Tips & Tricks

Many Mac users, IT staff, and systems administrators like to have on hand full MacOS installers, for both current and prior versions of MacOS system software. Additionally, many advanced Mac users and IT professionals need to have readily available MacOS IPSW firmware files for performing restores to Apple Silicon Macs, for virtual machines, even for … Read More

If you have recently opened the Mail app after updating to iOS 18.2 or iPadOS 18.2, you likely discovered that Mail now defaults to a Mail “Categories” view, showing distinct mail category inboxes; “Primary”, “Transactions”, “Updates”, and “Promotions”. Presumably Apple chose to redesign everyones inbox and enable Mail Categories by default on iPhone and iPad … Read More

Some iPhone users may be interested in learning what the battery cycle count is on their iPhone. A battery cycle is counted when a full charge and discharge cycle has completed, and this number can help to determine battery usage, health, as well as longevity. Up until recently and with the latest model iPhone devices, … Read More

A handy app-specific security feature is available for iPhone and iPad that requires authentication with Face ID or a passcode before a chosen app can be launched. Essentially this lets you lock any iPhone or iPad app with Face ID or a passcode, and this lock applies even if your iPhone or iPad is already … Read More

The Tapback reaction feature in Messages for iPhone, iPad, and Mac is popular, and with the latest versions of system software for these devices, you can now Tapback with any Emoji, rather than just the handful of defaults. This offers a nice way to further customize a response to a message, and it’s pretty easy … Read More

One of the potentially most useful newer features on iPhone is available in iOS 18.1 and later, offering a remarkably simple way to record calls on iPhone. Now, iPhone has an easily accessible call record button, available on the same phone screen that you use to toggle speaker phone, mute, and end the call. When … Read More

While there are plenty of paid options to get a business plan, from business plan software, to books, to working with a consultant, or even outsourcing the entire thing, another option is available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users, and it uses the magic of Apple Intelligence features and ChatGPT to instantly create a business … Read More

One of the useful Apple Intelligence features that is available in Safari is the webpage summarization feature. With Apple Intelligence Summarize in Safari, you can have an AI summary of an entire webpage, whether it’s a long article, a general website, or anything else on the web, giving you a nice summary of the page … Read More

If you’ve just setup a new wi-fi network or ISP, or perhaps you just joined a new wi-fi network, one of the first things you might be inclined to do is run a speed test. Speed testing helps to evaluate the performance of an internet connection, measuring download speed, upload speed, and latency, allowing you … Read More

AirTags are popular personal trackers, allowing you to keep track of bags, pets, luggage, even pets and people. They’re a handy Apple product that is easy to setup and use, and you can grab a 4 pack for $80 on Amazon allowing you to deploy several AirTags for multiple different purposes. Just as easy to … Read More

Window Tiling on the Mac has gotten much better since MacOS Sequoia, and it’s now easier than ever to arrange and tile windows on your screen. With Window Tiling, you can split windows, send windows to the left or right, quarter windows on your display, and much more. There are multiple different ways to access … Read More

The Apple Pencil is a great accessory for iPad users, but obviously you can’t use an Apple Pencil if it’s lost, and it’s not particularly useful if it’s missing. Fortunately there are a few tricks that you can employ to help you find a lost Apple Pencil, so you can be back to your writing, … Read More

Some iPhone users have noticed Bluetooth connection problems after updating their device to iOS 18, often presenting as dropping connections, or as an inability to connect to Bluetooth devices, whether those Bluetooth devices are speakers, hearing aids, headphones, car stereo systems, or even gaming controllers. Often you can resolve Bluetooth issues by simply toggling Bluetooth, … Read More

Many iPhone users have discovered that Wi-Fi is turning itself on automatically on their iPhone, usually after they install a system software update to iOS, restart the iPhone, or turn the iPhone back on. This is frustrating to many iPhone users because not everyone wants to have wi-fi turned on for any number of reasons, … Read More

The iOS 18 update is a fun one with some intriguing new features, mostly for visual tweaks like adding dark mode icons and color hues, and of course there’s Apple Intelligence AI features if your iPhone is new enough to support those features. One of the other major changes in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 … Read More

A fair number of Mac users have discovered that Spotlight Search is not working well in MacOS Sequoia, either missing files, apps, and sometimes not working at all to find any local file. For some users the issues with Spotlight happens right after they update to MacOS Seqouia, and for others it may happen later … Read More

Find My Mac is an incredibly valuable aspect of iCloud that allows you to find your Mac by using another Apple device’s Find My app, or through iCloud on the web. Aside from the obvious anti-theft aspects that make Find My Mac so important, the majority of users are more likely end up using Find … Read More

You can install and run Windows 11 on a Mac, without having to overwrite the MacOS operating system, by installing Windows 11 into a virtual machine. Virtual machines are self-contained installations of operating systems that can be used for a variety of purposes, from testing to demonstrations, to running software that runs on Windows but … Read More