The Club PUBlication 01/09/2023

​6 easy fixes to avoid tech headaches this year
By HEATHER KELLY • Washington Post

Every one of us will run into an unexpected tech issue in the new year. It might be a minor glitch, a life-altering hack or literally any printer. There are, however, a few things we can do now to make existing online in 2023 a little less stressful. For the past year, the Washington Post's Help Desk team has reviewed thousands of your technology questions, big and small. Based on all our reader emails, calls and comments, here are some big takeaways of things that could have prevented some of the most vexing issues.

Lower chances of being scammed
Whether it was by hackers taking over Facebook accounts or scammers asking for money on the phone, there's no one easy fix to avoid these situations.Hackers and scammers work nonstop to adapt and find new weak points. But you can do a few things to make it less likely.

* Turn on multifactor authentication for online accounts, especially all social media and anything that involves financial transactions.

* Do some password maintenance by updating any that may have been compromised and changing reused passwords. Set up a password manager or get a notebook started.

* Brush up on the signs something is a scam and stay on top of the latest scam trends.

Prepare for your death
Nobody wants to start a new year thinking it might be their last. But making sure that your photos and accounts can be accessed should the worst happen will mean everything to your family. It's also fairly easy and quick!

* Add legacy contacts for Apple, Google, Facebook and any password managers.

* If you have done this in the past, make sure all the names are still current and people you trust. If you have a will, add instructions for your digital legacy.

Prepare for your devices to die
You should also be ready for any worst-case scenarios involving your phone or computer, and find ways to extend their lives.

* Turn on automatic backups for all devices and make sure you have systems for important things such as your photos and text messages.

* Make sure your devices are password protected and that info tracking is turned off in case they are stolen.

* Don't just get rid of your old smartphone when something new comes out. Find out if you really need that new phone or if there's some life in your existing one. A new battery goes a long way.

* If you are getting rid of an old device, make sure you are disposing of any hardware in the most ethical way possible.

Have tech talks with your children
Being a parent of a child in the smartphone age can be a minefield, and there's no one-fits-all path for each family. However, there are some things you can start doing now to make the process smoother for everyone involved. Even if you don't give them access to a phone yet, they will find ways to access the internet. You want to be the first to tell them what's out there, not the last.

* Start working the big topics into daily conversations: online etiquette, talking to strangers online, bullying, the dangers of sexting and even pornography.

* Give them the basics on how to spot misinformation (a good refresher for people of all ages).

* Talk to teens about mental health content and what to listen to, and be wary of, on TikTok and Instagram.

Set up older family members for success
If you are the go-to tech support for other family members, you may be especially in-demand after the holidays when they have received new gadgets. If you are together, this is the best time to run through the basics and make sure the coming year is smooth. Maybe fit in a little talk about their screen-time habits.

* Put together a checklist of things to do for your family members now, including updating the software on all of their devices and making sure their passwords are in order.

* Find a local tech-support option, like a computer store that makes house calls and set up an account.

* Set up screen-sharing options for their devices so if you are far away, you can still do some troubleshooting.

Lock down your privacy online
Protecting our online privacy is, unfortunately, a never-ending job. We are constantly at odds with tech companies that profit off collecting and selling our data, and reigning it in means constantly checking settings and remembering best practices. Here's what you can do to start the year sharing as little as possible.

* Use an online privacy guide to see what settings you need to change in each app.

* Remove your personal information from Google searches with new tools the company added in the past year.

* Opt out of data brokers, learn how to read a privacy policy, and exercise any extra privacy rights you have depending where you live.