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Notes from the kitchen table

Practical tips drawn from real sessions, with names and personal details removed.

sticky note Notes app Chrome notebook One home Passwords

One password manager, not five

If your passwords are spread across Chrome, Safari, a notes app and a notebook, none of them is quite right. Pick one home and move in properly.

3 min read Netflix WebsiteUsernamePasswordChangedCodes go to netflix.comme@…••••••••Nov 2026mobile One accountper page Back of eachpage left blank Pencil, so youcan update it Passwords

The password book, done properly

A paper password book is a perfectly reasonable choice. It just needs a little structure so it stays useful.

3 min read You keep the keys Invite helper Their own access …removed when done Security

Outside helpers: invite them, don't share passwords

When someone from outside the family helps with your accounts, they should get their own access, not your password.

3 min read StreamingHousehold NetflixStanSpotify ElectricityInternetSuper you + the kidsyou + your partner One group for each purpose Passwords

Sharing passwords with family, the careful way

With people you trust, sharing some passwords is perfectly sensible. Apple's Passwords app has a tidy, safe way to do it.

3 min read Main password changed! MaciPhoneiPad Email

Changed your password and now your email has stopped?

If your mail suddenly stops on every device after a password change, app-specific passwords are probably why.

2 min read Can reach photos · messages · notesfiles · backups passwordspurchasessubscriptionsthe iPhone Can't passcode note Family

Apple Legacy Contacts: what they can and can't do

A Legacy Contact can reach much of your Apple data after you die. But it isn't a master key, and families are often surprised by the gaps.

3 min read Plug-in home modemBattery pocket Wi-Fi Internet

Why we steer people away from pocket Wi-Fi for the home

If you're using mobile internet at home, choose a plug-in modem, not a battery-powered pocket device.

2 min read bridge chip your Mac ASMedia or JMicron? Backup

External drives that keep disconnecting from your Mac

If your external drive keeps ejecting itself, the little chip inside the enclosure may be to blame.

3 min read TangledSorted Philosophy

If your tech feels like a tangle, that's normal

Nobody's digital life starts tidy. It grows one account and one device at a time.

2 min read