Hot iOS & iPhone Posts
How To: Force-Close All Apps at the Same Time on Your iPhone
If you tend to use the app switcher a lot to open recent apps, then all of the apps you accessed months ago are just sitting there cluttering things up. While force-closing all of the recent apps on your iPhone isn't really necessary, it's sometimes nice to wipe the slate clean and empty the app switcher completely to start fresh.
How To: Send Robocalls, Spammers & Unknown Callers on Your iPhone Directly to Voicemail
Does your iPhone always ring off the hook, with each call nothing more than a robocall, spammer, or scammer? It's not just you. Auto-dialing systems and phone scams are a growing issue that anyone with a phone number is likely experiencing throughout the United States. But Apple has added a super simple way to combat these calls in iOS 13, a feature we recommend everyone turn on.
How To: Disable Amber, Emergency, Public Safety & Other Government Alerts on Your iPhone for Some Peace & Quiet
No, you should probably not turn off Amber, emergency, and public safety alerts on your iPhone. These government notifications are used to warn you about imminent natural disasters, active shooters, and terrorist attacks. More frequently, they ask for your help with child abductions. The alerts save lives, but it's still up to you whether you want to get them or not.
How To: Change the Default Snooze Time on Your iPhone's Alarm
While hitting snooze won't help you much if you fall back asleep, it can help you wake up more gently. However, the default 9-minute snooze that the iPhone provides may be too long or too short for your preferences. If you tend to fall back asleep quickly, you might be better with a two-minute snooze.
How To: Download Maps & Navigation Routes for Offline Use in Apple Maps
Whether due to spotty cellular reception or just data that you want to save, popular navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze offer an offline feature that lets you navigate from one location to another in the absence of internet service. Apple Maps also lets you use its service offline on your iPhone, though the feature is not as straightforward as it is on its competitors.
How To: Use the Shortcuts App on Your iPhone in iOS 12 for Custom Siri Actions & More
One of the most exciting additions to iOS 12 for iPhones is called Shortcuts, a tool integrated with Siri to help you get things done faster. While there are a few recommended shortcuts available to you in Siri's settings in iOS 12, the Shortcuts app brings the functionality of Workflow to Siri so you can build your own custom actions or select from the gallery of available shortcuts.
How To: Make Anonymous Calls from Your iPhone
When you don't want somebody you're calling to know the real phone number associated with your iPhone, whether it's for privacy reasons, to avoid being called back, or to prevent being ignored, there are multiple things you can do to block it on their caller ID.
News: Always-Updated List of iOS App URL Scheme Names
If you've ever customized your app icons or played around with Shortcuts (previously called Workflow), you probably know how important URL scheme names are. Nearly all iOS apps assign themselves one of these names, and you need to know them if you want to add custom icons to your home screen or create a Shortcuts workflow that opens an app on your iPhone up.
How To: Get Haptic Feedback in Your iPhone Keyboard to Feel Everything You Type
For years, iPhones have had haptic feedback. Rather than full-force buzzing, the Tactic Engine provides a tiny vibration under your finger when performing certain actions on the screen. While Apple itself was able to take advantage of this tech before app developers, for some reason it was never included in the stock iOS keyboard — but there's still a way to get haptic feedback when typing.
How To: Put the iPhone X, iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus into DFU Mode in iTunes
With the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and the exclusive iPhone X, Apple has come full circle in transitioning its users away from the home button present since the first iPhone a decade ago. This gives us a window into Apple's design philosophy moving forward, but it also presents some new problems, especially when it comes to entering and exiting DFU mode in iTunes.
How To: Delete Emails in Bulk from Your iPhone's Mail App
Deleting emails can be a tedious process on the iPhone, especially since the "Trash All" options have been removed ever since iOS 10 first came out. Though likely well-intentioned, this change places an undue burden on all of us iPhone owners who now have to erase emails individually.
How To: Make Custom Text Tones for Your iPhone Using iTunes
Your iPhone comes packed with a long list of excellent text tones to choose from. Bamboo anyone? Of course, for some of us, stock sounds from 2013 don't cut it anymore. We want customizability, something that's found more on Android than iOS. However, you can add your very own text tones to your iPhone right now, so long as you have a sound file in mind and a computer running iTunes.
How To: See the Actual Signal Strength on Your iPhone in iOS 11
The signal bars in your iPhone's status bar is a great visual indicator for knowing how good your cellular reception is, but they're not very accurate. Instead of showing the actual amount of signal you're receiving, they just give you a general range, and you'll have no idea if three out of four bars is actually a good connection or not. But there is a trick in iOS 11 to seeing the real numbers.
Exclusive: Dual-Boot Android on Your iPhone (iOS 7+)
Today we are pleased to announce the end to the Apple vs. Android war. About a year ago, our Gadget Hacks team started working on a top-secret project to dual-boot both Android and iOS on the same phone—and we couldn't be more proud to announce that we've finally succeeded! Your phone can now run both iOS and Android—whenever you want. Right now.
How To: The 5 Best Apps for Transcribing Lectures & Converting Speech to Text on Your iPhone
The transcribing app can be an invaluable tool, especially if you're a student or are in a profession that relies on audio journals or interviews. These apps can convert important recordings like lectures and meetings into text for you to carefully read through to better comprehend.
How To: 8 New Apple Messages Features in iOS 13 for iPhone
Apple is packing lots of new features into the iOS 13 update — practically no core app has gone untouched. The Messages app is getting plenty of love here, including new ways to dress and use your Memoji.
How To: How Thieves Unlock Passcodes on Stolen iPhones (And How to Protect Yourself Against It)
Back in 2010, iOS developer Daniel Amitay developed a camera security app for iPhones that used an unlock screen almost identical to that of the iPhone.
How To: Disable Security Lockouts from Too Many Failed Passcode Attempts on Your iPhone
The lockout feature in iOS 7, which securely locks your device after a few incorrect passcode entries, can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.
How To: Turn GIFs into Live Photos on Your iPhone
If you've ever wanted to turn your favorite GIF into a live wallpaper for your iPhone or even just make it a 3D Touch-friendly Live Photo that you can share, there's a super simple way to do so.
How To: Open the Control Center on the iPhone X, XS, XS Max & XR
Gestures are a big deal on an iPhone X, XS, XS Max, and XR. Without a Home button on Apple's super-premium smartphones, several actions had to be mapped to gestures instead, which impacts other areas of the system such as the Control Center.
How To: Download Instagram Videos on Your iPhone
Let's say you want to download an Instagram video to your iPhone. What do you do? While Instagram doesn't offer an official solution, there are backchannel methods that exist to get the job done. However, if you want native support for downloading Instagram videos directly to your Photos app, you can start by updating your iPhone to iOS 12 and installing Shortcuts.
How To: Split the Screen on Your iPhone for Side-by-Side Browsing & Faster Multitasking
The iPhone has come a long way in its ten-year lifespan, but one thing still missing from the core user experience is native split-screen support. Sure, the displays on iPhones aren't nearly as large as an iPad's screen — which does offer "Split View" mode out of the box — but the iPhone 6 Plus, 6s Plus, and 7 Plus are definitely big enough to use two apps at the same time.
How To: Download & Save Any File Type onto Your iPhone
On an Android device, you can download almost any file type into a neat and tidy "Downloads" folder, and those files can then be accessed with an appropriate app, shared via email, or transferred over to your computer. On an iPhone, there is no such folder, and saving files from Safari is almost impossible unless you're jailbroken.
How To: Download Music & Video Files onto Your iPhone Without iTunes
Apple prides itself on simplicity, but the company makes downloading video and music files onto your iPad or iPhone an overly complicated process, requiring iTunes and/or iCloud.
How To: Apple Flaw Lets Thieves Completely Reset Your Apple Watch & Get Away with It
There's a recently discovered flaw by iDownloadBlog that lets thieves reset a stolen Apple Watch without a hitch, which is the result of Apple not including the Activation Lock feature that iPhones have had since iOS 7.
How To: Unlock the Hidden Weather Lock Screen Widget in iOS 12 on Your iPhone
There are a lot of things that make iOS great, but lock screen widgets are not among them. If you want more information on your lock screen other than the date, time, and notifications without having to swipe to a sidebar of widgets, you'd normally look toward Android. However, iOS 12 aims to shake that up a bit with a secret Weather widget for the lock screen — not for the Today view.
How To: Force-Close Running Apps on the iPhone X, XS, XS Max & XR
While fully closing apps on your iPhone can keep it running at peak efficiency since it frees up memory and stops background refreshing, it's most critical when dealing with unresponsive apps. If you have an issue with a certain app, you can just force-close it instead of rebooting.
How To: All Side Button Tips & Tricks You Should Be Using on Your iPhone XS, XS Max, or XR
With the iPhone X, Apple introduced a brand new way for iOS users to interact with their iPhones. Gestures took the spotlight, as they very apparently replaced functions you would normally execute on the Home button. But swipes aren't everything for the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. Don't believe us? Just take a look at the Side button.
News: What to Do When You Get a Low Heart Rate Notification on Your Apple Watch
You're minding your business when your Apple Watch taps you. To your surprise, the watch claims your heart rate dipped abnormally low. The news might come as a shock — especially if you have no history of a heart condition — but before you panic, you should take the time to fully understand what this alert is really saying and what you can and should do about it.
How To: Figure Out Your Total Calorie Burn in Apple's Health App
If you transition to an Apple Watch from another wearable like Fitbit, you might be a bit confused by the new calorie burn counter. Instead of ending your day with thousands of calories burned, your watch says you've burned just hundreds. Could it be you're less active with your Apple Watch? Probably not. It's more likely because of the different way the watch counts your calories.
How To: Enable Apple's True Dark Mode in iOS 13 for iPhone
While the Smart Invert feature was an excellent first step toward a dark mode, it's nowhere near what a true dark mode should be for iPhone. After years of rumors and disappointment, Apple finally has the dark mode everyone's been wanting, and it's one of the biggest new features in iOS 13.
How To: App Over 150 MB? Here's How to Download It Using Cellular Data on Your iPhone
These days, cellular connections can be just as fast — if not faster — than traditional internet providers. That, coupled with the prevalence of unlimited data plans, means less worrying about hopping on a Wi-Fi network to download something. However, try to install an app or update over 150 MB, and your iPhone will insist you switch to Wi-Fi. We don't think this is very fair, so here's a way out.
Safari 101: How to Request Desktop Sites on Your iPhone
Having websites coded for mobile browsing is great for small screens, but if you have a Plus model iPhone or even the iPhone X, desktop versions of websites might show you more of what you want. Plus, there's the case of poorly designed mobile websites, where the desktop view is clearly the better option with more functionality and features. Luckily, asking for desktop sites in Safari is simple.
How To: Network-Unlock Your iPhone to Use with Any GSM Carrier on iOS 11
If you want to use your iPhone with another carrier, all you have to do is contact the original carrier to request an unlock, which is usually granted in a few days. Unfortunately, you need to meet specific criteria to officially carrier-unlock your iPhone, like paying off the device in full and completing any contracts. But that doesn't mean there isn't a workaround you can use beforehand.
How To: Cheat Your Apple Watch Rings
Apple Watch owners know the struggle — it's the end of the day, and those rings aren't met. Whether you forgot your watch before hitting the gym, let the battery run out, or just didn't move enough, you could feel the sting of fitness failure. But it doesn't have to be this way. You can actually close your Activity rings yourself; it just takes a little know-how.
News: 200+ Exciting New iOS 13 Features for iPhone
Apple revealed iOS 13 to developers and remote viewers worldwide at its WWDC 2019 event on June 3, and there are many new features to get excited about on iPhone. We've rounded up everything you'll want to know about iOS 13, whether a colossal feature, small settings change, interface update, or hidden improvement.
How To: Keep Nosy Friends Out of Your Apps by Password Protecting Them on Your iPad or iPhone
As respectful as you may be, it's hard to resist looking through someone's iPhone when given the chance. You're not trying to snoop around, but it's just too easy to open up apps and read embarrassing emails or find scandalous Instagram follows. It's like looking through a digital diary riddled with deep, dark secrets.
How To: Use a Wireless or USB Mouse on Your iPhone in iOS 13
For the first time, you can officially use a computer mouse with your iPhone, thanks to Apple's new accessibility settings in iOS 13. It works for all types of Bluetooth mice, as well as those with wireless receivers. Even wired mice will work.
How To: Fix a Frozen or Malfunctioning Apple Watch by Restarting It
The Apple Watch may be a much simpler device than your iPhone, but that doesn't mean it's free of bugs, glitches, and crashes just like your other devices. A common problem that you'll run into is a frozen screen due to a malfunctioning app. While this can be frustrating, the solution can be as simple as a quick reboot.
How To: Record Your iPhone's Screen with Audio in iOS 11 — No Jailbreak or Computer Needed
The only official way to record your iPhone's screen before was to hook it up to a Mac and use QuickTime Player to do the recording for you. If you wanted to record your iPhone's screen without an external device, there were unofficial apps you could use, like AirShou, but they required complicated installations. Now, in iOS 11, Apple has finally given us an official, native screen recording tool.