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The 5 Best MacBooks for Coding of 2025

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:03 pm EAT by Dave Johnson

If you’re looking for the best MacBook for coding, there’s going to be one that will suit you, but the company’s range is wider than you may think. You should take your time and consider your needs carefully when deciding on the best MacBook for coding tasks. After all, though there are only two strands to the range—MacBook Air and MacBook Pro—and there are a total of four screen sizes and four different designs to choose from. And that’s before we get to the number of colors (there are 11 when you factor in the subtle changes between models).

In this article, we are going to walk you through the best MacBooks for coding in 2023. These machines are excellent in their performance and you can buy them for under £3000. Check out the list and choose the best one according to your needs.

Without further ado, here are the the best apple MacBooks for coding in 2023:

1. Apple MacBook Pro 16-Inch

Why it’s the best MacBook for coding

Apple’s MacBook Pro range hosts its fastest, most powerful laptops. Unlike the MacBook Air, the Pro models all have fans built in so that even the most demanding coding programs can run at speed and at length. The 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip, some of the most effective silicon Apple has made. As such, even with the laptop going all out with power-hungry programming tasks, it’s rare to hear the fan whirr into life. The design of this big-screened beauty is Apple at its best: Sleek lines, attractive colors and a slim profile. This model has the same Magic Keyboard, as Apple calls it, as the MacBook Air M2 and the 14-inch Pro, with the full-height keys that makes it easy to write code on. But this means there’s no room for the Touch Bar, the slim touch-sensitive multifunction light strip. If you’re a fan of this, check out the 13-inch MacBook Pro below.
But for performance, this laptop can’t be beaten. It has more RAM as standard than the Air or 13-inch Pro, and battery life that beats the 14-inch Pro by four hours. Like that model, it has what Apple calls Liquid Retina XDR, that is, there are miniLEDs which light up the screen in a particularly punchy way. The display is so big, the webcam is placed in a cut-out at the top. If you’re not a fan of this, the 13-inch Pro or M1 Air are for you. Of all the Mac laptops, this is the powerhouse. So, If you are looking for the best MacBook for coding with fast speed and large storage space, this machine can be an ideal option for you.

Pros

Stunning display
Outstanding performance
Apple’s design at its best

Cons

Pricey
No Touch Bar

2. Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch

Why it’s the best MacBook for coding

If you don’t need the extra real estate of the 16-inch Pro or simply can’t run to the price of that machine, this is an excellent MacBook for coding. It has the same outstanding high-contrast, super-bright display as its bigger sibling. On the other hand, the 14.2-inch size makes this laptop that bit more manageable. It also has the customization options that only this and the bigger Pro do: Storage up to 8TB and RAM up to 64GB.
Performance matches that of the 16-incher, which features the most potent Apple-built chips yet in a MacBook. Depending on your coding tasks, you can choose from the fast M1 Pro and even faster M1 Max. Oh, and it has MagSafe (including an attractive braided cable), plus three USB-C connectors, an HDMI port and an SDXC card slot. Those last two are exclusive to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Battery life here is up to 17 hours—way more than the M1 MacBook Air’s 12 hours but shorter than the others in the range. And, of course, there’s that handsome new look with a bigger Apple logo on the lid and the words “MacBook Pro” stenciled on the base.

Pros

Blazing speed
Latest design
MagSafe

Cons

Notch in display
Battery life not Apple’s best

3. Apple M2 chip MacBook Pro

Why it’s the best MacBook for coding

The Apple MacBook Pro 2022 delivers mind-blowing performance thanks to its M2 processor along with class-leading battery life. The device offers almost all the latest or trendy features at the lowest price. The reason behind this endorsement is that the device is available for £1,385. Although the price is less compared to other MacBooks. But it does not mean that you are going to get fewer and lower specs. The device comes with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage space which are enough to make it the best MacBook for coding purpose. You can get a fast experience with enough storage capacity. Other specs that make this MacBook an excellent option for coding are included an 8-core CPU with 10-core GPU. It offers a 13 inches display which is comparatively small but gives your device a small and slim look, making it eye-catching. As the device is small and is designed lightweight, it will be easy for you to carry the device anywhere.

Pros

Blazing-fast performance
Amazing battery life
Sharp, vibrant displaComfortable keyboard

Cons

Same old design
720p webcam
Limited ports

4. Apple M2 chip MacBook Air

Why it’s the best MacBook for coding

Like all other mentioned devices or MacBooks, this is another best MacBook for coding. The new MacBook Air is a breath of fresh you-know-what, and that’s because Apple paired an even faster M2 chip with a design that’s markedly thinner and lighter. Carrying this 2.7-pound notebook around and using it, this is a laptop that reminds us of the iconic original Air that Steve Jobs pulled out of a manilla envelope 14 years ago. Something this light can’t be that powerful — can it? Yes it can.

The MacBook Air M2 is simply the best MacBook for coding based on our testing. You get stellar performance, a vibrant display and superb battery life all wrapped up in a design that is delightfully portable. Yes, $1,119 is a steep price, but we would easily recommend this system over the $999 MacBook Air M1 staying in the lineup because of its better performance and display, along with sharper webcam and MagSafe charging.

The 8-core CPU and 16-core GPU makes it the best MacBook for coding tasks. Other notable features or specs of this device include 10 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. RAM is enough to get a fast user experience. However, storage space is comparatively low, but enough if you do not have big data to store.

All in all, the MacBook Air M2 is the best MacBook for coding for those willing to spend a little bit more for a great laptop. It delivers top-notch performance, over 16 hours of battery life and a bright and colorful display all in a delightfully portable design.

Pros

Wonderfully portable design
Bright and colorful 13.6-inch display
Strong M2 performance
Impressively long battery life
1080p webcam

Cons

Pricier than previous model
Notch a bit distracting
Supports only single external monitor

5. MacBook Air with M1

Why it’s the best MacBook for coding

The MacBook Air was always the best MacBook for coding tasks, but now it’s better for coding tasks than ever before. Apple’s decision to replace its Intel processors with its own Apple Silicon, starting with the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, is reaping serious rewards. This laptop’s over 14 hours of battery life is the best for a MacBook Air ever. Plus, the M1 delivers crazy-fast performance, so much so that it can run serious codes smoothly.

Pros

Super-fast performance
Incredibly long battery life
Comfortable keyboard

Cons

Still has thick bezels
Light on ports

Conclusion

To choose between the best MacBook for coding, we started with extensive personal experience: All the computers here have been road-tested and reviewed in some way. Then, we added in-depth research by cross-referencing third-party reviews with specs sheets, first-party benchmarks and user experiences. Rest assured, we know the ins and outs of all these machines, so you can choose the perfect one for you.

Tag: Mac Products

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Is iPhone more user friendly than Android? The truth!

Monday January 16, 2023 12:28 am EAT by Kevin Hollington

I have been using an iPhone for over 10 years now, and even though I am a massive fan of the device, I was a heavy Android user during my early years.
I was not a big fan of the iPhone or iOS back then and used to even strongly suggest my friends and family members choose Android over iOS.
There were a few reasons why I used to be an Android fanboy.
Back in the day, Android phones were much more affordable than iPhones and had more customization options and features.
But now, the price gap between Android and iOS flagships is pretty narrow, and most features you find on Android are also available on iPhones.
Besides, Apple has made many improvements to its software and hardware over the years and is now one of the best in the industry in terms of performance, battery life, software support, etc.
Despite a few reasons like the choice of devices, affordability, and fast charging, if you are in the market for a smartphone that’s easier to use, it makes much more sense to go with an iPhone than an Android phone.
In this post, I will explain why iPhone is user friendly than Android phone.

Why is the iPhone the easiest phone to use?

This is going to hurt a little, Android fanboys. One of iOS’ biggest selling points is just how intuitive it is. From kids all the way up to senior citizens, many people love iOS simply because it is pretty straightforward to use.

Despite all the promises by Android phone makers to streamline their skins, the iPhone remains the easiest phone to use by far. Some may lament the lack of change in the look and feel of iOS over the years, but I consider it a plus that it works pretty much the same as it did way back in 2007. Pick it up, turn it on, touch the app to open.

All the apps in iOS are displayed right on the home screen, so you’ve got quick access to everything on your phone without delving into hidden menus. And all of Apple’s standard apps, like Weather and Mail, are top-notch, and most people don’t feel the need to download other versions. You can’t say the same thing for Android, where phones from different manufacturers often ship with a completely different set of stock apps with varying degrees of quality.

Apple knows people love iOS because it’s simple, and there have been times when it has been criticized for not giving users enough options to personalize their experience. But even though some might say it’s too simplified, what iOS lacks in customization, it more than makes up for in usability.

Android features an open platform that accommodates full-on customization. You’ll have total control over your smartphone’s settings, and you can use the broad scope of apps on Google Play to execute them.

However, this level of customization also creates a steep learning curve. You’ll need some technical proficiency and customization experience to utilize Android’s platform, which not all smartphone users have.

On the contrary, iOS devices have a straightforward, user-friendly interface. They come with various pre-installed, out-of-the-box features, so you can start using them right from the get-go. You wouldn’t need much time to learn an iOS interface.

Conclusion

This one is definitely down to personal preference, but as someone who has jumped back and forth between iOS and Android, i can confidently say that iPhone is easier to use than Android.

Apple phones are known for their ease of use. Their usability comes from simple operating logic: all the apps are launched from the home screen. All the settings, for example, can be found under one menu. And even if you upgrade your iPhone to the newest model, the operating system still works the same way and taking it into use is easy.

An android phone can be modified and customised in various ways, but the basic features of its operating system are much more complicated and confusing than the iOS system. If you value an easy to use and good smartphone for basic use, an iPhone is the obvious choice.

Tag: iPhone Products

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Notifications Not Showing On Your iPhone? 10 Real Fixes!

Thursday February 9, 2023 5:01 am EAT by Moses Johnson

Not seeing notifications show up on your iPhone? Try these fixes to get iPhone notifications working again.

iOS notification system is second to none. But, sometimes notifications don’t show up on iPhone as expected. If notifications are not working on your iPhone, I’ll help you fix the problem step-by-step.

There is nothing new about the problem of iPhone not showing notifications as it has existed on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.

First off, it would be better to get to the root of the problem, trying to figure out the reasons why your iPhone is not getting notifications.

Why is my iPhone not getting notifications?

If you are not getting notifications on your iPhone, Focus might be the culprit.

To avoid disturbance, Notification Summary only allows time-sensitive alerts to filter through. Non-urgent alerts are auto-silenced and presented at a specified time. It’s This sometimes leads to odd behaviors and delays, which could cause your iPhone to not get notifications.

If your iPhone is not connected to internet, this may explain why notifications are not showing up. After all, no internet access renders many apps essentially dead.

Thankfully, there are many things you can do to get your notifications back to normal. If your iPhone notifications are not working, here are some fixes to try.

How to Fix iPhone Notifications Not Showing Up Issue

1. Review the App’s Notification Settings

One of the most common reasons notifications don’t show on iPhone is because of the notification settings of the app in question. It’s possible that you may have mistakenly messed up with the default notification settings, and so now you’re not receiving them properly.

Open Settings.
Tap Notifications.
Scroll down to the app in question then enable “Allow Notifications”.

Make sure alerts are enabled wherever you want them: on your lock screen, in the Notification Center, and as drop-down banners at the top of the screen.

You choose between a temporary or Persistent banner style, the latter of which requires that you dismiss it manually. This can be handy if you don’t want to miss a notification from a particular app. You can also enable or disable “Notification Grouping” which gathers similar notifications together into an expandable stack.

2. Check That Focus is not enabled

It may seem obvious, but forgetting Focus is enabled is one of the most common causes for notifications not showing up on your iPhone.

Focus mode can be found in the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right of your screen. Tap and “Focus” to see the different modes available to you: Do Not Disturb, Personal, Work, and Sleep.

These modes can interfere with notification delivery, so make sure to turn them off if you want to receive all notifications. If you find Focus mode useful when working or studying but would prefer to whitelist certain contacts and apps, head to Settings > Focus and set up your desired mode.

This allows you to reap the benefits of disabling distracting notifications from social media or games, while still being able to message or receive calls from friends and family.

3. Disable Notification Summary

Notification Summary is a feature that bundles together “non-urgent” notifications and delivers them as a summary at more convenient times of your choosing. You won’t see certain notifications immediately with this mode enabled, but you’ll still receive calls and messages.

Your iPhone will suggest apps that are particularly heavy on notifications when you first set the feature up. You can disable or reconfigure the feature by following the steps below:

Open Settings.
Go into Notifications.
Select Scheduled Summary.

4. Restart your iPhone

Are notifications still not showing up on your iPhone? There is no need to panic as we still have plenty of troubleshooting tips for you. . Most of the issues that cause a lack of notification on iPhone can be resolved by restarting your phone. That’s is because even if the problem is a frozen or crashed app, a bad network connection, or anything else, restarting the phone may automatically resolve those issues and avoid a lengthy troubleshooting process. To do this, follow the steps below:

Open Settings.
Go into General.
Select Shut Down.
Drag the Power off slider from left to right to turn off your iPhone.

5. Reinstall the App or Wait for Updates

One of the main reasons why notifications aren’t showing on your iPhone could be due to broken app updates. If your iPhone is not getting notifications from one app in particular, it’s possible that the developers have accidentally rolled out a buggy update. In such a situation, you have two options:

Uninstall and reinstall the app: Sometimes, uninstalling an app and reinstalling it from the App Store can do the trick for you.
Wait for an update to fix the issue: You can even drop a mail to the developer and make them aware of the notification issues you’re currently facing.

6. Check Your Wi-Fi & Cellular Connection

If you don’t have an internet connection, your iPhone won’t receive notifications.

If you are using Wi-Fi, check to see if your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network by following the steps below:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Go into Wi-Fi.
Make sure the switch next to Wi-Fi is turned on.

If you see a check mark next to the name of your Wi-Fi network at the top of this menu, your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi. If you’re not connected to a Wi-Fi network, tap on the one you want to connect to under Choose A Network…

If you are using data, you can quickly check to see if Cellular is turned on by opening Control Center and looking at the Cellular button. If the button is green, Cellular is turned on!

6. Reset Network Settings on iPhone

If notifications are not showing up on your iPhone after trying the above steps, try resetting your network settings. This will remove information like Wi-Fi passwords, VPN configuration, etc. So, note down these details somewhere before going through the process.

Open Settings.
Go into General.
Scroll down and select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap Reset.
Tap Reset Network Settings.

8. Reset All Settings

Still not receiving notifications on your iPhone after all the above fixes? At this point, you should try resetting your device’s settings. Doing this will restore your iPhone’s notification preferences to the defaults, hopefully fixing whatever is affecting notification delivery.

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Choose Reset.
Tap Reset All Settings.
Type in your iPhone’s passcode and select Reset All Settings on the prompt.

Keep in mind that resetting your iPhone’s settings puts all options back to the default. This means you’ll have to connect to Wi-Fi networks again, re-configure Bluetooth devices, adjust your privacy settings, and similar. However, your data isn’t affected by this.

Fixed notifications not showing up on iPhone issue

Notifications not showing up on your iPhone can be a head-scratcher for you. Hopefully, the problem is now behind your back. If, after all these steps, you’re still unable to get your notifications back in order, it might be a device-specific issue. In that case, it’s best to check for software updates or contact Apple Support.

Tag: iPhone Troubleshooting

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iPhone Cellular Data Turned On But Not Working? 12 Fixes

Thursday February 9, 2023 4:54 am EAT by Dave Johnson

Is your iPhone cellular data turned on but not working? Don’t worry! You can try a few fixes before turning to your cell carrier’s customer support line.

The issue of cellular data not working on iPhone is not new as it has been experienced on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.

First off, it would be better to get to the root of the problem, trying to figure out the reasons why the iPhone cellular data is not working even when it’s turned on.

Why is iPhone cellular data turned on but not working?

Some mobile data plans have limitations and throttles. You might be capped or throttled. Also, consider the fact you may be late on your payment. Even the best of us forget about bills sometimes. Not to mention sometimes cards get declined for no apparent reason.

If you’re in a remote area, or there are a lot of natural barriers around you (such as hills, mountains, and valleys), you’ll probably experience a poor signal.

Also, consider that, while rare, carrier networks can go down too, causing service outages.

Finally, cellular data not working on iPhone could be due to the fault of the phone’s modem or hardware. If you’ve recently dropped your phone, that could have damaged the antenna or other internal components.

How to fix iPhone cellular data turned on but not working issue

1. Ensure your iPhone has cellular coverage

Many physical factors can cause problems with cellular data on iPhone. These include weather, network congestion, and even solar activity. But chief among these are geography and buildings.

Look at the status bar to check how many bars are there for your cellular network. If it’s one or zero, cellular data may work poorly or not work at all.

If you’re in a remote area, or there are a lot of natural barriers around you (such as hills, mountains, and valleys), you’ll probably experience a poor signal. Try to move to a more even-leveled location if the landscape around you fits one of these extremes.

The same goes for being inside buildings. You might be in the middle of a heavily populated urban area with full bars on your device, then wonder why your mobile data is not working when you enter certain structures. Being underground, or surrounded by concrete in a structure like a basement, can negatively affect your data signal.

If you’re having cellular data problems on iPhone that only started in a certain location, try moving somewhere else. You may need to leave the building you’re in or drive a few miles away. While this may not be convenient, it’s a good way to troubleshoot this issue.

This step is likely something tech support will ask you to do anyway if you call for help. Unfortunately, current network technology doesn’t provide perfect coverage in all areas, so location is still a big factor. As 5G continues to become more popular, we’ll hopefully see fewer dead zones.

2. Check If You’ve Reached Your Cellular Data Limit

Most carriers offer mobile data services and plans with limited data. And let’s be honest, many of us would have taken for granted roaming without keeping track of the data usage. Hence, if your cellular data is is on but not working on your iPhone, then this is one possible reason for it. The only scenario in which you don’t have to consider this is if you have an unlimited data plan.

It’s a good idea to know if you have data left. If you’re not sure, check your account through the company’s mobile app or website. That will show how much data you have per month, and how much you’ve used so far. You can also communicate with your carrier to check you’ve reached data limit.

3. Toggle Airplane Mode to fix iPhone Cellular Data problem

Sometimes, all you need to do when your iPhone cellular data is on but not working is to turn on and off Airplane mode. Doing so will cut off your phone from the mobile network and can fix the problem alongside it.

You can do this by following the steps below:

Go to Settings,.
Turn on Airplane Mode,
wait for 30 seconds, then turn Airplane Mode off, wait for your networks to reconnect, and then double-check if your cellular data is working.

4. Set the correct date and time

Sometimes the most obvious fix is the most reliable one. If your mobile data is turned on but not working, one of the things you should check is your date and time settings. iPhone cellular data may not work if the time and date settings are incorrect. You can fix this by following the steps below:

Go to Settings.
Go into General.
Select Date & Time
Toggle on the switch for Set Automatically.

5. Restart your iPhone

If you’ve tried the above fixes and your data still stubbornly refuses to work even if it’s turned on, the next step you should try is to restart your iPhone. It may seem silly to remind you of this basic rule, but most problems encountered on an iPhone can be solved this way. Follow the steps below to restart your iPhone:

Go to Settings.
Go into General.
Tap Shut Down.
Drag the Power off slider to the right, then wait 30 seconds before powering the device back on.

6. Update your Carrier settings

If your carrier has recently updated its network, running this update will allow your iPhone to sync with the new technology such as 5G. It will also help eliminate issues that could be causing your iPhone Cellular Data to stop working even when it’s turned on. To run a carrier settings update: follow the steps below:

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select About.
If there is an update available, you’ll immediately see a prompt that says Carrier Settings Update and asks whether you want to proceed with the update now. Install any updates that show up here.

7. Update iOS on Your Phone

If your iPhone cellular data is on but not working, an important fix is to look for any iOS update that may be available. Ensuring that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS can help fix cellular data problems.

To check for and install iOS updates, follow the steps below:

Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
Select General.
Tap on Software Update.
If an iOS update is available, tap download and install.

8. Reinsert SIM Card

If your iPhone cellular data is on but not working, the next thing you should try is removing and reinserting your SIM card. While it’s unlikely the card got dirty or dusty while in your phone, reinserting forces your phone to re-read the card and can jolt your cellular data back to life.

Follow the steps below:

Power off your iPhone.
Remove the SIM card. (You will need a safety pin or something small to remove the SIM card tray.)
Reinsert the SIM card by sliding it back in.
Power your phone back on.

9. Turn Off VPN

If you are using or are subscribed to a VPN on your iPhone, in some rare cases, it can also block your cellular signal from connecting. Having a VPN can be used for things like staying safe on public Wi-Fi or bypassing geographical viewing restrictions. Should you find that you are having trouble connecting to your cellular signal, disable your VPN temporarily and see if that helps resolve the connection issue.

It might also help to disable the VPN by going into the VPN settings and toggling your app of choice to “off,” then doing a forced restart. With the forced restart, you can be sure that you are completely disconnected. Now see if the cellular signal returns, and if not, continue to the next step.

10. Reset Network Settings

If you are scratching your head wondering “why is my cellular data turned on but not working?”, It could be that some extraneous setting was changed inadvertently. It is likely related to the network, so resetting your network settings to factory defaults might fix the issue.

Start the Settings app.
Select General.
Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap Reset.
Select Reset Network Settings.
Type in your passcode, when prompted.
Tap Confirm.

Once completed, your iPhone will forget any network settings that you had previously configured. This includes any Wi-Fi networks, or any other data settings that you had created in the Settings app.

11. Contact Your Wireless Carrier

An additional human interference might help you to resolve the issue of cellular data turned on but not working on iPhone. If you have tried everything mentioned above and still there is no solution for you then please call your network provider customer care and a representative will help you.

Here is the customer care number of 4 major carriers in the USA –

AT&T: 611 from AT&T Mobile or 800-331-0500
US Cellular: 611 from registered mobile or 1888-944-9400
Sprint: 888-211-4727
T-Mobile: 611 from registered mobile number or 1877-746-0909
Verizon Wireless: 800-922-0204

12. Contact Apple

If you are reading this line then I am sad that you might have to check your iPhone hardware for damaged internal parts as disappearing or inconsistent cellular connection may be due to fault of hardware. If it’s under warranty then take it to your nearest Apple Store.

iPhone mobile data is on but not working: Problem Fixed!

You’ve fixed the problem with your iPhone and cellular data is working again. If you have been experiencing cellular data problems on your iPhone, but found another way to fix the issue, drop a comment and let us know. That way we can share any other methods with other folks looking for answers on solving this problem!

Tag: iPhone Troubleshooting

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17 Best MacBook Air M2 Tips & Tricks You Should Know About

Monday January 16, 2023 3:45 am EAT by Kevin Hollington

If you just got yourself a MacBook Air M2, there are a ton of new tips and tricks to get to know. Regardless of whether you’re a veteran or a new Mac user, these MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks are ones you’ll want to take advantage of. Check out the best MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks to make the most out of your computer.

Best MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks

1. Use your iPhone as a webcam

The first MacBook Air M2 trick you should know about is Continuity Camera, which turns your iPhone into your Mac’s webcam.

While you may be familiar with the Continuity Camera feature from previous versions of macOS, in Ventura, the Cupertino tech giant has expanded the feature with iPhone webcam support. You can mount an iPhone to your Mac or place it on a stand and Ventura automatically senses the device and wirelessly connects to it. You can then use your iPhone’s camera in FaceTime and other apps on your Mac.

With an iPhone as a webcam, you also gain the ability to use Center Stage to keep you in the center of the frame, as well as Portrait mode. If you’re using an iPhone 12 or newer, there’s a Studio Light feature that uses the iPhone flash to provide better lighting. And finally, a nifty Desk View feature creates a two-shot view, one of the person, and another of the desktop in front of the Mac, which cane come in handy when doing demos.

2. Show live Captions in FaceTime calls

Another cool MacBook Air M2 trick lets you enable live captions during your FaceTime calls, complete with speaker attribution. These captions apply to all videos on your Mac, so no matter what you’re watching, you can follow along.

When the Live Captions feature is enabled, the spoken words of the person you’re talking to are transcribed in a window on the right side of the FaceTime window.

To activate this feature, follow the steps below:

Head over to System Settings.
Click Accessibility.
Click Live Captions (Beta).
In the “In-App Live Captions” section switch on Live Captions in FaceTime.

Apart from using Live Captions on FaceTime, you can use the feature while watching a video that doesn’t have captions. But as it says in the name, Live Captions is in beta, which means you could run into bugs, inaccurate captions, and other quirks.

3. Unsend Messages and emails

I understand you might not need to use this MacBook Air M2 trick right away, but it’s happened to all of us—we send an email or text to the wrong person, make a silly spelling mistake, or just wish we could immediately take back the note we just sent. Thankfully, a cool MacBook Air M2 trick makes it possible to unsend messages. Follow the steps below

In Messages, right-click on the message bubble.
In the pop-up that appears on the screen, click Undo Send.

Please note: Apple offers you two minutes to unsend a message after sending it. Once it’s unsent, the message will be deleted but the recipient will see a note that says that the message was deleted. This feature is also available on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 and only works only when everyone involved is using iMessage. A text message sent from an iPhone to an Android phone or another non-Apple device cannot be unsent.

In Mail, after you send an email, you have 10 seconds to unsend it. At the bottom of the Sidebar, an Undo Send link appears and you can click it to undo the sent email. This feature is also available in iOS 16 for iPhone and iPadOS 16 for iPad.

4. Quickly lift a subject from the background in photos

If you’ve been spending lots of time in an image editing app to remove the background in a photo, then you’ll you’ll appreciate the time saving aspect of this MacBook Air M2 trick. With this feature, you can automatically select the subject that you want, copy it, and then you can paste it anywhere.

This feature is available in both the Preview and Photos apps that come with macOS Ventura, and it also works in Quick Look when you select a file in the Finder and press the spacebar to see a preview. Follow the steps below:

Point the cursor over the subject.
Right-click it.
Mouse over Copy Subject in the pop-up menu. Ventura senses the subject and shows you what will be selected with a glowing outline.
Click the Copy Selection command, and you can then paste it into a new image.

This feature is also available in iOS 16 for the iPhone and iPadOS 16 for the iPad.

5. Password-protect Hidden and Recently Deleted photos

If you use Photos to manage your pictures, the app allows you to hide an image from your feed if you right-click it and then select Hide Photo. It gets placed in a Hidden photo album, but before this MacBook Air M2 trick was developed, anyone who has access to your Mac account can open that album.

Finally, in Ventura, the Hidden photo album–as well as the Recently Deleted folder–can be password-protected. To turn this on, follow the steps below:

Head over to Photos.
Click Settings.
Click General.
In the Privacy section, check the box for Use Password.

Now, when those albums are accessed, you’ll need to type in your user password or use Touch ID. Make sure not to forget it.

6. Play background white noise

White noise can help with your concentration, especially if you’re in an area with a lot of distractions, or it’s dead silent. With this hidden MacBook Air M2 trick, you can have white noise play from your Mac, and you can turn it on and off as you like. Follow the steps below:

Head over to System Settings.
Click Accessibility.
Click Audio.
Scroll down to the Background Sounds section, and you can flip the switch to turn it on.
You can also choose the type of sound you want to play and adjust the volume. After it’s all set up, you can turn it on and off in the Control Center.

7. Kill time with the Clock app

Apple added the Clock app that is on iOS and iPadOS on the Mac. It works just like it does on the iPhone and iPad, so it’s all very familiar. You can set timers and alarms, and track different times all over the world in a easy to use interface that lets you see time zones in locations all over the world. And it also works with Siri on the Mac, so you can use voice commands instead of opening the app.

8. Stage Manager

Stage Manager is a new feature in macOS 13 Ventura for organizing your windows. If you work in several applications at a time, Stage Manager can be used to easily switch between apps and documents, saving you from the headache of finding the window you need.

It’s easy to set up, but it’s a big change from what we’ve been using for decades on the Mac.

You can turn on/off Stage Manager in the Control Center, but you can also activate and customize it in System Settings. Follow the steps below:

Head over to System Settings.
Select Desktop & Dock in the left column.
In the main section of the window, scroll down until you find the Stage Manager section. Click the switch to turn on/off Stage Manager. When you turn it on for the first time, a pop-up window explains what Stage Manager does. You need to click the Turn On Stage Manager button to confirm that you want to turn it on.

Once you enable stage manager, the system automatically organizes your apps and windows in a single view on Mac. The function helps you focus while moving between tasks. You can even create a group of apps for specific tasks or projects. For example, you can group Lightroom, Photoshop, and Canva and pin them in Stage Manager to summon with a single click.

Similarly, you can group social media or writing apps and focus on a single project, removing other obstructions.

9. Search better with Spotlight

I don’t know about you, but Spotlight is an integral tool for my Mac use. I use it for everything, from opening new apps, to looking up definitions and websites, and finding files on my computer.

Apple added some great updates to Spotlight with Ventura. Now, you can preview files with Quick Look by pressing the spacebar, which will give you a much better look at the file than the current preview window. My favorite, though, are the new quick actions. You can run a shortcut, set a timer, or Shazam a song, right from Spotlight.

You’ll also see web image results for queries, so you can search for images of people, animals, monuments, and more. Speaking of images, you can use Spotlight to search for pictures through your various apps, including Photos, Messages, Notes, and Finder, using keywords like locations, text, pets, etc.

10. Split the screen between two apps

Your MacBook Air has a split screen view that automatically resizes two windows side-by-side.

We all work on multiple windows at once. You need information from the web to write something in a document or fill in a spreadsheet. Or you have to read a PDF of a report while you compose an email introducing it to your team.

You can easily resize windows on your MacBook Air by clicking and dragging the edge. But you might still end up with multiple windows floating around. When you go to your Word doc, your spreadsheet disappears. Then your browser window covers your email.

The split screen view is a simple and elegant solution to the floating windows problem. Split view neatly positions two windows to fill your entire screen. Your other 296 windows disappear, temporarily.

Think of it as a dual focus mode.

Splitting the screen of your MacBook Air and using two apps side-by-side only requires a few steps.

In the top left corner of a window, hover over the green circle with your cursor. This will bring up a small menu. Click on Tile Window (to the left or right of screen). You’ll then get prompted to choose another open window for the other half of the screen. Choose one, and voila! You can work with both windows open simultaneously.

11. Use Dictation instead of typing

Tired of typing long articles, essays, or reports? Are your hands occupied by something else? MacBook Air M2 offers a cool Dictation feature. Just hit the Microphone (F5) button on your keyboard and start talking. Your Mac will type everything you’re saying instantly. This feature saves you time and effort, assuming your speech is faster than your typing speed.

12. Force quit an app

Is an app not responding? Are you primarily working on your keyboard and don’t want to move the cursor to the top left to hit the red circle? Tired of apps just minimizing when clicking the red circle instead of completely shutting down? This MacBook Air M2 trick is for you! Just hold on the Command button and click Q. Careful, though — if you have unsaved changes in the app, you will most likely lose them if you quit using this method.

13. Take a screenshot without using the dedicated app

If you quickly want to take a screenshot of your entire screen, you can just hold Command and Shift then click 3. A thumbnail of the screenshot will appear in the bottom right corner. You can click that to edit, delete, or share it.

14. Easily switch between open apps

Do you have several open apps and you need to switch between them from time to time? If you’re in fullscreen or split-screen mode, the Dock is hidden. And even if you’re not in either modes, finding the right open app can be time-consuming. Fortunately, there’s a shortcut for that. Hold on the Command button and click Tab to show open apps. Keep holding Command and click Tab again to move the selector to the second open app. Release your fingers if you want to switch to the second app. If not, keep on clicking Tab, until the selector reaches the app you want to switch to, then finally release your fingers. It sounds confusing, in theory, but once you try and get used to it, it becomes a time-saver.

15. Instantly delete a file

The Trash on macOS exists for a reason — retrieving files we accidentally delete, or in case we change our minds. However, sometimes we’re pretty sure we don’t want a certain file to stick around, such as embarrassing photos. So instead of moving to Trash then permanently deleting it, you can just hold Command and Option, then click the Delete button on your keyboard, after selecting the file. This will permanently delete it after confirmation, so make sure you’ve selected the correct file. It’s worth mentioning that holding on just Command (without Option) then clicking Delete will move a file to the Trash. Additionally, holding Command and Option, then clicking Delete will empty the Trash. They’re handy shortcuts that I use frequently.

16. Copy and paste between Mac and iPhone

If you have an iPhone and a MacBook Air, you can copy from either device and paste it in the other, and this includes photos as well — not just text. All you have to do is have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff enabled on both while using the same Apple ID. Copy the info on one device, and just paste it like you’d normally do on the other.

17. Paste text without the pre-formatting

If you’re copying text from a document or Wikipedia, for example, it sometimes gets pasted with the original formatting. So you end up with bullet points, links, large headers, or other unwanted formatting. To paste something as plain text, hold on Option, Command, and Shift, then click V. This will paste the text and match its style to the current document you’re working on, while disregarding the original formatting. If the key combination is too hard for you to memorize, you can alternatively click on Edit in the Menu Bar, followed by Paste and Match Style.

Tweak, Customize and Be Productive with These MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks

These MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks will change the way you interact with your Mac. Once you get used to and integrate them into your workflows, you will find yourself saving a lot of time and effort. Personally, I take advantage of most of them almost daily, and they never fail to impress.

Which of these MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tag: Mac Tips

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iPhone Bluetooth connection problems? Here are 12 fixes

Thursday February 9, 2023 5:03 am EAT by Dave Johnson

It’s incredibly frustrating when your iPhone won’t connect to a Bluetooth device. Whether it’s a set of wireless headphones, a smart speaker, or your car stereo, we expect our Bluetooth accessories to work seamlessly, but that isn’t always what happens.

There is nothing new about iPhone Bluetooth connection problem as it has been experienced on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.

In this article, we’ll walk you through all the best ways to fix Bluetooth problems on your iPhone. Most of the time, these iPhone Bluetooth problems are the result of a software issue, which means you can usually fix them yourself for free.

How to Fix iPhone Bluetooth connection problems

We’ve discussed a few of the most common fixes below, which should hopefully solve Bluetooth connection problem on your iPhone.

1. Toggle Bluetooth on Your iPhone

The first solution you should try when you face Bluetooth connection issues on your iPhone is to give Bluetooth a fresh restart. It has always been my go-to trick whenever I encounter Bluetooth problems on my iPhone. More often than not, it gets the job done. That’s why I have put it right at the top. To do so, follow the steps below:

Open Settings app on your iPhone.
Go into Bluetooth.
Turn off the bluetooth switch.

Please note: that turning Bluetooth off from Control center doesn’t work so you have to go to Settings to do that.

Now, go back to Settings > Bluetooth and then turn on the switch. Now, try using Bluetooth as usual. If you are able to get the better of the problem, rejoice. But if the success is yet to smile, move on to the next solution.

2. Turn Off/On Bluetooth accessory

Still unable to fix Bluetooth connectivity issues on your iPhone? Don’t worry, the problem could be with your Bluetooth accessory. So, try resetting the Bluetooth device. Most Bluetooth devices come with a power switch to let you enable/disable them with ease. So, look for the power switch and then press it to turn off the Bluetooth accessory. After that, press the power button again to turn it on.

3. Make Sure Your Bluetooth Device is Charged

Ensure that your Bluetooth accessory is fully charged or connected to a power source. If the accessory comes with a rechargeable battery, check if the battery needs to be replaced.

If you are able to pair your accessory with some devices but not your iPhone, unpair the accessory from your other devices. After that, try to pair it with your device again. Besides, also contact the accessory manufacturer to make sure that your accessory supports iOS.

4. Make sure your Bluetooth device isn’t connected to another device

The biggest pain in the neck regarding Bluetooth is that if a device is already paired with another device, you have to unpair it before using it with something else.

The biggest Bluetooth connection problem is headphones. If you’re listening with headphones to something on your iPad and decide to listen to something on your iPhone, you have to unpair the headphones from your iPad first. Until you do, your iPhone won’t detect the headphones. Not the most seamless of experiences.

So if your iPhone is not finding the Bluetooth device, check your other gadgets to see if one of them is paired with it instead. If so, unpair it, and you should be good to go (hopefully.) You can unpair the devices by tapping the Forget this Device setting.

5. Make sure your Bluetooth device is within range

The maximum range for Bluetooth is 30 feet (10 meters.) That means you can’t connect your headphones to your iPhone if you are too far away. You also can’t allow anything like walls and other obstacles to get in the way of a Bluetooth connection.

So make sure the devices are very close to one another, and ensure there are no big thick obstacles getting in the way.

6. Enable Bluetooth for Third-Party Apps

If you can pair with a Bluetooth accessory, but you still can’t use it with any apps on your iPhone 14 Pro, you might need to change your Bluetooth Privacy settings. Follow the steps below:

Go to Settings.
Tap Privacy & Security.
Tap Bluetooth.
Tap the toggle to enable Bluetooth for any apps you’re trying to use your accessory with.

Note: Developers can use Bluetooth access to gather information about you, so you should only enable it for apps you trust.

7. Forget Your Bluetooth Accessory and Pair Again

Even if your iPhone won’t connect with a Bluetooth accessory right now, it still remembers information about the accessory from the last time it connected. Sometimes, you need to delete this data to fix your iPhone Bluetooth problems.

You can do that by telling your iPhone to Forget a device. Here’s how:

Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap Bluetooth.
Tap the i icon next to a Bluetooth accessory to reveal more data about it.
Scroll to the bottom and tap Forget This Device.
Confirm you want to Forget Device.

After telling your iPhone to forget a Bluetooth accessory, follow the instructions above to pair them again, like you did the first time you used it.

8. Install the Latest iOS Update

It’s possible the Bluetooth isn’t working on your iPhone due to a bug in iOS. When this is the case, all you need to do is install the latest iOS update to fix it—provided Apple has released a patch for that bug already.

Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
Go into General.
Tap Software Update to check for new updates.
If an update is available, tap Download and install.

9. Update Your Bluetooth Accessory

To improve performance and also fix common issues, accessory makers often release software updates. So, if you haven’t updated your Bluetooth device for a while, there is a high chance that the problem could be due to outdated software. Most Bluetooth devices come with a companion app that lets you customize the settings.

Updating AirPods are pretty straightforward. The earphones are automatically updated to the latest firmware versions when they are connected via Bluetooth to your iPhone and iPad.

10. Reset Network Settings

Don’t give up just yet. Common networking issues with your iPhone could also likely be the reason why you’re unable to connect one of your Bluetooth devices. However, this can be easily resolved by resetting your network settings. Be mindful that you’ll lose your saved Bluetooth connections, Wi-Fi networks and passwords once you reset these settings. You can do this by following the steps below:

Go to Settings.
Select General.
Choose Transfer or reset iPhone.
Tap Reset.
Select Reset Network Settings and type in your passcode. Then your iPhone will turn off and restart. After that, try to pair a Bluetooth device once more.

11. Make sure your bluetooth accessory isn’t broken

The next troubleshooting step when you find your iPhone bluetooth not working is an obvious one. It’s entirely possible that there’s nothing wrong with the iPhone and that the bluetooth accessory is the problem. You can check this out quickly just by pairing your bluetooth accessory to another device. This doesn’t necessarily have to be an iPhone. A laptop, TV, or any other device that supports bluetooth will do.

If your bluetooth accessory is not working when paired to a different device, you’ve found the source of the problem. If they’re working fine with a different device, something else is to blame. It’s time to try out the other fix explained below.

We also recommend pairing a different bluetooth device into your iPhone before moving forward. Although it’s rare, there’s still a chance that your original accessory isn’t compatible with your iPhone, even if it work with other devices.

12. Get a Hardware Repair

If you bought your iPhone recently, and it’s still under warranty, or you purchased AppleCare with your iPhone, you should make a Genius Bar appointment. An Apple technician will look at your iPhone Bluetooth problem and fix it for free. This could be indicative of a broader hardware issue with your device, so it’s worth a shot.

Successfully fixed iPhone Bluetooth connection problem

While it’s never fun to troubleshoot, hopefully these solutions will help get your iPhone Bluetooth connected again. Have you faced Bluetooth connectivity problems on your iPhone? Which of the troubleshooting methods we discussed here worked for you? If not, did you contact Apple support for help with hardware-related problems? Do share your valuable experience in the comments section down below.

Tag: iPhone Troubleshooting

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Is Your iPhone’s Wi-Fi Not Working? We’ll Help You Fix It

Thursday February 9, 2023 5:04 am EAT by Moses Johnson

Having Wi-Fi problems on your iPhone? We certainly feel your pain. There are a number of troubleshooting steps you can try out if your iPhone Wi-Fi is not working, none of which require any technical knowledge whatsoever. Each solution only takes a few minutes to complete, so you’ll be able to go through this entire list in no time.

There is nothing new about the problem of Wi-Fi not working on iPhone as it has been experienced on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.

We’ve listed a few of the most common fixes below, which should hopefully solve your iPhone Wi-Fi issues. Let’s get started.

How to Fix iPhone Wi-Fi Not Working Issue

Here are some time-tested solutions to fix the Wi-Fi connectivity problems on your iPhone.

1. Are you in range?

A lot of the time, your router’s signal may be poor. If your home or office has a lot of metal, walls, or other objects that could interfere with wireless signals, then you might have a shorter range bubble than you think.

You can check your signal by looking in the Status Bar – three Wi-Fi bars is optimal, two is okay, and one is poor. Sometimes, you might have none at all and it’ll show LTE, 5G, 4G, 3G or E instead; this indicates you’re on a cellular network instead of a Wi-Fi network.

When your signal is too poor, your iPhone will have trouble transmitting data back and forth with the router, and so you want to make sure you’re close enough to the wireless router to do so.

If you’re not in range, try getting closer to the wireless router and see if your iPhone Wi-Fi connectivity problems disappear. If not, move on to the next step.

2. Toggle your Wi-Fi off and on again

Whether your iPhone cannot connect to Wi-Fi at all or your Wi-Fi connection keeps dropping, toggling the Wi-Fi connection is known to be effective in many cases. I know this sounds obvious, but you’ll be surprised how often turning Wi-Fi off and then back on again will troubleshoot your iPhone Wi-Fi problems.

Open the Settings app.
Next, tap Wi-Fi.
Finally, tap the Wi-Fi On/Off Switch twice. Once to turn it off and another time to turn it back on.

3. restart your router

Restarting your router is yet another quick fix for Wi-Fi problems. Just as you reboot your iPhone frequently to ensure optimum performance, a simple restart will cool down your router and resolve the underlying issue.

The steps below will help you accomplish this efficiently.

Turn your router off by pressing the off button.
Now unplug all the cables connected to your router
Wait for a couple of minutes
Reconnect all the cables
Turn your router on.

If everything is plugged in, but Wi-Fi is not working on your iPhone, try the next step.

4. Restart your iPhone

If restarting the router didn’t solve your iPhone Wi-Fi problems, then rebooting your phone might help.

Open the Settings app.
Go into General.
Tap Shut Down.
When the power off slider appears, drag it from left to right to turn off the phone.
To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the Side/power button once again until the Apple logo appears.

5. Have you logged on to the network?

You may have accessed the Wi-Fi network, but you will need to enter a password if your Wi-Fi network is protected with a security key. In most cases, you’re asked to enter the security key the moment you join a secured network.

In other cases, you might be accessing a Wi-Fi network where you need to open Safari on your device and try to load a website. When you do, you’ll be redirected to a login portal. These kinds of networks are common in schools, colleges, and institutions.

Once you’re all logged on to the Wi-Fi network, try to use it again and see if you have complete internet access.

If password entry wasn’t the root of your problems, continue on to the next step.

6. Forget WiFi Network and Rejoin

If your iPhone can’t connect to a WiFi network and are prompted that the password you’ve entered is incorrect despite entering the correct password, try to forget the WiFi network and join it again.

To forget the WiFi network, follow the steps below:

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
Go into Wi-Fi.
Tap on your WiFi network from the list.
Tap Forget This Network. You’ll be prompted with a popup message asking you if you want to forget the WiFi Network.
Tap Forget to forget the network.

Now go back to Settings > Wi-Fi, select the network again, enter the password, and Join the network again to see if it helps.

7. Disable Wi-Fi Assist

The iPhone includes a WiFi Assist feature, which provides more reliable Internet connections when your WiFi network becomes spotty. This feature could do more harm than good in many cases and cause WiFi issues on your iPhone.

To turn off WiFi Assist:

Launch the Settings app.
Navigate to Cellular (Mobile in some regions)
Scroll down to the bottom where you will see WiFi Assist. Tap on the toggle to turn it off.

8. Disable VPN

If you use a VPN to browse anonymously then you should know that all VPNs slow down internet speed to some extent. VPN route the traffic through their servers and also encrypt and decrypt data in real-time. This leads to slower processing as your internet needs to deal with more data. If a VPN is enabled on your iPhone, open the VPN app and turn it off. Alternatively, follow the steps below:

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
Toggle off the VPN switch.

9. Update iOS

When it comes to diving into more troubleshooting, one step is to double-check and make sure that your software is up to date. This is especially true as of late, as Apple has been releasing some “point” updates at a more frequent pace. Here’s how to check your software:

Open the Settings app.
Go into General.
Select Software Update.
If an update is available, download it and then once prompted, install the update.

Another reason for this is if you happen to be on the iOS beta cycle, as releases are coming even more frequently than the stable releases. So it’s important to make sure that your iPhone is up to date, as there could be some bugs wreaking havoc.

10. Set Date and Time on Your iPhone

This one might sound weird, but believe it or not, improperly set time and date can cause several issues with iPhone, including wi-fi problems.

So, you need to make sure that you select the accurate region and set the Date and Time correctly. To do this, follow the steps below:

Launch Settings.
Go into General.
Tap Date and Time.
Switch on the toggle next to Set Automatically.

11. Reset network settings

This option is something you should definitely try when having Wi-Fi issues on your iPhone 14 Pro Max. It will restore the network settings to factory defaults. Follow the steps below:

Head to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Choose Reset
Tap Reset network settings
You will have to enter your passcode
Tap Reset network settings.

12. Reach out for help

If you’ve done all this and Wi-Fi is not working on your iPhone, it might be time to contact either your ISP (who manages your internet), or Apple support. Chances are they will confirm whether you have performed a series of steps to try and get your iPhone back in working order. Be sure to share all of the steps that you took if asked, as it will help the Support Team to determine what route to take.

Successfully fixed iPhone Wi-Fi problems

These are the best solutions for your iPhone Wi-Fi problems. If you are still experiencing Wi-Fi problems on your iPhone, drop a comment and let us know.

Tag: iPhone Troubleshooting

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11 Ways to Maintain Your iPhone 14 Battery Health

Saturday January 14, 2023 1:22 am EAT by Dave Johnson

The iPhone 14 is a powerful smartphone, but, like any other electronic device, it requires some maintenance to work propery. Like a ship that can sail forever, as long as people are willing to maintain it, your iPhone 14 will keep working as long as you maintain its battery health.

Here’s why maintaining your iPhone 14 battery is critical and how you can do that to get more years from your device.

Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The best iPhone 14 battery health tips

1. Don’t turn off Optimized Battery Charging

Overcharging your battery is a bad thing. Optimized Battery Charging learns from your daily charging routine and uses AI to understand your charging patterns. Using that, it holds the charging and waits to charge past 80% until you need to use your iPhone.

For example, let’s say you go to sleep every day at 9 PM and wake up at 5 AM. Before going to bed, you plug in your iPhone every night at 9 PM to charge. Now, your iPhone will normally charge up to 80%, and after that, it will not charge. Then, around 3 or 4 AM, your iPhone will automatically resume charging and go to 100% before you wake up at 5 AM.

Optimized Battery Charging is turned on by default on iPhone. You can check if it’s turned on by following the steps below:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Go into Battery.
Tap Battery Health & Charging.
Make sure optimized battery charging is switched on.

2. Don’t expose your iPhone to excessive heat

Heat, water, and dust are the biggest enemies of any electronic device. And your iPhone’s lithium-ion battery is no exception. Too much heat can negatively affect it and cause its battery health to degrade greatly if you often overheat your iPhone.

So, to maintain your iPhone 14 battery health, ensure your phone doesn’t get extremely hot. You can prevent your iPhone 14 from getting hot by removing the case, refraining from using too many intensive apps for extended amount of time, not leaving your iPhone in a locked car on a sunny day, and so on.

3. Avoid charging your iPhone to 100% and discharging it completely

Charging the battery to both extremes is bad for its health. To maintain iPhone 14 battery health, try not to charge it entirely up to 100% and discharge it to 0 to 5%.

Important: Don’t overthink this too much. Keep the above fact in mind but charge your iPhone as you normally would at your convenience. If you ask me, I often charge my iPhone up to 80% or 90% and plug it back when the battery falls to around 30%.

4. Don’t leave your iPhone plugged into charging for hours or overnight

Optimized Battery Charging is a great feature that prevents overcharging problem. Still, it’s better if you take precautions and do not leave your phone plugged into charging for several hours or overnight.

5. Use wired instead of wireless charging

Charging your iPhone wirelessly is quite convenient. However, it may generate a lot of heat which can affect your iPhone battery. To extend your iPhone 14 battery life, try to use wired charging instead of wireless or MagSafe alternatives.

6. Fast charge only when needed

With fast charging, the battery is forced to take in a lot of power in a short span. This is great for quick top-ups but isn’t good for long-term battery health.

I have a 61W MacBook charger that can charge my iPhone 14 quite faster. I use this in rare cases. For everyday use, I use a 10W Apple adapter (or sometimes my 20W iPad adapter) which slowly fills my iPhone battery, maintaining its battery health.

7. Use Apple or MFi-certified chargers and cables

Almost all adapters can charge your iPhone, and due to Apple not bundling a charger in the iPhone 14 box, you may be tempted to purchase a cheaper option.

If you want to maintain your iPhone 14 battery health, use an Apple adapter or one that’s MFi-certified. Chargers from other reputed manufacturers like Samsung should also have all safety checks and may not harm your iPhone. But note the wattage of the charger before using it with your iPhone.

Besides that, also limit yourself to using a proper Apple or MFi-certified Lightning cable.

8. Disable features you don’t use

Another great iPhone 14 battery health tip is to reduce the load on it. And one of the best ways to do that is by disabling certain iPhone features you may not need. This includes things like disabling Background App Refresh, disabling automatic updates, keeping Automatic Brightness enabled, having cellular settings to Auto 5G, and such.

9. Restart your iPhone regularly

To maintain your iPhone 14 battery health, you should make it a habit of turning your phone off and on regularly. This will fix a lot of minor problems and keep your device fast and responsive.

10. Keep your iPhone updated

Apple introduces new improvements with software updates. Sometimes, unnecessary battery drain and other similar problems can be fixed by iOS updates. So, to maintain iPhone 14 battery health, keep your device updated.

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Software Update.

Note: Your iPhone can download, prepare, and install an iOS update if its battery is over 50%. However, software updates exert considerable pressure on the battery, and thus it’s better to perform the update with your iPhone plugged into charging.

11. Planning not to use iPhone for a long time? Store it at 50% charge

Finally, if you have two devices or if you regularly switch to Android, you may keep one of your iPhones stored in the drawer. When you do that, ensure the iPhone battery is charged to around 50% before storing it for an extended period. Never store it fully charged or fully discharged.

Protect your iPhone 14 Battery Health

The above tips will help extend your iPhone 14 battery health and ensure you’re able to use the device for a few years without notable battery problems.

However, no matter what you do, slowly, the iPhone battery and all other batteries like that in AirPods, Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, iPad, etc., degrade. This can’t be stopped. But the above iPhone 14 battery health tips will help.

Finally, you can keep note of your iPhone battery health by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. From here, note the percentage next to Maximum Capacity. If it’s seriously reduced, you’ll see a message asking you to get the battery serviced.

Tag: iPhone Tips

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1. VideoProc Converter

Verdict: The overall best video converter for Mac

VideoProc Converter can quickly tackle and efficiently address all the issues related to Mac media formats, codec, quality, size, processing, etc. Encompassing 370 input formats and 420 output codecs with 8K resolution and above, the program allows you to convert video to any Mac-supported formats including MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, DVD, ISO, VIDEO_TS, AVCHD, WebM, QuickTime, MP3, AAC, Apple ALAC, etc., and customize the video file properties for resolution, bit rate, frame rate, and more.

What’s more, packed with Full GPU acceleration and a full-fledged conversion engine, the Mac video converter can advance the conversion speed 47x real-time faster while retaining your video quality. Largely characterized by its intuitiveness, compatibility, and stability, the video converter is open to beginners and experts.

Price: Free trial version to try all features without watermark; Offers premium plans for video conversion longer than 5 minutes.

Pros:

Batch convert media file to video/audio/image sequence, 420 formats.
Support Mac computers running M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max systems.
Support video remux, 2-pass encoding, and x265 high entropy codec.
Up to 47x real-time increase in conversion speed along with an average of 2% CPU usage only
Simple and intuitive interface to ensure an easy and streamlined conversion process
Apple-ready output profile for Mac, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and iPod.
Toolkit to edit video, record screen, compress, download video, copy DVD…

Cons:

Free trial is limited to five-minute videos.

2. DivX Video Converter

Verdict: The best paid Mac video converter for beginners.

As the full-featured Mac video convert, DivX Video Converter offers the largest library of conversion and optimization profiles, and allows you to convert videos to core Mac formats like MOV, MP4, M4V, MP3, MPG, AVI, DivX, MKV, and delve into advanced transcoding options to alter bitrate, resolution and file size. The free version includes three components where you can enjoy high-quality video playback, convert video, and cast media from Mac to any DNLA-compatible device. But other advanced features like DVD backups, Google compatibility, and custom workflow optimization then require additional purchases.

Price: Free version; $19.99 Pro version.

Pro:

Broad format support with high-quality video output.
A decent video suite to convert, playback, and stream video on the Mac computer.
Customizable video settings to take full control of the conversion process.

Cons:

Ads and upsells show in the free version.
The bundled software might be installed on your Mac during use.

3. HandBrake

Verdict: Best free Mac video converter for cross-platform users.

HandBrake, a capable free Mac video converter, enables you to convert between any video format and codec. With an array of features to draw on, you can have a full hold over the video output and get quick results by simply loading up the video into the Mac program and using one of the many presets in the side panel to convert to different formats with various settings in place. Moreover, you are allowed to customize the encoding settings, apply effects, tweak frame rates, and change codecs in the Output Setting section.

Price: Free

Pros:

An extremely free yet powerful video converter for Mac.
Batch convert audio or video files between H.264, H.265, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VP8 AAC, MP3, FLAC, AC3, etc.
A handful of preset options to work with for the pixel perfectionists.

Cons:

The interface might seem somewhat intimidating to beginners.
Something of a learning curve

4. Any Video Converter

Verdict: Best Mac video converter for DVD burning.

Programmed as a fully-fledged yet easy-to-use Mac video converter, just as the name suggests, Any Video Converter can convert almost any video, audio, or DVD file without any kind of limitations thanks to its rich list of video, audio, and device formats. Also included is the option to merge multiple video files and thereafter convert them into a single video file. Better yet, the Mac tool can perform other extra functions like 4K video downloading, DVD burning, and video editing, making it an all-in-one solution for video processing.

Price: Free; $39.95 Full version.

Pros:

Batch files processing to work on multiple video files simultaneously.
Rich video editing tools to further refine the video or audio file before converting.
Intuitive interface, great output quality, tons of options…
No ads, spyware, or malware.

Cons:

Sluggish conversion speed when converting the large video file.
Limited trial version.

5. QuickTime Player

Verdict: Best built-in Mac video converter

As an extensible multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., QuickTime is capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, and sound, and can quickly convert videos to or from the major file formats. It may not fare so well with video conversion on obscure file formats, but would be an ideal option for those who are reluctant to use a third-party Mac video converter to convert video files. The free version is limited only to some basic conversion and playback options, and more advanced features like video recording and editing require a QuickTime Pro subscription.

Price: Free; $30 for QuickTime Pro version.

Pros:

Support for H.264 compression to deliver brilliant, crisp HD video with less bandwidth and storage.
Audio playback integration.

Cons:

Many extra codecs are needed for playback.
Installs bloatware.
Lack of support on some common video formats.

6. VLC

Verdict: Best free Mac video converter for batch conversion.

Apart from its strong media playback capability, VLC also boasts a sound performance in video conversion that allows Mac users to convert between different formats, and adjust various audio and video parameters to personalize the output to your needs. The free Mac video converter equips customizable and editable conversion profiles to rid you of the need to tinker with a ton of options that you may not be familiar with. Besides, laden with a plethora of features, the tool offers the ability to dump the raw input while converting media files, which could help to cut down the amount of time needed to convert from one format to another.

Price: Free

Pros:

Supports a ton of formats and codecs like H.264. H.263, MPEG, MKV, MP3…
Offers hotkeys to help quicken various conversion tasks.
Offers video and audio clipping options to extract just the media sections you need.

Cons:

The old-fashioned user interface is unpleasant to work with.
Crashes occur while converting videos on Mac device.

7. Avidemux

Verdict: Best free Mac video converter with basic editing options.

Programmed as a free and open-source software application for non-linear video editing and transcoding multimedia files, Avidemux is another Mac video converter that you can leverage. It supports most standard formats and can read and convert MP4, AVI, MPEG, and DVD, to name a few. Besides, the advanced interlacing and deinterlacing controls enable you to handle adjustments of older video types, greatly expanding the source range that the Mac tool could access.

Price: Free

Pros:

Full editing control to fulfill the needs of video editing.
Simple and easy interface.
Remux video without encoding or losing quality.

Cons:

Difficult to customize the encoding settings.
Constant crashes during the video conversion process.

8. FFmpeg

Verdict: Best free Mac video converter for advanced users or engineers.

Functioning as a complete, free and cross-platform solution to record, convert and stream audio and video, FFmpeg is another video converter for Mac. It supports the most obscure ancient formats up to the cutting edge, the Mac tool can decode, encode, transcode, mux, demux, stream, filter, and play literally anything that you can possibly imagine. But you definitively have to dig deep into the document when doing anything more advanced in the FFmpeg environment, meaning that it may take some time to accomplish what you want.

Price: Free

Pros:

A huge feature set offered to
Expendable or interfaced with by 3rd party hardware accelerators.
Very thorough documentation.

Cons:

Steep learning curve.

9. CloudConvert

Verdict: Best online video converter for Mac

Characterized by its strong support for over 200 formats, CloudConvert can convert almost every file piece you throw to it on Mac. Included is not only the ability to access audio, video, document, and image but also ebook, archive, spreadsheet, and presentation formats. Embedded with a clean and straightforward interface, the tool brings to Mac users the most effortless online conversion workflow. Besides, data security is ensured for all uploads and downloads, and you can rest assured to use the service to convert your video files.

Price: Free for up to 25 conversions per day; Offer flexible payment options to suit users’ needs.

Pros:

An online video converter software chrome extension support.
Popular input and output formats.
Easy and safe to use.

Cons:

Slow conversion process under the bad network environment.
No batch conversion support.
Limited free conversions minutes.

10. Zamzar

Verdict: Best online Mac video converter for casual users.

As one of the leading web-based Mac video converters, Zamzar is capable of handling various types of conversion for free. With its great multi-functionality, usability, and accessibility, users are allowed to convert a vast array of files including videos, documents, images, audio, and archives on Mac to other more compatible formats. All you need is to upload your original video files, choose the format you want to convert to, and hit the Convert button to convert.

Price: Free to perform two conversion tasks within a 24 hour (with a 50MB size limit per file); Offer subscription plans for basic, pro, and business needs.

Pros:

Straightforward and quick conversion process.
Easy and safe to use.

Cons:

50 MB file size limit makes it difficult to use for video.
Lack of some common video formats support.

Tag: Mac Apps

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How to close the apps on your Apple Watch Ultra

Friday January 13, 2023 2:09 am EAT by GeeksModo Staff

If you need to close an app on your Apple Watch Ultra, we have you covered. The only reason to close an Apple Watch app is if one is malfunctioning, or if you want to remove it from your recent list for organizational purposes.

QUICK ANSWER

To close an app on your Apple Watch Ultra, press the side button, then swipe left over the app you want to close and tap the X.

How to close apps on your Apple Watch Ultra

Closing apps on your Apple Watch Ultra is simple. Locate the side button just below your Digital Crown and then follow the steps below:

Press the side button on your Apple Watch Ultra to bring up your app dock.
Swipe left over the app you want to close and tap the red X.

How to force-quit apps on your Apple Watch Ultra

If an app starts to glitch or won’t close normally, you can also force-quit.

From the app’s screen, press and hold the side button until the power-down menu appears.
Press and hold the Digital Crown until the app closes and you return to the watch screen.

How to automatically close background apps on Apple Watch Ultra

To preserve battery life, you can also disable Background App Refresh. This feature keeps your apps updated so they are ready when you need them. For example, email or sports scores will continue to update in the background so information is available as soon as you open the relevant app. If the feature is disabled, you may have to wait for items or messages to load. On the other hand, disabling Background App Refresh will also help minimize notifications from pesky apps.

Launch the Settings app on your Apple Watch Ultra.
Scroll down to and tap Background App Refresh.
To disable the feature for all apps, tap the toggle next to Background App Refresh.
To disable the feature for specific apps only, scroll down and tap the toggle next to the app for which you want to manage refresh settings.

Tag: Apple Watch Guides

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