There’s nothing wrong with holding on to a phone, tablet or PC for years, with two important qualifiers. If its support has reached end-of-life and connected to the internet, you should consider moving on. Devices that meet these criteria are at heightened risk of malware infections since they contain unpatched vulnerabilities.

Ads designed for mobile devices can be assertive and disruptive. For example, you might be loading a page in a browser only to see a message telling you you’ve won a prize and then redirecting you to a different page. Never click on anything these ads show you. To avoid them entirely, it might be […]

Turn off features on your computer or mobile devices that allow you to connect automatically to Wi-Fi. Once you’ve finished using a network or account, be sure to log out.

Use strong passwords or touch ID features to lock your devices. These security measures can help protect your information if your devices are lost or stolen and keep prying eyes out.

Just because a connector fits your device doesn’t mean you should use it for charging. Unlicensed third-party cables might damage your phone or PC. There’s also the more subtle risk of quicker-than-normal battery degradation through fast-charging. All batteries lose their ability to hold a charge over time, but high-voltage charging accelerates this process.

When you do have Bluetooth enabled, make sure it is “hidden,” not “discoverable.” The hidden mode prevents other Bluetooth devices from recognizing your device. This does not prevent you from using your Bluetooth devices together. You can “pair” devices so that they can find each other even if they are in hidden mode. Although the […]