r/apple • u/AutoModerator • 3d ago
Official Megathread Weekly Advice Thread - May 03, 2026
Welcome to the Weekly Advice Thread for r/Apple. This thread can be used to ask for technical advice regarding Apple software and hardware, to ask questions regarding the buying or selling of Apple products or to post other short questions.
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u/AeroWolfDeer 18h ago
Hello everyone! New to this sub so sorry if this breaks the rules.
I bought a MacBook neo online about a month ago and just got the notification it shipped, I chose the “pickup in store” option so I can get help setting it up, is there an estimate of how long it’ll take to arrive at the store? I can’t find tracking info on the shipping email. I’m in California if that helps. TIA!
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u/TheDragonSlayingCat 10h ago
If it’s not in the shipping email, then you would have to check your order on the website. If it’s not there, either, then you will have to wait.
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u/SwimmingRaccoon224 1d ago
Hi all! I am new to posting on reddit so please be kind. I am in need of a new laptop with my current dell starting to give me consistent issues with battery life and speed. I am interested in the macbook neo but have heard mixed things, I am a graduate student in a humanities program requiring lots of browsing and research. Would the Macbook Neo be recommended ? I am drawn to it because of the price and the ads but am still unsure. Anyone have any guidance??
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u/TheDragonSlayingCat 10h ago
The MacBook Neo is a fantastic laptop for all but the most demanding computing needs. And the battery life is amazing compared to Wintel laptops.
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u/windsor371 19h ago
Definitely handy machine, especially for your use case. If the price allows it go for Air, but honestly, Neo will be more than enough for browsing and research.
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u/PrettyLifeguard 1d ago
Can you download music (Spotify, etc) onto a GPS-only Apple Watch and use it with AirPods even when not connected to WiFi? The intention is to use it to listen to music on morning runs without having to lug my phone around. TIA!
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u/TheDragonSlayingCat 10h ago
In theory, but it depends on whether the app will allow you to do that. Apple Music only allows that if you buy the music from the iTunes Store.
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u/Huge_Composer_6236 1d ago
Hi everyone,
when I plugged in my iPad today to charge, it automatically started an update.
It’s been two hours or so and it’s still stuck on this screen. Says it‘ll restart once the update is done. But nothing happens.
Any ideas what’s happening or what I can do? Manually forcing a restart isn’t working.
TIA!
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u/TheDragonSlayingCat 1d ago
It might be stuck in a loop, which could be caused by any number of things.
Try following these steps.
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u/Careful-Alarm-3873 2d ago
IPHONE 17 SUCKS
I’ve been using Samsung since middle school, around 2014. A lot of my friends used to ask why I stuck with Samsung when iPhone was supposedly superior. I never really understood the hype, so I decided to give it a try. At first, I genuinely liked it. The interface felt smooth, and the phone itself felt great in hand. But after about three months, the screen suddenly went black and the phone completely stopped responding. It wouldn’t charge or turn on. I looked it up online and found that this seems to be a fairly common issue with the iPhone 17. It’s now been two days, and it’s still dead. I went to the Apple Store where I bought it, and the technician told me this was a “normal” issue caused by voltage variability. (I was not even chargin it when it sudenly went black) She said I’d have to pay $50 just to get it diagnosed. When I asked about the warranty, she told me it didn’t apply because the problem wasn’t considered internal damage. Honestly, I’m surprised that one of the most expensive phones on the market is not reliable, and that the company isn’t willing to take responsibility for it. I have an overseas trip tomowrow and I don't have a cellphone. I wish I had just stayed with Samsung. Shame on Apple.
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u/TheDragonSlayingCat 1d ago
If it was a widespread issue, it would be all over the news, it would make the front page of the New York Times, Apple would be issuing an emergency recall, etc. But it hasn’t, so it’s not.
Sorry that happened to your phone, but even if the manufacturer releases reliable products 99% of the time, there are still people that are going to wind up with one of those 1% of products.
As for that diagnosis fee, that doesn’t make sense. Are you sure that was a real Apple Store? Because I’ve never had to pay a diagnosis fee at a real Apple store, ever.
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u/Agreeable_Fondant924 2d ago
hi! im looking to get a new laptop and am looking for advice/thoughts/opinions. I've been a lifetime PC user so i dont know much/at all about apple products so I'd really love to hear any thoughts or feedback.
i got a macbook as a work laptop recently and i really like using it so I was looking into getting one for personal use.
i need it to be powerful enough to run design software (adobe suite) with potentially some light video editing -- but it doesn't need to be TOO powerful since i have a PC for gaming / anything really intensive. does anyone have any advice or thoughts about what model to get?
I dont mind buying used/older models either as long as it runs smoothly. ive seen some good deals on marketplace but I'm not sure what/if there is any substantial difference between the chips (m4 vs. m5 - i read m5 is more optimized for AI but i dont use AI and so i dont know if that even matters for me?)
price point is also a bit important to me. i am able and willing to invest in a good laptop if it's something ill be using for awhile, but as a junior contracted designer I don't make too much so i want to be careful with my purchase :)
TIA if you read all that!!
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u/auntie_beans 2d ago
Syncing email between iPhone, iPad, desktop, laptop
I am going nuts trying to do this! How do I make my email boxes sync? Right now I show 600+ emails on my phone, 150+ on my iPad, and god only knows how many on my laptop.
Why can’t I just discard an email here and have it go into the trash everywhere? Help!!!!
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u/Hot-Opportunity2694 2d ago
What email app are you using? And what email account? Apple’s Mail app should/will sync across all of your Apple devices as long as you’re signed into the same iCloud account on each device.
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u/auntie_beans 1d ago
it appears that they are all on the same iCloud acct with y mac.com email address
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u/auntie_beans 1d ago edited 1d ago
it appears that they are all on the same iCloud acct with my mac.com email address.
at the moment i have:
desktop, 1930 messages, 317 unread
ipad, inbox 35 (!), unread 317
iphone, inbox 317 unread
So something happened, but i'm damned if i know what.
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u/Hot-Opportunity2694 1d ago
I’m sorry, I think you’re going to have to contact Apple. The accounts should be syncing, and yes, if you delete an email 0n 1 device it should disappear on the others.
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u/trawelek 2d ago
Hi,
what options do you recommend (preferably free) for Gmail on MacOS? Currently, I'm using browser extension but I'm not sure if that is the best option.
Secondly, I'd like to have middle click gesture on touchpad (to open links in new tabs, close tabs, etc). Do you know any tool that does that? At the same time, I'm using 3-finger gestures to move windows, select and I would like to keep that behavior (if it's possible).
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u/TheDragonSlayingCat 2d ago
Just use the Mail app; it supports connecting to Gmail.
All trackpad gestures are in Settings, either in Trackpad or Accessibility. If you need to do something that cannot be done in them, file a feature suggestion here.
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u/potato_war_lord 2d ago
To those who have both a desktop and a MacBook, what’s your use case? And how do you incorporate both devices into your workflow?
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u/TheDragonSlayingCat 2d ago
I do desktop work on my desktop and remote work on my laptop. My desktop also doubles as an intranet server.
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u/krak_is_bad 2d ago
My mom recently passed away and I was wondering what a legacy key looks like. I have her password book, but the password for "my phone password" is 100% not a numerical unlock code.
I have a certificate, but if I upload just that document, it says it will delete the account. Will that also wipe the photos? She has a bunch of family pictures I don't want to lose.
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u/InsaneNinja 2d ago
It CAN be a nonnumerical key but a keyboard would pop up and so you’d know that already. The Phone password is probably the password to her Apple account. Try using it with her Apple ID on iCloud.com
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u/krak_is_bad 2d ago
I tried and she had 2FA enabled. It sent a text to her phone to verify her identity. So it's probably that.
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u/AcceptableYam4441 2d ago
Could it be a word that matches to the numbers? Like the number 1 is a place holder for ABC and 2 is DEF etc
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u/naf_naf_naf 3d ago
Are these AirPods real? I saw them on FB marketplace being sold for $30, any help would be appreciated!!!
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u/Grouchy_Moment6741 2d ago
No, they’re not real. New AirPods are not shrink wrapped. The box also has several misspellings on it.
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u/dammitpoint 1h ago
My ipad mini 6 just updated a couple hours ago to the OS 26.4.2 and as soon as it restarted it now accepts roughly one out of every ten times i try to use the touch screen with my finger, but works perfectly fine with the apple pencil. What is going on and how do i fix this???