Four Simple Tech Tasks for Older Family Members While You’re Home for the Holidays
There are some traditions that come with the holidays and visiting family: eating a lot, reminiscing about old times, watching classic movies, and of course, fixing any tech glitches your parents or other older family members have encountered. during the previous 12 months.
Of course, there will likely come a time for all of us when we get caught up in the latest gadgets and gizmos and long for simpler times. However, while you’re working as the family’s resident tech expert, you can do a few simple jobs for your relatives and make sure they’re well prepared for next year.
Get all updates
Software updates are important for a variety of reasons: they fix bugs, improve security, add new features, and improve compatibility with applications, hardware, and websites. If your parents neglected to install the latest updates on their devices, you can solve this problem for them.
Checking for updates and installing them is easy: go to Windows Update in Windows Settings, General > Software Update in macOS System Preferences, System > Software Updates in Android Settings, and General ยป > “Software Update” in iOS Settings. If you see an automatic update option, turn it on.
You may find that really old devices are not up to date with the latest updates from Microsoft, Apple and Google. In this case, it might be worth discussing whether it’s worth the time and money to upgrade to something newer (which will likely be faster, less error-prone, and more secure).
Check app permissions
A quick check of app permissions can make a significant difference when it comes to device security: you don’t want any apps accessing camera and microphone permissions, for example, without explicit permission (and it’s too easy to access those permission requests). when they appear).
These can be found by going to Privacy & Security in Windows Settings, Privacy & Security in macOS System Settings, Security & Privacy > Privacy Management > Permission Manager in Android Settings, and Privacy & Security. in iOS settings.
If you see an app you’re not sure about, talk to your parents: if they don’t actually use it or have no idea where it came from, delete it from the device so you don’t have to worry about what it is. maybe he does. You can always reinstall it later if your parents used it.
Browser Settings Audit
Most of your screen time is spent browsing the web, and an insecure and outdated browser can leave you vulnerable. This is especially true on Windows and macOS, where browsers run more advanced web applications, manage third-party extensions, and are embedded deeper into the operating system.
Here are some quick checks on your parents’ browser of choice: make sure you’re using the latest version of your browser (this is usually handled automatically), and look through your browser’s list of extensions to see if there’s anything suspicious or unnecessary in it. and also check your homepage and default search settings to make sure they haven’t been hijacked by scammers or affiliate marketing companies.
The exact steps to do this will vary depending on the browser, but you should be able to find the settings you need without much difficulty. In Chrome, for example, you can check for updates by clicking the three dots (top right), then Settings , then About Chrome . Click “Extensions” on the same settings page to check your installed add-ons.
Check your password security
Passwords can become a real security problem, whether they’re forgotten, hacked and leaked, or exposed through clever phishing schemes . If your parents have their passwords sorted, this is an important step to ensuring they and their accounts are protected in the future.
You know what’s best for your relatives, but ideally you want them to sign up for some kind of password manager : this means everything will be secure, passwords won’t be forgotten, and warnings will appear for duplicate passwords. or not strong enough (a good password manager will also suggest strong passwords).
It’s also important to enable two-factor authentication wherever it’s offered (most digital accounts support it now). This adds a little extra inconvenience when logging in on new devices, but makes accounts much more secure and protects against password leaks: again, this is something the best password managers can handle.