Mac Geek Gab — Apple Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

By The Way, Alexa

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Want a quick way to send the same iMessage to another person? How about customizing the icons of your PDFs? Quick Tips are your friends, and John, Dav...

Socket 939

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Don’t get caught using—and losing—your Google Authenticator data. Do get caught solving your Apple TV syncing issues…and Contact Duplication…...

Summer Travel Season Tips...and More!

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that “Optimize Charging” actually charges your iPhone more slowly? How about the *best* place to put your AirTag when traveling? What...

Where Is the iMac Studio?

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know you can choose specific windows in your Mac’s Cmd-Tab app-switcher? How about an easy—and automatic—way of connecting to your home ...

AI, Steve Jobs, and a Watermelon

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you ever want to pin a tab inside a Tab Group? How about using your Mac as a power bank? Want a refurb Mac Studio? Today’s your lucky day, and t...

Leaf Out, Man

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Wanna sync multiple folders amongst all your Macs, rename your Bluetooth devices, keep your Mac awake? Dave, John, and Pilot Pete have you covered! Al...

You Can Dangle Your Dongle

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that macOS will tell you which Wi-Fi channel you should use on your router? How about that you can type in specific start and end times f...

Take Me Down to Tangent City

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What are your thoughts on backup internet connections, programming NFC tags, expiration dates on consumer products, DACs for your devices, and more? I...

We Are Just 17 (If You Know What We Mean)

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Birthday to us all! It’s true… 17 years ago today (to the day!) John and Dave released the first Mac Geek Gab episode (called “TMO To Go”...

Geeky Reactions to Apple's WWDC22 Keynote

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Apple’s WWDC conference is this week, with a slew of new announcements for both Developers and end users alike. Listen as John, Dave, and Pilot Pete...

Jiggle Mode Galore

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave’s been testing the new Synology RT6600ax router and has some “first look” thoughts to share. He, John, and Pete continue by answering your ...

Qi vs. MagSafe, Split Screen, and More!

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What are the differences between Qi and MagSafe? Listen as your three favorite geeks talk through all this and more. Split screen, searching in Messag...

A Synology Geek Gab

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Synology’s DiskStations are a popular item amongst all of us here in the MGG Family, listeners and hosts all included! Listen today as guest Jeff Ga...

Don't Store Your iPhone In Your Navel

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Quick Tips for keyboard shortcuts, viewing messages, and speed tests are just the first segment of this week’s episode. Listen as John, Dave, and Pi...

Never Say Never...Except When Excavating

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus joins your two favorite geeks this week to talk Apple’s Self Service repairs, Keyboard Shortcuts, Screen Layout, and Twink...

Cool Stuff (and Jeff Gamet) Found!

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Gamet joins John and Dave today to share all kinds of Cool Stuff Found with you. Categories range from MagSafe car mounts to mechanical keyboards...

Time Slows All Computers

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Google email is no longer free, Preview has Zoom, iPadOS has Low Power Mode, and you can use Spotlight and Screenshots for notes. Also learn the best ...

Clouding As a Verb

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's true, we "cloud" things now. It's a thing. On top of that, iCloud Private Relay is also a thing, and it's not necessarily a good one yet. But it'...

The Cost-Mart in Kasketchewan

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Allison Sheridan joins Dave and John this week to help you learn at least five new things! Quick Tips include seeing Mac App Store progress, uses for ...

Rabbit Holes and Adjacent Universes

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Quick Tips rule the day here, with Pete, John, and Dave sharing how to stop Facebook from disabling your audio, finding menu items in macOS, connectin...

Once You Go Mac, You'll Never Go Back

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John, Dave, and Pilot Pete get together from not just three different time zones, but two different countries! They talk about macOS 12.3, the best up...

From Apple to Vigorish

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about a portable screen for your laptop, how to reset your Apple mouse, how to resolve Safari errors and more with Pilot Pete, John F. Braun and...

Geeky Reactions to Apple's Peek Performance Event

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave, John, and Pilot Pete come together hot on the heels of Apple's Peek Performance Event to share their hot-takes with you. Listen as your three fa...

I'm Pretty Much a Doctor Now?

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave's back from his first international travel in two years and has some travel tips to share regarding mobile data service, AirTags, portable speake...

A Cool Stuff Found Cornucopia

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Cool Stuff Found corner of the mailroom was starting to overflow, and the staff was getting restless, so Dave and John dig in. Learn how to find p...

Quick Tips Galore!

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, it seems it was impossible for Dave, John, and Pilot Pete to stop giving Quick Tips. Even the topics which your three favorite geeks thoug...

There's an Email Conspiracy!

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dave seems to think there's an email conspiracy, and he explains how to avoid it to you and John. That's not all, of course. Your Quick Tips help ever...

Spending Airplane Dollars on Cool Stuff Found

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We know…Cool Stuff Found sometimes gets expensive, but new geeky gear is so much fun! Thankfully, this episode has tons of free advice from your thr...

Silent Failures Are Bad News

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Everything seems fine, but is it? How do you know if something has failed if you don't get a notification? Listen to your three favorite geeks talk t...

Keep Your Mac Out Of The ER

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Each week, Dave and John come together to solve your problems and answer your questions. This week, that includes lots of great Quick Tips, troublesho...

The One After 909

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listen as your two favorite geeks share tips and tricks about sharing photo libraries, writing Shortcuts, scanning pictures with your iPhone, choosing...

Learning From Distractions

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Everything's distracting, especially to many of us geeks. That's ok, though. Listen as John and Dave plow through their distractions to ensure everyon...

A Little Notification Goes A Long Way

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know you could create a reminder from macOS Mail? How would you like to learn about three new ways to toggle Do Not Disturb? Or a solution for...

Email, Atmos, and LiDAR...Oh My!

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know what happens when your two favorite geeks get together, don't you? Geeky talk about all kinds of things AND answers to all your questions. Li...

Change Is a Foot

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know Siri can record your voice and send that to someone? Did you know you could stream directly from Plex to Sonos? How about running your va...

Apple's Jeremy Butcher talks Apple Business Essentials

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Apple recently announced-and-released the beta of their new MDM solution, Apple Business Essentials. Today we have Jeremy Butcher, Enterprise and Educ...

Opening All The Doors

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A big part of keeping your computer running is troubleshooting the *right* things, and that's not always easy to discern. It often requires opening al...

Prioritizing The Bachelorette

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Oftentimes we find ourselves relying upon technology to help maintain family harmony. Listen as John and Dave share a few of your (and their!) example...

Keyboards, Audio, and More!

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's more delicious than the sound of your fingers typing on a chunky mechanical keyboard? Hi-res audio coming out of your AirPods, of course! Good ...

Trapped In The Terminal

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week John and Dave find themselves trapped in the Terminal. Will your two favorite geeks escape? Press play to find out as they dig through a few...

Not The 900 Number You Expected

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join John, Dave, and Pilot Pete as they celebrate the 900th episode of Mac Geek Gab. What will they do? They'll answer your questions, share your tips...

A Summit of Geeks

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

MacMost's Gary Rosenzweig joins John and Dave today to share Quick Tips, Cool Stuff Found and, yes, to help answer all of your Apple-related tech ques...

macOS Monterey Quick Tips, M1 Choices, and Cool Stuff Found

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a busy week in the Apple world: the new M1 Pro/Max-based MacBook Pros began arriving, Monterey dropped for most, AirPods Gen 3 arrived, you ...

Who Is The "Perfect" User?

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Technology works in different ways for each of us, and it's often interesting to hear from folks who have different needs about why a certain bit of t...

Unloading After Unleashed

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Apple just finished presenting their "Unleashed" event about the newest Apple Silicon Macs, and it's time for your two favorite geeks to unload their ...

iCloud+, OBD-II, and iOS 15 Tricks!

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Settings get more granular in iOS 15, and your tips help us find a few new places to use that! Other tips include storing your music online for free, ...

Monterey On The Horizon

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your macOS Monterey questions are starting to trickle in, and your two favorite geeks have your answers. That's not all, though! This episode's got Qu...

A Quick Tips & Cool Stuff Found Bonanza!

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You folks filled the mailbag this week with some of the best Quick Tips and Cool Stuff Found your two favorite geeks have seen in a while. Listen as J...

Embracing the 15s

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Safari 15, iOS 15, your 15th birthday, all of these are things we must embrace, right? Listen as your two favorite geeks walk you through their though...

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today the "we" is three with the return of Pilot Pete! The content is the same, only better, as Pete ensures your two favorite geeks complete their ex...

Geeks Scheming about Apple's California Streaming

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Apple announced new iPhones, iPads, Fitness+ features, Watches, and more on Tuesday, and your two favorite geeks are here to share their reactions. On...

Regurgitate, Reiterate, and Recurse

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Starting with some of the best Quick Tips we've ever shared, your two favorite geeks roar through topics including measuring current, USB-C Flash Driv...

Power Usage and iPhone Terminal

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today is full of Cool Stuff Found, tips, and questions, with focuses on your charging and power usage as well as seeing behind the scenes of your iPho...

Remembering The Hokey Pokey

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How much Cool Stuff Found can your Two Favorite Geeks share? You're about to find out! Listen as John and Dave share all of your (and their) Cool Stuf...

Not That Kind of Dog Track

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tips about Siri, RAM, AirTags, and Keyboards are just the first few things you'll get here in this week's episode. Then Dave and John continue the jou...

Travel Tips, Wi-Fi Troubleshooting, and Dave Got Caught!

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's always interesting when multiple listeners have the same problem, and today you can listen as John and Dave dig into issues with Mac minis and re...

Deep Dives into Chargers, Cord-Cutting, Hard Drive Maintenance, and More

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your geeks take you on a few mini Deep Dives (snorkels?) today, covering topics like Cord Cutting, Chargers, HomeKit (and HOOBS), Docker, Hard Drive M...

Wi-Fi Connects But Doesn't Work

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ever have a scenario where everything seems right but nothing IS right? That's what's happening with several different MGG listeners this week, each f...

DIY Automation, CarPlay, RAID, and More!

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes the easy way isn't the fun way, and this week we've got lots of do-it-yourself solutions to share from all of you. Listen as John and Dave s...

Cutting The Coax

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cool Stuff Found starts the day here, with things for printing webpages, controlling your trackpad/mouse, and organizing your life. Need a VPN at home...

Clone, Erase, Install, Restore

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Four Quick Tips that'll change your life. We promise. And that's only the first ten minutes of the episode! From there it's on to Dave and John answer...

I Want My, I Want My, I Want My ... USB-C!

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's a hot one, folks, and we're not talking about the weather! This episode is chock full of great Cool Stuff Found, answers to your questions, and m...

Consulting Advice, Quick Tips, and DSM 7.0

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you're a computer consultant, how do you manage your billing? Like many of you listening, Dave and John both spent time as consultants, too. Listen...

Hot Corners and Hot Flashes

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's summer and it's hot! That means it's time to learn some tips about hot corners (on your Mac), hot flashes (on your iPhone), and more. Listen as J...

HaaS: Hay as a Service

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listen as John and Dave share your Quick Tips about Safari Picture-in-Picture, the caveats of Finder's Drag and Drop, Apple Remotes, and more. Lots of...

Dave Mark Joins for WWDC21 Day 1 Reactions

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Guest Dave Mark joins John and Dave today to discuss, react, digest, and help explain the new things Apple announced at WWDC21's Keynote and State of ...

Swiping Left (or Right!), Suspicious Packages, and Cool Stuff Found

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your two favorite geeks answer your questions about Target Disk Mode, using your Apple TV Remote to turn off your TV, removing words from predictive t...

Juice Jackers and Battery Drainers

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ever heard of Juice Jacking? Neither had John nor Dave. No problem, though, they dug in and found everything you needed to know. That's the beauty of ...

Offsite Backups, Blocking Scammers, Quick Tips, and More

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Apple users, we have lots of technology needs which extend beyond that which are made by the fruit company. Listen as your two favorite geeks share...

Passwords, Mesh WiFi, Quick Tips, and More

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You like tech? Wanna learn more? Listen as John and Dave answer your questions about what to get, how to set it up, how to fix it, and more! Of course...

Rumbling with Gatekeeper

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Apple's protective engines usually do well at protecting our devices, but what happens when they go haywire? It's time to Rumble, that's what, and Joh...

Trimming the iPhone App Fat

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's the best way to remove all those iPhone apps you downloaded once and never use anymore? Listen as John and Dave answer this and many other help...

Failing, Succeeding, and Retiring SSDs

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Solid State Drives (SSD) are a wonderful thing upon which we all rely, but sometimes they get a little wonky. Listen as John and Dave discuss and answ...

Dissecting Apple's Loaded Spring (Event)

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Minutes after Apple's "Spring Loaded" event ended, do you know what your two favorite geeks did? They recorded this episode for you to dissect and dis...

Not-So-Silent Ringing

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes your iPhone's silent, and sometime it's not. But what about when it decides what to do, not you? That's when you call John and Dave! Or you ...

Geek Challenges and Cool Stuff Found

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes there are those problems that just don't have easy solutions…and that's when things get fun! Geek Challenges mean you get to join in the f...

M1 Mac Troubleshooting, Quick Tips, and More

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

M1 Macs have only been available for a few months, but y'all are buying them up like crazy. Of course, troubleshooting them is a bit different than fa...

Dissecting Your Backups

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What better way to celebrate World Backup Day than to have your two favorite geeks pick apart their personal backup strategies? We can't think of one,...

NON ADEPTO DEPRENSUS!

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know the drill: Don't Get Caught! That means you want to understand your technology as best you can. Good news: Your two favorite geeks are here t...

What ELSE is Using My Mac?

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We know what apps we are using with our Macs, but increasingly there are processes — from Apple and others — using up our Mac's resources, too. L...

Vinyl, AirPods, and More!

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Connecting two pieces of technology together should be easy, right? Not always! Listen as John and Dave scratch their collective heads over all your q...

Rolling With Wi-Fi

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you've gotta go… and sometimes — make that ALL the times — you need Wi-Fi. Never fear, John and Dave are here to help answer the toug...

Solving an LSD Problem

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Of course you knew we meant LaunchServicesDaemon, right? Sometimes it has problems… and your two favorite geeks have the solution! Listen as John an...

Avoiding the Duck

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We promised Wi-Fi and we delivered Wi-Fi. That's how it works here at Mac Geek Gab: your two favorite geeks answer your questions and help solve your ...

Mountain Dew vs. iPhone and More Fun Stories

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Spoiler alert: Sometimes the Mountain Dew wins, folks, but you knew that already. That's OK, this episode is chock full of Cool Stuff Found, Quick Tip...

Spam, Your Privacy, Cool Stuff Found & More

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's your spam workflow? How do you know if your favorite podcast is selling your data? Want to hear about some Cool Stuff Found? Good news, your tw...

Headphone Safety, Big Sur, & Geek Challenges

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Big Sur continues to mature…and it continues to have some pesky little issues, too. Never fear, your two favorite geeks are here to answer your ques...

Remote Reflections from CES

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your two favorite geeks "went" to CES last week, and have some stories to share. Cool Stuff Found abounds, as well as some thoughts on this year's tre...

All The Gear, But No Idea(r)

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your questions drive the bus this week, as John and Dave provide answers about AirDrop, Spotlight, Screen Protectors, 10G Ethernet, Time Machine, and ...

Long Term Storage, Photos, & Cool Stuff Found

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, John and Dave come together to answer your questions about long-term storage, Photos Libraries, Migrating to a new Mac and much, much more....

Time Capsule Replacements, Quick Tips, & Cool Stuff Found

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Apple's Time Machine lets you backup to a network drive… but which network drive should you use now that Apple no longer sells a Time Capsule? John ...

Battery Management, Nuking, Paving, and More — Mac Geek Gab 849

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you Nuke, sometimes you Pave. Sometimes all you need to do is make a tweak. You'd think we were talking about building (and destroying) road...

Swiper, NOT Swiping — Mac Geek Gab 848

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

These days we do lots of swiping on our devices, and sometimes the results are expected, other times not so much! Listen as John and Dave share tips a...

Migrating Your Mac and Its Data — Mac Geek Gab 847

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It seems to be the season… Migration Season, that is! So many new Macs, so many migrations, so much data, and so many questions! Thankfully your two...

Quick Tips, Cool Stuff Found and Your Questions Answered: A Traditional MGG — Mac Geek Gab 846

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's nothing wrong with enjoying the comfort of old traditions, and this week's Mac Geek Gab has three of them for you: Quick Tips, Cool Stuff Foun...

Big Sur, the M1 MacBook Air, and Quick Tips — Mac Geek Gab 845

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dave's had his M1 MacBook Air for a week, and John has some questions for him! Lots more about Big Sur including your questions answered *and* some Qu...

Big Sur, Apple Outages, and Thunderbolt 4 Explained — Mac Geek Gab 844

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's been a lot of confusion this week, beginning with what "Thunderbolt 4" really means for us Mac users. Thankfully OWC's Larry O'Connor was able...

Which M1 Mac Should I Order? — Mac Geek Gab 843

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Apple announced their M1 Macs today, the first Macs made with Apple Silicon chips. Join Dave and John as they dig into the specs to find out what the ...

Check Your Digital Couch Cushions

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How much money do you have in your digital couch cushions? John and Dave walk through a few places you can check ahead of the holiday buying frenzy! O...

Malware? Not Malware — Mac Geek Gab 841

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you feel like … a malware. Sometimes you don't. That's not how it goes, but that's exactly how it felt for a lot of you this week! John an...