Tutorial

Learn how to master your Apple devices with our comprehensive tutorials. From iPhone and iPad to Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and more, our expert guides will help you unlock the full potential of your Apple products. Discover new features, tips, and tricks each day to enhance your user experience.

How to use your iPhone as a mouse or trackpad

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 3, 2018

Your iOS devices have some of the best touch screens out there. As a matter of fact your iPhone screen makes for a great mouse, or trackpad.

The idea of using iOS devices as a trackpad for your computer isn't new, but Mobile Mouse Remote is a great app that provides this kind of functionality with ease of use in mind. It even packs some useful bonus features.

If you're interested in this kind of functionality for your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, then this is something you're going to want to check out.

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What to do if music, videos, and other content disappear after an iTunes update

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated October 25, 2022

It's not that uncommon for the music, videos, and other content in your iTunes folder to disappear after updating iTunes. It doesn't seem to happen to everyone, but as many internet stories will tell you, it does occur to a number of users on some occasions.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to get your iTunes music, videos, and more back when you notice it has gone missing after installing an iTunes app update.

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How to view recent Safari history on iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2023

On any given day, I browse the web a lot—be it catching up on the news, doing research on future stories or skimming through my favorites to learn what's the latest. And more often than not do I find myself struggling to make my way back to an article I stumbled upon a few hours ago.

Locating a specific item in browsing history can feel like finding a needle in the haystack, especially if you're on the go.

Yes, I could just tap Safari's back button multiple times or swipe to go back a single webpage at a time until I found the webpage I was looking for, but that's a time-consuming process which unnecessarily wastes my iPhone's cellular data.

As you'll discover in this tutorial, Safari provides a very handy, though not immediately obvious shortcut which allows you to quickly jump to any previously visited webpage.

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How to create blank disk images with Disk Utility

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2016

Should you ever find yourself in the need to create blank disk images, OS X's built-in Disk Utility is your friend. A disk image usually has a .dmg extension and appears, looks and behaves like any ordinary file, with one key exception: launching it prompts OS X to mount the volume on the desktop.

These mountable disk images can be useful in a number of situations. For example, you may want to create blank disk images for storage.

Furthermore, disk images can be used as a virtual disk for software distribution, to burn CDs or DVDs and so forth. In this step-by-step tutorial, you'll learn how to create blank disk images in Disk Utility, at any size, with optional password protection, formatting options and more.

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How to convert text into a spoken iTunes track on Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 3, 2019

Whenever you want to save a block of important text to your Mac, you probably copy and paste it into the Notes app or into a text editor to save it as a text document. But, did you know you could save any body of text on your Mac as a spoken iTunes track instead?

In this tutorial, you will learn how to convert any highlighted body of text into a spoken iTunes audio track.

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Changing your Apple ID credit card info directly from your iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated January 7, 2021

Your Apple ID is used whenever you want to make purchases from one of Apple's online digital content stores. This includes the App Store, Books Store, and iTunes Store.

From time to time, you may switch credit card providers, get a new credit card number, or opt to use a different payment method than the one you're already using.

It's easy to change your Apple ID payment information right from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and in this tutorial, our aim is to teach you how.

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Drawing with pressure and other 3D Touch tips and tricks for Notes

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 1, 2016

With 3D Touch shortcuts and gestures available for iOS's stock Notes application, you can elevate your productivity and accomplish certain tasks faster and with fewer taps than without 3D Touch.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus owners can take advantage of their device's pressure-sensitive screen to quickly start a new note from the Home screen, preview a specific note’s content, sketch using pressure-sensitive drawing tools, quickly delete, share and copy notes and more.

Imbued with the information in this tutorial, you'll take full advantage of 3D Touch interactions that are available to you in Notes so that you can be more productive.

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How to password protect PDF files on your Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 2, 2019

Password protecting your PDF files is a great way to keep the contents from being revealed to those who you never intend to see them.

This great security feature can be taken advantage of right from the Preview app that comes bundled with your Mac, and in this tutorial, we'll show you how you can use it to enhance the security of your PDF files.

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How to use your iPhone as a pedometer

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 11, 2019

Some of you may know that I am the creator and sole member of what I call the 10,000 steps a day challenge, a self-imposed goal of walking at least 10,000 steps per day. I started with a goal of 6,000 steps per day back in 2015, and increased that goal by 1,000 every new year, a goal I reach every single day, no matter how busy my schedule may be, no matter what the weather is like outside, and no matter my health condition.

When I talk to people about the 10,000 steps a day challenge, a question that often comes up is how I track the amount of steps I take. Surprisingly, most people don’t know this is something newer iPhones can do straight out of the box.

iDB readers are probably aware of that feature, but for those that might not be, or those who want to share the existence of this feature with friends and family, we will go over this today as I talk about how you can use an iPhone as a pedometer.

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Tip: find tons of messages you didn’t know existed inside Messenger’s secret folder

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 18, 2020

What if I told you that you most likely have tons of messages you didn't even know existed, stowed away in a little-known folder on Facebook?

While messages from your Facebook friends and Messenger contacts are delivered straight to your inbox, the system filters out those it deems spam and tucks them away into a hidden vault.

Some of those filtered messages could be from a distant family member trying to re-connect with you. Others might be vitally important. If you suspect Facebook is hiding messages you should've been aware of, this tutorial will teach you how to access a treasure trove of messages that you never knew you had.

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