Many default settings buried deep within our technology force us to share an excessive amount of data with technology companies. In my last column, I explained how to turn them off.
But not all default settings abuse our information. There are also some that should be enabled or disabled to allow you to use your device more comfortably.
For example, the new iPhones come with premium cameras capable of shooting ultra-high-definition, crystal-clear video. “4K” resolution — but most people probably aren’t making the most of their cameras. This is because by default the phone is set to shoot video in low resolution.
Television is another example. Many modern TVs have an effect called motion smoothing turned on to make it look like the video is playing at a higher frame rate. This makes fast-moving scenes look more detailed. However, many applications create a soap opera effect that many people find fake, especially when watching movies.
Our consumer electronics are some of the most expensive items we buy in our homes, so it’s worth it to peruse and change the default settings to get the most out of them. Here’s what I and other technical writers are constantly changing to make our phones, computers, and TVs work better.
Apple iPhone
Apple’s iPhones contain various settings that are turned off by default and need to be enabled in order to use the device more conveniently or take better photos.
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Unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask. Many places have lifted mask mandates, but many people still wear them to feel safe, especially indoors. I had to type in my passcode when wearing a mask instead of using facial recognition. Recent versions of Apple’s iOS now allow iPhone users to unlock their devices without removing their masks.go to Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Face ID with Mask Toggle this setting on (green).
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Shoot 4K video. To capture video in the highest resolution with your iPhone camera, Settings → Camera → Record video Select the 4K option. (I prefer “4K at 30 fps” as it is suitable for uploading videos to social media apps and Internet sites such as YouTube.) The downside is that 4K recording takes up a lot of your phone’s digital storage. But if you paid for that fancy camera, why not use it?
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Activate the camera grid. In digital photography, photographers use different composition techniques to make their photos more beautiful. The iPhone camera has a setting that displays a grid to help you compose your shot.go to Settings → Camera → Grid Toggle this setting on.
android phone
Android phones also contain controls that need to be activated or changed to make your screen look better or make your phone easier to use.
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Change the color profile of your display. Many Android smartphones come with large, bright screens, but sometimes the colors are too saturated or too blue. Ryne Hager, editor of the tech blog Android Police, says that new he often switches between default color profiles whenever he sets up an Android phone. Instructions vary by phone. For Samsung phones, please visit: Settings -> Display -> Screen Mode → Nature. For Pixel phones, Settings -> Display -> Color -> Natural.
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Change shortcuts. On Android phones, you can customize the Quick Settings menu for shortcuts to frequently used functions. Swipe down from the top of your phone screen, then swipe down again. You can choose to add tiles by tapping the pencil-like icon. For example, you can enable hotspot to share your phone’s cellular connection with your computer.
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Activate the camera grid. Similar to iPhones, some Android phones can also display grids to facilitate photo composition. On Pixel phones, open the Camera app, swipe down from the top of the screen, tap the gear icon, tap Grid type → 3×3.
Mac computer
With Macs where Apple users tend to work, it’s nice to adjust settings to eliminate distractions and work faster. This includes turning off some features that are on by default and turning on some hidden features.
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Enable shortcut to show desktop. Shrinking and moving windows just to find files on the desktop is annoying. The first thing I do on my Mac is enable the shortcut to quickly hide all windows and show the desktop.go to System Preferences → Mission Control → Show Desktop Click to select the keyboard key that will trigger the shortcut. (Use the fn key on your MacBook keyboard.)
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Turn off notifications for distracting apps like Messages. In the age of endless video calls, you definitely don’t want text messages flooding your screen or making noise during a meeting. Just turn off these notifications permanently.go to System Preferences → Notifications & Focus → Messages → Allow Notifications Toggle the setting to off (gray). Turn off notifications for other noisy apps in this menu.
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Add a Bluetooth icon to the menu bar. Most of us use Bluetooth accessories such as wireless earbuds and mice, so it would be nice to have quick access to the Bluetooth menu to make it easier to connect and disconnect these devices on our Mac.go to System Preferences → Bluetooth → Show Bluetooth in menu bar Check the box. This will display a Bluetooth icon in the upper right portion of the screen, allowing you to quickly connect and disconnect earbuds and other wireless accessories.
Windows computer
Windows computers, like Macs, send out tons of notifications by default, but the most irritating thing is the many beeps that go off when something goes wrong. Kimber Streams, editor of Wirecutter testing laptops, shuts out all these annoyances.
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Turn off notifications. go to Settings → System → NotificationsUncheck all boxes and switch off all to disable all notifications.
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Turn off system sounds. go to Settings → System → Sound → Other sound settings → Sound → Sound scheme: No soundand hit application.
tv set
Almost all TVs come with default settings that are far from ideal for displaying the best picture.
With any TV, it’s worth adjusting the color, brightness, and contrast to fit your space. There is no universal set of steps, as the optimal settings are different for every TV and living room. However, there is a handy TV calibration tool that makes this easy. Disney World of Wondera Blu-ray disc containing instructional videos for adjusting your TV settings.
The most important step for TVs, however, is to turn off the dreaded motion smoothing effect.On my LG TV, I went to All Settings → Image → Image Mode Settings → Image Options → TruMotion → Off.
