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At least 21 percent of the U.S. population has access to one of the official COVID-19 contact-tracing apps developed by various state governments, but only a fraction of people actually use them.Read more...

Files by Google is a handy app that helps manage your Android phone’s storage space and securely transfer data to the cloud and other devices. Now, it can also lock your personal files in an encrypted, PIN-protected folder, thanks to its new Safe Folder feature.Read more...

Newly created Google accounts will come with auto-delete turned on by default for all data types—a feature that users previously had to go in and select. Read more...

Using your Google account to sign up for a website or app is a lot easier than making a new account and password each time, but it’s also riskier. A great alternative is to use an encrypted password manager to keep track of your accounts (and unique passwords), but you still have to make all those accounts in the…Read more...

Google is about to turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for all Nest users. That’s a good thing! Most people shouldn’t experience any difficulties with this security-enhancing measure, but there are a few quirks you should know about.Read more...

Android’s April 2020 security patch includes an essential improvement for the Pixel 4's facial recognition feature. It’s simple, but important upgrade to your phone’s security: A person’s eyes must now be open to unlock the phone via the Pixel’s facial recognition technology.Read more...

Most folks probably think of DuckDuckGo as the more privacy-focused alternative to Google, but one of the lesser-discussed benefits ditching all that data tracking is increased search speed. The normal DuckDuckGo search eats up less data and requires fewer requests than Google, but there’s also a “Lite” version of the…Read more...

With near-daily news about data breaches, hacks, and privacy problems, it’s not unreasonable to want to disappear from the internet. Maybe you’re sick of horribly embarrassing things showing up when potential employers Google your name. Or tired of everyone knowing you live in a garden level dungeon apartment? Or…Read more...

Google Photos has received several big updates recently, but now the app has a full-on messaging service that you can use to swap photos and carry on conversations between your contacts. Read more...

It’s a pretty well-known fact that Alexa-enabled devices and Google Home products record everything you say to them. What you may not know is how to delete these recordings or turn this feature off entirely. In the video above, I show you how.Read more...

An annoying lock screen bug has been bothering some unlucky Android users for months now, locking them out of their devices by way of a weird authentication loop. The bug has been present as far back as September, when it was originally spotted on Pixel XL devices. It remains unfixed and, worse, seems to be cropping…Read more...

There are many reasons why you might want to track some of the locations you visit in Google Maps, but maybe not all of them. You might not want your friends and loved ones (with access to your phone or account) to know you hit up the local dispensary. Perhaps you’re planning a surprise party for someone and need to…Read more...

According to an investigation by Checkmarx security researchers, some Android devices may have an unpatched security flaw that an app could use to record you without your knowledge using your device’s camera and mic.Read more...

Any visit to a health system—which includes hospitals but also a lot of doctor’s offices—involves tons of data. You probably assume that your data just lives in that health system, but in fact they can share it with other companies, and there’s little to nothing you can do to stop it. Read more...

Google collects lots of data, which is used to curate content recommendations on services like Google Play and YouTube, as well as market ads to you based on your activity. Read more...

Google recently announced a few new features that give users more control over their data, including three new privacy options for Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Assistant, as well as a new tool for monitoring password security. Here’s a quick rundown of each of the new features, how to find them, and why you may…Read more...

Amazon and Google’s smart speakers both allow you to supplement them with extensions of sorts, the same way you install third-party add-ons to make your web browsing experience even better. Here’s the kicker: As with browser add-ons, you’re entirely at the mercy of a developer. And should they use their powers for…Read more...

The Pixel 4 and 4 XL have barely made it into the hands of reviewers, and a major security flaw has already been discovered: the phone’s new facial recognition will let your face unlock your phone whether you’re awake or not. Read more...