fixed : iCloud syc error – Desktop files on Mac have ‘cloud exclamation mark’-icon

Posted on 19-04-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I was trying to access some files I have created on my Mac from my iPad, but the files that are in folder XYZ on my Mac’s Desktop are different from the ones that I can see in that same Folder XYZ when I access it from the Files.app on my iPad. Some files in Folder XYZ are the same and some are not… closing/quitting the Files.app on my iPad and reopening it doesn’t help… And when I look on my Mac, the files that are invisible on my iPad turn out to have a ‘cloud with an exclamationmark’-icon next to them on my Mac… I’ve also checked on my iPhone, and there I get to see the exact same content of Folder XYZ as on my iPad, but not the ones that are on my Mac…

This appears to be an ICloud syncing problem, but how do I fix it ?

Answer :
Yes, this is a syncing problem that iCloud sometimes runs into…
since there is no forced sync or manual sync option, this is how to fix it :
1- make sure that your Mac, your iPad and your iPhone all run the newest version of their OS (macOS, iPadOS, iOS)
2- make sure that your Mac, your iPad and your iPhone are all connected to a stable internet connection (either over Wifi or Ethernet)
3- make sure that you are logged in on iCloud with exactly the same account on all devices (Mac, iPad, iPhone)
4- if all the above is in place, restart your Mac without remembering open windows (to increase you chances on fixing this iCloud syncing problem, restart your iPad and iPhone as well)
5- wait for your Mac to restart/reboot entirely before doing anything else on it
6- wait for iCloud to sync back and forth amoung your Mac, iPad and iPhone (depending on the amount of files you have in your iCloud folders and your internet speed this may take up to 10 minutes or even longer)

That’s it !
…in 99% of the cases, this simple solution will fix your iCloud syncing problem
enjoy 😉

fixed : get WordPress Professional Mail in Mail.app on Mac, iPhone and iPad

Posted on 07-03-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I have just started a new Professional website on WordPress with a custom domain and I have also subscribed for a WordPress eMail mailbox on that same domain. Now it turns out that it is webmail… I don’t like having to go online in my browser to check my eMail…

Is there any way to setup this eMail account in Apple Mail.app on my Mac ?
…and preferably also on my iPhone and iPad ?

Answer :
Yes, even though it is not advertised very prominently, it is possible to setup this WordPress Professional eMail account (which is hosted by Titan) as a regular IMAP mailbox in Apple Mail.app.

On your Mac, do this :

open Mail.app on macOS
from the top menu bar, goto Mail > Add Account
in the “Choose a Mail account provider” window that opens, choose “Other Mail Account” and click the “Continue”-button
in the next window, at “Name” you can set your name (it will appear as the sender)
at “Email Address:” typ your eMail address (the one from your WordPress Professional webmail)
at “Password:” typ the password that goes with it (the one you use to login to your WordPress Professional webmail)
then click on the “Sign In”-button
in the next window, leave the “Email address” and “Password” as is, and usually leave the “Username:” at “Automatic also (you can change it, but there is no reason to do so for the average user)
at “Account Type:” make sure it is set to “IMAP”
at “Incoming Mail Server:” typ this : imap.titan.email
at “Outgoing Mail Server:” typ this : smtp.titan.email
then click on the “Sign In”-button and follow the instructions to finish setting up this new Mail account
That’s it… you’re ready to roll…

On your iPhone or iPad, you could use the dedicated Titan.app, but to set up your mail account in Mail.app, do this :
open Settings.app
in the “Settings” page that opens, scroll down and click on “Mail”
in the “Mail” page that opens, click on “Accounts”
in the “Accounts” page that opens, click on “Add Account”
in the “Add Account” page that opens, clcik on “Other”
in the next “Add Account” page that opens, click on “Add Mail Account”
in the “New account” page that opens, at “Name” typ your name
at “Email” typ your WordPress Professional webmail address
at “Password” typ the password (from your webmail account)
then click “Next”
in the next “New Account’ page that opens, make sure that the “IMAP” tab is selected
then, at “INCOMING MAIL SERVER > Host Name” change “imap” into : imap.titan.email
and at “INCOMING MAIL SERVER > Username” typ your WordPress Professional webmail address
and at “OUTGOING MAIL SERVER > Host Name” typ : smtp.titan.email
then click “Next”and wait for the verification
in the “IMAP” page that opens, make sure that “Mail” is switched ON
if you also want to sync your notes, make sure that “Notes” is also switched ON
then, click “Save”
That’s it… you’re ready to roll

NOTE : setting this up on iPad is nearly identical to setting this up on iPhone, so using the iPhone instructions you should be able to set this up on your iPad also

enjoy 😉

fixed : share EPUB (with digital watermark) accross Books.app on iPhone, iPad and Mac

Posted on 06-03-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I want to purchase an eBook that is not available in Apple Books. I have found it is available on the website of a bookstore in EPUB (with digital watermark) version. It seems like I should be able to download it after purchase and then read it in Books.app on my iPad or iPhone, but is it also possible to read it in the Books.app on my Mac ?

How do I do that ?

Answer :

Yes, you can buy an EPUB (with digital watermark) [ a.k.a. EPUB with social DRM ] and then read it on Apple’s Books.app on either iPhone, iPad or Mac. To do that, do this :

NOTE : if you buy an eBook on Amazon, it will only be available in the Kindle.app (that will automatically sync across your devices also), but getting a Kindle eBook into Apple’s Books.app is problematic… so if you prefer to read all your eBooks in Books.app, avoid buying eBooks on Amazon.

first, make sure that you are logged into your iCloud account on your iPhone, your iPad and your Mac (with the same iCloud account)
on your iPhone (or iPad) go to the online bookstore that sells the eBook in EPUB (with or without personal watermark or Social DRM)
purchase the eBook
when the download link appear, click on it
now the eBook will be downloaded to the Files.app on your iPhone (or iPad), which means it will be visible on the Desktop of your Mac also (which is automatically synced in iCloud)
now, on your iPhone (or iPad), click on the eBook in the Files.app and choose “open in Books”
now, the eBook will open in Books.app and is ready for reading
it will stay in the Library of your Books.app
if you have iCloud syncing switched on (most of us have) the eBook will now be available for reading in Books.app on your iPhone, your iPad and your Mac
if the eBook is not showing up on all devices, recheck in Settings.app if iCloud-syncing is switched on for Books.app
if you want to manually add the eBook to your iPhone or iPad, do this :
- – open the Files.app and find the eBook
- – click on the eBook and choose “Open in Books”
- – then wait for the eBook to open in Books.app
- if you want to manually add the eBook to your Mac, do this :
- – on your Mac, find the eBook on your Desktop (or in the Desktop folder)
- – Option-click (right-click) on the eBook icon
- – from the pulldown menu that appears, choose Open With > Books
- – now wait for the eBook to open in Books.app

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : contact Microsoft Office Helpdesk

Posted on 01-02-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I have questions about Microsoft products that go beyond regular issues that are documented in the FAQ. Previously, I would contact the Microsoft telephone Helpdesk ( NL 020-5001500 ), but if you call that number nowadays, you just get a voice message telling you to go online since the Helpdesk is no longer supporting direct contact to callers…

But on the website mentioned, I am getting stuck in a loop… any progress I make sends me back to the same page were I can only typ a question, but there is no chat option given, even when specifically asking for “talk or chat to helpdesk”…
Even Google searches or searching anywhere else on the Microsoft website, doesn’t get me to a page with a chat option… Even the Microsoft-owned chatbots ChatGPT or BingChat AI can’t help me…

What can I do ?

Answer :
Microsoft’s telephone helpdesk used to be great… but the options for contacting Microsoft are a complete mess… unbelievable !
But there is a chat helpdesk, but finding and contacting it is very complex… here’s how to :

Do this on a computer (it can be done on an iPhone, but the web chat interface is not really suited for that)
Go to the Microsoft website using this link :
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/home/contact
in the search field typ “talk to agent” and (click “Done” and) click the blue “Get Help” button
scroll down and click the blue “Contact Support” button
on the next “Tell us a little more about your problem” page, select your product or service from the pop-up list (activate the list by clicking on the triangular arrow on the right of the selection box)
when the second pop-up list appears, select your support category
then click the blue “Confirm” button
on the next page, click on “Chat with a support agent in your web browser”
on the next page check if the email address shown corresponds to the one of the Microsoft account you are having problems with, if not typ the correct account email address first, the click the “Confirm” button
now, wait for the live chat will start

NOTE :
If you would prefer to chat in your local or native language, you need to tell this in the chat to the English speaking agent…
(unfortunately, at the time of writing, the autoranslate service is not working and waiting queues for local language chats are extremely long, so chatting in English is about your only option…)

That’s it !
enjoy 😉

fixed : make screenshot of car’s Apple CarPlay screen

Posted on 21-01-2024 by MacManus.nl

Question :
I want to share a picture of the screen on my car’s display to explain something over Whatsapp. I know I could just take a photo, but is it possible to make a screenshot like on a Mac or iPhone ?

Answer :
Yes, it is possible to make a screenshot of your car’s CarPlay screen. In fact, it’s as simple as making a screenshot of your iPhone screen :
– first, connect your iPhone to your car’s navigation display (usually by connecting a USB-cable)
– then, wait for the CarPlay screen to appear on your car’s navigation display
– then use the CarPlay to get to the screen you would like a screenshot of
– then, take your iPhone, and make sure it’s unlocked
– now make a screenshot of your iPhone screen by pressing the ON/OFF and Volume UP buttons at the same time
– then save the screenshot by either doing nothing (or by clicking on the small preview to enlarge it and clicking “Done” and “Save to Photos”)
– then, open the Photos.app on your iPhone and there you’ll find not only the screenshot of your iPhone screen but also a screenshot of your car’s CarPlay screen saved as a photo that you can share (or edit) just like any regular photo

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : AppleID password not accepted on Apple website

Posted on 06-09-2023 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I am trying to make a reservation for a repair of my iPhone through the Apple website, and I can go through all the steps until I need to give my password to login with my Apple ID… it just won’t accept the correct password !

What is going on ? And How can I fix this ?

Answer :

Yes, it’s bizar that Apple isn’t clear why this doesn’t work the way you would expect it to…
But the solution is simple :

when you get the “Do you want to sign in to dims.apple.com with your AppleID?” window, click the blue “Continue with Password” button

then you will get the “Sign in with Apple” window… and then, DO NOT enter your AppleID password !! ; you need to enter the password you use to unlock your Mac !!

…there is some (weird Apple) logic behind this, but it is completely unclear why Apple made this so confusing… [ Apple is asking for your password to unlock your passwords keychain in Safari ; but you will only get that from the text “Continue to login on Safari for the user” AFTER you have figured out some other way what the solution is… ]

On the other hand… that’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : I already have a Ubigi SIM for my car, now I want to add a Ubigi iPhone eSIM

Posted on 30-06-2023 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I have had a Ubigi SIM in my car for a few years now. Now I will be travelling to Asia this summer and I want to add an eSIM to my (rather recent) iPhone to have a far more interesting data plan than using my pan-european voice&data-plan outside of Europe…
I’ve downloaded the eSIMs-app on my iPhone to search for and compare various eSIM providers… since Ubigi had one of the most interesting data-plans and I already have a Ubigi SIM in my car that I am very happy with, I decided to go for the Ubigi eSIM as well…

I was asked to install the Ubigi-app on my iPhone, which I already have (since I need it for my car’s SIM), so I can skip that step and proceed… only to find that in the Ubigi-app I do not get the option to add an Asian data-plan, I am only seeing options to upgrade European data-plans… I’ve looked on the Ubigi-website, but there is no mention of this problem, and I can’t seem to be able to connect to the Ubigi Helpdesk (maybe because it’s a weekend now).

What am I doing wrong ? And how can I fix this ?

Answer :

Yes, it’s odd that Ubigi didn’t consider this option when setting up their app… for now the only solution is to log-out with your current Ubigi-account (the one from your car’s SIM) and create a second/new Ubigi-account… just make sure to use a different eMail-address than the one you used for your car’s SIM… and then log-in to the Ubigi-app using that second Ubigi-account.

Yes, is a little bit of a hassle, especially since switching back and forth between the two accounts is needlessly time-consuming… but for now (until Ubigi adds this option to it’s app) this is the only way to get it to work…
Just remember that as long as you are abroad, you are probably not with your car, and the other way around, so switching will only be needed when you step into the plane and when you return home…

Note : the option to create an extra eSIM on your iPhone is available on iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone SE 2 and all versions of iPhone 11 and newer (so all iPhones introduced from 2018 onwards) and all cellular-equipped iPad variations introduced since fall of 2018. A complete list of iPhones & iPads with eSIM capability can be found here.

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

MacManus.nl

helping hundreds of happy Applers each day

Tag Archives: iPhone

fixed : get WordPress Professional Mail in Mail.app on Mac, iPhone and iPad

fixed : contact Microsoft Office Helpdesk

fixed : make screenshot of car’s Apple CarPlay screen

fixed : AppleID password not accepted on Apple website

fixed : I already have a Ubigi SIM for my car, now I want to add a Ubigi iPhone eSIM

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