iPadOS 16


How To: Access All Your Mac's Files Right on Your iPhone or iPad — No Third-Party Software Needed
When you need a file on your Mac as soon as possible, you usually have to get your MacBook or hop on your iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, or Mac Studio. But that's too much work if you're in bed, lying on the couch, or outside in the fresh air. Why even bother when you can access that file directly on your iPhone or iPad — without moving an inch?

How To: Never Lose Another Game with Your iPhone or iPad's Hidden Cheat Mode — Here's How It Works
Gaming just got easier, thanks to Apple. A secret feature on your iPhone or iPad makes it so much easier to beat that level or opponent you can't seem to defeat, and it can even help you learn to play a new game faster.

How To: FaceTime's Latest Trick Lets You Play Games with Family and Friends on Your iPhone During Calls — Here's How It Works
Whenever you're on a FaceTime call, you can use SharePlay on your iPhone or iPad to screen share, watch TV or movies together, work out with each other, and even listen to the same music at the same time. SharePlay also recently received a new skill that turns FaceTime into a portable gaming platform.

How To: Use LED Flash Alerts on Your iPhone So You Never Miss Another Notification Again
Ringtones and text tones can be annoying, so my iPhone is almost always set to vibrate on silent mode. Unfortunately, that causes me to miss phone calls and text messages when the device isn't in my hands or pockets. While I hate missing alerts, I'm still reluctant to switch to ring mode — and that's where another iOS and iPadOS feature helps out.

How To: iOS 16.4 Has 53 New Features and Changes for iPhone You Won't Want to Miss
Apple's iOS 16.3 update for iPhone had impressive new features, but iOS 16.4 might impress you even more.

How To: Your iPhone Just Got 31 More Emoji — Here Are All the New Characters and Variations
We haven't seen an emoji update for iPhone since iOS 15.4, which gave us 112 new emoji characters, but that's finally changed with the release of iOS 16.4. Here are all the new emoji you get after installing the latest software update.

How To: If You Keep Valuable Information in Apple Notes, You Need to Read This
Apple's Notes app has an important feature many users overlook, yet it's arguably the most crucial thing you should use for all your notes synced across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and iCloud.com. And Apple's latest updates make it much easier to use than before, so there's no reason you shouldn't be using it.

How To: Uninstall Specific Software Updates on Your iPhone When You Experience Performance Issues
While most iOS updates will only improve the experience on your iPhone, some can cause more havoc than good. If an update unexpectedly breaks or degrades certain functions on your iPhone, you may be able to roll it back to the previous software.

How To: Tired of Contacts Showing Up in Your iPhone's Share Sheet? You Can Hide Some of Them or Remove Them All
If you're sick of seeing some of your contacts' faces every time you go to share a photo, app, webpage, or something else on your iPhone, you can make some or all of them disappear.

How To: Lock All Your Apps Behind Face ID or Touch ID to Keep Friends and Family from Snooping Around
There is no default option on iOS 16 or iOS 17 to lock your apps behind Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode authentication. However, a clever, easy-to-implement workaround will protect your sensitive apps from nosy friends and family temporarily using or looking at something on your iPhone.

How To: The Most Important Photos App Feature You Should Be Using on Your iPhone or iPad
Your iPhone has a powerful feature that can keep your secrets hidden from other people, and you'll never have to worry about sharing or showing someone something embarrassing or incriminating ever again.

How To: Download and Install iPadOS 16.8 on Your iPad Right Now
Apple pushed out its iPadOS 16.6 update for iPad on July 24, with iPadOS 16.7 following on September 21. While the company is currently working on improving iPadOS 17, we may still see an iPadOS 16.8 update. If that happens, you can try out all the upcoming new features as long as you're OK with running beta software on your iPad.

How To: Multitask Like a Pro on Your iPad by Using Up to 4 Open Apps at the Same Time
Apple's latest multitasking feature for iPad lets you go beyond Split View's two-app restriction to use up to four apps at once. Here's how it works.

How To: 14 New iOS 16.3 Features for iPhone You Need to Know About
The latest software update for iPhone has a few new features you should know about, including an enhanced security feature to protect your Apple ID account from phishing and other attacks. Keep reading to see everything new that's included with iOS 16.3 for iPhone.

How To: The Little-Known iPad Feature You'll Never Stop Using Once You Know About It
Your iPad has a superpower that iPhone models don't and probably never will have (even though they could) — one that will make you want to take your iPad with you everywhere you go from now on.

How To: Can't Access Any iCloud Data from a Web Browser? This Is How You Fix It
If you can't access your iCloud data such as emails, contacts, calendars, photos, notes, reminders, files, and other documents via a web browser on untrusted devices, like one at a library or friend's house, there's an easy way to regain access.

How To: The Hidden iPhone Settings That Give You Power User Control Over All Your Apps
It's not an easy task when it comes to customizing apps on your iPhone. Sure, you can build automations in Shortcuts to add color-related filters, enable Live Captions, or play a background sound specific to each app, but it can be too much work. If you don't mind that, go ahead, but there are also some easier per-app settings hiding on your iPhone that are much easier to assign.

How To: Seamlessly Transfer a FaceTime Call to Your iPhone, iPad, or Mac Without Disconnecting It
One advantage to using Apple's ecosystem is Continuity, which allows you to move files, media, and tasks seamlessly between all your Apple devices. It even lets you use one device to help with actions on another, like unlocking your Mac with your Apple Watch or using your iPad as a second display. Now, things are even better with Continuity with Handoff's new FaceTime functionality.

How To: Your iPhone's Contacts App Is More Powerful Than Ever with These Killer New Features
In the past, Apple never really put much work into its Contacts app for iPhone, making the tool much less useful than its Mac and iCloud counterparts. But now the Contacts app for iOS is a force to be reckoned with. Packed with new features (some hidden), it's finally good enough to beat all of the third-party contacts apps that previously reigned supreme.

How To: 15 Hidden iMessage Features for iPhone You Probably Didn't Know About
There are many things Apple doesn't tell you about its products, and that's definitely the case when it comes to its Messages app. Hidden features lurk in your SMS and iMessage conversations just waiting to be found, and we've unearthed some of the most secret ones.