Did you know if you turn an Amazon shipping bag inside out, there’s a strip you can pull to reseal it for returns? Good to know when a holiday gift arrives and it’s nothing like the picture online.

Enter to win a $500 Amazon gift card. No purchase required.

There are all kinds of little tips and tricks that can make the busiest time of year a little easier to manage. I’ve got your back.

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Shopping

Ho-ho-hope your packages arrive on time: Gmail’s package tracking now includes real-time updates. On your phone, tap Menu > Settings. Look for General settings (Android) or Data privacy (Apple) and toggle on Package tracking at the bottom.

Hide-and-seek: You’re shopping online for your kiddo or spouse and they walk in. Quick! Hide your open browser windows. On a PC: Windows key + M. (Use Windows key + Shift + M to reopen.) On a Mac: Cmd + Option + H + M. Phew, no spoilers.

Amazon’s secret 20% discount: Send your old tech to Amazon through its Trade-in Program and get a gift card for the value. They’ll take just about anything — it doesn’t even need to work. But if you trade in Amazon gear like a Kindle, eero or Fire TV Stick, you’ll get 20% off a new, qualifying device.

Drop the drop shippers: On Etsy, the whole purpose is to buy something handmade. If you’re not sure what you’re getting is legit, check if it’s genuine or mass-produced junk by doing a reverse image search. Click on the item’s image, then drag and drop it into Google Images. Major red flag: You see the exact same thing on other sites.

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At home

Focus! Blurry pics are a bummer. Sometimes your phone’s cam picks the wrong spot. For a quick reset, tap the area on your screen you want to be the clearest. Easy and effective. No ruined family photos this year.

Related: Trick to take the best family portrait without a photographer

I’m B-side myself: Make a playlist with your fam so you’re not bickering over the music on Christmas morning. For Spotify, open the app, then head to Your Library and select the playlist. Tap the three dots in the top right > Share to send it. In Apple Music, go to Library > Playlists > three dots (upper right) > Share Playlist. Jingle all the way!

An Amazon courier delivers packages as a DHL van is seen behind on April 04, 2024 in Berlin, Germany.  (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Family visiting? Keep your steamy romance novels on lock by creating a passkey for your Kindle. Tap the three dots (upper right) and go to Settings > Device Options > Device Passcode. Your passcode can be up to 12 digits long. That’s hot!

Related: It’s smart to lock your computer down, too

On the road

Flying away? Uber’s got three new features to make your airport trips easier. The first, UberXXL, gets you a bigger car with extra trunk space for groups. The second, UberX Share, allows you to pay 25% by sharing a ride with someone heading your way. It’s available now at select airports. And finally, with Uber Reserve, you can have a car waiting for you when you land.

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Synced your phone to a rental car? Wipe your data so the next driver doesn’t get your texts. On the car’s infotainment system, go to Settings and look for a factory reset option. Every car’s system is different, so check the manual or ask the rental company if you can’t find it.

Over the river and through the woods: See the best time to leave for Grandma’s house (or anywhere else) without arguing. In Apple Maps, press the Now button on the left to open a calendar. In Google Maps, tap the three dots at the top right. For both, select Leave/Depart at or Arrive by and hit Done.

An Uber logo is pictured. (Getty Images)

Track your luggage with your airline’s app: Open the app’s Menu > Track my bags. The naming will vary depending on the airline. Enter your reservation or tag number, and you’ll get updates along its journey. 

Or use a tracker: For me, this is the most reliable option. Apple’s AirTags are ideal if you have an iPhone, Mac or iPad. The Tile 2-pack is Android compatible and has a tracker for your luggage and one to slide into your wallet.

Related: There’s one place during your travels an AirTag won’t work

Get tech-smarter on your schedule

Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.

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According to the company’s website, it delivers “optimized video and sound quality on calling apps,” even in times of congestion. That may not sound exciting on its own. But under the hood, Verizon is using network slicing to boost video call performance, which is a new technology only possible on a standalone 5G network.

Unlike remote robot banana surgery, network slicing is a real benefit of 5G technology that we can reasonably expect to see in more places in the next few years. Slicing lets network operators provide the right resources for certain kinds of demanding activities where a strong connection is critical. Right now, that means boosting performance for video calls, but in the future it could mean being able to prioritize the data needed to safely guide an autonomous vehicle through an intersection.

The catch is that you need a standalone 5G network to pull this off, and much of the US’ 5G networks still operate on 4G cores. T-Mobile has been able to move quicker on this thanks to its Sprint acquisition, and it rolled out its first feature based on slicing this fall with a service that gives priority to first responders. Verizon has been testing slicing for the past year or so, but this is its first rollout of a consumer feature based on the technology.

In order to try Enhanced Video Calling out for yourself, you have to meet a specific set of requirements. It’s available in “more than 150 metro areas” right now, with more to be added in 2025. But you also need to be on Verizon’s priciest plan, Unlimited Ultimate, which costs $90 per month for one line with autopay. And you’ll need an iPhone 14 or newer running iOS 18.2. Samsung Galaxy S23 and newer and Pixel 9 phones will be compatible too, but support for Android video calling apps on Android is arriving in 2025.

The holiday season is in full swing, and with it comes the joy of gift giving. 

If you’re planning to shop on Amazon this December, you might be wondering how to keep your purchases a secret until the big reveal. Whether you’re surprising a loved one or treating a friend, maintaining that element of surprise can be a challenge in today’s online shopping landscape. But don’t worry. 

We’ve gathered some clever tips and tricks to help you keep your holiday shopping under wraps, ensuring your thoughtful gifts remain surprises.

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1. Create a separate Amazon account

One of the easiest ways to keep your gift purchases a secret is to create a separate Amazon account just for buying gifts. This way, you can avoid sharing your order history, recommendations and wish lists with anyone else who uses your main account.

You can also use a different email address and phone number for your gift account, so you won’t receive any delivery notifications or emails that might give away your gifts.

If you don’t already have one, here’s how you can get a cheap Amazon Prime membership.

A woman shopping on the Amazon app (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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2. Turn on Amazon Household

This may be the simplest solution. Amazon Household is an Amazon feature that allows you to share your Prime benefits with the family. You can create up to two adult accounts, four teen and four child profiles. Amazon Household keeps all shopping purchases and notifications for shipping separate. So, no need to worry about your Christmas present being revealed before giving it out.

With Amazon Household, you not only get to keep your purchases separate, you can also share eBooks, audiobooks, digital content and games.

Create your Amazon Household here.

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Image of Amazon Household ad (Amazon)

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3. Hide or archive your orders

Another option to keep your gift purchases a secret is to hide or archive your orders on your Amazon account. This will remove them from your default order history view, so they won’t show up when you or someone else checks your recent orders. The following will only work on a desktop or laptop browser (not on a tablet or mobile device).

• Log In to your Amazon account.
• Click on Returns and Orders in the top right corner. A list of your orders from the past three months will appear.
• Scroll to find the item you want to hide. Below the item, you will see Archive Order. A window will appear, and you’ll need to select Archive Order again. If you do not see Archive Order, select View order details to the right of the purchased item. On the right-hand side, select Archive Order.

Steps to archive an order on Amazon (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Even though the item will no longer appear in Your Orders, you can still view it in Archived Orders from Your Account.

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4. Turn off shipment notifications and tracking

If you don’t want to receive any shipment notifications or tracking information for your gift purchases, you can also turn them off on your Amazon account. This will prevent you from getting any emails, texts or push notifications that might reveal your gifts.

To turn off shipment notifications and tracking in Amazon, you can follow these steps:

• Open the Amazon app on your phone, open the menu and tap Settings
• Tap the Notifications option in the list
• Disable the types of notifications you don’t want to receive, such as “Shipment Notifications,” “Delivery Notifications,” “Returns and Order Updates,” etc.

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A woman holiday shopping on her laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

5. Hide from Alexa

Now, if you have some real sleuths in your household, you are going to need to do more than just archive your purchases to make sure your gifts are still surprises. You can start by changing your Alexa settings.

• Open the Alexa app
• Click Settings
• Find and Select Notifications, then select Amazon Shopping
• Scroll to Say or Show Item Titles. Toggle the switches off for “For items in delivery updates,” “For items in return updates” and “Including items in your shopping cart marked as gifts or those that might be gifts during major holidays.”

Now, Alexa will still notify you when a package is being delivered, but it will not say what the item is.

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An Alexa device sitting on top of a laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

 6. Clear your ‘Search History’

We all have that one relentless person, determined to find out which presents were purchased this year. Another step to keep them off your tracks is deleting your “Search History.”

The following will only work on a desktop or laptop browser (not on a tablet or mobile device).

• Go to Account & Lists in the upper right corner of your browser, then select Recommendations
• Click Your Browsing History (text in gray strip toward top of the screen)
• Select the gear icon on the right-hand part of the page. This will open up a Settings window.
• Click Remove items from view button
• All the items you recently reviewed have been removed.

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7. Use Amazon Locker or Amazon Hub

If you don’t want your gift purchases to be delivered to your home address, you can also use Amazon Locker or Amazon Hub to pick them up at a nearby location. This way, you can avoid having your packages left on your doorstep or seen by anyone else in your household. Amazon Locker and Amazon Hub are secure, self-service kiosks where you can pick up and return your Amazon packages at your convenience.

Image of an Amazon locker (Amazon)

To use Amazon Locker or Amazon Hub:

• Go to Account & Lists and click on Your Addresses
• Then, click on Search for a Locker or Hub location and enter your zip code or city
• You can then select a location and add it to your address book.
• When you check out, you can choose the Locker or Hub location as your shipping address.

8. Use gift options during checkout

When purchasing gifts on Amazon, you can utilize the gift options available at checkout. This feature allows you to mark items as gifts, which can help maintain secrecy in several ways.

Gift wrapping: You can choose to have the item gift-wrapped, which not only adds a nice touch but also prevents anyone from seeing the product until it is unwrapped.

Gift message: You can include a personalized message that will be printed on the packing slip, making it clear that it’s a gift and not an ordinary purchase.

No price information: When you select gift options, Amazon typically does not include pricing information on the packing slip, which helps keep the cost of the gift hidden from the recipient.

To use this feature, simply select the “This is a gift” checkbox during checkout and follow the prompts to customize your order accordingly. This added layer of discretion can significantly enhance your ability to keep your purchases under wraps until the big reveal.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

As the holiday festivities approach, keeping your Amazon gift purchases a secret can add an extra layer of excitement to your celebrations. With these straightforward strategies, you can shop with confidence, knowing that your surprises will stay hidden until the perfect moment. From creating separate accounts to utilizing gift options at checkout, each tip is designed to help you preserve that magical element of surprise.

Have you ever had a gift surprise spoiled? If so, what happened and how did you handle it? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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