How-to

1,982 'How-to' stories September 2011 - August 2019

A collection of tutorials, tips, and tricks from the 9to5Mac team helping you fix and get the most out of your favorite gear.

How to silence iPhone calls without sending directly to voicemail

Michael Potuck Aug 5 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you want to silence an incoming call on your iPhone but you don’t want to send the person directly to voicemail? Read on for the difference between silencing and declining calls on iPhone.

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How to restore default iPhone settings without erasing your data

Michael Potuck Aug 2 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Want to keep all of your data but restore to the default iPhone settings? Read along below for several options for how to reset to the defaults for the Home screen layout, privacy and location settings, and more.

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Here’s what all the iPhone status bar icons mean

Michael Potuck Aug 1 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Are you seeing some strange status bar icons on your iPhone? Or maybe you’re just curious to see the full list? Follow along below for a complete rundown of all the iPhone status bar icons.

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How to send iPhone calls directly to voicemail

Michael Potuck Jul 31 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Do you want to send iPhone calls directly to voicemail instead of just silencing them? Read on for a quick tutorial on how to do this in a few different circumstances.

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How to stream or play Apple Books audiobooks on Apple Watch watchOS 6

watchOS 6: How to stream and play Apple Books audiobooks on Apple Watch

Michael Potuck Jul 30 2019 - 1:58 pm PT

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Apple Watch gains a special Audiobooks app with watchOS 6. Read along for how to stream and play Apple Books audiobooks directly from your wearable.

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How to stop Apple from listening to Siri recordings

How to stop Apple from potentially listening to your Siri recordings

Michael Potuck Jul 29 2019 - 9:45 am PT

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A report from The Guardian last week highlighted privacy concerns about Siri recordings being listened to by its contractors. While Apple has responded by saying that only 1% of Siri activations are reviewed by humans and that Apple IDs are not associated with them, many users are asking for the ability to opt-out of Siri recordings being saved to Apple’s servers.

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How to set up Plex on a Synology NAS drive

Michael Potuck Jul 26 2019 - 2:43 pm PT

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Using a dedicated device like a Synology NAS drive to host your Plex media library offers a variety of advantages over using a Mac. In addition to being able to configure a large amount of storage at a low cost and freeing up your desktop or notebook from the workload, a Plex setup with a NAS drive offers features like 4K video transcoding, the ability to record TV shows for free, and much more. Read along with our detailed guide on how to set up Plex on a Synology NAS drive.

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How to change Siri’s language on iPhone

Michael Potuck Jul 25 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Want to change Siri’s language on your iPhone? Follow along for how to do it in a few simple steps and also how to make sure “Hey Siri” is set up in the new language.

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How to speed up the iPhone upgrade process in iOS 12.4 and higher [video]

Jeff Benjamin Jul 24 2019 - 6:52 am PT

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With the release of iOS 12.4, Apple officially rolled out its new iPhone migration feature to make it quicker to move data between two iPhones. iPhone Migration is an add-on to the iPhone’s Quick Start proximity-based initial setup utility and can be used to transfer all of your data wirelessly from a current iPhone to a new iPhone. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough to see how to use iPhone Migration in iOS 12.4 or later.
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How to repeat song or album in iOS 13 on iPhone and iPad

How to repeat song or album on iOS 13

Michael Potuck Jul 24 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Trying to figure out how to repeat a song or album on iOS 13 with your iPhone or iPad? Read along for where the repeat button has been moved to in the Music app.

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Apple TV remote not working? Here’s how to fix it

Michael Potuck Jul 23 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Having trouble with your Apple TV remote? Follow along for a few solutions to fix it including how to re-pair your Apple TV remote.

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How to use split bill tip calculator Apple Watch watchOS 6

watchOS 6: How to use the split bill and tip calculator features on Apple Watch

Michael Potuck Jul 22 2019 - 12:59 pm PT

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Apple Watch is gaining the built-in Calculator app from iOS with watchOS 6, and it comes with some handy new functionality. Read on for how to use the split bill and tip calculator features on Apple Watch.

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Have multiple Apple Health data sources? Here’s how to get the best results

Michael Potuck Jul 19 2019 - 2:22 pm PT

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Apple’s Health app is a great place to see a summary of your activity and other health data. But if you have multiple devices that are acting as sources for the same data, you may get the best results by choosing which devices are prioritized for different measurements like steps, heart rate, distance traveled, and more.

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iOS 13 hearing Noise app Apple Watch watchOS 6

watchOS 6: What are noise alerts on Apple Watch?

Michael Potuck Jul 18 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Have you started seeing noise alerts on your Apple Watch? Read on for what these alerts mean and how to customize or turn them off in watchOS 6.

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watchOS 6: How to update software directly on Apple Watch

Michael Potuck Jul 17 2019 - 12:01 am PT

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Updating your Apple Watch is easier than ever with watchOS 6. Read on for how to update software directly on Apple Watch.

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watchOS 6: How to download apps directly on Apple Watch

Michael Potuck Jul 16 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Apple Watch is becoming a more independent device with watchOS 6 as the software brings a dedicated App Store to the wearable. Follow along for how to download apps directly on Apple Watch.

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How to record Voice Memos Apple Watch watchOS 6

watchOS 6: How to record Voice Memos on Apple Watch

Michael Potuck Jul 15 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Apple is bringing its useful Voice Memos app from iOS and macOS to Apple Watch with watchOS 6. Read on below for how to make use of the handy new feature on your wearable.

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watchOS 6: How to delete built-in apps on Apple Watch

Michael Potuck Jul 12 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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watchOS has allowed users to delete Apple Watch apps directly on the wearable, but only for third-party software. watchOS 6 is set to change that by giving the option to delete built-in apps right from Apple Watch.

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How to use auto lock and unlock on iPhone with folio cases

Michael Potuck Jul 11 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Are you using your iPhone with a folio case and want to take advantage of the auto lock and unlock feature for a more seamless experience? Read on for how to make sure this feature is enabled on your iPhone.

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How to customize or disable Siri Suggestions on iPhone

Michael Potuck Jul 10 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Does it feel like you’re getting too many Siri Suggestions on your iPhone? Read on for how to customize or disable Siri Suggestions on a per-app or system-wide basis.

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