How to Hide and Unhide Anything You Want in Microsoft Excel

If you have a lot of data in a worksheet, or you’re working on a small screen, you can hide values in Excel to make it easier to view and analyze your data.

Here’s everything you need to know on how to hide data in Excel and manage the information you want to work with.

How to Hide Overflow Text in Excel

When you type text in a cell, and the text is wider than the cell, the text overflows into the adjacent cells in the row. If there is any text in the adjacent cell, the text in the first cell is blocked by the text in the adjacent cell.

You can solve this by having the text wrap in the first cell. But that increases the height of the entire row.

If you don’t want to show the overflow text, even when there is nothing in the adjacent cells, you can hide the overflow text.

Select the cell containing the text that’s overflowing and do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected cell(s) and select Format Cells.
• Press Ctrl + 1.

On the Format Cells dialog box, click the Alignment tab. Then, select Fill from the Horizontal dropdown list and click OK.

The overflow text in the first cell does not show even when there is nothing in the cell to the right.

How to Hide and Unhide Comments

Comments in Excel allow you to annotate your worksheets. This is useful when collaborating on worksheets. You can set reminders or add notes for yourself or for others to explain formulas or how to use part of a worksheet.

You may want to hide comments if there are many on your worksheet. The comments could make it hard to read your data.

By default, cells with comments contain a small colored triangle in the upper-right corner called a comment indicator. These indicators can also be hidden by going to the Excel options as we will see further down.

• To hide a comment on an individual cell, select the cell and click Show Comments in the Comments section of the Review tab.
• To show the comment again, select the same cell and toggle the Show Comments button again.
• You can also show or hide comments on multiple cells by using the Shift and Ctrl keys to select the cells and toggle the visibility with Show Comment button.
• To show all comments at once, just click the  Show Comments in the Comments group on the Review tab. This option shows all the comments on all open workbooks. While this option is on, any workbooks you open or create will show all comments until you toggle the button off.

5 Steps to Control the Visibility of Comments in Excel

1. To hide both the comments and comment indicators, go to File > Options.
2. Click Advanced on the left, then scroll down on the right to the Display section.

3. Select No comments or indicators under For cells with comments, show. The indicators and comments are hidden, and the comments won’t display when you hover over cells.
4. To show the comments and indicators again, select one of the other two options. You can also click Show All Comments in the Comments section of the Review tab.

The options under For cells with comments, show in the Excel Options and the Show All Comments option on the Review tab are linked.

Comments are a must for effective collaboration. So take the effort to learn all about managing comments in Excel if you share a workbook in a group.

How to Hide and Unhide Certain Cells

You can’t hide cells themselves, but you can hide cell contents in Excel. Maybe you have some data referenced by other cells that do not need to be seen.

To hide the contents of a cell, select the cell(s) you want to hide (use Shift and Ctrl to select multiple cells). Then, do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected cell(s) and select Format Cells.
• Press Ctrl + 1.

On the Format Cells dialog box, make sure the Number tab is active. Select Custom in the Category box.

Before changing the Type, note what’s currently selected. This way you know what to change it back to when you decide to show the content again.

Enter three semicolons (;;;) in the Type box and click OK.

The contents in the selected cells are now hidden, but the value, formula, or function in each cell still displays in the Formula Bar.

The hidden content is still available to use in formulas and functions in other cells. If you replace the content in a hidden cell, the new content will also be hidden. The new content is available for use in other cells just like the original content.

To show the content in a cell again, follow the same steps above. But this time, choose the original Category and Type for the cell on the Format Cells dialog box.

How to Hide and Unhide the Formula Bar

When you hide a cell, as described in the previous section, you can still see the contents, formula, or function in the Formula Bar. To completely hide the contents of a cell, you must hide the Formula Bar also.

On the View tab, uncheck the Formula Bar box in the Show section.

You can also hide the Formula Bar on the Excel Options dialog box.

Go to File > Options. Then, click Advanced on the left and uncheck the Show formula bar box in the Display section on the right.

How to Hide and Unhide Formulas

By default, when you enter a formula in a cell, the formula displays in the Formula Bar and the result displays in the cell.

If you don’t want others to see your formulas, you can hide them. One way is to hide the Formula Bar using the method in the previous section. But anyone can reveal the Formula Bar again.

You can securely hide a formula in a cell by applying the Hidden setting to the cell and then protecting the worksheet.

Select the cell(s) for which you want to hide the formula(s) and do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected cell(s) and select Format Cells.
• Press Ctrl + 1.

On the Protection tab, check the Hidden box. Then, click OK.

You still need to protect the sheet to hide the formulas.

Click Protect Sheet in the Protect section on the Review tab.

On the Protect Sheet dialog box, make sure the Protect worksheet and contents of locked cells box is checked.

In the Password to unprotect sheet box, enter a password to prevent others from unprotecting the worksheet. This is not required, but we recommend it.

By default, Select locked cells and Select unlocked cells are checked in the Allow all users of this worksheet to box. You can check boxes for other actions you want to allow users of your worksheet to perform, but you may not want to if you don’t want other users to change your worksheet.

Enter your password again on the Confirm Password dialog box.

The formulas in the selected cells do not show in the Formula Bar now. But you still see the results of the formulas in the cells, unless you’ve hidden the contents of those cells as described in the “How to Hide and Unhide Certain Cells” section above.

To show the formulas again, select the cells for which you want to show the formulas and click Unprotect Sheet in the Protect section of the Review tab.

If you entered a password when protecting the sheet, enter the password on the Unprotect Sheet dialog box that displays. If you didn’t protect the sheet with a password, no further prompts are displayed.

The formulas won’t show just yet. Reverse the process you followed to hide the cell contents now and turn off the Hidden setting for them.

Select the cells for which you hid the formulas and do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected cell(s) and select Format Cells.
• Press Ctrl + 1.

Uncheck the Hidden box on the Protection tab and click OK.

The formulas for the selected cells will now be visible in the Formula Bar again if you haven’t hidden the Formula Bar.

How to Hide and Unhide Rows and Columns

If you want to remove one or more rows or columns from a worksheet, but you don’t want to delete them, you can hide them. The process for rows and columns is almost similar with the exception of the keyboard shortcut.

Hide and Unhide Rows in Excel

To hide one or more consecutive rows, first select the rows. Then, do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected rows and select Hide.
• Press Ctrl + 9.

The selected rows are replaced with a double line in the row headings and a thick line where the rows were. When you click anywhere else on the worksheet, the thick line goes away. But you can tell where the hidden rows are by the missing row numbers and the double line in the row headings.

Cells in hidden rows and columns can still be used for calculations while hidden.

The fastest way to unhide a single row. Hover your mouse over the hidden row marker, and when the mouse pointer turns into a split two-headed arrow, double click it.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+9

Unhide specific adjacent rows. Select the rows above and below the hidden rows. Then, do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected rows and select Unhide.
• Press Ctrl + Shift + 9.

Unhide all rows in a worksheet. Click the Select All button (the little triangle at the intersection of the row and columns on the top right).

• Right-click and select Unhide.
• Press Ctrl + Shift + 9.

What if you hide the first row? This method of unhiding doesn’t work on the first row of a worksheet because there is no row above the first row.

To select the first row, click in the Name box to the left of the Formula Bar, type in “A1” if the hidden row is the topmost in the sheet or “A2” if you are using column headings as in the screenshot below. Press Enter. Then, press Ctrl + Shift + 9.

Hide and Unhide Columns in Excel

The hide option in Excel is similar for both rows and columns. Select the column or consecutive columns you want to hide, and do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected columns, and select Hide.
• Press Ctrl + 0 (zero).

The same double line and thick line you see when hiding rows display in place of the hidden columns. The column letters are also hidden.

To show the columns again, select the columns to the left and right of the hidden columns. Then, do one of the following:

• Right-click on the selected columns and select Unhide.
• Press Ctrl + Shift + 0 (zero).

If you’ve hidden the first column (A), you can unhide it as you do for when you hide the first row.

The fastest way is to drag the colored line to the right and reveal the first hidden row. Hover your mouse over the marker you see in the screen below till the cursor changes into a double-headed arrow. Drag to the right.

To select the first column, click in the Name box to the left of the Formula Bar, type in “A1”, and press Enter. Then, press Ctrl + Shift + 0 (zero).

There are some instances when the unhide keyboard shortcut doesn’t work. Instead of using the shortcut, you type “A1” and Enter to select the hidden column. Then, go to Home > Cells Group > Format > Visibility > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns.

If you’ve hidden a lot of rows and columns, you can unhide all the hidden columns at once.

Select the entire worksheet by clicking in the box between the row and column headers or pressing Ctrl + A. Then, press Ctrl + Shift + 0 (zero) to unhide all the hidden columns.

You can also right-click on the row or column headers while the entire worksheet is selected and select Unhide.

Show Only the Data You Want to Show in Excel

Hiding data is a simple but useful skill to learn in Excel, especially if you plan to use your worksheets in a presentation. Enter all the data you need, even if you only need some data for calculations or some is sensitive or private.

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Never Forget a Password Again With RememBear Password Manager

How many online accounts do you have? Can you remember all the different passwords for them? Or are you risking your security by using a single password, with one or two alternatives?

There’s no need to put yourself under pressure to remember passwords. Get rid of that notebook with all your passwords and PINs scrawled down—after all, it’s a massive security risk!

Instead, try a password manager. Let’s look at RememBear, a password manager with free and premium options that’s secure while also being fun and easy to use.

Why You Need a Password Manager

Password managers keep your user accounts safe. They’ll work with any website or app: social networks, games, banking, shopping, online payments, and government sites.

Reasons to use a password manager include keeping your account credentials safely encrypted and having a secure password generator. Other key reasons include not having to remember dozens of passwords, as well as using a single memorable master password.

Many browsers include a built-in password manager, so you’re probably using one already. But is it the best choice for you to use? Probably not. What you need is a dedicated password manager, such as RememBear.

Why Choose RememBear’s Password Manager?

Many password managers are available, from the free-to-use tools in Chrome and Firefox to various subscription offerings. So why would you opt for RememBear?

Well, one good reason is the fact that RememBear is a stablemate of TunnelBear, a popular and respected VPN service. The company has now turned its attention from encrypted connections to secure passwords, and the results are great.

Importantly for anyone looking to secure their online accounts, RememBear is free to use for a single device. Want to sync passwords via the secure cloud to other devices? Then you’ll need to subscribe to the modest $3 per month service.

RememBear’s Features

When considering any new service, paid or otherwise, it is important to know what you’re going to get for subscribing. Various features are available to free and premium RememBear users that make your online life more secure than ever.

For example, you can store login details, credit cards, and secure notes in your RememBear account, fully encrypted. Later, you’ll use these details to easily autofill login boxes and credit card fields online with a single click. That means RememBear automatically and securely types your email and password, so you never have to. RememBear even stores one-time codes for two-factor authentication.

With a secure password generator built into the software, creating a new password is simple. Meanwhile, end-to-end 256-bit AES encryption ensures strong security. There’s also support for face and fingerprint ID on mobile, which is more convenient than typing your master password each time.

Paid account holders, of course, get to use RememBear on multiple platforms. Apps are currently available on Windows and macOS, along with iOS and Android. Browser extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

In addition, RememBear has been independently audited by tech auditing company cure53. This means you can use it with confidence, in the knowledge that the tool has been vetted from conception to release.

Finally, to ensure you have set up your RememBear account correctly, the process is gamified. You’ll earn achievements for each step of the process. It’s fun, and certainly helps you to focus on setup rather than getting distracted by all the available features.

Setting Up RememBear Password Storage

RememBear’s guided setup is a painless experience, making it one of the most user-friendly password managers on the market.

Before you get to this, however, you must set up a master password, as well as create a backup kit. This comes in the form of a QR code and accompanying 29-character key that are required to unlock your account, in addition to your master password. You can either make a note of the details, or print out the backup kit and keep it safe. If you lose your master password, you won’t be able to log in, so it’s vital you don’t forget it.

The main portion of RememBear setup revolves around importing passwords from another password manager, such as your browser’s. After that you can gain achievements by installing a browser extension, setting up a credit card, and adding a secure note.

Note that you can also enjoy 30 days of the premium service with a free signup, giving you the chance to try out RememBear across all your devices.

Two-Factor Authentication Support With RememBear

Another key feature of RememBear is two-factor authentication (2FA). Rather than relying on Authy or Google Authenticator, RememBear builds this technology into the app. The result is a 2FA experience that’s almost as seamless as the auto-completed usernames and passwords.

You’ve probably used 2FA at some point, as it’s supported on a variety of websites. The key aspect of this is that it prevents someone who has your username and password from accessing your account. In addition to these credentials, they need a numeric key that changes regularly—only you will have that.

But 2FA can be a bit fiddly. It slows the process down when you’re logging in; one wrong keystroke and you must start again with another sequence.

This is why the inclusion of the feature in RememBear is so significant. You can use your mobile device to get a picture of the QR code your 2FA-supporting website displays, or use the handy scanner to scan a QR code right in the desktop version. On subsequent occasions, the code will generate in RememBear, streamlining your secure login. Even better, on desktop, RememBear will automatically copy your 2FA code when it autofills a login.

Using RememBear to Store Passwords

To create a new RememBear login, simply click the Add New button at the bottom of the app. You can also summon it from your browser. The app will even detect when you login to a website and offer to store the credentials.

Passwords, credit cards, and notes are all secured in your RememBear account thanks to secure 256-bit AES encryption. This is almost impossible to hack and is widely considered safe, secure, and reliable.

This makes it perfect for everything you want to keep safe in RememBear.

Don’t Forget Your RememBear!

Many password managers are available, so why should you choose RememBear? We’ve covered the features above, but what if the strong encryption of your account credentials, credit cards, and notes isn’t enough for you?

Well, RememBear is free for single machine use, with a premium option for multiple devices across desktop and mobile. In a marketplace where several password managers services have consolidated their positions, RememBear manages to do something different.

RememBear is arguably the easiest-to-use password manager available. It’s perfect for those who want a great design and experience, while also enjoying ironclad security. Given how important it is that everyone use a secure, encrypted password generator and vault, ease-of-use is crucial. If you’re new to password managers, or are thinking of ditching your existing service, RememBear should be your top choice.

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How to Disable the Microsoft Office Upload Center

Microsoft Office packs a lot of features, but some of these are more confusing than helpful. One feature that might have thrown you for a loop is the Microsoft Office Upload Center.

The Office Upload Center was introduced in Office 2010 and lives on today. Let’s examine what this feature actually does, and see if it’s possible to disable the Microsoft Office Upload Center.

What Does the Office Upload Center Do?

Older versions of Office were designed to save documents, spreadsheets, and other Office files only to your local storage drive. However, the integration of OneDrive and an emphasis on cloud storage in modern versions led to the inclusion of the Upload Center.

Its purpose is to help ensure smooth file transfers when uploading to (or working with documents on) “web servers,” as the info page puts it. In effect, this means when you save files to OneDrive or remote servers, such as SharePoint.

By default, when you click Save on a document, Office saves a local copy of the file to your system. It then tries to upload a copy of this file to OneDrive or whatever other online location you’ve selected. If all goes well, you never notice a problem. However, issues can arise if you’re on an unstable connection or run into a sync error.

Is the Office Upload Center Useful?

Despite what you might think, the Upload Center isn’t useless. Microsoft’s Upload Center help article explains a few situations where it’s useful: mainly when you’re working on a remote file and lose the connection. This can occur if the server you loaded the file from goes offline. The Upload Center can also come in handy by letting you know when a file upload has finished.

On a spotty connection, you can save the document at any time to have a local copy, and the Upload Center will take care of updating the server copy when it reconnects. As mentioned, it also lets you know of syncing errors sooner rather than later.

If you upload dozens of documents at once to a company server, or frequently deal with poor wireless connections, the Microsoft Upload Center is useful and you probably shouldn’t disable it. For those who only work on the occasional file in Office or don’t ever use OneDrive, it’s unnecessary and you can hide it if you wish.

How to Disable the Office Upload Center Icon

Maybe you don’t mind the Upload Center doing its work behind the scenes, but want to keep its icon out of your system tray. In that case, you can remove the icon without completely stopping the program.

You’ll need to launch the Upload Center app to do this. The easiest way to do so is by searching for Office Upload Center in the Start Menu. Once there, you’ll see a box containing any pending uploads. Click Settings above this box to open the options menu.

This is a simple settings menu that doesn’t offer you many options. Uncheck the Display icon in notification area option to remove the Office Upload Center from your System Tray.

Note that even after you’ve done this, the program is still running when needed. You can open it anytime using the same method as above.

How to Turn Off the Microsoft Upload Center

You might have noticed that there’s no easy way to disable the Office Upload Center. When you right-click the icon in your System Tray, there’s no option to close it. So what do you do if you want to totally disable the Microsoft Upload Center?

There are a few workarounds available for this, but they vary based on what version of Windows and Office you have. Because of this, it’s difficult to show one specific method for removing the Office Upload Center.

We’ll point out a few methods that some have claimed worked for them, though your mileage may vary. But first…

Do You Really Need to Disable the Office Upload Center?

For most people, trying to remove the Office Upload Center isn’t worth the hassle. It’s a part of Microsoft Office, and it’s not terribly invasive. In most cases, only business users will save documents to SharePoint or remote servers. Thus, for an average user it only comes into effect when saving to OneDrive.

You should only see the Upload Center when an error occurs. If this happens often, it’s probably not an issue with the Upload Center, but rather your network connection. You should diagnose your internet connection issues instead. Once that’s fixed, you can hide the Upload Center and carry on like it’s not even there.

There’s no official method for turning it off, so take the below workarounds with a grain of salt.

Disable OneDrive’s Office Integration in Windows 10

OneDrive is included as part of Windows 10, and by default works inside Microsoft Office. Some users report that disabling this integration stops the Upload Center from running. It’s easy to do, so it’s worth a try.

Open OneDrive’s options by right-clicking its icon in your System Tray and choosing Settings. On the Office tab, uncheck the box labeled Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open.

Reboot, and the Office Upload Center should no longer load. Note that turning this off will disable some of Office’s collaboration features, however.

Remove the Office Upload Center Processes

Inside your Microsoft Office installation folder are many files that Office needs to run properly. A few of them are related to the Upload Center, so you can potentially disable it by messing with these.

Follow the path below to locate the main Office folder on your PC. This example uses Office 2016; depending on what version you have installed, the Office16 folder may have a different number:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

Inside this folder, you’ll find an MSOSYNC.EXE program, which handles files syncing. There’s also a file called MSOUC.EXE, which is the actual Upload Center app. You can delete these, or change their name, to prevent them from running.

But this could introduce errors, and Office will likely recreate them before long anyway. So this is most likely a short-term solution.

Other Potential Office Upload Center Workarounds

I hate Microsoft Office Upload Center with a cold passion. This thing should not exist.

— Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) July 20, 2015

Many of the past methods for removing the Microsoft Office Upload Center only work on older versions. There’s no longer an MSOSYNC.EXE entry in the Startup tab of the Task Manager, but it’s worth checking for that if you’re using an older edition of Office.

Some Office 2013 users claim that disabling a task from the Task Scheduler can stop the Upload Center as well. In the Task Scheduler Library panel on the left, you should see an entry titled Microsoft Office 15 Sync Maintenance for [username]. Right-click this and choose Disable to stop it from running.

You can also find the MSOSYNC.EXE entry in the Task Manager and kill it. But you’ll need to do so each time you reboot your PC, and it could pop up again when you save a document in Office.

Otherwise, the main method of disabling the Office Upload Center seems to be editing a Registry entry. When we checked this, the value that once appeared for the Upload Center was no longer present.

We don’t recommend editing the Registry for something so minor anyway, as doing so incorrectly could damage the Registry and the small benefit is really not worth it. The Upload Center could easily come back with a future update even after doing this.

Goodbye, Office Upload Center

The Upload Center is useful for some people, but not much more than an afterthought for others. For most people, hiding it should be enough, but hopefully one of the workarounds proved successful if you really hate the utility.

For more PC pruning, check out unnecessary Windows programs you should uninstall.

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Want to Be a Freelancer? Avoid These 6 Critical Beginner Mistakes

For some, being a freelancer is a lifestyle choice. Maybe you like the adventure of “being your own boss” or the thrill of taking on a new project. For others, freelancing is something that was forced upon them. Given a chance, they’d rather be doing something else.

Regardless of the reasons why you’re freelancing, there’s a lot of work that goes into being a successful one. There are a lot of missteps that can happen, too.

Here are the worst mistakes you can make when you’re working as a freelancer.

1. Don’t Start Without a Plan

Freelancing is a booming industry. As of 2018, over 56 million Americans were working a freelancing gig. Before you officially join the freelancing ranks, however, you need to study your market and plan how you’re going to make some money.

You need to know:

• What you’re selling.
• What the cost of your product or service should be.
• Your competition, along with your weaknesses as a business.
• Your strengths and your assets.
• How to delegate your initial start-up costs, and
• What sort of marketing you need to do in order to get the word out.

Are there a lot of people working in your field, but not a lot of demand? Are there a few people working, but a lot of need for that particular product?

If you don’t do this legwork, you’ll get stuck scrambling. Worse, you might end up losing money because you invested your start-up costs and your time incorrectly. Be cautious about how you approach your field and be logical.

2. Don’t Forget Email Etiquette

A lot of freelancing is done online. Not exclusively, of course, but with the emergence of email as one of our main forms of communication, proper online etiquette has become the #1 tool in the freelancer’s kit.

If you’re a remote worker like myself, email is one of the ways that you talk with your clients. If you’re a newly minted freelancer, you might think that you don’t need to worry about the customer service skills that go along with it. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

As a freelancer, your reputation and your ability to get new jobs depend heavily on three things:

• The quality of your work.
• Your ability to hit deadlines.
• How easy you are to work with.

How will people know that you’re easy to work with when you’re not physically there? Through your emails, of course, and how you communicate.

If you’re rude or unresponsive when you’re talking to your clients or suppliers, word will get out that you’re not the best person to do business with.

Worried about sounding your best? Here’s how to write the perfect professional email and make a good first impression.

3. Don’t Advertise With a Bad Website Design

It’s true, you don’t need a super fancy portfolio to get things done. Sometimes all you need is a bio page, a contact form, and maybe a few testimonials.

If you don’t have a basic website, however—or worse, a bad one—it can really affect the ability of others to contact you. It can also affect your perceived professionalism in the eyes of the public.

If you’re selling digital services, how are you going to convince potential clients that you know your stuff when your webpage looks like it’s from the Web 1.0 era? How are you going to convince people you’re a good copy editor if your portfolio is full of errors?

You can’t, to be honest. The only option is to give that website a facelift. Make sure to get some feedback on it before it goes live, too.

4. Don’t Be Hard to Contact

When you’re a freelancer you need to think about how people are going to hire you. Specifically, you need to think about how they’re going to reach out.

Back in the “olden” days of the 1990s (we know, we’re dating ourselves), freelancers could list their services through phonebooks, newspaper ads, or business cards. These small snippets of information usually included their name, their location, and their phone number, so potential clients could ask them specific questions before visiting.

Even though a lot of freelancing is now online, many of those rules still apply. When freelancing, you need to have your contact details square and center. They should include:

• Your name.
• Email address.
• Your phone number (if applicable).
• Some sort of social handle, so clients can check out your profile to see samples of your work.

The downside to online freelancing is that there’s more competition: a hell of a lot more. Instead of competing on a regional scale, you’re now competing globally.

If you make it hard for people to give you their money, they’ll immediately drop you for someone who can. Everyone’s looking for convenience.

5. Don’t Lose Focus

When you first started working as a freelancer, there might have been a point where you said “I can be my own boss. I don’t have to stick to a schedule or wake up early because I work from home!”

Oh boy, how wrong that is.

Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean that you can treat your “workspace” the same you would your bedroom. Sure, you can set your schedule so you can start later in the day, and you don’t have to commute, but working from home can bring a lot of distractions.

You’ll get distracted by chores, or watching TV. You’ll get distracted by your phone or running errands. Soon, you’ll stop keeping your workplace clean.

Your “office” and your “house” will become one and the same because your brain will tell you that you’re not on the clock. This is a surefire way to destroy your productivity.

Try these simple to-do list tools to keep you focused and get more done in the hours you set for yourself.

6. Don’t Forget Your Taxes

Finally, the absolute worst mistake you can make when you’re a freelancer is not doing your taxes. Seriously, file your taxes! We can’t stress this enough.

No one likes tax time, of course, but if you struggle with calculating your taxes hire an accountant. Use a tax filing service that is local to your region. Be well aware of your local financial laws.

Just because you’re working for yourself does not mean that it’s not regular “work”, with deductions wrapped up in that. If you don’t do your taxes and you’re caught withholding money, the penalties for it can be extreme. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Do Learn From Your Freelancing Mistakes

These are some of the mistakes you can make when you’re freelancing, along with a few tips on how you should rectify them. If you follow these steps, you’ll avoid torpedoing your career.

Wondering what else you have to think about if you’re considering this job path? Here’s how to build your own online brand as a freelancer.

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Get Free Ringtones for the iPhone With These Sites

Finding free ringtones for iPhone isn’t quite as cool today as it once was. Others online might scoff, and your chosen tone could elicit glances from coworkers. But maybe you’re itching to set a custom ringtone of the Stranger Things theme song.

Custom ringtones are like those stickers on your school bag; they make your iPhone feel a bit more personal. Unlike that sticker, unique ringtones tell you when someone special is calling. And they help you avoid reaching for your phone when your friend’s device blares the same Reflection or Marimba tune. It’s also a good source of nostalgia.

How to Get Free Ringtones on iPhone

The short answer is from anywhere. Today, you can create ringtones from the songs you own without spending a dime. You don’t even need to lug around a MacBook for this; your iPhone and the GarageBand app will do:

1. Open the GarageBand app and find the song that you want to use as a ringtone.
2. Touch and hold the song, then choose Share > Ringtone.
3. Enter a name for the ringtone. Then tap Export.

If you are not familiar with GarageBand, this tutorial walks you through the steps to create custom ringtones with your iPhone.

Even though this is simple, you might not want to put in that effort. Why go through the steps yourself when there are apps like Ringtone Maker and websites like Zedge to download free iPhone ringtones from?

Try these websites below to see if you like the lazy option better.

Download Free Music Ringtones From These Websites

While ringtone apps are a quicker way, ringtone websites existed before apps became the standard. Also, the app itself might not be free. You might find an old classic on these sites that’s not available elsewhere.

So let’s head there and grab that beautiful sonic alarm for free.

1. Zedge

Zedge finds a place on all lists covering free ringtones for iPhone (or any phone, really). Pick up ringtones that are natural sounds, or go for popular songs across genres like classical, pop, rock, country, soundtracks, etc.

The active community on Zedge stocks the site with the latest ringtones, wallpapers, sticker packs, and video clips. All you have to do is use the powerful search box to narrow down to your choice or pick up a ringtone from the Trending lineup.

If you like, you can buy Zedge Credits and pick up exclusive content that carries celebrity branding.

In addition to the web app, Zedge also has an app for Android and iOS. When using your browser, just click on the tone to play it. Download it to your computer with a click, then you can transfer it to your iPhone.

Download: Zedge for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. CellBeat

You’ll find some funkier ringtone categories on CellBeat. Drum, Bass, Children, Gospel, Hip Hop, Political, Soul, and even a Political category are the ones I found scrolling down the long list. Of course, a few empty categories without any ringtones are a minor irritation.

The information for each ringtone is quite detailed. Use the Most Recent, Most Downloaded, Highest Rated, and Most Views filters on them to download the right ringtone for your iPhone.

iPhone and Android ringtones are available as M4R and MP3 files respectively.

3. Tones7

Searching for an even more unique ringtone? Try categories like Pets and Animals, Sayings, and World on Tones7. I picked up the Harley Davidson ringtone for my iPhone here.

Of course, there are also the usual categories if you want to stay conventional. The good news is that it gives you enough to search and download for your iPhone or Android device. Plus, all ringtones are free.

4. Notification Sounds

Notification Sounds has a minimalist look about it. And that continues into its collection of original free ringtones. The absence of loud songs as ringtones is a relief. All the ringtones here are sourced from digital and analog synthesizer sounds.

The little description of the ringtones is a nice thoughtful touch. This site’s ringtones are given under a Creative Commons license and you can download them as MP3, M4R, and OGG files. M4R is compatible with iOS devices.

5. Mobile9

You must select your device before this site lets you see the ringtones. This helps to get right to the ringtones that work with your phone. After you register and log into the site, search through the Hot, New, Best, or Editor’s Choice filters to narrow down your choice.

The site claims that there’s a vast library of 25,718 free iPhone ringtones. All free ringtone files are contributed by the community. You will also find a lot of India-specific ringtones among those from all over the world.

The only little annoyance is that there’s a small waiting time before the M4R file download starts. A small banner nudges you to sign up for a Premium account and skip the wait.

6. MeloFania

MeloFania will help you make your own ringtones for free online. Upload your own song or grab it from YouTube. Clip the part you like, then download it for your iOS device as an MP3 or M4R file.

The site also showcases Featured ringtones that are all available as free downloads. The search bar is good enough, or you can look through the huge alphabetical list of artists for someone specific.

7. Audiko

Audiko is a simple site with a clean look. Pick up a fresh ringtone from genres such as rock, dance, rap, soundtrack, classic rock, pop, and others. For some inspiration, try scanning through the list of the Top 100 Ringtones for the year. You’ll have to register with the site to download more than five ringtones.

Audiko also lets you create your own custom sounds from your music collection or via an online audio file. Download the ringtones as M4R files for iPhone, or go with the MP3 version for other phones.

A Few Other Sites for Free Music Ringtones

There are several other ringtone sites you can search through. Here’s a small selection:

1. Mob
2. Free Tone
3. My Tiny Phone
4. Mobile RingTones
5. CellSea

The Default iPhone Ringtones Are Boring

The popularity of long musical ringtones might have dropped, and it may not even sit well with mobile phone etiquette today. But there’s no doubt that custom ringtones are still unique aural signatures you can carry around.

If you find the standard ringtones on your iPhone boring, then clip your favorite song, download a ringtone app, or just download a hip tune from one of these sites. All that’s left for you to do is import that ringtone file onto your iPhone.

Read the full article: Get Free Ringtones for the iPhone With These Sites

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The 5 Best Authenticator Apps to Generate 2FA Codes on Mac

Want to secure your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA)? Then you’ll need an authenticator app to scan the relevant QR codes during the setup process. Such an app can also generate the TOTPs (Time-Based One-Time Passwords) that you need, in addition to your login passwords, to unlock your 2FA-enabled accounts.

You can either go for web-based authenticator apps or choose from one of the free 2FA Mac apps we cover below.

1. Authy

Authy was the one of the first 2FA services on the scene and has thus become a favorite of many. It offers apps for Mac, Windows, Chrome, and mobile devices.

After you install the Mac app and log into your Authy account, Authy greets you with a blank list and a plus button. Click on that button to start adding your 2FA accounts. The app doesn’t support scanning QR codes, so you’ll have to paste in the secret key or code shared by the service for which you want to enable 2FA.

Keep in mind that many services hide this secret key by default and display the relevant QR code only. Usually, there’s an accompanying button or link to reveal the secret key in case you can’t scan the QR code.

Authy lets you color-code each account. You can also choose from 6-digit, 7-digit, and 8-digit codes.

Download: Authy (Free)

2. Step Two

Step Two is as simple as an app gets, which is what we love about it. There are no accounts to sign up for before you can start using it.

You can add your online accounts to Step Two with either of the following options:

• Scan the QR code from the account you want to enable 2FA for.
• Add the account’s secret key and a couple of other account details manually.

You won’t find much in the way of app settings, though to be fair, you don’t need much. Step Two only lets you sort your accounts manually and alphabetically, in addition to backing them up to iCloud.

The lack of an import feature can prove to be a major drawback if you have lots of existing data that you need to migrate.

Download: Step Two (Free)

3. Authenticator

We couldn’t help but sneak this one in, even though technically it’s a browser-based app rather than a Mac app. It’s an open-source Chrome extension that works offline.

Like most authenticator apps, Authenticator lets you add 2FA accounts either by scanning a QR code or by entering a secret key manually. The first method is the default one.

After you install the extension, click on its toolbar button and then the Scan QR code button within the popup that appears. Of course, you’ll need to have the web page with the proper QR code ready to go in the background.

Want to use a secret key instead of a QR code? First, click on the Edit button (the pencil icon) next to the Scan QR code button. Then, click on the huge plus button to reveal the Manual Entry option you’re looking for.

Authenticator also has Firefox and Microsoft Edge versions. It’s a pity there isn’t a similar Safari extension.

Download: Authenticator (Free)

4. Secrets

Many password managers now double up as authenticator apps. Secrets is one of them, and it makes setting up 2FA codes easy.

To add a 2FA account to Secrets, first add a password entry for the account via the File > New Item option or the File > New > Login option. In the One-Time Password field for the entry, click on the QR code scanner icon at the far end. This captures the QR code available in the active tab in Safari or any other browser that’s open.

Hit the Done button to save the password entry. A fresh OTP then shows up in the One-Time Password field from time to time.

(Ensure that you don’t have multiple browsers open with active tabs displaying QR codes for different accounts. Secrets seems to capture the code from the tab that was opened first, which could create some confusion.)

If you want to enable the 2FA setup for a password you’ve already created in Secrets, click on the Edit button for the entry and then add the QR code. Remember to hit the Done button at the end to save the changes.

Remember, if you have a Setapp subscription, you don’t have to pay separately for the premium version of the app.

1Password, one of the best password managers for Mac users, also comes with support for time-based OTPs.

Download: Secrets (Free, premium version available)

5. KeePassXC

If you prefer an open-source solution, try KeePassXC. It’s another password management app that generates 2FA codes.

To add a 2FA account to KeePassXC, after you open the app:

1. Click on the Create new database option to set up a password database with a secure master password. (You don’t have to do this if you already use KeePassXC as your password manager.)
2. Create a password entry for the 2FA account by clicking on Entries > New entry and filling in the requisite login credentials.
3. Click on the OK button to save the entry, then save the changes to the database.
4. Click on TOTP > Set up TOTP from the context menu for the account.
5. Scan the QR code generated by the online account in question to grant permission for generating OTPs.

Once the 2FA account is in place, you can get time-based OTPs via the TOTP > Copy TOTP and TOTP > Show TOTP sub-menu options in the context menu.

Download: KeePassXC (Free)

Is 2FA Completely Secure?

While web apps are great, dedicated desktop apps are even better. Your choices are quite limited when it comes to Mac apps to generate 2FA codes, but they work.

Check out Two Factor Auth for a handy list of what services and websites support 2FA. Keep in mind, though, that two-factor authentication using OTPs is not without risks.

Our analysis of the pros and cons of 2FA types and methods dives deeper into this if you’d like to try another solution.

Read the full article: The 5 Best Authenticator Apps to Generate 2FA Codes on Mac

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