A Few of Our Favorite Things: Tech Edition

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We’re asked to recommend tech gear year-round. Here are some recommendations if you’re looking for a geeky gift for that special someone or need to supplement your tech toolkit with new or updated equipment. We don’t have personal experience with all these items, and there are undoubtedly many worthy alternatives—next time we chat, let us know about peripherals you’ve particularly liked. Where possible, we provide links to the manufacturer’s product page and to Amazon, where prices are sometimes lower.

External SSD

All Macs now use solid-state storage internally, and the pricing of external solid-state drives now makes them attractive for both additional storage and silent backups. SSDs also provide the ultimate performance for demanding workflows. The Samsung and Crucial SSDs are good general-purpose drives; look at the OWC Envoy Pro FX for high-performance tasks.

External Hard Disk Drive

For extensive backups and massive archives, you need a large external hard drive. They come in sizes up to 20 TB, and you can pay less than $20 per terabyte, although $20–$30 per terabyte is more common. It’s impossible to recommend specific models without knowing how much storage you need, but check out products from these manufacturers. Because hard drive prices fluctuate wildly, visit diskprices.com to identify current deals on new drives.

  • Seagate: Seagate offers a collection of desktop and portable drives under its own name and the LaCie brand. Apart from some of the larger LaCie drives, most are aimed at consumers.
  • Western Digital: Although some suggest that Western Digital drives are less reliable than Seagate’s, many people like the company’s wide variety of external hard drives.
  • OWC: Other World Computing sells desktop and portable drives with an emphasis on RAID storage and professional uses. OWC also offers enclosures into which you can install bare drives purchased elsewhere, which can save money if you want to upgrade the drive over time.

External Displays

You can find a wide array of displays that work with a Mac, with Apple’s Studio Display leading the pack in both features and price. It’s a 5K display that provides unparalleled sharpness at its standard pixel-doubled resolution of 2560×1440. There’s little direct competition—LG offers the main 5K display that’s cheaper. If that still exceeds your budget, check out the 27-inch 4K displays from Alogic and Asus, which connect via USB-C. Dell and BenQ also make high-quality screens that connect using Thunderbolt. Note that these third-party displays don’t include webcams and generally feature subpar speakers compared to the Apple Studio Display, so building a comparable display would require a separate webcam (or an iPhone using Continuity Camera) and speakers.

Laptop Chargers

Although all MacBooks come with a power adapter, you might want additional chargers that stay plugged in wherever you work or take up less space in your laptop bag. Plus, Apple’s chargers, though high quality, are expensive and large. Consider these alternatives, keeping in mind that fast charging requires higher wattages than standard charging (70W for the M3 MacBook Air, 96W for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and 140W for the 16-inch MacBook Pro). Extra ports are often welcome, and the OneAdaptr chargers work in 200 countries.

USB Hubs

There are lots of reasons to want a USB hub, and your needs will push you toward one product or another. We chose three options: the Anker 555 provides many different types of ports, the Anker 10-port hub provides numerous USB Type-A ports, and the Satechi 4-port hub offers USB-C ports.

Thunderbolt Docks

USB hubs are sufficient for many situations, but for more demanding setups, you’ll want a Thunderbolt dock that enables you to connect multiple external displays, hard drives, and Gigabit Ethernet, all while using high-wattage charging. The Sonnet and CalDigit docks boast the most ports in horizontal and vertical form factors, respectively, and the OWC dock trades some ports for portability.

Non-Apple Pointing Devices

Some people dislike trackpads, and others aren’t fond of Apple’s Magic Mouse. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives. Although most Bluetooth mice will work with the Mac, additional software may be necessary to control tracking speed, extra buttons, or scroll wheels. Unusual pointing devices like the Kensington trackball and Contour RollerMouse may be appreciated by those suffering from hand or wrist pain from mousing.

Non-Apple Mac Keyboards

All Macs other than the Mac mini come with a keyboard, of course, but if you’re not a fan of the feel and minimal key travel of Apple’s keyboards, you might consider an alternative. You’ll need to decide if you want a full-size keyboard with a numeric keypad or a compact keyboard that takes up less space on your desk—there are also various sizes in between. Also, keyboards use different switches under their keycaps, so it may require experimentation to find what you like best. It’s worth buying a keyboard aimed at the Mac market to ensure it has or can be configured with the correct keys. The recommendations below should get you started; also check out other products from these manufacturers.

iPad Keyboards

Apple makes some of the best keyboards for the iPad, but they don’t work with all older models. The company makes the Magic Keyboard for the M4 iPad Pro models, the Magic Keyboard that works with the iPad Air and earlier iPad Pro models, and the Magic Keyboard Folio for the 10th-generation iPad. If you want to spend less, leave out the trackpad, or have a different case design, look into the alternatives.

Small Device External Batteries

Although Apple continuously works to improve battery life for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods, there will always be situations—travel, camping, non-stop use—where an external battery is a lifesaver. That’s especially true for older devices whose batteries don’t last as long as they used to.

MagSafe Chargers for the iPhone

Wired charging will always be faster and more efficient than wireless charging, but the convenience of MagSafe charging for the iPhone is compelling. As a bonus, MagSafe chargers can also power wireless charging cases for the AirPods Pro, and some, like the KUXIU X55, feature a puck for recharging the Apple Watch.

Let us leave you with a final piece of advice. For many of these product categories, you’ll find a dizzying array of alternatives at bargain basement prices from no-name Chinese manufacturers. While it’s impossible to make blanket assertions, we recommend sticking with reputable companies that have been serving Apple users for years. Even if their products are somewhat more expensive, they’re less likely to cut corners on manufacturing quality and safety and more likely to provide support in the event of problems.

(Featured image by iStock.com/Gatot Adriansyah)

Keep Your Browsing Organized with Browser Profiles

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As more of our lives shift online, it becomes increasingly important to establish boundaries between different aspects of our digital activities. Many people maintain separate work and personal email addresses for this reason. But you don’t have to stop there.

Modern Web browsers offer profiles, a powerful but often overlooked feature. Whether you’re juggling work and personal browsing or managing multiple projects, browser profiles can make your digital life more organized and efficient.

Why Use Browser Profiles?

The overarching reason to use browser profiles is to make it easier to focus on one thing at a time. Imagine you’re working on a bathroom remodel at home while negotiating a new contract with an important client at work. You probably don’t want to be distracted by tabs showcasing countertop surfaces when you should be estimating client deliverable dates. That’s especially true if you use the same Web apps—Gmail, Google Docs, Slack, Trello—to manage both personal and professional projects.

By setting up separate browser profiles, you can keep your work and personal browsing completely separate. That includes different bookmarks, sets of tabs, and account logins for the same websites. When you open Google Docs in your personal profile, you will find sheets that track the timeline for your bathroom remodel in your personal account; switch to your work profile to view only documents in your work account.

Other common uses for browser profiles include separating clients—particularly when managing accounts for them—keeping research projects or hobbies distinct, and maintaining a clean browser environment for testing.

What’s Stored in a Browser Profile?

Each browser profile maintains its own distinct set of browsing data and settings. While specifics may vary slightly among browsers, options include:

  • Bookmarks/favorites: Saved websites, possibly in hierarchical folders
  • Browsing history: The chronological list of websites you have visited
  • Saved passwords: Login credentials for websites if you rely on the browser rather than an independent password manager
  • Extensions and their settings: Which browser extensions are installed and how they’re configured
  • Cookies and site data: These store website preferences, login status, and site-specific information
  • Stored forms and autofill data: Saved addresses, payment methods, and other form data
  • Browser settings and preferences: Search engine preferences, home page and startup settings, theme and appearance options, and privacy and security settings
  • Open tabs and windows: Including tab groups and recently closed tabs

When you switch between profiles, you get a completely fresh browser environment with its own set of everything listed above. You can log in to the same website using different accounts in various profiles, and your activity in one profile won’t impact or be visible in another.

Setting Up and Switching Between Profiles

Getting started with profiles is simple. Here’s how to create and switch between them in Safari (in macOS 14 Sonoma and later), Google Chrome, and Firefox. Before you get started, though, a few tips:

  • Give profiles descriptive names and distinct colors so they’re easy to identify.
  • Keep the number of profiles manageable because too many can become confusing.
  • If you create profiles for clients or projects, periodically review and tidy up unused ones.
  • Keep in mind that profiles are intended for organization and efficiency, not security—anyone with access to your Mac can switch to any profile.
  • Chrome and Firefox profiles are stored on a particular computer—they won’t sync with another copy of those browsers on another computer.

Safari

Safari profiles share more data than those in Google Chrome and Firefox, and unlike the other two, Safari profiles automatically sync between devices. All bookmarks and saved passwords are accessible to all profiles, although you can choose a separate primary bookmark folder for each profile. Note that Safari stores its current settings in a permanent Personal profile that becomes visible only after you create a new one. To create a new profile in Safari:

  1. Choose Safari > Settings > Profiles.
  2. If this is your first new profile, click Start Using Profiles. Otherwise, click + to create a new profile.
  3. Enter a name, and choose a symbol and color.
  4. Select a folder within your bookmarks to hold the profile’s primary bookmarks.
  5. Click Create Profile.
  6. Choose how new windows and tabs open.
  7. Click the Extensions tab, and select the extensions you want to use with the profile.

Every window in Safari is associated with a profile, so switching between them can be as simple as clicking another window or using the Window menu. At most, you have to open a new window for the desired profile:

  • Choose File > New Profile Window. If you have three or more profiles, the command becomes File > New Window > New Profile Window.
  • With the sidebar closed, click the profile button and choose New Profile Window to create a new window. When viewing the Start page, you can choose Switch to Profile Window to change the profile for the current window.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome has had browser profile support for many years. Like Safari, you start with a default profile. To create a new profile in Chrome:

  1. Choose Profiles > Add Profile. Click to continue without an account or sign in with a different Google account.
  2. Enter a name and pick an icon for the profile.
  3. If desired, choose Chrome > Settings to adjust settings and active extensions for the new profile.

Every window is associated with a profile, so switching is often just a matter of clicking the desired window or choosing it from the Window menu. To open a window for a different profile:

  • Choose Profiles > MyProfile.
  • Click the profile icon in the toolbar and choose the profile you want.

Once you have multiple Chrome profiles, the app will ask you which to open on each launch. From this screen, you can also remove a profile by clicking the vertical dot menu and choosing Delete. If you deselect “Show on startup,” Chrome will open the last used profile at startup. You can always access this screen by clicking the profile icon in the toolbar and choosing Manage Chrome Profiles.

Firefox

Although Firefox was the first browser to support profiles, they remain poorly integrated into its interface and can be confusing because each opens in another instance of Firefox— a new Firefox icon appears in the Dock for each. To create a new profile in Firefox:

  1. Type about:profiles in the address bar to open the About Profiles page.
  2. Click Create a New Profile.
  3. Name your profile and optionally select a custom location for profile storage.
  4. On the About Profiles page, in the listing for your new profile, click “Launch profile in new browser” to open a new instance of Firefox with it.
  5. Configure this new instance of Firefox as desired.

Opening a new profile instance can be tricky since it’s essentially like opening another app, but there’s only one Firefox icon in your Applications folder. While there are command-line tricks to make switching easier, this is the simplest approach:

  1. Type about:profiles in the address bar to open the About Profiles page.
  2. In the listing for the profile, click “Launch profile in new browser.”

To simplify this process, open the About Profiles page in each profile and drag its proxy icon to the Bookmarks toolbar. That way, you can click the bookmark in the toolbar for quick access to About Profiles.

Once multiple profile instances are open, you can switch between them by clicking their windows or Dock icons.

Be Careful with External Links

Browser profiles struggle with one scenario: opening links from other apps. Imagine you’re busy in your Work profile but take a quick break to check your personal email. You receive a link from your bathroom designer with possible lighting options, so you click it. Since your browser is using your Work profile, the link opens there, and you have to transfer it manually to your Personal profile or risk muddying your organization.

However, this is a minor obstacle, given how beneficial browser profiles can be for organizing your online activities, whether you’re juggling multiple projects or simply keeping your work and personal browsing distinct.

(Featured image generated by ChatGPT)

Share Wi-Fi Network Passwords Using QR Codes

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A neat feature built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is that when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, your devices will offer to share the Wi-Fi password if others near you try to connect to the same network. However, for this feature to work, they must be in your Contacts, and at times, it doesn’t activate as quickly as you’d like. Apple’s new Passwords app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac provides a manual alternative that may work better. Tap the Wi-Fi collection to see all your remembered networks, select the desired network, and tap Show Network QR Code. When others scan the QR code using their phones, they will instantly join the network.

(Featured image by iStock.com/PrathanChorruangsak)

Don’t Assume That Top Google Search Results Are Guaranteed Safe

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We hate to encourage paranoia, but all is not well with Google Search. Recently, we’ve heard of multiple instances where people were nearly taken advantage of due to relying on the top result in a Google search. In one case, a user called a purported HP support phone number directly from the search results but ended up speaking with a scammer. In another, a user thought they were downloading the latest version of Dropbox but got malware instead. In neither case could we reproduce the error, but they may have resulted from “SEO poisoning,” a malicious technique in which cybercriminals manipulate search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to elevate harmful websites in search results. In short, don’t assume that a site at the top of Google search results is guaranteed safe when downloading software or contacting a company. It’s best to navigate directly to a company’s official website before trusting that corporate information and software downloads are legitimate.

(Featured image based on an original by iStock.com/Armastas)

Working with Time Zones in Apple’s Calendar Apps

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Calendar events are usually straightforward. For instance, if you schedule a meeting for 3 PM on Thursday, an alert will remind you to leave 30 minutes beforehand.

However, since we live in an increasingly global world, we occasionally have to consider time zones when scheduling meetings. Business travelers have long needed to keep track of meeting times as they move across time zones, and the number of online meetings spanning the globe has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Whether you’re scheduling appointments on the other side of the country or collaborating with a remote team, it’s essential to be able to work effectively with time zones on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Here’s what you need to know.

Fact 1: All Events and Reminders Have Time Zones

The first thing to understand is that every calendar event and reminder has an associated time zone. However, that’s not always obvious—you won’t see any options for adjusting time zones in Calendar on the Mac unless you enable an advanced setting, and reminders never show their time zone.

By default, events use the local time zone of the device on which you create them, which is usually appropriate. However, you can adjust an event’s time zone to make sure you’re notified at the right time after traveling.

Unlike calendar events, timed reminders in the Reminders app are permanently linked to the time zone in which they were created, and this setting cannot be altered. When traveling across time zones, reminders’ local times will adjust accordingly, triggering alerts at unexpected times.

Fact 2: Time Zone Display Can and Will Change

The second point to grasp is that calendar apps display the times of events based on two factors:

  • Device time zone: Apple devices typically set their time zone automatically based on location. If you live in Virginia and fly to Oregon, your iPhone will switch from Eastern Time to Pacific Time as soon as you take it out of airplane mode, and your Mac will do the same once it connects to the Internet. You can manually set the device time zone in Settings/System Settings > General > Date & Time, but that’s seldom necessary.
  • Calendar time zone overrides: You can make the Calendar app display events as if you were in a different time zone. This feature can help you confirm that events scheduled in another time zone show up at the correct times. On the iPhone or iPad, enable Settings > Apps > Calendar > Time Zone Override. Be careful not to forget about this override, or it may lead to confusion later. On the Mac, go to Calendar > Settings > Advanced, select “Turn on time zone support,” and choose a time zone from the pop-up menu that appears near the upper-right corner of the window.

When an event’s time zone differs from your device’s current time zone or the time zone override setting, Calendar will indicate the discrepancy. For example, an event at 2 PM Eastern Time event viewed on a device set to Pacific Time will display as 11 AM, with the original time zone noted in parentheses.

Working with Event Time Zones

When creating events where the time zone might be significant, you have three options:

  • Stick with the local time zone: Since all events are associated with a time zone, if you do nothing when creating an event, it will default to your current time zone. This is appropriate when the event will be shared with someone in another time zone through an invitation or shared calendar. However, it poses issues when creating events related to a trip.
  • Change to a remote time zone: When scheduling your future self in another time zone—perhaps for business meetings or conference sessions—you can set those events to the time zone of your destination, ensuring they appear at the correct time once you arrive. On the iPhone and iPad, choose the time zone when setting the start time. On the Mac, with time zone support enabled, select it from the Time Zone menu.
  • Switch to the floating time zone: For travelers who frequently cross time zones, Apple supports a special “floating time zone” that ensures events appear at the same local time regardless of location. For example, a noon lunch meeting set with a floating time zone will always appear at noon, whether you’re in Boston or Denver. However, the floating time zone does have its limitations. While all Apple devices synced through iCloud honor the floating time zone, you can create events with it only on the Mac, not on the iPhone, iPad, or iCloud.com. Additionally, syncing events through Google Calendar or Microsoft Exchange should work, but if you edit an event on the Web or with non-Apple apps, it will revert to the local time zone.

Common Time Zone Scenarios

Now that you understand that events are always associated with time zones, how they appear in Calendar, and how to specify particular time zones for events, let’s look at some common time zone scenarios:

  • When traveling to another time zone: For events during an upcoming trip, you can either manually set the event’s time zone to match your destination or use the floating time zone. The manual approach ensures that events appear at the correct local time once you arrive, although it may be confusing to visualize before departure. The floating time zone maintains the same “wall clock time” regardless of your location, making it easier to plan your schedule before you leave.
  • Creating events while away: Conversely, when scheduling an appointment back home while traveling, set the event time zone to your home time zone. The event will appear on your calendar at the correct adjusted time. The floating time zone works well as an alternative for personal events that should take place at the same local time, no matter where you are.
  • Trips with multiple time zones: For complex itineraries involving flights and travel transitions with departure and arrival times in different zones, the Calendar app on the iPhone and iPad allows you to create events that start and end in different time zones. Tap the Time Zone option beneath the Start and End time pickers to set different time zones. Although you cannot create these multi-zone events on the Mac, they will display correctly on all your synced devices.
  • Remote scheduling: When inviting people from different time zones to an event or scheduling meetings with team members in various locations, create the event in your local time zone. The invitations and shared events will automatically adjust to each recipient’s time zone. When searching for optimal meeting times across multiple time zones, use a tool like World Time Buddy, which provides visual guidance for overlapping business hours.
  • Reminders can be tricky: Since reminders always use the time zone where they were created, their local times will shift as you travel, leading to notifications at unexpected times. The only workaround is to edit their times manually when you arrive at your destination and again when you return home. Alternatively, consider using an app like Due that keeps reminders consistent with “wall clock time.”
  • Scheduling global events: When planning a webinar or other online event that people in many different time zones might attend, use a tool like Every Time Zone to identify suitable times across various regions. After creating the event at the selected time, drag it from Calendar to the desktop to generate an ICS file for sharing with participants. This file will reflect your local time zone, and when attendees double-click it to import, their calendar app will display it at the appropriate time for them.

Although we’ve focused on Calendar on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac here, the same concepts—except for the floating time zone—apply to other apps like Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar. By keeping these time zone concepts in mind, you can avoid calendar confusion and ensure that you don’t miss important meetings, regardless of where in the world you find yourself.

(Featured image by iStock.com/STILLFX)

Run a Business? Sign Up with Apple Business Connect

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Every company today conducts business online, by sending email, if nothing else. That’s true even if your firm operates primarily in the physical world—customers undoubtedly find you by browsing in Apple Maps, searching in Spotlight, and asking Siri for directions. If you sell products, you probably take Apple Pay.

Apple Business Connect is a free program designed to help businesses enhance their brands everywhere they appear on Apple devices, including Maps, Wallet, Siri, Calendar, Messages, Spotlight searches, and more. Once you sign up for Apple Business Connect (we’ll resist the temptation to say it’s as easy as ABC) and are verified by Apple, you can:

  • Set up Branded Mail: With Branded Mail, email sent from specific addresses or your entire domain will be branded with your logo in the Mail app on Apple devices, helping users identify your brand.
  • Configure location information: Simple addresses don’t always connect with store entrances, so you can precisely specify the entrance to each of your locations.
  • Customize Place Cards: When customers find you in Maps, add your address to Calendar, or ask for your location from Siri, Apple displays a Place Card. With Apple Business Connect, you can customize the Place Card.
  • Add custom action links: Your Place Card can contain custom action links that point to your website or other Web-accessible platforms. For instance, a restaurant might add custom action links for Menu, Reservations, Takeout, etc.
  • Create Showcases: A Showcase is a module on the Place Card that lets you highlight sales, deals, new items, or other promotional content. If someone is looking for you, why not promote your latest offerings?
  • Get Insights: Apple records valuable information about customer search behavior, including search locations, discovery methods, and actions customers take after finding your business.
  • Add Tap to Pay on iPhone: For those who don’t already have a point-of-sale system, Tap to Pay on iPhone lets you accept contactless payments on an iPhone without an extra terminal or hardware.

Apple has also announced Business Caller ID, slated to ship in 2025, which will display your brand’s name, logo, and even a specific department when you call someone using an iPhone. That should help people realize that a call from your company is legitimate and not some telemarketer, making them more likely to pick up.

Getting started with Apple Business Connect is simple, but verification can take up to a week. It’s best to work through Apple’s clear documentation for registering your business, but the basics are:

  • Sign in with your Apple Account (use your Apple Business Manager account if you have one).
  • Enter your company details.
  • Set up a brand by giving its name, category, geographic location, and logo.
  • Turn on Branded Mail by adding a domain or email address, and verifying your company.
  • Add a location by specifying its address and hours.
  • Create a Place Card, add a Showcase, and create custom actions.

Needless to say, Apple Business Connect only impacts how you appear to people using Apple devices and apps. For everyone else, we recommend setting up a Google Business Profile, which provides similar features, though primarily for businesses with physical locations and upsells for advertising on Google.

However, it’s absolutely worth working with Apple Business Connect to enhance how you and your brand appear to customers. If you need help setting it up, contact us.

(Featured image based on an original by Apple)

Create Links to Selected Text in Long Web Pages

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If you have Control- or right-clicked on text in a Web browser in the last year or two, you may have seen an oddly named command: Copy Link to Highlight. When you choose it, it puts a URL on your clipboard, not just to that page, as Copy Link Address would, but also to the selected text. You can use this URL to make a link or share it directly, and when someone follows it, their browser scrolls to the selected text, simplifying navigation on a long page. For example, compare this link to Apple’s long Apple Watch faces page with this one that points directly to the Unity watch face most of the way down. All Web browsers can follow these links, but Google Chrome was the first to let you make them, and you’ll also find the feature in Arc, Microsoft Edge, and Vivaldi. Apple recently got on board with Safari 18’s Copy Link with Highlight command. The Link to Text Fragment extension adds the feature to other Chromium browsers and Firefox.

(Featured image by iStock.com/Arkadiusz Warguła)

In Times of Uncertainty, Increase Your Digital Privacy and Security

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With so many troubling things happening in the world, some clients have inquired about ways to enhance their security. While we don’t want to encourage paranoia, there are many legitimate threats, and everyone will have their own levels of worry about each one.

The effort and inconvenience that different people are willing to endure also vary. Higher levels of security often necessitate significant effort and inconvenience. We have divided our list of suggestions—roughly organized from easiest to hardest—into two sections: actions we believe everyone should take and security measures mainly for those most concerned and willing to tolerate some fuss.

Before we delve into the details, it is important to remember that privacy and security are not the same thing. Privacy refers to the proper collection, use, and governance of personal data. Security, conversely, is concerned with protecting data from unauthorized access and malicious threats. It entails defending data against external dangers, while privacy ensures that the management and use of that data adhere to agreed-upon standards.

Security Improvements for Everyone

These actions are generally beneficial for most users. They don’t require much technical knowledge and can often be accomplished with easily accessible tools and settings:

  • Keep apps and operating systems up to date: Nearly every operating system update from Apple addresses numerous security vulnerabilities, and the same is often true for major apps. Always ensure you’re running current versions to take advantage of all those security improvements.
  • Enable FileVault: While all data on the internal SSDs of Macs with Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs with the T2 chip is automatically encrypted to prevent unauthorized access if the SSD is removed, it is automatically decrypted whenever the Mac boots, even before you log in. To link decryption to your user account, which makes your login password necessary to decrypt all data, enable FileVault in System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault. There are essentially no drawbacks.
  • Improve your passcode: For nearly a decade, it has been easy to set a six-digit passcode on the iPhone and iPad, greatly enhancing security compared to the previous standard four-digit passcode (1 million possible combinations versus only 10,000). If you still use four digits, consider switching to six digits, a custom number of digits, or a custom alphanumeric passcode in Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode > Change Passcode > Passcode Options. Alphanumeric passcodes offer the highest level of security but are more challenging to type.
  • Turn on biometric authentication and Stolen Device Protection: If you aren’t already using Face ID or Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad, that’s a mistake. Both provide significantly stronger security than repeatedly entering your passcode, which could be observed. Turn on biometric authentication and Apple’s Stolen Device Protection in Settings > Face/Touch ID & Passcode.
  • Adopt strong password habits: If security matters at all to you, you must use a strong, unique password for each online account and never reuse a password. It’s easy and secure as long as you create and store passwords with a password manager like Apple’s Passwords or 1Password.
  • Enable MFA whenever it’s available: Multi-factor authentication greatly enhances security, safeguarding you even if your password is compromised in a breach. It typically requires entering a six-digit code that you retrieve from an app or receive via text message. Apple’s Passwords and 1Password can both automatically enter MFA codes for many websites.
  • Use an ad blocker: Much of today’s surveillance society relies on ads to track you. Anything you can do to block ads will enhance your privacy, so use ad blockers whenever possible. Highly regarded options include 1Blocker, AdGuard, NextDNS, and uBlock Origin.
  • Enable privacy and security features in Web browsers: Safari can prevent cross-site tracking and hide your IP address, along with other privacy and security features. In Safari > Settings, review all the options in the Privacy and Security screens and enable those that are appropriate. (Keep cookies and JavaScript enabled; many sites won’t function properly without them.) If you don’t use Safari, choose Brave or Firefox instead of Google Chrome.
  • Utilize secure DNS services: To enhance browsing privacy and protect against DNS leaks, configure your devices to use a privacy-focused DNS service like Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 or Quad9’s 9.9.9.9.
  • Minimize app exposure: Be vigilant about iPhone or iPad apps that might be sharing information about you with data brokers without your knowledge. Specifically:
    • Turn off Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking > Allow Apps to Request to Track.
    • Rescind location tracking permissions for all apps except those that require it, such as navigation or weather apps, in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
    • Delete apps you’re not using to prevent them from spying on you.

Security Improvements for the Particularly Concerned

Implementing these actions may require extra steps, specialized knowledge, or significant changes in habits. They’re primarily for those with heightened concerns or those at greater risk, such as journalists, activists, and individuals handling sensitive data:

  • Use independent search engines: Google and Microsoft are known for collecting information about their users. To keep your searches private, use a search engine that prioritizes privacy, such as DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Kagi, or Startpage.
  • Protect network traffic: While we used to recommend ensuring you were using secure HTTP (HTTPS) connections, that’s now the bare minimum. For greater privacy while browsing the Web with Safari, turn on iCloud Private Relay in Settings/System Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Private Relay. (This requires an iCloud+ subscription and won’t encrypt traffic from most non-Apple apps.) More broadly, you can safeguard all your traffic by using a trusted VPN service like Mullvad VPN, NordVPN, or ProtonVPN.
  • Activate Advanced Data Protection: End-to-end encryption (E2EE) keeps your online data private from everyone, including cloud providers. However, it requires you to manage your encryption keys, which means no one can help recover your data if you lose those keys. You can enable E2EE with Apple services using Advanced Data Protection; turn it on in Settings/System Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection.
  • Use encrypted messaging: The iMessage system used by Apple’s Messages app for blue bubble conversations is highly secure, particularly with Advanced Data Protection enabled. However, for the most secure messaging with E2EE, look to Signal. While WhatsApp also offers E2EE, its backups might not be encrypted, and its parent company, Meta, is one of the most egregious privacy abusers on the planet.
  • Regularly review and revoke permissions: Periodically check and manage app permissions on your device to ensure that no apps have unnecessary access to sensitive information, such as your contacts or location. Work through the options in Settings/System Settings > Privacy & Security and revoke permissions for anything that seems inappropriate. Apps that require additional permissions will always prompt you again.
  • Encrypt cloud-stored data: To ensure that cloud storage services like Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive cannot read your data, use the free and open source Cryptomator to encrypt it first.
  • Use encrypted email: While it’s impossible to ensure that email will remain private because you can’t control your recipients’ actions, the most privacy-focused email services are ProtonMail and Tuta Mail. They employ E2EE for emails sent to other users of the same service and allow the encryption of email messages sent to any external recipient.
  • Reduce reliance on cloud services: If you have general concerns about cloud services, consider exploring peer-to-peer alternatives that remove the need for a central provider. You can find peer-to-peer solutions for file storage, file sharing, chat and messaging, videoconferencing, collaborative documents, cloud-based notes, and more.
  • Avoid social media: Posting on social media, especially on platforms owned by large corporations, allows those companies to create a comprehensive profile of you that is shared with advertisers and is vulnerable to data breaches. Further, any information you disclose about yourself could be exploited by hackers in social engineering attacks targeting your accounts. Consider replacing social media with independent forums devoted to your interests and private messaging spaces for friends and family.

Ultimately, enhancing privacy and security is your responsibility. Apple and other companies may offer tools to assist, but it’s up to you to implement them and stay vigilant against new threats. We’re also happy to provide advice and assistance.

(Featured image by iStock.com/andreusK)

HomePods Can Alert You of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

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Although we think about HomePods as being useful for playing audio and responding to Siri commands for HomeKit devices, they can do more. HomePods can send a notification to your iPhone if their built-in microphones recognize the piercing squeals from smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. If you are away from home, that notification could help you alert neighbors and call 911, shaving minutes off response times. To turn the feature on, open the Home app, tap the ••• button in the upper-right corner, navigate to Safety & Security > Sound Recognition, and turn on the switches for Smoke & CO Alarm and any HomePods you have.

(Featured image by iStock.com/BrianAJackson)

You Can Now Migrate Purchases from One Apple Account to Another

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Ever since Apple launched the iTunes Store in 2003 with online accounts known as Apple IDs—now referred to as Apple Accounts—many users have ended up with multiple accounts. This situation arose partly because the early Apple IDs were tied to accounts users created with iTools and its successor, .Mac, which later evolved into MobileMe and then iCloud. Especially after Apple introduced the App Store in 2008, it was common for individuals with several Apple IDs to have their purchases scattered across different accounts.

Throughout that time, users have clamored to be able to merge accounts. Apple’s response was to let devices have a primary Apple Account for iCloud and other key features, plus another specifically for Media & Purchases. Others worked around the limitation by adding the second account to a Family Sharing group. That sufficed for most people but was never ideal, and we continue to field questions from people who want to merge the accounts.

It now appears that climate change has caused hell to freeze over, as Apple recently published three support articles detailing how to migrate apps, music, TV shows, books, and other digital purchases from one of your Apple Accounts to another:

It’s important to note that migrating purchases from a secondary account to a primary account is not exactly the same as merging them. iCloud data, account balances, and personalized recommendations in Apple’s media apps won’t transfer from the secondary account to the primary, nor will TestFlight betas for those who test apps for developers. Additionally, you will not be able to edit App Store reviews created with your secondary Apple Account after migration. The secondary account doesn’t go away, which also prevents certain other uses.

Normally, we’d tell you how to perform the migration, but because there are so many details and caveats, we recommend that you carefully read and follow Apple’s documentation linked above instead, especially since Apple may update it with new information as the feature gets more use. It explains:

  • Why you might want to migrate purchases
  • What happens when you migrate purchases
  • What doesn’t migrate with your purchases
  • What happens to your secondary account after migration
  • Who can migrate purchases
  • What to do before you migrate purchases
  • How to migrate purchases
  • What to do after migrating purchases
  • Why you might not be able to migrate purchases
  • What to do if you decide to undo a migration
  • How to undo a migration of purchases
  • What happens if you undo a migration of purchases
  • What to do after you undo a migration of purchases

We’re happy to walk you through a migration, but if you can’t migrate purchases, you should call Apple Support. The list of reasons why a migration may not work is long and technical, and Apple Support may have access to internal data that will explain the problem.

If you have long chafed at having to maintain multiple Apple Accounts because of a decision you made many years ago, now’s your chance to clean up the mess. Good luck!

(Featured image based on an original by iStock.com/metamorworks)