Mac 911
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Mac 911
How to set a custom scale for each website in macOS Safari
Not every site is the right size for your eyes. You can set up Safari to open sites you frequent to a larger size.
Mac 911
Live Text destroys these paid text extraction apps
If you are trying to access text in imagesu2014whether documents, photos, or formsu2014you have many options available, including a new one that's included in the upcoming macOS Monterey.
Mac 911
How to use Script Editor to re-authorize a balky AppleScript in macOS Catalina and later
New requirements for your permission to let apps and scripts control system elements and apps may block old scripts.
Mac 911
What Mac do you have? Here's how to find out OVERRIDEN
Apple has several ways of identifying a Mac, each of which is found in a different location or by another method.
Mac 911
How to control the hidden volume in Photos and other apps in iOS
Apps have their own relationship with producing audio. They often, but not always, err on the side of not making a peep depending on other settings until you take action.
Mac 911
How to stop macOS Mail from using a bad email address
Apple wants to make it easy for you to use email addresses. But at the same time, it can lead to using a bad email address.
Mac 911
How to use your Macu2019s Wi-Fi menu to sort out weak areas of Wi-Fi coverage
The Wi-Fi menu in macOS can reveal technical details that may help you improve your network performance and coverage.
Mac 911
How to stay safe if you don't log out of a website
Some people take fears about account hijacking so seriously that they make their life harder without increasing their security.
Mac 911
How to protect yourself from phishing emails
Phishing remains a key tool in hijacking accounts, but you can defeat it with a little savvy.
Mac 911
What to do with a dead Mac's built-in SSD to secure your privacy
But what if your Mac dies and you want to get rid of it without private data some other party has the potential of retrieving? Here's what you can do.
Mac 911
Four ways to extend displays to your Mac (now and coming soon)
If you're short of display territory and want to add more options, you have four to choose from.
Mac 911
How to use an iMac as an external monitor
New iMacs can use Universal Control, but or iMacs from 2009 to 2014 can be used as external monitors when running certain versions of macOS.
Mac 911
How your iPhone uses private tracking to enhance Maps, Photos, and more
The Significant Locations option on the iPhone and iPad learns what locations are important and uses that info to serve you better data.
Mac 911
How Apple collects data about you and protects your privacy
Apple tries to give itself access to the least amount of information about you and the least amount of your private information that it can.
Mac 911
How to find out which Mac apps are tracking your location
You may have given your Mac apps permission long ago. You can conduct an audit to see if you still want them to know where youu2019re at.n
Mac 911
The best ways to back up your Big Sur Mac
macOS Big Sur resists the ideas of a bootable external backup. A new way of thinking about backups should inform your planning.
Mac 911
How to fix macOS Accessibility permission when an app canu2019t be enabled
Accessibility access is often required for utilities. Thereu2019s a Terminal trick you may need to use when you canu2019t grant that permission.
Mac 911
Master the macOS Finder with these Advanced settings tweaks
Adjust the macOS Finder to better suit your needs.
Mac 911
How to share subscriptions in the App Store with a Family Sharing group
A hidden bonus late last year was the extension of App Store subscriptions to Family Sharing.
Mac 911
How to add multiple AirPlay 2 destinations for streaming audio on iPhone or iPad
AirPlay 2 let you stream audio from an iPhone or iPad to multiple audio destinations simultaneously. iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 reformulated the controls for easier use once you get the hang of the new approach.
Mac 911
How to connect automated sequences with a calendar entry on a Mac
Attach Automator actions to the Calendar app and perform routine activities while you sleep.
Mac 911
How to name your Wi-Fi networks for best Mac, iPhone, and iPad roaming
Give your devices the great freedom to roam among Wi-Fi gatewaysu2014with one notable exception.n
Mac 911
Take control of Time Machine backups with the TimeMachineEditor utility
You can use a third-party utility to set a schedule and other controls for Time Machine backups. And the utility is free.
Mac 911
How to encrypt a Mac storage device
Apple allows encrypted drives in two varieties: startup via FileVault and external via a Finder option.
Mac 911
Apple fixes Photos smart album bug that originated in macOS Catalina
Catalina broke a way to assemble albums of photos not in albums or in albums. Big Sur fixed it.
Mac 911
How to format a drive for networked Time Machine access
Time Machine can use APFS for backups starting in Big Sur, but that seems to prevent networked backups. Here's the fix.n
Mac 911
How to access a Mac remotely to help friends or family members
You have several Apple and third-party alternatives for controlling someone else’s screen for a technical assist.
Mac 911
Laggy performance in macOS Big Sur's Finder? Try closing tabs
While thereu2019s no consistent pattern, a tabbed window may bog down normal Finder functions.
Mac 911
How to reveal hidden files in macOS (and hide visible ones)
A few techniques let you see files marked as hidden, whether intentionally or otherwise, and reverse their status.
Mac 911
Save Mac storage space by cleaning out abandoned log files
Log files are important for troubleshooting, but many apps are not good at cleaning out old ones that aren't useful anymore. Here's how you can see what's gong on with log files on your Mac.
Mac 911
Fix your mysterious Mac storage problem
Snapshots are a powerful way for backup software to provide a quick point in time to walk back to when you donu2019t necessarily need to restore the entire volume. But they take up a lot of storage space.
Mac 911
How to maintain video resolution when sharing videos via AirDrop
In some cases, high-resolution images and videos taken on an iPhone or iPad will be downsized or downsampled en route to a Mac. Here's how to fix it.
Mac 911
Major Keynote 11 update makes it better for online meetings
You can now display a presentation in a window and have your notes and slide-navigation tools in another window. Here's how it works.
Mac 911
How to share a Macu2019s drive with another Mac, whether Intel or Apple silicon
You can access the startup volume on one Mac as a drive that appears on another thatu2019s directly connected. This is known as Target Disk Mode on Intel Macs; it's still available on Apple silicon Macs, too.
Mac 911
Is your macOS FileVault Recovery Key current? Hereu2019s how to check
If you havenu2019t carefully tracked your Recovery Key, you could wind up being unsure which is accurate for your current Mac and FileVault encryption setup. Thereu2019s fortunately an easy way to check.
Mac 911
How to find every troubleshooting boot mode on an M1 Mac
When Apple released the M1 Macs, they also changed the boot modes that were available with Intel Macs. Learn what you need to do to get into Recovery Mode and other boot modes—and also what procedures are now gone.
Mac 911
How to use Sticky and Slow Keys in macOS to make you a better typist
Sticky Keys makes it easier to perform key combinations, while Slow Keys can better align your typing style and your results. Here’s how they work.
Mac 911
How to remove unwanted icons in System Preferences on your Mac
Choose which preferences appear in the System Preferences app. The ones you hide still remain fully available.
Mac 911
A Fusion Mac’s speed getting you down? Give it a boost with an external SSD
You’ll see a significant speed boost if you switch from a hard drive or Fusion drive startup volume to an SSD on your Mac. Here are instructions on how to set it up.
Mac 911
How to set up Sleep mode on a Mac that has bus-powered external storage
External bus-powered drives on a Mac may not dismount properly when the laptop goes to sleep. Here's what you can do to make sure you storage is safe.
Mac 911
How to revive or restore an unresponsive Mac from another Mac
If your recent series Mac won't boot, you can try to 'revive' or 'restore' it.
Mac 911
iCloud email won’t send? Here’s what to check to fix it
iCloud has restrictions that could prevent your email from being sent. If you have too many recipients, iCloud address errors, or really big file attachments, iCloud won't send your message.
Mac 911
How to block tracking pixels in Apple Mail
Emails you get from mailing lists may be trying to spy on your activity. Hereu2019s how to block stop that from happening.
Mac 911
What to do when switching to a Mac with a smaller drive
If your current Mac has more data stored than the capacity of the new one, you probably feel youu2019re in a pickle. Here's what you can do to make the transition work.
Mac 911
How to make macOS apps available to a single user instead of all users
If youu2019re sharing a Mac, you may want to restrict access to certain apps. Hereu2019s how itu2019s done.
Mac 911
Thinking of upgrading from a Fusion drive on a Mac? Here’s what you need to know
With a Fusion drive, you canu2019t upgrade just the SSD or hard drive components without doing some hard work.
Mac 911
How to split up an Apple ID among family members and forward their email
Itu2019s easy to wind up with a single Apple ID account for your entire family, and then want to migrate to individual ones. Apple doesnu2019t let you split Apple ID accounts up, but hereu2019s a set of strategies that can help.
Mac 911
How to check if an unexpected prompt for your Apple ID password is legitimate
If you get a random popup on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, youu2019re right to initially mistrust it.
Mac 911
How to use facial recognition from your Photos library with Apple HomeKit Secure Video
Apple lets you know who is at the door or another camera when used in conjunction with its secure video system.
Mac 911