What's new in iOS 14?

Apple iOS 14.0.1

iOS 14 has just been released and it comes with a plethora of new features!

Widgets

It’s all about the Widgets this update. You can expect the following…

1. Redesigned widgets

2. Widgets for everything

3. Widgets on the Home Screen

4. Widgets in different sizes

5. Widget Gallery

6. Widget stack

7. Smart stack

8. Siri Suggestions widget

9. Developer API

App Library

So much customisability, developers are going wild! There is also now the added App Library which is a new space located on the Home Screen. It automatically categorises your Apps into categories such as Social, Productivity and Entertainment. Not only does it organise your Apps by category, but it also organises them based on your usage on them. How smart!

1. App Library on the Home Screen

2. Automatic categorisation

3. Suggestions

4. Search

5. Hid Home Screen pages

6. Recently Added

Compact UI

The minimalist movement is truly making its move and so you’ll see that the user-interface has changed quite a bit in iOS 14. Everything is a little more stream-lined. Rather than taking up your whole screen when receiving a call, it pops up just as a banner so you can continue viewing what was on your screen while taking the call.

1. Compact Phone Calls

2. Compact UI available for Third-Party VoIP Calls (ie. Skype)

3. Compact FaceTime calls

4. Compact Siri

5. Picture-in-Picture

6. Resize Picture-in-Picture window

7. Move Picture-in-Picture window to any corner

8. Minimise Picture-in-Picture window off-screen

These are just a few of the new features and updates in Apple’s new iOS 14. There’s even a built in Translation app now too! Check out these best iOS features by 9to5 Mac to find out more.

HOW TO: Protect you private Notes with a password

Got a secret you need to keep in your Notes on your iPad, iPhone or Mac? Or maybe just a place to store your not so super-secretive passwords and login details? There’s no need to download any fancy vault-keeping type app if you’re looking to keep a few simple notes private since in Apple’s Notes app you can assign a password to any individual note! There’s two ways to achieve this, so here’s how…

1. Locking notes on your iPhone/iPad:

1. Navigate to your Settings

2. Select Notes

3. Tap on Password (select the account you want to have a password on if you have multiple accounts)

4. Enter a password and be sure to give yourself a hint just in case you forget (you can also use Face/TouchID if you have a compatible device)

5. Tap on Done

2. Locking notes in the App

1. Navigate to Notes

2. Select the Action/Share icon

3. Select Lock Note

4. Enter a password and be sure to give yourself a hint just in case you forget (you can also use Face/TouchID if you have a compatible device)

5. Select Done

To learn a little more about it you can visit Apple’s Support page here.

Everything new that's coming to Apple

So Apple just held their annual World Wide Developer Conference and made it available online via streaming. If you, like me, couldn’t be bothered staying awake to watch it (I am not that crazed an Apple follower, good sleep comes first!), here’s a comprehensive list of new things coming to Apple that was announced!

1. Apple will start running their Macs on Apple-made chips instead of Intel

2. iOS 14 is coming and it will give you more options to customise your phone

3. Apple is re-inventing the car key fob

4. iPadOS 14 is making your iPad more like a computer

5. MacOS along with Safari is going to get significant upgrade as Big Sur comes into development

6. Seamless device switching when it comes to using your AirPods

7. Sleep and handwashing features for WatchOS 7

PHOTOGRAPH: BROOKS KRAFT/APPLE

You can read more about these announcements thanks to the good folk at Wired - “Here’s everything Apple announced at WWDC.”

iOS Tip: How to disable Touch ID and Face ID

As much as I love the convenience of Touch ID and Face ID, there are times when I like using the good-old passcode way of unlocking my iPhone. This may be suitable for your situation too! Especially with winter coming around and your face is snugged up inside a warm scarf and your hands are hidden in a warm tech-friendly glove. Here’s how you can disable Touch/Face ID on your iPhone…

Navigate your way to your Settings > Touch ID & Passcode (alt. Face ID & Passcode) and then toggle off the little switches that enable Touch/Face ID for the different functions.

iOS TIP: How to quickly nest your lists in notes

It’s not just ‘swipe right’ for a particular social app, but you can also use this handy shortcut to nest your lists in Notes! I love how quick and simple it is to keep my plans and thoughts organised. Here’s how easy it is to sort your list out with just a swipe…

1. Make your list in Notes as you would normally do, either using bullets, dashes or numbers, etc.

2. When you reach the line on the list entry you want to nest just do a quick swipe on the bullet-point, dash or number to the right!

3. Et voila! You’re now an organised, list-making pro

GIF: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

We hope you enjoyed this quick tip! If you want more, just give us a follow on our Facebook page. Got bigger questions or would like to learn more about your Apple device? Give us a shout to see how we can help you!

iOS TIP: Turn off Location Sharing

The team at Setup, Sync and Learn hope that you all are fairing well and are safe at the current time. Right now, we are so happy about the lightening of restrictions as Australia has successfully been flattening the curve. You may have heard that the government recently launched a new app called COVIDSafe. Prior to its release, it brought up many conversations about privacy. The thought of being “tracked” worried many people, but hopefully, the most recent news on the app has helped clear any misunderstandings, as the app doesn’t track your location. But, did you know there could be other apps on your phone that are tracking your location? Here’s where you can find out which apps have location sharing on, and how you can change their permissions…

Settings > Privacy > Location Services

HOW TO: Video-call using Group FaceTime

With the whole community in isolation it’s no wonder many people are turning to video-calling apps to keep in touch with one another. We know that Apple has FaceTime where we can do video and audio calls to our loved ones, but did you know you can also do GROUP FaceTime video/audio calls? Here’s a helpful guide from Apple Support on how to use Group FaceTime on your iPhone, iPad or iPod. If you own a Mac, they also have a learning guide here too. So get together with the family with a virtual gathering via. FaceTime. There’s also many fun things you can do with the Camera Effects.

iOS Tip: Answer a message with a touch and tap!

Did you know that you can answer a text without having to type a whole reply out? Well, it depends what the text is, but iOS has the smarts to give you options for an appropriate answer. Here’s how!

In your Messages, tap and hold down on the conversation you’d like to reply. You’ll then see a pop-up with suggestions on what to apply. Tap on the reply you want to use. Voila! Done ☺️

We hope you liked that useful tip from Apple’s Genius Picks. You can like and follow our Facebook page for more handy tips!

Apple Tip: How to restore your contacts

Whether it’s absent mindedness or a slip of the finger, you may find yourself accidentally deleting a contact or two. No need to fear though if you’ve got backup enabled on your iCloud. Here’s how you can recover your contacts…

1. Log into your iCloud account using your Apple ID

2. Scroll down to where it says Advanced and click on Restore Contacts

3. Then select an archive of your contacts that was from a date before you had accidentally removed/lost the contacts

iOS TIP: Swipe to Type

We’re always looking for a little more efficiency in life and sometimes we don’t notice the subtle changes Apple makes to help us along the way. If you’ve kept your iPhone updated you may have noticed a little something-something has been added to your keyboard. It’s been a long time coming, yes, I complained a little that Apple’s iOS was sooooo behind on this feature that has been around on other phone operating systems for a while, but alas the patience has paid off. So while you’re holding that reusable coffee cup in your left hand you can now swipe-to-type on your iPhone in the other hand, or the other way around, coffee in the right and phone in the left. How you ask? Well, if you’ve updated to the latest iOS 13 there’s no need to enable anything as the update would have automatically enabled it by default.

Image by Jéshoots from www.pexels.com

HOW TO DO IT?

To begin swiping-to-type, just place your finger (or thumb) on your keyboard screen and swipe it across the letters of the word you want to type. For example, for the word “Okay,” all you have to do is drag your finger/thumb over the respective letters in order “O-K-A-Y” and the keyboard will predict the word you’re trying to input.

We hope you enjoy this nifty iOS 13 feature as much as us!

iOS TIP: How to clean your iPhone and iPad properly

With the recent news about COVID-19 it sure is a good decision to take some precaution with the surfaces we come in contact with. Did you know that your iPhone or iPad may be dirtier than you think? Well, no need to freak out! The good folk at www.prevention.com has given you a simple and correct guide on how to clean your iPhone or iPad according to a Germ Pro. Make sure to read it through carefully as there are some things that can damage your device, as Apple have also mentioned themselves, where it can damage the finger-print resistant coating.

Prevention’s article gives you 5 easy steps to follow…

1. Power down

2. Opt for microfiber cloths

3. Turn to rubbing alcohol

4. Don’t use abrasive products

5. Keep it clean

Learn more about the details by reading the article here, “How to Clean Your Cell Phone the Right Way, According to a Germ Expert” - By Elizabeth Millard.

Image by Burst from Pexels.

iOS TIP: Share using AirDrop

Recently I’ve found myself doing quite a bit of sharing photos and Safari links from my iPhone to another iPhone or to a Mac. If you’re still trying to share files by iMessage or Mail to other Apple users you may not be aware of Apple’s sharing feature, AirDrop! So here’s how to use AirDrop thanks to Apple’s Genius Picks.

All you have to do is tap on the Share Icon (a square icon with an arrow pointing up out of it) and then tap on AirDrop. Select the name of the person’s device and the transfer will begin.

iOS TIP: How to change the language of an app

If you’re like me and find learning a new language is easier when you integrate it into everyday things (ie. purposefully changing the language of my phone) then this little genius tip might be great for you! Instead of changing the whole language on your iPhone, you can change the language only for a particular app.

HERE’S HOW!

Go to Settings > Tap on an App > Tap on Language > VOILA!

Please Note: Not all apps may have this function.

iOS Quick Tip: Undo/Redo

Here’s a quick tip from Apple if you’ve made a mistake in Notes or in iMessages, etc. With three fingers, swipe left to UNDO. Swipe right if your want to REDO.

iOS Quick Tip: Saving Email Drafts

Here’s a quick tip for you and your iPhone or iPad when sending emails from the geniuses at Apple. Need to quickly save an email draft? While writing an email, simply swipe down on the little anchor point at the top of that message. To retrieve it again just tap on the draft at the bottom.

iOS Quick Tip: Scroll Bar

If you’ve updated to the new iOS you might’ve noticed a new scroll bar while navigating through a page in Safari. Not only is it useful for seeing where you are on a page you can now use it to scroll faster! Have a crack at it by normally scrolling through a page, then tap and hold the scroll bar on the right and drag it up or down to scroll through the page. Also the faster you move the scroll bar the faster you will scroll through the page!

iOS Quick Tip: It's all about that Battery Health

Once again, Apple is working on our iPhone battery woes! Now that iOS 13 is a little more ironed out with a few multiple updates to fix a few bugs, let’s talk about the changes they’ve made to help us with Battery Life.

We all get a little confused when it comes to charging our phone overnight, but look, you’re not going to overload your phone while your sleep and charge. So Apple has done this thing with your trickle-charging. Usually once our batteries charge to 100% it switches to trickle charging. What is trickle charging, you ask? Well, let’s ask Siri…

Hey Siri…

What’s trickle charging?

Using it’s AI magic your iPhone will learn your routine. Yes, your iPhone is stalking you, but it’s for the good of your battery! It will set up a routine of only charging your iPhone to 80%, switch to trickle charging, and then by learning your wake up time, it will charge up to 100% just as you wake and hit snooze.

Here’s how to activate it…

Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Turn ON Optimised Battery Charging.

iOS Quick Tip: Going Dark

iOS 13 is here and so is Dark Mode! You can switch from Light to Dark Mode straight away, automatically or schedule it. To set this go to Settings > Display and Brightness.

iOS 13: A Whole New Look On A Whole New Level

iOS 13 is finally here! Are you ready to experience a new level on your iPhone? Check out some of these features that you will find in iOS 13…

1. Dark Mode - See your iPhone in a new light! Dark Mode is finally here, designed to make screen viewing a little easier on your eyes. You can simply turn it on in your Control Centre or have it automatically turn on at night.

2. Portrait Mode - Yes, there’s new updates to make your portrait photos even more beautiful. The new update allows you to have more control over your light intensity with the new Portrait Lighting controls. You’ll also be able to create beautiful black-and-white portraits with the new High-Key Mono filter in Portrait Mode.

3. New tabs in Moments - A new way of organising your special moments into days, months and years.

4. New powerful editing tools for Photos and Video - Refine your photos a videos further with new and updated editing features. Need to rotate a video? You can finally do it with iOS 13!

5. Privacy and Security - Apple has always taken its Privacy and Security seriously so be prepared for a few upgrades here. One of the biggest updates is the introduction of "Sign In With Apple” which simplifies the way you can sign in to apps and websites with your privacy in mind.

These are only a few of the many new things in iOS 13. You can find out more here on Apple’s website. Don’t forget to make sure your phone is backed up before the update. Not sure if it is or how to? Go to your Settings > ‘Your Name’ > iCloud > iCloud Backup - check that this is on.