How Tos

Google's Chrome browser has long been criticized for being a system resource hog, which is why Chromium developers have been busy working on ways to free up memory and keep things running smoothly when users have multiple windows and tabs open. The latest effort in that regard comes in the form of Memory Saver, a new feature that deactivates open tabs you haven't used in a while so that the...

In January 2023, Apple released a HomePod 16.3 software update that adds the ability to set up recurring automations with your voice on second-generation ‌HomePod‌ and HomePod mini models. This article explains how to use them. Thanks to iOS 16.3 and the ‌HomePod‌ 16.3 software update, it's now possible to set up recurring Apple Home automations using Siri on the second-generation ‌HomePod‌ and...

In January 2023, Apple released a HomePod 16.3 software update that adds humidity and temperature sensing to the second-generation ‌HomePod‌ and all HomePod mini models. This article explains how to use the features. In January 2023, Apple announced a second-generation full-size ‌HomePod‌ featuring temperature and humidity sensors that can be used to measure the indoor climate, but it also...

In macOS, a handy option called "Show recent applications in Dock" (found in System Settings -> Desktop & Dock) adds a divider to the right-hand side of your Mac's Dock and after it displays any apps you recently used that aren't permanently docked. By default, this option only shows the three most recently used apps that have since been closed. However, there is a way to make it show more, ...

If you're a Mac user with a Windows PC background, you'll probably know how to use the typical copy and paste commands in macOS. But there's a handy clipboard trick that's worth keeping in mind. In Windows, the Copy and Paste key combinations are Control-C and Control-V, respectively. On the Mac, it's very similar – all you do is use the Command (⌘) key instead of Control. But did you...

In iOS 16, Apple has added a new voice command that lets you use Siri to restart your iPhone. Here's how it works. Typically when you want to restart your ‌iPhone‌ for whatever reason, you have to perform a button press combination to do so. In ‌iOS 16‌, however, you can use a ‌Siri‌ voice command, which makes things easier if you don't have both hands free. For the ‌Siri‌ command to work without ...

In macOS Ventura, Apple's stock Mail app allows you to retrieve emails sent in error, but only for a certain time after you click send. The default delay is 10 seconds, but you can change this to be longer. Keep reading to learn how. If for some reason you regret sending a message immediately after you have pressed Send, Apple's Mail app lets you retract the email so that it doesn't arrive...

In macOS, System Information is a useful utility that provides you with a system report containing detailed information about your Mac, including the hardware that's connected to it, network connections, and your computer's software. System Information is particularly handy if you're troubleshooting your Mac. Before you buy new hardware or software, you can also make sure it will work with...

This article explains how to stop the Dynamic Island and red recording indicator from appearing in video captured on iPhone 14 Pro models using the screen recording feature. Keep reading to learn how it's done. On iPhone, Apple's screen recording feature records a video of what you're doing on your screen, which is great if you want to capture gameplay, walk someone through a tutorial in an...

Whenever you have external drives connected or volumes mounted on your Mac, by default macOS displays them as icons on your desktop. If you'd rather not see these drives on the desktop, there's a setting you can change in macOS that will hide them. With the setting enabled, the drives will not appear on your desktop, providing you with a more minimalist visual experience, and you'll still be ...

In late January 2023, Apple released a HomePod 16.3 software update that adds humidity and temperature sensing to the second-generation ‌HomePod‌ and all HomePod mini models. This article explains how the features work and what you can do with them. Apple's new second-generation ‌HomePod‌ features temperature and humidity sensors that can be used to measure the indoor climate. But that's not...

Sometimes the Apple TV Remote or Siri Remote can become unresponsive or lose its connection to the ‌Apple TV‌ for no obvious reason. This article outlines what you can try to get it working again. Usually when the remote that comes with Apple's set-top box stops functioning properly, it's either due to a hardware fault and the remote needs replacing, or the battery just needs recharging via...

In macOS Ventura, the way you schedule your Mac to shut down or reboot has changed. Keep reading to learn how to schedule power management using Apple's latest Mac operating system. Scheduling your Mac to sleep, wake, or reboot can be useful for a number of reasons. Maybe you prefer your Mac to turn itself off at the end of the day so you don't have to. Or perhaps you like to reboot once a...

All modern Macs with Apple silicon feature a built-in recovery system called macOS Recovery that includes various utilities that can be accessed before your Mac boots up the operating system. This article explains what apps are available in macOS Recovery and how to use it. With macOS Recovery, you can perform several troubleshooting related actions on your Mac if it isn't functioning as it...

In macOS Ventura, Apple has brought some notable improvements to the Photos app, one of which is the ability to copy edits you make to an image and then paste them to other pictures. Keep reading to learn how it's done. If you have multiple photos that you want to edit in the same way, or if you've made changes to one photo that you want to replicate in another photo, you can use the new...

With the release of iOS 16.2, Apple has added an extra level of customization to Live Activities with an option for more frequent updates. Keep reading to learn how it works. Introduced in iOS 16, Live Activities are lingering interactive notifications that stay up to date, allowing you to keep an eye on things happening in real time right from the Lock Screen. If you're following a sports...

When Apple introduced its paid-for iCloud+ service with iOS 15, it included a new security feature called ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay, which is designed to encrypt all of the traffic leaving your device so no one can intercept it or read it. Private Relay sends web traffic to a server that is maintained by Apple in order to strip the IP address. Once IP info has been removed, Apple sends the...

With the release of iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2, Apple is introducing Advanced Protection for iCloud, which uses end-to-end encryption to provide Apple's highest level of cloud data security yet. Here's everything you need to know about enabling it on your devices. The new security feature ensures users will have the choice to further protect their important iCloud data, including iCloud Backup, ...

With the release of iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and tvOS 16.2, Apple is introducing Apple Music Sing, a new Karaoke experience for ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers that lets users sing along to their favorite songs by adjusting the volume of the vocals in tracks. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV 4K (2022), ‌Apple Music‌ Sing works with ‌Apple Music‌'s real-time lyrics feature, and gives you control...

In iOS, it's possible to return missed calls directly from the iPhone Lock Screen. This article explains why you might want to disable access to this feature, and how to go about it. In early versions of Apple's mobile operating system, all a user could access on their ‌‌iPhone‌‌'s Lock Screen was the time, date, any notifications, and the camera and flashlight functions. To do anything...