Dave Johnson
As NerdsModo’s editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics related to Apple products and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.
My job as how-to guru means I use just about every Apple product and service, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a MacBook Air running macOS Tahoe, but also have a very large iMac and Apple silicon MacBook Pro. I also have an iPhone 16 Pro for personal use and use a iPhone 17 Pro Max for additional testing. For iPadOS coverage, an iPad Pro with M2 works like a charm, though it’s already becoming a little long in the tooth.
My desktop situation includes a dual display setup with an Apple Studio Display. I also use a Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse and a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad (my favorite Apple keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I’m a recent convert from wired headphones; I have AirPods Pro 3 for personal use and have taken to the AirPods Max 2 for work.
Whenever I have a second to myself, I’m probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I also still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around as well.
Areas of Expertise
How to Set Up Safe User Accounts on a Shared Mac
An administrator account can open any file on the Mac, belonging to anyone.
How to Share Files With End-to-End Encryption
Someone who steals an encrypted vault from a sync service has stolen trash.
What Private Wi-Fi Address Does, and When to Change It
A hardware address that never changes lets a network recognise you for years.
Where Apple Stores Your Passwords and Passkeys
Apple never learns your device passcode, even while syncing your passwords.
How to Set Up and Disable Touch ID and Face ID
Five wrong fingers locks out Touch ID, which is useful under duress.
How to Turn On Stolen Device Protection on iPhone
Your iPhone knows which places you frequent, and relaxes the rules there.
Mail, Messages and Find My on Mac in macOS 27
Passwords can visit a site and change a weak password in a single click.
Finder, Calendar and Notes on Mac in macOS 27
Calendar schedules breakfast, lunch and dinner all at 10 a.m.
How to Do a Clean Install of macOS 27
Erasing the wrong volume is the one mistake a backup cannot undo quickly.
What to Do When Your Mac Won’t Start After Upgrading
Give a black screen five full minutes before assuming anything is wrong.
