How-to

1,982 'How-to' stories September 2011 - July 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 find the serial number on your iPad

Michael Potuck Jul 2 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Do you need to find the serial number of your iPad? Follow along for several ways to quickly locate it.

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How to find the serial number on your iPhone

Michael Potuck Jul 1 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Need to find the serial number of your iPhone? Read along for how to locate it in a few simple steps.

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How to create a bootable macOS Catalina 10.15 USB install drive [Video]

Jeff Benjamin Jun 27 2019 - 12:12 pm PT

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Creating a bootable macOS Catalina USB install drive is an effective way to generate a clean installation of macOS on your Mac. This hands-on tutorial will work with both the macOS Catalina developer beta, the macOS Catalina public beta, and the final version of macOS Catalina scheduled to launch later this fall. Follow our easy-to-use step-by-step video tutorial for the details.
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add AppleCare Apple Watch after purchase

How to add AppleCare to your Apple Watch after purchase

Michael Potuck Jun 26 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Have you already purchased an Apple Watch but now decided that you’d like to protect it with AppleCare? Follow along for how to add AppleCare to your Apple Watch within 60 days of purchase, even if you didn’t buy it from Apple.

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How to disable your Mac from automatically opening downloads from the web

Michael Potuck Jun 25 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Do you find it frustrating when downloads from the web automatically open on your Mac? Follow along for how to turn off this default feature.

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How to install the iOS 13 public beta on your iPhone

Chance Miller Jun 24 2019 - 6:55 pm PT

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Apple today surprisingly released the first public beta of iOS 13 following just three weeks of developer beta testing. Apple initially said the public beta would be available in July, but nonetheless, here it is. Read on for instructions on how to install the iOS 13 public beta.

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How to fix missing contacts on Apple Watch

Michael Potuck Jun 24 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Have your contacts disappeared from your Apple Watch? Read on for how to fix missing contacts on Apple Watch in a few simple steps.

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How to check if your MacBook Pro is affected by the fire safety risk battery recall

Michael Potuck Jun 21 2019 - 2:31 pm PT

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Do you have a 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro? Follow along for how to check if your MacBook Pro is affected by the battery recall that Apple just announced.

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iPadOS 13: How to use a mouse with your iPad

Michael Potuck Jun 19 2019 - 11:37 am PT

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While it’s not enabled by default, Apple has brought the long-awaited mouse support to iPad with iPadOS 13. Follow along on for how to pair and use a mouse with your iPad as well as set up buttons for custom shortcuts.

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How to update iPhone and iPad to iOS 13 developer beta 2

Michael Potuck Jun 18 2019 - 10:16 am PT

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After requiring an installation via iTunes for the first iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 beta, Apple has released the second developer beta as an OTA yesterday. However, you won’t automatically see it appear under software updates in Settings. Follow along for how to update to the second iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 developer betas.

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Mac
How-to

How to create a keyboard shortcut to paste and match style on Mac

Michael Potuck Jun 17 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Copy and paste are two of the most used functions in everyday computing and it can be frustrating when text styles clash with what you’re currently working on. Read on for how to create a system-wide keyboard shortcut to paste and match style on Mac.

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iOS 13: How to automatically close Safari tabs on iPhone and iPad

Michael Potuck Jun 13 2019 - 4:25 pm PT

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Does Safari on your iPhone and iPad pile up with open tabs? iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 look to simplify things with the option to automatically close Safari tabs after a certain period of time. Follow along for a look at this new feature.

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What is Announce Messages with Siri? How to customize the alerts

Benjamin Mayo Jun 13 2019 - 1:41 am PT

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Announce Messages with Siri is a new feature for Apple headphones in iOS 13. It makes responding to messages very fast whilst you are wearing AirPods or Powerbeats Pro. Siri will read out the incoming message and transcribe your reply. This alleviates the need for you to dig your iPhone out of your pocket constantly.

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iOS 13 Messages: How to choose profile photo and display name for iMessage

Benjamin Mayo Jun 13 2019 - 1:29 am PT

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With iOS 13 for iPhone and iPad, you can now set up your own iMessage profile with a first name, last name, and profile picture. The next time you chat to someone with iMessage, they can update their local contact info to see your new photo and details.

Here’s how to pick your own profile picture and name in the new Messages app …

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iOS 13: How to use the new gestures for cut, copy, paste, and undo on iPhone and iPad

Michael Potuck Jun 12 2019 - 2:12 pm PT

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iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 bring new three-finger gestures to make manipulating text easier than ever. Follow along for a look at how to use the new gestures for cut, copy, paste, undo, and redo on iPhone and iPad.

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iOS 13 How to use custom fonts iPhone iPad

How to use custom fonts on iPhone and iPad

Michael Potuck Jun 12 2019 - 12:01 am PT

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One of the features that debuted with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 that hasn’t received much attention is the ability to use custom fonts on iPhone and iPad. The feature has had a bit of a complicated rollout, so follow along for how to get going with custom fonts on iOS and iPadOS.

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Set up communication limits kids iPhone Screen Time iOS 13

iOS 13: How to set iPhone Communication Limits for your kid with Screen Time

Michael Potuck Jun 10 2019 - 1:20 pm PT

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A new Screen Time feature arriving with iOS 13 is Communication Limits which lets parents select what contacts their kids can talk, text, and FaceTime with. Read on for how iPhone Communication Limits work in iOS 13.

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App Store search analytics show we prefer older apps

iOS 13: How to download any size app over cellular with iPhone

Michael Potuck Jun 7 2019 - 11:19 am PT

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Another feature arriving with iOS 13 that users are excited about is the ability to download apps greater than 200 MB over cellular. There are a few choices with one option letting users turn off warnings about app download size altogether.

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How to use the new Street View-like ‘Look Around’ feature in Apple Maps on iOS 13

Michael Potuck Jun 6 2019 - 2:14 pm PT

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iOS 13 brings upgrades to Apple Maps and one of the new features rolling out is a Street View-like option called “Look Around.” Read on for how to use this latest Apple Maps feature in iOS 13.

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how to use Memoji Stickers iPhone iOS 13

How to use Memoji Stickers on iPhone in iOS 13

Michael Potuck Jun 5 2019 - 2:05 pm PT

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Apple has expanded its Memoji as iOS 13 brings a host of new stickers. The new feature is similar to Bitmoji with a variety of expressive static cartoon avatars. Read on for how to use Memoji Stickers on iPhone in iOS 13.

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How to use Dark Mode on iPhone in iOS 13

Michael Potuck Jun 4 2019 - 4:26 pm PT

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After years of anticipation for a system-wide dark theme, Apple has brought Dark Mode to iPhone with iOS 13. Read on for how to use the feature manually or with automatic switching between Light and Dark Modes.

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iOS 13: How to switch WiFi networks from Control Center

Benjamin Mayo Jun 4 2019 - 7:57 am PT

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iOS has a lot of small changes in addition to the headline features like Dark Mode. This includes updates to Control Center. In addition to toggling WiFi and Bluetooth, you can now switch networks and connect to new devices from within the Control Center platter.

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How to stream Apple’s WWDC 2019 keynote on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and more

Chance Miller Jun 3 2019 - 5:50 am PT

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Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote is set to begin in a few hours, and like prior years, you’ll be able to tune into a livestream. Apple is expected to unveil iOS 13, watchOS 6, macOS 10.15, and maybe even some new hardware. Read on for full instructions on how to stream Apple’s WWDC event on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and more.

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iPad
How-to

How to add AppleCare to your iPad after purchase

Michael Potuck May 30 2019 - 12:00 am PT

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Have you already purchased an iPad but now decided that you’d like to protect it with AppleCare? Follow along for how to add AppleCare to your iPad within 60 days of purchase, even if you didn’t buy it from Apple.

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