10 Tech Fails That Can Make You Feel Way Better About Your Own Mistakes

Many of us have had tech slip-ups—sending the wrong email, deleting a file seconds before a deadline, or fumbling during a Zoom call. But trust us, it could be so much worse. These 10 tech fails are hilariously painful, wildly relatable, and guaranteed to make you feel a whole lot better about your own digital disasters.

• We had a new employee who, according to her CV, had 5 years IT experience. We settled her in at her desk, showed her the login for her PC, and left her to it. She spent the day happily browsing files.
  On day 2 we had a meeting. I had a laptop, so picked it up and took it with me. She unplugged and picked up the monitor, keyboard and mouse and took them with her into the meeting. She arranged them on the desk, then looked at the back of the monitor to see where the keyboard and mouse plugged in. © prustage / Reddit
• I wasn’t on mute, as we were having a fairly free flow conversation. My guts were doing backflips from the dodgy curry the night before. I muted myself and let out one of the most disgusting and loud noises my body has ever produced.
  I was wrong. I was already on mute. I unmuted myself, my screen lit up as the speaker and the team proceeded to hear my violent bowels join the chat. © ***ofbingofame / Reddit
• I once sent an absolutely scathing email about a colleague to said colleague. Took me about 5 mins to realize my mistake, only came about because I glanced at him and saw how red-faced he was becoming. Mortified. © DisrespectfulDuck / Reddit

• The projector was already on when the teacher plugged in her USB stick. She meant to open a slideshow titled “Ancient Rome Timeline.” Instead, she double-clicked the wrong folder.
  Up came a stream of vacation pics—bikinis, sunburns, and one very questionable mirror selfie. Students gasped. She slammed the laptop shut, but not before the last slide popped up: “Hot Girl Summer 2024.”
• We were wrapping up a long Zoom call with leadership. People had already turned off their cameras. Someone forgot to mute. We heard, “I can’t stand her voice anymore.”
  Everyone went quiet. Then, a frantic scramble of clicks. Her camera turned on, and we saw that she was mid-eye-roll.
• First week at a new job. I’m by all accounts a desk monkey sending emails out to prospective clients.
  I sent an email to all 32,000 people who’d unsubscribed. I had to sit with the director (small firm) and we spent hours manually recalling each and every one. © BaBaFiCo / Reddit

• During a full-staff meeting, involving about 25 people, my camera was turned off. Unfortunately, I forgot to mute myself and was overheard negotiating my salary for a new position at a different company, a role for which I had just interviewed. That was fun. © EmbarrassedCell8647 / Reddit
• I have a standing 7am call with Iraq. One day, after hosting this meeting for 2.5 years, I managed to accidentally turn my video on. There are the Iraqi man-uments in their business suits, ties, and impeccable hair.
  Here I am in a pink fuzzy bathrobe and a leopard towel in my hair, barefaced, acne out, in my personal kitchen. That’s embarrassing, but I’ve been in this world long enough and have a tough skin, so I plan to readjust and pretend it never happened.
  However, the reaction I had to seeing my own video feed left me scarred. I made a hideous 4 double-chin grimace of horror at seeing myself. I tried to immediately shut down my video, which froze for at least a full 30 seconds, displaying my ugliest shock face of all time.
  Welp, the meeting immediately froze up, as did my computer, with my face looking like a mask of horror and mayhem. Again, my sincerest apologies to the Office of the National Security Advisor of Iraq. © _llmk_ / Reddit

• When I was a junior, I shared my screen, and it brought a window I totally forgot was open to the forefront.
  It was my plaintext password saving file. © higgshmozon / Reddit
• Over ten years ago, my husband at the time and I were going through a divorce. It was miserable outside and snowing like no tomorrow. He and my sons went outside to move the cars to shovel.
  And as I was on the phone, my Bluetooth in my car connected with my phone while I was in the house. I didn’t realize what happened at first and then hung up my phone to disconnect since everyone could hear my conversation with my stereo blasting. Yep. Stupid technology. © Tropicalstorm11 / Reddit

These 14 stories start with love and end in ways no one saw coming. From sudden betrayals to chilling truths, each one reveals just how dark things can get when trust is broken.