Finally! The rumor mill has been buzzing about Apple AirTags since 2019, and their announcement at the 'Spring Loaded' Apple Event was long overdue. These small puck-like tracking devices allow you to attach them to valuables to help locate lost items. AirTags utilize Bluetooth connectivity and operate using the Find My app. But with many other popular tracking devices on the market, the question is: how do Apple AirTags measure up against their competitors?
By Tamlin Day
Whether you want to let someone else use your Netflix account or log into a website to view shopping lists, sharing a password can be a real pain. But you don't have to type and text the password! We'll show you how to easily and securely share a password with another iPhone user via AirDrop. Let's get started.
By Conner Carey
A passcode on an Apple Watch works a bit differently than a passcode on an iPhone. On an iPhone, you have to enter the code or use Face ID or Touch ID every time the screen turns off. But it would be super annoying if you had to enter the password on your Apple Watch each time you lifted your wrist—no one would use one if that were the case. A passcode on an Apple Watch is only asked for when your Apple Watch restarts and when you’ve removed the watch from your wrist and put it back on. That’s why this Apple Watch feature is an effective privacy measure, and not so inconvenient that users won’t bother setting a passcode. Here's how to set a passcode on your Apple Watch.
By Conner Carey
Your iPhone contains precious memories and sensitive information that can be protected with a password. Apple has default six-digit passcodes on newer iPads and iPhones for better iPhone security, but not everyone wants to enter a longer iPhone passcode, while others want to add an even stronger passcode. I will teach you how to change your iPhone passcode in a few simple steps!
Apple Maps has historically shown areas of slow or stopped traffic, but now it also supports crowdsourced traffic, speed trap, and incident reporting. Whether you're a driver or passenger, we'll show you how to take advantage of these new features!
By Cullen Thomas
The Best VPN apps for iPhones and iPads can be difficult to choose. Between looking for VPN apps that don’t track you, that provide good server coverage, good customer service, and all the different features, there is a lot to check up on. We’ve written before about what a VPN is and what to look for when shopping for a VPN, but here we’ll list our favorite VPN apps, with a special emphasis on ease of use and simplicity rather than feature bloat.
By Todd Bernhard
Looking to learn how to open a private tab in Safari? Private browsing mode allows you browse the internet without your device logging your page history or storing cookies. We'll cover how to enable and disable private browsing in Safari.
By August Garry
Apple’s new AirTag is a device that helps you find those important items you’re always misplacing. You can attach one to your keys, purse, backpack, or even the elusive remote (with the help of some adhesive) and use the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad to locate it. Here, I’ll share my experiences with the AirTag, warts and all, after two weeks of hands-on testing.
By Leanne Hays
Apple's Photos app lets you photo search based on location, as well as with multiple search terms. Now, instead of scrolling through vacation pictures looking for the photos you took in a specific place, you can just search for that area, and all the pictures from that location will pop right up! Let's get started learning how to use this iPhone Photos search feature right now.
By Sarah Kingsbury
Apple prides itself on making everything on its devices intuitive. So you could probably figure out how to make an emergency call on a locked iPhone pretty quickly. But do you want to take even those precious moments to do so in a real emergency? Why not learn how ahead of time? Read on to learn how to make an emergency call and how to activate emergency SOS on your model iPhone.
You want your Mac to be in great shape before you sell it or give it away, so you'll need to know how to restore a Mac to factory settings (including how to reinstall macOS afterward), plus a few other important skills. Follow these simple steps to help you get top dollar for your old device and ensure your private data isn’t accessible to the new owner.
By Amy Spitzfaden Both
We all know the convenience of all our passwords being stored in Apple Keychain. However, many of us also know the frustration of using our non-Apple devices and no longer having access to those passwords. Fortunately, there is now an extension for Chrome that lets you link your iCloud keychain to your Google browser, so you can keep all your passwords securely in one place. Let's learn how to do it.
By Cullen Thomas
Apple has written the word Privacy on a flag, tied its brand to that flag, and charged with it into new territory. The June 7 keynote address at Apple’s 2021 developers conference wove privacy and security updates into every app and service, but there are a few stand-out features. Here are the most exciting privacy features coming soon with iOS 15 and the rest of Apple's new operating systems.
Having a recent iPhone backup can prevent the loss of important data in the event your device is ever stolen or destroyed. To keep that stored data secure, it's important to encrypt the backup. In fact, some things, such as your passwords, Health app data, and Wi-Fi settings, can’t be backed up unless the backup is encrypted.
By August Garry
Have you signed up for any websites or apps using Sign up with Apple? It can be a safe way to make signing into many different accounts quick and easy. But what happens when you decide you’d rather divorce those accounts from your Apple ID and manage them separately? Or maybe you’ve simply changed email addresses and no longer want to use the email associated with your Apple ID to sign into your accounts. How can you keep the accounts and content you’ve been using but sign in with a different email? Well, it's not entirely straightfoward, but you do have a couple of options, depending on what you want to accomplish. We’ll go over these options below.
By Conner Carey
When you allow Siri to be accessed from your Lock screen, you may want to consider what Siri is capable of doing without unlocking your device. For example, let’s say you’re in a room with multiple other people. If one of them were to activate Siri when you have Voice Dial turned on, they could tell Siri to call someone without needing your passcode. But if you have Voice Dial turned off, Siri won’t make the call until you enter your iPhone’s passcode. This may or may not be important to you, but it’s good to know what can and cannot be accessed from Lock screen. Here’s how to turn Voice Dial off on iPhone.
By August Garry
Have you noticed a warning in Safari that the website you are browsing is not secure? What does secure mean in this context? In short, Safari is warning you that the website is using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) instead of Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). Websites using HTTPS have encrypted their data, making browsing their site and especially entering any sensitive information, such as login credentials or payment information, much safer for you. Here is what to do if you see this warning while browsing Safari on your iPhone.
By Amy Spitzfaden Both
Touch ID allows you to unlock your computer using your fingerprint, creating an additional level of security for your device. You may be familiar with Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad, but it is also available on the MacBook Pro and MacBook air. Here is how to create a MacBook fingerprint for your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air Touch ID.
A cool feature in the Photos app is the geolocation tool. Let’s say you took a vacation to Mexico. You can look at a photo on a map and see all your other pictures from that trip grouped by the different places you visited. Here’s how to view photos by location on a map with the iPhone or iPad.
If you've set up Screen Time on an iPhone or iPad for your child and have blocked or limited social media and other apps, those apps' services may still be accessible via their URL websites, providing kids with a way to get around your parental controls. Here's how to block a website on Safari, Chrome, or any browser on an iPhone or iPad. Whether it's Facebook, YouTube, or any other website that's too mature for your kids, you'll be able to fully block an app's website and not worry about kids finding a way to use them. This tip can also be used by adults who are trying to limit their own social media use, or don't want adult content unexpectedly popping up on their devices.
