Recover Deleted Messages On Your iPhone

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We’ve all been there, accidentally deleting files we didn’t mean to erase. In almost every case, there are ways to recover that lost data. When it comes to the iPhone, Apple built features into iOS features that let you recover deleted messages, voicemails, photos, or iCloud Drive files.

How to delete messages on iPhone

Before explaining how to recover deleted messages on iPhone, let's review the deletion process. If you’re just learning how to manage the iPhone and iOS, you should be aware of these gestures for a few simple reasons.

It’s important to avoid unintentionally deleting a message in the first place. That way, you won’t worry about recovering it. But, you also need to realize that you've deleted the message. This will increase your chances of recovering an accidentally deleted iPhone message.

You can do one of two things to delete an SMS or iMessage thread from the Messages app on iPhone. Tap on a message and slide your finger to the left. Either tap the Trash icon when it shows up, or keep swiping to the left to delete the message.

The other option is pressing and holding your finger on a message thread. Then select the Delete option. As you can see, the accidental swipe to the left might lead to unintentional message deletion. Or you might swipe on the wrong message to delete.

Also, you can delete independent messages from a chat. To do it, go into a conversation, press and hold anywhere on the screen, and choose the More option. Then manually select the message to delete. However, you can accidentally select more messages than you intended using this deletion process.

How to recover deleted messages on iPhone

It’s important to realize you’ve accidentally deleted an iPhone message as soon as it happens. That’s because iOS doesn’t remove it completely from the iPhone storage. Instead, it places the message in a Trash folder, giving you 30 days to recover it.

The sooner you realize you’ve deleted the message, the better. You’ll be able to recover the deleted message following these steps:

Load the Messages app
Tap the Edit button
Select the Show Recently Deleted
Select the messages you want to recover
Tap the Recover button to retrieve the deleted iPhone message

Conversely, you can use this procedure to delete text messages from your iPhone permanently. Similar methods are available for voicemails, photos and videos, and iCloud files.

Don’t forget about iPhone backups

The best way to save messages is by backing up the iPhone. Frequent backups will increase the chances of recovering accidentally deleted messages from the iPhone. Especially if you’ve exceeded that 30-day limit mentioned above.

But even with frequent iPhone backups, you need to ensure you have enough storage to save the different backups. You’ll have to hunt for older backups that still contain the message data you deleted. Or that you have the messages still in the trash files so you can recover them.

The obvious downside of this avenue is that you’ll have to go through a restore process, which could lead to additional data loss. You’d be restoring the entire iOS installation on iPhone, not just the Messages app. The older the backup you restore, the more recent data you’ll lose from other apps.

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How To Create Or Leave A Group Text

Group texts can be a fun and convenient way to talk to all your friends or family at once. However, it can also be a real pain when you're trying to focus on another task, and your phone won't stop going off. Or you were put in the group chat by mistake and don't need to receive notifications that don't pertain to you.

Whether you're an iPhone or Android user, you can leave a group text once and for all if you wish to.

How do I create a group text on my iPhone?

Open your iMessage app and tap the Compose button in the top right-hand corner to form a new message
In the tab at the top, enter the names of the people you want in the group text
Type your message in the text box and press Send
Note: Messages will appear in blue text bubbles if you're sending a group text to all iPhone users. Messages will appear in green text bubbles if anyone in the group text does not have an iPhone.

How do I create a group text on my Android?

Open the messages app, tap the hamburger menu on the left-hand side, and select Groups
Tap Create Group
Enter what you want to name the group and click Add Member
Type in the people you want to add to the group and press Done when finished
Once everyone has been added, press Save

How do I leave a group text on my iPhone?

Open the group text you wish to leave in your iMessage app
Tap on the names of the people in the group at the top center of your screen
If you wish to stay in the group and not receive notifications, toggle on the Hide Alerts option
If you wish to leave the group altogether, tap Leave Conversation

How do I leave a group text on my Android?

Android users cannot leave group texts entirely, although there is the option of muting a group text so that you don't receive a ton of notifications. To mute a group text on Android:
Open the group text you wish to leave
Tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right-hand corner of your screen
In the bottom right-hand corner, tap the bell icon to turn notifications off

Can I leave a group text if I formed it?

Unfortunately, you cannot leave a group text if you're the one who formed it, whether you're on an iPhone or Android phone. The best thing you can do is follow the steps above to mute notifications of the chat so that your device is not overwhelmed.

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Know If Your Phone Is Listening To You

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Imagine you’re having a simple conversation with a friend or family member. Your child wants a specific toy for the holidays, you’re thinking about trying a different hair product, you need a new pair of sunglasses. Naturally, the first place you might search for these products are sites like Google or Amazon.

But before you can even get to the search bar, ads are popping up on your phone screen for the exact products you were just speaking about moments before. It could be a coincidence, but it’s important to know for sure that nothing suspicious is going on. Are our smartphones always listening to us? The answer really is yes and no.

What are voice-recognition assistants and should you be concerned?

Smartphones often have built-in voice-recognition assistants that can help us find answers to questions, such as the Apple iPhone feature known as Siri. But these assistants are designed to listen to us only when commanded to (i.e. "Hey Siri, what song is currently playing?).

How can you tell if your device is listening to you?

There are built-in microphones in every smartphone as well, and your device should warn you when its microphone is being used to record you. When your microphone is being used, an orange dot should appear in the top right-hand corner of your screen, just above your Wi-Fi and battery icons. You can also swipe down from the top of your screen to see which apps on your phone are using the microphone.

Your smartphone is also designed to track your data and search histories. This allows companies to send you personalized advertisements based on items you’ve clicked on or researched previously, baiting you to consume more of their products. It’s more of a tool they use to get you to reach into your wallet than to obtain your personal information.

How can you limit your phone from listening to you?

Just because our smartphones can listen to us, doesn’t mean we have to let them. These are a few easy steps you can take to limit your phone’s listening access:

1) Turn off your voice-recognition assistant

How to turn off Siri
Go to Settings
Click "Siri & Search"
Turn off the following options: Listen for "Hey Siri," Press Side Button for Siri, and Allow Siri When Locked
A pop-up window will ask if you want to turn off Siri: Click "Turn off Siri"

How to turn off Google Assistant
Go to Settings
Select Google
Click Account Services
Click Search, Assistant & Voice Select Voice
Select Voice Match
Turn off "Hey Google"

2) Turn off the microphone on all your applications

How to stop your iOS device from listening to you
Click Settings
Scroll down to any application (Facebook, Snapchat, etc.)
Turn off Microphone option

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How to Switch iPhones Without Losing a Thing

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Everything you need to know to successfully transfer your contacts, music, photos, and apps from one iOS device to another.

Wondering how to switch iPhones or iPads successfully, without losing anything in the process? If you're looking to upgrade, it is possible to do so painlessly. Your photos, contacts, videos, message history, music, calendars, mail accounts, and many of your apps can all be transferred from your previous device to the new one.

1. Back Up Your Old iPhone or iPad

First, you need to back up your old device, which can you do via iCloud or your computer.

Using iCloud

Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi. Then go into your iPhone or iPad’s settings and click your name at the top, which will take you to your Apple ID page. Depending on which model you have, you will either choose iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now, or after clicking your Apple ID page, you'll see a list of devices your ID is signed into.

If that's the case, click on your iPhone or iPad. From there, choose iCloud Backup, toggle it on, click on Back Up Now, and let your device back up while it’s still on Wi-Fi. It might be worth setting your new device to automatically backup daily, but be aware that Apple only lets you store 5 GB for free.

Using a Mac

Plug your iPhone or iPad into your MacBook or iMac and open Finder. On the left, you should see your device come up under Locations. You can go through all your saved data, from music and podcasts to photos and files. If your photos have been saved via iCloud, they won't show up here unless you turn that feature off.

Under the General tab, you can select Back Up Now. To save Health and Activity data, choose the option to encrypt your backup, or else it will not be saved; not saving unencrypted Health and Activity data is a default privacy feature. All iCloud backups are encrypted automatically.

Using a Windows Computer

You'll need to download iTunes for Windows and plug your iPhone or iPad into your laptop or desktop via USB. Click the iPhone/iPad button at the top left of the iTunes window, then go to Summary > Back Up Now. Encrypt your backup by clicking Encrypt local backup and setting a password. Encrypting allows you to back up your Health and Activity data, as well. To find your backups, click Edit > Preferences > Devices. Apple also goes through the steps here.

2. Swap SIMs or Activate eSIM

Once you're fully backed up, it's time to sort your SIM card. If you're in the US, the iPhone 14 range no longer has a physical SIM card slot, so you have to use eSIM. If you have previously used an eSIM on an iPhone, you can activate it during setup by following the onscreen instructions.

If you are switching from an older iPhone using a physical SIM card, then you will be asked about transferring your number as a part of the Quick Start process described below. Apple has full eSIM setup instructions for different scenarios. Just know that once you go from a physical SIM to eSIM, your physical SIM card will no longer work.

To use a physical SIM card with an older iPhone, simply swap the SIM card from your old phone into the new phone. You can also do this step after setting up your new iPhone, in case you don't want to miss any calls or messages during the process. Lightly pushing a SIM tool or paperclip into the SIM tray hole will help you open it up. The SIM card has one sloped side, which you can line up on the SIM tray of your new iPhone.

3. Turn On Your New Device

We recommend fully charging both your old device and your new iPhone before you begin, and keep a charger handy just in case. You are ready to turn on the new device. The next part depends on the version of iOS or iPadOS your old device is running.

Note: Anyone using the Google Authenticator app (or any other two-factor authenticator app) should be careful not to delete this app on their old iPhone until they have moved their accounts across to the new one or they may lose access. Google's instructions for transferring Authenticator codes to a new phone are HERE.

If your old device is running iOS 12.4 and iPadOS 13.4 or newer, then you can use Quick Start to directly transfer data from your old iPhone or iPad to your new one. (You can check your iOS version by heading to Settings > General > About > iOS version.)

Steps to use Quick Start:

1. Turn on your new device and place it near the old one, making sure that Bluetooth is turned on. The Quick Start screen should appear on your old iPhone or iPad, and you can tap Continueto begin the process.

2. Wait for an animation on your new device and hold your current device over the new device to center the animation in the camera viewfinder. Wait for a message that says Finish on New [Device].

3. Enter your passcode on your new device and follow the instructions to set up Face ID or Touch ID.

4. You can choose to migrate data directly from your old iPhone or iPad to your new one by choosing Transfer from [Device].

5. Keep both devices close and plugged into power until the transfer is complete and you're done. You can skip the rest of the steps below.

If your old device doesn't support Quick Start, or you don't want to use it, then follow the steps on the Hello screen until you reach a screen that asks whether you want to join a Wi-Fi network. Choose the network you wish to join. You will be prompted to set up eSIM (choose Transfer from another iPhone) and then set up Face ID or Touch ID.

4. Restore Your Backup

Restore from iCloud Backup

If you used iCloud to back up your iPad or iPhone, continue through the setup process until you reach the Apps & Data screen and tap the Restore from iCloud Backup option. Sign in to your Apple ID (if you're forgetful, consider using a password manager to find and store old login information) and choose the backup that you want to use.

The backups are time-stamped, so if you've been regularly backing up your phone there will be several listed; be sure to look at the date and size of the backup to make sure you pick the correct one.

Restore from Mac or PC

If you used your computer to back up your data, plug your phone or tablet into it. If you're using a Mac running Catalina 10.15, open Finder and select your device. If your Mac is running an older operating system or you have a PC, open iTunes. Select your iPhone/iPad when it appears in the window. Click Restore Backup under the General tab and choose the correct date.

5. Make Sure Your Wi-Fi Connection Is Stable

Don't disrupt the Wi-Fi connection until the transfer is totally done. Disconnecting early will cause your backup to pause until you reconnect. The same goes if you are restoring by tethering your device to a Windows 10 PC or Mac, leave your phone or tablet plugged in until it's finished.

There isn't anything else to it. If you went ahead and fired up your new iPhone or iPad without transferring anything, you'll have to either erase it and start over, or transfer your content manually, but that's going to be a lot more work than doing a full transfer. We recommend just starting over from scratch and following the above steps to get all your data over at once.

Do not delete data on your old device until you have your new one up and running. Have fun with your new iPhone or iPad, and if you don't need your old one, consider selling it.

Credit: wired.com

iPhone Can Identify Any Song With Just A Tap

Apple Bytes: 

The iPhone has a feature that syncs with Shazam and helps you identify any song with one tap.

It can also save a history of the songs you've identified, so you can add them to playlists later.

Your iPhone has a useful feature you might not know about. You can identify the song that's playing on the radio at a bar, in your car or at a friend's house, all without having to open an app. All you have to do is swipe down and tap a single button.

It's part of the iPhone's and iPad's integration with music-recognition service Shazam, which Apple acquired in 2018. It's been available for a couple of years but might be more useful now that people are out and about again. You don't even need Shazam installed.

Here's how to set it up

• Open Settings on your iPhone
• Tap Control Center.
• Scroll down under "More", tap the green '+' button next to Music Recognition

That adds the music recognition function to Control Center, which you access by swiping down from the top-right of your screen or from the bottom of the screen if you have an iPhone with a Home button.

How to identify a song from your iPhone

Once you've done that, you can use your iPhone to identify a song by swiping down from the top-right of the screen to open Control Center and then tapping the Shazam button.

Your phone will listen for a few seconds, then show the artist and title at the top of your screen. And it'll save a history of the songs you've identified so you can go back and see them later. To do that, just press and hold the Shazam button.

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7 Hidden iPhone Keyboard Features

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You spend hours on your iPhone every day, and a good chunk of that time is spent typing away on the keyboard. By now, you have certainly learned the basics, like how you can swipe on the keyboard instead of typing, or how the globe key can help you switch among different keyboards. But there are several other hidden or otherwise weird features on the iPhone keyboard that you might not have encountered yet.

Turn your keyboard into a trackpad

One of the biggest pains with a software touchscreen keyboard is text selection. Apple tries to make it easier with a magnifying loop, but you’re still not always sure where the cursor is, and how much text is being selected. You can fix this by turning the entire keyboard into a cursor trackpad. Tap and hold the Space bar. Now, as you move your finger, the cursor will move along with you. Tap anywhere on the keyboard with a second finger and you’re in text selection mode. Swipe your fingers, and as you move, you’ll be selecting the text.

Shrink down the keyboard to use it with one hand

If you use a larger iPhone, typing with one hand can be cumbersome. But there’s a hidden one-handed mode on the iPhone keyboard: Press and hold the Globe icon, and then use one of the three keyboard layout options. By default, it’s docked in the center, but you can dock it to the left or the right edge of the screen, making it easier to use with one hand.

A long press and a swipe goes a long way

When you’re typing, you frequently need to add special characters or numbers. You can switch to the numbers keyboard, sure, but there’s a much faster way to go: Swipe from the “123" button and it will instantly turn into the numbers keyboard. Now take your finger to the number or character you want to enter, and lift your finger. You have just entered a number, and you’re back to the alphabetic keyboard.

Similarly, you can press and hold on keys to discover hidden symbols. We have a whole guide dedicated to the topic, where you can see a detailed list of all the hidden symbols. For example, pressing and holding the period key (.) will reveal the ellipsis key (...).

Create your own text shortcuts

There are some things you type over and over again, such as your email address, your home address, or maybe your favorite catchphrase. There’s a hidden feature called Text Shortcuts that lets you turn a couple of letters into full-blown words, phrases, or even paragraphs. So for instance, you can just type “twss” and turn it into “that’s what she said.”

Go to Settings > General > Keyboards > Text Replacement and tap the “+” button from the top-right corner. Type in the phrase, the shortcut, and tap the “Done” button. Next time you type the shortcut and press the Space key, it will automatically expand to the pre-selected phrase.

Use the hidden formatting bar to undo, redo, copy, and paste

A three-finger swipe left will quickly undo your last move (whether it was typing something or deleting). But gestures are inconsistent and not for everyone. That’s why it's recommended that you use the hidden all-in-one formatting bar.

Simply tap with three fingers in the text area to bring up the floating bar. From here, you can undo, redo, copy, paste, and more.

Unlock the hidden Emoticon keyboard

Emojis are everywhere. But you can stand out by using emoticon instead, like it’s the good old days of AOL. And you don’t need a third-party keyboard for it. Adding a Kana or Romaji keyboard in Settings will do the trick. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard. Choose the “Japanese” language and add the “Kana” keyboard. Tap the “Done” button.

Now, tap and hold the Globe key on the keyboard, and switch to the Japanese keyboard. Tap the “^_^” key and you’ll see Emoticons at the top bar. Tap the drop-down button to expand this menu and scroll through all available emoticons.

Make your iPhone forget auto-correct phrases

The iPhone keyboard’s prediction engine is sometimes too good at picking up your frequent phrases, and will suggest them to you even when you didn’t ask for them, and then there’s the issue of the iPhone saving misspelled words as autocorrect suggestions. There’s a single answer to both these problems: Nuke your keyboard dictionary and start again. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Keyboard Dictionary > Reset Dictionary. Now, all your weird auto-complete suggestions will be gone.

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What Those Orange And Green Dots Mean On Your iPhone

Apple Bytes: 

Every now and again, you'll see a tiny dot-shaped light appear at the top of your iPhone screen (iOS 14). Sometimes it's orange. Sometimes it's green. Ever wonder about it?

A quick search of the Apple Support page will provide the answer.

(select any image to enlarge)      

Orange dot

The orange dot is telling you that your iPhone's microphone is being used by an app. It'll appear when you use voice memos, maybe briefly after you close out your camera, or if you're using any app that exclusively records your voice.

Green dot

The green dot is telling you that your iPhone's camera is being used by an app. You'll see it when opening your camera, or taking pictures on Instagram, Snapchat, or any social media app that allows you to take pictures and post them. 

That's pretty much it. Neither the orange or the green indicate anything particularly concerning.

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Apple Announces Self Service Repair

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Apple yesterday (11-17-21) announced Self Service Repair, which will allow customers who are comfortable with completing their own repairs access to Apple genuine parts and tools. Available first for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups, and soon to be followed by Mac computers featuring M1 chips, Self Service Repair will be available early next year in the US and expand to additional countries throughout 2022. Customers join more than 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) and 2,800 Independent Repair Providers who have access to these parts, tools, and manuals.

The initial phase of the program will focus on the most commonly serviced modules, such as the iPhone display, battery, and camera. The ability for additional repairs will be available later next year.

“Creating greater access to Apple genuine parts gives our customers even more choice if a repair is needed,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “In the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, and now we’re providing an option for those who wish to complete their own repairs.”

Apple builds durable products designed to endure the rigors of everyday use. When an Apple product requires repair, it can be serviced by trained technicians using Apple genuine parts at thousands of locations, including Apple (in-store or by mail), AASPs, Independent Repair Providers, and now product owners who are capable of performing repairs themselves.

Self Service Repair

To ensure a customer can safely perform a repair, it’s important they first review the Repair Manual. Then a customer will place an order for the Apple genuine parts and tools using the Apple Self Service Repair Online Store. Following the repair, customers who return their used part for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase.

The new store will offer more than 200 individual parts and tools, enabling customers to complete the most common repairs on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.

Self Service Repair is intended for individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices. For the vast majority of customers, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair.

Expanded Access to Apple Repairs

In the past three years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and training, including more than 2,800 Independent Repair Providers. The rapidly expanding Independent Repair Provider program originally launched in the US in 2019 and has since grown to more than 200 countries, enabling independent repair shops to access the same training, parts, and tools as other Apple Authorized Service Providers.

In addition, Apple continues to offer convenient repair options for customers through its global network of over 5,000 AASPs that help millions of people with both in- and out-of-warranty service for all Apple products.

By designing products for durability, longevity, and increased repairability, customers enjoy a long-lasting product that holds its value for years. Apple also offers years of software updates to introduce new features and functionality.

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How To Force Quit Your iPhone

Apple Bytes: 

Some days our iPhones, like us, just can't seem to get it together. Your phone is stuck, frozen, or just not operating the way it should. The old IT adage of "turn it off and turn it back on" doesn't even work. In those cases, you need to force quit your iPhone.

Instructions are similar for each model, but differ slightly:

• iPhone X, Xs, Xr, 11, or 12: Press and quickly release the volume up button, then do the same with the volume down button. Hold the side button until the Apple logo appears, then release it.


• iPhone 8 or SE (second generation): Same as later models. Press and quickly release the volume up button, then press and release volume down. Hold the side button and release when the Apple logo appears.


• iPhone 7: Press and hold both the volume down and Sleep/Wake (side) button at the same time. Release both when the Apple logo appears.


• iPhone 6 or SE (first generation): Press and hold the Sleep/Wake (side) button and the home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

Force quitting your iPhone is a simple way to reboot it and, hopefully, fix whatever sluggishness compelled you to do so in the first place. If your phone is still acting up, you may need to look into different fixes.

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iPhone Storage Full? Here Are 3 Ways To Save Your Photos & Videos

Apple Bytes: 

Despite the iPhone's immense popularity – with a market share in the U.S. as high as 65%, according to Counterpoint Research – many still struggle with running out of storage on the device.

After all, unlike Android smartphones, you can't add more capacity with microSD cards. You're stuck with what you purchased – for an iPhone 12 (from $829 for 64GB).

It could be tough to get photos and videos off an iPhone, so you can delete the media to free up some room. It can be done, however, with a "good," "better," and "best" approach.

The following are three ways to back-up your precious memories from your iPhone or iPad – and freeing up some valuable space in the process.

Good

A free way to remove photos and videos from an iPhone or iPad is to connect your device to a PC or Mac, and manually drag and drop all the media over to the computer.

You can do this with the phone or tablet's charging cable.

Simply plug the cable into a computer's USB port, and in Windows Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), click the drive letter of your phone or tablet (such as D: or E:), and enter the folder called DCIM, which holds all your captured photos and videos.

They may be in subfolders, too, but they'll all be here. Now drag and drop (or cut and paste) them onto your computer or an external drive. It could take a while for longer videos, and you might find some stubborn files that don't easy copy over, so double-check that it all worked.

This solution works, and it's free, but it does require some tech savviness.

If you're on a Mac, you can also Airdrop the images over. On an iPhone, find the photos or videos you'd like to send. Locate and tap the share button (square with up arrow) and tap the Mac you'd like to send the files to. Look in your Downloads folder on your Mac to find the images.

Better

Another way to back-up photos and videos – and then delete the local files to free up space – is to consider a cloud service.

Magically, over Wi-Fi or a cellular connection (if you have a healthy data plan), your photos and videos can be uploaded to a password-protected server in cyberspace, just in case you iPhone or iPad is lost, stolen, or damaged. You can also set up your device to automatically upload a copy of a photo or video whenever you shoot them. Convenient, but free options have storage limitations.

That is, there are several services – such as Apple's own iCloud, Google Photos, Amazon Photos and Dropbox – but be aware you only get 5 GB of remote storage for free with iCloud, and many others. Five gigabytes is likely fine for documents, but probably not enough for photos and videos, and so you'll have to pay for more storage. And remember, you need an internet connection to upload and access cloud-stored content.

And once you buy into a monthly plan, you need to keep paying or else you're without your files (like any subscription service).

As an example, OneDrive offers 1 TB of storage (more than 1,000 GB) as part of the annual Microsoft 365 Personal subscription ($69/year), which includes Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and so on.

Best

The quickest, easiest and most affordable solution is to consider one of the specialty thumbdrives available. If you haven't seen these, they're flash drives that snap into an iPhone or iPad's proprietary Lightning connector at the base of the device.

No internet connection or subscription is required.

In fact, the new SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe (from $45 for 64GB) has a Lighting connector on one end and a USB-C on the other, making it easy to move files between your iPhone and iPad to a Mac, PC, and other USB Type-C devices, including Android phones and tablets (a well as iPad Pro and iPad Air).

You're prompted to download the SanDisk companion app once you plug in the drive (for the first time), which lets you then select what files to back-up onto the drive (or restore to a new iPhone or iPad).

You can also view files from within the app. In fact, you can load up the drive with photos, videos and music – say, from your computer – and then access this content on your iPhone or iPad right from the USB drive itself. That way, you don't have to use up any internal storage.

Again, this drive works for Android phones, too.

You can password-protect files on the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe, in case you lose it, plus there's a key loop in case you want to clip it to a set of car keys, a purse, or backpack.

There is also a 128 GB storage option for $59 and 256 GB version for $89.

Credit: Marc Saltzman via usatoday.com

The Secret Button On Your iPhone

Apple Bytes: 

Your iPhone got a new button recently, and you may not have even noticed.

No, Apple didn’t sneak into your house and secretly superglue a button onto your smartphone. But it did release iOS 14, the latest version of its iPhone software, which includes a feature called Back Tap. Back Tap adds a fascinating new “button” to your phone that blurs the line between hardware and software.

Back Tap turns the entire back of your iPhone into a giant touch-sensitive button that you can double or triple tap to trigger specific functions on your phone. There’s a good chance that you haven’t noticed it yet. Apple slipped the settings for Back Tap into its Accessibility menu.

Its intended purpose is to give users more options for interacting with their devices. Most of Back Tap’s options reflect that, with settings to open the app switcher, notification menu, or control center; scroll through an app or webpage; trigger Siri; or take a screenshot.

But Back Tap also ties into Apple’s incredibly robust Shortcuts app, which means you can effectively make those new buttons do almost anything you can imagine. It’s a fascinating kind of button: entirely invisible to the naked eye, completely nonfunctional until it’s enabled through software, but can be tasked to open, interact with, or accomplish nearly any task on your smartphone with just a quick tap.

That software customization is key. It’s easy to imagine a world where Apple limited Back Tap to just a few preset options focused on making the iPhone UI more accessible. But by opening it up to Shortcuts, the company turned Back Tap into a tool of limitless creativity, letting users come up with their own ways to take advantage of the new button on the back of their devices.

It’s not just Apple. Google experimented with a similar, albeit more limited, feature for Android 11, although it didn’t end up making the final cut. Some enterprising developers have since replicated the feature for any Android device.

This is also a level of control that’s almost unheard of for iOS devices. Imagine if Apple let you remap the side button (for Siri and Apple Pay) on an iPhone 12 to, say, launch Google Assistant or send a preset text message to your partner. It’s practically unthinkable.

It works well, too. The software is responsive, and whatever Apple’s doing to differentiate between an intentional tap and just regularly holding your phone, it works well. It's particularly useful for triggering Control Center to quickly toggle system settings.

Back Tap repurposes the existing sensors and hardware on your iPhone with software to create a new hardware interaction that wasn’t available before. It’s a new physical button users can interact with, but one that’s almost completely free of Apple’s limitations.

Physical buttons, of course, are the most direct form of interaction. It’s why Samsung insists on a bespoke Bixby button and why Netflix pays for a spot on your Roku remote. And while Apple may not quite be willing to give up control of the physical buttons on your iPhone, Back Tap, with its almost button, is the next best thing.

Credit: theverge.com

How To Use A USB Drive With iPhone Or iPad

Apple Bytes: 

The world is full of USB drives, from portable thumbdrives to full external SSDs. Happily, you’re not closed off from these just because you use an iPhone or iPad. All you need is the right adapter.

And you’ll have full read/write access to everything on the drive. You won’t even need to install any software, as the app you need comes preinstalled on your device.

Some might be confused because iPhones and USB drives couldn’t really work together for far too many years. You could get around the limitation, but it took effort and money. That all changed with iOS 13/iPadOS 13.

iPhone and iPad users need a Lightning-to-USB adapter

The drives you want to connect with have a USB-A connector. Your iPhone or basic iPad has a Lightning port, so you’ll need an adapter. Fortunately, Apple makes just the one you need.

Plug the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter ($39) into your device, then plug the USB drive into the USB-A port.

Many drives take more power than your iPhone or iPad alone can provide, but Apple’s adapter also includes a Lighting port. Plug a charging cable into it, and it’ll provide all the power the drive needs. As a bonus, it’ll also charge your handset or tablet.

iPad Pro users a need a USB-C-to-USB adapter

iPad Pro uses have it even easier. This tablet has a USB-C port, and you can get a drive that uses that same format. That extends from thumbdrives all the way to external SSDs.

But that doesn’t help with all the legacy drives out there with larger USB-A ports. You’ll need an adapter. Fortunately, there are a plethora. The iPad Pro can use almost any USB-C accessory designed for laptops, and that includes multi-port hubs with USB-A ports.

Take a simple example, the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter ($69). Plug this into your iPad and then plug the drive and you can read the contents of the drive.

But there are so many other options. One is Sanho’s HyperDrive iPad Pro ($89.99), but you might also like the Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port Adapter V2 ($69.99), which can be used with your iPad Pro and your MacBook.

HyperDrive iPad Pro offers 3.5mm headset jack, a USB-A port,
microSD and SD card readers, a USB-C port, and an HDMI port.

The Apple Files app is all you need

Whether you have an iPhone, iPad or iPad Pro, the only software you’ll need to access the contents of USB drives is the Apple Files application. Plug in the drive (with the appropriate adapter) and it’ll appear in this app, which comes pre-installed on every iOS and iPadOS device.

If you’ve accessed a drive on your Mac then you should be familiar with this process. To see the contents of the drive, go to the Browse screen in the Files application. In a list of available drives, like your local iPhone or iPad, you’ll see the name of the USB drive you’re trying to access. Tap on it and you’ll open a window with all the files and folders.

From there, you can do whatever you want. Open files. Move them around. Put them on your iPhone or iPad. Or copy files from your device to the drive.

How accessing a USB drive with iPhone or iPad is useful

Even in the world of iCloud, there are still plenty of reasons to use USB drives. If you want to carry around a couple of terabytes of pictures, work files, movies, etc., and be sure you always have access to them, get an external dive and connect it to your iPad, iPhone or both.

With your files stored locally, you don’t have to worry about the vagaries of internet access. Even on a plane, you can always pop in the drive and access your files. Plus, a thumbdrive can hold proprietary files that you don’t want to risk sharing with anyone else.

And consider removable memory cards. Apple won’t build SD or microSD card slots into its devices, but card readers all use the USB format. If you have a drone, it probably has an SD card full of images. You can easily move these pictures over to your iPhone or iPad.

Credit: cultofmac.com

Activation Lock And Securing Your iPhone, iPad And iPod Touch

Apple Bytes: 

Find My includes Activation Lock, a feature that's designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, if it's ever lost or stolen. Activation Lock turns on automatically when you turn on Find My [device].

Activation Lock helps you keep your device secure, even if it's in the wrong hands, and can improve your chances of recovering it. Even if you erase your device remotely, Activation Lock can continue to deter anyone from reactivating your device without your permission. All you need to do is keep Find My turned on, and remember your Apple ID and password.

With watchOS 2 and later, you can use Activation Lock to protect your Apple Watch, and with macOS Catalina and Mac computers that have the Apple T2 Security Chip, you can use Activation Lock to protect your Mac, too.

Here's how it works

When you turn on Find My [device] on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, or Mac computer that has an Apple T2 security chip, your Apple ID is securely stored on Apple’s activation servers and linked to your device. From that point on, your Apple ID password or device passcode is required before anyone can turn off Find My, erase your device, or reactivate and use your device.

Activation Lock is enabled automatically when you set up Find My.

If your device is lost or stolen

If you ever misplace your device, whether it’s lost or you think it might have been stolen, you should immediately use Mark As Lost in the Find My app.

When you Mark As Lost, this locks your screen with a passcode and lets you display a custom message with your phone number to help you get it back. You can also remotely erase your device if needed, and your custom message continues to display even after the device is erased.

While Activation Lock works in the background to make it more difficult for someone to use or sell your missing device, Lost Mode clearly indicates to anyone who finds your device that it still belongs to you and can’t be reactivated without your password.

To mark a device as lost, sign in to icloud.com/find. Or use the Find My app:

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Tap the Devices tab, then choose a device from the list.
3. Tap Activate under Mark As Lost and follow the instructions on the screen.

Learn more about what to do if your device is lost or stolen. If your iPhone is covered by AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, the theft and loss coverage requires you to have Find My iPhone enabled on your device at the time it's lost or stolen.

If you forget your Apple ID or password

Your Apple ID is the account that you use to sign in to all Apple services. Usually, your Apple ID is your email address. If you forget your Apple ID, we can help you find it.

A forgotten password can be reset from your device or your Apple ID account page.

If you can't find your Apple ID or reset your password, you'll lose access to your account and might be unable to use or reactivate your device. To help prevent this, visit your Apple ID account page periodically to review and update your account information.

Check for Activation Lock before you buy a device from someone else

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Apple Expands iPhone Repair Services

Apple Bytes: 

Apple is expanding its Independent Repair Provider Program with additional options for customers to access repair services. The industry-leading program enables businesses of all sizes to offer repairs on iPhone using genuine Apple parts, which ensures safety and quality.

Following the launch of the program in the US last fall, over 140 independent repair companies have joined with over 700 new US locations now available to customers, and businesses in Europe and Canada can now sign up.

“We are thrilled to expand our independent repair program to more locations across the US and to businesses across Europe and Canada,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “When a customer needs a repair, we want them to have a range of options that not only suits their needs but also guarantees safety and quality so their iPhone can be used for as long as possible.”

All of the businesses in the program have access to free training from Apple and the same genuine parts, tools, repair manuals, and diagnostics as Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) and Apple Store locations. To verify that a company participates in the program, visit support.apple.com/repair/verify-repair-provider.

Mail App Flaw In iPhone and iPad

Apple Bytes: 

Apple Inc is planning to fix a flaw that a security firm said may have left more than half a billion iPhones vulnerable to hackers.

The bug, which also exists on iPads, was discovered by ZecOps, a San Francisco-based mobile security forensics company, while it was investigating a sophisticated cyberattack against a client that took place in late 2019. Zuk Avraham, ZecOps’ chief executive, said he found evidence the vulnerability was exploited in at least six cybersecurity break-ins.

An Apple spokesman acknowledged that a vulnerability exists in Apple’s software for email on iPhones and iPads, known as the Mail app, and that the company had developed a fix, which will be rolled out in a forthcoming update on millions of devices it has sold globally.

Apple declined to comment on Avraham’s research, which was published on Wednesday (4-22-20), that suggests the flaw could be triggered from afar and that it had already been exploited by hackers against high-profile users.

To execute the hack, Avraham said victims would be sent an apparently blank email message through the Mail app forcing a crash and reset. The crash opened the door for hackers to steal other data on the device, such as photos and contact details.

ZecOps claims the vulnerability allowed hackers to remotely steal data off iPhones even if they were running recent versions of iOS. By itself, the flaw could have given access to whatever the Mail app had access to, including confidential messages.

ZecOps found the Mail app hacking technique was used against a client last year. Avraham described the targeted client as a “Fortune 500 North American technology company,” but declined to name it. They also found evidence of related attacks against employees of five other companies in Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Avraham based most of his conclusions on data from “crash reports,” which are generated when programs fail in mid-task on a device. He was then able to recreate a technique that caused the controlled crashes.

While Apple is largely viewed within the cybersecurity industry as having a high standard for digital security, any successful hacking technique against the iPhone could affect millions due to the device’s global popularity. In 2019, Apple said there were about 900 million iPhones in active use.

Read the complete article > reuters.com

Major iPhone FaceTime Bug

A significant bug has been discovered in FaceTime and it spread virally over social media. The bug lets you call anyone with FaceTime, and immediately hear the audio coming from their phone — before the person on the other end has accepted or rejected the incoming call. Apple says the issue will be addressed in a software update “later this week”.

Naturally, this poses a pretty big privacy problem as you can essentially listen in on any iOS user, although it still rings like normal, so you can’t be 100% covert about it. Nevertheless, there is no indication on the recipient’s side that you could hear any of their audio. There’s a second part to this which can expose video too and these bugs are believed to affect any pair of iOS devices running iOS 12.1 or later.

Read the complete story > 9to5mac.com/facetime-bug-hear-audio