How to set up your new Apple gear

Plus tips and tricks for getting the most out of it.

Author

Lewis Wallace
December 25, 2023

Happy holidays from Cult of Mac!

It’s Xmas morning, so we’ll keep it short.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, don’t forget to record the day’s festivities in stereoscopic Spatial Video. You’ll be glad you did if and when you get a Vision Pro headset, or something similar.

If you got a new iDevice for Xmas and need help setting it up — or tips for getting the most out of it — check out our setup guides below.

And if you were lucky enough to get an iPad, make sure you get a good case for it. Zugu makes some of the best. They’re rated No. 1 on Amazon for good reason.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

How to set up Apple Watch and tips for getting the most out of it

Got a new Apple Watch? Learn how to get it set up in no time, so you can get out the door and start getting fit.

How to set up and use your brand new AirPods

Got some new AirPods? Here's how to set them up, get the most out of them, and fix anything that goes wrong.

A message from Zugu

Get the most out of your new device when you keep it protected with a Zugu case. Offered in multiple colors (something to suit every taste!) and packed with impressive features that customers write home about, see why it’s rated No. 1 on Amazon.

How to set up your new AirTag the right way

The Apple AirTag is arguably among the company's most useful product releases in recent years. Once you set up an AirTag, it gives you powerful options.

How to set up your new iPhone the right way

The iPhone setup process gets easier every year. There are still a few tricks that will help things run smoothly, though. Let's see how to set up your new iPhone the right way.

How to set up your new iPad the right way

Congratulations — you got a new iPad! Here’s how to set it up trouble free.

How to set up your new Mac like a pro

It's a great season to get a new Mac. Every Mac today is a great buy. If you're one of the lucky people to get one this year, here’s how to set it up like a pro.

How to set up HomePod and HomePod mini

It couldn’t be easier to set up HomePod or HomePod mini. Learn how to get started, use Siri, and exclude your kids’ music from your listening history.

How to record 3D Spatial Video on your iPhone

This holiday season, with all the family together, Apple has a new feature that may future-proof the video you take: Spatial Videos. With your iPhone, you can record 3D video that you will one day be able to replay on an Apple Vision Pro headset as an immersive way to relive your memories.

Tweetz o’ the day

One more thing ...

❝

[Listening to the Beatles work on a song] Did you hear that little detour they took? It didn't work, so they went back and started from where they were. It's so raw in this version. It actually makes them sound like mere mortals. You could actually imagine other people doing this, up to this version. Maybe not writing and conceiving it, but certainly playing it. Yet they just didn't stop. They were such perfectionists they kept it going This made a big impression on me when I was in my 30s. You could just tell how much they worked at this. They did a bundle of work between each of these recordings. They kept sending it back to make it closer to perfect … The way we build stuff at Apple is often this way. Even the number of models we'd make of a new notebook or iPod. We would start off with a version and then begin refining and refining, doing detailed models of the design, or the buttons, or how a function operates. It's a lot of work, but in the end it just gets better, and soon it's like, “Wow, how did they do that?!? Where are the screws?”

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

Did you get any Apple goodies for Xmas?

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Results from last Friday’s poll: What do you think of the highly customized Home Screen?

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