. It explains how to prevent Yahoo from selling your information and control personalized ads.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
October 1, 2024 – 4 minutes read time

This is for the iPhone and PC running Yahoo Mail. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.7

Overview

Most companies today are selling your information in some way or form. Luckily, most companies allow you to opt out of having your data sold; if you know how to ask for it.

While you would think the “do not sell my personal information” setting would be on the Yahoo security page, you will find it under a different menu. Let’s explore telling Yahoo, “Do not sell my personal information” and control personalized ads.

System Requirements

  • Yahoo Mail
  • iOS 16 or later
  • Browser
  • Windows 11/10
  • iPhone

Click here to learn how to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.

Why Apply This Post

  • Protect your privacy by stopping Yahoo from selling your information.
  • Make sure your data stays out of the hands of third parties.

Opening Settings

First, open the Yahoo Mail app. Next, tap your profile icon in the upper left. Now, tap Settings. Refer to the below image:

Yahoo 1
Accessing Settings

Accessing Privacy

First, scroll down and tap Manage account privacy. Next, tap Your Privacy controls. Now, tap the Yahoo logo. See the below image:

Yahoo 2
Accessing Privacy

Setting the Do Not Sell Option

First, you will be prompted to log into your Yahoo mail account. Enter your username/email address, tap Next, and follow the on-screen prompts to log in. Next, After logging in, scroll down to the Sale and sharing of personal information and tap the link. See the following image:

Yahoo 3
Accessing the Sale and Share link

Disable the Do Not Sell Option

First, tap the toggle. The default is set to Allow Yahoo to sell your data. Next, the page and its toggle will turn gray, indicating that the setting has been disabled. Refer to the below image:

Yahoo 4
Setting the Do Not Sale option

You may want to read the “fine print” about setting the option to Don’t Allow. If you clear cookies for your browser, the option is reset to Allow. See the below image:

Yahoo 5
The fine print

While here, go back to the Sale and sharing of personal information screen to control ads. Tap the Personalized ads link and turn off any option on delivering ads. See the following image on the first of four options:

Yahoo 6
Turning off Personalized ads

Using a PC Desktop/Laptop Running Windows 10/11

  • Open Yahoo Mail
  • Click the Gear icon in the upper left below the Home icon
  • Click the More settings link
  • Click About our Ads menu option. You would think of accessing the Security and Privacy menu option, but Yahoo wants to hide selling your data.
  • Under What choices do I have section, click View our other Privacy Controls
  • click the Yahoo logo, and sign in
  • Click the Sale and sharing personal information link
  • Click the toggle. The default is set to Allow Yahoo to sell your data. Next, the page and its toggle will turn gray, indicating that the setting has been disabled. If you have set the toggle to Don’t Allow on your iPhone first, the toggle will already be disabled.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game.”

– Michael Jordan

X (Twitter) Info

That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. 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 you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the “Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath” can be accessed from a Kindle device or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

Maximize Online Protection: The Power of Password Managers and Unique Access Codes

This post emphasizes the importance of strong, unique passwords and the use of password managers to enhance security. It highlights the risks of using common or personal information-based passwords and provides tips for creating and managing secure passwords.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
August 13, 2024 -9 minutes read time

This is for devices using passwords. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.5.1+

If you are still using “qwerty” or “starwars” as a password, you should stop doing this. Let’s find out what makes a bad password, why you should care, and how to make a good one.

The Case For Strong Passwords

Don’t have the password to get into your bank account? You are out of luck unless you can trick the bouncer into telling you the password is “kangaroo.” A simple password like that would be a terrible choice to protect your access to a bank site. And yet, chances are good you are using something just as bad, because stronger passwords are too hard to remember.

The only safe way to store proper passwords is in a password manager. If you are not using one, you probably rely on a highly crackable password like “baseball” or “12345”, or you have memorized one complex password, like “Jazz2day4Me!” and use it everywhere. Password security is no small matter. Given the enormous risk, you need to keep your passwords safe.

Even the best password manager does not guarantee the safety of your accounts; not if you use it to store the same old, tired passwords. You have to switch out your old and weak passwords for new and stronger ones.

Once you have replaced all your lame passwords with strong, unique ones, you can relax, at least until a data breach forces a change. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NST) no longer recommends changing passwords every 90 days. NIST now recommends using long phrases like “Correct-Horse-Battery-Staple” and changing them only when necessary. If you have terrible passwords, “when necessary” means right now.

Passwords 1
Bad passwords

Just what makes a bad password? Let’s look at some of the attributes of terrible passwords, and then some pointers on improving them.

Ditch the Dictionary

Every few months a news outlet posts a list of the worst passwords. We see a lot of easy-to-type options, like“12345” and “qwerty”. Easy for you to type? Sure. But also easy for hackers to crack. Other common (and poor) passwords consist of simple dictionary words, like “baseball”, “monkey”, and “starwars” in the list of worst passwords. These, too, are easy to crack.

A few of the best password managers (tap or click a button to view):

1Password
DashlanE
RoboForm

Some secure websites lock down after a given number of wrong password attempts, but many do not. For those with no bad guess lockout, hackers can cross a list of email addresses with a list of popular passwords and set up an automated process to keep trying combinations until they get in.

A properly secured website does not store your password anywhere. Instead, it runs the password through a hashing algorithm, a one-way encryption. The same input always produces the same output, but there’s no way to return to the original password from the resulting hash. If the password you type hashes to the same one that’s stored, you gain access. Even if hackers capture the site’s user data, they do not get passwords, just hashes.

But smart hackers can crack weak passwords if they know the site’s hashing function. They start by running a huge dictionary of common passwords through the hashing function. Then they look for the resulting hashes in the captured data. Each match is a cracked password. Sites with the best security enhance the hash function with password salting, which makes table-based cracking impossible, but why take the risk? Just stay out of the dictionary.

Think Differently

What about this perfect password: 1qaz2wsx3edc4rfv. You just “type” it by sliding a finger down four slanted columns of the keyboard. You think it’s so perfect, that you use it everywhere. And that is a big mistake.

Hardly a week goes by without news of a breach at some company or website, exposing thousands or millions of usernames and passwords. Smart victims change their passwords immediately. Those who ignore the problem may find themselves locked out of their accounts after the hackers have reset your passwords.

Those hackers know that all too many people recycle their passwords. Once they find a working username and password pair, they try the same credentials on other sites. You may not be so worried about losing access to your old Dropbox account, but if you used the same login on your bank’s website, you are in big trouble.

Passwords 2
Using the same credentials on websites

It gets worse. If someone else takes control of your email account, they can lock you out by changing the password. Then they can break into your other accounts by having a password reset link emailed to that account. Worried yet? You should be!!!!

Stay Away From Being Personal

Using personal information as the basis for your passwords is awfully tempting, but it’s a bad idea. Whether your dog’s name is Fifi or Khaleesi, that name probably appears in the dictionaries hackers use for brute-force attacks. Other possibilities such as the initials and birthdate of a family member probably will not fall to a brute-force attack. If someone wants to hack your account specifically, that personal data can fuel a trial-and-error guessing attack.

Do not think for a minute that your personal details are private. There are dozens of sites people can use to find details about anybody: address, birthdate, marital status, and more. Your social media posts can be another source of personal info, especially if you have not properly secured your accounts. A determined hacker (or a nosy neighbor) can probably guess any password you build based on your data.

Shut the Back Door

If you are not using a password manager, you have surely experienced forgetting the password for a site. It’s all too common. That is why virtually every login page includes a “Forgot your password?” link. Some sites send a reset link to your email address, while others let you reset the password after answering your security questions. And that opens a back door to anyone wanting to hack your account.

Most sites offer abysmal options for security questions like:

  • What is your mother’s maiden name?
  • Where did you go to high school?
  • What was your first job?

As noted, your personal life is an open book to anyone with internet searching skills. When possible, ignore the preset questions. Create your own question, with a unique answer you will always remember but nobody else could guess.

It’s harder when the site does not let you define your own questions. In that case, your best bet is to use a memorable answer that’s a total LIE like:

  • My mother’s maiden name is Fauci.
  • I went to school at More Science High School.
  • For my first job, I was a linotype operator.

There is an element of risk since you might forget which lie you chose. We suggest storing these oddball answers in the iPhone Notes app or on Google Drive.

What To Do Now

We hope we have convinced you that using common passwords is a rotten idea, as is building passwords from personal information. Even the best strong, random password becomes a liability if you use it everywhere. If you are ready to spring into action, here are some starting points:

  • Use a password manager
  • Switch to a better password manager
  • Remember an extremely secure master password for your password manager and keep it on another app. Better yet, just remember the master password.
  • Take advantage of a random password generator to upgrade your old, bad passwords
  • You could even create your own random password generator in Excel
  • Enable multi-factor authentication wherever available

If a secure site does not take care of security, you could still lose that site’s credentials to a data breach, but by making all your passwords long, strong, and unique, you can rest assured that you have done everything you can to protect your online accounts from password-based attacks.

Passwords 3
Risky password behavior

You may want to switch to using Passkeys or Passphrases.

Source: PC Mag

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

“Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.”

Dieter F Uchtdorf

X (Twitter) Info

That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Was this post helpful? We would love to hear your comments. 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 you are using. To help us, you can send screenshots of the data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the E-book from a Kindle device, or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

How to Find Out Who Is Calling You

This post discusses how to identify legitimate calls and avoid scammers, addressing phone verification, spoofed numbers, and web searching. It provides options like reverse phone lookup websites and tools like WhoCallsMe, Spy Dialer, PeopleFinders, and USPhoneBook. It also suggests utilizing mobile carrier solutions, reporting to the FTC, and the National Do Not Call Registry to combat spam calls.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
June 11, 2024

This is for any browser on a desktop, laptop, or smartphone. Screenshots are from Google Chrome on Windows 10

The phone rings and it’s a number you do not recognize. Or perhaps an unknown number shows up in your missed calls. You are curious but do not want to pick up or call back if it’s a telemarketer or scammer. Instead of playing robocall roulette let’s explore five ways to see who is calling before you engage.

Legit Verses Scam Calls

You may have noticed that America has a problem with scam calls. Scammers took $10 billion from unsuspecting victims in 2023, and it’s hard to see the problem going away anytime soon. If you get a call, there are a few ways to tell if it’s legit or not.

  • What does the phone say? When a call comes in, look for a displayed number and location. If your phone is not showing any information and says something like Unknown, chances are there’s a scammer on the other end. Anyone can hide their number, but it’s best to let this one go to voicemail and call back if it’s someone you know. If the phone says Scam Likely, it’s typically correct; just ignore the call.
  • Look for verification. Carriers have started verifying phone numbers when you receive a call. Google’s phone app also adds a badge on incoming calls that can be attached to a business. Unfortunately, this does not verify every call from a legitimate business or weed out legitimate businesses that use robocalls.
  • Watch out for spoofed numbers. Have you ever gotten a call from what looks to be your own phone number, only it’s a few numbers off? Do not pick those calls up; scammers like to spoof phone numbers and trick you into picking up. They think you are more likely to pick up if the call is from your area code or someone you know.

Note! We recommend ou not click or tap on any icon off the main screen. These buttons launch web sites that may introduce malware or be blocked by your browser security. Also, any screen that has flashing items, immediately exit the screen.

If you click or tap on a button that starts a scanning process for addresses,emails, public information, criminal records, etc., the process will take several minutes. On the desktop, you can stop the process by hitting Cntl-Alt-Del keys, then select Task Manger. Next, right=-click on your browser entry and select End Task. Your browser will exit stopping the scanning process.

Search the Web

If you want to quickly know whether a caller is legit or a scammer, do a quick web search. As a rule of thumb, if the search results are primarily reverse phone lookup websites, it’s safe to say other people have received unwarranted calls from that same number and are reporting it to warn others. Refer to the below image:

Calls You 1
Search the web

Reverse Phone Lookup

Speaking of reverse phone lookups, if you want to do some digging about a certain phone number, many websites can help you. You usually have to pay to get any worthwhile information, but there are a few tools that can help you for free. Even though they are free if you want additional information about the phone number, the sites charge for their service.

whocallsme

At WhoCallsMe, users can report their experiences with specific phone numbers. Enter a number and the website will tell you where the area code is from. You can then enter your own report or view what others say about it. See the below image:

Calls You 2
WhoCallsMe main screen

spy dialer

Spy Dialer allows you to search for phone numbers, names, addresses, and emails. Enter a phone number, then choose if you want to look up any linked names or photos, listen to the number’s outbound voicemail, or confirm if the number is spam or not. Spy Dialer can tell you with whom the number is registered, their general location, and whether or not the number has been reported as spam before.

For more information, click Phone Details to see how long the line has been in service and if the number is spoofed. Choose Hear Voicemail to get the caller’s outbound voicemail, if available. You can click Report Call to file a complaint with Spy Dialer.

We recommend this site over the others because it’s faster and offers more information. See the following image:

Calls You 3
Spy Dialer main screen

peoplefinders

PeopleFinders allows you to look up a phone number, name, address, or email. Enter a phone number into the search bar to get the caller’s general location, carrier, and phone type. More revealing information, such as the caller’s full name and address, is hidden requiring a fee. Refer to the below image:

Calls You 4
PeopleFinders main screen

usphonebook

You can look up phone numbers, names, and addresses at USPhoneBook, though this works better for identifying individuals rather than businesses. Enter a number to find the person connected to it. The site will display a list of people who may be related to the person. You can then mark the number as safe or spam. Keep in mind that these listings can be outdated.

Click Get Details to view extra information about the person. This will include their age, current (and former) addresses, phone numbers associated with them, a list of relatives and associates, and even related email addresses. See the below image:

Calls You 5
USPhoneBook main screen

What To Do Next

One option is to look at your mobile carrier’s anti-spam solutions for stopping spam calls and robo texts. Additionally, apps likeRoboKiller and Truecaller help keep the spam callers at bay. You can also report unwanted calls to the FTC and register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry, though those wishing to do you harm will undoubtedly ignore this. See the following image:

Calls You 6
National Do Not Call Registry main screen

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Jim Rohn

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Author’s E-Book

You can access the E-book from a Kindle device, or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

How to Remove Your Personal Information From Google Search

The content provides a guide on safeguarding personal information from appearing in Google search results. Users can monitor their information’s visibility and request removal if necessary. Specific steps are outlined for monitoring, requesting removal, and reporting illegal content. .

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
May 14, 2024

This is for devices using Google Search. Works best on a desktop/laptop. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Table of Contents

Learn When Your Information Appears
Submit a Manual Request
Illegal Activity
Find Your Results
Step 1: Find Results About You
Step 2: Review the Results About You
Step 3: Request Removal of Results About You
View Your Results
Step 1: Report URLs on Google Search
Step 2: Check for Email Confirmation
Step 3: Monitor the Status of Your Requests
Policy Requirements for Removal Requests
Invisible? Not!
Email Notifications
Related

Looking for more privacy? Here’s how to remove your phone number, email, physical address, and lots of other personal data about yourself from Google’s search results.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is what every bad actor wants. If they get their hands on it, it can be used to rob, impersonate, or even endanger you on the internet and in the real world. One of the prime places to find it is via Google, and while Google can not stop that info from appearing on other websites, you can try to remove it from search results. 

Let’s explore how to get notified when your PII appears in a search and how to tell Google to stop it from happening again. Like with other endless settings and features in Google, this is a complex process.

Learn When Your Information Appears

You are unable to tell Google to delete your info if the search is not even finding and displaying it. Google has an option to notify you when that happens. 

The spot to visit is called the Results About You activity page. You have to be logged into Google for it to work. Follow the prompts on the screen as Google asks you for your physical addresses, emails, and phone numbers. Tell Google how you want to be notified (email or push notification via the Google app). Then wait. Refer to the below images:

Search Removal 1
Your Get Started page
Search Removal 2
Fill in your criteria
Search Removal 3
How to be notified
Search Removal 4
Google Search is working

After a few hours, you should receive a report from Google on what’s turning up that’s yours PII-wise. You can also just go back to the Results About You page to check it. Plus, you can tick off the boxes next to any result you want to make sure is removed from the search. The status of your request will also be displayed (eventually). Just be patient.

Submit a Manual Request

The above is just your address/contact Info. Google will also let you request to remove other things online that you may find harmful. That includes:

  • National/government ID numbers
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit card numbers
  • Personal signatures
  • Login info and credentials
  • Medical records
  • “Irrelevant pornography” (that is, explicit material somehow tied to your name)
  • Login credentials
  • Deepfake porn you may appear in against your will

You can request this without even having to prove that the data floating out there is a problem (with some exceptions).

The first stop is this Google Search Help page, which has a rundown of the options above but also shows the direct link to the request to remove your personal information from search. See the below image:

Search Removal 5
Your manual request

If you own the website displaying the information you do not want to show, Google spells out how to block a URL or specific site pages from Google search results.

Removing info requires that you know if it is appearing only in Google search results or in results on a separate website. If the latter, Google may not be very effective, and it asks whether you have contacted the site’s owner first to remove the information. It also suggests ways to get in touch with a site.

Maybe you do not want to get in touch with a site or you have already tried and were unsuccessful. Google asks you a series of questions, such as what type of info you would like removed, narrowing it down to one specific thing when possible. It will also ask whether the content is being shared with the intent of doxing you; that’s when someone shares your PII with the intent to harm you. You may need to enter a lot of data, but the more detail you provide, the less likely it is that Google will have to follow up with you before nuking the PII in search results.

Google says if your PII appears on a live page you control and you have already updated it to remove the information, it should eventually go away. But the page might be cached by the search engine, so you should request to remove outdated web pages. You will need specific URLs for the pages; you can submit up to 1,000 on the form. See the following images:

Search Removal 6
Request to refresh outdated content
Search Removal 7
Submit your request

Illegal Activity

If you see something in a Google search that’s illegal, such as potentially criminal content, intellectual property infringement, or Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), Refer to the below image:

Search Removal 8
Reporting illegal activity

You can also go to Google’s Report Content for Legal Reasons. Google has a whole video about it.

Find and Remove Personal Contact Info in Google Search Results

When you use Results about you, you can find out if your personal contact info, like your home address, phone number, or email address shows up in search results.

Find Your Results

Step 1: Find Results About You

  1. Go to the Results about you page.
  • In the Google App:
  1. Log in to the Google app.
  2. To open the menu, click your Google Account avatar.
  3. From the menu, select Results about you.
  • From the mobile web or desktop:
  1. Log in to your Google Account.
  2. To open the menu, click your Google Account avatar.
  3. From the menu, select Manage your Google Account > Data & privacy.
  4. In the History settings, select My Activity >  Other activity.
  5. Scroll down to the Results about you section, and select Manage results about you.
  6. Select Get started or Settings.
  7. Enter your name and the contact info that you want to find in search results.
  8. Google uses this information to check for search results that show this info.
  • You can also enter these types of contact info in the form:
  1. Nickname
  2. Maiden Name
  3. Multiple personal phone numbers
  4. Multiple addresses
  5. Multiple email addresses
  6. Set up notifications

You can choose to receive email notifications if Google finds results with your contact info. You can also receive push notifications through the Google app. If you have notifications on, you will receive a notification to let you know if the results match your info. After that, you will receive a new notification when new results are found that match your contact info.

Step 2: Review the Results About You

If you have notifications on, you will get a notification within a few hours to let you know if any search results match your name and personal contact info. You can also check directly from the Results about you page.

To view your results, from the Results about you page, go to the Results to review tab.

When you select a result, you can learn more about it, like the website it’s from, or the contact info it contains.

Step 3: Request Removal of Results About You

If you see a result that you would rather keep private, you can request to remove it from search results.

To remove more than one result, select the checkbox next to each result, then click Request to remove.

To remove a single result, select the result to expand, then click Request to remove.

If you do not want to start a removal request, you can also choose Mark as reviewed.

Google considers some results valuable to the public. These can include government or educational websites, online newspapers, or business websites. If your result is from a website like this, you won’t find a Remove result option.

To confirm your removal request and for status updates when your request has been reviewed, you will get an email. You can check the status of your requests anytime from Results about you under Removal requests.

View Your Results

Step 1: Report URLs on Google Search

  1. On desktop or mobile, log in with your Google Account.
  • You will get an update on the status of your requests through the email address associated with your account.
  • If you want to request the removal of a result for someone else, or if you do not want to log in, you can use the detailed removal request form instead.
  1. On Google Search, search for your name.
  • To find results that show your personal contact info, you can search for your name and your home city, or your name and your home address.
  1. To reach About this result panel, click More.
  2. Select Remove result > It shows my personal contact info.
  3. Go through the reporting flow.
  4. Submit your request.
  5. After you submit your request, select I’m done.

Tip: Make sure to enter your name and the personal contact info shown on the result page exactly as they appear on the result. For example, if the result shows:

Additional Information

  • Your nickname: Enter your nickname in the form.
  • An old home address: Enter the old home address in the form.
  • More than one type of contact info: You only need to include one type of contact info in your request form. This includes your phone number and your home address.
  • More than one type of contact info: You do not need to submit multiple removal requests for the same URL.

Step 2: Check for Email Confirmation

Within the next few hours, you will receive an email confirmation that your request was submitted.

Step 3: Monitor the Status of Your Requests

Click the Results about you page, to check if your request is:

  • In progress
  • Approved
  • Denied
  • Undone

After you select a specific request, you can check details like the:

  • Link to the page you flagged
  • Submission day and time
  • Request ID
  • Contact info you flagged on the page

Tip: There may be a delay between when a request is approved and the result is removed from search results. You can check if your info is already removed within a few hours after it was approved.

Policy Requirements for Removal Requests

After you submit a request, Google will review it to make sure it meets policy requirements for removal. Requests must meet the following policy requirements:

  • The contact info displayed on the result has to be your personal info. To request to remove professional info that’s been posted with the intent to harm you, use the detailed removal request form.
  • You do not control the info yourself. This means contact info that you can remove from the internet yourself, like info on a social media page or a personal blog that you own.
  • As Google Search seeks to provide users with useful info, it won’t remove info that’s valuable to the public. For example, Google won’t remove results for web pages that are owned by:
    • Educational or government institutions
    • Newspapers

See the following image for your request being processed:

Search Removal 9
Your removal request is in process

For now, just wait while Google processes the request. When Google has finished the Removal requests status will change. Refer to the below image:

Search Removal 10
Your removal request is approved

You will receive a Request approved notification. Just click the See details button for additional information. Refer to the below image:

Search Removal 11
Confirmation of your removal request

Your removal request details are now displayed. See the following image:

Search Removal 12
Details of your removal request

Invisible? Not!

Scrubbing the search engines of your digital footprint is not the same as taking it off the internet. Search engines did not put the info out there; they indexed it, grabbing the data from some other source. They might snag it again from a different source.

You are never going to be completely free of search engine results unless you delete any traces of yourself and get offline entirely. You could always try services such as Abine’s DeleteMe or other personal data removal services and many others, which do what they can to prevent your information from being used by data brokers, though for a subscription fee.

Until you delete all your old email accounts, stop using mobile apps and location services, quit social media, stop online shopping, and never sign into anything ever again, some entity will have something on you. Trying to hide something only makes it easier to find.

Email Notifications

Once you have set up Google Search based on your criteria, you will receive emails regarding new search results about you. Refer to the below image:

Search Removal 13
Email notification of new results about you

-Source: Google

Related

Set Up a Dark Web Monitoring Profile

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.

-Richard Branson

Tweet Info

That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear 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 you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the E-book from a Kindle device, or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

How to Setup a Dark Web Monitoring Profile and View the Web Report

Google One offers Dark Web Monitoring to track personal information in the hidden internet, aiming to provide proactive protection, convenience, and comprehensive monitoring. Users with a Google One membership can set up a monitoring profile to check for breached data. The feature is designed to help users stay informed and take action to protect their digital identity.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
May 7, 2024

This is for the desktop using Google One. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Table of Contents

  • What is the Dark Web
  • Personal Information on the Dark Web
  • Who is Eligible
  • Set Up Monitoring Profile
  • How to Use Your Monitoring Profile
  • Dark Web Monitoring Feature
  • Enabling Dark Web Monitoring
  • Viewing Your Dark Web Report
  • Why Does Dark Web Monitoring Matter?
  • Not a Google One Member?
  • Availability of Dark Web Report
  • Conclusion

What is the Dark Web

The dark web is a hidden part of the internet not indexed by traditional search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. It is intentionally designed to be anonymous, making it a haven for illegal activities such as the sale of stolen data, drugs, weapons, and more stuff of nightmares. It’s where cybercriminals often trade in stolen personal information like credit card numbers, login credentials, and social security numbers. It’s also where lots of stolen personal data from breaches end up for sale.

Personal Information on the Dark Web

With a Google One membership, you can set up a profile to monitor the dark web to see if your info is found in breaches.

You can check for data on the dark web that might be associated with your email address or other info you add to your monitoring profile. Breach results may contain information including:

  • Your name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Username
  • Password

Tip: only accounts with a US billing method can add a Social Security Number to their monitoring profile.

Any information in the breach results will be displayed in redacted form to maintain data privacy.

With the results, you can review your information and make informed decisions about how to protect yourself.

Who is Eligible

You can set up a monitoring profile with a paid Google One membership. Click here for help on signing up for a Google One account.

You do not need a paid Google One membership to run a dark web report for the email address associated with your Google Account. Click here for help on scanning the dark web with your email address.

Set Up Monitoring Profile

You can monitor your Google Account email address or add other information to your monitoring profile.

  1. On your computer, click here if you have a Google One account.
  2. Under Dark web report, click Set up and then Start monitoring.
    • To include additional Google Account personal information in your monitoring profile:
      1. Select the desired checkboxes.
      2. Click Allow.
    • Confirm your selections and add any additional data you want to monitor.
    • Click Done.

How to Use Your Monitoring Profile

When you set up your monitoring profile in Google One, your profile info is used to check whether a match was found on the dark web. If matching info is found, we will email or notify you. You can find guidance to protect your personal information on the Google One website and app.

Learn how Google One protects your privacy and keeps you in control.

Dark Web Monitoring Feature

Google’s Dark Web Monitoring feature is designed to help users stay informed about the presence of their personal information on the dark web. Here’s how it works:

  1. Continuous Scanning: One of Google’s many sophisticated algorithms scans the dark web continuously, looking for any signs of your personal information, such as email addresses, passwords, or financial details. The best part is you are in control of what it scans for.
  2. Alerts: If Google’s monitoring system detects any of your information on the dark web, it will send you an alert. This alert will prompt you to secure your accounts and data.
  3. Reporting: Once set up, you can view the report right away from your Google One homepage

Enabling Dark Web Monitoring

First, we need to set up the feature. Fortunately, Google has made this process relatively straightforward:

  1. Access Your Google Account: Start by logging into your Google account.  Click here to log in.
  2. Security Tab: Once logged in, click the Security tab at the top of the page. This section contains various settings related to your account’s security.
  3. Dark Web Monitoring: Scroll down to find the Dark Web Monitoring section. If it’s your first time accessing this feature, you might need to provide your password for verification.
  4. Turn On Dark Web Monitoring: Click the Turn On button to activate the feature. Google will ask you to confirm your choice.
  5. Verification: To ensure the security of this feature, Google may prompt you to re-enter your Google Account password.
  6. Confirmation: Once you have completed the above steps, you should receive a confirmation message that Dark Web Monitoring is active for your account.

Refer to the below image:

Dark Web 1
Accessing the Security tab

s

Viewing Your Dark Web Report

To view your report, click the Security tab, and scroll down to the Dark web report section. Now, click the link See results with Google One. See the below Image:

Dark Web 2
Selecting to view your results

You will see a summary of your results. You can click an individual breech (or the All button; we have 29 breeches) to view detailed information and recommended actions. See the following image:

Dark Web 4
Selecting a single breach

The selected breech details are now displayed. Refer to the below image:

Dark Web 5
Viewing details of a single breach

Why Does Dark Web Monitoring Matter?

  1. Proactive Protection: With this feature, Google aims to provide proactive protection. Instead of waiting until a data breach occurs, you can take action as soon as your information appears on the dark web, reducing the potential impact of cyberattacks.
  2. User Convenience: Google’s Dark Web Monitoring is seamlessly integrated into the user experience, making monitoring their online security easier for everyday users. You need not be a cybersecurity expert to benefit from this feature.
  3. Comprehensive Monitoring: Google’s vast resources and expertise allow for comprehensive dark web monitoring. It can scan many sources, increasing the likelihood of detecting compromised information.
  4. Data Privacy: Google emphasizes data privacy and security. The company ensures that your personal data is protected while providing this service, addressing concerns about potential privacy breaches.

Not a Google One Member?

You can still access some features without the membership, it essentially boils down to whether you want continuous monitoring or not and if the other Google One features are enough to justify the monthly costs (depending on the plan you choose) Here’s a breakdown of what Google One members and non-members get. See the below image:

Dark Web 6
Google One and non-menbers features

Availability of Dark Web Report

The Dark Web Report is available in the following countries or regions.

  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Argentina
  • Austria
  • Australia
  • Bangladesh
  • Belgium
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Denmark
  • Ecuador
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Mexico
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • Nicaragua
  • Norway
  • Pakistan
  • Philippines
  • Senegal
  • Slovenia
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Türkiye
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam

Conclusion

Your personal data is constantly under threat. Google’s Dark Web Monitoring feature represents a significant step toward enhancing online security and protecting your digital identity. By providing continuous scanning, timely alerts, and actionable recommendations, Google empowers users to take control of their online safety. While no security measure is foolproof, this feature is a valuable addition to Google’s suite of tools aimed at helping users stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. Your digital identity is worth safeguarding, and it appears Google is here to help you.

Source: Google Help

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin.

Robert Collier

Tweet Info

That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear 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 you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the E-book from a Kindle device, or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

How to Delete All Facebook Messages/Chats at Once

The post discusses methods for deleting Facebook Messenger chats on iPhone and desktop. It advises changing message retention settings on the iPhone and provides steps for deleting messages on both platforms. It also mentions using Chrome extensions for bulk deletion.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
April 2, 2024

This is for the iPhone and desktop using Google. Screenshots are from iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17.3 and Windows 10.

I was surprised at the number of Facebook Messenger chats on my iPhone. I started to delete them one at a time. But doing so was too time-consuming; there had to be a better way.

If you research this post, you will find articles that say bulk deletion of chats cannot be done. But with the help of Google Extensions, you can delete all your chats at once.

This blog post is one of my favorites, especially since I have thousands of chats that I want to delete. We had forgotten that the Forever option was selected, which as you may guess, saves your chats forever.

Where is a chat, a message, a conversation, or a thread used?

A chat is a term used in Messenger (owned by Facebook). A message is a term found on Facebook. In Facebook if there is more than one message with a person, group, or entity, that is labeled a conversation. For a thread, that is used in Reddit.

Check Your Settings

Why do you have hundreds or thousands of chats? On your iPhone head to:

Settings > Messages > Keep Messages

and tap the option. If the option is set to Forever you will have lots of chats. Refer to the below image:

FB Messages 1
Your Facebook Message time setting

We recommend you choose another option. When you do so, all older chats will be automatically deleted. We are selecting to delete messages older than one year. On the confirmation screen, tap Delete Older Messages. See the below image:

FB Messages 3
Selecting to delete messages older than one year

Your Keep Messages will now be set to the option you just chose. See the following image:

FB Messages 5
Your Keep Messages setting

Deleting Facebook messages does not have to be incredibly difficult. Whether you are deleting one or an entire history, there are options for you to do both with minimal effort.

Some users may find it easier to delete their entire Facebook account, although we do not recommend this. For now, let’s just clean up your messages/chats.

Using iPhone

Deleting messages on an iPhone or iPad one at a time:

  • Open the Facebook Messenger app.
  • Tap and hold the message that you no longer want, then swipe to the left.
  • When the menu appears, select Delete.
  • Confirm the selection by tapping Delete.

If you want to delete in bulk, it would be best to use a browser.

Using a Browser

  • Log into your Facebook account.
  • Click See all in Messenger.
  • Click on the 3-dot menu icon next to a conversation.
  • Click Delete Chat if you want to erase all the chats.
  • Confirm your deletion by clicking Delete Chat.

But what can you do about multiple messages and multiple conversations? For this, you have to install a third-party browser extension.

Using a Chrome Extension

Extensions become a part of your web browser and allow you to perform various functions on a website. To delete multiple or all of your Facebook message history, we need to install a web browser extension.

Whether it’s Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer, we will begin by using Google to pull up the Web Store.

Note! You will find a lot of Chrome extensions for deletion of messages. We strongly recommend only using the following extensions from the Chrome web store, not from third-party web sites.

Extension: Delete Facebook Messages

You want to use Google Search to find the “Delete Facebook Messages” extension. Once you have found it, click Add to Chrome. Refer to the below image:

FB Messages 6
Adding Delete Facebook Messages Chrome extension

You will be prompted through various pop-ups until that extension is added. To view the added extension:

Click the 3-dot menu icon in the upper right-hand > Exenesions > Manage Extensions

See the below image:

FB Messages 7
Delete Facebook Messages Chrome extension

Now, let’s add the extension icon to the Chrome toolbar. Click the Details option. See the following image:

FB Messages 8
Selecting Details for the Chrome extension

Next, toggle the Pin to toolbar to ON. Refer to the below image:

FB Messages 9
Toggle Pin to toolbar to ON

Now, the Delete Facebook Messages icon will be in your toolbar. See the below image:

FB Messages 10
The Chrome extension icon

Next, click the Delete Facebook Messages icon and choose the Begin Deletion option. See the following image:

FB Messages 11
Launching the Chrome extension

Note! To use this extension more than once, there is a subscription fee.

Extension: Message Cleaner

To install the Chrome extension, search for Message Cleaner using Google Search, then select Add to Chrome. Refer to the below image:

B Messages 13
Adding the Message Cleaner Chrome extension

Follow the directions above to add its icon to the toolbar.

The extension icon will be labeled Delete all Facebook Messages in your Chrome toolbar. When you click the extension icon you can Open Messages and Delete All Messages. For one-click deletion, press the F8 key. See the below image:

FB Messages 12
Launching the Message Cleaner Chrome extension

This extension works best if you scroll down to the bottom of the message list. Once you start the extension, it will recognize all the messages as being selected for removal. You can also then pick individual messages that you may want to save.

If you selected “all” before clicking “confirm,” the only way to get those messages back is to ask the person you sent them to for help or to use data recovery methods to retrieve backed-up information, assuming you have them backed up.

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing. Rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

Jim Rohn

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I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear 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 you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

Author’s E~Book

You can access the E-book from a Kindle device, or the Kindle App for a desktop or smartphone. The apps are free.

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

Eleven Ways to Get More Out of Windows 10

Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 11, has high requirements many users cannot meet with their current PCs. Consequently, many users might stick with Windows 10, which will receive Microsoft’s official support until 2025. Tips and tricks, some old and some specific to Windows 10, can enhance the user experience.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
February 27, 2024

This is for devices running Windows 10. Screenshots are from Windows 10

Windows 11 is the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft, but it will be a few years before it surpasses Windows 10 as the most popular desktop OS in the world. Despite the company’s desire to get us all to upgrade, Microsoft has made it difficult with high requirements many users can not meet with their current PCs.

If you are sticking with Windows 10 instead of buying a new computer, you have until 2025 before Microsoft begins to wind down official support. So there’s still plenty to learn to get the most out of your aging operating system. Personally, we do not like Windows 11. We will wait for Windows 12 before upgrading from Windows 10.

Whether you do not consider yourself a power user or made the jump from macOS, these tips will help you get more out of your Windows 10 experience. Some of these tricks originated from an older generation of Windows, while others are new to this iteration.

The Secret Start Menu

If you are a fan of that old-school (i.e. non-tiled) Start menu experience, you can still (sort of) have it. Right-click on the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner to prompt a textual jump menu with several familiar destinations, including Apps and Features, Search, and Run. All these options are available through the standard menu interface, but you can access them quickly here.

Note! In this post your can access Settings from the Start menu as noted below or in the Sortana type “Settings”, then click on the Settings app in the Search results.

Refer to the below image:

Win 10 Tricks 1
Start Menu

View Your Desktop Quickly

You do not have to minimize all your open windows just to look at the desktop. There’s a secret button in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar. If you do not see it, look all the way to the bottom and right, beyond the date and time. There, you will find a small sliver of an invisible button. Click it to minimize all your open windows at once; click it again to bring everything back. See the below image:

Win 10 Tricks 2
Accessing View Your Desktop

There’s also the option to minimize windows when you hover over the small silver button versus clicking. Select your preference in:

Settings > Personalization > Taskbar

then flip the switch to ON under Use Peek to preview the desktop… See the following image:

Win 10 Tricks 3
View your Desktop option

Change Windows Search Settings

If your PC searches are taking too long in Windows, narrow things down under:

Settings > Search > Searching Windows

Set search to Classic, which only applies searches to your libraries and desktop. The Enhanced option indexes your whole computer, which can take longer and uses more power. You can further narrow your search by marking certain folders as excluded. Refer to the below image:

Win 10 Tricks 4
Search Settings

Enable God Mode

This may be a little too niche for most users, but if you are a power user or IT professional who wants access to all of Windows’ control panels from one folder, God Mode is for you. Right-click on the desktop and select:

 New > Folder

.Re-name the new folder with this bit of code:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

To enter God Mode or the Windows Master Control Panel shortcut, as it is officially called, simply double-click the folder. See the below image:

Win 10 Tricks 5
God Mode

Customize the Command Prompt

If you like to dig into the innards of Windows with the Command Prompt, you will be happy to know you can customize the tool. Open the Command Prompt from the Cortana search box, right-click on the window’s top bar, and select Properties to personalize your experience.

The Properties window allows you to change the controls, font, layout, colors, and cursor within the Command Prompt. You can also turn the window transparent by opening the Colors tab and moving the Opacity slider. This lets you code while simultaneously observing the desktop. See the following image for the color setting:

Win 10 Tricks 6
Command Prompt colors

Dark and Light Mode

Windows 10 gives you a significant amount of control over color themes. Open:

Settings > Personalization > Colors

 and you can set the operating system to either Dark mode or Light mode. These themes change the color of the Start menu, Taskbar, Action Center, File Explorer, Settings menus, and any other compatible programs. There is also a custom option that will let you set one theme for Windows menus and another for apps. Want a little more color? There are swatches of color themes available to choose from that can help your menus and taskbars really pop Refer to the below image:

We all use the Windows Clipboard to cut and paste, but did you know you can save multiple items at once and paste across devices? Use the command Win + V to view the last 25 clippings saved to the Clipboard. Go to: 

Win 10 Tricks 7
Dark and Light mode

Bulk Copy and Past

Settings > System > Clipboard

 to control this feature and to sign into your Microsoft Account for cross-device usage. See the below image:

Win 10 Tricks 8
Bulk Copy and Paste

Use Sandbox to Test Files and Apps

Windows 10 Pro users have an extra asset to protect them against dangerous apps and files. If you enable Windows Sandbox inside the Control Panel, it will create a virtual instance of Windows inside Windows. In the Cortana search box, type in Control Panel then click the Control Panel app in the Search results. Now, click:

Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off link. > Windows Sandbox in the popup > Select a program

Note! If you receive a message about Sandbox virtualization support is disabled in the firmware, then click here on how to enable.

You can then safely open anything you are unsure about before introducing it to your Windows installation. Once you close out of Sandbox, everything inside it goes away without hurting your computer. See the following image:

Win 10 Tricks 9
Sandbox

Quickly Open Task Manager

Back in the day, Ctrl + Alt + Delete was the go-to command if your PC was acting up. If you are sick of having to select Task Manager from the menu that appears, there’s a quicker option. Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc to immediately open the Task Manager and make things a little easier. Refer to the below image:

Win 10 Tricks 10
Task Manager

View File Extensions

By default, Windows hides file extensions in File Explorer, requiring you to dig into the file’s properties to see if it’s a .jpg or .png file. But you can set it so Windows shows you the file extension automatically. Open:

File Explorer >View > Options > View

Scroll down to the option for Hide extension for known file types and uncheck the box. Click Apply, and now file types will be listed at the end of all file names inside File Explorer. See the below image:

Win 10 Tricks 11
Do not hide the File Extensions option

Set New Start Menu Shortcuts

Have you ever noticed the shortcut options that Windows offers when you open the Start menu? Just above the power button, you should have links to Settings, Documents, and Pictures. However, if you do not find those options useful, Windows lets you change them.

Head to:

Settings > Personalization > Start > Choose which folders appear on Start link

You can then add a shortcut for File Explorer, Downloads, and a few others. See the following image:

Win 10 Tricks 12
Start Menu options

Disclaimer

Technology is always changing and rarely is there static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote For the Day

You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety.

Abraham Maslow

Tweet Info

That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear 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 you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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

How to Add a Google Apps Bookmark on Desktop and iPhone

You can start Google Chrome to open a specific page, a new tab, or continue where you left off from the On starup option. We will show you how to set this option to load your Google Apps. You can use the same procedure to load any website at startup or create a bookmark.

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
February 20, 2024

This is for the Desktop and iPhone. Screenshots are from Windows 10 and iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17+

You can start Google Chrome to open a specific page, a new tab, or continue where you left off from the On startup option. We will show you how to set this option to load your Google Apps. You can use the same procedure to load any website at startup or create a bookmark.

Setup the On Startup Option

Your Google Apps can be displayed using the On startup option. First, to set this option, open Chrome and click the Menu (the 3 dots) in the upper right corner, then navigate to:

Settings > On startup

Next, under the Open a specific page or set of pages option, enter the following:

chrome://apps/

Refer to the below image:

Apps 1
Setting On startup option to your Google Apps

Now whenever you start Chrome, your Google Apps page will be displayed.

By doing the above, you can just click the Home button next to the address bar to display your Google Apps anytime. See the below image:

Apps 5
Accessing the Home button to view your Google Apps page

Clicking the Home button next to the address bar will display the page you have set as the On startup page.

Setup the Google Apps Bookmark on Desktop

If you do not have the On startup option set to Google Apps, why not create a bookmark for it. Following are the steps to do this.

First, open the Google Apps page you want to bookmark in Chrome. See the following image:

Apps 2
Setting your Google Apps page to bookmark

Next, click the Star icon in the address bar. Refer to the below image:

Apps 6
Adding your Google Apps page as a bookmark

Now, choose a name and location for your bookmark then hit Done. See the below image:

Apps 3
Editing your Google Apps bookmark

Next, head to your saved bookmark to see your Google Apps entry. See the following image:

Apps 4
Your saved Google Apps bookmark

Setup the Google Apps Bookmark on iPhone

First, open the Google Apps page you want to bookmark in Chrome then tap the Share button. Refer to the below image:

Apps 7
Setting your Google Apps page

Next, tap the Add to Bookmarks option. See the below image:

Apps 12
Adding your Google Apps bookmark

Edit the Google Apps Bookmark on iPhone

First, tap the Menu (the 3 dots) at the bottom right corner. See the following image:

Apps 9
Accessing the Menu option

Next, tap the Edit Bookmark option. Refer to the below image:

Apps 10
Choosing to edit your Google Apps bookmark


Now, change as necessary, then tap Done. See the below image:

Apps 11
Editing your Google Apps bookmark

Not only do bookmarks save you time as you do not need to type in a URL or search for your most frequently visited sites on Google every time you visit, but they are also great for keeping track of articles and videos you plan to head back to later. If you do not have Google Apps set as your startup page, creating a bookmark allows you to easily display the page.

Disclaimer

Technology is constantly changing; there is rarely static tech for smartphones and desktops. Thus, the contents of this post are only valid at the time of writing. Blog posts older than six months may have directions incompatible with your device or OS. Hopefully, older post content will continue to work as advertised. Thank you for reading TechSavvy.Life for Technology at Work For You.

Quote for the Day

 “The best vision is insight.”

Malcolm Forbes

Tweet Info

That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.

Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.

Checkout TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear 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 you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

Author’s E-Book

You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

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