💃 Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay are here: Show off (or shake your head in embarrassment at) your most-listened tunes of the year. For Wrapped, open Spotify on your phone or computer, then click the Wrapped tab at the top of the home page. For Replay, open the Apple Music app, and a slideshow will automatically pop up. On desktop, go to replay.music.apple.com.
10 bad iPhone default settings you should change today
Your devices come preloaded with settings and apps that can slow things down. This is especially true with new PCs, which have many programs that start automatically as soon as you boot it up.
Tech companies embed default settings into our devices that supposedly make our lives easier, but they often cause more problems than they are worth. Here are 10 default iPhone settings you should switch off.
Let’s get started
Your iPhone has many configurable settings, some of which make life easier. Others control apps or features you never use. And others still are not worth the battery drain.
Apple technically asks you to opt-in to some settings when you set up a new iPhone, but you might miss these steps in your excitement to get your phone up and running.
RELATED: Google Maps and Apple Maps: 10 hidden settings you’ll use all the time
We can usually opt out or disable these settings, but it’s not always easy. Well, we’re here to change that. Here are 10 settings to adjust ASAP.
1. System Services
Many apps or services use your location when they don’t need to. While some need this data to work to their full potential, others can be turned off without any noticeable effect on your experience.
If you don’t use HomeKit or Apple Pay, for example, you can turn off System Services for these features.
Here’s how to switch off System Services:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Locations Services and scroll down to System Services. Tap it and go through the list.
- Settings like Cell Network Search, Networking & Wireless and Setting Time Zone don’t need to be on unless you’re traveling to a different country.
- If you’re not using Homekit, turn that off too.
Hidden iPhone timer turns off music or podcasts after you fall asleep
Sleep doesn’t come as easy for some as it does for others. While the National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get between seven and nine hours of shuteye a night, that’s often impossible.
You could try this military sleep hack to help you fall asleep in two minutes. Tap or click here to see a viral video that includes a tip to help you get some much-needed rest.
💿 Guess we’ll never see “Biggest Hits (Taylor’s Version)”: In the late ’90s, compilations were hot — The Beatles’ “1,” for instance, sold 7.69 million copies in just 12 months (paywall link). Now, vinyl and CD collections are novelty items for superfans. Open Spotify or Apple Music, and you’ve got instant playlists of any artist’s top tracks.
How to get the new and improved Windows Media Player
If you have been around computers for a while, there is a good chance that Windows Media Player was your preferred application for music listening. Everybody has now shifted towards streaming, and you can even see your most-played songs of the year in Spotify and Apple Music.
How to see your most-played songs of the year in Spotify and Apple Music
Tons of songs come out every year, and nowadays, we can listen to most of them through streaming services on our phones. Apps like Apple Music and Spotify make it easy to collect as much music as you want and play it whenever you feel the mood hit. Tap or click here for the nine best free sites and apps to stream music.
🎶 Don’t stop the music: Download your jams for your road trip so they don’t cut out mid-sing-along when your phone has no signal. On Spotify, look for download (down arrow icon) next to one of your playlists. FYI, only Premium subscribers can download music, and you can’t grab individual songs. On Apple Music, click the + (plus icon on the right) to add to your library, then hit download (down arrow) to listen offline.
🎶 I’m B-side myself: Make a playlist with your fam so you’re not bickering over the music. For Spotify, open the app, then head to Your Library and select the playlist. Tap the three dots in the top right > Share to send it. In Apple Music, go to Library > Playlists > three dots (upper right) > Share Playlist.
🌊 Stream on: Make your music flow more smoothly with crossfade. This forces your songs to transition from one into the next instead of ending abruptly, pausing and starting the next track. On Spotify, go to Settings > Playback > Crossfade. In Apple Music, head to Settings > Apple Music > Crossfade.
4 ways to create and share music playlists with friends and family
Just like food, music is best enjoyed with other people. That’s why playlists are such a great way to connect with others. You can bond over your favorite songs and even develop your skills as a disc jockey.
When you’re trying to put together the perfect playlist, you might forget a specific song’s name. Luckily, you can just hum a few bars of the melody and let tech do the rest. That’s right: Google lets you search for music by humming — and you don’t have to be a good singer for it to work.
Tech how-to: Identify any song using your phone
We’re sure that there have been many instances where you hear a song that pique’s your interest but don’t know who the artist is. You want to add the tune to your playlist but can’t figure out what song it is.
Luckily, technology is here to help, allowing you to identify songs quickly and easily by only using your smartphone. SoundHound has been one of the most-used apps to do that since its founding in 2005. Tap or click here to see where Spotify beats Apple Music – and where it doesn’t.
Apple announces new AirPods, MacBooks – Specs and how to order
It seems we can’t go a month without a Big Tech company making a big announcement. Whether it’s software, smart gadgets and toys or new tips and tricks, they want the world to know their latest and greatest innovations.
If your iPhone battery is dying faster, there's one app to blame
It has been a bit of a rough time for Apple and those on the iOS maintenance team. The new iOS 15 has been out for only a short time and several problems have already made headlines.
One recently reported problem turned out to not be a flaw with the operating system, but normal behavior for new software. Tap or click here for an iOS 15 flaw that could put your data at risk.
Can you hear me now? Apple will fix iPhones with sound issues
You may have experienced high-end audio at a movie theater or music festival. Think about sounds coming from different directions. The right settings can make a few speakers sound like a dozen speakers with a small home setup.
Update alert: iPad and Mac bug fixes and new features
In a bit of an unusual move, Apple delayed the release of the latest versions of iPadOS and macOS. Apple devices generally get updated at the same time, but when it released patches for iOS and watchOS recently, the iPad and Mac machines were left out.
Apple Music is getting some big upgrades - for free
Been singing along to your favorite tunes on Apple Music? Maybe you are one of the millions of listeners who propelled Due Lipa’s Levitating to the top of the charts. Whatever your preference of music style or artist, the platform is getting a big update soon.
Here's why you shouldn't buy an Amazon Echo right now
Virtual assistants will revolutionize your home and you’ll wonder how you ever managed to get through your day without one. If you don’t have a smart speaker yet, you might be surprised to find out just how much they can actually do.
Tech how-to: 5 useful tricks to try with iPhone's Shortcuts app
Remember that old Workflow app that came loaded on the iPhone? Probably not — it wasn’t the most popular app by any means.
Well, Workflow may become a bit more popular soon because it’s gotten a major upgrade. These days, Workflow is known as Shortcuts, and it’s a really useful productivity app. Need help managing your to-do list? These apps will help.
Use this trick to find anything you want to watch on Apple TV
When it comes to Apple’s own digital ecosystem it can be tough to find out how to access the content you want: Is it on the App Store? The iTunes Store? Through Apple TV+? We’re here to cut through the confusion and explain how Apple TVs work.
Apple's new product could be bigger than even the iPhone
Are you excited about the upcoming iPhone 12? The new phone set to debut this fall is anticipated to have an all-new design and cutting-edge features like a quad-lens camera. It may even include 5G, for all we know — but this has yet to be officially confirmed.