Hey, hey, Tuesday. It’s a packed newsletter! (OK, it always is.) So many of you loved my quick tip yesterday on faster charging, I think it’s high time to dive a little deeper with our main tip o’ the day.

⌛ Quick privacy tip: Press Ctrl + Shift + N on your keyboard while using Google Chrome to open a new incognito window for private browsing without tracking cookies or history. (It’s Cmd + Shift + N on a Mac.) Super! — Kim

You know by now your phone's battery performance degrades the older it gets. That's just how lithium-ion batteries work, unfortunately. With each charging cycle, they wear down a bit. Eventually, it becomes too big a problem to ignore. 

Let's look at the symptoms — and see how to check your battery health.

Signs you can’t ignore

• Your phone’s battery used to stay charged for over a day. Now, you're looking for an outlet by the afternoon.
• You unplug your phone, only to see the battery level drop quickly, even though you're not doing anything unusual.
• You leave your phone plugged in for hours, but it never returns to a full charge.
• Your phone is off-the-charts hot when it’s charging. You may even notice a physical bulge. Unplug it immediately if this happens.

Apple makes it easy

It’s easy to see if your iPhone battery is struggling. Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.

▶️ At the top, you'll see your battery's maximum capacity. Don't panic if it's below 100%. Your battery’s designed to maintain 80% of its original capacity by 500 charges, so that percentage will tick down over time.

Under Peak Performance Capability, you'll see whether your battery is operating normally. If it’s seriously degraded, you'll see a message here.

It’s a little trickier on an Android

Most manufacturers have different steps. Here are a few to try:

• Open the Phone app, dial *#*#4636#*#* and look for an option to check your battery health. If you don't see it, try another option.
• On Samsung, open the built-in Samsung Members app. Tap Get Help > Check Android battery health.
• Apps like AccuBattery can provide a good estimate if all else fails.

💻 Nobody likes a dead battery, even if it's free of charge. And sorry, friend, but your laptop battery won't last forever, either. Here’s how to check yours.

😢 Thanks for the memories: Google Photos’ Memories highlights pics the algorithm deems important. Now, a new AI upgrade will let you see “co-authored” memories (invite friends and fam to collaborate), get title suggestions for new albums and share memories as videos (aka easier sharing with iPhone friends). Google served me a photo of my mom this morning that made me cry because I miss her so much, but I was thankful to see her smile!

Samsung OS beta betta be good: Use a Galaxy S23? Test the latest software, built on Android 14, before it hits primetime. Sign up here. Betas can be glitchy, so fair warning. Upgrades include autozoom for scanning QR codes, a new default font (ooh-la-la!) and a back arrow for easier navigation.

Get a load of those apples: Apple AirPlay is coming to Teslas. The latest Tesla app update (version 4.23) includes programming and codes to make Apple AirPlay work. No firm announcement date yet, but the code speaks for itself. I bet this will boost sales.

🎼 You(Tube), too: Look for the new “Samples“ area in the YouTube Music app — they’re quick video clips to help you discover new songs. “Shocker move,” said no one; YouTube borrowed the idea from TikTok.

Extreme IT pro alert: Remember Window Maker? It’s a throwback to the Linux of old, and it might make you nostalgic for the time you had to edit your menus through a text file. (If you don’t know what any of this means, move on. There’s nothing here for you.) My adventurous readers can try it out here.

Got a few spare minutes during your drive? Or maybe you're chilling at home? Sounds like the perfect time to tune in to The Kim Komando Show podcast!

I keep it real, breaking down the latest tech trends, cybersecurity tips and gadget reviews into snack-sized, easy-to-understand episodes.

👉 Download an episode today!

Get your free vehicle privacy report: Want to know what details your car manufacturer (and all their partners) collects about you? Plug in your VIN here. Privacy4Cars deletes personal data from used cars before they’re resold. It’s how carmakers comply with privacy laws — and a way for you to see all the data transfers under the hood, so to speak.

I regret it: You went down the Facebook rabbit hole on an ex and want to wipe away the last 20 minutes of your search history. Easy: Log in to Facebook on your browser and tap your profile picture. Select Settings & Privacy > Activity Log. Click the Logged actions and other activity option, then Search history. Tap Clear Searches.

⏸️ Cheapskate pro tip: You can pause your internet and/or cable package if you’re going to be out of town for an extended period. So much better than paying full price. Get specific steps for your provider here.

Stretch out: Get the best seat on your next flight. I use Google Flights to find the cheapest trips. The Chrome browser extension Legrooms for Google Flights is worth downloading if you’re tall and need space. It'll show how much legroom you have per seat for the flight you select.

Windows icon trick: Maybe your icons are too small — or you have too many and want to shrink them. Click your desktop background, hold Ctrl on the keyboard, and scroll up or down to increase or decrease the size of your icons. Like magic!

Same goes for a tablet, router, smart speaker, whatever. The tech support pros at GetKimsHelp.com are patient, smart and available 24/7.

My team can remote into your device and do it for you, so no trying to figure out complicated steps when something goes wrong. They can fix tech you already have in place, too, like that printer that never prints.

Get unlimited help for just $14.99 a month. Call them as much as you want! That’s hard to beat, friend. And if they don’t fix your problem, you don’t pay!

❓ Have a question for me? Drop it right here, or leave me a voicemail at 602‑381‑8200 ext. 290.

Sometimes, letting someone else do the drudge work is worth it. Hloom has a ton of free business templates to use in Microsoft Word (or Google Docs) to streamline agreements, surveys, forms and more. Browse, and I’ll bet you’ll find one that works for you.

💸 Don’t want to pay for Word? No prob. These are the best free alternatives.

😂 The sky looked ominous, so I asked Siri, “Surely it’s not going to rain today?” She replied, “Yes, it is, and don’t call me Shirley.” That’s when I realized I’d left my phone in Airplane mode. (Oh yeah, I heard you laugh!)

One more important thing!

My friend, Jo, asked me, “Would it be OK if I posted my newsletter referral link on Nextdoor?” Yessiree! You tell people about my free newsletter to win great prizes. Jo said she really didn’t want any prizes. She said, “It’s such a great newsletter, everyone should read it!”

So be like Jo. (She really is an amazing person!) Copy your unique referral link below, then paste it into an email, text, social media post, DM, Nextdoor post or whatever you want. Thanks for the help! — Kim