Think about how many times a day your phone, computer, tablet, clock, and other gadgets ring or ring. It becomes annoying and distracting.
It’s very likely because you haven’t taken the time to clear your notification settings. It’s easier than you think with this quick tech fix. While you’re adjusting settings, I bet you’ll find apps you haven’t used in years. Tap or click for the 5 apps you should remove now.
Then it’s time to deal with the real junk. If you’ve ever sighed at the sight of spam texts and emails, you’ll love this. Here’s a secret to getting spammers out of your way.
two words you shouldn’t say
Ever replied to a spam message with Stop or Unsubscribe? If so, you’re setting yourself up for even more annoyances. You’re right in thinking you’re eliminating noise, but you’ll just make it worse.
Why? Spammers are killing more and more people looking for working contact information. When you have a conversation, you’re saying, “Yeah, that phone number belongs to someone!” This is great news for them. This lets them know that you are a real person they should target more often.
You can also forward spam text to 7726 (which means “spam”). You will get a message back from your carrier asking you to reply with the phone number that sent the offending text. This only takes a minute and can help stop some spam campaigns.
Want to be a superhero?
Go beyond the call of duty and contact the FTC and file a formal complaint. Although this step requires more time and effort, it is a great way to fight spammers. Consider it your good deed for the day.
Give Your Inbox a Little Help
Spam certainly isn’t limited to calls and texts. Take a look at your inbox. According to Statista, in September 2020, spam accounted for more than 47% of all emails sent worldwide.
Most email services do a good job of detecting spam messages, but you can help with the sorting process by confirming or denying automatic spam detection. When you find a spam message that wasn’t labeled as such, don’t just delete it. Press the “Report Spam” button to train the algorithm to better detect these malicious messages.
You can also do the opposite if you find spontaneous emails in the Spam folder. Label it as “not spam”.
Create two email addresses. Use one for personal use and the other for things like shopping, newsletters, surveys, and coupons. If you don’t want a separate inbox, try using aliases or create a burner email for one-time use.
Never display your email address on public sites. Scammers scour social networking sites, forums and blogs for email. If you want to post your email address somewhere, type it so it’s hard for a bot to pick it up, such as “name on domain.com.”
Use a basic email address. Did you know that spammers try to make up possible name combinations? People with generic names are even bigger targets. Try to create a unique address that spammers won’t think of, even if it means adding an extra letter or other character.
Bottom line: don’t interact with spammers. When you answer, it’s a green light for them to stick to you. For your own peace of mind, get off the track.
Need a hand fixing printer, slow PC or audio problems? Post your technical questions to get fast, concrete answers from me and other tech professionals. Visit my Q&A forum and get technical support now.
What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call up Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcast.
