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Irene Okpanachi-How-To Writer

Irene Okpanachi

How-To Writer

About Irene Okpanachi

Irene is a Freelance Writer who helps professionals and startups build an audience with original content online. She has written over 200 articles in Tech, E-commerce, and Food niches within 4 years of experience. She's a couch potato who loves gaming and listening to music, when she's not typing furiously on her laptop.

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How to save your documents and photos for archival storage

Stow your old files for the future!

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Archiving has roots stretching back thousands of years and still provides a way to keep memories alive today. But traditional archiving is stressful, considering that you must keep documents away from stains, drips, dust, tears, and numerous factors. As digital-first archiving is now a thing, it's easier to preserve data.

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How to make a call in Gmail

Gmail makes one-on-one calls possible without Google Meet

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Gmail offers many unique features beyond sending emails. One is an integration with Google Chat that allows you to hold one-on-one conversations or group people into different spaces. Voice or video call options are also available, although they aren't anything new. Google rolled out those features in December 2021, allowing you to switch between Chat conversations, emails, and calls within one app.

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How to change the default language on Google Chrome

From Afrikaans to Zulu, Google Chrome has 153 language options to choose from

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Google Chrome supports language diversity, allowing millions of people to surf the internet with their preferred dialects. Even though the browser's default language is English, you can access over 100 languages to swap from Chrome's selected default. When you land on a page displayed in another language, Chrome has built-in support to translate web pages in foreign languages into any comprehendible language you choose. Now, you don't need to worry about juggling your language settings when exploring the web.

A Google office building with the Google logo on the side of the building 1
What is Alphabet, Google's parent company?

No, Google did not become Alphabet. It became part of a conglomerate instead. Here's how it works

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Rebranding gives businesses an image refresh and a competitive edge in an era of dynamic markets. Google underwent it in 2015, creating the Alphabet we now know as its parent company. Its birth has made it possible for its divisions to operate independently. Each remains a part of the company while handling projects beyond the internet search engine, advertising, or making new Google Pixel phones.

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How to get back a disabled or hacked Instagram account

Losing your account to hackers and IG's strict community sucks. But it's not a hopeless situation

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Losing an Instagram account hurts, especially if you've had it for years. When hackers gain control of it, they can kick you out if they change your login details. You can no longer access your posts, followers, and other content until you try a recovery attempt and verify your identity. Violating Instagram's community guidelines is another way to lose your account. You don't get a strike or warning before it happens.

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How to use Skype on Chromebook

Run Skype on your Chromebook like an Android app, or use the web version

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Skype is still widely used, even with Zoom and Google Meet stealing the spotlight. Statistics show over 300 million active users interact with the free video calling platform. Most prefer to make a video call on their personal computers rather than mobile phones. Downloading and installing it is an easy task for Windows, Mac, and Linux OS, but not for ChromeOS.

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Gmail: 12 common problems and how to fix them

Google's email client is not above bugs. Here's how to squash them

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Gmail is among the most popular email clients and offers impressive organization features. You can sort through bulk emails with advanced search filters, favorite or archive them, and block spam messages, among other customizations. Its interoperability with Contacts and Calendar makes communication with people and arranging your schedule effortless.

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How to automatically delete 2FA texts from Android

OTPs be gone! Make your 2FA texts vanish without tapping any buttons

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Two-factor authentication (2FA) messages block unauthorized access to your accounts. If you activated 2FA, you can choose to receive a one-time password (OTP) on the associated mobile number. It's valid for a few seconds or minutes and verifies your identity. Although they have a temporary use, attackers may intercept OTPs with phishing attempts and enter your account. So you should delete them after use.

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Best public transit apps

Public transportation is often stressful. But you won't notice it with the right app companion

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Transit apps make it easier to shuffle between locations, especially when you're new to an area or don't own a vehicle. You'll know when to catch the next bus or train and see real-time changes to the schedule. This way, you can make informed decisions before leaving your house and cut down the waiting time. Also, the apps provide navigational assistance to the station, so you don't need to ask people for directions.

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What is a smart ring, and how does it work?

One ring for the fitness enthusiasts, one ring to rule them all

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Fitness trackers have become an integral part of everyday life, and smart rings are the latest addition. The first one to emerge was McLear's RingPay in 2013. Since then, the rings have struggled to go mainstream because of technological constraints and competition with larger wearables. Many critics consider them to be downsized versions of smartwatches that don't offer anything groundbreaking. With Apple, Samsung, and other tech giants locking into their potential, there may still be time for smart rings to gain popularity.

WhatsApp icon on top of a Google Drive Backups screen 1
How to find your WhatsApp backups in Google Drive

See where WhatsApp keeps backups in Google Drive and your device's storage

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WhatsApp's backups protect you from losing important chats, media, and stickers. When you connect your Google account with the app, your data syncs to the cloud based on the frequency you select. If you accidentally clear your chat history, uninstall the app, or set up a new device, you can restore what you lost. Local backups are also an option if you don't have any in Drive.

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How to delete a page in Google Docs

Cut out those extra pages you don't need in Docs

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Google Docs is one of the most popular word processors due to its simple UI and built-in tools. And the best thing is that it's free. The Google Workspace tool makes it possible for you to work on your document, irrespective of whether you use a smartphone, a desktop PC, or an affordable Chromebook.

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How to use FaceTime on your Android device or PC

It's possible, but there are better alternatives

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For years, FaceTime was the envy of Android users, due to its superior video and audio quality. In an interesting turn of events, Apple slightly loosened its grips on iMessage in 2021. The change allowed people with an Android phone, tablet, or Windows PC use FaceTime in their web browser. Apple users can also set these browsers as their default apps, which is a big step since the company doesn't allow the replacement of its native apps.

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How to make Google Maps the default navigation app on your iPhone

Need a break from Apple Maps? Make Google Maps the first app you see when you need directions

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For a long time, most Google apps on Android phones have been available on iOS, but not vice versa. A few years ago, with the release of iOS 14, Apple opened its walled garden slightly, allowing iPhone users to swap out Safari for Google Chrome and the Mail app for Gmail. And while you can install the Google Maps app from the App Store, you can't make it the default navigation app.

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How to add and manage apps on your Samsung smart TV

Your Samsung smart TV experience is much better with third-party apps

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TV functionality has long evolved from the days of watching sitcoms and movies on cable. Now you can stream free movies directly from your smart TV. While most televisions offer some sort of streaming interface, Samsung's stands out from the pack, thanks to its tight integration with its incredible Galaxy smartphone lineup.

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How to upload videos to Pinterest

Your virtual mood board just got more interesting with video pins

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Pinterest is where your mood boards come to life without the messy part. The platform inspires you to collect ideas as images and group them. What makes it special is the breakaway from social media norms. Rather than force you to view people's lives and interact, Pinterest is a visual search engine where you can find and organize what matters to you. For years, it's been all about sharing pictures, but uploading videos is now possible from all small phones, tablets, and PCs to the large ones.

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How to share an Instagram post on Facebook

No more copying and pasting posts between Meta's social media apps

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Meta's acquisition of Instagram in 2012 formed a special bond between the platform and Facebook. Managing your social presence between both is easier now, especially if you're dealing with many moving parts in life. You can create Stories, regular posts, and Reels and send them to your Facebook feed or page in a few taps. If there are existing posts, you may be able to share them from your small phones and large tablets.

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10 Google Tasks tips and tricks to keep you on schedule

Google's basic task management app has grown up

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Google Tasks is a standalone app that helps you create tasks and subtasks, set reminders, and add detailed notes so that you can stay on top of your to-do list. Although the app isn't as robust as other task management apps like Todoist and Trello, Google Tasks is a great option for Google power users, thanks to the app's seamless integration with Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar. The Google Tasks app works well on Android and iOS, while the web version can be used on PCs, laptops, and budget Chromebooks.

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How to change the Bluetooth codec on your Android device

High-resolution audio on cheap earbuds is a far reach. But here's a trick to improve the sound quality

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Every time you watch a movie, play songs, or open a media file with sound, there's an inaudible language spoken. Think of Bluetooth codecs as the translator. It decodes and encodes audio en route to your audio accessories. If you're an Android user, your phone or tablet uses the SBC codec by default. Though it offers standard audio quality, you can change it for improvement.

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How to report phishing emails

Reporting phishing can help make the online community safe

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Someone ruining your day with an email is unsettling. Phishing emails are among the many ways attackers steal your information online. Though harmless at first glance, they open a virtual doorway to your credit card details, account passwords, and other personal information. In extreme cases, they infiltrate your mobile phones and computers when you download attachments. There's no easy way to catch the culprit or make them pay, but you can report them.

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