Configure Your Mac To Empty Trash After 30 Days
Would you like your Mac’s Trash to automatically delete files after they’ve been in the Trash for 30 days? If so, Apple recently added this feature to macOS Sierra (aka OS X 10.12).
Read moreSoftware
The apps that run on your Mac or iPhone/iPad.
Configure Your iPhone To Delete Text Messages After 1 Year
To prevent your iPhone from accumulating gigabytes of text messages, I recommend that you configure it to delete messages after 1 year. Text messages are typically quite small so they won’t consume much space, but the photos and videos that are attached can gobble up space. If you’d like to save some of these attachments … Read more
Securely Erase Your Mac’s Solid State Hard Drive
Do you want to either sell or retire a Mac that has a solid state hard drive (aka flash storage)? If so, it is prudent to securely erase the hard drive beforehand. Here are instructions on how to do this. This procedure will make all of your personal data inaccessible. There are two stages of this process. In phase … Read more
Set Up An Out Of Office Message In Gmail
If you have a Gmail account or a G Suite (formerly called Google Apps) email account, then you ought to know how to set up an out-of-office message. This feature is sometimes also called an auto-reply. Google calls it a Vacation Responder. Regardless of what you call it, here is how you can configure it. Open … Read more
Using The iPhone’s Do Not Disturb Feature
Turn on the iPhone’s Do Not Disturb feature to completely silence your iPhone (or iPad). This feature can be very handy if you sleep with your iPhone or iPad close to your bed. I typically have my iPhone’s ringer set to Silent mode, but if I’m in a meeting and I don’t want my phone to buzz or … Read more
Fix Common iPhone Backup Issues
Is your iPhone or iPad configured to backup to Apple’s iCloud servers? If so, your iOS device should automatically get backed up daily. If your iOS device is displaying a message indicating that it has not backed up in a few weeks (or more), here are some basic items that you should review. Read another Tech Tip … Read more
Searching Your iPhone or iPad
If you don’t know how to use the search feature on your iPhone or iPad, I think you are doing yourself a disservice. The search feature is easy to use and powerful. Here are instructions for using it. Wake up or unlock your iPhone (or iPad). Place your finger in the middle of the screen … Read more
How To Reveal Missing Mail Folders
Are you missing your email folders in Apple Mail? Did these folders disappear after you upgraded your Mac’s operating system or after you migrated your data to a new Mac? If so, there’s likely an easy fix. Apple added a Show/Hide button to Apple Mail. I believe they added it to Mail starting with OS X … Read more
Common Ways To Eject A Disk From A Mac
Here’s a list of common ways to eject a disk from a Mac. This disk could be a CD, a DVD, a USB flash drive or an external hard drive. Some Apple keyboards have an eject key. It is commonly located in the upper right corner of the keyboard. Press the eject key to eject … Read more
How To Install Major OS X Upgrades
Here’s an overview of how to install a major upgrade to OS X. For example, if you would like to upgrade from OS X Yosemite (aka OS X 10.10) to OS X El Capitan (aka OS X 10.11) then you could follow the instructions below. (These instructions assume you have at least OS X 10.6.8 or … Read more
Two Hidden iPhone Features
Do you have an iPhone? Here are two undocumented features that I use everyday on my iPhone. Silence incoming calls – You can instantly silence an incoming phone call by pressing either of the volume buttons. By pressing one of the volume buttons one time you’ll immediately silence your phone if it’s ringing or buzzing. Jump … Read more
Use Email Archiver Pro To Export Emails As PDF Files
Would you like to be able to export some or all of your email messages as PDF files that you can store in a regular folder on your Mac? If so, check out Email Archiver Pro (time-limited demo version available). Previously, I wrote about how to archive email if you use Microsoft Outlook (or Entourage) and using EagleFiler to archive … Read more
Four iPhone Typing Shortcuts
Do you type on your iPhone? If so, you should make sure you know these four typing tips. Tap the Space key twice at the end of a sentence. This inserts a period and a space and also activates the shift key. You’re now ready to type the next sentence without missing a beat. Hold down … Read more
How To Locate And View Your Library Folder
Have you ever had problems locating your Library folder on your Mac? If so, let me help you locate it. There are two complicating factors. First, there are typically three Library folders on the Mac so locating the correct one can be tough. Second, Apple made one of these three Library folders invisible starting with OS X Lion … Read more
How To Delete Multiple Emails On Your iPhone
Do you have dozens or hundreds of messages that you want to delete from your iPhone? Here are two ways to delete multiple messages. [Be aware, that if you’re using an IMAP or Exchange email account that when you delete a message from your Inbox on your iPhone that it’ll be deleted from your Mac’s … Read more
Save Photos and Videos From iPhone Text Messages
Do your friends send you a lot of photos and videos as attachments to text messages? If so, these photos and videos could be consuming a fair amount of space on your iPhone or iPad. I recommend that you periodically review these images, save the ones that you want and then delete them. Here are instructions on … Read more
When To Consider Restoring An iPad Or iPhone
Some iPhone or iPad problems are only resolved by restoring your iPhone or iPad to factory settings. Apple’s support article details how to restore an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Restoring a device is definitively one of the last techniques I invoke when troubleshooting iPhone or iPad problems. I have only invoked it when more traditional … Read more
Use Safari’s Reader View For Distraction-Free Reading
Do you find it tough to read news articles on web sites because of all of the distracting ads? Do you ever want to print web pages without the clutter of ads around the perimeter? If so, use Safari’s Reader view. It’s easy.
Read moreUse Hermes To Listen To Pandora On Your Mac
Do you use Pandora, the music streaming service? To listen to Pandora do you open a web browser and visit the Pandora website? If so, consider using Hermes instead. Hermes is a free application which you would install on your Mac. Hermes works with both free and paid Pandora accounts. While Pandora offers their own Mac app, … Read more
Use Your iPhone 6 With One Hand Using Reachability
Do you own an iPhone 6, 6S, 6 Plus or a 6S Plus? If so, use Reachability to make it easier to use the phone with only one hand. The iPhone 6 (or 6S) and iPhone 6 Plus (or 6S Plus) come with 4.7″ and 5.5″ screens, respectively. Apple added a feature named Reachability to make … Read more