Apple v. Everyone: This isn’t surprising news, but you should be aware. Apple tried to block a DOJ antitrust suit saying it rigs the smartphone market, and lost. The case will go to trial, with feds claiming Apple bullies devs, locks out competition and basically gatekeeps iOS. Apple says it’s just “innovation.”
🧼 Smartwatches are gross: A study found 95% of watchbands were contaminated with harmful bacteria like E. coli. Plastic and rubber bands were the grubbiest. If your Apple Watch band’s beyond saving, swap it for a new silicone one. You can get a six-pack in different great colors for under $10.
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Mac multitasking trick: Hold Command (⌘) to use background windows without switching focus. For example, if Safari is in front and Notes is behind it, hold ⌘ and drag a corner of the Notes window to resize it without bringing it forward. You can also select text in the background this way.
Keep your iPad battery healthy: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and toggle on 80% Limit. This caps charging at 80%, which helps reduce wear and extend battery life. Pro tip: If Maximum Capacity is under 100%, it’s already aging.
💬 Mark texts as unread: It’s not just for emails. On iPhone, swipe right on a conversation and tap Mark as Unread (it looks like a speech bubble). On Android, press and hold the convo, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then choose Mark as unread, so you won’t forget to reply later.
🚗 Use your iPhone as a car key: Yep, that’s a thing, and it works with your Apple Watch, too. If you have a compatible vehicle (full list here), you can lock, unlock and even start it. FYI: You’ll need an iPhone XS or Apple Watch Series 5 or newer.
👁️ Look ’em in the eye: On iPhone video calls, eye contact’s tricky since you’re looking at the screen, not the camera. Apple’s Eye Contact feature uses AI to adjust your gaze automatically. Turn it on in Settings > FaceTime > Eye Contact. Cue the staring contest.
🍏 Fix your Mac display: Screen looking too dark, too bright or just a bit off? Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Displays. Under Color profile, click Customize, then hit the + to launch Display Calibrator Assistant. You’ll be guided through adjustments like gamma and white point.
🍏 Stop your iPad from locking too fast: Your screen turning off too quickly can get annoying when you’re reading. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness, then scroll to Auto-Lock. Pick a time that works for you (like 5 minutes), or choose Never to keep the screen on. PSA: Leaving it unlocked means anyone can snoop.
🍏 Auto-launch apps on your Mac: Always opening the same app? Do yourself a favor and set it to open on startup. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login, click the (+) button and choose your app. Bonus: To remove one you’re not using, select it and hit the (–) button.
🎧 Share podcasts from your iPad: Listening to something good and want to send it to a friend? While the episode’s playing, tap the three-dot menu and choose Share Episode. At the top, select From Start or the exact time you want, like From 12:31. Now tap Done, pick how you want to share it and send.
🍏 Turn Spotlight searches into shortcuts: Always using Spotlight on your iPhone to find the same apps? Save yourself the trouble. Just long-press the app in the search results, drag it out and drop it onto your Home Screen. It’s quicker than digging through your App Library every day.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Swipe in with three fingers on your iPad or iPhone from the side to copy/paste or undo/redo. It’s the gesture shortcut pros (and now you) use.
🖼️ Resize images on Mac: Open it in Preview, go to Tools > Adjust Size, then enter your new dimensions under Width and Height. So something like 1920 × 1080 can be scaled down to 1280 × 720. FYI: This replaces the original, so make a copy first.
🍏 iPhone manuals still exist: New iPhones don’t come with printed guides, but you can still find them online. Just go to Apple’s website and look up your model (they’ve got everything from the original iPhone to the latest iPhone 16). You’ll find the user guide, info sheet and even the official repair manual.
📁 Mac save shortcut: Working in Pages and don’t want to dig through folders to save your file? After hitting Command + S, a save window pops up. If you already have a Finder window open where you want to save it, just grab the folder icon in its title bar and drag it into the Save window.
⌨️ Using a keyboard with your iPad? Press and hold the Command key (⌘) to see all the available shortcuts for the app you’re in. Some apps even show tabs at the bottom, so you can swipe through categories. Like in Mail, Command + R lets you quickly reply to a message.
Edit your iPad Mail app menu: Want different options at the top of your emails? Tap the menu button in the top right corner and select Customize Toolbar. Drag functions down to remove them, or drag new ones up (like Mute sender). FYI: You can rearrange the icons from here, too.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Double-click the space bar (on your phone) to instantly add a period and space.
📸 Fix the iPhone Photos app: Yep, the redesigned iOS 18 layout kinda stinks, but you can clean it up. Open the Photos app, scroll to the bottom and tap Customize & Reorder. Untick what you don’t need, then drag the rest into whatever order you want. Nice.