How-to

1,984 'How-to' stories September 2011 - October 2018

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 turn off government alerts on iPhone

Peter Cao Oct 11 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Generally speaking, government issued alerts are important and should be kept enabled at all times. In fact, government alerts on iPhone are enabled by default, being buried deep in iOS settings.

If for whatever reason you’d like to disable them, follow along to learn how.

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How to check Apple Watch battery life

Peter Cao Oct 10 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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Apple claims 18 hours of “all day” battery life, which means your Apple Watch will typically last a full day and charge overnight. However, this isn’t always the case. The easiest solution to the problem is to add a battery complication to the watch face but that’s not ideal as you don’t always want to have a complication. Follow along for a quick and easy way to check Apple Watch battery life.

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How to find out which Apple Watch model you have

Michael Potuck Oct 10 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you want to know which Apple Watch model you have to check watchOS compatibility or are looking to sell it to upgrade to a new one, follow along for how to easily identify which Apple Watch model you’ve got.

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How to reinstall deleted Apple Watch apps

How to identify and remove outdated Apple Watch apps

Peter Cao Oct 8 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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When watchOS 4.3.1 was released earlier this year, Apple notified users and developers alike that older apps built with the original watchOS 1 SDK will no longer run on watchOS 5 and beyond. Now, users are able to identify and remove outdated Apple Watch apps that are installed on the Watch but cannot be run anymore. Users are urged to contact the developers of the app to see if they plan on updating the apps in the future.

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How to add custom email signatures on iPhone and iPad

Michael Potuck Oct 8 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you have one email account or multiple, follow along for how to add custom email signatures on iPhone and iPad.

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How to disable iCloud Music Library on iPhone & iPad

Peter Cao Oct 5 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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Apple Music is a great service however some users prefer to keep their personal libraries separate from their streaming library. To achieve this you simply have to just disable iCloud Music Library.

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How to use Apple Watch and iPhone World Clock to keep time zones straight

Michael Potuck Oct 5 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you need to keep track of time zones for work or pleasure, follow along for how to make use of the Apple Watch and iPhone World clock.

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How to set a volume limit on iOS for Apple Music

Peter Cao Oct 4 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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For parents who manage their kids devices, Apple gives the best and verbose tools to manage iOS devices. For families that use Apple Music, Apple gives a tool that lets you set a volume limit on iOS for Apple Music.

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How to delete iPhone contacts

Michael Potuck Oct 4 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you’d like to delete a single contact, or remove all contacts associated with an email account, follow along for how to easily delete iPhone contacts.

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How to disable 3D Touch on iPhone

Peter Cao Oct 3 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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3D Touch is an incredible feature for iPhones if you can find a great use for it. However, discoverability with the feature can sometimes be difficult and it can get in the way at times. For example, deleting an app on the Home screen if you never use Home screen shortcuts.

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How to find out which iPhone model you have

Michael Potuck Oct 3 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you need to figure out which iPhone model you have to check iOS compatibility or are looking to sell it to upgrade to a new one, follow along for how to easily identify which iPhone model you’ve got.

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Apple Watch: How to add third-party apps to Siri Watch face

Peter Cao Oct 2 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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With the recent release of watchOS 5, users are now able to add information from third-party apps to the Siri Watch face. This means you can add information such as Carrot Weather, or calendar information from Fantastical.

Follow along to learn how….

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How to delete Apple Watch apps

Peter Cao Oct 1 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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While most will argue that Apple Watch apps are useless, some users still find really good value in them. Especially if you want to go out without the need of your iPhone. However, some people just don’t want apps on their Watch, and that’s fine too. It’s easy to delete Apple Watch apps.

Follow along to learn how…

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iPad
How-to

How to find out which iPad model you have

Michael Potuck Oct 1 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you’re looking to sell your iPad or just can’t remember which one you’ve got, it’s quick and easy to figure out. Follow along for how to find out which iPad model you have.

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How to disable automatic gym equipment detection on Apple Watch

Peter Cao Sep 28 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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While having automatic gym equipment detection is nice, it’s still in its early stages and third-party exercise equipment will need to either be updated or replaced with the new hardware that would support this feature.

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How to measure altitude with iPhone

Michael Potuck Sep 28 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Whether you’re heading for some adventures soon, or just like knowing things like your current elevation, follow along for how to measure altitude with iPhone.

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How to check Apple Watch battery usage stats

Peter Cao Sep 27 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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Apple rates the Apple Watch has having an “18-hour all day battery life”. However, sometimes, you end up using Apple Watch more than anticipated. This means you need to start micromanaging battery life on Apple Watch.

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How to force quit Apple Watch apps

Michael Potuck Sep 27 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Even if you’ve got the latest Apple Watch, apps can still freeze up from time to time. With the process being notably different on watchOS compared to iOS, follow along for how to force quit Apple Watch apps.

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Apple Watch: How to enable Fall Detection

Peter Cao Sep 26 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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The Apple Watch Series 4 and beyond have a feature called Fall Detection. This uses the gyroscope and accelerometer to detect if you’ve fallen, and more importantly, if you’ve fallen and cannot get back up.

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How to use one handed keyboard with iPhone XS Max

Michael Potuck Sep 26 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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With the launch of the iPhone XS Max, more users will be shifting to a larger iPhone. Whether you’re coming from an iPhone 8, X or something else, giving the shot to a one handed keyboard a shot with iPhone XS Max could be helpful.

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Apple Watch: How to turn off Haptic Crown

Peter Cao Sep 25 2018 - 12:01 am PT

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The Apple Watch Series 4 introduced a feature that gave you haptic feedback when scrolling on the crown. Whether it be scrolling down a list, or opening an app with the Digital Crown, it’s there.

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iOS
How-to

iPhone & iPad: How to setup Bedtime on iOS and get more sleep

Michael Potuck Sep 25 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Both iPhone and iPad offer a handy feature called Bedtime to help you get the right amount of sleep. Follow along for how to setup Bedtime on iOS.

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How to view AirPods battery percentage from your Apple Watch

Peter Cao Sep 24 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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Apple Watch is increasingly becoming independent of the iPhone. With Series 3, Apple added support for LTE which allowed users to use Apple Watch without needing your iPhone nearby.

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How to get a refund for the App Store or iTunes

Peter Cao Sep 21 2018 - 12:00 am PT

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One of the most underrated, and frankly hidden things from users is the ability to get a refund on iTunes or App Store purchases. This is especially important for games or apps that may be misleading and don’t function the same way the screenshots/description says it does.

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