Hot iOS & iPhone How-Tos
How To: Watch Apple's Sept. 12 'Gather Round' Event on Your Computer, Smartphone, or Apple TV
Apple revealed three new iPhone models on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at its "Gather Round" event in Cupertino, as well as announced the official release date of iOS 12, its newest mobile operating system. If you missed it and want to watch the full event, here's how to do it on your computer, smartphone, or Apple TV.
How To: Get Android's Quick Settings on Your iPhone for Instant Access to Location Services, Settings & More
In iOS, the Control Center is an easy way to toggle settings such as Wi-Fi, Do Not Disturb, and Low Power Mode. Its Android counterpart is called "Quick Settings," which provides much of the same functionality with a few bonuses. If you're curious about how this toggle menu works or miss having it before you made the switch from Android, you can test it out on your iPhone right now.
How To: Here's a Great Alternative to Fortnite & PUBG You Can Try on Your iPhone Right Now
Massive multiplayer shooters like Fortnite have become all the rage, as mobile gamers duke it out in long, protracted battles that can often be as excruciating as they are thrilling. If you're yearning for a more fast-paced shooter on iOS, Nitro Games has you covered, and has soft-launched Heroes of Warland for further tweaking. Of course, you can try the game yourself right now with a tiny hack.
How To: Craving a Mario Kart Gaming Experience on Your iPhone? Give This Soft Launched Game a Try
Space Ape has soft-launched Go Race: Super Karts, giving you a fresh take on mobile racing games by blending in elements found within the classic Mario Kart series and RPGs for some seriously addicting gameplay. And while it's only available in Australia, Netherlands, and Philippines, there's a workaround to get this game on your iPhone right now, no matter where you are.
How To: Stop Incoming Calls from Taking Over Your iPhone's Entire Screen
Incoming phone calls and FaceTimes, whether you want to answer them or not, will take over your entire iPhone's screen — no matter what you're in the middle of doing on the device at the moment. You could be browsing the web, playing a game, or chatting on social media. It doesn't matter, you'll get interrupted. But you don't have to put up with it anymore.
How To: Apple Books in iOS 12 Finally Gives a 'Want to Read' Wish List for E-books & Audiobooks — Here's How It Works
A new name isn't the only thing iBooks received in the iOS 12 update for iPhones. Aside from streamlining the name to "Books," Apple added a wish-list feature to its reading app so you can keep track of all the e-books and audiobooks you'd like to read from the Books Store.
How To: Enable Downtime on Your iPhone to Help Stay Distraction-Free
Excessive cell phone use was issue that Apple decided to tackle with iOS 12. Starting with the iPhone's 2018 update, a new "Screen Time" feature give you the ability to set App Limits to encourage more balanced usage, and there's another setting that gives you control over when certain apps can be accessed.
How To: Everything You Need to Know About iOS 12's New Battery Stats for Your iPhone
With iOS 12, Apple is making up for mistakes from the past, with iPhone batteries being no exception. The new update builds upon both battery health and performance throttling tools introduced in iOS 11.3 by offering users more information about your iPhone's battery usage than ever before.
How To: Start Calls & FaceTimes from iOS 12's Messages App on Your iPhone
Front and center for iOS 12 this year is Group FaceTime, which allows users to chat with up to 31 additional people at once. While that ambitious feature is sadly delayed, don't cast away FaceTime just yet — you can always pick up your iPhone and start a call with any single contact directly from the Messages app.
How To: Quickly Turn on 'Do Not Disturb' in iOS 12 Until the Evening or Morning
Included with iOS 12 is an easier-to-use Do Not Disturb mode. Not only is there a new Bedtime Mode that makes waking up less annoying, but also new ways to quickly launch the DND temporarily. One example is having the ability to set Do Not Disturb based on a time of day — specifically, morning or evening.
How To: Quickly Turn on 'Do Not Disturb' in iOS 12 Until You Change Locations
One of the new iOS 12 features for iPhones is an enhanced version of Do Not Disturb mode. Instead of being limited to times you manually input, Apple added new ways to manage the feature, including activating it based on location. For those on the go, this can be done pretty quickly.
How To: All the iPhone Accessories You'll Need for Back to School
Whether you're in high school or college, you no doubt will have your iPhone in your pocket all day long. To make your iPhone last the whole time and even help you out with your studies, these are the accessories you'll want to get your hands on.
How To: Replace Your iPhone X's Battery Just Like Apple Would
Each year, Apple seems to design its devices to be more difficult for owners to repair themselves. So when an iPhone breaks, a trip to the Genius Bar or an Apple Authorized Service Provider is most likely necessary. But if you have an iPhone X that needs a new battery, a leaked video just spilled the beans on how to replace the battery precisely as Apple would.
How To: Get the New iPad Pro Wallpapers on Any iPhone
The current iPhone lineup inarguably features Apple's best displays to date, but the stock wallpapers don't really do the screens justice. There are plenty of third-party wallpapers you can use, as well as ones you create yourself. However, if you want that typical Apple feeling, you're better off sticking with Apple wallpapers, and the iPad Pro has some beautiful ones that look awesome on an iPhone.
How To: Jailbreak iOS 11.2 Through iOS 11.4 Beta 3 on Your iPhone — No Computer Required
It's been a long road, but the guys over at CoolStar have finally come up with a stable, semi-untethered jailbreak for 64-bit iPhones, iPads, and iPad touches running on iOS 11.2 up to 11.3.1, with the latest update extending coverage to 11.4 beta 3. So if you've held off on updating to the latest iOS 11.4.1, your patience has finally paid off.
How To: Play Marvel Battle Lines to Unleash Spider Man & Other Heroes on Your iPhone Right Now
Marvel has solidified itself as the dominant superhero franchise with the release of Avengers: Infinity War, and it's now dipping its toes into the world of mobile card-based strategy games with the soft launch of Marvel Battle Lines in select countries ahead of a worldwide release. If you'd like to install this game right now and get a head start on your fellow gamers stateside, there's a workaround.
How To: Use the Hidden Thesaurus on Your iPhone in iOS 12 for Fast Synonym Searches in 'Look Up'
One gem that Apple added with iOS 12 is the perfect companion for the dictionary that's already available with the "Look Up" tool. I say gem because it's taken a backseat to all of the other new iOS 12 features, but it shouldn't, because a thesaurus is like the phloem to a dictionary's xylem, making it hard to believe that Apple didn't include this synonym finder from the start.
How To: Take Better Fireworks Photos with Your iPhone
The default Camera app on your iPhone can take some pretty incredible photos during the day. Newer iPhone models can even make nighttime shots look good. But you can't just point and shoot if you want to capture some pretty spectacular fireworks photos on July 4th, New Year's Eve, or another pyrotechnic celebration.
How To: The 10 Best New Features in iOS 12's Photos App for iPhone
Apple's own Photos app received some pretty amazing updates in iOS 11, but does iOS 12 have what it takes to one-up last year's Photos improvements? We think so.
How To: Disable the 'Unlock iPhone to Use Accessories' Notification in iOS 11.4.1 & Higher
If you're on iOS 11.4.1 or iOS 12 and go more than an hour without unlocking your iPhone, an "Unlock iPhone to Use Accessories" message will appear whenever you connect your iPhone to a computer or other device that tries to use the Lightning cable's data lines. This is to protect you, but it can be annoying if you have no reason to believe that law enforcement or criminals will have access to your iPhone.
How To: Get Your FIFA Fix & Play Kings of Soccer on Your iPhone Right Now
Kings of Soccer recently soft launched in the Netherlands and a few other countries, garnering positive reviews from the mobile gamers who've experienced it. With the 2018 FIFA World Cup now in full swing, we wanted to let you in on a little secret: You can play Kings of Soccer right now ahead of everyone else, regardless of where you live.
How To: Find Songs by Lyrics in Apple Music for iOS 12 — With or Without a Subscription
Has this ever happened to you: You're singing a song in your head and want to look it up on Apple Music but you just can't think of its name or even who recorded it? In iOS 12, if you can sing it, you can search for it, as the update lets you find songs in Apple Music by lyrics alone. It's like Shazam, only instead of identifying music by sound, it uses the lyrics in your head.
How To: Access Your Photo Library in Messages for iOS 12 to Send Already Taken Pics & Vids
Ever since 2009, you could send a photo or video that you've already taken right from the Messages app on your iPhone. You would just tap on the camera icon next to the new message box, then choose either to take a new one or select one from your library. If you're running iOS 12, that's no longer the case, but that doesn't mean the capability is gone entirely.
How To: Play Power Rangers All Stars & Pilot a Megazord on Your iPhone Before Its Official Release
The Power Rangers universe is massive, spanning numerous shows and movies that feature different heroes — from the original dinosaur-themed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, to Power Rangers Samurai, and so on. To tie it all in, Nexon has soft launched Power Rangers: All Stars in select countries ahead of a worldwide release. But you can try the game out right now thanks to a simple hack.
How To: iOS 12 Makes 2FA for Third-Party Apps & Websites Easy with Security Code AutoFill from SMS Texts
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a great way to add another layer of security to sensitive third-party apps and websites like Venmo. However, before iOS 12, to log into a particular 2FA-secured app or site on your iPhone, you'd have to memorize or copy the SMS code from Messages, then jump back in a timely manner to log in. Apple's latest iOS version streamlines this process.
'For You' Suggestions: How to Share iCloud Photo Albums in iOS 12 to Family & Friends
While there aren't as many improvements compared to iOS 11's Photos additions, the tabs menu in Apple's updated Photos app for iOS 12 was revamped to include "Memories" inside a new "For You" tab that also houses featured photos and effects suggestions. This is also where you see sharing suggestions and all of the albums others have shared with you.
How To: Make Your iPhone Automatically Download & Install New iOS Updates
You've been able to install app updates automatically for some time now, but there was no way to install new system updates on your iPhone automatically. To get a new iOS version on your device, you'd go into the settings, then download the update. It would then either install right away or give you the option to install at nighttime. This whole process is easier in iOS 12.
How To: Get iOS 12's New Wallpaper on Any Device
Apple announced iOS 12 during WWDC 2018. While it will be some months before the official version releases to the public, you can still enjoy some of the new additions now. For example, you can get the new wallpaper introduced with the update, whether you're using an older iPhone or an Android device.
Instant Tuning: How to Quickly Change Notifications Settings for Any App in iOS 12
Apple's notification system for iOS was in desperate need of a revision ever since they removed app grouping for new alerts. In iOS 12, they finally brought that back, new and improved, but Apple has also added more useful notifications features, such as Instant Tuning, which helps you quickly manage how notifications come in for each app — if you even want them to.
How To: Create Your Own Shortcuts in iOS 12 to Get Things Done Faster with Siri
Apple is putting their Workflow acquisition to use with the new Shortcuts feature, integrated right into Siri. It allows you to connect commonly-used actions to a phrase that you activate with Siri. In addition to some of the other speed improvements in iOS 12, Shortcuts helps streamline your mobile experience.
How To: Register a Second Face ID Look on Your iPhone in iOS 12
Setting up Face ID is simple, but getting it to work correctly every time is a different story. While there are numerous tips for getting Face ID to work every time you need it on your iPhone X, XS, XS Max, or XR, Apple has added a better option in iOS 12 that lets you add an "alternative appearance."
How To: Measure Real-World Objects with Your iPhone in iOS 12
Thanks to Apple's ARKit 2.0 augmented reality framework in iOS 12, we now have a "Measure" app built right into our iPhones that can measure real-world objects. No more physical tape measure or ruler. No more guessing. Just whip out your iPhone, open the app, put your camera, and get measurements. Before you do, however, there are a few things you'll want to know.
How To: Force-Close Running Apps on the iPhone X in iOS 12 (It's Easier Than Before)
When the iPhone X was first introduced, it came with an odd way to force-close apps. While all other iPhone continued to use a two-step gesture in iOS 11, iPhone X users were stuck with an annoying three-step gesture that was seen last in iOS versions from at least six years ago. Thankfully, iOS 12 has changed this and makes force-closing apps as simple as it should be.
How To: Download iOS 12.4 Beta on Your iPhone Right Now
Apple released iOS 12 on Sept. 17, and most of the announced features have been released for the iPhone's latest available operating system. However, some brand new features can be accessed with Apple's latest beta, iOS 12.4. If you want to try out all its new features before everyone else, you can install the developer or public beta on your iPhone right now.
How To: Use Animoji & Memoji in FaceTime Video Calls on Your iPhone
Apple's doubling down on AR features in iOS 12 and iOS 13. The iPhone's augmented reality framework got a major overhaul with ARKit 2 and ARKit 3, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. While the updated API tools will help developers make better interactive apps, there's another new AR feature that regular users will enjoy: Animoji in FaceTime.
How To: Watch Apple's WWDC 2018 Keynote for the New iOS, ARKit & Apple Watch Reveals
The next big event Apple is holding is WWDC 2018, its Worldwide Developers Conference, is about to happen. If you want to see the first glimpse of iOS 12 for yourself, as well ARKit improvements, Apple Watch news, and maybe even some macOS announcements, here's how you can tune into the event right at home from your computer or mobile device.
How To: Stop Uber from Tracking Your Location in the Background on Your iPhone
Uber as a service is great, but using it requires you to hand over your location data to the company. What's worse is that you may be giving them precious access to your GPS even when don't have the Uber app open. This is both a major privacy issue and a drain on your battery. Fortunately, some of you can fix this.
How To: Have a Bomberman Itch You Need to Scratch? Try This Soft-Launched Game on Your iPhone
Futureplay has soft-launched Battle Bombers Arena, giving mobile gamers a refreshing twist on MOBA by infusing it with simple but addicting gameplay based on the console classic Bomberman. Though only available in select European countries, this game can be played on your iPhone right now, regardless of where you live.
How To: Explore New Worlds on Your iPhone with This Soft-Launched Sci-Fi RPG Shooter
Despite the abundance of sci-fi titles in the iOS App Store, very few of these mobile games ever have the staying power keep us glued for more than a few hours. Enter Space Pioneer, an awesome space exploration game that soft-launched in Canada ahead of a worldwide debut. With a little spoofing, you can experience the game yourself right now.
How To: This Soft-Launched Game Lets You Create & Share Pac-Man Mazes on Your iPhone
Taking a cue from the smash hit Super Mario Maker, Bandai Namco has soft launched PAC-MAN Maker in Canada ahead of a worldwide release. This is welcome news for mobile gamers, as you won't need a console to enjoy this classic arcade game when it finally touches down stateside. But if you want to give PAC-MAN Maker a shot right now, we've got you covered.