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Tag: iPhone

May 4, 2025

How to Update Account Settings on Apple Watch Using your iPhone

Trying to type into Apple Watch keyboard
Stop trying to sign into your Apple ID using your Apple Watch’s micro keyboard. Your finger is probably way too big for this. Here’s the better way to get the job done.

I don’t like messing with my Apple Watch. I’ve set it up to do what I want, and I usually don’t dig in to change the settings. The screen is so tiny. Yes, its interface is clever, but it’s not much bigger than a postage stamp. 

And that’s fine. It’s a watch… not an iPhone. 

Sure, it’s similar to iPhone in certain ways and is best tethered to one. And I can easily interact with it using the Digital Crown and side button.

But please don’t ask me to type anything into my current Apple Watch Series 9. That’s absurd. Yes, you can call up a cute micro keyboard to use. But come on… My index finger takes up 30% of the entire surface of my Apple Watch. 

Update Apple ID Account Settings on your Apple Watch
But that exactly what my Apple Watch sometimes asks me to do after a software update. I’m supposed to log back into my Apple ID account. And then my Apple Watch presents me with its tiny keyboard. Are you kidding?!  

My finger’s surface area can press onto 3 keys easily… so tapping away gives me about a 30% chance of keystroke success. (And the tiny scribble pad? That’s no better.) 

So recently, after failing to sign into my Apple account after multiple miss-tapping sequences, I looked for another way in…

Use your iPhone Instead
If you think your iPhone can help, you’d be correct. Strangely, I couldn’t quickly solve this tech challenge by Googling it, but eventually I found the clue. Here’s how it works:

  • You simply need to activate your sleeping iPhone right after your Apple Watch prompts you to micro-tap your password. 
  • Immediately, your iPhone will come to the rescue and open a thin text-prompt window on its own screen for you type into. 
  • And as you do that, your password will magically mirror onto your Apple Watch’s screen. Done.

So obvious, right? (The solution is already baked into the Apple Watch/iPhone relationship.)

No More Micro Tapping
Perhaps the whole world already knows this trick. And if it’s just you and me who’ve finally caught on, so be it. (I won’t tell anyone.)

But now, my finger will never again attempt the absurd micro-tap dance on my Apple Watch. 

It’s a micro win… but a win, nevertheless.

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April 27, 2025

Here’s a Great Place to Snap a Photo of Manhattan’s Iconic Skyline at Sunset

A stunning view of the New York City skyline at sunset, with vibrant orange and blue hues in the sky, casting a warm glow over the city. The image captures the silhouette of skyscrapers and rooftops in the foreground.
You can frame a cool photo of New York City right from your seat on Amtrak. If your train is traveling at sunset, just look out your window. It’s a spectacular view. Here’s how to optimize that photographic opportunity.

It’s hard to miss this famous skyline as your Amtrak train nears or leaves the Big Apple. And sunset is a particularly special time. So, it warrants trying to take a photo or two…

The weather conditions have to be right. Plus, there’s only a six-minute stretch when the train is close enough and oriented correctly with its windows directly facing the east side of Manhattan. 

The Best Views of New York City
Then, take out your smartphone. Press it as close to the window as possible to avoid reflections from the inside of the train. (The fact that your phone’s lens effectively lies flat with the phone’s body will protect it from accidental bumps into the glass due to your train’s jerky movements.)

And then start snapping away.

A vibrant sunset over the New York City skyline, with a golden sun setting on the horizon, surrounded by buildings and the silhouette of bridges.

As much as I always want to zoom closer with my iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 2x or 5x lens to better frame the skyscrapers, the wider shots are better. I think you need that foreground in the shot to help tell the visual story. Plus, the train’s motion is less of a problem for your phone’s camera if you’re not zoomed in.

A stunning sunset view over New York City, with the skyline silhouetted against a vibrant orange sky and the setting sun casting warm light on the landscape.

Just Another Bonus for Taking the Train
Yes, it’s an amazing vista to take in, but you should temper your expectations for your photos. Remember, you’re shooting through glass, and the train is moving.

Still, it’s worth a shot.

A view of the New York City skyline at sunset framed by the iron structure of a bridge, with water in the foreground reflecting the warm colors of the sky.

I go for it whenever I’m on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional or Acela heading back to Connecticut from Washington, D.C. (These photos are from my recent trip.)
In the old days, it would be when I was heading out of New York City back to Boston. (So, I’ve been at this for a while.)

And yes, I do prefer taking the train vs. a plane between these destinations. It’s much more convenient and relaxing. (The door-to-door time comparison is similar after you bake in the extra hours spent at the airport.) But I digress…

Enjoy the Show
Sunset isn’t the only time to try to capture these photos of New York City. (Shooting directly at the sun can really confuse a camera and isn’t especially great for its sensors. But a few brief clicks shouldn’t play too much havoc with the electronics.)

A vibrant sunset view over the New York City skyline, with the sun casting an orange glow and city buildings silhouetted against the colorful sky, accompanied by a tree-lined highway below.

These magic sunset minutes always call out to me as the deep orange light bathes the landscape. 

It’s both unearthly and entirely natural.

And you’ve got one of the best vantage points of this city a photographer could hope for.

A scenic view of the New York City skyline at sunset, featuring a bridge crossing a river with skyscrapers in the background and vibrant orange hues in the sky.

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January 19, 2025

How to Catch Urgent Calls when your iPhone is on Mute

Occasionally, you’ll simply miss a call, because you’ve misplaced your iPhone. Otherwise, here’s how I silence calls I don’t want while also allowing the important calls in my life to get through.

I sometimes feel like the Grinch. “All the noise, noise, noise… noise!” With all the unwanted phone calls and emails, I want to scream, “Stop! Go away!” It’s disruptive, increasingly overwhelming, and I want none of it. (Sound familiar?)

The biggest source of disruption was my trusty iPhone which interrupted me throughout the day with calls from unknown numbers and people (or robocalls) I instinctively knew I didn’t want to speak with. (Sure, my iPhone is forever in vibrate-only mode, but too much of that silent-but-buzzy haptic sensation can make you twitchy.)

Contacts Only
So, I shut it down. No, not the phone. But I restricted the list of numbers that could get through to just my contacts. (If you are anyone else, you’re welcome to leave a message.)

Yes, it a was draconian step, but necessary.
Here how to set up this communication limit on your iPhone:

  • Go to ‘Settings.’
  • Tap ‘Screen Time.’
  • Tap ‘Communication Limits.’
  • Tap ‘During Screen Time.’
  • Tap ‘Contacts Only.’
  • Then ‘During Downtime’ can be restricted further if you want.

The result created more serenity in my life, and I was grateful. But there was still another problem waiting for me at the other end of the equation…

You Can Still Miss a Haptics Call
I realized that it was sometimes difficult for my family members to reach me on my iPhone. Of course, their calls and texts got through via haptics mode, but it was still easy for me to miss those important moments.

The fix would be if I could set up a ringtone bypass that would allow my wife and son’s calls/texts to gain back their audio oomph.

Well, as it turns out, Apple gives your iPhone that exact capability!

Ring and Text Tone Emergency Bypass
In your Contacts app, you can set up individual contacts to be able to reach you with the power of full audio ringing or pinging, regardless of how your iPhone is otherwise muted.

Here’s how to do that:

  • Tap ‘Edit’ for a specific contact.
  • Tap on ‘Ringtone,’ which is set to ‘Default.’
  • Then on the next page, tap on ‘Emergency Bypass’ to turn it on.
  • Repeat these steps for ‘Text Tone.’

That’s it.

Your Updated Communications Plan
When you’ve finished tweaking these iPhone settings, you will have more effectively tuned out what you don’t want while enabling the important people in your life to better connect with you.

Sanity restored.

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