Everybody loves a cool trick. No matter how well we know an app or program, there’s almost always some shortcut we never learned. The same goes for hardware: We may use gadgets every day without knowing their helpful quirks.
A great example is Zoom, which millions of Americans have recently discovered for the first time. Tap or click here for 11 of the best Zoom tricks you’ll wish you’d known sooner.
In quarantine, you may spend a lot of time with the tech you already own, especially if you’re working from a home office. Little do you know, you may be doing things “the hard way,” when you could be cutting corners for free.
Here are some of my favorite popular tech tips, tricks, and shortcuts for a range of popular programs and tools:
1. Put your USB drive in the right way the first time
Plugging in a USB cable the right way feels like a no-brainer. Then why do we get it wrong on the first try so often?
Here’s the secret: Grab any USB cable sitting around your house. See that symbol on one side? It’s not just branding or decoration. That symbol will point up if you’re plugging in horizontally and if you’re plugging a cable vertically, the USB symbol will face you. Now you know.
2. Reopen a closed browser tab
It happens all the time. You have a dozen tabs open in your browser and accidentally close the wrong one. You could open up your browser’s history and reopen the tab from there, or you can do it with a couple of keystrokes.
3. Share a YouTube video at a precise point
If you see something in a YouTube video that you want to share at a particular point, you can get a link that takes people directly to that moment, you can get a link that takes people directly to that moment. Click the Share button below the video. Look for a checkbox below the link. It will automatically display the time at which you currently have the video stopped.
You can stick with this time or choose a different time. Copy the link and share it on your preferred social media or email it to a friend. When someone views the link, the YouTube video will automatically skip right to the point you chose.
4. Search using “Site:” to find content like a ninja
A Google search can return millions of results. Cut that down significantly by searching just a single site with Google’s Site: feature. Open Google in your browser and type “site:” and then the website you wish to search. Like this: “site:komando.com” but leave off the quotation marks.
Tip in a tip: You can enter “site:komando.com search term” in your browser’s address bar and no need to go to Google. Again, no quotation marks needed.
5. Report junk texts and stick it to the scammers
Junk texts are downright annoying. You can block them, but it feels good to take action, too.
Report texts to the GSMA’s Reporting Service with just a few clicks. Forward the message to 7726 (guess what that spells?) or just hit “Report junk” in your messaging app.
6. Use your voice in Google Docs
I bet you already use your phone’s speech-to-text to dictate text messages or even emails, but did you know you can do the same in Google Docs? It’s free and it works surprisingly well.
Open a new document in Google Docs, then enable Voice Typing from the Tools menu. Then start dictating. Voice Typing recognizes commands like “comma,” “period,” and “new paragraph” as well.
7. Download movies on Disney Plus
Each streaming service has a different policy for downloading video content and watching offline. Netflix was a major holdout until 2016. But Disney Plus allowed this option right away. The download icon is located at the bottom of the menu. Using the Disney Plus app, you can also download as many titles as your hard drive can hold.
Some more tech tips and tricks
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Access Google classroom in PS4 and Xbox
Factory reset on android smartphone
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Bonus Tip: How to electronically sign a PDF
PDFs are already starting to replace paper documents in many offices across the country. They’re more flexible, portable and convenient to use – but not everyone knows you can sign a PDF document just like a physical one.
Nearly every PDF-reading application features some way to electronically sign documents and forms. Tap or click here to get the steps on how to do it.
Learn about all the latest technology on the Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.
