Articles by Jeramy Johnson

Did you try turning it off then turning it back on again?

I suspect that if you’re reading this article and you’re an Android Central regular that you’re pretty tech-savvy. You’ve probably also been called on more times than you can count to help solve some sort of (real or imagined) tech crisis for friends and family. For many like us, this deluge of calls and texts is usually centered around the holidays, but now that we’re all pretty much working from home and cooped up, you may have had an uptick in requests recently.

Here are some of the tips, tricks, and tools I use not only to write my articles but to help out my friends and family when they ask (just don’t remind them, ok?).

How to provide remote tech support

Video chats

Having done customer support in the past, I can tell you that it can be infuriating to try to diagnose a problem over the phone or via text. Honestly, though, it’s just as frustrating for the person needing the help as it is for the person giving it. H…

You may have heard the term Voice over LTE or VoLTE and not realized exactly what it was or why your phone would need to use it. VoLTE is just a fancy way of saying that your phone is using a portion of the LTE data spectrum for voice calls, which should result in a more consistent signal and clearer calls. Most modern phones will have this setting turned on by default, though there may be reasons why an OEM or carrier didn’t have it activated to begin with (having to do with the phone’s internals or the telecom network). The good news is that it’s an easy setting to enable, and once done, you can enjoy clearer calls and better signals.

How to enable VoLTE on your Samsung Galaxy phone

Open the Settings app on your home screen or app drawer, or slide down from the top of your screen.

Tap on Connections.
Tap on Mobile networks.
Toggle on VoLTE calls.

From here on out, your phone calls will be handled via LTE data as long as that’s an option where you are. Whenever it’s not, yo…

Take back that Ring after you break up.

At Android Central, we are all about affordable and effective do-it-yourself home automation and security devices, and one of the most popular brands in this category is, of course, Ring. You may have enthusiastically jumped on board the Ring train previously, but are now a bit put off by their recent privacy scandals. Or, perhaps you just want to move to another platform like Nest or Eufy.

Whatever the reason, deleting your Ring account is actually pretty easy, if you can find the right page on their website. Thankfully, we did the legwork for you, so now all you have to do is follow the steps below, and you’ll be rid of your Ring!

How to delete your Ring account

Type in ring.com in your web browser.
Click on the Login link in the top right corner.

Enter in your login information and click Sign In.

Visit the Data Requests page by typing in ring.com/account/datarequests into your browser.
Read the disclaimers.
Click on the blue Delete …

Sometimes when you have a video conference call, you want to be there in the moment and not have to have your head down taking notes. What do you do if you still want to remember or reference what was said at a later date? Fear not, we’ll show you how to record a Zoom meeting for posterity, so that you can go back and watch it or listen to it to your heart’s content!

How to record a Zoom meeting locally on your desktop

Local recording of Zoom meetings is available both for Zoom Basic (free) and Zoom premium accounts (Pro, Business, and Enterprise). However, local recording is not available on mobile devices (Android or iOS).

Note that the host (the person who starts the meeting) is the only one with the ability to record the call unless the host grants that ability to another participant.

Open the Zoom app on your desktop (I’m using a Mac).
Once you have started or joined a meeting, hover your cursor over the screen and click on the Record button at the bottom of the screen.

W…

Eufy Video Doorbell

Video value

$136 at Amazon

Pros

Cheaper than Ring Video Doorbell 3
Subscription not required
Doorbell chime included
Local storage options
Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

Cons

Wired version only
No real IFTTT support
Issues with the quality of motion capture and AI features

The Eufy Video Doorbell is our top pick for several reasons, including the fact that it’s a one-time purchase. You don’t need to subscribe to a plan to view your content, it offers local storage, and it’s substantially cheaper than the Ring Video Doorbell 3.

Ring Video Doorbell 3

Popular people portal

$200 at Amazon

Pros

Works great with Alexa and Amazon devices
Now compatible with 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi
Advanced Motion Detection
Audio and video privacy zones
Wired and battery-powered options
Customizable faceplates

Cons

Doesn’t work with Google Assistant
Subscription required to access recordings
Doorbell chime is an additional purchase

The Ring Video Door…

Fitbit’s app and devices can help you remember to practice self-care.

It’s still early on in the pandemic here in the U.S., and folks are just getting used to the idea of working from home, keeping indoors more than ever, and the concept of self-isolation. Even those of us who are introverts and have worked at home for years are chaffing at these increased restrictions. It can be hard for all of us to remember during this trying time that it’s so important for our physical and mental well-being to continue to practice self-care — indeed, now more than ever.

I’ve been a Fitbit user for nearly four years now, and part of the reason I’ve stayed with the company and platform for so long is that in addition to its excellent fitness trackers, the company has a thoughtfully-designed app with tons of great options for tracking personal health data. There are also features (mostly free) for analyzing that data, setting reminders for health and fitness activities, and competing with friend…

If you are one of the millions who already work from home, or one of the now tens of millions compelled to do so due to the coronavirus pandemic, chances are you’re going to need to make some improvements to your personal workspace to optimize for comfort and efficiency. Whether you have a dedicated office space in the house or you’ve managed to carve out a corner of the dining room, guest room, or bedroom, you’re going to want to make sure it’s as organized and tidy as possible.

Space between

Homury Wood Dual Monitor Stand

Staff Pick

I’ve used a version of this wooden dual monitor stand for over four years now, and I love it. It gets my 27-inch iMac up at just the right height to view from my preferred chair, and it has enough space on the sides, and storage area underneath, to tuck away most of my desk clutter.

From $33 at Amazon

Hang tight

VIVO Dual LCD Monitor Mount

When I worked in an office environment, many of my colleagues had this dual monitor mount to lift…