Everyone has tech issues and they are usually because things are more complicated then they have to be. Listen and learn how to simplify your tech life. With Frank Bravo.
If you’ve ever stood in line somewhere — airport, coffee shop, DMV — trying to reset a forgotten password, you already know the pain. But what if you could skip the typing altogether and log in with just your face or fingerprint?
That’s the idea behind passkeys, a new way to sign in that’s quickly rolling out across major platforms. Whether you’re excited… or a little skeptical (I’m with you!), this episode walks you through what passkeys are, why they matter, and how to ease into them without blowing up your digital life.
In this week’s episode, we talk through how passkeys work, where you’ll see them, what makes them different from passwords and single sign-on, and — most importantly — how to get started safely and at your own pace.
✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode
What a passkey actually is (in plain English — no cryptography degree required)
Why passkeys are more secure than traditional passwords
How Face ID, Touch ID, or PIN replaces typing a password
Where you’ll start seeing passkeys in 2026 and beyond
How synced passkeys work across your devices
How passkeys compare to “Sign in with Google/Apple” (SSO)
What happens to your existing passwords and when to keep them
Simple steps to try your first passkey without committing to a full switch
💡 Key Takeaways
Passkeys are faster and safer, but they’re not something you need to adopt overnight.
You can — and probably should — keep your passwords as a backup for now.
Passkeys work across Apple, Google, Microsoft, and even password managers.
Losing your phone doesn’t mean losing access — passkeys follow your account, not your specific device.
Start small: turn on iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager and try a passkey with one account.
🛠️ Frank’s Action Checklist
Turn on iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager
Add a backup device (tablet, laptop, etc.)
Try creating one passkey on a service you already use
Update the top 3–5 accounts that matter most to you
Keep 2-factor authentication enabled
Keep your password manager for now — this is a transition, not a flip of a switch
📌 Mentioned in This Episode
Passkeys (Apple, Google, Microsoft implementations)
Single Sign-On (SSO) — “Sign in with Google/Apple/Facebook”
❤️ Support the Show
If you enjoy Your Tech Makeover and want to help keep the podcast going, you can support the show at YourTechMakeover.com.
Listeners who contribute $25 or more will receive $25 off a one-on-one tech consultation with me — a great way to simplify the tech in your own life.
🎧 Listen to the full episode
Visit YourTechMakeover.com (or check the link in your podcast app) to stream the episode and view all past episodes.
Become a supporter!
Contribute to the Your Tech Makeover podcast and as a special thank you, supporters who give $25 or more will get $25 off a one-on-one consultation with me to help simplify your tech. Thanks for being part of the Your Tech Makeover community!
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Your phone goes everywhere with you — which means it’s also one accident away from disaster. Whether it slips into a snowbank, lands in a bowl of holiday leftovers, or… yes… takes a dive into a porta potty (it happened to a friend), the big question is always the same:
👉 “Will I lose everything?”
In this episode, Frank breaks down the simplest, quickest way to make sure the answer is always no. January is the perfect “set it and forget it” moment to lock in your phone backups for the year, and you only need a few minutes to protect your photos, messages, contacts, and more.
We’ve talked about backups on this show before — full computer backups, cloud storage, organizing your digital life — but we’ve never dedicated an episode to phone backups. And considering how much of our lives now live on these devices, it’s long overdue.
Get ready for a practical, calm walkthrough you can follow step-by-step.
💡 What You’ll Learn
Why phone backups matter more than ever (and why most people think they’re backed up when they’re not)
The difference between sync and backup — and why it matters
The 5-minute backup setup for both iPhone and Android
How to protect your photos, messages, and app data without stress
Which apps don’t back up automatically (and how to fix it)
How to create a simple local backup for extra peace of mind
A super quick monthly check to make sure everything’s still working
🛠️ Key Takeaways
Turn on cloud backup
Turn on photo backup
Turn on message backup
Add one local backup if possible
Verify it’s all working
Set a monthly reminder to check again
Backing up your phone is one of the highest-impact, lowest-effort tech tasks you can do. Do it once, keep it running, and you’ll never panic if the unexpected happens.
🎧 Listen to the full episode
👉 Available now on your favorite podcast app and at YourTechMakeover.com.
❤️ Support the Show & Get a Bonus
If you enjoy this podcast and want to support it, visit YourTechMakeover.com.
Listeners who contribute $25 or more get $25 off a one-on-one consultation with Frank — perfect for fixing something, simplifying something, or finally getting an annoying tech task off your plate.
📦 Mentioned in This Episode
iCloud Backup
iCloud Photos
Messages in iCloud
Google One Backup
Google Photos Backup
Samsung Smart Switch
WhatsApp Chat Backup
Backup options for authenticator apps
Password manager syncing
🧹✨ Digital Declutter Day: Clean Up Your Tech in Just 30 Minutes
🧹✨ Your end-of-year reset for phones, laptops, and everything in between.
It’s the end of the year — the time when we clear out closets, toss old paperwork, and try (once again) to start January feeling somewhat organized. In this episode of Your Tech Makeover, we’re doing the digital version of that… in just 30 minutes.
If your phone keeps warning you about storage, your laptop fans sound like they’re preparing for takeoff, or your digital life just feels messy, this quick, focused cleanup is your reset button. We’re breaking it into four simple blocks — Files, Photos, Apps, Email — plus a two-minute backup check to make sure your most important data is safe.
No perfection required. Just progress.
🧭 What You’ll Learn
Here’s what you’ll be able to do after listening:
🗂️ File Cleanup (8 minutes)
• Clear out your Downloads folder without overthinking
• Sweep your Desktop in two minutes
• Identify and delete space-hogging files
• Make sure your cloud sync (Drive/Dropbox/OneDrive/iCloud) is actually working
📸 Photos & Media Cleanup (8 minutes)
• Delete screenshots in bulk
• Merge duplicate photos
• Remove “video monsters” that take up gigabytes
• Build two simple albums to create future organization momentum
📱 Apps & Notifications (5 minutes)
• Delete unused and duplicate apps
• Quiet the nonstop alerts that drain your focus
• Keep only the notifications that truly matter
📧 Email Reset (9 minutes)
• Use the “Sort by Sender” trick to clear hundreds of messages fast
• Unsubscribe from the three senders cluttering your inbox
• Perform the “Clean Slate Move” for instant inbox relief
• A callback to one of the very first episodes: How I Keep My Email Inbox Empty — Really
💾 Bonus: Backup Check (2 minutes)
• Confirm your phone is backing up automatically
• Make sure your computer has a recent, successful backup
• Avoid the heartbreak of data loss (because this podcast really cares about backups)
💡 Mentioned in This Episode
• Troubleshooting 101 – Simple Fixes for Everyday Tech Problems
• How I Keep My Email Inbox Empty — Really
• iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive
• Apple Photos duplicate finder
• YourTechMakeover.com (listener contributions)
🙏 Support the Show
If this episode helps simplify your tech life, consider supporting Your Tech Makeover. Your contribution keeps the podcast independent and listener-driven — and as a thank-you, supporters who give $25 or more receive $25 off a one-on-one tech consultation with me.
Visit YourTechMakeover.com to learn more.
📬 Stay Connected
Have a question? A topic suggestion? A digital mess you want help untangling?
Email me anytime at frank@yourtechmakeover.com.
You can find past episodes, resources, and more at YourTechMakeover.com.
The holidays are here and so are the people asking, “Hey, what’s your Wi-Fi password?”
Before you start shouting “capital Q, lowercase x, seven, nine,” take a breath. In this episode, Frank Bravo walks you through the easiest and most secure ways to share your Wi-Fi with guests, without turning into the household tech support desk.
Whether you’re hosting family for the holidays or just want to make it simple for friends to connect, you’ll learn how to keep things quick, friendly, and secure.
💡 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
🔐 How to set up a Guest Network and give visitors internet access without exposing your devices.
📱 How to share your Wi-Fi with a QR code, the fastest, no-typing-required way to connect.
🤝 How to use tap-to-share features on iPhone and Android for trusted friends and family.
⚙️ Myths and must-dos for Wi-Fi security and why hiding your network name isn’t actually safer.
🚀 Quick troubleshooting tips for common connection issues and slow speeds.
🏡 Why It Matters
Holiday gatherings often mean a parade of new devices—phones, tablets, smartwatches—all hungry for Wi-Fi.
Learn how to keep your guests happy and your smart home secure with a few simple settings you can change in minutes.
💬 Mentioned in This Episode
Guest Network settings (available on most routers like Eero, Nest Wi-Fi, Orbi, and TP-Link)
QR code sharing in iPhone and Android Wi-Fi settings
Apple’s “Share Password” pop-up for iOS and Mac devices
Android “Nearby Share” for quick Wi-Fi sharing
Router firmware updates for better security and performance
