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★★★★☆

4.3

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1952 reviews

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Welcome to Hands-On Tech, where host Mikah Sargent turns tech troubles into tech triumphs. Each episode zooms in on a specific theme, unpacking listener questions with expert analysis and easy-to-follow advice. From decoding the latest gadgets to simplifying everyday tech, Mikah's got you covered. Submit your tech queries through email at [email protected] or via TWiT's social media. You might hear your question answered on air! Whether you're puzzled by privacy settings or curious about cutting-edge innovations, Hands-On Tech is your weekly dose of tech insight and inspiration. Join Mikah every Sunday to hear the show that turns tech confusion into tech confidence! You can join Club TWiT for $10 per month and get ad-free audio and video feeds for all our shows plus everything else the club offers...or get just this podcast ad-free for $5 per month. New episodes every Sunday.

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Shutting Down vs. Restarting Your Windows PC - Windows Fast Startup

2026/09/27

On this week's Hands-On Tech, Lorraine asks Mikah whether her husband or her daughter is right about the difference between shutting down and restarting a Windows PC, and how often she should be restarting her computer and phone. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit joindeleteme.com/twit-biz

Are My AI Chatbot Conversations Private? - The Risks Of Sharing Information with AI Chatbots

2026/09/20

In this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Wendell asks Mikah whether his wife is right that typing into an AI chatbot is no different from a Google search, and wants to know where those conversations go, who can see them, whether they're used for training, and if any settings can turn that off in both ChatGPT and Gemini. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: trustedtech.team/twit

Understanding How to Recover Deleted Files - Can You Recover Deleted Files?

2026/09/13

On this week's Hands-On Tech, Mikah helps Harriett understand whether deleted files are truly gone when the recycle bin is emptied, and whether accidentally deleted files can still be recovered. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: scribe.how/hot

Is Airplane Mode Necessary? - The Truth About Airplane Mode

2026/09/06

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Gene's question about whether airplane mode still serves a real engineering purpose in 2026 and what the smartest phone setup is for flying. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit NetSuite.AI/HOT

Why Does Every Gadget Need an App and an Account Now? - Why Your Appliance Wants Your Email

2026/08/30

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Joyce's question about why so many everyday smart devices now require downloading an app & creating an account, and how to opt out of sharing personal data without giving up the products' functionality Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Incognito Browsing - The Truth About Private Browsing

2026/08/23

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Rosemary's question about what private browsing actually hides, from whom, and what it's really for. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Am I Getting True Gigabit Internet? - Gigabit Promises

2026/08/16

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Al's question about why their gigabit internet plan isn't delivering the promised speeds during a Wi-Fi speed test, and who's really to blame: the ISP, the router, or the device. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: shopify.com/hot

Safely Ejecting USB Drives - USB Removal Myths

2026/08/09

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a listener's question about whether safely ejecting a USB flash drive is still necessary or just an outdated habit. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Understanding Battery Percentages - Why the Battery Percentage Shown Isn't Always Accurate

2026/08/03

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a listener's question about whether his phone's battery percentage is an accurate measurement, why it seems to stay at 100% for a long time before suddenly dropping to dead, and whether battery recalibration is a real fix. Send in your questions for Mikah to answer, and any products you'd like Mikah to take a look at, to [email protected]! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: NetSuite.AI/HOT

Battery Overcharging Myths - Is Keeping Your Devices Plugged In Bad?

2026/07/26

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah settles a household debate about whether it's harmful to keep a laptop plugged in all the time, and whether battery charge limit settings are worth using. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Smart TV's ACR Tracking - Stop Your TV From Spying!

2026/07/19

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Denise's question about whether her smart TV is tracking what she watches and how to stop it. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT shopify.com/hot

USB-C Cable Confusion - Decode Your USB-C Cable Mess

2026/07/12

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Doug's question about why identical-looking USB-C cables can have wildly different charging and data speeds, and how to tell them apart. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT

Smart Home Recommendations - Matter & Thread Explained

2026/07/05

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Marcus asks Mikah whether Matter and Thread are the real solution to smart home ecosystem lock-in, or just more marketing hype. Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected] Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT NetSuite.AI/HOT

ISP Email - Switch Email Providers Safely

2026/06/28

On Hands-On Tech, Eleanor asks Mikah how to transition away from her long-standing ISP email address without losing access to the important accounts tied to it. Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected] Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

Robocalls - Stopping Robocallers

2026/06/21

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Jim asks Mikah how to effectively reduce the overwhelming volume of spam texts and robocalls he's been receiving on his iPhone, and for advice to help his wife with the same issue, who uses Android. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them during the show! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: Melissa.com/twit

Podcast reviews

Read Hands-On Tech (Audio) podcast reviews

4.3 out of 5

1952 reviews

★☆☆☆☆

boyfromthedwarf9 2025/02/24

Leo was far FAR left but decent on tech

New guy hides his far left-ness BUT gets the tech wrong. 5 minutes of ads even mid sentence to push nonsense unread by the host ads.

★☆☆☆☆

MichaelHarmon 2025/02/11

Ads With A Little Tech Talk

Just listened to the latest episode. At least half of it was ads plus the obligatory plug for Club TWIT. I don’t blame Mikah but the format is awful a...

★☆☆☆☆

NHW1055 2025/02/10

Not good since the format change

This used to be my go-to podcast for weekly tech news - it had a good mix of news, “live” troubleshooting, and interesting tech topics. New format is ...

★★☆☆☆

sometimesbeard 2025/01/24

Not a subscriber

Some good information but making everything subscriber after a certain amount of time is lame.

★★☆☆☆

CNS1978 2024/12/23

Not hands on

The new format without Leo and call- ins just doesn’t have an exciting listen.

★☆☆☆☆

I_USE_THE_APPS 2024/10/24

Mikah smacks his lips

Stop smacking your lips.

★☆☆☆☆

tradervicnow50 2024/09/21

Not the same

Not a fan of the new format, sorry

★☆☆☆☆

jimsifh 2024/08/21

Leo?

No more Leo means no more listening for me. Just switched to Total Leo.

★☆☆☆☆

Wendell Welles 2024/08/15

I’m out.

I loved the Ask The Tech Guys show, but switching it to a new podcast without Leo Laporte and not making it easy to find any reason why means I’m leav...

★☆☆☆☆

Rick Edwards 2024/08/11

Unsubscribe bait and switch

Boooooooo! Stop trying to manipulate users to subscribe to new shows by repurposing old one.

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