Computer Terms: 120+ Basic Computer and Tech Terms Explained

Computer♥

Also called: PC

An electronic machine that stores and processes information by following instructions called programs.

Everyday

Hardware♥

The physical parts of a computer you can touch, such as the screen, keyboard, chips and cables.

Everyday

Software♥

Programs and apps that tell a computer what to do, from the operating system to games and word processors.

Everyday

Operating system♥

Also called: OS

The main software that runs a computer or phone and lets other apps work, such as Windows, macOS, Android or iOS.

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App♥

Also called: application, program

A piece of software that does a particular job, like sending messages, editing photos or browsing the web.

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Browser♥

Also called: web browser

An app for visiting websites, such as Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox.

Everyday

Click

Pressing and releasing a mouse button or trackpad to select or open something. A double-click is two quick clicks.

Everyday

Clipboard

A temporary place in memory that holds what you copied or cut until you paste it.

Intermediate

Copy and paste

Copying text or files to a temporary store and placing them somewhere else.

Everyday

Crash

Also called: freeze

When a program or computer suddenly stops working or stops responding.

Everyday

Cursor

Also called: pointer

The arrow or blinking line on screen that shows where you are pointing or typing.

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Desktop

The main screen you see after starting a computer, with icons, windows and a taskbar. Also a computer that stays on a desk.

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Drag and drop

Holding down on an item, moving it, then letting go to place it somewhere else.

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Icon

A small picture that stands for an app, file or action. Click or tap it to open or use it.

Everyday

Kernel

The core part of an operating system that controls memory, running programs and hardware.

Advanced

Keyboard shortcut

Also called: shortcut

A key combination that does a task quickly, such as Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste.

Everyday

Laptop

Also called: notebook

A portable computer with a built-in screen, keyboard and battery.

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Reboot

Also called: restart

Turning a device off and on again. It clears many temporary problems and finishes installing updates.

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Screenshot

Also called: screen grab

A picture of what is on your screen, saved as an image file.

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Settings

Also called: preferences, control panel

The place where you change how a device or app works, such as sound, display or privacy options.

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Update

A newer version of software that fixes bugs, closes security holes or adds features.

Everyday

Virtual machine

Also called: VM

Software that acts like a separate computer inside your computer, with its own operating system.

Advanced

CPU♥

Also called: processor, central processing unit

The main chip that carries out a computer’s instructions. Its speed affects how fast everything runs.

Intermediate

RAM♥

Also called: memory

Short-term working memory a computer uses for open apps and files. More RAM lets you run more things at once smoothly.

Everyday

Battery life

How long a device runs on a full charge before it needs plugging in.

Everyday

BIOS

Also called: UEFI

The small built-in program that starts a computer and checks its hardware before the operating system loads.

Advanced

GPU

Also called: graphics card, graphics processing unit

A chip that draws images on screen and handles games, video and AI work.

Intermediate

Hard drive

Also called: HDD, hard disk

An older storage drive with spinning disks. Cheaper per gigabyte than an SSD but slower.

Intermediate

HDMI

A cable and port standard that carries high-quality video and sound to a TV or monitor.

Intermediate

Keyboard

The set of keys used to type letters, numbers and commands.

Everyday

Monitor

Also called: display, screen

The screen that shows a computer’s picture.

Everyday

Motherboard

The main circuit board that connects the CPU, memory, storage and other parts of a computer.

Intermediate

Mouse

A small handheld device you move to control the pointer on screen and click things.

Everyday

Overclocking

Running a processor or graphics card faster than its official speed for extra performance, at the cost of more heat.

Advanced

Peripheral

Any extra device you connect to a computer, such as a printer, keyboard, mouse or webcam.

Intermediate

Pixel

The tiny dots of colour that make up everything on a screen or in a digital photo.

Everyday

Port

A socket on a device where you plug in a cable, such as USB, HDMI or a headphone jack.

Intermediate

Printer

A device that puts text and images from a computer onto paper.

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Resolution

The number of pixels on a screen or in an image, such as 1920 x 1080. Higher resolution means sharper detail.

Intermediate

SSD

Also called: solid state drive

A fast storage drive with no moving parts. It makes computers start and open apps much quicker than a hard drive.

Intermediate

Storage

Where files and apps are kept long term, on a hard drive, SSD, memory card or the cloud.

Everyday

Touchpad

Also called: trackpad

The flat touch-sensitive area on a laptop that works like a mouse.

Everyday

USB

A common standard for plugs, cables and ports that connect and charge devices. USB-C is the newer oval-shaped plug.

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Webcam

A small camera on or attached to a computer, used for video calls.

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File♥

A single saved item on a computer, such as a document, photo, song or app.

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Folder♥

Also called: directory

A container that holds files and other folders so you can keep things organised.

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Download♥

Copying a file from the internet or another computer onto your device.

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Cloud storage♥

Also called: the cloud

Saving files on a company’s internet servers so you can reach them from any device.

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Backup

An extra copy of your files kept somewhere safe, so you can recover them if a device is lost or breaks.

Everyday

Byte

The basic unit of digital data. One byte holds about one letter of text.

Intermediate

File extension

Also called: file type

The letters after the dot in a file name, such as .pdf, .jpg or .docx, which show what kind of file it is.

Intermediate

File path

Also called: path

The address of a file on a computer, listing the folders you go through to reach it.

Advanced

Format

Erasing a drive or memory card and preparing it for use. It deletes everything on it.

Intermediate

Gigabyte

Also called: GB

About one billion bytes. Phone storage, data plans and file sizes are often measured in gigabytes.

Everyday

JPEG

Also called: JPG

The most common photo file format. It keeps file sizes small by slightly reducing quality.

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PDF

A file format that keeps a document looking the same on every device. Common for forms, manuals and ebooks.

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PNG

An image format that keeps sharp edges and supports see-through backgrounds. Good for logos and screenshots.

Intermediate

Recycle bin

Also called: trash

Where deleted files go first, so you can restore them before they are removed for good.

Everyday

Sync

Keeping files or data the same across several devices automatically.

Intermediate

Terabyte

Also called: TB

About 1,000 gigabytes. Used for large hard drives and cloud storage plans.

Intermediate

Upload

Sending a file from your device to a website, server or cloud service.

Everyday

ZIP file

Also called: compressed file, archive

A single file that packs several files together and shrinks them, so they are easier to send.

Intermediate

Internet♥

The worldwide network that connects computers and phones so they can share information.

Everyday

Wi-Fi♥

Wireless technology that connects devices to the internet through a router without cables.

Everyday

Website♥

A group of web pages under one address, such as quickonlinetips.com.

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5G

The fifth generation of mobile networks, with faster speeds and shorter delays than 4G.

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Bandwidth

How much data a connection can carry at once. More bandwidth means faster downloads and smoother video.

Intermediate

Bluetooth

Short-range wireless technology for connecting headphones, keyboards, watches and other gadgets.

Everyday

Cache

Stored copies of data, such as web pages and images, kept so they load faster next time.

Intermediate

Cookie

A small file a website saves in your browser to remember things like your login or shopping cart.

Intermediate

DNS

Also called: Domain Name System

The internet’s phone book that turns names like example.com into the IP addresses computers use.

Advanced

Domain name

Also called: domain

The name part of a web address, such as example.com, that people type to reach a site.

Everyday

Email

Messages sent electronically from one account to another over the internet.

Everyday

Ethernet

A wired network connection using a cable, usually faster and steadier than Wi-Fi.

Intermediate

Hotspot

Also called: tethering

Sharing your phone’s mobile data with other devices over Wi-Fi.

Everyday

HTTPS

The secure version of the web’s protocol. The padlock in your browser means data is encrypted on its way.

Intermediate

IP address

A number that identifies a device on a network or the internet, like a postal address for data.

Intermediate

Mbps

Also called: megabits per second

The usual unit for internet speed. 100 Mbps is fast enough for several HD video streams at once.

Intermediate

Modem

The device that connects your home to your internet provider’s network. Often combined with the router.

Intermediate

Packet

A small chunk of data sent across a network. Big files are split into many packets and put back together at the other end.

Advanced

Router

The box that shares your internet connection with your devices, by cable or Wi-Fi.

Everyday

Search engine

A website that finds pages on the web for the words you type.

Everyday

Server

A computer that stores websites, files or services and sends them to other devices when asked.

Intermediate

Streaming

Playing video or music over the internet as it arrives, without downloading the whole file first.

Everyday

URL

Also called: web address, link

The address of a page on the web, such as https://www.example.com/page.

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Password♥

A secret word or phrase that proves it is you when you sign in. Long, unique passwords are safest.

Everyday

Two-factor authentication♥

Also called: 2FA, two-step verification

A second check after your password, such as a code on your phone, that stops others getting into your account.

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Malware♥

Harmful software, such as viruses, spyware and ransomware, made to damage devices or steal data.

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Phishing♥

Fake emails, texts or sites that pretend to be a trusted company to trick you into giving passwords or money.

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Antivirus

Also called: security software

Software that finds and removes malware.

Everyday

Data breach

When hackers steal information, such as emails and passwords, from a company’s systems.

Intermediate

Encryption

Scrambling data so only someone with the right key can read it.

Intermediate

Firewall

A barrier that controls which network traffic is allowed in and out of a device or network.

Intermediate

Hacker

Someone who breaks into computers or networks. Ethical hackers do this with permission to find weaknesses.

Everyday

Incognito mode

Also called: private browsing

A browser mode that does not save your history or cookies on the device. It does not make you anonymous online.

Everyday

Passkey

A newer way to sign in using your fingerprint, face or phone PIN instead of a password.

Intermediate

Password manager

An app that creates and stores strong passwords for all your accounts, behind one master password.

Everyday

Patch

Also called: software patch

A small update that fixes a security hole or bug.

Intermediate

Privacy settings

Options that control who can see your information and what apps can access.

Everyday

Ransomware

Malware that locks your files and demands payment to unlock them.

Intermediate

Scam

A trick to steal money or personal details, often by phone, text, email or fake websites.

Everyday

Spam

Unwanted bulk messages, usually ads or scams, sent by email, text or social media.

Everyday

Spyware

Software that secretly watches what you do and sends the information to someone else.

Intermediate

Virus

Malware that spreads by attaching itself to files or programs.

Everyday

VPN

Also called: virtual private network

A service that sends your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel, hiding it from your local network.

Intermediate

Smartphone♥

A mobile phone that works like a small computer, with apps, internet, camera and touchscreen.

Everyday

Airplane mode

Also called: flight mode

A setting that turns off a phone’s wireless signals, such as mobile data, calls and Wi-Fi.

Everyday

Emoji

Small pictures, like smiley faces and hearts, used in messages to show feelings or ideas.

Everyday

eSIM

A digital SIM built into a phone, so you can switch mobile plans without a plastic card.

Intermediate

Factory reset

Erasing a device back to how it was when new. Back up first, because it deletes everything.

Intermediate

Firmware

Low-level software built into a device’s hardware that controls how it works.

Advanced

GPS

Also called: location services

Satellite positioning that lets phones and maps know where you are.

Everyday

Mobile data

Also called: cellular data

Internet access through your phone network instead of Wi-Fi.

Everyday

NFC

Also called: tap to pay

Very short-range wireless used for contactless payments and quick pairing.

Intermediate

Notification

A message or alert from an app that pops up on your screen.

Everyday

QR code

A square barcode you scan with a phone camera to open a link, pay or join Wi-Fi.

Everyday

Smart home

Lights, plugs, speakers and other home devices you can control from a phone or by voice.

Everyday

Smartwatch

A watch that connects to your phone to show messages, track health and run small apps.

Everyday

Touchscreen

A screen you control by tapping and swiping with your finger.

Everyday

Widget

A small live panel on a home screen that shows information, such as weather or calendar events, without opening the app.

Intermediate