Gadget Hacks Features

How To: 8 Different Ways to Mute Someone on Zoom That's Disturbing Your Video Meeting

If you're using or need to use Zoom, the popular video teleconferencing service, you've almost certainly heard about "Zoombombing" by now. While Zoom has been adding security measures to address the problem, there are other things you can do to prevent or stop Zoombombers in their tracks so that your video meetings and chats go undisturbed and uninterrupted.

How To: Disable 'Press Home to Unlock' to Open Your iPhone Faster

With Touch ID enabled, your iPhone needs to scan your fingerprint before you can access your home screen or last app used. Before it unlocks, your iPhone might request that you press the Home button, adding an unnecessary step between you and your data. However, you can turn the feature off so that you don't need to click any buttons to unlock your device.

How To: Add a Virtual Background to Your Zoom Video on Mobile to Hide Your Real Background

Working from home has its perks. You don't need to commute, you can work in your pajamas, and you don't even need to clean your house, especially if you're using Zoom for video meetings on your smartphone. Instead of clearing toys from the floor or moving that pile of clothes on your chair, you can take advantage of Zoom's virtual background feature to hide what's really behind you.

How To: Plug a headset cable into the Samsung Galaxy Tab

If you plan on listening to music or making phone calls, you're going to have to get some headphones or a headset with mic (in lieu of Bluetooth headsets). Using them might just be the simplest thing to do on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but just in case, this video will show you how to plug in your headset cable. It's just like any other Android device.

How To: Set up a Wi-Fi connection on the Samsung Galaxy Tab

Need to browse the web on your new Samsung Galaxy Tab? Well, first you're going to have to set up Wi-Fi on the Android device. This video shows you the complete steps to getting connected! Press MENU < SETTINGS < WIRELESS & NETWORKS < WI-FI SETTINGS and then select WI-FI to turn in on. Next, choose your network, enter the password and press CONNECT. It's that easy.

How To: Create a Windows 10 Installation Disk

Microsoft did a wonderful thing in 2015: for the first time, it was offering a free upgrade to Windows 10 for all current Windows 7 and 8.1 users. And, if you were lucky, the upgrade process was relatively simple and painless. There were, however, some questions after the everything was said and done.

How To: Track Your Lost iPhone, iPad, or Mac Even When Its Offline — As Long as This Feature Is Enabled

Apple's latest updates to its operating systems add another security feature to its Find My service, so you have an even better chance at locating your lost iPhone, iPad, or Mac should it ever happen. As long as you have the option enabled, you can leverage other Apple users' devices to find yours on the map.

How To: Get Android Oreo's Notification Shade on Any Phone — No Root Needed

One of the biggest gripes we always hear about is the changes OEMs make to Android's notification shade. Icon styling and home screen layouts can be fixed with custom launchers like Nova and Action, but we're stuck with the tacky Quick Settings theme our phones came with. Today, we no longer have to envy Pixel 2 owners, as a new app will give you that clean stock Android look on any phone.

How To: Find & Eradicate Android Apps Maliciously Tracking You on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

A wave of shock and anger swept across the country after Edward Snowden released private documents recounting the U.S. government's secretive mass surveillance programs. Although some of the fear was unwarranted (they don't read your emails or listen to your calls), many scrambled to find privacy of new heights for protection from the all-watchful eye. While the government may not be tracking you down, there are a myriad of other candidates that fill that Big Brother role—and I'm not talking ...

How To: Disable Message Effects from Auto-Playing on Your iPhone

Message effects in iMessage lets you add a touch of flair to otherwise bland communications. With the feature, you can complement a birthday wish with a stream of balloons, send a congratulatory text along with a shower of confetti, or make the chat bubble slam itself in the thread. If you're on the receiving end, however, they may be distracting and even jarring.

How To: Watch Out for This Setting the Next Time You Set an Alarm on Your iPhone

When you set an alarm on your iPhone, you assume it'll go off at the set time. However, that's not always the case. There's one quirk in how iOS handles alarms that, if gone unchecked, will silence every alarm you set so that you won't wake up on time.

How To: Set up a distribution list for your iPhone using Group Text

With the Group Text app, you can easily set up a distribution list so you can send out text messages to large numbers of people at once. You can also set up form templates, which are useful if you tend to send out a similar text message each time. This short tutorial shows you how to set up the distribution list, and how to get the most out of your Group Text. You can even set up multiple distribution lists for different topics or texts!

How To: Root the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (Sprint, T-Mobile, & International Variants)

Whenever a new Android device is realized, the first thing I figure out how to do is to get it root access. Generally speaking, rooting has never been easier, with many one-touch methods like Stump and Towelroot available. But as manufacturers and carriers increase security with each new product, there is one tried-and-true root method that continues to work on most Samsung devices—Chainfire's CF Auto Root.