Hot Apple Posts
News: The Purple iPhone 12 Ships with iOS 14.5
During its first event of 2021, Apple announced a surprising new purple iPhone 12 the first new color for the device since its launch in the fall. However, one piece of important news slipped under the radar in the announcement — the purple iPhone 12 ships with iOS 14.5.
How To: If Your Sneaky Kids Keep Making In-App Purchases on Your iPhone, This Will Block Them for Good
You can't hand over your iPhone to a kid and expect everything to be OK. Not only will they drop your iPhone (and they will), they could also do something much worse than a cracked screen — in-app purchases.
How To: 7 Search Tips You Need to Know to Find Specific Photos & Videos Faster on Your iPhone
If you've been using an iPhone for years, chances are you have thousands of photos and videos in your Photos app. And while it may be fun to browse them when you have free time, finding a specific one can be a chore if you're not searching your gallery right.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 8, Features Under-the-Hood Changes
Apple released the eighth iOS 14.5 public beta on Tuesday, April 13. The update (build number 18E5199a) comes three hours after Apple seeded developers 14.5 beta 8, so we know that it contains little-to-no surface-level features or changes. Any changes, at this time, appear to be under the hood.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Beta 8 to Developers
Apple released the eighth iOS 14.5 developer beta on Tuesday, April 13. The update (build number 18E5199a) comes six days after Apple's last 14.5 beta update, which Apple pushed out to both developers and public beta testers.
How To: This Interactive Demo Turns Your iPhone into a Samsung Galaxy Smartphone You Can Test Out
The Apple ecosystem might be strong, but so is the pull from devices outside Cupertino's walls. If you've ever felt curious about what life could be like with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, be that an S21 or a Note20, you don't need to make the switch to know. In fact, you can give it a go right on your iPhone.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 7 for iPhone, Introduces Under-the-Hood Updates
It's a bit surprising that Apple hasn't seeded beta testers the release candidate for iOS 14.5. The next big iPhone update is rumored to be out soon, so it stands to reason that we'd see a "final" version of that software hit our test devices rather than another beta. But that simply isn't the case here, as Apple decided to release a seventh 14.5 beta.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Beta 7 for iPhone
Apple's iOS 14.5 is the biggest update to your iPhone since iOS 14. The new software features over 40 features and changes, including 217 new emoji, controller support for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and battery calibration for the iPhone 11 line. Now, Apple is inching closer to the finish line with 14.5 beta 7.
How To: Stop Your HomePod from Spying on You
While Apple's reputation for privacy and security is nearly unmatched, it'll never be perfect when Hey Siri is always listening. Aside from iOS devices, Hey Siri always listens for questions and commands on the HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers. If you rarely use Hey Siri on those speakers, it's worth disabling the feature for some extra privacy.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 6, Features New Siri Voices & Battery Health Calibration for iPhone 11 Line
Apple seeded software testers iOS 14.5 public beta 6 today, Wednesday, March 31. The update includes a new battery calibration for iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, as well as two new Siri voices.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Beta 6 to Developers, Includes Battery Health Calibration for iPhone 11 Line
Apple just seeded developers the sixth iOS 14.5 beta today, Wednesday, Mar. 31. The update includes a calibration for battery health measurements for the iPhone 11 line, as well as two new Siri voices.
How To: Mirror Your iPhone's Entire Screen to Mac & Windows Using Any Web Browser
Screen mirroring software has been around for ages, allowing you to mirror your iPhone to a projector, laptop, TV, or another device. It's useful to have during lectures, presentations, and meetings, so it's no wonder why Apple created its AirPlay technology. However, AirPlay doesn't work in all situations.
News: Update Your iPhone to iOS 14.4.2 Right Now to Patch an Actively Exploited WebKit Vulnerability
Attackers may have actively exploited a new WebKit vulnerability on iOS and iPadOS, but Apple just released a patch to secure your iPhone and iPad from attacks.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 5 for iPhone
Earlier this month, the rumor mill suggested that Apple was gearing up for a Mar. 23 event, with a possible release of iOS 14.5 to boot. That event, as we can now see, never came to be. It seems Apple is also not quite ready to unveil iOS 14.5, either, as we now have a fifth beta to test on our iPhones.
News: Apple's iOS 14.5 Developer Beta 5 Available for iPhone
Apple released the fifth iOS 14.5 developer beta on Tuesday, Mar. 23. The update comes eight days after the company released 14.5 beta 4 for public testers and developers.
How To: The Easy Way to Upload Files Anonymously from Your iPhone So They Can't Be Traced Back to You
If you need to share something online but don't want your personal information attached to the file, use an anonymous file hosting site. By uploading files anonymously, you keep your IP address safe and won't need to create any kind of account that could provide further logging. You can do this in a web browser, but it's much easier to do using a shortcut on your iPhone.
How To: Eliminate Unwanted Texts & iMessages on Your iPhone to Avoid Spam, Scams & Phishing Attacks
Next to spam calls, few things are more annoying than being inundated with spam, scam, and smishing texts. Your iPhone's Messages app should be a place for your friends and family to stay in touch, not a minefield of phishing attacks, malicious links, and viruses. Luckily, there are quite a few methods to block and report your way to a more spam-free iPhone.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 4 for iPhone, Features Reference to New 'City Charts' Playlists in Apple Music
Apple released the fourth public beta for iPhone today, Monday, Mar. 15. The update (build number 18E5178a) comes three hours after the fourth 14.5 developer beta, and includes references in its code to a new "City Charts" playlist feature in Apple Music.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Developer Beta 4 for iPhone
Apple released the fourth developer beta for iPhone today, Monday, Mar. 15. The update (build number 18E5178a) comes 13 days after Apple seeded developers the third 14.5 beta, and 12 days after public testers received their third 14.5 update.
How To: Make New Tabs & Windows in Safari Faster So You Can Type in Searches & URLs Without Any Lag or Missing Keystrokes
If your Safari browser is lagging when opening new tabs or windows on your Mac, there's an easy fix that will speed things back up to how they're supposed to be.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.4.1 for iPhone, Includes New Security Fixes
Apple just released iOS 14.4.1 for iPhone today, Monday, Mar. 8. The event marks 41 days since Apple released a public update for iPhones, with iOS 14.4 back on Jan. 26.
How To: These Issues Could Prevent Your App Store Subscriptions from Renewing on Time
Ah, subscriptions. Whether you love or hate them, they are now a fundamental part of our increasingly digital lives. If you have some essential subs on your iPad, iPhone, or Mac, like Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple News+, Bumble, Pandora, Tinder, or YouTube Premium, there are three key issues you need to know about that could unexpectedly stop your membership from renewing.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 3 for iPhone, Adds New 'Items' Tab in Find My
Apple released the third public beta for iOS 14.5 today, Wednesday, Mar. 3. The update introduces a new "Items" tab in the Find My app that hints at the company's long-rumored "AirTags," a new Apple Watch icon when unlocking your Face ID iPhone with your watch, as well as small UI updates.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Developer Beta 3 for iPhone
Apple released the third developer beta for iOS 14.5 today, Tuesday, Mar. 2. The company promptly pulled the update from the developer portal, before finally making it available for all shortly after. The update was surprising to begin with, since Apple released it at an unusual time, and was only available as a download from the dev portal, without any OTA option.
How To: Disable Notifications for 'Memories' in Apple Photos Without Turning Notifications Off for the Whole App
Introduced in iOS 10, the "Memories" feature in Apple Photos aims to give you fun snapshots of events, people, pets, and more from over the years. However, if you don't really care about these auto-generated slideshows, then you probably don't like getting notifications for them, either. Whenever you get fed up with receiving these unwanted alerts, there's an easy way to turn them off.
How To: Mute Your Mac's Microphone Automatically When Typing During Zoom Meeting Calls
You're in a Zoom meeting, and you're click-clacking away at your keyboard, typing important notes from the call. More realistically, you're doing something unrelated to the meeting, such as browsing the web, playing a game, or messaging friends. Whatever it is you're typing, if your microphone is on, everyone on the Zoom call will be able to hear the sound of you typing.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 2 for iPhone, Adds Over 200 New Emoji & Apple Music Lyric Sharing
Apple just released the second public beta for iOS 14.5 today, Wednesday, Feb 17. The update comes just one day after the company seeded developers the second 14.5 beta. Because of that, we've had 24 hours to sink our teeth in beta 2's new features, like 217 new emoji, Apple Music lyric sharing, Apple Music UI updates, and new Shortcuts options.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Developer Beta 2 for iPhone, Adds Over 200 New Emoji & iPad Microphone Privacy Feature
Apple released the second developer beta for iOS 14.5 on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The update comes 15 days after Apple seeded developers the first 14.5 beta, which included a slew of new features such as default music app support, compatibility with PS5 and Xbox Series X controllers, and more.
How To: Do This to Make Siri Use Deezer for Music & Podcasts Instead of Apple's Apps
With its emphasis on well-rounded audible entertainment, Deezer gives all music and podcast fans the best of both worlds. As great as the app is, it's inconvenient to constantly tell Siri to play your music and podcasts through Deezer so that it doesn't default to Apple Music or Apple Podcasts instead. But as of iOS 14.5, you can set Deezer as your iPhone's "default" music player for Siri.
How To: Get Siri to Remember Pandora as Your Preferred Music Player in iOS 14.5
If Pandora is your primary music app on your iPhone, you know it can be frustrating to use with Siri. The digital assistant always wants to use Apple Music instead, so you need to specify that you want to play through Pandora with almost every request. That's now a thing of the past because iOS 14.5 allows you to set Pandora as your Siri's preferred music player.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.5 Public Beta 1 for iPhone, Adds Support for Xbox Series X & PS5 DualSense Controllers
Apple released the first public beta for iOS 14.5 on Thursday, Feb. 4. This update is proving to be the most significant in some time, offering new features and changes like support for PS5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers, the ability to unlock your iPhone using your Apple Watch, AirPlay 2 support for Fitness+, Reminders sorting and printing options, 5G support when using dual-SIM, and more.
How To: Sort Reminders Lists by Title, Due Date, Creation Date, Priority & More on Your iPhone
You use your iPhone's Reminders app to keep track of everything from grocery lists to the day's most important tasks. Over recent iOS updates, Apple has added tools to Reminders to make it even more powerful, like assigning tasks to other people and setting location-based reminders. Now there's another great update, and it gives you the ability to sort your lists.
How To: Safari for iPhone Lets Advertisers Track Your 'Clicks' — Here's How to Disable It
Apple wants to support the advertising economy, but its primary focus of late has been user privacy and security. In Safari, cross-site tracking, which lets content providers track you across websites and apps to show you more targeted ads, is disabled by default. However, content providers can get around that using less privacy-invasive ad measurements, but you can stop that too in iOS 14.5.
How To: This Is Absolutely the Fastest, Most Convenient Way to Toggle Your iPhone's Flashlight On & Off (Hint: It's No Button)
It's easier than ever to toggle your iPhone's flashlight (or torch) on and off. From your lock screen, home screen, or from within any app, most iPhone models will let you enable or disable the flashlight from the Control Center, via the Notification Center, or with Siri. But there's an even faster and more convenient way to trigger the flashlight button, and you don't even have to look at your iPhone to use it.
News: Apple Releases First iOS 14.5 Developer Beta for iPhone, Adds Support for Xbox Series X & PS5 DualSense Controllers
Apple released iOS 14.5 developer beta 1, and the update sports a list of interesting features and changes. Some of those include support for the Xbox Series X and PS5 DualSense controllers, the ability to unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch, AirPlay 2 support for Fitness+, 5G support for dual-SIM setups, and a refreshed Software Update page in Settings.
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: 10 New Features & Changes for Your iPhone in iOS 14.4
Outside of iPhone releases, software updates are arguably the most exciting aspects of iOS life. It's like Christmas morning when your iPhone installs an update, as you dive through your device to find all the new features and changes Apple thought to include. With iOS 14.4, there are at least 10 such new additions just waiting for you to explore.
News: Apple Releases iOS 14.4 for iPhone, Featuring New Apple Watch Face & Updates to Camera, Bluetooth & Privacy
Buckle up, iPhone users, because it's update time! Apple just released its latest iPhone OS to the public, iOS 14.4. This new edition isn't the company's most ground-breaking, but it doesn't come up short, either — you'll find support for smaller QR codes in Camera, a new "Device Type" setting in Bluetooth, support for a new Apple Watch face, and a major privacy feature, among other new changes.
How To: Free Up Space on Your iPhone Quickly Without Deleting Any Important Data
Even with the convenience of online storage like iCloud and Google Drive, data management can be a constant struggle on your iPhone. If you continuously find yourself having to delete messages, photos, videos, and other files to make room for other things, know that there's an easy way to free up space without erasing anything important or having to dig through documents and data yourself.
How To: Find & Remove Files from Deleted Apps on Your iPhone to Free Up More Storage
Since iOS 11, your iPhone has been capable of offloading hardly used apps to free up storage space for more useful data. But offloading only gets rid of the app's binary, meaning its documents and data are stored on your device in case you reinstall the app. That can take up a lot of space itself, so it's good to periodically review files for offloaded apps and purge the content you no longer need.