WHAT? Your iPhone has a hidden way to make calls sound clearer. To turn on Voice Isolation, answer a call, then swipe from the top right corner of your screen to open the Control Center. Tap Mic Mode > Voice Isolation.
Here VR: Apple is cutting production on the augmented reality Vision Pro headset. An analyst says Apple only expects to sell half of its original estimate of 700,000 to 800,000 units this year. Here’s hoping this flop leads to a cheaper model or at least a price drop. Not many people can spend $3,500.
14 years later iPads are getting calculators
It’ll be included with iPadOS 18. Yep, iPads have never come with a calculator app, though Macs and iPhones have had them since they launched. iPad owners have made do (third-party apps, Spotlight, Google), but the MacGyvering ends now.
Better late than never: A New York man’s Apple Watch saved his life after a bike crash left him with a baseball-sized lump on his face (don’t click that if you’re squeamish!). He made it home, fainted in the shower — and woke up to his watch alerting 911 of his “hard fall.” Bet he wishes it’d kicked in during the first accident.
📴 The sound of silence: Maybe you’re in a library or a quiet meeting. On your Apple device, activate Siri as you normally would and immediately swipe down on the volume slider. Like magic, Siri goes mute, offering only text-based responses.
Cmd + spacebar: This Mac shortcut opens Spotlight, an incredibly powerful tool for finding documents quickly, opening apps or searching the web right from your desktop.
A secret shortcut: You can double- or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to launch a frequently used app, like Camera or Settings. Head to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap to set it up. Ta-da! Like magic.
Ctrl + Alt + Del for your Mac: Use Cmd + Option + Esc to quickly open the force-quit applications window on your Mac. Use this to kill an app when it’s not responding.
🚨 iPhone warning: Scary new term: “Mercenary attacks.” This type of spyware targets high-profile folks like politicians and journalists, and it’s hit a whopping 92 countries. You got it if you see “Threat Notification” at the top of appleid.apple.com or if Apple sends you an email and iMessage alert about it.
Let’s be quick about it: On iPhone, swipe down on your phone’s home screen to open quick settings like Bluetooth, Airplane mode and Do Not Disturb mode. Even better, you can customize what’s there. On iPhone: Settings > Control Center, and on Android, just hit the pencil icon.
MacBook fix: You bought an Apple laptop and can’t figure out how to click anything without your mouse. No worries. Click the Apple menu > System Settings > Trackpad. Enable Tap to click. Now, you can tap on the trackpad with just one finger.
Get the text? Apple iOS can read text in images, which is handy for menus, signs and other hard-to-decipher images. Long press on the photo, choose Show Text, then pick Copy All to send it to the clipboard.
📱 iOS 18 exclusivity: Apple’s “biggest update yet” comes out in June, but if you’re rocking an iPhone 8 Plus or older, you’re out of luck. Eligible models? The XR, XS, iPhones 11 to 15, plus the second- and third-gen SEs. If you want those new AI features, it’s time to upgrade. Hit those links to check out a new phone.
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iWork free update: That’s the snazzy name for Apple’s Keynote, Numbers and Pages (dupes of Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel and Word). They now handle photos a lot better, and it’s easier to make your presentations look exactly how you want. Open the Apple App Store on your device of choice to update.
You’ve been added to a group text and muting it isn’t enough. If you have an iPhone, tap the thread, then select the group icon at the top. Scroll and tap Delete and Block this Conversation. Sorry, Android folks — the person who added you has to remove you.
iPhone 12 upgrade: The recent iOS 17.4 update hooks you up with Qi2 wireless charging support. It’s faster and you can use those handy magnetic chargers. This one is $20 right now, and this one is a battery you can take with you, too.
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Don’t buy an iPad now: New iPads are dropping in early May. Expect a Pro with an OLED display running on the new M3 chip and, for the first time, a big-boy iPad Air with a 12.9-inch screen. FYI, the iPad Air will probably rock the old (but still fast) M2 chip. I bet the new M3 stays Pro-exclusive.
That tracks: Your MacBook trackpad does more than you think. Case in point: Reverse pinch with a thumb and three fingers to see the desktop. You can set up your own gestures and tap combinations, too. Click the Apple menu > System Settings and Trackpad.
15 years later you can finally personalize your iPhone grid
iOS 18 includes a feature Android users have long enjoyed. The ability to create blank rows and open spaces on your home screen. Can’t wait to waste 15 minutes fiddling with mine.