ASK CAPPIE THE COMPUTER CAT
ONLINE SAFETY TIPS
Dear Cappie, My current phone is still working okay but a bit sluggish—it doesn’t hold a charge as long as it used to when I first got it. At what point do you think it’s a good idea to buy a new smartphone? Teddy from SCG
Dear Teddy, How do you use your phone? If you mostly use it just for basic tasks like making calls, browsing the web, and sending text messages--a newer, faster phone will not make a huge difference. You did not mention if you have an Android or iPhone, how old your smartphone is, or what condition it is in. Regardless of the operating system, if you answer “yes” to the following questions, you might consider buying a new phone:
Can you no longer download the latest updates to your phone’s operating system? n Will your smartphone no longer run the latest versions of apps you have downloaded? n Is your “touch screen” cracked, losing brightness, not responding as well to your touch? n
A good rule of thumb of when to consider an upgrade is when you no longer can get software updates or if the cost of fixing the device is more than the phone is worth based on its
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age and condition. iPhones get security and software updates for five to six years. Android devices get them for about two to three years. Another practical reason to get a new phone is if the cost of fixing broken parts is too high, e.g., severely cracked, or broken touch screen, phone waterlogged and unresponsive, suffered a serious fall, etc. Before deciding to spend your hard-earned cash, if your smartphone is responding too slowly or using up battery life too quickly, try these fixes: n Reset your phone Wi-Fi signal. The easiest way is to turn on airplane mode, wait a few seconds, then turn it off. If your browser is still running slowly after it reconnects, try turning off your Wi-Fi, then reconnecting or using a different Wi-Fi connection. If your connection improves, then the problem was with the Wi-Fi itself and not with your phone. n Get rid of old text messages. They take up an enormous amount of storage. Your phone will run faster, and you’ll have an easier time navigating through your texts. (For an iPhone: Find the conversations you want to remove>Swipe to the left>tap on the trashcan icon>click Delete. Steps for Android phones vary depending on manufacturer and model).
View the digital version of “Ask Cappie” monthly column by going to www.grandinfo.com. Click on the More News>Grand Lifestyles Magazine> to choose the month you want to view. Special thanks to Annie and Bruce Lowe for sharing this lovely photo of Darcy-Dog Lowe, a half Cocker Spaniel, half Blue Meryl Mini Berne-doodle.
Get rid of apps you don’t use because take up storage space and chew up battery life. Before you delete each app, log in to the app and go to the menu page that lets you deactivate or delete your account so your personal information will be deleted as well. n Avoid running several apps at one time as this too will slow down your phone--so close n
Grand Lifestyles | December 2021 | suncitygrand.com
