Back up your Android phone
Back up your Android phone to Google with Google One, back up photos with Google Photos, or use Samsung Cloud, Smart Switch or a computer. Step by step.
Task-first guides. Each one answers a single question and gets you to the result in as few steps as the device allows.
127 guides
Back up your Android phone to Google with Google One, back up photos with Google Photos, or use Samsung Cloud, Smart Switch or a computer. Step by step.
Block a number on your Android phone from Recents or Phone settings on Samsung and Pixel. Also how to block texts, add a number by hand and unblock later.
Block a number on iPhone from Recents, Messages or Settings, see what happens to their calls and texts, and how to find blocked voicemails or unblock later.
Block spam calls on Android with Samsung Caller ID and spam protection or the Google Phone spam filter and Call Screen, plus free carrier tools that help.
Think someone blocked you on iMessage? Check for no Delivered status, blue bubbles turning green and calls going straight to voicemail, plus other causes.
Cancel subscriptions and free trials on Android in the Play Store, find ones that do not show up, and learn why deleting the app does not stop the charges.
Cancel subscriptions on your iPhone in Settings › your name › Subscriptions. Find ones billed outside Apple, cancel free trials in time and ask for a refund.
Change your default keyboard on Android, switch Samsung Keyboard to Gboard or back, and change the keyboard size, theme and language in a few taps.
Change your iPhone app icons without Shortcuts: tint them any color, switch to dark or clear icons, make them larger, or pick alternate icons inside apps.
Switch your iPhone from kilometers to miles in Language & Region, change Health and Fitness units separately, and set miles in Google Maps too.
Change the snooze time on your iPhone alarm to anything from 1 to 15 minutes in iOS 26, or work around the fixed 9 minute snooze on older versions.
Forgot your Screen Time passcode? Reset it in Settings with the Apple Account that set it up, or from a parent’s iPhone for a child. No erase needed.
Make Chrome, Firefox, Edge or another browser the default on your iPhone so links open there, using Default Apps in Settings. Plus how to switch back.
Check your iPhone for a virus or malware: spot the real warning signs, remove unknown profiles and apps, clear Safari data and update iOS. No paid app needed.
Connect AirPods to your iPhone in seconds with the setup card, or pair them manually in Bluetooth settings. Also how to connect AirPods to a new iPhone.
Connect your iPhone to a TV wirelessly with AirPlay screen mirroring, or with an HDMI adapter. Works with Apple TV and many Samsung, LG, Roku and Vizio TVs.
Connect Galaxy Buds to your iPhone through Bluetooth in under a minute. How to put each model in pairing mode, which features work and the Galaxy Buds app.
Delete all emails from one sender in Gmail at once on a computer, or in the phone app. Plus a filter that trashes their future emails automatically.
Download all your iCloud photos to a PC, Mac or iPhone. Use iCloud.com in batches of 1,000, iCloud for Windows, or request a full copy from Apple.
Find a lost Android phone with Google Find Hub at android.com/find, or Samsung SmartThings Find. Ring it, see it on a map, lock it or erase it from any device.
Find your lost iPhone with Find My on another Apple device or at icloud.com/find from any phone. Play a sound, see its last location and turn on Lost Mode.
Forward calls on iPhone in Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding, or dial *72 on Verizon and other carriers. Also how to forward only missed calls.
Forward calls on your Samsung Galaxy from the Phone app settings: always, when busy, unanswered or unreachable. Plus carrier codes and how to turn it off.
Forward a text message on iPhone, Samsung or Pixel in a few taps, forward several messages or photos at once, and send a text to an email address.
Hide apps on Android from the home screen, or lock them away in Samsung Secure Folder or Pixel Private space. Plus how to find and unhide them later.
Hide apps on iPhone in the locked Hidden folder, or just remove them from the Home Screen. Also how to find hidden apps and hide App Store purchases.
Change your iPhone’s IP address by renewing the Wi-Fi lease, switching networks, turning on iCloud Private Relay or a VPN. Local and public IPs explained.
Change your iPhone location settings: region, App Store country, which device shares your location in Find My, and location access for each app.
Make your iPhone take JPG photos instead of HEIC with one setting, and convert photos you already have to JPG for free with the Files app. No extra app needed.
Convert one or several photos to a PDF on iPhone for free with the Files app or the Print menu, combine pages in order, and save or share the PDF.
Delete hidden apps on your iPhone from the Hidden folder in App Library, Search or iPhone Storage. Also how to find apps hidden by Screen Time restrictions.
Add a Home button to your iPhone screen with AssistiveTouch, set one tap to go Home, and make it see-through so it stays out of the way. No app needed.
Change any album cover in the iPhone Photos app with Make Key Photo, plus which albums cannot be changed and what to do if the cover will not update.
Make iPhone Mail delete emails instead of archiving them for Gmail and other accounts, with one account setting. Plus the same fix in the Gmail app.
Change how long your iPhone screen stays on before it locks, choose Never, and fix Auto-Lock when it is greyed out or stuck at 30 seconds by Low Power Mode.
Turn off autocorrect on iPhone, stop it changing one word with Text Replacement, and reset the keyboard dictionary when it keeps learning the wrong words.
Fix a wrong address in Safari autofill: update your My Card in Contacts, check AutoFill in Safari settings, and change Chrome and Apple Pay addresses too.
Change your iPhone wallpaper or background from Settings or the Lock Screen, use different Lock and Home Screen pictures, and try Photo Shuffle in iOS 26.
Change iPhone brightness in Control Center or Settings, turn off Auto-Brightness, and stop the screen dimming on its own from Night Shift, heat or Low Power.
Hide your number on iPhone with Show My Caller ID or *67, change the caller ID name through your carrier, and pick which number iMessage and FaceTime show.
Turn on grayscale or another color filter on iPhone, adjust its strength, add a quick shortcut, and fix a screen that looks yellow or washed out.
Change any contact’s name on your iPhone in Contacts, Phone or Messages, add a nickname, and fix names that keep switching back after syncing.
Deliver Quietly makes iPhone notifications arrive with no sound or banner. Turn sounds and banners back on per app, and check Focus and Hide Alerts too.
Change the DNS server on your iPhone for any Wi-Fi network to Cloudflare, Google or another provider, and use an app or profile to change it on cellular.
Change your Gmail password on iPhone in the Gmail app or Safari, then update it in iPhone Mail so email keeps arriving. Plus what to do if you forgot it.
Change the Apple Maps voice on iPhone through Siri Voice settings, change Google Maps and Waze voices, and set how loud spoken directions are.
Change a group chat name and photo in iPhone Messages in a few taps, plus why you cannot name some group texts that include people using Android.
Block in-app purchases on iPhone with Screen Time, require a password for every purchase, and use Ask to Buy so kids cannot spend money in games.
Change your Instagram password on iPhone in Accounts Center, reset it if you forgot the old one, and log out every other device so nobody else stays signed in.
Rotate your iPhone screen by turning off Portrait Orientation Lock in Control Center. Plus why some apps and the Home Screen will not rotate, and a quick fix.
Edit your Memoji’s look in Messages, change the Memoji on your Contact Poster and profile photo, or delete one you no longer use. Step by step for iPhone.
Change text, email and alert sounds on your iPhone in Sounds & Haptics, set a tone for one contact, and change sounds inside apps like WhatsApp that allow it.
Get a new number from your carrier, then update My Number, iMessage, FaceTime and your Apple Account on iPhone so everything uses the new phone number.
Change your App Store country on iPhone in Media & Purchases, and clear what blocks it first: store credit, active subscriptions and Family Sharing.
Make text bigger on iPhone with Text Size, Larger Text and Bold Text, change it for one app only, or zoom the whole screen. Can you change the font style too?
Add a language or a third-party keyboard like Gboard on iPhone, switch between them with the globe key, and remove keyboards you no longer use.
Change your iPhone vibration pattern, create a custom one, give a contact their own vibration, or turn vibration off in silent mode or completely.
Record a new voicemail greeting on your iPhone in the Phone app, switch back to the default greeting, or change it by calling voicemail if your carrier needs.
Change your home Wi-Fi password from your iPhone with the router app or admin page, update a saved Wi-Fi password, or change your Personal Hotspot password.
Change your iPhone name in Settings to rename your Personal Hotspot, Bluetooth and AirDrop name all at once. Takes 30 seconds, and here is what else changes.
Call 911 from any iPhone, even locked or with no signal: tap Emergency on the lock screen, use the Emergency SOS slider, or press the side button five times.
Set up an AirTag with your iPhone in under a minute, name it, and use Find My to ring it, get Precision Finding directions or put it in Lost Mode.
Turn off Google SafeSearch on your iPhone in the Google app, Safari and Chrome, check the Screen Time web filter, and see why SafeSearch may be locked on.
Turn 5G off on your iPhone to save battery or fix a weak signal, switch to LTE, or turn 5G back on. Learn what 5G Auto, 5G On and the network icons mean.
Lock your iPhone screen from touch while a child watches a video. Turn on Guided Access, triple click the side button, switch Touch off and tap Start.
Make your iPhone ring longer before voicemail picks up. Use the *61 code on AT&T and T-Mobile, or ask Verizon and other carriers to change the ring time.
Lock your Android screen to one app before handing it to a child. Turn on app pinning, pin YouTube Kids or a game, and require your PIN to unpin it.
Print text messages from your Android phone for free with scrolling screenshots, Google Messages for web, or an export app that keeps names and dates for court.
Print text messages from your iPhone for free with screenshots and AirPrint, save them as a PDF, or export whole conversations with dates for court.
Recover deleted photos on iPhone from Recently Deleted, iCloud.com or a backup, and learn your honest options after 30 days before paying for recovery software.
Recover deleted texts on Android from Samsung Messages Trash, Google Messages Archived, or a Google or Samsung Cloud backup. Plus what recovery apps cannot do.
Recover deleted text messages on iPhone from the Recently Deleted folder in Messages, another Apple device or a backup. What works, and what does not.
Forgot your iPhone passcode or see iPhone Unavailable? Reset it from the Lock Screen, with iCloud Find My or a computer, then restore your data from a backup.
Restore your apps, texts, contacts and settings from a Google backup while setting up a new or reset Android phone. Works across brands, step by step.
Move the Safari address bar back to the top of your iPhone screen, or switch between iOS 26’s Compact, Bottom and Top layouts, in a few taps.
Scan your Android phone for malware for free with Google Play Protect or Samsung Device protection, then remove bad apps in safe mode. No extra app needed.
Scan documents on your iPhone for free with the Notes or Files app, add several pages, save them as a PDF and sign it. No scanner app or scanner needed.
Scan a QR code with your iPhone or Android camera in seconds, scan one from a photo or screenshot, and fix a camera that will not read QR codes.
Schedule a text on iPhone with Send Later in Messages, up to 14 days ahead. Plus how to edit or cancel it, and a Shortcuts trick for regular SMS texts.
Take a screenshot on any Android phone with Power and Volume Down, plus Samsung’s palm swipe, Motorola’s three finger swipe and long scrolling screenshots.
Take a screenshot on any iPhone with the right buttons, without buttons using Back Tap, or capture a full web page. Plus where your screenshots are saved.
Take a screenshot on any Samsung Galaxy with Power and Volume Down, a palm swipe or Bixby, and capture long pages with Scroll capture. Settings included.
See the password of any Wi-Fi network your iPhone has joined, in Settings or the Passwords app, and share it with friends nearby without typing it.
Set up Android Auto for the first time with a USB cable or wirelessly, grant the right permissions, and customize which apps show on your car’s screen.
Set up an iPhone for your child with Family Sharing: create a child Apple Account, turn on Ask to Buy, Screen Time limits, content filters and location sharing.
Set up voicemail on any Android phone by pressing and holding 1, creating a PIN and recording a greeting. Plus visual voicemail on Samsung and Pixel.
Set up voicemail on your iPhone with Set Up Now in the Phone app, pick a password and record a greeting. Plus what to do when the Set Up Now button is missing.
Share your live location from an Android phone with an iPhone user using Google Maps or Find Hub, for an hour or until you turn it off. No extra app needed.
Share your location on iPhone for an hour, a day or forever using Messages, Find My or Maps. Also how to share with an Android user and how to stop sharing.
Move contacts, photos, messages and apps from iPhone to Android with Google’s Android Switch or Samsung Smart Switch, and turn off iMessage so texts arrive.
Move everything from your old Galaxy to a new one with Smart Switch, wirelessly or with a cable. Includes what does not transfer and how to fix a stuck copy.
Move everything to your new iPhone with Quick Start, an iCloud backup or a computer. Keeps apps, photos, messages and settings, plus your eSIM and WhatsApp.
Stop your iPhone calling 911 by accident: turn off Call with Hold and Release, Call with 5 Button Presses and Crash Detection in Settings › Emergency SOS.
Turn off Screen Time on your iPhone in a few taps, reset a forgotten Screen Time passcode with your Apple Account, or turn it off for a child from your phone.
Forgot your Android PIN or pattern? Try Samsung’s previous PIN option and Smart Lock first, then reset with Find Hub or recovery mode and restore your backup.
Check if your iPhone is carrier locked in Settings, then ask your carrier to unlock it for free. Covers Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile rules and what to do next.
Update your Android phone in Settings on Samsung, Pixel, Motorola and others, plus Google Play system updates, and what to do when no update shows up.
Update your iPhone to the latest iOS over Wi-Fi or with a computer, turn on automatic updates, and fix an update that is not showing or will not install.
Send a voice message on iPhone from the plus menu in Messages, review it before sending, and stop audio messages from disappearing after 2 minutes.
Turn on Wi-Fi Calling on your iPhone in Settings › Cellular, add your emergency address, and fix it when the option is missing or calls still drop.
Back up your iPhone to iCloud or a Mac or Windows PC step by step, see what a backup includes, and get free temporary iCloud storage for a new iPhone.
Stop spam and robocalls on your iPhone. Use Screen Unknown Callers in iOS 26, block numbers, turn on your carrier’s free spam filter and 3 more methods.
Send a text message instead of iMessage on iPhone. Switch one message, turn on Send as Text Message as a backup, or turn iMessage off completely.
Change print size on iPhone: pick the paper size in the Print menu, print photos smaller, or use your printer's app to scale. Steps for HP, Canon and Epson.
Clear cache on your iPhone to free space and fix slow apps. Clear Safari and Chrome data, offload apps and use in-app cache buttons, step by step.
Factory reset a Google Pixel, Motorola or other Android phone from Settings or with the buttons. Back up first and avoid the Google lock after the reset.
How to factory reset an iPhone from Settings or a computer, plus the checklist to follow first so you keep your data and the next owner can use it.
Factory reset your Samsung Galaxy from Settings or with the buttons in recovery mode. Back up first and avoid the Google lock that stops the next owner.
Change your iPhone alarm sound to a new tone or a song in the Clock app, set the alarm volume and vibration, and fix an alarm that makes no sound.
Change your iPhone camera aspect ratio to 16:9, 4:3 or square in iOS 26, keep it as the default, and change the shape of photos you have already taken.
Change Do Not Disturb on iPhone: turn it on or off, let family and repeated calls through, set a schedule, and stop it from turning on by itself.
Change what appears in Featured Photos and the Photos widget on iPhone. Remove photos, feature people less, favorite the ones you want or turn it off.
Change headphone settings on iPhone: tune the sound with Headphone Accommodations, fix left and right balance, limit loud audio and set AirPods controls.
Change your iPhone avatar: the Apple Account photo in Settings and the Contact Photo and Poster people see when you call. Use a photo, Memoji or initials.
Update the card or PayPal used for App Store purchases and subscriptions on your iPhone, change the order, and learn how it works with Family Sharing.
Change screenshot settings on iPhone: turn off iOS 26 full-screen previews, take screenshots with Back Tap, capture full web pages and find saved shots.
Change your iPhone password (the passcode you unlock it with) in Settings, choose a 4 or 6 digit or letter code, and learn what to do if you forget it.
Learn how to use AirDrop on iPhone to send photos, videos and files to nearby Apple devices, change who can send to you, and use the new AirDrop codes.
Restore your iPhone from an iCloud or computer backup step by step, including how to do it after setup, which backup to choose and how long it takes.
Screen record on your iPhone in seconds. Add the button to Control Center, record your voice with the microphone, and find and trim your video in Photos.
Screen record on your Samsung Galaxy with the built-in Screen recorder. Record sound or your voice, add a selfie video and find your recording in Gallery.
Get a still photo from a video on your iPhone. Take a clean screenshot of the frame, use Make Key Photo on a Live Photo, or save a full-quality frame.
iPhone not changing time zones when you travel? Turn on Set Automatically, enable the hidden Setting Time Zone switch and try 4 more fixes, or set it by hand.
Move contacts, photos, messages and WhatsApp from Android to iPhone with Apple’s free Move to iOS app, plus free ways to transfer after your iPhone is set up.
Move contacts from a Jitterbug Smart or Jitterbug Flip to an iPhone. Use Move to iOS, sync with Google, or copy them over when you have a Flip phone.
Transfer photos from iPhone to PC in minutes. Use a USB cable, File Explorer or iCloud on Windows 10 or 11, and fix HEIC photos that will not open.
Holding the side button on your Samsung opens Bixby instead of turning it off? Here are 4 ways to power off a Galaxy, and how to make the button work normally.
Showing 12 of 126