How Tos - Page 74

Apple's HomeKit allows you to create home automations for your accessories so that you can have the lights automatically turn off when you leave, for example, or trigger a scene when you unlock the front door. The Home app makes creating these automations simple and allows you to trigger them based on the time of day, your location, motion detection, and more. Before you can create...

Apple's AirPlay 2 brought speaker controls to the Home app, allowing you to individually control all of your AirPlay-compatible speakers from your iPhone or iPad. Keep reading to learn how to add your speakers to the Home app and organize them by room. Before you start adding speakers to the Home app, make sure that your iOS device is running iOS 11.4 or later. You should also check that...

The Home app is what allows you to easily control your HomeKit-compatible devices using your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You can use the app to do everything from turning on smart lights or adjusting a smart thermostat to opening and closing automated window shades. Before you start with the app, make sure the smart accessory that you want to use with it is HomeKit-enabled. If your smart product...

One of the main benefits of using Apple's HomeKit framework is the ability to control your HomeKit-compatible devices when you're away from home. For instance, if you are about to leave the office, you can use the Home app or ask Siri on your iPhone to increase the temperature of a connected thermostat at home so that it's nice and cozy when you arrive. Before you can trigger actions when...

Creating an iPhone or iPad backup should be routine for most users, as it's a simple procedure and the easiest way to recover your data if your device is replaced, lost or stolen. There are two types of backup available to iOS users. iCloud backups are encrypted automatically and stored in the cloud, and you can create and use them anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. iTunes backups on the...

All Apple iPhones and iPads include accelerometers that enable them to detect which way they are being held and automatically adjust the screen orientation to fit. The feature is particularly handy for viewing certain types of content that benefit from the wider landscape orientation, like media or web pages for example. If your iPhone or iPad screen doesn't rotate into landscape mode...

Apple refreshed its AirPods wireless earbuds in March 2019 and released Airpods Pro later the same year, adding a number of new features that set the two models apart from the original AirPods. One of those features is the ability to summon Siri entirely handsfree, allowing you to speak a variety of commands and ask questions. With the first-generation AirPods, you had to use the default...

Apple in March 2019 launched second-generation AirPods that include several new features over the original models, including the ability to wirelessly charge using third-party charging pads. In October 2019, it then launched AirPods Pro, which offer the same functionality. Third-party charging mats from the likes of Anker can charge AirPods 2 and ‌AirPods Pro‌ Apple also launched a Wireless...

Apple in March 2019 debuted second-generation AirPods, featuring several updates over the original massively popular wireless earbuds of the same name. Then, in October 2019, Apple launched the AirPods Pro, a higher-end version of its existing AirPods with a unique design, noise cancellation technology, better sound, and a more expensive $249 price tag. If you've just received a version of...

Apple today unveiled its rumored premium Apple News subscription service, ‌Apple News‌+. ‌Apple News‌+ provides access to more than 300 magazines and a handful of paywalled news articles from sites like The Wall Street Journal all for $9.99 per month. Signing up for an ‌Apple News‌ subscription can be done in the U.S. or Canada on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 12.2. Here's how: Open up the...

Apple's "It's Show Time" event will kick off shortly at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The event will see the unveiling of Apple's long-rumored streaming TV service as well as its updated and enhanced Apple News subscription platform. Other potential talking points from the company include additions to Apple Pay and a new gaming service. Apple Events app on tvOS To be sure...

Apple's HomeKit framework allows you to easily control compatible connected smart devices you have installed in your home using the Home app on iOS. However, there are some features of ‌HomeKit‌ that require you to designate a device as a Home Hub, which remains powered on and connected at your home when you're away. The main benefit of setting up a Home Hub is that it allows you to use...

Apple's HomeKit framework allows you to easily control compatible connected smart devices you have installed in your home using the Home app on iOS. However, there are some features of ‌HomeKit‌ that require you to designate a device as a Home Hub, which remains powered on and connected at your home when you're away. The main benefit of setting up a Home Hub is that it allows you to use...

Apple's HomeKit is integrated with Siri, which means you can use the personal assistant to control HomeKit-compatible accessories like lights, thermostats, and power outlets, even when you're away from home. Here's everything you need to know to get things up and running. Devices That Support "Hey ‌Siri‌" First, in order to use ‌Siri‌ to control your ‌HomeKit‌ accessories handsfree, you'll need...

Whenever you add a HomeKit accessory to Apple's Home app, a default icon is assigned to it. Smart lights, for example, are given the default bulb icon, but if you have various types of light fittings, that's not very helpful for identifying them in the app at a glance. What you may not know is that you can change the icons of many third-party ‌HomeKit‌ accessories to something that lets you...

In Apple's Home app, you can set particular HomeKit scenes and accessories as "Favorites" so that you can access them quickly and easily from the app's Home tab and in Control Center on your iPhone or iPad. Once you've added some ‌HomeKit‌ accessories and/or created some scenes, follow the steps below to start adding them to your Favorites. The second set of steps shows you how to access them ...

If you have a second home outfitted with HomeKit devices, you can easily add it to Apple's Home app and keep all of the device settings you own in that location completely separate from your primary home. Once you've set up a second home in the Home app, you can set up rooms and zones in it and control any device remotely, just like you can in your main home. To add a second home to ‌HomeKit‌, ...

Using a login password on your Mac is a simple way of ensuring your macOS user account stays private, and using FileVault to encrypt your startup disk means only users who can log in to your Mac can read the disk's data. However, neither security method will prevent someone from booting your machine from an external hard drive. One way to eliminate this vulnerability is by setting a firmware ...

There are a number of things you can try if your Apple Watch stops responding for whatever reason. This article outlines your options. The first and most straightforward solution is to reset your Apple Watch, which is basically a way of turning it off and on again. This is useful if, say, an app has crashed and a standard force quit doesn't work, or if the live data transfer between your...

Mac issues can occur for a variety of reasons, but in general most errors can be traced back to unstable software. The best way to prevent problems from cropping up is to make sure you are using the latest versions of Apple's programs and third-party applications. However, if you've troubleshooted software and the problem persists, it's time to consider whether it's your Mac's hardware...