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Extend battery life by using Low Power Mode in Control Center [Pro tip]

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Activate Low Power Mode in Control Center
Enable Low Power Mode to get you through a long day.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Worried your iPhone or iPad battery isn’t going to last you all day? Activate Low Power Mode inside Control Center to minimize how much energy your device is consuming when it’s not being used. It’s super-simple to use, won’t get in your way, and it makes a big difference.

We’ll show you how and explain a similar feature — Power Reserve — that you can activate on Apple Watch.

Make iPhone’s Calculator app easy to access with Control Center [Pro tip]

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Add the Calculator app to Control Center
There's no need for the Calculator to take up Home screen space.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

You don’t need to keep the Calculator app on your iPhone’s Home screen just to make it easy to find when you need it. Add it to Control Center instead and you’ll be ready to do math anywhere, anytime with just a swipe and a tap.

We’ll show you how.

Toggle Dark Mode with a tap using Control Center on iOS and Mac [Pro tip]

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There's no need to dig around inside the Settings app to activate dark mode on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
There's no need to dig around inside the Settings app.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

There’s no need to dig around inside the Settings app to activate Dark Mode on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Simply add the Dark Mode button to Control Center and you can quickly toggle it on or off in just a tap.

We’ll show you how in this Control Center pro tip.

Quickly scan a QR code from inside Control Center [Pro tip]

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Add a QR code scanner to Control Center
The dedicated Code Scanner app is ready when you need it.

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Need to scan a QR code in a jiffy? Add a handy code reader to Control Center on iPhone and iPad that’s quick and easy to find in just a swipe. We’ll show you how.

Why Apple Watch’s iPhone unlock changes your freakin’ face-mask life

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Why Apple Watch’s iPhone unlock will change your freakin’ life
Being able to to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask is the best reason yet to get an Apple Watch.
Photo: Ivan Samkov/Pexels CC

iOS 14.5 is the best update of the pandemic era because it works with your Apple Watch to remove the hassle of unlocking your iPhone while wearing a face mask. You don’t have to type in your passcode every single damn time. The phone just unlocks. Like it’s supposed to.

But the trick does require an Apple Watch. If you’ve been on the bubble about getting one, this feature should go a long way toward convincing you. It serves as yet another elegant example of how Apple’s ecosystem offers users simple solutions to modern life’s annoyances.

How to stop apps from tracking you in iOS 14.5

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How to allow/prevent apps tracking you
Thanks to App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14.5, it’s up to your to decide whether third-party applications track you.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

iPhone and iPad just got a significant new privacy protection, preventing third-party apps from tracking you without permission. App Tracking Transparency debuted in iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5.

Here’s how to use it. And what to do about all the popups asking, “Allow [THIS APP] to track your activity?”

Change system text size on the fly using Control Center [Pro tip]

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Change system text size in Control Center
Don't squint to read text on your iPhone and iPad.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Left your reading glasses at home? Switch system text sizes on the fly using Control Center to make text messages, emails, websites, and more easier to read on iPhone and iPad. We’ll show you how.

Clear water from your Apple Watch speaker using Control Center [Pro tip]

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Clear water from Apple Watch
Get your Apple Watch sounding good again.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Have you noticed your Apple Watch isn’t sounding so good after getting wet? That’s likely because there is liquid lodged inside its speaker. But don’t worry — you can quickly clear it with just one tap in Control Center.

We’ll show you how.

Start a screen recording on iPhone or iPad inside Control Center [Pro tip]

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How to start screen recording from Control Center
Capture sweet gameplays, top tips, and more.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Want to capture what’s happening on the screen of your iPhone or iPad. Apple’s built-in screen recording feature makes that incredibly easy, and you can activate it with just one tap inside Control Center.

We’ll show you how.

Switch Wi-Fi networks in a snap using Control Center [Pro tip]

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Switch Wi-Fi networks in Control Center
The quick and easy way to change connections.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

There’s no need to mess around inside System Preferences or the Settings app when you want to change Wi-Fi networks. Open Control Center on your Apple device and make the switch in a snap.

We’ll show you how on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

Master Control Center on iOS, Apple Watch and Mac with these handy pro tips

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Control Center Pro Tips Week
With a little bit of tweaking, Control Center can be a lot more useful.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

On iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac, the Control Center puts vital tools at your fingertips. And while most people probably are familiar with some preset options, like Airplane Mode and Do Not Disturb, a world of customization awaits anyone willing to spend a few minutes digging deeper into this underutilized tool set.

All week long, we’ll show you how to get the most out of Control Center — and thus squeeze even more sweet utility out of your Apple devices. With this series of quick and simple Control Center tips, we’ll show you how to add useful buttons that make common tasks easier than ever.

5 things you might not have noticed about the 2021 iPad Pro

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5 things you might not have noticed about the 2021 iPad Pro
Even beyond the better screen and processor, there’s a lot to like about the 2021 iPad Pro. But not every change is good.
Photo: Apple

There are some changes in the 2021 iPad Pro that shouldn’t be overlooked, even as most of the attention has gone to the speedy M1 processor and gorgeous mini-LED display. Some of the differences are good, but not all.

Here are five things you shouldn’t miss about Apple’s new top-tier tablet.

How to easily color calibrate your Apple TV with an iPhone

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How to color calibrate Apple TV
You don't even need the newest Apple TV (but you do need an iPhone with Face ID).
Image: Apple

Apple just added a brand-new feature to Apple TV that works with your iPhone to color calibrate your TV. It’s really simple to use and the results can be terrific. What’s more, you don’t need the newest Apple TV.

The new Color Balance tool is available on Apple TV models released in 2015 or later. Here’s how to use it.

What you need to know about 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s swanky new mini-LED display

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There’s more 2021 iPad Pro RAM than in any previous Apple tablet.
The larger iPad Pro packs a mini-LED screen, but what exactly does that mean?
Photo: Apple

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro boasts a swanky mini-LED display, making it the first Apple tablet without a traditional LCD screen.

Apple calls the mini-LED screen in the 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro a “Liquid Retina XDR display.” The new technology brings a welcome boost to the iPad’s display quality. And it seems likely that mini-LEDs will show up in MacBook Pros and other Apple gear in the near future.

“This is the display you have to see to believe,” said iPad marketing manager Raja Bose during Apple’s mind-blowing “Spring Loaded” event on Tuesday.

But what exactly are mini-LED displays, and how do they differ from LCD or even OLED or micro-LED screens? Don’t worry: We’ve got the answers to your questions.

For All Mankind shoots the moon in season 2 finale [Apple TV+ review]

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For All Mankind review: In the season 2 finale, the fate of the moon rests on the unlikely shoulders of astronaut Gordo Stevens (Michael Dorman).
In the season 2 finale, the fate of the moon rests on Gordo's unlikely shoulders.
Photo: Apple TV+

The Russians have taken over the moon! The second season of Apple TV+ space soap For All Mankind ends with bloody faces, broken marriages, uncertain futures, and a whole boatload of moon crime.

If you’re wondering if any of it’s handled well, read on. But you know the score by now, don’t you?

Enough key rings, we need an AirTag pet collar

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An AirTag pet collar is a product that’ll sell
Attaching an AirTag to a beloved pet makes at least as mucgh sense as putting an item tracker on your keys.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Bad news AirTag shoppers: there’s no hole in Apple’s item-tracker. You have to buy an add-on to attach it to anything. Accessory makers have rushed to put out key rings and luggage tags. But no one makes the item I want: an AirTag pet collar.

Macs run iPad apps. It’s time for iPads to run Mac apps.

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iPad should run Mac apps, like Xcode.
Xcode is just one of the Mac applications that should be available for iPad now that it has an M1 processor.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The Apple M1 processor in the 2021 iPad Pro could make it the most productive tablet ever. But only if Apple takes the logical next step and lets iPads run Mac apps.

M1-powered Macs can run iPadOS applications. The reverse should be true.

AirTags early hands-on roundup: Smart, tiny and … scuffable?

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AirTags could become a big hit for Apple
AirTags could be a big hit for Apple.
Photo: Apple

The first AirTags reviews and unboxing videos paint a pretty positive picture of Apple’s new tracking tags. After a short time using AirTags, reviewers praise the tiny trackers’ design as “classic Apple” and their precise finding capabilities as “utility-driven augmented reality.”

However, they also point out some limitations — including surprising scuffability!

iOS 15 will feature updated Lock Screen, notifications, more privacy features

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iPadOS 14 is good but iPadOS 15 just needs some new features to even better.
What to expect from iOS 15.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 15 will include tweaked user notifications, an updated Lock Screen, an iMessage overhaul, additional privacy features and a redesigned iPad Home Screen, according to Bloomberg.

Until now, little has been reported about iOS/iPadOS 15 ahead of its likely debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this June. Thursday’s report says Apple refers to the upcoming upgrade internally as “Sky.”

Hackers’ leak confirms big changes coming to MacBook ports

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This 14-inch MacBook Pro concept is by Renders by Ian
Hackers leaked details that help confirm that a 2021 MacBook Pro model will look much like this.
Concept: Ian Zelbo/Renders by Ian

Hackers reportedly stole plans for two upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro models from Quanta and leaked details. These help confirm earlier reports that Apple’s next notebook will see a return of MagSafe, the HDMI port and an SD card reader. But no Touch Bar.

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

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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.

iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 bring an array of new features ‘next week’

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iOS 14.5 will debut before the end of April.
The wait for iOS 14.5 is almost over — it’ll be out before the end of April. The same goes for iPadOS 14.5.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple revealed on Tuesday that iOS 14.5 and the iPad equivalent will reach customers iPhones and tablets some time “next week.” These include a rush of new features, like unlocking an iPhone with an Apple Watch. And a controversial change that make it harder for apps to track users for ads.

To help make the launches possible, developers were given access to the release candidates for these upcoming operating system versions on Tuesday. They can both look for bugs and  test their own applications with the new OS versions.

Talk about ‘Spring Loaded’: Apple event sets my head spinning

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We finally got our first legit look at an AirTag.
We finally got our first legit look at an AirTag, but that was just the beginning!
Photo: Apple

Wow, that was the speediest, most jam-packed Apple event in recent memory.

It was so quick-moving, we all got whiplash. There was barely time to catch your breath between announcements: Here’s a new purple iPhone. Fuggedaboutit, here’s a new Apple TV, and new AirTags. Oh, and hers’s new iMacs — and iPads!!

In an hour, Tim Cook and Co. managed to introduce a raft of products with dozens of new features and technologies while dazzling us with some pretty jaw-dropping promo videos.

Once again, the prerecorded format worked well. The promo videos in Tuesday’s “Spring Loaded” event looked super. They hit us with a great mix of head-spinning effects and angles, humor and product placement.

Here are some thoughts and initial reactions to some of the major announcements: