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 restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup in Recovery Mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2024

Suppose a software update or an app you installed has corrupted system files and as a result your Mac refuses to start up properly, what do you do?

Those who have planned ahead and created a bootable USB install disk for El Capitan can do a clean install of macOS, and then restore their Mac from the most recent Time Machine backup.

But there's a better way to deal with such situations. In this tutorial, we'll educate you on booting into macOS' Recovery Mode and using the built-in recovery tools to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.

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Delayd lets you schedule text messages, social media posts, & more

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated February 8, 2018

When you have lots of Birthdays and holidays coming up and you want to wish all your friends and family the best, it can be hard to keep track of these dates on a day-to-day basis.

Fortunately, a useful utility app called Delayd is available for free in the iOS App Store that will allow you to schedule messages to your loved ones so you don't have to remember to send those special messages when the day finally comes.

In this piece, we'll talk about how Delayd works and show you how you can use it to schedule messages to people, but keep in mind the app can also be used for scheduling emails, Facebook posts, and Tweets in addition to SMS messages.

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How to fix Ethernet problems after a recent Mac security update

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated February 7, 2017

As my colleague Christian reported on Saturday, some Mac models have been plagued by non-working Ethernet ports after installing a new security update outed by Apple. Although a lot of modern Macs don't even have an Ethernet port, many models still carry it and many people still love using a wired internet connection because it's faster, more reliable, and more secure than a wireless network.

The security update, known as "031-51913 Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data 3.28.1," reportedly blacklists the Broadcom BCM5701 driver used by the Ethernet port that comes standard on many Mac machines.

Fortunately, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for anyone experiencing issues with their Ethernet ports after installing this security update. Apple has issued a support document on Sunday that notes how to fix the problem. In this tutorial, we'll go over the steps to fix the problem yourself.

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The best 3D Touch gestures in Music app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 2, 2017

The stock Music app in iOS 10 supports 3D Touch Peek and Pop gestures within the app and various Quick Actions on the Home screen.

With 3D Touch, the Music app speeds up common user actions, from tuning in to Beats 1 radio to running a search on your music, previewing the contents of albums and playlists, adding For You playlists (for those who are subscribed to Apple Music) and more.

With 3D Touch, owners of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will have an easier time navigating the Music app's somewhat overwhelming interface while discovering they can accomplish more with fewer taps.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use 3D Touch in the Music app like a pro.

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How to customize the look of Terminal on Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated November 9, 2025
Terminal window in four different colors

Many people use Terminal on their Mac to carry out the commands they want to use to make changes on their system, and by default, it’s a plain white interface with black text. Because this is simply boring, we’re going to show you in this tutorial how you can colorize the Terminal window to look exactly how you want it to.

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How to repair Mac disk errors in macOS Recovery Mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2024

macOS on your Mac includes a disk-repairing app, called Disk Utility, which you can use to scan your connected drives for errors, erase a disk, repair disk permissions, check the disk's structure for physical errors and more.

But what can you do, if anything, should your Mac experience issues preventing it from starting up properly? Not to worry, our friends, because macOS lets you launch a standalone version of Disk Utility from your Mac's built in recovery partition.

In other words, macOS' Recovery Mode gives you a chance to repair a malfunctioning startup disk that prevents your Mac from booting properly.

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The different Mac startup tones and the problems they indicate

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated October 4, 2018

The infamous startup tone that the Mac is known for when you turn it on isn't just a sound, but is actually a very important part of your Mac's boot up process.

Unless your volume is turned all the way down, not hearing your startup tone at the time you power on your Mac may indicate a problem with your machine. Additionally, unusual startup tone sequences are also indicative of a problem with your Mac and will require troubleshooting to resolve.

In this piece, we'll attempt to outline what all the different scenarios of the Mac startup sounds mean to give you better understanding of what to do should you ever end up in a situation where your Mac's startup tone doesn't sound right.

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