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Disable Touch ID or Face ID on iPhone: The Quickest Way

by GeeksModo Staff

Here’s the situation: you needFace ID orTouch ID disabled as quickly as possible, You don’t have time to dig around in your settings, slowly working through an authentication reset. Four instance, you may want toTemporarily disable Face ID or touch ID to prevent force unlocks. So, if you find yourself in a place where you think your own face or fingerprint will be used against you, use this trick to instantly protect your iPhone.

Quickly disable touch ID or Face ID on iPhone

Follow these steps to disable touch ID or face ID on your iPhone.

  1. Pick up your iPhone and hold down both the Volume Up button and the Side or Sleep/Wake button for about two seconds.
  2. Once you see the “slide to power off” and “Emergency SOS” sliders appear (which will be accompanied by haptic feedback), your iPhone will temporality disable Face ID or Touch ID and you’ll be required to enter your passcode the next time you try to unlock it.

Once you do unlock it, however, your iPhone reinstates Face ID or Touch ID.

Another way to force your iPhone to require a passcode is by pulling up the standard power-off screen. This method will accomplish the same task, however, it takes about a second longer than the method above. If there’s one benefit to the longer method, however, it’s that Emergency SOS doesn’t appear as an option, so your risk of accidentally calling the cops in a non-emergency situation is significantly less.

To bring up the standard power-off screen, on an iPhone with a Home button, hold down the Sleep/Wake button. For newer iPhones with Face ID, quickly press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold down the Side button.
And that pretty much it on how to temporarily disable touch ID or face ID on iPhone. If you love this tip, please share it with others to teach them how to disable Face ID or touch ID on iPhone.
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How to select multiple photos on iPhone: the fastest way

by GeeksModo Staff

Whether you want to delete a few photos or share a bunch with another app, there are times when you need to select multiple photos at once. This would usually be annoying since you’d have to tap every photo you wanted to select, thankfully, there’s a much faster way to select multiple photos on iPhone. If you want to select multiple photos on iPhone, there are a few simple steps which you need to follow.
here is a step-by-step guide which you can follow to learn how to delete all photos from iPhone.

how to select multiple photos on iPhone

here are step-by-step instructions for how to select multiple photos on iPhone.

  1. Start thePhotos app and choose “Select” in the top-right corner of the screen.
  2. Slide your finger left to right across the images of choice, and a blue checkmark will appear on each selected photo.
  3. Now, after sliding sideways to initiate the gesture, you can then slide up or down to continuously select photos while scrolling.

One advantage of this method is you don’t have to do it in one pass. For instant, you can slide your finger across a row, remove it from the screen, then slide it on a new row to continued selecting. As such, you only select the photos you need, while avoiding rows of photos you don’t.
And that covers everything about how to select multiple photos on iPhone to delete or share.
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How to Delete Photo Albums on iPhone & iPad? Know Steps

by GeeksModo Staff

Many apps, especially those used for messaging or photo editing, automatically create albums in the Photos app on iPhone. Even after you delete a particular app, its associated picture album remains. Over time, this may clog up youriPhone. As such, it’s a good thing to regularly delete photo albums in iOS 13 on your iPhone and iPad. You can also remove any image collections you may have created yourself to organize your photos particularly those which you no longer need. If you need to delete photo albums on iPhone or iPad, there are a few simple steps which you need to follow.

How to Delete Photo Albums in iOS 13 and iPadOS

Here are step by step instructions for how to delete photo album on iPhone or iPad running iOS 13 or iPadOS 13.

  1. Start the Photos app and then tap Albums tab located at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Next, tap on See All button located at the upper right.
  3. Next on, tap on Edit.
  4. Now, tap on the red minus button for the specific album.
  5. Lastly, tap on Delete Album.

This will only remove the photo album from the iPhone or iPad and not the photos and videos that are in it.

how to delete multiple photo albums on iPhone or iPad

To delete multiple albums from the iPhone, repeat steps 4 and 5. Note, you can not delete Recent and Favorites. They are in-built permanent albums.

it’s also worth mentioning that you can not delete any album or photo that has been synced to the iOS device via Finder on Mac or iTunes on Windows PC.

We think you might also likethese amazing iPhone tips and tricksAnd that covers everything about how to delete photo album on iPhone or iPad.
Now take time to share this article with your friends and family members to teach them how to delete photo albums on iPhone iniOS 13 and iPadOS. If you have any other questions, let us know in the comments section below.

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Not Able to Purchase Apps on iPhone or iPad? How to Fix

by GeeksModo Staff

Sometimes when buying an app on the iPhone, you might see ‘The iTunes Store is unable to process purchases at this time. Please try again later.’ In most cases, users experience this problem, after updating their device to the latest iOS version. If you are unable to purchase apps from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, there are a few simple steps which you need to follow to fix the issue.

Unable to Purchase Apps on iPhone or iPad? Tips to Fix the Issue

If you are unable to purchase apps on app store, follow the steps below to fix the issue.

1. Check Payment Information

If you have several payment methods or a faulty credit card attached to your Apple ID, you may encounter ‘Unable to Process Purchases at this Time’ error. To fix this, try to remove unnecessary cards added to your account. Simply follow these steps:

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your name at the top of the screen and then Tap the iTunes & App Store.
  3. tap your Apple ID at the top. Then tap View Apple ID.
  4. Tap Manage Payments.
  5. To remove unnecessary cards and payment methods, tap Edit at the top right > tap the red minus icon > tap Remove > tap Remove from the pop-up.
    In case you have errors or issues with the payment method, you may want to add a valid working card to your Apple ID.

2. Sign Out from Apple ID and Sign in Again

  1. Start the Settings app and then tap on your profile at the top of the screen.
  2. tap iTunes & App Store.
  3. Tap on your Apple ID > choose Sign Out.
    Wait for a moment and sign back in.

3. Restart your Device

To restart your iPhone or iPad, use the buttons as usual. Alternatively, head over to the Settings > General, scroll down and tap Shut Down. Wait for a moment and power your device back on and try to purchase the app again.

4. Check App Store Restrictions on iPhone

Restrictions may prevent you from purchasing or downloading apps. To check if there are restrictions applied for your iPhone or iPad, follow the steps below. If you (a kid) are in Family Sharing, ask the family organizer to remove app restrictions for you.

  1. Start the Settings app and tap on Screen Time.
  2. Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  3. In case restrictions are turned on, tap on iTunes & App Store Purchases and ensure Installing Apps is set to Allow.
  4. Now, go back and tap Allowed Apps. Ensure the toggle for the iTunes Store is turned on.
  5. Go back and tap on Content Restrictions and ensure that for Apps, Allow All Apps is checked.
    If you find these settings overwhelming, you may also turn off Content & Privacy Restrictions completely.

5. Check Apple Status Page

Head over to Apple’sSystem Status Page and check that App Store, Apple ID, and iTunes Store have a green dot next to them. This is an indicator that everything is working normally. If the dot is not green, then you need to hold on for some time before you can download or purchase an app.

6. Use Touch ID or Face ID for App Purchases

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Scroll down and tapFace ID/Touch ID & Passcode and enter your device’s password.
  3. Turn on the switch next to iTunes & App Store. You may be asked to type in your Apple ID password. From now on, you can make purchases from the App Store using biometrics authentication.

Now, try to download or purchase the app again. If you still cant purchase apps on iPhone, try the next solution.

7. Update Your iPhone or iPad

Make sure your device is running the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Apple often releases new version of operating system to fix existing glitches and bugs. You can either set automatic iOS updates, or follow the steps below to update your device manually.

  • Head over to Settings > Tap General > Software Update.

If a new update is available, tap Download and Install.

8. Reset All Settings on iPhone

If you are still not able to purchase apps from app store, consider resetting all settings. Non of your personal data will be deleted, however, it will remove all settings, such as Wi-Fi, VPN configuration, keyboard settings, Notification settings, home screen layout, etc. Simply put, all your iPhone settings will return to default. To be on the safe side, it’s always a good idea to backup your device before you reset it.

  1. Start the settings app > Tap General > Reset.
  2. Tap Reset All Settings. Type in your password and confirm the action.

After the process completes, try to purchase the app again. If you are still not able to purchase apps on iPhone, try the next solution.

9. Contact Apple Support

If the problem persist, it’s time tocontact Apple Support. You can do this via chat or call. Alternatively, you can use the Apple Support app if you’ve already installed it on your iPhone or iPad.

10. Fix Unable to Restore In-App Purchases on iPhone

If you are unable to restore in-app purchases, then consider checking your Apple ID. Did you make these purchases from the same Apple ID that you are currently using, or was it a different one? It’s only possible to restore purchases if the Apple ID is the same that was used to buy them. Purchases are attached to your Apple ID and not the device.

Also, launch the Settings app > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.

If it’s turned on, tap iTunes & App Store Purchases and make sure that In-app Purchases is set to Allow.

Lastly, if the app doesn’t recognize automatically that you have bought in-app purchases or its pro version, etc. then, you’ll need to do it manually. Simply head over to Settings or Options inside the app and find the Restore Purchases option.

If it still returns an error, restart your device and try again. Lastly, if nothing helps, get in touch with the developer. To do this, you can use the help or contact page inside the app. Or, search for the app in the App Store and tap on it. Next, tap App Support or Developer Website and reach out to them from there.

I trust this article helped you fix the issues related to app purchases on your iPhone and iPad. If you have any other question or suggestion, let us know in the comments section below.
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iCloud storage full: Free up, buy or downgrade in 3 steps

by GeeksModo Staff

Is your iCloud storage full or do you have too much space? no problem. Apple has made it really easy to Increase or decrease the size of your iCloud storage.
If you want to adjust your iCloud storage plan, there are a few simple steps which you need to follow. Here are step-by-step instructions for how to change iCloud storage plan on your iPhone or iPad.

Buy or downgrade iCloud storage

Apple offers 5GB of free storage in iCloud by default. If your iCloud storage is full, iOS devices will stop backing up and saving photos and videos. You can always check how much storage you are using and also get a notification if iCloud is full. Then you will be asked if you want to upgrade the iCloud storage for a monthly fee.

Free up iCloud storage space

5GB of iCloud storage space is filled faster than you think. You can increase this storage 10 times for 0.99 dollars per month. If you do not think this is necessary, you can also choose to delete a number of files from your iCloud. If your iCloud storage is full, it is best to adjust what is stored on your iCloud Drive first. You do this as follows:

  1. Go to the Settings app an then click on your Apple ID at the top;
  2. Select “iCloud”. Here you can adjust which apps do or don’t store data in iCloud by turning the switches on or off;

To manage your iCloud storage,

  • go to the management page via “Manage Storage”. Here you can see again how much space the installed apps use.

Upgrade or downgrade iCloud storage

Have you changed or cleared the list of apps that use iCloud, but you’re still running out of space? Then under “Manage Storage” you can choose to increase the iCloud storage by taking a larger subscription.

Do you already have a subscription? Then it is also possible to downgrade your iCloud subscription accordingly, if you find that you are paying too much because you do not need all the storage. Follow the steps below to change your iCloud subscription:

To change your iCloud storage plan, press “Change storage plan”;
The upgrade options are under your current storage plan. Choose the subscription you want. If you buy 200GB or 2TB of iCloud storage, you can also share the iCloud with your family. Select your desired quantity to buy it;
Do you want less storage? Then scroll down a little and select “Downgrade options”. Choose the smaller “bundle” that suits you better here.

After purchasing the iCloud storage plan, you immediately have the new amount of storage space available iniCloud. You can not reduce your subscription if you already have too little space for your data as standard. Read also How to change iCloud storage plan on iPhone, Mac, or Windows PC
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7 Tips to Save Space on Your Mac (Book)

by GeeksModo Staff

Is the disk space of your Mac (Book) full? You can do something about that. If you want to kno whow to save space on your Macbook, no problem. In this article we list 7 tips to free up storage on your Mac.

Free up Mac disk space

Do you have a MacBook and you are about to hit your storage limit? No problem. There are a number of things you can do, even if you prefer not to delete apps or data to save disk space on Macbook.
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to free up space on Macbook Air, or MacBook Pro.

1. Delete large files

First of all, you can delete large files that you don’t use to free up memory on your mac. However, if you have downloaded a lot, you can lose the overview of the files you have. You can scroll through all the folders of the Finder to see what you do and don’t need, but if you have multiple files in the download folder, that’s not possible.

It is therefore more convenient to go to a folder and organize files by size. In Finder, click the gear at the top of the window. Click on “Sort by” and choose “Size. See which large files you all have and see if you still use them. If not, it’s best to move them to the Trash.

2. Restart Mac or apps

Another best way to save space on Macbook it’s by performing a restart. Apps that you have open secretly keep some temporary data in the background. How about Safari or Chrome or apps like Photoshop? The longer you run them, the more files they create and the more disk space they take up.

Restarting your Mac (Book) every now and then will delete the temporary files, which again saves a bit of disc space. Always close apps when you are not using them. Sometimes apps continue to run in the background, and sometimes they also create temporary data. To do this, press cmd + tab. You will then see which applications are still open. Hold cmd and press Q to exit an app. Also, restart your MacBook regularly to clear temporary files.

3. Remove “Other storage”

Whether you want to save space on Macbook Pro, MacBook Air or MacBook mini, you’ll love this tip. A huge amount of data is stored on the Mac, but it is not always clear what kind of files it concerns. In addition to apps, photos and movies, your Mac also accumulates a large amount of data under the “Other” category.

These are often documents, plugins, system data and cache memory that are stored by installed apps. The files are not harmful, but they do take up a lot of disk space. By removing these you quickly free up a lot of memory. Also read How to delete documents and data on iPhone or iPad
To see how much other storage your Mac is using, simply follow these steps:

  1. click the Apple icon in the top left of your screen, then click “About this Mac.”
  2. In the tab “Storage” you can see in which categories your data is divided, and how much disk space each category uses.
  3. Click “Go” in the Finder at the top of the menu bar;
  4. Click on “Go to folder …”
    Type ~ / Library / caches in the text box and press “Go”;
    You will now see the folders with saved data of all installed apps.

Here you can delete folders from apps that you no longer use or have already been deleted. It is of course important to delete only these folders. Deleting folders from apps you are still using can cause problems.

4. Optimized storage

Your MacBook can also help you free up disk space. Through Optimized Storage, your Mac gives you tips and recommendations on how to use up your MacBook’s files and programs as little memory as possible.

You activate this function by clicking on the Apple icon at the top left and then on “About this Mac”.
Under the tab “Storage” choose “Management”.
Your Mac calculates how much space it uses and gives you recommendations to optimize storage space.
Choose one of the ways to minimize the amount of data from apps and files using automated functions. For example, you can have your trash automatically emptied, or automatically remove films and programs that you have watched.

5. Store files in the cloud

If you’re running out of space on the hard drive, you can also store files elsewhere. With services like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox you can save your documents and files. Often you get a few GB for free to try out the service and you have to pay a certain amount every month if you want more space.

The price for this differs, but is often not too bad. For the iCloud, for example, you can increase your storage 10 times with 0.99 dollars per month. One benefits of such a cloud service is that you can access it from any device: so you are not limited to one device. You can also access your cloud files from your iPhone, for example.

6. Use micro SD card or external hard drive

If you prefer not to have your files stored in the cloud, you can choose to store them locally on an external hard drive or a micro-SD card. This is especially useful for (large) files that you do not want to throw away, but do not need to have on your Mac as standard.

Think of films, photos from old holidays or other documents. When you buy a hard drive, you may need to format it for aMac for the first time. Then you can always plug it in.

7. Empty the trash

It might sound obvious, but don’t forget to empty the trash. If you clicked a file and pressed delete, the file is not completely gone. It has actually been moved to the trash but still retrievable. For example, if you have thrown out the cache of deleted apps, they will still take up disk space in the trash.

To permanently remove it, right-click on the Trash in the Dock. Choose “Empty trash”. Your files are now permanently deleted.

How do i free up disk space on my Mac? Now you know

We trust this guide has helped you free up space on your Mac.
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Touch ID vs Face ID: what are the differences and similarities?

by GeeksModo Staff

Touch ID vs Face ID: what are the differences and similarities?
AND WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS?

Which is better, an iPhone with Touch ID or Face ID? What are the differences and benefits of facial recognition vs. a fingerprint scanner? In this article, we compare Touch ID and Face ID and look at the differences and similarities between
Touch ID and Face ID
Now that theiPhone SE 2020 has been released, you may doubt whether you should still invest in an iPhone with Touch ID.

Touch ID will continue to exist on the iPhones and iPads in the coming years and may even come back as an extra option under the screen. It is mainly about what you like yourself!
Apple uses two different methods to unlock your Apple device:Touch ID orFace ID . Touch ID is Apple’s name for the fingerprint scanner, while the face recognition is called Face ID. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Explanation
Differences and similarities
Pros and cons
Face recognition with Face ID can be found on recent devices since the iPhone X and iPad Pro 2018 while on other devices you can find Touch ID. Even now, devices with Touch ID are still being made, such as the latest iPads and theiPhone SE 2020 .

What are Touch ID and Face ID?

Touch ID and Face ID are both biometric authentication methods that provide access to your Apple product. In the case of Touch ID, it scans your fingerprint: if you put your registered finger on the home button of your iPhone or iPad, you will have access to all functions and data.

Face ID makes a scan of your face before you can unlock the iPhone or iPad . Both methods replace the passcode you set to lock your device. Touch ID and Face ID ensure that all your data is stored securely, so that other people cannot access your device and view your photos, contacts and other data.

Touch ID is the fingerprint scanner found in the iPhone, iPad and some MacBooks. It is used to unlock your device and authorize purchases and the like. Here’s how it works.
Apple’s facial recognition on iPhone
The iPhone has been equipped with Face ID, Apple’s own face recognition, since the iPhone X. In this article you will find the complete Face ID explanation: how it works, whether it also works with apps and whether it is safe.

The purpose of both methods is therefore the same. That does not alter the fact that there are a number of differences and similarities between Touch ID and Face ID.

Touch ID and Face ID differences

These are the differences in brief:

  • Touch ID works with your finger, Face ID with your face.
  • Face ID only works in portrait mode ( iPad Pro 2018 excluded).
  • Face ID works with two faces (via an alternative appearance), Touch ID with five fingers.
  • Face ID is more secure than Touch ID.

The most obvious difference is the method of identification. With Touch ID you place a registered finger on the home button. The advantage of this is that it doesn’t matter how you hold your device: vertically, horizontally or at an angle. As long as you have properly registered your finger, you can place it on the home button in many ways. The only condition is that your skin must be in contact with the button itself. Touch ID also works when your device is flat on the table or with the screen away from you.

With Face ID, you always have to keep your device in portrait mode. Face ID will not work if your iPhone is in landscape position, unless you tilt your head ninety degrees. In addition, your face must always be in front of the TrueDepth camera . You cannot use Face ID if your iPhone is flat on the table, unless you hang your face above the screen.

Another significant difference is that Face ID works with up to two faces. You use the Alternative appearance option to scan your partner’s face, for example. It is not possible to register more people.

This is possible with Touch ID. You can register up to five different fingers of different people. For example, some people register a finger of their partner so that they always have quick access in case of emergency and do not have to remember a passcode.

The last key difference is that Face ID is a lot safer, according to Apple. The chances of unlocking someone else’s device with Face ID are 1 in 1 million. With Touch ID, that chance is 20 times greater, namely 1 in 50,000. Using Face ID is therefore secure than Touch ID, although you are well secured with both methods. The chance that someone can unlock your iPhone with his finger is still very small.

Moreover, with Face ID you are slightly better protected against certain situations, for example during a robbery. For Face ID to unlock your device, you look at the screen with your eyes open thanks to the attention function . This is more difficult to force than grabbing someone’s finger and pressing the home button. On the other hand, Face ID can be used in a more sneaky way with someone other than Touch ID, because the latter requires an action.

Touch ID can be found on the iPhone models from 2013. The iPad models from 2014 are also equipped with Touch ID. You can also find the fingerprint scanner on the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and the MacBook Air 2018 and newer. Face ID is only available on iPhone X and newer and iPad Pro 2018 and newer.

Touch ID and Face ID similarities

These are the similarities in brief:

  • Secure and unlock your device without entering a passcode.
  • Identifying and logging into apps (e.g. banking apps).
  • Data is stored securely
  • Use for payments with Apple Pay.

The similarities between the two methods mainly focus on one goal: to secure your device and protect your personal data. If your face or finger is not recognized, you will fall back on entering your passcode. In addition, apps can work together with both Touch ID and Face ID. In most cases, Face ID works automatically if an app is also adapted for Touch ID. A developer must add this biometric login method himself. Most banking apps let you log in and send payments with Touch ID or Face ID. This also applies to many password manager apps .

In addition, you use Face ID and Touch ID to approve payments via Apple Pay . This makes you the only one who can pay with your iPhone or iPad (or your partner that you also registered in the Touch ID or Face ID settings). As an alternative to Face ID and Touch ID you can also use the passcode.

The data of registering your fingers and face are both stored in a separate secure part in the chip of your Apple device, called the Secure Enclave. Other parts of the system cannot access this data, so your fingerprint or face does not just end up on the street. However, there is a difference: Touch ID does not store images of your fingerprint, but Face ID does (although they are made unrecognizable). Apple does this to ensure that Face ID works even if your face changes slightly. It is therefore not necessary to rescan your face.

What are the pros and cons of Touch ID and Face ID?

From the list of similarities and differences, you could already see that both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages. In short, these are the pros and cons of Touch ID and Face ID:

Touch ID benefits

  • Register multiple fingers (can also be done by other people)
  • It doesn’t matter how you hold your device, as long as your finger comes in contact with the home button

Touch ID disadvantages

  • Does not work with gloves
  • Often does not work if fingers are dirty or wet
  • With Touch ID you can lock your iPhone, iPad and Mac with your own fingerprint.

Face ID benefits

  • Often works hands-free (unlocking requires swiping)
  • It is safer
  • Works with two faces (from iOS 12 )

Face ID disadvantages

  • Does not work with certain sunglasses ( most sunglasses work )
  • Does not work if the sun shines brightly behind you.

and that covers everything about differences between Face ID in touch ID on iPhone and iPad.
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Sleep tracking with the Apple Watch – how it works

by GeeksModo Staff

The Apple Watch is Apple’s most personal computer. The smartwatch is always on your wrist in everyday life. As a fitness tracker, as an EKG and as a fall detector and even as a meditation aid, the smart watch aims to sustainably improve the health of its users. This is achieved above all with its many sensors – such as the pulse monitor.

But the Apple Watch can do more than just monitor and monitor the active phases of everyday life. With the right apps and worn at night, the smart gadget can also improve your sleep. The whole thing is called “sleep tracking”, ie the observation of sleep. Thanks to the watch’s motion sensors, the Apple Watch can determine how calm or restless you are while sleeping. The internal microphone can detect disturbing noises from the environment or even snoring. With the heart rate monitor, records about awake phases are achievable. The Apple Watch can register all this information while you sleep and present it the next morning.

Apple and sleep tracking

The Apple Watch seems to be made for the task of monitoring sleep – it is all the more surprising that there has not yet been any Apple initiative in this direction. The rumor has long suspected that the company is working on corresponding functions.

Better sleep through meditation

Those who have problems with poor sleep, especially when falling asleep, may also generally have problems with coping with stress. Regardless of whether it is personal trouble at home or challenging projects on the job: a good night’s sleep requires rest. Therefore, in addition to recording sleep times using sleep tracker apps, a completely different function of the Apple Watch can also be helpful: the breathing app. Regular meditation exercises can be a quick and easy aid for coping with stress. Two short meditation exercises a day are usually enough; one exercise after getting up and one after work should be integrated into everyday life.The pre-installed breathing app records your heart rate and helps you take a deep breath. The application also transfers the results to the Health app. Just try it out!

The health app can already record data from sleep tracker apps, but the Apple Watch has not yet created this independently. However, Apple is obviously working diligently behind the scenes on this topic: In 2017, the company took over a provider of sleep trackers, in October 2019 even a reference to a “Sleep” app appeared in a screenshot for the alarm clock app on the Apple Watch on. So it only seems a matter of time before Apple retrofits the corresponding functions for its smartwatch. With a simple software update, these could also reach older models of the watch, provided that they have the required sensors.

Sleep tracking with “Sleep Watch”

There are a variety of health apps in the App Store. There are also some sleep trackers and wake-up aids. Sleep Watch, for example, takes care of the automatic recording of your night’s sleep. When you set up the app for the first time, you first create a user account and enter some personal data, such as your weight and height. You can then link the app to Apple’s Health app to view the data on your sleep phases.

The subsequent use of the sleep tracker works automatically. You wear the Apple Watch while sleeping, make sure you have enough battery capacity – and the rest happens without your intervention. The next morning you will automatically receive a report of your night’s sleep. Sleep Watch informs you about your sleep duration and patterns. The app tries to automatically detect at night when you wake up, sleep lightly or deeply. The application derives this data from your movements and your pulse. When evaluating data, Sleep Watch checks whether you have had a good night’s sleep for several days and shows you the corresponding developments. During the day, the application queries your wrist for how relaxed you feel. All of this flows into the data evaluation, which provides daily, weekly and monthly averages.Sleep Watch is generally free of charge. With a paid subscription, you unlock other functions. Then the watch app offers, for example, an alarm clock that wakes you up from light sleep phases and should make it easier to wake up. In addition, there is also data collection for automatic sleep detection as well as more precise evaluations and notifications. The subscription costs around 4.50 euros per month or 33 euros per year.

Check out Sleep Watch on the AppStore

The automatic data collection works quite reliably overall in our long-term test, but some incorrect recordings can sometimes occur. Sleep Watch, for example, recorded the cozy visit to the cinema on Sunday afternoon as a light sleep phase – the film was not particularly exciting, but it wasn’t sleepy either. You can also delete these false surveys and compare your digital sleep account with reality.

Autosleep prepares your data like Apple’s activity app with colorful rings. Sleep Watch automatically records the sleep phases when wearing the Apple Watch at night and presents an evaluation in the morning. The Sleep Cycle alarm clock app tries to wake you up during a light sleep phase instead of at a fixed time.

Sleep tracking with “Autosleep”

An alternative to Sleep Watch is Autosleep. This app also automatically recognizes your sleep phases and delivers visually appealing data evaluations in English. Analogous to Apple’s activity app for workouts, Autosleep prepares the evaluations in colorful rings. Completing the rings should also motivate better “performance”, that is, better sleep.

However, some data points differ in direct comparison. In the test, Autosleep detected less deep sleep phases than Sleep Watch. At first glance, the data preparation also appears somewhat more abstract. Autosleep works with rings, but initially does not adequately explain what they stand for or how you can close these rings. Only a look at the settings provides help here.So you can set yourself which goals you can or want to achieve with the individual rings. In the settings you can also calibrate the automatic sleep detection.

In the test, Autosleep also understood the visit to the cinema as an afternoon nap. However, the preset calibration responded better to quiet desk work and did not automatically record it as sleep phases.

Check out AutoSleep sleep tracker on the AppStore

Autosleep costs around 3.50 euros in a one-time purchase. There is no subscription model or additional in-app purchases. So if you want to make your first attempts at sleep tracking with the Apple Watch, the best thing to do is to use Sleep Watch first. Autosleep is the better solution for experienced users.

Wake up with the iPhone

For many users, the iPhone has now replaced the alarm clock. However, the iPhone also has some disadvantages with this use: The last grip before going to bed and the first action after waking up. This can be very disturbing to fall asleep and wake up: If you check Twitter before going to sleep, process important e-mails or even write in WhatsApp groups, you may be less able to switch off and fall asleep. Even if the first attention goes to the phone in the morning and greets the nightly messages from the boss, this can bring back the stress that has actually been removed.

Apple knows that too – and that’s why there is also the “bedtime” function in the watch app in addition to the alarm clock. This will set up a time window in which you definitely want to be in bed, as well as a suitable alarm clock for the next morning. The clock app also records these rough sleeping times in the health application.

Data protection in your sleep?

Our test of the sleep tracker on the Apple Watch showed that Apple’s possible move in this direction could be interesting from another perspective: Data protection has traditionally been more important to Apple than to the competition. Because the Apple Watch as a sleep companion on the wrist feels amazingly intimate – not only because the device observes the wearer’s sleep up close, but also because it is equipped with a microphone and can listen to and record nightly noises in the bedroom. With some apps, the analysis of snoring noises, for example, requires this function. Where this data ends up and what happens to it is often less clear than necessary when used.Apple’s handling of personal and sensitive data mostly focuses on local storage instead of cloud solutions. This approach could make it easier for many to use a sleep tracker.

Unlike the normal alarm clock, the iPhone switches to do not disturb mode during this time. This means that you will still receive notifications, but they will not appear on the iPhone’s home screen as the first greeting on the new morning. Instead, your smartphone wishes you a good morning and gives weather information for the new day. Waking up is therefore potentially gentler than with a normal alarm clock. You can use the bedtime function without the Apple Watch as a sleep tracker, but the data collected remains inaccurate – because the app does not know exactly when you fall asleep and how restless your sleep is.

In addition to Apple’s own alarm clock function, there are otherSleeping apps on the App Store for a better tomorrow. WithSleep Cycle you use the iPhone not only as an alarm clock, but also as a sleep aid. Various background sounds, such as the sound of the sea, are intended to calm you down. The alarm clock for the next morning is more flexible than the classic alarm with a fixed time: you only specify a time to wake up, and Sleep Cycle uses a half-hour window to wake you up in a light sleep phase.

For this to work, you have to place your iPhone correctly next to you at night – on a fixed shelf, for example, so that the microphone can analyze your sleep movements. The iPhone’s motion sensor also helps, but you have to put the smartphone on your mattress – a rather sub-optimal solution. If desired, Sleep Cycle can also record your snoring so that the next morning you can get information on restless sleep – if your partner has not already done so.

For the full version, you need a paid subscription for just under 30 euros per year. In addition to the sleep aid and the snore sensor, you also get extended statistics on your sleep behavior.

Night’s sleep – despite Apple Watch

No matter which solution you choose: As soon as you use the smartwatch at night, you have to take some pragmatic changes in the use of Apple Watch and iPhone into account. This most likely affects the watch’s loading rhythm. If you have previously used the nights to charge the battery, you must now switch to a different time window – for example, in the morning directly after getting up, in the evening before falling asleep or during the day during the lunch break. Fortunately, the watch can be charged quite quickly: after an hour and a half, you have already recharged around 80 percent of the battery in the current Apple Watch.
At night it is also important to consider other factors. Since the watch cannot yet automatically distinguish between day and night, it behaves the same way at night as during the day. This means that each notification causes the watch to vibrate or light up. Movement of the arm can also illuminate the watch. This can disturb the night’s sleep – both yours and that of your partner.

Therefore, activate both the theater mode and the do not disturb mode of the watch in the evening. The theater mode prevents the clock display from lighting up due to your movements, “do not disturb” any notifications with sound and haptics. You can even activate and deactivate this mode automatically at fixed times – this ensures a better night’s sleep and a refreshed wake up without much effort.
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No movement: How to disable Apple Watch activity notifications

by GeeksModo Staff

The corona virus forces many people to stay at home and consequently gets less exercise. The Apple Watch of course knows nothing of the circumstances and continues to provide information about activities, breathing exercises and standing times. Thankfully,You can completely turn off notifications for Apple’s built-in apps, like Activity, Breath, Mail, Messages, and more.

activity app on Apple Watch

In order to reduce the stress level in relation to your own activity or lack thereof, it is advisable to currently deactivate the notifications.

How to disable Apple Watch activity notifications

TheApple Watch records a wide range of activities and notifies you of goals that have been achieved or missed. There are also small motivational aids to be seen again and again. However, the quarantine overrides the usual processes, so that information about activities can be demotivating for many people in the already difficult situation. If you want to disable notifications on Apple Watch, there are a few simple steps which you need to follow.

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to deactivate the notifications on your Apple watch:

  1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. You’ll see a couple of options, starting with your watch itself at the top, your choice of watch faces underneath that, and then a list of four tabs you can tap – Complications, Notifications, App Layout, and Dock.
  3. Now, tap Notifications.

By default, there are two Watch apps that will send notifications and reminders – Activity and Breathe.

  • Tap Activity. The easiest way to disable it entirely is to tap Notifications Off in the next screen.

And that’s pretty much it on how to disable Apple Watch activity notifications. We hope we are able to help you one way or another.
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iPhone SE 2020: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly!

by GeeksModo Staff

iPhone users rarely get confused about which iPhone to buy. For the most of us, it’s a matter of price. If there is one good news about the iPhone SE, it is consumer choice. Apple has now given us so many iPhones to pick from.

Apple’s new budget 2020iPhone SE second generation is a surprisingly good value for all it gives you.However, to get to that $399 price tag, you sacrifice numerous significant features that sets the iPhone range apart.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at iPhone SE (2020) The good, the bad, and the ugly.

iPhone SE 2020, The good:

compact phone

You just have to look around you to see that phone screen sizes are growing ever larger. The
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra,
for example features a 6.9-inch screen, while even the smallest member of the Galaxy S20 line boasts a display that’s larger than 6 inches. So heavy
is the demand for huge smartphone screens that companies are now trying to create foldable phones with displays that fold out into even larger panels.
And if you have tiny hands, you take one glance at these hilariously gigantic smartphones and shake your head, wondering if there’s even a place
for people like you in this Bigger Must Be Better planet.

For those with tiny hands, the introduction of iPhone SE 2020 has given hope for a more comfortable future. Although it’s bigger than the original 4-inch model, the new 4.7-inch phone should rest gently
in your hand and even more gently in your pocket. Despite the industry push toward huge displays, there’s still a need for compact phones.

Budget phone

The iPhone SE 2020 has one specific killer feature that you will come back to again and again as you compare it to other iPhones. It’s cheaper. If you’re purchasing brand new and straight fromApple, the iPhone SE is $200 less than its cheapest competitor. That’s a huge difference that it must make the iPhone SE the only iPhone some people can afford. Even if you can comfortably stretch to a more pricey iPhone, too, then this price difference is enough that it’s got to make you weigh up what is really worth your money and what is not.

Screen sizes aren’t the only thing that are getting bigger with phones. Have you seen the prices of premium phones these days? For a top-of-the-line Flagship device, $999 now looks like the starting point, and when a feature-rich smartphone comes in at anything lower less than that — say, the $899 people are generally startled.

Good value

If it were just about saving cash, the iPhone SE 2020 would already be a compelling buy. But you’re getting lots of features for just $399.

For starters, the iPhone SE is bandled with the A13 Bionic chipset, similar to the one poweringApple’s iPhone 11 lineup. The A13 has proven to be the best-performing mobile processor out there, thrashing out even the newer Snapdragon 865 in head-to-head benchmarks. Until the iPhone SE came along, you’d have to part with at least $699 for an iPhone 11 to enjoy that kind of power. Now you can have it for $300 less.

The new iPhone SE features other niceties you normally wouldn’t expect in a sub-$400 phone, like wireless charging support.
You’re only getting a single rear camera with the new iPhone SE, but the 12-megapixel lens is augmented by the A13’s built-in Neural Engine. So as far as camera is concerned, you’ll surely be impressed with what this device has to offer.

Phone that lasts

Apple does a commendable job making sure older
iPhones can still support updated versions of iOS a couple of years into the future. More recent iPhones may have had more oomph.

I don’t expect things to be different with the iPhone SE 2020. The A13 processor is going to give you a lot of muscle out of the gate, and ongoing iOS support
will last long after the upcoming
iOS 14
update coming this fall.

Good battery:

The new iPhone SE 64-bit Fusion architecture, coupled with an efficient CPU and dated but low-energy Retina LCD display should surely translate to the
longest lasting battery-life you’ll find in an iPhone.

iPhone SE 2020, The Bad:

The new iPhone SE has cut a few too many corners to bring
the price down to the budget-friendly $399. Here’s what you need to know before you make the leap.

Dated design

Starting with the obvious, Apple’s decision to reuse the design of the iPhone 8 – which in turn, dates back to the six-year-old iPhone 6 – is a stretch.
Displays have gotten so much more advanced, with slimmer bezels that maximize the use of space on the front of the device.

The design of the iPhone 5 may have been almost four years old when the first iPhone SE launched, however, it wasn’t a major concern. Users weren’t putting up with
old tech. Phones didn’t make the big leap in bezel-less technology, which is not just an aesthetic improvement. That’s loads of real estate wasted.

Overkill specs

We’re not complaining that Apple has packed an industry-leading A13 Bionic chipset in a $399, but we can only hope users find the use for it. Power users
are unlikely to be the iPhone SE’s target market. Odds are, those users will opt for phones with the color-accuracy of OLED displays, array of camera
options and a larger screen.

In Apple’s discription, the A13 Bionic is years ahead of any other chip – just in a body that’s years behind. So much of what the chip was built for is unavailable
with the new iPhone SE, such as triple-cameras, Face ID and depth-sensing for AR.

Budget phone, pricey peripherals

The iPhone SE 2020 may entice you in with its low price, but Apple’s seems to have made some calculated omissions to make sure money streams their way. The 3.5mm headphone
jack has been grumbled about to no end, but hold on, there’s an important point in defense of buyers here.

Budget customers perhaps don’t want to part with additional hundred bucks on wireless headsets. This is one of the reasons why the Google Pixel 3a didn’t
go the way of the Pixel 4 and retained the headphone jack. But in a non-budget-oriented move, Apple’s eliminated the headphone jack, forcing customers to make that
decision ultimately. A win in the making for Apple.

With no expandable storage, the base 64GB model surely can’t be sustainable for most users, who will probably choose the $449, 128GB model. Unfortunately, the
price is somewhat heavier to stomach.

iPhone SE 2020, The Ugly:

You don’t get TrueDepth and Face ID

Touch ID is as striking today on the new iPhone SE as it was when it debuted on the iPhone 5S
back in 2013.
It’s fast, secure, and as well as swiftly unlocking your phone, it allows you to quickly pay for goods or services with Apple Pay.
This technology is seven years old, though, and as of the launch of the iPhone SE, precisely one iPhone in the entire range has it. All of the rest of
Apple’s current lineup uses
Face ID
and for the bigger part, that is better. Much better.
Face ID is more secure, harder to hack, and since the original generation of it in the iPhone X, has
become faster
than Touch ID. Right now with the coronavirus we are having the issue that faces with a mask can’t reliably be recognized, but in general use, glancing
at your iPhone has become much faster than pressing your thumb onto a button and waiting.
Additionally, there are users who find that Touch ID is unreliable. That can be because of the cases that their employers require them to use, it can be because
your finger is damp or sweaty. Whatever the reason, Touch ID can frustrate users who don’t find any difficulty with Face ID.
So for convenience, speed, and security, Face ID is a strong justification to purchase a different iPhone.
Your choices are the iPhone XR starting at $599, the
iPhone 11
at $699,
iPhone 11 Pro
at $999, and
iPhone 11 Pro Max
at $1,099.
To save you counting, those prices range from $200 to $700 more than an iPhone SE. Put it differently, for the price of an iPhone 11 Pro, you could purchase two
iPhone SE models and have change enough over to get a case.

Screen size

This is one area where the iPhone SE, as good as it is, is ragging behind whichever way you look at it. If you’re someone who loves the older, smaller, 4-inch
display, then the 4.7-inch one of the iPhone SE is more of a difference than it sounds. It’s the difference between being able to work the phone entirely
with one hand, and not.
Then if you do like larger screens, as so many folks do, then have to see the 4.7-inch iPhone SE display as being paltry. Both the iPhone XR and the iPhone
11 features 6.1-inch screens, while the iPhone 11 Pro features a 5.8-inch one.
Even those don’t really compare to the larger models, or what used to be referred to as the Plus ones. The current iPhone 11 Pro Max features a 6.5-inch screen —and
that’s now your only choice for a larger form factor. The iPhone SE has really only replaced the iPhone 8, but its launch saw the larger iPhone 8 Plus
vanish too.
The iPhone 8 Plus was actually bigger, physically, than the iPhone 11 Pro Max, but it’s perhaps not a great loss to the lineup because that larger case
held a comparatively smaller screen. The iPhone 8 Plus featured a 5.5-inch display in a chassis that was slightly bigger than the iPhone 11 Pro Max with its
6.1-inch one.

That old iPhone 8 Plus was also substantially bigger than the iPhone 11 Pro, running to 6.24-inches by 3.07-inches compared to the newer iPhone’s 5.67-inches
by 2.81-inches.
The reason that even the 11 Pro can have a smaller chassis yet a larger screen is down to how the newer phones have an almost edge to edge display. The
iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone SE 2020, both have old-style thick bezels around the screen.
You can still buy an iPhone 8 Plus from resellers where it will typically cost around $499, or about $600 less than the only other large-scale model, the
iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Screen resolution

The iPhone SE is repeatedly said to be the old iPhone 8 with new internal hardware, but actually its screen goes back much further than that. As far as physical size, resolution and technology are concerned, the screen
in the 2020 iPhone SE is nearly the same as that of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S from 2014/15. The only difference is that the iPhone SE’s version supports True Tone so it alters color levels depending on your surroundings.
In the six years since the iPhone 6, though, displays have improved. They’re edge to edge, or nearly, and instead of the old LCD display panel, many of
them use OLED. This technology provides a better black and overall an improved contrast.
It’s not as if the difference is even close. Where the iPhone SE 2020 has a contrast ratio of 1,400:1, the iPhone 11 Pro provides 2,000,000:1. No question,
the screens on the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are better than that on the new iPhone SE. They’re also brighter on the iPhone 11 Pro, at 800 nits instead
of 625 nits on the new iPhone SE.
As clear as these differences are when either you hold the iPhones next to each other, or you downgrade, there’s no other way you’d even see the SE screen
as a problem. It is clear, bright, and sharp, and if the other models are clearer, brighter, and sharper, that doesn’t make the new iPhone SE screen unusably
poor.

Cameras are an issue

This is another area where there’s no comparison whatsoever. The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max features a triple camera system on the back, and
all three are lenses are superb. They’re 12MP and provide seamless switching between their Wide, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto cameras.
The new iPhone SE features a single camera on the rear. It is a 12MP camera, and it is Wide, but it’s one camera and that’s your lot.
Except that of course all iPhones also have a front-facing camera. Here the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are better than the iPhone SE 2020, or any other
model in that regard. The front or selfie camera on an iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max is a 12MP one that’s as capable of shooting 4K video as the
back cameras.
With the iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max, and exclusively with these phones, you can shoot videos equally well from front and back. If you’re making a YouTube video where you’re talking to the camera, this is a difference that means you can watch yourself on the phone screen to make sure you are framed correctly throughout.
It means you can use a Teleprompter app right there with the selfie lens.

Our two sense

iPhone SE 2020 gets so much right on the inside but will surely leave much to be desired externally after long term use. It will surely last years, with Apple’s
loyal software updates and enough power from the A13 Bionic to keep it fit for use.

However, the phone could enjoy far better longevity by going bezel-less to maximize what can be done on its screen. Wireless charging has also made the
glass back a necessity, but it would make more sense to the budget-conscious buyer to have a sturdier metal back to last the years, never mind the wireless
features.

While the iPhone SE 2020 is a really fascinating combination of features as well as price, it does not include every feature you may be used to in
an iPhone. And these missing features could either make you consider a more expensive model, or they could contribute to your deciding that you’ll stay
with whichever iPhone you already have.
And that covers everything about iPhone SE (2020) The good, the bad, and the ugly!

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