Tech Teach - Jan 2026

 

Tech Teach for January 2026

 

Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you all are enjoying the new year and had a nice Christmas.

 

Got a call a couple days ago about WhatsApp, a texting app for Android and iOS, asking about copying text and photos from chats.

 

So, here goes.  I’ll start with copying a text from WhatsApp on Android.  I don’t have that app on iOS, the instructions might be similar.

 

Open WhatsApp.

Scroll to the text you want to copy.

Hold your finger on the text for a second or two.  At this point the text box should turn green.

Tap the three vertical dots in the upper right of the screen and then tap Copy.

At the bottom of the screen, there should a note that pops up saying the text has been copied.

Open the destination app, such as Gmail.

Scroll to the body of the text (you can add a recipient and subject later), just below the Subject line, and tap in the body of the text so the cursor appears.

Between the keyboard and body of the message, there should be an oval with the start of the copied text.  Tap the oval and the text should appear in the body of the text.  Once this is done, the copied text will no longer be in the clipboard.  You will have to start over from the top of the steps.

 

To copy a photo from WhatsApp:

Open WhatsApp and scroll to the photo you want to copy / save.

Tap the photo so it fills the screen.

Tap the three dots in the upper right of the screen and select Save.

There should be a message at the bottom of the screen saying “Saved successfully.”

To check, open the Gallery app.  The photo you just saved should be the first file.

Now, you can open Gmail and attach the file from the Gallery using the paperclip icon and send to your recipient.

 

The three dot / overflow menu has other options you can try that might useful.  Here’s a few:  Edit, Share, Save, View in Gallery, Rotate, Delete.

 

Also, here are instructions for checking / backing up WhatsApp for both Android and iOS.  WhatsApp uses your Google Account for storage, which offers a total of 15GB shared with all the apps and Gmail itself.  If your Google Account is too full, WhatsApp may not be able to save a backup.

 

For Android (Google Drive/Local Backup)

1.    Check Backup: 

Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. See the date of your last Google Drive or local backup.

2.    Uninstall: 

Delete the WhatsApp app from your phone.

3.    Reinstall: 

Download WhatsApp from the Play Store, open it, and verify your phone number.

4.    Restore: 

When prompted, tap Restore to get chats from the backup; don't tap Skip if you want them back.

For iPhone (iCloud Backup)

1.    Check Backup: In WhatsApp, tap Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. Check the last backup date.

2.    Uninstall: Delete the WhatsApp app.

3.    Reinstall: Download WhatsApp from the App Store, open it, and verify your number.

4.    Restore: Tap Restore Chat History when prompted during setup.

Transfer from Old Phone (No Backup Needed)

1.    Open WhatsApp: on both phones and go to the chat transfer option (Settings > Chats > Transfer Chats to Another Phone).

2.    Scan QR Code: Follow prompts to link phones (may use Wi-Fi/camera) and scan the QR code on the old phone with the new one.

3.    Start Transfer: Keep both phones unlocked and near each other until the process finishes.

Other Methods

·         Check Archived Chats: 

Open WhatsApp, go to Chats, scroll to the bottom and tap Archived. Tap a chat and select Unarchive.

·         Check Replies/Quotes: 

In a chat, scroll up to see if someone replied to or quoted a deleted message, as those quotes might remain.

·         WhatsApp Doesn't Store Data: 

Remember, WhatsApp doesn't keep your messages on their servers, so backups are crucial.

 

 

Also, a friendly reminder to run your anti-virus and anti-malware software, plus run those pesky Windows Updates.  And if you can, make your back ups.

 

Still not much good news on the hardware price front.  RAM and storage is still expensive, with most items only going up in price.  DDR5 memory (the newest for desktop computers) is still running between $300 and $400 for 2x 16GB (32GB), while a 1TB NVME solid state drive is now pushing $145.

 

Newegg has had a few good prices on laptops.  Some Acer models running Intel i7 or AMD Ryzen CPUs for just under $600 depending on hardware.  In the links, the i7 has 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, while the Ryzen has 32GB of RAM and a 1TB / 1000GB SSD.

 

If you found this email useful, please let me know.  And forward to anyone you think might benefit.

Any questions or comments about a topic, feel free to reply.

 

Email is the best way to contact me, second best is text my personal cell at:

820 899-0808.  Unfortunately, I’m not very good at looking to see if I have voice mail / messages.  I do check the texts and email fairly frequently.