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The iPhone 13 is Here. Here’s What it Can Do.

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

On September 14, 2021, Apple unveiled its new iPhone 13 line, along with the Apple Watch Series 7, new iPad mini, and iPad.

There are four models of the iPhone 13 :

  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max

The base model is the iPhone 13, coming in five colors: Product Red, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, and Pink. All models come with Ceramic Shield fronts and glass back and aluminum design to protect the phone’s back components. If you’ve dropped your iPhone 8 in the past and see the backglass shatter, don’t expect the same from the new iPhone model. The iPhone 13 can take quite a beating before showing any signs of damage. 

The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models come with Ceramic Shield front and textured matte glass back and stainless steel design, providing a smooth grip for iPhone users.

The base storage capacity starts at 128 gigabytes (GB) and the highest is 1 terabyte (TB) for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models.

Weight-wise, the iPhone 13 mini is the lightest, weighing 140g (just about the same weight as a baseball). The heaviest out of the four models is the 238g Pro Max, boasting the widest screen of the four.

Comparing the display, all models come with Super Retina XDR and OLED display.

Processing power

All models come with the A15 5-core CPU Bionic chip that includes a 5-core GPU (4-core for non-Pro) and a 16-core Neural Engine. That’s fast enough to run multiple applications optimized for today’s smartphones and should let you run mobile games with the settings maxed out without any issues.

Damage resistance

When it comes to splash, water, and dust resistance, the whole iPhone 13 line is rated IP68 under IEC standard 60529. Meaning, all models can be submerged at a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes without being rendered useless. So you can rest easy the next time you accidentally spill some water on your iPhone 13.

Camera

When talking about iPhones, we can’t forget the camera.

The 13 line comes with a Pro 12MP camera system that has wide and ultra-wide cameras. The Pro line has telephoto as an addition. For all models, video recording quality can be up to 4K at 60fps. Crystal clear, right? Pack that with beefy storage, and you’re good to go on your vlogging adventures!

Non-Pro models

Since Apple started releasing Pro models in addition to their iPhones’ base models, fans are quick to compare and find the best models. 

The non-Pros are considered entry-level, as they come with the latest features without the additional Pro features. They also cost less than their Pro counterparts.

  1. iPhone 13 mini

The 13 mini model has the smallest viewing area with 2340×1080 resolution. Albeit small, it’s clear enough to display sharp images with excellent viewing angles. There’s only 5.4-inch to look at, but the small size allows you to fit the phone into small pockets and it’s easy to hold. 

When it comes to battery life, the 13 mini is the smallest battery. You can play up to 17 hours of non-live videos and 13 hours of streaming videos. When streaming audio, the mini’s battery can play up to 55 hours worth of audio.

  1. iPhone 13

I can’t say this is the base model because it’s not the entry-priced one, but because it’s called the iPhone 13, we’ll call it the line’s base for reference.

It doesn’t differ much from the mini version, but it weighs 18g more and has a 6.1-inch display at 2532×1170 pixels. That’s a bigger display with clearer images. If Apple didn’t up the resolution on this model, we’d be looking at the mini with the smaller but clearer display. 

In terms of battery life, the 13 fares better than the mini. It has a battery beefy enough to stream 19 hours worth of non-streamed video and 15 hours of streamed video. When playing audio, you can trust the 13 to play for up to 75 hours.

Pro models

The Pro models carry features you can’t find in the non-Pros. Some people prefer pros for the size, storage, and camera.

But if you’re not looking for those, we suggest you look into the non-Pro to save a few hundred bucks. If you want a feature-packed smartphone, then here’s the breakdown of the 13 Pro models.

  1. iPhone 13 Pro

Headlining the Pro line is the 13 Pro. It weighs 203g and has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2532×1170, much like the iPhone 13.

Battery-wise, the 13 Pro can play up to 22 hours of video and 20 hours of video streamed. Like playing audiobooks of music for long periods? You’ll have no issues with the 13 Pro’s 75-hour audio playback capacity.

  1. iPhone 13 Pro Max

The 13 Pro Max is the heaviest, biggest, and most expensive model of the 13 line. It has a 6.7-inch display at 2778×1284. Talk about being big and clear, right?

While most of the features are similar to the 13 Pro, the difference lies in the battery capacity. The Pro Max can play up to 28 hours of non-streamed video non-stop and up to 25 hours of streamed video. 

For music and audiobook lovers out there, you won’t have issues with the 13 Pro Max because it can play up to 95 hours of audio. 

All in all

With how the iPhone 13 models are looking like and how the public received them, it’s safe to say they are very popular. Given the next-level features that come within even the entry models, you can’t go wrong with any iPhone 13 model.

When picking the right iPhone 13 model for yourself, the features should always be the first one you should look at.

Don’t know what features to start looking at? Start with the battery capacity and go from there.

5 Signs Your Smartphone Battery Is Dying

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

There’s nothing more annoying than having a smartphone that’s designed for portability but needs to stay close to a wall socket.

You bought a feature-packed smartphone you can take anywhere with you but years — sometimes even months later, you notice that there are more times you keep it plugged in than not.

You look back and realize, “Are these smartphones really built to act like this?”

The answer is yes. Batteries aren’t supposed to last forever. They’re meant to decay in health due to use. And we also can’t deny that most of us are heavy users. We don’t even care if we’re using our phone while it’s plugged in, right?

But if you’re trying to look for explicit signs that’ll tell you about your smartphone battery’s decaying state, I compiled a list of signs you should be on the lookout for.

  1. Your phone always dies on you

Imagine being outdoors with your friends and you want to play some music and take pictures. About 15 minutes later while the phone is connected to a Bluetooth speaker, the music stops.

You run to where your phone is. It’s dead. Again.

You know you just fully charged the thing, but why did it die this early? Well, you’re definitely looking at a case of a decayed smartphone battery that needs replacement.

This is the number one sign that your phone’s battery needs to be switched up, or you might have to change the way you use your phone if you don’t want to get a smartphone battery replacement just yet.

You always have to carry around a power bank with you if you want to remain away from the wall socket most of the time.

If this situation persists, the best decision is to get your phone checked at a reliable cell phone repair store that will give you good estimates for quality battery replacement services.

  1. Your smartphone is old

Another sign that your battery isn’t good anymore is when your phone is 5-10 years old. Say, you’re using a phone that came out 8 years ago and you’re wondering why its battery won’t last you more than an hour.

Even if you took care of your 8-year old phone like a baby, batteries don’t last forever. You might have kept it stored somewhere and didn’t use it for years, but it’ll still decay. It probably might not turn on again unless you get a new battery.

So yes, your phone’s age is a factor to consider when assessing its battery health. Just because a phone is free of scratches and you’re a careful user, doesn’t mean it’ll work as if it’s new.

Get a new one. It doesn’t have to be the iPhone 13, but you can check out other models that are still very useful based on today’s tech needs. Just make sure you’re transacting with reputable stores as you browse.

  1. Your phone never gets 100% charged

I’ve gone through this myself, and I admit it’s very confusing and stressful. When charging your phone, you’d expect the battery percentage to go up as time passes. But when your battery is nearing its last days on earth, the percentage decreases even when it’s plugged in!

That’s pretty mind-boggling, especially when you see it for the first time.

This occurrence is a big “GET YOUR PHONE FIXED” sign to us users because our battery isn’t even acting the way it’s supposed to. Something must be really wrong with it, right?

There are also instances wherein phones get charged to 100% but once you unplug it and use it for 10 minutes, the battery goes down to 10%. Yikes.

So get it fixed before your battery bloats and explodes (yes, that happens).

You don’t even have to wait for this to happen. Most of today’s smartphones have a feature in the settings where you can check battery health. It should tell you when the health is dangerously low and you need a replacement.

  1. Things get hot

Don’t get me wrong, there are many things that cause phones to heat up. It could be the weather, the app you’re running, your phone case, and sometimes, your battery.

This is a serious implication that your battery is dying. When you’re charging your phone, it shouldn’t run hot when the battery is healthy.

It also shouldn’t be hot when you’re only running your messages app, for example. Because they’re not very demanding on hardware, your phone shouldn’t be hot on your hands when you’re running just that.

It’s even worse if your phone gets hot while you’re not using it! But if you left it somewhere hot, like on top of your car that’s parked under the sun, it should be hot (please don’t do that).

If these things happen to you, it’s definitely time to get your smartphone battery checked out and replaced by a professional.

  1. It looks deformed

Smartphone batteries get bloated due to many factors. Damage, overcharging, overuse, and many others are just one of the few. Fortunately, today’s smartphone batteries are built to withstand most things users overlook.

If the back or front of your phone rises up or takes a weird shape, your battery is bloated and you need to get it replaced as soon as possible. I even strongly advise you to stop using it until you get it repaired.

If not, you’ll risk damaging other components in your smartphone, or worse, your battery might explode. Whatever’s inside your smartphone battery is toxic, and manufacturers are always sure to include that in the battery and phone’s packaging to tell you.

Check if your phone has light leaking in weird places or if it feels weird in your hands. You’ll know it because you always have your phone in your hands. Put it flat on the table and spin it around. If it spins full circle, then something’s wrong. It should be flat and shouldn’t spin around.

All in all, if your phone looks AND feels different, you should 100% get it checked out by a professional. Since most diagnostics are free, you don’t have to worry about paying for a phone check-up.

But if something needs urgent fixing (like your battery), then it’s always a good measure to prepare for getting some cash out for service.

What should you do?

Aside from getting a new battery or a new smartphone, there’s nothing you can really do. You can’t save something that’s dying and is meant to go that way in the first place.

The only thing you can do that’s close to saving yourself from smartphone battery problems is to practice proper phone usage when it comes to charging.

Today’s phones are built to avoid overcharging, so you don’t have to worry about it. But they’re not built for using off-brand chargers that run hot and sometimes catch fire.

Since most batteries are made for extreme use, just make sure you’re using authentic charges that won’t endanger you or your phone.

I know there are a lot of attractive offers on smartphone chargers, but it wouldn’t hurt to get one from your phone’s manufacturer.

When the time comes that you need to get a new battery, just call up your trusted cell phone repair store and let them do the work for you!

Dropped Your Phone in Water? Here Are 8 Things You Should Do

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

Picture this — you wake up, scroll through Facebook, Instagram, and emails for way too long. You finally climb out of bed and get ready to take a bath because you really need to treat yourself. As you start thinking through your to-do list for the day, you start filling the bathtub with water.

As you queue a bath time playlist, your phone slipped out of your semi-wet hands and into the water-filled tub! As you pause for a second to take in what just happened, you notice your phone’s light still on, and a bit of relief washes over you. You pull out your phone and try to give it CPR, but it’s useless. So, what should you do to make sure your phone’s okay?

How bad is water in and on your phone?

After overcoming the shock of seeing your phone fall into the bathtub, you might have tried to wipe off all visible water and give it a few shakes to get the water out. But unfortunately, if your phone was fully submerged in water, shaking it won’t do the trick. 

You may be thinking “will my phone ever work again or will it explode in my face while I scroll through TikTok?” Let us answer that question for you. Yes and no.

Why? Today’s smartphones are built to withstand being dipped in water for a limited time. If you recover your phone immediately after dropping it in water, you may still be able to use it. But you should expect muffled speakers and a stuffy microphone. But if you leave it underwater for long enough, you’ll end up with a dead phone. But we also know you wouldn’t do that intentionally.

About your phone exploding question, it probably won’t happen. Generally phones explode when you use faulty chargers and batteries, or buy phones that are faulty from the factory, like Samsung’s Note 7 in 2016, which saw users posting combusted units they just bought. Although the Korean tech giant recovered from this combustion issue, it’s hard to forget an exploding phone. 

What should you do after you save your phone from drowning?

After you get out of what should have been a relaxing bath, you’re ready to find out how badly damaged your phone is. Will it need expensive repairs? Has the liquid damage rendered your phone completely useless? Don’t worry, we’re here to tell you what to do after your phone falls in the water:

1. Switch it off

Whether you’d like to admit it or not, turning your phone off when it runs into issues is always your go to option. We’re not going to disagree with you because you’re right! Anyone who’s been around electronics knows that running currents through any wet electronic circuit will result in problems that can sometimes be fatal.

Modern phones automatically shut off when submerged long enough, but that doesn’t mean you should turn it back on after recovering your phone. In another case, if your phone remains on after you save it, we highly recommend that you switch it off to avoid further damage or risking harm to yourself.

2. Use a damp cloth

If your phone fell into a tub that’s filled with liquid other than water, we suggest you wipe it down with a damp cloth. Moisten a lint-free, soft cloth and wipe it all over your smartphone until you’re sure no liquid remains.

After clearing all the liquid, wipe it again with a dry cloth.

3. Take out removable components

The first thing you should remove is your phone’s case! Obviously, you won’t be able to wipe the unit off properly with it on. After getting rid of your already-soaked case, take out your SIM card and tray, memory card, and, if possible remove your phone’s battery/

Basically, take any part that’s removable out and let it dry.

4. Pick the right towel

What towel or cloth should you use to wipe your phone off with? You’ll want to look for the softest cloth you can find. If you don’t, you may end up with a scratched and liquid-damaged phone.

To make sure you’re not ruining your phone by using the wrong towel, get a lint-free and soft cloth, similar to one you would use to clean glasses. When in doubt, look for the softest cloth to avoid scratches.

With your soft cloth, wipe the phone, along with the removable parts you took out.

5. Let it dry

If your phone turned off by itself after being submerged, you’re probably itching to turn it on to check if it still works. We have to stop you right there — your phone’s components are probably wet and any current will damage it further.

After you wipe off the liquid residue that’s visible to you, put your phone and its parts in an absorbent towel and leave it in a cool, dry place. This is a painful part because you’re left to wait until everything has dried to know if your next stop will be to a phone repair store for professional help.

6. Switch it on

It’s time! This is the day you’ll find out if you need to run to your trusted smartphone repair store, get a new phone, or revive one that survived a swim in the bathtub. After you’re sure your phone’s dry — which is probably one to two days after the incident — switch it on.

If it turns on and works normally, lucky for you! But if it doesn’t, we don’t recommend plugging it in to charge because it may still have water inside.

7. Monitor for issues

If your luck continues, you’re probably elated that your phone’s still working after that fiasco. Now, it’s time to monitor your phone for issues that follow liquid damage. You might notice issues while blasting your music, using your camera, or just by looking at your screen for weird colors and lines.

8. Reach out to a phone repair shop

Even if you don’t notice any issue and your phone is working normally, it won’t hurt to visit a smartphone repair shop and get your cell phone checked. Some problems might not appear early, and you might deal with them much later after the problems have worsened.

That’s why we recommend you reach out to a reputable cell phone repair store near you to get a liquid damage diagnostic check. Some shops offer them without a fee, and it’ll benefit you and your phone if you grab these offers!

Takeaways

Phones falling in liquid is a relatively common occurrence. That’s why professionals are trained to fix these problems! There are thousands of reputable repair stores out there that will be more than happy to help you with your liquid-damaged phone. But if you can’t go to them as soon as you get your phone out of the water, follow our recommendations above for the best chance of saving your phone from irreversible damage.

What Are Freemium Apps?

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

Freemium – the combination of free and premium. This paradox is a common business model for several mobile applications. In today’s post, we discuss what it means, how it works, and why companies use this model.

Not A New Concept

The freemium model is where the base app or program is free, but advanced features are hidden behind a paywall. Some services are subscription-based, and others require a one-time payment. This model is popular among companies that create digital products. Microsoft Office or Adobe allowed users a 30 day trial of the program before requiring a purchase. With the rise of smartphones, the model exploded with application developers.

Everywhere You Look

One way to convince application users to purchase an app or a subscription is to monetize it with ads. It’s a win-win for the developer. However, if ads annoy you (like most people), you will have to pay for them to go away. Think of Spotify or Pandora as an example. Other examples include productivity apps and cloud storage apps.

Applications connect you’re your App Store or Play Store account, making purchasing within the app a breeze. The ease of tapping a button to purchase additional content has been a highlight on the news when parents discover their children ran up crazy credit card bills on in-game purchases. In addition, companies use microtransactions, giving users the ability to access custom or exclusive content.

Looking Ahead

The freemium model is here to stay for the near future. Firstly, this model is an extremely effective and sometimes sneaky way to generate money. It also allows the developers to reach a broader customer pool and decreases the chances of piracy of their software. Lastly, a benefit for the user is it will enable you to try software or app before making the plunge in purchasing it.

If you found this article interesting or helpful, check out our other posts!

Backup Options

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

Backups are essential. We cannot stress this enough. As we use our devices to run our lives more and more, protecting the data on them is more important than ever. We deal with customers all the time who lost all their data because they don’t have backups. In today’s post, we cover the different ways to back up your device.

Where To Start?

Before we get into how to backup your data, we need to start with what you should back up. The first thing to back up is your personal data. While you can backup your operating system or programs, these could be reinstalled in the event something went wrong. However, your personal data is irreplaceable. To that end, consider your documents, photos, videos, things you’ve created (photoshop, etc.), and anything else you wouldn’t want to lose in the event something happened to the computer.

As mentioned earlier, backing up your operating system and programs is also an option. This method will save you time and a headache in the event of a complete system failure. Full system backups are also good if you alter the system files or registry, and something goes wrong.

Backup Options

There are several different options to backup your data. Some may work better for your situation than others, so evaluate your options before selecting which method to use.

External Drives

External drives and, in some cases, flash drives are a quick way to back your data up to a secondary device. Both Windows and Mac operating systems have back up utilities. Windows 10 uses File History, and Mac uses Time Machine. Both have settings where if you leave the drive plugged into the computer, backups will happen automatically. Pro: Easy, fast, cheap way to back up your data. Con: If your house is damaged or robbed, chances are the backup, and the computer will be lost.

Internet Backups

Choosing an online service to handle your backups is a great way to have a copy of your data that is safe, regardless of what happens at your computer. Popular backup services include Backblaze or Carbonite. These programs install on your device and backup your data in the background. Pros: Offsite data backups protect you against any natural disaster or robbery. Cons: These services usually cost money, restoration of data can take a long time and can slow your computer if a big backup is taking place.

Cloud Storage Options

This technically is not a backup in the sense of the options mentioned earlier. However, these will serve the purpose of a majority of users who just want to have copies of their data. These include Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and others. They sync your data across any device that has your account installed. These backups will happen automatically, as long as the account is configured correctly. Pros: Backups are easy to complete and maintain, protect data regardless of what happens to your device, accessible anywhere with an Internet connection. Cons: These services have free trials but cost money for large amounts of data, not an ideal method depending on the file type.

Multiple Backups!

Ideally, you should have a combination of the methods mentioned. Local backups (external) and offsite backups (cloud) are important. Local backups are faster and act as the first line of defense in the event of data loss. In addition, you don’t need an Internet connection to access your information. The main downside to local backups is they are going to be near your computer. If your home gets flooded or burned down, your computer and external drives will be destroyed. Offsite Backups are advantageous because they are protected from anything that happens locally. You don’t need to worry about external drives failing or a natural disaster.

If you found this article interesting or helpful, check out our other posts!

FaceTime Shortcuts

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

Do you use FaceTime to keep up with family and friends who own Apple products? If so, FaceTime has several built-in keyboard shortcuts that make navigating FaceTime’s interface a breeze. These shortcuts will work on all macOS versions, but always make sure your device is up to date.

FaceTime’s Interface

  • Expand/ minimize window to fullscreen: Cmd + Ctrl + F
  • Switch from landscape/ portrait view: Cmd + R
  • Minimize Facetime: Cmd + H
  • Minimize everything except FaceTime: Cmd + Option + H
  • Minimize FaceTime Window: Cmd + M
  • Close FaceTime: Cmd + W
  • Turn off FaceTime: Cmd + K
  • Quit FaceTime: Cmd + Q

Note: Apple does not permit these shortcuts to be customized or disabled.

If you found this article interesting or helpful, check out our other posts!

Bing Wallpaper

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

Windows 10 displays incredible landscape photos from all over at the sign-in screen. These images are pulled directly from Microsoft’s Bing browser. Microsoft released a tool that will automatically select these images as your desktop wallpaper.

Bing’s Daily Photo App

To get started, download the official Bing Wallpaper application. Once downloaded, install it and let the program run. To finish the installation, you will be prompted to Set Bing as my homepage and Set Bing as my default search provider.  After it installs, it automatically selects an image and sets it as the desktop background.

The application runs in the background and starts whenever your computer starts. It downloads and sets a new wallpaper every day. If you don’t like a particular wallpaper, you can change it. Look for the icon in your taskbar. Click on it, and toggle the wallpapers through the popup window.

If you found this article interesting or helpful, check out our other posts!

Facebook’s New Ad Tool

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

Facebook released a new tool showing users how ads arrive in front of you. With this ad tool comes the ability to opt-out of the digital tracking. The feature is called Off-Facebook Activity and provides the data that Facebooks collects while you are on its site. Interestingly enough, this tool is only accessible through its mobile app. In order to use it, you will need a mobile device with the Facebook Mobile app installed.

No More Ads

Open up the Facebook app and hit the three lines in the top right. Scroll down to the Settings menu. Once in the settings, scroll down to the Your Facebook Information section. Within it, you will find Off Facebook Activity. The next page describes how the new settings work. Essentially, businesses or organizations provide information to Facebook. For example, John bought a drill from Home Depot. This information is attached to your account, and target ads become more targeted.

There are three options for handling this process. The first is to simply manage the Off Facebook activity, meaning you can control which companies can and can’t share information with Facebook. Secondly, you have the option to erase your history or view other possibilities like download details about your browsing on Facebook.

In order to stop all sharing with Facebook, select the More Options. Select Manage Future Activity and turn the toggle for sharing off. It can take up to 48 hours for the changes to take effect. The caveat, Facebook will still receive the information, but it will not be attached to your account.

If you found this article interesting or helpful, check out our other posts!

What To Do With Phishing Emails

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

So your scrolling through your inbox, and you see that you received a phishing email. First, don’t panic; bad actors send millions of these a day. The good news is that as long as you do not click on anything in the email, your computer will not be infected. Here is what you should do next.

Again, Don’t Panic

Most email clients like Apple Mail, Gmail, and Outlook catch a majority of spam emails containing malicious attachments or code. Even if one sneaks through to your inbox, it doesn’t mean your computer is infected. Even if you open the email by mistake, your computer is still safe. Email clients will not allow any code to run when an email is opened.

With that said, remember phishing emails are a legitimate security risk. The purpose of them is to get you to lower your defense so the bad guys can access your information. Do NOT click on any link or attachment in the email if you suspect that the email is a phishing attempt.

In addition, never reply to the sender. Scammers will send these emails to as many addresses as they can, and when you reply, you become a bigger target for more spam emails. Once the scammer knows you viewed their email, they will send you more emails.

Verify The Sender

When the email comes from someone you know or a company you associate with, check with them to see if it’s legitimate. If you’re concerned about the message, create a new email, text or call the person and confirm that they sent the email.

If the email comes from a company or bank, go to their website to contact them. Do NOT search the company online and call the first number that pops up. Always call the number on the company’s website to avoid other potential scams.

Report The Email

Below is a list of places you can report phishing emails.

  • Your email provider: Most email providers will have a process to report spam emails. This process varies depending on the email provider.
  • Your company: If the email comes to your work email address, follow your company’s policy in handling it. Some companies have certain IT security procedures to deal with spam emails.
  • A government body: In the US, the Department of Homeland Security handles these emails. A branch of the department, Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency, requests that the email is forwarded to phishing-report@us-cert.gov.
  • The organization from which the email came: Most companies and agencies will have dedicated forms or processes for reporting phishing emails. This is usually found on their website or run a quick search for [organization name] report phishing.

Mark The Email As Spam

Marking the email as spam will prevent any more emails from the sender from reaching your inbox. In addition, you can add the sender to a spam list on any client.

Delete The Email

Lastly, delete the email. This will remove the email from your inbox. As long as you didn’t click on the link, you will not need to run a virus scan or delete your browser history. However, it is vital to run scans regularly to maintain a healthy computer. Once the email is reported and deleted, relax, and continue your web surfing.

If you found this article interesting or helpful, check out our other posts!

Outlook’s Sweep Tool

Posted on | by Computer Warriors

Microsoft Outlook built a handy tool in its online interface that makes keeping your inbox tidy a breeze. Find out more about the Sweep tool below.

What is Sweep?

The Sweep tool is an alternative way to set rules for what happens to emails from specific senders. The Sweep function runs once every 24 hours and allows you to create rules for any folder in your email account, not just your inbox. To use this tool, open up Outlook Online and sign in to your email account.

How to use Sweep

Firstly, open up an email from your inbox or another folder. Once opened, look for the Sweep button in the message toolbar. There will be a broom icon next to it.

This tool is a moving tool. Once you select the Sweep button, a new window will appear. This will allow you to choose what you want to do with the messages from the sender. In addition, you can change where the messages go by clicking on the drop-down next to Move to.

Sweep Options

The first and section options are very powerful in a sense they can move large numbers of messages at any given time. If you start a new categorization system, this is a quick way to jump-start the sorting process. The first option will move any emails from the sender to your desired folder. The second option does this but also moves future emails from that sender to the folder.

The third option enables you only to keep the most recent emails from a given contact. This is a great option for event reminders or companies that email all the time. However, it is limited when it comes to a person’s contact because they could email you multiple times about different topics.  The last option allows emails to be in your inbox for a few days, then will move the emails after ten days.

If you found this article interesting or helpful, check out our other posts!