There are some traditions that go along with the holidays and visiting family: Eating lots of food, reminiscing about old times, watching classic movies, and of course: fixing all the tech difficulties that your parents or other elderly family members have managed to get themselves into over the previous 12 months.
Of course, the time will most likely come for all of us when we're confused by the latest gadgets and gizmos, and pine for simpler times. However, during your stint as the resident family tech expert, there are some simple jobs you can take care of for your relatives and make sure they're well set up for another year.
Software updates are important for a whole host of reasons: They squash bugs, they tighten security, they add new features, and they improve compatibility with apps, hardware, and websites. If your parents have been neglecting to get their devices set up with the latest updates, you can sort this out for them.
Checking for updates and getting them installed isn't difficult: Head to Windows Update in Windows Settings, General > Software Update in macOS System Settings, System > Software updates in Android Settings, and General > Software Update in iOS Settings. If you see an option for automatic updates, turn it on.
You might find that really old devices aren't eligible for the latest updates from Microsoft, Apple, and Google—if that's the case, it might be worth having a discussion about whether it's worth the time and money to upgrade to something newer (which will probably be faster, less error-prone, and more secure).
A quick check of app permissions can make a real difference when it comes to device security: You don't want any apps accessing camera and microphone permissions, for example, without explicit permission (and it's all too easy to tap through on these permission requests when they pop up).
You can find these by heading to Privacy and security in Windows Settings, Privacy & Security in macOS System Settings, Security and privacy > Privacy controls > Permission manager in Android Settings, and Privacy & Security in iOS Settings.
If you see an app you're not sure about, check with your parents: If they don't actually use it or have no idea where it's come from, uninstall it from the device and you don't have to worry about what it might be doing. You can always reinstall it again later if it is something your parents have been using.
A lot of screen time is web browsing time, and an insecure and outdated browser can leave you vulnerable. This is particularly true on Windows and macOS, where browsers are dealing with more advanced web apps, managing third-party extensions, and getting deeper hooks into the operating system.
Here are some quick checks to make on your parents' browser of choice: Make sure the latest version of the browser is being used (this is usually handled automatically), look through the list of browser extensions to see if there's anything suspicious or unnecessary, and check the home page and default search settings to check they haven't been hijacked by scammers or affiliate marketing companies.
The exact steps for doing this will vary between browsers, but you should be able to find the necessary options without too much difficulty. In Chrome, for example, you can check for updates by clicking the three dots (top right), then Settings, then About Chrome. Click Extensions on the same Settings page to check the installed add-ons.
Passwords can be a real security problem, whether it's forgetting them, having them hacked and leaked, or revealing them through clever phishing schemes. If your parents have their passwords sorted, that's a significant step towards keeping them and their accounts protected in the future.
You know what's best for your own relatives, but ideally you want to get them to sign up to a password manager of some kind: This means everything gets safely secured, passwords won't be forgotten, and warnings will appear for passwords that are repeated or not strong enough (a good password manager will suggest strong passwords too).
It's also important to have two-factor authentication enabled wherever it's offered (most digital accounts now support it). It adds a little bit of extra inconvenience when logging in to new devices, but it makes accounts much more secure, and protects against password leaks: Again, this is something that the best password managers can handle.
