macReports

How to get AirPods Pro with Static, Crackling Replaced for Free

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 20:41:01 GMT

macReports
How to get AirPods Pro with Static, Crackling Replaced for Free

Apple has issued a service program for AirPods Pro that are experiencing sound issues. The affected AirPods Pros were manufactured before October 2020. What this means, is that if you have AirPods Pro with the Static or Crackling sound problem, Apple will replace the defective units for free. This article will describe the issue, including which AirPods Pro qualify, and explain how to get your replacement AirPods.

See also:

Description of the Problem

For AirPods Pro manufactured before October 2020, the affected units display one or both of the following:

Crackling or static sounds. These noises may increase when:
- The surrounding environmental noise is louder.
- While exercising with AirPods.
- While on a phone call.
Active Noise Cancellation doesn’t work as it should.
- Bass may be diminished.
- Background noises may actually become louder, rather than reduced.

Active Noise Cancellation

Active Noise Cancellation technology is available on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. It uses microphones to detect both external and internal sounds. The unwanted sounds are then cancelled with an anti-noise before you hear them.

The AirPods Pro has three noise-cancelling settings to choose from:

Active Noise Cancellation which works to cancel unwanted external and internal noise.
Transparency Mode which allows external sounds in so you can hear the noises coming from your surroundings. This allows you to remain aware of your environment.
Off. Essentially, no noise cancellation is enabled on your AirPods.

How to Switch Settings

To switch the noise cancellation settings on your AirPods Pro you can use your iPhone (or iPad ) or do it directly from your AirPods.

On your iPhone

Go to Settings > Bluetooth.
Find your AirPods in the list of devices, then tap the info button next to your AirPods.
Choose Noise Cancellation, Transparency, or Off.

On your AirPods Pro

On either one of your AirPods, press and hold the force sensor on the stem of your AirPods Pro.
A chime will sound to indicate the change. Press again to toggle through the three noise cancellation settings.

How to Get Service (Replacement)

There are three different routes you may take to get your AirPods serviced. Before your AirPods are actually serviced, they will be examined to determine if they are eligible for the service program. AirPods Pro that have a confirmed static/crackling sound issue as it is described in this article, will be replaced, free of charge.

The affected AirPod (L, R, or both) will be replaced.
The AirPods Pro case is not affected, and so will not be replaced.
This service program or having your AirPod(s) replaced does not affect the warranty coverage for the AirPod(s). See How To Check Your Apple Warranty Status, to find out more about your coverage.
You must make use of this service program within 2 years of purchasing your AirPods Pro.

Service Options

Choose one of these options to start the service process.

Contact or visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Make an Appointment at an Apple Store.
Contact Apple Support.

To prepare for your service appointment, you may need the receipt for your AirPods purchase.

Recent Articles:

How to get AirPods Pro with Static, Crackling Replaced for Free
Stacey Butler

How to Fix Keyboard Lag on Mac

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 03:39:51 GMT

macReports
How to Fix Keyboard Lag on Mac

Some users have experienced an issue where their Mac’s Bluetooth keyboard is lagging. The keyboard seems slow to respond; when you type, there is a delay before anything shows up on the screen. This article will give troubleshooting tips for resolving keyboard lag issues for your Mac’s Bluetooth, wireless, keyboard.

iPad and iPhone may experience similar keyboard problems.

If your Mac is also running slowly, you hear the fans running a lot or your battery performance is low, see our articles:

How to Fix

Before you do anything, turn off your keyboard, wait a few seconds and then turn it on. For example, Apple wireless keyboards have a button to power on and off.

Charge your Keyboard

Check that your keyboard is charged/ the keyboard batteries are sufficiently charged. You can see the battery charge percent by going to the Bluetooth menu in the menu bar at the top of your screen.

Check Keyboard Settings

You can change the length of time between when you press a key, and when you see the response on your Mac.

Go to Apple menu  > System Preferences.
Click on Accessibility, followed by Keyboard, then Hardware.
Select Enable Slow Keys and click Options.
Select your desired Acceptance Delay along the slider to choose how long you would like your Mac to wait before responding to the key press.

Turn Bluetooth Off/On

On your Mac

Click on the Bluetooth icon in your top menu bar. Click the toggle switch next to Bluetooth to turn it off. After a few seconds, click to turn it on again. See this article if you are having trouble turning Bluetooth back on.

On your Keyboard

Power your keyboard off, then back on again.

Reset SMC

For Macs with Intel processors.

To reset the SMC, Shutdown/power off your MacBook.
Press and hold 3 keys: Shift, Control and Option.
Press and hold the power button, without releasing the other 3 keys.
Hold all keys for 10 seconds, then release.
Press the power button on your Mac.

Try Booting in Safe Mode

You can restart your Mac in Safe Mode easily. The steps differ:

Intel-based Macs:

Turn off your Mac (Apple menu > Shut Down).
Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key.
Keep holding the Shift key until you see the login screen.
Then login. You may be asked to log in more than once.

Apple silicon based Macs:

Turn off your Mac.
Press and hold the power button until the startup options appear.
Select your startup disk.
Press and hold the Shift key.
Click Continue in Safe Mode.

To exit Safe Mode, restart your Mac normally without pressing any key.

Test your keyboard problem in Safe Mode and after Safe Mode. Simply restarting your Mac in Safe Mode may fix this.

See our recent article: How To Start Your Mac In Safe Mode.

Reset Bluetooth

Before you use any of the next three tips to reset your Bluetooth, again, as stated above, you may want to check out our article: How to Turn on Bluetooth on your Mac without a Keyboard, Mouse, or Trackpad. This should come in handy if you loose (temporarily) the use of your mouse and keyboard.

Reset Bluetooth Module

Hold down the Shift and the Option keys and click on the Bluetooth icon in the top menu bar.
Select Reset Bluetooth Module.
Reconnect (pair) your Bluetooth devices.

Reset Connected Apple Devices

Hold down the Shift and the Option keys and click on the Bluetooth icon in the top menu bar.
Select Factory Reset all Connected Apple Devices.
Reconnect (pair) your Bluetooth devices.

Remove Bluetooth Devices

Hold down the Shift and the Option keys and click on the Bluetooth icon in the top menu bar.
Select Remove all Devices.
Reconnect your Bluetooth devices.

Reset NVRAM

For Macs with Intel processors

Shutdown your Mac.
Power it back on and immediately hold down 4 keys: option, command, P and R.
Release the 4 keys when you hear startup sounds, the screen flashes twice or after about 20 seconds.
Note: resetting NVRAM can disable Find My Mac, so you may want to re-enable this in iCloud settings.

Apple Support

If none of the above suggestions have helped resolve your keyboard lag issue, you may want to contact Apple Support for more assistance.

Recent Articles:

How to Fix Keyboard Lag on Mac
Stacey Butler

How to Turn on Bluetooth on your Mac without a Keyboard, Mouse, or Trackpad

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 21:23:27 GMT

macReports
How to Turn on Bluetooth on your Mac without a Keyboard, Mouse, or Trackpad

This article explains how you can turn on Bluetooth on your Mac without using your keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. This may sound silly but there can be situations that can require you to switch Bluetooth back on without a mouse, trackpad, or keyboard.

For example, you may have turned off Bluetooth accidentally on your Mac. This will disable your wireless mouse and keyboard connections and make your peripherals unusable. Or you are trying to troubleshoot your Bluetooth connection problems. One of the very basic techniques to troubleshoot something is to turn it off and on. And you turn off Bluetooth to fix it, your wireless mouse, and keyboard will be disconnected and stop working and you will see no cursor, and now you do not know how to turn it on without your mouse or keyboard because you now have no way to control the computer. Do not worry there is a way. Here is how:

When Bluetooth is turned off, your Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, or trackpad will be disconnected.

Obviously, if you have a wired mouse, you can use this mouse to easily turn back on Bluetooth by clicking the Bluetooth status icon in the menu bar. In this scenario, we will assume you do not have a USB mouse.

If you have a working keyboard

1. For this method, you will need to use your keyboard, see the other method below if you have no keyboard connection. You may try:

Connect a USB keyboard to the Mac (or if possible, connect your keyboard to your Mac with a USB cable). See this article if you are having problems with your USB keyboard. You may also use other wired mouse options.
If this is a MacBook, then, obviously you can use the built-in keyboard.

2. Now using your keyboard, open Spotlight. Simply use the Command + Space keyboard shortcut. Type the following phrase into the search bar: Bluetooth File Exchange. Then hit return.

3. This command will launch the Bluetooth File Exchange app. This app will recognize that Bluetooth is disabled and prompt you to turn on Bluetooth. It will say “Bluetooth Hardware is Off. In order to use this application, the Bluetooth hardware must be on. Do you want to turn it on?”.

4. Now, again hit the “Return” key again to choose the “Turn Bluetooth On” button. This will enable your Bluetooth connection, and then your mouse or trackpad will start working again momentarily.

If you do not have a working keyboard, mouse, and trackpad

If you do not have a USB keyboard or mouse available, then here is what you can do:

If you are working on documents, save them, and close them.
Disconnect all physical peripherals, printers, etc, from your Mac.
Manually restart your Mac. To do that, press and hold the power button on your Mac until it turns off. Wait a few seconds and then press the power button again to start your Mac.
When your Mac turns on, wait a few seconds until your device determines that your Bluetooth devices are not connected and opens the Bluetooth Setup Assistant to turn on Bluetooth automatically. In other words, restarting your Mac will automatically turn on Bluetooth when there is no keyboard connected.

How to Find Receipts for Apple Purchases

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 03:49:36 GMT

macReports
How to Find Receipts for Apple Purchases

In this article, I explain how you can view and download your receipts for Apple products that you have directly bought from Apple. Apple makes its products available for sale online and in-store. The main focus of this article is on retrieving receipts for Apple hardware products such as iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac computers that you have bought from Apple’s online store.

You may need to find your sales receipt for various reasons. For example, you may be asked to bring it when you take your device to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for hardware repairs. Please note that you do not need a sales receipt for warranty service. Or, you may want it for tax purposes.

You can also see your App Store purchase history.

Here is how. Simply follow the steps below:

1. Open Safari or any other browser and visit the Apple Orders page. The URL of this page is https://secure.store.apple.com/shop/order/list

2. You have two options: (1) you can sign in with your Apple ID or (2) you can look up your individual orders with your order number and email address. If you do not know your order number, your order number can be found in your acknowledgment email.

3. If you use your Apple ID, you will see a list of products that you have ordered. Select one.

4. Your will see your order details. Click the View Invoice link.

5. This will open a new window. This is your invoice receipt page. This document includes a lot of details regarding your product:

Device description that was purchased
Date of purchase
The product’s price
Order number
Payment method
Device’s serial number

There will be a print button on this page. You can click it to print it. Your invoice will be displayed in a printer friendly format.

If the method described above does not work for you, you may still be able to get your receipt. Here is what you can do:

1. Do you have access to the same email address you used at the time of purchase? If yes, search your emails to find your receipt. Apple automatically sends email receipts after successful payment. If you have lots of emails, you can use the advanced search function. You can search your email to find the confirmation email of that purchase.

2. You may contact Apple. They may help you locate your receipt.

Please note that, if you are wondering, you can get your sales receipt if you buy your Apple device from a store, such as Bestbuy or Apple Store. You will need to contact the place of purchase. Contact whatever retailer (Bestbuy, Walmart, Target, etc) you purchased it from. They may be able to provide a copy of the original receipt. If you purchased it directly from an Apple Store, contact the specific Apple Store, it should be in their system and they may locate it.

How to Find Receipts for Apple Purchases
Serhat Kurt

Touch ID Not Working on your Mac? How To Fix

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 17:56:42 GMT

macReports
Touch ID Not Working on your Mac? How To Fix

Several users have reported that the Touch ID feature on their Mac is not working properly. More specifically users have said that they are unable to use Touch ID to unlock their Mac because their fingerprints are not recognized or they are unable to add their fingerprints. Some users have further reported that Touch ID started to malfunction after installing a new macOS update. This article explains how you can troubleshoot if you are experiencing similar issues with Mac Touch ID.

Touch ID is Apple’s fingerprint recognition feature to authenticate your identity. Several Mac models (MacBook Air and MacBook Pro) have Touch ID. Using this feature, you can unlock your Mac, use Apple Pay, log in to third-party apps, and make purchases from the iTunes Store, the App Store, and Apple Books.

Touch ID is also available on several iPhone and iPad models. This feature makes unlocking your device much easier and faster. We previously wrote on how you can fix if Touch ID is not working on your iPhone or iPad.

How to fix Mac Touch ID not working

There are a number of solutions that you can try. Please try the steps below. Make sure to check your Mac after each step to see if Touch ID starts working.

1. Clean your fingers and Touch ID sensor

Make sure that your fingers and Touch ID reader are clean and dry. Any dirt or liquid may cause your Mac not to read your fingers properly. Furthermore, if your fingers are wet or oily, Touch ID may not work. Wash your hands and wait until your fingers are dried out. You may use a clean and dry cloth to wipe off any dirt or debris that may be interrupting the fingerprint reader.

2. Update your Mac

Make sure that you have the latest version of the macOS software. Here is you can update your Mac:

Open System Preferences.
Click Software Update.

This will check for macOS updates. And if there are updates available, follow the onscreen instructions to install updates on your Mac. You may have to enter your admin password.

3. Re-add your fingerprints

Delete your existing fingerprint, then restart your Mac, and then register a new fingerprint. Here is how:

On your Mac, go to Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Touch ID.
Click Delete a fingerprint. You will need to enter your password.

Now restart your Mac by going to Apple menu and Restart. And add a new fingerprint. Here is how:

Go to Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Touch ID.
Click Add Fingerprint. And then follow the onscreen instructions.

4. Reset the SMC

Resetting the system management controller (SMC) may fix your Touch ID problem.

Before resetting the SMC, try this first:

Turn off your Mac (Apple menu > Shut Down).
Press and hold down the power button for 10 seconds.
After 10 seconds, release the power button.
Wait a few seconds and turn on your Mac by pressing the power button.

After completing the steps above, still, Touch ID is not working? Then reset the SMC. Please note that if you have purchased a Mac with an M1 chip, the steps below do not apply. The steps below apply to the Intel-based Mac computers. You can learn what type of processor your Mac has (Intel or Apple M) by going to Apple menu > About this Mac.

Here is how you can do this if your Mac has a Intel processor:

Turn off your Mac (Apple menu > Shut Down).
Press and hold the following four keys: Control, Option, Shift. Keep holding them for 7 seconds. Ignore if your Mac turns on.
After 7 seconds, while pressing and hold the keys above, press and hold the power button too.
Now press and hold these 4 keys (Control, Option, Shift, and power) for 7 more seconds.
After 7 seconds, release all buttons.
Wait a few seconds and turn on your Mac.

5. Safe Mode

Restart your Mac in Safe Mode to see if this can fix your problem. Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode of macOS. Simply restarting your Mac may fix this problem. Here is how you can do this. How you do this depends on what type of processor your Mac has (Intel or Apple Silicon M). As stated above, you can find out what type of Mac you have by going to Apple menu > About This Mac.

Intel processor Macs:

Turn off your Mac.
Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key.
Keep holding the Shift key until you see the login screen.
And log in to your Mac.

Apple processor Macs

Turn off your Mac.
Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds.
You will see the startup window, release the power button when you see this.
Select your startup disk (e.g., Macintosh HD) and press and hold the Shift key.
Then click Continue in Safe Mode.
Release the Shift key.

Your Mac is now in Safe Mode. Does your issue happen in Safe Mode? In either case, exit Safe Mode (simply restart your Mac normally).

Now test again. Does Touch ID work now?

6. Check your hardware

If you are still having this problem, you may be having hardware problems. Check your MacBook. Does your fingerprint sensor seem damaged? Do you see any scratches?

If this is the case, contact Apple about a possible repair. You can easily ask about your possible options via Apple Support Live Chat. You may also want to reserve a Genius Bar Appointment.

Touch ID Not Working on your Mac? How To Fix
Serhat Kurt

Could Not Set Up Apple Pay, An error occurred while setting up Apple Pay, Fix

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 17:28:32 GMT

macReports
Could Not Set Up Apple Pay, An error occurred while setting up Apple Pay, Fix

Several users have reported that they are unable to set up Apple Pay. Users have further said that they get the following error message when they attempt to add their credit, debit, or prepaid cards to their iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, or Mac. The error message says:

Could Not Set Up Apple Pay. An error occurred while setting up Apple Pay.

The error pop up also displays an OK button to dismiss the error. We previously wrote an article on how you can fix Apple Pay problems. Apple Pay is a secure and convenient way to pay in stores, restaurants, within apps, on the web. There are a lot of places that accept Apple Pay.

This is an important problem. Because unless you fix it, you will not be able to add cards to Wallet to use with Apple Pay. This error will not let you finish setting up Apple Pay. If you are having this problem also, please try the following tips. In this article, we list several tips to resolve this issue.

Before you do anything, there are three simple steps you can take. The first one is to make sure that your device is running the latest version of iOS, watchOS, or macOS. If needed, update to the latest version of the software and then try again.

Furthermore, the second one is that you should check the Apple system status page before trying the steps below. There could be an outage for the Apple Pay service. Outages can cause these types of errors. This page will let you see if Apple Pay is working or not due to outages. This page will further let you view updates from Apple.

And lastly restart your device. Simply restarting your device may fix your problem.

If you are still having this problem, please try the steps below in order. Make sure to check your device after each step to see if Apple Pay is working.

1. Check your Internet connection. Make sure that your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac is connected to the Internet. Open Safari (or any other browser) on your machine and then try to visit a website, like macreports.com; if nothing loads, that means that you may have connection issues. If this is the case, please try the following steps:

Restart your Wi-Fi router/modem. Simply unplug it from its power outlet, wait 30 seconds and then re-plug it.
Make sure that your device is not too far from your Internet router.
Turn off Wi-Fi on your device and wait for 30 seconds and then turn it on again.
You may also want to contact your service provider (e.g., Comcast, Xfinity, etc) for more help.
Restart your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac.
If you are still having issues try to reset network settings by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings on your iOS device. It is possible to reset network settings on your Mac too. Please note that resetting your network settings will delete all of your network settings such as your saved Wi-Fi passwords etc.
We have many articles about connection problems, please also review them:

2. Sign out of your Apple ID and back in. Follow the steps below:

iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch: Settings > [your name] > Sign Out. You will need to enter your Apple ID password.
Mac: Apple menu > System Preferences. Click Apple ID, then click Overview and Sign Out.

Then follow the same steps to sign back in.

3. Ensure your Apple ID country or region is correct. There are two region settings you need to check: (1) your device’s region (2) Apple ID region. Please check and ensure that these settings are correct and if no, correct them. If the current settings are correct, re-select the same region again. For example, if your region was the United States, set it to the United States again (select another country first, e.g., Canada, and then reselect the United States). Here is how:

Device region:
- iPhone / iPad: Settings > General > Language & Region.
- Mac: Apple menu > System Preferences > Language & Region.
- Apple Watch: On your paired iPhone, open the Watch app and then go to My Watch, and tap General > Language & Region
Apple ID:
- iPhone / iPad: Settings > [your name] > iTunes & App Store > your Apple ID > View Apple ID > Country/Region.
- Mac: Open the Music app or iTunes and then click Account > View My Account (sign in with your Apple ID) > View Account.
- You can also do this by going to the Apple ID account website. Simply go to this page, sign in and find the Country/Region menu.

4. If you are having this problem with your Mac, reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac. Here is how:

Apple notebook computers with T2 chip:
- Turn off your Mac.
- Press and hold all of the following three keys: Control, Option, Shift. Keep holding these keys for 7 seconds. Now press and hold the power button too. So you are now pressing and holding four keys. Keep these 4 keys for an additional 7 seconds. Then release all buttons. Wait 5 seconds and turn on your Mac by pressing the power button.
Apple desktop computers:
- Turn off your computer.
- Unplug the power cable.
- Wait for 15 seconds.
- Replug the power cable.
- Wait for 5 seconds.
- Turn on your Mac by pressing the power button.

So you have tried everything listed above and none of these suggestions could fix your issue, then you may want to contact Apple Support. You may also want to contact the card issuer for further support.

Could Not Set Up Apple Pay, An error occurred while setting up Apple Pay, Fix
Serhat Kurt

MagSafe Charging not Working, Fix

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 03:34:16 GMT

macReports
MagSafe Charging not Working, Fix

MagSafe is the charging technology that first became available with the iPhone 12. MagSafe is both a mounting and a charging system; it includes a magnetic component that is used to secure the iPhone to the MagSafe charger and to attach MagSafe accessories like cases. Some users have had trouble charging their iPhone 12s with their MagSafe chargers. Users affected by these difficulties report that although their iPhone is connected to the MagSafe charger via the MagSafe magnet, their iPhone is not charging. In this article, we will give some troubleshooting tips to deal with MagSafe charging issues.

About MagSafe

MagSafe chargers use the same Qi charging technology that other wireless chargers use. iPhone 12 can be charged wirelessly using either standard Qi chargers or a MagSafe charger. With a MagSafe charger, however, you are able to charge at 15 W of power vs around 7.5 W for the standard Qi wireless charger. MagSafe chargers can also be used to charge other Qi compatible devices such as other iPhone models and AirPods.

MagSafe Charging Tips

Place charger face up on a flat surface.
Make sure there are no metal objects nearby.
Use a USB 3 power adapter capable of at least 12 W, preferably 20 W, or connect the USB-C to your Mac.
Remove any cases that are thick or contain metal.

How to Fix

After updating to the latest iOS, and doing a force restart, if you are still having trouble, you will want to determine if the problem is with:

Your MagSafe charger
Your iPhone 12
The MagSafe charger/iPhone 12 as a charging pair

Update to Latest iOS

Many users have reported that updating has solved the problem for them. If your iPhone is not running the latest iOS, you should update. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates.

Force Restart

Many users have found that a force restart will resolve the issue.

Press and release the volume up button, then immediately press and hold the volume down button.
While holding the volume down button, press and hold the side button.
When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

Check Your Charge Adapter

A MagSafe charger should be connected to a power adapter capable of at least 12 W. It works best with a 20 W capable adapter. If you are having trouble try plugging into another adapter.

Check the MagSafe Charger

You will want to know if the problem is with your charger. Try charging a different wireless device with your charger. Of course it would be best to test out another iPhone 12, but any device with wireless charging capabilities can at least test that the MagSafe charger can function as a standard wireless charger.

Check your iPhone’s wireless charging ability

Try to charge your iPhone 12 using another wireless charger.

Look at Battery Optimization Settings

If your iPhone 12 is charging, just not fully, you may be seeing the effects of Optimized Battery Charging. Optimized Battery Charging is a setting that makes it so your battery doesn’t charge past 80% until shortly before your iPhone thinks you will take it off the charger. The idea is that it is best for your phone’s battery not to spend so much time in a fully charged state. Optimized Battery Charging is on by default. If you would like to turn it off, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and tap the toggle switch next to Optimized Battery Charging.

Apple Support

If none of the above tips have worked for you, you may want to contact Apple Support. You may decide to make a Genius Bar appointment so that an Apple Tech can take a look at your iPhone 12. If you are unsure of your warranty status, take a look at our article: How To Check Your Apple Warranty Status.

Recent Articles:

MagSafe Charging not Working, Fix
Stacey Butler

How to Fix iPhone Keypad not Working During Calls

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 23:59:11 GMT

macReports
How to Fix iPhone Keypad not Working During Calls

Some users have reported a problem where they are unable to use their iPhones keypad to punch in numbers while they are on a phone call. This can be a serious problem when trying to make a call that requires entering information and selecting menu options. This issue seems to affect users’ ability to enter numbers for phone prompts for many different phone numbers, and so appears to be a general problem for the affected users. This issue has affected people using different cell services.

One user reports being able to use the keypad while on a phone call only if the phone is not on speaker, but if the phone is on speaker – the way many people will dial a number they know will require making multiple menu selections before being put on hold – they cannot input menu selections using the keypad. At least one user reports that after trying to enter from the keypad, the call will fail.

Problems like this have been seen before. There are posts in Apple’s discussions dating back to 2014 from an iPhone 5 user running iOS 8.

How to Fix

We first explain about the two keypads you can find on your iPhone, then give some general tips to try and resolve the problem, and finally list a few alternative options that have worked for some users.

The Two Keypads

As a few users who have experienced this problem have realized, there are two iPhone keypads. While you are in an active call, there is an option to select the keypad from the call screen.

Which opens up a keypad with a black background. This is the keypad that is actually “active” and the one you need to use while on a phone call.

The other keypad is the one you would see when using the phone’s keypad to make a call. It has a white background.

You access this keypad by tapping on the phone icon from your Home Screen. You can see that even though there is an active call – the time of day is in green in the upper-left corner of the screen – this keypad doesn’t have a red phone image but a green one. Numbers typed into this keypad during a phone call will not be transmitted as DTMF tones, in other words, your menu choices won’t be transmitted.

Restart your iPhone

iPhone X, 11 or 12

Press and hold the volume down button and the side button until the power off slider appears.

Drag the slider, Wait for 30 seconds.
Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

iPhone SE (2nd gen), 8, 7, or 6

Press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears.

Drag the slider, Wait for 30 seconds.
Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

iPhone SE (1st gen), 5 or earlier

Press and hold the top button until the power off slider appears.

Drag the slider, Wait for 30 seconds.
Press and hold the top button until you see the Apple logo.

Update to the Latest iOS

Keeping your iPhone updated is important. Often people will find that an update has fixed an issue they are having. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Install any available updates.

Force Restart

iPhone 12, 11, X, 8 or iPhone SE (2nd gen)

Press and release the volume up button, then immediately press and hold the volume down button.
While holding the volume down button, press and hold the side button.
When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

iPhone 7

Press and hold both the volume down button and the Sleep/Wake side button.
When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

iPhone 6 or iPhone SE (1st gen)

Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake (top or side) button and the Home button.
When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

Other Things to Try

These suggestions are things that some users who have experienced this problem have said worked for them.

Turn Off VPN

Go to Settings > General > VPN to find your VPN settings.

Muting/Turning Off Speaker

Some users have said that pressing mute allows them to make the number selection. Press mute again after making the selection. Other users have said that they can’t use the keypad while using the speaker for audio and that they were able to use the keypad if they turned off the speaker – so that the audio came through iPhone’s normal phone speaker.

Reset Network Settings

Be warned that this resets your Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cell settings, VPN and APN settings. To reset network settings, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Reinstall Apps and Data

A user who said he had this issue on multiple previous iPhones as well claimed that reinstalling all apps and data from scratch worked to resolve the issue. It may be a pain to reinstall all your apps and re-enter all your settings. If you would like to try this:

Make a backup first. Make sure your important files, photos and data are saved to either your computer or iCloud. You can use your backup in case the solution does not work for you.
Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode or Apple ID if requested and confirm the Erase.
You can restore your iCloud files and re-download your apps from the App Store.

See Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings for more on restoring your iPhone.

Apple Support

If your problem hasn’t been solved by following any of the above steps, you may contact Apple Support for more assistance.

Recent Articles:

How to Fix iPhone Keypad not Working During Calls
Stacey Butler

What You Can Do with an Apple ID without an Apple Device

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 03:57:39 GMT

macReports
What You Can Do with an Apple ID without an Apple Device

An Apple ID is your Apple account that is used for all Apple services and devices as an authentication method. You can get an Apple ID when setting up a new device. You can also create an Apple ID on the web even if you do not have an Apple device. All you need is an email account and a phone number. Your email account will be your Apple ID and your email and phone number will be associated with the account.

There are a lot of awesome things you can do with your Apple ID. This article explains what you can do with an Apple ID account even if you do not have an Apple device. We also list some of the Apple services you may not use Apple ID, if you do not have an Apple device.

How to create an Apple ID

You can create an Apple ID on your Apple device, iPhone, iPad or Mac. If you do not own an Apple device, you can go to the Apple ID website and create your own Apple ID. It is free of charge. You do not need a credit card.

As stated above, you will need to enter your email address. This email address will be your new Apple ID. You can later change your Apple ID email, if needed. You will also need to enter your name, address and phone number. So, where can you use your Apple ID?

What you can do

iCloud and iCloud Drive

iCloud Drive is a great cloud service to store all your documents (Pages), presentations (Numbers) and spreadsheets (Keynote). It lets you store, share, and collaborate on files and folders. You can use any mobile device, tablet, or computer to create and share files. You get 5 GB of space in your Drive for free. If needed, you can buy more space. Here is how:

On your computer, visit iCloud.com and sign in using your new Apple ID.
Here you can create Pages documents, Numbers spreadsheets and Keynote presentations online. You can also store and access your documents.

Apple Online Discussions

Apple offers a lot of different support options. One of them is the Apple Communities website, a forum for discussions of Apple products. This enables millions of other Apple users to have discussions about Apple’s products and how to use them.

This is a great place to learn, share, and troubleshoot. With your new Apple ID, you can join. You can post your questions for others to answer. You can also answer others’ questions.

If you are interested in this, please visit the Apple Support Communities website. You can browse and read the forums without signing in. However, you will need to have an Apple ID to participate and ask or answer questions.

Sign in with Apple

You can use your Apple ID to sign in to third-party apps and websites. The biggest benefit of using this is probably privacy. This will let you hide your email address. Furthermore, you won’t have to remember individual usernames and passwords for each account. And lastly, creating a new account with every app you want to use or website you visit can be difficult and time consuming.

There are a lot of apps and websites support Sign in With Apple, such as:

Many Adobe websites and apps such as Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop
https://www.airbnb.com
https://www.booking.com
Ebay
Etsy
Dropbox
Fiverr
Grubhub
Kayak
Reddit
Spotify

Apple Developer

You can use your Apple ID to sign in to Apple Developer. It is even possible to sideload apps on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV using a free Apple ID.

Furthermore, you can enroll in the Apple Developer Program. But this will require additional steps that you will need to complete. Simply follow the onscreen instructions. You will need to do this if you want to develop software for macOS, iOS, tvOS, or watchOS.

What you cannot do

Since you do now have an Apple ID, your Apple ID use will be limited. You won’t be able to use the following services unless you have an Apple device:

FaceTime
iMessage
App Store
Mac App Store
Apple TV, Apple TV+
Apple Pay
Apple Music
Apple News
Apple Books
Find My

You can also delete your Apple ID.

What You Can Do with an Apple ID without an Apple Device
Serhat Kurt

Your Computer was Restarted Because of a Problem: How to Fix Kernel Panic on Mac

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 22:09:45 GMT

macReports
Your Computer was Restarted Because of a Problem: How to Fix Kernel Panic on Mac

Occasionally, your Mac may restart or shutdown unexpectedly. You might see a message like the one above telling you that your Mac had to restart because of a problem. In this article, we will discuss what can cause your Mac to shutdown or restart and what you can do to fix the problem.

If you are having a problem with your Mac freezing and not responding, see our articles:

If you have an app that keeps crashing, see:

What is Kernel Panic

A kernel panic happens as the result of your Mac shutting itself down in response to a fatal error. Your computer shuts down either because it can’t continue to run (or start up) or continuing would pose a risk of data loss.

Find the Cause of the Problem

When your Mac restarts unexpectedly, it is usually a software problem or a problem with peripheral devices.

Software Checks

Install any available software updates: macOS, built-in and App Store apps.
Check third-party apps. You may have seen a pop-up message on your Mac about an app suspected of causing the crash. If you see such a message, click Move to Trash, then check the developers website to see if an updated version of the app is available.
Boot your Mac in Safe Mode. Using Safe Mode can help you identify the cause of the problem.
Use crash reports to help troubleshoot the issue.

Hardware Checks

If you weren’t able to find a software cause for your Mac’s issues, you will want to first look at your connected peripheral devices.

Shutdown your Mac. Go to Apple menu  > Shut Down.
Disconnect all of your peripheral devices. This includes:
- External hard drives.
- Printers.
- External monitors.
- Anything else connected via USB.
- Leave your mouse and keyboard connected.
Power on your Mac. You will want to use it long enough to see if it crashes.

If Your Mac Doesn’t Crash with No Peripherals Connected

If this is your situation, you will need to figure out which peripheral is causing the problem. Reconnect one at a time to see if a crash occurs.

If Your Mac Crashes with No Peripherals Connected

Check RAM and Third-Party Hardware

You will want to check your computer’s RAM and any third-party hardware that has been installed. This only really applies if you (or someone else) has installed RAM or other hardware, such as a hard disk. If you have installed anything, check that it is compatible and installed correctly.

Apple Diagnostics

Using this tool can help diagnose hardware problems.

Disconnected all external peripherals from your MacBook except your mouse and power connection.
Place your Mac on a hard surface.
Turn off your Mac by going to the Apple menu  > Shut Down.
Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the D key. Keep holding the D key until you see the language screen.
Select your language.
Your Mac will perform the diagnostics. It will take a few minutes to complete. If your Mac finds any problems, the reports and possible solutions will be reported. The report will reveal if the fan and temperature sensors are working correctly.

Other Options

Reinstall macOS

If you haven’t found the source of your Mac’s kernel panic issues, you may want to reinstall macOS.

Reinstalling will erase your disk! You must make a backup before reinstalling macOS.

Back up your Mac using Time Machine.
Restart your Mac in Recovery Mode:
1. Power on your Mac. Immediately hold down 2 keys: Command (⌘) and R.
2. Release when the Apple logo appears.
Choose Reinstall macOS [Big Sur]. Then click Continue. Follow onscreen instructions. Note: if you choose to Reinstall from Time Machine Backup, you may end up with the exact same problem. That is why you are installing a fresh version of macOS.
Recover your data from Time Machine. For any third-party apps, we suggest downloading the latest version from the developer’s website, in case one of these apps was causing your overheating problems.
1. Connect your backup disk.
2. Open a Finder window. From the menu bar at the top of your screen, select Go, then Utilities.
3. Double-click on Migration Assistant in the Finder window.
4. Choose to transfer from a Time Machine backup. Click Continue.
5. Select the Time Machine backup you want to use. Click Continue.
6. Select the information you want to transfer. Click Continue. If you are transferring a large amount of data, this could take hours to complete.

Contact Support

If you weren’t able to identify and solve the issue, you may want to contact Apple Support for more assistance.

Recent Articles:

Your Computer was Restarted Because of a Problem: How to Fix Kernel Panic on Mac
Stacey Butler

Siri Opens in Full Screen Mode instead of the New Compact Interface

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 21:16:40 GMT

macReports
Siri Opens in Full Screen Mode instead of the New Compact Interface

Some users have said that Siri is still taking over the entire screen even if they are running iOS 14 or later.

Up until iOS 14, when you invoke Siri, the Siri interface would take up the entire screen. However, if your device has iOS 14 or later, you will now see a Siri orb at the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen. This way, you can continue to interact with your device, even if you are using Siri. This was in fact a long-requested feature that finally arrived with the new software update. This is because many users want to multitask while using Siri.

the new compact Siri screen

Are you having this issue too? Do you want to use the new compact UI for Siri? This short article explains how you can change the iPhone (iPad too) Siri screen. You can also use this article to reenable full-screen Siri on your iPhone and iPad.

See this article if you are having issues with Siri.

Full screen Siri

If Siri still dominates the screen, that’s probably because you are using some of the iOS accessibility features. If you do not want Siri to appear in full screen mode, you will need to turn off these accessibility features. Please follow the steps below:

On your device, go to Settings > Accessibility
Scroll down and tap Siri.

There are two settings that you need to find. The first one is “Show Apps Behind Siri”. If this setting is turned off, Siri will appear in full screen mode. Unless you want to restore the full screen Siri, ensure that this option is off. If you turn on this option, a full-screen takeover will not occur when you activate Siri.

Obviously, you want to turn this off, if you keep the old interface for Siri.

The other setting is “Type to Siri”. This is an accessibility feature. If this option is enabled, you can type to ‌Siri‌ instead of speaking to ‌Siri‌. Some people may want this feature. However, if this is enabled, Siri will take over the entire screen, you will see the keyboard and an option to type a command to ‌Siri‌. Furthermore, when this option is on, all Siri commands must be typed instead of spoken commands. A textual interface will appear when you summon Siri where you can write your queries to Siri. This will cover the full screen.

If you do not need this, please ensure that it is set to off.

Fitness+ Says "Apple Watch Unavailable”; Fix

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 22:54:54 GMT

macReports
Fitness+ Says “Apple Watch Unavailable”; Fix

Several Apple Fitness+ app users have reported that they see the following error message when they wanted to start a workout. This article explains how you can fix this problem.

The error messages says:

Apple Watch Unavailable. To show your metrics, your watch needs to be unlocked and have Bluetooth turned on.

The alert also shows a button that says “Work Out Without Watch.” You may also see a message saying “Looking for Apple Watch”.

It is important that you fix this problem. Because unless you fix this, you will not be able to use the app. Apple Fitness+ is a subscription service for $9.99 (US) per month or $79.99 (US) per year. You need an Apple Watch Series 3 or later. The Apple Fitness+ app is designed to incorporate workout metrics, such as heart rate and calories burned, from your Apple Watch directly to your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. This means that if you are experiencing this problem, your key metrics from your Apple Watch will not appear on your device.

Before you do anything, please ensure that your hardware and software meet the Fitness app requirements:

Apple Watch Series 3 or later.
iPhone 6s or later.
iPad with iPadOS 14.3 or later.
Apple TV with tvOS 14.3.

1. Check your connection

It is possible that your Apple Watch isn’t connected or paired with your iPhone. Please try the followings:

Please ensure that your Apple Watch and paired iPhone are in range and they are not far from each other. If your watch is too far from your device, they may disconnect.
Make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on on your iPhone.
As the message says, ensure that your watch is unlocked.
On your Apple Watch, go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn off Bluetooth, wait for 30 seconds and then turn it on.

See also:

2. Restart

Restart your devices. This may fix your problem. First restart your Apple Watch. And then your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. Here is how:

Apple Watch: Press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears. Then drag the slider. Wait for 30 seconds. And then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
iPhone / iPad:
- iPhone X, 11, 12 or later and iPad without a Home button models: Press and hold the volume up (or down) and the side buttons together until you see the power off slider. Drag the slider. Wait for your device to completely turn off. Then Press and hold the side button to turn on your device.
- iPhone and iPad with a Home button models: Press and hold the power button (side or top) until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider. Wait for your device to power off. And then press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.
- Apple TV: You can disconnect it from the power outlet and wait 30 seconds and then connect again. Alternatively, you can go to Settings > System and select Restart.

3. Update everything

You can use Apple Fitness+ on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. You will also need an Apple Watch. Make sure that your device has the latest version of its software. If needed, update your devices to the latest version of iOS, watchOS, iPadOS or watchOS. Here is how:

iPhone / iPad / Apple Watch: Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Apple TV: Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and Select Update Software.

4. The Home app

Some users have said that downloading and installing the Home app fixed the problem for them. You may also try this. Download the Home app on your device. And open the app. That’s it (if you already have the Home app, remove and install). Then try to use the Fitness app to see if it is working now.

5. Reset network settings

Reset network settings as this may fix your Fitness Plus app problem. Please note that doing so will erase your network settings such as your Wi-Fi passwords. Here is how:

iPhone or iPad: Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

6. Unpair and then pair

Unpair your watch from your iPhone and then repair. Here is how:

Keep your iPhone and watch close. Then on your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app. Then go to My Watch > All Watches. Tap the (i) info button and then tap Unpair Apple Watch (since we will repair again, when asked, choose to keep your cellular plan). Then follow the onscreen instructions. A backup will be automatically created.

Then repair again. Turn on your watch and hold your watch close to your iPhone and then follow the onscreen instructions. During the set up process, you will be asked if you want to restore from a backup or set up as new.

See this article, if you are having issues with the pairing process.

If you are still having any issues with Apple Fitness+; please let us know down in the comments below!

Fitness+ Says “Apple Watch Unavailable”; Fix
Serhat Kurt

How to Fix MacBook Overheating after Upgrade

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 21:40:32 GMT

macReports
How to Fix MacBook Overheating after Upgrade

Although problems with Macs overheating can happen anytime, many people will run into this issue after a major upgrade, like Big Sur. If you are experiencing this problem, you may also notice that your battery charge runs out quickly. Your computer may also be running slowly.

If your Mac’s problem is related to a recent upgrade, there are steps you can take to diagnose and solve the issue. These are usually pretty effective, as the cause for the problem usually comes down to just a few common possibilities. There is also the possibility that an overheating problem is hardware related. In this article, we will give some troubleshooting steps to help you identify the cause of the overheating problem, and tell you how you can fix the issue.

Why your Mac is Overheating

After upgrading your macOS, there are processes that need to run in order to do things like index your files for searches (See: Mac Spotlight Search not Working after macOS Upgrade, Fix.) These processes can take a long time to complete and will be running in the background, long after your computer has “finished” upgrading. If you have recently, in the last day or so, upgraded, it might be best to wait and see if the problem resolves itself.

Software

After upgrading to a new macOS, some of your apps may have become incompatible. Some of the apps that have been known to cause issues, at least until they were uninstalled/updated, are:

Google Chrome (see also: Chrome Won’t Open On Mac)
Various antivirus/malware software such as Malwarebytes and Sophos Home

How to Fix It

To deal with apps that are causing problems after a new upgrade, the usual steps are:

Identify which app is causing a problem.
Uninstall/delete the app.
Reinstall a new, updated (compatible) version of the app.

We will outline the basics here, but for more details on each of these steps, see our recent articles:

Open a Finder window, then go to the menu bar at the top of your screen and select Go. Select Utilities from the dropdown menu.
In the Finder window, double-click on Activity Monitor.
Make sure the CPU tab is selected so you can view which processes are using the most CPU.
See which process is using a large percentage of your CPU.
Search (Google) for the name of that process to find out more information about where it comes from. This can help you identify the cause of your overheating problem. If you see that either accountsd or kernelmanagerd are the processes using too much CPU, see the links above. Those articles deal specifically with those two processes.

Hardware

Various things can contribute to a MacBook overheating. If you have investigated the software angle and decided that everything looks ok there, you may want to look at physical (and more basic software) causes.

How to Fix It

Some of the simple things you can do are:

Keep your macOS updated.
Restart: Go to Apple menu  > Restart.
Use your Mac on a flat surface.
Clean airflow vents on your Mac.
Quit apps you are not using.

Reset SMC

The SMC controls power, lights and sensor functions on your MacBook. Resetting can fix a variety of issues.

To reset the SMC, Shutdown/power off your MacBook.
Press and hold 3 keys: Shift, Control and Option.
Press and hold the power button, without releasing the other 3 keys.
Hold all keys for 10 seconds, then release.
Press the power button on your Mac.

Apple Diagnostics

Using this tool can help diagnose hardware problems.

Disconnected all external peripherals from your MacBook except your mouse and power connection.
Place your Mac on a hard surface.
Turn off your Mac by going to the Apple menu > Shut Down.
Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the D key. Keep holding the D key until you see the language screen.
Select your language.
Your Mac will perform the diagnostics. It will take a few minutes to complete. If your Mac finds any problems, the reports and possible solutions will be reported. The report will reveal if the fan and temperature sensors are working correctly.

For more details, see our article on How To Keep Your MacBook From Overheating.

Other Options

Downgrade

If you feel that the new upgrade just isn’t going to work out for you, you can downgrade to a previous macOS. For more details, see our article: How to Downgrade from MacOS Big Sur to Catalina.

Reinstall

Reinstalling will erase your disk! You must make a backup before reinstalling macOS.

Back up your Mac using Time Machine.
Restart your Mac in Recovery Mode:
1. Power on your Mac. Immediately hold down 2 keys: Command (⌘) and R.
2. Release when the Apple logo appears.
Choose Reinstall macOS Big Sur. Then click Continue. Follow onscreen instructions. Note: if you choose to Reinstall from Time Machine Backup, you may end up with the exact same problem. That is why you are installing a fresh version of macOS.
Recover your data from Time Machine. For any third-party apps, we suggest downloading the latest version from the developer’s website, in case one of these apps was causing your overheating problems.
1. Connect your backup disk.
2. Open a Finder window. From the menu bar at the top of your screen, select Go, then Utilities.
3. Double-click on Migration Assistant in the Finder window.
4. Choose to transfer from a Time Machine backup. Click Continue.
5. Select the Time Machine backup you want to use. Click Continue.
6. Select the information you want to transfer. Click Continue. If you are transferring a large amount of data, this could take hours to complete.

Apple Support

If the tips above haven’t helped resolve your issue and you need further assistance, you can contact Apple Support.

Recent Articles:

How to Fix MacBook Overheating after Upgrade
Stacey Butler

Keyboard Typing Lag, Fix

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 19:30:30 GMT

macReports
Keyboard Typing Lag, Fix

Several iPhone and iPad users have said that they have been experiencing keyboard lags when typing texts, mails or iMessage messages. This article explains how you can fix the typing lag or delay problem. Some users have said that they only started noticing problems after updating iOS or iPadOS software.

It appears that some users find the iPhone or iPad keyboard sometimes responds very slowly when using various apps. It further appears that this problem may occur in different apps, from Messages and Mail to Safari and Notes and more. Common symptoms of keyboard lag include delayed response time in typing, meaning it takes a few seconds (usually 1-3 seconds) for the text you type to appear on your screen. Obviously this problem can be frustrating as it can impact work negatively.

Are you also having issues with lagging when typing text? If you are experiencing this problem also, please try the following troubleshooting steps in order until you fix your problem.

Before you do anything, please note that your device has the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. You can update your device wirelessly by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Furthermore, please also ensure that all of your apps are up to date. You can open the App Store app to update your apps.

1. Reset Keyboard Dictionary

First try this to fix this problem. Here is how you can do this:

On your iPhone, tap Settings.
Tap General.
Tap Reset.
Tap Reset Keyboard Dictionary.

You will need to enter your passcode and then follow the onscreen instructions.

Please note that resetting the keyboard dictionary will remove the words that you’ve added to the user dictionary.

2. Restart your iPhone or iPad

Simply restart your device. Here is how you can restart your device:

iPhone X, 11, or 12 and iPad without a Home button models: Press and hold the power (located on the side) and the volume up or down buttons together until you see the power off slider. Then drag the slider. Wait for your device to shut off. And then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
Other iPhone and iPad models: Press and hold the power button (depending on the iPhone model, the power button can either be on the side or top) until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider to the right. Wait for your iPhone to completely power off. Then again press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo to restart your device.

3. Remove, restart and re-add keyboard

Here is how you can do this:

On your device, go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
Tap Keyboard.
If you have only one keyboard (e.g. English (US)), you will not be able to delete it. To be able to delete, you will need to have more than one keyboards. Thus if this is the case, add a keyboard.
Tap Edit and then tap the red (-) Delete button next to the keyboard you want to remove and then tap Delete.
Now restart your device.
And then add the keyboard you deleted by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards. Simply tap Add New Keyboard and select the keyboard from the list.

4. Force restart your device

If you are still having this problem, force restart your iPhone to see if this fixes your problem.

iPhone 8 or later (iPhone X, 11 or 12) and iPad without a Home button models: Press and release the volume up button and press and release the volume down button and then press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo.
iPhone 7 models: Press and hold the side or top and the volume down buttons together until the Apple logo appears.
iPhone 6 and earlier; iPad with a Home button models: Press and hold the Home and the side or top buttons together until the Apple logo appears.

After force restarting your device, your device will restart and hopefully this problem will be fixed in the process.

5. Check storage and clear space

How much free data storage space is left on your device? Your device requires at least, between 2-3 GBs of free space to function properly.

You can check how much storage you have available on your device in the Settings app. Simply go to Settings > General > [Device] Storage. This page may have a list of recommendations that you may want to follow. You may also want to delete apps that you no longer use.

6. Reset All Settings

If you are still having this problem, reset all settings. Doing so will restore default iPhone settings without erasing your data. Meaning this will not delete your data like photos, videos, messages, notes, music, and other content. Instead this will erase settings such as location, Apple Cards etc. Here is how:

On your device, go to Settings > General > Reset.
Tap Reset All Settings.
Then follow the onscreen instructions.

Keyboard Typing Lag, Fix
Serhat Kurt

iPhone or iPad not Showing up in Finder on Mac, Fix

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:32:46 GMT

macReports
iPhone or iPad not Showing up in Finder on Mac, Fix

You may want to connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac for various reasons. For example, you may want to do so when you want to sync, backup, restore or update your device using your Mac.

When you connect your device to your computer using a USB cable, your device will appear under Locations in the Finder sidebar on your Mac (this is if you have a Mac with macOS Catalina or later).

If you do not see your device in the sidebar of the Finder, this may mean that your Mac isn’t recognizing your iPhone or iPad. This article explains how you can fix if your iPhone or iPad doesn’t show up in the Finder. If you experience this problem, you will not be able to use the Finder to sync, update or restore your device using your Mac.

In some cases, the Finder may show your iPhone or iPad initially and then your device may disappear again from the Finder.

Please try the steps below.

Before you do anything, please try the following:

Simply disconnect and reconnect your device from your computer to see if this resolves your problem.
Ensure that your device is unlocked and on the Home screen.
Ensure that your iOS or iPadOS device trusts your computer. If you see a “Trust this computer” alert, tap Trust. You will see this alert when you connect your device for the first time. You can reset your Trust settings too by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Restart

Restart your iOS device and your Mac and then try again. Here is how:

iPhone X, 11 or 12 and iPad models without a Home button: Press and hold the side and volume up (or down) buttons together until you see the power off slider. Then slide the slider and wait for your device to turn off. Then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
Other iPhone and iPad models: Press and hold the side or top button until you see the power off slider. Then drag the slider. Wait for 30 seconds for your device to fully power off. Then press and hold the side or top button until you see the Apple logo.
Mac: You can click the Apple menu and select Restart.

2. Update your Mac

Simply update your Mac. Updating your Mac will also update the installed version of macOS and all of its apps, including the Finder. Simply go to System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Software Update to check for updates. And if there are updates available, follow the onscreen instructions to update your Mac.

3. Check your USB cable and port

It’s possible that there’s a problem with your USB cable. Ensure that your cable is not damaged. If you have another cable, try that one too. Furthermore, on your device, inspect the Lightning port. Make sure that it is free of debris. Also try a different USB port on your Mac.

4. Ensure your Mac is recognizing your iPhone

Make sure that your Mac is seeing the iPhone or the iPad as connected. Here is how you can check this:

Connect your iPhone or iPad with your USB cable.
On your Mac, click the Apple menu > About this Mac > System Report. This will open the System Information window.
From the left list under Hardware, Click USB.
If you see your iPhone or iPad under the USB Device Tree section, this means that your Mac is seeing your device. If not, you may want to contact Apple Support.

5. Finder Preferences

If you are still having this problem, check the Finder Preferences settings. Please try the following:

Connect your device.
In the Finder, click Finder and Preferences.
Click Sidebar.
Under the Locations section, check to see if the “CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices” box is checked.
- If it is checked, uncheck it. Wait a few seconds and then check it.
- If it is unchecked, check it.

And now test again to see if you can see your device in the Finder Locations sidebar.

Lost your AirPods? How to Find your AirPods & their Case

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 23:57:32 GMT

macReports
Lost your AirPods? How to Find your AirPods & their Case

AirPods are little things. If your AirPod(s) have gone missing, Apple’s Find My can be incredibly useful for helping you find them. In order to make use of this feature, you will have had to have enabled Find My iPhone (or iPad) before the AirPod(s) disappeared.

For AirPods connection issues, see:

Use Find My

Find My AirPods is automatically set up when you set up Find My for your iPhone, iPad or iPod. Find My can help you find your AirPods when they are out of their case and somewhere close by. Using the map can help you know if they are nearby. Once you are close to their location, you can use Play a Sound to locate them.

Your AirPods on a Map

In order to see your AirPods on a map, you can either go to iCloud.com or use the Find My app on your device. Find My will show you the location of your devices and AirPods. If your AirPods are no longer connected, such as when they have run out of charge, Find My will show you the last location of your AirPods before they went offline.

A few things to keep in mind when using Find My maps to find your lost AirPods:

Because they rely on GPS, there is definitely some inaccuracy. So, for example, if your AirPods appear to be in your neighbor’s backyard, they may really be in your house somewhere. In the image above, all my devices are on my desk, however it looks as though my iPad and Mac are out in the backyard.
If your AirPods have gone offline (run out of charge), they may not be at the location you see on the map. That will just be their last known location.

iCloud.com

Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. You may need to enter a 2FA verification code. The code you need will appear on your devices.
Click on Find iPhone. You will be able to see all of your devices’ locations, provided they are online.
To see just the location of your AirPods, click on All Devices, the select your AirPods.

Using Find My app

On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you can also use Find My to see the last location of your AirPods.

Open the Find My app.
Select the Devices tab.

Note that if your AirPods are separated, you will only see one at a time on the map. To find both:

Find the AirPod that is showing a location on the map.
Put that AirPod in its case.
Refresh the Find My map. The other AirPod’s location will show on the map.

Play a Sound

In order for this to work, your AirPods should be close enough to your Apple device and connected to Bluetooth. You can use either iCloud.com or the Find My app to get them to play a sound to help you locate them. The sound will get gradually louder over a 2 minute time period.

Open the Find My app or go to iCloud.com and click on Find My iPhone.
If you are using the app, select the devices tab. If you are using iCloud.com, select All Devices.
Select your device from the list. Then select Play Sound.

If your AirPods are Offline

In order to make use of Find My, you have to have enabled it before your AirPods became lost.
If your AirPods are currently offline, you may be able to see their last know location.
If your AirPods come back online, you will get a notification on the iDevice you have paired with them. I suppose this knowledge may be most useful for those who do find a stray AirPod and can charge it for the poor person who has lost track of it.

Still Can’t Find your AirPods or their Case?

As of right now, there is no way to track the AirPods’ case using Find My. So if your AirPods are in their case, or if it is the case itself that has gone missing, Find My can’t help you directly, it can only help you learn the last location of the AirPods (before they went into their case.)

How to Find your Case

If you are looking for a way to keep track of your case (maybe in the future), you can use a device like Tile. Tile is a small, thin, square-shaped device that you can use to keep track of keys, pets, wallets and many other things you might misplace. Tile comes with its own adhesive that you could use to affix it to the AirPods’ case. The Tile device connects to your iPhone and you can locate your Tile – and the item it’s attached to- through the Tile app.

Order Replacement

Unfortunately, sometimes you won’t be able to locate your stray AirPod(s) or their charging case. In this instance, you can order a replacement.

Find the serial number for your AirPods/Case.
Contact Apple Support to order a replacement.

See our article, What does AppleCare+ for AirPods Cover? Is it Worth it?, for a discussion about AppleCare+ for AirPods.

Also, there is no way to lock AirPods the way that you can lock your iPhone if it gets lost or stolen. Unfortunately, if someone else finds your AirPods, they only need to reset them in order to pair them to their iDevices.

Recent Articles:

Lost your AirPods? How to Find your AirPods & their Case
Stacey Butler

Not Enough Space to Transfer Backup to iPhone, Fix

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 02:15:18 GMT

macReports
Not Enough Space to Transfer Backup to iPhone, Fix

When you get a new iPhone, unless it’s your first, you want to transfer all your information from your old phone. Usually this works really well and Apple’s iPhone setup is pretty easy to use. Many people use iCloud to store their files, photos and device backups. This also usually works pretty seamlessly and doesn’t require much effort from the user. Unfortunately, some users run into a problem where they are unable to transfer a backup to their new iPhone.

If you are having trouble creating a backup because you do not have enough space in iCloud, see:

If you have already tried transferring your data from a backup, you may have seen a message like “Transfer Failed. Not Enough Storage to Copy Data…” or “Unable to Complete Data Transfer” on your new iPhone.

In this article we will give you some ideas on how you can deal with this problem. We will tell you how you can get your old iPhone’s data and settings transferred over to your new iPhone. We’ll provide some tips on how to free up storage space and a general overview of the methods you can use to transfer data to a new iPhone.

Free Up Storage Space

Before you begin, you may want to try freeing up some space on your old phone. No matter what method you use to transfer the data to your new iPhone, this can help reduce the space requirements needed for the transfer.

Review your Storage

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see what is taking up space on your old iPhone.
You can review the Recommendations such as Offload Unused Apps and Review Large Attachments.

You will see a list of your apps and how much space they are taking up on your iPhone. You may decide to delete the app, or in the case of media apps like Music or Apple TV, you can remove downloaded content from your iPhone.

See also:

Remove Unneeded Apps and Data

While You’re in Settings > General > iPhone Storage

To remove an app, tap on the app name, then select Delete App.

To delete movies and shows, select tv and then Review Apple TV Downloads. Swipe right-to-left on the show you want to delete. Tap Delete.

Other Ways to Free Up Space

Make sure your photos are being stored in iCloud Photos and enable Optimize iPhone Storage. Go to Settings. Choose your Apple ID from the top. Tap iCloud, then Photos.

Delete downloaded music from the Music app. You can keep it in your Music Library.
Free up System Storage.
Delete images and videos in Messages.

How to Transfer Data from your Old iPhone

There are three main ways to transfer your data to your new iPhone. You can transfer directly from iPhone, download from iCloud or restore from a backup saved on your Mac or PC. We will outline the steps for each here, but if you would like more detail, see our article Set Up a New iPhone: How to Transfer Data from your Old iPhone.

Before you Begin

Update your devices to the latest iOS, macOS, watchOS.
If you have an Apple Watch, unpair it.
Backup your old iPhone.
- iCloud: Go to Settings. Select your Apple ID from the top of the list. Select iCloud, then scroll down and select iCloud Backup. Tap Back Up Now
- Computer: Connect your iPhone to your Mac (or PC.) In Finder (or iTunes) select your phone icon in the left sidebar, choose your backup options, then click Back Up Now.
Check your Wi-Fi, transfer your SIM card to your new phone and have your Apple ID handy.

Begin the Setup Process

Start with a fresh out of the box iPhone. If it isn’t, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content.
Power on both phones and place them next to each other. You should see a screen on your old device asking if you want to use your Apple ID to set up a new iPhone. Click Continue.
Follow the onscreen instructions. Set up your Face ID or Touch ID.
You will come to a screen which presents options for transferring data to your new device. Choose to Transfer from iPhone, Download from iCloud or Restore from Mac or PC.

Transfer Data Directly from Old iPhone to New iPhone

This method seems to be the one that many users have tried initially. It is probably the simplest way to do the transfer – when it works.

From step 4 above, Choose to Transfer from iPhone.
Follow the onscreen instructions and choose the settings you want to transfer, including Apple Watch settings (if you have one.)
Keep your phones next to each other until the process is complete.

Download from iCloud

With this option, your apps, data and settings are restored from your most recent iCloud backup. This does not include information that is automatically synced to iCloud. Assuming you are using iCloud Photos, your photos along with files you keep in iCloud Drive, may be taking up quite a bit of space on your old iPhone. This means that transferring from iCloud allows you to set up your new iPhone without transferring as much data.

You can also choose this option if you no longer have your old iPhone. If you do have your old iPhone, make sure to make a backup before you begin. Note that restoring from iCloud may take up to an hour, depending on your internet speed and the size of your iPhone backup.

After beginning the setup process, choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
After entering your Apple ID and password, choose your most recent iPhone backup.
Follow onscreen instructions to restore your apps and purchases.
Keep your new iPhone connected to Wi-Fi and preferably charging until the process is complete.

Restore from a Backup on your Computer

This method is also an option for those who do not still have their old phone – assuming you backed it up to your computer at some point. If you still have your old iPhone handy, start by backing up your old device so that you will have all the latest data and settings saved in the backup.

Connect your new iPhone to your Mac or PC and open iTunes or Finder (macOS Catalina or later).
Select your iPhone icon from the left sidebar.
Select Restore Backup and choose the most recent backup.
Keep your phone connected until after it restarts and syncs.

Recent Articles:

Not Enough Space to Transfer Backup to iPhone, Fix
Stacey Butler

Using Apple Pay: How to Avoid Scams and Dispute Charges

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 22:39:16 GMT

macReports
Using Apple Pay: How to Avoid Scams and Dispute Charges

Apple Pay allows users to make payments using iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac without using a physical payment method such as a credit card or cash. Apple Pay can be used to buy things in stores, in apps, online using Safari and for transit. Apple Pay can also be used to transfer money to another person through the Messages app. In this article we will discuss Apple Pay security issues: how to avoid scams, what to do if you have been scammed, and how to dispute a charge.

How to Avoid Scams

Apple Pay is one of many methods that people can use to send or receive money. All of these methods are vulnerable to scam attempts, however, there are precautions you can take to protect yourself and avoid being scammed.

Never Send or Receive Money from Strangers
- Also, double check when sending money to people or organizations you know. It could be someone impersonating someone you know. You should check with that person to verify that they requested money, and to verify their payment information.
Report Payment Requests from People you Don’t Know
- Report Junk: With the message open, under the payment request message, if the sender is not in your contacts, you will see the option to Report Junk. Click on it to Delete and Report Junk.
- You can block the sender if you receive a suspicious message.
- You can filter messages from unknown senders. Go to Settings > Messages. Click the toggle next to Filter Unknown Senders.

Review Payment Information Carefully
- Make sure you are sending to the correct person, and also that you are sending the correct amount.
- If there is a mistake with either the recipient or the amount of money, you can first simply ask to have your payment returned to you. You may also try to cancel your payment – see below.

Manually Accept Payments
- Turning on this setting allows you to see who is sending you money before you accept the payment.
- Go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay. Tap on your Apple Cash Card under Payment Cards. Select Manually Accept Payments.

Review your Recent Transactions
- Check the details of the payments you have made, and the ones you have received.
- You can either open your Wallet app or go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay. Then tap on your Apple Cash card. Under Latest Transactions you can tap on a particular transaction to view its details.

How to Cancel or Dispute a Payment

If you have a payment you need to cancel.

In the Messages app, open the conversation with the payment you need to cancel. Tap on the payment.
The Wallet app should have opened after you tapped the payment. Find your payment under Latest Transactions and tap it.
If the option is available, tap Cancel Payment.

If you could not cancel the payment, that means the recipient has already accepted the payment. You can try asking the person if they will return your payment.

If you are unable to cancel your payment and if the recipient does not return your payment, you may contact Apple to dispute the charge.

Recent Articles:

Using Apple Pay: How to Avoid Scams and Dispute Charges
Stacey Butler

How to Watch Verzuz Livestream with Apple Music

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 22:10:36 GMT

macReports
How to Watch Verzuz Livestream with Apple Music

Verzuz is a popular online webcast featuring live music battles between some of hip-hop and R&B’s biggest names. Verzuz was founded by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland and was originally available only on Instagram Live. After making a deal with Apple Music, the first episode streamed on Apple Music was the July 22nd showdown between Snoop Dogg and DMX.

See also:

With more than 20 battles since March, some of the past battles and their Instagram Live peak viewership were:

Jeezy vs Gucci Mane, with 1.8 million viewers
Brandy vs Monica, with 1.2 million viewers
Erykah Badu vs Jill Scott with 700,000 viewers

Apple Music’s Verzuz Radio

On Apple Music’s Verzuz Radio, you can:

Watch or Listen to the full the episode of
- Gucci Mane x Jeezy battle from Nov. 19th
Listen to the full episodes and watch video highlights of
- Brandy x Monica
- Snoop Dogg x DMX
- Alicia Keys x John Legend
- Gladys Knight x Patti LaBelle
- Rick Ross x Chainz
- Fabolous x Jadakiss

You can use the Apple Music app on iPhone, iPad, Mac or on Apple TV. Just do a search in the Apple Music app for Verzuz or, for example, to watch music videos from the Brandy x Monica battle, you could search for Verzuz Brandy.

There is also a Cheat Sheet Playlist available for the past episodes that have aired on Apple Music, and for the next upcoming battle. You can use these to brush up on each artist’s music before you watch the battle.

How to Watch the Livestreams

Upcoming battles are scheduled. Tune in to Apple Music for:

E-40 vs Too Short — Saturday, December 19th, 2020
Ashanti vs Keyshia Cole — January 9th, 2021

Both are happening at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT.

See also:

Recent Articles:

How to Watch Verzuz Livestream with Apple Music
Stacey Butler

iPhone 11 Screen not Responding to Touch? Get it Replaced for Free

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 03:01:07 GMT

macReports
iPhone 11 Screen not Responding to Touch? Get it Replaced for Free

Occasionally, iDevice users have had problems with their touchscreens becoming unresponsive. Apple has discovered that a (small) percentage of iPhone 11s have an issue with the display module that can cause the screen to become unresponsive. In this article, we will explain more about the iPhone 11 Display Module Replacement Program for Touch Issues and we also give general troubleshooting tips for users experiencing problems with unresponsive touchscreens.

If your iPhone doesn’t turn on or respond, see How To Fix Your Dead iPhone.

The affected iPhones were manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020. If your iPhone is eligible for the display module replacement program, Apple or an Authorized Service Provider will fix it for free. First, we will give some general troubleshooting suggestions that iPhone/iPad users can follow to try and get their touchscreen issues solved. Then we will explain how to get you display replaced for free if you have an eligible iPhone 11.

General Troubleshooting Tips

If your screen is unresponsive, you can follow these tips to try and get it working again.

Force Restart

Press the volume up immediately followed by the volume down button.
Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

Update iOS and Apps

If your iPhone is currently responding well enough, you should update iOS and your apps.

iOS Update

Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates.

App Updates

Open App Store and make sure the Today tab is selected at the bottom.
Tap on your profile icon near the top-right of your screen. Scroll down to see updates and tap Update All to update all of your apps.

Note, that if your apps update automatically, you probably won’t have any apps with available updates.

Disconnect any Lightning or USB Cable Accessories

Disconnect, then restart/force restart your device.

Remove any Cases or Screen Protectors

Remove any cases or screen protectors you have on your device. See if your touchscreen responds with out your case or screen protector covering the screen.

Reset All Settings

Try this if your screen is responding well enough. You should back up your phone before doing this (see the section Back Up your iPhone below for more.) Use your backup in case this solution does not work for you. It will save you the trouble of re-entering the settings that were wiped during this process. This reset will return your iPhone’s settings to the default settings, so you will have to re-enter your settings – Wi-Fi passwords, face recognition, location and privacy settings and Apple Pay cards. Your data and media, however, will not be deleted.

Go to Settings > General > Reset. Then select Reset All Settings. Enter your passcode and tap Reset to confirm.

Recovery Mode Restore

Connect your iPhone to your computer using the appropriate usb cable.
Open Finder (macOS Catalina, Big Sur) or iTunes (PC & macOS Mojave or earlier) and locate your device in the Finder or iTunes window.
Press and release the volume up button followed immediately by the volume down button. Then press and hold the side button until the recovery mode screen appears.
You should see a pop up window appear with options to Update or Restore. Choose Update. Leave your iPhone connected until the update has completed.

How to Get your iPhone 11 Fixed

Check if your iPhone is Eligible

First of all, you must verify that your iPhone is eligible. What this means is that Apple has determined that only certain phones manufactured between Nov. 2019 and May 2020 are affected with this particular hardware fault. Apple has created a special support page where you can check whether your iPhone is eligible for the replacement program.

See also:

You will need to know your iPhone’s serial number to check for eligibility. To find your serial number

Go to Settings > General > About.
You will see the serial number listed. You can easily copy the number to another Apple device, such as a Mac, using Universal Clipboard. Press on the serial number until the word Copy pops up. Tap Copy. Then you will be able to paste it on your other device.

Arrange to have your iPhone Serviced

For this, you have three options:

Use an Authorized Service Provider.
Set up an appointment at an Apple Store.
Contact Apple Support and arrange to send in your phone using Apple Repair Center.

Prepare your iPhone for Service

Before you have your phone serviced, you will want to backup your phone. You have a couple of options for backing up your phone.

Back Up your iPhone

Back up using iCloud.
Backup to your computer.
1. Connect your iPhone to your computer via usb cable.
2. For Catalina or later, open Finder. For earlier macOS or if you are using a PC, open iTunes.
3. In Finder or iTunes, select your device, then click the General tab.
4. Click backup now.

Note: If your iPhone has other damage, such as a cracked screen, you may need to pay for this additional repair.

If you have an iPhone 11 that had an unresponsive screen, but you have already paid to have it repaired, you should contact Apple about receiving a refund.

Recent Articles:

iPhone 11 Screen not Responding to Touch? Get it Replaced for Free
Stacey Butler