Every iPhone and Android user should know these ingenious commands

The next time you are on the street, look up and guess where the plane is heading over you. Los Angeles? New York? Paris? Ask Siri this phrase: “What flights are overhead?” You will see the carrier, flight number and altitude in seconds.

I love sharing simple tips on digital life that make life easier. Bonus: most of them are good to impress your family and friends. Here are five more useful techniques to test.

For Windows users, try this next time you have a lot of programs. Click on the top panel of one window, hold it and shake the mouse. This shake instantly minimizes all other open windows. Shake it again to restore them. Tap or tap for hidden features that you can try now on your Windows PC or Mac.

On the scale of usefulness of your phone’s smart assistant is very high – if you know the right commands. Here are five that I use all the time.

1. Turn on the flashlight

If it’s dark and you’re trying to read a menu or walk down a dark hallway, you won’t want to touch your phone to find a flashlight.

Just say, “Turn on the flashlight.” It works for both Siri and Google Assistant. Just say the name of the awakening first to make sure they are listening.

Interesting fact: if you’re a Harry Potter fan, you can say “Lumos”. This refers to the spell that Harry and his friends use to light their wands. Say “Nox” to turn off the light.

Don’t lose precious memories. Here are the best ways to save photos of your phone until it’s too late.

2. Add to my calendar

When you’re talking to someone, it’s easy to make plans for the moment. Then, when it comes time to date, you forget about it.

Instead of spending a minute or two typing details manually, tell Siri or Google Assistant what your plan is, as well as the date and time. For example, you might say, “Hey, Siri, set up a meeting with Bob for lunch tomorrow at 1 p.m.” You can also say more specifically, for example, “Hey, Google, add an event called ‘Birthday Dinner’ on Sunday at 4pm.”

If you have multiple calendars, specify which one, otherwise it will fall into your default calendar.

Siri automatically connects to Apple’s Calendar app. If you use Google Calendar, you will have to add it to the standard Apple app. Here’s how to get the two programs to play well together.

Do you want Apple tips and tricks to be delivered directly to your inbox? Get me for free Apple updates email twice a week. Register here. Android user? Choose Updates for Android instead.

3. Set the timer

You’re just going to set a timer for today’s dinner. Then you hear a loud knock from another room and one of the kids starts yelling at you. With one sentence to your smart assistant you can insert a hairpin into your current task before running to put out a fire elsewhere.

To set the timer, tell Siri or Google Assistant: “Set the timer for 10 minutes” or as long as you need. If you say, “Set a 20-minute timer called a chicken,” it launches a new timer labeled “chicken.”

Devices with Amazon Alexa support can also help in the home with timers, fast math and other things for which you usually choose your phone. Click or click here to force Alexa to set reminders, timers and alarms.

4. Shut up my phone

Imagine you are in a church. The pastor shares an emotional story. It is so impactful that the house is not dry eye. Such situations can be quite humiliating. Turn off the phone before going to church, starting a meeting, or sitting for an interview.

An easy way to do this is by voice. Say “Siri, turn off my phone” or “Google Assistant, turn off my phone.”

Speaking of distractions, how many beeps and beeps your phone emits each day? Touch or click here for a quick and easy way to permanently stop phone notifications.

5. It wasn’t for you

Big tech companies will tell you that their devices don’t always listen – they just listen to buy the message. I don’t see the difference.

Often you accidentally call your assistant with a word that sounds similar. If you say something like “Siri” or “Hey Google,” it can strike his metaphorical ears. This can be a problem if your assistant is set up to write down everything you tell him.

I recently reviewed my Amazon Alexa entries. I found several voice clips in which Alexa was not involved at all – including some private discussions about buying real estate. Click here to find out everything Amazon knows about you.

Fortunately, Siri and Google Assistant make distinctive sounds when they have been activated. If you want to prevent Google Now from recording the rest of your conversation, say, “It wasn’t for you.” It also removes everything just written from your history.

You can also tell Siri, “It wasn’t for you” if she turns on by accident. However, Apple has not officially said whether this phrase erases your previous entry from memory. Click here or click here so that all your smart devices don’t listen to you and record what you say.

Extortion hackers were recently hospitalized, and everything from cardio machines to injection pumps has stopped working. Doctors and nurses had to use a pen and paper. There were no electronic patient records. But what happened when the hackers found out it was a hospital will surely surprise you.

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Listen to podcasts here or where you get podcasts. Just find my last name “Team”.

What questions about the digital lifestyle do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and click or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen or watch Kim Commando Show on your phone, tablet, TV or computer. Either click or click here to get Kim’s free podcasts.