Author: Karrie McLellan

Learn How To Set Your Favorite Colors As Defaults

If you’ve ever worked with templates in Microsoft or Google software, you may have been less than pleased with the automatic color choices made by the software. Sure, you can change these colors while editing, but if you want to use them all the time, changing the colors for each document, spreadsheet, or presentation you start could get old very fast. Thankfully, most of the applications offered by Microsoft and Google have a method for saving your favorite colors to a default theme.

The good folks at Tech-Talk have already written a great article with a video outlining the process for setting default colors on both platforms, so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here. When setting default colors, keep in mind that it needs to be set up in each application separately. For example, a theme set in Microsoft Word does not carry over to Microsoft PowerPower. I should note, however, if you are only interested in setting a color theme for Google Docs, the option is not currently available in that app.

Show me how

New Feature Makes for Stunning PowerPoint Slides

If you’re design-challenged like me, PowerPoint can be a painful experience for everyone. I can select a presentation template to make sure there is a cohesive theme for the slides, but I’m pretty much limited to the layouts provided in the template. Any deviation tends to look unpolished. Then, I learned about the new Designer feature. It’s a game-changer.

Designer takes the content you’ve entered in a slide and suggests different ways to lay it out and use the theme colors. The end result is a much richer variety of slides that make it look like the creator has an eye for good design. Unfortunately, Designer is only available with an Office 365 subscription, not a perpetual license version of PowerPoint.

To get design ideas, select a slide and then Design>Designer in the top menu. If Designer does not appear in the options, go to File (top menu)>Options (bottom left menu)>Scroll to PowerPoint Designer and check these two boxes:

Screenshot showing PowerPoint Designer options with "Automatically show me design ideas" and "automatically show me suggestions when I create a new presentation" checked.

The folks at Tech-Talk have created an article and short video about what Designer is and how to use it in Office 365. This is a great place to start learning about how to use Designer.

If you still have questions after visiting the Tech-Talk article, this page from Microsoft goes into a bit more detail: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-professional-slide-layouts-with-designer-53c77d7b-dc40-45c2-b684-81415eac0617.

Are you using the Designer feature in PowerPoint? Let us know how you like it!

Windows 11: What You Need to Know

If you have a new Windows computer, it probably came with Windows 11. If you have a newer Windows 10 computer, Windows Update is probably nagging you to upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible. The truth is, the Windows 11 interface is significantly different from previous versions, and the new operating system is not without its growing pains. Many Windows 10 users are staying on that version as long as they can. Eventually, though, change is inevitable.

The folks at Tech-Talk have been busy creating articles and webinars to help you make the switch to Windows 11, and the East Greenbush Community Library provides access to Tech-Talk for its patrons.

If you’re currently using Windows 10 and considering an upgrade, check out this video and article about what to do before you update from 10 to 11.

If you’d like a guide to the new interface, this video and article about the new look may be helpful.

They have also created a full webinar with a printable reference guide, which is the most complete resource on Windows 11 that Tech-Talk offers.

Tech-Talk has lots of tips and tricks about Windows in general, not just Windows 11. Check out this list of resources related to Windows.

Still have questions that Tech-Talk hasn’t answered? You can leave them in the comments for us to answer or you can ask Tech-Talk for more information using their “ask a question” form.

How to Find Your Lost Device – Android Edition

If you have ever experienced the acute trauma of losing your smartphone, you may be wondering if there is a way to track it when it is out of your sight. The answer is yes! If you use Apple or Android devices, you can set them up to be tracked in the event you cannot find them. Last week, we highlighted how to find Apple devices. This week, we’re shining the spotlight on Android’s Find My Device app. This app will help you find, lock, or erase Android phones, tablets, and Wear OS devices. We should probably note that your device must be running Android 8.0 or later to use all of the features of the Find My Device app.

Setting Up Find My Device

Before you can use Find My Device, there are some setup steps that need to be taken on the devices themselves. Some of these will probably already be done, like being signed into a Google account.

  • Make sure your Android device is logged in with a Google account.
  • Turn location on (Settings>Location>Toggle on)
  • Turn on Find My Device (Settings>Security and privacy>Find My Device>Toggle on.). If Find My Device is not already installed, install it from the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.adm&hl=en&pli=1
  • Google states that “Store recent location” needs to be on so your device can be found if it’s offline. However, this is a relatively new feature that I have yet to find on my Pixel 5. According to their instructions, this toggle should be found in Settings>Security>Find my device.
  • Make sure your device is associated with your account on Google Play, or it won’t show in Find My Device. To double-check, find your device list here: https://play.google.com/library/devices. In the upper-left of the screen, make sure the “show in menus” box is checked.
  • Double-check that Find My Device works on the device by going to https://android.com/find and logging in with the same Google account as the device. You should see your device in the upper-left of the screen. If you have multiple devices associated with the account, you may need to toggle between them.
  • If you want to be able to lock or erase the device remotely, you must create a 2-step verification backup code. To get backup codes, log into your Google account and select security from the left menu. Scroll down to “How you sign in to Google” and click on the “Backup codes” section. You may be prompted to enter your password again, but then you can create codes to print and use later.

Find a Lost Device

In order to use Find My Device on one of your devices, it must have power (even if turned off), be connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile data connection, and be prepared using the setup steps above to enable the Find My Device app to work. If you would prefer to watch a video on using Find My Device, there is one embedded at the end of this article. To continue with text instructions, read on!

When you log into Find My Device and select a device, notifications will be sent to the device before you select any options. If the notifications don’t help, here are your other options:

  • “Play a sound” make the device ring for 5 minutes, even if it’s set to silent.
  • “Secure device” will lock the device and sign out of your Google Account. You can optionally display a message or phone number on the lock screen in case someone finds (and wants to return) your device. You can still locate the device, and after finding it, you may need to log in again.
  • “Erase device” is the nuclear option. It will erase all content from the device and keep it from being re-registered to a different account. You won’t be able to find it on the map after erasing it, but if it gets returned, you can reclaim it by signing in with the Google account to which it is registered.

Find Using a Browser

To find a device using a browser, go to https://android.com/find and sign in using the Google account your device is registered to. If you have more than one device listed on the same account, you may need to toggle between them. It will show how much battery is left and what network the device was last seen on.

Options for playing a sound, locking the device, or erasing the device are in the left menu, while a map indicating the location (or last known location) of your device is in the main part of your screen.

Screenshot of browser version of Find My Device showing device selection in the upper left, an action menu below that, and a map indicating the phone location in the main part of the screen

Find Using the Find My Device App

When using the app, you have the option of using a friend’s device that isn’t registered to your account. Whether using your own or someone else’s device to find another device:

  • Open the Find My Device app on another Android phone or tablet.
  • Sign in
    • If your own device is lost, select “Continue as [your name]”
    • If you’re helping a friend, select “sign in as guest” and let your friend sign in.
  • From the listed devices, select which device to locate.
  • Follow the steps from the browser above.
  • You may be prompted to provide the lock screen PIN for the device you want to locate. If it does not have a PIN, you may be prompted for your Google password.
Screenshot from app showing a map with device location on top, the device name and details in the middle, and the options at the bottom.

If you want to use the Wear OS watch to find a device, there are instructions here: https://support.google.com/wearos/answer/6166506?authuser=2.

Video Instructions

If you would prefer to watch a short video on using Find My Device, check this out:

Summary

Find My Device is an extremely helpful tool if you are ever unfortunate enough to need it. The flexible action options allow the user to disable the phone in the event it can’t be found, which acts as a deterrent for the resale of a stolen device. Have you ever had to use Find My Device with your Android device? If so, let us know how it went in the comments.

How To Stream Video Without an Internet Connection

Streaming video is one of the great entertainment inventions of our time. Before streaming video, you needed a TV with an antenna/cable box/satellite attached or a portable DVD player with physical DVDs to see your favorite shows. Now, you can take them with you on small, convenient devices. This is perfect for those who do a lot of traveling. But what if you are on an airplane or traveling so remotely that there is no internet service? Or what if you are on a limited data plan and want to make sure you don’t get overage charges? Thankfully, most streaming services offer an offline viewing option for just these sorts of situations.

YouTube

Let’s start with YouTube, since it’s probably the most popular video service. In order to make content available for offline viewing, you must have a YouTube Premium subscription.

Downloading

  • Login to youtube.com or the YouTube app using your YouTube Premium account.
  • Go to the video and click “Download” below the video.
  • When the download is complete, the download icon under the video will turn black.

Viewing

  • Visit youtube.com or open the app while logged in with your Premium account.
  • Click/tap on Downloads in the menu to access the list. App users will need to click on Library to see the Downloads menu option.
  • To remove the video from Downloads screen, click/tap “More” next to the video and select Remove from Downloads.
  • Confirm by clicking/tapping delete.

After downloading a video, you can play it offline for up to 29 days. After that, you must reconnect to the internet so the app can confirm the video is still available for offline viewing. If it’s not, the video will disappear.

Netflix

It is important to note that ad-supported Netflix plans do not include downloads. You must change to an ad-free plan before taking these steps.

Supported devices are:

  • iOS devices running version 9.0 or later
  • Android devices running 4.4.2 or later
  • Amazon Fire tablet running 4.0 or later
  • Windows 10 (1709 or later), Windows 11
  • Chromebook and Chromeboxes using the Netflix app from the Google Play store.

The Netflix app has a dedicated tab for “Available to download” in the “Categories” section if you wish to browse. On a Windows device, open the app and select the menu to see the download option. If you know the TV show or movie you want to download, search for it and look for the download icon:

Icon with downward facing arrow pointing to horizontal line

The Fine Print

  • You can have 100 items downloaded across devices.
  • You can save the download to an SD card.
  • Some videos expire 48 hours after you start them, while others don’t.
  • Some titles limit the number of times you can download them, while others don’t.
  • If a title leaves Netflix, your download disappears.

Hulu

In order to download, you need to be a subscriber on the ad-free level using the mobile app. If you have add-on subscriptions (like Showtime), you won’t be able to download add-on content. Likewise, content available on demand through the live TV tier is not available for download. If you are logged in with an ad-free account, you will see a download symbol on any eligible title you search for. Tap the symbol to download.

Supported Devices

Hulu supports pretty much every type of device, unless it isn’t updated: https://help.hulu.com/s/article/supported-devices.

The Fine Print

  • You can only download a total of 25 titles at a time across 5 devices.
  • Unwatched downloaded videos stay on the device for 30 days.
  • After you start watching, you have 48 hours to finish before it is no longer downloaded.

HBOMax

Most of the HBOMax streaming catalog is available for download. Like other services, you need to be signed in with an ad-free level plan to download content. Downloading is only available in the app (phone or tablet), and is done by tapping the download arrow icon on the item. To view your downloads in a list, tap the download icon on the bottom edge of the screen.

The Fine Print

  • Be sure to confirm your preferred language before downloading. You can’t change your audio track once you download.
  • You can only have 5 copies of the same show downloaded across your devices.
  • You can have up to 30 downloads at a time across devices (does not include expired)
  • After you start watching, the download expires in 48 hours.
  • You can renew an expired download from the download list by tapping the ! icon, and then renew.

Disney+

Like other services, downloading is only available on phones and tablets. There are also very few restrictions, except only being able to download the same title on 10 devices. Once you download a title, you can play it over and over and it never expires. Every 30 days you need to connect one of your Disney+ devices and tap the arrow to download the item. You don’t actually need to wait for it to download again, it just refreshes the download that is already on your device. Just be careful not to logout, or you will need to download all of your titles again. If your subscription expires, you lose access to your downloads.

Download Settings

One thing that is different about Disney+ is that you’ll want to configure your download settings before you download anything. Tap your profile picture, then app settings to enter the settings menu. Scroll to the downloads section.

Select options for video quality, which networks can download content, and where to save the downloads.

Downloading

  • To download a movie, click on the download arrow icon.
  • For a TV series, scroll down to Episodes.
    • To download the entire season, tap the download arrow icon next to Season, then tap the confirmation prompt.
    • Or, tap the download icon next to an individual episode.
    • To view your list of downloads, tap the download arrow icon at the bottom edge of the screen.

Amazon Prime

You can download video using a Fire tablet or through the Prime Video app on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows 10. On Android and Windows, you can choose where to save downloaded content. Due to varying licensing agreements, which titles can be downloaded seems hit or miss.

Downloading

  • For movies, go to the detail page and click the “Download” button.
  • To download an entire season of TV show episodes, select “Download Season” from the season’s detail page.
  • To download a single episode of a TV show, Scroll down to the episode list and click the download arrow icon next to the episode you want.

The Fine Print

  • You can only download an item on up to three devices at a time.
  • There is no concrete answer to how many titles you can download at a time. Several factors come into play, including your location.
  • Once a title is downloaded, you have 30 days to watch it. After starting it, you have 48 hours to finish watching.

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ has a smaller streaming library than some of the other services, but the good news is that most titles are available for download. You aren’t limited to the number of Apple Originals you can download, but they do state some of the partner services (like Starz) may have limits on the number of titles you can download on how many devices. If you reach a limit, you will get a notification.

Supported Devices

It probably won’t be a shock to learn that only Apple devices are supported for downloading. You can do so using the Apple TV app on a Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

Downloading

  • Open the movie or show in the app on your device.
  • Tap the download button, which is next to the episode title for a TV show or on the cover art for a movie.
  • There is no option to download an entire TV season at once.
  • To watch downloaded content, open the app and select Library (icon on the bottom edge), then Downloaded. Open a show to see downloaded episodes.

Deleting

  • To delete in the app, return to the Downloaded list and tap the edit button on the upper-right. Select the items and tap delete. Confirm.
  • To delete on a Mac, hover over the title card or episode title and select the three-dot icon. Choose “delete from library”, then confirm.

Paramount+

Once again, an ad-free plan is needed for the ability to download. Downloads can be done on iOS and Android phones/tablets, unavailable on iOS 12 and Android 4.4 and below. Use the download icon next to a movie to TV show episode title to download. To watch them, tap Menu, then more, then Downloads, and then tap on the title you want to watch.

To delete from the list, swipe left on the title and select Delete. You may want to select the option to auto-delete after you finish watching to save space on your device. This option is in Menu, then More, then Settings. Toggle the option on.

The Fine Print

  • Unwatched videos will remain in your download library for 30 days.
  • One a video is started, you have 48 hours to finish it.
  • Limited to 25 downloaded videos at a time.
  • Limited to 5 copies of the same video across devices.

Peacock

You must be logged in on the app with the Premium Plus plan to download on Peacock. To download, tap the download icon in the bottom-right corner. To watch downloaded content, you must be offline. When you open the app offline, you are directed to your downloaded content. To delete, open the app and select the download icon in the bottom-left corner. On the content to delete, tap the icon that says, “Downloaded” and delete.

The Fine Print

  • Unwatched videos will remain in your download library for 30 days.
  • One a video is started, you have 48 hours to finish it.
  • Limited to 25 downloaded videos at a time.
  • Some pieces of content can only be downloaded twice. Per account. Ever.
  • Logging out or uninstalling Peacock removes downloaded items from the device.
  • Peacock is not clear about which types of devices support downloading.

Other Popular Services

Acorn

This service is pretty vague about limits, stating that there may be some limits to the number of times a title can be downloaded a year, and that titles may expire after some time. Like most services, not all of their content is available for download. To download, tap the down arrow icon next to a movie or TV show episode. To watch a download, open the app while you are offline and tap “view my downloads.”

Britbox

Interestingly, Britbox only allows downloading if you subscribed through Apple TV. They do not allow it on their own app, though they say they are exploring more download options for the future.

Summary

Downloading streaming content can be a great way to save data or enjoy content without an internet connection. Do you ever download streaming content to watch offline? Did you even know you could? Let us know in the comments.