Take Control Of Facetime And Messages 2nd Edition

Master Apple's video, audio, and text messaging tools! Version 2.0, updated December 13, 2023 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 Apple’s video, texting, and calling tools for owners of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. As FaceTime and Messages have expanded features, they’ve become more complicated to master and use exactly the way you want. How they interact with the phone network and the Phone app can be a blurry line, too. In this book, Glenn Fleishman lays out your options to best understand, use, and customize FaceTime and Messages for your needs and conversations. 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 Sonoma14.2, iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2, and tvOS 10.2) • How to master the basics of the FaceTime, Messages, and Phone apps • Essential settings and preferences for these apps, including how to pick your primary address or phone number and manage location sharing, and maintain your privacy • Ways to share your screen (or let someone share theirs with you) in both FaceTime and Messages, and when to use which • How to insert the text of a sign or other printed material in a message, or even dial a phone number by pointing your iPhone at a printed number • 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 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 use the Eye Contact feature on iPhones and iPads, which simulates eye-to-eye contact even when you’re not looking at the camera • 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 (and even how to transfer SharePlay to an Apple TV) • How to convert a FaceTime audio call to a video call • How to use gestures to create animated video effects 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 (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 • Ways to keep track of shared links and media across apps with Shared for You • The privacy tradeoffs of Messages in iCloud • 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

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. FaceTime, Messages, and Phone form the core of Apple’s video, texting, and call tools for owners of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. As FaceTime and Messages have expanded features, they’ve become more complicated to master and use exactly the way you want. How they interact with the phone network and the Phone app can be a blurry line, too. In this book, Glenn Fleishman lays out your options to best understand, use, and customize FaceTime and Messages for your needs and conversations. 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, and watchOS.

Make the most of Apple’s digital assistant! Version 2.0, published December 22, 2020 When it comes to using your Apple devices, Siri is increasingly the hands-free, time-saving, and fun technology that ties everything together. Whether you want to ask a question, make a call, find your iPhone, or set a timer—not only can Siri do it, but it usually offers the fastest way. This book explores how to get the most out of Siri on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac, and HomePod. Siri, Apple's voice-controlled digital assistant, has been around since 2011, when it debuted on the iPhone. But since then, it has become vastly more powerful and useful, and has spread across Apple's entire ecosystem—it now runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod. Siri can listen and speak in a wide range of languages and accents, perform a long list of helpful day-to-day tasks, and keep you entertained in the process. Although Siri is easy to use, it's so multitalented that you might easily overlook some of its best features. In this book, former Macworld editor Scholle McFarland takes you deep into Siri's capabilities. You'll learn tons of tips and tricks about making the most of Siri. Discover how Siri can increase your efficiency and productivity, lend a hand when you're in the car or out for a jog, and even make it simpler to play music or find movies and TV shows to watch. Among many other things, this book teaches you: • What hardware and software you need to use Siri • How to change Siri's language and voice • Ways to personalize Siri by telling it about yourself, your contacts, and more • The numerous ways to activate Siri (by touch or by voice) • How to use Siri with AirPods, wired earbuds, or third-party headphones • What to do if the wrong device answers your "Hey Siri" request • How to ask Siri about sports, math and conversions, time, food, health, movies, people, stocks, the weather, jokes, real-world sounds, and random facts • Tips for asking Siri follow-up questions • How to control music (on any device, with or without an Apple Music subscription) • Techniques for using Siri to get directions, set reminders and appointments, send messages and email, and take notes • Ways to use Siri to search for files on your Mac • What Siri can and can't do for you on an Apple TV or HomePod • How to make and use Shortcuts for use with Siri on an iOS/iPadOS device or Apple Watch • How to get your HomePod to recognize different people's voices • Everything you need to know about your privacy where Siri is involved Plus bonus videos! Since Siri is an audio-based, interactive tool, there are some things that are more readily demonstrated than written about. So Scholle has put together a series of videos that illustrate techniques from her book, allowing you to see and hear exactly what happens as you use Siri. Whether you're new to Siri or a seasoned pro, you're sure to find lots of tricks and suggestions in this book to improve your experience of using Siri.

Find sound advice for recording anything on your Mac! Version 2.0, updated March 31, 2022 Most of this book discusses Audio Hijack, a handy utility from Rogue Amoeba that can record and enhance any sound your Mac can play. There’s also a chapter about using Fission, also from Rogue Amoeba, to edit sound recordings.n Learn how to use Rogue Amoeba’s Audio Hijack version 4 to capture and enhance any audio playing on a Mac. Audio expert Kirk McElhearn provides instructions for setting up common scenarios—recording audio playing in Safari, capturing Zoom and FaceTime calls, digitizing your old LPs, extracting audio from concert DVDs, and working with mics and mixers, and much more. Kirk also helps you edit recordings in Rogue Amoeba’s Fission audio editor. You’ll learn how to pipe sound through Audio Hijack to enhance its quality without recording. For example, by boosting the volume or tweaking the bass—movies on Netflix never sounded better! You’ll also discover special features such as reusable sessions, recording to more than one file (and format) at once, scheduling recordings, time shifting during live playback, effects like ducking and panning, adding automatic metadata before recording, and more. And you'll learn how to use Audio Hijack as a powerful tool for live streaming or broadcasting. The Fission chapter has directions for trimming, cropping, adding, replacing, splitting, and fading audio. It also explains how to turn an audio file into a ringtone and—podcasters and educators take note!—how to make a chapterized AAC file. As far as recording goes, you’ll find help with: • Recording literally any audio played on your Mac. • Setting up reusable sessions with Audio Hijack’s Audio Grid interface. • Scheduling when your Mac should record something automatically. • Recording from a mic. Or two mics. Or a mixer. Or a food processor. • Capturing a chat from Zoom, FaceTime, and other voice-over-IP apps. • Checking volume levels before you record. • Ducking one audio source when a second source kicks in. • Digitizing an LP or cassette, while reducing hiss and noise. • Breaking a digitized album into separate songs. • Recording to multiple files and formats. • Using Audio Hijack to live stream to Twitch or YouTube Live, or to broadcast a streaming radio station. • Finding your recordings in Audio Hijack and the Finder. • Use Audio Hijack's new scripting feature to add automations to your sessions, and even integrate them with Apple’s Shortcuts app. If you’re interested in enhancing your aural experience, you’ll find help with: • Enhancing audio while you listen to it. For example, your little laptop’s speakers might not provide enough oomph for an action thriller’s soundtrack, but with Audio Hijack you can boost that sound and enjoy the flick. • Time-shifting live audio while you listen. You can pause and resume live audio you’re listening to, or go back a few seconds or jump ahead (if there’s anything to jump ahead to). Lastly, you’ll learn how to use Fission to polish your recordings. You can: • Trim unwanted bits. • Insert one audio file into another. • Fade in or out from silence. • Adjust a recording’s volume. • Create a ringtone or alert tone. • Make a chapterized AAC file. • Convert nearly any audio file to MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, or WAV format.

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

Master networking, privacy, and security for iOS and iPadOS! Version 4.2, updated January 29, 2024 Ensuring that your iPhone or iPad’s data remains secure and in your control and that your private data remains private isn’t a battle—if you know what boxes to check and how to configure iOS and iPadOS to your advantage. Take Control of iOS & iPadOS Privacy and Security takes you into the intricacies of Apple’s choices when it comes to networking, data sharing, and encryption—and protecting your personal safety. Substantially updated to cover dozens of changes and new features in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17! Your iPhone and iPad have become the center of your digital identity, and it’s easy to lose track of all the ways in which Apple and other parties access your data legitimately—or without your full knowledge and consent. While Apple nearly always errs on the side of disclosure and permission, many other firms don’t. This book comprehensively explains how to configure iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and iCloud-based services to best protect your privacy with messaging, email, browsing, and much more. The book also shows you how to ensure your devices and data are secure from intrusion from attackers of all types. You’ll get practical strategies and configuration advice to protect yourself against psychological and physical threats, including restrictions on your freedom and safety. For instance, you can now screen images that may contain nude images, while Apple has further enhanced Lockdown Mode to block potential attacks by governments, including your own. Take Control of iOS & iPadOS Privacy and Security covers how to configure the hundreds of privacy and data sharing settings Apple offers in iOS and iPadOS, and which it mediates for third-party apps. Safari now has umpteen different strategies built in by Apple to protect your web surfing habits, personal data, and identity, and new features in Safari, Mail, and Messages that block tracking of your movement across sites, actions on ads, and even when you open and view an email message. In addition to privacy and security, this book also teaches you everything you need to know about networking, whether you’re using 3G, 4G LTE, or 5G cellular, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or combinations of all of them; as well as about AirDrop, AirPlay, Airplane Mode, Personal Hotspot, and tethering. You’ll learn how to: • Twiddle 5G settings to ensure the best network speeds on your iPhone or iPad. • Master the options for a Personal Hotspot for yourself and in a Family Sharing group. • Set up a device securely from the moment you power up a new or newly restored iPhone or iPad. • Manage Apple’s built-in second factor verification code generator for extra-secure website and app logins. • Create groups of passwords and passkeys you can share securely with other iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. • Decide whether Advanced Data Protection in iCloud, an enhanced encryption option that makes nearly all your iCloud data impossible for even Apple to view, makes sense for you. • Use passkeys, a high-security but easy-to-use website login system with industry-wide support. • Block unknown (and unwanted) callers, iMessage senders, and phone calls, now including FaceTime. • Protect your email by using Hide My Email, a iCloud+ tool to generate an address Apple manages and relays messages through for you—now including email used with Apple Pay transactions. • Use Safari’s blocking techniques and how to review websites’ attempts to track you, including the latest improvements in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. • Use Communication Safety, a way to alert your children about sensitive images—but now also a tool to keep unsolicited and unwanted images of private parts from appearing on your devices. • Understand why Apple might ask for your iPhone, iPad, or Mac password when you log in on a new device using two-factor authentication. • Keep yourself safe when en route to a destination by creating a Check In partner who will be alerted if you don’t reach your intended end point or don’t respond within a period of time. • Dig into Private Browsing’s several new features in iOS 17/iPadOS 17, designed to let you leave no trace of your identity or actions behind, while protecting your iPhone or iPad from prying eyes, too. • Manage data usage across two phone SIMs (or eSIMS) at home and while traveling. • Use a hardware encryption key to strongly protect your Apple ID account. • Share a Wi-Fi password with nearby contacts and via a QR Code. • Differentiate between encrypted data sessions and end-to-end encryption. • Stream music and video to other devices with AirPlay 2. • Use iCloud+’s Private Relay, a privacy-protecting browsing service that keeps your habits and locations from prying marketing eyes. • Deter brute-force cracking by relying on an Accessories timeout for devices physically being plugged in that use USB and other standards. • Configure Bluetooth devices. • Enjoy enhanced AirDrop options that let you tap two iPhones to transfer files and continue file transfers over the internet when you move out of range. • Protect Apple ID account and iCloud data from unwanted access at a regular level and via the new Safety Check, designed to let you review or sever digital connections with people you know who may wish you harm.

Now available in ePub format. So many apps and so little time. How do you get to the best with a minimum of fuss? The Rough Guide to the Best iPhone and iPad Apps solves the problem. It pinpoints the 500 best free and paid-for applications in all major categories. Whether its navigation or news, photography or productivity, games or utilities, this book highlights the best running on iPhone or iPad (or both!) from the marquee names to the hidden gems. Preliminary Contents: Introduction Managing Apps Books Business Children Education Entertainment Finance Games Health and Fitness Lifestyle Medical Music Navigation News and Newstand Photo and Video Productivity Reference Social Networking Sports Travel Utilities Weather Index

Meet the latest version of macOS Version 1.2, released March 20, 2024 macOS 14 Sonoma makes your Mac more secure and easier to use, with a wide array of new and improved features. Learn how to upgrade your Mac from an earlier version of macOS, find your way around Sonoma, use new features, and discover extensive changes to built-in apps such as Safari and Messages. Sonoma is Apple's latest effort to make Macs even more powerful and easier to use, and Joe Kissell is back with a complete guide to the upgrade process, as well as an in-depth look at what's new. People participating in video calls or sharing their screens via FaceTime, Zoom, and similar apps have some helpful new tools at their disposal. Widgets can now live on your desktop. Messages adds usability features, Safari offers greater privacy and flexibility, and Notes includes hyperlinks and better PDF support. Take Control of Sonoma walks you through all these changes and many more. This book teaches you things like: • How to tell whether your Mac is compatible with Sonoma • 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 17 features, such as profiles that separate your Safari data into multiple contexts, turning any website into a standalone app, sharing passwords and passkeys securely, and browsing the web with greater privacy • How to put widgets on your desktop • Navigating long, multi-person Messages conversations more easily, using filters to narrow down searches, sharing your location (or requesting someone else’s) within Messages, and more easily working with stickers • Creating categories in Reminders to organize your lists, and getting alerts before a scheduled task is supposed to occur • Viewing complete PDFs within Notes and easily creating link that take you from one note to another • Improving your privacy and security by securely sharing passwords and passkeys and using information from your keychain in apps besides Safari • Small but interesting changes throughout macOS, such as accessibility improvements, a less-annoying Autocorrect feature (plus inline typing predictions), AutoFill for PDFs, and new capabilities for AirPods, dictation, screen savers, wallpaper, your lock screen, and screen sharing (among other features) • Improvements to bundled apps, including FaceTime, Find My, Home, Mail, Music, Photos, and Siri