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Privacy first always

Happy Friday to you, {{first_name | friend}}. Ever had a boss so robotic you could swear someone slapped a tie on a Roomba and called it management? Yeah, been there. When I worked at Unisys, his name was Dick and I was called into HR for saying his name in an “offensive manner.” I admit it. I actually did as in, “What should we do with this client, Dick?” Anyway.

IBM (I worked for them too!) surveyed 8,500 workers and asked the big question: How would you feel reporting to an AI boss? Not a manager who uses AI, I'm talking a full-blown algorithm running the show. It's the one approving your PTO. It's the one doing your performance review. It's the one deciding if you get a raise.

👔 Here’s your pop quiz: What percent of folks said, “Sure, why not?” to having an AI boss? A) 12%, B) 25%, C) 48% or D) 67%? The answer’s waiting at the end, no kissing butt required.

🎯 You’re a huge target right now. Data brokers are scraping your name, address and phone number to sell to scammers. That’s why your phone keeps ringing. I use Incogni to force these companies to delete my personal info. It’s the only way to stop the harassment. Take back your privacy and get 60% off with code KIM60. More below.*

🪄 This stays alive because you open, read and share. Thank you. Truly. I love putting this together everyday for you without any AI. It’s all me, even the bad jokes.— Kim

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TODAY’S DEEP DIVE

The pro fix

Image: Gemini

⚡ TL;DR (THE SHORT VERSION)

  • There are thousands of duplicate photos, app caches and junk files you don’t need on your phone.

  • A 30-minute cleanup can free 75 GB of storage without deleting anything important.

  • Your phone will run faster, apps will load quicker and you’ll stop seeing Storage Full. I love that for you.

📖 Read time: 3 minutes

Storage Almost Full. If you’ve seen that warning, you’re not alone. 

Nearly half of all phone users hit that wall every single year. And one in 10? They see it every day. Before you delete your favorite memories or hand Apple or Google another $3 a month, hear me out. 

Your phone is stuffed with junk you never asked for. I showed my friend Mark, who freed up 47 GB in 28 minutes. It only cost him one glass of wine.

Now, let me walk you through five steps to take back your space.

📸 Delete duplicate photos (10-20 GB)

Your phone saves multiple copies of every photo you edit. Burst mode photos stack up. Screenshots linger.

iPhone: Open Photos > Collections > scroll down to Utilities and tap Duplicates. Your phone already found them for you. Tap Merge, then Merge items. Most people find thousands of duplicates hiding in there. That’s 10-20 GB back, easy.

Android: Use Files by Google. Tap the Menu (three lines) > Clean > Duplicate files. Select what you want to delete, then Move to Trash. Done.

🗑️ Clear app caches (5-15 GB)

Apps store temporary files that clog your phone. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok can each free 500 MB to 3 GB.

iPhone: Delete and reinstall apps you use daily. Your login stays saved, cache is gone.

Android: Go to Settings > Apps > [App name] > Storage > Clear cache. 

💬 Delete old messages (3-10 GB)

Your text messages store years of photos and videos.

iPhone: Settings > Apps > Messages > Keep Messages > Change to 1 Year. Also: Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Messages > Review Large Attachments. Delete old videos.

Android: Google Messages doesn’t have an auto-delete setting. But if your phone uses the Samsung Messages app, tap the three dots for Settings > More settings > toggle on Delete old messages.

📂 Clear downloads (5-10 GB)

iPhone: Files app > Browse > Downloads folder. Delete everything you don’t need. Then Settings > Apps > Safari > scroll down to Clear History and Website Data.

Android: Open Files by Google > Menu (three lines) > Clean > Select files. Delete old PDFs and videos.

📱 Offload unused apps (10-20 GB)

iPhone: Settings > Apps > App Store > toggle on Offload Unused Apps. Your phone auto-deletes apps you don’t use but keeps the data.

Android: Settings > Apps > three dots or filter/sort icon > sort by Last used. Uninstall anything you haven’t opened in months.

Total recovered: 30-75 GB in 30 minutes. Your phone will feel brand new. Do this every three months, and you’ll never run out of space.

Phew, that was a lot. But give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!

⚠️ Know someone whose phone is always full? Forward this. They need it. Or use the share icons below to post it.

     

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Stop your private data from being sold

Ever wonder how scammers get your number or email? It’s not random. Companies called data brokers collect your personal info, like your address, phone number, and even your Social Security Number, and sell it to anyone willing to pay.

Enter Incogni: my secret weapon against data brokers. It automatically removes your personal info from over 420 data brokers and people-search sites, so you don’t have to worry about where your data ends up. Setup takes a couple of minutes, and they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied.  

A reader recently wrote to me about their experience:  

“Dear Kim, after signing up for Incogni, I had tons of questions. I was amazed I got to speak with someone on the phone who answered ALL my questions. Thank you!” — Carol 

You’re welcome Carol. Incogni’s great. Before the scam and spam madness gets worse, secure your personal info with Incogni today.

✅ Get 60% off today with code: KIM60! You’ll be so glad you did. →

Please support our sponsors!

THE KIM KOMANDO SHOW

China’s plan: 200,000 satellites

China wants to launch a constellation that would dwarf Starlink and put tens of thousands of satellites over the U.S. Plus: GM kills CarPlay for paid subscriptions, AI translators that move your lips, and smart cars that go dumb in seven years.

🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

WEB WATERCOOLER

Laptop vs. plane: Ever lose your phone between the couch cushions? United did that with a laptop at 40,000 feet. On a flight from Dulles to Geneva someone’s laptop slipped behind a wall panel and dropped into the cargo hold. Spreadsheets can survive down there, but the laptop’s lithium-ion battery poses a fire risk. The flight crew U-turned, landed in Newark, fished it out, then finally took off again. PSA: Hold on your tech on planes folks!

Chat ate my homework: This is important. Imagine treating ChatGPT like your free filing cabinet and second brain, then you stumble onto the eject button. That’s what happened to a professor, who was experimenting with settings and disabled data sharing. That wiped out his entire chat history. No prompt for confirmation. Two years of emails, lectures, grant drafts, student feedback all disappeared instantly. No recovery options either. Ouch. OpenAI said it’s by design. Working on something important? Tell your AI chatbot, “Export all this as a backup as a Word or Excel file now.”

🎯 Start 2026 strong: If you want real clarity on your goals instead of vague resolutions, check out the 2026 Goal Setting Workbook from ImproveLife. It’s a free, guided workbook that helps you reflect on the year you just had, focus on what truly matters and map out clear, doable goals for the year ahead. Get your free copy now!**

Driving off into the sunset: I saw this coming. Elon Musk confirmed Tesla’s Model S and Model X are headed for retirement. The S is the OG sedan from 2012. X is the luxury SUV with Back to the Future doors. Why discontinue them? Tesla wants the factory room for Optimus robots, probably to sell Wall Street on Tesla not being a car company anymore.

🧨 Bot with keys: Welcome to the new tech cycle. A scrappy AI agent goes viral, then the horror stories arrive. Moltbot’s pitch is simple enough. AI that actually does things. It connects to your messaging apps and can run commands, move files and automate work. People are obsessed, and security folks are sweating. Always connected means more ways to get tricked by prompt injection. Add a marketplace for downloadable skills, and you’ve got a recipe for exploits. This is solid pass for now. Don’t be tempted.

📵 Nest goes offline: Go check your thermostat. Google ended software support for the 1st- and 2nd-gen Nest Learning Thermostats, the 14-year-old originals. They’ll still cool and heat your house, but app control is gone, which was the whole point. No more cranking the heat before driving home. Google says the old hardware is too hard to keep updating, so they’re leaving it out in the cold.

DAILY TECH UPDATE

GM takes over your dashboard

General Motors wants to take over your dashboard screen. They will control the data and all that you’ll hear and see. Here’s the scoop.

🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

DEALS OF THE DAY

🧽 Cleaning hacks you’ll actually use

Make chores feel way less … chore-y.

🫧 Your arm’s backup: Electric spin scrubber (37% off, $36)

Tired of scrubbing until your arm hurts? This cordless tool does the hard work for you. Comes with eight brush heads and runs for 90 minutes straight. That’s serious power.

Image: Bomves

🌬️ Forget canned air: Grab a rechargeable air duster (29% off, $29) with 100K RPM and an LED light to spot crud hiding in your keyboard.

Crumb and get it: This broom set (28% off, $19) has a dustpan with built-in teeth. Yep, it cleans your broom for you. Stands up on its own, too.

👋 Trash lids are gross: Wave your hand to open this motion-sensor trash can (13% off, $35). You’ll never touch a dirty lid again.

Dish duty defense: These reusable rubber gloves (20% off, $8) have soft lining and a nonslip grip for handling slippery dishes.

✅ Keep your clean streak: Click here to see which of your usual buys are on sale now.

Prices and deals were accurate at the time of publication.

DEVICE ADVICE

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Let me ask you a question: Does your TV look a little too fluid or realistic? That’s motion smoothing. It’s good for sports but makes movies and shows look like a cheap soap opera. To turn it off, open Settings > Picture > Motion. FYI, some brands use different names for it, like Auto Motion Plus (Samsung), TruMotion (LG) or Motionflow (Sony).

Protect your kids on YouTube: Yeah, it’s a pain. Click your profile icon in the top right, turn on Restricted Mode, then go back and hit Lock Restricted Mode so it can’t be switched off. This stops kids from seeing videos flagged for mature content like violence and swearing. It also hides comments, so they can’t interact with others.

🎮 Control their gaming habits: You can set daily playtime limits, so there’s no arguing when time’s up. On PS5, download the PlayStation Family app, add your child’s account, select them from the home screen and tap Playtime. On Xbox, download the Xbox Family Settings app, choose their account and go to Screen time.

Roku solves what to watch: They added a new Subscriptions menu that puts all the streaming services you pay for in one place. It shows newly added shows, what you’re currently watching and what’s trending/popular. You’ll find it on the left side of the home screen above Settings. FYI, you’ll need OS 15.1. Go to Settings > System > Software update.

🤖 Speaking of movies: Sometimes you crave something specific, right? Next time you want a genre or theme similar to a favorite film or show, ask a chatbot: “Give me a list of epic fantasy movies similar to The Lord of the Rings.” You can add specifics like “from the 2000s onward,” so you don’t end up with bad CGI. While you’re at it, sign up to get my weekly AI cheat sheet in your inbox, launching soon!

Lost your Fire TV remote again? If you have an Alexa Voice Remote Pro, say, “Find my remote” to an Alexa device, the Alexa app or the Fire TV app. It’ll ring for five minutes until you press a button. Bonus: If you have an Alexa device, you can control your Fire TV without the remote. Try saying, “Alexa, pause,” “Alexa, resume” or “Alexa, open Netflix.”

WHAT THE TECH?

Image: Xiaomi

🔦 Building in the dark

Picture this, a massive smartphone factory. Pitch black. No workers. No coffee breaks. No HR complaints. It’s only robots building phones in total darkness, 24/7, like some sci-fi fever dream.

This thing debuted back in 2024, and people keep resharing the highlight reel because it looks like a scene out of Terminator, minus the drama.

It’s cranking out 86,400 phones a day. No bathroom breaks. No vacation requests. No “I'm running five minutes late” texts. When robots run the show, nobody complains about the night shift. Of course, nobody's getting paid either.

Welcome to the future, hope you brought sunglasses. Actually, scratch that. You won't need them.

LOGGING OUT …

🔜 Tomorrow: Malware attacks are exploding. Hackers use AI to crank out new threats in seconds. Free antivirus? Can't keep up. Built-in protection? Not cutting it. If your PC is sluggish and your battery's draining fast, you might already be infected. Tomorrow I'll show you the warning signs and how to fight back. Don't miss this one.

💼 The answer: C) 48% of workers said they’d be cool with an AI boss. The term “robot” comes from the Czech word “robota,” meaning “forced labor.” Who’s forced to labor, only time will tell.

One for the road: I called work this morning and whispered, “Sorry, boss, I can’t come in today. I have a wee cough.” He exclaimed, “You have a wee cough!?” I said, “Really?! Thanks, boss, see you next week!” (Yeah, you’re gonna use that one, I know it!)

🛑 Don’t let them sell your life. You can try to remove your info from these lists yourself, but it takes hundreds of hours. Incogni does the hard work for you. It automatically demands removal from dozens of data broker sites at once. I trust them to keep my info private. Use code KIM60 to get 60% off right now.*

💫 The best version of you is the one who keeps trying. You’ve got this! — Kim

Kim Komando • Komando.com • 510+ radio stations • Trusted by millions daily

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Bomves, Xiaomi

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