David Crookes

Contributor

David Crookes has been writing professionally for close to 30 years and, as well as a great fondness for gaming, space, film, music, history, health and politics, he's largely specialized in technology for much of his career. He particularly focuses on Apple devices, having admired the company's tech since using iMac G3 in 1998. He also developed a fondness for the older Macintosh LC III that he later used in his first job as a newspaper reporter.

Since becoming a freelance writer, he has written for a wide number of publications including the Apple-focussed magazines iCreate and Macworld as well as Micro Mart, Web User, T3, Retro Gamer, MagPi, Computer Shopper, Gadget and 3D Artist. His love of gaming has seen him write for Retro Gamer, GamesTM and Wireframe among others and, despite his love of Apple, he still uses a PC – working for PC Pro and once writing for Total PC Gaming.

One of his joys is helping others to use technology which has led him to writing many “how to” tutorials explaining many ways of getting the most out of various devices. He's become an expert user of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. He also likes to kick back with a gaming session on an PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X | S while getting his retro fix on an Evercade handheld.

Latest articles by David Crookes

Hand holding an iPhone displaying the Apple Screen Time app icon

The hidden iOS 27 iPhone setting every parent needs to turn on right now

By David Crookes Published 11 September 26

In iOS 27, expanded parental control features make using an iPhone much safer for children.

iPhones

Google buried 1,605 weird and wonderful experiments — here's 5 you need to see

By David Crookes Published 15 August 26

Google archived 14 years of innovation in one vault. Here are 5 of the best learning experiments you can still try today.

Computing

Never lose a podcast highlight again thanks to this Spotify feature

By David Crookes Published 14 August 26

Quickly save, edit, and share podcast clips in Spotify to build a personalized library of your favorite highlights.

Audio

I’m already obsessed with iOS 27’s one-tap suggestions in Messages — here’s why

By David Crookes Published 12 August 26

A new Messages feature in iOS 27 is making it easier and less time consuming to get things done.

iPhones

How I use Google Maps to time travel, avoid bad air, and survive zero service

By David Crookes Published 31 July 26

From time travel to dodging bad air, these 5 Google Maps features saved my trips — and turned me into a power user.

Mobile Apps

How to remotely log out of your ChatGPT account on all your devices

By David Crookes Published 12 July 26

If you've left ChatGPT logged in on another device, OpenAI finally makes it easy to secure your account. Here's how.

ChatGPT

Ditching Google AI? Here’s how to master DuckDuckGo’s no-AI search engine

By David Crookes Published 29 June 26

DuckDuckGo is the no-AI search engine of choice, and these hacks will give you the best results.

Search Engines

The official FIFA World Cup 2026 pilsner glass

LG TV owner? Change this one setting before the World Cup kicks off

By David Crookes Published 8 June 26

Change this setting on your LG TV to make your picture look better than ever before the World Cup kicks off.

TVs

Want a new PC but hate current prices? Here's 5 smart ways to build or buy for less

By David Crookes Published 1 June 26

Between the RAM crisis and AI tax, getting a new PC is brutal. Here’s how to build or buy without breaking the bank.

Computing

A laptop running Windows 11, representing an article about how to use task scheduler on windows

The internet is sharing its favorite keyboard shortcuts and I can't believe I'm just learning some of these

By David Crookes Published 30 May 26

Keyboard shortcuts trending on Threads reveal the ultimate time-saving hacks everyday computer users are missing out on

Computing

The 5-minute upgrade: How to connect your Ring doorbell to Alexa routines

By David Crookes Published 26 April 26

Learn how to connect Alexa with your Ring doorbell to create powerful, automated routines.

Smart Home

Gemini has a built-in music generator and it's actually good — here's how to use it

By David Crookes Published 24 April 26

Compose original 30-second soundtracks instantly with Gemini Lyria. Perfect for creators needing unique, AI-generated audio for videos and social clips.

Google Gemini

Google Chrome has a secret PDF tool that everyone should use — here’s how it works

By David Crookes Published 20 April 26

You can annotate PDFs using the PDF viewer in Chrome, here’s how.

Computing

I just tried DuckDuckGo’s new anonymous AI photo editor and it’s a game changer

By David Crookes Published 13 April 26

Learn how to use text prompts with Duck.ai to edit your images in complete privacy.

AI Image & Video

iOS 26 makes custom iPhone ringtones easier than ever — here's how to do it

By David Crookes Published 23 March 26

Learn how to create a custom ringtone on your iPhone using any audio clip, without GarageBand or third-party apps.

iPhones

A close up image of the Apple Wallet app

Apple Wallet is showing ads now — here's how to disable them

By David Crookes Published 18 March 26

How to stop ads appearing in Apple Wallet in 3 simple steps.

iPhones

The Apple TV 4K (2022) remote in front of a TV with the tvOS home screen.

I found 5 hidden shortcuts for my Apple TV 4K that make it so much easier to use — here's how to use them

By David Crookes Published 1 March 26

Learn five Apple TV 4K features that improve navigation, organization, and ease of use.

TVs

Showing the front of a Galaxy S25 Ultra held in hand

Don't ditch iCloud when switching to Android — here's how you can keep using it

By David Crookes Published 24 February 26

You can use iCloud on Android devices — here's how to access your data.

iPhones

This iOS 26 feature autofills payment cards on any site — here's how to set it up

By David Crookes Published 23 February 26

With iOS 26 you can set up autofill on your iPhone, here's how it works.

Phones

These 7 iOS features are literally life savers — here’s how to use them

By David Crookes Published 6 February 26

Your iPhone has vital safety features to help during an emergency, here’s how to enable them.

iPhones

Apple buried these 5 essential Mac file management features — here's how to use them

By David Crookes Last updated 5 February 26

Manage your Mac files like a pro with these five essential features.

macOS

I was tired of AI slop ruining my Google searches, but this Chrome extension fixed it.

By David Crookes Last updated 2 February 26

Fed up with AI slop in Google results? This extension rolls searches back to pre-ChatGPT times

Your iPhone has a hidden on-screen home button — here’s how it works

By David Crookes Published 2 February 26

This iPhone button gives you instant access to Siri, screenshots, Control Center, and more.

iPhones

Your iPhone has 3 hidden undo features you probably don't know about — here's how to use them

By David Crookes Published 25 January 26

Learn three hidden undo methods on iPhone including shake, swipe, and tap gestures that fix mistakes instantly.

iPhones

5 free ways to speed up your slow Mac

By David Crookes Published 4 January 26

Make your Mac run faster with these free and low risk tips.

macOS

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