How do I safely get rid of an old phone or laptop?
How to wipe a device properly before selling, donating or recycling it — and why deleting files isn't enough.
beginner1 hr3 min read
Technology
Phones, laptops, home networks and accounts — with a bias towards fixing what you have rather than replacing it, and towards security advice that is actually worth the effort.
590 guides
How do I set up a phone or tablet for an older relative?
Accessibility settings, simplified layouts and the security setup that prevents most of the problems that follow.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 min readHow does a dual SIM phone actually work?
Two numbers on one handset, both receiving calls and texts, but only one carrying data at a time. The routing settings for data, calls and messages are separate and none of them defaults usefully.
beginner20 min5 min readHow far should I sit from a TV, and what size fits the room?
The geometry that connects screen size, seating distance and resolution, and the honest answer to whether you will see the difference from where you actually sit.
beginner20 min4 min readHow often should I actually change my passwords?
Why scheduled password changes were abandoned by the people who invented the advice, the four events that genuinely require a change, and what to do instead of a calendar reminder.
beginner7 min3 min readIs this flat or holiday let listing a scam?
Why the photographs are always real, the pressure that stops people viewing, the checks that identify a fake landlord, and the deposit rules that a genuine letting must follow.
beginner12 min3 min readShould I buy a refurbished laptop, phone or tablet?
What the word refurbished actually covers, the difference between a manufacturer refurbishment and a marketplace grade, and the checks that make it a genuinely good buy rather than a gamble.
beginner25 min4 min readWhat is the master socket, and how do I use the test socket?
The socket where the line becomes yours, the hidden test socket behind its faceplate, and the ten-minute test that decides whether an engineer visit will be free or chargeable.
intermediate20 min4 min readWhy does my phone get so hot?
What causes phone overheating, which cases are normal, and when it signals a genuine problem.
beginner15 min2 min readWhy does my phone keep restarting by itself?
Four causes, distinguishable by pattern: a failing battery that cannot sustain peak current, an app or system fault, overheating, or physical damage. The pattern tells you which.
intermediate40 min5 min readWhy does my printer print blank pages?
Paper coming out untouched is a different fault from faint printing. Whether it is the ink, the document or the driver, and the two tests that separate them in five minutes.
beginner15 min4 min readHow did scammers get my number, and how do I get fewer scam texts?
The four routes numbers actually travel by, why some of them make the volume unfixable, and the measures that genuinely reduce what arrives.
beginner10 min3 min readHow do I check an app is safe before I install it?
The checks that take a minute in an app store, the permission requests that should stop you, and why the subscription terms matter more than the malware risk.
beginner10 min3 min readHow do I clean a phone properly without damaging it?
A slightly damp microfibre cloth for the screen, a soft dry brush for the grilles, and a wooden toothpick for the charging port. What ruins phones is alcohol, kitchen cleaner and compressed air.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I clear my browser cache and cookies?
What each option in the clearing dialogue actually deletes, why clearing everything is usually the wrong choice, and how to clear one site instead.
beginner10 min3 min readHow do I close the online accounts of someone who has died?
The order to work in, the bereavement routes each major provider actually operates, what you can and cannot get access to, and the subscriptions that keep charging until someone stops them.
intermediate2 hr4 min readHow do I know whether a browser extension is safe to keep?
The dangerous extension is usually not one you installed by mistake. It is one you installed deliberately, trusted for years, and which was sold or compromised and then updated itself. How to judge one before installing, and how to audit what you already have.
intermediate25 min8 min readHow do I organise my email so it stays manageable?
Filters, a small number of folders and a processing habit that keeps an inbox from becoming a backlog.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I pay with my phone or watch?
Adding a bank card to a phone or watch, why it is more secure than the plastic card, and what happens if the phone is lost or the battery dies.
beginner15 min3 min readHow do I protect my credit file after fraud or a data breach?
The three UK credit reference agencies, what a Cifas protective registration does and costs you, notices of correction, and what to check once a year afterwards.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I remove a device I no longer have from my account?
Clearing an old phone, laptop or television from your accounts when you cannot get it back — including the activation lock that makes a device unsellable.
beginner30 min3 min readHow do I restart a router properly?
The correct restart sequence, why the order matters, and the difference between restarting and resetting.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I send a file that is too big to email?
Cloud links, transfer services and compression — which to use, and the privacy considerations for each.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I set up a focus mode or Do Not Disturb properly?
Do Not Disturb silences everything; a focus mode is a named profile with its own allow list, schedule and even its own home screen. Configure the exceptions before you trust it.
beginner25 min4 min read
Going deeper: DecisionHQ
Product and option comparisons with explicit criteria, rather than a single recommendation.
DecisionHQ is in development — GuideHQ covers the practical answers in the meantime.