Of iPhones, androids and emails - tackle issues with your smartphone, laptops and emails

TECH TONIC | Here’s how you can to tackle issues with your smartphone, laptops and emails

A force restart can potentially fix a lot of software glitches without you having to lose any data.

Shutterstock

Surit Doss   |  TT  |  23.11.20    :  Update apps after software refresh  

After upgrading my iPhone X to iOS14.2, the onscreen keyboard does not appear in the message body if Bluetooth is turned on. I use Chrome and the Gmail app. However, everything works fine on WhatsApp and Messages.

Prithviraj Mookerjee

This usually happens when the apps are not updated on the phone after a software refresh. Open App Store on your device and tap on your profile picture on the top right of the screen. Drag down from the top of the screen with your thumb. You will see the apps that have to be updated. Update all of them. Though app updates are supposed to happen automatically, they often do not and you have to do them manually.

After you update the apps, do a force restart of the phone. Press and release the Volume Up key. Then press and release the Volume Down key. Finally, hold down the side button and keep holding it until you see the Apple logo. A force restart can potentially fix a lot of software glitches without you having to lose any data.

Pamphlet app

I am a senior citizen using an Android mobile phone. Occasionally, I need to share one-page pamphlets among my group of friends. Could you please suggest an easy-to-use free app for this?

Madhu Sudan Muskara

Try out Flyer Maker from the Play Store https://bit.ly/3pDIgvh. You do not need any special skills to use this app. All you have to do is choose a template and edit and customise it according to your needs with the provided tools. After you finish, save as a JPEG or PNG file. The premium version costs around Rs 350 a month but lets you save the document as a PDF file too.

Another app you could try is Brochure Maker https://bit.ly/ 3nr5CCo . As with any free apps, they are loaded with advertisements. Avoid clicking on these ads.

Emails rejected

I have a Yahoo account in which I receive most of my emails. Over the past month, any mail I send out is being rejected and marked as spam.

Ritobrata Ray

Your account has been partially blocked for suspicious activity. This happens if your account has been hacked, or if you have been sending one email to many recipients, or even if you send the same information to recipients repeatedly.

You need to change the password of your Yahoo account, turn on two-factor authentication and update your recovery email.Sign in your Yahoo account’s security page at https://login.yahoo.com/account /security. Under “Two-step verification,” turn on the button next to “Phone number”. You can then sign in with the code sent to your phone.

If you use a third-party email client, such as Outlook, Windows Mail or Thunderbird remove your account from it and add it back on.

Phone format

I want to format my Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime. How will I get back my contacts and information stored in a notes app that came with the phone?

Arun Mazumdar

Before you format the phone go to Settings — Accounts and backup — Accounts. Tap on your Google account. On the next page, press “Sync account”. Make sure everything is turned on. Go back to Accounts and backup and tap on Samsung Cloud. Sign in to your Samsung account with your Google ID. Allow the phone to back up everything to Samsung Cloud.

Now, when you format the phone, you should get back everything. I suggest you use Google Keep as your primary notes app. This way you will not lose anything.

Mute mode

A whoosh sound emanates from the HP laptop that I bought in September this year. How do I mute this sound?

Deep Bagli

A Sound Preferences utility that comes with your HP laptop will help you turn on and off sound effects in your device. Click on the Settings button at the top right of the home screen, and then click on the Advanced tab. Clicking on Sound opens the Sound Preferences window. Change your sound preferences here.