Guides
Plain-language help with the tech in everyday life: phones, laptops, accounts, scams, and getting started online. Written with Ghana in mind; anything that only applies in Ghana is marked as such.
Storage and backup
When the phone is full, when you are changing phones, and when something you needed has gone.
- Your phone says storage is full What is actually taking the space, and what is safe to delete first.
- Back up your photos and contacts Do it once, properly, so a lost phone costs you a phone and not ten years of pictures.
- Moving everything from your old phone to a new one The order to do it in, and the two things people always lose in the move.
- Getting back a photo you deleted There is a 30-day window most people do not know about. After that, be careful what you install.
- Moving files to an SD card or the cloud Which one to use for what, and the SD card mistake that loses your apps.
- Sending files between phones without internet Moving a big file to someone next to you without spending a pesewa of bundle.
Data and connection
Bundles that vanish, hotspots that will not share, and settings that stop the internet working after a SIM swap.
- APN settings for MTN, Telecel and AT after changing SIM The internet stopped working after a SIM swap or a new phone. This is almost always the APN.
- Your data bundle is disappearing Where a bundle actually goes, and how to stop the four apps that eat most of it.
- Your hotspot will not share the connection The other device connects but nothing loads, or it will not connect at all.
- Wi-Fi says connected but nothing loads The phone is on the network and the network is not on the internet. Where the break usually is.
- Bluetooth will not pair Earbuds, car stereos and speakers, and the one step nearly everyone misses.
- Changing your home Wi-Fi name and password Log in to the router, change the password neighbours have been using, and place it where the signal actually reaches.
When the phone misbehaves
Apps that close themselves, batteries that empty by lunchtime, and phones that have got slow.
- An app keeps closing by itself It opens, shows a white screen, and drops you back to the home screen. Work through it in this order.
- Your battery is draining too fast Find the app responsible before you change any settings, because the usual advice fixes nothing.
- Your phone has got slow What actually causes it, and why cleaner apps make it worse rather than better.
- Should you install that system update? Usually yes, and here is when to wait, plus what to do before you tap it.
Getting things done on a phone
Printing, screen mirroring, long screenshots, and surviving an online form.
- Surviving an online application form on a phone Portals reject files for four reasons. Here they are, with what to do about each.
- Printing something from your phone Straight to a printer, or to a shop without handing over your whole phone.
- Showing your phone screen on a TV Wireless when it works, a cable when it has to work.
- Taking a long screenshot of a whole page Capturing a full chat or receipt in one image instead of six separate shots.
Accidents and repairs
Water, drops, cracked screens, a phone that will not charge or start, and one that has been lost or stolen.
- Water got into your phone: what to do in the first hour Switch it off, dry the outside, and forget the bag of rice. What actually saves a wet phone.
- You spilled a drink on your laptop Unplug, switch off, turn it upside down. The next two minutes decide whether this is a cleaning job or a new motherboard.
- Your phone was lost or stolen: the first hour Block the SIM and the mobile money wallet first, then lock and locate the phone. The order matters.
- Cracked phone screen: what to do before and after the repair Stop the crack spreading, rescue your data, and know what an original, a copy and a refurbished screen really mean.
- Phone will not charge, or charges very slowly Most of the time it is the cable, the plug, or fluff packed into the port. Check those before paying for a repair.
- Phone will not turn on A completely dead battery, a frozen system, or a real fault. How to tell which, and the button combinations that bring most phones back.
- Forgot your phone’s PIN, pattern or password There is no secret code that unlocks it. There are official ways back in, and they depend on whether your data is backed up.
Scams and staying safe
Mobile money fraud, hacked accounts, fake messages, passwords, and keeping children safe online.
- Mobile money scams: how they work and how to stop them The "wrong transfer", the fake promotion, the PIN request and the SIM swap. What each looks like, and what to do if you have been caught.
- Someone took over your WhatsApp How it happens (almost always a six-digit code), how to get your account back, and the one setting that stops it happening again.
- Facebook or Instagram account hacked Use the official recovery pages, not anyone who messages you offering to help. Step by step, plus what to do once you are back in.
- Turn on two-step verification for the accounts that matter The single change that stops most account takeovers. Where to switch it on for Google, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Apple.
- Passwords you can remember and nobody can guess Length beats complexity, reuse is the real danger, and a password manager remembers the rest for you.
- Spotting a fake message, link or website The tell-tale signs of a phishing SMS, email or WhatsApp message, and how to check a link before you tap it.
- Reporting online fraud and cybercrime in Ghana Who to call for mobile money fraud, hacked accounts, online blackmail and fake sellers, and what to have ready when you do.
- Keeping children safe on phones and tablets Family Link, Screen Time, YouTube Kids and the settings that matter, plus the conversations that matter more.
- Social media privacy settings worth changing today Who can see your posts, find your number, and tag you, on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Computers and laptops
Slow laptops, spills, updates that will not finish, flash-drive viruses, backups and screens.
- Laptop running slow Startup programs, a full drive, browser tabs, and the one upgrade that transforms an old laptop for very little money.
- Files on your flash drive turned into shortcuts The shortcut virus hides your files; it rarely deletes them. How to get them back on Windows, and how to stop catching it again.
- Do you need to buy antivirus? For most people on Windows 10 or 11, no. What protects you instead, and what to do if you think something has got in.
- Windows update stuck, or eating all your data How long to wait before you worry, what to do when it really is stuck, and how to stop updates draining a data bundle.
- Backing up a laptop so you never lose your work Cloud, an external drive, or both. A simple setup that survives theft, spills, dead hard disks and viruses.
- Connecting a laptop to a TV or projector The right cable, the Windows+P shortcut, and fixes for no picture, no sound and a stretched screen. For presentations, church and home.
- Laptop battery dying fast, or the laptop running hot Check the battery's real health, cut what drains it, and keep a laptop cool. Plus when a battery is dangerous.
- Keyboard shortcuts worth knowing The twenty or so shortcuts that save the most time on a Windows laptop, with the Mac equivalents.
Accounts and online services
Gmail and Google accounts, storage that fills up, email on the phone, and video calls.
- Creating a Gmail account, and setting it up properly A professional address, a recovery phone and email, and the three settings that save you from being locked out later.
- Forgot your Gmail password, or locked out of your Google account Google's own recovery page is the only way back in. How to give it the best chance of recognising you.
- “Account storage is full”: fixing Google’s 15GB limit Gmail stops receiving email when Google storage is full. Find what is using it and clear gigabytes in minutes.
- Zoom, Google Meet and Teams on a phone, without burning your data Join a meeting, sound and look presentable, and cut an hour's video call from a gigabyte to a fraction of that.
- Using AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude well What they are good for, how to ask, what never to paste into one, and how to catch the confident mistakes.
- Setting up a new phone properly The accounts, security settings and backups to sort out on day one, so the phone is safe and easy to replace later.
Creating and selling online
Starting a YouTube channel or a podcast, filming and editing on a phone, selling online and getting found on Google.
- Starting a YouTube channel From creating the channel to your first ten videos: the setup, the equipment you really need, and what actually gets views.
- Making money on YouTube, including from Ghana The Partner Program requirements, how Ghanaian creators get paid through AdSense, and the other income that often matters more.
- Starting a podcast The format, the free hosting that puts you on Spotify and Apple, recording on a phone, and getting your first listeners.
- Filming good video on a phone Light, stability, framing and settings. The simple habits that make phone video look professional.
- Recording clear sound on a phone Distance, the room and a cheap microphone matter far more than the phone. For videos, podcasts, sermons and interviews.
- Editing video on a phone Free apps, the basic cuts, captions, music you are allowed to use, and exporting without wasting data or quality.
- Selling online from Ghana WhatsApp Business, Instagram and TikTok, taking payment by MoMo or Paystack, delivery, and earning trust as a new seller.
- Putting your business on Google Maps A free Google Business Profile puts your shop, church or office on Maps and in search, with your hours, phone number and reviews.
- Your first website: what it costs and how to start Domain, hosting, and the choice between a website builder, WordPress and hiring someone. Including .com.gh domains.
Buying tech and keeping it powered
Buying a used phone or a laptop, chargers and power banks, and protecting devices through power cuts.
- Buying a used phone without getting burned The account lock that makes a phone useless, stolen and blacklisted phones, battery health, and the checks to make before you pay.
- Choosing a laptop for school, work or business What the specifications mean, the minimum worth buying, new versus used, and the traps in laptop adverts.
- Protecting your devices through power cuts Surges when the light returns, low voltage, generators and inverters. What a surge protector, a stabiliser and a UPS each do, and which you need.
- Choosing chargers and power banks Why roadside chargers damage phones, what watts and mAh really mean, and how to spot a power bank that is lying about its size.