Tag Archives: tips

Uncategorized

Getting the Most Out of Your iPhone 5

Leave a comment

Getting the Most Out of Your iPhone 5Using your iPhone 5 can be a time saver for work, communication, and leisure. But are you getting the most out of it? Does your iPhone stall, run out of battery too often, or other hassles that you wish you could fix? Do you have a sneaking suspicion that you’re not using Here are some helpful tips from us at ifixyouri.com to make sure you’re using your iPhone 5 to its greatest potential.

 

Manage Battery Life of iPhone 5

According to Apple, the iPhone 5 offers up to 8 hours of talk time on 3G, up to 8 hours of internet use on 3G, up to 8 hours on LTE and up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi, up to 10 hours of video playback, up to 40 hours of audio playback and to 225 hours of standby time.

If you’re not getting anywhere close to that, here are some ways to increase your battery life.

  • Set your Auto-Lock interval so that the iPhone 5 will turn off after a period of inactivity of your choosing. To set the auto-lock interval, launch: Settings app, tap on General and then Auto-Lock and set the auto-lock interval to either 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 minutes.

  • Using Wi-Fi drains iPhone’s battery, but did you know that one of the most work-intensive processes that iPhone’s Wi-Fi chip has to do is the ‘Search for available network’ function? To disable this feature, launch the Settings app, tap on Wi-Fi, and press on the On/Off toggle for Ask to Join Networks to disable it.

  • Lower the default screen brightness to save energy. Launch the Settings app, scroll down and tap on Brightness & Wallpaper and set Auto-Brightness to On. Note: Apple enables it by default.

  • Turn off LTE if it is not available in your area – Start by going to settings, next head to general, and finally tap cellular. The second option is a toggle for “Enable LTE.” When you need to save some battery and can spare internet speed, switch this option off.

  • Turn off Location services for the following System System services: Diagnostics & Usage, Setting Time Zone, Location Based iAds (Settings ->  Privacy -> Location Services -> System Services).

  • Turn off Weather and Stock widgets from Notification Center. (Settings -> Notifications -> Weather Widget/Stock Widget -> Notification Center).

  • Heat can degrade performance of your iPhone’s battery. So it is important to keep the iPhone out of the sun or a hot car (including the glove box).

  • If you’re on the plane or in an area where there is no cellular coverage then use Airplane mode to increase battery life (Settings > Airplane Mode).

Lock your iPhone 5’s screen orientation

This can be useful if you prefer to view your screen in either portrait (standard) or landscape (sideways). To lock your screen orientation, double tap the home button and swipe to the right. A gray circle opposite the rewind button will appear. Tap it once and a lock will come on the screen. Now when you turn your phone sideways the orientation will stay put.

Automatically download new apps directly on your iPhone 5

You can set your various Apple devices so that music and apps automatically download on all of the different devices.

  • Go to settings and navigate to the middle of the page. After that select the “Store” option.
  • Once inside under “Automatic Downloads” switch on the options for Music, Apps, or both.

Mail Tips

While in Apple’s Mail app you can just pull down from the top to check for new messages.

Return to Draft

If you want to get back to a draft quickly, touch and hold the Compose button to switch to your last saved draft.

Miscellaneous Cool Tricks

If you want to keep a PDF you’ve been reading on Safari or from an email and save it onto your iPhone, simply touch and hold the PDF icon or link, then select “Open in iBooks.”

Speed up your phone by selecting what Spotlight indexes.

Instead of letting Spotlight index everything on your phone, have it only search necessary items by starting at Settings, then select General, and finally choose Spotlight search.

View websites in full screen

While browsing a web site in Safari, turn your iPhone tolandscape and tap the full-screen icon (arrows coming together in the bottom right) and you can view a website without distraction.

Take a screenshot of your screen

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, then press the Home button. Your screen flashes and the picture appears in your Camera Roll.

 **********************

Try some of these tricks to get the most out of your iPhone 5. Happy exploring!

Uncategorized

How to Pack and Ship an iPhone or iPad for Repair

8 Comments

iPhones and iPads have become necessary items and many people cannot live without them. When you accidentally damage your device(s), shipping it to a professional repair store like iFixYouri should be your top priority. You’ll need to know how to carefully pack and ship the device(s) to avoid any further damage during its travel. iPhones and iPads cost big money. Their numerous, delicate small parts can chip, crack or break quite easily.

Packing and Shipping Your Device(s)

Always pack and ship your phone so that even the most careless handling won’t ruin it. First, get a cardboard shipping box and packing materials. Bubble wrap probably works best, along with newspaper or other unwanted large sheets of paper. Remember to use packing tape and finish it all off with a shipping label.

The cardboard shipping box you use should comfortably accommodate your device(s). The box should comfortably support at least an inch of packing material on all sides. Fill the first half of the box with the paper. Don’t keep it neat. Crumple the newspaper.

Wrapping the Package

Next, wrap your phone with several layers of bubble wrap. Make sure the phone is against the bubble side of the bubble wrap. Fold in the edges of the bubble wrap to protect the screen and casing from impacts. Then, lay the phone in the middle of the box and fill the rest of the box with crumpled newspaper.

Make sure the bubble wrap and crumpled newspaper form a dense layer between the edge of the box and the phone. You want the device(s) to fit snugly inside the box. If it’s loose, it will slide around and become damaged during shipping.

Testing Whether the Device is Firmly in the Box

To test it, shake the box gently at first. Then, once you find that your device(s) stays completely immobile, shake it more violently. If it still stays immobile within the packing, it is good to go. Tape the top and the bottom of the box shut even if the bottom of the box is glued shut already. Then attach your shipping label.

Paperwork and Insurance

One very important part to keep in mind when you want to pack and ship your device(s) is the paperwork, which is generated as a result of sending it. This means all documentation on the package should be duplicated and kept. Any receipts must be kept including the receipts for the device(s) itself, for the shipping costs, and the tracking numbers.

Please put insurance on the package as well. If for any reason the phone is damaged then you can recoup your losses. Keep the insurance number. Without that, you won’t be able to make a claim if the package goes missing or is damaged.

Uncategorized

How to Apply a Screen Protector to a Cell Phone

5 Comments

Cell phone users have employed various methods for applying a screen protector, with some using steam or water, while others are successful with the common method involving a credit card.

Some screen protector tutorials found on the web recommend the steam or water method. Unless the product instructions recommend it, screen protectors and water are a bad combination because tap water contains minerals that can deposit residue between the phone screen and protector, causing the adhesive to deteriorate.

Getting Started

It takes patience to apply a protector without trapping air between it and the screen. Even the tiniest scratch on a screen can cause bubbles to form. The video above demonstrates the process, but here are the details:

First, gather the following supplies:

  1. Any plastic card such as a club, gift or credit card
  2. Cloth made of microfiber
  3. A solution to clean the screen (use the recipe to make your own)
  4. Clear adhesive tape

Prepare a place to work. Use a non-slip mat on the table surface to keep the phone in one place while you are working. Wash your hands with water and soap to remove any dirt, lotion and oils.

Put some LCD cleaner on the cloth and clean the screen thoroughly making sure to remove all the dust. Do not touch the screen with your fingers during this process.

Peel the backing off the protector being careful to touch only the edges. Start at the bottom or top of the phone choosing the end that must be aligned precisely. For the iPhone, this would be where the home button is located. Align the protector carefully, attach it to the screen and use the card to smooth it out and remove any air bubbles.

Fixing Mistakes

If you have followed these instructions and there are still bubbles, either the screen has a scratch or a speck of dust has adhered to the protector. Take a piece of tape and lift the protector while using another piece of tape to take the dust off the adhesive. Apply the protector using the same method as before.

While the process is tedious, protecting a cell phone screen from scratches or other damage is essential.  If you do end up with any damage, you have the option to repair the device, instead of buying a new one.  Contact professionals like iFixYouri to repair your scratched smartphone screen.

iPhone, Tips

Make iPhone Ringtones for Free in iTunes

4 Comments

free-iphone-ringtones-ifixyour

So you just bought an iPhone, and you want to buy a custom ringtone. Then you discover the songs are a buck each, and then another buck to make them into a ringtone on iTunes. If you want them for free, I’ll show you how to do it all within iTunes, no external program required.

Set Up for Free iPhone Ringtone

What to do first is to go into iTunes and pick a song. You can only pick a song that was not bought in the iTunes store. So either a song ripped from a CD, or that you find elsewhere on the internet.

Take the song, right-click on it and select “Get info”. Go down to the options menu and pick the start time and the stop time. Say the part of the song that you want to use for a ringtone is in the middle of it.  Indicate the start time for when the section of the song begins, and end it wherever you want. It doesn’t matter where it is in the song, as long as it lasts less than 40 seconds. Notice there are no dots in between minutes and seconds.

Now you’ve set when the song starts, and when it stops. If you were to play the song now that you’ve created a start and stop time, it will only last as long as the segment you indicated, even though the length of the song will still be the same. What you can do is right-click again, and choose “create AAC version”.  Create an AAC version and iTunes will create a copy of the song with the times that you have selected.

Fix Your Files

Next, go back to the song you’ve altered and undo the time changes you made in the options. That way, when you go back to listen to it later, it doesn’t just play the short clip you arranged.  Then take the short version for your ringtone to your desktop, and return to iTunes. Delete the short version from iTunes, so the copy isn’t taking up space in iTunes anymore.

Make the iPhone Ringtone

Next, go to the short track on your desktop, click on it, and change the name. Notice the format of the song is MPEG4 (‘M4A’ file extension). You’re just going to delete the A, to create an R, so the file’s extension would be .M4R instead of .M4A. If an alert comes up, confirm that you’re changing the extension.

Double-click on the song, and when it starts playing, it’s added in your ringtones automatically. Finally, on your iPhone, go to the ringtones section and sync it. Now your ringtone will be on it.

Adding personalized ringtones can make an old phone feel like new.  Before you purchase a new phone for fancy build-in ringtones, consider trying this simple method.  If your current phone isn’t performing properly, getting it fixed will also make it new.  Don’t take chances: leave iPhone repairs to the experts at iFixYouri.

Tablets

Easy iPad Set Up: Step By Step Tutorial

2 Comments

 

 

set-up-ipad-ifixyouri

In this tutorial, we’ll talk about how to set up your brand new iPad step by step. If you’ve ever dealt with any iPhones or iPods before, the process is quite similar. Even if you haven’t, don’t worry, the process isn’t too difficult.

Step 1) Unwrap

Remove the shrink wrap plastic protective covering from your factory fresh iPad, then open the box.

Step 2) Open iTunes

If you don’t already have iTunes installed in your computer, you need to download it at iTunes.com/download. Then just enter your email address, click the download button and click run.

Step 3) Connect Your iPad

Plug the cable that came in the box into the side slot on your iPad, then plug the other end into a USB slot in your computer. iTunes should open automatically. If it doesn’t, just click on the iTunes icon on your computer to open it up manually.

Step 4) Register Your iPad

iTunes will open a welcome screen the first time you plug your iPad into your computer. The next few screens prompt you to register your iPad and set up your iTunes account, if you haven’t already done this in the past. If you’ve already used the iTunes store, then you already have an Apple ID. That’s what you use to sign in into iTunes.

Step 5) Sign in

Just enter your Apple ID and password on the first registration screen and hit Continue. If you don’t have an Apple ID, simply check “I don’t have an Apple ID”, click “continue” and you can sign up for one. Just fill out the form. It’s pretty quick and painless.

Step 6) New iPad Set Up

After you get past the Apple ID registration form, you’ll be asked if you want to restore from a back up or set up a new iPad. If you don’t have anything previously purchased from iTunes, just select to set it up as a new iPad. Now that your iPad and iTunes account are in sync, you’ll see a folder for your new iPad on the left side of iTunes.

Step 7) Charge Overnight

Your iPad comes partially charged from the Apple factory but you’ll want to charge it up fully after playing with it for a while. Remove the cube shaped power charger from the box by pulling up on the little plastic tab then wrestle with the shrink wrap for a while. (Really? Do they really need to shrink wrap this?) Next remove the USB plug from your computer and plug it into the power charger, then plug the power charger into the wall. You’ll probably want to charge it overnight, so you can play with your new iPad all day tomorrow.

Have fun with your new iPad.  Take good care of it — it’s a precious item.  In the event that something does happen to it, there is hope: at iFixYouri, we can fix any issue you have with your iPad.

iPhone, Tips

How to Tether an iPhone: An Insightful Guide

5 Comments

 How to Tether an iPhone

iphone-tether-ifixyouriMobile telephone networks have progressed significantly ever since the introduction of the 1G network which came to first use in 1981. Today, urban areas are already enjoying the great benefits of mobile 3G networks powered by CDMA technology (code division multiple access). Theoretical speeds of up to 42 megabits per second are possible with this enhanced technology. Practically, a decent speed of about 7.2 megabits per second is commonly realized.

With this speed, mobile internet users can already stream high-definition videos from YouTube almost seamlessly (only 1 megabit per second is necessary, according to Google). As telecommunication companies are currently on the progress of laying out the framework for 4G networks, mobile internet communications will even be faster and more reliable. To maximize the use of this amazing internet speed, mobile users can tether their internet-connected smartphones so that other internet-capable devices such as laptops, iPods, and tablets can share with the connection.

 

The Convenience of Tethering

Sharing of an internet connection, referred to as tethering, can be done over wireless local area network (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, or via a USB cable. When internet connection is shared over Wi-Fi, the tether device becomes the mobile hotspot. Depending on the Wi-Fi standard being used, internet-capable devices can connect from a distance as far as 10 meters.

An internet tether can also be done via Bluetooth; in which case, distance and speed may further be limited by the type of Bluetooth technology being used. Although a bit cumbersome due to the extra wire required, the tether can also be established via the USB cable that connects to the USB ports of the tether devices.

Of all the possible connections, sharing the internet over the Wi-Fi network is the most popular because of network speed and reach. Furthermore, multiple devices can connect to the mobile hotspot simultaneously. The number of devices that can effectively connect to the hotspot is only limited to the established speed of the mobile 3G or 4G networks. If connection speed can reach about 1 megabit per second, then three devices can connect simultaneously without noticeable decrease in internet speed. If you can manage to get strong networks, reaching the speeds of about 7.2 megabits per second, you could get a dozen devices to simultaneously connect.

 

Step-by-Step Method for Tethering the iPhone

The iPhone, known for the restrictive nature of its company, has been in a consistent battle over allowing tether or not.

While Apple allowed the tether in the iPhone 3G through the iOS 3.0, succeeding updates of the mobile operating system removed the feature due to fair use policy restrictions. However, jailbroken iPhones were able to retain the feature. Due to popular demand, Apple reinstated the mobile hotspot feature in the iOS 5 mobile operating system.

In an iPhone 5 running the latest iOS, turning the mobile hotspot feature on is very easy.

Find the Option

iphone-tether-ifixyouri-3On the Settings menu, the Personal Hotspot submenu is accessible if the shareable 3G network is available. The Personal Hotspot feature is dependent on the kind of SIM card provided by the service provider.

Prior to accessing the Personal Hotspot submenu, the General Network settings must be checked for 3G and cellular data configurations. Both of these network settings must be turned on; 3G helps in loading data faster while cellular data allows the iPhone to access internet data via the cellular network.

If you don’t see any of the options, check this page to see if you have the minimum technical specs required.

Configuration

When the General Network settings are properly configured, the iPhone should already have mobile internet connection and this internet data access can be shared by sliding the Personal Hotspot option to the on-state.

Below the Personal Hotspot configuration, internet connectivity can be shared via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB tether. For wireless connections including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, wireless security must be activated by setting up a password.

The older versions of the iPhone including the iPhone 4 and 4s and 3GS are compatible with iOS 5+; thus, these iPhone versions follow the same method as the iPhone 5 for internet tether. The original iPhone and its immediate successor, the iPhone 3G, may need certain hacks to enable the tether since these no longer supported in iOS 5+. Nonetheless, the slow cellular connectivity of the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G may not be worth the trouble of enabling the tether on these devices.

 

Connecting to the Access Point

Connecting to the iPhone tether is as easy as connecting to any Wi-Fi network.

1) On a Windows or Mac computer, connecting to the iPhone hotspot begins with searching nearby wireless networks.

2) When the iPhone mobile hotspot is active, the name of the iPhone is shown on the list. Upon clicking the correct option, the user is prompted to enter the Wi-Fi password previously set up.

3) The connecting device then obtains the IP address and automatically performs other wireless configurations for the tether.

That’s all there is too it!

The ability to tether can bring new life into how you use your devices.  If you have either an iPhone or a computer that you want to use for this process, but one (or both) is in need of repair, get it fixed at iFixYouri so you can enjoy the benefits of tethering.

Beware of Data Charges

REMEMBER: Data charges apply for the tether. Since the laptop and other larger devices can consume data really fast, data consumption related to the tether could easily go overboard. To avoid outrageous cellular bills, it is important to check with the telecom company for unlimited data plans pegged at a fixed rate per month.

 

Tips

Speed Up Your iPhone

7 Comments

Article Updated July 12, 2016. While a new iPhone runs smoothly, this user experience can change with time. As a result, your once speedy iPhone starts crawling at a slow pace or freezes entirely. This is not an issue that affects iPhones alone but a wide range of electronic devices. With this in mind, you might be wondering what can be done to speed up your iPhone. The following tips can help you squeeze better performance from a buggy iPhone.

Speed Up Your iPhone with a Restart

Restarting your iPhone can help solve issues related to responsiveness. This tip is an old standard from the desktop computer days – just reboot it. To reboot your iPhone, just hold down the wake/sleep button. This will bring up a red slider on the screen. Use your finger to move the slider across the screen. This will turn off your iPhone. You can now power up your iPhone to boot up afresh. Do not worry if this process seems to last a little bit longer.

Disable Background App Refresh

Settings>General>Background App Refresh (OFF) or choose by individual app.

Clear App Cache with Taps

From @zadr’s tweet – apparently tapping 10 times on any single button on the bottom of the following apps clears the app cache for iTunes, iBooks, App Store or Apple Watch apps.

Turn Off Animations

This setting will help iPhone 5 or older as well as iPad 4 or older.
Settings>General>Accessibility>Reduce Motion (ON)

Turn Off Transparency

For iOS9
Settings>General>Accessibility>Increase Contrast>Toggle on Reduce Transparency

Disable Siri Suggestions

Also for iOS9
Settings>General>Spotlight Suggestions>Siri Suggestions (OFF)

Update your iPhone Firmware

If you have not yet updated your iPhone firmware, this can cause apps to run a little bit slower. To get the latest firmware, visit the iTunes website. Synchronize your iPhone before updating your firmware. You can then proceed to check for updates. If an update is available, install it. Remember to restore backup after installing new firmware.

  • Plug your iPhone in to a power source.
  • Tap Settings > General > Software Update.
  • Tap “Download and Install” to download the update. Updates might download automatically while your device is connected to Wi-Fi and a power source.
  • Tap Install when the download completes if you want to complete it now.

Uninstall Buggy Apps

In some instances, a buggy app can make your iPhone behave in a sluggish manner. In this case, the best way to speed up your iPhone again is to delete the buggy apps. You can always reinstall the apps if they are important.

Free Up Some Drive Space

iPhone apps can create a lot of temporary data quickly. It’s best to have at least 500 MB-1GB of free space to ensure your apps aren’t crashing from lack of space. So you may want to consider uploading some of those photos and videos to your iCloud, Google Drive, Youtube, Flickr, whatever you use for cloud storage.

Check Your Sync Settings

Every time an app syncs or updates it’s info, it requires processing power and time. Check your Settings to adjust which apps are syncing and their update frequency.

Restore your iPhone to Factory Settings

You should only resort to this action if all the other tips have failed. It is important to note that restoring your iPhone to factory settings will delete all your apps, contacts, text messages, and videos. If you restore from a corrupt backup, you may have few options to make your iPhone run faster. However, a restore will definitely make your iPhone user experience as smooth as possible. Before attempting to restore your iPhone, make sure that you have backed up all data.

If you have a jail broken iPhone, install apps that are compatible with your iOS version. This will make your iPhone run a little bit faster at all times. However, if none of this works, perhaps you’ll need to repair your iPhone — contact iFixYouri to learn about what we can do to speed up your iPhone.

laptops, Tips

Tips To Extend MacBook Battery Life

4 Comments

macbook-battery-life-ifixyouri

The battery life of a Macbook depends primarily on its usage, as well as its configuration. All MacBooks have a battery status menu that displays the charge level of the battery as well as whether it is charging or not. The battery status menu and the menu bar lay side to side on the right side of the computer. It undergoes varying changes and updates depending on the system workload and screen brightness. Below are some tips that you can use to get the most out of your MacBook battery.

First Things First

Click on system preferences on your MacBook dock. A silver square with a gear train inside represents the system preferences. Next, click on energy saver and check the graphics settings. If they are set on the ‘higher performance’ option, change it to ‘better battery life’. In order to save the changes on your graphics option, you will have to log out.

Use Only What’s Necessary

Turn off unused technologies and features and maximize your MacBook’s battery life. This follows the same logic as switching off the lights in an empty room. Start by ejecting DVDs and CDs that you are not using. The optical drive will use battery power to read these media as long as they are in the drive. Disconnect all peripherals such as digital cameras, external hard drives, mice and printers. Connected peripherals draw power through the fire wire or USB ports. This reduces your battery life considerably. Shut down any running applications that are not in use as well as runaway applications.

Turn off Local Networks

Turn off your Bluetooth or AirPort to extend your battery life if you are not using them. Click on the menu bar and select the AirPort or Bluetooth option. Choose the turn off option of either feature from the drop-down menu to turn them off. You can also deactivate the two features from the system preferences option.

Reduce Brightness

Reduce your screen brightness to a comfortable level. The brightness of your MacBook screen has the greatest impact on your battery life when compared to any other setting. Pressing the F1 key will dim the screen to a comfortable brightness level. For example, reducing your screen brightness from 100% to 50% on a MacBook Pro will add up to three hours on your total battery life.

Pressing the F8 key on your MacBook will turn off the keyboard backlight further extending your battery life.

Check Your Battery Condition

If you are running Mac OS X v10.6.x or higher, holding the option key and clicking the battery status menu will display the condition of your battery. The MacBook should indicate normal battery condition for optimum performance. A ‘replace soon’ condition indicates that the battery needs replacement soon while a ‘replace now’ condition requires immediate battery replacement. If you see this sign, your computer may be getting old and you should check out iFixYouri’s Mac laptop repair services.