Why does my phone say there is not enough storage to back up?
The message is about your account, not your phone — where the space has actually gone, and the item that is nearly always the culprit.
beginner30 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
Why is my laptop so hot and noisy?
Dust, soft surfaces and runaway background processes — the three causes, in order of likelihood.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I recover deleted files?
What to check first, in order, when you've deleted something — and the one thing you must stop doing immediately if it's genuinely gone.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I spot a phishing email?
The signals that reliably identify a fake message, and the one habit that makes the question mostly irrelevant.
beginner10 min2 min readI got a message from my child on a new number — is it really them?
The message that starts "Hi Mum, I've lost my phone", why the story is always plausible, and the single verification step that ends it.
beginner6 min3 min readWhat should I do if my email has been hacked?
Regaining control, closing the attacker's routes back in, and limiting what they can reach next.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readWhy does WhatsApp use so much storage on my phone?
Almost none of it is messages. It is years of received photos and videos, mostly from group chats, plus a second copy of them in your photo library if save-to-gallery is on.
beginner25 min4 min readWhy will my smart plug or doorbell not connect to my wifi?
Almost every cheap smart device can only use the 2.4 GHz band, and almost every modern router hides that band behind a single network name. The four workarounds, in order of how little they disturb.
intermediate25 min4 min readHow do I check if my data has been in a breach?
How to find out, what to do first, and which accounts to fix in what order.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I convert a document to PDF?
The print-to-PDF route that works from almost any application, and why a PDF is worth using at all.
beginner10 min4 min readHow do I find an old email?
Search operators that work in every mail client, and what to do when you genuinely cannot remember anything about the message.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I fix a device that will not charge?
Working through charging faults in order — cable, adapter, socket, port — and the lint in the port that causes most of them.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I get back into a hacked Facebook or Instagram account?
The official recovery flows in the order they actually work, the changes an attacker makes to lock you out, and how to warn your contacts while you are still locked out.
intermediate1 hr3 min readHow do I make sure I am paying the right bank account?
Why the email is genuine-looking and often genuinely from the right address, the one verification step that stops it, and what to do in the minutes after paying the wrong account.
beginner12 min4 min readHow do I make text bigger and easier to read?
System-wide text size, contrast and zoom on phones, tablets and computers — the settings most people never find.
beginner15 min2 min readHow do I protect my privacy online?
The privacy settings and habits that make a real difference, and an honest account of what each one does and doesn't achieve.
beginner1 hr3 min readHow do I share a streaming account in a household?
Profiles, simultaneous streams and household rules — sharing a subscription properly so recommendations stay useful and nobody gets locked out.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I simplify a phone for someone who finds it difficult?
Removing what is not needed, making what remains obvious, and setting it up so it stays that way.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I stop apps tracking my location?
The three permission levels, which apps genuinely need location, and the settings people never find.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I use Task Manager or Activity Monitor to find what is slowing my computer down?
The column that is pegged tells you the fix. Reading the four resources properly turns "my computer is slow" into a specific, solvable problem.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I use a spreadsheet for something simple?
The five things a spreadsheet does that make it worth learning, and the small number of formulas that cover almost every household use.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I write a prompt that gets a useful answer?
Context, specificity and format — the three things that separate a vague answer from a useful one.
beginner15 min2 min readHow much phone storage do I actually need?
Work it out from what you currently use rather than guessing — and why underspending here is the expensive mistake.
beginner15 min2 min readIs it worth buying refurbished technology?
The difference between manufacturer refurbished, seller refurbished and used — and what to check before buying.
beginner20 min2 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.