How Tos

Flight tracker apps are a popular way to keep tabs on planes in the sky, because when you're preparing to fly or when someone you know is on board a flight, you can use them to check that things are still on schedule. But if you have an iPhone, you don't need to download and install a third-party app to track a flight – it's a handy built-in feature of the operating system. The ability to ...

Most of us stare at our iPhones for far too long, and this constant exposure to a bright screen can strain our eyes, especially in low-light conditions or during the twilight hours. That's where the ability to dim your iPhone screen beyond the standard brightness settings becomes a game-changer. If the screen of your ‌iPhone‌ or iPad is too bright for comfort, the usual solution is to go to...

On iPhone, Apple offers a Voice Isolation feature for use during cellular calls. Keep reading to learn what Voice Isolation does and how to enable it. In iOS 15 and later, Apple includes several new features to make video conferencing with FaceTime and other video calling apps more appealing. One of these features, called Voice Isolation, makes it easier for people to hear your voice on a...

Did you know it's possible to take multiple Live Photos from your iPhone's photo library and turn them into a single continuous video? Keep reading to learn how it's done. On iPhone and iPad, Live Photos bring your pictures to life by adding a few seconds of video before and after the shot, creating a living memory rather than a static image. While Live Photos are great on their own,...

Tired of toggling your iPhone's Orientation Lock for certain apps? Keep reading to learn how you can make iOS do it for you automatically. In iOS, many apps display a different view when you rotate your iPhone from portrait to landscape orientation. Depending on the app and the way you use it, this behavior isn't always desirable, which is why Apple includes the Orientation Lock option in...

Back in January, we reported on an issue where some Mac users found that their computer automatically upgraded itself from macOS Monterey or Ventura to the latest macOS Sonoma release, even with the Automatic Updates option disabled in System Settings. In many cases, it seems that users inadvertently triggered the Sonoma upgrade simply by dismissing a notification alerting them that the...

Did you know you can quickly access your most recent files on your iPhone without navigating through folders or apps? Thanks to Apple's Files widget, you can directly access your files with a tap of your Home Screen. The Files widget helps keep your important documents at the forefront. It's great way to keep track of your most recent work without manually sorting through files, ensuring...

Most iPhone users know how to share a webpage link in Messages, but not everyone realizes that you can quote text from the webpage and include it in the message link. Keep reading to learn more. Incorporating quoted text when sharing a webpage link in Messages is a great way to get to the point and make it clear why the content you're sharing is relevant and interesting. It not only makes...

Like iPhones, iPads, Macs, the Apple Watch, and the Apple TV, the HomePod and HomePod mini are updated with new software on a regular basis. The most recent update was released on March 7, and enables Siri to learn what your preferred media service is. By default, updates are installed on your ‌HomePod‌ devices automatically, but there's also a way to force an update if new software is...

In iOS 17, Apple added a new feature to the Photos widget that enables you to view pictures from a specific album in your photo library right on your iPhone's Home Screen. Here's how it works. Previously in iOS, the ‌Photos‌ widget was limited to showing featured pictures selected for you by the ‌Photos‌ algorithm, meaning there was no way to choose a custom album in your library for the widget...

Apple has improved the Lock Screen on iPhones in recent years, making it more customizable than ever and able to display information-rich widgets. This article shows you how to add select widgets your iPhone's Lock Screen in ‌iOS 16‌ and later. Lock Screen Widgets used to be the sole preserve of Android phones, but in 2022 Apple finally added them to ‌iPhone‌ when it overhauled the Lock...

In iOS 17.4, which is now available, a new feature enables Siri to read incoming messages to you in the language(s) of your choosing. Keep reading to learn how it works. Previously in iOS 17, ‌Siri‌'s interaction with Messages was limited to one option – the ability for ‌Siri‌ to automatically send your dictated messages without asking you to confirm them first. In iOS 17.4, however, ‌Siri‌...

In iOS 17.4, which is now available, Apple has added audio transcripts to the Podcasts app for iPhone, meaning you can now read along to your favorite podcasts as they are spoken. In iOS 17.4, Apple has added support for auto-generated transcripts in its Podcasts app, offering users another way to enjoy podcast content rather than simply listening to what is being said. (To update your...

On iPhone and iPad, Apple includes a Translate app that can translate several different languages in real-time, and Safari has integrated translation capabilities, too. Thanks to its webpage Translation feature, Safari will automatically detect if it can translate a foreign webpage you visit based on your Preferred Languages list. Keep reading to learn how it all works. At the time of...

With last year's release of iOS 17, Apple introduced new features for second-generation AirPods Pro, such as Adaptive Audio, the ability mute/unmute yourself when on a phone call, and more. Keep reading to learn what use cases the new noise control features are designed for, and how you can control them in ‌iOS 17‌ when your iPhone is connected to ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 with updated firmware. To skip...

With iOS 17, Apple introduced Contact Posters to its stock Phone and Contacts apps. Keep reading to learn what Contact Posters are and how to use them. Apple in ‌iOS 17‌ offers iPhone users a novel way to express themselves when it comes to calls, with the addition of personalizable Contact Posters. Contact Posters allow you to customize how you're represented when you call another ‌iPhone‌...

In today's digital age, keeping track of online transactions is more crucial than ever, especially for Apple users who frequently download apps, music, movies, and more from various Apple services. Your Apple ID purchase history is a comprehensive log of all the content you've bought using your account, not just on your iPhone, but across all your Apple devices. Knowing how to access this...

In iOS 17.3, Apple introduced a new Stolen Device Protection feature to provide your iPhone with added security. This article explains what it does, why you might want to turn it on, and how to go about doing so. In 2023, reports began emerging about a new method thieves were using to steal iPhones and access users' highly sensitive data. Thieves would surreptitiously spy on their victims in ...

Since its debut in 2023, Meta's Threads social media platform has continued to evolve at pace as developers bake in users' most commonly requested features. In the latest update, Threads now lets you save posts. If you're familiar with bookmarking on X (Twitter) or saving posts in Instagram, the feature is very similar, and allows you to save posts and revisit them later. Here's how to save...

Meta's WhatsApp chat platform offers more than just the ability to send messages. It also provides various text formatting options to help you emphasize your messages. Whether you want to make your text bold, italicize it, strikethrough, or change the font, WhatsApp has you covered. Here's a quick guide on how to use these text formatting features to enhance your chatting experience,...