Help Desk

A screenshot of Instagram settings — (The Washington Post via Instagram)

How to set up monitored ‘teen accounts’ on Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat

Here’s how to set up teen accounts and parental controls on Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

By Tatum HunterUpdated September 17

Apple’s new iOS 18 upgrade doesn’t fix the ‘green bubble’ problems

By Shira Ovide and Geoffrey A. FowlerSeptember 16

Yes, TikTok could still be banned. Here’s what you should know.

By Tatum Hunter, Shira Ovide and Heather KellySeptember 16

How to get a ‘free’ iPhone 16 and why maybe you shouldn’t

By Shira OvideSeptember 13

FDA approves Apple AirPods as hearing aids

By Tatum HunterSeptember 12

The Help Desk Team

Geoffrey Fowler has for more than a decade been holding tech companies accountable where it matters most: the products you use every day.

Heather Kelly is a veteran journalist on the intersection of humans and gadgets, and offers humorous advice on our digital lives.

Chris Velazco is the guy you’d want to take shopping with you for deep knowledge about what’s new, what’s a rip-off and what’s actually right for you and your family.

Tatum Hunter goes deep into how apps, websites and other technology actually works to help you get the most out of it.

Danielle Abril covers how technology is impacting the way we work and how companies are using artificial intelligence and other tools to exert more control over us.

Shira Ovide writes The Tech Friend newsletter, which offers actionable advice on being the boss of technology in your life, and to prod digital power brokers to do better for you.

Ask us your personal tech questions

We want to hear your questions about the phones, computers, apps and speakers that we surround ourselves with.

Newsletter2X A WEEK

The Tech Friend

The Help Desk’s Shira Ovide gives you straight talk and advice to make technology better serve you and our world. Delivered Tuesdays and Fridays.

Future of Work

Navigating the election

TECH IN YOUR LIFE

Newsletter2X A WEEK

The Tech Friend: The Help Desk’s Shira Ovide gives you straight talk and advice to make technology better serve you and our world. Delivered Tuesdays and Fridays.

Plugged In, Left Out.

Your Data and PRIVACY

Videos

(Jonathan Baran/The Washington Post)

The weirdest and best of CES 2024

By Jonathan Baran

(Monica Rodman/The Washington Post)

Google says changing your search engine is easy. It's not.

(Monica Rodman/The Washington Post)

We shot Olivia Rodrigo's music video with iPhone 15 Pro

(Jonathan Baran/The Washington Post)

AI can now attend Zoom meetings for you

(Chris Velazco, Jonathan Baran/The Washington Post)

What to know before you rent an EV

Interactive Quizzes

The Price Of Big

Online security reset guide

Making tech work for you