Hot Apple Posts
How To: 12 Things the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro Models Have That Other iPhones Don't
The new iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max all come with great, never-before-seen-on-iPhone features, including the A16 Bionic chip, Bluetooth 5.3, precision dual-frequency GPS, and dual ambient light sensors. But that's only a few new features exclusive to the 2022 lineup.
How To: Use This Trick to Fake Dropped Calls on Your iPhone When You Don't Want to Talk Anymore
You see it in the movies all the time. A character on the phone doesn't like what the other person is saying or telling them to do, or they just don't want to talk to them anymore, so they fake bad reception and cut the call off. In real life, it's pretty easy to tell when someone is doing it, and there are better ways to end a call abruptly so that it looks like you didn't hang up on them.
News: The First Beta for iOS 15 Is Now Available to Download on iPhone
Apple officially announced iOS 15 at WWDC Monday, June 7. With that announcement, we got our first look at brand new features like redesigned notifications, FaceTime screen and music sharing, and Focus modes in Do Not Disturb. All of these new iPhone features are available to test out today, thanks to the iOS 15 beta.
How To: Easily View & Delete Music That's Taking Up Storage Space on Your iPhone
Apple's two iCloud storage plans have made it easier than ever to free up space on your iPhone to take more pictures, play more mobile games, and download more music. The plan prices range from $0.99 to $9.99, which isn't bad, but not everyone wants to pay for storage. So deleting items becomes a great option to free up storage — especially music and music videos.
How To: Use Customizable App Pickers on Your iPhone's Home Screen to Group Apps, Reduce Clutter & Find Apps Faster
If your iPhone's home screen is littered with apps in no discernible order, and you rely on muscle memory to locate one when you need it, it gets harder with each new app icon added. Folders can help organize the mess, but you can also create your very own app picker or group of app pickers. They act similar to folders but show apps in a list and let you add the same app to multiple app pickers.
How To: Use This Trick to Quickly Access Spotlight Search from Anywhere on Your iPhone
Spotlight, Apple's system-wide search feature, lets you search for apps, contacts, messages, webpages, music, notes, and other content that's on and off your iPhone. On iOS, it's known as "Search," and you can access it by swiping your home screen down or swiping open the Today View screen. It's not exactly convenient, but an accessibility feature can unlock Search so you could open it from anywhere.
How To: What Are Those Orange & Green Dots for in Your iPhone's Status Bar? To Protect You from Malware & Hackers
After updating to iOS 14 or getting a new iPhone with iOS 14 preinstalled, you'll notice orange and green dots that occasionally appear at the top of your iPhone. These dots appear on all supported iOS 14 devices, from the iPhone 6S to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and are there to protect you, but how?
How To: Use Any Music Playlist to Set Your Favorite Album Covers as the Lock Screen Wallpaper on Your iPhone
The music you listen to is often a reflection of your personality, which is why people tend to use the artwork from their favorite albums as device wallpapers. But one lonely album cover may not look right on your iPhone's lock screen, and it's not indicative of your broader music interests. To combine cover art into one lock screen background, there's a shortcut that makes it easy to do for any playlist.
How To: 11 Unique Effects to Make Your iPhone Photos & Videos Less Boring on Social Media
Social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have plenty of editing tools that go beyond the basics, but there are still a lot of things they can't do. So if you want to apply interesting, unique effects to your photos and videos for social media, you'll need to add some other apps to your iPhone's arsenal of tools.
How To: Organize Messages on Your iPhone by Grouping Threads Together into Specific Categories Like Family & Work
There's not much to the Messages app for iPhone when it comes to finding the right conversations. It did get some enhanced search capabilities in iOS 13, but beyond that, there's no good way to find the threads you need aside from just scrolling through the main page, which lists newer ones first. However, there is a tweak that gives you the power to group like-minded chats together.
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.
How To: 11 Tips for FaceTime Chatting with Friends & Family from Your iPhone
Anything from work or a missed flight to a worldwide pandemic (COVID-19, anyone?) can make it difficult or nearly impossible to see your loved ones. You can make phone calls or send iMessage, text, or email messages, but nothing compares to seeing family and friends right in front of you. That's where FaceTime comes in.
How To: Create Custom Text Tones for Your iPhone Using macOS 10.15 Catalina
Apple hasn't refreshed its text tones on iPhones since iOS 7. That's six years of the same sounds. And while text tones like Bamboo and Hello have undoubtedly aged like fine wine, that's still too long to live with the same old sounds day after day. Let's take matters into our own hands — let's make our own text tones, right in Music on macOS 10.15 Catalina.
How To: Confirm Texts, Emails, & Phone Calls Before Sending Them Out on Your iPhone
There's something about alcohol that compels you to contact people. Most of the time, the drunken calls or messages you send out will have you cringing hard tomorrow morning. But if you have a jailbroken iPhone, you can help prevent this potential embarrassment with a free tweak.
How To: You Don't Have to Swipe to Switch Between Home Screen Pages on Your iPhone
Swiping between pages on your iPhone's home screen feels very natural, but surprisingly, Apple has another way to switch between screens, and it's been staring us in the face this whole time.
How To: Apple's Mail App in iOS 13 Has New, Faster Ways to Select Multiple Emails
Normally, when you want to select multiple emails in the Mail app, you'd hit "Edit," tap all the bubbles next to the emails, then mark them, move them, or trash them. But in iOS 13, there's a much faster way to do it on your iPhone.
How To: Make All Your iPhone Apps Work with iOS 13's Dark Mode
The biggest feature in the iOS 13 update is a new system-wide Dark Mode. It's a simple switch that you enable to turn system menus and Apple apps dark, but it can also darken third-party apps if their developers elect to support it. Trouble is, most haven't yet, so half of your apps likely still have a blinding white background.
How To: Rotate Photos Without Any Cropping on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max When Editing
So, you snapped a great picture, but it's just a little off-center. Usually, rotating a photo requires cropping it, which will lower the overall quality of the image. That's not the case on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, however. Apple's new flagships allow you to rotate images without cropping them. The only issue? The feature isn't enabled by default.
How To: Stop Episodes Automatically in Apple Podcasts So You Don't Lose Your Place in the Show After Falling Asleep
Listening to your favorite podcast in bed can be a very relaxing way to unwind after a long, busy day. However, there's a good chance you'll fall asleep with the show still playing. That means episode after episode will play, causing you to forget where you left off. Even worse, a loud noise in an episode may jolt you awake during your night's rest. But you can prevent both issues if using Apple Podcasts.
How To: Edit Videos Using the Crop, Filter & Adjustment Tools in Your iPhone's Photos App
Starting in iOS 13, Apple introduced a robust suite of video-editing tools to its Photos app. The majority of editing tools were only available for images in iOS 12 and older, but iOS 13 leveled the playing field to allow even a novice to tweak videos like a pro before sharing.
How To: Get Haptic Feedback When Unlocking Your iPhone with Face ID
Haptic feedback is one of the iPhone's most underrated features. With Face ID, you'll feel a satisfying tap or two when buying something in the App Store or iTunes, unlocking protected notes, viewing saved passwords in Settings, and the list goes on. For the first time, Apple has added haptic feedback when unlocking your iPhone via Face ID, as well as a way to disable haptic feedback for Face ID entirely.
How To: Cancel the Apple News+ Auto-Renewal Before Your Free Trial Ends
News+ is Apple's new digital subscription service for written media that costs $9.99 per month. There is a free trial offered for one month, but you'll start getting charged the monthly fee as soon as your 30 days are up. While it's not very obvious, there is a way to cancel the auto-renewal right before you get charged.
How To: Disable Apple Pay After Your iPhone Is Stolen
When your iPhone goes missing, it's serious business. Depending on your usage, your whole life might be connected to your iPhone, not the least of which includes debit cards, credit cards, and Apple Pay Cash stored in Apple Pay. While it's nearly impossible for someone to use your money with Apple Pay, it's still a good idea to disable it until you find your iPhone, just in case.
How To: Instantly Determine Which Jailbreak Tweaks Will Work on Your iPhone
Apple has done a fantastic job of instantly patching iOS exploits through constant firmware updates to keep hackers at bay. Because of this, jailbreaking has largely been pushed to the fringes, resulting in a myriad of tweaks being abandoned by developers which, in turn, have been rendered incompatible with later jailbroken versions of iOS.
How To: Call Recorder Jailbreak Tweak Lets You Record iPhone Calls for Cheap
You don't need an obsessive ex stalking you to benefit from the ability to record calls on your iPhone in a pinch. Besides protecting yourself from nefarious intent, recording important conversations like verbal contracts and agreements can help you cover all your bases and ensure you're insulated from any potential liabilities that may appear down the road.
News: Everything You Need to Know About the iPhone XS Max
Three new iPhones means you have to make a choice: Do you go with the smaller iPhone XS, the larger iPhone XS Max, or the cheaper iPhone XR? There's lots to like about each model, but if you want to make an informed decision, it's time to learn what each has to offer. Here's what the iPhone XS Max brings to the table.
How To: Send Animated Activity Stickers (That You Didn't Earn) in iMessages
If you have an Apple Watch, you might know that the activity awards you earn can be shared with your friends as iMessage stickers on your iPhone. However, you first have to earn achievements in order to use them as stickers. That changes somewhat with iOS 12, as Apple added animated activity stickers for all Apple Watch users, whether they've earned award badges or not.
How To: Turn Your iPhone's Keyboard into a Trackpad for Easier Cursor Placement
Ever since 3D Touch's introduction in iOS 9 for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, a little-known trick for moving the cursor around and selecting text was built into Apple's stock keyboard. On iOS 12 or later, it works for all iPhone models with or without 3D Touch or Haptic Touch baked in.
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: Keep Data-Thieving USB Accessories from Connecting to Your iPhone in iOS 11.4.1 & Higher
While privacy and security are cornerstones of Apple's ecosystem, your iPhone isn't bulletproof. Creating a strong passcode will protect you from most threats, but there exist tools that can break through even the toughest passcodes via the Lightning port. Luckily, Apple has implemented a new security feature to disable your Lightning port and keep your data safe and secure.
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.
Qi Explained: The Best Wireless Chargers for Your New iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus
Apple's iPhone 8 and iPhone X announcement went about exactly as the rumors predicted. Really, there was only one surprise — the fact that all of the new models will support the Qi wireless charging standard.
Cydia 101: How to Respring Your iPhone Without Losing Jailbreak Each Time
When you have minor software issues like an app crashing, restarting your iPhone would usually fix it. But Apple doesn't provide an official "Restart" or "Reboot" option (unless you count this bold text hack), so we typically have to power our devices off and on in these scenarios. Thankfully, there's a great Cydia tweak that lets you "respring" your device, which is even faster than restarting.
Messages 101: How to Hide Alerts for Specific Conversation Threads
When somebody is in the middle of rapid firing you some text messages and they become too much for you to bear, you have a few options on your iPhone. You can simply leave the conversation, if it's an iMessage group chat with four or more participants, or you can put the whole message thread on silent, which applies to everyone, no matter if it's iMessage, SMS, MMS, or a group conversation.
How To: 11 Ninja-Level Quick Look Hacks for Your Mac
Quick Look, first introduced in 2007, is an instant preview feature on the Mac operating system that lets you view files and folders without opening them up. Just highlight a file, like a picture or text document, then press the spacebar on your keyboard to get a speedy preview of it.
How To: Use the Bedtime Clock on Your iPhone to Make Sure You Always Get Enough Sleep
Since the days of flip clocks, alarms have always had one function—make a bunch of annoying racket early in the morning to ensure that you wake up in time. And this simple MO has stayed in place while technology advances at a breakneck pace, almost in spite of the fact that today's devices are capable of doing far more than beeping at 7 in the morning.
Notes 101: How to Lock Notes with Face ID or Touch ID (& Password Protection)
When you hand your unlocked iPhone to somebody so they can use the internet real quick, check out some cool photos, or do whatever, there's a possibility that they could snoop around where they don't belong. If you have some secret recipes, login credentials, intellectual property, or other sensitive information in your notes, you'll want to add some protection to them.
How To: Limit the Volume Level on Your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch
According to the American Osteopathic Association, "1 in 5 teens has some form of hearing loss," and some experts believe it's because of an increase in headphones use. While I understand that music, movies, and video games help keep children preoccupied, there's no reason why they can't be entertained at a healthy hearing level.
How To: Change Text Size on Your iPhone for Smaller, Bigger & Bolder Fonts
For most people, the font that Apple uses in iOS is just perfect, but some of you may think it's too big while others with poor vision may have a hard time reading it. Whether you're having a hard time seeing text on your iPhone or just want something different, there are actually three things you can do to adjust how text is viewed.
How To: The Trick to Taking Perfect Selfies with Your iPhone
Unless you have a newer iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, the front-facing "FaceTime" camera on your iPhone has a pretty weak, low-res sensor, which means unflattering selfies. You could use the rear "iSight" camera to take a high-res selfie, but framing your mug properly and hitting the shutter is difficult, takes many failed attempts, and usually results in a lackluster photo.