Your tech questions, answered
Plus: backing up texts, eliminating notification spam, and recovering a hacked Instagram account
Greetings and welcome to another edition of the Rich on Tech newsletter!
This one’s a little different. I thought I’d share some of the emails I get from you, so you know I’m not joking when I say how much you love to write in. I read a ton of messages every week, and many of them give me story ideas and help me understand the real tech issues you’re dealing with.
So without further ado, here are some recent questions and answers from your fellow readers. Enjoy!
Adam writes:
I’ve had an iPhone 14 for a few years and it’s starting to get glitchy. I’m ready to upgrade, but I’m torn. Should I go with the iPhone 17 now or wait for the iPhone 18? I can probably hold out until the next release this fall, but is it expected to be worth the wait?
Great question, and a common dilemma. The iPhone 17 is already a very solid, polished upgrade, so you really can’t go wrong buying now. But if your current phone is still usable and you can hang on until September or October, it’s usually smart to wait and see what Apple announces. Either way, coming from an iPhone 14, you’ll notice a huge improvement, especially in the camera and battery life.
Frank writes:
I just bought a new iMac to replace my old one, which is 11 years old. The problem is I don’t have enough storage to transfer all my data to the new machine. What’s the best way to handle this?
There are a few good options here. You can upload important files to iCloud or another cloud storage service from your old iMac and then download them onto the new one. You can also use an external hard drive to move files over manually. Another option is a full Time Machine backup, which lets you keep everything. Personally, I recommend bringing over only the files you actually need. It keeps your new machine cleaner and helps you avoid carrying over years of clutter.
Deborah writes:
I use Outlook 365 and have a strange email that won’t delete, even from my deleted folder. There’s a weird icon next to it, and every time I try to remove it, I get an error message. I’m worried it might be dangerous and don’t even want to click on it. Any ideas?
I don’t think that having an email sitting in your deleted folder will harm your computer. My first recommendation is to log into your email through the web version of Outlook or Office 365 and try deleting it there. For whatever reason, messages that won’t delete in the desktop app can often be removed through webmail. That’s typically the quickest fix.
Donna from Mentor, Ohio writes:
It feels like every store, gas station, and restaurant now requires its own app for deals and rewards. How are you supposed to download and store all of these when your iPhone only has so much space?
It definitely feels that way, but the good news is most of those store and rewards apps take up very little space. They’re usually not the main issue when your phone is full. In most cases, deleting a single video or a batch of photos will free up more space than dozens of apps. If you want to see what’s really using your storage, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. That will show you a list sorted by size, and you’ll likely find photos, videos, or messages at the top, not those shopping apps.
Sponsored: Something readers ask me all the time!
I’m starting to get more concerned about how much of my personal information is out there online. Every time I search my name, I see my address and phone number on these random websites. Is there an easy way to remove this information?
You’re not imagining it, your personal information is likely all over these data broker sites.
You can go through and request removal manually, but it’s time-consuming and those sites often repost your info later. A service like Incogni automates that process for you. It goes out and submits removal requests on your behalf to dozens of these data broker sites and keeps doing it over time.
I’ve been testing it myself, and it’s pretty eye-opening. So far, it’s completed about 600 removal requests and saved me an estimated 470+ hours of doing this manually. I also like the feature that lets you submit a URL with your personal information and have them work to get it removed.
It’s one of the easier ways to cut down on the amount of your personal data floating around online.
If you want to try it, you can sign up for Incogni using my code RICHONTECH to get 60% off.
A concerned mom writes:
I recently ordered a random AirTag-like tracking device, but the whole experience started to feel like a bait and switch. The review I saw looked legitimate, but now I can’t even find it again, and the company hasn’t provided any real shipping details.
I’m especially concerned because I need something reliable for safety reasons. My son has mental health challenges and sometimes drives until he runs out of gas. I need a way to track his location and find his car. Have I been duped, and what should I use instead?
That’s not a brand I’m familiar with, which raises some red flags. I see this a lot. Some sellers create websites that look like independent reviews, but they’re really just ads. That’s likely what you came across. I would initiate a refund through your credit card company immediately. Even if you get the product, it likely won’t work as advertised.
For your situation, an AirTag might not be the best fit. It depends on nearby Apple devices to update location, so it’s not reliable for real-time tracking, especially if someone is driving or in less populated areas. A dedicated GPS tracker (LandAirSea is one brand) is a better option. These devices offer real-time location tracking and don’t rely on nearby phones. Look for something designed for vehicles with good battery life and consistent connectivity. Keep in mind there might be a monthly fee.
Garry writes:
I’m getting nonstop notifications on my Pixel 9a, some from “Norton” and some that look like they’re from Google, all warning about viruses. The thing is, I don’t even have Norton installed. One alert claimed I have 18 high-risk viruses. I now have about 40 of these notifications and they keep coming. Is any of this legit, and how do I stop it?
This sounds like notification spam, and the good news is it’s very common and not a real virus.
What likely happened is that a website asked permission to send notifications and it was accidentally approved. Once that happens, those sites can keep sending scary alerts even when you’re not visiting them.
Here’s how to fix it on your Android phone:
Open Chrome
Tap the three-dot menu in the top right
Tap Settings
Tap Site settings
Tap Notifications
From here, remove any sites you don’t recognize or turn notifications off entirely
Once you revoke those permissions, the alerts should stop.
Yvonne writes:
With so many streaming services these days, I keep forgetting what I’m watching and where it’s available. Are there any apps that can help organize my shows across platforms like Hulu, Apple TV, and Peacock?
Keeping track of everything really is a challenge now. My go-to app for this is JustWatch. It might not have the best design, but it works really well for creating a watchlist and seeing exactly which services your shows are on.
A close second is Reelgood, which offers a very similar experience. Both do a great job of helping you organize what to watch next and where to find it.
Kathleen writes:
I heard you on the radio talking about Bitwarden, so I decided to try it. Now I’m wondering… should I turn on autofill? I added the browser extension, but I’m not sure if that’s the best idea. What do you think?
Short answer: I use autofill, and it’s very convenient.
There is a small tradeoff here. You’re giving up a tiny bit of security in exchange for a lot of ease of use. On your own personal device, it’s generally fine to keep autofill turned on, especially if your computer or phone is locked down with a passcode, Face ID, or fingerprint.
If you want to be extra cautious, you can turn autofill off and fill passwords manually instead. It’s a bit more work, but it gives you an extra layer of control.
Geralene from Connecticut writes:
My Android phone is acting up and won’t stay on. It flashes the home screen, then goes black, and repeats. I’m even getting a message that Android may be corrupt and suggesting a factory reset. Before I do that, I really want to back up my text messages. Is there a way to do this, maybe with Google, or anything else you recommend?
Your best option here is an app called SMS Backup & Restore. It’s specifically designed to save your text messages so you can restore them later. If you can keep your phone on long enough, try installing it from the Google Play Store and quickly running a backup. You can save that backup to Google Drive for easy access later.
If the phone won’t stay on long enough to do that, your options become more limited. Android doesn’t offer an easy way to extract texts without access to the device. So if you can get even a few minutes of stability, I’d try that app first before going through with a factory reset.
Monica writes:
I think my Instagram account has been hacked. I can’t log into it anymore, and even when I tried creating a new account, I couldn’t access that either. I’ve already had to change my bank and Amazon accounts just to be safe. I’m really upset because Instagram is how I stay connected with friends and family. Is there any way to recover my account?
The best and safest way to try to recover your account is through Meta’s official account recovery page. Follow the steps carefully, they may ask you to verify your identity or confirm details about your account.
Also, be very cautious of anyone offering to recover your account for a fee. Those services are almost always scams and can make things worse.
Stick with Meta’s official process, even though it can take some time. And please, turn on two factor authentication!
Shirley writes:
After updating my iPhone SE, I’m now seeing a “slow charging” message when I plug it in. I’m using the charger that came with the phone in 2020. Is something wrong, and do I need a new charger or phone?
Nothing is wrong with your phone, this is all about the charger you’re using.
Your iPhone SE supports fast charging (up to about 50% in 30 minutes), but only with a higher-powered adapter of 18W or more, which was sold separately. If a charger came in the box, it is likely a slower 5W adapter, so your phone is now correctly labeling that as “slow charging.”
Newer versions of iOS show more detailed charging info, so you’re just seeing something that was always happening.
If you want faster charging, you can upgrade to a faster USB-C wall adapter. There are good budget options from UGREEN and Amazon Basics for about $12. Otherwise, if your phone is working fine, there’s no need to replace it just yet.
Keep in mind, there’s a chance this SE might not support iOS 27 in the future, so you might want to plan for an upgrade in the near future.
Steve writes:
I’ve been looking for recommendations on “cleanup” tools for iPhones and iPads, but it’s hard to know what to trust, especially with all the pop-ups out there. Do you have any recommendations?
You’re right to be cautious, a lot of those “cleanup” apps and pop-ups simply can’t be trusted.
The reality is there aren’t many true cleaner apps for iPhone or iPad because of how iOS is designed. Apple doesn’t allow apps to access the system in a way that would let them deeply clean or optimize your device.
That said, one app I do like is Clever Cleaner. It can help with things like organizing photos and clearing out duplicates and there are fees or in app purchases.
Beyond that, the best cleanup tools are already built into your device. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see what’s taking up space, then review large apps, photos, and messages. Deleting unused apps or old videos is usually the most effective way to free up space and keep things running smoothly.
Before I go, reader Mark suggested adding comics to the newsletter, so we gave it a shot. My kid drew the characters, I came up with the names and the idea, and AI helped bring it all together. Hope it gives you a laugh!
That’s going to do it for this edition of the Rich on Tech newsletter. Thanks so much for reading.
If you have a question, you can send it here. Otherwise, follow me on Facebook or Instagram, tell a friend, and subscribe to the podcast.
Have a great weekend.
Rich