iOS & iPhone Features
How To: Switching Between Typing and Dictation Has Never Been Easier Thanks to iOS 16
Apple's dictation tool for iPhone is a useful hands-free way to enter text without typing anything manually. While its transcriptions aren't always precise, it's better than having to type out long messages, emails, and notes by hand — and it just got a significant improvement in iOS 16.
How To: Sick of the 'Undo Typing' Pop-Up on Your iPhone? Here's How to Get Rid of It
Between sending iMessages, jotting down notes, and crafting emails, you do a lot of typing on your iPhone. No doubt, you've been in the middle of an important task when everything comes to a screeching, obtrusive halt, where a rogue "Undo Typing" pop-up forces you to close it before continuing with your typing. Don't put up with the BS anymore — here's how to stop it.
How To: Move All Your iPhone's Camera Controls to the Bottom for Easier Access
If reaching up to access Camera controls like the flash, HDR, and timer wasn't bad enough, it's gotten a lot more tedious on recent iPhones like the X, XS, and 11 series thanks to their tall displays. If you have a jailbroken iPhone, however, you can easily fix this issue using a free tweak.
News: The 10 Best Soft-Launched iPhone Games Out Right Now [June 2018]
If you're looking for your gaming fix and nothing on the App Store is piquing your interest, you should give soft-launched games a try. These are games that haven't been released in the US yet because they're getting tested in smaller markets first. Using a simple workaround, you can install them on your iPhone in any country.
How To: Take Shareable 3D Photos of Any Subject Using Your iPhone
3D has been all the rage for the past few years. It seems like every other film has a 3D aspect to it, our TVs have 3D capabilities, and we can even print functional objects using increasingly affordable 3D printers. And after some trial and error (ahem, Evo 3D), it's finally taking shape on mobiles.
How To: Find the Nearest Public Restroom on Your iPhone
When you've gotta go, you've gotta go. No matter how hard you try and hold your pee (or the dreaded number two), it's going to find a way to leave your body one way or another. That's why it's always good to know where all of the nearest bathrooms are at all times, no matter where you are.
How To: Sign Up & Unsubscribe to Apple News' Hidden Daily Newsletter
While the App Store is filled with news aggregators, Apple News is a solid choice when it comes to keeping up with current events. Apple recently made it easier than ever to stay informed, thanks to a daily newsletter sent straight to your inbox. The problem? It's unclear how to sign up for this newsletter, and it's equally unclear how to unsubscribe.
How To: Stop Getting Notifications When Tagged in iMessage Threads in iOS 14
One of iOS 14's more exciting features lets you tag someone in a group iMessage chat in the same way you would @ someone on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms. Even if the conversation is muted, you can get notified when you're mentioned, which helps you jump in only when needed. But if you want complete silence, then disable contact tagging notifications altogether.
How To: Use iOS 12's 'Digital Health' Features to Keep Your iPhone Usage in Check & Limit Interruptions
Apple knows their products can be addicting, and with iOS 12, they are doing something about it. With the help of Screen Time and few other new tools, it should now be a lot easier to get off your phone and enjoy life in the real world.
How To: Why Some Non-Apple Devices Can't Open Photos & Videos Shared from Your iPhone (& How to Fix It)
You take a photo or video, send it to a friend, and they say, "Hey, I can't open this." More often than not, your friend won't be using an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. Instead, they're likely trying to open the file with a non-Apple device. But this problem can be avoided if you know what setting to change.
How To: Lock Down Your iPhone for Protection Against Spyware and Other Targeted Cyberattacks
If you think you might be a likely target of a black-hat hacker, there's a new iOS security feature that offers extreme protection for your iPhone against spyware, phishing attempts, and other highly sophisticated cyberattacks.
How To: The Fastest Way to Find an App on Your Cluttered iPhone
Confession time: I hardly ever leave the first page of my iPhone's home screen. No, my iPhone isn't super organized and, no, I don't limit the number of apps I download as well (trust me, this phone is a mess). The truth is that you don't need to rely on your iPhone's home screen pages to find and open an app. In most cases, there's simply a much faster way.
How To: Share Song Lyrics from Apple Music in iOS 14.5 — Complete with Audio Clips
Sometimes, you don't want to be the only one enjoying killer lyrics from your favorite songs. Sure, you can text your friends and let them know how great these tracks are, but you could also take advantage of one of Apple Music's coolest new features of iOS 14.5 — lyrics sharing!
How To: This HomePod Setting Keeps Other People Out of Your Notes, Reminders & Calendar for Good
HomePod and HomePod mini are excellent smart speakers if you're entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. They even offer ways to protect your sensitive information from friends and visitors who try to ask Siri to spill your secrets. But there's an extra layer of privacy you can put in place to make sure nobody gains access to any important notes, reminders, and calendar events.
How To: See Nearby Recommendations from Brands via Curated City Guides in iOS 14's Apple Maps
When you're in a new city or even your own neighborhood, you might not know where the best places to visit are. The number of parks, restaurants, shopping centers, and other attractions could be overwhelming, so how do you narrow down your choices? The new iOS 14 update has introduced curated city "Guides" in Apple Maps, created by trusted brands to help you find excellent places to explore.
How To: Explore Freeform, Apple's New Digital Whiteboard for Brainstorming, Collaboration, and More
When you need to take notes, sketch out projects, brainstorm with others, create mood boards, or map out ideas without constraints, look no further than Freeform, Apple's new collaboration-friendly digital whiteboard.
How To: 5 Hidden Features in Safari's 17.4 Update for iPhone and iPad You Didn't Know About
The latest 17.4 update for Safari includes a prompt for EU users to choose a different default web browser available in their region. It also gives us new ways to customize the Favorites Bar on an iPad. And Apple Cash virtual numbers are now supported as an AutoFill suggestion. But there are also some hidden changes in Safari 17.4 for iOS and iPadOS that you might not ever notice unless you keep reading.
How To: Share Account Passwords or Passkeys with People You Trust Easily from Your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
Previously, you'd have to use a third-party password manager on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to securely share passwords with other people or groups outside of AirDrop range. And while apps like 1Password, Bitwarden, and Dashlane let you store passkeys, only 1Password has added support for passkey sharing so far. Now, Apple itself makes sharing passwords and passkeys much, much simpler.
How To: View the Battery Percentage Indicator on Your iPhone X, XS, XS Max, or XR
On all other iPhone models, you go to "Battery" in the Settings app and toggle on "Battery Percentage" in order to see the exact amount of power left in the status bar. On the iPhone X, XS, XS Max, and XR, however, that option no longer exists since there's not enough room up there to show the percentage indicator because of the notch for the TrueDepth camera system. But that doesn't mean it's gone entirely.
How To: The Coolest 18 Features in iOS 7 That You Probably Didn't Know About
Now that iOS 7 is out, what can you do that you couldn't do before? In this softModder guide, I'm going to cover all that's new and noteworthy about iOS 7. I've been playing around with it on my iPhone 5 since the first beta came out, so I'm excited to show you some of the secrets that are lurking within Apple's newest mobile operating system.
How To: Force Restart the iPhone X When It's Acting Up
Every now and then, an iPhone will freeze up and become unresponsive due to a software glitch. It can be a buggy app that somehow interferes with iOS or a software update that somehow didn't install properly. Whatever the cause, it's safe to say that no iPhone is immune to this problem, not even the new iPhone X.
How To: Record Your iPhone's Screen with Audio — No Jailbreak or Computer Needed
The only official way to record your iPhone's screen before iOS 11 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, iOS 12, and iOS 13, Apple has an official, native screen recording tool.
How To: This "Search by Photo" App for iPhone Blows Google Goggles Out of the Water
A picture is worth a thousand words, and depending on what you're taking a picture of, it could be worth a lot more. Our phone's camera can easily capture high quality photos, scan barcodes, and make us Instagram famous. You can compare prices of items and download applications just by scanning a QR code. Of course, we can always do this stuff a little bit better on our iPhones.
How To: Remove Recent Contacts from the iPhone's App Switcher in iOS 8
Apple introduced recent contacts for the app switcher (aka multitasking menu) in iOS 8, useful for quickly calling and texting your most-contacted friends and family. Just tap on one of the contact bubbles and an assortment of options appear—call, message, or FaceTime. While the feature can be helpful when you want quick access to functions for recent contacts, it may not be for everyone. Check out the short guide below to learn how to easily remove recent contacts from the multitasking menu ...
How To: Add Email Accounts to Mail in iOS 11 on Your iPhone
Using the Mail app to log in and sync to email services such as Gmail and Outlook is incredibly easy to accomplish on the iPhone thanks to the intuitive nature of its operating system. This is still evident with iOS 11, and though the process differs slightly from its predecessors, it can still be accomplished with relative ease.
How To: Use 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' on Your iPhone in iOS 11 (Or Turn It Off if You Don't Like It)
One of the most anticipated new Maps features in iOS 11 for iPhones is live and ready to keep you safe on the road. Right now, Do Not Disturb While Driving is opt-in, but if you missed Apple's on-screen prompt to enable it and want to turn it on, or if you accidentally enabled it but want it turned off, we're here to help.
How To: Take Secret Screenshots of Snapchat Pictures in iOS 7 Without Notifying the Sender
If you're a frequent Snapchatter like myself, you're probably well aware that Snapchat can't stop you or anyone else from taking a screenshot of a photo received. Instead, they notify the sender that a screenshot was taken—a greatly appreciated fair warning when impetuous photographs are involved. However, there is a loophole to this.
How to Fix a Bricked iPhone 6: Unresponsive Buttons, Red/Blue Screens, & Bootloops
We recently ran into a serious iPhone 6 issue here in the Gadget Hacks office, where the device was stuck in an infinite bootloop with intermittent red and blue screens (of death?) and an unresponsive touchscreen and buttons. From what we can tell, we weren't alone, though some are experiencing only one or a few of the issues we've had.
How To: Block Porn Sites on Your iPhone
There are many reasons to keep adult websites off your iOS device. They can pop up accidentally at the least opportune moments, can give your device malware, and are not welcome in a kid-friendly home.
How To: Recover Your Missing iPhone Photos & Videos in iOS 8
After updating to iOS 8, some of you have probably noticed that a lot of your pictures and videos are missing from the Photos app. Even if you were to restore your iPad or iPhone to your last backup, they would still be missing. But don't worry, that's just because albums work differently in iOS 8—all of your old photos are still there, just not as in your face as before.
How To: Hide App Icons in iOS 7 Without Deleting Them (& Without Jailbreaking)
Apple's line of iPhones, iPads, and iPods are of some of the most advanced devices available on the market. Usually, the biggest complaint is that they are not customizable, but they can be if you exploit a few bugs in the system.
How To: Leave a Group Chat on Your iPhone (Finally!)
Group messages make for some hilarious conversations with your friends, and are also a great way to update multiple people without sending individual text messages. But as awesome as they can be, they can also be as equally annoying.
How To: The 55 Coolest New iOS 9 Features You Didn't Know About
Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 9, may not be the huge overhaul that iOS 8 was, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of new features. In fact, there are a ton of subtle changes that you may not notice right away. Here's a rundown of all the coolest new features you need to know about on the new iOS 9 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
Messages 101: How to Name Group iMessages on Your iPhone
Group messages are great when you want to talk to multiple people at the same time. However, things can get disorderly real fast in the Messages app, especially if the same person is in multiple group conversations. That's where custom group names come in, which helps you make sense of all those disorganized threads with multiple names/numbers attached.
How To: Get These Badass Circular App Icons to Round Out Your iOS 7 iPhone or iPad's Home Screen
Rounded rectangle icons are so 2007. Sure iOS 7 tweaked them a bit, but with the clean new approach to design that software is taking today, they're starting to look dated. Today I'm going to show you how to go full circle with your iPhone's icons, and the results are actually pretty awesome.
How To: iOS 6 Broke Your Wi-Fi? Here's How to Fix Connection Problems on Your iPhone or iPad
Several people have been reporting Wi-Fi problems after updating to iOS 6 on both iPads and iPhones. The connection might work sometimes, but it usually cuts out or takes forever to connect to anything, only to time out shortly after.
How To: Downgrade iOS 14.2 Back to iOS 14.1 on Your iPhone Using Finder or iTunes
Apple's iOS 14.0 update has come and gone, and now we're sitting on iOS 14.2, the latest version of the iPhone's operating system. While it may be too late for you to revert to the last iOS 13 version, if the iOS 14.2 firmware is giving you problems or you're not just digging it, you can downgrade to iOS 14.1.
How To: Run Two Apps Side by Side on Your iPad in iOS 9
After rumors and mockups and all sorts of speculated features, Apple has finally brought true multitasking to the iPad in iOS 9, with the long-rumored split screen feature (which is also in El Capitan) that lets you use two apps at once. This feature is actually two different ones called Split View and Slider Over, and they both work differently.
How To: This Boomerang Hack Lets You Post Apple's Live Photos on Instagram
Instagram enthusiasts will be pleased to know that there is finally a way to post your Live Photos on the service.
How To: Maximize Your iPhone's Battery Life in iOS 8
The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are supposed to last a lot longer in your pocket with improved battery life, but that doesn't mean that iOS 8 will be that friendly on your older iPhone model. All of those awesome new features could be killing your battery, but with some simple tweaking, your battery life concerns will be a mere afterthought.