Hot iOS & iPhone How-Tos
How To: Set Persistent Notifications for Apps on Your iPhone
You're working on your iPhone or playing an awesome game when you receive a notification. You take too long to look up from your activity, so before you get a chance to see what's up, the notification is gone. Persistent notifications won't disappear on you like the default disappearing ones in iOS 11 and iOS 12, giving you as long as you need to check them. Here's how to set them up.
How To: Save Your iPhone's SHSH2 Blobs So You Can Downgrade iOS for Future Jailbreak Methods
When a new jailbreak method comes out, Apple is quick to patch the vulnerability it exploits by issuing a new iOS update. If you were to accept such an update, you'd no longer be able to jailbreak your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch unless you could roll back your firmware to a version that could be jailbroken. But Apple even takes things a step further and stops signing older iOS firmware versions, which makes downgrading next to impossible. This is where your SHSH2 blobs come into play.
How To: Your iPhone Will Automatically Add Events to Your Calendar in iOS 10
iOS 10's Calendar app comes with a new Found Events feature, which scans Mail and Messages on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch for events and lets you add them to your calendar. This one is easy to set up, because it's automatically enabled and on all the time, so you don't have to do anything.
Messages 101: How to Turn iMessage Read Receipts On/Off Per Person
With iOS 9.3.5, as well as all of the versions prior to that, you had two choices when it came to "Read Receipts" for iMessage — either on for everybody or off for everybody. So if you weren't comfortable with one or two of your contacts knowing whether or not you've read their messages, you had to keep the feature disabled and miss out on Read Receipts for people you're a bit closer to.
How To: Remove the Lock Screen Camera Shortcut on Your iPhone in iOS 10
The new lock screen in iOS 10 is a lot different than previous versions, but one thing that stuck around is the quick access camera shortcut. The only real difference aside from aesthetics is that now you don't have to swipe up from the camera icon. Instead, you can simply swipe to the left from right side to quickly snap a picture.
Siri 101: How to Disable Siri on Your iPhone's Lock Screen
If you like having Siri available to answer a quick question every now and again but don't want everyone who picks up your iPhone to also have access to your personal assistant, there's an easy way to disable her from working on your iPhone's lock screen. This is also something you can do if you're always activating Siri accidentally in your pocket.
How To: Unlock Home Button Shortcuts on Your iPhone
If your iPhone has a Home button, such as either iPhone SE model, old or new, then it has a secret triple-click gesture to activate a suite of shortcuts. These options, dubbed accessibility shortcuts, can work wonders for folks that are hearing impaired, have limited use of their hands, or have vision problems. Still, the shortcuts have plenty of everyday applications that everyone should know.
How To: Convert Slo-Mo Videos to Regular Speed Directly on Your iPhone
I don't know about you, but when I shoot a slow-mo video on my iPhone, I'd also like to have a regular speed copy of it, just in case slow motion doesn't fit the video right.
How To: Enable 'Night Shift' Mode to Prevent Your iPhone from Keeping You Awake at Night
If you're reading articles in bed or scrolling through Facebook before trying to fall asleep, you'll spend much less time on your iPhone before drifting off into slumber as long as you're using the right display mode.
How To: Increase Security on Your iPhone's Lock Screen
With over 10,000 possible combinations, a four-digit passcode may seem secure, but it's fairly easy for someone to crack your code—no matter how clever you think it is. Luckily, there are many other options for securing your iPhone's lock screen—especially if your running iOS 9.
iOS 9 GM Leaked: Here's How to Download iOS 9 on Your iPad, iPhone, & iPod Touch Right Now
Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, Apple TV, and iPad Pro dominated the news today, but at the end of their special September 9th event, they quietly released the final version of iOS 9 to developers, called the Gold Master (GM) build.
How To: Record Phone Calls on Your iPhone
Unruly customers. Crazy exes. Horrible bosses. When you need proof of insanity or just want it for your records, recording a phone call is a must. Problem is, it's not the easiest thing to do on an iPhone — but it's completely possible.
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: Use Snapchat's Hidden Filter to Add Color Overlays to Your Photos & Videos
Snapchat has built upon the photo-sharing service it once was to become a money-sending, commercial-shelling, video-messaging giant. They improved their user experience by adding Stories, Geofilters, and even the rarely-used Snapcash feature, but why isn't there something as simple as color filters? Yes, they have filters for black and white, saturated, and sepia, but that's it as far as color goes.
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: Turn Your iPhone into a Fully Functional Samsung Smart TV Remote
After I traded in my Samsung Galaxy S5 for an iPhone 5S, the one feature I truly missed was the Smart Remote app. My television remote was broken and the S5 saved me from, you know, actually having to get up and change the channel.
How To: Customize “Do Not Disturb” on Your iPhone So Important Calls Always Get Through
At certain times of the day, like when I finally get home after sitting through aggravating traffic, the last thing I need is the sound of my phone irritating me any further. So, I toggle on the "Do Not Disturb" feature (introduced in iOS 6) on my iPhone and get to enjoy a little peace of mind.
How To: Jump to the Bottom or Middle of a Page on Your iPhone, Not Just the Top
When surfing the web in Safari, you can double-tap the status bar to quickly scroll back up to the top any webpage. In other iOS apps that have the shortcut enabled, you can get the job done even faster by tapping the status bar only once. The only bad thing about this feature is that there's no shortcut for scrolling all of the way back down or to the middle.
How To: The Best Way to View & Manage Your iPhone's Cellular Data Usage
Oops... did you forget to connect to a Wi-Fi network before streaming HBO GO on your iPhone? While those episodes of The Wire may have been absolutely life-changing, your three-digit cellular bill is definitely going to hit you a little harder.
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: Jailbreak iOS 8.0-8.1.1 on Your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch (& Install Cydia)
The release of iOS version 8.1.1 brought some much needed bug fixes to Apple's mobile operating system, but with it came a patch for Pangu's jailbreak method, which worked on iOS 8.0 to iOS 8.1 using a Mac or Windows computer. Luckily, it didn't take very long for a new team of developers to come up with a method for jailbreaking iOS 8.1.1 devices, and much like its predecessor, the process is a cinch.
How To: The Trick to Nesting App Folders Within Folders on Your iOS 8 Home Screen
One of the best ways to reduce clutter and enjoy the new iOS 8 wallpapers on your iPhone is to use the little-known trick of hiding all of your main home screen apps. This trick effectively moves your apps off the main home screen and over to additional home screen pages, or in your dock, making your main home screen beautifully clutter-free.
How To: Get Alerts for When Your Local Apple Store Has an iPhone 6 in Stock
If you're trying to get a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, we know you've been struggling to find one, and we're here to help. With Apple's preorder numbers topping 4 million in the first 24 hours, it was nearly impossible to get one during the first wave.
iOS Basics: How to Add Widgets to Your iPhone's Lock Screen & Notification Center
Apple definitely wasn't first to the widget game, but any iPhone running iOS 8 or higher can add widgets to their Today View found via a swipe down from the top of the screen when on the home screen or in any app. There's even access to widgets on the lock screen via the same swipe down on iOS 8 and iOS 9 (on iOS 10, iOS 11, and iOS 12, all you have to do is swipe right on the lock screen).
How To: Download All 15 Wallpapers from iOS 8 Right Now
Patience is a virtue that many of us do not possess, which is exactly why we've previously shown you how to acquire the initial wallpapers for Mac OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 beta.
How To: Fix an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch That Won't Charge Anymore
If you've ever had issues charging your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, like most other Apple products, the culprit to blame is usually a frayed or damaged cable. It's a common design flaw due to the thinness of the cords and the weak sheath surrounding them — but that's not always the problem.
How To: Re-Enable Zoom for Websites That Block It in Safari for Your iPhone
While some mobile sites have built-in text-resizing tools, many do not. A lot of those that don't won't even let you pinch-to-zoom. That makes it difficult for people with low vision to read small fonts on their iPhones. In some cases, like with photo captions, even those with perfect eyesight suffer.
How To: Make an Easy DIY Stylus for Your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus Using Stuff You Already Have
Update: After playing around with our new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus over the last couple weeks, it occurred to me to see if my DIY stylus would work with these new devices. I'm happy to report that it does, just as expected.
How To: Set & Trigger Location-Based Reminders on Your iPhone
I'll be the first to admit how horrible my memory is, whether it's remembering to take out the garbage or paying a bill on time. That's why I regularly utilize the stock Reminders app on my iPhone; it's definitely compensated for my memory deficiencies.
How To: Take Perfectly Straight & Level Photos with Your iPhone Every Single Time
You can easily level picture frames on your wall using your iPhone, but leveling the photos you actually take is a whole 'nother story. There are no built-in leveling tools in your stock Camera app, or in most camera apps for that matter.
Passcode Exploit: How to Bypass an iPhone's Lock Screen Using Siri in iOS 7.0.2 to Send Messages
Every time Apple releases a new product or software update, people quickly figure out exploits in order to bypass the lock screen without having to type in the passcode. It happened last year in iOS 6, so it's not surprising that it happened again in iOS 7.
How To: Disable the Parallax Effect in iOS to Reduce Motion on Your iPhone
Have you ever noticed how your home screen and lock screen wallpaper moves underneath your notification, app icons, really anything on display? It's a cool effect, but to some, might be a bit jarring. On top of that, it also uses up precious battery life. If you're sick of seeing this parallax effect on your iPhone, here's how to turn it off.
How To: Be Just Like Tony Stark with the JARVIS Personal Assistant for iPad & iPhone
Tony Stark is a smooth talking, genius billionaire playboy that occasionally saves the world... what's not to like? The Marvel films starring Robert Downey, Jr. have grossed well over a billion dollars in the U.S. alone, so it's needless to say that Iron Man is a very popular superhero.
How To: Completely Close Out Running Applications on Your iPhone
If you're anything like me, you'd like the ability to fully exit your iPhone apps to help free up memory, improve battery life, stop background processes, and fix unresponsive apps. The thing is, you can, with the help of the app switcher. Force-closing apps also helps keep your app switch clean and organized.
How To: Change Your iPhone Carrier Name & Logo Without Jailbreaking
Changing the carrier name from an unlocked iPhone's status bar has been possible to do ever since Cydia released Zeppelin earlier this year. The application comes with preset logos you can use such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders, the Assassin insignia of the Assassin Order from Assassin's Creed (well, that was a mouthful) and my personal favorite...
How To: Apple's iOS 17.5 Gives Your iPhone 32 New Features and Changes — Here's Everything You Need to Know About
Apple's latest iPhone software update — iOS 17.5 — is finally ready for prime time. Released on May 13, it includes at least 32 new features and changes you need to know about, from a new game and offline news access to new wallpapers and anti-stalking capabilities.
How To: Apple News Gives You More Options for Automatic Downloads on iOS 17.5
In the iOS 17.5 software update, released May 13, there are new features for EU countries and mobile device managers only, but there are also more widespread user-facing changes to Books, Podcasts, and other apps. News is one of those other apps, and it gives us more preferences for automatic downloads.
How To: Unlock Your iPhone's Many Hidden Text-to-Speech Features to Make It Read Virtually Any On-Screen Content
Speech-to-text technology can be seen on your iPhone in various places, from the Dictation tool to Apple's new behind-the-scenes, auto-created transcripts for podcast episodes. Your iPhone also has some pretty impressive text-to-speech capabilities. With them, your iPhone can read webpages, documents, or whatever text is on the screen out loud to you — only some of these tools aren't easy to find.
How To: Set Up a Virtual Card Number for Apple Cash on Your iPhone to Use Where Apple Pay Isn't Accepted
For years, you could only make purchases with your Apple Cash balance on your iPhone using Apple Pay, but a new update gives you the power to set up a virtual card number you can use just like a debit or credit card.
How To: View Podcast Transcripts on Your iPhone to View, Search, and Navigate the Audio
Apple's Podcasts app just got a big feature: transcripts. Before, you had to rely on third-party services or the off chance that podcast creators posted transcription links to each of their episodes. Now, you can view, read, and search show transcripts directly in Podcasts, whether uploaded from the creators or automatically generated by Apple.