Apple’s newest macOS update makes it easier than ever to check MacBook battery health, and to prolong its lifespan. In this pro tip, we’ll show you where to find the new battery health features, and how to check the status of yours.
Change this MacBook setting to fix external display color problems [Pro tip]
Have you noticed that your external display doesn’t look right when using it with a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? Is it far too warm, like everything is coated in orange? It’s a common problem, but there’s an easy way to fix it.
Find out how in today’s pro tip.
Stop Group FaceTime from moving people around during calls [Pro tip]
One of the improvements you’ll find inside Apple’s new iOS 13.5 update, rolled out earlier on Wednesday, is the ability to stop people from getting larger or moving around the screen during Group FaceTime calls.
Here’s how to take advantage of it.
Change your Apple Watch Move goal to stay fit during lockdown [Pro tip]
You might need to exercise a little more if you hope to stay fit while stuck at home for most of the day during a global pandemic. Give yourself a little push by increasing your Move goal on Apple Watch.
It’s easy to do, and if you’re one of the many Apple Watch owners who likes to complete their Move goal every day, it will help you burn a few additional calories to make up for spending most of the day on the couch.
Play Fortnite at a super-smooth 120Hz on iPad Pro [Pro tip]
Did you know that Apple’s latest iPad Pro models can play Fortnite even better than dedicated game consoles? Get an edge in your Battle Royale matches by upgrading to a super-speedy 120 frames-per-second.
Pro tip: Snap screenshots on Apple Watch with a simple settings change
Did you know that it’s possible to capture Apple Watch screenshots after a simple settings change? Find out how in today’s pro tip and it’ll be easier than ever to share snaps of your favorite Apple Watch apps and watch face setups.
Pro tip: Turn iPhone’s keyboard into a trackpad for easy text editing
Fixing typos and other errors while typing on iPhone can be frustrating if you’re still stabbing away at the screen with your fingertips. Instead, turn iPhone’s keyboard into a trackpad for more precise cursor placement.
Find out how in today’s pro tip.
Pro tip: Add a second fingerprint and customize Touch ID on Mac
Touch ID is a wonderful addition to the Mac that makes logging in, downloading apps, and authorizing purchases easier than ever. Make it even more useful by adding an additional fingerprint and customizing your preferences.
Pro tip: Snap a screenshot of your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar
Snapping a screenshot of your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar can be useful for so many things, and it couldn’t be easier to do. All you need is a simple keyboard shortcut … and at least a couple of fingers.
Pro tip: Swipe to create nested lists in Notes on iOS
Using nested lists is a terrific way to organize your plans and thoughts inside the Notes app, and it’s super-simple to create them on iPhone and iPad using this quick pro tip. All you need is to get your swipe on.
Pro tip: Easily add an Escape key to iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard
$299 won’t get you much in an Apple Store these days. It won’t even buy you an Escape key with your iPad Pro Magic Keyboard. But if you’re finding life a little difficult without one, there is a quick and easy way to add your own.
Today’s pro tip will show you how.
Pro tip: Skip Face ID for faster iPhone unlocks while wearing a mask
You shouldn’t have to deal with the frustration of unlocking your iPhone with Face ID when you’re wearing a mask. And you don’t have to. This simple pro tip shows you how to skip Face ID and quickly unlock with a passcode instead.
Pro tip: Adjust mouse and trackpad scroll speed in iPadOS
Apple’s default mouse and trackpad settings in iPadOS might work great with the company’s own accessories, but they can be less than ideal with third-party peripherals. Scroll speed, in particular, seems very temperamental.
Unfortunately, Apple decided it would be a good idea to hide away those scroll speed settings, so a lot of users have no idea they can be adjusted. Here’s where you can find them on iPad.
This one trick will make the Apple News app way better
Ever since its launch, people have mostly been dismissive about Apple News on iPhone, iPad and Mac. One big reason is the way it interacts with links on the web, boxing users into the News app instead of letting them visit the open web.
For me, that’s actually a pretty desirable thing, because I really like the News app. It’s much cleaner-looking than many ad-bloated websites, and far less emotional and combative than getting your news on social media.
But making the News app show you the things you care about, with less clutter and noise, requires one simple trick.
Pro Tip: Your Apple USB-C headphone adapter works anywhere
If you own a 2018 iPad Pro, you probably also bought Apple’s USB-C-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter, just so you can plug headphones into your $1,000-plus computer. But what if you want to do something totally crazy like, I don’t know, listen to music and charge the iPad at the same time? Or, given that this a pro machine, maybe you want to hook up a MIDI piano keyboard, or other gear, and use headphones at the same time?
Tough luck, right? No! If you have any old USB-C hub or dock, you can plug Apple’s cheap little dongle into the hub itself. Check it out.
Access your App Store updates from the iOS 13 Home screen [Pro Tip]
iOS 13 did away with the old Updates tab in the App Store, and replaced it with Apple Arcade. That’s pretty bad news if you don’t want to use Apple Arcade. But on the plus side, you can access your app updates from the Home screen using 3D Touch. And the good news is that, in iOS 13, you can also use this trick on the iPad.
iOS 13 Safari stops you from opening the same site twice
Did you ever type in a URL, only to find later that you already had that site open in another Safari tab? Well, never again, because in iOS 13, Safari will prompt you to open that original tab instead.
Roll your own USB-C-to-Lightning cable today [Pro Tip]
The USB-C iPad Pro can charge your iPhone, but you have to buy one of Apple’s expensive USB-C to Lightning cables. Or do you?
With a USB-C-to-microUSB cable, and the right little adapter, you can make your own, today.
Pro Tip: This to-do list hack turns your tasks into questions
How many times have you stared at the same list of stale tasks on your to-do list? I have whole sections that have been there so long they’ve become invisible to me —- just like the sign in by bathroom telling guests to sit down to pee has become invisible to certain of my antisocial visitors.
Now, today’s tip isn’t going to help you to finish off those lingering tasks. You may as well just delete them, because you’re never, ever going to complete them. But it might help you rescue newly added tasks from the same stagnant fate. It’s called the “question mark to-do list trick”, and so far it’s working for me.
Pro Tip: How to reveal the Files sidebar in portrait view
This is a simple tip, but until I worked it out it was driving me crazy. In landscape orientation, the iPad Files app’s sidebar is always present, making it easy to get to any favorite folder, location or label, pretty much instantly.
In portrait, though, the sidebar disappears. However, there are two easy ways to make it come back, neither of which involves tapping the back arrow until you arrive at the root level of iCloud Drive.
Yes, you can use the 2018 iPad Pro as a fridge magnet
The new 2018 iPad Pro has a lot of magnets inside. There are around 90 of them on the back of it alone, just to stick it to the Smart Keyboard Folio or the ridiculously priced new Smart Folio cover, according to tests done by Pocket Lint. But those magnets are also great for sticking the iPad Pro to a refrigerator door like a giant fridge magnet.
Pro Tip: How to activate Tweetbot 5’s hidden themes
Tweetbot 5 for iOS adds some nice modern features, including a dark theme that looks great on OLED screens. There’s also an awful, creepy new icon.
But that’s not why we’re here today. The iPhone’s best Twitter app also packs a whole bunch of secret, hidden themes for you to choose from. Here’s how to activate them.
Pro Tip: Make Siri STFU for once
Despite its many flaws, Siri is still useful for lots of tasks: Setting a coffee timer, adding a reminder, looking up a fact. But what I almost never want is Siri’s voice feedback.
Usually I’m looking at my iPhone when I use Siri, and I don’t use Hey Siri ever. What I want is to ask Siri a question, and have it answer, without all the usual smart-mouthed nonsense. Thankfully, there’s one setting that does just that: Mute Siri.
Pro Tip: Instant Markup gets way better in iOS 12
iOS 12 doesn’t really have any huge new standout features. It’s more a collection of really solid improvements to iOS 11. It sounds odd to say that my favorite new feature is Do Not Disturb during Bedtime, but it’s made a big difference in how I use my iPhone.
Likewise with today’s Pro Tip. iOS markup for screenshots, PDFs and Photos was already good, but new options for the pen tools make it great.
Pro Tip: How to type the Apple logo on iPhone, Mac and iPad
It’s pretty easy to type the Apple logo on any of your Apple devices, although it’s easier on some (like the Mac) than on others (like Apple TV). Below is a quick list that lays out exactly how to type the Apple logo on any Apple device.