There are two versions of the first iOS 16 wallpaper – a regular version and another for “dark” mode. Both images are high-resolution, which means they will look great on an iPad, iPhone or even on your Mac. If you need help figuring out how to set these as wallpapers, we’ve got an easy to follow guide on how to download and set an image as a wallpaper on an iPhone or iPad.

 

 

Here are the first two macOS 13 “Ventura” wallpapers – one for light mode and one for dark mode.

Thanks to iDB for providing these images!

The post Download Now: The iOS 16 and macOS 13 “Ventura” Wallpapers appeared first on Simple Help.

In fact, there’s more than one way to read a QR code without a camera. If you have access to a web browser (any browser – on your phone, laptop/desktop or “other”) you can upload the QR code to a site that will decode it for you. If you’re using an Android device or you already have the Google App (which is also available for the iPhone or iPad).

Whichever method you opt for, save the QR code to your Photos (Photo Library) if you’re using a mobile phone or your Downloads folder if you’re using a Mac/PC. If you need help saving an image on your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps.

Read a QR Code Using the Web

1. Visit the Web QR site. If you’re using a desktop browser you’ll see a message about the site wanting to access your camera – just click the X to close that box.



2. If you’re using a mobile device you’ll probably see a message similar to the one below – just click the Cancel or No button.



3. Now click (or tap) the camera icon found on the right side of the ’empty box’ (see screenshot below)



4. Select the Choose File button.



5. Navigate to your QR code file/image, select it, and click the Open button.



6. If you’re using an iPhone, select Photo Library and select the QR code from there.



7. Web QR will display the “human readable” message embedded within the QR code. In this example, the QR code links to the website www.simplehelp.net. That’s it!



8. If you want to test out the Web QR site, here’s a QR code for you to try:

Read a QR Code Using the Google App

1. Tap the Google icon to open the App.



2. Tap the Camera icon at the end of the search box.



3. If this is the first time you’re accessing your camera via the Google app, it will probably need to be granted permission first. Tap the OK button (Android users tap the equivalent Allow or Yes button).



4. Now tap the Open camera button. It’s probably also a good time to point out that the last couple of steps won’t be required every time you do this – it’s normally much faster :)



5. Instead of taking a picture of something and then performing a search of the item(s) in the picture, tap the photo button next to the shutter button (see screenshot below)



6. Tap Allow Access to All Photos



7. Select the QR code image file from your library.



8. Ta-da! The app will decipher the QR code for you and display the results right on screen. If the QR code contains a URL, you can even launch it in a browser by clicking the Website button.



9. That’s it! Now you know two ways to read QR codes without having to use a camera.

The post How to Read a QR Code Without a Camera appeared first on Simple Help.

If you love having photos on your iPhone or iPad Home Screen, but don’t love how random the choice of photos is – this is the widget for you! With the free and easy to use Photos Widget, you can choose exactly which photos you want to appear on your Home Screen. Here’s how –

1. Start by installing the Photos Widget from the App Store.



2. Once it’s been downloaded and installed, open it by tapping the Open button or by its newly added icon in your App list.



3. Tap the Continue button on the bottom of the initial “welcome” screen.



4. Tap the Allow Access to All Photos button to grant the Photos Widget access to your photos.



5. Depending on the version you installed you may be presented with a notice informing you that the widget system is still a bit buggy – just tap the OK button to dismiss it.



6. Now on the main Photos Widget “home” screen, tap the ‘plus sign’ ( + ) button in the upper-right corner of the App.



7. Tap the Photo Library option.







8. Select the photos you want to appear in the Photo widget on your Home Screen and then click the Add button.



9. Tap OK when prompted.



10. Now tap and hold your finger down on an empty part of the Home Screen you want to put the widget on until the “plus sign” ( + ) icon appears in the upper-right corner of the screen. Select it when it does.



11. Scroll down until you find the Photo Widget item and select it. Note: make sure to select the one titled Photo Widget and not Photos.



12. Now swipe through the widget options until you reach the ones that are titled Photos (and not Album) and then select the size of the widget you want to use.



13. Once you have the widget in place on your Home Screen, tap inside of it and hold your finger down until a menu appears (see screenshot below). Select Edit Widget from that menu.



14. Toggle the All Photos option to ON.



15. Ta-da! Your widget will now display the photos that you selected back in step #8 and only those photos. That’s it!



16. This helpful widget provides lots of other features and options – check them out to further customize your Home Screens. Or, check out our other iPhone and iPad guides and tutorials for more helpful tips :)

The post How to Customize the Photos in the iOS Photos Widget appeared first on Simple Help.

Here’s a scenario for you – you’ve got an iCloud+ account (a paid iCloud subscription) and your friend doesn’t. They’re running low on their free 5GB of iCloud storage space and desperately needs more (and probably getting constant emails from Apple telling them their iCloud storage is almost full). Why not share some of your extra space with them? Although Apple refers to this as “Family Sharing” – there’s absolutely no reason you can’t share your iCloud storage with a friend, roommate, co-worker or other acquaintance.

Following the steps outlined below you’ll be able to grant permission for a friend, roommate, co-worker OR family member to use your iCloud storage space to save their own photos and data. It’s very important to note that no, they will not be able to access your iCloud data and you will not be able to access theirs.

From the official Family Sharing guide by Apple,

Everyone’s personal files and preferences stay private. When you share iCloud+, family members can’t see each others’ photos, files, or documents.

For the sake of this guide we’re going to use an iPhone to complete all of the required steps. You can do this on an iPad and the steps will be almost identical. You can also do it on your Mac via the Family Sharing icon in the System Preferences and while though steps are quite different, you should still be able to follow along.

1. The first step is to setup Family Sharing itself. This is an Apple feature/service that allows you to share various services and subscriptions with “family” members (remember – that can include friends, roommates, co-workers etc). Although there are lots of things you can share, we’re only going to cover iCloud storage – feel free to check out all the other options and settings once you’re done.
2. Start out by tapping the Settings icon.



3. Select your Profile (directly below the word Settings).



4. Choose Family Sharing from the list of options.



5. Tap the + Add Member link.



6. A Invite People to Your Family window will appear – select the Invite People button inside of that window.



7. If the person is right next to you with an iPhone/iPad you can use AirDrop to send the “invitation” link, otherwise tap the Mail icon.



8. Enter the email address of the person you want to allow to use your iCloud storage space, and give the email a subject (or enter a short message) so they know why you’re sending a long and slightly strange looking link.



9. When the person you invite opens the link in the email they’ll be invited to join your “family” – tell them to tap the Join Family button.



10. Then they just have to tap the Done button and that’s it – they don’t need to do anything else.



11. Now that your friend is a member of your “family”, you can share your iCloud storage with them. Once again open your iPhone/iPad Settings and select your Profile.



12. Choose Family Sharing again.



13. This time scroll down to the MORE TO SHARE section and select the iCloud+ option.



14. When prompted, tap the Share iCloud+ With Family button.



15. That’s it. Tap the Close button.



16. Now return to Family Sharing – this time you’ll see a new section titled SHARED WITH YOUR FAMILY and inside of it an item named iCloud+ – select it.



17. From here you’ll see a list of the people using your iCloud storage (iCloud+) and how much space each person is using.



18. After you’ve given your friend permission to use your iCloud storage, they can return to their iCloud settings and see that the amount of usable storage space has increased to whatever your plan includes. You’re a good friend!



19. In addition to via your iPhone/iPad, you can manage friends (users) via the System Preferences on a Mac. I’m not sure why you can’t manage users via the web, for now it’s via iOS and macOS only.

Learn how to procure goods and services in the cloud with Oracle Procurement Cloud online training. This online training covers how to manage contracts, purchase requisitions, and supplier information in the cloud.

While you’re here, why not check out our other iPhone and iPad tips, tricks and tutorials? :)

The post How to Share Your iCloud Storage With a Friend or Family Member appeared first on Simple Help.

Overview

The steps to schedule a tweet are slightly different depending on the device you’re using. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered regardless as to whether you’re using a mobile device (iPhone, Android, iPad etc) or a desktop/laptop (Windows, macOS, Linux etc).

Schedule a Tweet Using a Mobile Device (Android/iOS)

Long story short: use the “mobile web” version of Twitter. That means instead of using the Twitter app to schedule a tweet, you use Twitter via the web browser on your phone or tablet. Here’s how –

1. Open the web browser on your phone or tablet (Safari, Chrome etc) and open the page https://mobile.twitter.com. Sign in with your Twitter username and password. Once you’ve signed in, tap the “Compose Tweet” button.



2. Compose your tweet the same way you always do – attach a photo or video if you’d like – everything you’d normally do. Instead of tapping the Tweet button, locate and tap the Schedule icon/button which is found towards the bottom of the ‘compose tweet’ box (see screenshot below).



3. Now choose the date and time that you’d like the tweet to be automatically sent. When you’ve made your selections, tap the Confirm button.



4. The Tweet button will now switch to say Schedule instead. Tap it.



5. You’ll see a little confirmation notification letting you know the tweet has been scheduled. You can now close out of the browser if you’d like – you don’t need to keep it open for the tweet to be sent later.



6. If you ever want to see a list of your scheduled tweets, go back to the compose window and look for the link titled Unsent Tweets (Note: you will not have an Unsent Tweets link if you don’t have any currently scheduled tweets or tweets that have been saved as drafts).



7. Select the Scheduled tab and from here you’ll find a list of all the tweets you currently have scheduled to send at a later time/date.



8. That’s it!

back to top

Schedule a Tweet Using a Desktop or Laptop (Windows/macOS/Linux)

1. Head over to twitter.com in your favorite web browser and sign in. Click the large Tweet button.



2. Compose your tweet the same way you always do – attach a photo or video if you’d like – everything you’d normally do. Instead of tapping the Tweet button, locate and tap the Schedule icon/button which is found towards the bottom of the ‘compose tweet’ box (see screenshot below).



3. Enter in the required info in the Date and Time sections and then click the Confirm button.



4. Finally, click the Schedule button.



5. That’s it! Your tweet will be sent at the time you specified back in step #3 and you don’t need to keep Twitter or your browser open, it’s all taken care of. If you ever want to review your scheduled tweets, compose a new tweet and look for the Unsent Tweets link – which will only appear if you have scheduled or tweet drafts saved.



6. Select the Scheduled tab to see your scheduled tweets.



7. That’s it!

The post How to Schedule a Tweet to Send Later appeared first on Simple Help.

Note: if you’re looking for the very latest iOS and macOS wallpapers, check out this post for the iOS 16 and macOS 13 “Ventura” wallpapers.

There are two versions of the first iOS 15 wallpaper – a regular version and another for “dark” mode. Here’s a .zip file that contains both, or you can download them individually via the following links: iOS 15 wallpaper #1 | iOS 15 wallpaper #1 (dark). Both images are high-resolution, which means they will look great on an iPad or even on your Mac. If you need help figuring out how to set these as wallpapers, we’ve got an easy to follow guide on how to download and set an image as a wallpaper on an iPhone or iPad.

There are a few macOS 12 “Monterey” wallpapers and here’s the first one.

Thanks to Macwelt for providing these images!

The post Download Now: The iOS 15 and macOS 12 “Monterey” Wallpapers appeared first on Simple Help.

The easiest way – and this works on Macs, iPhones and iPads – is to tap the letter that you want to accent and hold the key down. After a moment a ‘pop-up’ bubble will appear and you can select the accent you wish to use. On your Mac, when you hold the e key down, a pop-up will appear and you can select from one of 7 different accents for the e key. To select the accent, just click on the one you want to use, or tap it’s corresponding number (in this case, 1-7)

On your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, when you hold down a key a series of options for that key will appear. As illustrated in the screenshot below, when you hold down the letter e a menu will appear with options for the e key.

Another option for typing French characters on your Mac is to use the option key.

To type an accent aigu, hold down the option key and tap the letter e (an apostrophe-looking character will appear temporarily) . Then let go of the option key and tap the letter e again. This time an e with an accent aigu (é) will replace the apostrophe.

Using the option key to type an accent grave is a bit different. Hold down the option key and tap the ` key. Let go of the option key and this time tap either a, e or u – depending on which letter you want to use the accent grave with.

Typing an accent circonflexe is a bit like an accent grave – hold down the option key and tap the i key. Let go of the option key and this time tap either a, e, i, o or u – depending on which letter you want to use the accent circonflexe with.

To type a tréma use the same method as a circonflexe but replace the i key with the u key.

One final way to type characters with accents is to use the Characters Viewer (it’s called just Characters in older versions of OS X/macOS) – the same one that you can use to “type” emojis.

The post How to Type French Characters (é, è, ê) on Your Mac appeared first on Simple Help.

1. Open the Gmail App on your iPhone/iPad and select the “3 lines” button located in the upper-left corner of the App (see screenshot below).



2. Select Settings from the list of options.



3. Select your account from the list in the Settings section.



4. Locate the General section and then toggle the Meet ON/OFF switch to OFF.



5. Now when you’re using the Gmail App on your iPhone the Meet tab won’t be displayed.

Now that you know how to remove the Meet tab in Gmail, check out this short guide on how to schedule emails to send later using Gmail.

The post How to Remove the Meet Tab from the iPhone Gmail App appeared first on Simple Help.

Background

Privacy is obviously important. Some of the ‘warning’ messages that Apple displays in iOS can make users a bit uneasy. Here’s exactly what Google has to say about privacy and the Google keyboard:

We know the things you type on your phone are personal, so we’ve designed Gboard to keep your private information private.

What Gboard sends to Google:

Gboard sends your searches to Google’s web servers to give you search results.

Gboard also sends usage statistics to Google to let us know which features are used most often and to help us understand problems if the app crashes.

If you use Gboard’s microphone, voice input will be sent to Google for transcription.

What Gboard doesn’t send to Google:

Other than your searches and voice inputs, Gboard doesn’t send anything you type to Google, whether it’s a password or chat with a friend.

To help you with spelling and to predict searches you might be interested in, Gboard will store the words you type on your device. This data is not accessible by Google or by any apps, and can be cleared at any time.

If you’ve turned on contacts search in Gboard search settings, this allows Gboard to search the contacts on your device so you can easily share. None of these queries are sent to Google.

Install and Setup the Google Keyboard in iOS

1. Head over to the Gboard for iOS page on the App Store and download it as you would any other iOS App.



2. Once the download and installation has completed, tap the newly added Gboard icon on your Home Screen.



3. Now you’ll run through a quick setup – start by tapping the GET STARTED button.



4. The first step involves turning on and granting certain permissions to the Google Keyboard. Tap the GET STARTED button again.



5. The Settings panel will open. Tap the Keyboards row.



6. Toggle the Gboard switch to ON and then toggle the Allow Full Access switch to ON as well.



7. When the confirmation window appears tap the Allow button.



8. Return to the Gboard app and finish the setup by tapping the UNDERSTOOD button.



9. The Gboard Settings will open up now that the setup process has completed. You can close this window for now.

Using the Google Keyboard in iOS

1. Open an App that uses the keyboard (Notes is a good one) and tap the “Google” button that should now appear just above the keyboard itself. If the button isn’t there, proceed with step #2 – otherwise you can jump down to step #4 below.



2. Tap and hold the ‘globe’ icon found between the numbers key and the microphone key.



3. Select Gboard from the list of options.



4. After you’ve tapped the Google button, a search window will appear. In all likelihood a few examples will appear in the list. Select or search for Restaurants near me to test out the search feature.



5. You’ll be prompted to allow Gboard to have access to your location. Tap the Allow While Using App button.



6. Now a bunch of restaurants near you will appear. Tap one of them.



7. You’ll see a Copied! notification appear by the restaurant you just tapped. Now ‘tap and hold’ on a blank area within the Notes App and select Paste when the contextual menu appears. This will paste a URL for the restaurant, along with its name, address and phone number. This is super helpful when you’re emailing friends about meeting up at specific location.



8. Right above the ‘search bar’ within Gboard there’s a row of options. Select YouTube from that list. Now when you run a search it will search YouTube.com, and you can tap one of the results to copy and paste it as well.



9. If you return to the main Gboard interface (with the keyboard visible) you’ll see a row at the top of the keyboard with a series of icons in it. Select the one with a ‘magnifying glass’ that seems to be hovering on top of a square smiley emoji.



10. This will bring up the ‘search GIFs’ panel. From here you can search for animated GIFs.



11. And of course you can copy and paste them into your current App as well.



12. You can also search through emojis and stickers this way.



13. If you select the ‘pen’ icon from the bottom row, you can even draw your own pictures – and copy and paste those too!



14. Once again return to the main Gboard interface and this time tap the Microphone icon from the row at the top of the keyboard.



15. iOS will prompt you to allow access to your microphone. Tap OK



16. From here you can dictate your messages and ignore the keyboard completely :)



17. Congrats – you’re now familiar with most of the features using the Google keyboard on iPhone. Keep ‘tapping’ around and discover more of the options. If you have any questions or concerns by all means leave a comment below!

In case your Android device came with a different keyboard installed, you can of course install Gboard on an Android device too.

The post How to Use the Google Keyboard on an iPhone appeared first on Simple Help.

Using a fantastic little app named Typeedo you can use your Mac’s keyboard to control other devices – like an iPhone or iPad, Android phone or tablet, an Apple TV, a Windows PC – even a gaming system. As long as the device supports bluetooth, you’re good to go.

Typeedo is available to use without any restrictions for 7 days before you’ll be required to purchase it, so if you’re not happy with it you can just delete it and carry on. After 7 days it’ll cost $7.99 on the Mac App Store. If you purchase Typeedo via the link available in the trial version, it costs $13.96. According to a representative from the company, this is the intended behavior, even though both versions are identical (it makes no sense to me either). So if you do decide to buy Typeedo, save yourself a few dollars and buy it on the Mac App Store.
 
Let’s get started! Head over to the Typeeto home page and download the 7 day free trial. Once the download has completed, open the .dmg file and drag the app to your Applications folder to install it. Now just follow the instructions for iOS (iPhones and iPads), Android phones and tablets or “other” (Windows, gaming devices, media centers etc).

1. First things first, open your System Preferences and select the Bluetooth icon. Make sure that Bluetooth is turned On.



2. Now launch Typeeto. If this is your first time opening it, you’ll be taken through a quick tour. On the last screen, you may wish to remove the checkmark from the box labelled Open at login until you’re sure you want it to start up each time your Mac does.



3. The Typeeto Preferences window will open automatically.



4. Switch over to your iPhone/iPad and select the Settings button.



5. Choose Bluetooth from the list of options.



6. Make sure that the bluetooth toggle is switched to ON so that bluetooth is enabled, and then select your Mac from the list of available devices (it may take a few seconds to appear).



7. Back over on your Mac, a confirmation window will appear. Click the Connect button.



8. Your iPhone/iPad will now be connected to your Mac.



9. Typeeto will confirm you want to use your Mac’s keyboard on your iPhone/iPad – click the Start typing button.



10. A small window will appear on your Mac letting you know that you’re now connected to your iOS device.



11. Open an app on your iPhone/iPad and type using your Mac’s keyboard. Ta-da!



12. At any point in the future you can quickly connect your Mac to your iOS device by clicking the Typeeto menu bar icon and selecting your iPhone/iPad from the list.

Back to top

1. First things first, open your System Preferences and select the Bluetooth icon. Make sure that Bluetooth is turned On.



2. Now launch Typeeto. If this is your first time opening it, you’ll be taken through a quick tour. On the last screen, you may wish to remove the checkmark from the box labelled Open at login until you’re sure you want it to start up each time your Mac does.



3. The Typeeto Preferences window will open automatically.



4. On your Android device, open the Settings and select Bluetooth from the list of options. Make sure that bluetooth is turned on and then select your Mac from the list of nearby devices.



5. A Bluetooth pairing request window will appear displaying a PIN code.



6. Back over on your Mac, a Connection Request window will appear. Make sure that the PIN code matches the one that’s being displayed on your Android device and then click the Connect button.



7. Your Mac will now be listed as a Paired device



8. Typeeto will confirm the connection has been made and that you can now use your keyboard to control your Android device. Click the Start typing button.



9. A small window will be displayed letting you know that your keyboard is now being directed to your Android phone or tablet.



10. Open an app on your Android device and start typing with your Mac’s keyboard. Ta-da!



11. Going forward, you can connect to your Android device much faster by clicking the Typeeto icon in your menu bar and selecting your device.

Back to top

In general terms, to connect your other devices (Apple TV, a Windows PC, gaming system etc) to your Mac’s keyboard, open that devices settings and make sure Bluetooth is enabled and turned on. Do the same with your Mac. Initiate a connection from the device to your Mac rather than the other way around.

Your Mac may be listed as a “keyboard” rather than a Mac when the other device is searching for it.

You may be prompted to enter a PIN and not just confirm that two are identical.

For additional support see the Typeeto help page/user guide or contact their support team.

Back to top

The post How to Use Your Mac’s Keyboard With Other Devices appeared first on Simple Help.

The first iOS App of the Month goes to Buddy – an expense tracking finance app.

As described by the developer:

Buddy helps you set up a budget and keep track of your expenses. We’ll give you a beautiful & detailed overview of your spendings, income, and savings.

Buddy is free with a paid subscription model if you want to use the “pro” features. In my case, none of the pro features are ones that I’m interested in using – so the functionality I discuss here is part of the free version.

I was looking for a “finance app” with a few features in mind. Specifically, I want to keep track of how much I’m putting on my credit card every month and have a better understanding of where my money is going. So very important features for me are:

1. The ability to quickly add a purchase/expense to the app. I don’t want to have to open an App and navigate through 3 pages of options and tap two dozen buttons to add each transaction.
2. The ability to either leave a short note or add the purchase to a ‘category’ so I can monitor what I’m spending my money on.
3. An easy to use interface where I can quickly find the information I’m looking for, which is typically the total amount I’ve spent and where I spent it.

Buddy accomplishes those things in spades.

It’s so easy to add a purchase to the App that I can usually have it done before I leave the store, often before I’ve been handed the receipt. All you have to do is open the app, click a large and obvious “plus sign” button ( + ) and then enter the amount you spent, assign the transaction a category (groceries, restaurant, entertainment etc). It takes about 15 seconds in total.

At a glance I can determine how much I’ve spent in any given day/week/month, and where that money went. I went through half a dozen finance apps before I settled on Buddy, so I can say with a high degree of confidence that if you’re looking for an expense tracker, this is where you should start.

The post iOS App of the Month: Buddy appeared first on Simple Help.

1. Open the Twitter app and select the Compose New Tweet button.



2. Tap the Attach Image button.



3. Select the Live Photo you want to tweet as an animated GIF and then tap the Add button.



4. Compose your tweet as you normally would but before you send it tap the small GIF icon in the bottom right corner of the image.



5. That will remove the ‘strikethrough’ – which indicates this will now be sent as an animated GIF and not a just a regular image.



6. Now send your tweet – all done!
   

   Yaaaaaaawn pic.twitter.com/rNmUL1NtIW

   — Simple Help (@simplehelpblog) December 12, 2019

The post How to Tweet an iOS Live Photo as an Animated GIF on Twitter appeared first on Simple Help.

1. On your iPhone (iPad or iPod Touch), head over to the App Store and install the iTunes Remote app by Apple. Once the installation has completed, open it up.



2. Tap the Connect Manually link.



3. Make note of the 4 digit number, you’ll need it in a few moments.



4. On your Mac, open the Music app and select your iPhone/iPad from the Devices list in the column on the left side of the window. If more than one iPhone is listed, select the one with the ‘play button’ icon (see screenshot below).



5. Enter the 4 digit code that was displayed back in step #3



6. After the code has been successfully applied, click the OK button.



7. Your iPhone/iPad is now able to control the Music app on your Mac!



8. Now you can now use your iPhone as a remote control for the Music app – view your collection by artist/album, view and even edit playlists, adjust the volume – you name it.

You can also use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to control Plex or VLC!

The post How to Use an iPhone as a Remote Control for the Music App appeared first on Simple Help.

Using the fantastic Batteries for Mac app you’ll be able to monitor the battery levels from the Today panel in the Notification Center of your Mac. If you’ve visited Simple Help before, you’ll know we typically prefer to utilize free and/or Open Source software. Batteries for Mac is neither, but it’s very reasonably priced at $5 – and we’re big fans of supporting truly great software. There’s a 14 day completely free trial, so you’ll have two weeks to decide if you want to buy it. Update: if you’d like a (currently) free alternative, try out iBetterCharge.

1. Head over to the Batteries for Mac home page and download the .tar.gz file (which is very much like a .zip file) – just double-click it and the Archive Utility will open and extract the Batteries.app file. Drag that file to your Applications folder to install Batteries for Mac.
2. Make sure that your iPhone and/or iPad is configured to allow WiFi sync in iTunes (macOS Mojave) or Show this device when on Wi-Fi in Finder (macOS Catalina) and that your iOS devices are on the same WiFi network as your computer.



3. Now launch Batteries from your Applications folder. There isn’t very much to it – just make sure to check the Enabled box next to Notifications. Then place a check next to each of the devices that you want to monitor and if you’d like to be notified when that specific device is running low on power. When you’ve adjusted your preferences to suit you, exit out of this window.



4. Click the Open Notification Center button from the very upper-right corner of your screen.



5. Select the Today tab.



6. Click the New button at the bottom of the panel.



7. Locate the newly added BATTERIES item and click the ‘plus sign’ (see screenshot below) to add it to your Today screen.



8. Use the ‘3 dashes’ icon to drag the newly added panel up or down until you find the location where you’d like it to reside.



9. Click the Done button.



10. Ta-da! A dedicated section of your Today panel will now contain the battery percentages of your devices. If a particular device is charging at the time, it’ll have a small ‘lightning bolt’ icon next to it.



11. As soon as one of your devices hits 20% remaining in the battery charge, a notification will pop up on your Mac.

If you’re concerned about the overall health of your iPhone or iPad battery, check out this guide.

The post How to Monitor Your iPhone/iPad Battery From Your Mac appeared first on Simple Help.

Do you have an old iPhone or iPod Touch? An Android phone or tablet you don’t use anymore? How about an old laptop with a webcam? If so, you’ve got all you need to create a streaming security camera you can view from any web browser in the world. It can even take screenshots when it detects motion.

Here’s how via Viyo describes their service:

We make setup simple. No clunky apps or hardware necessary. All you need are two devices: one to set up as a camera, and another to view your camera. Viyo is compatible with most phones, laptops and tablets.

That’s right – no apps required, just a web browser. To top it all off, it’s free! You can use this setup to monitor a pet while you’re at work, watch the front door for package deliveries – the scenarios are endless.

Here are step by step instructions for setting up your first camera.

1. Grab the device you’re going to use as the camera and on that device head over to viyo.io. Once you’re there, click/tap the GET STARTED FOR FREE button.



2. Enter your email address, a password and place a check the terms and conditions agreement box. Then click/tap the sign up button.



3. At this point you’ll be sent a confirmation email. Check your mail and follow the validation link to verify your account.



4. Once you’ve verified your account, you’ll be automatically logged into viyo.io on the device you’re using as a camera. You can scroll through the overview pages or select the Skip link to get to the good stuff.



5. Let’s setup your device as a camera – select the Setup Camera button.



6. At this point you’ll likely be prompted to allow viyo.io to access your camera and microphone. Tap Allow (or its equivalent on your device).



7. Select the Advanced Options link.



8. Here’s where you’ll do most of the configuring. If your device has more than one camera (most phones and tablets do), select the one you want to use as your security camera. Then give the camera a name (eg. Front Camera or Back Camera). Make sure there’s a check in the Notifications box and for the time being make sure there isn’t a check in the Motion Screenshots box. Select SETUP DEVICE when you’re done.



9. Your camera will start to stream audio and video. Point it at the area you want to monitor.



10. Tap the ‘3 dots’ button in the upper-right corner of your screen and then select the Settings button (the one that looks like a little cog).



11. From here you can adjust the sensitivity level for the camera to trigger the ‘motion detected’ feature. You’ll probably need to test this out and adjust accordingly. Once you’re happy with the sensitivity level then you can enable the Motion Screenshots setting, which will take a screenshot on your device each time motion is detected. Finally, make any Visual Adjustments you see fit – increase or decrease the brightness, saturation, contrast or hue. Select the Done button when you’ve finished.



12. Using the on-screen controls you can take a screenshot any time you’d like – just select the Camera icon and then accept the ‘download’.



13. If you don’t want to stream audio, select the ‘microphone’ icon and make sure it has the ‘strikethrough’ indicating that it’s muted.



14. Now to access the camera from another location. Hop onto your laptop or primary phone/tablet and head over to viyo.io in your main web browser. Sign in with the same account information you created way back in step #2. Once you’ve signed in, select the View Cameras button.



15. Select your active camera from the Camera Manager list.



16. Ta-da! You can now watch a live stream of the video camera you setup as a security cam.



17. If you’ve enabled notifications, a small window will appear in the browser letting you know each time the camera detected movement.



18. The first time you select the on-screen camera icon to take a screenshot of your security camera you’ll need to allow downloads from viyo.io.



19. The screenshot can then be found in your Downloads folder.



20. That’s it! If you’d like to use more than one camera you’ll need to pay for a subscription (currently $5/mo). Or, you can use the Viyo referral program to add additional cameras to your account.

The post How to Use Any Device as a Web Streaming Motion Sensing Security Camera appeared first on Simple Help.