How to Change the Number of Preview Lines in your Email on your iPhone or iPad

Over the last several years, “throwback Thursday” has become quite popular. Although it is really supposed to be about nostalgia (like old photos), I thought I’d stretch the point, and occasionally post an old (but updated!) “how to” on Thursdays, for the benefit of the many new-device-users who have joined our blog. (or to refresh the memories for those of us who forget!)

When you bought your iPhone and/or iPad, the preview setting for your email was pre-set at 2. This means that before you open your individual emails on either device, you see not only the heading of the mail, but also the first two lines of text.

Consider your needs…. perhaps you want more privacy for your email? Then you can set it so that no lines preview at all. (As an added bonus, by setting your preview lines to zero, this frees up space so that more emails show on a single screen at once.)

Or perhaps you get a lot of email from a variety of sources and want more visible lines. When you see more lines, you can decide with a glance if you want to open a particular email, or just delete it. Poof! No opening necessary.

You can set these preview lines anywhere from 0 to 5. Out-of-the-box is set at 2, so if you haven’t changed it, your device is currently set at 2.

Here is how to change the number of visible preview lines: (Directions are the same for both the iPhone and the iPad)

Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars

Now select “Preview”

You will be shown a screen with the choices: None, 1 Line, 2 Lines, 3 Lines, 4 Lines, 5 Lines.

Select the number of lines you would like to see, and you’re done.

Return to your Mail, to see if you like your new choice. 🙂

iPad Slowing Down? Try this Simple Fix, First

Last week my dear friend Mona had a sluggish iPad.

Really sluggish.

I watched as she tried to load a map, and it took
f o r e v e r.

Frustrating.

She did the housekeeping thing, and closed all the running apps. No difference. Sluggish, still.

So the next day she made an appointment with a Mac Genius.

They had the solution, and her iPad is speedy, once again.

What was the magic?

They told her to turn it off. Then on (of course 🙂 ). Yes, that’s it.

Actually, the Genius suggested turning it off at least 3 times a week to improve and/or maintain the speed.

That was it. On and off. Remember this if your iPad gets sluggish (and iPhone, as well). It may not solve all your issues, but it can’t hurt.

Thanks, Mona!

It’s my Blog-aversary!

This week marks my anniversary of TWO full years of blogging.

TWO years!

I find it hard to believe.

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of my readers for your continued support and encouragement.

For now I plan to continue. After all, new iPhones are just around the corner, followed (most likely) with a new OS, new tweaks, new and updated apps, maybe even a new Paperwhite ….

As the tech keeps coming, I’ll keep on bloggin’!

How to Find the Umlauts, Accents, etc. on your iPhone or iPad keyboard

Over the last several years, “throwback Thursday” has become quite popular.

Although it is really supposed to be about nostalgia (like old photos), I thought I’d stretch the point, and occasionally post an old “how to” on Thursdays, for the benefit of the many new-device-users who have joined our blog.

It might not happen often, but when you need to find an umlaut (or a similar something), you want it NOW. But where is it on your keyboard?

Here is how you find umlauts and accents on your iPad or iPhone keyboard:

Let’s say you want an “e” with a little accent mark above it. Simply hold your finger on the “e” key, and you will see that several “e” choices appear. Want an umlaut? Touch and hold the “u” and it will be right there. Need an “n” with a tilde? Touch and hold the “n” to see your choices.

Try it. Just stroll through the keyboard, touching each key in turn so you can browse the options. Not every letter has options, of course, but I’m sure you’ll find some surprising ones. Some symbols also have options (try the $ sign for example 🙂 )

Typing in Caps (part of the) Very Beginner Series

Occasional posts will contain how-tos and/or hints for VERY new users of iPads, iPhones or Kindles. All new users welcome! Non-tech speak, not terribly detailed, just basic device-enhancing goodness. All part of this Very Beginner Series. Please share with any beginners (Mom? Dad? Grandma?) in your life.

Over the last several years, “throwback Thursday” has become quite popular.

Although it is really supposed to be about nostalgia (like old photos), I thought I’d stretch the point, and occasionally post an old “how to” on Thursdays, for the benefit of the many new-device-users who have joined our blog.

How to type in Caps:

When you first get your new iPhone or iPad, one of the first things you’ll do is spend some time typing on the keyboard. You’ll quickly learn to tap the up-arrow when you want a capital letter.

But what if you want to type in ALL caps? You do not need to tap the arrow every single time ….

Just DOUBLE-TAP the up-arrow, and it will darken. Now every letter you type will BE A CAPITAL LETTER.

When you are done cap-typing, just touch the up-arrow again, and you’ll turn off your caps.

(remember to use your caps responsibly. It isn’t polite to shout. 🙂 )

What Model iPad do I have?

Now that iPads have been around for a few years, it is easy to forget which model you have. And if you are thinking of upgrading, you will need to know YOUR model so that you can trade it or sell it and get $$$$ that you can use toward your new goodie.

(many options are available for selling your iPad. My experience selling an iPhone was easy and gave me a good stash of cash to use for upgrading my phone. I will certainly do it again when I decide to upgrade my iPad. I used both Gazelle and Amazon, and you can read about my experience both here and here.)

Once you have gathered all your information, you can check with Gazelle and/or Amazon to see what your iPad is worth.

To find out what model of iPad YOU have, you must flip it over (and for many of us, grab a magnifying glass!).

The model number is there, on the bottom-back, with an “A” in front of a 4-digit number.

Once you have the number, just look through these charts to find your model. (Before selling it, you’ll also need to know if you are WiFi only or WiFi + Cellular, and of course, capacity.)

How to Increase (or Decrease) your Text sizes on your iPhone and/or iPad

I can read anything on my iPhone. I just got new glasses, and I’m good to go.

However …. recently I tweaked my text size just a bit bigger.

By making my text size just a tad larger, it is now perfect for me and my eyes. 🙂

Increasing your text size is particularly helpful for those with vision issues.

(Or … perhaps the opposite would be better for you, and you would like to make your text smaller. The process is the same.)

How to make your text larger (or smaller) on your iPhone or iPad:

Go to Settings > General > Text Size

You will see a slider, and you can move that slider so that your text size increases (or decreases).

And if this still isn’t big enough for you?

You can make the text even larger!

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Larger Type

Turn ON “larger dynamic type.”

Once you do that, the slider will arrange itself to allow you to make your text even larger.

Remember, you can also add BOLD to your text as well.

Big and Bold. A winning combination for aging eyes. 🙂

Using your iPhone or iPad in the Dark: How to Invert Colors on your Device

smartphones.wonderhowto.com

When I sit in a movie theatre, I usually spend the “movie-preview” time reading on the Kindle app on my iPhone.  You probably know that within the Kindle app, we have the option to change the screen to black, which works well in a dark theatre.

But did you know that you can invert the colors for your whole iPhone and iPad? (this is NOT just for iOS 7. This feature works on any phone using iOS4 or later)

Inverting colors makes it easier to use your phone in the dark …. especially in a crowded place where the glare of the bright phone might bother others.

It is also helpful for some visual impairments, making the iPhone/iPad screens easier to see.

How to invert the colors on your iPhone:

Setting > General > Accessibility > Invert Colors

Try it! Just tap “invert colors” and watch the screen instantly change. Then just tap again to bring it back to normal. (Someday you’ll be sitting in a dark and crowded place and you’ll be glad you know this.) 🙂

iOS 7: Text Time, a Secret Goodie in iOS 7

On this blog we will be exploring one feature of iOS 7 at a time, and so every few days I’ll toss another here on the blog to look at more closely.

Just ONE at a time. Slow and steady.

That’s how we “everyday folks” can cope with all this stuff. 🙂

There is a little “secret” buried in the new iOS 7.

And it’s a goodie!

You can now see WHEN a text was sent. This can be very handy ….. Maybe you’ve missed an “I’m on my way” or an apology, or countless other issues. The “when” the text was sent can be quite important….. and now you can see that “when”.

Here is how to see when a text was sent in iOS 7:

This is how you see a typical text.

If you would like to see the TIME this text was sent, you can now do this in iOS 7.

Just put your finger on the text, and slide to the LEFT.

The time the text was sent will appear on your screen from the right side. 🙂

How to Lock your Screen Orientation in iOS 7

On this blog we will be exploring one feature of iOS 7 at a time, and so every few days I’ll toss another here on the blog to look at more closely.

Just ONE at a time.

Slow and steady.

That’s how we “everyday folks” can cope with all this stuff. 🙂

When you flip your iPhone or iPad from portrait mode (home button on the bottom) to landscape mode (home button) on the right or the left, usually your screen will change with you. (Some apps don’t allow the switch). If you look at a photo, you’ll get a good idea of the flip. Just twist your device and watch the photo change orientation.

Some people prefer using their device one way or the other. (Personally, I prefer to use my iPad in landscape, and my iPhone in portrait. Why? I have no idea. Just do. 😆 )

If you have NOT updated to iOS 7, then you can find your method(s) of locking the screen in this old blog post: Flipping Your iPad: How to Lock Your Screen in Landscape or in Portrait

For those of us who have updated, or perhaps got a brand new iPhone :), iOS 7 has changed the way to access the screen “lock”.

Here is how to LOCK your screen on your iPad or iPhone in iOS 7:

From ANY screen (even if your phone is locked), swipe UP from the bottom.

This is the new Control Center. (More on this, later…)

Tap on the lock screen button. It will be black, but it will turn white once you turn it “on”.

To “undo”, just tap the button, again. Easy, breezy.

For iPad users: you can also use your mute button to lock the screen by going to Settings > General > Lock Rotation