Sample QR Code

The iPhone camera can read QR (Quick Response) codes that you find on marketing materials, television ads and more.  Are are seeing more use of QR codes every day.

Your iPhone can read the QR codes directly.  No special app is required.

There are two methods that you can use to scan a QR code with your iPhone or iPad.  

1. If you only occasionally encounter a QR code, you can simple use the regular Camera app for scanning.
2. Using the Code Scanner icon in the Control Center will make frequent scanning easier.  

We will explore both methods with step-by-step instructions below.

The process is easy.  Here is a step-by-step description:  

1. Launch your Camera app.
2. Point the camera at the QR code and wait a second for code recognition where you see yellow brackets around the QR code.  If the camera is distracted by other text or information on the screen, tap the QR code with your finger.  
3. The resulting link or information will be displayed in a yellow banner below the QR code.
4. Tap the QR code or the yellow banner to access the linked site.  You do NOT need to tap the shutter or take a photo.  

The linked site will be displayed in your Safari browser.  

If you scan a lot of QR codes, the scanning process can be more direct and easier when the process is launched from the Contol Center.  The scanning steps are more distinct and may  give you better results.

There are some setup steps to be able to scan QR codes from the Control Center.  Here is a step-by-step description.  

To setup this function from the Control Center you will add the Code Scanner icon to your custom Control Center functions.

Here are the setup steps to add this icon to the Control Center.

Summary

QR Codes are displaying frequently in adds, information kiosks and more.  If you needs are casual, you camera app will do a fine job of scanning QR codes.

If you are a regular, consider setting up the Code Scanner icon in the Control Center for direct access to the function.  

The Control Center is the management tool that provides instant access to controls for Airplane mode, Flashlight, Calculator, Camera and more.   Although there are a standard set of controls that are present on the Control Center screen, you can add addition controls and shortcuts to various apps.  This can make the Control Center even more useful in your everyday work.  

You can add additional controls to the Control Center 

There are two different methods to open the Control Center depending your iPhone:

• On an iPhone with a Home button: Swipe up from the bottom by placing your finger next to the Home button and sliding up from the bottom of the screen. To close Control Center, swipe down or press the Home button

The Control Center is covered in Senior Tech Recipe #103 Using the Control Center for Quick Access to Essential Functions

The new and somewhat hidden nugget on the Control Center is the ability to customize it adding additional icons and controls.  For example, you can could add other frequently used apps and functions.

Custom buttons are added to a bottom row on the control center with these steps:

Setup

Launch the Settings app. 

Scroll down and tap Control Center

The current set of controls are included under the heading INCLUDED CONTROLS.  Add or remove control with the following setup actions:

1 Add App – Available apps are listed under MORE CONTROLS.  Tap (Green Plus) to add this icon to the Control Center.

2 Delete App – Tap to remove this control from the current INCLUDED CONTROLS.

3 Move App – Tap to move this control up or down to a new position within the Control Center.

Have you ever lost an app on your iPhone.  You’ve scanned all of your Home screens and just don’t see the app that you know is on your iPhone.  Or you have simply lost a document, marked location, text message or something else on your iPhone or iPad.  IPhone Search may be the answer.  

The Search function on your iPhone gets results from your apps but also from the Internet, from  Maps and Contacts and more.

Naming challenge

Most of the experts and resources call this function Spotlight Search.  But when you view Apple documentation, they just refer to it as iPhone Search.  In this Nugget, we’ll show you what it can do.  And we will call it Spotlight Search.  

There are many practical and everyday uses for the iPhone Search.  You simply begin to type in the Search Bar.  And many times you don’t even have to type a full word to search for an item.  

Practical uses for search:

• Find apps that are “lost.”
• Find a contact by typing a name.
• Get current temperature.
• See news headline
• Do calculations.  Type 29.67 * .2 to calculate a 20 percent tip.  
• Advanced 1 – Use Search to find a setting in the Settings app that you have forgotten.  For example to find how to control the timing on the lock screen type “lock screen” into the Search bar. 
• Advanced 2 – Tap the microphone to dictate your search term

Clear your Search

Like many Search Bars, you can clear a search by tapping on the x at the right of the search bar.  

Clearing the previous search will set you up for your next search phrase or keyword.

Summary

Use Spotlight Search as a quick and convenient way to search for lost apps, contacts or really any information that is on your iPhone.  

You can draw or write inside the Notes app.  You can use either use your finger or a stylus.   The same tools are also available in the Photos app allowing you to markup a photo with drawing or writing.  

There are a number of practical uses but as a grandfather I use it to launch a classic game of tic tac toe to play with my grandson.  Or you might use this feature to capture a handwritten note and quick back-of-the-napkin drawing.  

Draw In the Photos App

The same Markup tools are available in the Photos app.  In the Photos app you can use the markup tools to write or draw on a photo.  Perhaps using it to add a title or highlight a specific area of the photo.

In the Photos app, the Markup tools are somewhat hidden.  Here is where you can find them.

1. Launch the Photos app
2. Tap a photo to display it full screen.
3. Tap Edit
4. Tap More  (Three dots) in the upper right corner.  
5. Tap Markup.
6. The pens, eraser and color tools will display at the bottom of the editing screen.

Draw a Perfect Line, Circle or Square

Notice that in the photo above the second circle is a perfect circle drawn by hand.  Here is a trick to draw a perfect line, circle or square using your finger, pencil or stylus.

 When you draw a shape or line, at the end of your movement, pause for a second before lifting your finger.

 The shape will snap to a perfect shape.

 Use Undo to change back to your less than perfect shape.  

Ever wish you had access to a scanner that you could use to scan and store documents?  With your iPhone, you have a document scanner that you hold in your hand.   There are a number of uses:

• If you have received instruction to sign a document and then scan and return it.
• You would like to scan receipts for long term storage.
• You want to scan information like auto insurance cards so that you can carry on your iPhone.

The iPhone document scanner will scan documents, forms, receipts and more and store them in the Notes app.  You can use the tools of the Notes app to read, mark up, organize and print the scanned documents.  

This lesson will get you started with the process to scan documents into the Notes appp.  

1 Lay the document you want to scan on a flat service.  Good lighting and a dark service will aid the scanning process.  

2 Launch the Notes app.

3 Create a new Note by tapping (Compose)  icon.  A new note will appear ready to accept text or in this case your scanned document.

The Scanning Process

4 In the new note (or existing Note) tap the Camera icon just above the keyboard.   If the Camera icon is not visible above the keyboard tap the + (Plus) to access the format bar.

5  Tap Scan Documents to begin the document scanning process.

The scanned document will be displayed in the Notes document.  You can watch as the iPhone’s Live Text function will look for identifying text in the scanned document and place a title automatically on the note.  

In the Notes app, you can use all of the Notes app’s tools for organizing, printing and sharing the document.  

10 Optionally, if shadows are a problem on the scanned document, turning on the flash will often help eliminate shadows and add clarity to the final scans.  Tap Flash and turn the flash On.  

Sign or Markup the Document you Scanned

The reminders app specializes in capturing tasks and items in a reminder list and reminding you about those items later.  Most obvious is to set a reminder for a task to complete on a certain date. However, there are reminders that will also notify you when you arrive at a specific location.

4 Tap the switch to turn on Remind me at a location. (Green is on)

5 Tap Location.

6 Tap your Home (if home is identified in your Info card) from the list of locations.  If it is not displayed, type an address in the search bar.

Set and Adjust Location

You can adjust the reminder to receive the reminder when you When I Arrive versus When I Leave the location. 

7 Add priority or notes as desired.  

8 Press Done to complete the Reminder

In the Take our the Garbage example, you will receive a notification when you arrive Home (or whichever location you indicate in the reminder)

The Notification will appear as:

Senior Smart Tip – Use Siri to set a Reminder

If you are thinking that this process is a little complicated for a simple reminder, using Siri makes the process very easy.

How easy?  Just a single line of instruction.

Summon Siri and say, Remind Me to take out the garbage when I get home.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 9+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets to help you stay organized.

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There are a lot of things that you can do with Siri.  In fact, Senior Tech Recipe #12 Getting to Know Siri has a list of over 200 commands that Siri can complete.

We know that the iPhone is great for creating timers and alarms.  And using Siri is makes it easy and convenient when you need that quick alarm or time.   With a single Siri command, you can create these handy tools.

But first, let’s explore the difference between Alarms and Timers.  

Alarm – An Alarm is appropriate when you want to see and hear a notification when a certain date and time arrives.  It is perfect for morning alarms or to set an alarm when you need to complete a task at a specific time. Although you can also set a reminder in the Reminders app to give a notification at a specific date and time, an Alarm will be more pronounced to include the audio ring that you set.

Timer – A Timer works to give you an audio and notification at an elapsed time.  It is perfect to timing cooking tasks or setting a time for your afternoon nap of 20 minutes.  

If you are manually creating either a timer or an alarm you will use the Clocks app.  

Use the Clock app to create timers or alarms

But in this nugget, let’s make it even more simple by using Siri.

Create an Alarm with Siri

Summon Siri   Choose your favorite approach:

• Press and hold Home (iPhones with Home buttons)
• Press and hold the Side button (iPhone without a Home buttom)
• Say  “Hey Siri”

Say, “Set an alarm for  timer for 7:30 in the morning.”

Siri, “OK, I set an alarm for 7:30 AM”

When the time arrives you will receive a notification from the time or alarm.  Important is that an audio sound is included in the event.  This makes it more powerful than a reminder.

iPhone Storage under Settings, General

If you use apps and take a lot of pictures and video, you may find the your iPhone storage becomes depleted.  This will prevent you from taking pictures, installing new apps and even upgrading your IOS software.

There is a capability that started with IOS 11 that will automatically offload apps that are unused and restore the storage that they use.  Best of all it is easy and will happen automatically once setup.

Find the Setting Under iTunes and App Stores

If the setting was not displayed under Settings, General, iPhone Storage, the function is enabled.  You can control the setup in the settings other location in the Settings app under iTunes and App Stores

Here are the steps to perform this automatic offloading:

1. Launch the Settings app.

2. In the Settings app, scroll down and tap iTunes & App Store.
3. Swipe to scroll down to find the settings for Offload Unused Apps.
4. If the switch is green, this indicates the function is on.
5. Tap the green switch to Disable Offload Unused Apps.

Reinstalling or Permanently Deleting the App

When an app is removed through the automatic offloading process, the icon will still display on the Home screen but with a puffy download cloud next to it.

Here is a collection of apps that have been offloaded with the download cloud.

When you want to reinstall the app, simply tap the app icon from the Home screen and the app will be restored.  Note that there will be some delay in using the app as the app has to be downloaded from the App Store.

You can also restore the app from the Settings app.  Launch Settings and tap General, iPhone Storage.

Scroll down to the app you wish to restore and tap on it.  The following screen will display where you can either reinstall or permanently delete the app.   

If you feel that you will no longer use the app, ever,  tap Delete App, this will also delete all data associated with the app.  This action is permanent.  

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

When you create text or email messages or notes, you can dictate text instead of typing it.

With a little practice, you will find that you can compose long messages in now time.  It is also easy and there is one simple trick to make it successful.

Punctuation or format.

Here is a list of common punctuation and instructions that you will use as your dictate.  

• period
• question mark
• exclamation mark
• comma
• quote … end quote
• new paragraph
• new line

More information can be found in Senior Tech Recipe #016 Dictate Text Instead of Typing 

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Who are you?  Does Siri know?

To find out, ask Siri two questions:

• Who Am I?
• Where do I live?

If Siri is able to answer both questions, not further action is needed.

Background

You likely know that you can give Siri commands like, “Get me directions home.” or “How long is the drive home?” or “Remind me to take out the garbage when I get home.”

All of these commands would require that Siri knows who you are.  

But how does Siri know who you are?  

There is a two step process to tell Siri who are you are.

1. Enter yourself in Contacts
2. Set up My Info

The Step-by-Step instructions are below.

Set up My Info

You will now tell Siri who you are in the Settings app.  This is accomplished by “pointing” at the contact record that you have created for yourself.  

Launch Settings

Scroll down and tap Siri & Search

Tap My Information (if your name isn’t already displayed.  If your name is displayed, no further action is required.

Select your name from your contacts.

Close Settings

Quiz Siri

After the My Information selection has been made.  Ask Siri the following questions:

“Who am I?”

“Where do I live?”  

Siri? Who Am I?

If the setup was successful, Siri should be able to tell you your name and address when questioned.  

Setup

Setup steps identified above.

Requirements

Requires IOS: 9+

Works on iPhone and iPad

In an emergency, use the Emergency SOS function on your iPhone to quickly call for help and alert your emergency contacts.   The action will perform two functions:

1.  Your phone will make a 911 Emergency Call.
2. A text message will be send to your emergency contacts in your medical ID.

Make an Emergency SOS Call

You will want to practice the action a few times so that it is remembered when you need it.  When you practice, be prepared to cancel the call before actually calling 911.

There are two different actions depending on the iPhone that you have:

1. If you have an iPhone 8 and later you have the Squeeze Method.  See below for a definition.  
2. If you have an older iPhone, you will need to press your side button five times. 

There is lots more detail below. 

Check this!

Access Emergency SOS in the Settings app to learn your iPhone’s SOS approach  and to control how your iPhone does Emergency SOS.  See Change your Emergency SOS Settings below for the specific details.  

Remember This!

Think of this action as squeezing  your iPhone in one hand while holding down a button on either side of your iPhone.  If you hold the buttons down continuously through the five second countdown the 911 call will be made without additional action.  

This Emergency Squeeze of your iPhone is your Emergency SOS Action.  

Choose then Practice, Practice Practice

If you have a new iPhone, you can choose either the 5 tap or Side+Volume combination to place an Emergency SOS call.  Choose whichever is most intuitive to you.  I do recommend the grasp (Side + Volume) action.  

Then practice knowing that you can cancel the call during the countdown.  

You can change your Emergency SOS settings  in the Settings app. Launch the Settings app.  Scroll down to find Emergency SOS. Tap Emergency SOS  

1 At the top of the settings screen you will view an animated instruction for making an emergency call.  This shows you the primary method for making the SOS call. Below this instruction you will find  the options that you can change your Emergency SOS actions. .

2 Turn on (green is one) Call with Hold and Release.  You squeeze the iPhone through the countdown and alarm.  The call is made when the phone is released following the countdown.

3 Call with 5 Button Presses.   This will automatically call 911 after a countdown of five seconds.  No additional action, for example, dialing 911 or moving a slider is required.  This is a recommended setting.

4 Call Quietly.  This will silence the  warning alert sound that will plays during the countdown.  I recommend that you leave this setting off.

Emergency Contacts

After your call to Emergency Services ends, the SOS function will send a text with your location to your Emergency contacts that are set up in the Health app. The message will say,

Emergency SOS

[Your name] has made an emergency call from this approximate location.  You are receiving this message because [Your name] has listed you as an emergency contact.

The text will also include a link to an Apple maps location.

A step-by-step description of Emergency Contacts can be found in Senior Tech Recipe #118 – How to Use the iPhone Health App — It could Save your Life!

Starting with iPhone 14 models, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you are not in an area that provides either cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.  If you become stranded in a wilderness location, you can connect with emergency responders using satellite text messages.  

Here is how the process works:

1. Try a regular SOS or 911 call for emergency services. 
2. If the call doesn’t go through because there is no service, tap Emergency Text via Satellite to text emergency services.
3. Tap Report Emergency and follow the onscreen instructions.  Using taps to the questions, you can report your situation, status and location.  

Your iPhone starts a text conversation with emergency responders by sharing critical information like your Medical ID and emergency contact information, the answers to the emergency questions, your location (including elevation), and remaining battery life for your iPhone.  You can have a text conversation with emergency responders as they respond.  

Try a Demo

If you anticipate a wilderness adventure, you can do a demo of the process before it is needed.  This is found in Settings > Emergency SOS.  

More information:   See the Apple Support document: Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone 14

If you have used email in a work environment, sending files and documents as attachments to an email message was an everyday occurrence.

So many people using the iPhone Mail app to send messages are frustrated because they can’t see how to add an attachment to an email function.

It is there but it is not obvious from the app and even after doing the double tap command, the ability to add the attachments is still hidden.

Let’s break this down.

Summary

Adding attachments to email is truly a hidden nugget as the commands are hidden due to the small screen on iPhones.  Double tap in the body of the email message and swipe left to see attachment options.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Distracted driving is dangerous.  Lives are lost and thousands of people have been hurt due to the affects of distracted driving as people are talking on their phones or worse, texting while driving.

Starting with IOS 11, Apple has provided the Do Not Disturb While Driving function which will help you drive safely by limiting the notifications and alerts you get from messages and text.  It will also suppress phone calls unless you are connected to a bluetooth hands-free device.

What is Do Not Disturb While Driving

Here’s what to expect when Do Not Disturb While Driving is turned on. 

Your iPhone stays silent and the screen stays dark. Notifications are mostly suppressed.  If someone sends you a message, they receive an automatic reply letting them know that you’re driving.  Phone calls are sent to voice mail.  Here are the notifications and calls that will be presented:

Notifications 

Emergency alerts, timers, and alarms will be displayed.  General notifications from apps like news and emails will be supressed.

Text Messages 

A sender of a text message will receive the following reply:

The sender of the message is instructed to reply with the word “urgent” to send a message with a  notification.  The “urgent” message and the original message will be sent with a notification.

Then you know the message is important and you should pull off the road  to read the message or optionally ask Siri to read it to you.

Phone Calls

If your iPhone connects to your car via Bluetooth, calls will come through as usual, and you can use the buttons, microphones, and speakers in your car to take your call.

If you are not using Bluetooth, phone calls are delivered using the same conditions as standard Do Not Disturb.  This there are two setting found in Setting, Do Not Disturb.  These setting are fully described in the Senior Tech Recipe #105 Sleeping and Driving with your iPhone – Exploring Do Not Disturb.

1. You can allow calls only from your Favorites or another contact group.
2. You can allow calls to come through if the same person calls twice in a row within three minutes. 

Maps Navigation

Your iPhone will still display navigation help and gives turn-by-turn instructions when Do Not Disturb While Driving is enabled.

Do Not Disturb While Driving Indicators

You will see the following indicator on your lock screen when Do Not Disturb While Driving is enabled.

Passenger but Not Driver

If you are are a passenger and Do Not Disturb While Driving is enabled, you will need to turn off Do Not Disturb.  If you want to resume normal phone functions and you are a passenger in the car, 1)  tap on the lock screen and 2) tap on I’m Not Driving or 3) tap the X to cancel. 

This two step action will turn off Do Not Disturb While Driving.

Summary

Please avoid distracted driving and use this function to help you drive more safely.   Remember, distracted driving is dangerous.

Setup

Setup is identified in the Step-by-Step instructions above.

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Many of us like to keep things tidy.  So it is natural that we like to delete old messages, books, emails, notes, reminders and more from our iPhones and iPad.

There is a common but hidden delete function that is often available when items are presented in lists.  Simply swipe left on the item that you want to delete and a delete action is presented to you.  Tap the Trash can or Delete action.  Many apps will also ask you to confirm that this is what you wish to do.

That’s it.  A quick and easy way to keep your lists tidy.

Here are some examples when items and presented in a list.  The left column is the list and the item to be swiped.  The right column shows the delete function:

Messages App

Swipe Left to Delete Text Messages

Notes App

Swipe Left to Delete Notes

Where do I find this?

The action that allows you to swipe left to delete an item from a list can be found in the following apps:

• Notes
• Messages
• Mail
• Phone -> Recents (call history)
• Notifications

In any app where you see a list of items, try swiping left for a quick delete action.

Summary

If you are trying to keep your device tidy and organized by deleting unused messages, logs, notices and more, try swiping left on a list as a shortcut to delete that item from the list.  It often is easier to access this delete function from the list.  

Do you have or want to have a reading habit?

Research published in the past year reported that Seniors who read books 30 minutes a day or more, live 23 months longer than non-readers.  I have written about this on the Senior Tech Club site. 

With your iPhone or iPad, there are tens of thousands of books available for free.  The cost of books should be no hurdle for anyone who want to establish a book reading habit.

Here are a sources for Free books for your device:

iBooks

Find free books buy tapping on Top Charts and find a collection of  FREE books

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a top site to download free classics into the iBooks app.  Currently there are almost 54,000 public domain books in the catalog which is very searchable.  No fee or even registration is required to download books.

Link to the mobile Project Gutenberg site or type: m.gutenberg.org into the address bar of your Safari browser.  Find a books you wish to read and download the EPUB download.  Choose Open in iBooks.

Local Library

Many local libraries have an eBook collection that includes books that can be borrowed just like a print book that you check out.

Often these collections require you to install a reader app on your device to manage the loan and read the book.

A significant advantage of working with your local library is that their collection may include recent best sellers.  Although be prepared to place a hold on popular books and patiently wait for the book to become available.

Two favorites of the Senior Tech Club and available at the Hennepin County library in Minnesota are:

OverDrive – Install the free Libby reading app from the App Store (link) to browse and manage books from the OverDrive collection.

cloudLibrary – The free cloudLibrary app installed from the AppStore (link)  allows you to browse the collection, borrow and read the books of the collection.

Kindle Free Books

Although Amazon is the commercial book selling online giant, you can find thousands of free Kindle books on the online Amazon store.  You will need to install the Kindle app (link) and then search for “free Kindle books” on the Amazon website. You will need to register an Amazon account in order to “buy” the free books.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Your iPhone apps will have many hidden functions that are accessed using the Share icon.  Given the number of options that are presented with Share it almost makes the function magical.  Magic can occur when you tap Share.

Many of the apps on your iPhones and iPad will prominently place the Share icon on the upper or lower bar of the screen.  At the Senior Tech Club, we reference this icon as the Share icon, its traditional name.  More recently Apple has been referring to the icon as the Action icon.  This is perhaps to to better reflect the expanding role of the Share action in your apps.

Where to Find the Share Icon

Here are examples of the Share icon found on some of your favorite apps.

As a hidden nugget on your iPhone, when you wish to perform an action in the app you are using, start with the Share icon.  Get to know the common actions available in the apps that you use.  Common examples would be sharing information with another person or another app, printing, saving, copying, finding and more.

Summary

The Share/Action icon contains a number of hidden functions including sharing information with other people and apps and performing actions like print, copy, save and more.  Tap the Share icon to explore those functions in your favorite apps.

Tip

Take some time to explore and get to know the Share actions with the apps that you use.  There are so many hidden functions available.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 9+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Have you ever gone to a mall, a festival or other  big event and then forgot where you parked your car?  You might have parked on the street and walked several blocks without even looking at a street sign.

It can be pretty embarrassing….

But good news…. there is a feature in the iPhone Maps app that will automatically mark the location of your parked car on a map.  It can be a life saver.

Setup

The only setup is that you are using Bluetooth in your car to do hands-free calling or for listening to music or podcasts.

Once you are using your car’s Bluetooth function to listen to music or make hands-free calls, the Apple Maps program will automatically mark the location your car when Bluetooth is disconnected.   You can launch your iPhone Maps app and find your parked car as shown on the map below.

Senior Tech Tip – Use the Satellite View

From the map picture above, you may not find the map location useful if you are looking at the mall’s parking lot or parking at an event.   Consider switching to the satellite (picture) view  in order to align your car’s location with parking rows or other visible marks in the lot.  With the satellite view you can see parking rows, buildings and even trees that may provide useful landmarks.

Change to the Satellite view with the following actions:

Here are the steps to switch map views to use the satellite map image.  

1. Tap Icon  on the upper right corner of your Map
2. Tap Satellite
3. Touch X to close the view selection pane and display the new view

Return to Explore, Driving or Transit view with the same actions.  

Smart Tip:  Parked in a Ramp? Take a Picture

If you park in a large parking ramp, the Parked Car location is not able to show you the the floor where you are parked.  This is a perfect place to snap a quick picture of a reminder like the sign that displays your floor number or other identification.

Mall of America Parking Sign

Know this tip!

Even if you prefer to use a different GPS app on your phone, for example. Google Maps or Waze, you can still find your parked car location in the Apple maps app.  This map marking occurs in the background.  The Apple Maps apps does not have to be in use!

It happens.  You misplace your iPhone and it doesn’t show up in your initial search of your house.  Quickly, you just think, I’ll call it from my land line (yes, many of us still have those) or another phone and it occurs to your that your phone is on vibrate and can’t be heard.

At this point, you need the Find iPhone app that will play a sound on your device regardless of your ringer setting.

The Find iPhone app provides a number of tools that will help you either locate your phone, or wipe your personal data from the phone if it is lost or stolen.   Once set up it can use the tools on another Apple device, or use the Find My iPhone web app on icloud.com to:

• Locate your device on a map
• Lock it remotely
• Play a sound
• Display a message
• Erase all its data.

Additionally, if your iPhone is stolen,  a feature called Activation Lock will prevent anyone else from activating and using your device.  

Nugget Highlight

Although Find my iPhone has tools to help you if your iPhone is stolen or lost, the primary focus of this Nugget is to highlight the tools that will help you find a misplaced iPhone, iPad, AirPods or even a MacBook.  Think of your iPhone on silence while hiding between the cushions in your couch.  

How to Find your iPhone/iPad?

The Find My iPhone (iPad)  app and function provides maps and tools that will help you find a lost phone whether it is lost in your house or left at some other location. There are two requirements to use this function:

1. Find your iPad or iPhone function is turned on and configured in your Settings app.  Your options are more limited if you lose your iPad or iPhone and have never turned the function on.
2. You have access to another Apple device, laptop or desk machine that can access the internet or have access to the web and www.icloud.com.  You will need to log onto iCloud.com with your Apple ID and password. 

Using Find your iPhone/iPad Functions

There are two basic options when you need to use the Find Your iPhone function. 

1. You can use another Apple device that you own like an iPad or Mac computer.  This should be using the same Apple ID. 
2. You can log onto iCloud.com using a web browser on any computer or device. 

Using a Web Browser to Access iCloud.com

Using a web browser to access iCloud.com on the web is described here:

From a web browser, access www.icloud.com/find.

1. Log on with your Apple ID, password.  Complete the two-factor authentication is that is used (recommended)
2. Your device location(s) are displayed on a map.  The process will look for all devices associated with this Apple ID.
3. If you have more than one Apple device, select the desired device from the pull down at the top of the screen.
4. Choose Play  Sound and listen for the loud sound coming from your lost iPhone.  The sound will continue for a period getting louder with successive pings.  
5. Choose Lost Mode if your device is seriously lost of stolen
6. Choose Erase iPhone as your last action if you are certain the device is lost or stolen.  

Refer to the the Apple Support Document – If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen for details about the steps you can take with a lost of stolen device.  

EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFORMATION

The Medical ID function of the iPhone’s Health App could be life saving.

Medical ID is an emergency card that can store critical medical and contact information and be available to first responders even if your phone is locked.  It also provides a place to record your emergency contacts, the people in your life who should be contacted in an emergency.

SET UP YOUR MEDICAL ID

To make your important health information accessible in case of an emergency, you can set up your Medical ID in the Health app on your iPhone.  Here are the steps and information to create your ID:

1 Open Health app. 

2 Tap Summary at the screen bottom to go to the main screen.

3 Tap Profile (your picture) to access your Profile information.  This is all general information about you and your health records.

4 Tap Medical ID below your name on the Profile sheet.

5 Tap Get Started if this is a new Medical ID.  If you have already built a Medical ID, your Medical ID screen will be displayed.

Create your Medical ID

You have lots of options in creating your Medical ID. But as daunting as it might seem, know that all of the information is optional. And you can always add more information later.

We recommend that you prioritize your Emergency Contacts and have critical medical information like allergies or conditions that first responders show know.   Also, you may find that some information like Date of Birth might have been entered elsewhere and is also displayed here.

Medical ID Information

Here is a description of all of data fields presented by the Medical ID setup.

1 Add a photo for identification. Tap add photo and you can choose from your photos collection or take a new selfie.  Get your comb out and take a quick selfie.  You will be given an option to crop and move the image to look your best.  And remember this photo is not for publication.  The selfie is only for your Medical ID.

2 Date of Birth – May be displayed from other locations on your iPhone.  Tap to access the iPhone date picker.

3 Medical Conditions – optional conditions like Hypertension etc.

4 Medical Notes – a place where you can enter a note about relevant medical history including pacemakers, prothesis, etc.

5 Allergies & Reactions – items that you react to like peanuts or bee stings.

6 Medications – summary of any medications you are taking.  Include the medication and dosage.

7 Add Blood Type.  Tap to add your Blood Type.

8 Organ Donor – There is an opportunity for you to register with Donate Life America in order to communicate your organ donation wishes.  Donate Life America is chosen as a partner by Apple as an information hub for your donation wishes.

9 Weight – This information may be displayed from other Health information in the app.

10 Height – This information may be displayed from other Health information entered in the app.  Or enter a new value using the height picker.

11 Add primary language.  Tap to add your language to help a first responder communicate with you.

12 An important element is entering Emergency Contacts.  In this process, it is assumed that your emergency contacts are already in your Contacts app.  Tap add emergency contact.  Pick a contact, pick the mobile number (You can choose a land line but the mobile number is best to allow a text message.)  and identify their relationship to you.

13 Show When Locked.  Confirm that Show When Locked is green/on. This will allow access to Medical ID information from the lock screen for medical/emergency responders.

14 Share During Emergency Call.  Will include your Medical ID when you place a 911 call via a secure third-party service working with Apple and your local 911 center.

15 When you’re finished, tap Done.  The Medical Id will be saved.

There are two places where a medical responder or ER personnel would use to access the Medical ID card.  As long as you have provided lock screen access (Point # 13 above), emergency personal will be able to access this life-saving information from your iPhone Lock Screen or from the Emergency SOS/Shutdown Screen.  

Let’s demonstrate both methods:

From your Phone’s Lock Screen

Go to your iPhone’s unlock screen by tapping the Sleep/Wake button.  Assuming that emergency personnel would not be able to use Touch ID or Face ID to open you phone, the following screens will be displayed.  Follow these steps to access the Medical ID.

2) Tap * Medical ID found on the lower left corner.

Your Medical ID will display.

From your iPhone’s SOS Screen 

The Medical ID is also available to someone who access the Emergency SOS call screen. 

• iPhone 8 & later: Press the Side button and one of the Volume buttons simultaneously.  
• iPhone models before iPhone 8: Tap the Side/Sleep/Wake button five times

The following Emergency SOS Call screen will appear.

Swipe right on the  Medical ID icon to display the information card.

Call Your Emergency Contacts from Medical ID

Calls can be made to your Emergency Contacts from the Medical ID screen without unlocking the phone. This means that a first responder could not only access your medical information but could actually place a call to one or more of your Emergency Contacts by tapping on the phone number associated with the Emergency Contact.  

This is probably a function that only  emergency personnel would need to access.  It is not something that you would use to make an emergency contact.  

Apple Support Video on YouTube – How to set up Medical ID on iPhone and iPad touch

Simple walking is great exercise.  And proposed by many to be the perfect exercise for Seniors.  Let’s cite some science-based evidence for you to consider:

Live Longer – The American Cancer Society reports that an hour of walking a day lowers the  risk of death by 30 percent, compared with those who stayed put on the couch.

Better Brain Health – A 2011 study showed that simply by walking three days a week for 40 minutes, 65-year-olds could shave off about two years of typical age-related atrophy of the hippocampus.

Save Money –  A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, reported that being active will save you more than $2,500 annually in health care spending.

This is just a small sample of the benefits of walking.  You need no equipment to get started. And you can use your iPhone to track your progress.

Introducing the Health app

The Health app collects and organizes important health information and makes it easy to access with a single app.  It is the app that allows you to create and manage your Medical ID used by emergency personnel.  It also consolidate health information from a variety of sources like the Apple Watch and other health-related apps installed on your devices.

One of the roles of the Health app is to collect information about your activity.  This Nugget will review two important types of information:

1. Automatically tracking steps and activity.
2. Monitoring walking steadiness.

You can use the Health app to track steps taken and stairs climbed.  The iPhone contains a built-in motion processor that can track your steps without using an external device. It will also track activity like steps climbed.  It does this tracking automatically and makes the information available to you in the app.  

Although other trackers like a Fitbits or Apple Watches are more portable and may be more appropriate for an active life, the basic tracker of the iPhone might be perfect if you want to keep track of your progress with a step mission.

If every day you have a step mission of 10,000 steps, you just have to carry your iPhone and use the Health app.

The items that you can place on your Summary tab as a favorite will vary depending on other data sources available to the Health app.  For example, when you enable an Apple Watch, all of the metrics from the watch including calories burned or your heart rate will be shown as a favorite choice.  You can place the most informative metrics on your Summary tab.  

In IOS 15, Apple added Walking Steadiness to the Health app.  Your iPhone will use balance, gait and strength information to assess and monitor your Walking Steadiness. 

Your walking steadiness is classified as OK, Low, or Very Low. You can also choose to receive a notification if your steadiness is Low or Very Low.  Low walking steadiness may indicate that you have an increased risk of falling over the next year.  A low steadiness would suggest that exercise to improve your strength and balance would be appropriate.

If you carry your iPhone in a pocket near your waist, steadiness is calculated automatically and displayed in the Health app.  On newer iPhones (iPhone 8 and later) the Health app can show you exercises that you can use to improve your walking steadiness.  

iPhone User Guide – Monitor your walking steadiness in Health on iPhone

Apple Support – Measure your walking steadiness with your iPhone

The secret to capturing great Kodak moments with your iPhone is knowing the quickest way to access the Camera.  Many people do not know that there are some very quick methods that you can use to capture that surprise moment.  Here is a review.

Five Ways to Launch the Camera App

The standard camera app is the primary tool that people use to take pictures with the iphone. Often, you need to be able to launch the app quickly in order to capture a moment. Here are five ways to launch the camera app.

1. The Camera Icon

The most conventional and primary method to take a picture is to launch the Camera app with its icon on the home screen.  It’s how most people learn how to take a picture.  But know that there are faster ways to capture the moment.

The Camera Icon

Using the Camera icons, there are long press shortcuts that remain hidden from many users.  When you press and hold on the Camera icon, you will be presented with a number of shortcuts that take you directly to a mode like Selfie, Portrait, etc.  This may faster than using Camera functions after the app is launched.

2. From the  Lock Screen.

The iPhone does not have to be unlocked to take a picture. This is great  for grabbing that quick shot.  The method will differ between version of the iPhone.

iPhone X and Newer – Icon

Look for the Camera icon on the lower corner of the screen that allows you to access the Camera app without unlocking.

iPhone 8 and Older – Swipe Left

Swipe left from the right edge of the lock screen to access the Camera app.  They key is to practice this before you need it.

Swipe left on the lock screen to launch the camera app

3. Control Center.

You can access the camera quickly without closing your current app with the Control Center or searching for the Camera icon. Pull the Control Center up from the bottom of the screen.  This works great if you are immersed in an app, maybe reading a book or writing an email, and you need to launch the Camera app without closing the app, navigating multiple home screens and launching the app from the Camera icon.

Launch Camera Modes from the Control Center

But an even better tip using the Control Center is access to shortcuts by pressing and holding the Camera icon on the Control Center screen.  The screen above shows shortcuts for Take Selfie, Take Video, Scan QR Code or Take Photo.  

Control Center Tip: Put your finger next to the home button and pull up.

For iPhone X and later, swipe down from the upper right of the screen.

See  Recipe #103 Using the Control Center for Quick Access to Essential Functions

4. Use Siri.

Here are three phrases that work after you summon Siri:

“Take a picture.”

“Take a video.”

“Take a Selfie.”

Note.  The Siri approach is NOT as fast as some other methods but if your hands are tied it can be faster than having to free up your hands.  

5. From an App.

Many iPhone apps will allow you to launch the camera app from inside the application. Examples are Messages, Notes, Google Drive, Facebook and Evernote. Look for the camera icon in the app.

For example, if you want to share a current photo with a friend, instead of taking the photo and Sharing it from the Photos apps, go to the Messages app and press the Camera icon to capture a photo with fewer steps.

Look for the Camera icon in your favorite apps

Use these nugget tips to capture those Kodak moments.  All it takes is a little practice.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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You likely already know that your photos are tagged with a date and location information. (Location services for the Camera app must be on)

1 Date and Location displayed in the title bar at the top of the photo

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Display the complete photo information by:

2 Tapping Info (Circle i)

3 Swipe up on the photo.

4 The information about the photo includes:

• Searchable comment that you can enter.
• Date
• Camera Information
• Map Location
• Show in All Photos.  Good for finding additional photos from this setting.

For example, I love water and have hundreds of photos showing beaches, waterfront, lakes, rivers, ponds and waterfall. When I can’t remember the subject of the photo, it is so easy to swipe up to get more information including the location on a map and more.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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In photography, the Rule of Thirds (Wikipedia) provides a tried and true guideline that photographers use to compose better photos.  The rule proposes that instead of simply centering your photo subject, you divide your image into thirds and place your subject at the intersection of those divisions.  

Notice how the tree and horizon are aligned with the grid lines. You can have gridlines on your camera screen to assist you.

If you want to learn more about the rule of thirds, watch the first 30 seconds of this YouTube video.  It’s a popular video and has been viewed more than 4 millions times.

Help from your iPhone Camera App

Your iPhone camera app can add a grid to your app screen that will aide in your composition.  With the grid enabled, you have an onscreen guide to help with your rule of thirds composition.  Many iPhone photographers find it useful enough to  simply leave the grid on the screen permanently.

See the gridlines that now appear on your camera screen.

Camera Screen with Gridlines

Use these gridlines to help your rule of thirds composition.  

The next time you open the Camera app, you will now see a grid on the screen to support and remind you of the Rule of Thirds for better photos.

I find the grid a good reminder of the rule and simply leave it on as an aide for better photos.

Setup

See Step-by-Step above

Requirements

Requires IOS: 9+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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Remember the concept of a Grandma (Grandparent) Brag Book?

Brag Book Samples

It was a small photo album that could easily be placed in a pocket or purse and pulled out when a parent or grandparent needed to show family pictures. It was a great way to organize a few photos for easy sharing.

The Photos apps provides a Favorites album that could provide the same function on your iPhone. With a little setup, the next time you need to show family pictures, you can launch the Photos app, and tap the Favorites album to show your family brag pictures.

Favorites Album

The Favorites album is one of the default albums that is already set up on your iPhone/iPad. This means that all you have to do is mark your favorite photos and they will display in the Favorites folder. And as your life changes, mark new photos and un-mark outdated photos as you wish.

With 5 to 10 minutes of photo work, you can have your Favorites Brag Book prepared for the next time someone want to see family photos.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 9+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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If you have hundreds of iPhone/iPad pictures and you find yourself swiping and browsing your photo library, you might consider the tools that are available to help you find photos.

The Photos app provides a Search function  makes it easy to find photos of a person, place, event or thing. 

Access the Search tab by tapping Search on the lower right of the Photos app.  

You are presented with a Search bar with other headings like Moments, People and Places.

Scroll down and you will see search suggestions that include:

• Moments – collections from events and themes found in your photos
• People – the Photos app automatically groups photos by the faces it finds.  
• Places – Map locations that have groups of pictures are displayed
• Categories – Photos with similar objects are grouped together
• Recently Searched – Previous searches in the Photos app.

Take some time to browse these grouping to give you a sense of how the app is organizing your search tools.

Search Bar

Use the Search bar to enter search terms.  Consider people, places, events and categories, even those that were not identified in the groupings automatically created.

Take some time to experiment with search by searching for items that you know are in your photo library.  For example, I can search for lake, ocean, tractor, tree and find photos with those objects.  Experiment by searching for a State that you traveled to.  Try events or dates.

Search with Siri

You can also search your photos collection using Siri.  Here are some sample searches that you can use:

Hey Siri:

• • Show me photos of concerts
  • Show me photos of one year ago.
  • Find my photos of Arizona

iCloud Link Required

The Search and collection tools require that you are connected to iCloud and have the iCloud Photo Library turned on.  Information on this can be found in Senior Tech Recipe #404 How to use iCloud to expand and optimize storage.

Tip:  Get to understand Searches, people and places in order to find specific photos on your iPhone.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 10+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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If you want to show your photos in a slide show even showing off your Ken Burns-like skills (see Wikipedia – Ken Burns Effect)  your iPhone can present your photos in a slide show.  

It is really an easy 2 step concept to get started:

Organize your slide show photos with an album. (See the lesson: Organizing your Photos with Albums)

Run the slide show.  We offer two method to do this below.  Both are easy.  

Here is the step-by-step walkthrough to create your slide show.   

1 Organize the Photos you wish to include in your slide show into a folder in the Photos app.

2 In the Photos app and select the album that you would like to use in your slideshow.

With the desired album selected, there are two method for displaying the actual slideshow:

You can also start the Slideshow directly from the Album that you are displaying.  Here are the steps after displaying the desired album:

3 Tap More (…) on the upper right of the album display.

4 Tap Slideshow from the menu.

The slideshow will begin to play,

Slideshow Options

Your can change how your slide show displays, the speed, music and type of transitions under options.  

1. Pause the slide show by tapping the slideshow and tapping Pause at the bottom center of the screen.
2. Tap Options.
3. Here, you can edit the Theme, Music, whether or not it Repeats, and the speed that the slideshow plays. Once you’ve made your changes, tap Done. It will begin to play.

Playing the Slideshow on a bigger screen?

There are two methods commonly used for playing your slideshow on a TV screen.

1.  Use a cable adapter like the Apple Lightening to HDMI Adapter.  
2. Connect to TV to Apple TV or an Apple TV compatible Air Play device and cast or mirror the Slideshow with AirPlay.  Access this mirror function on the Control Center.  

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 10+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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The Photos app now brings significant photo editing capabilities that allows you to also add text or drawing to a Photo.

You might do this if you want to create a title slide for a slideshow or mark up a photo adding emphasis or humor (think of a drawn mustache) to a photo.

Here are the steps to markup a photo using the Photos’ Edit function

Display a Photo you would like to edit.

Tap Edit or earlier versions of IOS had you tap

Tap More (3 dots in a circle)

Tap Markup (pen in a circle)

You are now presented pen tools that you can use to draw on the photo. Tap the Color icon to change the color.

This information was previously covered in Nugget N4 Write or Draw in the Notes App.

If you want to place text on the Photo, tap the Circle + icon

Tap Text

Your are presented with the text markup tools

Text Markup Tools

Tap Color to change the color

Tap Font to change the Font size, style and alignment

Double Tap the Text Box to change the text.

Tap Undo to undo the last actions.

Tap Done to save your edits

Revert to Original

The edits that you make on a photo are non-destructive in that you can revert back to the original image with the following actions:

1. In the Photos app, tap the edited image that you want to revert.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap Revert.
4. In the pop-up menu, tap Revert to Original.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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Live photos were introduced to iPhone photography with iPhone 6s.  Live photos will capture sound and movement a second and a half before and after a photo is taken.  It does this by adding a short video clip to the beginning and the end of the photo.

It is an interesting effect that can add life and even sound to a normal photo.

However, it isn’t always desirable for everyone who wants to record life events with simple photography.  And depending on your subject, Live Photo might not add nothing to a photo.

Live Photos
Top: On
Bottom: Off

Turn Live Photo on and off

You can turn off Live Photos for any picture that you take by tapping the Live Photo icon on the top center of your Camera app screen. 

• The button is yellow when Live Photos is on. 
• The Live Photo button is white with a slash when it is turned off.

However, instead of turning it on/off for every photo, there is a setting that will have the Camera app “remember” your preferred setting.  With this setting, you can still take Live Photos but it will remember and preserve the last live photo setting you have.

It’s a good approach if you simply prefer to normally have Live Photo turn off.

The steps are below:

Summary

As awesome as Live Photos might be for some types of photos, you may just prefer to turn off Live Photos for the majority of your pictures.  The Step-by-step above shows you how.

Setup

See Step-by-step above

Requirements

Requires IOS: 10+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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This is a Nugget especially for web surfers who use multiple tabs in Safari.  When you open multiple web pages it is easy to accumulate a collection of open tabs in Safari.

See your collection of open tabs by tapping the Pages (2 squares) icon on the Safari screen.  You will find the icon on the iPhone on the Lower Right and on the Pad, the Upper Right of the Safari screen.)

The open tabs will display and provide this look after tapping the Pages icon.

Open Tabs in Safari

The function that you use to delete a single tab is pretty obvious with the X on the upper left corner of each tab.  You could delete one or more and tap Done to finish.

Related Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets

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The Senior Tech Club is  not in favor of automatic updates of IOS and does not recommend having IOS updates automatically applied to your devices.  However, after an update has been tested by the marketplace, I’m fully in favor of the new features and security of the updates.  

This is Don writing and I can say that after 35 years of working in IT and software, I am keenly aware that software mistakes happen.  As much as companies try to release quality software, there are occasional flaws.

As such, when automatic IOS updates was added to IOS 12, I was tempted for a minute.  The feature would automatically update IOS when Apple released a new version.  But I decided to turn Automatic Updates off.    I’ve decided that I would prefer that other people blaze the trail.  And as much as I like to test new features, I’m good with letting others in marketplace go first.

In this Nugget we will show you how to manage the Automatic Update feature for IOS.

Related Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets

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IOS & iPadOS Recommendations

Related Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets

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One of my favorite additions to Siri’s capabilities is that she can now find my iPhone or iPad.

Now it’s fast.  And for the record, I’m not accusing anyone of being forgetful when trying to find your device hiding around your home.  

I use Find my iPad on occasion to find my device which is simply hiding in the house.  But it took a few minutes to launch the app, pick the device and more (This topic and setup is covered in Nugget #14 Find my Lost iPhone.)  

With the release of IOS 12, it now works with Siri!

So picture a scene where you are sitting in your favorite chair and you want to read but don’t remember where you last had your iPad.  You reach for your iPhone, summon Siri and ask “Find my iPad.”  Your iPhone displays the following screen indicating that she has found your device. 

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Tap Confirm and start listening.  Your device will be playing a sound even if you are looking for your iPhone with the ringer off!

Find my iPhone/iPad is a sweet addition to the Siri arsenal.

Setup

See Nugget #14 Find your Lost iPhone

Requirements

Requires IOS: 12+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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There are countless situations where access to my magnifying glass allows me to read a label or pick out a detail that is unavailable to the naked eye. The iPhone provides a magnifier function that allows my to use my iPhone as a substitute magnifying glass.

It’s easy. You pull you iPhone out of your pocket and access the Magnifier in one of three easy ways.  Yes, it is that accessible.

There are three ways that you can access the Magnifier:

1. Magnifier app
2. Accessibility Shortcut – Tap Side/Home button three times
3. Control Center icon

1. Magnifier app

Since IOS 14, your iPhone has a Magnifier app.  Whereas previously, the Magnifier function did not have a Home Screen presence, now you can find the Magnifier app.  Simply tap the Magnifier icon to launch it.

If you can’t find the Magnifier app on the Home Screen,  use the Search function on the Today View or Spotlight search or go to the App Library to find it.

2. Accessibility Shortcut – Tap the Side or Home Button 3 Times

One method is to associate the Magnifier with the accessibility shortcut on your iPhone.  The accessibility shortcut is intended to provide quick and easy access to one of a dozen accessibility functions on your iPhone.

Using the accessibility shortcut would allow you to simply press the Side button (or the Home button if your iPhone has a Home button)  three times in order to access the Magnifier.

If the Magnifier does not start with pressing the Side/Home button three times, it may be that the accessibility shortcut is assigned to another function. This can be change by accessing Settings  > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and tapping Magnifier to change the shortcut.

3. Control Center Icon

You can also add a Magnifier icon to your Control Center.  This would allow you quick access to the Magnifier by swiping to access the Control Center.  And then tapping the Magnifier icon.  

To set up this custom icon in the Control Center, launch the Settings app and tap Control Center.  Tap (Green +) next to the Magnifier icon to  add it to the Included Controls of the Control Center.  

With the Magnifier launched, you will use a combination of manual phone movements and onscreen controls to capture the detail you wish to magnify. Here are the three most useful controls:

1.  Adjust the magnification level. Drag the Zoom Level slider. If you prefer, you can also use the pinch in and pinch out zoom gestures to control the magnification.
2. Freeze the Frame. Tap the “shutter” button to lock the image. It is hard to hold the iPhone steady.  The Freeze Frame will allow you to examine the magnified image and adjust the magnification and drag the image around for better viewing. Unfreeze the frame, tap the “shutter” again.
3. Flashlight.  Tap the Flashlight in order to add more light to the image you are magnifying.  

Smart Tip: Freeze the Frame

Once you have the focus you want, freeze the frame on your image. This allows you to still change the magnification and shift the image without needing to hold the camera.

The primary objective of this Nugget is to introduce you to the core function of the Magnifier.  There is more that it can do including adding filters, saving an image as a photo or magnifying multiple images at the same time.  See the Apple guides and videos found under Additional Information below.  

The Magnifier is part of the iPhone’s Accessibility function.  Although it does have an app, it can happen that the Magifier has been turned off in Settings.  This means you will not find an icon for the Magnifier.

If you cannot find the Magnifier function on your iPhone, check your Accessibility settings.  

To set up the Magnifier, Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Magnifier, then turn on Magnifier.

What is Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. It is one of the top 10 most visited sites on the Internet with over 500 million visitors every month. It is the most used encyclopedia in the world. There are currently over 5 million English language pages with a huge breath of topics. Additionally there are millions of other articles in other languages. It is a huge resource.

Best of all, Wikipedia is free to use and can be used without logging in. Wikipedia is owned by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation who funds Wikipedia mostly through donations. You will not find commercial ads on Wikipedia.

Wikipedia articles are written by volunteers. Anyone can create or edit articles. Articles are constantly created, edited and reviewed by hundreds of thousands of contributors. A specific advantage of this community of contribution is that you can find articles about recent news events within hours or sometimes minutes of the occurrence.

You May Already be using Wikipedia

iPhone and iPad users who ask Siri questions about celebrities, politicians or thousands of other topics already use Wikipedia information as it is a source of much of Siri’s knowledge. You can find a link to Wikipedia at the bottom of many of Siri’s information displays.

Is it Accurate?

Although Wikipedia can be criticized for inaccuracy, the openness and transparency is part of what makes it work. There have been academic studies where Wikipedia has been found to be nearly as accurate as commercial encyclopedias.

Do you remember writing research papers during your school days and teachers would dissuade you from using any encyclopedia in your citations? In the same vein, you should only consider using Wikipedia as a source for general overview and a way to get your started in your research on a topic. But as a starting point, one of the most valuable elements of Wikipedia are the links and citations of other resources found at the bottom of Wikipedia articles.

Using Wikipedia

An encyclopedia is an easy-to-use resource and Wikipedia is no different. You gain knowledge with the support with three simple functions:

• Access Wikipedia
• Searching
• Following Links

With these three topics  you will find an article about a topic and use the links in the article or other resources that are cited at the bottom of the article to access additional information.

Access Wikipedia

You have two options to access Wikipedia articles that you wish to read and explore:

1.  Web access – Using Safari or another browser, type wikipedia.org into the browser address bar.  
2. IOS App – There is an free app that can be installed on iPhones or iPads.  Search for Wikipedia in the App store.

At the Senior Tech Club we do NOT find a compelling reason to install the app if you are only a reader/consumer of articles.  We recommend saving the web address as a bookmark in your browser to facilitate quicker access. 

Searching Wikipedia

Wikipedia provides a search box at the top of every page. Type the topic or subject that you are looking for in the box. Partial matches will appear in a drop down list.

Searching for Apple on Wikipedia

Select any page in the list to go to that page. Or, select the magnifying glass or Search/Enter on your keyboard to get a full search result.

Browse the articles on the full search result, and click or tap on the article you wish to read.

Disambiguation Page

There are times where you are presented a disambiguation page that provides links to multiple articles for topics that are ambiguous. For example, if you search for Apple, do you want to learn about the fruit, the technology company, the record company or a specific Apple device? A disambiguation page will provide a short description and a link to the various articles associated with the term. Click on the desired link to read that article.

Links

Links to related topics appear in virtually every article. Click on the hyperlinks to learn more information about those topics.

Article on Apple, Inc with over 20 links to other articles

With the links, you can read about a primary and related topics almost indefinitely!

General Reading

Don’t have a specific topic to research but you want to learning something new? Go to the Wikipedia Home page by tapping on the Wikipedia name at the top of any page. On the home page, you can read Today’s featured article or scroll down to read “In the news” articles about people and events in the current news.

Widipedia General Reading

Log in?

No.  Not required.  At the upper right corner of every page, there are links to create an account and log in to Wikipedia. As a consumer of Wikipedia articles there is no good reason to log in.

Only consider creating an account if you ever wish to create or edit articles.

Summary

Wikipedia is a popular resource. Use the site to gain general knowledge and to get started on deeper research. And best of all it is free!

Related Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets

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When using the iPhone camera, many people only know about using the circle on the bottom of the iPhone Camera app to take a photo. However, there are more very useful techniques to release the shutter.  The other approaches can be more convenient, offer camera stability and provide new functions.

1. Press the Shutter button in the app

2. Press either volume button. This method allows you to hold the iPhone like a traditional point and shoot camera.  This also often works better for taking selfies.

With newer iPhones, you can use the Settings app (Settings>Camera>Use Volume Up for Burst) to assign the Volume Up button to the Burst function.  This is an alternative to sliding the Shutter button to the left as found on newer iPhones to access the Burst function.

3 Press the volume button on your standard headphones/EarBuds that came with your iPhone. There are a couple of applications where this approach is useful:

1. You want to avoid any movement with your iPhone and eliminate camera shake
2. You want to hide the fact that you are taking pictures with your iPhone.
3. You can take selfies or group photos without holding the iPhone and the restriction of your arm length.

4a. Press and Hold the Shutter – Quick Video On newer iPhones, pressing and holding (long press) the Shutter button will take a video using the Quick Video function.  This occurs without changing the Camera mode from Photo to Video, the normal approach to capturing video.

4b. Press and Hold the Shutter – Burst   On older iPhones, when the shutter button is pressed and held, the iPhone takes a burst of photos. Recent versions of the iPhone will take around 10 photos per second. You will see a counter indicating the number of photos you have taken.

Burst photos will give you a collection of photos that work great for capturing live action where you want to capture one good image from a moving subject.  Or consider using bursts for group photos where you want to get everyone with their eyes open. See How to View and Manage Burst Photos below for information on viewing burst collections.

4c.  Press and Slide Shutter Left – Burst  On newer iPhones take a burst of photos by sliding the Shutter button to the left and holding. You will see a counter indicating the number of photos.  Release your finger when finished.  

5. Set a timer.  The Time function will allow you to use a 3 or 10 second delay in taking your photo.  This is perfect for taking a family photo that includes you in the shot. Use the Time icon.

On newer iPhones, Tap  to access the hidden drawer, tap Timer  .  

On older iPhones, the Timer icon on the upper right of the camera screen

1. Select either 3s or 10s for seconds
2. Release the shutter with the shutter or volume button
3. A burst shot of ten pictures will be taken in either 3 or 10 seconds.

6. Apple Watch – Owners of an Apple Watch can use the watch as a remote viewfinder and shutter release.  On the Apple Watch the app is called Camera Remote and can be accessed from your app list accessed by pressing the Crown one time.  

7. Use an accessory. There are many accessories that can also be used to release the shutter this includes selfie sticks and Bluetooth devices. Here are two examples

• Bluetooth shutter remote control buttons that can be purchased for under $10 that will allow you to place your camera on a tripod and take family group pictures that include you. This approach doesn’t require a camera.

• Selfie Stick that either plugs into your iPhone or uses Bluetooth to release the shutter.

Selfie Stick

Smart Tip:  Be Prepared

Knowing the quickest way to access your camera and your options to release the shutter prepares you to be able to capture that once-in-a-lifetime photo.

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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A great many iPhone users will use their iPhone cameras in a point and shoot fashion. They will pull out their camera, aim at their subject and press the shutter button to snap the photo.

With later iPhone models, the iPhone’s camera has included modes and features that take it into new territory. If you are only doing point and shoot, you may be missing some great photo opportunities.

The purpose of this lesson is to take you on a tour of the Camera app and identify its core capabilities that will take you beyond point and shoot.

In order to take better pictures and take advantage of the primary capabilities of the iPhone came, let’s take a tour of the Camera app and it’s functions.  In this tour you will find descriptions of the core screen elements that provide access to the many photography functions of the iPhone.

6   Live Photos (On/Off) – A live photo combines photo and 3 seconds of video for a unique live-motion photo.  Use this Live Photos icon for basic on/off function.  A slash will appear through the icon when off.

7   Optical Zoom – iPhones with multiple lens for optical zoom will display multiple numbers.  The numbers will vary between iPhone models.  Tap the desired number, for example .5 or 2x to select that lens for your photo or video.

8 Last Photo – Tap the Last Photo icon to quickly access the last photo taken in the Photos app.  You can return to the Camera app by tapping the back arrow on the upper left corner of the Photos app display.

9 Focus & Exposure – The Focus point and Exposure of your iPhone camera is automatically managed by your iPhone. It generally does a good job. However you can manually set the focus and exposure by simply tapping on the spot on the screen that you wish to have the focus. For example, if you subject includes items in the foreground and background, tap the area of the screen that you consider to be your primary focus.

When you tap, you will get a slider on the screen (look for the sun) that allows you to change the exposure bias. You will see the image get lighter or darker.

AE/AF Lock – When you press and hold on the subject on the screen, you will lock the exposure and focus.  This is particularly useful if you want to take multiple photos with the same exposure and focus.  When locked, you will see an AE/AF (automatic exposure/automatic focus) Lock on the screen.

Press and Hold to get AE/AF Lock.

Tap another location on the screen to remove the lock.

Tap the Hidden Drawer arrow at the top of the camera screen in order to access the controls you find on the hidden drawer.  Our tour continues with a description of these additional camera controls.

The controls found in the Hidden Drawer will vary depending on the iPhone you have.  Top of the line iPhones will have more controls that take advantage of enhanced features.

1 Flash

If picture needs flash, the iPhone’s built in flash can add necessary light to a subject. Manage the Flash by pressing the Flash (lightning bolt) icon in the camera app.

Control the Flash

The Flash function provides three settings:

1. Auto – the Camera app will use the flash when warranted by light conditions.
2. On – the Camera app will always use flash
3. Off – the Camera app will not use flash.  I recommend that you leave the flash off and turn it on only when required.

Senior Smart Tip: Flash not always needed

Those of us who learned about cameras in the Kodak era, recognize a rule that says that indoor pictures always required a flash.  The iPhone camera is actually good in low light situations and the rule doesn’t always need to apply.  In general, your photos are better without flash.  Try the photo before you turn on the flash.

2 Night Mode  –  If your iPhone provides Night Mode, you will find a night mode indicator with a seconds indicator on the upper left corner of the camera screen when you take a photo in a low-light situation. 

Night mode helps you capture more detail and brighten your shots in low-light situations by increasing the length of the exposure or how long the lens is open to capture your photo.   The length of the exposure in Night mode is determined automatically.  However, you can experiment with the manual settings found in the hidden drawer control.  Use the slider to choose between the Auto and Max timers. With Auto, the time is determined automatically; Max uses the longest exposure time. The setting you choose is saved for your next Night mode shot. 

Use a tripod for Night mode.

You need to hold your iPhone steady for Night mode photos.  Your lens could be open for up to 10 seconds for a Night mode shot.  This is a perfect place to use a tripod of other stabilizer for your photo.

3 Live Photo- You learned above that you will find a Live Photo on/off switch in the upper left of the camera screen.  There is also a control in HD that includes an Auto selection.  Auto option that lets the phone decide whether a shot has enough action either side of it to warrant taking a Live Photo.  I recommend leaving Live photos Off turning it on when you want to capture a unique shot.

Your iPhone can “remember” your desired/previous setting for Live photo with an option in the Settings app.  See: Turn Off Live Photos

4 Photographic Style – Advanced iPhones can take photos using different photographic styles.  The default is a true-to-life standard style.  Preview different styles by swiping left-right on the shot.  The options include:

8 Filters

Add a filter to add a special effect to a picture. A prime example is the mono filter which will take the picture as a black and white image. You can also add filters after the photo is taken in the Photos app.  This may be easier so that while your photo scene is “live,” you don’t have to make a filter decision immediately.  

The default “natural” filter is Original when you are finished.  

Your iPhone Camera has several photo modes, allowing you to shoot still, video, panoramic or more.  The modes available on your iPhone can vary based on the model of phone.  

Here are definitions and essential tips for each mode:

1. Photo – Use to take traditional still photos.
2. Portrait – Available on iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus and later models to achieve a depth of field effect for portraits, e.g. clear face, blurry background.
3. Pano(ramic) – Use Pano to capture a wide angle photo that won’t fit on a single camera screen.

On screen instruction to Pano Mode

Pano Instruction: Tap shutter, Move camera in the direction of the arrow. Tap shutter to end.

Pano Sample – Boston Harbor taken by Don

5. Video – Shoot high quality movies with your iPhone.

Video Instruction: Tap the shutter to start recording. Tap again to end the video. Note how the shutter button is red for video.

6. Time-lapse – Create time lapse video of activities or events where you want to record progress.

Time-lapse Instruction: Tap the shutter to start and end. Prop your phone in stationary position or use a tripod.

7. Slo-mo Take video that you play back in slow motion. Great for special effects or capturing a fast activity.
8. Cinematic – Cinematic mode applies a depth-of-field effect that keeps the subject of your video sharp while creating a beautifully blurred foreground and background. iPhone automatically identifies the subject of the video and keeps it in focus throughout the recording; if a new subject is identified, iPhone automatically transitions the point of focus. 

Senior Tech Club Lessons Mentioned:

Let’s see a show of hands. How many of you have browsed through hundreds of pictures looking for a specific family picture that you wanted to show?

At that point, you say, I have to organize my pictures so that I can find the photos I’m seeking.

The primary way to organize photos in the Photos app is to create and place photos into albums.

This Nugget will show you the basics on how to create albums and add photos to your albums.

Access Albums

Launch the Photos app and tap the Albums icon at the bottom of the screen.

Album Collection in the Photos app

Here is a review of what you will find under Albums.  

Default Albums

The Photos app has a number of preset default albums that are already set up for you.

that you can see by tapping the Albums icon at the bottom of the Photos app screen.

The default albums include:

• All Photos or Camera Roll (if iCloud Photo Library is not activated)
• Favorites
• People & Places
• Media Types – Individual albums for different types of photos like video, selfies, Slo-mo and more.
• Other Albums
  • Hidden
  • Recently Deleted  (Allows you to retrieve photos that you accidentally deleted)

My Albums

You can create additional albums to organize the photos in your life. You might have albums dedicated to vacations or family events. You might create albums to share a special set of photos you have taken.

Album Storage

When you take a photo with the Camera app will create one photo stored on your iPhone in the All Photos album. If you have not implemented iCloud photo sharing, the primary album is called Camera Roll.

When you add that photo to another album, the Photos app does NOT create another copy of the image. Nor does it remove that photo from the All Photos album.

The Albums  in My Albums are virtual lists of photos that use no additional space no matter how many albums a photo is placed in. Photos can be linked to multiple albums.

Create a new album

Adding Photos to an Album

There are two primary methods for adding photos to an album:

1. Individual photos – one at a time.
2. Batch select – select a group of photos

Individual Photos

Batch Select & Add to Album

Launch the Photos app.

View photo thumbnails in any Album or Collection.

Tap Select

Tap individual thumbnails to place a check mark by the photo.

Continue to tap thumbnails to add checkmarks.

Tap on Add to.

Browse the Albums and tap the Album you wish to include the photos you have checked. Notice your screen shows the number of photos that will be added to the album for confirmation.

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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There are times that you will install a new app and months later you realize that you don’t use it.  It simply didn’t fit your need.

So now it’s time to delete the app from your phone.  Deleting unused apps is a good thing.  It keeps your phone tidy.  It restores storage space used by the app. 

With IOS 12, you can now also delete many of the built-in, standard apps that came with your iPhone or iPad.  For example, if you do not own an Apple Watch, you can delete the Watch app.  This will also save storage space on your device. 

And the process of deleting apps is very easy and only takes a minute.  Here are the steps.

Delete an app from the Home Screen

This process will remove the app and an data that is associated with the app.  If you wish to restore the app, you will need to download it from the App Store.  

Watch a demonstration of the process in the video below.  The video is only 45 seconds.

Summary

It’s a good practice to delete the apps you are no longer using.  This Nugget demonstrates a simple way to remove unused apps from your device.  

Most people will recognize that Apple changed the music industry and the way that music is sold and distributed.  And today Apple remains a significant player in the deliver of music to your devices.

Although Apple is current promoting Apple Music, a monthly streaming subscription service, the classic method for acquiring music from Apple to to purchase albums or tunes from the Apple iTunes Store.

This Nugget will walk you through the process of finding and purchasing music that can be played on iPhones, iPads, Mac or Windows machines.

Getting Setup to Buy Music

Sign in with your Apple ID

To do most things in the iTunes Store, you need to sign in with your Apple ID.  And if your Apple ID includes a payment method like a credit card you will be able to purchase music.

1. In the iTunes Store, scroll to the bottom, then tap Sign In.
2. Enter your Apple ID and password. If you don’t have an Apple ID, you can create one.

Setting up a Payment Method

Setup your Payment method under Settings, [Your Name], Payment & Shipping.

Tap Payment Method  to enter Payment Details include Cardholder Name, Billing Info and Billing Address.  There is also an option to use PayPal as your Billing method requiring you to enter your PayPal account info.

Launch the iTunes App

The Apple iTunes app is launched with the icon found on the Home screen.  

After launching the primary screen is displayed where you can browse the store’s main page featuring music and the ability to switch to other media types that you are seeking.  

Along the bottom of the screen you have the primary store departments of iTunes including Music, Movies, TV Shows.  The current department is colored blue.  The icons also include your Search function.  

As you browse, you can also use a Genres filter on the upper left to filter the presented music by genre type like Pop, Country, Jazz, Classical to match your music tastes.  Tap Genres and tap your desired filter.

Top of the screen also includes tabs for Featured and Charts.  Featured includes New Releases, Pre-Orders for upcoming releases and sale items.

Tap on any item to bring up the info page for that item.

Searching for Music to Purchase

The main Music screen is designed for browsing the latest in featured and popular music and if great if you are looking for new and trending products.  

However, if your music interest is more classic or from artists who are not in the current charts, you probably will want to go directly to Search by taping on the Search icon at the bottom of the screen.

Tapping Search will present a Search bar at the top and a list of Trending searches pulled from the searches of millions of other users.

Tap on the Search bar to enter your search.  In the Search bar you can enter:

Artist Name – “The Beatles”

Album name – “Sgt. Peppers”

Song name – “Hey Jude”

Category – “70s rock”  “jazz piano” or “country hits”

Complete the search by pressing Search on the keyboard.

The search results will display Albums, Songs, Movies, Music Videos, Books and more available for purchase.

To filter your results to display either Albums,  Songs or Movies, tap the desired media from from the bar on the screen.

Tap on any Album listing to display the info page for the album.

As you view your search results, there are two primary options that you have.

1. Tap the song to listen to a sample of the song.  
2. Tap the price (varies by music format and items) in order to purchase the item.  You will then be asked to confirm your Apple ID with Touch ID or password to complete the purchase.

After purchase, any songs or albums will be available in your Music app Library. 

Simply tap to play.  See Playing Music in the Music App for more information.

Ask Siri

You can also use Siri to perform searches in the iTunes Store.  Use phrases like:

“Find The Beatles in iTunes”

“Find The White Album by The Beatles in iTunes”

Use the Music app to play music stored on iPhone or iPad as well as music streamed over the Internet through an Apple Music subscription.  It is already installed on your device and is ready to play music from a variety of sources.

Music Sources for the Music App

The Music app will be able to play music from the following sources:

• Music from Apple Music, the Apple subscription program. Streaming occurs over Wi-Fi or cellular connections.
• Music purchased from the iTunes Store. See Buying Music in the iTunes Store.
• Listen to Beats 1 Radio: Beats 1 is a worldwide radio station broadcasting live on Apple Music. It’s Free. No subscription is required to listen to Beats 1.
• Music that is synced from your computer via the iTunes app on your computer. This includes music that is imported to iTunes from CDs, Albums or other sources.

Launch the Music App

Launch the Music app by tapping the Music icon.

Browse and play your music

After launching the music app the following screen will display:

1. Tap Library, then tap a category, such as Playlists, Albums or Songs or tap Downloaded Music to view only music stored on iPhone.
2. Tap an item, then tap Play, or tap Shuffle to shuffle an album or playlist.

Music that is playing will be displayed in the Player bar at the bottom of the screen. Tap on the player bar to display more control and options.

Control Center

Basic playback controls are provided in the Control Center.

See Recipe #103 Using the Control Center for Quick Access to Essential Functions

Sort your music

You can also sort the music by name, dates as your browse your music library. Here are the steps:

1. Tap Library, then tap Playlists, Albums, Songs, TV & Movies, or Music Videos.
2. Tap Sort, then choose a sorting method such as title or artist.

Listen to Radio

If your are connected to the Internet through WiFi (free) or cellular (paid) you can listen to Apples radio streaming programs.

1. Tap Radio and various internet radio stations will display.
2. Tap the station to play the station.

The only station that is available for FREE is the Beats 1 station which is Apple’s streaming radio with programming by real DJ’s. Other stations will require a subscription to Apples Music Service.

Search your Music

Tap Search to access the search function inside of Apple Music.

A search bar is presented where you can type your search terms including artists, songs and even lyrics.

After tapping the search bar to enter your search terms, you can also choose to either search Apple Music or Your Library. Tap the desired tab and tap Search on the keyboard to perform the search.

Tap on any search result item to begin playing that item. The item will only play if it is available to you in your library or with the Apple Music service.

The Apple Music is the app you use to play music that you purchase from Apple, stream from Apple Music or have imported into iTunes on your computer.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

The music industry has changed significantly in the last 15 years, especially since the introduction of the iPhone. Rather than going to a store to buy records and CDs, the majority of music buyers are either buying albums and songs online or listening to music via a streaming service. Streaming music is the latest trend.

The purpose of this Nugget is to provide an overview of five major players in the music business. In particularly we want to identify the FREE options that Seniors have and the specific costs of the premium services while identifying what those services offer.

Here is our discussion about five music platforms that can be played on our iPhones and iPads:

Apple Music

Amazon Music

Pandora

Spotify

iHeartRadio

Apple Music

Apple Music and the iTunes store changed the music industry in terms of how music was distributed and consumed. In the Apple Music environment, there is no FREE music with the exception of the Internet Radio Beats 1 that is available in Apple Music app.

However there are three approaches to acquiring music to play on the Apple Music app.

1. Albums or Songs that are purchased from the iTunes store. Common pricing from 6 to $20 for albums and $.99 to $1.29 for individual songs. This is the classic method of buying songs for plan in Apple music.
2. Apple Music service provides a music streaming service with a library of 50 millions songs. It also provides multiple pre-made internet radio channels in addition to allowing users to create their own stations. The price of Apple Music is $9.99 for an individual plan and $14.99 for a family plan. You can acquire a 90 day free trial to see if the service meets your needs.
3. Music imported to iTunes. This might be music acquired from other sources or ripped from CDs or vinyl albums and imported into iTunes.

Amazon Music

Amazon provides an app for the iPhone and iPad. You can use the Amazon Music app to access music that:

1. Music purchased from the Amazon Digital Music Store. Some songs and albums can be purchased for free but more typical prices for current albums is $7.99 to $19.99 for albums and $1.29 for song purchases.
2. Amazon Music Unlimited – Amazon Music Unlimited is an on-demand music streaming service that offers access to over 50 million songs. Music is available on-demand and ad-free, with unlimited plays. You can also download music your iOS device for offline playback. The cost is $9.99 ($7.99 with Prime) per month for an individual plan and $14.99 for up to 6 family members.
3. Prime Music. Prime Music provides ad-free access to more than two million songs and albums as well as Playlists and personalized streaming Stations to Amazon Prime members. Most people join Amazon Prime for access to free two-day shipping and access to Prime Video content for example, the award wining The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel . Prime members access Prime Music at no additional cost to the Amazon Prime cost of $9.99 per month.

Amazon is a savvy retailer and will offer music and services at sale prices reducing your music costs if you follow their emails and marketing programs.

Pandora

Pandora is a popular music streaming with a popular IOS app from the App Store. Pandora has a library of 30 million songs that it delivers through a radio-style approach, where you enter a song or artist and it creates a “station” of music based on your tastes. You will hear music from that artist and other similar artists. You tweek the stations by giving a thumbs up or down to each song and choosing to add other musicians or songs to the station.

Free Version

The free version of Pandora lets you create stations, but you also have to listen to ads and it limits the number of times you can skip a song in an hour. There is also a limit of 40 hours per month of listening on mobile devices.

Paid Plans

The $4.99 per month Pandora Plus removes ads, lets you download up to four stations offline, removes limits on skips and replays. It offers 30 days free. For $9.99 a month, Pandora Premium gives you all of those features plus the ability to search for and listen to any song, make your own playlists, and listen to all songs offline. A family plan for 6 users of Pandora Premium is $14.99

Podcasts on Pandora

You can also listen to FREE podcasts on Pandora from thousands of podcasters. However, podcasts cannot be downloaded to your device.

Spotify

Spotify has been the dominant streaming service and has a larger user community than than any other streaming service. It’s music catalog contains over 35 millions songs with a reported 4 million songs that have never been played. .

FREE Spotify

The free Spotify plan is ad supported. With every couple of tracks, you’ll hear a 15 to 30 second ad. Also there is a limit to your ability to select a specific tune or album. You will be presented with 750 tracks and 15 personalized playlists. You are also limited in your ability to skip tracks.

Spotify Premium

Spotify users will pay $9.99 ($14.99 for five family members)/month to use Spotify on iOS or desktop devices with an ad free experience. You can also listen to any track, album, artist, or playlist you like at any time in any order with unlimited skips. Basically, you can listen to whatever music you want without any limitations in either the desktop or mobile apps. You can also download tracks to your device for offline listening.

Podcasts on Spotify

You can also listen to FREE podcasts on Spotfiy from most popular podcasters. However, podcasts can be individually downloaded to your device for offline listening.

iHeartRadio

The name iHeartRadio is a broadcast and internet radio platform that includes 850 local radio stations across the country. gives a major hint as to what you’ll find in this app: a lot of radio. iHeartRadio brings you live streams of radio stations from across the country, so if you love the traditional radio experience, you’ll probably love this app.

FREE Plan

Live radio any time and place while connected to the internet. You can create a personalized artist station and have full access to the podcast library. There are limits to your ability to play any song or skips songs in your stations.

iHeartRadio Plus

Play any song on demand and skip a stations songs as much as you wish. Save songs from the radio to your playlist. The fee is $5.99 per month.

iHeartRadioAllAccess

Provides access to play any song on demand from a catalog of 30 million songs. Listen offline on IOS devices

Podcasts on iHeartRadio

You can also listen to FREE podcasts on iHeartRadio from most popular podcasters and many talk radio show from their radio stations. Podcasts can be downloaded to your device for offline listening.

I hope you know that your iPhone or iPad is capable of scanning a QR code using your camera.  This is a function that is discussed in  Nugget #8 Read QR Codes with your iPhone. This function works perfectly if you encounter a QR code in a retail store, park or elsewhere.

Read QR Codes using the Camera app

However a club member asked about a different need with a QR code.  It might be a QR code that you captured in a photo or a screenshot.  With the camera approach used by the iPhone or iPad, you would have to print the photo or display on a different screen in order to read it. 

There are dedicated QR code apps that would allow you to scan a QR photo.  However, there is an app that many people already have on their phones that would scan these photos, the Google app.  With the Google app, you would use the Google Lens function.  

The Google App

You generally don’t need the Google app in order to perform a Google search on your device.  You can go a Google web search using the address bar in your Safari Internet browser. See Recipe #441 Searching the Web with Google – Tips and Insight.

However there are additional functions that the Google app presents including Google Lens.

Google Lens

Google Lens is a object recognition app from Google that searches an image or camera view for information.  You can use it for QR codes, bar codes or any object that you point the camera at.  If you point the Camera at a picture of the U.S. Capitol, it will identify the object as the U.S. Capitol Building.  

Installing the Google App

Find the Google app in the App Store.  Search for Google in the App store to find the app.

The app is FREE as indicated by the GET instruction. 

Confirm the installation and wait for the install to complete.  

The app’s icon will be added to the home screen.

Tap the Google app icon to launch the Google app.

Setup

Using Google Lens for scanning a QR Code requires the installation of the Google app for IOS

Requirements

Requires IOS: 11+

Works on iPhone and iPad

When you find yourself deep and far from the top of your Mail inbox, how do you quickly move to the top?  You can also be deep into the contents of your text messages in the Messages app and you want to quickly return to the top.

Tap the status bar at the top of the screen.  That’s it.  If your iPhone does not have a Home button and there is a notch you can tap on either side of the notch.  Although you can tap anywhere on the status bar, think of it as tapping on the time to perform the quick scroll.  

You can use this in the Mail app, Messages app, Settings app and even from the catalog of the SeniorTechClub.com site if you are deep and many screens down the catalog listing.

For clarity, the status bar is the top margin of the iPhone screen that includes the time, your cellular and Wifi indicators and battery status.  With the status bar, you can think about this as tapping the time for the quick scroll action.  

Summary

Tap the time on the status bar to quickly scroll to the top of a long list.  This includes email, text messages, settings or even a web page. 

Today View is a screen of information accessed from your Home screen that gives you a glimpse of your day and access to the things you do most often. The daily glimpse might include your schedule, recent messages, weather, news headlines and more.

Search Bar – At the top of the Today View you have a Search Bar that is the same search bar as used in the Spotlight Search (see Use iPhone Spotlight Search to Find Apps, Get Reminders, News and More)  function.  Use it to search your device, the App Store or the Internet.

Widgets show you information and provide access to your favorite apps. You use Widgets in the Today View to provide you glimpses of activities, news headlines, weather and more. Your Today View is your custom collection of Widgets.

It’s customizable!

It makes sense that the Today View can be customized to reflect the things that are important to you. This recipe will show you how to add and organize the Widgets on your Today View.

From the first screen of your Home screen, the Lock Screen, (see Lock Screen Setup below) or on the Notification Center you can swipe right from the left edge. The Today View screen will pull in from the left.

Use the Today View to check  current activities and events.  Then tap on any of the Widgets to access the underlying details or functions provided by the Widget.

Where do Widgets come from?

Widgets will come with apps that are installed on your device.  For example, many of Apples apps provide Widget.  Additionally, you are now seeing my third party apps that you install on your device might also provide a Widget for the Today VIew. Use the customize steps above to see the Widgets that are available on your device.

Have fun exploring Widgets that you can use on your Today View. Look for widgets associated with any of the apps that are installed on your device.

How about some Widgets recommendations?

We would recommend that as a starting point, you consider the following widgets. Then once you understand their function, you can add more widgets to match your interests, passions and priorities.

Siri App Suggestion – Shows apps, contacts, and other frequently accessed data based on your prior use. It’s a handy launcher of app that might be buried deep in lower Home screens.

Battery – Displays the current battery percentage.  This makes it more accessible than from the Control Center.

Calendar – Display the day’s scheduled items from your Calendar

Reminders – Displays any current reminders for the day.

Weather – Displays the current weather conditions

News – Displays current news headlines and trending news.

Mail – View and access your email from your VIPs. Select VIPs from your Contacts app.

Favorites – Displays phone activity or call people on your Phone favorites.

Adding Widgets that you want to try is easy.  Browse the list of widgets and don’t hesitate to try different widgets to get that perfect Today View for your needs.

Allow access to Today View from the Lock Screen

You can use the Today View when your iPhone is locked if you wish. However, you will not be able to access underlying details or perform functions unless your device is unlocked. It is still useful to get that glimpse of today’s activity.

Access your Today View from the Lock screen

Here is how to setup Lock screen access.

1. Go to Settings
2. Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode (iPhone X and later) or Touch ID & Passcode (earlier models).
3. Enter your passcode.
4. Turn on Today View (below the heading Allow Access When Locked).

You will now be able to swipe right from the left edge of the Lock screen in order to display the Today View.

Do you have a common phrase that you find yourself texting frequently. Or is there a common closing that you add to your emails? If you do, you can create a keyboard shortcut that saves time and typing. By creating a shortcut you can turn a couple of characters, e.g. gm into a commonly-used phrase, e.g. Good Morning. Or how about saving a lot of typing by making a shortcut of your email address where “ds” (I’m thinking Don @ SeniorTechClub) could turn into “don@seniortechclub.com.”

Apple refers to the capability as Text Replacement and your iPhone comes with one keyboard shortcut that is already setup on purchase.

If you type “omw”, the text will be replaced with “On my way!” You can see this shortcut when you use the set up steps below.

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

You can use your new keyboard shortcut in any app that accepts text typing. This includes the Message app, Notes, Mail and more.

You can easily test a new keyboard shortcut by launching the Notes but the following steps also work in the Messages, Mail apps or any app where you type.

1. Tap Create  to create a new note.
2. Type the Shortcut letters
3. Press the spacebar to replace the Shortcut with the replacement Phrase  or…
4. Tap on the phrase as it appears in the predictive text suggestion bar.

By typing a couple of letters, you can quickly “type” a long phrase.

Edit a Shortcut

You can edit an existing keyboard shortcut by tapping on the shortcut and changing the Phrase or Shortcut.  Here are the steps:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Scroll down and tap Keyboard.
4. Tap on Text Replacement that you want to change.
5. Edit either the Shortcut or the Phrase.  
6. Tap Save to complete the change. 

The keyboard shortcut will be edited.  

Distracted driving is dangerous.  This Nugget will discuss the approaches that you can use as various states adopt hands-free phone use while driving.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that every day, nine people are killed in crashes that involve a distracted driver.  The CDC reports three distractions that are associated with this bad habit:

• Visual: taking your eyes off the road;
• Manual: taking your hands off the wheel; and
• Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving.

The Senior Tech Club wants you to be safe.  We do not want you to be distracted as you drive.  But we will also review the essence of the law in many states and some recommendations that will help you keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and mind on your driving.

What is allowed?

My home state of Minnesota as just passed a hands-free law to go into affect August 1, 2019.  And although other states my have different approaches.  Currently 19 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving.

What does the MN law allow?  (HandsFreeMN.org)

In MN The law allows a driver to use their cell phone to make calls, text, listen to music or podcasts and get directions, but only by voice commands or single-touch activation without holding the phone.

How to Go Hands-Free

These recommendations are based on the recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety with additions from the Senior Tech Club.

Most important – Be Safe.  Do not be a distracted driver!

What is the Shortcuts app?

The Shortcuts app lets you create custom shortcuts that perform Actions on your device and with apps.

A Shortcut is a quick way to get repetitive tasks done with your apps. You could use a shortcuts send email responses, find music and interact with apps or web sites.

A Shortcut is built with Actions. An Action is a single task in a Shortcut. Most Shortcuts will have several or many Actions that play in sequence.

Apple provides a gallery of already-developed shortcuts that you can install on your device. You can also modify these shortcuts to better meet your needs. Or you can build a shortcut from scratch in order to combine multiple actions from your device and its apps. The possibilities are nearly unlimited.

Installing the Shortcuts app.

The Shortcuts app was introduced with IOS 12. Consequently, you may not find the Shortcuts app on your iPhone or iPad. But it is easily installed for FREE from the App Store.

Search for Shortcuts in the App Store or even from Spotlight search. From there, it will download onto your device. Be prepared to enter your password for your AppleID or TouchID to install.

Starting out with the Shortcuts app

Once you have access to Shortcuts, launch it and you will see two icons at the bottom of the screen these icons provide access to your Library and the Gallery.

The Library is your collection of shortcuts on your iPhone or iPad. These are shortcuts that can be run immediately.

Gallery is a curated repository of downloadable shortcuts you can add and try out. They are need to be downloaded to your device before they can be used.

Exploring samples in the Gallery

The Shortcuts app includes a Gallery full of samples that you can browse, get and try. It is a great way to get started.

Shortcuts in the Gallery are organized by topic, app, or use. There are collections of samples based on use, for example, plus there are banner pages at the top with larger groups of collections.

Tap on a shortcut to see a description. On the description screen you can tap Get Shortcut” to add it to your Library to use later. Or tap Show Actions and get a preview of the steps included in that shortcut. This is a great way to learn about Shortcuts and get a sense of what’s happening and steps that you might be curious about.

How to run shortcuts

There are five different ways to run a Shortcut. This includes:

1. Tapping on the Shortcut in the Shortcuts App.
2. Tapping on an icon that you place on the Home screen. You can launch the Shortcut similar to launching an app.
3. Execute in the Today View. You will need to set up the Shortcuts widget on your Today View. See How to Use Widgets and the Today View on your iPhone
4. Using the Share/Action function inside of apps.
5. Calling a Shortcut with Siri. See below to give your Shortcut a specific Siri command.

Options 2-5 above require you to setup the Shortcut for that process. Here are setup steps:

1. Launch the Shortcut App.
2. Find the Shortcut you would like to modify. Tap on the ellipsis (dot dot dot) in the top right corner of a shortcut and you’ll enter the edit view. This is the screen where you can re-order the sequence of actions, add new actions and more.

Once you’re in the edit view, you could add new actions to the flow using the expandable drawer and search field at the bottom of the screen. This is beyond this lesson.

But for this lesson we are simply going to focus on changing name and execution setup for a shortcut.

Start exploring custom shortcuts

Developing your own Shortcuts may seem overwhelming. It is a new programming tool with limitations and occasionally quirks.

There are some resources listed in additional information below that will help. You also can look through the gallery and examine how those Shortcuts were developed.

Setup

Installation of the Shortcuts app.

Requirements

Requires IOS: 12+

Works on iPhone and iPad

We have things to do, places to go.  And sometimes a simple reminder list is great way to help us remember the stuff we need to get done.

Sometimes all we need is a simple list of items that we need to do on a given day.  Other times, we may be looking to keep track of tasks, projects and activities that include reminders, notes, dates and more.

With the Reminders app, you can create both simple and detailed reminders.   And importantly reminders are easy to create and manage.   

This lesson will show the following Reminder steps:

• Create a Simple Reminder
• Add Details like a Date or Notes
• Working with Reminders.  
• Organizing Reminders with Lists

Adding Detail like Dates & Notes to the Reminder

First you have to tap the Info (Circle i) icon (Step #4 above)  while creating or editing a reminder.

You then can add dates and other details to this reminder with these simple steps:

5 Notes & URL – at the top of the Reminders detail screen you will find fields to enter Notes about the reminder or a URL web link.  

6  Dates – To associate the Reminder with a date, e.g. Call Bob on April 3, Tap Date switch to green (green is on).  The date picker will appear.

7  Choose a date from the calendar display.  Tap the arrows to navigate forward to a future date.

8     Tap Time to green (green is on) if this reminder should be delivered on a specific time of day.  For example to call bob at 10 AM on April 3.

9  Repeat – Choose Repeat to set a recurring interval, e.g. the reminder should be delivered hourly, daily, weekly or some custom interval like the 3rd of every month.

Tap End Repeat to set an ending date for the repeating reminder.

Tap Done to end the action and save the Reminder.

Location Reminders, Flags, Priority & More

You can also create reminders that will remind you when your arrive at a location, for example, “Remind me to take out the garbage when I get home.”    You can also set Flags or set a Priority for a reminders.  You can also set a reminder that will reminder you when chatting with someone via text message.  

All of the options can be accessed by scrolling down the Add Reminder screen.  You will find that reminders have a number of very robust options. 

Location Reminders

To use location-based reminders, make sure that Location Services is turned on. Open the Settings app, then tap Privacy > Location Services and turn on Location Services.

Senior Smart Tip – Use Siri to set a Reminder

If you are thinking that this process is a little complicated for a simple reminder, using Siri makes the process very easy.

How easy?  Just a single line of instruction will do it.

Summon Siri and say, “Remind Me to call Bob on April 5th.”  That’s it, a real time saver.

How are you Reminded

In the Call Bob reminder  example above, you will receive a notification on your iPhone screen when the day and time arrives.

The Notification will appear on the lock screen with a sound or buzz if the phone is on vibrate.  A tap on the notification will take you to the Reminders list.  

Completing Reminders

It’s Incredibly easy.  It’s one of the best things about using the Reminders app.  

Mark a reminder as complete by simply tapping on the circle next to a reminder in your Reminders list.  

You can decide if you wish to keep completed items on your list of reminders.  Tap Show Completed at the bottom of the screen to display or hide completed reminders.

Deleting Reminders

The easiest way to delete and totally remove a reminder from the list is to simply swipe left on the reminder you wish to delete.

The Swipe Left is consistent with so many other apps as identified in Nugget N20 Swipe Left to Delete from a List

Tap Delete to complete the deletion process.

This easy action will allow you to keep your Reminders list tidy.

Creating Additional Lists

The standard Reminders are actually is a reminder list that is called Reminders.  This  is the default list. 

You can create additional lists in the Reminders app for other purposes.  For example, you could create a Grocery list. Or if you are preparing for a vacation and tasks to do, create a Vacation To-Do list.  Or if you have tasks associated with a house project you could create a project list.  

Access other lists by tapping on the title of the current list that is displayed.  For example type on Reminders.

A list of your Reminders will display.  

Stay Organized

Reminders are a great way to help you stay organized and help you enjoy the important things in your life.  And best of all it is a tool that is both easy but has some robust features for more complicated task management.  

Why Group Emails?

Do you need to send emails to a collection of people on a regular basis.  This might be a family group or a golf or pickleball group.  The advantage of using an email group is that you can write the email to one address and the entire group will receive the email.

iCloud Contact groups will allow you to organize your contacts into group.  There are two requirements for this:

Your contacts must be hosted as iPhone contacts versus Google contacts or contacts hosted in another email system.

You must be syncing your contacts to iCloud.  The setup of for syncing your contacts is found in Recipe #404 How to use iCloud to expand and optimize storage.  

The primary reason for the iCloud requirement is that your iPhone or iPad does not have the tools to create contact groups.  So you will log onto iCloud.com and use its tools to create your groups.  

We describe this process below.

Create your Contact Groups

From a laptop or desktop computer, access iCloud.com from your web browser.

Log onto iCloud using your Apple ID and Password. 

If you have set up two factor authentication (recommended), you may also need to enter a code that you receive via text.

After logging in to iCloud, the collection of iCloud applications is presented.  Click Contacts

The iCloud Contacts app is opened and your Contacts are presented with three columns.

Column 1 is your Contacts Groups.  All Contacts is the whole list of contacts.  You new custom group will be added here.

Column 2 are the contacts in the current selected group.  View the contacts of a different group by clicking on another group name in Column 1.  There is a search bar at the top of this column to search for a contact or your can also browse the contact list with the letters on the right of the column. 

Column 3 would be the contact details for the selected contact from Column 2.  The details could include phone numbers, addresses and more.  This depends on the information that you have entered.

Create a New Contact Group

For our learning, let’s say you are responsible for sending emails to your pickleball group and you wish to create your new pickleball group to be able to send a group email.  The new pickleball group will appear in Column 1.

Tap on the + (plus) sign at the bottom of Column 1.  Select New Group.

Type a name for the group, e.g. Pickleball Group.  Press Enter/Return to finish.

Your new contact group is ready to receive new contacts.  When you click on the group you will notice that there are no members in the new group.

Adding Members to a Group 

You will add members to your new group by dragging contacts to the group name.  

Click on All Contacts to display all of your names.  Find a contact that you want to add by searching or browsing your contacts list.  We are looking for Scott Anderson.

Using your mouse, click on Scott Anderson’s name and drag the name to the Pickleball Group name.  Release your mouse and Scott Anderson is added to the new group.

Continue to add members to the group with a click and drag process.  

After adding members to the Pickleball Group, you can confirm the action by clicking on the Pickleball Group name to display it’s members.

A contact can below to multiple groups.  In our example, Scott Anderson will still be found under All Contacts and he could also become a member of the Senior Tech Club group too.

Confirming the new Group

After a few minutes, assuming that you are on WiFi, your new group will be sync to your iPhone and available for use.

You can confirm that the sync has occurred by viewing the group in the Contacts app.

Launch Contacts.

Tap Groups in the upper left.

Scroll down the Groups list until you see ICLOUD.

You will see the Pickleball Group in the group list.

Sending a Group Email

Launch the Mail app on your iPhone.

Start a new email by tapping the new email icon in the lower right corner.

In the To: line, begin to type the name of the contact group you’re trying to email. Then select Group by tapping it.  You will the To:line in the email populated with the names of the group members. 

You can create a note in the iPhone or iPad Notes app without using your hands or keyboard by using Siri.

Here are some possible uses of this feature:

1.  You are creating a grocery list before going to the store while standing in front of your refrigerator and panty or while reading a recipe.
2. You are driving and just thought of a great idea that you would like to capture.

This is just a start.  There may be hundreds of possible uses for creating a note with Siri. 

Let’s get started.

Three Key Tips

There are three key tips to having Siri create a note that you dictate:

1. The Siri Command – “Create a note” or “Take a Note”
2. The first line of the note becomes the title or name of the note, for example “Grocery List.”
3. Say punctuation  and use “New Line” to move to the next line.

Let’s try it out!

Say:

Grocery List  New Line

Bananas New Line

Apples New Line

Peaches New Line

Bread New Line

Milk 

End the note process by letting Siri time-out by being silent for 3 – 5 seconds

Add to an Existing Note

You can also use Siri to add to an existing note.  For example in our Grocery List example, you may need to add additional items to the list.

Here are the steps to perform this update.

You say,

Toothpaste New Line

Laundry Detergent new line

Paper Towels

Pause a a few seconds and Siri will make the edits to your note.

Punctuation or format.

Remember!  You will need to dictate any punctuation or formatting like new lines when you create your note.

Here is a list of common punctuation and instructions that you will use as your dictate.  

• period
• question mark
• exclamation mark
• comma
• quote … end quote
• new paragraph
• new line

More information can be found in Senior Tech Recipe #016 Dictate Text Instead of Typing 

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets using Siri.

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Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a top site to download free classic books to your device.  It is a well known endeavor widely lauded for its important work.  

Currently there are almost 60,000 public domain books in a easily searchable catalog.  No fee or even registration  required to download books.  There are not apps you need to install.  You can download and read the books in the iPhone or iPad Books app.

If you wonder which books are available on the site, think of all of those classics that you learned about as a kid and all of those books that you didn’t read.  This includes books by Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain and more.

Smart Tip: Read the Classics from the Gutenberg Project

Remember all of those classics that you didn’t get around to reading or actually avoided as a young student?  
The 60,000 downloads from the Gutenberg Project is an awesome source to get those classics for FREE.  The site is well-run and well-regarded.

Access the Project Gutenberg Web Site

From your iPad or iPhone, launch the Safari web browser.  Type  m.gutenberg.org into the address bar.  The “m” instead of the typical “www” is the web standard for a  mobile site that is more appropriate for display on your iPhone. 

It is easiest to search the Gutenberg site on your mobile device as you can download the book directly to the device in a format readable by your Books app. 

Optionally, you can access the site via this QR code. 

Scan this QR code with your Camera app to load the Gutenberg web site.

Launch your camera app and center this QR code in the view finder.  After your device recognizes the code, you can select the site from the notification bar that appears on the top  of the window.   See Nugget #N1 Read QR Codes with your iPhone for more information on QR codes.

Searching for Books

You will use the main page of the Project Gutenberg site to perform your search.  Here are two possibilities:

As you scroll down the browsing list, tap on any book that you would like to review or download.

Gutenberg Popular Book List

Tap on any book of interest and you will see an information screen with title and subject information at the top and  a Download section on the lower part of the screen.

Download Options from book on Gutenberg Project

 In the Download section, most books are presented with multiple formats:

• An HTML version that that will be read in a browser like Safari.  This is a good choice if you simply want to preview a book without downloading it.
• The EPUB version that can be downloaded to the Books app.  This is a good choice to download onto your device.
• A Kindle version that can be downloaded and read using the Kindle app for iPad or iPhone.  

The EPUB files can be downloaded and  opened in Books app  You will often see two  EPUB  files: with or without images. This refers to images, diagrams or pictures that might be included in the book.  The file without images takes less storage space on your device and will download faster.  But you lose any pictures or graphics that might be included in the book.  Consider that most classic fiction books likely have few pictures or images.  

Click the down arrow on the right to start the book download.  The following screen will display.

For EPUB downloads, you should see the Open in “Books”  screen which will allow you to download your book for the iBooks app.

Following download, you will find the book in the Books library were you can access the book by tapping on My Books.  Read this book like any book purchased from the Apple Book Store.  

For more information about using the Books app, please see Recipe #410 Reading Books with the Books App

Deleting Books

When downloading Free Books you will get books that you decide not to read and that you will want to delete from your library in order to save space.

Here are the basic steps after launching the Books app:

1.  Tap Library at the bottom of the screen to access your book shelf.
2. Scroll to find the book you wish to delete.
3. Tap Edit on the upper right corner of the screen.
4. Tap the book you wish to delete so that a check mark is displayed on the book.
5. Tap Delete (Trash Can icon) in the lower left corner of the screen.
6. Tap Delete Everywhere to totally delete the book.  Tap Remove From Reading Now to remove from your device but make the book available for future download again.

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Copy an Event

There is no direct copy command but there is a process that will accomplish the action.

1. Launch the Calendar App on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap an event you want to duplicate
3. Tap Edit to display the event details.
4. Copy the event title by double tapping on the first word of the title and expanding the selection by dragging to the end of the title and releasing.  Tap Copy to copy just the title into the new event. 
5. Tap Cancel and return back to the calendar view.
6. Tap the “+” (plus) icon in the upper right corner to create a new event.
7. Tap the Title line and paste the previous event title into the entry by tapping and holding in the field.  Tap Paste.
8. The previous title will be placed in the field.  
9. After the title in place in the field, all of the information transfers to the new event you are trying to create
10. Change the Date and any other events that change for the copied event.
11. Tap Add to create the copied event.

This indirect approach will allow you to copy a Calendar event in order to simplify the process of creating multiple events on your calendar.

Credit for this approach goes to Jim S, a student in a Shift workshop.  Thank you Jim.

You are exchanging text messages and you want to send a photo from your photo library. 

Before IOS 12, you could tap the camera icon in the text message and you could choose between using the Camera app or selecting and existing photo from the Photo Library.  You would tap the camera icon and you could choose between a live photo from the camera or choosing a picture from your Photo Library.

Now with IOS 12, tapping the camera app while typing a text message only provides a live camera option by opening the Camera app.

Sending a photo from your Photo Library requires a different action.  Let’s explore this new action.

4 Under Recent Photos swipe left or right on the photos to view recently taken photos.

5Tap the photo you wish to send.  A checkmark (✔) is placed in the lower corner of the thumbnail image.

6 Select additional photos if desired. A checkmark (✔) is placed in each.

7 When you are done, tap in the original message box to add a comment or press Send to send the message.

8 If you need to go back in time to select an older photo, tap All Photos and you are presented a list of all of your Photo albums, Media types and custom albums just as in the full Photos app.  Choose any of the items to access that photo collection.  Use the tools in the Photos app to find or search for the desired photo.

Summary

Look for the Photos app icon on the App bar above the keyboard. Choose from Recent Photos or tap All Photos to access your entire photo library.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 12+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Messages app:

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The iPhone X or iPhone 11 no longer has a Home button.  This requires a new set of actions to perform functions that were previously associated with the Home button.

This quick tip Nugget reviews the most common of these actions.

Go Home. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to return to the Home screen at any time.

Access Control Center. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center. Press (or touch and hold) a control to reveal more options. To add or remove items, go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls.

Switch between recent apps. Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and pause to show the App Switcher. From any open app, you can also swipe right along the bottom to quickly switch apps.

Summon Siri. Just say, “Hey Siri.” Or hold down the side button and make your request. Siri listens until you release the button.

Use Accessibility Shortcut. Triple-click the side button to access tools like the Magnifier.

Make an emergency SOS call Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag Emergency SOS.

Turn off/Shutdown. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the top slider to power off. Or go to Settings > General > Shut Down.

Force restart. Press and release the volume up button, press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

You are on a phone call with your iPhone and a second call comes in and you hear beep beep on your phone.  You glance at your iPhone screen to see multiple options.

The display of options from this screen is  a little intimidating.  There are five options for handling the second call.

Here are the details about the five options for handling a second call.  Link the details on the left with the image on the right using the red numbers.

4 Remind Me. You can identify the caller but don’t want to take the call but want a reminder to call this person back. The second caller will go to voice mail and you will be given reminder options:

5 Message. Tap Message to send a text message to the second caller. You will be given the following text options to send a standard message. Optionally choose custom to compose a custom message to the second caller.

Manage Two Callers

If you choose option #3 above and accept the second while while placing the first on hold, you will need to be able to manage the two calls.  You have three options:

1 Tap the Swap icon to swap between the two calls.

2 Tap the individual calls at the top of the screen to swap between the two calls.

3 Tap Merge calls to join the calls together into a conference call.  You can learn more about iPhone conference calls in Recipe #109: Make a Family Conference Call with your iPhone

4 End the active call by tapping the red phone (hangup) icon. If you swap back and forth between the calls, only the active call hangs up.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Now that you understand your options, you can start to explore.  Over time, you will likely find one or two options that work best for you.  With a little practice, you will have your approach mastered.

Summary

The five options for handling a second incoming call are reviewed in this Nugget.  You will establish your preferences and with a little practice, you will have your approach mastered.

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Phone app and calls:

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With the constant threat of identity and data theft all around us, many of your devices, websites and services require more security and many of those websites and services offer you two-factor authentication.  The use of two-factor authentication significantly strengthens your online security.  It protects your data even if your password is stolen.

Why is 2FA Needed?

Your login and password have possibly been breached and are available on the Dark Web.  

If you wish to check if your email/login have been part of a breach, Have I Been Pwned is a frequently used website where you can search for your email address at:

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

The results of this search may surprise you!

How Does it Work?

Here is a step by step description of how two factor authentication works on most sites that use it.  For this example, we will use authentication approach of Microsoft’s OneDrive web site.  Other sites using two factor authentication will operate similarly.

1 Log onto the site with your username and password like you would any other website that is secured with user credentials.

2 A site with two factor authentication will then either send you a code via text message or as in this specific example ask how you wish to receive your code.

3   Verify your phone number.  The request on how you wish to receive your code, adds an additional layer of security.  If you don’t know your phone number, you won’t receive the text message.  This is verification step is specific to this Microsoft approach and may not be seen with other websites that simply text your code. 

4  Retrieve the text message from your phone.  There are other ways to receive your code depending on how the website has used two factor authentication.  However a text message is the most common. 

5  Enter the security code on the login screen to complete your login process. 

6  If the numbers match the code that the website sent, you will be logged onto the website and given access to those resources. 

Trusted Devices or Browsers

When you access your bank account from your desktop computer from your home, you might ask, “Do we need two factor authentication from this computer that only sits on this desk?”

Most two factor authentication approaches allow you to identify a trusted device or browser.  Trusted devices let you skip the two-factor part of logging in.  See two examples of trusted device/browser identification below.

When you select “Trust/Remember this device/browser,” your device is marked as a recognized device   Changes, upgrades and cleanup actions on your device may also remove the trusted mark and you will receive the code request. 

You may still occasionally be requested for a  security code if this is part of the security settings from the website.  

Nevertheless, use the trusted device action on the devices or browsers that you use frequently. 

However,  avoid selecting on public devices at a coffee shop, library or hotel business center.

What sites use Two Factor Authentication?

Most of the popular websites and online services that you use and count on are likely offering two-factor authentication.   You should use two-factor authentication on every site that offers it. This is not just our recommendation but the recommendation of the experts like the National Cyber Security Alliance.  Let’s focus on some important sites.

Apple:  If you have an iPhone, start with Apple to secure your personal information used on your iPhone.  Two factor authentication can be implemented using Settings on your iPad or iPad.  See Recipe # 1

Google: If you have an Android device, Google offers two-factor verification to protect your personal data stored by Google.  Google also wants you to identify and occasionally validate the Recovery Email and Phone number.  More information on Google.  

Others:  Most banking, shopping and services e.g. email, sites offer two factor authentication.  Although this is not a comprehensive list, here are links to information on some of the internet’s most popular sites.  These links provide information  or help about setting up two factor authentication.   

Amazon

Microsoft

Wells Fargo

PayPal

Fidelity

Facebook

What’s the Down Side?

Despite the greater security it provides, two-factor authentication does have some downsides:

• The need for a phone or other device to receive texts or email. It is most convenient to  use your phone to receive one-time codes.  But that means you will need to have it ready in order to access your account.
• Longer login time: It takes a little longer to sign in.  You will wait a few seconds for your code and take an extra step to enter the code in order to access an account with two-factor authentication.

At first the process can seem intimidating.  However, an understanding of the basic process combined with a  little practice will quickly eliminate the scariness about  the process.

Summary

Now that you know a little more about two factor authentication, we hope you’re inspired to set it up and use it wherever you can.  It is not as intimidating as it might seem on the surface.  

The most popular services like Apple, Google, Facebook,  Amazon, and your banks and more offer two factor authentication.    With better understanding, we hope you will take the time to set it up and make it part of our security and online safety plan.

Did you ever capture a nice video to discover that you thumb was in front of the lens for the first few seconds.  Or you started to record the video but it took you a few seconds to get your focus on the events you intended to capture.  Or it took a few seconds to stop the recording.  In all of these cases, you have bad video at the front or end of the video that you would like to trim the ugly parts before sharing the video with others.

This Nugget will take you through the steps to trim a video with your iPhone or iPad.

Here are the steps to trim video from either the beginning and end of a video that you have capture with your iPhone or iPad.

1 Launch the Photos app and open the video you with to trim.

2 Tap  Edit.

3 On the frame viewer below the video, press and hold one of the arrows at the end until a yellow frame appears around the frame viewer.

4 Drag the yellow highlighted arrow to a new starting or ending point.

5 Tap Done after the arrows are positioned to clip the intended video from the beginning and end of the video.

6 Tap Save as New Clip.  This will leave the original video unchanged and create a new video from the clipped results.  Optionally, you can press Cancel to quit the process without trimming.

Summary

It’s easy to trim the ugliness from the beginning and the end of videos that you create on your iPhone or iPad.  Make it part of your sharing process.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 12+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Photos and Camera apps:

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What is iCloud?

iCloud is the Apple storage service that you “rent” in the “cloud” in order to store pictures, videos, backup files or other documents. The “cloud” is comprised of Apple storage computers that are accessed from the Internet. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and other companies provide similar services. However, as an Apple service, you have confidence in the idea that the approach is safe, private and easy to setup and easy to use.  It particularly makes sense for individuals who have multiple Apple devices, e.g. iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.  

How to use the iCloud Photo Library?

Pictures and video use a lot of storage space on your iPad or iPad. And running out of storage will bring photography to a halt. The iCloud Photo Library will allow you to store all your photos and video online, freeing valuable storage space on your device.

When you turn on iCloud Photo Library and are on Wi-Fi, your iPad or iPhone will automatically transfer your pictures and video from your device to your iCloud account. From iCloud, your photos can be accessed from your other Apple devices or from the web.

Your iPad also offers an option called Optimize Storage: When enabled, your iPad or iPhone will 1) locally store the latest images and video you’ve taken, 2) store mini/thumbnail version of older photos, 3) store full versions of photos and video in the cloud ( iCloud) ready to be downloaded when you need them. Importantly, your older photos and videos are not taking up your device’s storage.

The settings for setting up the iCloud Photo Lib

rary can be accessed with the following actions:

1. Access Settings
2. Scroll down and tap Photos 
3. Tap iCloud Photo Library on (Green is on)
4. Tap Optimize iPad/iPhone Storage.

Be patient. It will take a while for these transfers to take place.

Using the iCloud Photos Library is an efficient and easy way to get photos from your iPhone to a computer for sharing, printing or editing.

If You Have a Mac Computer or Laptop

If you have a Mac computer or laptop, the photos from the iCloud Photo Library will automatically sync to the Photos app on your Mac.  This assumes that your Mac is using the same Apple ID and iCloud account (absolutely recommended).  This is confirmed by launching the Settings app on your Mac and clicking on Apple ID at the top of the settings display.

From the Photos app on your Mac you can fully manage the photos in your Photo Library.  This includes deleting, adding to an album, copy-paste to another app or download using File, Export.  Synchronization through the  iCloud Photo Library

 If you Have a Windows Computer

Although there is a Windows app (iCloud for Windows), I prefer to use the iCloud website to manage or download my Apple photos on my Windows computer.   Here are the steps:

1. Open iCloud.com in any web browser like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Firefox.

2. Login to the service with your Apple ID and password.  If you have enabled two-factor authentication be prepared with your iPhone for the necessary steps and code.

3. Click “Photos.”

Under Photos, you will see all your photos taken on all your iOS and iPadOS devices. Using the web version of iCloud will also allow you to manage your photos including deleting, organizing your albums and downloading.

Copy or Download a photo by right clicking or Control + Click on a photo  in order to Copy or Save File As.  Save File As will allow you to download and save the file on your local drive.

More than just Photos

The iCloud website gives you access to the full range of iCloud services.   The two most notable are:

1. Find iPhone service which will help you find your iPhone if it is lost or stolen.   See the lesson  Find your lost iPhone.
2. Backup which will automatically back up your iPhone, a savior if your device is ever lost or stolen.  

Upgrade your Storage Plan

After you have completed your setup, you may alerted that the 5 GB free storage plan will not provide enough storage to host e Photo Library.  More information about upgrading your storage is found in Recipe #404 How to use iCloud to expand and optimize storage

Smart Tip:  Upgrade is a Great Bargain

Apple current offers 50GB of iCloud storage for about $1 per month.  That makes the  ability to optimize photo storage and backup your iPhone’s data a bargain and is highly recommended.

Summary

The iCloud Photo Library is an easy way to transfer your Photos from your device and have a backup copy of your irreplaceable photos.  It is highly recommended.

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Photos and Camera app:

How do you save the best photo from a burst collection?

Burst examples taken with timer

Burst photos are great for capturing action or getting the best facial expression or non-blinking poses in family pictures.  A burst photo captures a series of photos in rapid succession, at a rate of ten frames per second.  

There are two ways that you will get burst photos:

1. When you use the timer to take a photo you will automatically get a burst of 10 photos.
2. You press and hold the shutter button (or other shutter like the volume buttons) you will get 10 photos per second that you hold the button.

If you hold down the shutter for 5 seconds your camera will take 50 photos.  From that burst, you likely will want to keep one or two in your photo library.  But you want to keep the best ones and delete the rest.  This Nugget will show you how to use and manage those burst collection.

How to View and Manage Burst Photos

When you take a collection of burst photos by holding down the shutter button or with a timed release, the photos will take up extra storage space on your device and on iCloud. So you will want to pick the pictures you wish to keep and delete the remainder.

1. Access your Burst Photos by tapping the Photos icon on the Home screen.

2. Find your Bursts.  If the photo was taken recently, you can find the Burst collection among your recent photos under All Photos. Otherwise tap  on Albums and scroll down your album collection to find Bursts.

3. View the Burst Photo.  Tap Bursts and select the Bursts photo you would like to view or manage.

4. Select the Photos.  On the screen, note that the number of photos in the collection is shown. Tap Select… to view individual photos in the collection.

Small thumbnail images are the individual photos are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Swipe left or right to view the individual photos. In this collection, the app will automatically pick one key photo with a small grey dot. This is the photo that is presented by default.

Tap the circle in the lower right of any photo that you would like to keep from the burst collection. A check mark will be placed in the circle.

Tap Done and the following screen will appear.

Choose if you would like to keep on the checked photos or keep all of the photos in the burst collection. Tapping on Keep Only x Favorites (the pictures you have checked) will delete the other photos and move the selected photos to the regular Photo Library folder.

Summary

Burst photos are great for capturing action or the best shot.  This Nugget shows you how to manage those bursts.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 12+

Works on iPhone and iPad

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Camera and Photos apps:

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This nugget will do what the tips recommend and demonstrate how to use IOS 13’s Silence Unknown Callers function to route callers that are not in your contacts directly to voice mail.

The concept is simple. When enabled, your iPhone rings only for calls from phone numbers in your Contacts, Mail, and Messages.

Important Reminder

Despite the benefits of Silence Unknown Callers, it is important to note that this could prevent wanted callbacks from ringing on your phone.  Imagine expecting a return call from someone at a medical clinic and not having the number in your contacts.  Or if you place a call to a contractor or service provider and the expected return call is silenced because the call is returned  from a cell phone whose number is unknown.  

It is easy to turn this function off temporarily if you know that a callback from an unknown number is expected.  

Note on Emergency Calls – When you make an Emergency SOS or 911 call, the Silence Unknown Caller function is disabled for 24 hours to allow calls from first responders and others to ring normally.  

This feature works better if you have successfully captured the names and phone numbers of your friends, family and other contacts in the contacts app.

For more information on the steps to capture contacts, review Recipe #131- Adding and Finding People in the Contacts App.

Block Individual Callers 

Another tool at your disposal to help you manage telemarketers or robo-callers is your ability to block in individual caller.  See the Nugget: How to Block a Phone Number to Prevent it from Calling You for information on how to block one individual number that is pestering you.  

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Phone app and Calls:

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How to turn on Dark Mode with Control Center

At the Senior Tech Club we are big fans using using Control Center rather than the Settings app.  Here are the steps:

1 Access the Control Center.

If your iPhone has a Home button at the bottom of the screen, place your finger next to the Home button and swipe up.  If your iPhone does not have a Home button (iPhone X and later) swipe down from the upper right corner of the screen.  See Recipe #104 Using the Control Center for Quick Access to Essential Functions for more details about using the Control Center.

3 Tap Dark to turn on Dark Mode, or select Light to turn it off.  A check mark will indicate the selected item.  You can see the background colors change immediately on selecting light or dark.  

4 You can turn on Dark Mode automatically on a schedule where your might prefer Dark Mode to be on in the evening and off during the day.  Tap Automatic (green is on) and choose the desired schedule.  You can choose either Sunset to Sunrise or a Custom Schedule where you can select specific Light and Dark Appearance times.

The Choice is Yours

Whether you choose to use Dark Mode is clearly a personal choice.  It offers the benefit of being easier on your eyes, less disruptive and able to save some battery life.  With the knowledge you have gained in this Nugget, you can make the choice based on seeing Dark Mode in action.  

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 13+

Works on iPhone.

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on changes and features that come with IOS 13

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• You would like to capture invoices associated with some activity.
• You have old photographs that you would like to show family members without carrying the photographs.
• You read an article in the dentist’s office that you would like to read again later.
• You would like to scan documents like auto insurance cards, fishing licenses or  other document to have available when needed.
• You handwritten notes in a meeting that you would like to capture and store.

Scanning using the Notes app

You can scan document using the Notes app.  When you do this, the scanned image is store in the Notes app.   It can be exported to a PDF file but that requires an extra step.

If you would like to review this process, refer to  Nugget # N5 – Scan and Store a Document with your iPhone.

The Files App

With IOS 13, documents can be scanned using the Files app.  But instead of storing scan in the Notes app, you can create files that can be stored on your device, in iCloud or cloud storage provides like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.  This means that you can store scanned documents on a variety of storage methods.

In this Nugget we will provide step-by-step direction to scan a document stored on your devices.  Creating a folder on your device and using storage on iCloud or other platforms is beyond the scope of this Nugget.

Scan a Document in the Files App

Here are the steps to scan a document in the Files app and store it on the device.

1 Launch the Files app.

Inside the Files app

2 Tap Browse on the lower right corner of the screen.  Ensure that Locations are displayed on the screen.

3 If Locations is not visible, tap the back arrow on  the upper left of the screen until you see 4 Browse and a list of Locations on the screen.

The list of items that appear under locations will vary depending on apps that may be installed on your device.  You will see On My iPhone and will also see iCloud Drive if you are setup up to use iCloud.

5 Tap on On My iPhone.  This will be the location where you will scan a document.

6On the middle of the screen, swipe down in order to expose a 7 More menu (three dots.)  Tap the three dots to display a pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen.

8 On this pop-up menu tap Scan Documents.

A viewfinder screen very similar to the Camera app appears.  The viewfinder screen includes a shutter button, flash and filter icons.

9 Place the document on a flat surface and move your device so that the document appears fully in the viewfinder.

When the document is perfectly framed in the viewfinder, the scan will happen automatically.

10 If the document cannot be framed perfectly, tap the circular shutter button to take the scan.

11 When the scan happens you will be setup to support the scan of a second page.  If this scan includes multiple pages, set the second page on the flat surface and frame the document in the viewfinder.

12 When you have completed scanning of the document(s), tap Save in order to finalize the scan.  The Scanned Document will be displayed on the screen.

13 Tap the new Scanned Document to change the name of the document to better reflect the content of the scan.  Type the new name of the document and tap Done to end the process.

How to Share, Copy or Print the Document?

With the scanned document displayed under the On My iPhone location, tap the document.  The scanned document will display.

If you wish to share, move, or print the document tap Share.  The Share screen will display. 

The Share screen includes:

Links to Air Drop, Messages, Mail and more.  These links will allow you to send the scanned document to another person.

Print – Send the Scanned PDF document an Air Print priner.

Save to Files – Save the file to another location.  This could be a location on iCloud, Google Drive or Microsoft One Drive.

Tap the desired action to complete the share action.

Summary

With IOS 13, you can now embark on serious scanning of documents, notes or photos that you want to preserve, organize or just record.

Setup

No Setup necessary

Requirements

Requires IOS: 13+

Works on iPhone.

If you want to type a few letters or add numbers or punctuation marks, you can simply type as you normally do.  You can actually mix and match your typing approach.

Tips: 

• If you should happen to make a mistake in a word and you would like to retype the word, a single tap of the backspace/delete key will remove the entire word if you have been swipe typing.  
• Try to use a looping flow to your movement rather than a zig-zag approach with sharp corners.  It turns you finger movement into a cursive like flow. 

QuickPath isn’t perfect. It doesn’t always predict your word correctly, especially if it’s a name or uncommon word. But it’s effective and fast enough that you may just grow to like over thumbing or forefinger typing. 

Summary

Typing away on the tiny keyboard on your iPhone isn’t easy.  Some of our thumbs and fingers can handle the pecking.   QuickPath is a new swipe to type typing method that you can try and see how it affects your typing. 

Setup

No Setup necessary.  The QuickPath keyboard is on by default. 

Requirements

Requires IOS: 13+

Works on iPhone.

Senior Tech Club Recipes and Nuggets on the Phone app and Calls:

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Voice Control is turned on under the Accessibility function in the Settings app.