For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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Throughout that time, users have clamored to be able to merge accounts. Apple’s response was to let devices have a primary Apple Account for iCloud and other key features, plus another specifically for Media & Purchases. Others worked around the limitation by adding the second account to a Family Sharing group. That sufficed for most people but was never ideal, and we continue to field questions from people who want to merge the accounts.

It now appears that climate change has caused hell to freeze over, as Apple recently published three support articles detailing how to migrate apps, music, TV shows, books, and other digital purchases from one of your Apple Accounts to another:

• About migrating Apple Account purchases between accounts
• Migrate purchases from one Apple Account to another Apple Account
• Undo a migration of Apple Account purchases between accounts

It’s important to note that migrating purchases from a secondary account to a primary account is not exactly the same as merging them. iCloud data, account balances, and personalized recommendations in Apple’s media apps won’t transfer from the secondary account to the primary, nor will TestFlight betas for those who test apps for developers. Additionally, you will not be able to edit App Store reviews created with your secondary Apple Account after migration. The secondary account doesn’t go away, which also prevents certain other uses.

Normally, we’d tell you how to perform the migration, but because there are so many details and caveats, we recommend that you carefully read and follow Apple’s documentation linked above instead, especially since Apple may update it with new information as the feature gets more use. It explains:

• Why you might want to migrate purchases
• What happens when you migrate purchases
• What doesn’t migrate with your purchases
• What happens to your secondary account after migration
• Who can migrate purchases
• What to do before you migrate purchases
• How to migrate purchases
• What to do after migrating purchases
• Why you might not be able to migrate purchases
• What to do if you decide to undo a migration
• How to undo a migration of purchases
• What happens if you undo a migration of purchases
• What to do after you undo a migration of purchases

We’re happy to walk you through a migration, but if you can’t migrate purchases, you should call Apple Support. The list of reasons why a migration may not work is long and technical, and Apple Support may have access to internal data that will explain the problem.

If you have long chafed at having to maintain multiple Apple Accounts because of a decision you made many years ago, now’s your chance to clean up the mess. Good luck!

Ready to Migrate Your Purchases? Let’s Make It Easy.

Migrating purchases between Apple Accounts is a fantastic new option — but it’s important to follow Apple’s instructions carefully to avoid any issues.

If you’re confident handling it yourself, we encourage you to review Apple’s official guide closely, and feel free to use this blog post as a helpful starting point.

If you’d like expert assistance, the team at MacTech Solutions is here to help! You can stop by our store in Finishing Touch Plaza here in Wichita Falls, give us a call, or visit our website to schedule an appointment — although appointments are never required.

We’re proud to be your trusted local Apple experts, ready to make your tech life easier.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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Social Media: Apple’s built-in text replacement feature expands a short abbreviation you type into something longer, but a simple menu option can prevent it from working in a Mac app. Here’s how to fix it.

The post Text Replacements Not Working on the Mac? Check This Setting first appeared on MacTech Solutions.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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Physically, the iPhone 16e is a cross between the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 16. Its case dimensions match those of the iPhone 14, and it has the older notch design instead of the iPhone 16’s Dynamic Island. However, the iPhone 16e incorporates the iPhone 16’s Action button and uses USB-C.

What the iPhone 16e doesn’t do is replace the third-generation iPhone SE in terms of price or size. At $599, it’s $170 more than the 64 GB iPhone SE and $120 more than the comparable 128 GB model. That’s a significant increase for the most affordable iPhone. Moreover, while the iPhone SE’s compact size made it popular among those with smaller hands and pockets, the iPhone 16e is significantly taller, wider, thicker, and heavier. Anyone moving from an iPhone SE will feel the difference.

In exchange for its higher price and larger size, the iPhone 16e delivers significantly more technology than the iPhone SE. It replaces Touch ID with Face ID, boasts a much larger, brighter screen, sports notably improved front and rear cameras, and is powered by an A18 chip that is 40% faster than the iPhone SE’s A15 Bionic and supports Apple Intelligence features. The Action button can be customized to perform nearly any function and will soon also provide access to Visual Intelligence. The iPhone 16e also offers satellite connectivity for Messages, Roadside Assistance, and Emergency SOS in areas without cellular coverage, and it can alert emergency services after a car crash. Finally, it’s even more water- and dust-resistant.

Screenshot

However, it’s also worth comparing the iPhone 16e to the iPhone 16, which starts at $799. That $200 premium gets you a lot, including a brighter screen, the Dynamic Island instead of a notch, a Camera Control button, a more advanced dual-camera system featuring a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, a slightly more powerful A18 chip, 25-watt MagSafe charging with support for MagSafe accessories, and Ultra Wideband for precise Find My locating. Additionally, the iPhone 16’s camera system provides macro and spatial photography, as well as video features like cinematic mode, action mode, spatial videos, and macro recording. It may also deliver better optical image stabilization.

The only area where the iPhone 16e outperforms the iPhone 16 is in battery life. In Apple’s benchmarks, the iPhone 16e provides 12% to 18% longer runtime. The enhanced endurance is partly due to the power efficiency of Apple’s new C1 wireless communications chip. Apple also said it redesigned the internals of the iPhone 16e to accommodate a larger battery. The longer battery life may be especially welcome for those who expect to keep their iPhones for years.

Apple’s new C1 chip is a big deal, and the company wants to use it in future iPhone models to improve battery life and wireless performance. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the C1 may suffer teething pains that Apple will address in software updates. Although Apple undoubtedly believes the C1 will work well, there’s no telling what will happen in the real world, and the company’s engineers may need to tweak it to address performance or reliability issues.

If you’re in the market for a new iPhone, what should you choose? The iPhone 16e is the best option for those on a tight budget since it’s the most affordable. (Last year’s iPhone 15, which is still available, starts at $699 and doesn’t support Apple Intelligence.) However, if you can afford that extra $200, the iPhone 16 is significantly more capable thanks to its superior rear camera system, Camera Control button, MagSafe compatibility, and Dynamic Island. For all the differences, check Apple’s iPhone comparison tool.

Finally, those seeking a smaller, lighter iPhone are out of luck. Their best hope lies with the rumored iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to arrive in September and could be thinner and lighter while maintaining the same height and width.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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iPhone Mirroring Benefits

iPhone Mirroring provides a handful of benefits, including:

• Centralized notification management: Once you’ve set up iPhone Mirroring, notifications from your iPhone can also appear on your Mac, ensuring you stay informed while maintaining focus on your work.
• Increased productivity with a keyboard: Typing on a physical keyboard is faster and more efficient than using the iPhone’s virtual keyboard, making iPhone Mirroring a helpful tool for entering and editing lengthy texts.
• Reduced physical distractions: Keeping your iPhone out of sight helps you avoid being distracted by it. With iPhone Mirroring, you can access important apps and notifications without letting the physical iPhone capture your attention.
• Simplified file transfer: Certain apps allow file transfer between the iPhone and Mac using a straightforward drag-and-drop method.
• Access to iPhone-only apps on the Mac: Many apps are available only for iOS, and iPhone Mirroring lets you interact with them directly from your Mac, removing the need to switch devices.

iPhone Mirroring Requirements

A few requirements must be met before you can begin using iPhone Mirroring:

• Your iPhone must have iOS 18 or later, and your Mac needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later.
• Both devices must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
• The devices should be in close proximity and signed into the same Apple Account.
• Handoff must be enabled for the iPhone in Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity and on the Mac in System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff.

Mac App Limitations

Once everything is set up correctly, launch the iPhone Mirroring app on your Mac. A few splash screens explain the basics during the first launch, and afterward, your iPhone will appear in a window. You can move it anywhere you wish and treat it like any other Mac app, with one notable exception—resizing. It does not have a green zoom button, and you cannot resize it by dragging the window edge, but it does offer three size options you can choose from the View menu.

iPhone Hardware Limitations

Using iOS and iPhone apps works pretty much as you’d expect, but there are some limitations. Notably, the iPhone camera and microphone aren’t available, although audio from the iPhone plays through the Mac. Face ID and Touch ID are also not accessible for obvious reasons, which may block access to apps and features protected by biometric authentication. There’s no way to access Notification Center or Control Center, nor to switch apps by swiping the Home indicator—presumably because those three swipes are special due to being at the edge of the iPhone screen. You cannot access the Lock Screen or perform any action that requires a physical button. Finally, you can use only one Continuity feature at a time, so other Continuity features like Universal Clipboard and AirDrop won’t function while you are using iPhone Mirroring.

Core iPhone Interactions

You’ll pick up the basic iPhone interactions quickly. Clicking is like tapping, Control-click acts like touch-and-hold, and swiping on a trackpad behaves like swiping on the iPhone screen. If your Mac has a mouse without swipe gestures instead of a trackpad, click and drag to swipe or use a scroll wheel (hold Shift to scroll horizontally with a scroll wheel). Buttons in the iPhone Mirroring window’s title bar take you back to the Home Screen and open the App Switcher—those actions involve swipes that would be difficult or impossible. Even easier are the keyboard shortcuts in the View menu for Home Screen (Command-1), App Switcher (Command-2), and Spotlight (Command-3).

File Transfer

Although the lack of Universal Clipboard prevents copying between your Mac and a mirrored iPhone, you can transfer files from apps that support it, like Files and Photos. Simply drag and drop between the Mac and the iPhone Mirroring app in either direction. With Files and Photos, it’s usually easier to use iCloud Drive in the Finder and the Mac version of Photos, but other apps may not be as well integrated.

Ending and Restarting Mirroring

Switching back to using the iPhone directly is simple—just unlock it to disconnect from the Mac. When you’re done, lock the iPhone and click the Connect or Resume button to resume.

Dealing with Multiple Macs and iPhones

Connecting an iPhone to multiple Macs is not an issue, although only one can use it at a time. To remove access for a Mac, use the iPhone to navigate to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity > iPhone Mirroring, tap Edit, and then tap the red delete button. If you have more than one iPhone available for iPhone Mirroring, you can select which one to use in System Settings > Desktop & Dock, just below the “Use iPhone widgets” setting—the menu appears only when the Mac detects multiple iPhones nearby.

On final note. In iPhone Mirroring > Settings, you can choose whether to require your Mac login for every connection or to authenticate automatically. Set it to “Ask every time” if your Mac is shared with others, if others know your Mac password, or if you want to enhance protection against potential malicious software. It’s more secure but slightly more inconvenient.

In the end, if you frequently find yourself reaching for your iPhone while working on your Mac or wish it were more accessible, try iPhone Mirroring. It’s an easy, effective way to work between the devices and reduce unnecessary interruptions.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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We’ll focus on the Mac with macOS 15 Sequoia, but these features other than Video Viewer are also available on the iPhone and iPad with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Macs still running macOS 13 Ventura or macOS 14 Sonoma can get Safari 18 but miss out on the Highlights feature. Regardless of platform or macOS version, you access all these new features from the Page menu at the left of Safari’s address bar, which takes over from the previous Show Reader View button in Safari 17.

Highlights

Sometimes, when you visit a website, you just want a quick bit of information, like a restaurant’s address or a store’s hours. For those running Sequoia, once you turn on Safari 18’s Highlights feature, the Page menu icon in Safari’s address bar will show a purple sparkle if it detects information on the page that it can call out for you. Click it to learn more.

It can be hard to predict what Highlights will call out. It’s fairly reliable at showing location and business information extracted from Maps, and it may display biographical information about people on pages about them. For long articles, it may provide a quick summary you can use to see if it’s worth reading more. Apple says Highlights will also offer quick links to learn more about people, music, movies, and TV shows.

Distraction Control

Every website wants you to SUBSCRIBE TO A NEWSLETTER! and WATCH OUR VIDEO! and SHARE THIS ARTICLE! It’s exhausting. In Safari 18, Apple has added a feature that can help you turn down the volume on websites that constantly try to lure you into doing something other than what you intend. Distraction Control lets you remove annoying parts of a Web page. It works on nearly anything on the first use, but Apple warns that “hiding distracting items will not permanently remove ads and other content that updates frequently.” (That’s what most people want, of course, but such a capability would anger advertisers and publishers whose business models rely on ads.)

To clean up a Web page, click the Page menu and choose Hide Distracting Items. Then, move the pointer over areas of the screen you want to remove—if Safari can identify an item as a discrete object, it will gain a blue outline. Click it to make it disappear in a cloud of digital dust. Additional clicks will remove more items; Safari keeps count in the location bar. Click the Done button in the location bar to save your changes, or click Cancel if you were just testing. As you can see in the right-hand sidebar of the Yahoo page in the image below, the result is a cleaned-up view with much less distraction.

Redesigned Reader

Another way to eliminate distractions when reading on the Web is to use Safari’s Reader mode. When you click the Page menu and select Show Reader, Safari reformats the text and images in an article, removing extraneous ads and gewgaws. Once you’re in the redesigned Reader, click the Page menu icon again to access the customization options that let you choose from four color themes, nine different font faces, and various zoom levels

With Apple Intelligence on a Mac with Apple silicon, Reader also offers to summarize long articles. It may also provide a table of contents if the article contains appropriate headings, but it’s hard to predict when that will work.

Video Viewer

Finally, those who watch a lot of Web video will appreciate Safari 18’s new Video Viewer, available only on the Mac. Whenever you’re watching a video embedded in a Web page, clicking the Page menu reveals a new Video Viewer command. Choose that to expand the current video to fill the Safari window, overwriting whatever else might have been on the page so you can focus on the video.

Once you’re in the Video Viewer, switching to another tab in Safari or another app whose window obscures at least half the Video Viewer window causes Safari to switch to Picture in Picture, moving the video to a small window that floats above all other apps. You can resize that window and move it to any screen corner while it’s open, and it remembers its size and location for subsequent uses. Although multiple tabs and windows can use Video Viewer simultaneously, only one can be in Picture in Picture at a time.

Even if these changes aren’t world-changing for everyone, they make Safari an ever more capable Web browser, so it’s worth giving them a try to see if they’ll improve your Web experience.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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Oddly, Categories are currently available only on the iPhone. To maintain the same email experience across all Apple devices, you’ll have to wait for future versions of Mail on the iPad and the Mac.

Here are answers to questions we’ve heard about Mail Categories.

Can You Turn Mail Categories Off?

Apple turned Categories on by default in iOS 18.2, but not everyone appreciates the change. If you have your own organizational system, find the extra sections distracting, or just want to see all your email in one list, you can turn the feature off. Tap the ••• button at the top right of the Mail screen and select List View.

It’s also possible to keep Categories turned on but still see all your messages in a simple chronological list. Swipe left on the line of buttons to switch to an All Mail category that shows exactly what you’d see in List View.

What Appears in Each Category?

With Categories turned on, Mail automatically separates your mail into four categories:

• Primary: Personal messages, plus time-sensitive information from another category
• Transactions: Order confirmations, receipts, and shipping notices
• Updates: News, mailing lists, newsletters, and social media updates
• Promotions: Sale announcements, new products, coupons, and anything commercial

These categories are built-in, so you can’t select some but not others. Nor can you add your own.

Is There a Way to Recategorize Messages?

Unfortunately, Categories isn’t very good at categorizing messages at the moment. (Perhaps it should use Apple Intelligence!) In particular, we see newsletters and other items that should be in Updates incorrectly showing up in Promotions. Fortunately, you can easily recategorize messages from particular senders so Mail can correctly categorize similar messages in the future. How you recategorize messages depends on whether a message is in Primary or another category. For messages in Primary, tap the left-pointing blue arrow at the bottom of the screen and then tap Categorize Sender. For messages in other categories, tap the ••• at the top right of the screen and then tap Categorize Sender.

In either case, tap the desired category on the next screen and confirm your action.

The main problem with recategorizing is that messages from discussion-based mailing lists may be identified by their senders, not the list, so you may have to recategorize every sender from the list separately.

Why Are Messages from the Same Sender Grouped?

When you open a message in Transactions, Updates, and Promotions, you may be surprised to see a digest view that displays all the other messages from that sender. It’s often a helpful way to keep like messages together. Opening a message shows the most recent message, but you can scroll to see the rest. Whether you scroll up or down depends on whether Settings > Apps > Mail > Most Recent Message on Top is turned on. Additionally, how many lines appear in the message view depends on what you’ve selected in Settings > Apps > Mail > Preview.

Not a fan of the sender groups? You can turn the feature off for each of Transactions, Updates, and Promotions by tapping the ••• at the top right and deselecting Group by Sender.

What Are Priority Notifications?

If you’re using an iPhone 15 Pro model or any iPhone 16 with Apple Intelligence turned on, you may see priority notifications on the Primary screen. It’s designed to surface the most important messages, as determined by Apple Intelligence. If you don’t like it, tap ••• in the upper right and deselect Show Priority.

Overall, Mail Categories feels like Apple is playing catch-up with other email apps. If it works with your email stream and you find it useful, that’s great. But if not, don’t hesitate to turn it off and return to your familiar email workflow.

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The post Mail on the iPhone Can Categorize Your Messages in iOS 18.2 first appeared on MacTech Solutions.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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You may need some of that new hardware to take advantage of Apple Intelligence. Its features work only on a Mac with Apple silicon, an iPad with an A17 Pro or M-series chip, or an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16. Intel-based Macs and older iPhones and iPads can’t play.

Although we have no problem with recommending that you upgrade your iPhone and iPad to iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, we recommend more caution when it comes to upgrading your Mac to macOS 15.1 Sequoia. There aren’t any general showstoppers, but you shouldn’t upgrade until you’re confident your particular workflows are fully compatible.

What will Apple Intelligence do for you if you upgrade? Here’s what you need to know.

Writing Tools Everywhere

The Apple Intelligence Writing Tools will help you craft and polish your prose—or just make your email sound more professional. Writing Tools provides three core functions:

• Proofread: The Proofread tool will significantly reduce spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes in your text. While it may not match up with a human proofreader, using it will make your text cleaner.
  
• Rewrite: If you’re unhappy with the tone of your text, use the Rewrite tool to improve it or make it friendlier, more professional, or shorter. Even if you don’t adopt the complete rewrite, some of its phrases or word choices might take your writing up a notch.
• Summarize: A straight summary might be useful for condensing text, and specialized summaries can list key points, make a list, or create a table. These features are probably most useful when working with text you’ve been given and need to edit into shape.

Writing Tools are available in nearly all apps that accept text. Either look for an Edit > Writing Tools menu or Control-click a text selection and look in the Writing Tools submenu. Right now, Apple apps like Mail and Notes provide proofreading controls that let you see (and revert) each change independently. With the Rewrite and Summary tools and Proofread in other apps, you have to compare the original and the rewrite manually, with your only options being to replace the selected text or copy the suggested revision.

Photos Enhancements

Photos benefits from Apple Intelligence in three ways as well:

• Clean Up: Many a great photo suffers from a random bystander or distracting telephone pole. Clean Up removes people and objects from your photos, either identifying them automatically or working from your manual selection. It’s not perfect, but Clean Up is a hugely welcome addition to Photos.
  
• Descriptive search: We’ve been able to search for objects in photos for several years now, but with Apple Intelligence, you’ll be able to find photos and videos based on more extensive and natural descriptions, like “Halloween in 2014.”
• Descriptive memory movies: The Memories feature in Photos automatically creates movies based on photos it thinks you might want to see together. With Apple Intelligence, you can describe the photos you’d like it to include.

Notification Summaries

Apple has long been sensitive about how distracting our devices can be due to numerous apps posting notifications throughout the day. Apple Intelligence tries to help by summarizing lengthy individual notifications and groups of notifications. Notification summaries probably won’t rock your world, but it can be nice to have a sense of what’s going on with a group of notifications before you wade into an involved conversation. If you don’t like the summaries for particular apps, turn them off in Settings > Notifications > Summarize Previews.

Mail (and Messages) Enhancements

Speaking of summaries, in Mail, the most welcome Apple Intelligence change is to replace each first-line snippet in message lists with summaries of the message or conversation content. It makes scanning email for important messages easier.

Other Apple Intelligence changes include moving priority messages—those that require a quick reply—to the top of the message list and the option to summarize long messages or conversations using a Summarize button at the top of the message pane. Both Mail and Messages also offer a Smart Reply feature that suggests reasonable replies. They’re like tapback responses on steroids.

Audio Recording, Transcription, and Summarization

Apple Intelligence offers major advances for the Notes and Phone apps: audio recording, transcription, and summarization. Be aware that the Phone app alerts participants when you start recording—just joke, “For quality assurance…” before tapping the record button.

The big win comes with Notes (on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac), which can record a meeting and provide a transcript for later searching and summarization. The clearer the audio, the better. It stumbles on many names and doesn’t differentiate between speakers, but transcripts can be hugely helpful. You can keep a transcript in its recording (left), where you can jump around in the audio by tapping the associated text, or you can use the ••• button to export it to its enclosing note (middle) or tap a button to get a summary (right).

Siri Enhancements

Apple has promised a lot for Siri but hasn’t delivered much. A new interface replaces the animated circle with a glowing light and the option to type your query rather than speak it. However, the only functional improvement from Apple Intelligence so far seems to be Siri’s awareness of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac user guides. If you’re unsure how to accomplish a built-in task, try asking Siri.

What’s Coming Next

Welcome though they may be, the initial wave of Apple Intelligence features won’t set the world on fire. But Apple has big plans for Apple Intelligence, with new features slated for release in December 2024 and more coming in 2025. Things you can look forward to in a few months include:

• ChatGPT will make its promised appearance, bringing world knowledge into Writing Tools and Siri.
• You can jazz up your conversations in Messages with original Genomoji merely by describing the emoji you’d like to see. “Penguin on a surfboard,” anyone?
• The Image Playground feature will let you generate original images in various styles, though none are photorealistic on purpose—no deepfakes from Apple.
• Image Wand will enhance your Apple Pencil sketches by turning them into polished images, and if you circle an empty space, Image Wand will create an image from the surrounding area.
• Writing Tools will let you describe a specific change you want to apply to your text, like adding more descriptive words to a blog post. We hope Apple puts more thought into the workflow so it’s easier to compare the before and after.
• The Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 line will tap Apple Intelligence to help users learn about objects and places in the iPhone’s viewfinder.

Further out, Apple says that Priority Notifications will surface your most important notifications, and Siri will learn how to draw from your personal context, take action in numerous apps, and gain awareness of onscreen information. We’re still curious to see how Apple will integrate a more intelligent Siri into the HomePod and Apple TV.  

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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The post First Wave of Apple Intelligence Features Appear in macOS 15.1 Sequoia, iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 first appeared on MacTech Solutions.

Much of this is possible because people use apps that reveal their location to data brokers, who package the information and resell it to companies like Babel Street. Apple does have an advantage here—Atlas estimated they could locate roughly 80% of Android phones but only 25% of iPhones. That’s due to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature, introduced in iOS 14.5, which requires apps to get permission from users before tracking them for third-party advertising purposes. Unfortunately, many people unthinkingly grant such permissions, and location and identification data can also leak out in other ways.

Although it’s difficult to avoid being tracked by data brokers entirely, you can drastically reduce the likelihood and frequency of tracking, which helps ensure that any location information that does become available isn’t sufficient to identify you personally. Your employer may also consider your location to be sensitive information and want you to restrict it to the extent possible. To achieve this, you’ll need to adjust settings in several parts of Settings > Privacy & Security on your iPhone (and iPad, if you regularly use it in multiple locations).

Turn Off Allow Apps to Request to Track

You’ll find the most important setting in Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. At the top of the screen is a switch labeled Allow Apps to Request to Track. Make sure that is off! If it has been on in the past, apps that have requested permission will appear below.

By preventing apps from even asking if they can track you, you keep them from sharing a unique identifier associated with your iPhone with other apps and websites. Otherwise, advertisers can follow you from app to app and website to website, gathering information about you—often including your physical location—as you go about your life.

Don’t let apps persuade you to turn this setting on or allow them to track you. Apple’s rules explicitly forbid them from reducing functionality to those who refuse to allow tracking.

Allow Location Access Only for Apps That Need It

While you can turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track with a single switch, preventing apps from seeing your location requires more targeted work. Although Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services has a big Location Services switch, turning that off will drastically reduce the utility of your iPhone. You won’t be able to get directions from Maps, tag photos with their location, share your location with family members, and much more.

Instead, for each app in the list, determine what level of location access you want to grant based on its function and description of why it needs access. Grant the minimal level of access necessary, which varies by app. Navigation apps need location access to work at all. Camera apps need it to geotag photos. Weather apps use it to provide custom weather reports and extreme weather notifications. But do you want to give a social media app access to your location at all times?

Apple provides five location access levels:

• Never: Choose Never for any app with questionable explanations of why location access is requested.
• Ask Next Time or When I Share: If you’re unsure if you want to allow or deny location access for an app, select this option. The app will prompt you the next time it wants your location, enabling you to make an informed decision based on your actions.
• While Using the App: For most apps you want to allow to see your location, choose While Using the App. It’s entirely reasonable that a location-requiring app be allowed to determine your location while you’re using it.
• While Using the App or Widgets: This option only appears for apps with widgets; choose it only if you use a widget that needs location access.
• Always: Grant Always access only to apps that generate location-related notifications when the app is not open. The most common example is a weather app that provides notifications of incoming storms.

The Precise Location option becomes available if you allow location access for an app. Turn it on only if the app needs to know your location within 15 to 200 feet (5 to 60 meters). An Uber or Lyft driver will need to know where to pick you up, for instance, so those apps should have Precise Location turned on, as should navigation and camera apps. For most others, turn off Precise Location. Your approximate location—a variable radius between 2.5 to 12 miles (4 and 20 kilometers)—is usually sufficient to locate you in the right part of the world.

Block Bluetooth and Local Network Access for Apps That Don’t Need It

Apps can use Bluetooth to infer your general location through interactions with other Bluetooth devices and movement patterns, so Apple requires apps to ask to use Bluetooth. As a result, just as with location, you should go through the apps listed in Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth and revoke permission from any that don’t seem as though they should need it. Most will be legitimate—an app designed to communicate with a Bluetooth-connected device, for instance. Any app that needs access to Bluetooth and doesn’t have it should prompt you when you next open it.

Similarly, Apple now requires apps to request permission to use your local network. For the most part, these requests are reasonable—apps may need to discover network-connected devices like routers, printers, speakers, smart home gadgets, and more. Or games may need to discover other players on the network. However, because your network can reveal information about your location, it’s best to revoke access for any apps that don’t seem as though they should need it. There’s no harm in doing so; they’ll ask again if they need access.

Ultimately, all we can do is stay vigilant about what we’re allowing on our devices, encourage Apple to add even more privacy protections, and lobby our elected representatives for legal protection. It’s unconscionable that private companies can gather extensive location data on hundreds of millions of citizens.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

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The post Perturbed by Location Tracking Revelations? Here’s How to Protect Yourself first appeared on MacTech Solutions.

• Tap once to position the insertion point at the start or end of a word.
• Touch and hold to reveal the magnifier and move the insertion point within words ➊.
• Touch and hold the Space bar to turn the entire keyboard into a virtual trackpad that lets you move the insertion point above ➋. On the iPad, you can also touch and hold with two fingers anywhere on the keyboard.
• Double-tap to select a word; keep dragging to select more text, one word at a time ➌.
• Triple-tap to select an entire paragraph.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

(Featured image by Adam Engst with keys from MXW Photo)

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1. Update your old iPhone to the latest version of iOS. If you have an Apple Watch, update it to the latest version of watchOS. This process can take some time, so it may be best done overnight before you move data to your new iPhone.
2. Make sure you know your Apple ID and password, and if you have an Apple Watch, its passcode. You will likely have to enter them at least once during this process.
3. Back up your old iPhone to iCloud or your Mac. (If you back up to a Mac, be sure to encrypt the backup, or else it won’t include saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, browsing history, Health data, and call history.) Or back up to both, for safety’s sake. We prefer iCloud backups because they’re easier and don’t introduce additional variables, like flaky USB cables. If you don’t usually back up to iCloud, Apple will give you temporary iCloud storage to make a backup when moving to a new iPhone. To initiate an iCloud backup, go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap Back Up Now.
   
4. If you have an Apple Watch, you don’t need to unpair it from your old iPhone at this point in the process. (Later, if the automatic transfer has not worked, you can unpair it manually and pair it again later. If you end up taking the manual route and have a cellular Apple Watch, you’ll be asked if you want to keep or remove your plan. If you’re keeping your Apple Watch to re-pair with your new iPhone, keep the plan.)
5. You shouldn’t need to worry about transferring a SIM card. If you ordered your new iPhone through Apple and connected to your cellular carrier account during purchase, activating the new iPhone should cause it to take over your phone number. The same should be true if you’ve purchased directly through your carrier. Besides, it’s likely that iPhone 16 models sold in the US will rely on eSIM and lack SIM trays like the iPhone 15, so only non-US users might need to transfer the SIM card from the old iPhone to the new one. Even then, it’s better to contact your carrier and get them to activate the new SIM in the new iPhone because old SIMs don’t always support all current cellular features, such as full 5G support.
6. Transfer your data, settings, apps, and purchased content in one of these three ways. None of them will be quick, despite the first one’s name, so initiate the transfer only when you have plenty of time:
   • Quick Start: With the Quick Start feature, content from your old iPhone copies directly from your old iPhone to your new one. We recommend this technique because it’s more likely to preserve app logins, something that’s less true when restoring from an iCloud backup. Put your iPhones next to each other (plugged into power), use the old iPhone to scan the animation on the new one, and then follow the rest of the steps.
     
   • iCloud: With this technique, the new iPhone will download your content from your old iPhone’s iCloud backup. Once you’ve joined a Wi-Fi network on the new iPhone and tapped the Restore from iCloud Backup button, you’ll have to select the correct backup—likely the most recent one you just made. Keep your new iPhone plugged into power the entire time to ensure that all your content syncs during this step.
   • Finder or iTunes: With this approach, you’ll restore your old iPhone’s content from a backup made to your Mac. Connect your new iPhone to your Mac using an appropriate cable, open a Finder window (or iTunes on an old Mac), select your device in the left-hand sidebar, click Restore Backup, and choose the appropriate backup—likely the most recent one.
7. Perform post-transfer tasks. Ensure that you can make and receive a phone call. If necessary, pair your Apple Watch with the new iPhone. You’ll also need to pair your Bluetooth accessories—including AirPods—with your new iPhone. Plus, some app data needs to sync to your new iPhone, so open the Mail, Contacts, and Calendar apps and check if they have your data. It could take a few minutes for them to fill up. Apps may request notification permissions again, and you may need to download content and in-app purchases.
8. If you use two-factor authentication with an app like 1Password, Authy, or Google Authenticator, ensure you can get your 2FA codes using your new iPhone. 1Password and Authy are good about providing access to 2FA codes from multiple devices—just log in to your account from each device—but Google Authenticator may require some additional setup since it didn’t initially offer any way to transfer codes to a new phone.
9. Finally, if necessary, set up single sign-on for work or school. If your workplace or school uses a security system like Duo, you’ll likely want to activate your new iPhone and deactivate the old one. Using any device, navigate to a standard single sign-in login screen from your organization, look for a link for managing your logins, click that link, and follow the prompts.

Although Apple works hard to make the process of transferring from an old iPhone to a new one as painless as possible, some things may fail to transfer seamlessly. For that reason, we strongly recommend holding onto your old iPhone for a week or so to ensure the new one can do everything the old one could. During that time, put the new iPhone through its paces with an eye toward checking every app you need.

For more information on all the great Apple products, features, and services, give us a call!  940-767-MACS (6227).  Or stop by MacTech Solutions, 4020 Rhea Rd, Suite 3B, Wichita Falls.  We’re open Monday thru Friday, 10am to 6pm

(Featured image by iStock.com/valiantsin suprunovich)

The post What You Need to Know Before Switching to a New iPhone first appeared on MacTech Solutions.