Glossary of tech terms

Browse the glossary using this index

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A

Address bar

A box, known as a text field, near the top of the web browser (e.g. Chrome, Edge) that displays the web address (or URL) of the webpage you are looking at. You can also type known URLs (e.g. www.beconnected.esafety.gov.au) directly into this text field and press Enter. The browser will update to show the new web page requested.

Android

A mobile Operating System (OS) developed by Google for smartphones and tablets. Samsung is a popular brand of smart device that uses Android OS on its devices.

Antivirus, anti-virus

An application, or software, designed to detect and remove known computer viruses.

Apple

The company behind the iPad and iPhone smart devices and Macbook and iMac computers.

Apple App Store

The official app store for all Apple devices where you can download apps. It comes pre-installed on Apple devices.

Apple Pay

A popular pay service using the Wallet app on Apple devices. Enables digital payments to be made using mobile phones and online. The app requires the user to set up an account and link a preferred payment method, such as a credit card.

Application or app (for short)

A piece of software designed to fulfil a specific purpose on a computer or smart device. For example, a web browser is an application used for browsing the internet. Often called an app for short, an application is also known as a program.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Also known as 'AI'. Computer systems that are able to perform tasks traditionally carried out by humans that require human intelligence. E.g. translation of language, decision-making and speech recognition.