Technologies

Your Phone Is Covered in Germs. Here’s How to Disinfect It the Right Way

Bringing your phone with you everywhere means it’s filthier than you think. Keep it free from bacteria and germs with these cleaning tips.

We bring our phones with us everywhere, from sitting in your pocket when you leave for work in the morning, to being a distraction while you eat lunch at the office. Along with traveling with you everywhere, that phone is picking up a ton of germs and bacteria from our hands, and surfaces alike. If you haven’t been regularly cleaning your phone, it could actually be dirtier than a toilet seat.

The Federal Communications Commission suggests disinfecting your phone daily, but not all cleaning methods are safe. Harsh chemicals and abrasive materials can damage protective coatings and potentially harm your screen. To keep your phone both clean and intact, it’s crucial to use the right cleaning techniques.

However, there are safe and effective ways to sanitize your phone without causing any damage. We’ll guide you through the best methods and products for keeping your device germ-free, no matter if you have an iPhone or a Samsung or whatever its level of water resistance.

For more cleaning tips, here’s how to clean wireless earbuds and AirPods.

What are the best products for daily cleaning?

After touching surfaces that see a lot of action from the public — such as door handles, seats on public transportation, grocery carts and gas pumps — you might think you need a heavy-duty cleaning agent to use on your phone. However, you should avoid rubbing alcohol or products made of straight alcohol, since they can damage the protective coatings that prevent oil and water from harming your screen.

Some suggest making your own alcohol-water mix, but getting the concentration wrong can damage your phone. The safest option is using disinfectant wipes with 70% isopropyl alcohol. For daily cleaning, consider a UV light product like PhoneSoap, which kills 99.99% of germs and bacteria. We can also turn to phone manufacturers and cell service companies for guidance, too.

Apple now approves using Clorox Wipes and similar disinfectants, which was not recommended before the pandemic since they were thought to be too abrasive on the screen’s coating. AT&T advises spraying a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution on a soft, lint-free cloth and wiping your device down. Samsung also recommends using a 70% alcohol solution with a microfiber cloth. Always make sure your phone is powered off before cleaning it.

What are the best methods for removing fingerprints, sand and makeup?

Sometimes your phone needs a more specific treatment when washing up. The recommended process for daily cleaning may not be enough to remove pesky grains of sand after a beach vacation or tough foundation stains.

Get rid of fingerprints

Fingerprint smudges are inevitable since your skin produces oils. Every time you pick up your phone, your screen will get fingerprints. The safest way to make your screen print-free is with a microfiber cloth. For a deeper clean, dampen the cloth with distilled water (never apply water directly to the screen) and wipe down the surface. This works for the back and sides of your phone as well.

Alternatively, try a microfiber screen cleaner sticker that sticks to the back of your phone for easy wiping.

Remove sand and small particles

Grains of sand and lint can easily get stuck in your phone’s ports and crevices. To remove it, we recommend you use Scotch tape. Press it along the creases and speaker, then roll it up and gently insert it into the ports. The tape will pull out any debris. You can then just simply throw away the tape for easy cleanup.

For smaller speaker holes, use a toothpick gently or a small vacuum crevice tool to suck out the debris. These tools work well for other small appliances or hard-to-reach areas in your car too.

Cleanse makeup off your phone screen

When you wear makeup and skin care products, such as foundation and moisturizers, you’ll leave residue on your phone screen. While makeup remover works for your face, it’s not safe for screens due to potentially harmful chemicals. Instead, try a screen-safe makeup remover like Whoosh, which is alcohol-free and gentle on all screens.

Alternatively, use a damp microfiber cloth to clean your phone, then wash the cloth afterward. Make sure your cloth is only slightly wet to avoid soaking your phone in water.

What if my phone is waterproof?

For waterproof phones (IP67 and above), it’s best to clean the device with a damp cloth instead of submerging or running it under water — even if the phone advertises that it can withstand submersion for a certain amount of time.

Afterward, dry your phone with a soft cloth, ensuring all ports and speakers are patted dry. While your phone can withstand water, submerging it can lead to water in the ports, delaying charging. Remember, water resistance is meant for accidents, not swimming or regular cleaning.

Things to avoid when cleaning your phone

We’ve already covered why you should avoid makeup remover and rubbing alcohol, but those aren’t a comprehensive list of harmful cleaning agents. Here are a few other items and products you should never use to clean your phone:

Hand sanitizer: Fragrances and ethyl alcohol found in many sanitizers can harm your phone.
Window or kitchen cleaners: Harsh cleaners can strip the protective coating on your phone and leave it more vulnerable to scratches.
Paper towels: Paper can shred, making the debris on your phone much worse, and the rough texture can leave scratches on your screen.
Dish and hand soap: Most soaps require you to combine them with water, and since you should keep water away from your phone, it’s best to stick to a damp cloth.
Vinegar: Like cleaners and alcohols, vinegar will strip your phone screen’s coating.
Compressed air: Blowing intense and direct air into your phone’s portals can cause damage, especially to your mic. Apple specifically warns iPhone owners not to use compressed air.

For more cleaning tips, explore how to clean your Apple Watch.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, July 30

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 30.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

The 5-Across clue in today’s Mini Crossword was easy-peasy for me. I used that app for an absolutely delightful message from Doug Jones of Star Trek and The Shape of Water fame. Read on for the answers if you get stuck. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Fire-resistant part of a redwood
Answer: BARK

5A clue: App featuring personalized videos from celebrities
Answer: CAMEO

6A clue: Where to find sponges that are always wet
Answer: OCEAN

7A clue: Rousey in the U.F.C. Hall of Fame
Answer: RONDA

8A clue: Upturned parts of a canoe
Answer: ENDS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Bring home the ___
Answer: BACON

2D clue: Change, as a bill
Answer: AMEND

3D clue: Passes time at the beach, maybe
Answer: READS

4D clue: Beer brand with the Longboard Island Lager and Big Wave Golden Ale
Answer: KONA

5D clue: What planks, Russian twists and mountain climbers help to exercise
Answer: CORE

Technologies

Microsoft Will Delete Your Passwords This Friday. What to Do Now

Passwords won’t work in the Authenticator app, but there are some alternatives worth exploring before it’s too late.

We’re only days away from the Microsoft Authenticator app no longer managing passwords.

As of this Friday, you won’t be able to save or manage passwords, use two-factor authentication or auto-fill. And it won’t be your go-to password manager anymore, either.

Earlier this summer, Microsoft announced it was moving from passwords to passkeys. So instead of creating a password with a mix of letters, symbols and numbers, you’ll use PINs, fingerprint scans, facial recognition or a pattern on your device’s lock screen to log in to your accounts.

Passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits we use, according to Attila Tomaschek, a CNET software senior writer and digital security expert. CNET’s password survey found that 49% of US adults have bad password habits. And using the same password for several accounts or one that’s easy to guess can put you at risk of hackers stealing your data.

Yet, the switch to a new login process is coming up quickly. So it’s time to figure out how passkeys will work with Microsoft and to pick a new password manager. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Microsoft Authenticator will stop supporting passwords on Aug. 1

Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you’re logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator.

As of this month, you won’t be able to use the autofill password function. And starting Aug. 1, you’ll no longer be able to use saved passwords.

If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. «Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts,» Tomaschek said.

Why passkeys are a better alternative to passwords

So what exactly is a passkey? It’s a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That’s generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack.

«Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks,» said Tomaschek.

Passkeys aren’t stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they’re stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager.

How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator

Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. «If you have a password and ‘one-time code’ set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey,» according to the blog post.

To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select «Set up a passkey.» You’ll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you’re logged in, you can set up the passkey.

Other password manager alternatives

Since Microsoft will get rid of all of your passwords in two weeks, you’ll need a new place to store your passwords safely. Tomaschek has a few of the best password manager recommendations after testing and reviewing several.

The top recommendation is Bitwarden for its transparency. It’s open-source and audited annually. From a price perspective, the free plan lets you store infinite passwords across unlimited devices. The free plan also includes features most password managers would charge for, including password sharing and a username and password generator.

Bitwarden’s upgraded plans have other upgraded features that could be worth the cost, too.

Personally, Tomaschek has been using 1Password for a while, and he likes the interface and family plan. Even though it’s second on the list, Tomaschek says it’s just as good as Bitwarden.

Technologies

The Tea App Data Breach: What Was Exposed and What We Know About the Class Action Lawsuit

DMs, photo IDs and selfie photos were exposed in the hack.

Tea, a women’s dating safety app that recently surged to the top of the free iOS App Store listings, suffered a major security breach last week. The company confirmed Friday that it «identified authorized access to one of our systems» that exposed thousands of user images. And now we know that DMs were accessed during the breach, too.

Tea’s preliminary findings from the end of last week showed the data breach exposed approximately 72,000 images: 13,000 images of selfies and photo identification that people had submitted during account verification, and 59,000 images that were publicly viewable in the app from posts, comments and direct messages.

Those images had been stored in a «legacy data system» that contained information from more than two years ago, the company said in statement. «At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that current or additional user data was affected.»

Earlier Friday, posts on Reddit and 404 Media reported that Tea app users’ faces and IDs had been posted on anonymous online message board 4chan. Tea requires users to verify their identities with selfies or IDs, which is why driver’s licenses and pictures of people’s faces are in the leaked data.

And on Monday, a Tea spokesperson confirmed to CNET that it additionally «recently learned that some direct messages (DMs) were accessed as part of the initial incident.» Tea has also taken the affected system offline. That confirmation followed a report by 404 Media on Monday that an independent security researcher discovered it would have been possible for hackers to gain access to DMs between Tea users, affecting messages sent up to last week on the Tea app.

Tea said it has launched a full investigation to assess the scope and impact of the breach.

Class action lawsuit filed

One of the users of the Tea app, Griselda Reyes, has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and other Tea users affected by the data breach. According to court documents filed on July 28, as reported earlier by 404 Media, Reyes is suing Tea over its alleged «failure to properly secure and safeguard … personally identifiable information.»

«Shortly after the data breach was announced, internet users claimed to have mapped the locations of Tea’s users based on metadata contained from the leaked images,» the complaint alleges. «Thus, instead of empowering women, Tea has actually put them at risk of serious harm.»

Tea also has yet to notify its customers personally about their data being breached, the complaint alleges.

The complaint is seeking class action status, damages for those affected «in an amount to be determined» and certain requirements for Tea to improve its data storage and handling practices.

Scott Edward Cole of Cole & Van Note, the law firm representing Reyes, told CNET he is «stunned» by the alleged lack of security protections in place.

«This application was advertised as a safe place for women to share information, sometimes very intimate information, about their dating experiences. Few people would take that risk if they’d known Tea Dating put such little effort into its cybersecurity,» Cole alleged. «One chief goal of our lawsuit is to compel the company to start taking user privacy a lot more seriously.»

Tea didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the class action lawsuit.

What is the Tea app?

The premise of Tea is to provide women with a space to report negative interactions they’ve had while encountering men in the dating pool, with the intention of keeping other women safe.

The app is currently sitting at the No. 2 spot for free apps on Apple’s US App Store, right after ChatGPT, drawing international attention and sparking a debate about whether the app violates men’s privacy. Following the news of the data breach, it also plays into the wider ongoing debate around whether online identity and age verification pose an inherent security risk to internet users.

In the privacy section on its website, Tea says: «Tea Dating Advice takes reasonable security measures to protect your Personal Information to prevent loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Please be aware, however, that despite our efforts, no security measures are impenetrable.»