Episodios

  • HOA 185b: Hands-On Mac Is Making A Change
    Jun 12 2025

    If you've been tuning in to Hands-On Mac for your weekly dose of Apple know-how, don't worry, we're not going anywhere. We're just thinking bigger. Starting next week, Hands-On Mac becomes Hands-On Apple.

    Why the change? Because Mikah Sargent's tech tips have always gone beyond the Mac. Whether he's uncovering clever iOS settings, showing off Terminal tricks, reviewing must-have Apple accessories, or testing the latest from iPadOS, this show has always been more than just Mac. It's time the name caught up with the content.

    Expect the same smart, bite-sized help with all your Apple gear. If it's in the Apple ecosystem, Mikah's got something fun and useful to share with you.

    New episodes still drop every Thursday. Want it ad-free? Grab the show for $5/month, or get all our shows ad-free by joining Club TWiT for just $10/month.

    Same Mikah. Same great show. Just a name that finally fits. See you on Hands-On Apple!

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Apple at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-apple

    Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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    1 m
  • HOM 185: Safari Reading List
    Jun 5 2025

    Pocket may be gone, but your Mac has a powerful built-in replacement that's been hiding in plain sight all along. Mikah Sargent reveals Safari's underutilized Reading List feature and shows how it can seamlessly replace your favorite read-later apps with smart offline capabilities and cross-device syncing.

    -Adding Articles Made Simple - Multiple ways to save content including the Shift+Command+D keyboard shortcut, shift-clicking links, and the "Add Open Tabs to Reading List" bulk option

    -Smart Organization Tools - Built-in search functionality and automatic sorting between read and unread articles to keep your list manageable

    -Powerful Management Options - Right-click context menu reveals options to open in new tabs, mark as read, save offline, or delete items entirely

    -Trackpad Gesture Controls - Swipe gestures for quick actions: right swipe to mark as read, left swipe to remove or save offline

    -Offline Reading Capabilities - Save articles for airplane mode or poor connectivity situations, creating local snapshots of web pages

    -Continuous Reading Experience - Auto-advance feature that seamlessly flows from one article to the next when you reach the bottom of a page

    -Keyboard Navigation Shortcuts - Built-in options to jump between previous and next reading list items for rapid article consumption

    -Automatic Offline Sync Setup - How to configure Safari to automatically save all reading list articles offline across all your devices

    -Reader View Integration - Combining Reading List with Safari's distraction-free reader mode for the ultimate reading experience

    -Customization Options - Theme choices (light, dark, gray, sepia) and typography settings (San Francisco, New York, Times New Roman, Georgia) for personalized reading

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

    Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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    11 m
  • HOM 184: Files App Walkthrough
    May 29 2025

    Your iPhone and iPad have a hidden powerhouse that rivals macOS Finder - and most users barely scratch its surface. Mikah Sargent takes you on a comprehensive tour of the Files app, revealing powerful features like document scanning, server connections, and collaborative folder sharing that transform your mobile device into a serious productivity machine.

    Recents Tab Features - Exploring the most recently accessed files and discovering the powerful "more" button (three dots) that unlocks advanced selection and viewing options

    File Selection and Management - How to select multiple files at once, switch between icon and list views, and sort by various criteria including name, date, size, and tags

    Built-in Document Scanner - Step-by-step demonstration of the integrated scanning feature that can capture physical documents and automatically convert them to PDFs with edge detection

    iCloud Drive Integration - Understanding how Desktop, Documents, and Downloads folders sync between devices, plus accessing app-specific folders like Keynote presentations

    Browse Tab Deep Dive - Navigating the main file structure with Locations, Favorites, and Tags sections for organized file management

    On-Device vs Cloud Storage - Important distinction between "On My iPhone/iPad" storage (local only) and iCloud Drive (syncs across devices)

    Third-Party Service Integration - How cloud providers like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box appear as locations within the Files app for unified file access

    Server Connections - Connecting to network servers using URLs or IP addresses with username/password authentication

    Advanced File Actions - Comprehensive tour of tap-and-hold context menus including copy, move, share, download management, compression, and Quick Look preview

    File Tagging System - Creating and managing color-coded tags for organizing documents, with examples like categorizing receipts, work files, and user manuals

    Favorites and Quick Access - Adding frequently used folders to the Favorites section for faster navigation and workflow optimization

    Collaborative Folder Sharing - Setting up shared folders where multiple users can add, edit, and manage files together, complete with messaging and permission controls

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

    Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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    20 m
  • HOM 183: Getting the Most out of macOS Dictation
    May 22 2025

    Unlock the power of your voice with macOS dictation! Mikah Sargent demonstrates how to transform your spoken words into written text anywhere on your Mac, complete with punctuation commands, formatting tricks, and even emoji support. This comprehensive guide walks you through enabling the feature and using advanced dictation commands you probably didn't know existed.

    • Enabling dictation in macOS - Access this feature through System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, where you can choose language, microphone source, and set up keyboard shortcuts.
    • Auto-punctuation option - Let macOS intelligently add punctuation based on your speech patterns or manually dictate punctuation marks.
    • Voice punctuation commands - Mikah demonstrates speaking marks like "period," "comma," "question mark," "open quote," "close quote," and many others.
    • Typography symbols - Learn to dictate special characters including backslash, forward slash, ampersand, bullet points, and vertical bars.
    • Text formatting commands - Control your text with commands like "new line," "new paragraph," "tab key," "no space on/off," and "caps on/off."
    • Mathematical and currency symbols - Dictate special symbols including equal sign, greater/less than signs, and various currency symbols like dollar, euro, and yen.
    • Emoji dictation - Add expressions to your text by saying phrases like "smiley face emoji" or "sobbing emoji."
    • Intellectual property symbols - Easily add copyright (©), registered (®), and trademark (™) marks through dictation.
    • Troubleshooting tips - Mikah offers advice for when dictation isn't working as expected, including checking your language settings and internet connection.

    Dictate messages and documents on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac
    Commands for dictating text on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/commands-for-dictating-text-on-mac-mh40695/15.0/mac/15.0
    If Dictation on Mac doesn't work as expected - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/if-dictation-on-mac-doesnt-work-as-expected-mchlc480652b/15.0/mac/15.0

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

    Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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    16 m
  • HOM 182: Magnifier Walkthrough
    May 15 2025

    Discover the incredible power of Apple's Magnifier accessibility tool as Mikah Sargent provides a comprehensive walkthrough of this feature that's about to make its way to macOS. Far more than just a simple magnification tool, Magnifier offers a suite of detection capabilities that can help anyone better interact with their surroundings.

    -Activities feature - Mikah demonstrates how to create and save custom "Activities" that configure Magnifier for specific use cases with different controls and detection settings.

    -Detection capabilities - The detect feature can identify and describe scenes, people, furniture, doors, text, and even what you're pointing at with impressive accuracy.

    -Capture functionality - Users can take photos of text or objects to zoom in on them later or have the content read aloud through the reader option.

    -Customizable filters - Various color filters including black and white, red on black, yellow on black, and others help users with colorblindness or those who need specific contrast settings.

    -Advanced settings options - Mikah details the extensive settings that allow users to customize primary and secondary controls, detection preferences, and feedback methods.

    -Door detection features - The tool can outline doors and provide detailed information about their color, material, shape, handle position, and even whether they should be pushed or pulled.

    -People and furniture detection - Magnifier can detect people at various distances with changing audio cues as they get closer, and can identify furniture including whether it's occupied.

    -Point and speak functionality - Users can point at objects to have Magnifier identify and read text from that specific location.

    Detect text around you and have it read out loud using Magnifier on iPhone - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/detect-text-read-loud-iph29dbe3fb6/ios

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

    Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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    21 m
  • HOM 181: Spotlight Search in macOS Sequoia
    May 8 2025

    Unlock the Full Power of Spotlight Search in macOS Sequoia
    Mikah Sargent takes you on a comprehensive tour of Spotlight, macOS Sequoia's built-in search powerhouse that does far more than just find files. Learn how to access, customize, and troubleshoot this essential Mac feature to boost your productivity.

    -Accessing Spotlight - Three different ways to open Spotlight: clicking the magnifying glass in the menu bar, using Command+Space keyboard shortcut, or pressing the dedicated Spotlight key (F4) on many Mac keyboards.

    -Search capabilities - Spotlight displays results organized by category including files, websites, images, music, and more, with indicators showing which results will take you to web sources.

    -Navigation tricks - Use arrow keys to move through results, double-click to open items, and hold down the Command key to reveal a file's location in Finder.

    -Settings searches - Search for system settings like "VoiceOver" to quickly access specific preference panes without navigating through menus.

    -Quick actions - Spotlight offers contextual actions for certain searches, like sending an email when you search for an email address.

    -File management - Drag files directly from Spotlight results to the desktop or Finder windows, and use "Search in Finder" for more specific file searches.

    -Calculations and conversions - Instantly perform math calculations, convert temperatures, currencies (like yen to USD), and measurements (feet to inches) right in the search field.

    -Time zone lookups - Quickly check local time in different cities around the world.

    -Customizing search categories - Control which categories appear in results by adjusting Spotlight preferences in System Settings.

    -Privacy options - Turn off Siri suggestions or disable location services to limit Spotlight's scope, and use Search Privacy settings to exclude specific folders or drives from searches.

    -Troubleshooting Spotlight - Fix problems by rebuilding the Spotlight index through a simple but effective technique involving temporarily excluding your entire hard drive.

    Search for anything with Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/search-with-spotlight-mchlp1008/mac
    Choose suggestion categories for Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/choose-suggestion-categories-for-spotlight-mchl3e00eae9/15.0/mac/15.0
    Prevent Spotlight searches in files on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/prevent-spotlight-searches-in-files-mchl1bb43b84/15.0/mac/15.0
    Turn off Siri Suggestions for Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/turn-off-siri-suggestions-for-spotlight-mchl62db64f5/15.0/mac/15.0#apdd1e1b05619144

    These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac/episodes/181

    Host: Mikah Sargent

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    17 m
  • HOM 180: Revisiting iPhone Mirroring
    May 1 2025

    Mikah Sargent demonstrates how to use iPhone mirroring, a powerful feature that allows you to control your iPhone directly from your Mac. This detailed walkthrough covers setup, requirements, and practical applications of this impressive Continuity feature that keeps your devices connected.

    Setting up iPhone mirroring - Learn how to access the app through the dock or Spotlight search, and the initial setup process requiring passcode verification on both devices.

    System requirements - Both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, must be signed into the same Apple ID, positioned within 30 feet of each other, and running macOS Sequoia (or later) and iOS 18 (or later).

    Interface navigation - Mikah demonstrates how to use the trackpad to navigate, access the app switcher, and return to the home screen using the menu bar at the top.

    App interaction - Right-clicking apps provides additional options like converting apps to widgets or accessing app shortcuts that would normally require tap-and-hold gestures on iPhone.

    Notification management - See how iPhone notifications appear on your Mac and how to customize which app notifications are displayed.

    File transfers - The feature enables drag-and-drop functionality for moving photos, documents, and other files between your Mac and iPhone.

    Privacy benefits - Your iPhone stays locked during mirroring, and the iPhone screen doesn't display what you're doing on the Mac side.

    Multiple iPhone support - You can connect several iPhones to one Mac, though only one can be used at a time.

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

    Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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    13 m
  • HOM 179: Using the Passwords App in macOS Sequoia
    Apr 24 2025

    Mikah Sargent takes viewers on a comprehensive tour of the Passwords app in macOS Sequoia, demonstrating how this robust tool serves as a complete credential management system. From passkeys to verification codes and shared passwords, Mikah explores how Apple has created a secure yet user-friendly solution for managing all your login information across devices.

    Passkeys - These are created automatically when you set up passkey authentication on websites, with limited editing options but the ability to add notes or modify the associated website.

    Verification codes - Users can add two-factor authentication codes either by entering setup keys manually or scanning QR codes.

    Wi-Fi - The app stores Wi-Fi network credentials, displays network security information (WPA2/WPA3), and lets users generate QR codes for easy sharing.

    Security recommendations - The app alerts users when passwords may be compromised in data breaches using Apple's differential privacy techniques that protect user privacy.

    Password sharing feature - Users can create groups to share specific login credentials with family members or others, with granular control over which passwords are shared.

    Password importing - The app supports importing passwords from CSV files, though Mikah strongly recommends deleting these files immediately after import for security.

    Cross-device synchronization - All passwords sync across Apple devices with end-to-end encryption via iCloud.

    Windows compatibility - Even Windows users can access their passwords through the iCloud Passwords app, making it a versatile solution.

    Passwords User Guide - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/passwords/welcome/1.1/mac/15.4.1

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Mac at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-mac

    Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

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    10 m
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