Tag Archives: iPhone

fixed : Google Authenticator.app crashes in iOS

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Question :

I need the Google Authenticator.app on my iPhone to generate a authentication code for one of the online (Google) services I need to use on my Mac.

This used to work great, but now, whenever I start the Google Authenticator.app it quits during startup…

I already tried shutting down my iPhone and restarting it, but that didn’t help… the problem persists.

So… how can I fix this ?

 

Answer :

The way to solve this problem with Google Authenticator.app is the same as what you would do with any cashing iOS-app : delete and reinstall.

…but in the current versions of iOS, it is slightly more complicated to remove and reinstall an app from iOS, because Apple has now included the option to delete the app but keep the connected data / information in case you want (or need) to reinstall the app later on.

To delete and reinstall an app from iOS (e.g. Google Authenticator.app), do this :

  • open the Settings.app on your iPhone / iPad
  • in the next window, click on General
  • in the next window, click iPhone Storage
  • in the next window, find Google Authenticator (or any other app you want to delete and reinstall) in the list of apps on the bottom
    • note that the list of apps is not alphabetical, but based on the amount of data an app uses… so if you have lots of apps finding the right one may be a little complicated… you will probably need to scroll almost the end of the list, as Google Authenticator is usually listed for about 15MB
  • click on the name of the app you want to delete (“Authenticator” with the gray-on-white Google’s G logo)
  • in the next window, click “Offload App” (in blue) first
  • when done, click the “Reinstall App” when it appears
  • then exit
  • then open the Google Authenticator.app to check if it runs & works properly
  • if it does, your problem is solved !
    • when the app still crashes, do this :
    • open the Settings.app
    • then click on General
    • then click on iPhone Storage
    • then find (Google) Authenticator in the list of apps, and click on it
    • now, in the next window, click “Delete App” (in red)
      • BEWARE that this does delete all additional data and info that was stored with the app on your iPhone ; if that’s passwords that you have in iCloud (or somewhere else in a cloud service, on your computer or offline in writing) you’re okay… but if it might be photos, videos or documents that you do not want to lose… do NOT click “Delete App”, and try “Offload App” again
    • then exit
    • now open the AppStore.app
    • click on the Search-button (bottom right)
    • click on the seach-line (in gray, on top, with the looking glass and “Games, Apps, Stories and More” in it)
    • then typ the app’s name : Authenticator
    • then click the Search-button
    • in the window that opens, scroll down to the app you need (make sure it’s exactly the one you need, since sometimes various publishers have apps with very similar naming)
    • then click the blue Get-button next to the app’s description to reinstall the app
    • when done, open the app and check if the app runs & works properly

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

 

fixed : CarPlay option not available on iPhone

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Question :

My car doesn’t have buit-in navigation, but the onboard system supports Apple CarPlay. I have connected my iPhone to my car both through USB and Bluetooth, but my car only connects to my iPhone for Contacts and telephone… I can’t get access to my iPhone apps like navigation…

I have looked up info on CarPlay online, and it is said everywhere that there should be a CarPlay option in the General.app listed in the same chapter containing AirDrop, AirPlay&Handoff and Picture-in-Picture… immediately below those Picture-in-Picture… but there is none…

My iPhone is just over a year old and I am running the latest version of iOS, so that shouldn’t be a problem, especially since my friend’s iPhone 6S immediately connects to my car’s CarPlay when he plugs in the lightning-to-USB-cable…

What is wrong ?

 

Answer :

If you have Siri turned off, the CarPlay option won’t show.

So, to fix your problem, do this :

  • on your iPhone, goto the Settings.app > Siri & Search (in the same chapter as General, Control Center and Display&Brightness, just below Wallpaper) > switch ON “Allow Siri When Locked” and preferably also “Listen for Hey Siri” and/or “Press Side Button for Siri”
  • then turn Bluetooth OFF and back ON on your iPhone
  • then turn WiFi OFF and back ON on your iPhone
  • then goto the Settings.app > General > CarPlay
  • if CarPlay isn’t listed, just wait a few minutes or restart your iPhone
    • press&hold the ON/OFF-button and the VolumeUP-button simultaneously until the “Slide to power off” slider appears
    • then slide the PowerOFF-slider so the screen goes black
    • then press&hold the ON/OFF-button until the Apple logo appears and your iPhone restarts and says you SIM must be unlocked
    • then touch the screen and typ your screen unlock code (6 digits) in the first (black) screen
    • then typ your SIM unlock code (4 digits) in the second (white) screen
  • then, again, goto the Settings.app > General and check if CarPlay is now listed
    • if CarPlay still isn’t listed, repeat the entire process
  • now reconnect your iPhone to your car using the Lighting-to-USB-cable and your car’s display will now be able to show your iPhone’s apps also
    • if the app you want to use isn’t listed, goto Settings.app > General > CarPlay and make sure that you add all apps that you would like to use
    • if no apps are available on your car’s display, use another Lightning-to-USB-cable

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

 

 

fixed : Medisana PM100 BT not connecting to VitaDock+.app

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Question :

I just bought the Medisana PM100 Connect (PM100 with Bluetooth) oximeter to measure my blood oxygen saturation level (like the new AppleWatch), which can help to find if I am having a pneumonia (good to know in these COVID-19 Corona times).

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER : even if an oximeter like this measures a 98% blood oxygen saturation level, you can still have Covid-19 Corona virus… it’s just that not having pneumonia makes you somewhat less contagious for others and makes having Covid-19 less problematic on yourself.

I especially bought the Bluetooth version to sync all measurements to my iPhone using the VitaDock+.app (and ultimately to the Apple Health.app). But when I open the VitaDock+.app and click on Devices (top-right), then on the next page scroll down to Health-PulseOximeter, then on the next page click Setup Device and switch the PM100 on, the Bluetooth scanner keeps scanning and finally reports not having found any new devices…

Multiple tries didn’t help… restarting the VitaDock+.app didn’t help… restarting my iPhone didn’t help… switching Bluetooth off and back on didn’t help…

Nothing seems to solve this, what can I do to fix this ?

 

Answer :

You will run into this problem if you have version 2.7.8 (or earlier) of VitaDock+.app and this is fixed in version 2.7.9 and newer.

Check which version of the VitaDock+.app you have by opening the app on your iPhone and clicking on the ‘circle with 3 lines’ icon top-right, at the bottom of the popup window the version number is listed.

So, the solution is very simple : just upgrade to the latest version of the app.

If you run into any problems trying to upgrade the VitaDock+.app just delete the app from your iPhone and reinstall it.

NOTE : If you already have the new version of the software installed and you are still running into connection or syncing problems, try the simple solution in this post “fixed : Medisana Oximeter sync hangs at 8%”

That’s it – enjoy 😉

 

fixed : how to duplicate a calendar event on iPhone (or iPad)

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Question :

I am used to arranging my Calendar events mainly on my Mac, because I think I have more options there tan on my iPhone and iPad. But at this moment I do not have my Mac at hand and I want to duplicate (or copy-paste) a calendar event that is already in my Calendar to another date… but there doesn’t appear to be a simple button to do so…

Is there really no way to duplicate a calendar event on an iPhone/iPad ?

 

Answer :

Yes, there is an option built into iOS/iPadOS to do so, but it’s not as straight forward as you might like :

  • open the Calendar app
  • go to the calendar event you want to duplicate (or copy-paste)
  • click on it, so the Event Details page will open
  • then click on Edit (top-right), so the Edit Event page will open
  • then click on the tiltle of your event, so the red cursor line appears
  • then click-and-hold on the title of your event again, and when you release the pop-up options will appear in black, then choose Select All
  • the title of your event will now be entirely highlighted in red, and slightly different pop-up options will appear in black, this time choose Copy
  • then click Cancel (top-left)
  • then click on the date (in red) top-left
  • in Calendar-roll page, scroll to the date where you want to place the duplicate calendar event
  • then click + (the red plus-sign top-right), so a New Event page will open
  • click-and-hold on Title (in grey), and when you release the pop-up options will appear in black, then choose Paste
  • now, the event name will be pasted, and the Location-line will be pushed downward to make way for a Suggeted Event
  • click on the Suggested Event and all the additional settings of the original event will be filled out (put differently : you now have a duplicate of the original event)
  • now, adjust all details, like date, time, calendar, alerts, etc. to your liking
  • when ready, click Add (top-right in red)

That’s it… you now have a copy-pasted (and edited) the original event !

enjoy 😉

fixed : use old iPad as an extra screen for your Mac (or PC)

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Question :

Since we are working from home a lot (and the children are home schooling), and we have several old iPads and iPhones lying around gathering dust, we were wondering if it would be possible to use them as second screens on our Macs and Windows PCs to make our work and homework easier by being able to do this (and more) :

  • manage our music playlist (iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify) on our old iPad/iPhone whilst running  MS Office on our Mac/PC without switching apps
  • use our old iPad/iPhone’s touchscreen to put a signature under a PDF-document whilst typing it on our Mac/PC
  • use our old iPad/iPhone as a drawing tablet for our Mac/PC
  • videochat or view an online presentation onour Mac/PC whilst making notes on our old iPad/iPhone using a full-size keyboard (and easily swapping the two around when needed)

We noticed Apple has introduced this great feature called Sidecar that enables you to use your iPad (or iPhone) as a second screen for your Mac. But when I looked at the Sidecar requirements on the Apple website, I found that our older iPads/iPhones aren’t supported.

Is there any way to use Sidecar (or something similar) on our old iPads/iPhones ?

 

Answer :

Yes, even though you cannot use Sidecar on any unsupported iPad, iPhone or Mac, there is an alternative that works just as great for any old iPad (or iPhone) and is not limited to a Mac, but does support Windows PCs also… and best of all : it’s FREE.

This is ideal for working from home and home schooling since you can do all this (and more) :

  • manage your music playlist (iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify) on your iPad whilst running  MS Office on your Mac/PC without switching apps
  • use your iPad/iPhone’s touchscreen to put a signature under a PDF-document whilst typing it on your Mac/PC
  • use your iPad/iPhone as a drawing tablet for your Mac/PC
  • videochat or view an online presentation on my Mac/PC whilst making notes on my iPad/iPhone using a full-size keyboard (and easily swapping the two around when needed)

This FREE alternative for Apple Sidecar is Splashtop Wired XDisplay. It enables you to use any iPad/iPhone running iOS 7 or newer as a second or third (touch)screen for any Mac running OSX 10.9 Mavericks (or PC running Windows 7) or newer.

This means that all these iPhone / iPad / Mac models are supported :

  • iPhone 4 or newer
  • iPad 2 or newer
  • any iPad mini
  • any iPad Air
  • any iPad Pro
  • any aluminum iMac (iMac “Mid 2007” or newer)
  • any iMac Pro
  • Mac mini “Early 2009” or newer
  • Mac Pro “Early 2008” or newer
  • white MacBook “Early 2009” or newer
  • any aluminum MacBook
  • MacBook Air “Late 2008” or newer (2nd gen MacBook Air or newer)
  • MacBook Pro “Mid 2007” or newer

To install, do this :

  • install the Splashtop Wired XDisplay app on you Mac/PC
    • you can download Splashtop Wired XDisplay for Mac or Windows here
  • install iTunes on your PC if you have done so yet
    • you can download iTunes for Windows here
    • on a Mac you don’t need additional software for your iPad/iPhone to be recognized
  • install Splashtop Wired XDisplay on your iPad/iPhone
    • you can download Splashtop Wired XDisplay for iPhone here
    • you can download Splashtop Wired XDisplay for iPad here
  • then, plug your iPad/iPhone’s USB-cable into your Mac/PC
  • then run the Splashtop Wired XDisplay app on your Mac/PC
  • then run the Splashtop Wired XDisplay app on your iPad/iPhone
  • then goto the Settings on your Mac/PC, find the Screen Settings and arrange your screens the way you like
    • you can choose “Mirror Screen” to see exactly the same on your MAc/PC and your iPad/iPhone
    • you can choose “Extend Screen” to arrange the iPad/iPhone as an add-on for your desktop
    • if you already have a second screen attached to your Mac/PC, you can use your iPad/iPhone as an additional third screen also

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : prevent auto-capitalisation of a sentence in Notes.app on iOS

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Question :

Every time I typ a note in Notes.app on my iPad, the first letter of the sentence automatically turns into a capital. Sometimes that’s no problem, but most of the time I would prefer an undercast letter if I’m not writing a sentence that ends in an endpoint.

Is there any way to prevent these auto-capitals ?

 

Answer :

Yes, you can prevent the auto-capitalisation of the first word of every sentence doing this :

  • Press [SHIFT] key and release it, before typing the first word of the sentence

That’s it.

note : This trick only works in Notes.app on iPhone (iOS) and iPad (iPadOS), it doesn’t work in Notes.app on macOS.

Enjoy 😉

fixed : which iOS app can I use for the LeadEdge H245 dashcam ?

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Question :

I have a LeadEdge H245 dashcam (1080p & WiFi) in my car that has been doing a great job for a few years now.

Recently, I switched to a new iPhone and in an attempt to free some space by deleting apps that I seldomly use, I have deleted the app that I had installed for my LeadEdge H245 dashcam…

And now I want to get some video of my dashcam and I therefore need to reinstall the app… but I can’t remember its name or find any info on this online…

Can you help me ?

 

Answer :

The LeadEdge H245 dashcam is a rebrand of the Novatek 96658 dashcam that is also sold as Junsun S550, Podofo, SLB Works, CarSun, Vakind and probably other brand/product names too.

There are at least 4 FREE apps that can connect to this dashcam (maybe there are more) :

  • Lerccenker.app
    • this app is pushed by LeadEdge as the app to use with your dash cam : it’s okay, but rather slow and feels a little out-dated
  • FinalCam.app
    • this app is suggested by LeadEdge as the alternative : it works, but apart from the live view, options are very limited
  • NovaCam.app
    • this app is made by Novatek and works with any Novatek-based dash cam : it’s far better than both Lerccenker.app and FinalCam.app
  • Dride.app
    • this app is made to work with any dash cam : it is fast and has a very nice user interface that is more intuitive than the NovaCamp.app (the ads are a little annoying though…)
    • note : Dride.app can also include GPS data to your dash cam videos by connecting to your iPhone (although you might find this option a little too privacy invasive…)

For all 4 of these apps, this is the way to connect to your Dash Cam :

  • turn ON the WiFi on your Dash Cam by pressing the DOWN-button on the left side of the housing until the WIFi-icon is displayed on-screen
  • then, on you iPhone, goto Settings.app > WiFi
  • on the Wi-Fi page, connect to the WiFi-network of your dash cam (probably the only one with a criptic name)
  • then open the dash cam app you want to use
  • fiddle around to get to know the options the app has, generally you can choose for ‘live video’ or ‘recorded video’ and you may also have ‘take picture’ as an option
    • additional instruction for NovaCam.app : in the Camera List, click on the Plus-icon (top-right) and click on ‘Wi-Fi’ when it appears in the list
    • additional instruction for Dride.app : choose “UGP 100 Universal Dash Cam” as your device

That’s it !

enjoy 😉