Losing Messages or Calls? Look in the Unknown Senders/Callers Filter
In iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26, Apple added an option in the Messages app to filter messages from unknown people and those marked as spam by the carrier. To enable filtering, open Messages, tap the Filter button in the upper-right corner, tap Manage Filtering, and turn on Screen Unknown Senders and Filter Spam. Once those […]
iOS 26 Can AutoFill Credit Card Details
Sadly, not all websites and apps support Apple Pay, so we’ve become accustomed to manually entering our credit card information into fields, like animals. No longer! In iOS 26, the Wallet app now supports AutoFill. If you need to add a card—those set up with Apple Pay are already available—open Wallet, tap the three-dot menu […]
Why Your Windows Reopen (Or Don’t) As You Expect
Have you noticed that when you restart your Mac or relaunch an app, your previous windows and documents sometimes reappear exactly as you left them, but at other times you’re greeted with a clean slate? This behavior is controlled by Resume, a technology introduced in OS X 10.7 Lion back in 2011. Resume automatically reopens […]
What Can You Do With the iPhone’s Action Button? Nearly Anything!
Starting with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, Apple replaced the Ring/Silent switch on the top-left edge of the iPhone with the Action button, making the new button standard across the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 lineups in subsequent years. The Action button is a dedicated hardware button you can configure to perform one […]
Control Song Transitions in Apple Music
A new feature for Apple Music subscribers in the Music app in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 is AutoMix, which Apple says causes songs to “transition at the perfect moment, based on analysis of the key and tempo of the music.” It fades between songs as a DJ would, but it’s not always […]
Five Invisible Characters That Still Matter in Word Processing and Layout
In earlier eras of word processing, users were much more likely to encounter explanations of document structure—not because everyone had to become an expert, but because knowledge was shared differently. Software shipped with detailed manuals, user groups and training classes focused on how documents worked under the hood, and power users routinely shared mental models […]
How to Ensure You Don’t Miss Reminders
Recording a task in Apple’s Reminders app on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad is just the first step—the app captures what you need to do—but what matters more is being reminded to take action at the right moment. (The most important step, of course, is following through, but that’s on you.) Here’s how to configure […]
If Your iPhone’s Lock Screen Clock Is Too Transparent, You Can Fix It
One place where the Liquid Glass transparency in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 can be annoying is the time display on the Lock Screen. Liquid Glass tries—but often fails—to adjust the clock’s transparency so it’s readable over whatever photo you chose or the Photo Shuffle option displayed. Starting in iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, you […]
Create Reminders to Return Calls Directly in the Phone App
Apple introduced a neat new feature in the Phone app in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 (but not macOS 26): callback reminders. Whenever you miss a call and think, “I’d better call this person back later,” you can now create a reminder to do that right within the Phone app. Swipe left on any call, […]
Messages Now Offers Shared Conversation Backgrounds
A potentially surprising and fun new feature in Messages in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 Tahoe is conversation backgrounds. To set one, tap the person or group icon at the top of the conversation, then tap Backgrounds, select an image, and tap the blue checkmark to save. What you might not realize is […]
