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What Is “Find My” App on iPhone? Everything to Know

by GeeksModo Staff

What do you get when you combine Find My iPhone with Find My Friends? According to Apple, you get a handy feature with an funny title: the new Find
My app in iOS 14 features a simple UI that allows users to locate friends, family members, and Apple devices.

It divides this information into 3 tabs with options to play a sound from missing devices, load directions in the Maps app, or set up notifications
to sound when your spouse leaves work. And all of this from a single app!

How to use the Find My app for iPhones in iOS 14

Let’s get started and learn how to use the Find My app for iPhones in iOS 14.

How to Find Your Apple Devices

Tap the Devices tab located at the bottom of the Find My app to reveal a map of your compatible Apple devices. Find My puts a pin on the map at the location of any iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or AirPod associated with your Apple ID. It also displays your family members’ devices too.

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up more devices, each with its exact location and distance from you.
If Find My can’t locate a device,
a black screen icon will be displayed instead, along with the last known location.

What It Means When Find My iPhone Is Offline and How to Find It Any. wayWhat does it mean when Find My iPhone says “offline”? How do you find an iPhone that’s
offline? Here are the answers you need.Read More
Get More Details About Each Device

Tap a particular device to view its present address and battery percentage, along with a series of controls to help you retrieve it. If you think you’re close enough, tap Play Sound to make your device ring. Otherwise, tap Directions to launch a route in the Maps app.

Get Notifications for Missing Devices

Starting with iOS 13, you can locate Apple devices even when they aren’t connected to the internet.
Apple makes this possible by creating an encrypted and anonymous Bluetooth network
that connects nearby Apple devices.

Having said that, Find My is still unable to locate your device if it doesn’t have internet connection and Bluetooth isn’t turned on, which could mean
it’s turned off. In this case, enable Notify When Found to receive a notification with its location as soon as Find My detects it.

Mark as Lost to Protect Your Data

If any of your Apple devices is lost or stolen, it’s a good idea to enable Mark As Lost to protect your data and make it easier for people to return your device to you. You
can also provide a phone number with a custom message asking whoever finds it to call you.

When you activate Mark As Lost, Find My will disable sensitive services such Apple Pay on your device and locks it with your passcode. If you haven’t used
a passcode before, you can take this opportunity to create one.

Only Erase Your Device as a Last Resort

Below the other options, there’s also a button to Erase This Device. I suggest you consider this as a last resort, if you believe you’ll never retrieve your device, because after erasing it you cannot track its location any longer.

Having said that,
an erased device is still protected by Apple’sActivation Lock,
preventing anyone who finds it from using it as their own. If you have enabled Mark As Lost, it also still displays your custom message telling people how
to contact you.

How to Find Your Friends and Family

Tap the People tab located at the bottom-left hand corner of Find My in iOS 13 to reveal a map of all the peple who follow your location or share their location with
you.

Just like in the Devices tab, you can then tap each person to get additional information about where they are located. This also provides options to view their details
in the Contacts app or get directions with Maps.

Start Sharing Your Location

In case you haven’t yet shared your location with anyone, tap the button to Start Sharing Location. Otherwise, swipe up to bring up the full list of people you’re
following and tap on Share My Location button located at the bottom.

Search for the contact you want to share your location with by typing in their name, phone number, or Apple ID email address in the search bar. When you tap
Send you can select how long you want to share your location for:

  • Share for One Hour
  • Share Until End of Day
  • or Share Indefinitely.

Ask to Follow Someone Else’s Location

It’s not possible to follow someone else’s location using Find My unless they choose to share it with you. The best way to initiate this is by offering to share
your location first. When you do so, a notification prompts your contact to share their location back.

Alternatively, you can directly ask to follow anyone who is already following you. Tap on their name from the People tab and use the option to Ask to Follow Location.
When they accept, you’ll receive a notification from Find My letting you know they accepted your friend request.

Set Up Notifications When Someone Changes Location

You can opt to send or receive notifications in the Find My app whenever you, or any of your contacts, change location. This can come in handy if you want to
Notify a family member you’re on the way home or if you want to know when your friends arrive at the meeting point.

On the People tab in Find My, tap on the name of the person you want to set up notifications for. Tap Add under the Notifications heading and choose whether
you want to send or receive the notifications, then set the location you plan to leave or arrive at. You can set the location radius to anything from 300
feet to 150 miles.

If you choose to send notifications to someone else, you’ll see an option at the bottom of the screen which allows you to repeat the notifications. This way you can alert
your partner you’re on your way home every time you leave work, without having to do anything.

How to Change Your Find My Settings

In the bottom-right corner of the Find My app is the Me tab. This lets you choose which device you want to share your location from along with deciding whether
to allow friend requests or location updates.

On the Me tab, you can also reclaim your privacy with the Share My Location switch. Turn this off to temporarily hide your location from anyone you previously
shared it with. This is a great way to remember if you’re on your way to a surprise party or a secret vacation!

Change Your Location to a Different Device

If you have several Apple devices, you can use the Me tab to choose from where to share your location. You can only change your location from
the device you’re currently using, so be sure to launch the Find My app from that specific device, then tap Use This [Device] as My Location.

Help a Friend Find Their Device

If you look at the very bottom of the Me tab, you’ll see a small button that says, Help a Friend. Use this if a friend or family member has lost their Apple device. When you tap
it, a page on the iCloud website will load for your friend to sign in to. On this page, your friend can play sounds, mark their device as lost, or erase it remotely.

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What Is My Phone’s IMEI? Everything to Know

by GeeksModo Staff

You may have heard your insurance company or law enforcement encourage you to record your IMEI. You may have even noticed it in your iPhone’s settings or
device box. What you might not be aware is what the IMEI number is actually for.

In this article, I’ll explain what an IMEI number is, and how you can find yours.
Let’s roll:

What Is an IMEI Number?

The International Mobile Equipment Identity—or IMEI—is a unique numerical identifier for every mobile device.

This number helps to distinguish each device. If you return your iPhone for repair, they will track it using the IMEI to differentiate
it from the other tons of iPhones, for example.

A standard IMEI number is a 14 digit string, with an additional 15th check digit for verifying the entire string. There is also a 16 digit variant that
Contains information about the software version of the device known as IMEISV.
Since 2004, the IMEI appears in the format AA-BBBBBB-CCCCCC-D. The sections labeled A and B are called the Type Allocation Code (TAC). The TAC portion
of the IMEI identifies the manufacturer and model of the device. For example, the Google Pixel TAC code is 35-161508, while the iPhone 6s Plus is 35-332907.

Some models have several TACs depending on revision, production locationand other factors. For instance, the iPhone 5C contained five different TAC codes.

The six C digits represent the unique serial number of your device and the handset manufacturer defines it. The D portion of the IMEI is a check digit that
ensures that the IMEI complies with the Guidelines for Allocation and Approval. The check digit is displayed on the packaging to prevent incorrect IMEI recording, but it’s not part of the documented IMEI.

While the IMEI number is absolutely important, it is not the only legal requirement for your iPhone. Manufacturers must comply with regulations
for each region in which they plan to sell their devices. The IMEI doesn’t demonstrate that the equipment meets any of those other safety and regulatory requirements.

Finding Your IMEI

There are a number of ways you can find your device’s IMEI. The most universal approach is to go to your device’s phone app. Type in *#06#
and the IMEI will be displayed on the screen.

If you own an Android or iOS device, you can also find the IMEI under Settings. On iOS, simply start the Settings app and head over to General > About and the IMEI will be displayed.
If you want to copy the IMEI, simply tap and hold on the number. Android devices may vary, but generally going to Settings > About Phone should display
the IMEI.

If you don’t have access to your device, there are other ways to find your IMEI as well. The retail packaging must have a label that shows the IMEI. If your
device has a removable battery, the IMEI is often listed under the battery. Most devices have the IMEI written on the rear. Others, like
the iPhone 6s and newer, have the IMEI engraved on the SIM tray.

However, in case you are planning to buy a new device, especially a second-hand one, you’ll want to confirm it’s status with the IMEI. To do this,
Go to
IMEI.info
and type in the iPhone’s IMEI number.

This free tool will tell you a bit about the device, and provide additional services, such as simple blacklist check. If you want to get additional
clarity, IMEI.info offers premium services such as a distinct blacklist check for each major US carrier and a SIM-lock status tool.

What Is an IMEI Number Used For?

The main purpose of IMEI’s is to equip your device with a unique ID number. In practice, therefore, the IMEI is very much like the Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) used in the automotive industry. Although sometimes confused, the IMEI number is completely separate from your SIM number and cannot be changed.

When you connect to a cellular network, the provider records both numbers to enable their service. The
SIM number identifies your subscriber account,
while the IMEI just identifies the device.

If your iPhone is lost or stolen, you can contact your carrier who may be able to block the IMEI number from being used to connect
to the network. Your provider may also be able to contact and ask other networks to block the device. After doing so, you can then use built-in
tools to
find your iPhone’s location.

Usually, law enforcement keep records of lost and recovered phones, identified by their IMEI. Because there is no good reason to change the device’s IMEI, the
practice is considered illegal in most regions.

While it might be illegal to change the IMEI of a device, it does happen. Thieves, specifically, will try to take non-blacklisted numbers and apply
them to their stolen devices to make them usable again. As such, we suggest you never share or post your IMEI number online, otherwise you
might find your device cloned.

Have You Recorded Your IMEI?

The IMEI number is one of the most significant and distinctive ways of identifying your iPhone. If you haven’t already, you should locate it and take note of
it immediately.

Keep a record of your IMEI in a safe place, so it’s readily available in case you ever need it. If you are looking for a digital safe, then apassword manager might even
do the work.

Having said that, if you’ve found or recovered someone else’s iPhone, you may be wondering how to get it back to them. As such, you’ll want to know
what to do if you find a lost or stolen iPhone.

Found a Lost or Stolen iPhone? Here’s What to Do

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Top 10 iPhone Keyboard Tips and Tricks You Should Know

by GeeksModo Staff

iPhone Keyboard offers all the basic features like Memoji Stickers, auto correction, auto capitalization, text prediction, and much more. However, there are still some hidden features like text replacement etc. that are buried under thesettings and can take your typing experience to the next level.
if you’re not aware about all the iPhone keyboard features, don’t worry. In this article, you will find top 10 iPhone Keyboard tips and tricks you can use to make your life easier. These iPhone keyboard tricks will help you to use your iPhone in a most efficient way possible in 2020.

Let’s get started.

Best iPhone keyboard tricks and tips

Here is a list of useful iPhone keyboard tricks you should know:

1. Use 3D Touch to turn the keyboard into a trackpad

Moving the cursor around, on the iPhone keyboard can be a bit tricky and that’s where this awesome trick comes in handy. 3D Touch, introduced with the iPhone 6s brings some great features and you can easily turn the iPhone keyboard into a trackpad, so that you can control the cursor with ease. Simply perform 3D Touch anywhere on the keyboard and it will turn into a trackpad. You can then move around your finger to move the cursor around. You can also lighten your touch and press firmly to select text.

In addition, you can use 3D Touch on the delete key to delete text faster. These 3D Touch tricks on the iOS keyboard obviously only work with iPhones that support 3D Touch.

2. Shake to Undo

If you want to quickly undo a text you typed or pasted, you will love this iPhone keyboard trick. You can shake your iPhone to undo a typed text and more. Sounds good,right? The “Shake to Undo” feature works to undo a typed, copied, cut or pasted text. To enable this feature, simply head over to Settings > General->Accessibility->Shake to Undo.

3. Create Text Replacement Shortcuts

Apple makes it easy to create text replacement shortcuts for the keyboard. For example, you can create a shortcut for “sounds good” as “sg”, so whenever you type “sg”, it will be automatically replaced with “sounds good”. Cool, right?

To add these shortcuts, simply head over two Settings->General->Keyboard. Here, tap on “Text Replacements” and tap on the plus icon on the top-right hand corner of the screen. Then, type in the phrase and the shortcut of your choice. You can add as many shortcuts as you like and you can also edit any existing shortcuts.

4. Add Numbers or Symbols Quickly

When you are typing a long text, switching between the numbers & symbols page in the keyboard to write a single number or symbol can slow things down. Thankfully, you can swiftly add a number of letter on the iOS keyboard without slowing down. To do this, simply swipe from the “123” button to the letter, which corresponds to the number of symbol in the punctuation page you want to type. It’s simple yet useful iPhone keyboard trick.

5. Capitalize Individual Letters

One more thing that slows down our typing speed while typing a long piece of texts is capitalizing individual letters. There is a high possibility that you press the Caps Lock button to type in capitals but iOS offers a better and faster way. You can simply swipe to the letter you want to capitalize from the Caps Lock button. Easy, right?

6. Dictation

Well, not a trick per say but not everyone knows about the dictation feature in the iPhone keyboard. You can simply press the mic button in the iPhone keyboard to start dictating a text and it works pretty well, thanks to Siri’s speech recognition. Dictating a text can come in handy when you are driving or in situations where you can’t use your hands. Also, The feature works perfectly, as you can also add punctuation, line & paragraph breaks, type in all Caps Lock and more.

7. Get more keys in the landscape mode

Most people might not be aware of this iPhone keyboard trick. Well, when you use the iPhone keyboard in the landscape mode, you get additional keys and you can always type better with more keys at your disposal. If you are using a Plus iPhone model, you will get extra keys to edit text, format, arrow keys, symbols and more. On the non plus version of iPhone’s, you should get the arrow keys, the comma and period key, a key to minimize keyboard and an extra backspace key.

It’s worth noting that the extra keys in the landscape mode are only available for iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7 and 7 Plus.

8. Change Keyboards or Enable/Disable Predictive Text

There are people who use multiple keyboards at a time. For example, I like to use both “Hinglish” as well as the “English” keyboard for different purposes. As such, I need to quickly jump between these keyboards. The good news is that there is an easy way to do that in the iPhone keyboard.

To start off, you need to add multiple keyboards in Settings->General->Keyboard->Keyboards page. After doing so, you can simply open up the keyboard and press hold on the emoji or the globe icon and choose your preferred language. In addition, you can enable or disable predictive text from the same menu, which is also very useful.

9. Type in the Domain Address Faster

It’s pretty easy to make a mistake while typing in the address of a website when we are in a hurry to open it. If you make such mistakes while entering the domain address, the iPhone keyboard has a solution for that. You can simply press hold the “.” button while typing in a webpage in the browser to quickly enter the domain address. This is a nifty way to speed things up for you while making sure you don’t make any typos.

10. Easily copy and paste text

“If you’re typing something and you accidentally delete it, you can use three fingers to swipe to the left, and it will undo!”
in the same token, if you’d like to copy text, you can use three fingers again, but what you need to do is pinch the screen.

Then, to paste, use three fingers again, and pinch outwards!

This is a delightful and simple, yet useful iPhone keyboard trick.

This keyboard trick makes it much easier to copy and paste text.

We think you might also likethese amazing iPhone tips and tricks.

So if you have been looking for iPhone keyboard tricks, there you have it.
Now that you know the best iPhone Keyboard tips and tricks, it’s time to make the best of them. After following these tips and using the keyboard exhaustively, you will figure out the features you need in a keyboard. We hope you’ll use these iOS Keyboard Tricks to improve your typing skills

Well, those were some useful iPhone keyboard tricks you can use. Sure, not all of them are tricks in real sense, but we are sure not everyone knows all of them. So, try them out on your iPhone and do let us know your favorite keyboard trick on iOS. Also, if you know of any other cool tricks on iOS keyboard, sound off in the comments section below.

Tag: iPhone Tips
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How to Move Photos from Camera Roll to Album on iPhone (2022)

by GeeksModo Staff

In this article, I’ll explain how to move photos from camera roll to album on iPhone.

Camera Roll in the Photos app contains all the pictures and videos in one place. It is sorted by date. However, to keep your photos organized, you might need to add them to respective albums. For this, you can move photos from Camera Roll to an album on iPhone. Once you do that, you will have all images and videos of an event in one place. So, if you want to put photos into albums on iPhone, there are simple steps which you need to follow.
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to move pictures from camera roll to album on iPhone in iOS 15.

How to Move photos from Camera Roll to Album on iPhone in iOS 15

Before we dive into it, it’s worth noting that In iOS 15, you will not see an album named Camera Roll. If you use iCloud Photos, it is called ‘All Photos.’ If you do not use iCloud Photos, then you will see ‘Recents’ where Camera Roll used to be before iOS 15.
with that in mind, here are the steps for adding photos to albums on iphone:

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Now, select the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen
  3. Next, tap on either See All or Recents.
  4. Next on, tap on Select and choose the photos you wish to move to an album.
  5. Tap the share button.
  6. Tap on Add to Album.
    To add to an existing album: Tap on an album under My Albums.
    To create and add to a new album: Tap New Album > give it a name > Save.

You have successfully moved Photos from Camera Roll to album on iPhone.

Now, tap twice on Albums from the bottom row. Swipe right to left or tap See All to reveal all albums and photos inside them.

To remove photos from an album: Open the album, select the photos, tap the delete icon in the bottom right and finally tap Remove from Album. Read also: How to Delete Photo Albums on iPhone & iPad? Know Steps
And that covers everything about how to move photos from your iPhone camera roll to albums. If you have any other questions, please let us know in the comments section below.

Now take time to share this article with a friend or family member to teach them how to put photos into albums on iPhone.
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Tag: Photos
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how to make Caller Picture Full Screen on iPhone? Know Here

by GeeksModo Staff

iPhone not showing contact pictures in full screen when you get an incoming call? Does the image appears in full screen for the first time and automatically turns into a thumbnail image later on? Perhaps, if you are experiencing these problems on your iPhone XR, iPhone 11, or older iPhone models running iOS 13 or earlier then this article is for you. In this guide, I’ll explainhow to make caller picture full screen on iPhone running iOS 13 or higher.
While assigning a photo to contact is quite easy, there could be some accompanying issues. For instance, instead of a fullscreen view, the photo is shown in a small circle. There are some tricks to make contact picture full screen on your iPhone in iOS 13. So, if you want to get a full-screen iPhone caller photo, there are a few simple steps which you need to follow.
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to make caller picture full screen on iPhone.

How to Make iPhone Caller Photo Full Screen in iOS 13

Follow these steps to make caller picture full screen on iPhone running iOS 13 or higher.

  1. Launch theContacts app on your iPhone and select the contact.
  2. In the contact’s information, tap on Edit button located at the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Now, tap on Add Photo or Edit Photo
    Tap on the Camera icon to take a picture or All Photos to choose a picture from the library.
  4. Choose the Album, search, and tap on the image.
  5. Move and scale the photo to fit the circle and hit Choose.
  6. Select the filter of your choice and hit Done.

There you have it. Next time the contact calls you, iPhone will show a fullscreen image of the contact instead of a small circle at the top corner. It appears both in the locked and unlocked state when a particular person calls you.

For the best result, you should select an image with a portrait orientation. While some people suggest cropping the image or a screenshot, in most cases, these tricks are a hit or miss.

To Make Existing Contact Picture Full Screen on iPhone, simply follow these steps:

  1. Launch Contacts app, tap on Contact and then Edit.
  2. Now, tap on the picture and then hit Edit.
  3. Next, select the Edit option.
  4. Next on, move or scale the photo and hit Choose.
    It’s worth noting that you need to change the position of the image enough for the phone to register the change.
  5. Choose a filter and hit Done.

And that’s pretty much it. The only problem with this trick is that you may need to do this a couple of times to achieve the desired result.
In addition, you will need to repeat the process for every contact that does not show a fullscreen image for incoming calls. Therefore, that can be quite cumbersome.
This mix-up started way back with the iOS 8 update. And apparently Apple hasn’t found a permanent or feasible solution. So, yes, as painful as it might be, these are the only ways to get full-screen pictures for iPhone calls.
Now take time to share this tip with friends and family on social media to teach them how to make caller picture full screen on iPhone.
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How to Clean iPhone Speakers Without Damaging Them

by GeeksModo Staff

You can easily clean your iPhone’s speakers with household items such as toothbrush, compressed air, and painter’s tape.
Smartphones are some of the most-used devices today. As such, they can easily get dirty. In this article, I’ll explain how to clean an iPhone’s speakers without damaging them using a toothbrush, compressed air, and painter’s tape.
The iPhone is a great Device that lets you do more things than just staying connected. It also lets you record and listen to music, and record and play videos. It allows you to be creative.

Just like any other smartphone out there, however, the iPhone can get dirty as well – especially because it is one of the most-used Devices today. Apple itself released guidelines onhow to clean and disinfect your iPhone especially considering how the coronavirus spreads. Users shouldclean and disinfect their iPhones frequently.

One of the parts of the iPhone that needs cleaning are the speakers. These parts have grilles covering them and shielding them from elements that could damage them. With time, dirt could accumulate around the grilles,, which eventually affects the iPhone’s sound quality. They need to be cleaned carefully so they will be able to work properly.

With that in mind, the following are a few ways to clean an iPhone’s speakers without damaging them.

How to properly clean your iPhone’s speakers without damaging them

How to clean iPhone’s speakers with painter’s tape

Painter’s tape, also called masking tape, is a pressure-sensitive tape made of paper, which makes it easy to tear off. Plus, it uses some sort of adhesive that can peel off cleanly, without leaving any residue. This can be used to clean the iPhone’s speakers.

To start, tear off a piece of tape, then roll it around while keeping the adhesive side out. Now, press it around the iPhone’s speakers, keeping an eye on dust and dirt. Repeat the process until the tape does not capture any dirt anymore.

How to clean iPhone’s speakers with a toothbrush

Dry, soft toothbrushes can be used to get rid of dirt that may have entered the grilles. Users should brush them slowly against the speakers so that the dirt will be removed without damaging the speakers themselves.

Users can also moisten the tip of the toothbrush with a little alcohol before brushing it against the speaker. Alcohol dries faster than water, making it a better and safer cleaning agent for the Smart phone. It also disinfects, helping for a cleaner iPhone. Take care not to soak the iPhone with alcohol, though.

How to clean iPhone’s speakers with compressed Air

Compressed air can be used to blow dirt away from the iPhone’s speakers. Similarlythey can be used to blow away dirt from computer and laptop keyboards. These should be used applied from the iPhone as too much air pressure can ruin the speakers.

Signing off
Periodically cleaning iPhone speakers is a good idea even if you aren’t experiencing reduced sound quality, as any bits of dust, gag, skin cells, or other whatnot that find their way into the small speaker holes at the bottom of the phone or the grill atop its front can get jammed deeply into the speaker and become even difficult to remove.

Just keep in mind that if you’re experiencing audio issues with an iPhone, the problem is probably the software, not the hardware — turn it off and on again and you’ll usually be all set.
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Tag: iPhone Tips
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How to Group FaceTime on Your Mac, iPhone, or iPad: Guide

by GeeksModo Staff

FaceTime offers one of the most secure ways to video call your friends, family, and colleagues. If everyone has an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac, you can have group FaceTime chats with up to 32 people for free.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to use group FaceTime calls. That includes starting a new call, managing your mic or camera settings, and fixing common errors.

How to Start a Group FaceTime Call

FaceTimeis one of several in-built iOS apps that are preinstalled on your device by default. Its icon resembles a green video camera. If you deleted FaceTime from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can download it again for freefrom the App Store

To start a new call with FaceTime, start the Facetime app, tap the Add (+) button, and type the contact you want to call. On a Mac, use the search bar that appears to find your contacts. Add as many contacts to the call as you like; FaceTime supports up to a maximum of 32 people, including yourself.

Then tap or click the Audio or Video buttons to start the group FaceTime call. The Audio button starts a call without turning your camera on, but you can enable it later if you like.
When adding people in the FaceTime app, you can search for their name, phone number, or email address. If someone isn’t saved to your contacts, enter their full phone number or email address instead.

FaceTime only allows you to add contacts who show up in blue. This happens when their Apple ID is linked to the contact details you typed in and their Apple device is currently online.

Start a Group FaceTime Call From Messages

Another way to start a group FaceTime call is by use of Messages app. This is a much more convenient method if you already have a group chat with everyone you want to call. That’s because it’s faster to get started and lets people join at a later stage without you having to add them.

Simply open the group chat in Messages, then bring up the Details for that chat by tapping the profile pictures at the top of the display. Tap or click the FaceTime icon to call everyone in the group chat via FaceTime.

If some people decline the call at first, they can join again afterwards by returning to the group chat in Messages. This shows an icon letting you know how many people are currently in the call, with a green button to Join the call as well.

How to Use Group FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, or Mac

Once you start a group FaceTime call, you’ll find yourself greeted with a selection of square video feeds from each of your contacts. If someone turns their camera off, their initials appear in a box instead of their video feed.

FaceTime automatically arranges the video feeds on your screen to allow you to see everyone at once. When that isn’t possible without making each feed too small, FaceTime dynamically changes the size of each feed depending on who’s talking. The aim is to enlarge the feed when people start talking so you can see them well, but it doesn’t work perfectly.

You can always take control of this manually by tapping or clicking on someone to make their video larger. In addition, this makes the fullscreen button visible, which enlarges the feed and moves it to the middle of your screen.

Control the Camera, Microphone, and Speaker in FaceTime

On a Mac, hover your mouse over the FaceTime window to reveal basic FaceTime controls, then click the Sidebar icon to Bring up additional controls. On an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tapping in a blank space shows controls at the bottom of your screen; swipe up to expand these controls for more options.

Tap the Mute button (shown by a microphone with a line through it) to mute yourself. This turns off your microphone so other people can’t hear you during a call.

Similarly, tap the Camera Off button (shown by a camera with a line through it) to turn off your camera. Unless you also muted yourself, people should still be able to hear you.

there is also a Flip and a Speaker option on an iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The Flip button lets you switch from the front-facing to the rear-facing camera on your device. And the Speaker button allows you to transfer the audio to other speakers on your network, such ass Apple’s HomePod.

Add More People to Your Group FaceTime Call

You can keep adding new people to an existing FaceTime call until you hit 32 participants. To do this on an iPhone or iPad, tap in a blank space and swipe up on the control panel that appears. On a Mac, launch the sidebar in the FaceTime app.

This panel shows everyone in the call, including people you called who didn’t answer. Use the call button next to these contacts to try calling them again.

you can instead use the Add Person option to search for new contacts to add to the call. Search for their name, phone number, or email address, just like when you started the FaceTime call. Then tap the Add Person to FaceTime button to bring them in.

Add Effects to Your FaceTime Call

If you’re using an iPhone 7 or later, it’s easy to add camera effects to your FaceTime calls. These include Animoji, filters, text, shapes, and various stickers. you simply need to tap in a blank space, then tap the Effects button.

Choose the type of effect you wish to apply from the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Certain effects, such as text or stickers, allows you to pick where to place them on your video feed by means of drag-and-drop.

You can add as many effects as you like, even combining your Animoji with a filter and some stickers if you wish. To return to normal, tap the Effects button again to remove all the effects at a go.

What to Do If Group FaceTime Isn’t Working

FaceTime is one of the most convenient Waze to start a group video call, but it still isn’t perfect. SometimesFaceTime refuse to ring a given contacts or face weak connection problems.

Here are instructions for how to fix some of the most common issues with group FaceTime calls.

Check Your Internet Connection

FaceTime works better on Wi-Fi. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on Wi-Fi to make sure you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, then try loading a page on your web browser. to make sure that connection is working properly. If you can’t get online, restart your router, run through our network troubleshooting steps, then contact your internet service provider if you need further support.

iIf you want to useFaceTime over mobile data on your iPhone or iPad, you need too first enable this in the settings. Start the settings app on your iPhone and go to Cellular, then scroll down to see a list of apps. Turn on the FaceTime toggle to allow it to use your cellular data.

Turn FaceTime Off and On Again

Start the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and go to FaceTime, then use the FaceTime toggle to turn the feature off. On a Mac, start the FaceTime app and head over to FaceTime > Preferences from the menu bar, then uncheck the Enable this account box.

Wait for one minute before turning FaceTime back on from the same settings page, then try to make a call again.

Update Your Operating System

sometimes, FaceTime problems can be caused by outdated operating system. It might happen that you can’t ring a certain contacts, use camera effects, or launch FaceTime at all. You can easily fix these problems by downloading and installing the latest software update.

Start the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and head over to General > Software Update. Then download and install any available software updates for your device. On a Mac, launch the Apple menu and head over to System Preferences > Software Update to check for new updates.

Use a Third-Party App to Call Non-Apple Devices

FaceTime’s biggest shortcoming is that it’s not available on other platforms beside Apple devices. You can’t download FaceTime for Android or Windows, which means there are likely lots of Friends, family members or coworkers who you can’t add to a FaceTime group call.

thankfully, there are tons of third-party apps you can use instead. Check out Best video conferencing apps here

Tag: FaceTime
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A few reasons the iPad Pro can’t replace the MacBook, even with the Magic Keyboard

by GeeksModo Staff

When it comes to the iPad, Apple loves to make a controversial statement or two. Remember when CEO Tim Cook said, “Why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?” Or the commercial with the iPad-toting kid that sparked rage in the PC world with the question “What’s a computer?”

Thanks to the iPad Pro’snew Magic Keyboard, you may find yourself agreeing with Mr. Cook and friends. It has all sorts of advantages over a MacBook, and its floating magnetic design is downright cool.

But when it comes to being a great computer for getting work done, there are still numerous reasons why the iPad Pro is not yet ready to replace your MacBook. It’s a fantastic 2-in-1 tablet, but here are the prime reasons why the humble laptop is still a better option for some people.

Typing and extended working

The Magic Keyboard is a big leap forward for the iPad. The improved keyboard and the inclusion of a trackpad bring it closer than ever to replicating a real laptop experience. The physical feeling of the keypresses is better than any other keyboard cover out there, and matches what you get on a MacBook. And yet, when it comes to the pure typing experience, MacBooks still have the upper hand for a couple reasons.

First off, everything on a MacBook is spacious and more comfortable. The keyboard layout is wider, the trackpad is broad, and the wrist rests are taller. The Magic Keyboard is good enough in these areas, but if you had to pick a better typing experience, you’d choose the MacBook every time. The Magic Keyboard also doesn’t have a function row, which is pretty useful when it comes to quickly adjusting settings or accessingShortcuts.

The bigger issue at this moment in time is software. Cursor support for the iPad Pro was a big improvement, however, not all applications are up to speed. Apple’s own apps fluidly switch between contextual cursor types and vastly improve text selection. But useful apps such as Google Docs and OneNote still use the old iOS-style text selection, which is clumsy. That’ll hopefully get ironed out over time, but currently the experience is hit-or-miss.

Multitasking apps and workflows

Apple has put a lot of effort to enhance the multitasking experience on the iPad Pro. It now includes Split View and mouse support, and Apple has forkediPadOS away from iOS to deal with iPad-centric workflows. And still, it cannot compete with MacOS.

Let’s look at Split View. It is fantastic however, it allows you to use just two apps side-by-side. On a MacBook (with a little help from third-party apps like the excellent BetterSnapTool), you can snap windows to the corners of your screen and have four apps on the go simultaneously. simply drag the windows to your screen corners — or even better, use some keyboard shortcuts — and you have an endless more flexible workspace than you get on the iPad Pro.

Even without third-party apps, the Mac has got an upper hand here. for example, there is no way to have multiple virtual desktops on the iPad, but there is on the Mac. While the iPad Pro does some multitasking things well, it’s got nothing on the Mac.

Connectivity

Take a look at your MacBook. How many devices do you usually connect to it? perhaps you raise it up on a stand and hook up a keyboard and mouse. maybe you also use an external monitor with your laptop for a better viewing experience. There are many instances we need to connect more than one peripheral at a time, but the iPad Pro’s single USB-C port puts paid to that.

Worse, the iPad Pro’s Single port means that even if you only want to pair your device with a single peripheral, you cannot do that as you charge your iPad at the same time. although both the iPad Pro and MacBook includes USB-C ports, those on modern MacBook models are much faster thanks to being Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, — the MacBook’s ports can rock speeds of up to 40Gbps, while the iPad Pro can only reach a quarter of that. all that combined means the iPad Pro is far less flexible as far as connectivity is concerned.

The Magic Keyboard does include an extra USB-C port in its base, however you can only use it for charging.

File management

not so long ago, Apple has belatedly added some sort of file management and external hard drive support to the iPad Pro. That’s awesome for travel photographers who want to manage files on the go, however, in case you have a huge library of documents that you need to get under control, it still falls short of what you can do on the Mac.

for instance, when we tried substituting a MacBook for an iPad Pro: “Selecting a thousand photos to add to an album is hectic, as there is no equivalent to a Command-A shortcut to select all. Instead, you have to slide a finger over every image.”

The Mac has a wealth of third-party file-management apps, including those that modify or even completely replace the Finder. But even a fraction of that level of customization is not available on the iPad Pro. You can sort your documents in the Files app by date, for example, but on the Mac you can sort by date modified, date created, date last opened, and date added. If you handle dozens of files every day, Mac has got an edge over iPad Pro.

Content creation

If you engage inserious, pro-level tasks in the Apple ecosystem, there is still only one option, The Mac. Sure, you can use some professional apps like Photoshop on the iPad Pro, but if you were thinking that means it can replace the MacBook, there are some serious shortcomings, both in terms of hardware and software.

Let’s look at apps first. While Adobe promised “real Photoshop” on the iPad, the mobile version still does not have feature parity with the equivalent Mac app despite the fact that Adobe is releasing new features each month). But Photoshop is an outlier. Looking for apps like Logic Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro X on the iPad Pro? Tough luck.

Even for those pro-level apps you can get on the iPad Pro, you’ll encounter a limitation. Sure, the Apple A-series processor in the iPad Pro is surprisingly powerful, but you will find yourself Limited in other ways. For tasks like video rendering and machine learning, a dedicated graphics card is compulsory, yet the iPad Pro is devoid of options in this area. If you want to engage in high-end, serious tasks, you are best off sticking with a MacBook Pro,specifically the 16-inch model

Tags: iPad Pro, MacBook Pro
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Invalid SIM or No SIM on iPhone? Fix it Here

by GeeksModo Staff

A pop-up appeared on your iPhone saying “Invalid SIM” and you don’t know the reason. Now you can’t make phone calls, send texts, or use cellular data. In this post, I’ll explain why it says Invalid SIM on your iPhone and show you how to fix the problem permanently.

Turn Airplane Mode On and Back Off

The first thing you should do when your iPhone says Invalid SIM is to turn Airplane Mode on and back off. When Airplane Mode is enabled, your iPhone Cutts off cellular and wireless networks.

Start the Settings app and tap the switch next to Airplane Mode to turn it on. Wait a few seconds, then tap the switch to turn it back off.

Check For A Carrier Settings Update

The next thing you need to do is to check to see if a carrier settings update is available on your iPhone. Apple and your wireless carrier will frequently release carrier settings updates to improve your iPhone’s ability to connect to cellular towers.

To check for a carrier settings update, start the Settings app on your iPhone and head over to General -> About. Wait here for about 15 seconds — if a carrier settings update is available, you’ll see a pop-up on your iPhone display. If you see the pop-up, tap Update.

If you don’t see any pop-up, a carrier settings update probably isn’t available!

Restart Your iPhone

Sometimes it’ll say Invalid SIM on your iPhone due to a minor software glitch. By switching your iPhone off and back on, we allow it to shut down all of its programs naturally. They’ll have a fresh when you turn it back on.

To switch off iPhone 8 or earlier, press and hold the power button until you see the slide to power off option. To turn off iPhone X or later, press and hold the side button together with either volume button. Swipe the red power icon from left to right to shut down your iPhone.

Wait for a moment, then press and hold down the power button or side button to turn your iPhone back on.

Update Your iPhone

Your iPhone could also be saying Invalid SIM because it’s software is out of date. Apple often release new iOS updates to fix existing software glitches and introduce new features.

To check for an iOS update, start the Settings app and head over to General -> Software Update. If an update is available, hit Download & Install.

If it says “Your iPhone is up to date”, try the next solution.

Eject and Reinsert Your SIM Card

So far, we’ve covered most iPhone troubleshooting steps. Now, it’s time to take a look at the SIM card.

If you recently dropped youriPhone, the SIM card might have been moved out of place. Try ejecting the SIM card from your iPhone, then reinserted

Where Is The SIM Card Located?

On most iPhones, the SIM card tray is located on the right edge of the device. On the oldest iPhones (original iPhone, 3G, and 3GS), the SIM card tray is located on the topmost of the iPhone.

How Do I Eject My iPhone SIM Card?

Use a SIM card ejector tool or a paper clip and press down in the small circle on the SIM card tray. Make sure to apply a fair bit of pressure to get the tray to actually eject. Don’t worry when your iPhone says No SIM when you open up the SIM card tray.

Make sure the SIM card is properly positioned in the tray and insert it back in. If it still says Invalid SIM on iPhone, try the next SIM card troubleshooting fix.

Try A Different SIM Card

This step will help us figure out whether you’re dealing with an iPhone issue or a SIM card issue. Ask your friend to lend you a SIM card and insert it into your iPhone. Does it still say Invalid SIM?

If your iPhone says Invalid SIM, then your iPhone is the culprit. If the problem went away after you inserted a different SIM card, then there’s a problem with your SIM card, not your iPhone.

If your iPhone is causing the Invalid SIM problem, try the next solution. If there’s a problem with your SIM card, contact your wireless carrier. We’ve provided some customer support phone numbers below in the “Contact Your Carrier” step.

Is there a PIN on your SIM

If you use a PIN on your SIM card, you are required to type in your sim pin after every iPhone restart, in addition to the device passcode. Failure to which, it will show Locked SIM and remain unusable.

Now, this is different from the Invalid SIM or No SIM issue. But if you or a kid (who knows the iPhone password) has inadvertently entered wrong SIM card pin 3 times in a row, then the SIM will be locked.

You will be required to contact your carrier via call or chat and request for a Personal Unlocking Key (PUK code). After that, follow your carrier’s instructions to enter the PUK code on the iPhone to unlock your SIM card and use it.

Reset Network Settings

Your iPhone’s network settings includes all of its cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and VPN settings. Your iPhone may say Invalid SIM if there’s software error within the cellular settings. Unfortunately, these issues can be challenging to trace, so the only solution is to reset all of your iPhone’s network settings.

Pro-Tip: Make sure you know all of your Wi-Fi passwords before resetting network settings. You’ll need to enter them afresh them after resetting your iPhone.

To reset your iPhone’s network settings, start the Settings app on your iPhone and head over to General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings. When asked, type in your iPhone passcode, then confirm the reset.

Restore your iPhone to Factory Settings

Resetting your iPhone to factory default will erase everything from your iPhone. reset your iPhone to factory default, simply start the settings app on your iPhone and go to General -> Reset -> reset all settings. If your iPhone says invalid sim still, try the next solution.

Contact Your Wireless Carrier Or Apple

If it still says Invalid SIM on your iPhone after you’ve reset the network settings, you’ll need to contact your wireless carrier or visit your nearestApple Store.

With SIM card problem, we recommend visiting your wireless carrier first. There is a higher chance that they’ll be able to help you fix the Invalid SIM issue. You may only need a new SIM card!

Visit your wireless carrier’s retail store or call the phone number below to talk to a customer support representative:

  • Verizon: 1-(800)-922-0204
  • Sprint: 1-(888)-211-4727
  • AT&T: 1-(800)-331-0500
  • T-Mobile: 1-(877)-746-0909

Switch To A New Wireless Carrier

If you’re sick of having SIM card or cell service problems on your iPhone, it might be the time to switch to a new wireless carrier. Sometimes you’ll save a lot of money when you switch!

Invalid or no SIM on iPhone? Problem fixed

Your iPhone SIM card is no longer invalid and you can continue making phone calls and using cellular data. Next time it says Invalid SIM on your iPhone, you’ll know how to fix the problem. If you have any other questions about your iPhone or your SIM card, let us know in the comment section below. We also have plenty of other articles that I suggest to check right now.

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Optimized Battery Charging not Working on iPhone? Fix

by GeeksModo Staff

Optimized battery charging is not working on your iPhone and you don’t know what to do. No problem. In this guide, I’ll explain why optimized battery charging is not working and what to do to fix the issue.
Starting with the iOS 13, Apple introduced theOptimized Battery Charging feature to help iPhone users maximize total battery lifespan. While some people love this feature, others don’t — maybe because it sometimes doesn’t allow their iPhone to charge past 80%. That makes it quite challenging to know whether iPhone’s Optimized Battery Charging feature is working or not. However, if you’ve noticed it’s not, here are step-by-steps instructions to fixthe issue.

How does Optimized battery charging work on the iPhone?

Here’s how the feature works::

    • If you wake up at 8 a.m. every day, Optimized Battery Charging will take note of that wake-up time.
    • When you connect your iPhone to power at night, it’ll charge normally up to 80 percent

charge.

  • At this point, the feature will pause charging.
  • It will continue charging when it recognizes it can fill up your iPhone’s battery without making it sit a full charge for too long.

Apple introduced optimized battery charging because of the way lithium-ion batteries function. All smartphone batteries naturally degrade over time, but letting a lithium-ion
battery sit at 0 or 100 percent charge for a long time can place unnecessary strain on it.

Why isn’t Optimized Battery Charging working?

Optimized Battery Charging, in theory, is a great way for Apple to help reduce the number of times an iPhone user needs to replace their battery.

It may particularly come in handy for users who hold onto their iPhones for extended lengths of time. For those users, battery health is extremely important
since no on wants to replace their battery every year.

Having said that, it seams that Optimized Battery Charging isn’t actually working for a significant number of users.

According to users experiencing this problem, the feature does not stop or start charging at the correct times. Other users have reported that the feature doesn’t do anything
at all on their devices.
In this article, we’ve explained 6 different fixes for iPhone’s Optimized Battery Charging not working as expected.

Optimized battery charging not working on iPhone? How to fix

1. RE-ENABLE OPTIMIZED BATTERY CHARGING

The first thing you should do when you notice that Optimized Battery Charging isn’t working on your iPhone is to reconfirm if the feature is enabled. Optimized battery charging is enabled by default on newer iPhone models, however, it could be disabled on your device.

NOTE: only devices running iOS 13 and higher support optimized battery charging.

To check if optimized battery charging is enabled on your iPhone, simply follow these steps:

  1. Start the settings app on your iPhone and tap Battery.
  2. Tap on Battery Health.
  3. Make sure the ‘Optimized Battery Charging’ feature is enabled. You can also try disabling it and toggle it back on.

Now that you’ve enabled the feature, let’s move to the next solution to help get Optimized Battery Charging working on your iPhone.

2. TURN ON LOCATION SERVICES

To help maximize total lifespan of your iPhone battery, the Optimized Battery Charging feature uses machine learning to learn your usage habit and determine where you spend most of your time (home, work, etc.). Afterwords, the Optimized Battery Charging feature would engage only at the locations where you spend the most time, ideally speaking.

If certain location settings on your iPhone are disabled, or there’s an unexpected discrepancy in your location pattern (for example if you recently traveled, went on vacation, or relocated), there may be a shift (or pause) in the functionality of the optimized charging feature. That is, Optimized Battery Charging wouldn’t work as expected.

Furthermore, there are a number of location settings that must be enabled on your iPhone for Optimized Battery Charging to work. Simply follow the steps below.

NOTE: None of the location information or history used for this Optimized Battery Charging is sent to Apple. The data is locally stored on your iPhone toImprove battery life

Location Services

  1. Start the settings app on your iPhone and go to Privacy.
  2. Now, tap Location Services.
  3. Lastly, tap Location Services to toggle it on if It’s not yet already.

System Customization

    Start the settings app on your iPhone and tap Privacy.

  1. Tap Location Services.
  2. Scroll down and tap on System Services.
  3. Make sure System Customization is enabled. Toggle it on if it’s not yet already.

Significant Locations

  1. Start the settings app on your iPhone and tap Privacy.
  2. Tap on Location Services.
  3. Scroll down and tap on System Services.
  4. Tap Significant Locations. You’d be requested to authorize entry either by Face ID, touch ID or your iPhone password.
  5. Make sure Significant Locations is turned on.

If these settings are enabled on your iPhone, and you did not recently travel (or moved to a different locations), but Optimized Battery Charging still doesn’t work, try the next solution.

3. RESTART IPHONE

Restarting your iPhone could help in fixing minor software glitches and resolve problems preventing Optimized Battery Charging from working on your device. Simply hold down the power button to shut down your iPhone. Wait for a minute and turn it back on and check if optimized battery charging is working. If the feature is not working still, try the next solution.

4. UPDATE IOS 13

As we’ve already pointed out, Optimized Battery Charging feature only works on devices running iOS 13 and higher. If your iPhone is running older version of iOS, you should update your device to take advantage of the feature. In case you’ve already installed iOS 13 on your device but Optimized Battery Charging still doesn’t work, you should ensure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS 13. To check if your device is running the latest version of iOS, Start the settings app on your iPhone and head over to General > Software Update. Download and install any update, if available.

If your device is running the latest iOS version and Optimized Battery Charging doesn’t work, try the next solution.

5. USE ORIGINAL CHARGER

If Optimized Battery Charging isn’t working on your iPhone, you may want to try the following:

If you’re using wireless charging, try standard wired charging. If you’re using a third-party charger, try out first-party Apple
Charger for a while. Just check if there’s any change.

6. WAIT IT OUT

It’s worth noting that the algorithm powering the optimized battery charging feature takes a while to gather the essential information (charging and usage habits, location pattern, etc.) for it to work properly. Apple doesn’t specify how long it takes for the feature to gather this data, but it can take days, sometimes weeks.

Personally, the Optimized Battery Charging feature took about a week to work properly, however, users have reported that it took more than 2 weeks.

Therefore, if you have been using your iPhone for a week or so, and you’re sure that the Optimized Battery Charging feature is enabled, don’t worry. The feature is busy working in the background, gathering the necessary data for it to work properly. The only option is to be patient as there is no way to fast-track the data gathering process.

Optimized Battery Charging won’t work? Problem fixed!

Currently, it appears as if Optimized Battery Charging is working appropriately for the vast majority of users, however, isn’t working at all for just as many.

Why? It appears as if the feature actually requires a consistent schedule to work. For instance, if you wake up each day at 8 a.m., then Optimized
Battery Charging is smart enough to know to resume charging an appropriate amount of time before you wake up.
We hope this article has helped you fix optimized battery charging issue on your iPhone. Now share this article with others to teach them what to do when optimized battery charging is not working on their iPhone. We also have plenty of other articles that I suggest you check right now.

Tag: Battery
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