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Microphone Not Working In macOS? Check the Fix

by GeeksModo Staff

In this article, I’ll tell you exactly what you can do if Microphone is not working on Mac as expected. You may face various sound issues. For
instance,
Siri may not be able to detect your voice
; other people may not be able to hear you during a FaceTime call or you may not be able to record audio. The cause of the above issues may be the microphone.

The microphone is an integral part of your Mac. Several apps you use and several sites you visit can use the microphone on your Mac to capture or
record sound. If microphone is not working on Mac correctly, these sites and apps will be unusable.

Configure the microphone settings

On your Mac, head over to Apple menu > System Preferences > Sound > Input and select a mic (built-in internal one usually) and check the input levels. Does the
input level moves when you speak? If yes, that means that your microphone is working.

Restart your Mac

Restarting your Mac can resolve microphone issues. It’s always a good idea to restart your Mac to see if your problem is fixed. To restart your Mac, head over to Apple menu > Restart.

Check app permissions

Mac microphone not working with Zoom, Skype, or Teams? Well, If you are experiencing a microphone issue when you are trying to use a specific app, You cancontrol microphone permission on Mac. Here is how you can control access to your Microphone on Mac:

  • Give microphone permission Mac: Click Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click Privacy.
  • Click on Microphone (left menu).
  • And check the box next to an app (For example Zoom).

If giving permissions does not fix your issue, and if you are having microphone issues for specific apps, such as Zoom, Teams or Skype, there is a likelihood that the app itself
is faulty. If this is the case, please try the following:

  • If the app has a microphone or sound settings, check these settings and make sure that they are configured properly.
  • Delete the app from your Mac and then reinstall it.
  • Contact the app developer.

Enable dictation

Turning on Dictation will cause your Mac to download specific audio drivers which may fix your problem. Here is how you can turn on voice dictation on Mac:

  • On your Mac, launch System Preferences.
  • Now, click Keyboard.
  • Next, click the Dictation tab.
  • Finally, click On Enable Dictation to confirm.

Reset PRAM

Resetting PRAM (or NVRAM) may fix microphone issues on your Mac. Your Mac stores a couple of settings in PRAM. One of the settings is sound. Therefore, resetting this may resolve your problem.
Here is how to reset PRAM on your Mac:

  • Shut down your Mac.
  • Power on your Mac and immediately press and hold down the Option, Command, P, and R keys together.
  • Hold down these keys for approximately 20 seconds.
  • Now, release the keys, your Mac will restart.

After doing so, a couple of settings such as your sound volume, display resolution settings will be deleted. Once you do so, you may need to
Head over to System Preferences and adjust your settings.

Restart your Mac in Safe Mode.

Safe Mode performs certain checks that may fix microphone issues on your Mac. Here is how to restart your Mac in Safe Mode:

  • Shut down your Mac.
  • Power on your Mac and immediately press and hold down the Shift key until the login screen appears.
  • Login. You may want to type in your password a couple of times.
  • Your Mac will start in Safe Mode. Is your microphone working now?
  • In any case (working or not working), restart your Mac without pressing any keys.
  • Your Mac will exit Safe Mode.
  • Does your Microphone work now? If not, try the next solution.

So non of the above troubleshooting tips fixed your problem? You could be having a hardware problem. You can
make a Genius Bar reservation
and take your Mac to Apple to check.

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iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? How To Speed Up Your Charging

by GeeksModo Staff

Is your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro Charging Slowly? Here’s how To Speed Up Your Charging.

In most cases, your iPhone 13 shouldn’t take very long to charge, even if the battery is significantly drained. iPhone 13 is designed to hold a charge for a long time, and the recharge stage shouldn’t be too time-consuming. If your iPhone 13 seems to be taking longer than it should to charge, then there are some different things that could be causing it. There are also several possible solutions to your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro charging slowly.

Believe it or not, there is even better news. It turns out that charging your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro much faster is not a difficult process. Actually, you can drastically improve your charging time by following the tips described below.

Without any further ado, here is how to fast charge your iPhone 12 13 or iPhone 13 Pro:

iPhone 13 charging slowly? Don’t Engage in Any Phone Activity While Charging

If your iPhone 13 is charging slowly, you should avoid doing anything with the iPhone while it is charging if you want the process to go quicker. Don’t make phone calls, text with anyone, play games, etc. while waiting for the battery to return to maximum power. Some individuals are practically addicted to their phones, but find something else to do while the phone is charging. That’s a sure way to get it back to full-battery status faster.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Buy a powerful power adapter

Along with the fast charging cable that came with your iPhone 13, you’ll need a special charging block, because what’s an Apple product without a bunch of peripherals? It’s a 20-watt adapter with a USB-C port, rather than the usual USB-A port. If you’re just looking to fast charge an iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro, then the $29 official 20-watt USB-C power adapter is all you need.

If you have a newer MacBook, then you may also already have a power adapter that can handle all your fast-charging needs. Many MacBooks — specifically, 2015 models and newer — use USB-C-compatible charging blocks, and you can use one of these to fast charge your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro when combined with the USB-C to Lightning cable. The most common is the official 30W USB-C power adapter, and it can easily pull double-duty if required.

If you’re rocking a MacBook Pro, then you might have a charger that’s even more powerful than the 29W or 30W varieties, and Apple has confirmed that even the 61W and 87W versions are safe to use with your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro. Remember, the amount of power used is regulated by your iPhone, so it will never draw more than it can handle and damage itself — and the charger can’t force your phone to accept a wattage that’s too high for it to handle.

Note: If you’re buying an adapter just for fast charging, there’s no need to buy an adapter stronger than 20W; iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro can only handle a 20W charge, so a more powerful charger would just cost more money and not offer any extra benefits. However, it would add future-proofing, if you’re worried about that.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Turn off optimized Battery charging

To charge your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro to 100% quicker, open up the Settings app, head to the Battery Health section, then toggle off the Optimized Battery Charging switch. That seems counterintuitive, but it really works — here’s why.

Turns out, it’s actually not all that healthy for your phone’s battery to continuously charge straight to 100%, and sit at 100%, all of the time. According to Apple, batteries can age more or less depending on factors like charging patterns and temperature — and the more they age, the less charge they can actually hold. Leaving your phone at 100% on a charger for hours and hours on end accelerates that degradation. In other words, the real-world effects of quickly charging your battery and leaving it at 100% over and over again are actually tangible. Even if that impact won’t be felt for a year or two into the phone’s life.

Use this feature sparingly — but when you need it, it’s wonderful to have the option.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Turn on airplane mode temporarily

One of the biggest draws on your battery is the network signal. As a general rule, the worse your signal, the faster your battery will drain.

Consequently, if you reside in a location with a poor signal, charging your iPhone takes longer than if you live in an area with a strong signal — the signal is eating through your power as you charge.
The quick solution? Put your iPhone in Airplane Mode before you plug it in. Testing suggests it could reduce the amount of time needed for a full charge by as much as 25 percent.

Also, it probably makes sense that you should charge your iPhone 13 with it turned off. After all, if your iPhone is not running anything, it can just charge faster. However, there are times when you want to charge your iPhone with it turned on.

For those moments, you can always enable airplane mode.
While this method is not as effective as turning it off completely, it will reduce the load on your iPhone 13 and make it charge much faster.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Turn Your device Off

Simple, obvious, but often overlooked. If your iPhone 13 is switched off while it’s charging, it’s going to charge a lot faster. Nothing will be drawing on the battery while you fill it up.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Do not use a wireless charger

We hear you: Wireless chargers are one of the smartest ways to charge your iPhone. Unfortunately, they are also one of the least effective ways to quickly charge your iPhone 13.

Basically, you really should only be using a wireless charger if no better option is available. It won’t hurt your phone in the long run to use one, but if you want to charge your iPhone 13 faster, this is the only method to avoid.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Charge your device from a wall outlet, not from your computer

Here is another one of those unfortunate facts that keeps you from charging your iPhone 13 faster.

As tempting as it is to charge your iPhone from your desktop or laptop, it will never be as fast as charging from direct power source. Your iPhone can take advantage of a much stronger and more consistent power source.
Typically, non-wall socket USB ports only produce a power output of 0.5A. Wall socket charging usually produce 1A (depending on your device). There’s nothing wrong with receiving a lower amperage — it won’t damage your iPhone — but you’ll definitely be twiddling your thumbs for a lot longer.
When you connect this method to a USB-C charger and turn off your iPhone 13, you’ll get the fastest charging times possible.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Remove your phone case

The idea of removing your iPhone case while charging your iPhone probably sounds like a very bad idea. However, there is very real information that supports this idea.

Basically, your iPhone gets a little hotter when you have a case. When you charge it with your case on, it gets very hot. Not only is that generally dangerous, but excessive heat can cause your iPhone to slow down or start the charging process.

It may sound tedious to remove your phone case every time, but again this is for those who really want to optimize their iPhone charging.

iPhone 13 still Charging Slowly? Charge your iPhone at least once a month with an empty battery

You’ve probably heard that it’s best to drain your iPhone’s battery before charging it. That’s generally true, but it’s also a bit misleading.

Instead, you can use your overall charging time to make your iPhone “die” even once a month, even before it’s fully charged. Why? Well, it helps battery maintenance to keep it running through a natural cycle. In general, the healthier your battery is, the faster it will charge.

iPhone 13 Charging Slowly? Clean the charging port

We’ve talked about this before regarding cleaning your iPhone, but you should actually clean the charging port of your iPhone 13 regularly for proper maintenance.

If you try to charge your iPhone 13 with a dirty port, you may experience delay issues due to an incorrect connection. Moreover, you can cause damage to essential charging components if your charging port is too dirty for too long.

What Charging Tips Do You Have?

I’ve introduced you to nine ways to charge your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro faster. If you work through the tips methodically, you can save time charging your iPhone.
I’d love to know what else you’d add to this list. Have you found an iOS setting that considerably alters the amount of time it takes to recharge your battery? Do you know about a gadget your fellow readers can buy to make the charging process easier?
Now that you’ve fixed slow charging on iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, check out Tips and tricks to improve iOS 15 battery life

Tags: Battery, iPhone Tips
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Turn off moving faces in Group FaceTime video calls

by GeeksModo Staff

The use ofvideo conferencing is becoming the order of the day. Almost every company out there, including WhatsApp, Google Duo, Microsoft Teams, etc., is expanding their video calling platform with new features and tweaks. Among them,FaceTime seems to be the the most preferred option for iPhone users. And why not? It’s easy to set up, offers plenty of features, and up to 32 people can join a group video call on FaceTime.

During group FaceTime video calls, Apple enlarges the tile of the person speaking to the meetup. This feature is known as Automatic Prominence, and Apple does this to highlight the speaker. While useful for small group video calling, some may find the behavior annoying when several people are speaking at the same time. With the release of iOS 13.5, Apple has added an option to disable the Automatic Prominence feature in FaceTime. Here are the steps to turn off moving faces in the FaceTime group.

Disable moving faces in FaceTime group

Step-1: Start the Settings app on the iPhone.

Step-2: Go to General -> Software Update and update to iOS 13.5.

Step-3: After a successful update, start the Settings app on your iPhone and go to the FaceTime app.

Step-4: In the FaceTime settings, you will see the Speaking option under the Automatic prominence menu.

Step-5: Uncheck the Speak option and it will disable moving faces in a Group FaceTime video call.

The contagious Coronavirus has forced us all to stay at home. But you can still keep in touch with your colleagues by trying some of the best video conferencing apps on your iPhone and iPad. Social distancing and self-quarantine are the order of the day, but work and communication need not stop.
See alsobest video conferencing apps for iPhone and iPad
Have you disabled the Automatic speak option in the Settings menu? Sound off in the comment section below.

Tag: iPhone Tips
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How to disable Battery Health Management on your MacBook

by GeeksModo Staff

With the release ofmacOS Catalina 10.15.5, Apple has introduced a new Battery Health management feature for macOS. Similar to what is already found in iOS, this feature aims to extend the life of your MacBook by reducing its wear.

Most people use their MacBooks for up to 5 years or even longer. The battery is usually the first to be used on older MacBooks, as the hardware is usually good enough to survive five years of intensive use. While it is possible to replace the battery on MacBooks, most consumers usually don’t because it is expensive. With the new Battery Health management feature in macOS Catalina 10.15.5, Apple hopes to extend the battery life of MacBooks depending on a person’s usage.

How does Battery Health Management work in macOS Catalina?

The Battery Health management feature in macOS Catalina 10.15.5 analyzes the usage and charging habits of your MacBook and automatically prevents it from being charged to 100% when deemed necessary. A battery that is always 100% charged and connected is not good for its life, which is why Apple introduced this feature. Many MacBook owners use their machine as a desktop replacement, which means it is almost always plugged into a power source. In such cases, the Battery Health management feature prevents your MacBook from charging to 100%, thereby extending battery life.

Enabling Battery Health management does not mean that your MacBook will stop charging the battery to 100%. The feature first analyzes your usage patterns and then makes adjustments accordingly. If you have a very erratic schedule or are always on the go, consider disabling the Battery Health Management feature as it won’t help you much. However, if you’re always near a power source and want to extend the battery life of your MacBook, keep this feature turned on.

Compatible MacBooks

All MacBook and MacBook Pro models with a Thunderbolt 3 port and launched on or after 2016 support the Battery Health Management feature. This means that all MacBooks and MacBook Pro models launched in or after 2016 are compatible with this feature. Older non-battery powered MacBooks and Macs are not compatible with this feature.

Battery Health Management is enabled by default when you update your MacBook to macOS 10.15.5. However, if you get a new MacBook out of the box with macOS Catalina 10.15.5, you will need to enable the Battery Health Management feature manually.

How to disable Battery Health Management on your MacBook

Step-1: Head over to System Preferences -> Energy Saver on your MacBook running macOS Catalina 10.15.5.

Step-2: Click on the “Battery Health” option located at the bottom of the window.

Step-3: In the dialog box that appears, you have the option to disable the battery health management feature. You must click ‘Disable’ again to confirm your selection.

What do you think of the Battery Health management feature of macOS Catalina 10.15.5? Leave a comment and let us know!

See also optimized battery charging not working on iPhone? Fix

Tag: Battery
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iPhone SE (2020) Review: a classic design and state of the art performance gives me the best of both worlds

by Tyler Stephen

Intro

Since 2016, I had used an iPhone 7 as my daily driver. For me, at the time, the improved water resistance, capacitive home button, faster Touch ID sensor, and strong performance gains were a compelling upgrade from my two-year-old iPhone 6.

 

In the proceeding years, however, I began to feel like the iPhone, and other smartphones, were stagnating, iterating less and less each year. For example, in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone 8 with a faster A11 Bionic chip, an improved camera, and a glass back to support wireless charging. At the same presentation, they introduced the iPhone X, which was largely regarded to resemble the future of the iPhone.

 

With its edge to edge OLED display, no home button, Face ID, and a dramatically improved camera, many users viewed the iPhone X as a refreshing change to the core iPhone design. However, neither the iPhone 8 nor iPhone X felt particularly compelling to me as a blind iPhone 7 owner at the time. For one thing, the iPhone 8 seemed like merely an incremental upgrade, and I had several concerns with the new design of the iPhone X.

 

I would eventually learn that Apple had indeed come up with alternative VoiceOver gestures to replicate the functions of the home button, and that Face ID was generally usable even if you couldn’t see or look at the camera, if not as convenient or reliable as Touch ID. However, similar to the addition of the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro, I viewed the experience of Face ID as a VoiceOver user as neither a step forward nor a step backward, but an expensive step sideways at best.

 

I figured that eventually, either my iPhone 7 would stop working or the A10 Fusion chip would reach end-of-life status, necessitating an upgrade. However, as the years past, and the iPhone XS followed by the iPhone 11 were released, I kept hearing rumblings from various Apple rumor sites about an iPhone SE revival. Sure, at any given time, numerous rumors concerning upcoming Apple products float around the Internet with no way for me to independently verify their veracity, but the consistency of the chatter and the chorus of seemingly reliable sources corroborating the reports gave them significant credibility.

 

By the beginning of 2020, I knew that I would need a new phone sooner rather than later. Having worked reliably for over three years, my iPhone 7’s battery began to show signs of age, with decreased battery life and overall capacity depreciating. While I at one point considered replacing the battery, I ultimately decided that that would be good money after bad, since I would need to buy a new phone eventually. At the same time, I also considered just biting the bullet and getting an iPhone 11 Pro, the closest screen size model to the iPhone 7, but the increased chatter on rumor sites about a new, low-cost iPhone persuaded me to wait until the spring.

what the iPhone SE (2020) is, and what it isn’t

As the iPhone line matured over the years, the screen size gradually increased from 3.5, to 4, to 4.7, to 5.8 inches and beyond. For sighted users, there are obvious benefits to a larger or clearer screen iPhone, such as more real-estate to comfortably display high-definition visual content or play games. For me, I need just enough real-estate to use VoiceOver while comfortably holding the device with one hand, as I am totally blind and have found larger screen devices disorienting and unwieldy. In addition, there are other reasons why users may not like a larger screen.

 

In an effort to compel users of the iPhone 5 and 5S to upgrade, Apple introduced the original iPhone SE in 2016. This device featured the small body and 4 inch screen found on the iPhone 5S, with the A9 processor and NFC chip found in the iPhone 6S. With the exception of the first generation Touch ID sensor found on the iPhone 5S and 6, the iPhone SE featured similar specs to Apple’s flagship iPhone at the time. This move proved very successful in compelling iPhone 5 and 5S users to upgrade to a smartphone that felt comfortable and familiar, while ensuring support by Apple and app developers for years to come.

 

As it always does, however, technology moved on, Apple introduced larger and more expensive iPhones with no new smaller or cheaper siblings, and the original iPhone SE was discontinued in September 2018. Like Apple’s previous changes to iPhone design, there were naturally people who were reluctant to upgrade to an iPhone X or later. For the reasons mentioned earlier, I was one of them. The ever increasing price of iPhones didn’t make the thought of upgrading any more palatable either. Catching on to this market, Apple went about developing a device that resembled the physical characteristics of the iPhone 8, with the internals that would ensure support for about four years.

 

However, while the original iPhone SE and the iPhone SE (2020) share the same name and marketing objectives, they are two very different devices. While the original iPhone SE physically resembled the iPhone 5S, the iPhone SE (2020) resembles the iPhone 8. This seemingly indicates that Apple is not planning to develop any 4 inch iPhones, with 4.7 inches the smallest size available. Therefore, if you’re using an original iPhone Se and don’t like the design first introduced with the iPhone 6, the iPhone SE (2020) is not for you.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that like the iPhone 8, the iPhone SE (2020) does not include a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, nor is a 3.5 millimeter to Lightning adapter included in the box. For users who depend on headphones or other audio equipment that connects via this standard, the adapter can be purchased from Apple for US $9. As I use a bluetooth streamer to output my iPhone’s audio to my hearing aids, and because if I needed it, I still have the adapter included with my iPhone 7, this was not an issue for me. However, I thought it prudent to include that information in this review for anyone with an original iPhone SE who relies on the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.

internals

For me, the most impressive thing about this phone are the internals. The iPhone SE includes an A13 Bionic processor, giving me similar performance to the flagship iPhone 11 and 11 Pro at a fraction of the cost. Additionally, it includes Wi-Fi 6, which while currently new and supported on a relatively small number of devices and wireless routers, is likely to become ubiquitous in the next couple of years.

 

One thing the iPhone SE, and any iPhone for that matter, does not include, is the technology that has been hyped like crazy by the cellular industry for the past couple of years, 5G. For people in the Apple ecosystem who want that, Apple is rumored to be developing several 5G capable iPhones reportedly scheduled to launch this fall.

 

Personally, while I feel like I’ve heard a lot of noise about 5G from wireless carriers, I’ve yet to hear from people who have been able to take advantage of the truly mind-blowing speeds that it can theoretically offer. For that to work, I would need to have a 5G phone on a city block in range of a newly deployed transmitter, not obstructed by buildings or my hand gripping the device. For more details than I can cover in this review, check out this explainer of the current limitations of the technologies known as, “5G.”While the piece is from December of 2018, the essential problems of internal smartphone design compromises, comparatively short range, and limited scale of deployment still persist, from what I can tell. That said, I’m sure in a few years, as manufacturers develop more efficient 5G modems and carriers deploy more transmitters in wider coverage areas, this new generation of cellular connectivity will become more practical, and by then, I most likely will be looking for a new phone anyway. Until then, I have my iPhone SE, with 4G LTE, which gives me perfectly adequate speeds when I’m not on Wi-Fi; not that I’ve been leaving my house much in the last couple of weeks anyway.

 

If you’re interested, the iPhone SE starts at US $399 for 64 gigabytes, US $449 for 128 gigabytes, and US $549 for 256 gigabytes. It comes in three colors, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED. For customers who purchase the (PRODUCT)RED edition, Apple will donate a portion of the proceeds to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

using the device

Now that I’ve hopefully given a sufficient overview of the device, as well as a good explanation of my rationale for purchasing it, it’s time to use it in the real world.

 

The short answer is, it’s basically an augmentation of my iPhone 7 use case. The vast majority of tasks I used my iPhone 7 for, voice and video communication, texting, email, light web browsing, online banking, Twitter, and a few audio games perform exactly the same, if not snappier, on my new iPhone SE, with the exception of 3D Touch, the technology that could sense how hard I’m touching the screen and respond differently based on this input. This comes as no surprise, as 3D Touch never really seemed to catch on with developers and users the way Apple probably hoped it would, and tellingly, it was removed from all new iPhones released in 2019. In its place, Apple has implemented what it calls, “Haptic Touch,” which simply involves double tapping and holding, (or long pressing if you don’t use VoiceOver) instead of hard pressing on an item to get a context menu. This is the same menu that would appear if hard pressing on an item on a 3D Touch enabled device.

 

One interesting oddity with Haptic Touch on the iPhone SE relative to other iPhones is the inability to interact with notifications. For example, I would expect if I was to double tap and hold, or perform a three-finger flick down, on an incoming text message, I would be able to reply to that message without needing to open the Messages app. However, this does not seem to work, with some reports even saying that this is expected behavior, not a bug. As sighted users have reported this problem when using equivalent gestures, it does not appear to be VoiceOver related.

 

As Haptic Touch seems to work as expected in other instances, I don’t understand why Apple would intentionally impede its functionality for notifications, provided that such reports are correct. I’ll update this review if I learn more. While I am the furthest thing from a software or hardware engineer, I can’t imagine that it would be infeasible for Apple to release an iOS update to correct this behavior.

 

Update: as of iOS 13.6, it is now possible to flick down to the, “View,” rotor action on an incoming message to reply to that message without opening the Messages app. I suspect that similar interactions are available for other types of notifications, but cannot confirm this.

 

Aside from faster overall performance, the most noticeable improvement I have found is with the speakers. While Apple advertised the speakers on the iPhone 7 as a significant improvement over previous models, I never noticed much of a difference in my every-day use when compared to my iPhone 6. However, I find I am able to hold my iPhone SE to my ear at a reasonable volume and listen comfortably when, for example, I don’t have my hearing aids in. The audio improvements just mentioned may also be present on the iPhone 8, but I never owned that device, so this is the first time I’m noticing them.

 

One compromise of the iPhone SE relative to higher-end iPhones is the camera system. Like the iPhone 8, the iPhone SE includes a 7 megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a single 12 megapixel rear camera, as opposed to the multiple camera arrays of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. For me, the camera on my iPhone is mainly used for obtaining assistance in interpreting the visual world around me, either with the help of AI powered or remote human sighted assistance. Be My Eyes and Seeing AI, the two apps I use most frequently for such tasks, worked quite well on my iPhone 7. In the case of Seeing AI on my iPhone SE, I have found that recognition of short text and currency appears to be faster, but I haven’t tested it enough to conclusively determine objective improvements in the areas of speed and accuracy.

 

When it comes to battery life, with my standard use pattern, I can get through a day without needing to charge my iPhone SE, and have even been able to squeeze two days out of a single charge. However, I use this device in conjunction with my Mac, with the screen brightness reduced, so that probably gives it longer overall battery life. Your mileage will obviously vary, but if you have an iPhone 8, the iPhone SE should give you similar results, as both devices ship with the same battery.

Conclusion

Coming from an iPhone 7, I’d say my iPhone SE was money well spent. Sure, nothing about this phone is, “Revolutionary,” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. My iPhone 7 suited my admittedly basic needs quite well, and my new iPhone SE, with vastly improved computational power, is likely to continue that trend. Also, in the event that Apple dropped software support for the iPhone 7 in 2021, and the latest iPhones featured a larger screen, no Touch ID, and higher prices, upgrading would not be appealing to me at all.

 

However, with my iPhone SE, I can take advantage of the A13 Bionic processor and Wi-Fi 6, whenever that becomes more widespread. This will hopefully give Apple and the cellular industry time to improve upon 5G, as well as the in-screen fingerprint reader that Apple is rumored to be developing for inclusion in an iPhone in several years. If such rumors pan out to be true, that will make me much more enthusiastic about buying an iPhone with a more modern design in the future.

 

As I bring this review to a close, you might be asking yourself, “Should I upgrade?” While only you can make that decision, here’s my buying advice. If you have an iPhone X or later, I would not recommend upgrading unless you really miss the smaller screen, home button, or Touch ID. Likewise if you have an iPhone 8, unless your use case demands the most powerful processor in a smartphone, I believe that phone should remain quite capable for the next couple of years.

 

If you have an iPhone 7, I’d definitely recommend giving the iPhone SE a serious look. While your device may work reasonably well today, this may be a good opportunity to future-proof your workflow at a very competitive price for a new iPhone.

 

If you have an iPhone 6S or earlier, I’d definitely recommend upgrading if it’s financially feasible for you. I would guess that either this year or the next, Apple will release a new version of iOS that drops support for the A9 processor.

 

If you do end up upgrading, I would generally recommend also buying a case, as the back is all glass in order to support wireless charging. As I plan to use this phone as my daily driver, I did not perform any stress-tests, but I would guess that its durability when dropped is similar to that of the iPhone 8. As the market for cases is quite broad, I can’t recommend any one product over another. Personally, I will be waiting for stores to reopen in my area so I can feel them in person. I have no idea exactly when stores will reopen, let alone when customers will be able to touch sample phone cases, but in the meantime, I will be at home and when my phone isn’t in my hand, it will be deep in my pocket. If you have a case that you used for an iPhone 7 or 8, it should fit on the SE, eliminating the frustrating experience of needing to purchase a new accessory to accommodate a new iPhone.

See also iPhone SE 2020: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly!

 

As of the time of this writing, I have only had my iPhone SE for a couple of weeks, and thus there may be things about it that I’ve yet to discover. However, looking toward the future, I feel quite confident that this device will give me sufficient performance for whatever I may throw at it in the next couple of years.

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How to Unlock a Disabled iPhone Without iTunes or iCloud or Computer

by GeeksModo Staff

If your iPhone is disabled because you’ve forgotten the passcode and now can’t unlock your device, help is at hand! In this article, I’ll explain how to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud or computer.

If you tried the wrong passcode repeatedly or your kids type randomly in the lock screen, it will cause the iPhone to be disabled. As a result, you will be informed that “iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes”. The good news is that you’ll know everything about how to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud or computer in this guide.

 

Part 1: How to Unlock a Disabled iPhone with iTunes

Just as the iPhone message tells you, you can unlock the disabled iPhone with iTunes.  With the synced iTunes on your computer (Windows/Mac), you can restore the disabled iPhone to remove the lock screen.

Step-1: Get a USB cable and connect your iPhone to the computer and open iTunes.

Step-2: To enter your iPhone, you can click the phone icon and then hit the Summary option on the left side. In this way, you can view the iPhone details and get the restore option.

Step-3: Here comes the most important step—click the Restore iPhone button. If you see a message that says “Find My iPhone must be turned off”, you can try the next way to unlock the disabled iPhone.

restore iPhone

Step-4: Click Restore on the confirmation window. After that, just wait until the restoration process is complete.  When it finishes the restoration, you can set up your iPhone again.

Part 2: How to Unlock a Disabled iPhone with iCloud

If you fail to unlock the disabled iPhone with iTunes, or if you encountered any error during the restoration process, you can make good use of the iCloud to unlock the disabled iPhone. Here are the steps.

Step-1: Open a web browser on your computer or another mobile phone and go to icloud.com.

Step-2: Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID and passcode. It must be the Apple ID that is linked to the disabled iPhone.  If you find there is two-factor authentication for your Apple ID, it means that you need to get the verification code to unlock your iPhone. The most effective way is to take out the SIM card and install it on another mobile phone to get the code. Or you can try the next method to unlock the disabled iPhone with a third-party tool.

Step-3: Once you’ve successfully sign in to iCloud, click Find My iPhone at the bottom right corner.

Find iPhone

Step-4: In Find My iPhone interface, click the All Devices button to get the drop-down option. Then you can click the disabled iPhone and get its location.

choose the disabled iPhone

Step-5: To unlock the disabled iPhone, simply click the Erase iPhone option and then confirm the action. Now, your iPhone will be erased and restarted like a new device.  You need to activate it again as you did before.

erase iPhone

Part 3: How to Unlock a Disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud

Unlock a Disabled iPhone without iTunes/iCloud using PassFab iPhone Unlocker

To unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud, you will need an iPhone unlocking tool like PassFab iPhone Unlocker. It allows you to unlock your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch without the lock screen password, Face ID, or Touch ID. That’s why you can use it to unlock iPhone without passcode or Face ID easily.

PassFab iPhone Unlocker is designed to be a super simple tool that works effectively in letting you unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes including iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus etc). The process doesn’t involve any lengthy workaround and can be done with ease.

It doesn’t matter whether you have set a 4-digit custom numeric code or 6-digit alphanumeric passcode, you can get rid of the password including Touch ID and Face ID info without any hassle.

Key Features of PassFab iPhone Unlocker

  • Unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes
  • Remove 4/6-digit passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID
  • Remove iCloud from iOS device without password
  • Supports all iPhone models including the iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • Supports various iOS versions including the latest iOS 16
  • Factory Reset iPhone without Password
  • Only 3 Steps to Unlock a disabled iPhone

How to Unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes Using PassFab iPhone Unlocker

Step 1: First off, download and install PassFab iPhone Unlocker on your PC/Mac. Then, open the software on your computer and select ‘Unlock Lock Screen Passcode’.

Unlock a disabled iPhone using PassFab iPhone unlocker

Step 2: Now, you need to connect the disabled iPhone to the computer via USB cable.

Step 3: After PassFab iPhone Unlocker has recognized your device, click ‘Start’ to remove iPhone passcode.

start remove iphone passcode using passfab iphone unlocker  

Step 4: Next up, you have to download the latest iOS firmware.

Once the firmware is downloaded click ‘Start Unlock’ to start Unlocking a disabled iPhone without iTunes.

download firmware package using passfab iphone unlocker  

Step 5: Up next, you have to wait for some time until the process is successfully completed. Make sure to keep your device connected to your computer.

After the process is finished, you can set up your device as new or restore it from the most recent backup.

PassFab iPhone Unlocker is right on the money when it comes to letting you unlock a disabled iPhone without iCloud or iTunes. Beyond removing lock screen, the tool also comes handy when your iPhone seems to be completely down and out and refuses to get restored via Apple’s mobile management tool.

Unlock a Disabled iPhone without iTunes/iCloud using StarzSoft KeyPass

StarzSoft KeyPass let’s you unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud within minutes. You can easily unlock your disabled iPhone without worrying about losing data, .

  • This tool can unlock various iOS devices including iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, etc without the need for a pass code.
  • This tool can reset iOS device without pass code.
  • It’s compatible with the latest iOS version including iOS 16.
  • Easy to run. You don’t need to be an IT expert to run this tool.

Please follow these steps to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes using StarzSoft KeyPass:

Step-1: Download, install, and launch StarzSoft KeyPass on your computer

Step-2: Build a connection between the disabled iPhone and your computer via USB cable.

Step-3: quickly press the plus and minus volume buttons at the same time and then hold the power button until “connect to iTunes” flashes on the screen. StarzSoft Keypass will start to unlock your disabled iPhone without you having to restore anything or putting in any additional effort.

StatSoft KeyPass is one of the best tools available on the market, which lets users unlock their disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud. StatSoft KeyPass process is also much smoother than using iTunes to unlock a disabled iPhone.

The process will take less than 5 minutes and all your data will be safe and sound by the end of the process.

Unlock a Disabled iPhone without iTunes/iCloud using Tenorshare 4uKey

You can use Tenorshare 4uKey to remove the lock screen within few simple clicks. You do not need to have the screen lock passcode and Apple ID passcode, as well as the synced iTunes. Tenorshare creates iOS troubleshooting software for Mac and PC, and their program “4uKey” will help you bypass your iOS device’s passcode, even if it’s disabled.
Unlock a disabled iPhone with Tenorshare 4uKey:

Please follow these steps to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes using Tenorshare 4uKey:
Unlock disabled iPhone with Tenorshare 4uKey

Step-1: Download, install and launch 4uKey on your Mac or Windows computer. It is necessary to sign in to the software with your registration
code.  Then, select feature “Unlock Lock Screen Passcode” to get started.

Step-2: Build the connection between the disabled iPhone and Mac or Windows computer with a USB cable.
Connect your iOS device to computer
Step-3: Click the Start button on the main interface

Step-4: Now, you can view that the software has detected your iPhone iOS details. And in the download firmware package online interface, you just
need to Choose a save path and click the Download button.
download firmware package
Downloading firmware package
firmware package downloaded successfully
Step-5: When the process completes, Tenorshare 4uKey will say that the passcode has been removed.
Removing passcode
Passcode removed successfully
Step-6: When iPhone passcode has been removed successfully, Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your iPhone. You can restore from an iCloud backup, iTunes backup, or set up
your iPhone as new. If you have a backup available, we recommend restoring from it so you don’t lose any of your data.

Part 4: How to Unlock a Disabled iPhone without iTunes/iCloud/ Computer

If you have no computer to utilize iTunes/iCloud/ third-party tool to unlock the disabled iPhone, what to do? You can use another accessible iPhone to unlock it with iCloud or Find My iPhone app.  To unlock iPhone with iCloud, you can refer Part 2 tutorial to conduct the operation. Here we will guide you to unlock iPhone without a computer via Find My iPhone app on another iPhone.

Step-1: Get another accessible iPhone and open Find My.

Step 2: Log in with your Apple ID and password.

Step-3:  Next, you will see all iOS devices which share the same iCloud account. You need to find the disabled iPhone from the list and tap it.

Step-4: Then tap on Actions at the bottom of the iPhone screen. After that, you are offered three options. Tap Erase iPhone and then you will get the disabled iPhone erased. Of course, the locked screen is removed from the iPhone.

unlock iPhone on another computer

As a matter of fact, this process is similar to unlock the disabled iPhone with iCloud. The most important part is that you need to enter the right iCloud account and password.

Tag: Apple ID
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iPhone Is Disabled Connect To iTunes: How To Unlock

by GeeksModo Staff

Have you ever picked up your iPhone to be greeted with a notification saying “iPhone is disabled” and to “try again in 1 minute” or to try again 5, 15, 60 minutes? The worst of all, the error says “iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes”, and you cannot use it until then.

So, why is the iPhone saying “iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes?” And how do you fix the issue so that you can use the iPhone again? The answers to these questions are usually easy. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll explain why your device says iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes, and most importantly, show you how to unlock so that you can reenable your iPhone and start using it again. We’ll also walk you through how to unlock a disabled iphone without itunes.
iphone disabled one minute delay

Why is My iPhone Disabled?

If you enter the wrong passcode repeatedly, your iPhone
will automatically be disabled for sometimes and it will display iPhone is disabled error notification on the screen.
The obvious fix in this situation is to hold on for a minute or two and then enter the correct passcode to unlock the iPhone and get around the disabled message. In the future, just enter the correct passcode in the first attempt and you’ll avoid this message and the lock out period.

If you enter incorrect passcode repeatedly, the iPhone will be disabled and display an error message saying “iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes”

You may want to know how many failed passcode attempts are required to disable the iPhone for a given period of time and to get the Error message, that information is as follows:

  • 5 failed passcode attempts in a row – iPhone is disabled, try again in 1 minute
  • 7 failed passcode attempts in a row – iPhone is disabled, try again in 5 minutes
  • 8 failed passcode attempts in a row – iPhone is disabled, try again in 15 minutes
  • 9 failed passcode attempts in a row – iPhone is disabled, try again in 60 minutes
  • 10 failed passcode attempts in a row – iPhone is disabled, connect to iTunes (or the iPhone erases itself of all datA IF self-destruct mode is enableD

Keep in mind that the time delays mentioned above are automatically triggered on your iPhone, and cannot be adjusted or turned off.
Being locked out for 1 minute isn’t too bad, however, bing locked out for 60 minutes is annoying, as is connecting to iTunes to enable the iPhone again. If you want to unlock a disabled iPhone,there are a few simple steps which you need to follow.
Here is the step by step guide which will help you unlock a disabled iPhone with or without iTunes.
Let’s further understand the common causes of this problem to avoid it in the future, then we’ll dive into solving iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes error.

But I didn’t try to unlock my iPhone, so why does it say it is disabled?

Under some circumstances, you didn’t actually try to unlock an iPhone and you didn’t (intentionally) enter incorrect passcode, but the iPhone says it is disabled. Here are three most common reasons why this happens:

  • pocket: Inadvertently disabling an iPhone in a pocket is very common! This mostly happens to iPhone users who keep their iPhones in a pocket that they also use for their hands, often hip coat pockets, the hoodie pouch pocket, or front pants pockets. The iPhones screens slide to unlock feature can easily trigger itself, landing your device into passcode entry area while the iPhone is in a pocket.
  • Snoopers. Friends and colleagues don’t always understand they don’t have limitless number of guesses to unlock your iPhone .
  • Kids. Kids love iPhones and they love playing with phones. Tom gets sad when the phone stop working and mom isn’t happy that her iPhone is disabled.

iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes, how to unlock

Want to unlock an iPhone stuck on the disabled screen? The most straight forward solution is to wait for the time to pass, then enter the correct passcode. For anywhere up to 9 failed passcode attempts, all you need to do is grab a cup of coffee and wait for time to elapse. (‘Try again in X minutes’ count down will be displayed on the screen therefore, you can see how long You are required to wait.)
There is nothing much you can do during this period, however, you have an option to place emergency calls by tapping the immergency button located at the bottom of the screen.

Once the waiting period is over, your iPhone’s screen will display a normal background and you’ll have a chance to try entering the passcode again. At this point, try entering your passcode carefully when given a chance. If you input the passcode wrongly one more time, you’ll be subjected to another waiting period.

As soon as you get to an hour wait, you’re approaching your final chance. Get it wrong one more time and your iPhone will be disabled until you connect to iTunes.

If you’re approaching the 10-guess limit, be careful. Do you have the right passcode penned down somewhere, or is there anyone else who knows It?
It might be prudent to jot down every attempt you make from this moment on (and any that you’re certain you’ve tried before), but this is only to help nudge the memory – however, iOS smartly counts various entries of the same wrong passcode as one wrong guess, so you should not mind about trying any guesses repeating yourself.
After 10 failed passcode attempts , you’ll have to restore your iPhone using iTunes.

How to unlock a disabled iPhone with iTunes

When your device says “iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes,” the only solution is to connect It to a computer to unlock it again. Hopefully you have a recent backup on your computer, and hopefully you remember your iPhone’s passcode, otherwise you’ll be required to wipe your device clean and lose all your data. Yes really. This is why it is important to back up your iPhone frequently.

Steps to unlock a disabled iPhone with iTunes

If you know your iPhone’s passcode and Had recently synced your device to iTunes, you are in luck. You can restore it as new without loosing data. Follow these steps to fix iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes error:

  1. Connect the iPhone to a computer it usually syncs with via a lightening cable and open iTunes
  2. Choose the iPhone (from the sidepane or from top-right of the screen
  3. Click “Sync” in iTunes and enter the correct passcode when requested to unlock the device, this will backup the iPhone to the computer
  4. Hit “Restore” to restore the iPhone from the most recent backup

If you can’t remember the iPhone passcode, the only option is to erase the iPhone completely and it will wipe all data using recovery mode.

Use Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode erases the iPhone completely. However, it can prove helpful if the above fix didn’t work.
Note, iTunes won’t allow you to restore your device if Find my iPhone is enabled on your device, even if you have synced your iPhone with a computer. In such a situation, the only solution is to restore your iPhone from recovery mode. Here’s how to put your iPhone into Recovery Mode:

  1. Connect the USB to lightening cable to your computer but don’t plug it to the iPhone yet.
  2. Open iTunes on your computer.
  3. If you are using iPhone X or newer, quickly press the Volume Up button, then quickly press the Volume Down button and then press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears.
  4. Next, connect your iPhone to the computer. A ppop up will appear on iTunes window stating “An iPhone has been detected in recovery mode. Now, proceed with the restore process.
  5. If you are using iPhone 6S or older, press and hold down the Home button and Sleep/Wake button for approximately 10 seconds until the iPhone shuts down.
  6. Release the Sleep/Wake button but keep holding the home button.
  7. Now, connect the lightening jack to your iPhone, (Don’t release the Home button yet).
  8. A pop up will appear on iTunes window stating “An iPhone has been detected in recovery mode.” Now, go ahead with the recovery process.
  9. If you are using iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, press and hold ON/OFF button and volume down button simultaneously). Keep holding both the buttons until Connect to iTunes screen appears. After connecting your iPhone to iTune, a ppop up will appear on iTunes window stating “An iPhone has been detected in recovery mode. Now go ahead with the restore process

What do you do when your iPhone is disabled and won’t connect to iTunes? In this case, check the next solution.

How to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes

Some iPhone users find that connecting the disabled iPhone to iTunes doesn’t fix the problem. Fear not! You can unlock disabled iPhone without iTunes using third-party tool, known as Tenorshare 4uKey with just a few simple clicks.
Unlock a disabled iPhone with Tenorshare 4uKey:

Tenorshare 4uKey is an easy tool designed to unlock iPhone screen without iTunes. Whether it’s a simple 4-digit passcode, 6-digit passcode or more complex custom numeric code and alphanumeric passcode, 4uKey offers the ability to remove an iPhone screen lock passcode in a very short amount of time.

Tenorshare 4uKey has one of the best mobile interfaces out there. Its features options are robust, but you’ll never struggle to navigate them. Tenorshare 4uKey is designed to allow you to unlock a disabled iPhone with minimal effort. It succeeds at that goal.

Unlocking a disabled iPhone works like magic. You just need to connect your iPhone to your computer, launch Tenorshare 4uKey and perform a few Clicks.

With that in mind, here is how to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes using Tenorshare 4uKey:
Unlock disabled iPhone with Tenorshare 4uKey

Steps to remove lock screen and unlock disabled iPhone without iTunes

Step-1: Download, install and launch 4uKey on your Mac or Windows computer. It is necessary to sign in to the software with your registration Code. Then click on Unlock Lock Screen Passcode to get started.

Step-2: Connect the disabled iPhone to your Mac or Windows computer through a USB cable.
Connect your iOS device to computer
Step-3: Click the Start button on the main interface

Step-4: The software will automatically detect all the information on your iPhone. And in the download firmware package online interface, you just need to Choose a save path and click the Download button.
download firmware packageDownloading firmware package
firmware package downloaded successfully
Step-5: When the process completes, Tenorshare 4uKey will say that the passcode has been removed successfully.
Removing passcode
Passcode removed successfully
Step-6: When iPhone passcode has been removed successfully, Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your iPhone. You can restore from an iCloud backup, iTunes backup, or set up your iPhone as new. If you have a backup available, we recommend restoring from it so you don’t lose any of your data.
Now, my disabled iPhone was unlocked successfully without any problem In just a few moments and pricing was also very low which is affordable by everyone because we need to pay a little for some great tools that make our life easier.

Some important features of Tenorshare 4uKey:

  • Ability to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud
  • Support all iOS versions and devices including the latest iOS 13 and iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone SE 2020
  • Remove all kinds of iPhone passcodes: 4-digit passcode, 6-digit passcode, custom numeric code, alphanumeric passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID
  • Reset a second-hand, passcode-locked iPhone.
  • Factory reset locked iPhone without iTunes or passcode.
  • No need for specialist skills

That’s all about unlocking a disabled iPhone without iTunes or iCloud. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments section below.

Tags: Apple ID, iTunes
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“This App Is No Longer Shared With You” Error On IPhone & IPad: Fix

by GeeksModo Staff

Some iPhone and iPad users are experiencing a curious “This app is no longer shared with you” error message when trying to use some apps on their apple devices. Some users are experiencing this error randomly, while others it is showing up after updating apps, or after updating their device to iOS 13.5, iPadOS 13.5 and iOS 12.4.7.

The error message appears as a pop-up dialog when you try to use the app, and then trying to use the App Store to correct the problem fails, resulting in an endless loop and an app that is not working.

If you’re experiencing the “This app is no longer shared with you. To use it, you must buy it from the App Store” error message, simply follow the steps below to fix the issue.

How to Fix “This app is no longer shared with you” iPhone / iPad Error

You can fix this problem easily however, it’s slightly annoying; offload the app and then reinstall it, or removing the app and reinstalling it. Most users prefer Offloading apps because it allows app data and logins to be preserved, so that’s what we’ll focus on here.

  1. Start the “Settings” app
  2. Tap on “General” in settings
  3. Go to “iPhone Storage” (or “iPad Storage”)
  4. Find the app showing the error message in the list and tap on it
  5. Select “Offload App” and confirm your decision to offload the app from the iPhone or iPad
  6. Now, the app will be offloaded and be removed from your device, then at the same screen choose “Reinstall App”

Repeat the above steps with any other apps displaying the “This app is no longer shared with you. To use it, you must buy it from the App Store”

Keep in mind, you don’t need to purchase the app again, assuming you already owned it initially anyway.

Basically, the above steps removes the app from theiPhone oriPad, then reinstalls the app again. Because we’re focusing on using the “Offload” method rather than deletion, the apps data is preserved. If you want, you can use the standard app deletion process instead if you’d prefer to, but doing so will delete any app data within the app meaning, you will lose things such as the logging password, saved games, and more.

Note that you can also experience this error message when using family sharing, but for the vast majority of users with the problem at the moment that is not the case, suggesting it’s a bug or some other hiccup in service. Occasionally issues like this happen with no particular fault or reason, and sometimes they happen after software updates, changes to App Store settings or payment info like the Verification Required error, or even completely at random.

Have you encountered the “This app is no longer shared with you” error message when using some apps on iPhone and iPad after updating your device? Has the above trick worked to fix the problem for you? Have you found a different solution? Share your experiences with us in the comments section below.

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How To Make A Genius Bar Reservation: Check the Steps

by GeeksModo Staff

Are you experiencing an issue with your Apple products? Well. Apple has a range of tech
support
options for its customers. The support options ranges from phone call toonline live chat. In addition, there is
email support. However, you may need to get hands-on, personal support and help from an Apple expert, in case your problem is hardware relate.
For instance, if you are having a cracked screen problem, water damage, etc. You may have to visit your nearest Apple Store.

Apple provides tech support in each Apple Retail Store. This support is provided by the Genius Bar stations. Employees of the Genius Bar, called Geniuses,
Are experts trained to help customers with Apple hardware and software.

Before you visit the Genius Bars, you should make a reservation. You can make a genius bar reservation online. In this post, I’ve explained in details
how you can make an Apple Genius Bar appointment.

Recently, Apple has changed how genius bar reservation are made. The company has made it a little bit challenging now. It’s like Apple wants to provide support
throughonline live chat or phone calls.

What is the Genius Bar

The Genius Bar is a hands-on technical support station situated within Apple’s retail stores. If you need support or have questions related to your Apple products,
such as  iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV, you can get expert advice and training at the Genius Bar in any Apple Retail Store.

The Genius Bar employees, known as Geniuses, are specially trained and certified Apple experts. The central work of the Geniuses are to help their customers with
hardware and software issues. They can provide answer to your questions, offer personal supports, and fix your device. Most of the services they offer are free. They
can repair your device, however, you will need to pay for non-warranty services if your device is not covered by the
Apple warranty,
an
AppleCare plan.

You can make a Genius Bar reservation at an Apple Store in two ways:

  1. Through the Apple Store app or,
  2. By making a reservation via the Apple support web site.

1. iOS device / Apple Support App and Genius Bar appointments (the easiest way)

  1. Launch the Apple Support app (if you do not haven’t downloaded it on your device, Go to the App Store and download and install it – or
    get it here)
  2. Now, tap on Get Support
  3. Next, choose your device. In this post, we selected iPhone 11 Pro and then Repairs & Physical Damage and “Buttons not working”. Note that some
    problems can only allow you to get support via phone calls or live chat sessions. 
  4. Tap Bring in for Repair and choose a location and date and time and then tap Reserve. Then your reservation will be made. 
  5. You will probably see a notification saying “You don’t have any reservations”, since you are trying to make a reservation. To make a new reservation, tap Find a store 

2. Genius bar appointment via the web site

If you don’t want to use the app option, you can also receive an appointment through Apple’s support page. Simply follow these steps:
Head over to Apple’s Genius Bar page. (URL:
https://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/)

  • Scroll down, you’ll see Get hardware help. Click on it.
  • Choose the device or the service that you need help with. In this article, we will select the iPhone option.
  • Now, choose Repairs and Physical and then choose your issue or select the “The topic is not listed” option. If you choose the “Topic is not listed” option,
    Provide details for your issue, then hit continue.
  • Next, choose “Bring in for Repair”
  • Next on, you’ll be asked to type in your Apple ID and password
  • Now, choose your location. You can find your location by city, zip code, or name. Alternatively, you can browse all Apple retail stores. Find the nearest Apple Store that you
    Wish to go to.
  • Next, choose the date and time 
  • Now, your reservation will be confirmed. 

    • Now you have made a Genius Bar reservation. You should also receive a confirmation email from Apple. Also, It’s easy to cancel or reschedule it if you want to. Remember to
    back up your devicebefore visiting the Apple store.

    How to prepare for your appointment

    Before your appointment, you may want to prepare for your appointment. Keep in mind toback up your device (you can use
    iCloud).
    It’s also a good idea to bring with you all of the hardware (that you are experiencing problems with). For instant, if you are experiencing issues with your Mac, bring all of the
    accessories such as your mouse, keyboard. Also, bring with you your sales receipt.

    Ensure that you know your
    Apple ID
    password (you may need to turn off Find My).

    Finally, remember to bring your ID with you.

    Usually, the Genius Bar appointment lasts for about 15 minutes. If your device needs a hardware repair, the Genius will discuss with you about your available repair options including any applicable charges.

    See also:
    How to Cancel Your iTunes (apps, iTunes Store, iBooks) Purchases

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    How to Cancel Your iTunes (apps, iTunes Store, iBooks) Purchases

    by GeeksModo Staff

    Apple sends notifications of your Apple purchases, such as music, books, apps, in-apps, shows, movies etc. Apple send these notifications through email. Or you
    Might see charges on your bank or credit card statements (App Store or iTunes Store, usually: ITUNES.COM/BILL, MCD HOLD APL ITUNES.COM/BILL/, MCD PUR APL
    ITUNES.COM) that you do not recognize.  If you did not make the purchase, you can cancel and receive a refund for those purchases. In this article I’ll explain exactly
    how to do it. Simply follow these steps:

    First of all, you need to ensure that the email notification you received is truly from Apple iTunes. Scammers and thieves may be attempting to
    scam and steal from you. Ensure that the email is genuine. If you get doubtful emails like these, immediately report it to Apple through email ([email protected]).
    For example, emails from Apple will never ask you to provide your social security number, full credit card number and stuff like that. If you get an email asking for any of these, then that
    is a scam email.

    Next, you need to check yourpurchase history. If you don’t see the purchases on this screen, then the email notification you received was fake. If this is
    the case, simply delete the email and you don’t have to do anything else. Follow these steps to view your purchase history:

    1. On your device (iOS devices – iPhone or iPad, or PC or Mac), open Safari (or use your favorite web browser)
    2. Enter this URL:
      https://reportaproblem.apple.com
    3. Sign in with your Apple ID and password
    4. After you sign in, you will be able to view all of your past purchases: Apps, Subscriptions, Books, Music, TV Shows.
      Apple Purchase history

      5. How to cancel Apple iTunes purchases

      In case you spot a purchases which you did not authorize, you can cancel it by reporting. Simply follow these steps:

      1. Go to the purchase
      2. Now, click “Report a Problem”
      3. A drop down menu will appear. Click : I did not authorize this purchase. Then a screen saying “We take account security seriously. If you were charged
        without your authorization, we’d like to help you as soon as possible. Visit iTunes Store Support to find out which contact methods are available for immediate
        assistance will appear.”
      4. Click iTunes Store Support. a new page will load. Now choose either the Email or Schedule a Call option. You can also select
        the live chat option.
      5. Apple supportcustomer care will help you fix this issue.

      Note:

    • If you notice unauthorized charges, change your Apple ID and password immediately.
    • Usually, Apple groups multiple purchases  into one single charge meaning, You might not get separate invoices for every purchase.
    • Also, apple makes it easy to view and monitor your past iTunes and App Store charges on your iOS device. To do so, head over to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Your Apple
      ID > View Apple ID > If asked, type in your Apple ID password > Purchase History. Here you can view your pas 90 day
      History.
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