How to Turn Off Auto-Correct On Your Apple iPhone

The Auto-Correct feature on an Apple iPhone will automatically correct any perceived spelling errors that the device recognizes as you type. While this feature can be great for some, it can also lead to hilarious and even embarrassing word choices if you’re not careful. To prevent Auto-Correct-induced mistakes from happening, you can simply disable the feature at any time by taking a quick trip through your iPhone’s “Settings” application. While this won’t improve your spelling, it will help prevent sending a message that you didn’t mean to send.

Step 1

Close the app that you’re currently using (if application) and open your iPhone’s “Settings” utility. Much like entering the menu system and selecting “Settings” or “Preferences” on a regular cell phone, the “Settings” application on your iPhone allows you to drastically alter the way your device operates.

Step 2

Scroll to the very top of the third section of options on screen and select “General.” Scroll all the way to the bottom of the window that opens and select “Keyboard” to view a list of keyboard-related iPhone options that you can adjust to better meet your individual preferences.

Step 3

Look for the option reading “Auto-Correction.” This option controls whether or not your iPhone’s Auto-Correct feature is enabled. Under default settings, this option will be listed as “On” from the moment you turn on your phone for the first time. 

Step 4

Tap the word “On” one time to change it to read “Off.” The change indicates that the Auto-Correct feature of your iPhone is now off.

Step 5

Test out your iPhone by composing a new e-mail message or SMS text message. You don’t actually have to send a new message – any blank text box will do. Type a word that you know is misspelled. Because the Auto-Correct feature is now off, your iPhone should make no attempt to correct the misspelled word.

How to Clear Your iCloud Photo Stream From Your Web Browser

Upgrading to iOS 6 on your iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad automatically syncs all of the photo streams on your device with your iCloud account. Any photo that you take is then automatically backed up to the iCloud service for safe keeping. Copies of these photos are accessible through your Web browser by logging into iCloud. Clearing your iCloud photo stream removes these copies from the actual iCloud service but not from your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. You can clear your iCloud photo stream using your Web browser in just a few short moments of your time.

Step 1

Load your iCloud user account profile in your Web browser of choice. To do so, navigate to Apple’s official iCloud website and click “Sign In.” Type your Apple username and password into the boxes on screen to log into your account. Note that this is the same Apple username and password you would use to purchase content from the iTunes App Store and iTunes Media Store on your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad.

Once logged in, your main iCloud control panel will appear in your Web browser window.

Step 2

Click the “User Account” button in the upper right corner of the screen. The “User Account” button will have your full account name printed on it rather than the words “User Account.” The account name will be whatever full name you provided when you originally registered for and set up your iCloud account. A new “Account” window will appear over top of the main iCloud control panel.

Step 3

Click the button labeled “Advanced” to view a menu filled with detailed advanced iCloud options.

Step 4

Click the option labeled “Reset Photo Stream.” When the confirmation box appears on screen, click the blue button labeled “Reset” to continue.

Step 5

Confirm your actions by typing your Apple account password into the box on screen. Click “OK.” The photo stream associated with your iCloud account will be immediately reset and you will be returned to the main iCloud control panel. Note that all of your photos will still exist on your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. The only change is that those same photos will no longer be archived to the Internet via your iCloud account.

How to Use the New "Do Not Disturb" Mode in iOS 6

One of the best new features in Apple’s iOS 6 mobile operating system is designed for people who do a lot of communication on their devices. “Do Not Disturb” mode is designed to stop notifications of any time for the duration that the mode is enabled. It will prevent not just phone calls and text messages, but e-mails, Facebook notifications and Twitter alerts as well. Using “Do Not Disturb” mode on your iOS 6 devices is easy – you just have to know how to properly turn the feature on.

Step 1

Turn on whichever Apple device you are using with the iOS 6 operating system. Depending on how old your device is, this can be an iPod Touch, an iPhone or an iPad. Once turned on, load the Apple ‘Settings” application on your iOS device. Note that the “Settings” application and icon has not changed from previous versions of the iOS operating system.

Step 2

Locate the option labeled “Do Not Disturb.” The “Do Not Disturb” option is in the second section of the “Settings” application, just above the option labeled “Notifications” and just below the option labeled “Bluetooth.” Tap the “Do Not Disturb” option one time to turn the “Do Not Disturb” mode from “Off” to “On.” The “Do Not Disturb” mode will now operate using default settings.

Return to this menu at any time and tap the “Do Not Disturb” option again to turn the mode from “On” to “Off.” To change the basic “Do Not Disturb” settings, continue to the next step.

Step 3

Tap the option labeled “Notifications.” Because the new iOS 6 “Do Not Disturb” mode relates mainly to the way your iOS device handles notifications while the mode is enabled, you have to enter the “Notifications” section of the “Settings” application to change the way the mode actually operates.

Tap the section heading labeled “Do Not Disturb” to continue.

Step 4

If you want to receive scheduled alerts even when “Do Not Disturb” mode is enabled, tap the option in the window on screen labeled “Scheduled.” With this option enabled, any scheduled alerts (like ones that you’ve manually added to your device’s “Calendar” application) will still be received.

Step 5

Tap the option labeled “Receive Calls From” to change which callers can get through while “Do Not Disturb” mode is enabled. You can choose from “Everyone,” “No One” or “Favorites.” Make your selection by tapping the appropriate option in the window on screen.

If you want repeated calls to get through even when “Do Not Disturb” mode is active, tap the option labeled “Repeated Calls” at the bottom of the “Do Not Disturb” window. A first call from a particular person will be silenced while “Do Not Disturb” mode is active. If that same person calls back within three minutes, however, that second call will make it through under these settings.

How to Change Your Apple iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad Password

Downloading anything from the iTunes Store on your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad requires you to enter your Apple ID password. The Apple ID password is directly tied to your iTunes user account, which is in turn tied to your credit or debit card. If your Apple ID is ever compromised or someone gets ahold of your password, they could potentially rack up a large amount of charges using that debit or credit card. It is always important to remember not to share this password with anyone. If you ever fear that your password has been compromised or your account has been hacked, you need to change that password as quickly as you can. You can do this right from any computer with an Internet connection.

Step 1

Open your Web browser of choice and navigate to Apple’s official Apple ID management site at AppleID.Apple.com. The page that loads will have a series of options that run across the right side of the page. Click the blue hyperlink labeled “Reset Your Password” in the “Manage Your Apple ID” section of the screen.

Step 2

Enter your Apple ID into the box on screen. Depending on the age of your account, your Apple ID will either be a regular username or an e-mail address. Newer accounts are required to use an e-mail address as an ID, but older accounts can still use user-selected screen names. Click “Next” to continue.

Step 3

If you can remember the security questions you designated when you set up your Apple ID, click the option labeled “Answer Security Questions” and click “Next.” Provide the answers to the security questions in the boxes on screen and click “Next” to continue. If you do not remember the answers to your security questions, continue to the next step.

Step 4

Select the option labeled “Email Authentication” and click “Next.” An authentication code will be mailed to the address on file with your account. Open your mail provider and copy the code from the message into the box on screen. Click “Next” to continue.

Step 5

Type your desired new password into the two boxes on screen. Use the “Password Strength” indicator to judge how secure your new password will be. If your password registers as “Weak,” try again until your password registers as “Strong.” Click the “Reset Password” button to change your password.

Note that you will have to sign in using your new password the next time you attempt to use services like iCloud, iTunes App Store or iTunes Music Store on your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad.

How to Uninstall a Device in the Device Manager in Microsoft Windows

The Device Manager is a program in the Windows operating system that manages all of the various hardware components installed in your computer. The Device Manager is typically used to diagnose the problems that you may experience with your hardware. You will also need to use the Device Manager when removing a particular piece of hardware from your machine. If you uninstall your computer’s wireless Internet card, for example, an entry for that card will remain in the Device Manager because that card’s driver is still installed. You can uninstall a device from the Device Manager in the Windows operating system by following just a few basic steps.

Step 1

Locate the icon labeled “Computer” on your Windows desktop. Right-click on this icon one time and select the “Properties” option. Note that some configurations will not display a “Computer” icon on your desktop. If the appropriate icon is not present, click the “Start” menu and right-click on the icon in that location to continue the process.

Step 2

Click the option labeled “Device Manager” on the left side of the screen. Note that if you are not logged in as the administrator account on your computer you will have to provide the administrator password before you are allowed to continue.

Step 3

Locate the category for the device you just uninstalled. If you just installed a network adapter, for example, click the category labeled “Network Adapters” one time to expand it. A list of all hardware components that fall into that category will appear on screen.

Step 4

Right-click on the option for the hardware device you want to uninstall. Select the “Uninstall” option from the menu on screen. A new window will appear.

Step 5

Click the “OK” button to uninstall the device driver for the selected hardware component. Restart your computer to finish the installation process. The selected device will no longer be installed on your machine. Note that you can repeat these steps for any other device you want to uninstall at any time using the Windows operating system.