parental frequently asked questions:
A is for Apple
In this Section:
Additional Resources:
Apple ID
What is Apple ID?
An Apple ID is the personal account you use to access Apple services like the App Store, iCloud, Messages, the Apple Online Store, FaceTime, and more. It includes the information you use to sign in, as well as all the contact, payment, and security details that you’ll use across Apple services.
When do I use my Apple ID?
Any time you set up a new device, make a purchase, or use any Apple service, you will be asked to sign in with your Apple ID and password. Once signed in you’ll have access to the service and all the personal information in your account. Use the same Apple ID everywhere you sign in to ensure that all your Apple services and devices work together seamlessly and you can access your personal content from all your devices.
These are some of the most widely used services that you can access with your Apple ID:
Sign in with Apple
FaceTime
iCloud and iCloud+
Message
iTunes
Family Sharing
Apple TV, Apple TV+, and Apple TV channels
App Store & Apple Arcade
Apple Music & music purchases
Apple Online Store
Apple Store app
Apple Retail services and programs (Concierge, workshops, and youth programs)
Apple News
Find My
Apple Books
Apple Fitness+
Apple Pay, Apple Pay Later, Apple Card, and Apple Cash
Apple Podcasts
Apple Support Communities
Game Center
To manage your Apple ID account details, go to your Apple ID account page.
Messages
Access your messages on all your Apple devices.
When you use Messages in iCloud, all the messages you send, receive, and delete are updated on all your Apple devices automatically.
To use Messages in iCloud, you need to be signed in to iMessage using the same Apple ID on every device where you want to use Messages in iCloud.
How to edit a sent Message on your iPad/iPhone.
You can edit a sent message up to five times within 15 minutes after you send it.
In Messages, tap a conversation.
Touch and hold the message you want to edit.
Tap Edit.
Make your edits, then tap the check mark to finalize the message, or tap the X to revert to the original message.
If you make edits, the word "Edited" appears under the message. You can edit an iMessage up to five times within 15 minutes after you send it.
Unsend a Sent Message on your iPad/iPhone.
You can unsend a message for up to two minutes after you send it.
In Messages, tap a conversation.
Touch and hold the message you want to unsend.
Tap Undo Send.
The message disappears and a notification that says "You unsent a message" appears. You can unsend an iMessage for up to two minutes after you send it.
What to do if you can't send or receive messages.
If you see an alert when you send a message, or if you can’t send or receive messages, learn what to do.
Message Not Delivered – If You See a Red Exclamation Point.
If you try to send a message and you see with an alert that says Not Delivered, follow these steps:
Check your network connection.
Tap the Red Exclamation Point Icon, then tap Try Again.
If you still can’t send the message, tap the Red Exclamation Point Icon, then tap Send as Text Message.
Note: You can set up Messages so that it automatically tries to send messages as an SMS when iMessage isn't available. Go to Settings > Messages, and turn on Send as SMS.
Not Receiving Messages on a Device (If you receive messages on one device but not the other).
If you have an iPhone and another iOS or iPadOS device, like an iPad, your iMessage settings might be set to receive and start messages from your Apple ID instead of your phone number.
To check if your phone number is set to send and receive messages, go to Settings > Messages, and tap Send & Receive.
An Unexpected Green Message Bubble.
If you see a green message bubble instead of a blue one, then that message was sent using MMS/SMS instead of iMessage. There are several reasons for this:
The person that you sent the message to doesn't have an Apple device.
iMessage is turned off on your device or on your recipient’s device.
To check if iMessage is turned on for your device, go to Settings > Messages > iMessage.
iMessage is temporarily unavailable on your device or on your recipient’s device.
You might need to update your settings for Messages after you set up a new device.
What is the difference between iMessage and MMS/SMS?
iMessage/Message:
iMessages are texts, photos, or videos that you send to another iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac over Wi-Fi or cellular-data networks. These messages are always encrypted and appear in blue text bubbles. To turn iMessage on or off, go to Settings > Messages.
SMS/MMS:
If you aren’t using iMessage, you can use SMS/MMS. These messages are texts and photos that you send to other cell phones (Samsung Phones, for example) or another iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. SMS/MMS messages aren't encrypted and appear in green text bubbles on your device.
Issues with Group Messages:
If you’re in a group message and stop receiving messages, check to see if you left the conversation. Open Messages and tap the group message.
If you see a message that says you left the conversation, then either you left the conversation or you were removed from the group message. You can rejoin a group message only if someone in the group adds you.
To start a new group message:
Open Messages and tap the Compose button .
Enter the phone numbers or email addresses of your contacts.
Type your message, then tap the Send button .
If you have other issues with a group message, you might need to delete the conversation and start a new one.
To delete a group message:
Open Messages and find the conversation that you want to delete.
Swipe left over the conversation.
Tap Delete.
Issues with Messages After You Set Up a New Device.
If you experience issues like conversations in Messages showing up as separate threads or sent messages appearing as green message bubbles instead of blue message bubbles when you set up a new device, update your settings using the following steps:
Update your device to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS if needed.
In the Settings app, tap Cellular. Make sure that your phone line is turned on.
In the Settings app, tap Messages. Turn iMessage off and then back on.
Tap Send & Receive.
Tap the phone number that you want to use with Messages.
Apple Safari
Keeping a Reading List in Safari:
In the Safari app, save interesting items in your Reading List so you can revisit them later. You can even download the items in your Reading List and read them when you’re not connected to the internet.
Add the Current Webpage to Your Reading List:
Tap the Share button, then tap Add to Reading List.
Tip: To add a linked page without opening it, touch and hold the link, then tap Add to Reading List.
View Your Reading List.
For iPad: Tap the Show Sidebar button, then tap Reading List.
For iPhone: Tap the icon that looks like an open book, then tap the icon that looks like a pair of glasses.
To delete an item from your Reading List, touch and hold the item, then tap Delete.
Automatically Save All Reading List Items to iCloud for Offline Reading
Go to Settings > Safari, then turn on Automatically Save Offline (below Reading List, bottom of Safari Settings).
Note: Safari uses iCloud to keep your Reading List the same on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers that have Safari turned on in iCloud settings. On your iPhone or iPad, touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud, then make sure Safari is turned on. With iCloud, your Reading List and bookmarks are archived automatically, and you can restore them from an earlier version at any time.
Organize your tabs with Tab Groups in Safari:
In the Safari app, you can create Tab Groups to keep tabs organized and make them easier to find again later.
Create a new Tab Group.
Tap the icon that features one square in front of the other to view your open tabs.
Touch and hold a tab, then choose Move to Tab Group.
Tap New Tab Group, enter a name, then tap Move.
Tip: To move between your Tab Groups, tap in the bottom center of the screen.
Reorder tabs in a Tab Group.
Tap the icon that features one square in front of the other to view the open tabs in that Tab Group.
Touch and hold a tab in the Tab Group.
In the menu that appears, tap Arrange Tabs By, then choose an option.
Or, just drag the tab to where you want it.
Rename a Tab Group.
Tap the icon that features one square in front of the other, then tap the icon that looks like a down arrow.
Tap Edit, then tap the icon that features three dots.
Tap Rename, enter a name, then tap Save.
Pin a Tab at the Top of a Tab Group.
You can customize your Tab Groups with pinned tabs in each group. The pinned tab stays at the top of the Tab Group.
Tap the icon that features one square in front of the other to view the open tabs in that Tab Group.
Touch and hold the tab you want to pin.
In the menu that appears, tap Pin Tab.
Move a Tab to another Tab Group.
Touch and hold the icon that features one square in front of the other, then tap Move to Tab Group.
Choose one of the Tab Groups you created previously, or create a new group.
View your Safari tabs from another Apple device:
In the Safari app, you can view the tabs that are open on your other Apple devices and keep tabs and Tab Groups updated across devices.
Note: You must be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all your devices to manage Safari tabs across your devices.
View tabs that are open on your other Apple devices.
Tap the Tabs button, tap the New Tab button (looks like a +), then scroll to see the tabs open on your other devices at the bottom of the start page.
To close a tab on another Apple device, touch and hold the link, then choose Close.
Note: To view tabs open on your other devices, you must have iCloud Tabs turned on for your start page. See Customize your start page.
Keep tabs and Tab Groups updated across your devices.
Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Show All, then make sure Safari is turned on.
Apple TV
Watching Apple TV via the Sony TV Smart Apps:
Press the HOME button, select Apps icon from the HOME menu, and select Android TV/Google Play Store from the apps list.
If the supplied remote control has an APPS button, you can press the APPS button to display the apps list.
Select an app to install.
After downloading, the app is automatically installed and added. Its icon appears in the list of installed apps, allowing you to launch it.
To delete an app: Press the HOME button, select Apps from the Home menu, select the Android TV/Google Play Store from the apps list, and select My Apps. If the supplied remote control has an APPS button, you can press the APPS button to display the apps list.
Select an app to be deleted, and uninstall the app.
NOTE:
You can only install apps that are compatible with TVs.
An Internet connection and Google account are required to install apps from the Google Play Store.
Using Your Apple TV (Master Bedroom)
Siri Remote at a glance
The Siri Remote included with Apple TV varies depending upon your model.
Turn Apple TV On or Off
Apple TV is ready for you to watch at any time, and automatically turns off after a preset period of inactivity.
Turn Apple TV On:
Press the TV button.
If your TV or audio/visual receiver supports HDMI-CEC, Apple TV automatically turns on when you turn on your TV or receiver or when you select its HDMI input on your TV or receiver. You can also turn your TV or receiver on or off with the Siri Remote.
Turn Apple TV Off:
When you’re finished watching, you can turn Apple TV off.
Do one of the following:
Press and hold the TV button to open Control Center, then select Power Off.
Open Settings on Apple TV, then select Sleep Now.
If your TV or audio/visual receiver supports HDMI-CEC, Apple TV automatically turns off when you turn off your TV or receiver.
Set delay for when Apple TV automatically Turn off
You can set how long Apple TV waits before automatically turning off.
Open Settings on Apple TV.
Go to General > Sleep After and choose an option.
Open Control Center
Control Center gives you quick access to settings and controls for Apple TV.
On the Siri Remote, press and hold the TV button .
Control Center opens, giving you access to controls for powering Apple TV off, adjusting audio settings, and more.
Navigate Apple TV
The Home Screen on Apple TV provides easy access to apps and settings. Navigate to any of the apps in the top row to see previews of available movies and TV shows, music videos, games, photos, and more.
Navigate to Apps and Items
To move around on Apple TV, use the remote to do any of the following:
Siri Remote: Tap or swipe up, down, left, or right on the touch surface.
Onscreen, a highlighted app or item expands slightly.
When you highlight an app in the top row of the Home Screen, a preview of its content (movies, TV shows, music videos, or memories, for example) plays in the background (if the app supports content previews). Follow the onscreen instructions to access controls for playing in full screen, getting more information, and browsing additional previews.
Select an App or item
After you highlight an app or item onscreen, you can select it. When you select an app, it opens. Do one of the following:
Siri Remote: Press the touch surface.
To scroll through lists of options and indexes, do any of the following:
Siri Remote: Swipe up or down a few times on the touch surface to scroll quickly.
Whether you’re browsing in an app, listening to music or watching a movie or TV show, you can easily go back to the previous screen or go straight to the Home Screen.
Siri Remote: Press the button to go to the previous screen; press and hold the button to go to the Home Screen.
On the Siri Remote, press the TV button to go to Up Next in the Apple TV app. Press the TV button again to go to the Home Screen.
Scroll Lists
To scroll through lists of options and indexes, do any of the following:
Siri Remote: Swipe up or down a few times on the touch surface to scroll quickly.
Go to Previous Screen or Home Screen:
Whether you’re browsing in an app, listening to music or watching a movie or TV show, you can easily go back to the previous screen or go straight to the Home Screen.
Siri Remote: Press the button to go to the previous screen; press and hold the button to go to the Home Screen.
Return to the TV App:
On the Siri Remote, press the TV button to go to Up Next in the Apple TV app. Press the TV button again to go to the Home Screen.
Watch
Adjust Sound
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Tap Sounds & Haptics.
Tap the volume controls under Alert Volume or tap the slider, then turn the Digital Crown to adjust.
Or, on your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app, tap Sounds & Haptics, then drag the Alert Volume slider.
You can also reduce loud sounds coming from headphones connected to your Apple Watch. In the Settings app , go to Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety, then turn on Reduce Loud Sounds.
Adjust Haptic Intensity
You can adjust the strength of the haptics—or wrist taps—Apple Watch uses for notifications and alerts.
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Tap Sounds & Haptics, then turn on Haptic Alerts.
Choose Default or Prominent.
Or, on your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app, tap My Watch, tap Sounds & Haptics, then choose Default or Prominent.