
Christmas was just a week or so ago, and many of you will no doubt have received an Apple device as a gift – be that a phone, a Macbook or and iPod. Once you’ve gone Apple, you’ll never go back. Apple devices are some of the most popular and well-known products globally. Even if you’re not that good with tech, there are many ways to improve your Apple device experience without having to go too far out of your comfort zone. Here are some tips and tricks to get the most out of your Apple devices.
Set up Find My
Find My has a tonne of uses, but one of the most important ones is being able to locate your device if it’s lost or stolen. It’s easy to set up and can be accessed from any Apple device through iCloud. First, go to iCloud on your iPhone and open Find My. Next, click on Enable and choose how you want to turn it on.
Your options are:
- Disable Location Services, which prevents all apps from accessing your location;
- Only allow Location Services for Find My iPhone;
- Allow location services for Find My iPhone and all other apps.
When your device is stolen or misplaced, press the Home button three times (or double-click the Home button) until Find My appears in the upper-right corner of your screen. When this happens, open Settings > iCloud > Find my phone and enter your passcode if you haven’t already done so there.
Sync, Update and Back-Up
Sync: Make sure all your Apple devices are connected to your one Apple account, so that apps and games sync across all devices. It’s also extremely useful as I can access my Macbook desktop, and all the files there, from my iPhone. I don’t need to even be in the same country as my Macbook.
Update: Whenever an update comes out for your Apple devices, whether it be software or hardware, make sure that it’s downloaded immediately so that your device is up-to-date and can run more smoothly. Some apps only work with the latest updates.
Back-Up: To back up your data, go into Settings and go through the options for backing up your device. These options will vary depending on what kind of device you have; however, everyone should take some standard steps before backing up their data in case something goes wrong. You can also perform clean installation too if required.Get Familiar with Siri
Siri is a virtual assistant that can help you with anything. It can answer questions, make reservations, and even find places for you to go. If you’re using your iPhone or iPad, Siri is always available by saying “Hey Siri.”
If you want to use Siri to its fullest capacity, it’s essential to get used to the voice commands. For example, if you want Siri to give you the forecast for tomorrow, say, “Hey Siri, what time will it rain tomorrow?”. You’ll also have to get familiar with how your phone responds when you ask Siri things like “What are my notifications?” or “How much battery life do I have left?” It very much learns from how you use it. It learns what you need when you ask certain questions, so use it as much as possible.
Use Spotlight Search
Spotlight is a search engine built into your device. It helps find apps, music, movies, and more. To use Spotlight, open the Spotlight Search app on your Apple device. When you first open the app, it will ask you to type in a keyword or phrase that you’re looking for from the list of suggestions available by default. If you don’t find what you’re looking for in this list, tap “more” and then start typing your own keywords or phrases. When you find something relevant to your search, click on it, and it will appear in a window on the right-hand side of the screen. You can also swipe left and right to browse through different results. Tap “Done” when finished searching for whatever it was that you wanted to find out about.
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