Six things people call us about most.

Texting is a typed note that goes straight from your phone to someone else’s phone. Open the green speech-bubble on the home screen, choose the person’s name, type what you want to say, and tap the little arrow to send. The small icons next to a sent message tell you whether it left your phone, reached theirs, and whether they’ve read it. To send a photo, tap the little camera or picture icon beside the text box — your pictures open and you pick one.

An email address is like a mailing address for typed letters that live on the internet — every one is unique to you. To send one, open the envelope icon, tap write, choose the person, type a subject, and tap send. To spot junk, look at who it’s really from — your bank and the post office never ask you to tap a link and type your password. If something feels off, delete it; you can always call the company on the number from the back of your card.

Notifications are the little banners that pop up at the top of the screen, and the bell icon in the corner of most programs. They’re how your phone tells you something new has arrived — a message, a sale, a reminder. You can silence the loud, pushy ones (the stores, the games) and keep the ones that matter (the phone, your messages, your bank). To change them, open Settings, find Notifications, and turn off the programs you don’t need to hear from.

Take a photo by opening the Camera — the little camera icon — and tapping the round button at the bottom. Keep your hand steady and the phone does the rest. The picture lands in your Photos, an album that lives on the phone and is also saved on the internet so you don’t lose it if the phone goes missing. To share with family, open the photo, tap the little square with the arrow, pick their name, and send.

A video call is a phone call where you can see the other person on the screen — a real, live face, like they’re sitting across the kitchen table. Open FaceTime or whatever your family uses, pick their name, and tap the camera icon. If you can’t hear them, check that the speaker isn’t muted and the volume is turned up. If they can’t see you, tap the camera icon again on the call screen to turn it back on.

A scam is a message that pretends to be from someone you trust — your bank, your grandson, the post office — to get you to tap something, send money, or hand over a password. The “is this really from my grandson?” question is the right one to ask; if anything feels rushed, scary, or too good to be true, stop. Never tap links in a text from the “IRS”, never give your password to anyone who called you, and never buy a gift card to “fix” a problem. When in doubt, call the real person on the number you already know — not the one in the message.