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

Learn what's private online (not much)—and what to do about it! Version 5.0, updated May 28, 2024 Nearly everything you do say or do online can be recorded and scrutinized by advertisers, data brokers, and a long list of other people and organizations—often without your knowledge or consent. When your personal data falls into the wrong hands, you risk theft, embarrassment, and worse. But you can take steps to greatly improve your online privacy without sacrificing all your convenience. Nowadays, online privacy is extremely hard to come by. Corporations, governments, and scammers alike go out of their way to gather up massive amounts of your personal data. The situation feels bleak, but you have more control than you may realize. In this book, Joe Kissell helps you to develop a sensible, customized online privacy strategy. No matter what devices or operating systems you use, you’ll find practical advice that ordinary people need to handle common privacy needs. The massively revised fifth edition of Take Control of Your Online Privacy is packed with information that helps you get a handle on current topics in online privacy, including data breaches, hardware bugs, quantum computing, two-factor authentication, how ads can track you, and much more. You’ll receive savvy advice about topics such as these: Why worry? Find out who wants your private data, why they want it, and what that means to you. Determine your personal risk level, learn which privacy factors are most important to you, what you can and can't control, and what extra steps you can take if you're at a high risk of being personally targeted. Hear some good news (five steps you could take that would massively increase your online privacy)…and some bad news (why some of those steps may be difficult or infeasible). Remove personal information from Google and data brokers, though the process comes with limitations and gotchas. Discover Apple-Specific Privacy Features for users of Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Manage your internet connection: Secure your Wi-Fi network and keep your data from leaking out. Find advice on why and when to use a VPN or a network-connected privacy appliance, plus why you should be skeptical of VPN reviews. Browse and search the web: Avoid bogus websites, control your cookies and history, block ads, browse and search anonymously, and find out who is tracking you. Send and receive email: Find out how your email could be intercepted, learn techniques for encrypting email when necessary, get tips for sending email anonymously, and know when email is not the best way to communicate. Watch your social media: Understand the risks of sharing personal information online (especially on Facebook!), tweak your settings, and consider common-sense precautions. Talk and chat online: Consider to what extent any phone call, text message, or online chat is private, and find tips for enhancing privacy when using these channels. Protect your smart devices: Address privacy issues with "Internet of Things" devices like smart TVs, smart speakers, and home automation gear. Think mobile: Ponder topics like supercookies, location reporting, photo storage, spear phishing, and more as you decide how to handle privacy for a mobile phone or tablet. Help your children: As a parent, you may want to take extra steps to protect your children's privacy. Find a few key tips to keep in mind.

Whatever you want to do, The Rough Guide to the iPad 3rd edition has it covered: from FaceTime video-calling to to iPhoto image editing to HD TV streaming. This book tells you everything you need to know about the 3rd generation iPad. The Rough Guide to the iPad covers everything from buying advice, and the low-down on the features you get straight out of the box, to advanced tips and reviews of the most useful apps. This new edition covers all the latest software developments, including syncing via iCloud, iBooks 2, multitouch gestures, iTunes Music Match and advanced photo editing. And of course, all you need to know about the glorious new retina display. If you are new to iPad or looking to upgrade to the latest model, this Rough Guide will show you how to make the most of the world's most iconic tablet. Now available in ePub format.

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.

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.

Everything you need to know about the Apple TV! Version 4.0, updated December 13, 2023 Whether you're considering an Apple TV, already own one, or have a smart TV or streaming device that supports AirPlay and/or the Apple TV app, you can more fully enjoy Apple’s ecosystem with this ultimate guide by editor Josh Centers. You'll learn about the best TVs and sound equipment to buy, how to maximize your Apple TV's picture quality, get the most out of the Apple TV app, control your media with AirPlay, and so much more!n Josh walks you through cables, ports, and setup, and explains how to use gestures and spoken commands with the Siri Remote—yes, you can talk to your TV! He helps you navigate and customize the Home screen, plus describes getting-started settings such as inputting your Apple ID and enabling parental controls. You'll learn how to use the TV app (whether on the Apple TV box itself, on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad; or on a third-party smart TV), and how you can best view home movies and TV shows. The book also looks at using an Apple TV to listen to your music or Apple Music, download and play podcasts from the Podcasts app, and browse your photos. In Take Control of Apple TV you'll also read about: • What's new in tvOS 17 • Which Apple TV model to buy—or whether you should get different hardware instead • Getting the most out of your the Siri Remote (either version) • Alternatives to the Siri Remote • Using Control Center on an Apple TV • Using a game controller with Apple TV • Controlling Apple TV with Shortcuts • Using AirPlay to beam the display of your Mac or iPhone screen to your TV • Making Mac or iOS/iPadOS audio play through your TV’s speakers • Making and receiving FaceTime calls on an Apple TV • Using SharePlay to watch shows with friends in other places • Running Home Sharing to play media from a local computer • Using one or more HomePods as speakers for your Apple TV • Using an Apple Watch to control your Apple TV • What you can do with Conference Room Display mode • How to tell whether an iOS/iPadOS app includes a free copy of its Apple TV version • How to reset or restore an Apple TV—useful for troubleshooting or for handing your device to a new owner