Treat Your TV Like a Monitor

You kick off this episode with a rapid-fire blast of Quick Tips that sharpen how you use your Mac, iPhone, and apps every day. You learn how to tame iOS typing quirks, get the most out of dictation in ChatGPT’s Mac app, clean up Safari’s sidebar, and jump straight into System Settings with an alphabetical view. Then you dive into the spam-text battlefield, where forwarding to 7726, filtering, and blocking help you stay ahead. And because it’s Mac Geek Gab, you’re reminded: Don’t Get Caught letting your smart TV monitor more than you expect.
From there, you get practical answers to real listener questions: backing up external Photos Libraries, deciding whether you trust Tailscale (and your relatives!), keeping network drives mounted in macOS 26, and dealing with the fact that Messages aren’t included in your Apple Data Archive. You round things out with a strong Cool Stuff Found segment covering tools to clean your menu bar, manage your watch history, secure your Mac, replace Bento, and more. It’s a full week of tips that tighten your workflow and expand what your Apple gear can do for you.
00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1118 for Monday, December 1st, 2025
December 1st: Eat a Red Apple Day
MGG Monthly Giveaway – Enter to win a copy of OpenIn!
The MGG Merch Store is Live!
MGG’s CES 2026 Sponsors:
BusyCal (with code MACGEEK10)!
Eero
Ecamm
MacPaw
CCC Backup
Quick Tips
00:00:01 Darrin-QT-Set Amazon Auto Buy
00:04:47 Susan-QT-Maybe disable “slide to type” to tame iOS typing?
00:07:09 QTR-Dictating to ChatGPT’s Mac App is really handy
00:07:59 Bruce-QT-1116-Manage Safari’s Sidebar to your liking
00:09:11 Gene-QT-System Settings Alphabetical List
00:13:28 DGC-Dealing with those SPAM Text Messages
Forwarding to 7726 Reports SPAM to your carrier
Screen, filter, report, and block text messages on iPhone
Don’t Get Caught
00:18:09 Todd-DGC-Beware of your TV selling data about you
00:22:45 ATC-DGC-Know about Mouse Keys
Sponsors
00:27:02 SPONSOR: Aura Frames. Relive your favorite holiday traditions—every day. Visit AuraFrames.com and get $45 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames – named #1 by Wirecutter – by using promo code MGG at checkout.
00:28:39 SPONSOR: Shopify. For anyone to sell anywhere, sign up for a one-dollar-per month trial period at Shopify.com/MGG and upgrade your selling today!
Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared!
00:29:48 Larry-How to back-up an external Photos Library?
Task Organization – Bombich Software
00:33:25 Allison-How MUCH do you believe in Tailscale…and your relatives?
Splashtop
00:37:23 DLH-1117-Messages are not a part of your Apple Data Archive
iMazing
00:44:14 Uncle Jamie-Keep Network Drives Mounted on MacOS 26?
Automounter for macOS
MGG Discord
00:46:45 SccrHallways-CSF-Google Antigravity agentic IDE for coding
Sponsors
00:54:32 SPONSOR: Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/mgg #rulapod
00:56:14 SPONSOR: BBEdit, the power tool for text from Bare Bones Software; now with integrated Notebooks and extended language support.
Cool Stuff Found
00:57:36 Terry-CSF-Moonlock Security Suite by MacPaw (Setapp)
01:00:43 Allison-CSF-Ice for managing your Mac’s menu bar
01:02:00 n-Greg from LA-CSF-Vanilla to Manage your Mac’s Menubar
01:04:44 TheDaveAbides-CSF-Plex Universal Watchlist and Channels Stream Links
Stream Link Manager for Channels
01:06:53 Joe-QT-1115–Trakt only stores your passwords on your local device(s)
01:12:08 Mark M-CSF-1112–Tap Forms Pro as a great Bento/Filemaker replacement
AirTable
Panorama X
01:14:16 MGG 1118 Outtro
MGG Monthly Giveaway
Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly
MGG’s CES 2026 Sponsors
Pilot Pete’s Aviation Podcast: So There I Was (for Aviation Enthusiasts)
The Debut Film Podcast – Adam’s new podcast!
Dave’s Business Brain (for Entrepreneurs) and Gig Gab (for Working Musicians) Podcasts
MGG Merch is Available!
Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page
Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar
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