How-To - page 22

The time when you can preorder the next generation of Apple Watch is drawing close. Apple will start taking people’s money at exactly 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, Oct. 8.

If demand is as heavy (and supply is as light) as expected, the company might quickly run short of Apple Watch Series 7 available on launch day. That means that if you delay your order, you might have to wait extra days or even weeks to get your new device.

If you want in on day one, there’s more you should do to get ready than simply setting an alarm. Here’s how to get completely ready to put in an Apple Watch Series 7 preorder.

Verizon customers with a new iPhone 13 model might notice something missing: 5G. The faster cellular networking is a signature feature of the handset, and one nobody wants to live without. Fortunately, the answer is fairly simple. But it’s not something you’ll be able to fix all on your own.

Here’s what to do.

The just-released iPad mini is the latest Apple tablet to make the switch from Lightning to USB-C. That allows it to do quite a few things out of reach of its predecessors.

As a proud new owner of the device, you’ll surely want to make sure you’re living up to its potential. Here’s everything iPad mini owners need to know about USB-C.

iOS 15 makes the Safari web browser easier to use by moving the Address Bar to the bottom of the screen when the iPhone is held vertically. But not everyone is ready for such a change, so Apple put in the option to move it back to the top.

Here’s how to flip the location.

Apple has already begun shipping iPhone 13 and 13 Pro preorders ahead of their official debut on Friday, September 24. However, it takes Cupertino a long time to send out shipping notifications.

If you’re tracking your iPhone 13’s preorder status through the Apple website or Apple Store app, chances are you’re still seeing a “preparing to ship” notice. But in actual fact, it’s likely your new handset has already begun its journey to you. Here’s how to find out if your new handset is on the move.

The iPhone Upgrade Program is Apple’s equivalent of a carrier’s monthly contract. You can upgrade your iPhone every year, and pay a monthly fee instead of buying the handset outright. The upgrade path is simple — there’s a new iPhone every year, and you can upgrade every year.

Here’s how to get ready so you can be ready for iPhone 13 preorders this Friday. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Nintendo finally got around to delivering the one Switch upgrade every user wanted: The ability to pair AirPods and other Bluetooth headphones. And you don’t need to buy a brand-new console to gain this capability.

We’ll show you how.

Apple will host one of its biggest events of the year on Tuesday. “California streaming” is expected to bring our very first (official) look at iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, brand-new AirPods, and maybe more.

Just like recent Apple keynotes, this one will be streamed online, so you’ll be able to watch it in its entirety as it all unfolds. We’ll show you how.

Unless you just emerged from a cave or a doomsday bunker, you probably know everyone expects Apple to announce new products releases next week — most likely including the Apple Watch 7.

If you’re considering selling, trading, giving away or returning your Apple Watch for that or any reason, we’ll show you how to factory reset it first.

iPhone 13 is still a week away but a major leak on Wednesday revealed many of the details of the iOS handset that’ll replace it in 2022. That includes renders of the iPhone 14 that you can check out in amazing augmented reality.

With AR, you can bring a virtual 3D version the device into your home or office and see it from every side. This might be the best way to see the coming end of the camera bump. And to wonder if Apple will really replace the screen notch with a “hole punch” camera.

Here’s how to see an AR mockup of iPhone 14.

Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the Apple September event is an augmented reality Easter egg. It’s part of the company’s ongoing move to draw more attention to AR — and make its event invites cooler than anyone else’s.

The graphic for the event is the Apple logo floating over a lake in the evening. iPhone users can transfer that design to the real 3D world, and pass through it into a star-lit virtual space.

Now that you’ve got the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, Moderna or Johson & Johnson, how do you prove it?

Well, you can carry around your vaccination card just in case you need it to travel or gain entry to a gathering place, job or in-person event. Or you can take a few minutes and add a secure digital vaccine certificate, or passport, to Apple Wallet on your iPhone. We’ll show you how.

If you’re one of the many 1Password users who are unhappy with the app’s new version 8 update on Mac, you might be considering a switch to another password manager. Luckily for you, it’s easy to move all your data.

We’ll show you how to export all your usernames and passwords out of 1Password and into another service, such as Dashlane. We will also explain how you can save your documents, which can’t be exported automatically.

With iOS 15, your iPhone can warn you if you’ve left your Mac at the office. Or in a hotel room, restaurant, plane… wherever. Separation alerts are one of the better features of Apple’s operating system upgrade.

It’s easy to set up these up. Here’s how.

Worried your iPhone may have been infected with Pegasus spyware that’s being used by governments to spy on people? You can now use the free Pegasus detector built into iMazing to find out if your handset is safe.

We’ll show you how.

Apple’s newest iOS and iPadOS 15 beta, rolled out to registered developers on Tuesday, gives you the ability to automatically disable notifications when screen sharing. The toggle ensures others cannot see your incoming alerts.

Here’s how to activate the block on iPhone and iPad.

Amazon just rolled out a new update for its Alexa app that adds a much-anticipated Home screen widget for iPhone and iPad. You can use it to ask Alexa anything you like faster than ever before. Here’s how to set it up.

iCloud+ gives you the ability to hide your email address when completing online forms and signing up for newsletters in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey. Here’s how to activate and use the new Hide My Email feature.

iCloud Private Relay is a new privacy feature baked into iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey that’s designed to hide your browsing habits inside Safari. Here’s how you can enable or disable it on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

macOS Monterey includes the same Quick Note feature that’s baked into iPadOS 15. Using it is incredibly simple, and it’s a great way to quickly jot down important information — such as phone numbers, email addresses, and appointments — that you don’t want to forgot.

We’ll show you how to use it, and how to customize the Quick Note feature on Mac to suit you.

iOS and iPadOS 15 make it easier than ever to keep track of web links that are shared with you in Messages by putting them all in one place inside Safari.

Here’s where you can find them — and how to view them all on iPhone and iPad.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games officially kicks off on Friday, June 23, and you can enjoy it all on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac. We’ll guide you through who’s hosting the action, and which apps you’ll need to watch it.

Slack is rolling out its new Huddles feature in an effort to bring the office environment to wherever you might be working. The feature lets you hold “quick, informal discussions” with other members of your team.

You can also use it to share your desktop screen, which makes it great for demonstrations. We’ll show you how to use Huddles on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Apple this week seeded its first AirPods Pro beta firmware for registered developers. This version enables a number of new features, including Ambient Noise Reduction and spatial audio for FaceTime calls.

Here’s how you can get yours hand on it.

If you run into any issues with your new MagSafe Battery Pack, you may need to provide Apple Support with its serial number. There are a couple of quick and easy ways to find that. We’ll show you how.