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Category: Problem Solving

Adam Engst 3 comments

iCloud Private Relay Down: Here’s How to Turn It Off to Avoid Connectivity Problems

Apple’s iCloud Private Relay traffic anonymization service is down for some users, causing various connectivity problems in Safari and other apps. If you’re experiencing problems, turn off iCloud Private Relay temporarily.

Adam Engst 3 comments

Solar Inverter Connectivity Problem Reveals Weak Troubleshooting

After failing to reestablish Internet connectivity for his solar panel inverters following a spate of power outages, Adam Engst finally figured out the problem with the help of a support tech who made him break it down into its constituent parts. Read on to learn from his mistakes.

Adam Engst 1 comment

Crash Caused by Apple Mail’s Previous Recipients Window and Editing in Contacts

Mail will crash if you open its Previous Recipients window and then edit a contact in Contacts. This bug has existed since macOS 12 Monterey and continues to plague the betas of macOS 15 Sequoia.

Adam Engst 25 comments

Apple Publishes “Longevity, by Design” White Paper

Although much of the white paper addresses issues surrounding repairability, Apple points out that the larger goal of longevity requires a more all-encompassing approach.

Adam Engst 2 comments

Fixing Slack for iPhone’s “Only Some People Can Post” Error

If Slack on the iPhone displays “Only some people can post.” in channels where you should have posting permissions, force-quit it to fix the problem.

Adam Engst 4 comments

In Your Face Provides Persistent Notifications for Events and Tasks

Tired of being late to meetings because you were focused on a task and missed a subtle notification in the corner of the screen? The In Your Face app takes over the entire Mac screen for its alerts, ensuring you never miss an event again.

Adam Engst 20 comments

Solving the macOS Installer’s “Failed to Personalize” Error with New Firmware

A TidBITS Talk user was unable to update macOS on an M2 16-inch MacBook Pro, receiving a “Failed to personalize” error each time. The problem turned out to be related to firmware, and the little-known solution required restoring with Apple Configurator.

Adam Engst 5 comments

iPhones Pause MagSafe Charging During Continuity Camera

Don’t bother getting a Continuity Camera mount that incorporates a MagSafe Charger to prevent your iPhone’s battery from draining during meetings. It won’t charge wirelessly—and maybe not even over a USB cable—while using Continuity Camera.

Adam Engst 60 comments

Widespread Reports of Apple ID Accounts Being Inexplicably Locked

If your devices mysteriously ask you to reset your Apple ID password and then lock your account, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do but go with the flow.

Adam Engst 7 comments

Listen Later Adds Features Requested by TidBITS Readers

The Listen Later text-to-podcast service now features outro music after each podcast episode and provides a Chrome extension for easier submission. Also, if a paywall is blocking you from converting an article to a podcast, TidBITS readers have developed a workaround.

Adam Engst 6 comments

Solve Credit Cards Not Appearing in 1Password 8 Autofill Pop-Up

Annoyed by several of his credit cards not showing up in 1Password’s autofill pop-up, Adam Engst spelunked through the card metadata and found the offending field.

Adam Engst 6 comments

macOS 14.4.1 Sonoma and macOS 13.6.6 Ventura Fix Bugs and Vulnerabilities

Apple doesn’t say what has changed for macOS 13.6.6 Ventura, but the bugs fixed in macOS 14.4.1 Sonoma have bedeviled users for the last two weeks.

Adam Engst 12 comments

Apple Launches Documentation Site for Manuals, Specs, and Downloads

Apple has unveiled a new Documentation site that lets users browse for information about Apple hardware and (older) software. It’s a big win, especially considering the sorry state of the Apple website’s search engine, but some parts of it still need work.

Adam Engst 2 comments

Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 17.4.1 and 16.7.7, and visionOS 1.1.1

Release notes for these updates list “important bug fixes and security updates” or just “important security fixes” so they probably address one or more zero-day security vulnerabilities.

Adam Engst 40 comments

Follow These Steps to Clear Space on Your Mac

Apple no longer makes it easy to tell precisely how much free space is available on your Mac, but you know when you don’t have enough. Adam Engst offers (and explains) 21 simple steps to clear space quickly.