Tech help
Everyday technology for non-specialists: fixing Wi-Fi, computers and phones, choosing and setting up devices, backups, storage, photo libraries and personal automations.
Download all 22
- Automate a personal routine
Designs phone or computer automations (Shortcuts, Tasker, Power Automate, IFTTT and similar) for a repeated routine, with trigger, actions, step-by-step setup and a test plan.
- Check a used device before buying
Builds a checklist for buying a used phone, laptop, tablet or console: activation locks, battery health, screen, ports, serial and blacklist checks, red flags and questions for the seller.
- Choose computer specs
Translates what you do on a computer into the specs that matter (processor, memory, storage, screen, battery, ports) and configurations to look for within budget, before you buy.
- Digital declutter track
Runs a digital declutter in gated steps - subscriptions and accounts, files and downloads, photos, email, phone apps and notifications - and ends with a light routine to keep it tidy.
- Digitise old photos, tapes and film
Plans digitising old photos, slides, negatives, video tapes, cine film and audio cassettes, comparing doing it yourself with services, and covers equipment, formats, naming, storage and sharing.
- Digitise paper documents
Plans scanning and organising paper documents, with what to keep on paper, scan settings, file naming, folders, searchable text, backup and safe shredding. Use to clear a filing cabinet.
- Explain an error message
Explains an error message on a computer, phone or app in plain words, says how serious it is, and gives safe steps to fix it in order, for non-technical people.
- Family tech helper
Patient tech helper for non-technical people who explains one step at a time in everyday words, checks before anything risky and never makes the person feel slow. Use for any device or app question.
- Fix a home printer
Troubleshoots a home printer step by step, from offline errors and jams to faded prints and Wi-Fi setup, asking what the screen and lights show before each next step.
- Free up storage
Frees up storage on a phone, computer or cloud account by finding the biggest space users and the safe things to remove, offload or move, without losing photos, chats or documents.
- Organise a photo library
Plans organising a large family photo library scattered across phones, drives and clouds, with deduplication, folders or albums, naming, faces and dates, and a backup that survives.
- Plan a smart home
Plans smart home devices and automations by room and routine, checks ecosystem compatibility (Matter, Thread, Zigbee, hubs) and covers privacy, security and what still works offline.
- Recover deleted files
Guides recovering deleted or lost files from a computer, phone, memory card, USB stick or cloud account in safe order, before anything is overwritten, and says when to stop and call a professional.
- Set up backups
Sets up a 3-2-1 backup plan for phones and computers with tools, schedules, a restore test and family devices, sized to what you would hate to lose. Use before a drive fails or a phone goes missing.
- Set up a new computer
Builds a setup checklist for a new laptop or desktop covering updates, accounts, security, backups, moving files and apps, removing bloatware, accessibility and wiping the old machine.
- Speed up a slow computer
Diagnoses a slow Windows, Mac, ChromeOS or Linux computer with safe checks (startup items, storage, updates, malware, hardware limits) in order of likely payoff. Use before buying a new machine.
- Switch to a new phone
Plans moving to a new phone, including between iPhone and Android, so contacts, photos, chats, two-factor apps and banking apps move safely and nothing is lost when the old phone is wiped.
- Teach an older relative a smartphone
Plans short, patient lessons for an older adult learning a smartphone or tablet, one skill per session, with printable cheat sheets, accessibility settings and scam awareness built in.
- Troubleshoot home Wi-Fi
Diagnoses slow or dropping home Wi-Fi with ordered checks from the simplest fix up, and says when to call the internet provider or replace the router. Use when the connection is unreliable.
- Turn on accessibility features
Finds and explains the built-in accessibility features on a phone, tablet or computer for low vision, hearing loss, motor or cognitive needs, with step-by-step setup and how to undo each one.
- Walk me through a device setting
Walks someone through changing a setting or doing a task on their phone, computer or TV one step at a time, asking what they see on screen before giving the next step. Works read aloud.
- Write a tech support request
Writes a clear support ticket or message to a vendor or IT desk with the problem, steps to reproduce, versions, what was tried and the impact, so the first reply is a fix and not questions.
Not: account security, scams, privacy or tracking (digital-safety); building or debugging software (software-engineering domain); running a company's IT (devops).