macOS Phone App Demonstration
Siena demonstrated the new Phone app in macOS, explaining its functionality as a secondary phone interface that works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac when devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi and iCloud account. The app allows users to make calls, send messages, and access call history, with Liz inquiring about its availability on iPad, which Siena confirmed. The discussion included practical uses of the app, such as making calls when the phone is charging or left in another room, and participants shared personal experiences about where they keep their phones at home.
Mac Phone Call and Notifications
Siena and Ali demonstrated how to make and end phone calls on a Mac using the phone app and Notification Center, including navigating call history and ending calls. They discussed the differences between full screen and banner modes for notifications, and Ali mentioned exploring the option to change the notification style on the Mac. John joined the conversation briefly to clarify that the notification banner on the Mac looks similar to iOS’s floating window.
Mac Notification Management Tutorial
Siena and Ali explored how to manage and interact with phone notifications on a Mac, including changing alert styles to persistent banners and adjusting notification settings for specific applications. They tested answering a FaceTime call through the Mac’s Notification Center, noting some initial confusion with the labeling but successfully completing the task. Both participants acknowledged this as a learning experience, as Siena had never used a Mac to make or answer calls before.
MacOS 2026 Phone Call Features
Siena demonstrated how to answer phone calls on a Mac using macOS 2026’s new notification center feature, which treats phone calls as FaceTime calls. She showed that calls can be answered through the notification center even when the phone app is closed, though the phone app must be open to end calls. Siena also briefly mentioned a new feature in macOS 2026 that provides message and email summaries, though she didn’t demonstrate this functionality.
Mail App VoiceOver Features Update
Siena demonstrated the new Mail app features on Mac, including how to navigate between mailboxes and messages using VoiceOver commands, and showed the AI summary button that provides a concise summary of email content. She noted that while there weren’t many new VoiceOver features in the update, the summary button was particularly useful for quickly understanding email content without reading the full message. Liz inquired about the VO left/right commands and learned that these gestures are equivalent to flicking left/right on iPads that support the feature, with Siena suggesting that the iPad Mini 7 and up, as well as the Air 3 and up, support this functionality.
Email Content Display Issues Investigation
The team discussed issues with email excerpts not displaying properly in some cases, with Ali confirming that the full newsletter content is actually visible when scrolling down in the email. They identified that the problem might be related to how the email is displayed on different devices or email clients, as some team members were able to see the full content while others saw only an excerpt with a “continue reading” link. Ali agreed to investigate further and potentially make adjustments to ensure consistent display of the full content across all devices.
Email Formatting and Accessibility Issues
The team discussed issues with email formatting and accessibility, particularly regarding heading blocks and their impact on mobile readability. They explored mail settings and default email app configurations, with Ali demonstrating how to adjust settings on both iPhone and Mac. The group agreed to investigate whether different account types (iCloud vs Gmail) might be affecting the display issues, and Siena confirmed she would try adding heading blocks to improve navigation while being mindful of potential formatting complications.
Gmail Email Header Improvements
The team discussed issues with email headers and navigation in Gmail, particularly regarding Techstravaganza reminders. Liz suggested adding a sentence to the existing header rather than creating new blocks, which would help maintain consistency. They explored potential causes for scrolling and link-finding difficulties, including the use of threaded views and calendar integration. The group agreed to investigate further before making changes to their email templates.
Email Calendar Invite Simplification
The team discussed issues with email calendar invites and decided to simplify the process by creating a block pattern or template with essential meeting details. They agreed to remove unnecessary information like Find Your Local Number and the calendar view to make it easier for participants. Siena suggested using Google Calendar directly and copying the link with the required information once, rather than doing it weekly. The team also discussed how switching from direct email to a newsletter format allows for larger, unlimited subscriber lists.
Newsletter Format Simplification Discussion
The team discussed streamlining the newsletter format by removing extraneous embedded content and focusing on essential information like Zoom meeting links. They identified that the current format was cluttered and made it difficult to see key details. Siena and Ali agreed to simplify the newsletter by using excerpts and removing unnecessary information like location tags. They also addressed an issue with the iPad status bar disappearing in Mac OS 26, finding that it was still present but harder to access due to smaller icons. The team decided to encourage participants to use the Zoom app for easier access to meeting details, noting that it was free.
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