Tech Made Easy

Short, step-by-step help. Take your time. You can’t break anything by following along.

An older man in glasses smiles as he types on a laptop at his kitchen table

Make text bigger on an iPhone

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Display & Brightness.
  3. Tap Text Size.
  4. Drag the slider to the right until the text is comfortable.

Tip: Want it even bigger? In Settings, go to Accessibility, then Display & Text Size, then Larger Text.

Make text bigger on an Android phone

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Display (on some phones, Accessibility).
  3. Tap Font size (sometimes “Font size and style”).
  4. Move the slider to make text larger.

Tip: Menu names vary a little by phone brand. If you can’t find it, search “font size” in the Settings search bar.

Block a phone number

  1. iPhone: Open the Phone app, tap Recents, tap the ⓘ next to the number, then tap Block Caller.
  2. Android: Open the Phone app, tap Recents, tap the number, then tap Block or Block/report spam.

Tip: You can also add your number for free to the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov. It reduces sales calls, though scammers ignore it.

Video call your family

  1. iPhone to iPhone: Open the FaceTime app, tap New FaceTime, type the person’s name, and tap the green camera button.
  2. Android or mixed phones: Many families use WhatsApp or Google Meet. Open the app, find the person, and tap the camera icon.
  3. Hold the phone at eye level, with a light in front of you, not behind you.

Tip: Tip: Ask a family member to set up a favorite contact so it’s one tap next time.

Recognize a fake pop-up

  1. Real security warnings never show a phone number to call.
  2. Be careful with loud alarms, countdowns, or “Your computer will be locked.”
  3. To get away, close the browser tab or window. If it won’t close, restart the computer.

Tip: When in doubt, don’t click anything inside the pop-up, not even “Cancel.”

Create strong passwords with a password manager

  1. A password manager is an app that creates and remembers strong passwords for you, so you only remember one.
  2. iPhones have one built in (the Passwords app). Android phones use Google Password Manager.
  3. When a website asks you to create a password, let the phone suggest a strong one and save it.
  4. For your one main password, use a long phrase of 4 or more random words that’s easy for you to remember and hard to guess.

Tip: Turn on two-step verification for email and bank accounts when offered. Never share a code that’s texted to you with anyone who calls.