Keep it secret: Apple iOS 18 lets you lock any app behind a Face ID test — perfect for keeping friends and family out of your private apps if they grab your phone. Tap and hold on the app icon on your home screen, then choose Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID on older models).
Security upgrade: How to set up Google and Apple passkeys
I hate passwords. I know you do, too. Tech companies know we all do — and they’re finally doing something about it. Good timing, given how fast AI can crack passwords now, eh?
Passkeys use your device’s built-in security, like the fingerprint scanner on your phone or facial recognition on your laptop, to make online access tighter than the passwords you struggle to remember.
Let’s look at how passkeys work and how to start using them. Bye-bye, passwords. We never loved you. We’re not going to miss you, either.
What exactly is a passkey?
Think of it as a team-up. One part’s with the website or app you’re accessing, while the other’s safely on your device. To use the private passkey, you must prove you’re you through a PIN or biometrics.
It’s great that they’re easy to use, but it’s even better that hackers have difficulty defeating them.
“But Kim, what if I lose my phone?” Don’t panic. It’s like current password systems: You can have backups. And if all your devices go missing, you still have traditional passwords to fall back on.
Google Passkey basics
Have a Google account? You can try passkeys right now.
- Go to your Google account > Security, then Passkeys.
Some devices might already be set up with their own — you can turn those on or make new ones. Pro tip: Stick to using this on personal devices. Don’t set it up on your work computer or a shared device.
Set this up on your iPhone, too
Windows and Mac tricks you'll use all the time
There are some tech tricks that you only know if someone clues you in.
Take the humble USB cord. If you’re constantly plugging in the wrong way, here’s the secret: The symbol on one isn’t just branding or decoration. That symbol will point up if you’re plugging in horizontally. If you plug a cable vertically, the USB symbol will face you.
What are the chances someone else’s face can open your iPhone? Is it … A.) 1 in 10,000, B.) 1 in 100,000, C.) 1 in 1,000,000 or D.) 1 in 1,000,000,000?
Tech tip: How to use your phone to pay for everything
Get ready to ditch your old wallet for a faster, safer option. Instead of swiping your card at checkout, you only have to hold up your phone. Apple and Android smartphones allow you to pay for everything from your next latte to your new favorite sweater using built-in apps.
7 important iPhone security settings to change right now
The iPhone is Apple’s most popular product, and the Cupertino company does everything it can to keep up with the latest tech developments while adding its own. You may have had an iPhone for years and not know everything it’s capable of. Tap or click here for seven hidden iPhone features you may not know.
🛑 Stop, thief! If someone gets your iPhone, they can disable Find My in the Control Center. Be smart and make it so they can’t. Go to Settings > ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode if you’re using an older model with a home button). Enter your passcode, scroll to Allow Access When Locked, and toggle off the Control Center option.
Bank apps — How they know you are YOU
Strong, unique passwords are the least you can do to protect online accounts. Here’s a primer to get you started. While two-factor authentication (2FA) is becoming a common security step for apps and services, some industries have yet to adopt it.
Here's how to recover your account if you're locked out of your Apple ID account
Strong and unique passwords are among your first lines of defense against cybercriminals. If you’re using the same password for multiple accounts, you’re putting yourself at serious risk of being hacked. Tap or click here for 10 ways to secure your accounts with strong passwords.
Pro trick to secure your apps and protect your phone
You probably have a lock of some sort on your phone to keep it secure.
If you don’t, you should get one. Tap here to see which lock is the most secure for your smartphone. But what about your apps? It may seem unnecessary to secure them when your phone is already locked, but it provides an extra layer of protection from snoops and thieves.
Update your iPhone now to fix zero-day flaw being exploited by hackers
Updated 7/27/2021 – Apple released updates for iOS, iPadOS and macOS this week. iOS 14.7.1 includes a fix for iPhone models with Touch ID that cannot unlock a paired Apple Watch using the Unlock with iPhone feature. There are also security updates included, one that fixes a zero-day flaw that would allow hackers to hijack your device. Read on for ways to get these updates.
5 incredibly useful things you didn’t know Apple Notes could do
I bet you’re making more lists of things (work, home, groceries, kids, etc.) lately. Notes comes standard on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but you probably don’t realize how you can use the app. It’s much like what you do with an older device. Tap or click here for 10 ways you can use an older iPhone or iPad, from turning it into a car’s dashcam to a second monitor.
5 essential Mac security settings you should enable now
It’s often said that Macs can’t get computer viruses. This would be awesome if it were true, but sadly, it isn’t.
But, it is less likely for a Mac to get a computer virus; far more of them exist for computers that run Windows. Click or tap here to learn which devices are more prone to viruses.
Tech how-to: Pay with your phone using Apple Wallet
Apple Wallet is today’s solution to carrying around a billfold or purse full of credit and debit cards. This virtual pocketbook, along with Apple Pay, comes native to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, iPod touch and Mac.
Trick to passcode-protect apps you don't want others spying on
Apple offers a number of ways for you to lock your iPhone and iPad from strangers and nosy loved ones. You can set a passcode, use Touch ID to unlock things with your fingerprint and on later phone models, you can use Face ID, too.
Apple has a full slate of new gadgets this fall
For the last few years, fall has always been Apple’s biggest season. Of course, this is the time when the new iPhones are announced and the excitement during this time of year is understandable. But will the last quarter of the year be any different? Here are all the new and exciting gadgets we are expecting from Apple this fall.
My 7 favorite iPhone tricks you'll use time after time
Have you ever looked at your iPhone or iPad user guide? I mean, read through all 100-plus pages of it? Chances are, like most people, you were so excited when you got your new Apple gear that you forgot all about the user guide. But guess what? Buried deep inside its pages are some really clever tricks.
Is Apple's FaceID a powerful mass spying tool?
Facial recognition is about to change the way we access our phones, but is it actually safe? If you’re concerned about government surveillance, you need to read this. There may be more behind the iPhone X’s FaceID feature than originally meets the eye.