Easy privacy improvements

Six simple ways to protect your privacy

Plus: Chrome’s AI push, better drag-and-drop, and remembering to call someone back

Jared Newman   |   February 3, 2026

One of the most frustrating things I hear as a tech journalist is the idea that your phone is listening to everything you say.

I understand why that feeling is so pervasive: If you’re with a friend, and they tell you about a product you’d never heard of, and then you start seeing ads for that product on your phone, surreptitious recording is the simplest explanation.