Gadget Hacks How-Tos — Page 115 of 336

How To: iOS 9 Public Beta Now Available (Here's What's New & How to Install It)

A month after its initial release to developers, iOS 9's Public Preview build is now available to everyone. If you signed up right from the start, you should receive an email or push notification letting you know of its availability. If you didn't, make sure to sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program.

How To: 21 Apps You'll Need When Switching from iPhone to Android

So you finally decided to make the switch from iOS to Android, huh? Well first off: welcome to the world of tomorrow. And secondly: good call, mate.

How To: Use Your Chromecast Without WiFi

It's no secret that we love the Chromecast. From watching movies to playing games to giving presentations, this little $35 dongle definitely packs a punch. But unless you have a strong, solid Wi-Fi connection in the 2.4 GHz range, this little device has been out of reach to you. Well, until now.

How To: Use Smart Switch to Update Your Galaxy S6—Even It's Rooted

In the past, updating a rooted Samsung Galaxy device has always involved the complicated process of downloading the proper firmware for your variant, installing device drivers, then sideloading the update with Odin.

How To: Import Your Spotify Playlists into Apple Music

With iOS 8.4 and iTunes 12.2, we got our first look at Apple Music, Apple's new streaming subscription service. While it's a little late to the party, there is definitely an incentive for iOS and Mac OS X users to switch over from competitors due to its heavy integration with the Apple ecosystem.

How To: Google Stores Your Voice Search History—Here's How to Delete & Prevent It for Good

It's no secret that Google stores your search history in order to provide you with targeted ads when surfing the web. What's even more interesting (or freaky) is that your Google Now voice searches are also being stored, and you can actually listen to them right now.

How To: Set Apple Music Songs as Alarm Sounds on Your iPhone So You Don't Hit Snooze Anymore

Don't like how Apple's default Radar ringtone — or any other tone — wakes you up in the morning? Then don't use them as your alarm sound. Instead, use your favorite song to get you out of bed. Whether you enjoy an acoustic tune or a heavy, energetic jam, you can choose any Apple Music song you want, or any track in your personal Music library, to get you going each day.

How To: How Anyone (Even Pirates) Can Get Windows 10 for Free—Legally

Windows 10 is due to be released on July 29th, and the majority of existing Windows users should be eligible to upgrade to the newer version for free.

How To: Control Your Mac Apps with Custom Trackpad Gestures

Remembering keyboards shortcuts can prove difficult, especially when there are so many to remember, not to mention that they differ from app to app. While tools like CheatSheet can make them easier to use, today I'm going to show you how to enter them without using your keyboard at all.

How To: Remove the Apple Music & Connect Tabs from iOS 8.4's Music App

In an attempt to get more people to subscribe to Apple Music, the Music app was completely revamped in the iOS 8.4 update for iPad and iPhone to include new tabs for New, For You, and Connect.

How To: 10 Ways to Trick Your Android Phone into Using Less Data

Ever watched Netflix on your phone only to realize an hour later that you forgot to turn Wi-Fi on? That's a whole lot of data used.

How To: 10 Essential Xposed Modules Every Rooted Android User Needs

There are many reasons to root Android, but for me, the most important one is to have the Xposed Framework. Xposed gives you access to hundreds of modules, which take away the need to manually modify core system files to add new features and functionality to your Android device.

Android Security: 13 Must-Know Tips for Keeping Your Phone Secure

These days, that pocket-sized computer we call a smartphone is home to your entire digital life. But with the onset of mobile payments and online banking, the line between your virtual world and the physical realm is becoming increasingly blurred.

How To: Downgrade Your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 to iOS 6.1.3

If you've updated your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 to a version of iOS 7, iOS 8, or even iOS 9, you've probably noticed that its performance is a little more sluggish than it was back when it had iOS 6 and lower on it.

How To: Global Find & Replace, Undo, & Redo Finally Comes to Android

Make no bones about it—having an "undo" option is a freaking godsend. Whether you accidentally deleted an entire essay, screwed up the shading on a Photoshop job, or sent an email that wasn't quite ready, having the option to undo a click or button-press can definitely be a lifesaver.

How To: Shuffle All Songs in Apple's New Music App in iOS 8.4

If you updated to iOS 8.4 already to try out the new Apple Music service, there's one important change you need to know about—there's no longer a "Shuffle" option for all songs in your library.

How To: Disable Apple Music's Auto-Renewal for Free Trials So You Don't Get Charged

Apple's streaming music service, Apple Music, offers a three-month free trial that hopes to get you addicted enough to pay for a monthly subscription. You may even see a one-month trial if you're a former subscriber. While it's not very obvious, there is a way to cancel either free trial from auto-renewing. That way, you don't have to deal with Apple support to try and get your money back because you forgot.

How To: Update Makes It Easy to Remove S Finder & Quick Connect from Your Galaxy S6's Notification Tray

Sure Samsung toned down TouchWiz on their latest flagship devices, but there was one issue (albeit minor and mostly cosmetic) that really irked me: those damn "S Finder" and "Quick connect" buttons in the notification tray. Only the T-Mobile S6 variants shipped with an option to remove these two buttons, so AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and other non-T-Mobile users were stuck with them taking up space in the notification panel. If you didn't mind rooting your device, there was a way to remove them b...

How To: Change OS X’s Annoying Default Settings Using Terminal

When setting up a new Mac, there can be a bunch of settings that need to be changed in order to get the system running the way you like it. That usually involves going through tons of System Preferences panes and app settings—but it doesn't have to.

How To: Improve Sound Quality on Android: 5 Audio Mods for Better-Sounding Music & Videos

Whether I'm in my car or making dinner, I always have music playing. And since I don't like to keep my headphones on me at all times, I end up using my Android's built-in speakers a good portion of the time.

How To: Top 7 Free Wallpaper Apps for Android Phones & Tablets

Out of all the questions that we receive from our readers and viewers here at Gadget Hacks, the most frequently asked one is "What wallpaper is that?" On occasion, our wallpapers may be personal or images from the web, but for the most part, they come from dedicated wallpaper apps.

How To: Make Drag & Drop Way More Useful on Your Mac

Managing files can be time consuming on your Mac, for the simple reason that keyboard shortcuts and right-clicks sometimes lack the effectiveness we need. But with a simple third-part app, you can expedite the process of sharing, moving, deleting, and overall managing files on your computer.

How To: Download Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat & Twitter Videos on Your iPhone

For most of us, the primary reason we capture videos on our iPhones is to post on one of the various social media platforms out there, like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter, providing instant gratification by receiving a proverbial nod from our followers.

How To: Fix Stuck or Dead Pixels on Almost Any Screen

If you've noticed a tiny discolored spot on your computer screen that just doesn't seem to go away, chances are you have a stuck pixel. With modern LCD and OLED screens, there are millions of incredibly small dots (pixels) that make up all of the contents of your display—and within these pixels, there is a set of red, green and blue subpixels. These mix together at various levels to create all of the different colors you see.

How To: Dual Boot Windows 10 & Mac OS X on Your Mac

While Windows 10 is still a few weeks away from a public release, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy its brand new features right now. Anyone with an Insider Preview account can install Windows 10 on their computer. And that doesn't just go for those that own a Windows PC—Mac users can get their hands on Windows 10 as well.

How To: The Ultimate Guide to Deleting Apps & Bloatware on Android

As Android owners, we ultimately have to look at our device and ask the difficult question: "Where the hell did all these applications come from?"

How To: Jailbreak iOS 8.0-8.4 on Your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch (& Install Cydia)

Although iOS 8.4 was just released, the team behind the iOS 8.3 jailbreak have updated their tool for the latest operating system, and will work on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. So if you've been wanting to get all your tweaks back, or want to start exploring all of Cydia's options, now's the time to jailbreak.

How To: Recover Photos & Videos from a Lost or Damaged iPhone

If you have a ton of photos and videos on your iPhone, backing up to iCloud is probably a no-go since it only provides 5 GB of free storage. Yes, you can buy more storage, but who wants to do that? And what happens if you run out of storage, stop backing up, and your phone gets lost, stolen, or damaged.

How To: Completely Banish Google from Your Android Experience

Update (February 2019): The methods below will help on older Android versions, but we've recently revisited this topic. So if you have a newer Android phone and you want to get rid of Google, head here.

How To: Use Snapchat's Hidden Filter to Add Color Overlays to Your Photos & Videos

Snapchat has built upon the photo-sharing service it once was to become a money-sending, commercial-shelling, video-messaging giant. They improved their user experience by adding Stories, Geofilters, and even the rarely-used Snapcash feature, but why isn't there something as simple as color filters? Yes, they have filters for black and white, saturated, and sepia, but that's it as far as color goes.

How To: You're Uninstalling Mac Apps Wrong: Here's How to Remove Them Completely

Uninstalling an app on your Mac isn't as straightforward as you would think. When you drag and drop an app into the Trash, then empty it, the main app itself may be gone, but many associated files and folders are left behind. So how do you get rid of them? There are a couple of ways.

How To: The Single Most Useful Keyboard Shortcut Every Mac User Should Know

Keyboard shortcuts can make using your Mac faster and easier, and leave your mouse feeling archaic. With just a few taps, you can save files, open new tabs, or play a movie—all without using your mouse even once.

How To: Bypass T-Mobile's Tethering Limit for Free

T-Mobile's "Uncarrier" initiative has done wonders for my wallet and my data usage. Before I had to deal with being throttled down to 2G speeds after passing my data limit, but thanks to their unlimited data plans, I'm free to use as much LTE data as I possibly can. The only downside is, when sharing data through a mobile hotspot (tethering), T-Mobile imposes a 5 GB limit (which was recently upped to 7 GB for some).

How To: Master Pokémon & Win Every Game Using Your Android

Saying that I was obsessed with Pokémon as a child would be a serious understatement, and even though I'm not the Pokémon fanatic I once was doesn't mean I don't love playing still. However, I do often find myself dumbfounded by all of the new features and characters in each generation.

How To: Fix Touchscreen Issues on Your OnePlus One with These Quick & Easy Tips

While the OnePlus One is a great value, you could be plagued with a touchscreen issue or two. The most common problems come in the form of ghost touches and touches not registering with apps.

How To: Turn Your Phone's Screen On Just by Waving

The Samsung Galaxy S6 includes a pretty nifty feature known as "Gesture wake up," which lets users wave their hand over their locked display to wake it, making those periodic notification checks from the lock screen a lot more simple than having to press the power or home key every time.