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PowerPoint Presenter Coach: The built-in tool that helps you rehearse smarter

Editor September 28, 2026

Most presentation preparation involves unguided practice runs, hoping you’ll remember to slow down, make eye contact, and stop saying “um.” PowerPoint Presenter Coach replaces that guesswork with structured, real-time feedback on pacing, filler words, pitch variation, pronunciation, and body language. It’s available to Microsoft 365 subscribers and PowerPoint 2019 users, and it’s considerably more useful than most people expect from a built-in feature.

What you’ll need before you start

Presenter Coach is available on both your browser and desktop app, but requires a few things to work at its best. A built-in or external microphone is essential, since the tool analyzes your speech in real time. A stable internet connection is needed to process and return feedback. For body language analysis, a webcam is required; without one, Presenter Coach still works but limits its feedback to speech-related elements only.

A quiet environment with minimal background noise produces significantly better speech analysis. If you rehearse in a noisy space, the tool may struggle to accurately identify filler words or flag mispronunciations. Your slides do not need speaker notes for the feature to work, but having them available gives you a more realistic rehearsal experience.

What Presenter Coach actually analyzes

The feedback Presenter Coach provides covers several dimensions of delivery quality. Pacing is one of the most common issues in live presentations: speaking too fast overwhelms audiences, while speaking too slowly risks losing attention. Presenter Coach monitors your rate of speech throughout the session and flags sections where the pace falls significantly outside an effective range.

Pitch variation is analyzed alongside pacing. A monotone delivery makes content harder to follow and reduces audience engagement, regardless of how strong the material is. The tool tracks pitch variation and encourages more dynamic delivery when it detects extended flat sections.

Speech refinement covers filler words (the “ums” and “ahs” that creep into most speakers’ delivery), repeated words and phrases, informal language, and terms that may be culturally sensitive in specific contexts. Pronunciation feedback addresses mispronounced words, which is useful for technical terminology or proper nouns where correct pronunciation matters to your audience’s confidence in you.

Body language analysis uses your webcam to evaluate posture, eye contact, and general physical presence. Speakers who look down at their notes, avoid the camera, or display closed body language come across as less confident. The tool flags when you step out of frame, lose direct eye line with the camera, or hold your face too close to the screen.

How to access it

To start a Presenter Coach session, open your presentation in PowerPoint and navigate to the Slide Show menu. Select Rehearse with Coach under the Presenter Coach section. A new window will open; click Get Started to begin. You will be prompted to allow microphone access and, if you want body language feedback, webcam access.

Once you begin presenting, feedback appears in real time as small prompts on screen, so you can adjust without waiting for the session to end. After finishing, Presenter Coach generates a full rehearsal report covering all the areas it analyzed, with specific examples from your session.

Getting the most out of it

For best results, use the tool consistently across multiple rehearsal sessions rather than relying on a single run-through before your presentation. Running the same presentation two or three times with Presenter Coach gives you a clearer picture of which issues are habitual versus situational. It also lets you measure whether adjustments you make in response to earlier feedback actually carry through into subsequent sessions, which is a more reliable indicator of improvement than a single run.

Looking to get more value out of PowerPoint and the rest of your Microsoft 365 subscription? Our team can help your organization configure, train on, and optimize your Microsoft tools. Get in touch to see what’s possible.

Practice your presentation and get real-time feedback with PowerPoint Presenter Coach

Editor September 28, 2026

Rehearsing a presentation without feedback is essentially practicing in the dark. PowerPoint Presenter Coach changes that by analyzing your delivery in real time and giving you specific, actionable feedback on the elements that tend to undermine otherwise good presentations: speaking too fast, relying on filler words, or staying in a monotone throughout. Here’s a closer look at how Presenter Coach works and how to get the most out of its features.

What you’ll need before you start

Presenter Coach is available on both your browser and desktop app, but requires a few things to work at its best. A built-in or external microphone is essential, since the tool analyzes your speech in real time. A stable internet connection is needed to process and return feedback. For body language analysis, a webcam is required; without one, Presenter Coach still works but limits its feedback to speech-related elements only.

A quiet environment with minimal background noise produces significantly better speech analysis. If you rehearse in a noisy space, the tool may struggle to accurately identify filler words or flag mispronunciations. Your slides do not need speaker notes for the feature to work, but having them available gives you a more realistic rehearsal experience.

What Presenter Coach actually analyzes

The feedback Presenter Coach provides covers several dimensions of delivery quality. Pacing is one of the most common issues in live presentations: speaking too fast overwhelms audiences, while speaking too slowly risks losing attention. Presenter Coach monitors your rate of speech throughout the session and flags sections where the pace falls significantly outside an effective range.

Pitch variation is analyzed alongside pacing. A monotone delivery makes content harder to follow and reduces audience engagement, regardless of how strong the material is. The tool tracks pitch variation and encourages more dynamic delivery when it detects extended flat sections.

Speech refinement covers filler words (the “ums” and “ahs” that creep into most speakers’ delivery), repeated words and phrases, informal language, and terms that may be culturally sensitive in specific contexts. Pronunciation feedback addresses mispronounced words, which is useful for technical terminology or proper nouns where correct pronunciation matters to your audience’s confidence in you.

Body language analysis uses your webcam to evaluate posture, eye contact, and general physical presence. Speakers who look down at their notes, avoid the camera, or display closed body language come across as less confident. The tool flags when you step out of frame, lose direct eye line with the camera, or hold your face too close to the screen.

How to access it

To start a Presenter Coach session, open your presentation in PowerPoint and navigate to the Slide Show menu. Select Rehearse with Coach under the Presenter Coach section. A new window will open; click Get Started to begin. You will be prompted to allow microphone access and, if you want body language feedback, webcam access.

Once you begin presenting, feedback appears in real time as small prompts on screen, so you can adjust without waiting for the session to end. After finishing, Presenter Coach generates a full rehearsal report covering all the areas it analyzed, with specific examples from your session.

Getting the most out of it

For best results, use the tool consistently across multiple rehearsal sessions rather than relying on a single run-through before your presentation. Running the same presentation two or three times with Presenter Coach gives you a clearer picture of which issues are habitual versus situational. It also lets you measure whether adjustments you make in response to earlier feedback actually carry through into subsequent sessions, which is a more reliable indicator of improvement than a single run.

Looking to get more value out of PowerPoint and the rest of your Microsoft 365 subscription? Our team can help your organization configure, train on, and optimize your Microsoft tools. Get in touch to see what’s possible.

Presenter Coach: PowerPoint’s most underrated tool

Editor September 28, 2026

PowerPoint Presenter Coach has been part of Microsoft 365 for several years, but it remains one of the lesser-known features in the suite. It provides real-time coaching on delivery quality, covering everything from speech pacing and filler word use to body language and pronunciation, and generates a detailed report at the end of each rehearsal session. Here’s how to set it up and put its feedback to work.

What you’ll need before you start

Presenter Coach is available on both your browser and desktop app, but requires a few things to work at its best. A built-in or external microphone is essential, since the tool analyzes your speech in real time. A stable internet connection is needed to process and return feedback. For body language analysis, a webcam is required; without one, Presenter Coach still works but limits its feedback to speech-related elements only.

A quiet environment with minimal background noise produces significantly better speech analysis. If you rehearse in a noisy space, the tool may struggle to accurately identify filler words or flag mispronunciations. Your slides do not need speaker notes for the feature to work, but having them available gives you a more realistic rehearsal experience.

What Presenter Coach actually analyzes

The feedback Presenter Coach provides covers several dimensions of delivery quality. Pacing is one of the most common issues in live presentations: speaking too fast overwhelms audiences, while speaking too slowly risks losing attention. Presenter Coach monitors your rate of speech throughout the session and flags sections where the pace falls significantly outside an effective range.

Pitch variation is analyzed alongside pacing. A monotone delivery makes content harder to follow and reduces audience engagement, regardless of how strong the material is. The tool tracks pitch variation and encourages more dynamic delivery when it detects extended flat sections.

Speech refinement covers filler words (the “ums” and “ahs” that creep into most speakers’ delivery), repeated words and phrases, informal language, and terms that may be culturally sensitive in specific contexts. Pronunciation feedback addresses mispronounced words, which is useful for technical terminology or proper nouns where correct pronunciation matters to your audience’s confidence in you.

Body language analysis uses your webcam to evaluate posture, eye contact, and general physical presence. Speakers who look down at their notes, avoid the camera, or display closed body language come across as less confident. The tool flags when you step out of frame, lose direct eye line with the camera, or hold your face too close to the screen.

How to access it

To start a Presenter Coach session, open your presentation in PowerPoint and navigate to the Slide Show menu. Select Rehearse with Coach under the Presenter Coach section. A new window will open; click Get Started to begin. You will be prompted to allow microphone access and, if you want body language feedback, webcam access.

Once you begin presenting, feedback appears in real time as small prompts on screen, so you can adjust without waiting for the session to end. After finishing, Presenter Coach generates a full rehearsal report covering all the areas it analyzed, with specific examples from your session.

Getting the most out of it

For best results, use the tool consistently across multiple rehearsal sessions rather than relying on a single run-through before your presentation. Running the same presentation two or three times with Presenter Coach gives you a clearer picture of which issues are habitual versus situational. It also lets you measure whether adjustments you make in response to earlier feedback actually carry through into subsequent sessions, which is a more reliable indicator of improvement than a single run.

Looking to get more value out of PowerPoint and the rest of your Microsoft 365 subscription? Our team can help your organization configure, train on, and optimize your Microsoft tools. Get in touch to see what’s possible.

The business case for virtual reality: Practical uses across industries

Editor September 25, 2026

Virtual reality (VR) moves faster in business than most people realize. The entertainment association lingers, but organizations across construction, manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, and retail have been deploying VR for specific operational use cases where it outperforms any alternative. Today, VR adoption is driven by five high-impact business applications.

Remote inspections and audits

Site inspections traditionally require personnel to be physically present, which is time-consuming and costly when facilities are geographically distributed. VR changes that by giving inspectors a comprehensive, navigable view of a location from anywhere, using 360-degree capture equipment on site paired with a headset for the remote reviewer.

Construction and manufacturing are the industries benefiting most from this application. Regular safety inspections, compliance audits, and quality reviews can now include remote stakeholders without travel costs, scheduling delays, or the safety risks of bringing nonessential personnel into active work environments. The consistency of a VR-based review process also tends to improve documentation quality compared to ad hoc physical visits.

Immersive virtual tours

Selling or leasing property, showcasing a facility to a prospective partner, or giving a client a preview of a venue before committing to a booking all share a common limitation: physical distance creates friction. Virtual tours address that directly by allowing users to navigate a space as if they were present, with full spatial awareness rather than the flat perspective of photographs or video.

Real estate agencies, hotel groups, event venues, and tourism organizations have adopted VR tours as a standard part of the sales process. The practical benefit is twofold: clients make more confident decisions when they have a genuine sense of the space, and organizations reduce the cost of hosting physical visits for prospects who may not ultimately convert.

Training in high-stakes environments

Employee training is one of VR’s strongest business cases because the technology solves a genuine problem with conventional methods. For skills that require practice in hazardous, expensive, or hard-to-replicate environments, traditional training involves either significant risk or significant compromise. VR creates a simulated environment where employees can practice procedures, experience failure safely, and build muscle memory without consequences.

Healthcare organizations use VR to train clinicians on procedures. Energy companies train field technicians on maintenance protocols for equipment that is costly or dangerous to access during training. Emergency services use scenarios that would be impossible to stage realistically. Across all these industries, repeatability is a particular advantage: a VR training environment can be replicated exactly across hundreds of employees, eliminating the variability inherent in live instruction.

Collaborative virtual workspaces

Remote collaboration tools such as video conferencing work reasonably well for discussion and document sharing. However, they fall short for tasks that require spatial reasoning, such as product design, architectural review, engineering problem-solving, or any work where three-dimensional visualization matters.

VR allows geographically distributed teams to work within a shared virtual environment where objects can be manipulated, annotations added, and spatial relationships understood intuitively. This matters most for industries where errors in the design phase are expensive to correct in the physical world. An architecture team that can identify a conflict in a 3D model before construction begins saves far more than the cost of the VR system that caught it.

Product visualization and virtual showrooms

Marketing and retail applications of VR center on giving customers a more complete understanding of a product before purchasing. Virtual showrooms allow customers to view, rotate, configure, and contextually place products in a simulated version of their own space. The result is a purchasing experience with significantly less residual uncertainty, which translates to higher conversion rates and fewer returns for businesses that have implemented it well.

The technology is particularly effective for products where dimensions, materials, or aesthetic fit are difficult to assess from a product page. These include furniture, vehicles, custom equipment, and high-consideration purchases of all kinds.

Curious whether virtual reality could address a specific operational challenge in your business? Our team can help you evaluate where the technology fits, what it would cost, and how to get started. Reach out to start the conversation.

5 ways businesses are using virtual reality to work smarter

Editor September 25, 2026

Most people associate virtual reality (VR) with gaming, but the technology has been finding practical business applications for several years. Training programs, remote audits, product showcases, and collaborative workspaces demonstrate how organizations are using VR to solve real operational challenges.

Remote inspections and audits

Site inspections traditionally require personnel to be physically present, which is time-consuming and costly when facilities are geographically distributed. VR changes that by giving inspectors a comprehensive, navigable view of a location from anywhere, using 360-degree capture equipment on site paired with a headset for the remote reviewer.

Construction and manufacturing are the industries benefiting most from this application. Regular safety inspections, compliance audits, and quality reviews can now include remote stakeholders without travel costs, scheduling delays, or the safety risks of bringing nonessential personnel into active work environments. The consistency of a VR-based review process also tends to improve documentation quality compared to ad hoc physical visits.

Immersive virtual tours

Selling or leasing property, showcasing a facility to a prospective partner, or giving a client a preview of a venue before committing to a booking all share a common limitation: physical distance creates friction. Virtual tours address that directly by allowing users to navigate a space as if they were present, with full spatial awareness rather than the flat perspective of photographs or video.

Real estate agencies, hotel groups, event venues, and tourism organizations have adopted VR tours as a standard part of the sales process. The practical benefit is twofold: clients make more confident decisions when they have a genuine sense of the space, and organizations reduce the cost of hosting physical visits for prospects who may not ultimately convert.

Training in high-stakes environments

Employee training is one of VR’s strongest business cases because the technology solves a genuine problem with conventional methods. For skills that require practice in hazardous, expensive, or hard-to-replicate environments, traditional training involves either significant risk or significant compromise. VR creates a simulated environment where employees can practice procedures, experience failure safely, and build muscle memory without consequences.

Healthcare organizations use VR to train clinicians on procedures. Energy companies train field technicians on maintenance protocols for equipment that is costly or dangerous to access during training. Emergency services use scenarios that would be impossible to stage realistically. Across all these industries, repeatability is a particular advantage: a VR training environment can be replicated exactly across hundreds of employees, eliminating the variability inherent in live instruction.

Collaborative virtual workspaces

Remote collaboration tools such as video conferencing work reasonably well for discussion and document sharing. However, they fall short for tasks that require spatial reasoning, such as product design, architectural review, engineering problem-solving, or any work where three-dimensional visualization matters.

VR allows geographically distributed teams to work within a shared virtual environment where objects can be manipulated, annotations added, and spatial relationships understood intuitively. This matters most for industries where errors in the design phase are expensive to correct in the physical world. An architecture team that can identify a conflict in a 3D model before construction begins saves far more than the cost of the VR system that caught it.

Product visualization and virtual showrooms

Marketing and retail applications of VR center on giving customers a more complete understanding of a product before purchasing. Virtual showrooms allow customers to view, rotate, configure, and contextually place products in a simulated version of their own space. The result is a purchasing experience with significantly less residual uncertainty, which translates to higher conversion rates and fewer returns for businesses that have implemented it well.

The technology is particularly effective for products where dimensions, materials, or aesthetic fit are difficult to assess from a product page. These include furniture, vehicles, custom equipment, and high-consideration purchases of all kinds.

Curious whether virtual reality could address a specific operational challenge in your business? Our team can help you evaluate where the technology fits, what it would cost, and how to get started. Reach out to start the conversation.

Beyond gaming: How virtual reality is changing the way businesses operate

Editor September 25, 2026

Virtual reality (VR) is best known as an entertainment technology, associated with gaming headsets and immersive experiences. Behind the scenes, however, its growth in the business world is proving far more consequential. From remote inspections and safety training to collaborative design and client-facing marketing, VR resolves complex operational challenges that traditional digital tools cannot effectively address.

Remote inspections and audits

Site inspections traditionally require personnel to be physically present, which is time-consuming and costly when facilities are geographically distributed. VR changes that by giving inspectors a comprehensive, navigable view of a location from anywhere, using 360-degree capture equipment on site paired with a headset for the remote reviewer.

Construction and manufacturing are the industries benefiting most from this application. Regular safety inspections, compliance audits, and quality reviews can now include remote stakeholders without travel costs, scheduling delays, or the safety risks of bringing nonessential personnel into active work environments. The consistency of a VR-based review process also tends to improve documentation quality compared to ad hoc physical visits.

Immersive virtual tours

Selling or leasing property, showcasing a facility to a prospective partner, or giving a client a preview of a venue before committing to a booking all share a common limitation: physical distance creates friction. Virtual tours address that directly by allowing users to navigate a space as if they were present, with full spatial awareness rather than the flat perspective of photographs or video.

Real estate agencies, hotel groups, event venues, and tourism organizations have adopted VR tours as a standard part of the sales process. The practical benefit is twofold: clients make more confident decisions when they have a genuine sense of the space, and organizations reduce the cost of hosting physical visits for prospects who may not ultimately convert.

Training in high-stakes environments

Employee training is one of VR’s strongest business cases because the technology solves a genuine problem with conventional methods. For skills that require practice in hazardous, expensive, or hard-to-replicate environments, traditional training involves either significant risk or significant compromise. VR creates a simulated environment where employees can practice procedures, experience failure safely, and build muscle memory without consequences.

Healthcare organizations use VR to train clinicians on procedures. Energy companies train field technicians on maintenance protocols for equipment that is costly or dangerous to access during training. Emergency services use scenarios that would be impossible to stage realistically. Across all these industries, repeatability is a particular advantage: a VR training environment can be replicated exactly across hundreds of employees, eliminating the variability inherent in live instruction.

Collaborative virtual workspaces

Remote collaboration tools such as video conferencing work reasonably well for discussion and document sharing. However, they fall short for tasks that require spatial reasoning, such as product design, architectural review, engineering problem-solving, or any work where three-dimensional visualization matters.

VR allows geographically distributed teams to work within a shared virtual environment where objects can be manipulated, annotations added, and spatial relationships understood intuitively. This matters most for industries where errors in the design phase are expensive to correct in the physical world. An architecture team that can identify a conflict in a 3D model before construction begins saves far more than the cost of the VR system that caught it.

Product visualization and virtual showrooms

Marketing and retail applications of VR center on giving customers a more complete understanding of a product before purchasing. Virtual showrooms allow customers to view, rotate, configure, and contextually place products in a simulated version of their own space. The result is a purchasing experience with significantly less residual uncertainty, which translates to higher conversion rates and fewer returns for businesses that have implemented it well.

The technology is particularly effective for products where dimensions, materials, or aesthetic fit are difficult to assess from a product page. These include furniture, vehicles, custom equipment, and high-consideration purchases of all kinds.

Curious whether virtual reality could address a specific operational challenge in your business? Our team can help you evaluate where the technology fits, what it would cost, and how to get started. Reach out to start the conversation.

A step-by-step guide to removing your data from an Android device for good

Editor September 23, 2026

Before you sell, donate, trade in, or recycle an Android device, it needs to be properly wiped. Simply deleting files or performing a factory reset without encryption leaves data recoverable by anyone with the right software. Here’s how to properly wipe your Android device, step by step.

Step 1: Back up everything you want to keep

Before touching any settings, go through the device and identify everything worth saving. Android offers built-in backup to Google Drive, covering app data, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS messages. Photos and videos are best handled through Google Photos or a manual transfer to a computer. For files not covered by automatic backup, check the Downloads folder, any app-specific storage you’ve used, and documents saved locally.

If you use a work device managed by your organization’s mobile device management (MDM) platform, consult your IT team before proceeding. Corporate MDM profiles sometimes handle data backup and remote wipe through a different process, and the steps below apply to personal or unmanaged devices.

Step 2: Encrypt the device

This step is what separates a thorough wipe from a surface-level one. Encryption converts all data on the device into a coded format that is unreadable without the correct decryption key. When you subsequently perform a factory reset, the encryption key is discarded along with the reset, making the underlying data unrecoverable even with forensic tools.

On most Android devices, encryption is enabled by default on Android 6.0 and later. To confirm or enable it, go to Settings and search for “Encryption,” or navigate to Settings > Security > Encryption and credentials. The process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of data stored, so keep the device plugged into power throughout.

Step 3: Perform a factory reset

With the backup complete and encryption confirmed, the factory reset removes all user data, accounts, and personal settings, returning the device to its out-of-box state. Find the option under Settings > General management or Settings > System, then look for Reset or Factory data reset. The exact path varies slightly by manufacturer and Android version, but the option is available on all Android devices.

Follow the on-screen prompts. The process typically takes 10 to 20 minutes and will restart the device when complete. Do not skip the final confirmation steps, as some devices offer options to retain certain data categories during the reset, which you do not want.

Step 4: Use a data erasure app for additional security

For devices that will be sold or donated rather than physically destroyed, adding a dedicated data erasure app provides an extra layer of assurance. These tools overwrite storage with random data using established algorithms, making recovery even less likely than encryption plus factory reset alone.

Look for apps with verified reviews and a clear description of the overwrite standard they use. Note that some require root access to function fully, which may affect warranty status. For most consumer and business scenarios, encryption plus factory reset is sufficient. Dedicated erasure apps are most appropriate when the device held highly sensitive data.

Step 5: Remove the SIM and SD cards

Before handing the device off, physically remove the SIM card and any microSD card. SIM cards retain account identifiers and, on some carriers, stored contacts. SD cards may contain photos, documents, or app data that the factory reset does not touch, since the reset typically addresses internal storage only.

If the SD card is being passed along with the device, wipe it separately using a computer. Formatting through Android’s storage settings is enough for most cases.

Step 6: Remote wipe as a fallback

If a device is lost or stolen before you complete the wipe process, Android’s Find My Device feature allows you to remotely erase all data as long as the device is powered on and connected to the internet. Visit myaccount.google.com/find-your-phone, sign in with the Google account linked to the device, select Factory Reset. The command executes immediately if the device is online, or queues until the next time it connects if it is currently offline.

Note that once the reset completes, the device’s location becomes unavailable, so this option is best used when you are certain recovery is no longer possible. For business devices managed through an MDM platform, remote wipe is typically available as an administrative function in the management console.

Managing Android devices across your organization requires a secure, standardized offboarding process. Our team can help you build a retirement workflow that protects your data at every step. Get in touch to learn more.

How to securely wipe an Android device before you sell, donate, or retire it

Editor September 23, 2026

Replacing or retiring an Android phone or tablet feels like a simple upgrade until you consider what happens to the data still on the device. Photos, emails, saved passwords, business applications, and account credentials can all survive a basic factory reset if the device wasn’t properly prepared. This guide walks through each step of a thorough wipe, from backup to final disposal, so your data doesn’t follow the device out the door.

Step 1: Back up everything you want to keep

Before touching any settings, go through the device and identify everything worth saving. Android offers built-in backup to Google Drive, covering app data, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS messages. Photos and videos are best handled through Google Photos or a manual transfer to a computer. For files not covered by automatic backup, check the Downloads folder, any app-specific storage you’ve used, and documents saved locally.

If you use a work device managed by your organization’s mobile device management (MDM) platform, consult your IT team before proceeding. Corporate MDM profiles sometimes handle data backup and remote wipe through a different process, and the steps below apply to personal or unmanaged devices.

Step 2: Encrypt the device

This step is what separates a thorough wipe from a surface-level one. Encryption converts all data on the device into a coded format that is unreadable without the correct decryption key. When you subsequently perform a factory reset, the encryption key is discarded along with the reset, making the underlying data unrecoverable even with forensic tools.

On most Android devices, encryption is enabled by default on Android 6.0 and later. To confirm or enable it, go to Settings and search for “Encryption,” or navigate to Settings > Security > Encryption and credentials. The process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of data stored, so keep the device plugged into power throughout.

Step 3: Perform a factory reset

With the backup complete and encryption confirmed, the factory reset removes all user data, accounts, and personal settings, returning the device to its out-of-box state. Find the option under Settings > General management or Settings > System, then look for Reset or Factory data reset. The exact path varies slightly by manufacturer and Android version, but the option is available on all Android devices.

Follow the on-screen prompts. The process typically takes 10 to 20 minutes and will restart the device when complete. Do not skip the final confirmation steps, as some devices offer options to retain certain data categories during the reset, which you do not want.

Step 4: Use a data erasure app for additional security

For devices that will be sold or donated rather than physically destroyed, adding a dedicated data erasure app provides an extra layer of assurance. These tools overwrite storage with random data using established algorithms, making recovery even less likely than encryption plus factory reset alone.

Look for apps with verified reviews and a clear description of the overwrite standard they use. Note that some require root access to function fully, which may affect warranty status. For most consumer and business scenarios, encryption plus factory reset is sufficient. Dedicated erasure apps are most appropriate when the device held highly sensitive data.

Step 5: Remove the SIM and SD cards

Before handing the device off, physically remove the SIM card and any microSD card. SIM cards retain account identifiers and, on some carriers, stored contacts. SD cards may contain photos, documents, or app data that the factory reset does not touch, since the reset typically addresses internal storage only.

If the SD card is being passed along with the device, wipe it separately using a computer. Formatting through Android’s storage settings is enough for most cases.

Step 6: Remote wipe as a fallback

If a device is lost or stolen before you complete the wipe process, Android’s Find My Device feature allows you to remotely erase all data as long as the device is powered on and connected to the internet. Visit myaccount.google.com/find-your-phone, sign in with the Google account linked to the device, select Factory Reset. The command executes immediately if the device is online, or queues until the next time it connects if it is currently offline.

Note that once the reset completes, the device’s location becomes unavailable, so this option is best used when you are certain recovery is no longer possible. For business devices managed through an MDM platform, remote wipe is typically available as an administrative function in the management console.

Managing Android devices across your organization requires a secure, standardized offboarding process. Our team can help you build a retirement workflow that protects your data at every step. Get in touch to learn more.

How to extend your iPhone’s battery life: Practical tips that actually work

Editor September 21, 2026

iPhones are among the more power-hungry smartphones on the market, but they also give users substantial control over power consumption through settings that are easy to configure. These six adjustments can help you get more from each charge while supporting battery health in the long run.

1. Use Low Power Mode strategically

Low Power Mode is the single most effective tool for extending battery life quickly. When activated, it reduces screen brightness, limits background app activity, pauses automatic email fetching, shortens the auto-lock timer, and reduces some visual effects. Together, these changes can significantly extend battery life when you need to make a charge last.

To activate it, go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode, or add it to Control Center for one-tap access. The phone will offer to enable it automatically when battery drops to 20% and again at 10%, but activating it earlier when you know a charger won’t be available for a while is a smarter approach.

2. Reduce screen brightness

The display is one of the largest consumers of battery power on any smartphone, and the iPhone is no exception. Keeping screen brightness higher than the environment requires drains the battery faster without providing any benefit.

Pull down Control Center and drag the brightness slider to a comfortable minimum for your current lighting. For automatic adjustment, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and enable Auto-Brightness. This setting adjusts brightness based on ambient light readings from the phone’s sensors, ensuring the screen is never brighter than necessary. Note that Auto-Brightness is found under Accessibility rather than Display & Brightness, which can make it easy to overlook.

3. Turn off Wi-Fi when you’re away from known networks

Wi-Fi uses relatively little power when connected to a network, but the power cost increases when the phone is actively scanning for networks to join. In environments with many visible networks, or when moving between locations, your iPhone may keep searching for connections, gradually adding to overall power consumption.

If you will be somewhere without Wi-Fi for an extended period or simply don’t need it, disabling Wi-Fi through Control Center prevents your iPhone from continuing to search for available networks. At home or in the office, however, it’s best to leave Wi-Fi on: using a connected Wi-Fi network generally consumes less power than cellular data.

4. Disable cellular data when you don’t need it

In areas with weak or no cellular coverage, your iPhone may use more power as it searches for and maintains a cellular signal. Turning off cellular data through Settings > Cellular or Control Center can prevent apps and services from using cellular data, but it does not disable the cellular connection itself.

If you are in an area with poor reception and need to conserve battery, Airplane Mode is more effective because it disables the iPhone’s cellular connection entirely. This can be useful in basements, rural areas, or buildings with heavy shielding, where the phone may struggle to maintain a reliable signal.

5. Use Airplane Mode as a last resort

When your battery is critically low and a charger isn’t available, Airplane Mode offers a quick way to reduce wireless power consumption by disabling the cellular connection, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. This puts your iPhone into a lower-power state while keeping it on and available for offline use.

The trade-off is that cellular calls and data won’t work while Airplane Mode is active. However, you can re-enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth after turning on Airplane Mode. For example, if you’re near a known Wi-Fi network, you can turn Wi-Fi back on while keeping the cellular connection disabled, allowing you to stay connected without relying on cellular service. To do this, turn on Airplane Mode in Control Center, then tap Wi-Fi to enable it again.

6. Protect long-term battery health

Battery capacity naturally declines over time, but your charging habits can affect how quickly that happens. Keeping the battery at or near 100% for extended periods can contribute to faster aging, particularly when the phone is regularly charged to full and left plugged in.

Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging feature is designed to help reduce this strain. Found under Settings > Battery > Charging > Optimized Battery Charging, it learns your usual charging routine and delays charging beyond 80% until shortly before you typically unplug your iPhone. Recent iPhone models running iOS 18 or later also offer an 80% Charge Limit, which sets a fixed maximum regardless of when you charge.

You can monitor your battery’s condition under Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Depending on your iPhone model and software version, this screen shows information such as maximum capacity, cycle count, manufacturing date, and first-use date. Checking these details occasionally can help you understand how your battery is aging and anticipate when a replacement may be worthwhile.

Make Apple device management easier for your organization. Whether you need help with configuration, policies, support, or procurement, our team works with businesses of all sizes to keep their Apple devices running smoothly. Get in touch to learn more.

iPhone battery draining too fast? These 6 adjustments can help

Editor September 21, 2026

You can squeeze more time out of your iPhone battery with a few targeted changes. Adjust some settings once and keep a few simple habits in mind for those moments when you need your battery to last longer. These small changes can make every charge go further.

1. Use Low Power Mode strategically

Low Power Mode is the single most effective tool for extending battery life quickly. When activated, it reduces screen brightness, limits background app activity, pauses automatic email fetching, shortens the auto-lock timer, and reduces some visual effects. Together, these changes can significantly extend battery life when you need to make a charge last.

To activate it, go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode, or add it to Control Center for one-tap access. The phone will offer to enable it automatically when battery drops to 20% and again at 10%, but activating it earlier when you know a charger won’t be available for a while is a smarter approach.

2. Reduce screen brightness

The display is one of the largest consumers of battery power on any smartphone, and the iPhone is no exception. Keeping screen brightness higher than the environment requires drains the battery faster without providing any benefit.

Pull down Control Center and drag the brightness slider to a comfortable minimum for your current lighting. For automatic adjustment, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and enable Auto-Brightness. This setting adjusts brightness based on ambient light readings from the phone’s sensors, ensuring the screen is never brighter than necessary. Note that Auto-Brightness is found under Accessibility rather than Display & Brightness, which can make it easy to overlook.

3. Turn off Wi-Fi when you’re away from known networks

Wi-Fi uses relatively little power when connected to a network, but the power cost increases when the phone is actively scanning for networks to join. In environments with many visible networks, or when moving between locations, your iPhone may keep searching for connections, gradually adding to overall power consumption.

If you will be somewhere without Wi-Fi for an extended period or simply don’t need it, disabling Wi-Fi through Control Center prevents your iPhone from continuing to search for available networks. At home or in the office, however, it’s best to leave Wi-Fi on: using a connected Wi-Fi network generally consumes less power than cellular data.

4. Disable cellular data when you don’t need it

In areas with weak or no cellular coverage, your iPhone may use more power as it searches for and maintains a cellular signal. Turning off cellular data through Settings > Cellular or Control Center can prevent apps and services from using cellular data, but it does not disable the cellular connection itself.

If you are in an area with poor reception and need to conserve battery, Airplane Mode is more effective because it disables the iPhone’s cellular connection entirely. This can be useful in basements, rural areas, or buildings with heavy shielding, where the phone may struggle to maintain a reliable signal.

5. Use Airplane Mode as a last resort

When your battery is critically low and a charger isn’t available, Airplane Mode offers a quick way to reduce wireless power consumption by disabling the cellular connection, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. This puts your iPhone into a lower-power state while keeping it on and available for offline use.

The trade-off is that cellular calls and data won’t work while Airplane Mode is active. However, you can re-enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth after turning on Airplane Mode. For example, if you’re near a known Wi-Fi network, you can turn Wi-Fi back on while keeping the cellular connection disabled, allowing you to stay connected without relying on cellular service. To do this, turn on Airplane Mode in Control Center, then tap Wi-Fi to enable it again.

6. Protect long-term battery health

Battery capacity naturally declines over time, but your charging habits can affect how quickly that happens. Keeping the battery at or near 100% for extended periods can contribute to faster aging, particularly when the phone is regularly charged to full and left plugged in.

Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging feature is designed to help reduce this strain. Found under Settings > Battery > Charging > Optimized Battery Charging, it learns your usual charging routine and delays charging beyond 80% until shortly before you typically unplug your iPhone. Recent iPhone models running iOS 18 or later also offer an 80% Charge Limit, which sets a fixed maximum regardless of when you charge.

You can monitor your battery’s condition under Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Depending on your iPhone model and software version, this screen shows information such as maximum capacity, cycle count, manufacturing date, and first-use date. Checking these details occasionally can help you understand how your battery is aging and anticipate when a replacement may be worthwhile.

Make Apple device management easier for your organization. Whether you need help with configuration, policies, support, or procurement, our team works with businesses of all sizes to keep their Apple devices running smoothly. Get in touch to learn more.

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