Slow Internet? A Bluetooth that seems to disconnect? A PC that has been blocked? In Xataka Basics you have many technical solutions for specific problems, but today we bring you the opposite, a guide with solutions to major problems that the devices usually give you.
These are not overly complicated problems, but yes, those that occur in most cases and that a user with little knowledge will possibly face sooner or later. That is why we make a first aid guide for them.
And I am aware that advanced users know these solutions by heart for a while, but today we are focusing on those other users with less experience. However, faithful to the Xataka Basics style, I invite you to leave it together with your proposed solution in the comments if you come up with another basic problem that all users usually face, so that those who come to the guide will benefit. Also your knowledge.
Explore your device settings
If your mobile does not connect to WiFi, if Bluetooth does not seem to work or if there is some other basic element of your mobile or computer that does not work, they are often small things that you can fix from your settings. To solve it, you have to look for an application on your mobile or computer called Settings or Configuration, which normally appears with the icon of a gear wheel.
In this settings application for your device you will be able to find the controls to adapt it to your needs, from configuring Bluetooth and WiFi to making changes to how the screen looks or other things. It’s all there, the basic settings and the essential changes, but if you’re inexperienced it can be a bit tricky to find where everything is.
Therefore, you should know that in all configuration windows there is usually a search field. In this way, if you have problems with Bluetooth you can simply type “bluetooth”, and it will show you all the related settings so you can go to them directly.
On an iPhone and many Androids, just slide the screen down to bring up the search field at the top, although on some Androids it may be different. In Mac settings it’s at the top left, and in Windows it’s also at the top of the right column.
Don’t forget about updates
Let’s start with a rule that you should always try to apply, and that is keep your devices always up to date. This is important because sometimes an operating system or an application may have errors that are later fixed with a new update, so it is important that you try not to take too long to update them. Nothing to enter the app store and have 50 updates waiting.
For those of us who are more used to using technological devices, this may be basic advice, but we have all had a friend who tells us that something is wrong, and when the first thing we ask them is if they have updated the app or the computer to the latest version, many times he says he hasn’t even looked at it.
Here, you should know that in most cases the operating systems are responsible for keeping themselves updated, and also for updating the applications. However, when you are running into a problem it is always recommended that one of the first things you do is make sure there are no new updates.
And although it may seem contradictory, if the problem comes after an update, you have to pay special attention to new updates, because sometimes there is a problem that had not been detected before, and once people complain after finding it after updating, the manufacturer launches a new update in a very short time frame in order to solve it.
Problems with public WiFi
Based on the fact that it is dangerous to use public WiFi, since you can expose yourself to all kinds of attacks because they do not have as good privacy as they should, they are still a useful resource that millions of people resort to in a hotel or airport.
When you connect to a public WiFi, then a message usually appears asking you for a key or a payment method or identification, and it is with this window that you take the necessary step to connect. But sometimes the window may not appear Or you may accidentally close it and not be able to show it again. In these cases, there is a trick to force it to be displayed.
What you have to do is go to your PC’s browser and type a certain command. On iPhone or Mac type captive.apple.com, on Android and Chrome OS type google.com/generate_204, and on Windows browser type www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt. Typing these commands will bring up the popup window again.
If typing these addresses into your device’s browser doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need to clear your browser cache to reset the data. In Xataka Basics we have already explained how to delete the cookies and the cache of the mobile browser and your desktop browser. Just remember that after doing so you will have to log in again on the websites you visit and where you have an account.
When a Bluetooth device fails
There are times when a device connected by Bluetooth may be failing you, or it has stopped working directly. In these cases, in most cases the fastest and easiest solution is unpair and re-pair. This is quite simple to do.
What you have to do is enter the settings of your device and search for the Bluetooth settings, being able to use the browser’s search engine if you cannot find them. In them, you will see the list of devices that are connected or linked, and you have to click on the information button or the name of the one you want, and choose the option to delete it or forget it for him to disassociate.
Now, all you have to do is reactivate the pairing mode of your Bluetooth device and connect it to your device again. When re-establishing the connection from scratch, the normal thing is that if there were some small punctual failure it would be solved, at least most of them.
when the internet is slow
When the Internet is slow, there are many things you can do, from closing applications that are consuming a lot of data to buying a PLC, WiFi repeater or Mesh network to improve the signal, going through more technical solutions such as changing the channels of your WiFi to use others less saturated.
However, in many cases it will be enough to know how to place the router and its antennas in the optimal position to maximize its capacity. To start with, you should try to place the router as centrally as possible in the area you want to cover, both vertically and horizontally. Nothing to have it in a room at the end of the house. And as for the antennas, if you have them, it is best to have one vertical and one horizontal.
But before starting to move the router, it is best to do a speed test and check that the computer connected directly to the router or that is next to it with WiFi receives the speed you have contracted, because if it is not, it will It is better that you call the operator in case there is any incident.
Too many notifications on your mobile
One of the most common problems among users with less experience with smartphones is that they end up seeing how everything is filled with notifications and they don’t know where they come from or how to prevent them from reaching them. This ends up making them not see the ones that are important because they simply have the notification center full. If this is your case, there is a simple way to control them.
Both iPhones and Android phones have an option in their settings to be able to decide which apps send notifications. Here, it is recommended that you spend five minutes deactivating all of them, application by application, and then activate only those applications that you want to bother you with notifications, such as messaging or email.
This way you will avoid the noise of applications that you do not want to be sent notices. There are plenty of other ways to customize and tailor notifications to your liking, too, but this is the first essential step and the one that will save you the most headaches.
To configure notifications on Android, you have to enter your mobile settings, go to the Notifications section, and click on Application settings. Here you will have a list with all the applications that show notifications, you will have to choose to see them all, and you will be able to deactivate those that you do not want to be disturbed. The procedure can be a little different depending on each manufacturer, but it shouldn’t be too different.
Your PC has frozen
And finally, another fairly common problem that often happens. There are times when you are using several programs or have several browsers or many tabs open and it seems that the computer hangs. And if it doesn’t hang completely, it seems like it’s going very jerky.
This is usually due to RAM memory problems, or it could also be because a specific application is experiencing a specific problem, and Windows is investing too many resources in trying to keep it running. Here you will have two basic and simple solutions which you can turn to.
In the event that you know which application is failing, the easiest thing to do is simply force close the app. To do this, right-click on its taskbar icon and choose the option to close it. In the case of the browser, you can also try to detect which tab is giving you problems and close it.
And in the event that you cannot locate which application is failing, in Windows you can press Control + Alt + Delete, and in the menu that opens, choose the option to enter the task manager. Here, you will be able to see the list of running apps and see which one is consuming more resources. If you close the one that consumes the most, you will free up memory, and everything will be a little better.
