Does closing apps save battery?
Why swiping apps away makes battery life slightly worse, and what actually drains a phone.
beginner8 min3 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
Does fast charging damage a battery?
What fast charging actually does, why heat is the real variable, and when it is worth charging slowly instead.
beginner10 min3 min readHow do I choose a mobile tariff that fits how I use a phone?
Working out what you actually use, the difference between SIM-only and a handset contract, and the terms that cost more than the headline.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I combine or split PDF files?
Merging, splitting, reordering and deleting pages using what is already installed, without uploading anything.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I deal with duplicate photos and files?
Why duplicates accumulate, how to find them without risking originals, and the review discipline that makes bulk deletion safe.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I find a file I have lost on my computer?
Searching by what you actually remember — date, type and size — rather than by a filename you have forgotten.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I fix slow internet?
How to tell whether the problem is your WiFi, your router, your devices or your actual connection — and what to do about each.
beginner45 min3 min readHow do I get a copy of all my photos out of iCloud or Google Photos?
Both services will hand you the whole library as files — the routes that produce genuine originals, and the ones that quietly give you compressed copies.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 min readHow do I move files to an external drive properly?
Copy, verify, then delete — and why an external drive holding the only copy is not a backup.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I protect an older relative from scams?
The practical protections that work, how to have the conversation without being patronising, and what to do if it has already happened.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I protect my phone?
Securing a phone against theft and loss — the settings that matter, and what to do in the first hour if it goes missing.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I set up a phone or computer for a child safely?
The controls worth setting up, and why the conversation matters more than the settings.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I tell a real message from my bank?
The three things a real bank never does, why the number displayed proves nothing, and the pause that defeats the whole thing.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I tell if a website is genuine before paying?
The checks that take two minutes, why the padlock proves nothing, and paying in a way that protects you if it turns out badly.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I use a phone abroad without a huge bill?
Check the tariff, turn off data roaming, and the eSIM option that has made this much cheaper.
beginner30 min2 min readMy internet has stopped completely — what do I check?
A short sequence that tells you within minutes whether the fault is the line, the router or one device — and stops you resetting things that were never the problem.
beginner20 min4 min readShould I run an ethernet cable instead of using wifi?
Which devices genuinely benefit, why the cable is cheaper than any wireless fix, and the ways to run one without lifting the floor.
beginner20 min4 min readWhat do cookie banners actually mean?
The difference between the cookies a site needs and the ones it wants, and why 'reject all' is usually one click away even when it looks like it is not.
beginner12 min3 min readWhere should I put my router?
Central, high and in the open — and the specific things that ruin a signal if the router sits near them.
beginner30 min2 min readWhich charger and cable should I use?
What the numbers on a charger mean, why cables differ more than they look, and where cheap is genuinely dangerous.
beginner15 min4 min readWhy does my external drive not show up?
Working through cable, port, power and file system in order, and knowing when to stop and get the data off.
beginner30 min4 min readWhy does my phone keep dropping calls?
Separating a coverage problem from a phone problem from a network problem, and the settings that fix each.
beginner30 min4 min readWhy does my phone only charge at a certain angle?
It is nearly always compacted pocket lint rather than a broken port — how to check, and how to clean it safely.
beginner20 min4 min readWhy does my phone screen not respond properly?
The five causes, from a screen protector to a failing digitiser, and the order to eliminate them.
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.