tclark

I'm Josh, this is just a little part of my life — hoping it helps someone. Got some form of 'technical' question... maybe I can help. Apps can be helpful, I build a few. Want to know what I use or recommend? Head over to — and if it's not listed, feel free to ask.

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Help & FAQ
OneDrive vs SharePoint — what's the difference?

Think of it this way: OneDrive is your personal drawer — it's your own private storage in the cloud. Only you can see it unless you choose to share something. It's the right place for your personal documents, photos, and files you're working on yourself.

SharePoint is the shared filing room — it's storage that belongs to a team or company. Everyone in the group can access it. If you save something to SharePoint, your colleagues can see and edit it too.

OneDriveSharePoint
Your personal filesTeam or company files
Only you by defaultShared with the group
Like your home folderLike a shared drive
Great for work-in-progressGreat for final, shared documents

💡 If you're unsure where to save something — personal and not ready to share? OneDrive. Needs to be seen by the team? SharePoint.

How to sign in to Gmail

Gmail is Google's email service. Your address ends in @gmail.com.

1
On a computer: Go to mail.google.com in your browser.
2
Type your full email address (e.g. yourname@gmail.com) and click Next.
3
Enter your password and click Next. If asked, approve the sign-in on your phone.
4
On a phone: Open the Gmail app. Tap your profile picture (top right) → Add another account → Google → follow the steps.

💡 Forgotten your password? On the sign-in page, tap Forgot password? — Google will send a code to your recovery email or phone.

How to sign in to Hotmail / Outlook

Hotmail is now called Outlook — same inbox, new name. Your address might end in @hotmail.com, @outlook.com, or @live.com. They all work the same way.

1
On a computer: Go to outlook.com — Hotmail.com redirects there automatically.
2
Click Sign in, enter your email address and click Next.
3
Enter your password and click Sign in. You may be asked to verify with a code.
4
On iPhone: Go to Settings → Mail → Accounts → Add Account → Microsoft Exchange or Outlook.com and enter your details.
5
On Android: Open the Outlook app → tap Add Account → enter your email and password.

💡 Forgotten your password? On the sign-in page, click Forgot my password and Microsoft will walk you through resetting it via your phone number or recovery email.

How to sign in to iCloud

iCloud is Apple's cloud service — it stores your photos, contacts, notes, and backups. You sign in with your Apple ID, which is usually the email you used when you first set up your iPhone or iPad.

1
On your iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings and tap your name at the very top. If you see your name there, you're already signed in.
2
If not signed in, tap Sign in to your iPhone at the top of Settings. Enter your Apple ID email and password.
3
You'll likely get a 6-digit verification code sent to one of your other Apple devices or your phone number. Enter it when prompted.
4
On a computer: Go to icloud.com, click Sign in and enter your Apple ID and password.

💡 Not sure what your Apple ID is? On an iPhone, go to Settings → [your name] — your Apple ID email is shown just below your name. If you're signed out, try the email address you use most often.

📱 Add Gmail to your iPhone — Settings guide

This sets Gmail up in the built-in Mail app on your iPhone so you don't need to use the Gmail app separately.

1
Open Settings (the grey cog icon on your home screen)
2
Scroll down and tap Mail
3
Tap Accounts → then Add Account
4
Tap Google from the list
5
Enter your Gmail address (e.g. yourname@gmail.com) → tap Next
6
Enter your Gmail password → tap Next
7
If asked, enter the verification code sent to your phone or another device, then tap Next
8
Choose what to sync — at minimum turn on Mail. You can also turn on Contacts, Calendars, and Notes if you use them in Google. Tap Save
9
Open the Mail app — your Gmail inbox will appear under Accounts on the left

💡 Prefer the Gmail app? Just download it free from the App Store instead — you'll get the full Gmail experience including labels and categories.

📱 Add Hotmail / Outlook to your iPhone — Settings guide

Works for any Microsoft email address: @hotmail.com, @outlook.com, @live.com or a work Microsoft 365 account.

1
Open Settings → scroll down and tap Mail
2
Tap Accounts → Add Account
3
Tap Outlook.com (covers all @hotmail, @outlook and @live addresses). For a work Microsoft 365 account, tap Microsoft Exchange instead
4
Enter your email address → tap Next
5
Enter your Microsoft password → tap Sign in
6
If asked for a verification code, check your phone's texts or your recovery email, then enter it
7
Choose what to sync — turn on Mail at minimum. Contacts and Calendars are useful if you use them in Outlook. Tap Save
8
Your Hotmail/Outlook inbox will now show in the Mail app

💡 For work accounts, your IT team may require you to use the Microsoft Outlook app from the App Store instead. Check with them first if you're setting up a company email.

📱 Set up iCloud on your iPhone — Settings guide

iCloud backs up your photos, contacts, and data automatically. Here's how to make sure it's configured properly.

1
Open Settings and tap your name at the very top. If you see your name there, you're signed into your Apple ID. If not, tap Sign in to your iPhone and enter your Apple ID and password
2
Once in, tap iCloud
3
You'll see a list of apps that can use iCloud. The key ones to turn ON:
Photos — keeps all your photos safely backed up and accessible on any device
iCloud Drive — syncs documents and files from apps
Contacts — keeps your contacts backed up and in sync
Calendars & Reminders — syncs across iPhone, iPad and Mac
Notes — backs up everything in the Notes app
4
Tap iCloud Backup → make sure Back Up to iCloud is toggled on. Tap Back Up Now to do an immediate backup (your phone needs to be on Wi-Fi)
5
To check your storage: go back to the iCloud screen and look at the coloured bar at the top — it shows how much of your 5GB free allowance you've used. If it's full, you'll see an option to upgrade

💡 iCloud Backup only runs automatically when your phone is plugged in, on Wi-Fi, and the screen is locked. Plug in overnight and it'll back up by itself.

📶 No signal or calls dropping? How to fix it

Signal issues are almost always fixed by resetting the phone's connection to the network. Try these steps in order — most people are sorted by step 2.

1
Airplane mode trick (works on all phones): Turn Airplane mode ON, wait 15 seconds, then turn it back OFF. This forces your phone to reconnect to the nearest mast. Give it 30 seconds and try a call.
2
Still nothing? Restart your phone fully (see below for your model). A restart clears network errors that airplane mode can't.
3
Check your SIM card is seated properly — power off, gently remove and reinsert the SIM tray, power back on.
4
Still no luck? Your network may have an outage in your area. Check your carrier's status page or try putting the SIM in another phone to test.
📱 iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17 (Face ID models)
  1. Quickly press and release Volume Up
  2. Quickly press and release Volume Down
  3. Hold the Side button (right side) until the power slider appears
  4. Slide to power off — wait 30 seconds
  5. Hold the Side button again to turn back on
📱 iPhone SE (2020 & 2022 — with Home button)
  1. Hold the Side button (right side) until the power slider appears
  2. Slide to power off — wait 30 seconds
  3. Hold the Side button again to turn back on
🤖 Samsung Galaxy S20 through S25, A52–A56 and most Samsung phones
  1. Hold the Power button for 2–3 seconds
  2. Tap Restart from the menu that appears
  3. If the screen is frozen: hold Power + Volume Down together for 10 seconds until it restarts
🤖 Google Pixel 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9
  1. Hold the Power button for 2–3 seconds
  2. Tap Restart
  3. If frozen: hold Power + Volume Down for 10 seconds
🤖 All other Android phones (Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei 2020–2026)
  1. Hold the Power button for 3–5 seconds
  2. Tap Restart or Reboot from the menu
  3. If there's no menu or the screen is frozen: hold Power for 10–15 seconds until the phone restarts on its own

💡 If none of this works, the issue is almost certainly with your network provider, not your phone. Call them or check their app/website for outages.

Selected work

Projects

Things I've built and shipped.

⏳
iOS · Health & Fitness

Tracking One More Live

A food and workout tracking app — log meals, track workouts, and watch your stats grow. Built for people who want simple, no-noise tracking.

add screenshot · frydge-screenshot.png
iOS · Food

Frydge Beta

Track what's in your fridge, cut food waste, and know what to cook. Built for people who open the fridge and stare blankly.

Download on the App Store
website

Gear I actually use

Picks

Affiliate links — I earn a small cut if you buy, at no extra cost to you.

Home networking

Repeaters vs access points — what's the difference?

Most slow Wi-Fi problems come down to one thing: people using repeaters when they should use a wired access point. Here's why it matters.

⚠️ Why repeaters are a bad idea
❌ Repeater setup
Router
100%
───
Repeater
50%
───
Repeater
25%
Your device
≈ 25% speed

Every hop through a repeater halves available bandwidth. Two hops = you're running on a quarter of your router's speed.

✓ Wired access point / UniFi setup
Router
100%
── cable ──
AP
100%
Device
Full speed
Device
Full speed
Device
Full speed

A wired access point (or proper mesh like UniFi) gives every device the full connection — no halving, no sharing between the AP and your devices.

Router, access point, repeater — what do they each do?
🌐
Router

The brains of your network. It connects to your broadband line and manages traffic between all your devices and the internet. You only need one. Most ISPs give you a combined router + Wi-Fi unit.

✓ One per home
📡
Access Point (AP)

A separate Wi-Fi transmitter connected to your router via a cable. It broadcasts the same network at full speed to another area of your home. This is the right way to extend Wi-Fi.

✓ Recommended for whole-home coverage
🔁
Repeater / Extender

Picks up your existing Wi-Fi signal and rebroadcasts it wirelessly. No cables needed — but it halves your speed at every hop, and your devices constantly have to choose which signal to use.

⚠ Avoid if possible — use an AP instead
🕸
Mesh System

Multiple nodes that work together as one network. Good consumer mesh (like Eero or Google Nest) uses a dedicated wireless backhaul so it doesn't halve your speed. UniFi is the pro version of this.

◎ Good if you can't run cables
Quick tips for better Wi-Fi
📍 Router placement matters more than you think

Your router should be central in your home, off the floor, and away from thick concrete walls, microwaves, and cordless phones. Every wall a signal passes through reduces its strength.

💡 If your router is tucked in a corner, in a cupboard, or behind your TV — that's likely your first problem. Move it to a central shelf.

🔌 Wired is always better than wireless

If a device never moves — your TV, games console, desktop PC — connect it with an ethernet cable. It's faster, more stable, and frees up Wi-Fi bandwidth for devices that actually need to be wireless.

💡 A basic ethernet switch costs about £15 and lets you run multiple wired devices from one cable run.

📶 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz — which should I use?

5 GHz is faster but shorter range — use it for devices close to your router (phones, laptops in the same room).

2.4 GHz travels further through walls — use it for devices far away or smart home gadgets that don't need fast speeds (bulbs, plugs, sensors).

Most modern routers broadcast both on the same network name and automatically assign devices to the best band.

💡 If you have smart home devices that only support 2.4 GHz (many do), make sure your router has that band enabled. Some newer Wi-Fi 6E routers disable it by default.

🔄 When to restart your router

Routers can slow down over time as their memory fills up — a restart clears this. If your internet feels sluggish but your broadband line is fine, try a router restart first.

1
Unplug the router's power cable from the wall
2
Wait 30 seconds (not 5 — it needs time to fully power down)
3
Plug back in and wait 2 minutes for it to fully reconnect

💡 Some routers have a scheduled restart option in their settings — setting one weekly can keep things running smoothly.

Recommended gear

My preferred setup is UniFi — it gives you proper access point coverage without the speed penalties of repeaters. See what I use and recommend:

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Broadband checker — 500 Mbps
Detects UK or NZ automatically based on format.

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Get in touch

Questions about my apps, recommendations, or just want to chat tech — drop me a message.

✉ help@tclark.co.nz

I read everything and reply within a day or two.

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