iOS & iPhone Features
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: Completely Close Out Running Applications in the New iPhone iOS 4
Update: If you're running iOS 7 or higher, you'll want to check out the new way to fully close your background applications.
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: 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: Watch American Netflix from Other Regions on Your iOS Device
Not every country gets the same TV shows and movies on Netflix, and there are definitely differences between the American version of Netflix and other regions, such as Canada (where I live). So, it's not surprise that people are looking to "unlock" that content.
How To: 14 iOS 8 Privacy Settings Everyone Needs to Understand (And Probably Change Right Now)
Keeping data private is vital in the days of smartphones and the free-floating information they carry. Justin wrote a guide on many of the deeply hidden and sometimes concerning privacy settings in iOS 7. Now we're back to cover some of the new (and old) privacy settings in iOS 8 that you need to address right now.
How To: Access Your AirDrop Settings in iOS 11's New Control Center
AirDrop is an underrated feature that lets you to quickly transfer files like songs and photos via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from your iPhone to Macs and other iOS devices. It's been a staple in the Control Center ever since iOS 7, prominently displayed for easy access. However, with iOS 11, that quick access to AirDrop has seemingly disappeared.
How To: Which iPhone 6 Size Is Best for You? Use Our Printable Cutouts to Find Out
Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale Sept. 19th, but pre-orders begin on Sept. 12th. If you're ready to trade in your iPhone 5 for one of these bigger and more iOS 8-friendly devices, you're probably going to pre-order.
News: People Are Pissed About iOS 11's New Notification System
There's never an Apple announcement without some good ol' anger and backlash. To be fair, Apple received some really positive feedback from parts of the iOS 11 presentation at WWDC back in June. Fans had been waiting for years to customize the Control Center, as well as for native screen recording. But if there was one thing that got fanboys and Apple haters raging about in unison, it's that weird, incomprehensible notification system.
How To: Stop Your Battery from Draining After Updating to iOS 7 (iPad, iPhone, & iPod touch)
Now that iOS 7 has rolled out to the general public, with an overwhelming fit of mass hysteria, it's only custom for people to start bitching about battery drain—and I don't blame them. I was experiencing some rapid battery drain after first updating my iPhone 5, as well.
How To: Bypass Snapchat's Caption Character Limit on Your iPhone
Snapchat developers insist that the app stay true to what its always been: a service for snapping and sharing self-destructing images. This belief is further hit home with their strict 31-character text limit, which some people refuse to abide by. Namely, Snapchatter Shayne Skellett.
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: Remove the New Apple Watch App from Your iPhone's Home Screen
Apple released iOS 8.2 on March 9th for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, which contains bug fixes and stability enhancements for certain stock features. If you've updated your device already, you've probably already noticed that you get the new Apple Watch app, too—no matter if you plan on getting a pricey Apple Watch or not.
How To: Enable Emoticons on Your iPhone (iOS 5+)
The most recent version of the iPhone Software (iOS 5) has the ability to utilize emoticons by use of the native keyboard and software, no third-party app or jailbreak required. Just follow these simple steps for unlocking the emoticon keyboard:
How To: Delete "Phantom" iCloud Songs on Your iPhone
One of the best ways to free up space on your iPhone is to use iCloud storage, and one of the best uses for iCloud is music. If you're using iCloud for music, you can choose which songs and albums to upload, and then you can download them to your device later for offline use if need be.
How To: Remove an iPhone or iPod Touch password
Have you forgotten your iPhone or iPod touch password, and find yourself locked out? Way to go! In this video tutorial, learn how to get around the iPhone passcode, and start enjoying your device again. This will let you unlock someones password on an ipod or iphone touch.
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: Quickly Add Notes or Drawings to Photos on Your iPhone
Most of us enjoy taking photos with our iPhones and sharing them with friends and family, but it's adding that extra touch or funny caption that turns an ordinary picture into something unforgettable or downright hilarious. With Inkboard, you can use your imagination to draw and scribble over any photo you take or have in your iPhone's camera roll.
How To: Block Ads for Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube, & More in iOS 7 (No Jailbreak Required)
What do Hulu Plus, Pandora, and YouTube all have in common? Ads—and lots of them. Sometimes, an advertisement or two isn't a big deal, but when you're bombarded with them daily on your iPhone, they can get old really quick, and might even lead you to delete the apps entirely.
How To: Save Any Instagram Pic to Your iPhone's Camera Roll
As a picky "liker" on Instagram, I make sure to only double-tap on the photos that I truly enjoy looking at: delicious cheeseburger shots, Siberian Husky snaps, music festivals photos, and obligatory baby pictures that my mom posts from my youth.
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: Get Flash video on iPhone/iPod touch without jailbreak
In this video I show you how to get a Flash plugin to allow you to play videos in safari. Your iPhone/iPod Touch does not have to be jailbroken to do this. If you are having problems not getting the email make sure you look in your bulk or spam folder of your email. Just click the activation link in the email refresh the safari page and everything should work.
How To: Take Secret Spy Photos & Videos in iOS 7 Using Your iPhone 5's Camera App
There are a ton of cool things you can do with your iPhone's camera in iOS 7, from taking burst photos to bouncing the camera open and taking nice parallax-friendly wallpapers. However, nothing tops the camera's super secret hidden feature—turning you into a spy photographer.
News: 7 New iOS 12.1 Features You Don't Want to Miss on Your iPhone
While there were a ton of features added in iOS 12, one that Apple had been bragging about since June was nowhere to be seen. Until now. With the iOS 12.1 update, your iPhone gets a huge feature, as well as a few smaller ones to boot.
How To: Get iOS 11's New Wallpapers on Any Phone
Apple's highly anticipated iOS 11 is ready for the public, and besides the obvious array of new features and improvements, the mobile OS also comes with stunning new wallpapers which would look amazing on any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch — even on Android devices.
How To: Send & Share Your iPhone's Current Location in iOS 8
In certain situations, it can be a little difficult to get a handle on my exact location when others ask where I am or how to get to me. Now, thanks to one of the newly introduced features on iOS 8, I can easily share my exact location with friends, right from within the Messages app on my iPhone.
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: The 9 Most Annoying Changes in iOS 11 & How to Fix Them
Now that iOS 11 is official, everyone can enjoy all of the great new features available, but there are certainly a few bad seeds in there that you'll probably find annoying. Luckily, a lot of these disagreeable quirks can be changed for the better.
How To: Close ALL Running Background Apps at the Same Time in iOS 7
When lending our iPhone to our kids, siblings or friends, it's not uncommon to have it returned with what seems like a million apps open in the background. What's worse is being too lazy to close all those open apps, in turn having our battery drain much faster than normal.
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: Monitor App Data Usage in iOS 7 & Disable Data-Hungry Apps from Sucking Up Your Money
With the majority of smartphone carriers no longer offering unlimited data plans for the iPhone, monitoring how much mobile data you use is a key element to saving money on your phone bill.
How To: Prevent Overheating in iOS 7 for a Much Cooler iPhone
Every time Apple releases a new version of their mobile operating system, it comes packed with an assortment of bugs, issues, and other hindrances.
How To: Change the Boring Battery Icon in Your iPhone's Status Bar to Something More Flavorful
Good battery life is one of the most important things any phone or tablet should have, but iOS 7 isn't always that great at handling power consumption. That leads to tunnel vision on the status bar's battery meter. After all, you don't want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with no juice left to make a call.
How To: Change Your iPhone's App Icons to Any Shape You Want in iOS 7
More and more, our phones are becoming an expression of us. Whether it's the device we choose, the case it dons, or the ringer it bellows, we like to personalize. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do beyond cases and ringers on your iPhone, unless you jailbreak.
Siri Exploited—Again: How to Bypass the Lock Screen in iOS 8 (& How to Protect Yourself)
It's becoming more and more apparent that Siri continually drops the ball when it comes to lock screen security. In the past, Siri was exploited in iOS 7.0.2 to send messages without needing a passcode. Then in iOS 7.1.1, Siri was use to bypass the lock screen again to access contacts, make calls, and send emails and texts.
Screw Translucency: Make Your iPhone's Dock Background in iOS 7 Transparent Instead
Apple is extremely strict when it comes to modifying your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. For example, let's look at the dock on iOS 7 devices. You've only really got two options for the dock background, either the default frosty translucent one, or the dark gray version. That's it, and the dark one will also change the look of other things on your device.
How To: Theme the iOS 7 Lock Screen on Your iPhone with Sleek, Rising Time Bars
The iOS 7 lock screen was made to be just that, a lock screen, so it's pretty limited in terms of functionality. We're able to add wallpapers and easily access the Control Center or Notification Center (unless we disable that access through our settings), but other than that, it's pretty bland.
How To: Disable Your Spotlight Search History in iOS 10
If you've just finally updated to iOS 10, you'll notice that lots of things have changed, and while the vast majority of new features are useful and fun, some can be a bit annoying. One bothersome bit of functionality is how Spotlight Search keeps a running history of everything you've searched for recently, which can lead to some embarrassing situations, depending on what you've been searching for.
How To: Move App Icons Wherever You Want on Your iOS 7 Home Screen
If you've seen our guide on the 18 coolest features in iOS 7, you know that there's a lot to like about Apple's new mobile OS, but there's also a laundry list of grievances to go with it. One that bugs me is the lack of Home screen customization, something that has always driven me to jailbreak in the past.