iOS & iPhone Features
How To: Messaging Just Got Way More Fun with GIF Keyboard for iOS 8
Third-party keyboards have become a game changer for iPhone owners since their integration in iOS 8. And while the major players from the Android realm—Fleksy, SwiftKey, Swype—already have their keyboards on the iOS App Store, their products are relatively standard fare.
How To: Pimp Out Your iPhone's Lock Screen Music Player
The lock screen music player in iOS 7 has all the controls you'd ever need from a lock screen, but it's not as visually appealing as I hoped it would be. Yes, it does show you the album cover art, but the way everything is presented makes it feel cluttered.
How To: 5 Tweaks That Make "Reachability" on Your iPhone Even Better
Due to their large size and added screen real estate, Apple included a new feature for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus known as "Reachability." Essentially, this function makes reaching the top part of the display easier by double-tapping the home key to shift the screen down closer to your thumb.
How To: Pause & Play Music Faster Using the Volume Buttons on Your iPhone
When you're wearing EarPods or another set of headphones with built-in remote controls, pausing and playing music is as convenient as it gets. However, some of the better sounding headphones out there do not have remotes built in, so pausing a song when you need to is at least a few steps, which is a few steps more than I want.
How To: Flappy Cage, Plus 4 More Ridiculously Fun Flappy Bird Themes for Your iPhone
Flappy Bird is immensely popular, we already know that, but it's even more so now that the developer removed it from Google Play and the iOS App Store. Android users can still get the game fairly easy, but it's nearly impossible to install a safe version on the iPhone now, so you'll have to resort to one of the many Flappy Bird clones out there.
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.
News: 100+ Apps iOS Users Need on Their iPhones in 2018
While there aren't as many ways to customize your iPhone like there is on Android, there are still a lot of apps out there that can help streamline and enhance your experience beyond Apple's own default options — and we've hand-picked over 100 essentials.
How To: Access Your Screen Time Usage Stats Faster in iOS 12 for iPhone
Apple's digital health initiative in iOS 12 includes Screen Time, a settings menu that shows you how much time you spend playing games, reading news, and whatever else it is you do. This menu also lets you schedule downtime away from your iPhone, set time limits for your apps, and more. While this is all great, it's hidden inside the Settings app — but there's a faster way to access this data.
How To: Get Android-Style Lock Screen Shortcuts to Favorite Apps on Your iPhone
There are countless mods and apps for Android devices that give them an iOS-style look, but maybe it's about time we take some notes from Android, especially when it comes to the iOS 7 lock screen.
How To: Replace Pentalobe Screws on an iPhone 4 with a Pentalobular Screwdriver
You've all probably heard about Apple's attempts to thwart iPhone 4 users from opening up their own devices, thanks to their sly maneuvers in switching out everyone's screws with those funky pentalobular screws. But one thing Apple will never learn— they will never have complete control. Where there's a will, there's a way. And if someone wants to fix their own iPhone or modify it slightly, they're going to do it, regardless of what screws bind it together.
How To: Watch HBO Offline on Your iPhone for 'Game of Thrones' Anytime
If you're a Game of Thrones fan and would like to watch the latest season offline on your iPhone, or if you need to catch up on previous seasons, there is no current support on HBO Go or HBO Now to download episodes for offline viewing. But that's only halfway true because there is a legal, official way to download HBO content on your iPhone, it's just not obvious at all.
How To: Open Map Links in Google Maps Instead of Apple Maps on Your iPhone (Jailbreak Required)
When I heard that Google finally released a maps app for Apple's iOS 6, I almost cried. After upgrading to iOS 6 from iOS 5.1 on my iPhone 4, I was sad to realize that Apple Maps was the new default map app. I don't even have to explain why having Apple Maps as the native mapping program was a terrible terrible thing.
News: Want to Jailbreak? If You're Running iOS 11.4, Do Not Upgrade to 11.4.1
In the tech world, upgrades are normally a good thing. On iOS, it means bug fixes and security patches that protect your iPhone and keep it up with the times. In the jailbreak world, however, upgrades can mean certain death, as we are reminded today when Apple stopped signing iOS 11.4. That means if you upgrade to 11.4.1, you will no longer be able to jailbreak your iPhone.
How To: New iPhone Features & Changes in iOS 13.6 That You Need to Know About
While the iPhone world's attention might be fixated on Apple's upcoming iOS 14 and all of its new features, it's still in beta. What's not in beta anymore? Apple's latest iOS 13 update — iOS 13.6 — which dropped on July 15.
How To: Face ID Not Working? This Setting Could Fix It
Ever since the iPhone X, Face ID has been the standard way to unlock your iPhone. For the most part, it works remarkably well and adds a layer of security that Touch ID can't match. That said, the tech isn't perfect. If you're finding that Face ID isn't working for you, there might be an iOS setting to blame.
News: Apple Just Released Its iOS 12.1.3 Developer Beta 2 for iPhone
Apple pushed out iOS 12.1.3 developer beta 2 to all developers on Wednesday, Dec. 19. It's an interesting and mysterious update, as it follows the sudden release of iOS 12.1.2. That software only had one beta version before its stable release, which would explain why the iOS 12.1.3 dev beta skipped version 1 and went straight to version 2 since it's basically a continuation of the first iOS 12.1.2 beta.
How To: Get Your World of Warcraft Fix with This RPG Game for iPhone
The world of mobile gaming is flush with MMORPGs that entice players with console-quality graphics and gameplay, intense co-op dungeons similar to World of Warcraft, and epic loot that'll give you a leg up over your competition. While there are games like Order & Chaos that nearly match PC-based RPGs, most simply fail to measure up. But the latest entry in this genre, Crusaders of Light, may finally get players to ditch their computers for iPhones and iPads to get their online RPG fix. Crusad...
How To: Keep Others from Replying to Messages on Your iPhone's Lock Screen
If you have an iPhone with 3D Touch or Haptic Touch, some lock screen notifications will let you respond to a message without even unlocking the screen. This is definitely a handy feature, and it should save a lot of time in some cases, but there are some obvious security concerns.
How To: Track Your iPhone 6 Shipping Status
Unless you're waiting in line for your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, it's a sure bet that you'll be sitting by at home for your new device to get delivered today.
News: iOS 11.2 Developer Beta Released — Wallpapers, Tweaked Emojis & More
The fifth developer beta for iOS 11.1 was released on Oct. 24, and the official iOS 11.1 update was pushed out to iPhones everywhere on Oct. 31. However, that isn't stopping Apple from seeding developers with the iOS 11.2 beta already.
How To: Find the Normal Photos for Your Portrait Mode Images in iOS 11
Whenever you would use "Portrait Mode" in iOS 10 on your iPhone 7 Plus, the camera would save both a regular and depth effect version. If you were low on space, you could always opt to save the depth effect version only, but this setting is now gone in iOS 11. While at first it seems like only the depth effect version is saved now, the normal version is still there, whether you like it or not — it's just hiding.
News: Apple Released iOS 14.1 for iPhone, Then Pulled It — But You Can Still Install the GM Build
Apple erroneously released iOS 14.1 for iPhone as a stable OTA update on Tuesday, Oct. 13, just after the special event where it announced the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max. It's not surprising given Apple's track record lately.
How To: 13 Protective Cases That'll Safeguard Your New iPhone 12 or 12 Pro & Still Make It Look Cool
Apple announced four different iPhone models during its Oct. 13 web-only event, but only two of them can be purchased this month: the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. Preorders have already started for the two smartphones, and you could have one in your hands as early as Oct. 23, if you're lucky. To help keep your shiny new iPhone protected from scratches and cracks, try one of these cases.
How To: Theme Your iPhone's Home Screen with Falling Snow for the Winter
Just in time for the holiday festivities, iOS developer Tristan Kennedy has created a snowy HTML widget for your jailbroken iPhone's home screen called SnowScreen. Simply apply the widget and you'll have a falling snow animation layered over whatever wallpaper you already have. Without further adieu, let's show you how to apply this tweak.
News: Everything You Need to Know About the iPhone 8 & 8 Plus
Every other year, Apple comes out with "S" model iPhones that enhance and speed up their main series models from the previous year. This year, however, because of the highly-anticipated 10th anniversary iPhone, aka the iPhone X, Apple has dropped the "S" and moved straight to the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
News: iOS 11.2.5 Beta 7 Released, Expect Public Version Early Next Week
Apple just pushed out iOS 11.2.5 beta 7 today for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch to both developers and public beta testers. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, beta 6 was released, and there were two betas the previous week. With Apple promising a patch for "ChaiOS" next week for everyone, it's like iOS 11.2.5 will be that update.
News: This Hack Turns Your iPad into a Multi-Window Multitasking Powerhouse for $10
Samsung and Microsoft do it out of the box, Google does it with a little tweaking, and they all do it well—multitasking. While we can hope for better (or simply any) multitasking integration for the next iteration of the iPad and iPad mini, a new jailbreak tweak eliminates the wait.
News: Apple Released iOS 12.1 Beta 2 to Developers, Introduces Over 70 New Emoji & Chargegate Fix
Apple released the second developer beta for iOS 12.1 to testers on Tuesday, Oct. 2. The new update features over 70 new emoji, including emoji with red hair, gray hair and curly hair, and an emoji for bald people, among many others. It also introduces a fix for iPhone XS and XS Max suffering from charging issues, that some have dubbed "Chargegate."
News: Reasons Why You Shouldn't Update Your iPhone to iOS 13 Right Away
Every year, Apple releases a new version of iOS. Each iteration promises new features to make using your iPhone that much better. This year, iOS 13 introduces over 200 new features and changes, including system-wide Dark Mode for the first time on iPhone. That said, you might want to pump the brakes before dashing to download and install the new update right away.
How To: 15 Important Features and Changes in the iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 Updates
Apple's latest iPhone and iPad software, iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, became available on May 16, so you can download and install it right now if you haven't already. While there aren't as many new features as iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 had, there are a few big ones in the U.S. you'll want to know beyond Apple's minuscule "About this Update" information in the "Software Update" menu.
News: New iOS Update Will Tell You More About Your iPhone's Battery Health & Turn Off Slowdown
Update 1/17: Tim Cook chimed in about the upcoming iOS upgrade with expanded battery health data. We'll expand on that below.
How To: Charge Your iPhone 7 While Listening to Music
The fact that this guide even exists is a downright shame, but that's neither here nor there. The truth of the matter is the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus don't have 3.5 mm headphone jacks, and since they use the Lightning connector to output audio, it's hard to charge your phone while your headphones are plugged in.
News: Apple Just Released iOS 13 Public Beta 6 for iPhone, Includes New Options for Blocking in Mail & Bug Fixes
Apple dropped the sixth public beta for iOS 13 today, Aug. 15. This public update comes just hours after the release of developer beta 7, an interesting move for Apple. The company has recently stuck to a schedule of seeding the public beta at least one day after the developer beta, presumably to weed out any debilitating bugs that might have gone unnoticed.
How To: iOS 10 Lets You Edit, Crop & Add Filters to Live Photos on Your iPhone
The iPhone 6s models introduced Live Photos in iOS 9, a cool new camera feature that takes a GIF-esque moving image every time you snap a pic, but the cool factor pretty much stopped right there. You couldn't take them on older iOS devices, share them with non-iOS users, or even edit them.
News: Apple Pay Makes Children's Debit Card App Safer & Easier
Parents rejoice, Apple Pay is making it much simpler for your kid to use Greenlight, the MasterCard for kids app.
How To: Jailbreak and unlock an iPhone 4 or iPod Touch fast and easy with jailbreakme
Last week, the Library of Congress decided that it was officially legal to jailbreak mobile devices. Now, days later, we finally have a jailbreak for the iPhone 4, and it might be the easiest such process ever conceived. This video will show you how you can go to one website and jailbreak your iPhone 4 or iPod Touch in about 30 seconds. Do it!
News: Apple Releases iOS 14 Public Beta 8 for iPhone
Apple just released the eighth public beta for iOS 14 today, Wednesday, Sept. 9. At this time, beta 8 (18A5373a) seems to be a minor update to iOS 14, introducing bug fixes to improve the software's overall stability.
News: iOS 11.2.5 Beta 2 Released with Bug Fixes & Improvements
Apple has released the second beta for iOS version 11.2.5 for developers on Dec. 19. The update comes six days after the release of the first 11.2.5 beta which updated the Music app to include a persistent "play bar" at the bottom of the window, along with some bug fixes. Public beta testers received the update on Dec. 20.
News: Sorry, SE Fans — iPhone SE 2 Won't Have a 4" Display
While Apple usually sets the precedent for its consumers to follow, the iPhone SE returned the company's iconic smartphone to a small form factor, one that had been ditched by the iPhone 6 and beyond. However, it appears Apple is finished with 4-inch phones for good, as the iPhone SE 2 looks to be even larger than last year's iPhone X.
How To: Spruce Up Boring Text Messages on Your iPhone with Animations, Fonts, & Background Pics
Texting something as simple as "What up, bruh?" can be transformed into something way more baller by adding emojis, emoticons, GIFs, and textspeak. Some people would even argue that texting is a form of art, similar to Shakespearean sonnets, but it still has a ways to go if you ask me.