Rear view of the cabin of a commercial aircraft with passengers. The interior of the plane with people sitting on the seats. (iStock)
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Traveling now means that your tickets, maps, hotel, rental car and more are stored on your phone. But what if to disappears? Here’s how to find your phone when it’s lost – even if the battery is low.
Another big emergency? Your battery is running low and you have to go to the airport. Oops. Tap or click for smart ways to extend battery life.
Traveling can be stressful, but these hacks can make a big difference.
1. Take care (digitally) of your stuff
Digital trackers help you keep track of your valuables and find them if you lose something. I put an Apple AirTag on my dog’s collar, keychains, bike and in my cars. Here are 10 smart ways you can use AirTag.
AirTags use signals from other iPhones to determine where they are. With Find My, you can see the location of each AirTag associated with your account. It’s a good idea to throw one in your checked baggage. This way you can see if your bag is reaching your destination.
But the AirTag will be worthless when your luggage passes through the airport’s internal conveyor belt system. There are usually not enough iPhones nearby for AirTag to work. But when your luggage comes out of there, you know exactly where it is.
Want to take a few now as you think about it?
- Apple AirTags they are ideal if you have an iPhone, Mac or iPad.
- The Tile 2-pack is compatible with Android and has a tracker for your luggage and one to tuck into your wallet.
THERE IS AN APPLICATION FOR THIS: Top 10 Travel Apps to Plan Your Next Adventure
2. Track flights easily
Here’s a handy trick for the iPhone if you have a family member or friend who picks you up from the airport. Send an SMS with the airline you are flying with and your flight number, such as “Southwest Airlines 1175”.
The person can tap the message to open the flight tracking. They can see the progress of the flight and the estimated time of arrival without searching for the flight online or on the tracking page. Take it easy!
If your ride uses Android, they can perform a web search for the airline and flight number to see the same information.
This travel hack is great! Uber has a new way to get a car waiting for you when you land. Your Uber driver will track your flight. Here’s my 60 second tip on how it works.
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Passengers stand in front of an information board at BER Airport in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday, December 18, 2021. The German Minister of Transport advises people not to travel during Christmas while the country tries to stop the wave of coronavirus infection. (Joerg Carstensen / dpa via AP)
3. Download these photos to your phone
There are important photos I have on my phone. In the worst case, you lose your wallet. It will be much easier to return home if you have photos of your basic documents.
Be sure to include at least your permit, passport and health insurance card.
The easiest way to do this on iPhone is to use a handy document scanner built into the native Notes app.
- Open up Notes application. Create a new note by clicking on an icon that looks like a square with pencil located in the lower right corner of the screen. Touch camera icon at the bottom of your new note and select Scan Documents.
Take some photos on Android and mark them as favorites in your image gallery, or use the Google Drive scan feature:
- Open up Google Drive app. Touch plus button in the lower right corner.
- Touch Scan and allow access to your camera if you haven’t already. Follow the on-screen instructions to take and save your photos.
Professional advice: I also recommend that you save your identification documents as PDF files and save a copy to iOS Books, the Android eBook app, or even send it to the Kindle. This way you can access them offline. You may want to send a copy to your travel partner.
SMART STEP: Listen to my advice and upload this 9 photos you should always have on your phone at your fingertips. You’ll thank me later!
flight to an exotic destination
(iStock)
4. Check for hidden spy cameras in your rental
It happened to me. I rented a house, settled in, and realized how much the camera was watching me. It was very disturbing.
If you rent through Airbnb, cameras are allowed in public and public areas, but not in bathrooms or bedrooms. They cannot be hidden and must be revealed in the descriptions of the list. VRBO completely bans indoor cameras, although outdoor cameras are allowed for “reasonable monitoring. ”
Larger cameras are easy to spot, but anyone can easily hide smaller cameras behind furniture, vents or decorations. Then there are hidden cameras that can be disguised in all sorts of things, from Rock to an outlet. Seriously, you’ll be shocked to see these things.
An easy way to spot most types of cameras is to look for lens reflection. Turn off the lights and slowly scan the room with a flashlight or laser pointer, looking for bright reflections. Scan a room from multiple locations so you don’t miss a camera focused only on specific locations. Also inspect ventilation openings and any holes or gaps in walls or ceilings.
You can also get it RF detector. This gadget can pick up wireless cameras that you may not see.
If you can connect to a wireless rental network, a free program like Wireless Network Watcher shows which devices are connected. You may be able to spot connected cameras. Just keep in mind that the owner may have put the cameras on another network, or they could be wired or just for recording.
If you find an internal surveillance camera that has not been revealed to you, pick up the phone and call the police. Tell them that you have direct evidence that your landlord is spying on you in your rented house without your knowledge or permission. Use the correct phrase.
Document the situation with videos and photos on your smartphone. When you receive the police report, contact the rental location.
5. Find the most comfortable seat
If you are tall, you know how important a few extra inches of legroom is in flight. This can be the difference between being comfortable or cramped for hours.
Google Flights is a great way to find the cheapest flight, but you need to take the extra step to find the most comfortable seat.
- Get a Chrome extension named Leg space for Google flights. When using Google Flights, you’ll also see how much legroom per seat per flight selected.
- Another solid option is SeatGuru.com. Enter your airline and flight number and you will see a map of the best seats with the most legroom, no download required.
Bonus tip: Bulletproof headphones, change credit report, new Zoom trick
Have you tried any of those “buy now, pay later” services? Many customers like this setting – but it will now appear in your credit report. When it comes to shopping, you can buy a vertical mouse or a life-saving headset. (Yes: one player’s headphones saved him from a stray bullet.) In this episode, I’ll share AirTag news, as well as a new cool Zoom trick that allows you to speak with your hands.
Check out my “Kim Commando Today” podcast on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just look for my last name, “Commando.”
What questions about the digital lifestyle do you have? Invite Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch The Kim Command Show on your phone, tablet, television or computer. Either tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.
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Learn all about the latest technology on The Kim Command Show, the largest weekend radio talk show in the country. Kim receives calls and shares tips on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacking. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.