Good afternoon Techstravaganza friends,
We’ve got an excellent tutorial of setting up an iPhone from the factory reset for you this afternoon! Have a listen at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ege3prvnhOLwVjKFXSP2A
Show Notes
iOS 27 Beta Bug: VoiceOver Activity Voice Reverting to Samantha Compact
Siena identified a bug in the iOS 27 Beta where the VoiceOver voice reverts to “Samantha Compact” whenever a VoiceOver Activity (e.g., Tutorials) is selected, despite the user having set “Alex” as the voice for all activities.
- Details
- Siena: Demonstrated the bug live by switching into the Tutorials activity, showing the voice switching from Alex to Samantha Compact regardless of the activity selected.
- Ali: Confirmed he observed the behavior.
- Siena: Noted that Samantha Compact sounds like “a grumpy manager at the office who woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” and that she planned to report the bug that evening.
- Ali: Agreed the voice is unpleasant and confirmed the issue.
- Conclusion
- The bug is specific to iOS 27 Beta and affects VoiceOver activity voice settings.
- Siena committed to filing a bug report with Apple.
Platform Preferences: Zoom vs. Google Meet vs. Appointlet
Ali and Siena discussed their dissatisfaction with Zoom as a conferencing platform and compared it to Google Meet and Appointlet.
- Details
- Ali: Expressed frustration at being forced to use Zoom when it does not suit his personal needs; noted that keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Command-U, Command-Shift-A) failed after dismissing a dialog on entry.
- Siena: Agreed that Zoom does not provide sufficient value, especially given its add-on pricing model.
- Siena: Contrasted Zoom with Google Meet, which is included in Google Workspace/Google One packages at no extra cost.
- Ali: Highlighted that Appointlet integrates seamlessly with existing systems and offers more scheduling flexibility (e.g., custom time slots like 12:15) compared to Google’s native appointment scheduling.
- Ali: Mentioned an upcoming Friday meeting with Appointlet representatives to negotiate a discount, stating a budget cap of $100 CAD/month.
- Ali: Noted Appointlet has a monthly option at approximately $67 USD/month, which would fluctuate in CAD (estimated around $15/month CAD equivalent was discussed but acknowledged as variable).
- Conclusion
- Both Siena and Ali prefer Google Meet over Zoom for value and integration.
- Ali will negotiate with Appointlet for a discounted rate capped at $100 CAD/month.
- Appointlet is considered more feature-rich than Google’s native scheduling tool.
iOS 27 Recovery Mode: Putting iPhone into Recovery Mode via Mac Finder
Siena demonstrated how to put an iPhone into recovery mode using a Mac when things go wrong (e.g., after a bad beta update), and how to restore it to factory settings via the Finder.
- Details
- Siena: Explained that on Mac, iTunes has been replaced by Finder for iPhone recovery; on Windows, iTunes is still required.
- Ali: Confirmed iTunes remains necessary on Windows and recommended using a Mac for this type of recovery.
- Siena: Attempted the recovery mode sequence (initially incorrect: Volume Down → Volume Up → Hold Side Button) multiple times without success.
- Ali: Assisted in troubleshooting, suggesting disconnecting from screen share, navigating to the iPhone in the Finder sidebar, and keeping the VoiceOver cursor on the device.
- Siena: Searched Google and found a YouTube video confirming the correct iOS 27 sequence: Volume Up → Volume Down → Hold Side Button.
- Siena: Successfully triggered the recovery mode error dialog on the Mac: “There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored.”
- Siena: Proceeded to click Restore, agreed to terms of service, but encountered a download corruption error (“The software for the iPhone was corrupted during download”), likely caused by the active screen share interfering with the process.
- Siena: Stopped the screen share and retried; the phone eventually came back online but did not complete the full recovery via Finder during the session.
- Conclusion
- The correct iOS 27 recovery mode sequence is: Volume Up (quick press) → Volume Down (quick press) → Hold Side Button until the Mac Finder shows an error dialog.
- Screen sharing during the recovery process can interfere with the download and cause corruption errors.
- A Mac with Finder (or a PC with iTunes) is required for this recovery method.
- The full recovery via Finder was not completed during the session due to technical difficulties.
Factory Reset Directly from iPhone Settings
After the Finder recovery attempt encountered issues, Siena demonstrated how to perform a factory reset directly from the iPhone without needing a computer.
- Details
- Siena: Navigated to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.
- Siena: Noted that the phone backs up to iCloud before erasing, and that Find My / Activation Lock requires the Apple ID password to proceed.
- Siena: Entered the iPhone passcode, then the Apple ID password (required Face ID verification as well).
- Siena: Confirmed the reset was initiated and the phone began the erase process.
- Ali: Noted that this simpler method (Settings-based reset) could have been used from the start, even with the beta installed.
- Conclusion
- A factory reset can be performed directly from Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings without a computer.
- The process requires the iPhone passcode, Apple ID password, and potentially Face ID verification.
- The phone backs up to iCloud automatically before erasing if iCloud Backup is enabled.
iCloud Backup Setup and Best Practices
Liz asked how to set up automatic iCloud backups, prompting a discussion on backup frequency, settings, and cellular data usage.
- Details
- Siena: Demonstrated navigating to Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → iCloud Backup to enable automatic backups.
- Siena: Explained that with automatic backup enabled, the phone backs up daily when plugged in.
- Liz’s iPhone: Asked whether backups consume a large amount of cellular data.
- Siena: Noted that with a large data plan (e.g., 50 GB/month) it may be acceptable, but users with limited data (1–2 GB) should disable cellular backup.
- Ali: Strongly recommended disabling the “Backup over Cellular” toggle and performing backups over Wi-Fi only, regardless of data plan size, to avoid unexpected overages and connection issues.
- Ali: Confirmed there is a “Backup over Cellular” switch in Settings → iCloud → iCloud Backup that controls this behavior.
- Conclusion
- Automatic iCloud backup should be enabled via Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → iCloud Backup.
- The “Backup over Cellular” option should be turned off; backups should be performed over Wi-Fi only.
- Backups occur daily automatically when the phone is plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi.
Face ID: Usability Challenges for Blind and Low-Vision Users
A discussion arose around Face ID setup and its practical limitations for blind and low-vision users.
- Details
- Liz’s iPhone: Shared that an Apple Genius set up Face ID for her, but it never worked reliably at home due to low lighting conditions; she ultimately disabled it.
- Ali: Explained he does not use Face ID because he cannot reliably angle his face correctly during setup, as he lacks visual reference for positioning.
- Siena: Agreed that while VoiceOver does provide verbal guidance (e.g., “turn your head slightly to the left/right”), knowing how to physically execute the correct angle is still challenging without vision.
- Liz’s iPhone: Noted that Apple Store lighting is exceptionally bright, which is not representative of typical home environments, making Face ID less reliable outside the store.
- Ali: Recommended using a passcode instead of Face ID for blind and low-vision users.
- Conclusion
- Face ID presents significant usability challenges for blind and low-vision users due to difficulties in face positioning and lighting dependency.
- Using a passcode is the recommended alternative for this user group.
Technology Learning Philosophy and Adapting to New Tools
Ali, Siena, and Liz engaged in a broader conversation about lifelong learning, tool adoption, and the tendency to become set in one’s ways with technology.
- Details
- Liz’s iPhone: Shared that she sometimes listens to sessions just to pick up technical vocabulary.
- Ali: Reflected that people are often taught to rely solely on voice assistants, but when those fail, they lack alternative methods.
- Liz’s iPhone: Confirmed her assistant (Siri/Google Assistant) is often unhelpful for basic queries.
- Ali: Questioned whether there comes a point where one stops wanting to learn new tools and sticks with what works.
- Siena: Acknowledged she may be approaching that point but still enjoys exploring new tools; noted that when a preferred tool breaks, learning something new becomes necessary.
- Ali: Suggested that sticking with a tool and observing how it evolves is also a valid approach.
- Siena: Mentioned recently using LibreOffice (an open-source office suite) and being pleased with a recent Mac fix in an update.
- Conclusion
- Lifelong learning is valuable at any age, as long as one is able.
- Relying solely on voice assistants is insufficient; users should know alternative methods.
- It is natural to become comfortable with familiar tools, but adaptability remains important.
Upcoming Schedule Announcements
Siena made several announcements regarding upcoming sessions and her planned vacation.
- Details
- Siena: Announced a Techstravaganza Extra on Friday covering the Google Meet platform, as participants may encounter it for meetings hosted by others.
- Siena: Announced that Textravaganza Evenings (Part 2: Setting Up iPhone from Scratch) will be held on Thursday, August 13.
- Siena: Announced she will be on vacation from approximately August 26 to October 7, spending time with family and potentially visiting Montreal with her mother and sister.
- Siena: Confirmed that Textravaganza sessions will continue during her absence, hosted by Ali, Macara, Ashlyn, and Lily.
- Ali: Confirmed that during Siena’s absence, sessions will be conducted on Google Meet (his preferred platform) for the month of September.
- Siena: Offered one-on-one Google Meet orientation sessions before her vacation for anyone needing assistance with the platform.
- Siena: Confirmed that upon her return, sessions will revert to Zoom.
- Conclusion
- Friday Extra: Google Meet tutorial.
- Thursday, August 13: Textravaganza Evenings — iPhone Setup from Scratch (Part 2).
- August 26 – October 7: Siena on vacation; sessions continue on Google Meet hosted by Ali and the team.
- October: Siena returns; sessions revert to Zoom.
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