Technology
Support family from afar by controlling their screen with FaceTime
Staying connected with family members who live far away can be challenging. However, with the latest update to iOS 18, Apple has introduced a game-changing feature that allows you to remotely control a family member’s screen during a FaceTime call.
This can be incredibly helpful for providing tech support or guiding them through complex tasks on an iPhone or iPad.
Let’s dive into how this feature works and how you can make the most of it.
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A woman on a FaceTime call (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Benefits of remote control
This feature is particularly useful for tech support because it allows you to help family members troubleshoot issues or learn how to use new apps. It also provides guided assistance, enabling you to walk someone through a process step-by-step, such as setting up a new device or configuring settings. Additionally, it enhances communication by making it easier to explain complex tasks without the frustration of miscommunication.
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How to update to iOS 18
First, you’ll want to update your software to iOS 18. Here’s how to do it on your iPhone.
- Unlock your iPhone and tap on the Settings app.
- Scroll down and select General.
- Tap on Software Update. Your device will check for available updates.
- If iOS 18 is available, you will see an option to Download and Install. Tap on it.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Read through Apple’s terms and conditions, then tap Agree to proceed.
- Your device will download the update and then install it. This process may take some time, so ensure your device is connected to Wi-Fi and has sufficient battery life or is plugged into a charger.
Once the installation is complete, your iPhone will restart, and you’ll be running iOS 18 with all its new features.
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Steps to update your iPhone software (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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How to use remote control in FaceTime
With iOS 18, Apple has expanded the capabilities of FaceTime to include remote screen control. This feature is part of SharePlay, which was initially introduced in iOS 15.1 for content sharing. Now, it allows users to share their screen and even pass control to another person during a FaceTime call.
To get started, both you and the person you want to help need to have iOS 18 installed on your devices. Before someone can remotely control your screen, that person must be saved in your contacts. Now, let’s say your mom calls you in a panic because she can’t figure out how to set up her new smart home device. No worries. Here’s how you can save the day:
- Start a FaceTime call with her by clicking on the FaceTime app.
- Then click “New FaceTime.”
- Where it says “To:” type in the name of who you want to connect to, in this case, your mom.
- Then click the FaceTime icon at the bottom of the screen.
Steps to use remote control in FaceTime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Now, tap the share icon at the top of the screen and select “Ask to Share” Screen.
Steps to use remote control in FaceTime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- This will send a request to your mom, asking her to share her screen with you
Steps to use remote control in FaceTime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Once your mom accepts, her iPhone screen will appear on your device.
- Tap on her screen to enlarge it, so you can see everything clearly.
Steps to use remote control in FaceTime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Here’s a great trick: You can use the markup tools to draw or highlight directly on her screen.
- For example, circle the button she needs to tap
Steps to use remote control in FaceTime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Or draw an arrow to guide her. This way, you can visually walk her through each step.
Steps to use remote control in FaceTime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
But what if the person you are FaceTiming with gets stuck?
Here’s where the real magic happens. You can actually take control of her screen.
- Just tap the icon in the bottom right corner of her shared screen. This is the “Request Control” button.
Steps to use remote control in FaceTime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Your mom will get a prompt to approve or deny your request.
- Once she approves, you’ll be able to tap, swipe and type on her iPhone as if you were holding it yourself.
- You can move things, open apps and help her out directly.
Steps to end remote control (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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How to end remote control
When you’re done playing tech support, ending the remote control is a breeze.
- Click on the horizontal oval shape at the top of the screen.
Steps to end remote control (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Then, tap the “red circle with the X in the middle of it” where it says “End.”
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Steps to end remote control (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Privacy and security
Apple has implemented several safeguards to ensure your privacy and security while using this feature. Only trusted contacts can request control, and you have the option to decline any request. Additionally, certain sensitive actions, such as changing Apple ID settings or making payments, are restricted during remote control sessions.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
The remote control feature in FaceTime with iOS 18 is a powerful tool for staying connected and providing support to family members from afar. Whether you’re helping your parents navigate their new iPhone or guiding a friend through app setup, this feature makes it easier than ever to lend a hand, no matter the distance. So, next time a family member calls you for tech support, remember that, with iOS 18, you can be right there with them, virtually controlling their screen and making the process smoother and more efficient.
How do you think the new remote control feature in iOS 18 will affect your ability to stay connected and assist family members who live far away? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Technology
Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard
When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”
Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.
This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”
Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”
Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”
Technology
Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed
UCF commencement speaker Gloria Caulfield (University of Central Florida via Storyful)
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Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
– UCF graduates clobber commencement speaker with boos after she says AI is the ‘next Industrial Revolution’
– OPINION: DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: We brought the FBI out of the past and into the AI age
– OpenAI backs creation of global AI governance body led by the U.S. that would include China as a member
TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.
A statue on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)
BADGE MEETS BYTE: Reflecting on the modernization of national security in a Fox News op-ed, FBI Director Kash Patel explores how the bureau must adapt its strategies to address modern threats and advance beyond the artificial intelligence age.
TECH DIPLOMACY: OpenAI is throwing its support behind the establishment of a new global artificial intelligence governance organization that would be led by the United States while notably including China as a member. Fox News Digital reporting examines the geopolitical dynamics and regulatory implications of this proposed framework as global powers race to set the standards for AI development.
EQUITY ELEVATION: The massive wave of wealth generated by the explosive growth of ChatGPT and the broader AI industry is driving a sudden surge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s luxury real estate market. Fox News Digital reporting breaks down how the influx of new tech capital is reshaping local housing dynamics and fueling a high-end property frenzy.
FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
STRATEGY RESET: Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations. Fox News Digital reporting details the corporate restructuring and broader economic trends pushing legacy tech firms to aggressively pivot toward AI.
ROAD HAZARD: Waymo is issuing a sweeping recall of its autonomous vehicle fleet following a concerning incident that highlighted significant safety issues with the self-driving technology. Fox News Digital reporting outlines the specifics of the recall, the nature of the safety flaw, and what this setback means for the future of fully autonomous transportation on public roads.
BOTS IN THE BAY: A newly developed, artificial intelligence-powered robot has been engineered to seamlessly change and balance vehicle tires without human intervention. Fox News Digital reporting showcases this latest innovation, exploring how automation and AI mechanics could soon revolutionize the automotive service and repair industry.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
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Technology
Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs
Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
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