Yep, that’s a scam call, alright.

The best way to block calls from shady characters (like phony debt collectors) and spammers (like automated telemarketers and robocalls) is to simply hang up—or better yet, don’t answer at all.

Call-blocking apps for iOS work their magic by matching the numbers of incoming calls with databases of known spammers and scammers.

But while you can easily block calls of a specific number on your iPhone, doing so won’t stem the tide of scammers and spammers; after all, they’ll just call you from a different number next time.

Luckily, a growing number of iOS apps (here’s a good list) can help block calls. These apps screen incoming calls and match the number of a caller against massive databases of known or suspected spammers and scammers.

Once you enable one of these call-blocking apps using the Phone settings for iOS, any incoming call from a suspicious number will be flagged right on your iPhone’s screen, giving you the chance to send the caller directly to voicemail.

First, you’ll need to pick one or more iOS spam-call filtering apps to install—and yes, you can install more than one if you like, although you don’t necessarily need to.

To start screening spam and scam calls, just enable your installed call blockers in iOS’s Call Blocking & Notification settings.

Some of the apps are completely free (like Mr. Number), others are free with paid “pro” features (like TrueCaller), and still others require a subscription, generally for a buck or two a month (like Nomorobo). I’d suggest starting with a free app like Mr. Number, and then (perhaps) upgrading to a paid app once you get your feet wet.

Once you’ve installed an app that blocks calls, tap Settings, Phone, Call Blocking & Identification, then flip on the switches next to the call-blocking apps you want to enable.

Now, sit back and wait. With any luck, your new call-blocking apps will flag the next scammer or spammer who calls your iPhone, and you can duck the call by tapping the Decline button.

Bonus tip

Want to send incoming spam or scam calls to voicemail automatically? If so, look for that option in the settings menu of the call-blocking app you’re using.

Click here for more iOS tips!

The post iOS tip: Getting spam calls on your iPhone? Here’s how to block them appeared first on here's the thing.

If you’ve lost track of your various Facebook likes over the years, a quick trip to your “Activity Log” on Facebook will jog your memory. Want to “unlike” an old “like,” or hide a liked Facebook fan page from your profile? You can do that, too.

Here’s what you do…

You can unlike anything you’ve previously “liked” using Facebook’s Activity Log.

On iOS or Android

First, visit your Facebook profile. Tap the three-line menu button in the corner of the screen (the bottom-right corner for iOS, or the top-right for Android), then tap your name at the top of the menu.

Next, tap the Activity Log button just below your profile image; doing so will take you to a screen with a long list of months and years. Tap one, and you’ll see a log of all your activity on Facebook for that particular date range.

Related: How to view your Facebook timeline as strangers see it

Since we only want to see “likes,” we’re going to do a little filtering. Tap the Filter button near the top of the screen, then tap Likes.

Now, back at the main Activity Log screen, tap a date to see everything you “liked” in a given month or year. To unlike something, tap the little down-arrow on the right side of an item, then tap Unlike. If the thing you liked was a Facebook fan page, you’ll also have the option to hide the “like” from your timeline.

With a little help from the Activity Log, you can hide a “liked” Facebook fan page from your profile.

On a desktop

Just as on mobile, the first step to viewing all your Facebook likes is to visit your profile page. To get there, tap your name in the blue stripe at the top of any Facebook page.

Once you’ve reached your profile, click the View Activity Log button to the right of your profile image. To filter your log so you’re only seeing the stuff you liked, click the Likes button in the left column of the screen.

Related: How to unfriend a Facebook friend without really unfriending them

See all your Facebook likes? Perfect. To unlike something, click the little Edit button (the one that looks like a pencil) on the right side of an item’s entry—and just as you can on mobile, you’ll have the option to hide a liked Facebook fan page from your profile.

Click here for more Facebook tips!

The post Facebook tip: How to view everything you’ve ever “liked” appeared first on here's the thing.

As it turns out, I’ve granted more than 30 (!) apps and websites access to my Facebook profile over the years. Some of them were games that I haven’t played in ages (remember Words With Friends?), others were apps that I’d tried once or twice and then immediately forgot (like Shareagift), and still others were apps with social features that I never use (like the ability to share my Netflix viewing history with Facebook friends—no thanks).

If you don’t want a specific app to have access to your Facebook account (including such personal info as your username, your gender, the Facebook networks you’ve joined, and your friends list), there’s an easy way to yank its Facebook privileges. Of course, doing so may log you out of the app and/or disable some social features.

You can cut off an app’s access to your Facebook account directly from your Android or iOS device.

Don’t want any apps or websites poking around your Facebook profile? If so, you can slam the door on all of them at once.

Here’s what you do…

On iOS and Android:

• Open the Facebook app, tap the three-line menu button (in the lower-right corner for iOS, or the top-right on Android), then tap Settings, Account Settings, and Apps.
• To see a list of all the apps and websites that you’ve granted access to your Facebook account, tap “Logged in with Facebook.” Tap an app to change the type of Facebook data the app can see (such as your friends list or your email address), or tap Remove App to cut off all its access.
• If you don’t want any apps or websites accessing your Facebook account, tap Platform (from the Apps and Websites screen), tap Edit (under the Apps and Websites heading), then tap Turn off Platform. Once that’s done, all your Facebook apps will be deactivated, and you won’t be able to add any more to your profile. Have a change of heart? Never fear—you can always turn Facebook’s Platform feature back on again.

Once you deactivate Facebook’s Platform feature, no third-party apps or websites will be able to access your Facebook profile.

On a desktop web browser:

• Visit Facebook in your browser, click the little downward arrow in the top-right corner of the page, click Settings, then click Apps in the left column.
• On the next screen, you’ll see a list of all the apps and websites that you’ve granted access to your Facebook account. Click an app or site to inspect or change what it can access, or click the little “x” next to its name to delete it.
• To cut off Facebook access to all apps and websites, click the Edit button under the Apps, Websites and Plugins heading, then click the blue Disable Platform button.

Click here for more Facebook tips!

The post Facebook tip: How to remove an app from your Facebook account appeared first on here's the thing.

Both Android and iOS devices will give you a privacy warning before installing a third-party keyboard like SwiftKey or Swype.

Hi Geraline! I completely understand your hesitation to install any Android or iOS app that warns that it can access everything you type, including email addresses, credit card numbers, and even passwords. But should you let that stop you from using third-party keyboards or “gesture typing” apps like Swype and SwiftKey?

The makers of Swype, SwiftKey, Flesky and other third-party keyboard apps swear that they’re only interested in scanning your typed words so they can better predict your next words. The better they know your typing habits, they say, the more precise their predictions will be.

Oftentimes, apps like Swype and SwiftKey will ask if they can send your “usage data” (encrypted and anonymized) to their servers and add your data to a giant pool of data from other users, all in the interest of boosting the accuracy of their predictions.

Even if you opt-out of such “share my usage data” options, your Android or iOS device will still dutifully warn you that you’re essentially letting a third-party app take a peek at everything you type.

If you’re paranoid about trusting a third-party keyboard with your personal data, you can always opt out of any “share my data usage” options.

So, should you be worried? The answer: it depends on who you trust.

Swype, Swifty and most reputable third-party keyboard makers promise that they’re not reading your texts nor otherwise watching your keystrokes.

This TechCrunch post does a nice job of summarizing the privacy policies of the biggest third-party keyboard developers, with most of them noting that their keyboards are specifically designed to ignore sensitive data like passwords and credit card numbers.

If you’re feeling paranoid, you can always scour the settings of any third-party keyboard you install and make sure to “opt-out” of “share my usage data” or cloud-connectivity options.

Just disable to “Allow Full Access” setting to keep a third-party keyboard for iOS from phoning home.

iOS users can also disable the “Allow Full Access” setting for any keyboard, which effectively blocks the keyboard’s ability to connect to the Internet. (Just tap Settings, General, Keyboards, tap a keyboard, then disable the Allow Full Access option.)

OK, but where does that leave us? Well, that’s up to you. Personally, I’ve decided to go ahead and trust that Skype, SwiftKey and the like will protect my usage data and look away when I type my passwords. But in the end, you’ll need to make your own decision. If you’re in doubt, don’t tap the “Install” button.

Hope that helps, Geraline. Still have questions? Let me know!

The post Reader mail: Are third-party keyboards spying on me? appeared first on here's the thing.

Hi John! If you “like” a fan page on Facebook, the owner of that page will (of course) see that you’ve liked it, and there’s nothing stopping them from clicking through to your Facebook profile and checking out whatever’s publicly viewable on your page—including, potentially, your Facebook Friends list.

You can set the privacy setting for your Facebook Friends list to anything from “Public” to “Only Me.”

As with most everything on your Facebook profile (a.k.a. your “Timeline”), the privacy settings on your Friends list can be tweaked—and with the right setting, no one will be able to see your Friends list, including the owners of Facebook pages you’ve liked.

To check who can see your Friends list—and, if necessary, lock down its privacy settings—here’s what you do…

• Visit Facebook on a desktop browser, go to your profile page (click your name in the top-right corner of the screen), scroll down to the Friends module in the left column, and click the “Friends” heading.
• Now, you should be looking at a big list of your Facebook friends. In the top-right corner of the list, there should be an “Edit Privacy” button; go ahead and click it.
• Click the pull-down menu under the “Who can see your friend list?” heading and pick a setting—anything from “Public” or “Friends” to “Only Me.”

All done? Then let’s test. Go back to your main profile page, click the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner of the page, then click “View As.”

When you do, you’ll see your Facebook profile as strangers see it. If you set your Friends list privacy setting to “Friends” or “Only Me,” your Friends list will be hidden—and yes, that applies to the owners of any Facebook pages you’ve liked. (Remember, you only “liked” their pages; you never added them as friends.)

Bonus tip

If you haven’t done so already, Facebook offers a handy “privacy checkup” feature that’ll guide you through the most important Facebook privacy settings. On Facebook for desktop, just click the padlock icon on the top-right corner of the screen and select “Privacy Checkup.” On the Facebook app, tap the “More” button (either in the bottom-right corner of the screen on iOS, or the top-right corner for Android), tap Privacy Shortcuts, then tap Privacy Checkup.

Click here for more Facebook tips!

The post Facebook tip: How to keep the world from seeing your Friends list appeared first on here's the thing.

The post 3 ways to unfriend a Facebook friend without really unfriending them appeared first on here's the thing.

What if you’re not feeling the need to show off your Instagram-dipped photos to … you know, everyone? Luckily, it’s easy to control exactly who does—and doesn’t—get to see your latest works of digital photo art by fine tuning your Instagram privacy settings.

Read on for a few beginner-focused tips on how to get the most out of Instagram without becoming an exhibitionist in the process, starting with…

1. Change the Instagram privacy settings for your photo feed

Taking a photo with Instagram doesn’t just save the image to your phone’s photo gallery. It also publishes your snapshot to your Instagram photo feed—which, by default, is wide open to anyone who cares to look.

Don’t want just anyone gawking at your Instagram pictures? If not, just turn on “Private Mode,” which blocks your Instagram photo feed from everyone except your hand-picked “followers.”

• Tap the profile button in the bottom-left corner of the Instagram interface (it’s the one that looks like a litte silhouette), then tap the Settings icon (in iOS, the one that looks like a gear, or the three-dot button for Android) in the top corner of the screen.
• Now, see the “Private Account” setting? Flip the switch to the “on” position.

All done? If so, your Instagram photos are no longer accessible to the public, nor will they show up in public searches.

Of course, all bets are off if you decide to share your Instagram shots on Facebook or Twitter, so make sure to double-check which social services are selected on the final confirmation page before tapping the “Share” button (or, in the case of Android, the blue button with the checkmark).

Speaking of which…

2. Double-check your Facebook sharing settings

Instagram makes for an easy-as-pie way to share your latest photos with your Facebook friends. Here’s a question, though: when you share Instagram photos through Facebook (which you can do by tapping the Facebook setting on the final confirmation page before posting a photo to your feed), who are your photos being shared with?

Well, there’s an easy way to check exactly how Instagram is sharing your snapshots on Facebook.

• Visit your Facebook account, click the Privacy Shortcuts (the one shaped like a padlock) in the top-right corner of the page, select Privacy Checkup, then click the blue Next Steps button.
• Find Instagram in the “Your Apps” section (assuming you’ve already connected Instagram to your Facebook account), then check its privacy setting (anything from “Public” to “Only Me”). Want to make a change? Just select a new setting from the pull-down menu.

3. Block random followers

As with Twitter, anyone on Instagram can follow the photo feed of anyone else—including you—unless their profiles are set to “private.”

Let’s say, though, that a few strangers managed to follow your Instagram photos before you set your account to private mode. Now what?

If you don’t want randow followers checking out your snapshots, you can always just block them.

• First, head to your profile by tapping the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Now, see where your number of Instagram followers is listed? Tap the number, and you’ll arrive at a list of all the Instagram users following your photo feed.
• See anyone you don’t want thumbing through your photos? Tap their name to view their profile, then tap the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner of the screen.
• A pop-up window will appear with a few options, including “Block User.” Tap “Block User,” and clang! No more peeking at your Instagram photos for them.

4. Edit your profile

Your fellow Instagram users (well, the ones you don’t already know in real life, anyway) only know as much about you as you reveal in your Instagram profile.

Indeed, the only detail you need to reveal in your profile is your Instagram user name—which could be anything, really.

To update your Instagram privacy settings — go to profile, tap the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the page, tap the Edit Your Profile button, then add—or delete—any personal details you like.

5. Wipe photos off Instagram’s photo map

Instagram boasts a nifty feature that pins any photos you choose to a “photo map” that’s viewable from your profile.

Snap the vista from, say, the top of the Empire State Building, and other Instagram users will see it pinned to a map of midtown Manhattan, if you so choose.

It’s a neat feature for showing your friends where you trekked on your vacation, but you might want to think twice before sharing your home address—or the location of your friends’ homes, for that matter.

Before sharing a photo on Instagram, take note of the “Add to your Photo Map” setting on the final confirmation page, then ask yourself: do you really want the location of your photo pinpointed on a map?

If not, make sure the “Add to your Photo Map” setting is switched off.

OK, but what if you’ve already posted a stack of Instagram photos on your photo map? Never fear. Here’s how to peel them off.

• Tap the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the Photo Map tab (it’s the teardrop-shaped icon) on your profile page, then tap the Edit button in the top-right corner of your Photo Map.
• Zoom in and tap a specific photo you’d like to wipe off your Photo Map.
• Another option: tap the grid button at the bottom of the screen (for iOS) or tap the three-dot menu button in the top corner of the screen and select “View All” (on Android) to “deselect” some or all your Instagram photos from your map.

Note: Have you already set your Instagram photos to “private”? If so, no one else but you can see your photo map, not even your followers.

6. Delete photos from your photo feed

Did you take and share a photo on Instagram that, on second thought, you wish you hadn’t?

No, you can’t make your Instagram followers “unsee” a photo (oh, if only you could), but you can delete it from your photo feed even after you’ve shared it.

• Tap the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Below your profile details, you should see all the photos you’ve shared in Instagram. If your photos are displayed in a grid, tap one to select it; otherwise, just scroll to the photo you want to delete.
• Just below the photo and over to the right, you’ll see a little menu button marked with three dots; tap the button, and a pop-up will appear with a series of options, including a “Delete” button. Tap “Delete,” and whoosh—your photo’s gone from your Instagram photo feed, if not from the memories of your followers.

7. Share photos only with specific Instagram followers

Just snap a pic that you’d like only a few of your Instagram followers to see? Well, you’re in luck.

A feature called “Instagram Direct” lets you pick and choose which Instagram pals can see your latest snapshot.

Here’s the trick: take a new photo using the Instagram app, then tap the “Direct” tab when you arrive at the final confirmation page.

When you do, you’ll see a list of all your Instagram followers; just scroll down and select the ones with whom you’d like to share the photo.

The post 7 must-know privacy tips for Instagram newbies appeared first on here's the thing.

Hi Danelle, and thank you! So, here’s the deal: No, you can’t really prevent a Facebook friend from viewing the profiles of your other friends—although, hopefully, your friends have tweaked their privacy settings to keep non-friends from viewing their posts and profiles (a.k.a., “timelines”).

And if you have mutual Facebook friends, you’ll just have to watch what you say about one another on Facebook, just like you do in real life.

But here’s something else to consider: You can, if you like, keep one, some, or all of your friends from poking around your Facebook friend list.

Indeed, you actually have quite a bit of latitude when it comes to determining who can see your list of Facebook friends—and who can’t.

For example, you can hide your Facebook friend list from the entire world, if you wish, or make it viewable by anyone and everyone, save for one specific frenemy.

Select “Custom” from the privacy pull-down menu, then add the name of your nosy friend in the “Don’t share this with” section.

Here’s the trick…

• Go to your Facebook timeline and find the Friends module, then hover your mouse over the right-hand corner. See the little pencil icon that appears? Click it, then select “Edit Privacy.”
• You should now see an “Edit Privacy” pop-up window, with the “Friend List” privacy setting at the very top. Click the pull-down menu at the bottom of the Friend List heading, and pick an option—anything from Public (meaning anyone on Facebook can see your list of friends) to Only Me (which hides your friend list from everyone, except for you).
• Want to hide your friend list from a certain someone? One option is to add that person to your Acquaintances list, then select “Friends except Acquaintances” as your friend list privacy setting.
• Or, here’s another idea: Select “Custom” from the privacy pull-down menu, then add the name of your nosy friend in the “Don’t share this with” section. You could then (for example) make your friend list public for everyone except your one so-called friend by selecting “Public” from the “Share this with” menu.

Hope that helps, Danelle. Still have questions? Let me know!

Click here for more Facebook tips!

The post Facebook tip: How to keep your list of Facebook friends private appeared first on here's the thing.

I checked my own Google account and found that Google has saved nearly 30,000 of my prior searches, plus a record of the links I clicked based on those search results, stretching as far back as 2006.

Your Web History contains a comprehensive list or all your Google searches, potentially stretching back years—and yes, you can delete some or all of your searches.

Believe it or not, I can tell you that on December 29, 2007 at exactly 4:51 p.m., I did a Google search on “new years smith street brooklyn”—probably because I was hunting for a good place to spend New Year’s Eve.

In addition to the enormous list of searches, your Web History also boasts a color-coded calendar that shows which days of the week you’re doing the most searching.

And since your Google Web History is (of course) itself searchable, it makes for a handy (if, perhaps, a bit unsettling) way to find an interesting web page that’s since slipped your mind.

Now, don’t like the idea of Google saving your searches? Well, good news and bad news.

Good news first: not only can you stop Google from saving your searches in your Web History, you can also delete your Web History selectively or entirely.

The bad news? Zapping your Google web history doesn’t wipe out every last trace of your past Google searches.

Indeed, Google (like many other search engines) may share the search and usage data stored on its servers with various “partners,” advertisers, or even law enforcement. Food for thought, particularly in light of the recent PRISM controversy.

You can stop Google from saving searches in your Web History, but that doesn’t mean Google isn’t still keeping records of your search activity.

So, ready to check out your Web History? Let’s get started…

• Sign in to your Google account, click your user icon in the top-right corner of the page, click Account, then scroll all the way down and click the “Manage your web history” link. You can also just click this link: history.google.com.
• You should now be looking at your personal Web History as Google sees it—interesting stuff, actually. You can browse your history using the navigation links to the left (anything from “Web” and “Images” to “Shopping” and “Maps), or by clicking the calendar on the right. The days on the calendar are color-coded based on your search activity, with the darker-blue dates representing the days you searched the most often.
• See anything in your Web History that you’d like to delete? If so, click the checkbox next to the item and click the “Remove items” button.
• Want to delete everything in your Web History? Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the page, select Settings, then click the “delete all” link.
• Want Google to stop tracking your searches in your Web History? Go back to the Settings page, then click the “Turn off” button. (Yes, you can always come back later and turn your web history back on.)

Looking for more Google tips? Click here!

Note: This article was first published in February 2012, and it’s been revised to reflect changes to Google’s Web History interface and settings.

The post Google tip: How to clear the saved searches in your “Web History” appeared first on here's the thing.

Please do this for me. Once I see it on your wall, I’ll do it for you. I’m a pretty public person, but I really don’t want everyone in the world to know what I ‘like’ etc. It’s just annoying, too.
Facebook has changed their privacy settings once more!! Due to the new “graph app” anyone on facebook (including other countries ) can see your pictures, likes & comments.
The next 2 weeks I will be posting this, and please once you have done it please post DONE!!! Those of you who do not keep my information from going… out to the public, I will have to DELETE YOU! I want to stay PRIVATELY connected with you. I post shots of family that I don’t want strangers to have access to! This happens when friends click “like” or “comment”….automatically, their friends would see our posts, too. Unfortunately, we cannot change this setting by ourselves because Facebook configured it that way.

PLEASE place your mouse over my name above (DO NOT CLICK), a window will appear, now move the mouse on “FRIENDS” (also without clicking), then down to “settings”, click here and a list will appear. REMOVE the CHECK on “LIFE EVENTS and “COMMENTS & LIKES”. By doing this, my activity among my friends and family will no longer become public. Now, copy & paste this on your wall. Once i see this posted on your page, I will do the same. Thank you.

Hmmm, where to start?

Yes, it’s true that Facebook’s constantly changing its features and privacy policies—so often, it seems, that it’s almost impossible for me to keep up.

But if you want to keep your comments and likes from spanning the globe, merely asking your friends to hide them from their news feeds (and make no mistake, that’s all that happens when they uncheck items from their personal news feed settings) isn’t going to cut it.

If you really want to keep your Facebook photos, likes, and comments private, here’s what you need to do…

1. Double-check the Facebook “audience selector” before posting a photo or a new update

Whenever I see photos from random friends of my friends pop up in my Facebook “ticker,” it’s almost always because the original photo was set to “Public” or “Friends of Friends” rather than just plain-old “Friends.”

Make sure to double-check the Facebook “audience selector” before you post an update.

Indeed, it’s easy to forget the little “audience selector” that sits at the bottom of the “Update Status” box.

Its default setting is … well, whatever it was the last time you posted something, meaning it’s entirely possible you’ve been inadvertently sharing all kinds of updates and photos with the entire world.

So, next time you post—or actually, every time you post—check that little audience selector and make sure you’re only sharing with those you really want to share with.

2. Be careful when tagging photos

Sure, it’s fun to sift through the group photos you post on Facebook and tag all those familiar faces.

Make sure to uncheck “Friends of those tagged” if you don’t want your tagged Facebook photos spreading far and wide.

By default, though, Facebook will share a tagged photo not only with the friends you tagged, but also all of their friends, whether you’re friends with your friend’s friends (confusing, right?) or not.

The good news is that there’s a little-known setting that’ll keep the photos you’ve tagged from spreading far and wide.

• Open the photo you posted, click the little audience selector, then select “Custom” from the drop-down menu.
• Uncheck the box labeled “Friends of those tagged.”
• Click the blue “Save changes” button.

3. Check the audience selector before liking or commenting on a friend’s post

Whenever you click “like” on a friend’s post or chime in with a comment of your own, you’re basically at the mercy of your friend’s privacy setting on that particular post.

Don’t want the world to see your Facebook comments? Then don’t comment on a public post.

Even if the post’s audience selector is set to “Friends” rather than “Public,” remember that those friends include all of your friend’s Facebook pals, not just necessarily just your buddies.

Indeed, it’s best to think of a friend’s Facebook post as a group conversation at a party; if you chime in with a comment, everyone else participating in the chat—friends and strangers alike—will hear it, too.

Don’t like that idea? Then you might be better off keeping your comment to yourself, or…

4. Share a friend’s post on your own timeline

Dying to comment on a friend’s link, but uncomfortable with how many people your friend is sharing the post with?

You can share a friend’s photo or link on your timeline, complete with your own privacy settings.

You can always click “Share” at the bottom of the update, then post the story to your own timeline with your own privacy settings.

Just don’t forget to select the setting you want from the drop-down menu in the bottom-right corner of the pop-up window.

One last thing…

No matter how carefully you check your privacy settings, there’s nothing stopping a careless Facebook friend from, say, sharing one of your photos to their wall and making it public.

So if you really want to keep a snapshot or a comment from circling the globe on Facebook, here’s my advice: don’t post it on Facebook.

Looking for more Facebook tips? Click here!

(Note: This heavily revised tip was first published in September 2011.)

The post Facebook tip: 4 ways to keep photos, likes, and comments private (updated) appeared first on here's the thing.