How to change these default settings and be more satisfied with your technology

Simple steps can make your smartphone, computer and TV work better.

Many Parameter flaws buried deep within our technology force us to share superfluous amounts of data with tech companies. In my last column, I explained how to disable them.

But not all defaults do sneaky things with our information. Some also need to be turned on or off to make our devices more pleasant to use.

The new iPhones, for example, are equipped with a sophisticated camera that can film extremely clear videos in ultra-high "4K" resolution - but most people probably aren't using their camera to its full potential because by default the phone is set to record video at a lower resolution.

TVs are another example. Many modern televisions have an effect known as motion smoothing turned on to make videos appear to play at a higher frame rate, which is supposed to make fast moving scenes look more detailed. . But in many applications, especially when watching movies, it creates a soap opera effect that many find untrue. It's the setting on a TV that many tech-savvy people turn off immediately.

Our consumer electronics are some of our most expensive household purchases, there so it's worth going through and changing the default settings to get the maximum benefit. Here's what I and other tech writers are always changing to make our phones, computers, and TVs work better.

Apple iPhones include various settings that are disabled by default and should be enabled to make the device more convenient to use and to take better photos.

Unlock iPhone while wearing a mask. Although mask mandates have been lifted in many places, many people still wear them to feel safe, especially indoors. One of the biggest barriers to using an iPhone was having to enter a passcode, rather than using Face ID, when wearing a mask. Recent versions of Apple's iOS now allow iPhone users to unlock the device without removing their mask. Go to Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Face ID with a Mask and enable this setting (green).

Shoot 4K video. To have an iPhone camera record video at its highest resolution, go to Settings → Camera → Record Video and choose a 4K option. (I prefer "4K at 30 fps" because it works well when uploading videos to social media apps and internet sites like YouTube.) The downside is that 4K recordings will further clog up the phone's digital storage. But if you paid for this fancy camera, why not use it?‌

Enable the camera grid. In digital photography, photographers use various composition techniques to make photos more aesthetically pleasing. The iPhone camera has a setting to display a grid to help compose shots. Go to Settings → Camera → Grid and enable this setting.

Android phones also include controls that need to be enabled or changed to improve the look of the screen. screen and phone easier to use.

Change the color profile of the screen. Many Android phones have large, bright screens, but their colors can seem oversaturated or too blue. Ryne Hager, editor of tech blog Android Police, said he...