Technology Class: June Month-in-Review & Q\&A Session 6.25.26

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Technology Class: June Month-in-Review & Q\&A Session 6.25.26

Technology Help for Seniors in San Francisco


Month-in-Review: Storage Topics

  • The class revisited the month's lessons, all noted online at sfct.net, including AI-generated infographics summarizing lesson content
  • Class 1 covered storage fundamentals; an AI-generated infographic was used, later swapped for a simpler graphic due to visual clutter
  • Class 2 focused on digital decluttering, cloud services (Google Drive, OneDrive), and the difference between Time Machine backups and cloud storage
  • Class 3 (iPhone class) covered:
    • Checking iPhone storage (physical vs. cloud)
    • Recognizing fake "storage full" phishing emails — users should check their own storage rather than clicking suspicious links
    • Using the iPhone Files app to save, access, and transfer documents between phone and computer via iCloud Drive
    • Overview of available cloud storage services

Q&A: Sharing a Large Number of Photos

  • The use case discussed: sharing ~83 photos and videos from a celebration of life event with ~5 people
  • Key principle: determine who you're sharing with before choosing a method — Apple devices vs. non-Apple, number of people, privacy needs, and whether you have their contact info
  • Method 1 — Apple Shared Albums (recommended for small Apple-device groups):
    • In Photos app, tap Select, hold first photo and drag to select all
    • Tap the share arrow → Shared Album → create a new album and name it
    • Add participants by email or phone; blue contact = Apple device, green = non-Apple
    • Add both phone and email for each participant to maximize delivery success
    • Participants must accept the invitation before they can see the album; status shows as "invited" until they join
    • In album settings (three dots → pencil icon), you can: allow/restrict participants from adding photos, enable notifications, and turn on a public website link for non-Apple users to view (view-only)
    • The public link is the easiest sharing method for mixed groups — send it and anyone can view without needing an Apple account
    • Recipients can download photos to their own library from the shared album
  • Method 2 — iCloud Drive / Google Drive / OneDrive shared folder:
    • Create a folder, share via link with "view only" or "can edit" permissions
    • Useful for cross-platform sharing; use whichever cloud service you already pay for
    • Limitation: photos display as individual files, not a photo album — use "View as Gallery" to improve this
    • Google Drive free tier is only ~5 GB, so large photo sets may exceed quota
  • Avoid: sending 83+ photos via text message or email — email size limits (5–20 MB) will cause rejection
  • Note on computer vs. phone: the Photos sharing experience works better on iPhone; macOS versions prior to Sequoia/Tahoe have more limited functionality

Q&A: Troubleshooting "Unable to Download Photo" Error

  • Sophie encountered an error: "Unable to download photo from iCloud Photos — check network settings" when trying to send a single photo
  • Cause identified: Wi-Fi was on but underperforming, compounded by an active VPN
  • Fix: turn off Wi-Fi to fall back on cellular (Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile), which resolved the issue immediately
  • Full Wi-Fi bars do not guarantee a good connection
  • VPN note: VPN (Virtual Private Network) adds privacy but can interfere with downloads because services can't identify the user
    • VPN is useful when traveling; at home it is generally unnecessary and can cause slowdowns

Q&A: Calendar Management & Shared Calendars

  • Problem raised: new calendar events keep defaulting to the wrong calendar instead of the shared family calendar
  • Solution: set a default calendar on iPhone via Settings → Apps → Calendar → Default Calendar — choose the desired shared calendar
  • General advice: avoid having too many calendars; ideally keep just one to prevent confusion
  • Benefits of shared calendars:
    • Participants receive notifications when events are added
    • Built-in reminders (day before, minutes before) keep everyone informed
    • Events can include Zoom links, eliminating the need for reminder emails
  • Jason uses three shared calendars: family (with spouse), one for their son, and one for extended family/parents
  • Suggested application for the towers: a shared calendar for community groups (poetry, Spanish, etc.) with Zoom links embedded in each event

Q&A: Scanning Documents on iPhone

  • Do not download third-party scanner apps — many contain malware or collect your data; the same applies to flashlight apps
  • Use the built-in Notes app to scan documents as PDFs:
    • Open Notes → create a new note → tap the paperclip/attachment icon → select Scan Documents
    • Tip: set up the document before opening the scanner — prop it upright against a surface so the camera can find it easily
    • The camera automatically detects and captures the document; multiple pages can be scanned sequentially
    • Tap Save, then use the share arrow to email or text the result as a multi-page PDF
  • Scanning (vs. taking a photo) improves contrast, corrects skew, and produces cleaner, more readable output

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