👨💻 Learn these if you have a Mac: Hit Cmd + W to close a window and Cmd + Q to quit an app. Now, use all that time I just saved you to tell someone how much Kim Komando helps you. (Shameless, I know.)
🍎 For the Apple household: You can switch your music (or podcast or whatever) from your iPhone to your HomePod. Just hold your phone near the top of the speaker. If it doesn’t work, open your iPhone’s Settings, then pick General > AirPlay & Handoff and enable Transfer to HomePod.
Update your iPhone: iOS 18.0.1 fixes bugs and patches a few security vulnerabilities. One is in the Passwords app, so don’t wait! Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Install Now.
Get out and stay out: For security reasons, don’t let sensitive files sit around on your desktop. On a Mac, select the file in a new Finder window. Open the File menu, hold down Option, then click Delete Immediately.
Make your Mac’s mouse pointer larger: Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions). In the settings window, select Accessibility, click on Display and then choose Pointer. You’ll see a Pointer Size slider. Adjust it to make the pointer larger. Tomorrow, how to do this on Windows.
Don’t get lost: Here’s a fast, easy tip if you use a Mac. Quickly jiggle your mouse (or swipe across your trackpad) to increase your cursor size. It’s so very handy when you lose sight of it.
🤐 Respectfully, be quiet already: You remembered to mute your phone, but now, your Apple Watch is buzzing every 10 seconds. Open Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb > Add New to activate or set up a schedule.
⏳ When your kid (or someone else) is using your iPad: Lock an app to keep them off limits. Open Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode. Follow the instructions to set it up. Now, go to App Limits > Add Limit, choose the app, then tap Next > 1 min > Add. Use the app for one minute, then hit Ask for More Time > One More Minute. After the time runs out, the app is locked.
iPad modes to get more done: Split view lets you open two apps side by side. To try it, drag an app to the left or right side of the screen. Watching a video? Tap the PiP icon (two small rectangles) to minimize it into a corner of your screen.
Nosy, nosy: With iOS 18, you can now bring up a list of all apps with access to your contacts. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Contacts. Here, you’ll see a list of apps. Tap Limited Access for any that shouldn’t get every little detail.
Stop the snooze: No one needs an hour of snoozin’. Instead of relying on self-control, disable the option altogether on your iPhone. All you need to do is tap on an alarm in the Clock app. Toggle off the Snooze option. Rise and shine!
A remote you won’t lose: The latest OS for the Apple Watch, watchOS 11, got a snazzy upgrade people who lose the TV remote often are sure to love. With watchOS 11, you can turn the Digital Crown on your smartwatch to control the volume, and you can tap the three-dot menu button to mute or unmute and power your Apple TV on or off.
My favorite way to scan on iPhone: Use the Notes app. Pro tip: Choose the option to Scan Documents instead of Take Photo or Video. This keeps your phone from putting a duplicate copy in your Photos app. Less clutter that way!
Rich Communication Services: RCS is the new texting standard replacing plain ol’ SMS. It’s built into Apple’s iOS 18 and makes texting your Android pals a lot better. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages. Scroll down, and if you don’t see the RCS option, it means your carrier likely isn’t supporting it yet.
What the heck does “xiphoid” mean? Sweet iPad trick for you: Next time you read a word that stumps ya, press and hold down on it, then select Look Up for the definition. Works on a Kindle, too!
🍎 Three shortcuts for Macs:
- Ctrl + Cmd + spacebar: Opens the emoji picker.
- Cmd + Shift + 5: Opens the screenshot tool for capturing the entire screen, a window or a selected portion. You can also record your screen from this menu.
- Cmd + Opt + Esc: Opens the force-quit menu.
👍 Quick iPad upgrade: Go to Settings > General > Keyboard, then enable Split Keyboard. Long-press the keyboard key at the bottom right, slide your finger to Split and release. Now you can type with your thumbs! To return to normal, long-press the keyboard key, slide your finger to Merge and release.
You’re too close: Holding your phone too close to your face puts extra strain on your eyes. On iPhones, you can get a friendly warning. Open Settings > Screen time and toggle on Screen distance. Pro tip: If your text is too small, fix that under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
🛑 Stop, thief! If someone gets your iPhone, they can disable Find My in the Control Center. Be smart and make it so they can’t. Go to Settings > ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode if you’re using an older model with a home button). Enter your passcode, scroll to Allow Access When Locked, and toggle off the Control Center option.
✏️ Whiteout: Those white Apple charging cords get so dirty. Here’s a secret for removing the black streaks: Use a pencil eraser. Yep, it’ll buff them right off. Oh, and I finally hung up all my pencil drawings, but I’m afraid it makes my house look kinda sketchy.