How Tos - Page 21

Threads, Meta's alternative to Twitter, has officially launched. If you joined up to Threads amid the initial wave of excitement and have already decided it's not for you, here's what you can do to remove yourself from the social media network. Threads is still in its early days, so drawing conclusions about the utility of the social network is arguably jumping the gun. However, if you...

If you make a big change to your iPhone or iPad, like installing beta software or a major new version of Apple's operating system, it's essential that you make an archived backup, otherwise you won't be able to downgrade and revert to your device's previous state if things go wrong. By creating an archived backup, you have a saved copy of the existing operating system, along with all your...

If you set up a Focus for Fitness on your iPhone, you can automatically silence calls and alerts on your Apple Watch when you begin a workout. This article explains how it's done. Often when you're working out, the last thing you want to receive is a phone call, message, or other alert that pulls you out of your flow. Fortunately, Apple includes a Fitness Focus that you can easily set up so...

For websites that don't have a dedicated mobile app or a web app for accessing their content, you can still add what is essentially a bookmark of a website to your iPhone or iPad Home screen using a special option in Safari. Creating a bookmark on your home screen lets you use it as a one-tap portal to access specific online content like MacRumors.com, instead of having to open a browser and ...

Unsolicited phone calls are a regular annoyance and even a cause of stress for many smartphone users these days. Thankfully, iOS includes an option to automatically silence calls to your iPhone from unknown numbers, and now you can do the same for calls you receive via WhatsApp, too. WhatsApp announced a new Silence Unknown Callers feature for the encrypted messaging platform in June 2023....

Whether you're busy cooking or just want to limit the amount of time you spend on a certain task, timers come in handy for all sorts of things. And the quicker you can set a timer, the more time you'll have to tend to whatever it is you're doing. The usual go-to for achieving this on Apple Watch is via Siri. Users can ask ‌‌Siri‌‌ to set a timer by holding the watch up to their mouth and...

Apple has now released the first iPadOS 17 beta to developers, and in a first for the company, it is also giving non-developers the opportunity to download the beta on their iPads for free. Keep reading to learn how it's done. In years past when Apple has announced a major new operating system update, the first wave of betas has officially only been available to download if you are a paying...

Apple has now released the first macOS Sonoma beta to developers, and in a first for the company, it is also giving non-developers the opportunity to download the beta on their Macs for free. Keep reading to learn how it's done. In years past when Apple has announced a major new operating system update, the first wave of betas has officially only been available to download if you are a...

If you've installed iOS 17 Beta or iPadOS 17 Beta through Apple's Developer Program or Software Beta Program, you may decide you want to downgrade because of usability or stability issues. Keep reading to learn how it's done. Apple's beta versions of its major software updates can be notoriously buggy, especially the early releases. You may find apps not working properly, poor battery life,...

The 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference will take place the week of June 5 to June 9, and like the last three years, it will be an online event, although select developers and students will be invited to Apple Park. To kick things off, Apple holds a keynote event on the Monday to introduce new hardware and software, which is what makes it of interest to the general public. During the...

WhatsApp in May 2023 introduced a new Chat Lock feature that allows you to secure select conversations in your inbox behind a passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID authentication. Keep reading to learn how it's done. Millions of users rely on WhatsApp as a means of privately and securely communicating with others, which is why the company's developers are continually seeking new ways to improve...

WhatsApp is rolling out a new ability for users to edit messages after they have been sent over the popular Meta-owned encrypted chat platform. Keep reading to learn how it works on iPhone and Android. It's been a long time coming, but WhatsApp has finally brought its much-anticipated sent-message editing feature to the chat service. When Apple released iOS 16, it introduced the ability...

Previously, WhatsApp has allowed users of the encrypted messaging platform to link up to four devices to their account, but only one of those devices could be a smartphone. Happily, that's now changed, and WhatsApp has introduced the ability to use the same account on multiple phones. So now you can link another phone as one of up to four additional devices, the same as when you link with...

Apple has introduced security keys as an additional step to help users protect their Apple ID accounts. Keep reading to learn why the alternative authentication method is the most secure method available and what you need to do to set it up. What Are Security Keys? With the release of iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, and macOS Ventura 13.2, Apple introduced support for security keys, or physical...

Almost everyone who uses the internet will have encountered CAPTCHA challenges, where websites and app sign-in screens require you to pass a little test like having to tap on images of traffic lights or decipher squiggly text. CAPTCHA challenges are used to prove you're a human and not a robot, but they can be repetitive and annoying. Fortunately, Apple includes a feature in iOS 16 and...

In iOS 16, Apple began deploying security updates to iPhones and iPads without having to update the entire operating system. If you're experiencing issues with your device after having installed a security update, keep reading to learn how to remove it. In the past, some of Apple's most important point releases of its iOS mobile operating system have been linked to critical security updates...

In macOS Ventura, Apple can deliver security updates to Macs without having to update the entire operating system. If you're experiencing issues with your Mac after having installed a security update, keep reading to learn how to remove it. In the past, some of Apple's most important point releases of its macOS operating system have been linked to critical security updates that are designed...

Apple's autocorrect on iPhone and iPad always aims to help when you're typing a message, but it's by no means perfect, and some of the replacements it continually spews out can become frustrating. Fortunately, Apple's software includes a lesser-known feature called Text Replacement that allows you to specify what word or phrase replaces the specific text you type in. Even if you haven't ...

Apple has made its stock Notes app a lot more useful in recent versions of iOS and iPadOS, adding several features that rival notes apps have offered for a while. One of these features is the ability to create checklists. Here's how it works. When you create a checklist in Notes, each list item has a circular bullet next to it that can be marked as completed, which is convenient for checking ...

If you're being interrupted by phone calls coming through to your Mac from your iPhone, you can disable this continuity feature temporarily or permanently. Keep reading to learn how. If you own an iPhone and a Mac, you may find that phone calls to your iPhone also ring through to your Mac. This can be distracting or just not useful, especially if you tend to have your iPhone with you at all...