Welcome to the Finer Things in Tech Newsletter #25! I’m going to focus on iOS 11, watchOS 4, and even tvOS 11 tips in this issue. Next issue, I’ll get back to mixing in macOS tips since 10.13 arrives this week!
I’m also experimenting with ditching images in this issue. I want to see if it makes for a quicker or easier read. Plus, I’ll admit, they’re a lot of work to produce. But if you prefer them, I’ll keep them!
📱 iPad 101: How to view keyboard shortcuts for any app
If you use a keyboard with your iPad, you can view a shortcut cheat sheet in any app by holding the Command key. Of course, this requires the developer to have added shortcut support in the first place. If your favorite apps don’t have them yet, consider contacting the developer to make a nice request.
Bonus tip: The shortcut sheet is contextual. For example: when reading messages in Apple Mail, you’ll see one set of shortcuts for selecting, deleting, and archiving messages. But if you start drafting a new message, you’ll see different shortcuts. Hey
📱 Toggling WiFi and Bluetooth works differently in iOS 11
Previously, when you tapped the WiFi or Bluetooth button in Control Center, it would turn those features off. Like, real off. In iOS 11, Apple changed this behavior and, now that I understand it, I think it’s for the better.
In iOS 11, when you tap those Control Center buttons, your device will disconnect from most services. WiFi and Bluetooth have no been turned off, just disconnected from most things like WiFi hotspot and Bluetooth accessories not listed in this support doc. The idea is to keep core Apple features and services like AirDrop, Handoff, Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, and Continuity enabled.
If you want to truly turn off WiFi or Bluetooth in iOS 11, you can either use the Airplane Mode toggle in Control Center, or open their respective Settings pages and toggle those switches.
📱 iBooks can annotate PDFs now
The markup tools Apple added to Mail and taking screenshots in iOS 11 are now available for PDFs in iBooks. When viewing any PDF, simply tap the new markup pen icon in the toolbar to get a basic set of annotation and object tools. This pairs well with the “Save PDF to iBooks” app extension available in many apps.
⌚️ You can view your Watch apps as a list now
If the grid (or ‘quilt’) of apps on your Apple Watch just isn’t your thing, you can now choose to view them as a list. Press the Digital Crown to view your apps, then Force Touch on them (press a little harder) to show a basic menu. There, you can choose to view your apps in a list, which is scrollable with the crown.
📺 AirPods are now automatically paired with Apple TV
AirPods are my favorite headphones, and they’re with me almost every time I leave the house now. But until recently, the “automatically pair with all your devices” thing didn’t count for Apple TV.
As of tvOS 11, now it does. If you set up AirPods with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, they now work with your Apple TV on tvOS 11. But how do you use them with your Apple TV? I’m glad you asked.
📺 How to switch your Apple TV audio to AirPods
Just press and hold the Play/Pause button for a second or two, and a speaker selection menu will appear on your Apple TV (if it doesn’t, restart your Apple TV; that’s happened to me once or twice).
Your Apple TV must be signed into the same iCloud/Apple ID as your other devices under Settings > Accounts > iCloud (not iTunes and App Store. That can be a separate account).
⌚️ How to customize the new Siri face for Apple Watch
I enjoy the new Siri face in watchOS 4 so far. But I found that I’m not interested in some of its default info widgets, such as stocks and Apple News (I like Apple News, but I don’t need the latest Trump nightmare popping up on my Watch).
If you want to customize what the Siri face shows you, open the Watch app on your iPhone. In the “My Faces” display of the faces you use, tap the Siri face. In that screen is a list of “Data Sources” you can toggle, including some of the contextual stuff like the now playing widget for Music, Alarms, Timer, and more.
If you don’t have the Siri face yet, tap the Face Gallery tab at the bottom. There’s a “New in watchOS” section at the top, Siri should be up there.
That’s it this week
Because of the extra long edition, I’ll save links for next week’s issue. Thanks for reading!
Note: When I link to the App Store, iTunes, and a few other stores, I use affiliate links. If you tap or click them and buy anything within 24 hours, I’ll get a small cut. It’s a simple way you can help support this newsletter and my site.
