How-to

1,992 'How-to' stories September 2011 - February 2022

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 show the battery percentage of your iPhone 13 and earlier iPhones

Michael Potuck Feb 1 2022 - 3:00 am PT

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Noticed that your iPhone 13 (iPhone 12 down to X too) doesn’t show the battery percentage in the status bar? Read along for four ways to show iPhone 13 battery percentage.

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Here’s how to cancel your Spotify premium subscription

Michael Potuck Jan 31 2022 - 12:46 pm PT

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Whether you’ve been considering leaving Spotify for a while or just recently decided to make a change, read along for how to cancel Spotify subscriptions on iPhone and more.

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How to transfer Spotify songs to Apple Music, and more

Staff Writer Jan 30 2022 - 3:27 am PT

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If you’ve ever thought about switching your Spotify subscription to Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, Deezer, or vice versa, one thing that probably made you change your mind is “how am I going to transfer all my songs from a streaming service to another?” Well, here’s the answer.

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How to install iOS 15.4 beta and try out Face ID With a Mask and Universal Control

Michael Potuck Jan 28 2022 - 11:56 am PT

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iOS 15.4 comes with a variety of great new features like Universal Control for iPad and Face ID With a Mask for iPhone. Follow along for how to install iOS 15 beta to test everything out.

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How to install the macOS Monterey beta

Michael Potuck Jan 28 2022 - 11:54 am PT

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Want to check out what’s new in the latest macOS Monterey release early like the Studio Display webcam fix? Read along for how to install macOS Monterey beta.

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Here’s how to add and customize the new ‘Unity Lights’ Apple Watch face

Staff Writer Jan 26 2022 - 6:47 am PT

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Apple just announced a new Black Unity collection for the Apple Watch as part of Black History Month in February. With that, the company released a new watch face called Unity Lights. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

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How to clean AirPods and the charging case

How to clean your dirty AirPods and charging case

Michael Potuck Jan 25 2022 - 12:00 am PT

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AirPods have been a huge hit for Apple with good sound, seamless integration with the company’s devices, and a great charging case. However, with a great product comes a lot of use, which in this case means the build-up of dirt, gunk, and yeah, earwax. Follow along for how to clean AirPods and the charging case.

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How to fix the pink iPhone 13 screen bug

Seeing a pink screen on your iPhone 13? Here’s how to fix it

Michael Potuck Jan 24 2022 - 12:00 pm PT

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Since the launch of the iPhone 13, some users have been dealing with a pink iPhone 13 screen bug that is often accompanied by slow performance, apps freezing/not working properly, and unexpected shutdowns. Let’s look at what you can do to fix the pink iPhone 13 screen bug.

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iPhone: How to improve Face ID with a mask, including Apple Watch Unlock feature

Michael Potuck Jan 23 2022 - 12:00 am PT

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Wearing a face mask usually renders iPhone’s Face ID unusable. Even though it sounds like a first-world problem, there are a lot of people, including medical professionals, who would value Face ID on iPhone to work while wearing protective equipment. Read on for how to use Face ID with a mask including the option to unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch when Face ID detects you’re wearing a mask.

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7 tips and tricks to extend iPhone battery life

Michael Potuck Jan 20 2022 - 2:32 pm PT

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Whether you’ve got an older iPhone with a worn-down battery or have a newer one that isn’t lasting as long as you’d hope, there are a number of ways to improve battery performance. Follow along for a look at 7 tips and tricks to extend iPhone battery life.

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Mac: How to dial in privacy and security with new macOS Monterey features

Michael Potuck Jan 19 2022 - 3:21 pm PT

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How to customize Mac privacy in macOS Monterey

9to5Mac is brought to you by MacStadium. Migrate to M1 easier with Orka and MacStadium. Orchestrate macOS VMs with Kubernetes in a mixed cluster of M1 and Intel Macs. Watch the tech preview and sign up to be a beta participant.

Along with the shinier features that launched with macOS Monterey are several subtle ones to help keep your Mac secure and private. Let’s look at how to customize and use Mac privacy features in the latest version of macOS.

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How to add your COVID-19 vaccine records to Apple Health and Wallet on your iPhone

Chance Miller Jan 18 2022 - 2:58 pm PT

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Last fall, Apple rolled out the ability to store verifiable COVID-19 vaccination information in the Apple Health and Wallet applications. Since then, adoption among healthcare providers and health technology infrastructure companies has been slow but is finally starting to pick up.

Head below for more details on how to store your COVID-19 vaccine records in Apple Health and Apple Wallet.

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How to get Time to Run on Apple Watch with Fitness+

Apple Fitness+ Time to Run is now available, here’s how to find it

Michael Potuck Jan 10 2022 - 9:38 am PT

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After starting its guided audio efforts with Time to Walk, the new Apple Fitness+ series Time to Run has officially arrived as the next evolution. Follow along for how to get Time to Run on Apple Watch, including if you’ve previously turned off or removed Time to Walk workouts.

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How to use noise cancellation transparency mode AirPod Pro

AirPods Pro: How to use noise cancellation and Transparency mode

Michael Potuck Jan 5 2022 - 12:00 am PT

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Two of the most compelling AirPods Pro features are noise cancellation and Transparency mode. Read along as we detail three ways to switch between the modes, how to customize your Force Sensors, set up noise cancellation with one AirPod Pro, and more.

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Where is 5G available in the US for iPhone?

Michael Potuck Jan 3 2022 - 4:00 am PT

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US carriers started rolling out 5G coverage a couple of years ago and the work still continues to make the latest cellular standard available to more customers. Follow along below for a few easy ways to answer the question, where is 5G available for iPhone in the US?

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How to turn off/on contact tracing iPhone iOS 14 and 15 tutorial

How-to

How to manage COVID-19 exposure notifications on iPhone

Michael Potuck Dec 30 2021 - 12:00 am PT

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Apple and Google partnered to offer a secure and private coronavirus contact tracing implementation on iOS and Android. Follow along for how to turn on/off COVID-19 contact tracing on iPhone in iOS settings.

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How to turn off in-app review requests on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Michael Potuck Dec 29 2021 - 9:27 am PT

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Feeling bombarded with apps asking you to rate them? Read along for how to turn off in-app review requests on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

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PSA: Here’s why you might have trouble setting up new iPhones and iPads this holiday season

Staff Writer Dec 26 2021 - 6:54 am PT

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With this holiday season, many people get new iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. If you’re trying to activate yours – or a family member’s device – and you’re having trouble doing that, don’t worry, as it’s that wonderful time of the year.

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iMessage waiting for activation? Here’s how to fix it

Michael Potuck Dec 26 2021 - 12:00 am PT

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If you’re setting up a new iPhone or have recently replaced or reset your iPhone, you may run into an iMessage/FaceTime issue where it is waiting for activation. Let’s take a look at how to fix the “iMessage waiting for activation” issue.

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Apple shares new video detailing 10 helpful tips for your new iPhone

Staff Writer Dec 23 2021 - 6:37 am PT

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With the holiday season officially here, there’s nothing better than learning some tips for your brand new iPhone. Even if you already own a shiny iPhone 11, 12, or 13, there’s always more you can learn about them.

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How to turn on/off iCloud Private Relay iOS 15 iPhone and iPad

iPhone: How to enable and disable iCloud Private Relay in iOS 15

Michael Potuck Dec 23 2021 - 12:00 am PT

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One of the new security features arriving with iOS 15 brings a new level of privacy to web browsing beyond what VPNs offer. But while the feature boasts total encryption, there is a potential downside with keeping it enabled. Here’s how to turn on/off iCloud Private Relay on iPhone and iPad in iOS 15.

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iOS 15.2 offers custom control to hide your email address; here’s how it works

Michael Potuck Dec 22 2021 - 7:45 am PT

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Apple brings some advanced features to iCloud with iOS 15, including iCloud Private Relay, the ability to use more cameras with HomeKit Secure Video, and total control to keep your email private. Let’s look at the latter — here’s how to use Hide My Email with iPhone and iPad now that it’s officially launched with iOS 15.2.

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How to check iPhone service history and parts used

How to view your iPhone’s service history and which parts were used

Michael Potuck Dec 21 2021 - 11:34 am PT

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With iOS 15.2, Apple has introduced an easy way to see if repairs have been done on an iPhone, including if genuine parts were used. The feature will also warn if a part isn’t working normally. Follow along for how to check iPhone service history and parts.

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How to upgrade the camera experience with Macro mode on iPhone 13 Pro

Michael Potuck Dec 20 2021 - 9:13 am PT

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How to enable macro toggle on iPhone 13 Pro walkthrough

iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max cameras come with a new Macro mode that’s quite impressive. However, it originally shipped with a design that automatically kicked in, with no option to manually control it. Now with iOS 15.2, there’s an easy way to control the feature. Read on for how to enable the Macro toggle on iPhone 13 Pro and also make your preference the default.

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