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How Much Do You Know About Smartphones?

More than 4 in 5 older Americans own one. Test your knowledge of this pocket-sized device

Ed Waldman,

Updated November 01, 2023

AARP

En español

Published December 13, 2022

/ Updated November 01, 2023

10 Questions

9c50ddcd-d7a0-484a-8404-092695f04ca8

How Much Do You Know About Smartphones?

[ {
 "question" : "1. How often do experts recommend you go through your apps and delete those you don’t use?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Once a week.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Once a month.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Once a year.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Why do it? You never know when you might need one.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "“Just as one might go through closets and kitchen drawers, the phone would be no different,” professional organizer Andrew Mellen says.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "2. The Walking Steadiness feature on iPhone can:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Assess your risk of falling.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Determine your blood alcohol level.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Count the number of steps you’ve taken.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Locate nearby hiking trails.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Found in the Health app, Walking Steadiness rates your risk of taking a spill as OK, Low or Very Low, based on your balance, coordination and other factors.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "3. ‘Casting’ on smartphones lets you:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Find the best lakes, streams and waterways in your vicinity for a fishing trip.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Send a signal from your phone to a television wirelessly.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Use your phone to prepare for an audition or interview.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Try out apps before deciding whether to buy them.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Casting lets you send movies, TV shows or other content from the small screen to watch on a large-screen smart TV in your living room.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "4. Best Take refers to a:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Popular Android and iOS podcasting app.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Google Pixel editing feature that lets you swap the faces of people in a group photo.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Photo feature where you can adjust the background blur.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Reminder from your device when you arrive at or leave a location.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The subjects in a photo may blink, fail to smile or look at the camera. But the Best Take feature that debuted on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro handsets allows you to sub the faces of people in a picture for alternatives culled from similar shots.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "5.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Focus&nbsp;feature&nbsp;that&nbsp;is&nbsp;part&nbsp;of&nbsp;iOS&nbsp;17&nbsp;lets&nbsp;iPhone&nbsp;users:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Display only the apps and widgets that meet their mood or need at particular times.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Take tack-sharp photos every time.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Block incoming text messages while they’re working on a project.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Automatically lower the volume on music that is being played.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "A&nbsp;Focus&nbsp;screen for work may show only apps such as Mail, Calendar or Microsoft Teams. When you’re unwinding, you might limit what’s visible on the screen to social media, music or mediation apps.sung Wallet.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "6.&nbsp;Apple’s&nbsp;AirDrop&nbsp;feature&nbsp;allows&nbsp;users&nbsp;to:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Figure out how much postage to put on a letter or package.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Determine the location of the nearest drop-off spot for UPS, FedEx or other package service.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Discover the air quality at their location.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Instantly share photos, videos, documents and more with other nearby Apple devices.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "With AirDrop, you can share documents, photos, videos and more with nearby Apple devices instantly. If you’re trying to decide between an iPhone or one that runs on an Android operating system, experts say that if you’re already familiar with an iPad or Mac computer, the learning curve will be low for an iPhone.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "7. How many states have rolled out digital versions of their driver’s license into Apple Wallet?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "0",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "4",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "8",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "24",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "In 2022, Arizona, Colorado and Maryland became the first states to roll out digital versions of their driver’s license into Apple Wallet. Georgia followed, and Apple has announced that Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Utah are still to come. In some cases, digital licenses will be accepted as proof of identity at federal Transportation Security Administration checkpoints in airports. Meanwhile, Maryland became the first state that let residents add driver’s licenses to the Google Wallet app, with others to follow. And Samsung announced that Arizona and Iowa will be the first states to offer mobile driver’s licenses for the Samsung Wallet.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "8. What percentage of U.S. smartphone users made at least one mobile payment transaction during a six-month period in 2023?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "9.8%",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "21.1%",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "43.2%",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "61.5%",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Paying by phone is becoming increasingly popular. Smartphone users in the United States who have made at least one mobile payment transaction over a six-month period will grow from 99.7 million in 2022 to a projected 122.8 million in 2026, according to the Insider Intelligence market research firm. Mobile payment usage surged during the pandemic. While millennials and the Gen Z crowd are the majority of these users, the boomer segment is also projected to grow.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "9.&nbsp;What&nbsp;does&nbsp;NFC&nbsp;stand&nbsp;for&nbsp;in&nbsp;regard&nbsp;to&nbsp;smartphones?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Near Field Communication",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Non-Fungible Cash",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "No Forgetting Collectibles",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Non-Friendly Countries",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "NFC is short for Near Field Communication, the industry standard technology protocol designed to work only short distances — in other words, between phone and payment terminal.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "10.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Sound&nbsp;Recognition&nbsp;feature&nbsp;on&nbsp;iPhones&nbsp;and&nbsp;Android&nbsp;devices&nbsp;will:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Allow you to determine who is speaking to you.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Listen for sounds like a barking dog or doorbell and send you an on-screen notification when it hears them.",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Tell you the name of a song that is playing and who is singing it.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Correct your pronunciation of foreign words.",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Your smartphone can identify those sounds, but you have to tell it which sounds you want to trigger a notification. On an iPhone, tap&nbsp;Settings&nbsp;|&nbsp;Accessibility&nbsp;|&nbsp;Sound&nbsp;Recognition.&nbsp;Android phones vary on how to turn on the feature; Samsung models have it under&nbsp;Settings&nbsp;|&nbsp;Accessibility&nbsp;|&nbsp;Hearing Enhancements&nbsp;|&nbsp;Sound Detectors.&nbsp;Then look at the options.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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How Much Do You Know About Smartphones?

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Ed Waldman is a contributing editor and writer who covers technology. He previously was an editor at the Baltimore Sun, taught journalism at the University of Maryland and launched a statewide high school sports website.