One Tech Tip: Home for the holidays? Show relatives you care with some tech support

Nia McKinnon and Elizabeth Hintz, both 14, look at their phones at a charging station located in the Senior Center in Issaquah, Wash., Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)

NEW YORK (AP) - It's time for the holidays, which means robust family conversations and seemingly never-ending courses of food. But for the more tech-savvy among us, the journey home could also mean we'll be called on to provide a backlog of tech support to parents, grandparents and other family members.

And with generative AI being used to supercharge some major cyber scams this year, it's also a good time to teach and not just fix.

Here are some tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season:

Set devices up for automatic updates

Whether it's Windows, macOS, iOS or Android, simply keeping your operating system and apps up-to-date will help protect your family's computers and devices against a surprising number of security threats, such as malware, viruses and exploits.

Most operating systems, especially those for mobile devices and their app stores, typically have auto-updates turned on by default. Be sure to double-check the device to make sure it has enough storage space to carry out the update. (More on this below.)

Keeping apps updated may also reduce the number of "Why isn't this app working?" type of questions from your relatives.

Freeing up storage space

Chances are someone in your family is going to have a completely full mobile device. So full, in fact, that they can no longer update their phone or tablet without having to purge something first.

There are many approaches to freeing up space. Here are a few you can easily take without having to triage data or apps.

- Use the cloud to back up media: iPhone users can free up space occupied by songs and pictures by storing them on iCloud. Android users can use the Google Photos app to back up and store their photos on their user space.

- Clear browsing data: Each major browser has an option to clear its data cache - cookies, search and download histories, autofill forms, site settings, sign-in data and so on. Over time, these bits take up a significant amount of storage space on mobile devices and home computers. So cleaning caches out periodically helps free up space and, in some cases, improves system performance.

What's my password?

According to some admittedly unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That's a lot to remember. So as you help your relatives reset some of theirs, you may be tempted to recycle some to keep things simple for them. But that's one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against.

Instead, try introducing your forgetful family member to a password manager. They're useful tools for simplifying and keeping track of logins. And if you want to impress a more tech-savvy cousin or auntie, you could suggest switching to a more secure digital authentication method: passkeys.

Educate your loved ones about the latest scams

As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, you and your family should be more vigilant about who to trust. Artificial intelligence and other technologies are giving bad actors craftier tools to work with online.

A quick way to remember what to do when you think you're getting scammed is to think about the three S's, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard's deputy chief security officer

"Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected," she said.

Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls frequently target vulnerable individuals like seniors, people with disabilities, and people with debt. So-called romance scams target lonely and isolated individuals. Quiz scams target those who spend a lot of time on social media.

Check our AP guide on the latest scams and what to do when you're victimized.

How fast is their WiFi?

Home internet speeds are getting faster, so you want to make sure your family members are getting a high-speed connection if they've paid for one. Run a broadband speed test on your home network if they're still rocking an aging modem and router.