You went down a rabbit hole and now gardening (or hot rod or political) posts are all you see online. Algorithms are smart, but they don’t know when you’re ready to get back to your regularly scheduled programming. 

It’s time to reset your feed and take control of what you see.

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5-MINUTE CLEANUP FOR YOUR PHONE AND COMPUTER

Start with Facebook

Goodbye, annoying ads. It only takes a minute to kick out the things you no longer want to see.

The fix: Filter your advertising topics by going to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Center > Ad Preferences > Customize ads.

Random Facebook requests can end badly. This one lost a widow $40K.

The Facebook logo is pictured at the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California. (Reuters)

Now, on to YouTube

Say your family is staying with you for the holidays and your niece is watching cartoons on your YouTube account all day long. Now that’s all YouTube recommends. Delete your search history to get things back to normal. 

The fix: On the YouTube app, tap You to bring up your History. Tap the cog icon > Settings > Manage All History. At the bottom, you’ll see DELETE with a blue down arrow. Tap from the dropdown menu to delete videos from today, a custom range or all time. Click X to remove items individually, if you prefer.

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Going forward, turn off your viewing history any time you don’t want those vids in your algorithm. You can set your video and search histories to autodelete, too. Now your YouTube is back to how you like it, with my video podcast at the very top. You’ll love it!

TikTok tracks your habits 

TikTok’s algorithm is built to keep you on the app. Every time you like, follow or comment on something, it tells the algorithm you’re interested in a video, and more videos like it will pop up on your For You page. Disliking a video or writing a nasty comment doesn’t matter, by the way; you still kept watching.

TikTok is pictured on a smartphone. (iStock)

The fix: Reset your feed. Open your Profile in the bottom right corner then press the three lines at the top right > Settings and Privacy > Content Preferences > Refresh Your For You Feed > Continue. 

Fine-tune Instagram 

Watch Instagram Reels instead? There’s no way to reset them, but you can nudge the algorithm in the right direction.

The fix: Tap the three dots in the upper right corner. From here, you can adjust:

• Posts: Select Hide to move them to the bottom of your feed.
• Stories: Tap Mute so you’ll no longer see them.
• Accounts: Choose either Restrict, which limits if an account can interact with you, or Block.

I’M A TECH EXPERT: 10 AI PROMPTS YOU’LL USE ALL THE TIME

Here’s the giveaway that an email from Instagram about your security is fake.

Most apps have this option

On just about every social platform, you can hide or see less of certain things. The more you take this action, the more you steer the algorithm.

The fix: Next to a post, video or anything else, look for the three-dot or three-line menu that opens more options. On YouTube, for example, tap the three dots next to a video and choose Don’t recommend channel or Not interested.

In this photo illustration, a YouTube logo is seen displayed on a smartphone. (Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Feeling inspired to clean more of your digital traces? Wipe your browser history while you’re at it. Here’s how.

Final piece of advice

Your social media feed is carefully curated based on who you follow, who follows you and, most importantly, what you do online. Sure, you can reset your algorithm, but don’t be fooled. Every post you linger on, like, comment on or share gets tracked and used to shape what you see next. Even just scrolling tells the platform what grabs your attention. 

Before your next deep dive, remember: Big Tech is always watching, and your every move fine-tunes what pops up next.

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iCloud scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting unsuspecting users with urgent messages about their accounts. Our team recently received two suspicious iCloud emails. We want to share our experience and provide comprehensive steps on how to identify and protect yourself from these scams.

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iCloud email scam (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The anatomy of iCloud scams

iCloud scams typically follow a pattern designed to create a sense of urgency and fear. Let’s break down the two emails our team received below. Here is the urgent wording that the scammers used, “Payment Failure for iCloud Storage Renewal” and “iCloud Suspended. Fix it before Mon, 13 January 2025.” Both emails share common characteristics of phishing attempts, including urgent language, threats of account suspension or data loss, requests to update payment information, links to external websites and vague or incorrect account details. These emails are crafted to look legitimate, often mimicking Apple’s branding and tone. However, they contain several red flags that indicate they are scams.

iCloud email scam (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How to identify iCloud scams

To protect yourself from falling victim to these scams, look out for these telltale signs:

• Check the sender’s email address: Legitimate Apple emails will always come from “@apple.com” or “@icloud.com” domains. The scam email address is not even close to that.

iCloud email scam showing the sender’s bogus email address (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

• Look for spelling and grammatical errors: Scam emails often contain mistakes that official communications wouldn’t have.
• Be wary of urgent deadlines: Scammers create arbitrary deadlines to pressure you into acting quickly without thinking.
• Verify account details: If the email mentions account information, check if it matches your actual iCloud details.
• Hover over links without clicking: This allows you to preview the URL and check if it’s legitimate, as in the example below, which, as you can see, is not from Apple.

iCloud email scam showing the URL preview being bogus (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Steps to protect yourself

If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from Apple or iCloud, follow these steps:

• Don’t click any links or download attachments: These could lead to phishing sites or install malware on your device.
• Use strong antivirus software: Consider installing reputable antivirus software to help protect against malware. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
• Check your account directly: Instead of using links in the email, go directly to appleid.apple.com or check your device settings.
• Update your Apple ID password: If you suspect your account may have been compromised, change your password immediately.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your Apple ID.
• Report the phishing attempt: Forward suspicious emails to reportphishing@apple.com.

iCloud email scam (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

• Invest in personal data removal services: While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

THAT APPLE ID DISABLED MESSAGE? IT’S A DANGEROUS SCAM

What to do if you’ve been scammed

Follow these steps if you think you may have fallen for an iCloud scam.

1) Change your Apple ID password immediately: Ensure you create a strong, unique password that you haven’t used on other accounts.

2) Check for any unauthorized changes to your account settings or payment information: Go to account.apple.com and review any devices, personal information or security settings that look unfamiliar.

3) Contact Apple Support directly through official channels for assistance: Forward the suspicious email to reportphishing@apple.com or abuse@icloud.com to help Apple track and block these scams.

4) Monitor your financial accounts for any suspicious activity: If you provided payment information, cancel and replace your credit card immediately and pay close attention to even small unauthorized charges.

5) Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports: Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission and Internet Crime Complaint Center to help combat these fraudulent activities.

6) Use an identity theft protection service: Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

FBI’S NEW WARNING ABOUT AI-DRIVEN SCAMS THAT ARE AFTER YOUR CASH

Kurt’s key takeaways

Remember, Apple will never ask you to provide personal information, passwords or security codes via email, text message or phone call. If you’re ever in doubt about the legitimacy of a communication from Apple, always err on the side of caution and contact Apple directly through their official website or support channels. By staying vigilant and following these guidelines, you can better protect yourself from iCloud scams and keep your personal information secure. Don’t let the urgency of these messages cloud your judgment. Take a moment to verify before you act, and you’ll be much safer in the long run.

Have you ever been targeted by an iCloud or Apple-related scam? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

Traveling abroad can be an incredible adventure, but the language barrier can make even the most intrepid explorer nervous. The fear of being unable to communicate or understand signs and menus keeps many would-be travelers from ever leaving their home country. But fear not. With the rise of powerful translation apps, you can harness the latest technology right on your smartphone to bridge the language gap wherever your journey takes you.

I’ve tested out the top contenders to bring you my picks for the best translation apps for global travelers. Whether you have an iPhone or an Android, these apps have got you covered with features like live speech translation, text input and even AI-powered sign and menu translation.

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A man using a translation app on his cellphone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The best overall translation app

Google Translate

Google Translate (Google) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Google Translate is the best translation app for most people. It supports the most languages, with 133 languages supported. It also features an incredibly user-friendly interface and design, and best of all, it’s completely free. There are multiple ways to translate languages with Google Translate, be it by typing text into the translation box or utilizing text-to-speech translation, and you can even take advantage of Google’s AI translator, which can translate text from photos that you take.

If you are using an iOS device, you can download Google Translate here. If you are using an Android-based device, you can download Google Translate from the Google Play Store here. Additionally, you can access Google Translate in your web browser from any device by going to translate.Google.com.

THE BEST TRAVEL GEAR FOR 2025

The best free translation app for iOS users

Apple Translate

Apple Translate (Apple) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

If you’re an iOS devotee, you may have already encountered Apple Translate, which comes pre-installed on all iOS devices. This powerful translation app is one of the best available exclusively to iOS users, capable of translating written text and images of text and facilitating direct speech translation to help you converse with speakers of other languages. Apple Translate currently supports 19 languages, including popular options like Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Arabic, making it a valuable tool for planning international vacations or communicating while traveling.

Additionally, the Translate app is available on the Apple Watch, allowing you to access your favorite translations on the go. With its seamless integration across Apple devices, you can easily switch between your iPhone and Apple Watch for quick and convenient translations. Whether you’re navigating a foreign city or engaging in conversation with locals, Apple Translate is designed to enhance your travel experience.

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The best translation app for professionals

Microsoft Translator

Microsoft Translator (Microsoft) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Microsoft Translator is a totally free-to-use translation app that is popular with business professionals. Featuring over translation for more than 120 languages, this is one of the most robust free-to-use translation apps. You can translate via text, spoken word or images with Microsoft Translate, and where the app really stands out is its ability to be used with multiple devices. You can create translation groups with Microsoft Translator and everyone can talk and translate together. The Microsoft Translator is available for both iOS and Android devices.

HOW TO SET UP FREE MESSAGING ON YOUR PHONE WHILE TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY

The best paid translation app

iTranslate

iTranslate (iTranslate) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

With over 500,000 reviews on the Apple App Store, iTranslate is one of the most popular translation apps for travelers. It offers translation options for more than 100 languages, and its premium features make it well worth the cost of the app. You can use iTranslate for free, but you will be limited to just text translations. With the paid option, you can access both voice translations and text-via-camera translations. For those willing to pay $6 per month, users can save their translations and dictionaries offline, so you can use them from anywhere, even without service. iTranslate is available for both the iOS platform and the Android platform.

BEST GEAR FOR THE DARK OUTDOORS

Kurt’s key takeaways

There are a lot of different translation apps out there on the market aimed at travelers, and we highlighted our favorites today. While the majority of the apps in this list are free-to-use, and all the apps in this list have a free-to-use mode, you will need to pay for additional features from apps such as iTranslate.

What challenges have you faced while communicating in a foreign language during your travels? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Follow Kurt on his social channels:

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

The European Space Agency (ESA) said Monday that its Euclid space telescope has detected a rare bright halo of light around a nearby galaxy.

Known as an Einstein ring, the halo was captured in photos encircling a galaxy nearly 590 million light-years away, which is considered close by cosmic standards. A single light-year is measured at 5.8 trillion miles.

While astronomers have known about the galaxy where the phenomenon was captured for over a century, they were surprised when Euclid revealed the bright glowing ring, 

Euclid blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 1, 2023, to begin a six-year mission to explore the dark universe.

GIANT STELLAR NURSERY REVEALED IN NEW IMAGES FROM ESA’S SPACE TELESCOPE

A sea of colorful stars and galaxies appear to swim in the vast blackness of space around a hazy halo at center stage. In the middle of the image, the fuzzy-looking bulb of light in a warm shade of yellow extends around a small bright spot, nestled within a thin light circle that appears to be drawn closely around it. (ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, G. Anselmi, T. Li)

But before the space telescope could begin its survey of the universe, scientists had to ensure everything onboard was working properly. During the early phase of testing, which took place in September 2023, Euclid sent images back to Earth.

The ESA said the images were deliberately out of focus, but in one of the images, Euclid Archive Scientist Bruno Altieri saw what he believed was a very special phenomenon and decided to look at it a bit closer.

“I look at the data from Euclid as it comes in,” Bruno said in a press release from the ESA. “Even from that first observation, I could see it, but after Euclid made more observations of the area, we could see a perfect Einstein ring. For me, with a lifelong interest in gravitational lensing, that was amazing.”

For most of the population out there, an Einstein Ring is an “extremely rare phenomenon,” the ESA said.

POWERFUL WEBB TELESCOPE SPIES SPECTACULAR STAR BIRTH CLUSTER BEYOND THE MILKY WAY

A thin ring of a perfect circular shape and a piercingly bright white disc in its middle are the protagonists of this image. They stand out against a uniformly colored background of a hazy dark gray. (ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, G. Anselmi, T. Li)

When a distant galaxy is observed through a telescope, the light from that galaxy may encounter another galaxy on its way to the telescope. When that happens, the foreground galaxy acts like a magnifying glass, and gravity causes the traveling light rays to bend. When light rays bend, scientists call that gravitational lensing, according to the ESA.

When the background galaxy, lensing galaxy and telescope are in perfect alignment, the image appears as a ring, also known as an Einstein Ring.

The galaxy, called NGC 6506, is about 590 million light-years away, and this is the first time the ring of light around its center has ever been detected.

“All strong lenses are special, because they’re so rare, and they’re incredibly useful scientifically,” Conor O’Riordan of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics said. “This one is particularly special, because it’s so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful.”

POWERFUL WEBB TELESCOPE CAPTURES PHOTOS OF ONE OF THE EARLIEST SUPERNOVA EVER SEEN

The text paragraph explains the principle behind the Einstein rings. (ESA)

Einstein rings are based on physicist Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which predicts that light will bend around objects in space, so they focus the light like giant lenses, ESA said. The phenomenon allows scientists to sometimes see the light from distant galaxies that would otherwise be hidden.

“I find it very intriguing that this ring was observed within a well-known galaxy, which was first discovered in 1884,” Valeria Pettorino, ESA Euclid project scientist, said. “The galaxy has been known to astronomers for a very long time. And yet this ring was never observed before. This demonstrates how powerful Euclid is, finding new things even in places we thought we knew well. This discovery is very encouraging for the future of the Euclid mission and demonstrates its fantastic capabilities.”

Over the course of the mission, scientists expect Euclid will reveal more about the role of gravity in the Universe, as well as the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

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Euclid will map over a third of the sky and observe billions of galaxies as far as 10 billion light-years away, ESA said. In doing so, scientists expect Euclid to find around 100,000 more strong lenses, though finding one so cosmically close to home and so spectacular, ESA added, “is astonishing.”

“Euclid is going to revolutionize the field, with all this data we’ve never had before,” O’Riordan said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.