Dear Rich: (More) tech questions from readers like you

Roku privacy, simple iPhone picks, Plaud recorders, S26 Ultra, scanner apps, satellite texting, app updates, and iOS advice.

Last week’s “Dear Abby”-style bonus newsletter was well-received, so I’m doing it again. Here are some of the pressing questions you asked me this week — and my answers. Have something you want to ask? Submit it here.

Rich

Roku privacy prompt

Jim writes in from Arizona…

When I turned on my Hisense TV with Roku built in, I was greeted with a new prompt asking me to enable “Automatic Content Recognition.” I opted out. Interestingly, the default was to accept — and I didn’t see this same prompt on my separate Roku stick.

Good call, Jim. That screen controls Roku’s Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) and Content Viewing Disclosure. ACR scans what you watch — even from antenna or connected devices — to recommend content and personalize ads. If you care about privacy, leave both boxes unchecked or choose Disagree.

You can always adjust this later under Settings → Privacy → Smart TV Experience on your Roku TV.

For other TV models, Consumer Reports has a helpful post with instructions on how to locate the setting and disable it.

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Choosing a simple iPhone

Sue writes in from Garden Grove, California…

I’m trying to figure out which iPhone to buy. My current one is old and really slowing down. I still work and like using my phone for games and health tracking, but I’m not super tech-savvy. What edition would you recommend that’s easy to use and not too expensive?

I’d go with the iPhone 16e. It’s a nice balance of features, simplicity, and price — and you might even find it on sale this holiday season. It’s modern enough to handle health apps and games, but still easy to use without the extras that can feel overwhelming. It costs $599.

You could spend $799 and step up to the iPhone 17 and get a better display, speedier processor, more cameras, faster charging and more storage.

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Plaud recorder review

Jim in Portland writes in…

Greetings, Rich. I’ve written before, and you’ve given me great advice. Have you tested any of the Plaud products? I used to rely on a voice recorder for meetings and important conversations. Being blind, it let me go back and review on my own time. I hear Plaud now makes AI recorders that summarize notes — is that true? Which one would you recommend, the Plaud Note or the Plaud Pin?

I’ve used Plaud extensively and think it’s great overall. I’ve tested the standard Plaud, the new Plaud Pro, and the Plaud Pin. The Pin is more flexible — easy to clip on and record constantly — while the Pro has a small screen that makes it more convenient.

My main downside with Plaud is the time it takes to transfer recordings from the device to your phone for transcriptions and AI summaries.

That said, if you already have an iPhone or Apple Watch, check out the Whisper Memos app. It does much of the same thing using just your phone, costs far less, and doesn’t require any extra hardware.

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Wait for S26 Ultra?

Dedred writes in from Garden Grove, California.

Hi Rich on Tech, I was thinking about upgrading my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to the S25 Ultra, but I heard the S26 Ultra is coming out in early 2026. Should I wait? My phone’s running out of space and glitching, and I just bought the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 after losing my Pro 2s. I like the Pro 2s better for comfort, but I want the new interpreter feature.

If you can wait, hold off for the S26 Ultra. It’ll likely be announced by the end of January or February — and since you’ve made it this far, you’re almost there.

In the meantime, download Google’s free Files app to clear up space and cut down on those glitches.

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Scanner app help

Bev writes in…

Hi Rich, loved your segment on Japan. I loved it there so much I went to Japan twice last year. I recently purchased an iPhone 17 Pro. I want to download helpful apps. Which free scanner do you recommend? Is there a free editor for PDFs where it’ll allow me to add text to a form?

Hey Bev, everything you need is already built into the iPhone. It’s called Preview, a new app that comes pre-installed. You can use it to scan documents, fill out PDFs, and add text or signatures without downloading anything else.

And thanks for the kind words about the Japan segment — I’m glad you went twice! Next time I want to bring the kids.

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T-Mobile vs Apple satellite

Bruce writes in from Colorado…

I really enjoy your newsletter and look forward to it every week. I’ve been an Apple user since the IIe days! In your latest newsletter, you mentioned T-Mobile’s free Satellite 911 texting service — how is that different from Apple’s? Should I have both?

Thanks, Bruce — Apple IIe might have been what I had in grade school. As for satellite, I don’t think you need both. T-Mobile’s emergency texting connects much faster, but Apple’s will also work in an emergency. It’s built into the iPhone 14 and up and will also work for sending your location to Find My and sending messages via satellite. It’s just a much slower experience.

T-Mobile’s service (powered by Starlink) has more satellites in the sky, so it’s much easier to get and maintain a connection - it’s almost effortless. The other difference comes with T-Mobile’s paid satellite service. It will let you send regular texts and even use limited data for apps like AllTrails and Google Maps — not just 911. Every time I use it, I’m amazed.

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Updating apps

Angela writes in…

I really enjoyed your bonus newsletter — it was super helpful and explained perfectly the difference between your radio show and podcast. I was also wondering how to update all my apps. My stepson used to do that for me, and he said it’s important to keep them current.

Thanks for the kind words, Angela — and great question. Here’s how to do it: open the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, then pull down on the screen to refresh. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see a list of apps that need updates — just tap Update All to bring everything up to date.

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iOS update questions

Joe writes in from California…

I’ve been holding off on updating my iPhone 14 Pro to iOS 26 because of the early bugs I read about. Now that 26.1 is out, is it finally safe to upgrade? Also, I saw an article claiming Apple stopped supporting iOS 18, but my phone still shows an update for 18.7.2. What’s the deal?

Hey Joe — iOS 26.1 is much smoother and fixes many of those early 26.0 issues, so now’s a good time to update. As for iOS 18, Apple still supports it and will continue to provide security fixes for a while (probably a couple of years). That’s why you see both options in your update menu — you can stay on 18.7 for now or move to 26 when you’re ready. There’s a lot of bad information out there.

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That’s going to do it for this special edition of the newsletter!

If you’ve got a question for me, you can submit it here.

If you’re not already doing so, follow me on Instagram at @RichOnTech — and I’ll see you on the radio and TV.

Rich