Beware iOS 9.3. Note: Fixed w/ 9.3.1

Having problems activation your iPhone or iPad since upgrading to iOS 9.3? Apple has released a patch just for you.

Apple confirmed the existence of the bug, and also went on to claim that the bug could affect iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier, as well as clarifying why the circumstances under which the problem occurred (which explains why I have been unable to reproduce the issue).

"Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update. If you can't recall your password or can't sign in, try these steps."

iOS Tip 127 - Health App Details

There’s a super easy way to get specific details about any of the tracked items in Health app, on a per hour or per day basis! It’s just not well known, as it’s basically hidden without an obvious cue to do so; all you have to do is rotate your iPhone. Here’s how this works:

1 Open the Health app on iPhone as usual and go to the Dashboard tab
2 Tap on a specific Health tracking stat, say Distance, Steps, or Flights Climbed
3 On the individual dashboard for the specific data type, rotate the iPhone into the horizontal position
4 Now you can scroll around left or right to see additional data in an improved view mode for the health stats, or tap and hold on the scaled graph to see specifics about a date or time.
(Optionally, toggle the Auto Scale button off or on to adjust how the graph is drawn for the actively shown data)

iOS Tip 126 - Battery Hogs

If your iPhone/iPad battery seems to run down frequently, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and check what's running in the background.

FACEBOOK
Without a doubt the biggest battery hog. Not only does it tear through the battery when it's actively being used, but it's also a huge hog when it's in the background too.
I'm not a particularly heavy Facebook users so I can't imagine how bad it must be for people who are on Facebook a lot.
My advice is to either close the app when it's not in use, or prevent it from working in the background (Settings > General > Background App Refresh). Alternatively, you could access Facebook via a browser.

GOOGLE CHROME

Apple has done a good job of optimizing the code in its apps. Google, on the other hand, has a long way to go. Chrome is a solid browser, but it uses many times more power than the built-in browser. Yes, you read that right. We're not talking about a small difference here. If you want the best battery life, use Safari.

TWITTER
Here's another app that not only rips through battery life while you're using it, but it's also continually polling for new tweets when in the background. The more people you follow, the harder the app works and the more it hits the battery.
My advice is to either close the app when it's not in use, or prevent it from working in the background
(Settings > General > Background App Refresh).

GOOGLE MAPS
Another example of being hit with a penalty for using a third-party app over the stock app. But since the Google Maps app offers a great deal more functionality compared to Apple's Maps app, it's not surprising that it's such a battery hog. After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

SKYPE
Here's another app that not only burns through battery life during use - it's the heaviest app of its kind - but it also continues to hammer at the battery when it's in the background.
You could disable the app in the background, but then you're only going to be available when the app is in the foreground. Alternatively, if you could try to convince your family/friends/colleagues to use iMessage and FaceTime instead.

CONCLUSION
• Stock apps are the better choice if you want to get the most from your battery.
• Social media apps are hard on the battery
• Certain apps running in the background can be a real drain on the battery, so consider shutting off their access using the Background App Refresh setting.
• To find out how your apps are behaving, keep an eye on the battery usage information (Settings > Battery).

iOS Tip 126 - Battery Hogs

If your iPhone/iPad battery seems to run down frequently, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and check what's running in the background.

FACEBOOK
Without a doubt the biggest battery hog. Not only does it tear through the battery when it's actively being used, but it's also a huge hog when it's in the background too.
I'm not a particularly heavy Facebook users so I can't imagine how bad it must be for people who are on Facebook a lot.
My advice is to either close the app when it's not in use, or prevent it from working in the background (Settings > General > Background App Refresh). Alternatively, you could access Facebook via a browser.

GOOGLE CHROME

Apple has done a good job of optimizing the code in its apps. Google, on the other hand, has a long way to go. Chrome is a solid browser, but it uses many times more power than the built-in browser. Yes, you read that right. We're not talking about a small difference here. If you want the best battery life, use Safari.

TWITTER
Here's another app that not only rips through battery life while you're using it, but it's also continually polling for new tweets when in the background. The more people you follow, the harder the app works and the more it hits the battery.
My advice is to either close the app when it's not in use, or prevent it from working in the background
(Settings > General > Background App Refresh).

GOOGLE MAPS
Another example of being hit with a penalty for using a third-party app over the stock app. But since the Google Maps app offers a great deal more functionality compared to Apple's Maps app, it's not surprising that it's such a battery hog. After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

SKYPE
Here's another app that not only burns through battery life during use - it's the heaviest app of its kind - but it also continues to hammer at the battery when it's in the background.
You could disable the app in the background, but then you're only going to be available when the app is in the foreground. Alternatively, if you could try to convince your family/friends/colleagues to use iMessage and FaceTime instead.

CONCLUSION
• Stock apps are the better choice if you want to get the most from your battery.
• Social media apps are hard on the battery
• Certain apps running in the background can be a real drain on the battery, so consider shutting off their access using the Background App Refresh setting.
• To find out how your apps are behaving, keep an eye on the battery usage information (Settings > Battery).

March Madness Live on Your iOS Device

NCAA March Madness Live is accessible online at ncaa.com/marchmadness, bleacherreport.com, and cbssports.com. If you’d rather watch inside an app, you can grab a March Madness Live app for iOS, Android, Amazon Fire tablets and Fire TV, Windows 10, Roku, and the Apple TV.
The Apple TV app (for the fourth-gen model) even has a split-screen feature so you can watch two games side by side. The iPhone and iPad app supports AirPlay to send video to an older Apple TV, and all the mobile apps have Google Cast support for sending video to a Chromecast. There’s even an Apple Watch component that can send “excitement alerts” to your wrist when a game gets close, so you know it’s time to grab the nearest Buffalo wing and tune in.

iOS Tip 125 - Disconnect Specific Bluetooth Devices

1. Open the iOS Settings app and go to “Bluetooth”
2. Wait for the device list to populate, then tap on the (i) button next to the Bluetooth device you want to disconnect
3. Tap “Disconnect” to disconnect the iOS device from the targeted Bluetooth device, whatever it is

This is particularly useful for Bluetooth peripherals with multiple devices that use them. For example, if you want to quickly disconnect an external Bluetooth keyboard for use elsewhere, maybe another iPhone or iPad or Mac, without having to forget the device entirely.

iOS Tip 124 - App Recovery

How to recover any app (even ones removed from the App Store)

Removing an app from your iOS device deletes the app from your iPhone or iPad but it remains in your Purchased List.

This is incredibly handy, because it enables you to re-download the app at any later point. You can even re-download apps that have been removed from sale on the App Store. Once you've purchased an app from the App Store, it's yours for life.

The recent news that EA is removing many of its most popular games from the App Store has shone a light on the ability to re-download apps. It doesn't matter if a publisher removes an app from sale, you can still get a copy you've already purchased from the App Store. This is great news for those who deleted the wonderful Flight Control a while back and feared that EA's decision meant they wouldn't ever be able to play it again.

Here's how to re-download apps from the App Store:

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone.
2. Ensure that you're signed in with the same account you used to purchase the app (tap Featured and scroll to the bottom to view which Apple ID you're using).
3. Tap Updates.
4. Tap Purchased.
5. Tap Not On This iPhone.
6. Tap the Download icon next to the app you want to download to your iOS device.

If you have a lot of apps in the list of purchased apps, use the search box at the top to find the app.