Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Missing us yet?

Yes! There are times when you want to know more. One place to go, thanks to Zoom, is the Naples Mac User Group in Florida (in the eastern timezone). They are offering free classes in June 2024: 

Mac For Beginners on June 15th 7 am to 9 am PDT
 REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED:  Please note registration is not necessary for our special beginners classes. The Zoom info is located below and we will also send you the info before the class. These beginner’s classes are included with your NMUG membership!

Meeting ID: 87083697549
Password: NMUG 

Zoom Link 


and 


iPad for Beginners on June 22nd 7 am to 9 am PDT

 REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED:  Please note registration is not necessary for our special beginners classes. The Zoom info is located below and we will also send you the info before the class. These beginner’s classes are included with your NMUG membership!

Meeting ID: 83502766419 
Password: NMUG 

Zoom Link 




Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Home Screens, App Library and Widgets

some notes need clarification from meeting transcript and chat notes. come back at the end of the week to check for updates. 

All about how to organize your iPhone Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Today screen (what is that?). We’ll also take a look at the App Library and discuss Widgets…what they are and how to set them up. 

Some features demonstrated today work on newer devices and with recent iOS versions. Did you know that a new iOS version, 17.2, is now available. Always update for security reasons. Some older devices will not be able to update. 

Home Screen is a series of Home Screens where you organize app based on your current needs and uses. Slide all the way to the left has widgets, called the Today Screen. Slide all the way to the right to find the App Library, where all your apps live. The Lock Screen appears when you lift your iPhone and wake it up - waiting to see your face or react to your fingerprint. 

Home Screens are different but the Dock holds four apps across all Home Screens. App icons are not very informational except for Calendar, Clock and badges on Mail, Reminders and Settings. 

Widgets show more app details than a simple app icon. 

Touch and hold on any open space on a Home Screen, tap the + in the top left corner to begin exploring what Widgets can display. Adding the smallest widget will take the space of 4 app icons, 2x2. 

Add Weather widget - look at the sizes for the widget - 2x2, 2x4, 4x4. How about the Batteries widget to display current charge levels. 

Some widgets respond to your touch/tap to open the app - Calendar, Fitness, Weather, Clock (World Time), etc. Many apps have widget views. This feature changes regularly and is a good place to explore every time you install an iOS update and even your favorite apps to see if new items and features would better meet your needs. 

On Home Screen group apps into a folder. Drag one app icon over another to create a folder - rename to better fit your use. Tom does not use folders to organize apps anymore. His primary Home Screen is the apps he uses daily. Manage visible Home Screens in the wiggle mode > tap ( oooo ) above the Dock to see the current Home Screens with a checkmark below each one. Tap the check to turn it off. Tap Done. Now just your Primary Home Screen and the App Library will appear. Use search to open any app. Use Siri to open apps not on your Primary Home Screen. 

Smart Stack is multiple widgets of the same size in the same space. 

Add Widgets to Today Screen for views from apps - Calendar shows current appointments; Weather shows current temperature at current location; Notes shows words from last note. 

App Library, swipe all the way from right-to-left. Apple has curated these apps into groups that show three app icons and a group of additional icons. You cannot curate this list. Tap into the Search to see an alphabetical list of apps. Some apps appear with cloud icon - the app is archived to save space on iPhone and tap to re-download and use. 

Manage apps on Home Screen - delete from Home Screen or delete from device! You can also find an app in the App Library and then touch and hold to see menu option to add back on Home Screen. Remember that Siri can open apps. Build a new habit: Use Search to find apps by name. 

Lock Screen is more customizable in iOS 16-17. Easy access to Flashlight and Camera - press and hold to open and use. iOS 17 allows multiple Lock Screens tied to different Focus/Do Not Disturb settings when using Customize button. In the Customize view outlines appear where you can make changes to font, color and other widgets to display. This info on the Lock Screen might save on battery power because you do not have to unlock and find the Calendar or info you need. 

Tap the Edit button to add Wallpaper to each Lock Screen. 

Tap Every Button ! Have fun. Explore. 

iPhone User Guide is online  or iPad User Guide is online 

Simple Google Searches at 11:50 am on 12/6/2023 for ... 

Questions submitted via Zoom Chat: Thanks for asking questions ... I learned a lot by researching the answers. 

Is the App Store the same as the Apple Store? 
  • App Library are the the apps on your device. The App Store is where you Get (free) or purchase new apps.
How do you get your other home screens back? My second home screen went away into the App Library.  Oh No!   How do I get it back as a home screen? 
  • Just above the Dock are small circles indicating the number of visible Home Screens. (You might see "Search" there, covering the circles. Touch and Hold to make Search go away ...) Touch and Hold on the circles to thumbnails of your Home Screens appear. Below each thumbnail is a circle or checkmark. Visible Home Screens have a checkmark, when you wan to bring one back tap the empty circle and the checkmark appears. Tap Done in the top right corner of the screen. 
Tom - why have you drifted away from organizing apps on Home Screens in Folders? 
  • Search and Siri are easier for Tom to use. 
In widgets what’s Smart Stack? 
I recall there’s something about combining two keys like Control and command that will scroll after I’ve clicked the first key then I keep key pressed, scroll down and all between the two clicked emails are clicked.  I've searched for this and still can’t figure out what the keys are.  Maybe this doesn’t work any more? 
Why when I go to contacts, search sometimes doesn’t bring up my person. What's up? 
  • Apple Communities is a great place to look for answers. Impress your friends with your knowledge. iOS17 can't search for contacts can be searched without logging in. But the real gain is to join the community and be active in reading, replying and posting questions. 
Sometimes I accidentally delete an App or two but don’t know which ones. Is there a way to find out how to find out? 
  • There are two steps to deleting an app. First you get in the jiggle mode where all apps are dancing then you tap the ( - ) on an app and see a prompt with choices: Delete app, Remove from Home Screen and Cancel. 
  • Open the App Store app > tap profile icon in to right corner > tap Purchased > My Purchases > Not on this iPhone and review the list. (hope you don't have as many apps as I do ;-)
When you say “go to the manual” - how do you do that? 
How do you easily get to the flashlight from the Home Screen when it’s not locked?
  • Flashlight can be summoned with Siri or the Control Center. Or just ask Siri to "Turn on Flashlight." 
Is there a way to delete a whole list of emails from the same sender, rather than one at a time?  I’ve got over 30,000 emails and would like to delete most as easily as possible.  I'm on a Xs iPhone
How do you create a group with a name for email addresses to use for sending emails e.g. yahoo mail? 
Subscribe with Hide My Email feature tips. 
  • Check out Ellen's Tips for iOS mentioned on the Resources page. She has a tutorial on Hide My Email - to get it, enter your firstname and email address and tap Submit. You will get an email with a link to a PDF document. I find her guides and videos helpful! Also, visit Ellen's Tips for iOS YouTube Channel to see her videos on topics discussed this semester. Wow, I want to watch her videos! 
  • Back to Tech Talk America and David's 2022 Top 5 Apple Mail Tricks - #5 - jump right to #5 Junk Mail.  
Lock Screen timeout suggestions work for an unlocked iPhone to delay going into lock mode. 
  • No setting found for changing the amount of time a Lock Screen stays visible before 1) dimming, 2) recognizing a face or fingerprint.  



Lost Your Car?

Hopefully your car wasn't stolen! But maybe you just left a shopping mall through a different door than the one you entered. I recall a problem like this after attending an event in the ARCO Arena, where every door looked the same! 

One idea is to use two Apple AirTags in your vehicle. One in an obvious place and one tucked away. Bad actors will find the obvious one and stop looking for the second one. Each AirTag can be named. Buying the 4-pack of AirTags saves some money and you can add one to your luggage when traveling. 

Let's review two apps - Apple Maps and Find My for the next time … 

When your iPhone connects to the car radio via Bluetooth then Apple MAPS will show you “Parked Car.” This is great for any large sea of parking lot. No additional app needed! (When renting a car, this might be a reason to connect to the radio, and then remember to delete it before turning in the vehicle.) 

The FIND MY app will show you location and give directions to get to People, Devices (computers, iPads with same AppleID), Items (AirTags). The ME pane is settings for this feature. I just checked it to see something new on iPhone 15 Pro: My Location via Satellite. Currently “Not Available” > Learn More > … because I am on WiFi and have cellular available and recent iPhone model. Tapping on a Device name helps find it with Play Sound, Directions and allows a device to Mark As Lost > Activate when really lost/stolen and to Erase This Device when confirmed lost/stolen. 

Reporting all this to you is a reminder to ME! And I will share with other iPhone users. You know I believe in rewiring tech details in my brain by sharing in person and writing on the blog. Especially when I’m not using features as regular habits. Thanks for indulging me.

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Review of Helpful Resources

We will review this website (RS iOS Basics) because it has quite a history that is still applicable to the iPhones (and iPads) from yester-year. 

The website is easiest to use on an iPad or computer than on an iPhone, but we will cover at least two tricks that make a difference. 

Let us know where you find helpful information online. Add the URL and comment in the Chat. Your input will build on the resources we've gathered over the years. 
  • Google Searches, YouTube, Apple Channel on YouTube, Apple Care Support calls and they can view my device and use a red pointer arrow to show me where to touch/click to step through my problem. 
Question: Anyone still using the Bookmarks feature in your web browser? 
Save websites to your Home Screen and edit the icon title (group RS sites together) 
  • Combine Home Screen apps and sites into a folder and rename it
  • Use the Dock - move a folder into the Dock and from each Home Screen move related apps to the folder. Move the folder out of the Dock to a Home Screen when all done.
  • Use the Search feature to find the app you want rather than scanning icons on Home Screen
View of RS iOS Basics on different devices (foiled by zoom not sharing screens in the usual ways) 

Tour the website
Home is a collection of posts 
Pages are Links across under the banner
Use the Blog Archive panel 
Use the Search the Blog feature 
Use Safari Reader View 


Question in Chat (most of the Chat comments were lost when Zoom suddenly quit):
  • Does anyone find YouTube Premium worthwhile? 

Monday, November 13, 2023

Search and Photos

Before Class, Restart your iPhone to clear out any gremlins.

On Wednesday, November 15th, Melissa presented some nuances in the Photos app with both demonstration and hands-on walk-through. This is not Photos 101, and not all of your iPhones will have the features demonstrated. If any features excite your creativity, then add that as criteria for your next device upgrade. 

Link to Melissa's 5 page  Photos & Search presentation PDF 

Confirm you have the free Apple Tips app on your iPhone - this link opens on your iPhone or iPad. It is good to have on both mobile devices. The icon is yellow with a lightbulb and the letter "T." Information presented in this app changes after a week or more. You can learn little bits at a time. There is a link to the iPhone User Guide as well. On your device, swipe right-to-left on the Home Screens until you see App Library. Type "t" in the search bar to jump to the alpha list of t apps. The Tips app is there if you've downloaded it. 

Get up to speed on using Apple Camera ... 
Use the Photos app as a picture shoebox, album organizer and sharing hub. 

Apple YouTube Channel - Create & Use Live Stickers 
MacMost Playlist iPhone and Mac Photography on YouTube 
Read MacRumors - Ultimate iOS 15 Walkthrough then look at iOS 16 and iOS 17 guides 
iPhone Photography School iPhone Editing Tips playlist on YouTube





Responses to questions in Chat asked today:
  • Tips app does not look the same on my iPhone to the demonstration iPhone. Melissa was demonstrating on iPhone 15 Pro with the iOS 17 operating system.  She has used the Tips app in the past and if you are 1) new to Tips app it probably looks different to new users, 2) if you are not using iOS 17 then the Tips app will show different content, and 3) if you are using an older iPhone, the Tips app should display info related to your device. Explore this app, keep it handy to open as information is changed once or twice a month. 
  • Feeling lost just at the beginning. Need to go slow. Our website (where you are right now) has many links and references to explore, often covering older iPhones and operating systems. Use the Blog Archive hierarchy of links to find past articles. Use the Search to find topics of interest or frustration. Go to YouTube and Resource links provided to watch videos or read more. 
  • Snapseed is a free app from Google LLC. Snapseed is not available for computers, only iPads, iPhones and Android devices. On the Mac, the Photos app has additional features, like healing, than what is available on iOS and iPadOS. 
  • Review how to add photos to email message. If you start an email from the Mail app, then adding attachments, photos or taking photos happens magically behind a nondescript button < 
  • Where does your edited Snapseed photo go? After expanding the canvas or using any of the other features in Snapseed, you have the option to export as a new image or modify the existing image. In either case, images are saved to your Photos Library.  If you want images to be saved in another location, use the Share button > Save to Files > choose a folder > Save. 
  • If we delete Folders in Albums will we lose our photos? Albums does not duplicate photos it just references the originals in your Photos Library. So you can delete the "reference" photo or album and you will keep the originals. If you choose "Delete" there will be a next prompt with information about what is about to happen and you have a "Cancel" option. If photos are deleted, you have 30 days before they disappear off your device. 
  • If I've edited an image and want to go back to the original, the Edit > Revert restored the photo. But what if I want to keep the edited photo too? Look at the edited photo and find the ( ... ) button. From the popup menu choose Duplicate. Now, use the Edit Revert on one of the copies. 
  • Under Albums > Media Types is Live Photos. How can I change them to still images? Yes, Live Photos take up more space on your device because they are short animation with audio. If your photo subjects are stationary, then Live is overkill. The app automatically selects a key frame for each Live photo that displays in the Library. You might want a different key frame instead. Open a Live photo > Edit > Live at the bottom of the screen > slide finger along the thumbnails to find a better frame > Make Key Photo > Done. Next step is to open photo > tap ( ... ) icon > Duplicate > Duplicate as Still Photo > tap Trash icon to delete. Make some new Live photos to this procedure. There is a Camera setting to turn off Live, use the button in the top right corner of the Camera app. 
  • Do the Captions show up on the picture? Captions are searchable, in the Photo Picker and in the Photos app. If you want to add text to pictures, or draw on pictures, the easy app is the Markup tool that shows up when you are in Edit mode. The icon is a circle with a pen. A tray of tools appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap + > Add Text > and type. You will need to practice moving the text around the image for best placement. Markup can change the color and size of text and in iOS 17 has a full range of fonts. Markup app is available in Photos, Notes, Email, and the Files app (pdf documents). 

Where to learn more

Today at Apple sessions at our local Apple Stores - both Arden Fair and Roseville Galleria. Free! You'll want to check this online list because it changes every two-weeks. Think about inviting a friend to join you for the sessions. Be brave, let the presenter know what you want to learn and what your skill level is. Another suggestion is to attend the same class more than once. Why? Different presenters approach the topics and their audience differently. Sometimes you might be the only attendee - so ask for the help you need! 

YouTube Channels 

User Groups 
  • MacNexus in Sacramento is $40 annually. Fourth Wednesday on Zoom at 7 pm and Zoom workshops on the first and third Saturday. 
  • Naples Mac User Group - Naples, FL. - Offers weekly Wednesday Zoom meetings @ 8:30 am and Saturday classes. Membership is $30 and MacOS, iPhone and iPad classes are $25 each. (I am looking forward to the Apple Watch and Health - New Features with Chita Hunter on Feb 3rd.
Mailing Lists 
Where do you go for help and ideas? Let us know and this list will get updated. 

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Reminders

Carol will lead us through the Reminders app. Take the 8 minutes to view New Reminders App Features in iOS 17 - My Favorites! on YouTube by Dan's Tutorials. (While you are there, scroll through the other videos presented to you based on your past YouTube searches.)


Full disclosure - We are not Apple Experts! We are a group that is interested in creatively and productively using Apple mobile devices.  We rely on YouTube videos and Apple User Guides to learn about apps and updates. Take a break from this website and read about how to make a grocery list in Reminders

iPhone 15 Plus iOS 17.0.3 for demonstration today. The Reminders app is a great list maker (but Carol also uses Notes for list making). A little red circle badge indicates a new item on Reminders (and other apps).  

What NAGS at you? What tasks or events do you want to remember? Monthly bill pay, annual property taxes, handyperson tasks, subscription renewals, books to read, new restaurants > movie recommendations, reaching out, groceries ... These things could be Calendar app events or pages in Notes. So why use a different app? 
  • Ask Siri to add an item to your Reminders Grocery List 
  • Reminders can notify you to pick up a trinket at Home Depot when you approach location 
  • Create a Reminder that will repeat on a schedule
  • Create a Reminder for when you are Messaging a contact
  • Reminders can collect various tasks from many lists based on a #tag  
  • Review Reminders for Scheduled, Flagged or Completed tasks 
So why use a different app than Notes and Calendar? Maybe you hare helping someone else with tasks and do not want them mixed in with your own details. Reminders is there for you. Or for them. 

Open Reminders app. Look around to identify buttons for what you think this app will do. There are Lists and Tasks. Tap Add List to create your first grouping of tasks. Let's play! Give your practice list a name, set the type, set the color and add an icon to make it memorable. Tap Done. Tap the + New Reminder to begin. Type a brief title, tap Add Note to expand the description as needed. Tap (i) to see menu options (you will want to tap every menu item and explore the possibilities). The Share button has possibilities,  including Collaboration! Add more reminders to this exploration list. Fumble around, make mistakes. Correct mistakes. Delete a reminder. Delete a list. 

Create a smart list - a Grocery List and set the type to be Groceries. (Siri awaits your command ...) Set the color to Red and the icon to the Shopping Cart then tap Done. Did you see the note that Groceries will be sorted by Sections? Wait for it. Go to your Home Screen and invoke Siri. Ask Siri to "add Milk to my grocery list." Look at the screen for her responses and suggestions. Ask Siri to "add coffee and wine to my grocery list."  Add other items as you think of them. Open Reminders to review the presentation of items in sections. Edit your list as appropriate. My list presented 'Coffee and wine' as one item under Wine, Beer & Spirits. Create a new Coffee item and assign it to the Coffee & Tea section. Edit the 'Coffee and wine' to just be 'Wine' for now. When asking Siri to add items to my Grocery List, adding the word "and" between three items kept the list neat. 

Your lists come with circles to mark as "Completed" and the item will hide automatically.  Tap the ( ... ) button for the menu and tap 'Show Completed" to see your full list. 

When shopping, you might not want the list displayed in sections, tap ( ... ) > Show List Info, > List Type > Standard. 

Experiment with the other features in Reminders app. Like the Column View and Sub-tasks; use #tags to gather tasks from various lists into

Thanks to Barb for being scribe for Reminders sessions today. 



Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Apple Links Buffet

A friend just got a new iPhone and used the option for one-on-one phone support for the setup at home. The follow-up email contained this fabulous list of links for further exploration. Provided here for your buffet browsing pleasure ... some features will be available on the newest iPhones and/or on the latest iOS. (Some of the web links, aka URLs, indicate iOS 16. See if you can spot them.) 

Apple Support
Find answers to common questions, watch video tutorials, download user guides, and share solutions with the Apple community. Visit Support

Today at Apple
Take part in interesting and inspiring sessions in photography, art, music, and coding at an Apple store near you. Visit Today at Apple

Accessories
From the Apple accessories page, you can learn about all kinds of new and innovative products that work with iPhone, iPad, Mac and more. Visit Accessories

Call AppleCare - 800.275.2273

Apple YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYFQ33UIPERYx8-ZHucZbDA

iPhone Apple Support:
https://support.apple.com/iphone

A Guided Tour of iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcGXCJm3XMA

Live Voicemail:
Read about Live Voicemail  

Using eSIM
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209044 

Using eSIM while traveling internationally
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213448

Find wireless carriers in worldwide service providers that offer eSIM
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209096

Home accessories (Apple Home Kit)
https://www.apple.com/home-app/accessories/

iPhone iOS 17 User Guide:
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/welcome/ios

What’s new in iOS 17
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/whats-new-in-ios-17-iphfed2c4091/ios

iOS 17
https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-17/

Customize the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
https://support.apple.com/en-sa/guide/iphone/iphe89d61d66/ios

Roadside Assistance:
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/request-roadside-assistance-via-satellite-iph29bea54b5/ios

Download offline Maps on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/download-offline-maps-iphcfb5f5bc6/ios

Get directions to your parked car in Maps on iPhone:
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/get-directions-to-your-parked-car-ipha13ef1c2e/ios 

SOS iPhone:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208076

Emergency SOS via satellite
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426

Recall email with Undo send in Mail on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/recall-email-with-undo-send-iph0e7288015/16.0/ios/16.0

Interact with text and subjects in Photos on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/interact-text-subjects-photos-iph37fdd714b/16.0/ios/16.0

Unsend and edit messages on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/unsend-and-edit-messages-iphe67195653/16.0/ios/16.0

Personalize your iPhone Lock Screen
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/personalize-your-iphone-lock-screen-iph4d0e6c351/16.0/ios/16.0

Manage Crash Detection on iPhone 14 models
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/manage-crash-detection-iph948a628e9/ios

Dynamic Island:
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/view-activites-in-the-dynamic-island-iph28f50d10d/ios

Maximize Battery Life
https://www.apple.com/batteries/maximizing-performance/

Cinematic Mode Example (in videos):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tl1RL8MRCA

Use Cinematic mode on your iPhone
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212778

Live Text
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-live-text-iphcf0b71b0e/ios

Apple iPhone Camera:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHFlHpPjgk72JW5vfYlzycSgG_Z6EV4hK

Taking Photos with iPhone:
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/camera-basics-iph263472f78/ios

Edit photos and videos on iPhone
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/edit-photos-and-videos-iphb08064d57/ios 

Visual Look Up to identify objects in your photos and videos on iPhone:
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/visual-identify-objects-photos-videos-iph21c29a1cf/ios

Health App: Medications
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/track-your-medications-iph811670c81/ios

Staying Connected:
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-the-way-you-travel-iph8449e2027/ios

Notes App:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205773

Cleaning your iPhone:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207123

Friday, November 3, 2023

Share and Notes

Tom welcomed folks to Mastering iPhone - Fall 2023 class, noting that 40 iPhone models are in use today with a variety of operating systems, iOS ... He will be demonstrating today on an iPhone 13 Pro using iOS 17.2 beta! If you are up-to-date then your Settings > General > About > will reveal you are on iOS 17.1. If your iPhone is older than an 11 model or your iOS is less than 16, we can guarantee that what you see on your device will NOT be part of what we demonstrate. Similar, yes. But features continue to be added and some things will not match. So take a breath and watch. Then read the notes on this website and practice our motto: Touch Every Button! 

Answers to Questions from Chat:

  • Did you see the stylus that Tom was using during the demo? He mentioned picking it up at Best Buy or Staples, etc. Important: Rubber Tip! You do not use a pen point that might scratch the screen.  
  • Best place to buy a new iPhone? Your options are retail (Apple Store or Apple online, Best Buy, Costco, and your cellular provider). Apple sells their newest phones but other retailers offer older models that might still be an upgrade from your current device. Also, cellular providers want your business and will sometimes give away phones for a commitment of monthly payments for calls/text/data. 
  • What version of the iOS are you on?  Settings > General > About >...

The Share Button icon looks like a box with an arrow and is full of options that vary depending on the app in use at the moment. There are three tiers to the Share Sheet that pops up: People, Actions/Applications and Functions. What you see on this sheet depends on the apps you have purchased and how you might edit the list to meet your current needs. 

Take a few minutes to explore the Share button in ... Mail, Safari and Notes apps. 

There is another place where Share is hidden! Go back to Safari and find a webpage with text. Select some of the text on the page by touching the glass and moving your finger down the page - the text under your finger tip (or stylus) will highlight. When you let go, a horizontal menu will pop-up. But what see is just the first of the options that you can do with a selection! Look for the ">" and tap it, tap it again until you see "Share..." Now the Share sheet appears again. 

You can personalize the Share Sheet Actions if you swipe all the way to the right and reorder the Functions list by scrolling down to the bottom of the page to Edit Actions... 

View / Read / Search the Notes User Guide 

Notes app user interface tour: Tap the Notes app to open it to ... Folders view. (Sorry, but I have no clue to what you see if you've never used the app or created a Note!) This view shows you Quick Notes, Shared and then iCloud, On My iPhone and Tags with buttons at the bottom of the screen - on the left tap the folder icon to make a new folder and on the right the box with pen to begin a new note. In the top right corner is "Edit" and you can reorder the list of folders using the "hamburger" lines icons or (...) More to see additional features. Tap "Done" when you are finished perusing the Edit menu. 

Storing your Notes in iCloud means they are available on your iPad and Mac computers through syncing. (iCloud is also available for Windows computers.) Storing Notes on your iPhone means that the information is only available on that device. Notes do not take up much space so storing on iCloud has real benefits and fewer headaches. 

Tap the new note button, bottom right corner, to open a blank screen. The first line will be the title of the note (shown in a folder list) and the cursor is blinking there, waiting for you to type something meaningful. But pause here, and review the buttons available. On the top left is < Folders, then on the right is Share (icon is gray, dimmed), (...) More and Done. At the bottom left is a globe (other keyboards) and on the right is the microphone for dictating text. Above is the keyboard for typing letters and numbers or adding Smileys, predictive text options and then formatting options for text, checklists, lists and tables. Tap the Camera icon to see a menu of options: Choose a photo, Scan a document, Take a photo or Scan text. Tap the circle with pen icon, Markup, to reveal the drawing tools! Tap the ( + ) to see a menu with more options! Wow! Tap "Done" in the top right to exit the Markup mode. 

Notes have two modes, View and Edit. So if you are just viewing a note the keyboard is hiding but at the bottom of the screen are buttons. Are you recognizing what features these icons represent? Tap the screen to bring up the keyboard. Tap "Done" to dismiss the keyboard.

We are encouraging you to make several notes. Be brave and experiment. Tap Aa icon to format text or by making a Checklist, a new note with a 3 column table, try out the Markup drawing tools on another note, add a photo to a note or scan a document. In iOS 17, adding PDF documents is more powerful than ever. You have our permission to ... PLAY! 

If you want to clean house and, put your toys away so to speak, there are two ways to Delete notes. From the Folders view where notes are listed, swipe from right-to-left to see two options: Folder and Trash. You can easily move a note to a different folder or delete it.  From a note view look in the top right corner and tap (...) More. This menu includes many options including Delete. 

In organizing your Notes collection you might 1) take to traditional route of making folders and filing the notes where they belong. Remember, look at a list of notes and swipe right-to-left to see the folder icon and then tap to navigate to the folder. 2) Your iPhone has a powerful Search feature that can display a list of notes because text inside the note was "found." Actually, just taping the Search field brings up interesting filters to help refine your task. 3) Tags are text at the bottom of a note that look like: #masteringiphone #notesapp #scandocuments and using multiple tags beats out filing a note in one folder when the contents might be relevant to multiple folders. 

On of my favorite things to do with Notes is to draft an email message. The first line, title, becomes the Subject Line of the email message and the text that follows becomes the body of the email. Use the Share button to bring up all the ways to share this information. Wait! Look at the top to see "Send a Copy" and tap to see the second option - Collaborate. It is a good idea to practice collaborative editing with a friend before you launch a serious multi-editor project.

Other things you can do with Notes include: Pin, Lock, Add Lines & Grids, and dictate text instead of typing. 

Do yourself a favor and dive into the iPhone User Guide. For every app you use, Touch Every Button.

Next week is Reminders with Carol. Review that topic in the User Guide .. 😉

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Mastering Your iPhone - Fall 2023

Just a few notes before the class.

  • We will be automatically muting all attendees during the class. With over 100 people registered it would be impossible to deal with the cross-talk.
  • We will also be turning off chat in the zoom session, if you have a question relating to the presentation topic, please post it to Q&A.
  • We highly recommend that you join the class from a device OTHER than your iPhone. That will allow you to follow along as we demonstrate iPhone features.
  • We also recommend that you have your phone updated to the latest iOS release (17.1). Check Settings > General > Software Update - if there is an update available, plug your iPhone into power and follow the process.
  • Unfortunately we will NOT be recording the class. Your instructors will be using their personal iPhones which contain private and confidential information… thus no recording will be made
  • Each week we will have a different instructor covering a different subject. Yes, it will feel like a firehose of information but we hope you’ll be able to retain as much as possible.
  • We will try and include notes on each class on this RSIOSBASICS website
Speaking to the "firehose of information" - you will get lost when following along. So stop trying to catch up and just ... watch ... for the final result. Relax and observe. Return to the website for notes and then take the steps at your own pace. Practice. Enjoy. 

This website looks very different on an iPhone than on an iPad or computer. 

Recommended apps for your iPhone (and iPad) - tap the links below to open the App Store directly to these convenient resources: 

Sunday, September 3, 2023

Getting Ready for Fall

Watch this page for our newest information to share before our class begins in November. 

From Tom: iOS 16 Cheat Sheet: Complete Guide for 2023 so you can be ready for iOS 17 in October. 

From Barbara: iPhone Life - Daily Tip - click the red box labeled "Free Daily Tips" and enter your email address. Good things will come to your Inbox. 

From Melissa: Ellen's Tips for iOS - Even if you are not a techie once a week tips arrive to spark your creativity and productivity. 

From Melissa: iPhone Photography School Start Here - has many free tutorials in addition to in-depth online classes. Scroll down the page to click Send Me The Tips and enter your email address. Occasional emails with links to short video tutorials. 

... more to come

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Fresh Eyes Wanted!

Do you have questions about how to use your iPhone or iPad? Do you share with friends what you learn about your mobile device? Think about teaming up for 6-weeks to offer your vision on the creative ways to use Apple devices. 

Our team is available to assist you to present your ideas on Zoom or in a classroom on campus.