macReports

How to Use Apple Pencil: Tips & Troubleshooting

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 16:10:10 GMT

macReports
How to Use Apple Pencil: Tips & Troubleshooting

Apple pencils allow you to draw, take notes and mark up documents on your iPad. Although there are many different styluses out there to choose from, many people prefer Apple’s own stylus because of the quality, features and convenience.

There are two different versions of the Apple Pencil: Apple Pencil 1 (Apple Pencil, 1st gen) and Apple Pencil 2 (Apple Pencil, 2nd gen). These are compatible with different iPad models.

How to Pair with your iPad

Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on. Go to Settings > Bluetooth.

Apple Pencil 2

To pair your Apple Pencil 2, you only need to:

Put the Apple Pencil up to the side of your iPad. There is a magnetic connector on the side of your iPad with the volume buttons.
A Pair button will appear on your screen, tap it to pair.

Apple Pencil 1

For the 1st gen Apple Pencil, you will need to:

Remove the cap on the non-writing end of your pencil to expose a lightning connector.
Plug your pencil into your iPad’s lightning connector port.
A Pair button will appear on your screen, tap it to pair.

Your Apple Pencil will stay paired to your iPad until you restart, use Airplane Mode or pair the Apple Pencil with a different iPad.

Troubleshooting Pairing Problems

Here is a list of things to try if you are having trouble pairing your Apple Pencil with your iPad.

Charging your Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil 2

Attach the Apple Pencil to the side of your iPad, the same way you do for pairing your pencil. The magnetic connector is on the side of your iPad with the volume buttons. When your Apple Pencil is connected, you should see your battery charge status appear briefly on your screen.

Apple Pencil 1

Just as you did when pairing your pencil, you can plug your Apple Pencil into the lightning connector port on your iPad by removing the top cap on the pencil. You can also charge Apple Pencil 1 using the charging adapter that comes with it. This allows you to use the cable you use to charge your iPad, or any other lightning cable you have, to charge your Apple Pencil.

While you are using your Apple Pencil, its battery status can be seen in the Today View. Just swipe left-to-right from your Home Screen.

Using Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil can be used in many different apps to write, draw and mark up.

Writing with Apple Pencil

Scribble

Now in iPadOS 14, you can use your pencil to write in any text box, and your handwriting will be converted to text. This feature is called Scribble. You can use this in the Safari search box or in Mail for example. To learn more about using Scribble, go to Settings > Apple Pencil and tap Try Scribble.

Convert Handwriting to Text

There are a couple of ways to do this.

After opening the tool palette by tapping , choose the pen that has an “A” on it. Your writing will automatically convert to text.
If you have already made some handwritten notes:
1. Select the words you want to convert. Double-tap a word or press and hold on the word until it is selected. Adjust the selection to include all the words you would like by sliding your finger over them.
2. Tap on your selected words to bring up a menu.
3. Choose Copy as Text. Now you can paste this text wherever you would like.

Handwritten Phone Numbers, Dates and Addresses

You can call a handwritten phone number or create an event using a date you have written in your notes.

If the phone number, date or address is recognized, it will have a line underneath it.
To open the options menu, just tap on the number, date, or address.

Drawing with Apple Pencil

There are many apps you can use for drawing with the Apple Pencil. They will all have different features and drawing options. One app that everyone will have is the Notes app.

Drawing in Notes

Getting started drawing in Notes is simple:

Open Notes and start a new note by tapping .
Start drawing with your Apple Pencil.

You can change your drawing tool and make color choices in the tool palette. Tap .

In the tool palette, double-tap the eraser to see the eraser options.
You can move the tool palette by dragging it to another side of your screen.
You can minimize the tool palette by tapping .

Draw Shapes

Draw your desired shape using a single stroke – i.e. without picking up your Apple Pencil.
Hold your pencil in place on the screen, briefly, after completing your shape. Your hand-drawn shape will be changed to a perfect one.

Apple Pencil 2

There is a special feature for Apple Pencil 2 which can be very useful when drawing or taking notes.

Double-tap your finger near the tip of your pencil.

This switches you back to the previous tool you were using. So for example, when taking notes, you can:

Switch easily between a pen and the eraser tool.
Switch between a highlighter and a pen.

To change your double-tap settings, go to Settings > Apple Pencil.

Recent Articles:

How to Use Apple Pencil: Tips & Troubleshooting
Stacey Butler

This Password has Appeared in a Data Leak: Security Recommendations on iPhone

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 16:41:55 GMT

macReports
This Password has Appeared in a Data Leak: Security Recommendations on iPhone

iCloud Keychain users might have seen this message about their passwords. If you have seen this, you may be a little (or more than a little) worried. What does this mean? Does someone have access to your accounts somewhere? Which ones and what should you do?

The message says: This password has appeared in a data breach, which puts this account at high risk of compromise. Likewise, you may also see a warning message saying “Compromised, reused password”.

Keychain Passwords and your Security Recommendations

When you use iCloud Keychain, your passwords are saved and updated across your devices: iPhone, iPad, and Mac. To find information about your saved passwords on your iPhone, go to Settings > Passwords. Here you can change some of your Keychain settings and edit or delete passwords from Keychain. If there are any Security Recommendations, you will see a warning here. Tap to learn more about the warnings and which passwords are involved.

There are a few different warning messages you may see regarding your passwords. If there is anything “high risk” about one or more of your passwords, the warning messages will appear near the top of the page under High Priority. The most concerning is the one from the title of this article: This password has appeared in a data leak, …

Another message will tell you that you are reusing a password.

You can also see other password security messages under Other Recommendations. Here the messages you might see are: Reused password or Easily guessed password.

From the Security Recommendations page, you can tap on the message to see more information about your login credentials for that website. You will see your User Name, Password and the last date your password was modified.

What Should you Do?

For any of these password security issues, you should change your password. Your passwords should be unique (i.e. not reused), and should not be easy to guess.

Reused Password

The main issue that comes with reusing a password is that if your password is gathered in a data breach that affected one of your accounts, that password could be used by hackers to access other accounts where you have reused that same password.

Password that has Appeared in a Data Leak

You definitely need to change the passwords that have appeared in a data leak. If you see this message, your user ID and password have been compromised. This means that someone can use this information to gain access to your account.

You may be wondering how Apple finds out about these data leaks and knows that your info was involved. There are databases of user ID / password combinations that have been stolen from businesses and websites.

You can check if your passwords have been compromised on haveibeenpwned.com. This site collects information about data breaches. You can see which companies/websites have had data breaches, check your own passwords and set up notifications about future compromises to your accounts.

Password and Security Recommendations

One thing you can do to protect your account’s integrity is to use 2-factor authentication when available. For your passwords, they should be at least 12 characters long, unique, and not be made from real words. iCloud Keychain can generate strong, unique passwords for you.

For the passwords that show up in your iPhone’s Security Recommendations (Settings > Passwords > Security Recommendations), you can select Change Password on Website to change your password or tap on the account, then select Change Password on Website.

Recent Articles:

This Password has Appeared in a Data Leak: Security Recommendations on iPhone
Stacey Butler

iPhone Silencing your Calls? How to Fix iPhone not Ringing Problem

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 02:00:56 GMT

macReports
iPhone Silencing your Calls? How to Fix iPhone not Ringing Problem

Missing phone calls can be extremely frustrating. You may miss an important call. You might worry about trying to explain that your phone wasn’t ringing. There can be many different reasons for your iPhone not ringing when you receive a call, or not notifying you when you receive a text message. In this article, we will give several troubleshooting steps for you to try so that you can identify the cause and get your phone ringing again.

See this article if your calls go straight to voicemail without ringing.

Restart

Yep. First thing to try is a basic restart. It’s an easy thing to try before checking though the list of settings that could be causing the problem.

iPhone with Face ID

Press and hold both the side button and either volume button until the slider appears on the screen.
Drag the slider.

iPhone with Home Button

Press and hold the side button or the Sleep/Wake button on the top of your phone (depending on your model).
Drag the slider.

Update your iPhone

This will make sure your iPhone’s software has the latest improvements and bug fixes.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
If an update is available, tap Download and Install then, when prompted, click Agree.

Check Phone Settings

There are many settings which can affect your iPhone’s ring. Here are several which could be causing a problem with your call ring.

Check the Ring/Silent Switch

Look on the left side of you iPhone. Check to see if the small switch is set to silent – it will show an orange color.
Toggle to turn off silent mode.

Check Ringing Volume

Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics.
Check the volume under Ringer and Alerts.

Check Silence Unknown Callers

Go to Settings > Phone.
If it says ON next to Silence Unknown Callers, Tap on Silence Unknown Callers and then toggle the switch to OFF.

Check Do Not Disturb

Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb.

Look to see if your Do Not Disturb is ON.
Check your Do Not Disturb Schedule.
Under Phone, you can choose your Allow Calls From settings. Tap on Allow Calls From. If you are missing important calls while your phone is on Do Not Disturb, you can choose to allow calls from Everyone or from All Contacts.

Check Bedtime Status

There is also a Do Not Disturb feature in Bedtime. Bedtime used to be found in the Clock app. In iOS 14, it has moved to the Health app.

Open the Health app.
Tap Browse at the bottom of your screen. Select Sleep from the list of Health Categories.
Scroll down to Full Schedule & Options and tap it.

Scroll down to Options and select it.
If you are missing calls during your Bedtime hours, you should toggle Turn On Automatically to OFF.

Check for Blocked Numbers

If you’re missing calls from a specific person, you can check to make sure you haven’t (accidentally) blocked them.

Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts to look for numbers that shouldn’t be there.
To remove a number from the list, touch the number and swipe right to left. Tap Unblock.

Check Connection with Bluetooth Audio

If your iPhone is routing your sound to a Bluetooth device, you may not hear your calls if you are not listening to the Bluetooth device. Conversely, if you are listening to the Bluetooth device but your iPhone is not connecting to it, you will also miss your calls.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth to check your connected Bluetooth devices.

Check Call Audio Routing

Call audio routing determines where audio will be heard during a phone call or FaceTime audio.

Go to Settings > Accessibility.
Select Touch and then scroll down to find Call Audio Routing and tap it.
Set it to Automatic.

Check Auto Answer Calls

Under Settings > Accessibility > Touch is an option called Auto-Answer Calls. Set this to OFF to make sure your phone is not answering calls without you.

** If you have gotten through the list, and your iPhone is still not ringing on incoming calls, you can contact Apple Support.

Recent Articles:

iPhone Silencing your Calls? How to Fix iPhone not Ringing Problem
Stacey Butler

Split Screen on iPad: How to Open and Close Apps

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:41:05 GMT

macReports
Split Screen on iPad: How to Open and Close Apps

On your iPad you can open two different apps at the same time, side-by-side. You can even open two windows of the same app, such as two separate Safari windows. This feature is called Split View by Apple. You may be wondering how to open two such windows, or maybe you already know how to do this, but you haven’t figured out how to get rid of it, and end the split screen once you have it open.

In this article we’ll explain how to open and close windows in Split View. We’ll also explain Slide Over windows and how you can switch between Split View and Slide Over windows.

Split View

Open a Second Window in Split View

Starting with one app open, you can open a second app in Split View. The second app must be available in your Dock. See Other Tips below for help on this.

While you have your first app open, swipe up from the bottom of your screen to see the Dock. If you swipe too quickly or too far up, you will just close the app you have open, so swipe slowly and just enough to make the dock appear.
Select an app from the Dock by pressing and dragging it to the edge of your screen, right or left. This will open it in a side-by-side view. If you don’t drag it all the way to the edge, your second app will open in a small window on top of your first app, called a Slide View window.
You can move the divider in between the apps to give one app more space or to give them equal space on your screen.

Close Split View

You can resume normal view on your iPad by closing one of the apps you have open in Split View. Just drag the app divider to the right or left of your screen until the app you want to close is squashed out of existence.

Other Tips & Troubleshooting

Split View not Working? You must have multitasking enabled to use Split View and Slide Over. Go to Settings > Home Screen & Dock > Multitasking. Toggle the switch to Allow Multiple Apps.
Apps in Dock: In order to open an app in Split View, you need to have the second app available in your Dock. First check this setting: Go to Settings > Home Screen & Dock. Toggle the switch next to Show Suggested and Recent Apps in Dock. Now, your recently opened apps will show in Dock, so in order to open your second app in Split View, first open it normally so it will show in Dock.
Change your Split View apps: If you already have two windows open in Split View, you can replace one of them by dragging an app from the dock on top of the window you want to replace.
Slide Over: If you are already in Split View, you can turn one of your windows into a smaller window, that will appear on top of the other open app.
- Find the small horizontal bar at the top of the window you want to make smaller. Touch this horizontal bar and drag down and release. This smaller window is a Slide Over window.

Slide Over

Slide Over windows allow you to open an app in a small window that will slide in front of the app(s) you have open. You can use Slide Over windows and Split View at the same time. You can also have multiple windows in Slide Over.

Open a Slide Over Window

Starting with one app open in normal view, swipe up slowly from the bottom of the screen until the Dock appears.
Press and drag the app up onto your screen above the Dock.

Hide or Close a Slide Over Window

Hide: Slide the Slide Over window by touching the horizontal bar near the top of the window and dragging the window off the right side of your screen.
Close: Press the horizontal bar at the bottom of the Slide Over window and swipe up. Your app that is open in normal view will become blurry. Touch and swipe the Slide Over app up to close it.

Retrieve a Slide Over Window

To retrieve your Slide Over window, drag your finger from the right side of your screen toward the center of your screen.

Other Tips & Troubleshooting

Split View & Slide Over: These two features can be used at the same time, but only on newer iPads.
Your Slide Over window can be repositioned to the left or right sides of your screen by dragging it.
Open another app in Slide Over: You can open another app in a Slide Over window the same way you opened the first one. The second Slide Over Window will replace the first. You will be able to switch between the two.

Switch Between Slide Over Apps: If you have more than one Slide Over window opened, touch the horizontal bar at the bottom of the open Slide Over window and swipe to the right or left to switch apps.
- Swiping slowly to the right or left will let you see the other Slide Over windows to choose from before you complete the swipe.
- Press the horizontal bar at the bottom of the Slide Over window and swipe up. All your Slide Over windows will become visible. Tap on the one you want.
- Note: Be careful about apps like Mail which also use left/right swiping motions to perform actions. Swipe carefully so you don’t accidentally delete an email.
Turn Slide Over into Split View: Press the horizontal bar at the top of the Slide Over Window and drag the window to the left or right edge of your screen and release.
Slide Over & Control Center: When I have a Slide Over window hidden off the right of my screen, I find accessing Control Center a little more tricky. To open Control Center and not your hidden Slide Over window, start with your finger on the top edge of your screen, in the top-right corner, then swipe down.

Recent Articles:

Split Screen on iPad: How to Open and Close Apps
Stacey Butler

How to Share Files and Folders in iCloud Drive

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 19:37:22 GMT

macReports
How to Share Files and Folders in iCloud Drive

With iCloud File Sharing, you can share folders and documents from your Mac, iPhone or iPad with other iCloud users. You may be familiar with this from using other cloud services like Dropbox. You can invite others to view and download a file or an entire folder. If you give permission, the people you invite may also edit the documents.

About Folder Sharing

You can share a folder with up to 100 participants. All changes to the shared folder can be seen by all participants.
You won’t be able to share the iCloud folders that were created by iCloud or by apps using iCloud. So you can’t share your Desktop or Documents folder.
If you are a participant and not the owner of a shared folder, it doesn’t take up any space on your iCloud Drive; only on the owner’s iCloud Drive.

From iPhone or iPad

In order to share files and folders, you will need to be running iOS/iPadOS 13.4 or later. Here is how you can update your device.

Share a Folder

Open the Files app.
Tap on iCloud Drive to see your Drive contents.
Navigate to the Folder you would like to share. Don’t open the folder, instead, tap on the circle with 3 dots image near the top-right corner of your screen.

Tap Select in the menu, then tap the folder you would like to share.

Tap the share image in the bottom-left corner of your screen. Then select Add People.

You can choose how you’d like to send your invitation to share the folder.
You can also select Share Options. This is where you can choose the permissions for the shared files.

After you share the folder, its image will change to indicate it is a shared folder.

Invite/Remove Participants or Change Permissions

With your Files app open and your shared folder visible on your screen, tap , then Select. Select your folder, then tap share and select Show People from the menu. This opens the share options and permissions settings for your shared folder. From this menu you can:

Invite participants: Tap Show Shared Folder, then tap Add People.
Remove participants: Tap Show Shared Folder, then select the person you would like to remove and tap Remove Access.
Change permissions for one participant: Tap the participants name, then select the permission: Can make changes, or View only.
Change permission for all participants: Tap Show Shared Folder, then Share Options to open the settings for all participants.
Stop sharing: Tap Show Shared Folder then tap Stop Sharing.

From a Mac

For this you will need to be running macOS Catalina 10.15.4 or later.

Share a Folder

In Finder, select iCloud Drive in the sidebar on the left.
Click once on the folder you want to share.
Click share , then select Add People.

Choose how you would like to send the invitation to share the folder. Click on Share Options to view and change the permission settings for the folder. Click Share.

When a widow pops up, put in the email address, phone number or name of the person you want to share a folder with and then click Send.

Invite/Remove Participants or Change Permissions

With Finder open and your shared folder visible, select (but don’t open) your shared folder. Tap share , then select Show People. This opens the share settings for your shared folder. From here you can:

Invite participants: Tap Add People.
Remove participants: Select the person you would like to remove and tap next to their name. Tap Remove Access.
Change permissions for one participant: Select the participants name, then tap . Select the permission: Can make changes, or View only.
Change permission for all participants: Tap Share Options to open the settings for all participants.
Stop sharing: Tap Share Options then tap Stop Sharing.

How to Accept Invites to a Shared Folder

All participants must have an Apple ID. If you share a folder with someone who doesn’t have an Apple ID, they will be prompted to create one.
After receiving the invite, you must click Add to iCloud Drive to open the folder.

Recent Articles:

How to Share Files and Folders in iCloud Drive
Stacey Butler

Forgot your iPad Passcode? How to Reset to Factory Settings

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 20:42:15 GMT

macReports
Forgot your iPad Passcode? How to Reset to Factory Settings

There are many different reasons you may want to erase or restore your device to factory settings. Maybe you have recently gotten a new iPad and want to sell, trade or give away your device. In that case, it is very important to do a factory reset to remove all of your personal information and data from your old device. Factory resets can also be a useful troubleshooting tool.

If you want to access your iPad, but you can’t remember the passcode, you will have to erase your iPad – which deletes the data and settings, including your passcode. Fortunately for you, you already want to erase it. In order to factory reset your iPad without your passcode, you will need a computer.

Recovery Mode

We will first outline the steps to get your iPad into recovery mode. See that your computer is on and you are logged in to your (computer) user account. If you are using a PC, you must have iTunes installed. The details for getting your iPad into recovery mode are different depending on if your iPad has Face ID or not.

iPad with Face ID

Start with your iPad not connected to the computer.
Turn off your iPad: Press and hold the top button and either of the volume buttons until you see the slider appear.
Drag the slider to power off.
You will use a cable to connect your iPad to the computer. First, connect the cable to the computer.
Now, while holding the top button on your iPad, connect the cable to your iPad. Keep holding the top button until you see the recovery mode screen on your iPad. Don’t release the button when you see the Apple logo, wait for the recovery screen.

iPad with Home Button

Start with your iPad not connected to the computer.
Turn off your iPad: Press and hold the top button until you see the slider appear.
Drag the slider to power off.
You will use a cable to connect your iPad to the computer. First, connect the cable to the computer.
Now, while holding the Home button on your iPad, connect the cable to your iPad. Keep holding the Home button until you see the recovery mode screen on your iPad. Don’t release the button when you see the Apple logo, wait for the recovery screen.

Restore iPad to Factory Settings

After your iPad is in recovery mode, you can use Finder (or iTunes) to restore it to factory settings.

A Finder window (or iTunes if you are using macOS prior to Catalina, or using a PC) will have opened. Select Restore.

You will be asked if you want to restore to factory settings. Click Restore and Update.
You may see a window pop-up about a software update. Click Install.

Click Next.

Click Agree.

You will see that your computer is downloading the software for your iPad.

It may take some time for your computer to download the software. If necessary, click Restore iPad again to initiate the restore process. If your iPad restarts, and hasn’t been restored, see Troubleshooting below.
After some time, a pop-up will inform you that your iPad has been restored to factory settings, and is restarting. You should leave your iPad connected until it has finished restarting and appears again in the sidebar of Finder or iTunes.

Troubleshooting

When I recently restored my iPad (6th gen), after the software update was downloaded, my iPad restarted. It had not yet been restored to factory, and was still locked with a passcode. If this happens:

Disconnect your iPad from your computer.
Begin the process again, starting with holding the top button (Face ID iPad) or Home button while connecting your iPad.

Recent Articles:

Forgot your iPad Passcode? How to Reset to Factory Settings
Stacey Butler

Apple TV Remote Lost or not Responding? How to Set Up, Wi-Fi

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 17:36:43 GMT

macReports
Apple TV Remote Lost or not Responding? How to Set Up, Wi-Fi

Apple TV remotes are notorious for disappearing. They are small, thin and easily eaten by couches and other upholstered furniture. They can hide under almost anything. Many with lost Apple TV remotes eventually conclude their long lost remote must have been accidentally discarded in the trash, somehow.

In this article, we will let you know how you can set up your Apple TV without using your remote. As many people already know, you can use your iPhone (or iPad) to control your Apple TV with the Remote app. This only works, however, if your Apple TV and your iPhone are connected to the same router. If you are setting up your Apple TV, it may not already be set up to connect to your internet. We will outline a couple of options for completing the setup in this case.

Note: If you already have your Apple TV all set up and connected to Wi-Fi, and you just need to know how to control Apple TV with your iPhone, skip to the section on how to pair your Apple TV with your iPhone.

Apple TV Setup without a Remote

Before you Begin:

Your Apple TV must be connected to your television. This is done using an HDMI cable.
Your Apple TV must be powered on. If it isn’t, you can just unplug it from the power source, and then plug it back in.

Setup Options

Use a Bluetooth Keyboard

If you have a Bluetooth keyboard around, you can use this to set up your Apple TV. Keep your iPhone handy to simplify the Apple ID and Wi-Fi setup.

After powering on your Apple TV, make sure your Bluetooth keyboard is near the Apple TV and then put your keyboard in pairing mode.
When a code appears on your TV, enter it on the keyboard.
Use the keyboard’s arrow keys and enter key to navigate during the setup process.
If asked whether you want to setup Apple ID and Wi-Fi using the keyboard or do it automatically using an iOS device, choose the iOS device to save time.
If you want to use your iPhone as a remote, skip down to the section on pairing your Apple TV with your iPhone for instructions.

See also:

Use your iPhone and an Ethernet Cable

Because your Apple TV is not setup on your Wi-Fi, you will need to plug it in to your router using an ethernet cable.

Note: If your router is far from where you want to use your Apple TV, you will need to make some temporary re-arrangements. Your router, Apple TV, and your TV will all need to be close enough for the cables to reach.

Tip: If you have a computer monitor, you can use it instead of your TV for the setup.

You will want to check these settings on your iPhone before you start.

It’s a good idea to update your iPhone to the latest iOS.
Make sure you are signed in to iCloud and you should have two-factor authentication for your Apple ID turned on.
Turn on iCloud Keychain in iCloud Settings.
- Go to Settings. Select your name at the top.
- Tap iCloud. Scroll down to find Keychain, select it, then toggle the switch to the ON position.
Turn on Bluetooth and make sure you are connected to your Wi-Fi.

Pair your Apple TV with your iPhone

You probably already have the Remote app on your iPhone. You can go to App Library or the Today Page and search for it. Open the Remote app.
Click on Add Apple TV.
On your phone, enter the code that appears on your TV screen.
Now your iPhone is paired-up with your Apple TV and you can control it using the Remote app.
For convenience, if it isn’t already there, you may want to add your Remote app to the control center. Go to Settings > Control Center. Tap the plus sign next to the Remote app to add it to the Control Center. To access Control Center, swipe down from the upper-right corner of your screen.

Now you can use your iPhone’s Remote app to continue with the setup process.

Relevant Articles:

Apple TV Remote Lost or not Responding? How to Set Up, Wi-Fi
Stacey Butler

Among Us on Mac: Play for Free, No Steam Required

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 14:02:18 GMT

macReports
Among Us on Mac: Play for Free, No Steam Required

Among Us has become an extremely poplar game since its initial release two years ago. It is an online, multiplayer game of social deduction and is very highly rated and family-friendly. The game has a space themed setting where each player is either a Crewmate or an Impostor. Among Us is available on the App Store for iOS and on the Google Play Store for Android. It is available on Steam for PC. What about playing it on a Mac?

There are a few different options for playing this game on Mac. We will stick with describing one of the easier ways to do this: play Among Us using the BlueStacks App Player. The nice things about this is that you will be playing the mobile version of Among Us. The mobile version of Among Us can be played for free, unlike the Steam version for PC. Also, the online multiplayer works cross-platform, so you will be able to play with your friends.

About BlueStacks

What is BlueStacks?

The BlueStacks App Player lets you run apps designed for a mobile device, on your Mac or PC. BlueStacks is an Android emulator that connects with the Google Play Store to get apps; the same way an Android phone does. With this app, you will be able to play games and use apps available for Android devices, just on a bigger screen and using some features not available on other devices.

Is it safe?

As in, “Will it do bad things to my computer?” The app has been downloaded and used by millions of players. It is available to download and use for free, and is not some shady download full of malware. Do download it from the BlueStacks website, though.

How to Download BlueStacks on your Mac

Download

Open Safari and navigate to bluestacks.com.
The landing page will have at least a couple of buttons labeled Download BlueStacks. Click one of these.
Click to allow the download. If your download doesn’t happen, go to Safari > Preferences. Click on the Websites tab. Select Downloads from the left pane. Change the setting for bluestacks.com to ask, or allow.

Install

Once the download is complete, you will need to install it. You can either find the file from the downloads menu button in Safari, or go to Finder > Downloads. Double-click the file name to open the .dmg installer file.

Install by double-clicking the icon.

You may need to give permission to open the file.

When the BlueStacks screen opens up, click Install Now.

You may see a few pop-ups. If so, you will need to give permission in order for the installation to proceed. Mac’s Security & Privacy settings are, for most users, set to not allow 3rd party apps to do much, unless you manually give these permissions.

The permissions are given from System Preferences > Security & Privacy. To make changes, you will need to click the lock and enter your user password. Then, for permission to use accessibility, just check the box next to BlueStacks.

Click Allow to allow apps downloaded from BlueStack.

After giving all the necessary permissions for the app to be installed, you may need to restart your computer if the engine fails to start. Go to Apple menu > Restart.

Running BlueStacks Android Emulator

Mac App Store not Updating Apps

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 23:36:35 GMT

macReports
Mac App Store not Updating Apps

Some users have reported an issue where the Mac App Store will no longer update their apps. Although the update information for the app shows in the App Store, when the update button is clicked, the app does not get updated and the app update still shows in the App Store. You may also receive various error messages when you attempt to update your apps on your Mac.

In this article, we give a list of things you can try in order to solve this issue. The suggestions are, roughly, arranged so that the top suggestions are most likely to solve your issue and/or are easiest to implement.

See also:

Update macOS

Special note for users who are running macOS Mohave: There was a security update in September 2020 which is known to be buggy. In addition to problems with the App Store, the September update has caused user’s machines to slow down and Safari to stop working. The solution for users running macOS Mohave is to download and install the macOS Mohave 10.14.6 supplemental update.

To update your Mac,

Go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
Select System Preferences.
Click the Software Update icon.
Click Update Now.

Restart Mac

Go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen. Select Restart.

Log out and Back in to App Store

With the App Store open, go to the task bar at the top of your screen and select Store > Sign Out.
To sign back in, open the App Store, Click Sign In, in the bottom-left corner of the App Store window and enter your Apple ID password.

Log Out of iCloud

Enable Auto-Downloads for Updates

In order to make sure your Mac stays up to date and you always have the latest updates – which often contain important security updates and bug fixes – you should enable auto-downloads for updates.

Go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
Select System Preferences.
Check the box next to Automatically keep my Mac up to date.

Boot into Safe Mode

Booting into safe mode will automatically run a disk check on your Mac and clears some caches.

Note: Your Mac will be shutdown in the middle of these steps, so either print, write down or follow these instructions from your phone.

Go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the menu bar at the top of your screen. Choose Shutdown.
Wait 10 seconds, then press the power button.
Immediately after your Mac starts up, press and hold the Shift key.
Release the Shift key when the gray Apple logo and progress indicator appear.
After you are booted up in safe mode, restart your Mac by going to the Apple menu, and selecting Restart.

Create New Admin Account

To check if the problem is with only your user, create a new admin account on your Mac.

Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
Click the lock to unlock it. Enter your Password.
Click the plus sign to add a user account. Check the box next to Allow user to administer this computer.
Log out from your current user and then log into the newly created user account.
Now try updating the apps in this new account.

Reinstall the Offending Apps

Delete the apps that won’t update, then reinstall them. Although this process can be simple, sometimes the offending app is one that requires a lot of work to set up.

Delete an App

Now you need to locate the app. Open Finder. Open the Applications folder located on the sidebar in the Finder window and scroll until you find your app.
Select your app by clicking once on its name. Do one of the following:
- Drag your app to the Trash icon.
- Right click to open and select Move to Trash in the menu pop-up.
- Go to the task bar at the top of your screen and select File > Move to Trash.
Enter your user name and password if requested.
Go to Finder in the task bar. Select Empty Trash from the menu.

Reinstall the App

Open the Mac App Store.
Sign in with your Apple ID.
Find your app, Click the download button next to the app.

Delete Preference files

Corrupt preference (plist) files may cause this update and download problem. Here is how:

In Finder, press and hold the Option key and click Go.
Click Library.
Click Preferences.
Find this file: com.apple.appstore.plist.
Delete this file (you can cut and paste this file to your desktop as a backup).
Now restart your Mac and test your issue. If your problem is fixed, not you can delete the com.apple.appstore.plist file from your desktop.
If your problem is not fixed, then:
Open the Library folder again.
Click Caches.
Find this folder: com.apple.appstore.
Delete this folder (again you can move this to your desktop).
Restart your Mac.
Test your problem again.

Mac App Store not Updating Apps
Stacey Butler

Customize your iPhone Home Screen for Free

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 00:23:58 GMT

macReports
Customize your iPhone Home Screen for Free

With iOS 14 comes the opportunity for Home Screen customizations that iPhone users haven’t seen before. In iOS 14, you can create your own icons and widgets. For this article we will focus on how to create custom icons for your Home Screen without using any extra apps or downloads.

One of the coolest new features in iOS 14 are widgets. In addition to just adding widgets to your Home Screen, there are some easy to use and free apps like Widgetsmith that you can use to customize some of your widgets such as your Calendar, Clock, Reminders and Photos widgets. We covered how to add widgets and widget stacks to your Home Screen in a couple of our previous articles, so our focus here will be on customizing Home Screen icons.

Articles with information on widgets:

How to Make a Custom Icon using Shortcuts

Open the Shortcuts app. You can swipe right until you reach the App Library, and then type shortcuts in the search field.
Tap Shortcuts in the top-left corner of your screen.

Tap the new folder icon on the top-right.

Type in a name for your folder. You might call it icons. Choose an icon image for your folder and then click Add in the upper-right part of your screen.
Choose your new icons folder then tap the plus sign (+) to add a shortcut to the icons folder.

Tap Add Action to add an action to your shortcut.

Then choose Scripting.

Choose Open App.

Tap on Choose in the Scripting action.

Now choose an app from the list. Let’s create an icon for our Mail app, so scroll down and select Mail.
Tap on Next in the upper-right corner.

Give your icon a name. Choose an image and color for your icon by tapping on the icon image next to the name and selecting from the options that appear. When you are satisfied with your icon’s name and image, click Done in the upper-right corner.

Now to add an your new icon to your Home Screen, find your icon shortcut under the icons folder and tap the circle with three dots in it.

Again you will tap a circle with three dots image. This is located under the word Done in the upper-right corner of your screen.

Now select Add to Home Screen.

Now give your Home Screen icon its name and tap Add in the upper-right corner of your screen. You’ll see a notification pop up that tells you your shortcut icon has been added to the Home Screen. Click Done in the upper-right corner, exit the Shortcuts app and go find your custom icon on one of your pages and drag it to the desired location on your Home Screen.

Now, repeat the above steps for each custom icon you want to appear on your Home Screen.

Other Modifications

Reduce Motion

Your custom icons use the Shortcuts app to open the intended app. Because of the way this works, you will see the Shortcuts app appear briefly before your app opens. In order to make this transition less distracting, you can adjust some settings in Accessibility.

Go to Settings > Accessibility.
Go to Motion. Toggle Reduce Motion to ON.

Choose your Wallpaper

To complete your customized Home Screen you will need to choose a wallpaper. Go to Settings > Wallpaper.

Dark Mode

Further adjustments to the look of your display can be made by going to Settings > Display & Brightness. Here you can select Dark mode, and make other selections such as brightness, True Tone, Night Shift and Zoomed View.

Apple Increases its Number of Self-driving Car Drivers

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 16:23:31 GMT

macReports
Apple Increases its Number of Self-driving Car Drivers

After almost a year later, Apple has again increased the number of drivers for its fleet of autonomous test vehicles. We have been closely monitoring the numbers.

Autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars, are vehicles that can sense the environment and “drive” themselves without (or with little) help from a human driver. In our last report (almost a year ago), Apple had 149 drivers. Now, after almost a year with no change, they have increased this number to 154. The number of Apple’s self-driving cars remain the same (66 vehicles).

California initiated its autonomous vehicle tester program in 2014. When it comes to testing autonomous vehicles, there are permits used for testing vehicles with drivers known as drivered permits, and permits for testing vehicles without drivers known as driverless permits. In 2018, California established the driverless testing program.

In the category of drivered permits, some of the manufacturers topping the list in the number of drivers and vehicles are, current numbers:

Manufacturer	Drivers	Vehicles
Waymo	582	198
Cruise	570	201
Zoox	321	60
Nvidia	246	13
Apple	154	66
Tesla	136	32
Nuro	108	38
Lyft	84	22
PONY.AI	63	27
Mercedes-Benz	61	16

Waymo, formerly Google Self-Driving Car Project tops the list in terms of number of drivers with 582 drivers and 198 vehicles on their testing permit. Cruise, parented by GM, is close behind in the number of drivers, with 570 and is testing more cars than Waymo with 201. The other manufacturers on the list are testing significantly fewer cars than Waymo and Cruise.

Apple continues to use drivers to test its fleet of 66 autonomous vehicles, while four different manufacturers now have permits to test driverless vehicles. Those four are Waymo, Nuro, Autox Tech., and Zoox. Waymo has 39 vehicles registered in its driverless testing fleet and Nuro has 7. Autox and Zoox have 1 and 2 respectively.

Zoox, a subsidiary of Amazon, is the latest company to acquire a driverless permit to test vehicles without a safety driver present. Under this permit, granted in September, they are able to test a driverless vehicle in good weather on specific streets with a speed limit under 45 mph.

Here is a look at the top five companies around this time in October last year.

Manufacturer	Drivers	Vehicles
Waymo	265	151
Cruise	867	259
Zoox	226	50
Nvidia	216	11
Apple	149	66

Apple’s fleet size hasn’t changed since this time last year. Waymo has added more than 40 vehicles to its fleet and Zoox has added 10. Cruise’s fleet size has decreased, however, they still rank number one in terms of fleet size.

Since this time last year, several companies have dropped off the list of manufacturers that hold permits to test autonomous vehicles in the state of California. Notable changes to the list include Samsung, and Saic Innovation Center. Saic is a Chinese Auto manufacturer who has had a permit since June 2017 and was previously permitted to test 8 vehicles with 24 drivers. Roadstar.ai, a Chinese autonomous vehicle startup founded in 2017, is another one gone from the list and was previously permitted to test 2 vehicles with 8 drivers.

FDA Released Everything About Apple

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 20:53:29 GMT

macReports
FDA Released Everything About Apple

macReports submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We submitted our request in 2017. After more than three years, the FDA finally responded and made every document available. Our FOIA request asked the FDA to release everything about Apple.

The document includes a lot of sensitive, confidential and secret information but that information was redacted by the FDA.

The documents include some communications and also include a lot of information about scientific studies that Apple had done.

If you are interested in Apple, Apple and FDA relationships, and Apple’s health related products, you will find these documents very interesting.

There is information in these documents on the Irregular Rhythm Notification Feature for Apple Watch. This information includes identified risks of using this feature. These risks include: Failure to detect irregular heart rhythms, misinterpretation and/or over-reliance on device output leading to failure to seek treatment despite acute symptoms (e.g., fluttering sensation in the chest, lightheadedness, and irregular pulse), and discontinuing or modifying treatment for chronic heart condition. Also identified as risks are false negatives resulting in failure to detect irregular heart rhythms and delay of further evaluation or treatment, and false positives resulting in additional unnecessary medical procedures.

A study named the Apple Heart Study Sub-study looked into these risks by testing the positive predictive value (PPV) of the tachogram classification algorithm and confirmation cycle algorithm found that spot tachogram PPV for atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF) and other arrhythmias is 98.4%, alert level PPV for AF and other arrhythmias is 98.2%.

As mentioned in these documents, Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common serious cardiac arrhythmia and untreated AF is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality from stroke, heart failure and myocardial infarction. The documents also mention that many who have AF do not know they have it.

There are a lot of pages. In fact, there are more than 10,000 pages. There is a lot of information that you can find.

Again, these documents were made available due to macReports.com’s Freedom of Information Request.

The documents are available:

DEN180042
https://www.fda.gov/media/142588/download

DEN180044
https://www.fda.gov/media/142602/download

FDA Released Everything About Apple
Serhat Kurt

Set Up a New iPhone: How to Transfer Data from your Old iPhone

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 22:03:45 GMT

macReports
Set Up a New iPhone: How to Transfer Data from your Old iPhone

If you have recently purchased a new iPhone or you are thinking about getting one soon, you will want to know how to get your new phone up and running with all your contacts, data and settings transferred from your old phone.

In this article, we will go through the steps for making sure you get your information transferred from your old device and outline the process of setting up your new iPhone. If you no longer have your old iPhone, you can still use iCloud or a backup saved on your Mac or PC to transfer your old iPhone’s data.

First Things First

If you have an Apple Watch, make sure you unpair it from your old phone. This will automatically back up your Apple Watch. You can then use the backup after you pair with your new phone. (See also: Apple Watch Battery Problems…)
Backup your old iPhone. See What is iCloud? for more on how to do this using iCloud. To backup using a Mac or PC, connect your iPhone to your computer using the appropriate cable. Either in iTunes or Finder (Catalina or later, on Mac), select your iPhone icon on the left in the sidebar, then choose your backup options under Backups and finally click Back Up Now.
You will need your Apple ID and password for this process.
Make sure your Wi-Fi is turned on. If you are not using Quick Start to set up your new device, you will need your Wi-Fi name and password. See also: Wi-Fi Weak Security Message on iPhone …)
Transfer your SIM card to your new phone. If your new phone uses a different kind of SIM, make sure your have gotten what you need from your carrier.

There are three different ways to transfer your old data.

Quick Start – Use your old iPhone to automatically set up your new one.
iCloud – Transfer your data from an iCloud backup of your old device.
iTunes or Finder – Transfer from a backup made to your Mac or PC.

Quick Start

This is the simplest option as the information from your old iPhone will be transferred directly to your new device. If your old phone is running iOS 12.4 or later, you can use something called device-to-device migration to transfer all of your data from your old device to your new one, however, if your old phone is running an earlier version of iOS, or if it is running iOS 12.4 or later and your would rather, you can restore the rest of your data using an iCloud backup.

Quick Start can take several minutes or more to complete the transfer process.
Make sure your devices are charged and pick a time that you won’t need to use your phone until the process is complete.
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your old device.
Your new device should be fresh out of the box (not yet set up), or should have been erased and reset to factory default. If not, before you begin the transfer process, do the following to erase your new iPhone:
- Tap Settings > General > Reset. Select Erase All Content.
- Enter your passcode or Apple ID if requested. Confirm the Erase.

Power on your new iPhone and place it next to your old one. A screen will appear on your old device asking if you want to use your Apple ID to set up your new phone. Click Continue.
An animation will appear on your new device. Hold your old device over the new one and center the animation in the viewing window. A message will appear telling you to Finish on New iPhone. If your old devices camera is not functioning, tap Authenticate Manually.
You will be asked to enter your old phone’s passcode on your new iPhone.
Follow the instructions and Set up Face ID or Touch ID on your new device.
When prompted, enter your Apple ID password.
Now you are at the point in the process where you can choose how you want to transfer data to your new device. These instructions assume you will continue by choosing Transfer Directly from iPhone. The other options are to Restore from iCloud Backup or to Restore from a Mac or PC. (Note: your screen image may be different depending on which version of iOS you are using)

After choosing Transfer from iPhone, you can choose some of the settings you want to transfer such as location, privacy, Apple Pay and Siri.
If you have an Apple Watch, you’ll be asked if you want to transfer your watch’s info and settings. (See also: Pairing Failed, Your Apple Watch Couldn’t Pair With Your iPhone, Fix)
Wait until the transfer process completes. Keep your iPhones next to each other, preferably connected to power.

iCloud

You can restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup, this includes setting up a new device and is also an option if you no longer have your old phone.

You will want to use the most up-to-date information from your old phone, so backup your old iPhone to iCloud.
Your new device should be fresh out of the box (not yet set up), or should have been erased and reset to factory default. If not, before you begin the transfer process, do the following to erase your new iPhone:
- Tap Settings > General > Reset. Select Erase All Content.
- Enter your passcode or Apple ID if requested. Confirm the Erase.

Turn on your new iPhone. Onscreen instructions will walk you through the initial steps of the setup process.
When you reach the Apps & Data or Transfer Your Data screen, select Restore from iCloud Backup. (Note: your screen image may be different depending on which version of iOS you are using)

Use your Apple ID and password to sign in to iCloud. You will see a list of backups to choose from. Choose your most recent.
You will be prompted to sign in using your Apple ID. This will restore your apps and purchases.
You may need to wait up to an hour for your new phone to finish the transfer so keep your phone connected to Wi-Fi and power.

iTunes or Finder

You can use this option even if your old iPhone is lost or damaged. You will want to use the most recent backup of your old iPhone, so if you haven’t already, backup your old device (See First Things First, above).

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.

WhatsApp Calling not Working after iOS 14 Update

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:47:07 GMT

macReports
WhatsApp Calling not Working after iOS 14 Update

After updating to iOS 14, some users report having problems with their WhatsApp. The issue is that although text messaging seems to be working, video and audio calls are not working in the app. Users may see a message asking them to switch from 4G to Wi-Fi.

Many people use WhatsApp to communicate with their friends and colleagues via text messages, voice only or video calls. It is especially convenient for calling someone located in another country because WhatsApp doesn’t use your phones voice plan. It instead uses data or Wi-Fi. It is free to use and works on Android, iPhone, Mac and PC.

If you are experiencing difficulty making calls with WhatsApp, here are some things you should try:

Turn on Local Network

Local network privacy provides added transparency when apps connect to devices on a person’s home network. It is one of the security and privacy features in iOS 14. If an app interacts with devices using local networking protocols, you must give it permission to find and connect to devices on your local network.

The first time you make a call using WhatsApp, you will see a pop-up asking for permission to use the local network. If you did not allow the permission then, you may need to change this in Settings.

Go to Settings. Scroll to find WhatsApp and select it.

Toggle the Local Network to ON. If your Camera or Microphone aren’t ON, switch these to the ON position as well.

Airplane mode

Try turning Airplane Mode off, then on again.

Go to Settings.
Find Airplane Mode near the top of the settings list. Toggle it to the ON position. Wait 10 seconds.
Toggle Airplane Mode OFF again.

Restart your iPhone

The simplest fix for many problems is a basic restart.

For iPhones with Face ID

Do one of the following to turn off your iPhone:

Use the physical buttons on your iPhone.
1. Press and hold both the side button and either volume button until the slider appears on the screen.
2. Drag the slider.
Use the Settings menu.
1. Go to Settings > General > Shutdown.
2. Drag the slider.

Now, turn your iPhone back on by pressing and holding the side button until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhones with a Home Button

Do one of the following to turn off your iPhone:

Use the physical buttons on your iPhone.
1. Press and hold the side button or the Sleep/Wake button on the top of your phone (depending on your model).
2. Drag the slider.
Use the Settings menu.
1. Go to Settings > General > Shutdown.
2. Drag the slider.

Now, turn your iPhone back on by pressing and holding the side button or the Sleep/Wake button on the top of your phone (depending on model) until the Apple logo appears.

Update your iPhone

If you are not currently running the latest version of iOS on your phone, you should update your iPhone. Updates often include bug fixes. See How to Download and Install the iOS 14 Update & Troubleshoot Common Problems for more information on how to update your iPhone.

Force Restart

A force restart can be useful for clearing up many of the issues that you may experience with your iPhone. This includes situations where your phone is frozen and unresponsive.

Force Restart an iPhone with Face ID, iPhone SE (2nd gen), iPhone 8 or 8 Plus

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

Force Restart and iPhone 7 or 7 Plus

Press and hold both the volume down button and the Sleep/Wake button on the side of your phone.
Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Force Restart iPhone 6s, 6s Plus or iPhone SE (1st gen)

Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake button on the side or top of your phone and the Home button.
Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Update WhatsApp

To update your apps, you can either turn on automatic updates, or manually update your apps.

Turn on Automatic Updates

Go to Settings.
Scroll down and select App Store.
Toggle the App Updates switch to ON.

Manual Update

Open the App Store. Select Today at the bottom of the screen.
Tap your profile icon near the top-right of your screen.
Scroll down to see your Available Updates. Tap Update next to the WhatsApp update.

Uninstall and then Reinstall WhatsApp

Offloading WhatsApp will uninstall the app, but will keep the the app’s data for when you reinstall.

Open Settings.
Tap General.
Tap iPhone Storage.
Scroll down to find WhatsApp and select it.
Select Offload App. Tap Offload App again to confirm.
Wait until the Reinstall App option appears, then tap Reinstall App.

Reset Network Settings

This will reset Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you’ve used before.

Go to Settings.
Select General.
Select Reset.
Tap Reset Network Settings.

WhatsApp Calling not Working after iOS 14 Update
Stacey Butler

Wrong Caller ID Showing on iPhone iOS 14

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 02:31:46 GMT

macReports
Wrong Caller ID Showing on iPhone iOS 14

After updating to iOS 14, some users have run into this problem with their iPhones showing the wrong caller ID on the screen when receiving calls. For other users, the problem is that incoming calls are only showing “United States” as the caller ID. This article outlines solutions to this annoying problem with incorrect or incomplete caller ID information.

For users having a problem with the wrong caller ID, the wrong name is being shown on the screen before the call is answered, and afterward, the correct caller name appears in the recent calls list. It seems this wrong caller ID is often from the previous call through another communication app like WhatsApp, Skype, or Facebook Messenger, however, some users have not seen a connection between the wrong caller ID and a previous call.

When only something like “United States” is shown for incoming calls, the city and state information later show up in the recent calls list.

We will describe a few solution options that have helped users with these caller ID issues.

Restart your iPhone

The simplest fix for many problems is a basic restart.

For iPhones with Face ID

Do one of the following to turn off your iPhone:

Use the physical buttons on your iPhone.
1. Press and hold both the side button and either volume button until the slider appears on the screen.
2. Drag the slider.
Use the Settings menu.
1. Go to Settings > General > Shutdown.
2. Drag the slider.

Now, turn your iPhone back on by pressing and holding the side button until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhones with a Home Button

Do one of the following to turn off your iPhone:

Use the physical buttons on your iPhone.
1. Press and hold the side button or the Sleep/Wake button on the top of your phone (depending on your model).
2. Drag the slider.
Use the Settings menu.
1. Go to Settings > General > Shutdown.
2. Drag the slider.

Now, turn your iPhone back on by pressing and holding the side button or the Sleep/Wake button on the top of your phone (depending on model) until the Apple logo appears.

Update your iPhone

Force Restart

A force restart can be useful for clearing up many of the issues that you may experience with your iPhone. This includes situations where your phone is frozen and unresponsive.

Force Restart an iPhone with Face ID, iPhone SE (2nd gen), iPhone 8 or 8 Plus

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

Force Restart and iPhone 7 or 7 Plus

Press and hold both the volume down button and the Sleep/Wake button on the side of your phone.
Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Force Restart iPhone 6s, 6s Plus or iPhone SE (1st gen)

Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake button on the side or top of your phone and the Home button.
Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Carrier Settings Update

Outdated carrier settings may cause a caller ID to be displayed incorrectly on your iPhone. To fix this, you can update your carrier settings. This may help you because Caller ID is a cellular network feature. On your iPhone, tap Settings > General > About. If there is an update, a popup will appear saying “New settings are available. Would you like to update them now?” Tap Update.

Reset iPhone to Default Settings

You may want to backup your phone before doing this. You can use your backup in case this solution does not work for you. Your backup 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 – such as 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.
Select General then select Reset.
Choose Reset All Settings.

Restore Contacts from an Earlier Version

You may try restoring your contacts from an earlier version saved in iCloud. If you are concerned about losing Contacts information, you can always reverse this restore by following the same steps; just choose the date you would like to restore from.

At the bottom of the page, under Advanced, click Restore Contacts.

Click Restore next to the date you want.
Click Restore again to confirm.

Wrong Caller ID Showing on iPhone iOS 14
Stacey Butler

Mac Running Slow, Noisy Fan: accountsd High CPU Usage

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 20:02:54 GMT

macReports
Mac Running Slow, Noisy Fan: accountsd High CPU Usage

Some users have reported problems with their Macs running slowly after they updated to the newest version of macOS. The problem seems to be a system process called accountsd.

Because of the high CPU usage, your Mac may have become unusably slow. Also, you probably notice your computer’s fan running constantly or loudly.

Problems with accountsd have been reported before. The problem can be identified by looking at Activity Monitor to see that a process called accountsd is hogging CPU. To access Activity Monitor:

What is accountsd?

accountsd is a daemon, which is a computer program that runs in the background ready to handle requests. It is part of the accounts framework which manages your logins and passwords.

How to Fix the Problem

We will outline some potential solutions. Users have reported varying success with these. We list them in order of difficulty. We suggest trying them in order, one at a time to see if it solves the issue. If you are uncomfortable with any of the proposed solutions, especially the ones further down the list, we recommend you instead contact Apple Support for help and guidance.

Restart your Mac

The simplest of all the proposed solutions has worked for some users.

Go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the task bar at the top of your screen.
Select Restart from the menu.

Sign out of Apple ID Account

This relatively simple solution has worked for some.

Go to System Preferences and click on Apple ID.

Select Overview and click Sign Out. Keep on This Mac.

Restart your Mac.
Sign back in to your account with your Apple ID.

Boot into Safe Mode

Booting into safe mode will automatically run a disk check on your Mac.

Note: Your Mac will be shutdown in the middle of these steps, so either print, write down or follow these instructions from your phone.

Go to the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the menu bar at the top of your screen. Choose Shutdown.
Wait 10 seconds, then press the power button.
Immediately after your Mac starts up, press and hold the Shift key.
Release the Shift key when the gray Apple logo and progress indicator appear.
After you are booted up in safe mode, restart your Mac by going to the Apple menu, and selecting Restart.

Reset SMC

Resetting your Mac’s system management controller (SMC) can resolve some issues related to power, battery, fans and other features. See How to Reset SMC (System Management Controller) on your Mac for details on how to perform this reset.

Disable iCloud Options

Disable iCloud Drive Options

Go to System Preferences, then Internet Accounts.

Select iCloud. Click on Options next to iCloud Drive.

Unselect all of the options in the list that appears. Then click Done.
Restart your Mac.

Disable All iCloud Options

Go to System Preferences > Internet Accounts.
Uncheck all options.

Restart your Mac. If any pop-ups ask, select Keep on This Mac.

Rename Accounts4.sqlite

Renaming the file Accounts4.sqlite has helped some users. You should use caution here as changing this file name affects your ability to log into iCloud. To rename this file:

Open Terminal.
Use the following command to rename the file:

mv /Users/MY_USERNAME/Library/Accounts/Accounts4.sqlite /Users/MY_USERNAME/Library/Accounts/Accounts4.sqlite.bak

Restart your Mac.
Copy Accounts4.sqlite back to the original location:

mv /Users/MY_USERNAME/Library/Accounts/Accounts4.sqlite.bak /Users/MY_USERNAME/Library/Accounts/Accounts4.sqlite

Apple Support

If none of the above suggestions worked for you, or if you were uncomfortable following any of the suggestions, you can always contact Apple Support.

Mac Running Slow, Noisy Fan: accountsd High CPU Usage
Stacey Butler

Wi-Fi Weak Security Message on iPhone or iPad: WPA/WPA2 (TKIP) Not Considered Secure

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 14:30:28 GMT

macReports
Wi-Fi Weak Security Message on iPhone or iPad: WPA/WPA2 (TKIP) Not Considered Secure

Some users have reported that after updating to iOS 14, their device showed a message that said “Weak Security” underneath the name of their Wi-Fi network. What does this message mean, and what should you do to fix it? This article will explain why you are seeing this message, and how to make your Wi-Fi more secure.

To start with, the meaning of the message is somewhat obvious: Your Wi-Fi security is weak. What the message doesn’t do for you, however, is tell you how to fix it. If you already understand something about Wi-Fi security and you know how to configure your router, you probably aren’t reading this article, so we will start with a basic discussion on Wi-Fi security protocols, and then proceed with instructions on how to strengthen your Wi-Fi’s security.

First, if you check Settings > Wi-Fi and then you click the info symbol (i) next to the Wi-Fi connection with the weak security, you will see a message like:

Weak Security
WPA/WPA2 (TKIP) is not considered secure.

If this is your Wi-Fi network, configure the router to use WPA2 (AES) or WPA3 security type.

Alright, now what is all that about? Briefly here is a bit of information on the different security protocols for Wi-Fi.

WEP – Wired Equivalent Privacy is the oldest and the least secure Wi-Fi encryption method around since the 90s. It is not good. The encryption can be broken, and then any data you send can be read by a hacker.

WPA/WPA2 – Wi-Fi Protected Access, WPA, adds an additional layer of security to WEP, but was sort of a temporary fix until WPA2. WPA2 is a common security protocol being used on routers today. Although there are some vulnerabilities, its still pretty secure. WPA2 can be either TKIP or AES. You want AES as it is the newer, more secure of the two.

WPA3 – The latest security protocol, adds a much stronger encryption which significantly improves the security of your Wi-Fi.

Router Settings

In order to make your Wi-Fi more secure, you will need to change your router’s settings. A few things before we start:

For details on how to do any of these steps we are suggesting:

* You will need to refer to the user manual for your particular router model.

You can either look for the physical user manual that came with your router, or you can look at your router to find its model, and then search for instructions for that model online. After you have the user manual and the information you need to know to access your router’s settings:

Install the latest firmware updates for your router.
Make sure your devices have the latest software updates.

Note: you may need to forget the network on your device after changing your router’s settings to be sure your device will use the new settings when joining the network.

Network Name (SSID)

The name of your network or SSID is what you will see listed when you search for and connect to a wireless network.

Use a unique name for your network. Don’t use the name that came with your router, such as linksys or netgear. This will make sure you don’t accidentally connect to other networks with the same name as yours.
Use the same name for your 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands.
Don’t hide your network name. Keep this feature disabled.

Security Protocol

The most secure is WPA3. Because this is the newest protocol, it is not supported by some older devices. If you have older devices, you may need to go with a lesser security protocol. So, to summarize:

Set a strong password to join the network.
Choose WPA3. Unless you can’t, because you have older devices that don’t support it.
Choose WPA2/WPA3 if you can’t choose WPA3. This mixed mode allows older devices to use WPA2 and devices that support WPA3 to use the stronger protocol.
Choose WPA2 (AES) if WPA3 and WPA2/WPA3 aren’t compatible with your devices.
Don’t use None, Open or Unsecured for your security settings, even for a guest network.

Other Router Settings

MAC address Filtering, Authentication and Access Control

Disable this feature. It doesn’t do much to enhance your security and it can make it difficult to connect your devices.

Automatic Firmware Updates

You may want to enable automatic firmware updates to ensure that your router always has the latest updates.

Radio Mode

The options in this setting are Wi-Fi 2 – Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11a/g/n/ac/ax. You should usually open all of these to allow devices to connect via the fastest mode they support.

Bands

Open both bands; no reason not to. The 2.4 GHz band may have a better range whereas the 5 GHz will be faster when you are within its range.

Channel

Each of the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands will use a channel. If you have neighbors using, say, channel 6 for their 2.4 GHz band, you won’t want to use that one, due to interference. Interference can significantly affect your network’s performance. Usually setting the channel selection to Auto will work best. It allows your router to find the best band to use.

If you happen to be using two or more routers for Wi-Fi, you may definitely see some performance degradation due to interference. In this case, you will probably want to manually set your routers to use different channels to make sure they don’t interfere with each other. If you suspect that your network’s performance is being affected by interference, or some other Wi-Fi signal issue, you can use a program like NetSpot to get a look at your and other nearby networks.

Wi-Fi Weak Security Message on iPhone or iPad: WPA/WPA2 (TKIP) Not Considered Secure
Stacey Butler

Set Up your Home Office for Productivity with your Mac and iDevices

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 03:01:30 GMT

macReports
Set Up your Home Office for Productivity with your Mac and iDevices

For the past several months, many people have had to adjust to working from home. This guide will go through the different ways you can make the most of your iMac or Macbook and your iDevices to optimize your home office setup for work-at-home productivity.

There is a lot that goes into a comfortable and productive home office environment. For example, furniture could certainly be a topic all its own; you need a comfortable chair, enough desk/workspace, good lighting, shelving and the appropriate organizational equipment like drawers, bins, and desktop organizers. In this guide, we will focus on the setup of your computer and devices.

Screen Real Estate

Different jobs will have different screen space requirements. Also, how much screen space you need to maximize your productivity can definitely come down to personal preference. Some people will require no less than two, high resolution, 27″ monitors that they can use to see everything. Some can get by using a single 11″ laptop screen.

Many people who have found themselves working from home, who never had to before this year, are likely using a laptop with a 13″ display. For some, this works just fine, but if you find yourself piling windows on top of each other, searching through these piles to find the one you need, then you may want to expand your screen real estate.

For Mac users there are several options for adding more display space to your home office setup. We will outline some options for using devices you may already have, and options that involve upgrading to something new.

iPad

The nice thing about the iPad option is that, of course, you still get to use it as an iPad when you aren’t using it as part of your desktop setup. iPads can be super convenient for both work, especially when paired with a bluetooth keyboard or an Apple Pencil, and for everyday personal use to browse the internet, play games and watch your shows.

If you are working from home and want to get out of your office, you can easily change locations with an iPad and do some work at the kitchen table, or from your couch or bed. This option could be appealing for those people who have an iPad, or for those who have been considering one of the newest iPads: the affordable iPad (8th generation) or the colorful new iPad Air (4th generation) coming next month.

We outline a couple of options for how you can incorporate your iPad into your home office setup.

Use iPad with Sidecar

If you are running macOS Catalina on your iMac or MacBook, and you have a reasonably new iPad (iPad 6th gen., iPad mini 5th gen., iPad Air 3rd gen., or any iPad Pro), you can add it as another display using Sidecar. Sidecar will allow you to use your iPad’s screen just like an external monitor. Your iPad’s display will show another virtual desktop.

To use Sidecar: Click the AirPlay icon in the menu bar on your Mac, then choose the option to connect to your iPad.

Certainly this option will be better for those with an iPad that has a larger display like the iPad Air or one of the iPad Pros. Sidecar works with iPad mini (5th gen.), if you like.

In addition, if you would like to make your iPad part of your display setup, there are stands and monitor arms for iPad. Some of these are just for your iPad, whereas other options look like a monitor stand with a separate arm for your monitor, and another for your iPad.

Use iPad and Mac Separately

Another option if you have an iPad is to just set up your iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard next to your Mac. You will have the two, separate screens just with two separate keyboards controlling them.

This solution works pretty nicely because with the current versions of macOS and iOS, you can use Universal Clipboard to seamlessly copy on one device, then paste on the other. This makes it really nice to use iPad to take notes, typed or handwritten, and then, if you want to incorporate those notes into your work on your Mac, just copy them on your iPad, then paste on your Mac. This feature also works for copying and pasting images.

iMac

If you already have a 27″ iMac, you may already be set for screen space. If you have an aging MacBook or an older iMac, you might be looking to upgrade. The iMac currently comes in 21.5″ and 27″ display sizes. The 27″ iMac is new and has some impressive display specs like a 5k Retina display with True Tone technology and a nano-texture glass option to reduce glare.

The major downside to the iMac option is that it is pretty much stuck on your desk. If you like to do work from different locations in your home, you may want to stick to more mobile options. If you are leaning towards the iMac, you also have the option to purchase a kit which allows you to mount the display (the iMac itself) like any other monitor so that you can attach it to an adjustable display arm.

External Monitor

If you have a MacBook laptop or even if you have an iMac, one of the most straightforward ways to increase your screen space is to purchase a monitor. There are many different size monitors at a variety of price points.

Before purchasing a monitor to add to your home office setup, you will need to consider what yours needs and preferences are. Some people have a very strong preference for a monitor with very high resolution. Most Mac users will be used to using a Retina display. Although a step down in resolution from most Macs, a UHD monitor should have a satisfactory resolution for all but the most particular user. You can find a decent 27″ UHD monitor in the $300 – $400 range.

Monitors are maybe the best solution to increase your home office screen real estate. You can simply plug them into your MacBook when working at your desk, and still be free to take your MacBook with you when you want to change locations. There are many different options for mounting your monitor using adjustable mounting arms so you can adjust the height and angles to suit your comfort.

Other Considerations

Many things go into a comfortable, productive home office arrangement. Briefly, here are some other things to consider.

Keyboard

If you are using a MacBook, you may want to purchase a Bluetooth keyboard. This allows you much more freedom to arrange your desk the way you want, or even need, for your comfort and health. You won’t need to get an Apple brand keyboard and you should be able to find a decent keyboard for $30-$50.

Speakers and Headphones

Many people like to have some kind of music playing while they work. Others would like to drown out all distraction with either music or some kind of white noise. A lot of people who are working from home now have kids (or other adults) at home and would like to drown out distracting noises.

Investing in a nice speaker or a good set of headphones could be well worth it when it comes to enhancing your productivity by reducing distractions.

Lighting

Good lighting can be important for many reasons. You don’t want glare on your monitors, you need sufficient lighting to read papers, or you may need good lighting for your Zoom meetings. You should have enough light sources from lamps, windows or ceiling lights.

The absolute best lighting is lighting you can adjust. A Nice affordable option are dimmable LED bulbs by Philips called SceneSwitch which work in standard fixtures and can be dimmed just by switching the lamp or ceiling fixture off and then on again. The coolest option is smart lights. You can control these from your phone. With smart lights you can adjust the brightness, the warmth and even change them to rainbow colors to suit your mood. Philips makes Hue smart lights which are pretty awesome, but cost significantly more than regular light bulbs.

The author’s current setup.

iOS 14: Where is the Up Next Widget? The Favorites Widget?

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 02:20:33 GMT

macReports
iOS 14: Where is the Up Next Widget? The Favorites Widget?

The Up Next and the Favorites widgets were popular widgets that were available in previous versions of iOS. The Up Next widget would show you the next alarm, calendar event or reminder you had scheduled. The Favorites widget would show you a selection of your favorite contacts.

These popular widgets are noticeably absent in iOS 14 and some users are pretty upset about it (See: How To Send Feedback To Apple). Although we can’t bring them back for you, we provide a guide here for setting up widgets that will give you back most of the features you miss from the Up Next and the Favorites widgets.

The Up Next Widget

In iOS 14, we can still create widgets for both the Calendar and the Reminders apps. We can create a widget for Calendar and a widget for Reminders. You can have these two widgets side-by-side if you would like to see both at the same time or you can then stack the two if you would like to save space. Unfortunately, this would not allow you to simply look at the widget to see what is “Up Next” from among all calendar events and reminders, but simply scrolling through the widget stack (a small gesture to perform) to get to the other widget will show you the information.

The one widget we don’t find in iOS 14 is an Alarm widget. And, although you can access the alarm settings under the Clock app on your iPhone, the only settings available for the Clock widget are the City, or time zone, settings for your Clock widget. Hopefully, there will be more widget options available in the near future. For now, you can follow these steps to create widgets that will give you a quick view of your upcoming events and tasks.

Create Calendar and Reminders Widgets

To create a Calendar widget, press and hold in an open space on your home screen, then tap the plus (+) in the upper-left corner of your screen.

Scroll down until you see Calendar, then select it.

Click Add Widget.

Your Calendar widget will appear on your Home Screen.

Now to add the Reminders widget, again press and hold in an open space on your Home Screen and tap the plus (+) sign in the upper-left corner of your screen.

Scroll down and select Reminders.

Choose Add Widget.

Now you can either:

Click Done to leave the widgets separate, or …

Drag the Calendar widget on top of the Reminders widget to create a widget stack.

To scroll through the widgets in your stack, just touch the stack and slide your finger up or down to bring another widget to the top of the stack.

The Favorites Widget

Many users miss the Favorites widget that was previously available for your Today Page. It was a quick way to call those people you called most often. With the Favorites widget, you didn’t have to open your Phone or Contacts app and search or scroll through the list to find the person you were looking for. What we present here is a workaround using Shortcuts. It will allow you to create a Favorites widget for either your Home Screen or your Today Page that contains shortcuts to your favorite contacts.

Create Shortcuts for your Favorites

Open the shortcuts app: Swipe left-to-right to get to the Today Screen.

Type Shortcuts in the Search field. Tap the Shortcuts app icon.

Tap Shortcuts in the upper-left part of the screen.

Tap the add folder icon in the upper-right part of the screen.

Type a name for your folder, like Favorites. Then tap Add in the upper-right corner of your screen.

Select your newly created Favorites folder.

Tap the plus (+) in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Tap Add Action.

Scroll down to Call and select from one of the suggested contacts listed under Call, or tap the plus [+] to choose a contact.

If you chose to add a contact, now tap Contact, then choose the person you would like set up the quick call shortcut for from your contacts list.

Tap Next.

Enter a name for your shortcut, then tap Done.

You are now back to the screen for your Favorites folder in the Shortcuts app. You can see your new shortcut listed under Favorites.

Continue to add more Favorites by repeating steps 7-12. When you are done adding all of your Favorites, then exit the Shortcuts app.

Add Favorites to Home Screen or Today Page

To add your favorites to your Home Screen, press and hold an empty space on your Home Screen, then select the plus (+) in the upper-left corner of your screen.

Scroll down until you see Shortcuts and select it.

Swipe right and left to choose the size for your widget, then tap Add Widget. Don’t worry if your Favorites widgets aren’t showing. We can select them later.

Now you can press and hold your new Favorites widget to move it around on your Home Screen, move it to another screen, or move it to your Today Page. Once you have your widget in place, press and hold on the widget to open its menu.

Click on All Shortcuts to change the Folder selection.

Choose your Favorites folder. Then tap anywhere outside of the Shortcuts Folder pop-up window to exit.

Now you have your Favorites on either your Home Screen or Today Page, whichever you chose. When you want to call one of your favorites, just tap their shortcut icon in your Favorites widget. Here are my Favorites on my Today Page.

iOS 14: Where is the Up Next Widget? The Favorites Widget?
Stacey Butler

How to Fix Apple Watch Battery Problems after watchOS 7 Update

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 22:35:49 GMT

macReports
How to Fix Apple Watch Battery Problems after watchOS 7 Update

After updating to watchOS 7, some users have reported a problem with Apple Watch battery drain. Your watch’s battery may be suddenly running out of charge far more quickly than before the update. We discuss some of the changes to how watchOS manages battery charge in watchOS 7 and outline steps you can take to fix battery life issues.

watchOS 7 includes a new feature called Optimized Battery Charging which is designed to improve the lifespan of your watch’s battery. It is designed to reduce the wear on your battery by reducing the amount of time your Apple Watch spends fully charged.

After learning your daily charging routines, Optimized Battery Charging activates when it predicts that your watch will be connected to a charger for an extended period of time. What it does is essentially keep your watch’s battery level at 75-80% while charging. The idea is that your watch should still be fully charged when you remove it from the charger.

So, watchOS 7 should be great for your battery life in the long run, but for now, you may be dealing with abysmal battery life. You might have tried to figure out exactly what the culprit is, and you’re just hoping it’s not something fundamental to the update. Starting with the installation process; this is a demanding process itself. Then, maybe you spent your first day with watchOS 7 trying out some of the cool new features and fiddling with your apps and settings. Certainly all of this could explain a poor first day’s battery performance. But after that?

You may be wondering if the battery drain is the result of some of the new features in watchOS 7, such as the hand washing feature. However, users have reported that turning off some of these features didn’t have much affect on the battery life. While some users have reported success with just restarting their watches and iPhones, others have had to unpair their watch and set them up as new.

Before you begin, you may want to update to watchOS 7.01 update that was just released. The latest update contains improvements and bug fixes including: Fixes and issue where some users could not use their payment cards in Wallet.

See also:

Restart your Apple Watch and iPhone

Restart your Apple Watch

The first thing to try is the simplest. Just power your watch off then on again. Note: You won’t be able to restart while charging.

Power off: Press and hold the side button until the slider appears, then drag the Power Off slider to the right.
Power on: Hold down the side button until the Apple logo appears.

If you are unable to turn your Apple Watch off, you can do a force restart by holding down the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

Restart your iPhone

Continue by restarting the iPhone that is paired with your Apple Watch.

Turn off your iPhone:
- For models with Face ID, press and hold the side button and a volume button, then drag the slider to the right.
- For models without Face ID, press and hold the side or top button until the slider appears, then drag the slider to the right.
- With any model, you can also go to Settings > General > Shut Down.
Turn on your iPhone: Hold down the side or top button until the Apple logo appears.

Unpair your Apple Watch

This process erases all the content and settings on your Apple Watch, however, before this happens, your iPhone will automatically create a new backup of your watch. You will be able to use this backup to restore your Apple Watch’s content and settings if you choose Restore from Backup when setting up your watch.

Some users have reported success with restoring from backup after unpairing. Others have said this did not work for them, however setting up as new solved the problem. We will describe the steps for each.

Unpair

Set your iPhone and Apple Watch next to each other.
Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Go to the My Watch tab and select your watch.
Tap the info button (it looks like an i inside a circle) next to the watch you are unpairing.
Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
If you have your watch on a cellular plan, choose to keep your cellular plan.
Tap to confirm. If requested, enter your Apple ID password in order to disable Activation Lock.

Set up as New

Most users are reporting success when setting up their Apple Watch as new after unpairing. Unfortunately, this method does not preserve all your settings and data on your watch. If you would like to first try restoring from backup, that will preserve all of your content and settings. The steps for restoring from backup are outlined in the next section.

After unpairing your Apple Watch, set up your watch using your iPhone.
When asked, choose to Set Up as New. Do not choose Restore From Backup.
Follow onscreen instructions to complete the setup.

Restore from Backup

Follow the steps to unpair your watch from your iPhone.
When setting up your watch, you will choose Restore From Backup instead of Set Up as New.

How to Fix Apple Watch Battery Problems after watchOS 7 Update
Stacey Butler