• January 23, 2025

    Mail on the iPhone Can Categorize Your Messages in iOS 18.2

    Apple slipped a significant new feature into Mail in iOS 18.2 that has nothing to do with Apple Intelligence: Categories. Like Gmail and other email apps, Mail can now automatically categorize messages into four buckets: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. The idea is that categories make it easier to pay attention to important messages while collecting other messages for later proc... Read more
  • January 21, 2025

    Improve Your Hearing with the AirPods Pro 2 and iOS 18

    For many, Apple’s AirPods are just another pair of earbuds: a convenient way to listen to media. But with the latest versions of iOS and automatically applied firmware updates, the AirPods Pro 2 have become significantly more interesting. They have long had noise cancellation features, which we find... Read more
  • January 16, 2025

    What You Can Do with the December Wave of Apple Intelligence Features

    The first set of Apple Intelligence features appeared in macOS, iOS, and iPadOS in October. Apple has now debuted the second set in the December releases of macOS 15.2 Sequoia, iOS 18.2, and... Read more
  • January 14, 2025

    Manage Default Apps in One Place in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2

    An unheralded feature in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 helps you manage the default apps on your iPhone and iPad. A default app is one that opens automatically for a particular function, like opening a Web link or inserting a saved password. Previously, the only way to change a default app was within the settings for that app, but now you can go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps to see and set... Read more
  • January 7, 2025

    Add Weather to Your Mac’s Menu Bar with This Sequoia Tip

    In macOS 15.2 Sequoia, Apple added the option to display the current weather conditions in the menu bar but hid the switch deep in the bowels of System Settings. To turn this option on, open System Settings > Control Center, scroll to the bottom, and in the Menu Bar Only section, for Weather, choose Show in Menu Bar. A new item with the current conditions at your location will appear in the ... Read more
  • January 3, 2025

    Text Replacements Not Working on the Mac? Check This Setting

    Apple provides a handy ecosystem-wide feature that replaces a typed abbreviation—say “eml”—with text you specify, like your email address. (Seriously, copy that one so you don’t have to type your email address repeatedly.) These automatic text replacements sync via iCloud so you can use them on the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Find them on the Mac in System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacemen... Read more
  • December 19, 2024

    Safari 18 Adds Highlights, Distraction Control, Redesigned Reader, and Video Viewer

    Alongside this year’s crop of operating systems comes Safari 18, the latest version of Apple’s Web browser. Most of what you do in Safari depends on the websites you use, of course, but Apple has added a handful of features aimed at improving your overall browsing experience, including Highlights, Distraction Control, a redesigned Reader, and Video Viewer. We’ll focus on the Mac with macOS 1... Read more
  • December 5, 2024

    In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Quickly Turn Home Screen App Icons into Widgets

    Widgets on the iPhone or iPad Home Screen are enhanced versions of app icons that display extra information. You can now bypass the complicated widget creation process and experiment with widgets more easily. No longer do you have to edit the Home Screen, tap the Edit button, tap Add Widget, choose a widget from the full set of choices, and position it as desired. Instead, touch and hold an app... Read more
  • December 3, 2024

    How to Train Yourself to Use the iPhone 16’s New Camera Control Button

    If you are accustomed to opening the Camera app on your iPhone by tapping its Home Screen app icon or Lock Screen widget icon, you may find it challenging to remember to use the new Camera Control button on the side of an iPhone 16. That button is a big win for easy access... Read more
  • October 24, 2024

    Setting Up and Managing iCloud+ Storage

    Apple’s online iCloud storage underpins many of the company’s services, including iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive, iCloud Backup (for iPhones and iPads), iCloud Mail, and Messages in iCloud. Numerous independent apps also rely on iCloud storage to sync data between devices. Apple gives everyone 5 GB of storage for free, which is enough for core services, like iCloud Keychain, and to try the othe... Read more