Prevent (or solve) problems with your Apple Account! Version 1.0, published September 20, 2024 The center of the Apple world is your Apple Account. This little identifier ties up your access to iCloud; to purchased and streaming music, TV, and movies; and to all your devices. While an Apple Account is essential, Apple has made it difficult to navigate the many features associated with it—and particularly to troubleshoot and resolve problems that crop up. This book answers dozens of questions and guides you through solutions. It also explains how to use security, recovery, and other features tied to your Apple Account. Everything Apple relies on your Apple Account. It’s a key that unlocks a long list of Apple products and services on any of numerous devices. iCloud uses an Apple Account, as does Apple Music; the App Store; the Music, TV, and Books apps; and more. An Apple Account protects your personal information, including email and iOS/iPadOS backups; helps you find a lost iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch; and can even unlock your Mac. So it goes without saying that if something goes wrong with your Apple Account, you could be in for a world of hurt. Unfortunately, things go wrong with Apple Accounts all the time. Fortunately, Glenn Fleishman, a veteran technology journalist and the author of Macworld’s “Mac 911” column, is ready to help with expert advice on how to manage your Apple Account—including how to prevent, solve, or work around most common problems! This book is fully up to date with all the changes released by Apple in 2024 connected to your Apple Account—including the change of name from Apple ID to Apple Account—as well as for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and other Apple products and services. In this book, Glenn answers questions like: • What all is my Apple Account used for? • How does my iCloud account relate to my Apple Account? • What’s two-factor authentication and how do I manage it—and not get locked out of my account? • Should I invest in hardware security keys to up the protection of my Apple Account account? • Are there other mechanisms I can use to ensure that I can recover an Apple Account in the event of a problem? (Spoiler: yes!) • What should I do if I have two or more Apple Accounts or iCloud accounts? • Will I lose access to all my Apple media purchases if I move to another country? • Can I share an Apple Account with someone else? • What does an Apple One subscription offer and how does it interact with Family Sharing and iCloud+ storage tiers? • Is there an explanation for how code-based and hardware-based second factors protect my account and how they differ from passkeys? (Yes!) • What exactly should I do if I think someone is hacking my Apple Account account? • How can I recover a forgotten Apple Account password? • What happens if I’m assaulted or drugged and someone gains access to my iPhone passcode and resets my Apple Account? (Sadly, a too real, if uncommon, problem.) • What steps should I take if Apple locks me out of my account? • If I lose access to an email address associated with my Apple Account, what can I do? • What Apple Account changes in recent versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS do I need to know about? • How can I use Family Sharing to share data and purchases within my family? • What types of subscriptions can I manage with my Apple Account, and how? • Which payment methods can I associate with my Apple Account, and how do I manage them? And that’s just the beginning. Glenn has packed a remarkable amount of concise problem-solving information into this comprehensive book. Read it before you encounter Apple Account problems to minimize your risk, and if you’ve already encountered a problem, read it to find the best path to a rapid solution.

Track your stuff, find your friends, and safely share your location Version 3.0, updated September 20, 2024 Take Control of Find My and AirTags takes you inside Apple’s Find My ecosystem, a robust, privacy-protecting way to track your things, share your location (and see others’ with their permission), and aid in recovery lost and stolen devices. Find My lets you and someone else arrange to meet and see your live, updated ETA; figure out where you left your iPad (was it on a flight?!), and know that your bicycle remains firmly in place where you locked it.n Find My lost the “iPhone” moniker long ago, as the app and system of location tracking hardware, software, and infrastructure became “Find My Everything.” The current ecosystem encompasses people, Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch), Apple and Beats audio hardware, and low-power, long-life trackers. Apps can be used in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, and on iCloud.com. Take Control of Find My and AirTags takes you through the many parts of Find My so you can configure and refine how you and your stuff is tracked and shared. The book looks at three different kinds of tracking: • People: Learn how to share your location safely, follow others who let you, and send and receive notifications about arrivals and departures. (Also, prevent being tracked when you don’t want to be.) • Devices: See the whereabouts of your and Family Sharing group members’ devices and audio hardware. Get to know the ins and outs of enabling Find My and taking remote actions, from playing a sound to wiping your data from a device. • Items: Find out how AirTags make use of the crowdsourced network of other people’s Apple devices to help you find a lost or forgotten purse, backpack, or even car, and about third-party devices licensing the technology from Apple. Learn how to share your items with up to five other people. Also get to know the dangers of people using Find My tech for stalking. The book explains how to identify the risk, deter unwanted tracking from happening, block it if you find it—and report it to law enforcement or get other help. This edition includes detailed information about the Apple and Google industry initiative for Android, iOS, and iPadOS that lets Android, iPhone, and iPad users get notified about unknown trackers on either Apple or Google’s tracking systems that are traveling with them. The book also digs into how Family Sharing interacts with personal and device location sharing and finding, and how to help other people find their lost stuff if they don’t have one of their own Apple devices handy. The book focuses on the latest Apple operating systems: iOS 18/iPadOS 18, macOS 15 Sequoia, and watchOS 11. However, it looks back as far as iOS 16/iPadOS 16 and macOS 14 Monterey for nearly every feature—and sometimes back even years before those releases—so you can best use your mix of Apple devices of all vintages. Here’s more of what you can find in this book: • Start sharing AirTags and other items with up to five other people. • Find out the difference between device-based Find My tracking and the Find My network. • Figure out if your Apple or Beats audio hardware can be tracked just over Bluetooth nearby or via the Find My Network. • Lost a single earbud? Apple may have you covered by playing a sound out of it or providing nearly pinpoint tracking. • Experience the joy of playing a sound over the internet or nearby to help find a missing device or item. • See the place in Apple’s ecosystem for third-party Find My tracking from nearly a dozen companies that make bike, bag, and general stuff trackers, some with extra alarms. • Spot Google and Apple trackers following you that aren’t yours and aren’t shared Apple Find My items. • Control and monitor the way you let others track your whereabouts. • Get to know presence, the way you define which of your devices indicates where you are to other people. • Learn about the capability to track an iPhone or iPad even after it’s been erased! • See how Messages simplifies and improves location sharing and maps. • Dig into Apple’s efforts to prevent Find My from being used for stalking and unwanted tracking, including audio alerts and other behavior. • Discover buried controls for configuring exactly how Find My updates your device’s location, including when power runs low. • Develop an understanding of your Apple Watch’s three distinct Find My to use them effectively on the go. • Understand Activation Lock, which protects devices from being reused even if someone has erased them, and Find My Lock, which keeps Find My items from being reset and taken over. • Help family members find lost and stolen gear through Find My’s Family Sharing support.

Master Apple's video, audio, and text messaging tools! Version 3.0, updated October 15, 2024 Dig into FaceTime, Messages, and Phone from the basics through the most advanced and interesting features available, including screen sharing, group calls, and sending rich messages in Take Control of FaceTime and Messages. This comprehensive book will answer every question and reveal useful features you never knew existed.n FaceTime, Messages, and Phone form the core of video, texting, and calling tools for Apple devices. In this book, Glenn Fleishman lays out your options to best understand, use, and customize these apps. Start by mastering (or reviewing) the basics of each app, then move into group calls and texts, using rich media, maintaining your privacy, and adding whimsy to conversations. Covers iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. The book covers all three apps (and the many ways in which they interact) extensively, showing you: • What's new in the FaceTime, Messages, and Phone apps (updated for macOS Sequoia 15.1, iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, watchOS 11.1, and tvOS 18.1) • How to master the basics of the FaceTime, Messages, and Phone apps • Essential settings and preferences for these apps • Ways to share your screen (or let someone share theirs with you) in both FaceTime and Messages, and when to use which • How to have fun and get creative with Message Effects, Camera Effects, stickers, and hashtag images • How Apple secures live audio, video, and texting • Strategies and tools to identify and block unwanted phone calls and messages • How to use Apple Intelligence features in the Messages and Phone apps You’ll learn about FaceTime capabilities such as: • How to use FaceTime for audio or video calls with one person or a group of up to 32 people • Why you might want to use a FaceTime Link, and how it can extend FaceTime to Windows and Android users • How to work with audio input and output devices in FaceTime • How to use enhanced audio (Mic Mode) and video (Portrait Mode) effects in FaceTime calls on supported devices • How to place and receive FaceTime calls on an Apple TV using Continuity Camera • How to use SharePlay, which lets parties carry on a FaceTime conversation while enjoying synchronized video, audio, or screen sharing • How to use gestures to create animated video effects • How to replace your background in video calls Find out things you never knew about Messages, including: • Why some conversations in Messages use iMessage (blue bubbles for individuals, gray bubbles for businesses) while others use SMS/MMS/RCS (green bubbles), and the differences between them • All about advanced Messages features, such as nested replies and person-to-person Apple Pay • Why Messages isn’t just for text, but also for audio messages, Digital Touch effects, animations, and more • How to use satellite features to send and receive iMessages when you're outside cellular range • Simple ways to create events and reminders from Messages conversations • What to do when group chats get out of control—managing notifications, using mentions, and understanding the differences between SMS and MMS chats • How to view transcriptions of audio messages Make better use of the Phone app: • How to make phone calls (including emergency calls) from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch • What the “verified” label on incoming phone calls means • How to use Live Voicemail to see the message a caller is leaving in real time

Keep your Mac, iPhone, and iPad safe! Version 1.0, published September 30, 2024 Secure your Mac, iPhone, or iPad against attacks from the internet, physical intrusion, and more with the greatest of ease. Glenn Fleishman guides you through protecting yourself from phishing, email, and other exploits, as well as network-based invasive behavior. Learn about built-in privacy settings, the Secure Enclave, FileVault, hardware encryption keys, sandboxing, privacy settings, Advanced Data Protection, Lockdown Mode, resetting your password when all hope seems lost, and much more.n The digital world is riddled with danger, even as Apple has done a fairly remarkable job at keeping our Macs, iPhones, and iPads safe. But the best security strategy is staying abreast of past risks and anticipating future ones. This book gives you all the insight and directions you need to ensure your Apple devices and their data are safe. You’ll learn about the enhanced Advanced Data Protection option for iCloud services, allowing you to keep all your private data inaccessible not just to thieves and unwarranted government intrusion, but even to Apple! Also get the rundown on Lockdown Mode to deter direct network and phishing attacks, passkeys and hardware secure keys for the highest level of security for Apple Account and website logins, and Mac-specific features such as encrypted startup volumes and FileVault’s login protection process. Security and privacy are tightly related, and this book helps you understand how macOS, iOS, and iPadOS have increasingly compartmentalized and protected your personal data, and how to allow only the apps you want to access specific folders, your contacts, and other information. Here’s what this book has to offer: • Master the privacy settings on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad • Calculate your level of risk and your tolerance for it • Use Apple’s Stolen Device Protection feature for iPhone that deflects thieves who extract your passcode through coercion or misdirection. • Learn why you’re asked to give permission for apps to access folders and personal data on your Mac • Moderate access to your audio, video, screen actions, and other hardware inputs and outputs • Get to know the increasing layers of system security deployed over the past few years • Prepare against a failure or error that might lock you out of your device • Share files and folders securely over a network and through cloud services • Upgrade your iCloud data protection to use end-to-end encryption • Control other low-level security options to reduce the risk of someone gaining physical access to your Mac—or override them to install system extensions • Understand FileVault encryption and protection for Mac, and avoid getting locked out • Investigate the security of a virtual private network (VPN) to see whether you should use one • Learn how the Secure Enclave in Macs with a T2 chip or M-series Apple silicon affords hardware-level protections • Dig into ransomware, the biggest potential threat to Mac users (though rare in practice) • Discover recent security and privacy technologies, such as Lockdown Mode and passkeys

Get to know macOS 12 Monterey! Version 1.2, updated June 29, 2022 macOS 12 Monterey builds on the changes in Big Sur, making your Intel or M-series Mac even more powerful and easier to use. This book teaches you how to prepare for a smooth transition to the new version of macOS—and what to do once you've upgraded. Learn your way around, find out about new capabilities (and a few pitfalls), and improve your privacy and security. Following 2020's Big Sur release, which massively overhauled the macOS interface and introduced support for M-series (Apple silicon) Macs, we have macOS 12 Monterey. Although the look and feel are quite similar to Big Sur, Monterey adds refinements, improvements, and interesting new features to books your productivity and your privacy. As was the case for Big Sur, we're not publishing a separate Take Control of Upgrading to Monterey book. Instead, complete upgrading instructions are included here, along with details about what to expect before, during, and after your Monterey installation. Among the many subjects covered in this book are: • How to tell whether your Mac is compatible with Monterey • Steps you should take before upgrading • Upgrading from the Monterey public beta • How to perform an in-place upgrade—or do a clean install and migrate your old data from a backup • Improvements to FaceTime, such as updated audio and video options, scheduled meetings, and (later this year) SharePlay • New Messages feature, including Shared with You better handling of photos, and new Memoji options • Changes in Safari 15—including last-minute changes to address design flaws in the new interface for tabs • The Focus feature that takes Do Not Disturb to a new level • Shortcuts, which has made its way from iOS/iPadOS to macOS and added new features • What's new in the Maps app, including more city detail, Driving mode, and better transit support • Small but interesting changes throughout macOS, such as AirPlay to Mac, iCloud+, improved password support, and Quick Note • Improvements to bundled apps, including Books, Finder, Mail, Notes, Photos, and more

Overcome password frustration with Joe Kissell's expert advice! Version 4.1.1, updated March 21, 2024 Password overload has driven many of us to take dangerous shortcuts. If you think ZombieCat12 is a secure password, that you can safely reuse a password, or that no one would try to steal your password, think again! Overcome password frustration with expert advice from Joe Kissell! Passwords have become a truly maddening aspect of modern life, but with this book, you can discover how the experts handle all manner of password situations, including multi-factor authentication that can protect you even if your password is hacked or stolen. The book explains what makes a password secure and helps you create a strategy that includes using a password manager, working with oddball security questions like "What is your pet’s favorite movie?", and making sure your passwords are always available when needed. Joe helps you choose a password manager (or switch to a better one) in a chapter that discusses desirable features and describes nine different apps, with a focus on those that work in macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android. The book also looks at how you can audit your passwords to keep them in tip-top shape, use two-step verification and two-factor authentication, and deal with situations where a password manager can’t help. New in the Fourth Edition is complete coverage of passkeys, which offer a way to log in without passwords and are rapidly gaining popularity—but also come with a new set of challenges and complications. The book also now says more about passcodes for mobile devices. An appendix shows you how to help a friend or relative set up a reasonable password strategy if they're unable or unwilling to follow the recommended security steps, and an extended explanation of password entropy is provided for those who want to consider the math behind passwords. This book shows you exactly why: • 9-character passwords with upper- and lowercase letters, digits, and punctuation are not strong enough. • You cannot turn a so-so password into a great one by tacking a punctuation character and number on the end. • It is not safe to use the same password everywhere, even if it’s a great password. • A password is not immune to automated cracking because there’s a delay between login attempts. • Even if you’re an ordinary person without valuable data, your account may still be hacked, causing you problems. • You cannot manually devise “random” passwords that will defeat potential attackers. • Just because a password doesn’t appear in a dictionary, that does not necessarily mean that it’s adequate. • It is not a smart idea to change your passwords every month. • Truthfully answering security questions like “What is your mother’s maiden name?” does not keep your data more secure. • Adding a character to a 10-character password does not make it 10% stronger. • Easy-to-remember passwords like “correct horse battery staple” will not solve all your password problems. • All password managers are not pretty much the same. • Passkeys are beginning to make inroads, and may one day replace most—but not all!—of your passwords. • Your passwords will not be safest if you never write them down and keep them only in your head. But don’t worry, the book also teaches you a straightforward strategy for handling your passwords that will keep your data safe without driving you batty.

Get up to speed quickly with macOS 15! Version 1.1, published September 16, 2024 macOS 15 Sequoia is one of Apple's most ambitious updates in years. Along with the usual range of new features, it introduces Apple Intelligence, which will permeate many parts of the system and fundamentally change the sorts of things you can do with your Mac and how you do them. This book is your complete guide to what's new in Sequoia—and what Apple has planned for future updates, too. Sequoia is an unusual release in that the first version (15.0) has only a fraction of its promised features. Version 15.1, which appears to be on track to ship not long thereafter, will bring with it the first tranche of Apple Intelligence capabilities, and even more will roll out over the coming months. Joe Kissell tells you everything you need to know, including a thorough walk-through of the upgrade process. You'll learn about new window tiling features, iPhone mirroring, videoconferencing tools, the much-discussed Passwords app, how Siri is becoming more powerful, new ways of formatting messages in the Messages app, additional features in Notes, and much more. This book teaches you things like: • How to tell whether your Mac is compatible with Sequoia • Steps you should take before upgrading • How to perform an in-place upgrade—or do a clean install and migrate your old data from a backup • What's new in the System Settings app • Using new Safari 18 features, such as page highlights, a redesigned Reader view, a tool to remove distracting page elements, and a new video viewer • What Apple Intelligence can do in macOS 15.1 (including Siri changes, writing tools, and image generation) and what's coming later (for example, ChatGPT features) • The many ways you can now tile your windows, and how to turn off the annoying bits • What the new Passwords app can and can't do (and why it probably won't replace your current password manager) • Using the new iPhone Mirroring app to interact with your iPhone right on your Mac's screen • How to enhance video calls (using apps like FaceTime, Zoom, or Slack) with background replacement and better screen sharing controls • Ways to format text and add animations in Messages, plus smart replies, scheduled replies, and emoji or sticker tapbacks • New ways to use Notes, including new text formatting options, transcription of live audio, collapsible sections, and text highlighting • How to use Math Notes for calculations without a calculator or spreadsheet (and not just in the Notes app) • Small but interesting changes throughout macOS, such as accessibility improvements and new capabilities for AirPods • Improvements to bundled apps, including Calculator, Calendar, Freeform, Home, Mail, Maps, Photos, and Weather Joe plans to update this book several times in the coming months to reflect the ongoing changes in Sequoia.

Understand iCloud’s capabilities and limitations, and put its key features to good use! Version 9.1, updated January 16, 2024 Apple’s iCloud service is highly useful, but it can also create headaches for the average user. In this book, Joe Kissell explains how to avoid frustrations and make iCloud work for you across all your devices. iCloud is a simple idea in theory—access to all your data on all your devices, via the cloud—that can become complicated when put into practice. Instead of wasting time fiddling with iCloud, when there are many other more important things to be done with the information it contains, learn how to minimize frustrations with Take Control of iCloud, Ninth Edition! Whether you want a quick tip or a deep dive into the inner workings of iCloud, you’ll find what you need in this best-selling book by Apple expert Joe Kissell. Start by learning what iCloud can do, how it differs from other cloud services, and how best to set it up on Macs, iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple TVs, and Windows PCs. Then, move on to finding out the key aspects—and hidden gotchas—of iCloud’s core features, including: • iCloud+, Apple's paid membership tiers with extra features • Photo features: iCloud Photos, iCloud Photo Sharing, and iCloud Shared Photo Library • Family Sharing • iTunes Match and iCloud Music Library • iCloud Drive • Mail and Mail Drop • Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, and Notes • iCloud Keychain • the iCloud website • Location features: Find My Device, Find My Item, Find My People, and the Find My app • Two-factor authentication • Activation lock • Backing up and recovering data • Managing your privacy and security (including the use of Advanced Data Protection) This edition not only covers the changes to iCloud in macOS 14 Sonoma, iOS 178, and iPadOS 17 but also includes details about recent changes to iCloud that span operating systems, including the iCloud website. It also continues to cover macOS 10.15 Catalina, macOS 11 Big Sur, macOS 12 Monterey, macOS 13 Ventura and iOS 16/iPadOS 16, but drops coverage of earlier operating system versions.

Unlock the power of Pages for Mac and iPad! Version 4.0, updated October 10, 2023 Discover how to make the most out of Pages! In this fully revised fourth edition, Michael E. Cohen digs deep into Pages, unearthing the nuggets of knowledge you need to make your work shine. Create complex documents of all sorts on your Mac or iPad, sync them via iCloud, and share them with other people.n Apple’s Pages word processor is a big, rich app with hundreds of features tucked away in nooks and crannies, making Michael E. Cohen’s comprehensive book an essential resource for newbies and experts alike. Whether you prefer to dive into the details or get quick help with a particular feature, this book has got you covered. Note: This edition of the book focuses primarily on the Mac and iPad versions of Pages, although it does cover the iPhone and web versions of the app to a limited extent. In this thoroughly revised fourth edition, Michael expands his already extensive guide, detailing all the changes Apple has made to Pages since the last version of the book was released, including support for macOS 14 Sonoma and iPadOS 17. Among many other new and updated features, learn about using Mail Merge, adding and working with 3D images, and collaborating with other users on a document. You’ll also learn how to find features that have been moved or renamed. With Michael’s help, you can navigate Pages like a pro. You'll also learn how to: • Find all the tools you need, whether on a Mac or an iPad • Do everyday word processing, including working with fonts, tabs, indents, rulers, search and replace, spell checking, and more • Format longer, more complex documents, with customized headers, footers, page numbers, tables of content, footnotes, and section breaks • Manage styles, including paragraph styles, character styles, list styles, and object styles • Create your own templates, complete with layout objects • Master the many multi-touch gestures in iPadOS that give you pinpoint control over page elements • Include complex tables and charts and make them look exactly the way you want • Customize layout and manipulate graphics like a pro • Collaborate with others in real time using iCloud • Share your documents across devices, using Mac, iPad, iPhone, or almost any web browser