Monthly Mini-Bytes - November 2025

 

Is iCloud Going to Delete Your Photos? We've all got the emails or the texts that say that we are out of iCloud Storage and Apple will delete all our photos unless we renew, or pay 2 Bitcoin, or whatever. It's all a scam -- every single one of them. And they are getting more frequent, more aggressive, and even more convincing. But they still are a scam -- totally fake. None of the major cloud storage companies whether Google or Apple will delete any of your data if you run out of space. They will just not allow you to upload any more data, or in extreme cases, require you to renew your subscription prior to accessing saved data on the cloud. That's it. If you are out of iCloud Storage, your photos will not sync, but remain on your phone, iPad or computer until you pay for more storage, or clean off enough room for the process to restart. Here is a quick way to check on your iCloud Storage: On your iPhone go to Settings -> [Your Name] -> iCloud. Right at the very top it will show you your storage and how much you are using. It's a super simple way to put your mind at rest and if you do need more space you can choose the Storage section and have the option to Change Your Plan on the next screen.

macOS Tahoe May Break Your Printer

Well, it won't really physically break your printer, but many printers in fact are not compatible with macOS Tahoe. After upgrading you may find that you cannot print and your beloved old printer is no longer supported. It's frustrating and there's really only one fix... to buy a new printer. If you are considering a new laser printer, whether color or otherwise, consider a Brother. They are very good and have been extremely reliable. If you are looking for an inkjet, then the Epson Workforce series continues to be a solid option. Usually you can find a good one on sale for around $100. To learn more about macOS Tahoe visit: https://www.apple.com/os/macos/

Should You Renew AppleCare?

AppleCare has undergone some major changes and we will cover this more in depth later, but for now many of us are getting prompted to renew our AppleCare on some of our devices. AppleCare extends Apple's warranty for 3 years for Macs and 2 years for mobile devices from the date of purchase. You also have a loss/damage option available on some plans, which is a nice thing if you accidentally run over your iPhone. But is it worth it to continue coverage after the initial period? Industry standard life cycle for a phone is two years and for a computer it's three. That doesn't sound like a lot, and most of us get a lot more life out of our devices. That being said, extending a warranty on your dollar past that period may not make a lot of sense. Something like a defect will usually show up within the first year, and especially after the end of the initial AppleCare window. So, you have to weigh the costs with your plans for your computer and your device. If the loss/damage protection is important, this may be your motivation, but you will need to balance the cost/benefit and risks as with any extended warranty. Personally, we do purchase AppleCare, but find that the initial coverage period is adequate protection for the way we use our Apple products.