How Tos - Page 39

In macOS Monterey, Apple allows you to change the color of the mouse pointer from the standard white outline and black fill, to pretty much any color combination you want. So if you're having a hard time working out when it moves or changes to an insertion point, crosshair, hand, or other shape, it's worth switching things up. The following steps show you how. Launch System Preferences...

In iOS 15, Apple has introduced the ability to add a hotel room key to the Wallet app on your iPhone, allowing users to consult their phone or Apple Watch for reservation details, as well as use them to check in and unlock their room. For example, Hyatt, a well-known hotel chain, in December 2021 announced its adoption of Apple's Wallet technology, with guests able to use Apple Wallet room...

In iOS 15, Apple's stock Weather app received a major design overhaul, thanks in part to a number of features brought over from the popular weather app Dark Sky, which Apple acquired in 2020. These features have made the Weather app interface a lot more detailed and extended existing sections to include things like weather maps, rainfall, air pressure, and more. Apple has also...

Apple in May 2020 introduced an Exposure Notification System, which lets public health authorities and governments worldwide help people figure out if they've been exposed to COVID-19, and if so, what steps to take next to minimize the spread of the virus. Apple and Google developed the underlying APIs and Bluetooth functionality, and that technology has been incorporated into apps designed...

YouTube in recent years has been increasing the number of ads that viewers see in and between videos, all in an attempt to get more people to subscribe to its YouTube Premium plan, which removes all ads for a monthly fee, amongst other benefits. If you're a regular user of YouTube, paying a few dollars a month to enjoy an ad-free experience is probably worth the outlay, especially if you...

In macOS Monterey, you can enable anyone, even if they don't have an Apple device, to join a FaceTime call with you by creating a link to a ‌‌FaceTime‌‌ conversation that can be shared anywhere. Using this new link function, friends and family members who do not have an Apple account can log into a ‌‌FaceTime‌‌ call with you using a web browser opened on any non-Apple device, whether...

Spatial audio is a sonic feature exclusive to AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, Beats Fit Pro, and AirPods Max that adds surround sound to Apple's premium audio wearables. By utilizing dynamic head tracking, it brings a theater-like audio experience to the movie or video you're watching, so that it seems as if the sound is coming from all around you. This article explains how to listen to...

In iOS, Apple's stock Files app is a handy place for keeping PDF documents on your iPhone or iPad. Not only can you view and organize your documents in the Files app, but it also provides you with editing tools that go beyond the usual Markup features like highlighting passages and adding your signature. It's not immediately obvious, but when viewing PDF documents in the Files app, there are ...

When you want to move data from an old Mac to a new one, the most reliable method is to use Apple's Migration Assistant. Found in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder, Migration Assistant copies all of your files from your old Mac to your new Mac, so you don't have to transfer them manually. The first set of steps in this article assume that you have both the old Mac and the new...

When you're chatting in Messages, you can share your Mac's screen with the person you're messaging, or they can share theirs with you. You can also let someone control your screen, and vice versa. It's a great way to give a friend or family member some remote tech support, or you can use it to work collaboratively on a project. Here's how it works. In the Messages app on your Mac, select a...

At the end of each year, streaming music service Spotify provides a "Spotify Wrapped" recap of each user's listening habits and favorite songs. Spotify Wrapped is a highly anticipated year-end feature that Spotify users love, and Apple Music listeners may be wondering how to get their own "Wrapped" rundown. Apple does not have a year-end wrap up that's equivalent to what Spotify has, but the ...

Apple's Beats-branded Beats Fit Pro have a useful reset function that returns them to their factory settings. This can come in handy if you're handing down the wireless earbuds to someone else or you're having any sort of problem with them. How to Reset Beats Fit Pro Place both earbuds in the charging case and leave the case open. Press and hold the system button inside the case for 15...

Since 2014, Apple has included a little-known feature in iOS called Live Listen that allows an iPhone or iPad to serve as a remote microphone for an MFI-compatible hearing aid. In iOS 14.3 and later, Live Listen supports Beats Fit Pro, Apple's sporty Beats-branded earphones, making it possible to use your iOS device as a directional mic and have the audio relayed to your ears. As an...

Spatial audio is a sonic feature of Beats Fit Pro that adds surround sound to Apple's audio wearables. By utilizing dynamic head tracking, it brings a theater-like audio experience to the movie or video you're watching, so that it seems as if the sound is coming from all around you. Spatial audio uses the gyroscope and accelerometer in your ‌‌Beats Fit Pro‌‌ and iOS device to track...

After several years of iterations and improvements, Apple Maps has become a solid app and a viable Google Maps alternative for getting GPS-based directions to navigate journeys by car, public transport, bicycle, and on foot. Depending on the journey though, you may want to print off a list of turn-by-turn directions to refer to instead of relying on your iPhone and draining the battery. Or...

Update December 13: This change did not make it into the final release of iOS 15.2, but may reappear in a future update. In iOS 15.2, which is available in beta right now, Apple introduced new features for the Find My app, including a way to search for items that might be used to track your location. The new Unknown Items feature is called "Items That Can Track Me," and when activated,...

With iOS 15 and the Hide My Email feature exclusive to iCloud+ subscribers, you can create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox whenever you want to keep your personal email address private. In iOS 15.2, which is in beta right now, you can use Hide My Email directly from the Mail app. When you use Hide My Email, all the emails sent to the random Apple-created...

Update December 13: This change did not make it into the final release of iOS 15.2, but may reappear in a future update. In iOS 15.2, which is available in beta right now, Apple introduced new features for the Find My app, including a new way to search for items that might be lost so that you can help return them to their rightful owner. The new Unknown Items feature is called "Help...

In macOS Monterey 12.1, which is available in a beta capacity right now, Apple introduced its new SharePlay feature to FaceTime. Previously only available on iPhone and iPad, SharePlay allows you to share your Mac's screen with other people on a FaceTime call, which opens up new possibilities for sharing experiences with friends, family, and co-workers. Thanks to SharePlay, you and others on ...

WhatsApp has rolled out multi-device support to all users on iOS and Android, allowing WhatsApp to be used on up to four linked devices without users needing to be connected via a smartphone. Previously, the WhatsApp mobile app was required to authenticate an account used on another device, such as a computer, and used a QR code to link a user account to a web browser or desktop app. While...