When browsing the web, I enjoy my privacy. It's reassuring that I can peruse the internet without the worry of having my activity tracked back to me, allowing me to leave fun, anonymous comments when I get the urge to troll. Anonymity can also be important when sending a mess ...more
Your Nexus 7 may be a tablet, but it can also be used as a phone, thanks to the continued upswing of VoIP applications, which send voice and media messages over the Internet—not over a cellular network. There are many VoIP apps on Google Play that let you make free phone call ...more
Thanks to a newly discovered iOS exploit, a text message can now ruin your day. It will literally cripple your iPhone, and the worst thing is that anyone with a phone that supports double-byte unicode can do it to you. While it initially sounded like bullshit, we tried it out ...more
Spoofed phone calls originate from one source that's disguising its phone number as a different one, and you probably get these calls all the time. Maybe they're numbers from your local area code or for prominent businesses, but the callers are just hijacking those digits to f ...more
When it comes to digital security, one of the best ways to protect yourself is to use two-factor authentication. Most apps these days support it, including Facebook, a site where the more privacy you can muster, the better. However, of the two 2FA options available for Faceboo ...more
Want to stick it to your mobile carrier by porting your cell number to Google Voice? Now you can! On Wednesday, January 19th, Google Voice began allowing select users to transfer their personal numbers to Google Voice for a one-time fee of $20. Though the feature is still in ...more
With all of the productivity tweaks and usability enhancements that we cover here at Gadget Hacks, it's nice when we come across a unique and noteworthy app that's simply about having fun. This is the case with the latest offering from the development team at Privax. Their ap ...more
There are tons of situations that require you to give out your phone number, and I think just about everyone has regretted doing so at some point. It can be incredibly convenient to have a secondary or temporary number on hand, so if you don't want to provide your real digits, ...more
Whenever you make FaceTime audio or video calls from your iPhone, Apple automatically uses your phone number or Apple ID email address as the caller identification. So when someone that you're calling sees the incoming call, they'll see it's from your phone number or email add ...more
Phone numbers often contain clues to the owner's identity and can bring up a lot of data during an OSINT investigation. Starting with a phone number, we can search through a large number of online databases with only a few clicks to discover information about a phone number. I ...more
Google's Android Device Manager makes it extremely easy to track down your phone or tablet, but while it's simple to set up and use, it does require your device to have an active data connection, which can be an issue in some areas. SMSLocator, by T3KBAU5, works a little diff ...more
With the Android platform on a large amount of mobile phones today, chances are you have one. Sometimes messaging on the phones can be a little confusing, but there's a simple explanation for texting your friends and family. Best Buy has answers. The Best Buy Mobile team expla ...more
In places like underground bars or national parks, your phone's Internet service is sure to slow down to a very sluggish pace, making it difficult to surf the web. Or worst case, data will be non-existent, leaving you with only low-level network support for calls and SMS text ...more
A huge chunk of my life revolves around my computer, and whenever I'm on my laptop and get a text message notification on my phone, I find it extremely distracting to stop whatever I'm doing to hunt it down. That's why I'm a big fan of text messaging via my computer. While we ...more
One of the most useful new features in iOS 7 is the ability to block phone calls, FaceTime calls, and text messages by blocking any phone number. Whether you've got a stalker, a crazy ex, a harassing bill collector, or just too many telemarketers, this new feature makes it ea ...more
Send a text message to a landline? You can! If you're on a Verizon or Sprint network, you can write the text message and include the landline number. This will convert your text to a voicemail, and ask for approval before sending.
Smartphones are great. They help you keep in touch with your loved ones and stay up to date on what's going on in the world. The problem is that like everything else that's useful, they cost money to use, and between calling, texting, and data plans, it can get really expensiv ...more
When it comes to your smartphone, you don't have to be a cheater to want a little privacy. I don't even like people playing Temple Run on my mobile because I don't want anyone beating the achievements I've been working on getting myself. That's why most utilize the lock scree ...more
Swyping is not just for letters anymore! In this tutorial, learn how to text numbers with super fast speed using your Swype app. Swype is a cool new way to send messages on your phone without ever taking your finger away from the screen. Check out this clip and Swype numbers, ...more
If your cell phone doesn't have internet capabilities, or you're just unwilling to pay the insane price of the web connectivity rates, you can still access Google as long as you can text message. Google responds to text messages with the best match, so it's more ideal for look ...more
As much as it pains me to say it, without my phone, I would pretty much be useless. I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, let alone all of the hundreds of numbers in my contact list. That's why whenever I forget my phone at home, I am pretty much stuck having t ...more
In recent years, unwanted calls have become a top priority for the FCC. In 2016, analysts estimated that US customers received over 2.4 billion robocalls per month. As a result, the FCC has provided carriers new tools to combat this problem. The Federal Communications Commiss ...more
In these text messaging how to videos for cell phone users, learn how to send text messages. It’s easy. Our expert will walk you through different types of mobile phones and the text features they have. Then learn how to use a numeric keypad to type in letters, numbers and sym ...more
Everyone has that one friend who just can't help but send multiple texts in rapid-fire succession, when they just as easily could have been consolidated into one easy-to-read message. Alert after alert, this becomes extremely annoying as your phone shoots notification sounds a ...more
Vibrate is not as inconspicuous as one might think, which means silent mode is usually the option that many stick to when in class, at work, or anywhere that forbids loud noise. However, when silent mode is on, it can lead to missed calls that could potentially be important o ...more
There's something about alcohol that compels you to contact people. Most of the time, the drunken calls or messages you send out will have you cringing hard tomorrow morning. But if you have a jailbroken iPhone, you can help prevent this potential embarrassment with a free twe ...more
If you're a Twitter user, it's a safe bet to assume that you've used a hashtag. On all social networking sites that have the capability, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Google+, the pound (#) symbol is used to mark and designate specific keywords or topics in order to make it ...more
Learn how to make a BlackBerry phone tell you its PIN and phone number. This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video guide. For detailed in ...more
This clip demonstrates a pair of handy shortcuts for discovering the PIN and phone number of a BlackBerry phone. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this official video guide from ...more
Prank Calls, Masked NumbersWho is calling your phone or your child's? Pranksters use a lot of tricks to make sure they can get on your nerves. Being able to trace prank calls is important because you're not going to learn much from your Caller ID, since most prank callers use ...more
Have you ever found yourself calling up a company, only to be denied due to not calling from the number listed on your account? Thanks to a website called Spoofcard, this is no longer an issue! SpoofCard let's you spoof the number you are calling from, as well as modify your v ...more
Ross Handler shows us how to block your cell phone number for outgoing calls. First call your provider and let them know you want all of your outgoing calls to not be registered onto some one else's caller I.D. They will gladly do that for you. But if you want to just block in ...more
Jordy with AT&T teaches us how to block your cell phone number when making outgoing calls. By doing this, any person you call cannot read your ten digit cell phone number. It's as simple as entering a code before you dial the desired number. The code is *67 followed by the ten ...more
If you are having a difficult time getting someone's phone number this is the how to video for you. Watch and learn ten easy tips to getting a phone number and maybe even a date.
If you want to block your cell phone number for all calls, this is the video for you. Learn to block not just one call, but all further calls with the push of a few buttons. Now no one will be able to see your cell phone number.
It seems like everyone has Caller ID these days, but not everyone wants to give up their privacy. Whether you're calling from a cell phone or a landline, you can dial *67 to block your phone number from appearing on Caller ID, and many phone companies offer a permanent option ...more
Not only is Poptropica fun, it's also chock full of fun Easter eggs. In this clip from YouTube's Poptropica Cheats, you'll learn how to unlock and use a number of the better ones. Specifically, this clip will teach you how to customize your cell phone number as well as persona ...more
The idea behind this prank is two of the guys will go head to head trying to get one girls number and one guys number, both just random people on the street. Sounds simple right? No, they must tattoo the number on themselves right there in the street to make it count. The firs ...more
In this clip, learn all about the ShapeWriter and how it works. You can follow along with this demonstration and get started texting faster than ever before. Never take your fingers off the screen with this fun, useful writing app.
Every key on a telephone keypad has its own sonic signature, a sort of calling card composed of two distinct tones: one high, one low. While it's easy to tell the difference between the individual pitches in a single row—see, for example, this article on using your cell phone ...more
Facebook really wants your phone number, nagging you for one as soon as you join. This isn't all bad since it can help secure your account with two-factor authentication. On the flipside, this makes it easy to reveal the private phone numbers of virtually anyone on Facebook, i ...more
As much as you try to safeguard your personal information, you may have made a small mistake by giving your phone number to the wrong entity, and now you're being bombarded with dozens of spam calls every day. To help parse your call log and reject the proper numbers without a ...more
I will guess your phone number and age in one minute. Video: .
You can forward your Skype audio calls to your cellphone or landline. This way, you'll still receive calls when you have no Wi-Fi, and you don't have to worry about always being logged into Skype. If you've ever missed a Skype voice call because you weren't on Wi-Fi or becaus ...more
If you need to call someone back in a hurry, don't bother redialing the number. In fact, don't bother digging through your phone app to tap on the number in the call log. Instead, use this simple trick to quickly redial the number, whether you have an iPhone or Android. Open ...more
Caller ID is great to have, but there are certain situations where you don't want the person you're calling to have your number. People who sometimes use their personal phones for work may not want clients knowing where to reach them outside of work, and anytime you're dealing ...more
Whether you're interested in learning Microsoft Excel from the bottom up or just looking to pick up a few tips and tricks, you're in the right place. In this tutorial from everyone's favorite digital spreadsheet guru, ExcelIsFun, the 270000000000000000000000000000000th install ...more
It's easy to copy text from webpages, messages, documents, and other views on your Android device — except when it isn't. Many apps block or prohibit text selection, forcing you to take screenshots or write out the whole excerpt manually. But you don't have to resort to those ...more
New to Microsoft Excel? Looking for a tip? How about a tip so mind-blowingly useful as to qualify as a magic trick? You're in luck. In this MS Excel tutorial from ExcelIsFun, the 257th installment in their series of digital spreadsheet magic tricks, you'll learn how to text da ...more
New to Microsoft Excel? Looking for a tip? How about a tip so mind-blowingly useful as to qualify as a magic trick? You're in luck. In this MS Excel tutorial from ExcelIsFun and Mr. Excel, the 45th installment in their joint series of digital spreadsheet magic tricks, you'll l ...more
Learn the "insider secrets" to using Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger) like a phone. Everyone is about Skype and Google Talk, but little know Messenger can also do it. CNET tells you about video chatting, texting and more. Talk the talk in Windows Live Messenger.
A lot of people text nonstop, but there are situations where it's either not allowed or considered rude to use your phone. Let's say you're in class or in a meeting at work, band you're expecting an important message or phone call. Rather than trying to check your phone discre ...more
WhatsApp is a very popular messaging app on the Play Store, but unfortunately, tablet users have been left out of all the fun because WhatsApp only works on smartphones—until now. Tech wiz James Nakata wrote up a short guide over in our forum for porting WhatsApp onto a Nexus ...more
Since iOS 6, "Respond with Text" has allowed us to quickly respond to a call we can't (or don't want to) answer. But Apple only gives you three options to choose from, and if you don't have time to type out your own response, those three might not cut it. Luckily, you can cust ...more
Text messaging is a core component of the mobile experience, and Google has added several AI-fueled features to help you text better, such as Smart Reply for quick response suggestions. But Messages by Google's newest AI-powered tool is possibly the best one yet, giving you im ...more
Learn how to add send someone's contact information via SMS text message on a BlackBerry phone. This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this vide ...more
Swype is a brand new way to send text messages and e-mails from your cell phone. In this clip, learn how to use this new tool to send the world's fastest messages. With Swype, your fingers will never leave the keypad so you can type in half the time. Check out this tutorial fo ...more
In this clip, we learn how to send and receive text messages on a Windows Phone 7. Whether you're the proud owner of a Microsoft Windows Phone 7 smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, inc ...more
Learn how to compose and send both SMS and MMS text messages on a BlackBerry phone running version 5 of the BlackBerry OS. This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a BlackBerry smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to ...more
Love Microsoft Excel? This clip contains a tip that just might induce you to. With this free video tutorial from ExcelIsFun, the 44th installment of his "YouTubers Love Excel" or YTLE series of free video MS Excel lessons, you'll learn use 4 different tricks to convert a text ...more