⚠️ iPhone alert: Data experts say you should update to iOS 18.5 ASAP to patch a nasty bug. Hackers could access your personal files just by sending you a malicious image. If you’ve got an iPhone XS or newer, go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap Download and Install. Don’t wait!
Disable Microsoft ads: Windows loves promoting its own services. To turn it off, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows permissions > General, and toggle off all five options. Then go to Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings, and untick Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.
🎧 Spotify sounding flat? On mobile, it might default to lower audio quality to save data. On iOS, go to Settings and privacy > Audio Quality and set it to High. On Android, go to Settings and privacy > Media Quality and set it to High. If you have Premium, there’s also a Very High option. One great option that always sounds great is my show, IMHO.
👆 Search your PC in seconds: Press Windows key + S and start typing. You can pull up apps, files, system settings and web results in seconds. No more clicking around or digging through menus.
📱 Android app fix: If an app keeps crashing or acting up, try clearing its cache. Go to Settings > Apps, pick the app, then tap Storage & cache (or Storage) and hit Clear cache. Very important: Don’t select Clear data. It will delete your settings, log you out and reset the app to default.
Jump to Mac settings fast: Don’t feel like digging through menus? Just right-click the System Settings icon in your Dock to get an alphabetical list of options. Click what you need and go straight there. Bonus: Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, then type the setting you’re after.
Using Windows at night? That blue screen glow can hurt your eyes and mess with your sleep. Night Light adds a warm tint that feels gentler as you wind down. Go to Settings > System > Display > Night Light to turn it on. You can also adjust the Strength, and Schedule it to switch on automatically.
💬 Add and view Instagram captions: Want auto-captions on your story? Tap the (+) icon, upload your video, then tap the Stickers icon and select Captions. To see captions on other people’s stories and reels, go to your Profile > Menu > Settings and activity > Accessibility > Captions, then toggle on Always show closed captions.
🖥️ Clear taskbar clutter on Windows 11: You can remove most apps by right-clicking them and choosing Unpin from taskbar. But some, like Widgets and Chat, need extra steps. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and toggle them off under Taskbar items. Finally, room for the stuff you actually use.
Better iPhone videos: Head to Settings > Camera > Record Video and pick 4K at 60 fps. Then go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose High Efficiency. For better framing, go to Camera > Composition and turn on Grid and Level. Your shots will look way better.
⚙️ Don’t reinstall Windows: Wiping everything can fix performance issues, but there’s a smarter way. Just reset without losing your personal stuff. Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC, then choose Keep my files. It’ll remove apps and settings but keep your docs and photos. PSA: Always back up first, just in case.
📱 For your phone: Swipe down on your home screen to open quick settings like Bluetooth, Airplane mode and Do Not Disturb. Even better, you can customize what’s there. On Android, hit the pencil icon. On iPhone, head to Settings > Control Center.
I set this up and love it! Now, you can use your iPhone right on your Mac with macOS Sequoia 15 and iOS 18. Just make sure they’re near each other, signed into the same Apple ID and updated. Look for iPhone Mirroring in your Dock or go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity > iPhone Mirroring to turn it on.
📁 Free up space: Try clearing your temporary files on your Windows PC. Go to Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files, select what you don’t need and click Remove files. You might get a few GBs back. Then, check your Downloads folder: There might be something in there you want to keep.
🎮 Game lagging? Let’s fix that with a few tweaks. Head to your TV’s picture settings and turn on Game Mode. Then, turn off any “reduction” settings like noise or MPEG reduction. Finally, switch off motion enhancement or clarity settings (names vary by brand), so your button presses register right away.
📨 Faster email flow: Speed through your inbox with Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts. Go to Settings > See all settings > General, check Keyboard shortcuts on, then hit Save Changes at the bottom. Need the full list of shortcuts? Press Shift + ? while you’re in Gmail.
💻 Speed up an old PC: Windows 11’s animations and 3D effects can slow down your graphics card. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn off Transparency effects and Animation effects. Your desktop won’t look as fancy, but your computer will run faster. Not a bad trade-off.
Swipe for screenshots: On a Samsung Galaxy, there’s a quicker way to capture your screen without pressing buttons. Go to Settings > Advanced features > Motion and gestures > Palm swipe to capture. Turn it on, and now swiping your hand left or right across the screen will take a screenshot instantly.
Hide new apps: To ease up on new apps crowding your iPad’s Home Screen, go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library > Newly Downloaded Apps and select App Library Only. Then, toggle on Show App Library in Dock. Next time you open the dock, you’ll see the App Library icon in the bottom-right corner.