If you are not careful when starting new apps, you will find yourself immersed in annoying notifications. They take up your time and are somewhat hard to turn off via the Settings app. Let’s explore how to quickly disable these notifications on your iPhone or iPad.
This is for iPhone and iPad
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Turn Off Notifications
First, unlock your device to display your Home screen. On this screen, hold and swipe down from the top center of your screen to reveal your Notifications. Refer to below image:
The Notifications screen
On a Notification you would like to disable, hold and swipe to the left. See following image for WordPress Beginner notification:
Revealing your Notification actions
A sliding menu option will be displayed for three actions you may take. The actions are as follows:
Manage – allows you to manage future Notifications, and to disable it.
View – takes you to the app that initiated the Notification.
Clear – removes the Notification from your screen, but does not remove it.
In my example, I decided to choose the TV App. Simply tap Turn Off to disable the Notification. Tapping the Deliver Quietly option allows you to receive future Notifications without receiving a sound or vibration. Refer to below image:
Turning off your Notification
A pop-up confirmation message will ask if you really want to turn off all Notifications for this app. Just tap Turn Off All Notifications. See following image:
Confirming your Notification action
From now on you will no longer receive Notifications for the chosen app.
Turn On Notifications
Let’s say you want to enable Notifications for the app you just turned off or any other Notification. In my example, I am enabling the TV App which I just turned off. To do this:
Tap Settings
Tap Notifications
Scroll down until you find the app and tap it
Tap the Allow Notifications toggle switch. Refer to below image:
Enabling your Notification for a particular app
The toggle will turn green and Settings will display other options you may want to configure. See below image:
Additional Notification actions
That was fairly easy. You now know how to quickly disable and enable your apps Notification.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
The Files app got a huge upgrade with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 and its support for external storage. One of the new things was the native support for Zip files. You’ll no longer need to download third-party apps and shuffle between different apps just to open a Zip file.
Note! The naming convention of zip or compressed, and unzip or uncompressed, are interchangeable. Your original files are left unchanged.
The main reason for compressing your photos or documents is to reduce the file size to send as an email attachment. Without the Zip capability, the file could be too large for emailing.
This is for iPhone/iPad running iOS 13 or higher
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Creating a Zip File
To compress files, you’ll first need to add them to the Files app. You can do this easily using the Share sheet feature.
In this example, we’ll walk you through the process of ziping and unziping photos from the Photos app, but it will work using any other type of document.
Note! Your original photos or documents are left unchanged. They are just being compressed to a different location.
Open the Photos app and navigate to the album containing your photos. From there, tap on the Select button in upper right hand corner and select the Photos you want to compress by tapping on them. Refer to below image:
Selecting photos from the Photos album to be compressed
Next, tap the Share button in lower left hand corner. See below image:
Selecting the Share button in bottom left hand corner
From the Share sheet, tap on the Save to Files option. See following image:
Selecting the Save to Files option
Choose the On My iPhone or On My iPad option. Refer to below image:
Setlecting the location of your compressed photos
Here you can select an existing folder or create a new one, then tap the Save option. You will see a message at top of the screen displaying number of items, the folder name and On My iPhone or On My iPad location. See below image:
Selecting the folder of your compressed photos
Accessing the Files App
Navigate to the Files app and open the folder or location where you saved the photos. Then tap the Select button and select all the photos. Next, tap on the hamburger icon (the one with 3 dots) in lower right hand corner. Refer to below image:
Selecting all your photos and tapping the hamburger icon in lower right hand corner
In the context pop-up menu, tap on the Compress button. See below image:
Choosing the Compress option from the context pop-up menu
You will see a new file labeled Archive.zip in the same folder. Refer to below image:
Creating the default Zip file of your compressed photos
Renaming the Zip File
To rename the Zip file, tap and hold on it until the see its Context pop-up menu. See below image:
Selecting the Rename option
Now, tap on the Rename option and type in a new name, then tap Done. See following image:
Renaming the default Zip file name
Your new compressed file will now be displayed. Refer to below image:
Viewing your new Zip file
Now you are able to send the Zip file as an email attachment or to a service like Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive to share with others.
Choosing Another Location to Save Your Files
For future downloads, you might want to change your default storage location. The downloaded files, by default, are saved to the Downloads folder in iCloud Drive in the Files app. This is a great option if you have a paid iCloud storage plan because it allows your downloaded files to sync across all your devices. But if you’re on the free 5GB plan, you might not have space for storing large files, even if they are compressed.
Thankfully, you can change the default location to local or on-line storage. To do this on your smartdevice:
Open Settings app
Navigate to Safari
Select Downloads
Tap on the Other option to select any folder from the local storage (or from a cloud storage option). Note! The default is the Downloads folder. For our example, we are using the default location and folder. See below image:
Selecting where to save your iPhone downloads
Unzip your File
The process of unzipping an archive in the Files app is relative easy.
Again, you’ll need the Zip file to be in the Files app. You can follow the same process we did in the previous section to add a Zip file to the Files app.
Navigate to the location where you saved the Zip file. Refer to below image:
Location of your saved Zip file
Tap and hold on the file name. Select the Uncompress option from the context pop-up menu. See following image:
Selecting the Uncompress option from the context pop-up menu
You will see a new folder with the same name as the Zip file. Tap on it to see the contents of the Zip file. Your photos are now unzipped. See below image:
The unzipped files
You have successfully compressed and uncompressed your photos.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
As you are browsing the web, you may come across a PDF file you want to save for later viewing. Let’s examine how to do this.
This if for Apple iPhone and iPad
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
While viewing the PDF file in Safari, tap on the Share button. The Share button resembles a rectangle with an up arrow. On an iPhone, the button will be at the bottom of the screen. For an iPad, the Share button is located just to the right of the browser’s address bar. See following image for the iPhone location:
The Share icon at bottom center of the screen
Ways to Save Your File
After tapping the Share button, you will see a list of ways to share or save the file, including sending the file to others by a text message or email. Refer to below image:
Ways to share your file
Swipe down the list to find the app you want to open with. See following image:
More ways to save your file. Showing the Save to Files option
Use Built-In Apps
You may want to chose the built-in apps like Books or Files. If you want to use Books, the file will be available in the Books app. If you chose Files, then chose your save location.
Use Outside Services
Some people prefer to save their file to an outside service like Dropbox, Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. The choice is up to you.
My Example
For my example, I am saving the file using the Files option to the PDF folder on the iCloud Drive. Refer to below image:
Saveing the file to iCloud Drive using the PDF folder
Later, if you chose the Files app, you will see the PDF file you just downloaded; same for the Books app. See following image on my choosing the Files app:
Chosing the Files App
Getting ready to open the PDF file
As you have seen, you have a lot of choices, thanks to Apple engineers.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help me out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
This is a summary of Zoom posts I have blogged about over the past few weeks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are working from home using Zoom for video/audio conferencing. If you take some time, you can make the video meeting a smooth experience for all participants. The host of the Zoom meeting has the responsiblity to setup and run the meeting. By exploring the following blog posts, you can achieve your goal of hosting a successful meeting, making it easy for the participants to join the video conference and keeping the Zoom troll attacks at a minimum.
This if for a PCs and Macs browsers and smartdevices that support Zoom
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Following are my blog links for a Zoom video/audio meeting:
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
For most users, battery life can last most all day on modern iOS devices. However, you can change some iOS 13 settings to maximize the most of your battery usage.
This is for iOS devices iPhone and iPad running iOS 13 and above. Some tips can be applied in earlier versions.
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Disable Dynamic Wallpapers on Your iOS Device
Dynamic Wallpapers was a fun UI feature that was added to iOS 7, but it drains battery life. If you use Dynamic Wallpapers and experience issues with battery life, you might want to disable the app and pick a standard background image by following these steps:
Open the Settings app
Select Wallpaper > Choose a New Wallpaper > Stills
Select a solid color, then set it as the Home Screen background and Lock Screen background.
Note: Selecting the solid black wallpaper on an OLED screen will cause the device to use less power. Solid black pixels do not use power to display the screen.
Use Dark Mode on Your Device
Using Dark Mode can increase the battery life on OLED devices because it swaps out the white backgrounds for dark backgrounds that use less battery life as mentioned above. To enable Dark Mode follow these steps:
Open the Settings app
Select Display & Brightness
Change the Appearance from Light to Dark
Disable Raise to Wake
Raise to Wake was introduced with the iPhone X as a way to view the Lock Screen Notifications by raising your iPhone into portrait mode. This is a great feature, but it can cause your screen to turn on throughout the day and drain your battery life. To disable this feature, perform the following steps:
Open the Settings app
Navigate to Display & Brightness
Disable the option for Raise To Wake
With this feature disabled, you can still tap the screen to turn it on, but raising it will not cause the screen to turn on.
Disable Background App Refresh on Cellular
Background App Refresh is a great feature in iOS that allows apps to update in the background so that the next time you launch an app, everything is already loaded.
While you shouldn’t disable this feature for all apps, it’s good to review the apps that do use it and disable any that aren’t regularly used so they aren’t wasting battery life.
To check which apps are using Background App Refresh, follow these steps:
Open the Settings app
Navigate to General > Background App Refresh
Disable this feature for any apps in this list that aren’t frequently used
When Background App Refresh is disabled and you quit an app that’s in this list, it will no longer download data in the backgroud; instead, you must open the app for it to download new content.
Background App Refresh has a feature that allows apps to use it only when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, not when you’re running on cellular data. To enable Wi-Fi-only Background App Refresh, complete the following steps:
Open the Settings app
Navigate to General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh
Select Wi-Fi instead of the default Wi-Fi & Cellular
Ensuring that apps use Background App Refresh only when on Wi-Fi means it will not use battery-draining cellular data to perform the requests.
Disable Motion Effects on Your iOS Device
Disabling motion effects means that the cute animations throughout iOS and third-party apps won’t be as prominent, but if you can live without them, you can save battery life.
To disable motion effects, perform the following steps:
Open the Settings app
Navigate to Accessibility > Motion
Enable the option for Reduce Motion
Manage Bluetooth Connections on Your iOS Device
If you have multiple Bluetooth devices connected to your iOS device and are not using them, it may be a good opportunity to review the items and remove any you’re not currently using.
Follow these steps to review and remove Bluetooth devices:
Open the Settings app
Select Bluetooth, and tap the “i” next to the connected devices you wish to disconnect
Tap Forget This Device (or Disconnect), if available
You can also turn Bluetooth off completely by following these steps\:
Open the Settings app
Select Bluetooth
Toggle the switch to OFF
Manage Location Settings on Your iOS Device
Location and the use of GPS to track your device for various apps can be a huge battery hog, and iOS 13 includes a new way to manage these settings.
It’s worthwhile to manage your loccation settings in apps to ensure only those that need to use your location have access to do so.
To review and manage location tracking follow the below steps:
Open the Settings app
Select Privacy
Tap Location Services
You should check and control the location tracking for each individual app. Remember that disabling Location Services may hinder the apps functionally.
Place Your iPhone Face Down When Not in Use
This is more of a tip than a setting change. Starting with the iPhone 6, Apple made its iPhones so that if you turn one face down it will keep the screen from lighting up upon notifications, which helps prevent battery drain.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Internet trolls are crashing Zoom video conferences and flooding them with inappropriate content. Here are some ways to stablize your meetings and keep Zoom running smoothly.
This if for a PCs and Macs browsers and smartdevices that support Zoom
opyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
1. Close All Running Apps
Before you start your video conference call or join the on-line meeting, save your work and close all running apps. Too many open apps will slow down your computer while you’re on a video call. This is because the call requires a lot of resources, especially if you’re on a lightweight laptop.
2. Check the Speed of Your Browser
Before your call, use a speed test tool, like Fast.com or Speedtest.net, to test your internet speed. If you’re not getting enough speed, move closer to your Wi-Fi router or try some other tips to boost your Wi-Fi signal. You can also use one of these tools to speed up your internet connection. Minimum bandwidth is 600 Kbps (up/down) and recommended is 1.5 Mbps (up/down). You may need to call your internet service provider and/or upgrade your equipment, which would be the best choice, if your equipment does not meet the minimum.
If you run both programs, you will notice a signifance difference in the speed test. This is due to the time of day you run the test, servers they are using and its location. Hopefully, your equipment exceeds the minimum speed for a Zoom meeting.
Below are my results in running Speedtest for Windows (Note that I greatly exceed the minimum):
Results in running SpeedTest on my browser
3. Test Your Audio and Video
You can also launch a test Zoom meeting anytime at zoom.us/test. This will launch a meeting where you are the only participant (you can invite others). This option lets you test your audio and video even if you don’t have the Zoom app installed.
See the article Joining A Test Meeting in the Zoom Help Center for more information about using the using the Zoom Test Meeting feature.
4. Mute Yourself When Not Speaking
When you’re in a video meeting with a lot of participants, it’s best to keep yourself muted. Only unmute yourself when you need to speak.
This eliminates any background noise on your end. Also, if anyone walks in the room and starts talking while you’re on a call, you won’t have to rush to find the mute button.
5. Never Use Your Personal Meeting ID
Each Zoom user has a personal meeting ID; think of it as your Zoom phone number. When creating a meeting, you can use your personal ID or generate a random one. You should always generate a random meeting ID.
If your personal meeting ID is leaked to the web, Zoom trolls are free to harass you with calls whenever they please.
6. Always Use a Meeting Password
For a video meeting other than a large classroom, town hall or lecture meeting, passwords should be turned on.
Make sure the password is kept safe. Zoom sends meeting passwords out to all invitees when invitations are sent. If you’re worried that someone unwanted may get the password, create the meeting without one set, update the meeting to add a password and send it out to invitees in a separate email or via another form of communication.
7. Set Join the Waiting Room Option
When you enable the waiting room for a Zoom meeting, each user who connects is put in a queue that the meeting host has to approve. If you don’t recognize someone in the waiting room, simply don’t let them in.
To enable this feature, navigate to Settings > In Meeting (Advanced), scroll down till you see the following option and toggle it to the On position. See below image:
Setting Join Waiting Room option
8. Set Meeting Options
Under Meetings > Schedule a Meeting, set the following options:
Video > Host to On
Video > Participant to Off especially if your participates are using older equipment
Audio set to Both
Meeting Options set Emable waiting room to On. Set Record the meeting automatically on the local computer should only be set to On for the host. You don’t want each particpant to be recording and viewing at the same time. If a participate wants a recording, the host can send the video via email or some other form of communication.
Always Save you changes. Refer to following image:
Setting other options
9.Turn Off Screen Sharing
Zoom trolls need to be able to visually take over a meeting to be effective. Preventing anyone from sharing their screen aside from the meeting host stops them from being able to go on the attack.
Under Settings > In Meeting (Basic), scroll down till you see the Show Zoom windows during screen share and set the following options:
Screen sharing, toggle to On
Who can share, toggle Host Only to On
Who can share when someone else is sharing, toggle Host Only to On
Always Save your changes. Refer to below image:
Setting screen share option
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
If you don’t want to see your own face during a Zoom video meeting, here’s how to hide, unhide and tweak your video settings.
A lot of us used to working in offices have found ourselves working at home due to the outbreak of theCoronavirus and that means a lot of virtual meetings. Users new to Zoom’s desktop app may find it a bit odd when their face appears while speaking. If you want to hide your own video, adjust it so you don’t take over the screen or bring it back once it’s hidden, then this post is for you.
There are several options for hiding and unhiding videos during a Zoom meeting, both for yourself and other. Lets get started.
This if for a PC, Macs, iPhone/iPad and Android devices that support Zoom
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Accessing Zoom Settings
First, fire up Zoom and join an active meeting. Then click on your small profile photo in upper right-hand corner. This will open up the dialog options window. From here, click on the Settings option. See below image:
Accessomg the Settings option
The Video Settings
Once you click on the Settings option, the Settings dialog window will be revealed. Now, click on the Video tab. The below image only shows some of the settings.
Note!The black area on the below screens would show your online video image.
The Video tab part one
The Video tab has numerous options for configuring video in meetings that will change the way Zoom handles all videos in a meeting. The below image shows the rest of the settings.
The Video tab part two
Hide/Unhide a Video
During a meeting, if you wish to hide your video from your own screen to make room for other participants, just right-click on your video and choose Hide Myself. If you want to bring your own video back onto your screen, just right-click on any other user and select Show Myself.
Note! This won’t disable your video from showing up for other participants; only from from your screen.
To disable your own video completely, you can select the checkbox in the Video Settings screen shown above that says Turn off my video when joining a meeting to disable it, or click the Stop Video button in a meeting to temporary turn it off for the video session.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
There is a way to have a Zoom web client meeting without the participates having to install the Zoom app. We are going to learn how to enable this option to make digital meetings even easier.
Zoom’s web client based system has many of the same features as the desktop app, but for users only needing to join meetings as participants it’s very useful. All a attendee has to do is click on the meeting invite link from the host and the web client will do the rest of the work.
There is a sticky problem in doing this type of meeting. The participtes joining a meeting without the app is not enabled by default. The host needs to turn this default on.
If you want your meeting attendees to be able to use the Zoom web client based system, you’ll have to start by logging into your Zoom account on Zoom’s website.
Note! We are NOT using the Zoom app; rather the Zoom web site program.
This if for a PCs and Macs browsers and smartdevices that support Zoom
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Sign in or Sign up to Zoom
Open your browser and click here to sign in or sign up for Zoom. If the link does not work, with your browser open, type in https://zoom.us/signin in the search field. You will see the following screen for sign in or sign up. For my example, I have already signed up.
Sign in to Zoom web based client program
Once you’ve logged in, you should see your Profile screen:
Your Profile screen
Access the Settings Menu
Click on the Settings menu option. Refer to below image:
Accessing the Setttings
Now, click on In Meeting (Advanced) menu option. Refer to below screen:
Chosing the In Meeting settings option
Join Using Your Browser
Then scroll down until you see the following screen displayed. Look for the option labeled Show a “Join From Your Browser” link.
The Join a Meeting option
Now click the toggle switch to the On position. See below image:
Enabling Join a Meeting option
Schedule a Meeting
If you want to schedule a meeting at this time, click on the link SCHEDULE MEETING in the top menu bar. If you perfer to schedule a meeting later, you may want to set the following options as displayed on the next three screens. Refer to following image:
Selecting Schedule a Meeting option
Options for Scheduling a Meeting
There are two options you may want to enable. Select Schedule A Meeting>Meetings>My Meetings and scroll down till you see the option Video>Host which allows you to record a video of the meeting. Also, at the bottom, checkmark the option Record the meeting automatically on the local computer. You have the option to let the parcipates also record the meeting as well. It is recommended not to enable this option in order to save bandwidth during the on-line meeting. See following image:
Two Options to enable
Additionally, under the In Meeting (Basic) menu option, you can turn on a sound when particpates either join or leave a meeting by enabling the Play sound when participates join or leave toggle. See below image:
The Sound option to enable
Invitation to Join a Meeting
When a meeting attendee clicks on your invitation link to join a meeting they’ll have the option to download and install Zoom or Start From Your Browser. Tell your attendees to select the latter option, install the plugin for your browser and follow the on-screen instructions. Refer to below image:
The participate invitation to Join a Meeting screen
There are fewer options, buttons and clicks required to join a meeting using the web client based Zoom, so hopefully it will eliminate some of the confusion that comes with using Zoom. Remember you are using your web browser to join a Zoom meeting, NOT the Zoom app on a smartdevice or the Zoom program on a PC or Mac.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Facebook’s new website interface change is not well known. At some point, it will probably be the new standard. The interface is getting a visual overhaul that almost everyone can access. You can now update to this brand new, less cluttered design with the click of a button. If you don’t like the change, you can easily switch back to the classic interface.
This if for a desktop/laptop, Macs and smartphones supporting Facebook
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Enabling the New Interface
Note! This post relates to a PC, other devices will be similar. If you don’t see the new Facebook option then Facebook has yet to rollout the change to your device.
Fire up your device and log in to your Facebook account.
Next, click on the down arrow in the top-right corner of the interface. Select the Switch To New Facebook option. The page will refresh and the new interface design will load. Refer to below image:
Switch to the new Facebook option
A welcome message will appear the first time that you switch to the new Facebook design. Facebook claims that the redesign has faster loading time, cleaner look and bigger text. Additionally, Facebook now includes a dark mode that you can enable whenever you want.
Additionally, this update comes with a user-friendly redesign of the Groups tab and an overhaul of the News Feed. See below image:
The Welcome message for the new interface
Simply click the Next button. You will see the following image allowing you to select how yout interface will look.
Selecting your interface look
Just click the Get Started button. That’s it, you are all set with the new desktop interface. If you aren’t a fan of the Dark mode, you can switch back to Light whenever you like.
Switching Back to the Classic Interface
Once you’ve enabled the new interface, you can always revert the change from your Facebook account’s front page. Just click on the down arrow in the top-right and then select Switch To Classic Facebook. See following image:
Reverting back to the Classic interface
At some point in the future, Facebook may decide to roll out the new design permentally for all platforms. If so, reverting back to the classic interface will no longer be an option.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
If you’re running iOS 13 or higher, you can directly ask Siri to play your favorite playlist, song or an artist on Spotify. iOS 13+ expands third-party support for Siri which now includes Spotify. This means you can get Apple Music style playback controls with Siri on your iPhone. Here’s how to set it up.
If you already have the Spotify app installed, and you’re logged into your account, all you have to do is start talking to Siri. Say “Play the Beatles on Spotify”.
This is for iPhone or iPad running iOS 13 or above
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Enable Spotify Access to Siri
As this is your first time using Spotify with Siri, it will ask for permission to access your Spotify data. Simpily tap the Yes button. Refer to below image:
Giving permission to access Spotify
Spotify will start playing the music you requested. You’ll see a Now Playing widget playback control on the Siri screen.
You can also control the Siri access for Spotify from your iPhone.
Open Settings
Select Spotify
Select Siri & Search. See following image:
Accessing Siri and Search
At the bottom of the screen, toggle on the Use with Ask Siri feature to enable Siri access for Spotify. Refer to below image:
Toggle on the Use with Ask Siri
Control Spotify on Using Siri
Once Spotify is connected to Siri, you can use it to play any song, album, artist or playlist. You can also get specific about albums and years of release.
Below are some Spotify commands you can use with Siri:
Play [song name] on Spotify
Play [album name] on Spotify
Play [artist name] on Spotify
Play on Spotify
Play my liked songs on Spotify
Shuffle on Spotify
Play the latest album by [artist name] on Spotify
Play [genre] music on Spotify
Other than these, you can use the standard playback controls in Siri as well. For instance, you can ask Siri to play, pause, skip, repeat, shuffle or go to the previous track. Refer to below image:
The playback control
On your iPhone, you can also open Spotify and see what is playing at the bottom of the screen. See below image:
Accessing Spotify to see what is playing
The following image is an example of using the Spotify command Play Easy Listening on Spotify:
Listening to Easy Listening on Spotify
For now, Siri only supports playback features in Spotify. You can’t use Siri to interact with the app. For instance, you can’t search for something like a song in Spotify using Siri. You also can’t use Siri to add a song to a playlist either.
I Would Like to Hear from You
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Tech Savvy Life 