Hands-On Mac (Audio)

By TWiT

Hands-On Mac explores and explains the Mac — and beyond! From clever Terminal commands to little-known iOS settings, Mikah Sargent shares all the best tips and tricks for your Mac, iPad, iPhone, and A... more

· Technology

4.1

1515 ratings

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FAQs about Hands-On Mac (Audio):

How many episodes does Hands-On Mac (Audio) have?

The podcast currently has 127 episodes available.

Hands-On Mac (Audio) episodes:

February 13, 2025 HOM 169: Flaky Bluetooth on Your Mac? Here's How to Fix It
Mikah Sargent shares essential tips for troubleshooting Bluetooth issues on your Mac in this episode of Hands-On Mac. Learn how to resolve connectivity problems and get your devices working smoothly again with these step-by-step instructions.

In this episode, Mikah covers:

- Restarting your Mac: The simplest and often most effective first step in resolving Bluetooth issues

- Toggling Bluetooth on and off: Quickly turning Bluetooth off and back on in the System Settings can help re-establish connections

- Unpairing and repairing devices: "Forgetting" a previously connected device and setting it up again as new can fix persistent problems

- Accessing advanced Bluetooth information: Holding the Option key while clicking the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar reveals device addresses and firmware versions for connected peripherals

- Force quitting Bluetooth processes: Using Activity Monitor to quit the "bluetoothuserd" background process can help reset the Bluetooth system when other methods fail

- Checking for device-specific issues: Ensuring your Bluetooth devices are fully charged and running the latest firmware can eliminate connectivity troubles

- Minimizing interference: Keeping potential sources of interference, like microwaves, away from your Bluetooth devices can improve stability

By following these troubleshooting steps, you'll be well-equipped to tackle most Bluetooth problems on your Mac and keep your wireless peripherals connected and working reliably.

Bluetooth settings on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/bluetooth-settings-on-mac-blth8111/mac

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
9min
February 06, 2025 HOM 168: The Apple Invites App
This episode sees Mikah Sargent walking through the newly announced Apple Invites app. This event invitation tool allows one to invite friends and family to an occasion (like a BBQ) even if the recipients don't have an iPhone. Importantly, a user needs to have an iCloud+ subscription in order to create an event.

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
18min
January 30, 2025 HOM 167: Disabling Apple Intelligence
In this episode, Mikah Sargent walks through step-by-step instructions for turning off the new Apple Intelligence features that are enabled by default on iPhones, iPads, and Macs running the latest software. Disabling Apple Intelligence will turn off capabilities like enhanced writing tools, accessing ChatGPT via Siri, and more.

- Apple Intelligence is a set of AI features now enabled by default on iPhones, iPads and Macs running the latest software.

- Some users may want to disable Apple Intelligence and stick with standard device functionality

- On a Mac:

- Go to System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri

- Toggle off "Apple Intelligence"

- This will disable Apple Intelligence features and revert Siri to basic functionality

- On an iPhone or iPad:

- Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri

- Toggle off "Apple Intelligence"

- This disables enhanced features and changes "Talk and Type to Siri" option to just "Talk to Siri"

- Toggles off on-device AI models which frees up storage space

- Models can be re-downloaded by re-enabling Apple Intelligence in settings

- Typing to Siri can be enabled separately via accessibility settings when Apple Intelligence is off

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
8min
January 23, 2025 HOM 166: Apple's New AI Clean Up Tool
In this episode, Mikah Sargent explores Apple's new Clean Up feature, part of the Apple Intelligence suite, which aims to remove distractions from photos.

- Clean Up is a new feature in macOS Sequoia's Photos app that uses on-device machine learning to remove unwanted objects from images

- To use Clean Up, enter edit mode, select the Clean Up tab, and either click, brush, or circle the object to remove

- Mikah tests Clean Up on a photo of a puppy with a toy in the background; it successfully removes the toy but loses some pillow texture

- On a building photo, Clean Up struggles to properly remove a person, distorting the stairs

- Clean Up has difficulty fully removing an iPhone and keyboard from a spatial photo of Leo Laporte

- Apple's on-device approach to machine learning, driven by privacy, currently falls short of Google's server-side Magic Eraser feature

- Clean Up is available on all Apple devices that support Apple Intelligence features, including iOS and iPadOS

Host: Mikah Sargent

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
11min
January 16, 2025 HOM 165: Customize Extensions on Your Mac
Extensions in macOS Sequoia can take your system's functionality to the next level, and Mikah Sargent is here to show you how. Learn to set up, manage, and customize extensions for Finder, Photos, Spotlight, and more. Whether you're looking to boost productivity or streamline tasks, this episode covers everything you need to make the most of macOS extensions.

Change Login Items & Extensions settings on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-login-items-extensions-settings-mtusr003/15.0/mac/15.2

Host: Mikah Sargent

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
18min
January 09, 2025 HOM 164: Using the Dock on macOS Sequoia
The macOS dock is more powerful than you think! Mikah Sargent demonstrates how to customize the dock's layout, use hidden shortcuts, and manage apps and folders like a pro. Whether you're a seasoned Mac user or new to macOS Sequoia, this episode will show you how to maximize efficiency and keep your desktop organized.

Use the Dock on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/open-apps-from-the-dock-mh35859/15.0/mac/15.2

Use folders in the Dock on Mac - Apple Support https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-folders-in-the-dock-mchl231f08fb/15.0/mac/15.0

Host: Mikah Sargent

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
14min
January 02, 2025HOM 163: Siri Updates for macOS Sequoia Users
macOS Sequoia brings powerful Siri updates to Apple Silicon Macs, and Mikah Sargent is here to guide you through them. Learn how to control your Mac with voice commands, integrate ChatGPT for advanced queries, and adjust Siri's settings to match your workflow. This episode will help you unlock Siri's full potential, making it more useful than ever on your Mac.
How to use Siri on your Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/how-to-use-siri-mchlb66b4ad6/15.0/mac/15.1.1

Use Apple Intelligence with Siri on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-apple-intelligence-with-siri-mchl0f933212/15.0/mac/15.0#iph13e934e37

Change Siri settings for accessibility on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-siri-settings-for-accessibility-mchl5715a9f2/15.0/mac/15.0

Host: Mikah Sargent

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
15min
December 19, 2024 HOM 162: Layer Tracks With Voice Memos
Apple's Voice Memos app just got a serious upgrade for iPhone 16 Pro users, and Mikah Sargent is here to show you why it's a game-changer for musicians, podcasters, and creatives. The new layered audio recording feature lets you stack tracks effortlessly, capturing vocals over a backing track or layering spoken word with precision. Whether you're humming song ideas, laying down a podcast draft, or creating something unique, Mikah walks you through how this update transforms Voice Memos into an indispensable creative companion.

Voice Memos update brings Layered Recording to iPhone 16 Pro lineup - Apple - https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/12/voice-memos-update-brings-layered-recording-to-iphone-16-pro-lineup/

Host: Mikah Sargent

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
20min
December 12, 2024 HOM 161: Image Playground
In this episode of Hands-On Mac, host Mikah Sargent provides a detailed walkthrough of Apple's new Image Playground app, an AI-powered image generation tool available on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Sargent explores the app's user interface and demonstrates its key features, including the ability to generate images by describing scenes, selecting people from your photo library, choosing themes and costumes, and applying different styles like animation or illustration.

Host: Mikah Sargent

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
9min
December 05, 2024 HOM 160: How To Turn Off Mouse Keys in macOS Sequoia
Mouse Keys is a hidden gem in macOS accessibility, but it can also be a source of confusion when accidentally enabled. Mikah breaks down how Mouse Keys allows keyboard-based mouse control, explains how to activate or deactivate it, and shares tips to prevent unintended activation. This episode is a must for anyone navigating macOS accessibility settings or puzzled by unexpected keyboard behavior.

Host: Mikah Sargent

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
...more
11min

FAQs about Hands-On Mac (Audio):

How many episodes does Hands-On Mac (Audio) have?

The podcast currently has 127 episodes available.

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