What to do when switching to a Mac with a smaller drive

For reasons of cost, we might buy a new Mac with a smaller drive than the one we’re replacing. If your current Mac has more data stored than the capacity of the new one, you probably feel you’re in a pickle. But you can strategize how to make thi…

Apple Watch Activity badges: Get ready for International Women's Day on March 8

Achievement badges are a funny thing. You know they’re just a simple little bit of visual flair, they don’t even do anything, and yet for some reason you just have to collect them. Achievements are great motivators, and the achievement badges for…

How to check your Intel and M1 Mac’s SSD health using Terminal

If you have a newer Mac, it likely uses a speedy solid-state drive to store files, apps, music, videos, and a lot of other important stuff. But there’s one thing you may not know about SSDs: They wear out over time.Since the SSD is such a vital p…

Apple Pay FAQ: Apple Pay is now available in Mexico

Apple Pay—the company’s flagship mobile payment platform—has grown at a breathtaking rate since its introduction in 2015. Apple Pay transactions continue to rise, and more banks, retailers, and countries continue to join. You can use Apple Pay to…

Apple TV Channels FAQ: BBC Select is now available for $4.99 per month

When Apple released iOS 12.3, it refreshed the TV app and added a feature called Apple TV Channels. Channels lets you subscribe to third-party streaming services like CBS All Access or HBO, right from within the TV app. You can watch that content…

Apple TV+ originals: For All Mankind season 2 is now available

Apple is planting its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+, its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies.Though the service has been a…

Here are all the Apple Arcade games that support controllers

Apple Arcade is here, and you can play some of the subscription service’s many games with select models of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers as well as Mfi (Made for iOS) controllers like the SteelSeries Nimbus+.To read this article in full,…

Apple Arcade: 'Survival Z' is now available

Apple’s new Apple Arcade subscription-based gaming service is basically Apple’s way of helping customers sort through the chaff in the App Store, as the highly curated service features premium games that are untainted by in-app purchases and ads.…

How to start up your M1 Mac from an external drive

Apple’s relatively new M1 Macs that rely on Apple silicon have a number of usability differences from previous Intel0based Macs. One difference that’s tripped some readers up is how to start up or boot the M1 Mac from an external drive. Intel Mac…

Best password managers: Reviews of the top products

The best password is one you probably can't easily remember—that's why a password manager is so crucial to your online security. We review LastPass, Dashlane, Keeper, 1Password, and others to find the best one for managing passwords.

How to file your taxes for free

Thanks to the Free File Program, millions of Americans are eligible to file their taxes online for free—and now they might actually find it.

Best free password managers: Better online security doesn’t have to cost a thing

Identity theft and fraudulent charges are just part of the headache that can result from using weak passwords. Shore up your defenses with one of these free password managers.

Thinking of upgrading from a Fusion drive on a Mac? Here’s what you need to know

Apple relied on the Fusion drive for years as an affordable middle option between a slow but affordable high-capacity hard disk drive and a fast but expensive high-capacity SSD. The Fusion drive pairs an SSD with very few gigabytes with a much la…

How to take control of your passwords using iCloud Keychain on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

If you’re not using iCloud Keychain on your iPhone, you should definitely turn it on. A full-fledged password manager built into iOS and macOS, it stores all of your sensitive information with end-to-end encryption and syncs it across all of your…

How to split up an Apple ID among family members and forward their email

I have noted many times that the Apple ID is the center of one’s Apple life. It’s your ID across all stores and services, and a tool to recover access to your Mac, iPhone, and iPad (or erase them remotely if lost or stolen), depending on how you’…

Can Apple handle the great responsibility that is the App Store?

Oftentimes, your biggest strengths are also your biggest vulnerabilities. That’s just as true for Apple as it is for anyone else.While the iPhone is surely the product that catapulted the Cupertino-based company into its meteoric rise, you could …

Apple Cash guide: What it is, how it works, and what it costs

Updated 01/12/21: Updated this guide with the most recent information about Apple Cash.When iOS 11 landed in 2017, it came without of its most anticipated features: Apple Cash. Similar to Venmo or Square Cash, Apple Cash lets you instantly send m…

Apple Pay FAQ: Everything you need to know about Apple's payment platform

Apple Pay—the company’s flagship mobile payment platform—has grown at a breathtaking rate since its introduction in 2015. Apple Pay transactions continue to rise, and more banks, retailers, and countries continue to join. You can use Apple Pay to…

Chip shortages and Apple Car rumors (YouTube video)

How to check if an unexpected prompt for your Apple ID password is legitimate

Family members recently reported to me that they got a popup message on their iPhones and Macs asking them to re-enter their Apple ID password for the account associated with iCloud. I’ve seen with my own eyes and I have no idea how widespread th…

Apple TV+ originals: Apple acquires rights to sci-fi feature film 'Dolly'

Apple is planting its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+, its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies.Though the service has been a…