How to Automatically Delete Old Messages on Your Mac
Matt Cone November 10, 2021
iMessage allows you to send and receive free SMS and text messages to your friends and family. But those old text messages can start piling up! After a while, all of the old text messages can start cluttering the Messages application on your Mac, making it difficult to find the text message threads you’re really interested in. Thankfully, your Mac contains a feature that can automatically delete old text messages after a certain period of time.
How to Set Default Apps on Your Mac
Matt Cone November 8, 2021
Your Mac has a default application that it uses to open all files of a certain type (like images and Markdown files), and it remembers to use that application every time you open one of those files. For example, your Mac uses the Preview application to open files with the .png extension. If you’d like to change the default application for a file type, you’re in luck — your Mac provides a quick and easy way to change the default application for a file type.
How to Scan Text Using Your iPad's Camera
Matt Cone November 7, 2021
If you have an iPad running iPadOS 15 or later, you might be able use the Live Text feature to scan text in photos. After you scan the text, you can paste it into a different application, such as Notes or Mail. This is a great way to record text off receipts, copy a friend’s written notes, or scan a page from a book. Here’s how to scan text using your iPad’s camera:
How to Change the Siri Voice on Your iPad
Matt Cone November 7, 2021
Siri is Apple’s virtual voice assistant that you can verbally communicate with. Freely available on all of Apple’s devices, including the iPad, Siri can help you do things like find information, add calendar events, and send email. Siri comes with a default voice, but if you don’t like that voice, you can select one of the other voices for Siri that are available on your iPad. Here’s how to change the Siri voice on your iPad:
How to Remotely Lock Your iPad
Matt Cone November 5, 2021
You already know that you can password protect your iPad. But if you have enabled Find My iPad, you can also remotely lock your iPad. (The iPad must be turned on and connected to a cellular or wireless network.) By using the Mark As Lost feature, you can enable a password on your iPad if one isn’t already set. Mark As Lost also disables several features that could be used if your iPad is stolen.
How to Scan a QR Code with Your iPhone
Matt Cone November 1, 2021
Quick Response (QR) codes are everywhere. These codes provide easy access to text and websites, but you have to scan the QR codes first to visit the see the text or visit the website. You can scan QR codes with your iPhone to reveal the text or website address. Here’s how to scan a QR code with your iPhone: From the home screen, open the Camera app. Point your iPhone’s camera at the QR code, as shown below.
How to Scan a QR Code with Your iPad
Matt Cone November 1, 2021
Quick Response (QR) codes are everywhere. These codes provide easy access to text and websites, but you have to scan the QR codes first to visit the see the text or visit the website. You can scan QR codes with your iPad to reveal the text or website address. Here’s how to scan a QR code with your iPad: From the home screen, open the Camera app. Point your iPad’s camera at the QR code, as shown below.
How to Locate Your iPad on a Map
Matt Cone October 31, 2021
Did you lose your iPad? If you enabled Find My iPad, there’s no need to worry. As long as the iPad is turned on and connected to a cellular or wireless network, you can access a map that pinpoints its exact location. This should be the primary tool in your recovery arsenal, whether you left your iPad under a couch cushion or on a table at the neighborhood cafe. Here’s how to locate your iPad on a map:
How to Enable Find My iPad
Matt Cone October 30, 2021
The iPad is nothing if not portable. You can carry it with you and use it just about anywhere. It’s great for doing work in cafes, airports, or even at the office. But the iPad’s portability also poses a serious problem: It’s easy to misplace! Apple saw this coming. They created a free utility called Find My iPad that can detect the location of a lost iPad with great accuracy, assuming it’s turned on and connected to the internet.
Tell Your Mac to Forget a Wireless Network
Matt Cone October 29, 2021
When you connect a Mac to a wi-fi network, the Mac remembers that network and will automatically attempt to connect to it in the future. This is a great feature for wi-fi networks you trust and use frequently. But mistakes happen. If you connect to the wrong network at a coffee shop, your Mac will automatically attempt to join that network every time you visit the coffee shop in the future.