Tutorials

How to exclude files from Time Machine backups

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 4, 2019

In our third Time Machine tutorial for macOS, we'll show you how to exclude specific files or folders from being included in your Time Machine backup. You'll find that it's extremely easy to curate your Time Machine backups using its preferences.

The thing that I really like about Time Machine is that you can exclude not only individual files, but entire folders of files as well. Have a look at our easy to use tutorial to find out how you can exclude certain data from becoming a part of your backup.

How and why to Force Quit one or all apps on Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 6, 2026

In this tutorial, we go over four ways to force-quit apps on Mac so you can close an app that is misbehaving, frozen, unresponsive, or monopolizing system resources and slowing down your computer.

How to tell if your Mac supports AirDrop, a device-to-device wireless file transfer feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 27, 2022

AirDrop simplifies wireless file sharing between Macs and iOS devices without having to connect to an existing network or going through the hassle of typing a password.

Every Mac bought in almost the last decade supports AirDrop. But if you have an old Mac and are wondering if it supports AirDrop or not, this tutorial will help.

How to mute tabs in Safari on your Mac

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 1, 2023

Like pinned tabs, tab muting isn't a new idea, as it's been implemented in other web browsers in the past. But starting with OS X 10.11, Apple has brought native tab muting to the Safari browser.

The ability to mute tabs at will brings more control to the user. It's especially beneficial when encountering those annoying auto-playing advertisements.

In this video walkthrough, I'll show you how to use Safari tab muting, and explain its ins and outs.

How to see the cycle count of your MacBook battery

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 11, 2026

In this tutorial, we show you how to find the battery cycle count of your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or MacBook Neo to get a clearer picture of its overall health.

How to remove unused language files from your Mac and free up disk space

Lory Gil ∙ Updated August 6, 2019

There are approximately 150 different localized languages coded into OS X. Most people only use one language on their computer, maybe two. That leaves hundreds of megabytes of space being used up by languages you will never access in your operating system.

Monolingual is a utility that allows you to remove many of the more than 150 foreign languages from your Mac, freeing up disk space for more important files. We've got a tutorial that explains how to download and use Monolingual to delete unnecessary language files, plus a couple of very important tips to follow before completing the process.

How to change or reset your iPhone voicemail password

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 11, 2019

When iPhone first came out in 2007, it was the first device to include Visual Voicemail, a feature that allows users to view their voicemails, scroll through them, and of course listen to them, directly from the device. With Visual Voicemail, no need to dial a number and go through an automated message system to listen to your voicemails.

Since everything is now handled directly on the phone, you can also change your voicemail password directly from your iPhone.

How to move pictures from the Mac Photos app to Google Photos

Ankur Thakur ∙ Updated March 22, 2022

This complete guide shows you how to upload photos and videos stored inside your Mac's Photos app (your entire macOS Photo Library) or a Finder folder to Google Photos. We show you both automatic and manual methods.

How to change your email display name

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 10, 2022

When you send someone an email, it usually shows the name you set while creating the account. Suppose you made a typo while setting up your email, or used your nickname or a fake name, and now every email you send has this name you no longer like.

In this tutorial, we show you how to change the name that's displayed in the email you send to someone from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iCloud.

How to track stocks on your Apple Watch

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 8, 2025

Featuring a built-in Stocks app and the ability to check on a stock via Siri, the Apple Watch is a great tool for quickly garnering info on the stocks that interest you, allowing you to keep track of your favorite companies’ financials right from your wrist.

How to recover your recording if GarageBand crashes

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 10, 2025

Did the GarageBand app crash midway while you were recording? In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to recover your recording if GarageBand has crashed on your Mac.

How to use your Apple Watch stopwatch like a pro

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 26, 2023

The Apple Watch, as you might have guessed, is really good at timekeeping. Unsurprisingly, it comes bundled with a stopwatch function that works as both a full-fledged app and a watch face complication. In this post, which is a continuation of our Apple Watch tips series, we'll show you how to get the most out of the stopwatch functionality on your Apple Watch.