Mobile menu toggle

How-To - page 26

How to enable macOS 11.3’s new ‘Hello’ screen saver on M1 Macs

By

Enable M1 Mac's hello screen saver
A brand-new screen saver for your M1 Mac.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest macOS update ships with a brand-new “Hello” screen saver, inspired by the very first Macintosh, for M1 Macs. Enabling it isn’t quite as simple as just selecting a new screen saver in System Preferences, however.

We’ll show you how to manually install the new Mac screen saver on an M1 Mac ASAP.

How to watch Apple’s big Spring Loaded event almost anywhere

By

Apple Spring Loaded event how to
Find out what Apple has in store for us in the coming months.
Image: Apple

Update: Now that Apple’s Spring Loaded event is history, you can watch (or rewatch) it at the YouTube link below.

Apple’s next big event is just hours away, and it promises to be a big one for fans of iPad, AirPods and more. It will be an online-only affair, like other recent Apple events, and you’ll be able to watch it live almost anywhere.

Find out how before the “Spring Loaded” event begins in just a few hours.

How to see the AR easter egg hidden in Apple April 20 event invite

By

How to see the AR easter egg hidden in Apple April 20 event invite
Bring the logo from the just-announced Apple April event to your own home with the magic of augmented reality.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Hidden in Tuesday’s invite to the Apple April event is an augmented reality easter egg. It’s part of the company’s ongoing move to draw more attention to AR.

The graphic for the event invite is the Apple logo made out of a swirling line. iPhone and iPad users can transfer that design to the real 3D world, and put it in motion.

Give your drab Home app a spiffy remodel with HomePaper

By

HomePaper for HomeKit lets you customize the Home app.
HomePaper lets you quickly give the boring Home app a fresh coat of paint.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

New app HomePaper for HomeKit lets you quickly customize the look of Apple’s notoriously bland-looking Home app — with zero hassles.

With the app, you simply select a photo from your iPhone or iPad camera or take a new one. Then you can quickly adjust the color(s) and make your own customized wallpaper for the Home app. There’s no fussing around with a complicated image editor or painstaking resizing required.

Here’s how to use HomePaper, which runs on iPhone and iPad, to give your Home app the remodel it deserves.

How to record video while playing music on your iPhone

By

Record video while playing music on iPhone
No third-party apps required.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

You’ve probably noticed that your iPhone stops playing music as soon as you switch to Video mode inside its Camera app, which prevents you from easily adding a soundtrack to your recordings. But there is a simple trick that lets you shoot video while your music continues to play.

The trick works in all versions of iOS 14 (including the latest iOS 14.5 betas) and requires no third-party apps. We’ll show you how to use it.

How to change Siri’s accent on iPhone, iPad and more

By

australian siri
Changing Siri's accent is easy.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Most folks refer to Siri as “she,” but that’s not always true. The original British English Siri, for example, was male-only up until iOS 7.1 added a female version. And in the latest iOS 14.5 beta, a female Siri is not the default option.

No matter what, you don’t have to stick with your local version of Apple’s comically bad voice assistant. U.S. English speakers, for example, can currently choose from American, Australian, British, Indian, Irish and South African accents for Siri, and also pick male or female versions — with more voices coming soon.

So, if you’re a U.S. native who views the U.K. Standard English accent as quaint, cute, respectful, sexy or reproachful, it’s easy to set your iPhone or iPad to sound like a Brit or whatever you want. And your choice of Siri accent will follow you on all Apple devices logged into with your Apple ID. (In addition to iPhone and iPad, Siri works with just about everything now: Mac, AirPods, iPod, Apple Watch, CarPlay, HomePod and Apple TV.)

Let’s see how to change Siri’s accent.

How to fix external display issues on your M1 Mac mini

By

Fix M1 Mac mini display issues
There are temporary workarounds that will do for now.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

A growing number of M1 Mac mini owners are reporting strange issues with external displays. Affected users are unable to bring their third-party screens back to life after their Mac mini has gone to sleep.

Apple is said to be aware of the issue but is yet to roll out a proper fix. However, there are some workarounds that you can use to get your display working again in the meantime. Here’s what you need to do.

How to get Apple Arcade games as soon as they launch

By

How to get Apple Arcade games as soon as they launch
Here’s how to make upcoming Apple Arcade games automatically install themselves.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The App Store lists Apple Arcade games that’ll debut soon. If one of these upcoming titles looks interesting, subscribers to Apple’s game service can set it to automatically install as soon as the app becomes available. No waiting… it’ll be on your iPhone or other Apple device as soon as possible.

Here’s how.

How to play PC games on your Mac with Steam Link

By

Set up Steam Link for Mac
All your favorite PC games on your Mac for free.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Who said a Mac is no good for gaming? It’s now possible to play the latest PC games on any machine running macOS 10.13 or higher, thanks to the brand-new Steam Link app that just hit the Mac App Store.

The free download, which weighs in at less than 30MB, puts all your favorite titles at your fingertips. We’ll show you how to set it up.

How to quickly calculate the wattage of any iPhone charger

By

How to calculate wattage of iPhone charger
A simple calculation is all you need.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Looking for an iPhone charger that will deliver the fastest possible charging speeds? Forget the one that came bundled with your old iPhone and pick up a super-speedy 20W adapter instead.

If you can’t find the wattage of an adapter in its product description, we’ll show you a quick and easy way to calculate it yourself so you don’t waste your hard-earned cash on the wrong one.

How to mix up activities for a more effective Apple Watch workout

By

Why choose one activity type when you can do loads?
Why choose one activity type when you can do loads?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Which workout type do you fancy today? Running, swimming, cycling, yoga…? There are so many different Apple Watch workouts, it can be hard to choose. The good news is, you don’t have to.

Thanks to a hidden feature in the Workout app, you can log multiple activity types in a single session. Want to log a triathlon? No problem. Like to do a cooldown at the end of an intense HIIT session? It supports that too.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to use this little-known Apple Watch feature — and why you definitely should.

How to stop Apple from targeting you with personalized ads

By

Ads everywhere
Apple targets users with personalized ads, too.
Photo: Jo San Diego/Unsplash CC

A French lobbyist group is accusing Apple of hypocrisy over new privacy measures in iOS 14, which make it harder for other companies to track users. Why? Because Apple also operates a feature called Personalized Advertising, which capitalizes on user data to display targeted ads within apps.

Want to stop Apple from targeting you with personalized ads? Here’s how you do it. (And everything else you need to know about the new complaint.)

How to turn your old Apple devices into quick cash today

By

iPhone 8 iPad Macbook
Cult of Mac can help you get the best price.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Ready to upgrade some of your old Apple devices? Don’t just let them sit in a drawer collecting dust. Turn your old iPhone, iPad, what to do with old iMac, and more into quick cash that you can put toward a shiny new model. If you’re curious about uses for old iPhones, there are plenty of options.

Your aging Apple gadgets could be worth a small fortune — and Cult of Mac wants to buy them! We typically pay more than other trade-in services, and we won’t leave you waiting forever for your money.

We’ll tell you how it works.

Apple TV 3 loses YouTube support, but there is a workaround

By

Apple TV Siri Remote
Sad times for third-gen. Apple TV owners.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

YouTube is now officially dead on the third-generation Apple TV. Users who attempt to watch the app will be greeted by an error message that confirms Apple’s aging hardware is no longer supported.

That’s hardly surprising given that the third-generation Apple TV is close to a decade old now. But there is a workaround (sort of) for those who still want to watch their favorite YouTube channels on the big screen.

How to transfer iCloud Photos to Google Photos

By

How to transfer iCloud Photos to Google Photos
Copying images and videos from iCloud Photos to Google Photos is surprisingly easy.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple now makes it easy to copy the pictures and videos you have stored in iCloud Photos over to Google Photos. The process is straightforward, but there are a few hoops to jump through.

Here’s what you need to know.

How to tell if Silver Sparrow malware is hiding on your Mac

By

How to tell if Silver Sparrow malware is hiding on your Mac
Silver Sparrow could be in your M-series or Intel Mac. Here’s how to find out.
Graphic: Cult of Mac/Red Canary

Some of the first malware targeting both M-series and Intel Macs has affected thousands of computers. At this point, the malicious code — called “Silver Sparrow” — is not dangerous, and Apple may have pulled its teeth. But users of the latest macOS computers still might want to know if their device has it. And the same goes for owners of Intel-based Macs.

Here’s how to find out if your computer has been hit.

How to attend Apple’s 2021 virtual shareholders meeting

By

The Apple 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held February 23.
The Apple 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is this week. Here’s how you can take part.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

Apple’s annual shareholders meeting won’t take place on the Apple Park campus this year as it ordinarily would. With the COVID-19 pandemic dragging on, it’ll be a virtual-only event in 2021. This is likely to increase participation in the February 23 meeting. And if you own AAPL shares, you can attend.

Here’s what you need to do.

How to turn off Activation Lock when selling your Apple device

By

How to turn off Activation Lock when selling your Apple device
Activation Lock prevents anyone else from taking over your Apple device. Here’s how to turn it off.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

When you sell an iPhone, Mac or other Apple computer, it’s critical to turn off Activation Lock or else the buyer won‘t be able to use the device. It’s easy to do when you still have the product, and not that much harder if you’ve already sold it.

Here’s what you need to know to prevent problems.