Apple seeded the official version of iOS 13 to compatible iPhones on Sept. 19. Since then, we've seen two major updates — iOS 13.1, which, by our count, introduced 22 new features, and iOS 13.2, which also added 22 new features. Today, Dec. 10, Apple introduced the third major ...more
The prospect of loss or theft is something we constantly live with. Stolen iPhones fetch a premium price on the black market for parts like OLED display assemblies, frames, and charging ports. Making matters worse, if someone were to steal your phone, they could simply turn it ...more
When you change smartphone ecosystems, there are a lot of minor hurdles to clear along the way. It's definitely not hard to switch from Android to iOS, but little things like making sure your contacts get transferred over can take a bit of work. So if you've recently ditched ...more
Relentless in its fury, the iOS text messaging exploit that exploded onto the scene late last week seems to do more damage than initially reported. Used to reboot devices and crash the Messages app, the string of text can also be used to crash third-party apps such as Instagr ...more
Organizing contacts is a bitch, especially on the iPhone. Some contacts will have multiple entries, you can only delete contacts one by one, and certain types of contacts can't be deleted at all. If that isn't enough to make you pull your hair out, then I don't know what will. ...more
One of the most anticipated new Maps features in iOS 11 for iPhones is live and ready to keep you safe on the road. Right now, Do Not Disturb While Driving is opt-in, but if you missed Apple's on-screen prompt to enable it and want to turn it on, or if you accidentally enabled ...more
I've previously shown a few ways to make your iPhone a little more unique by customizing app icons on the home screen, and while those processes did not require a jailbreak, they were a pain in the ass. Thankfully, there's a better way to customize app and shortcut icons that' ...more
Locking up your iPhone with a passcode prevents mischievous friends from looking at your pics and emails, and makes it harder for thieves to access your data before you get around to wiping it. For even more security, there's the password option, which gives you more than just ...more
Apple may pride itself on its commitment to user privacy and security, but it isn't invulnerable. We now know there is a bug in the latest version of iOS 12 and iOS 12.1 beta that allows those in the know to bypass your passcode and access contacts and photos. This applies to ...more
If you've haven't had your fill of Apple's security issues in recent weeks, Siri is now the latest to join the slew of problems with the most recent version of iOS (7.1.1). The newest bug, discovered by Sherif Hashim, allows anyone to easily bypass passcode security measures ...more
While iOS 12 is arguably the best iteration of Apple's mobile operating system yet, one major fault so far is security. On Sept. 26, Videosdebarraquito discovered a passcode bypass that gave access to contacts and photos from the lock screen. Apple has since patched that secur ...more
A new feature in Apple's latest big iPhone software update lets you personalize how you appear on other people's incoming call screens and even customize individual contacts on your own incoming call screen if they don't have a preferred style to show you. It's called Contact ...more
So, you're on the way back from a restaurant and realize you left your iPhone there, but you're late for a meeting and can't go back yet. You may as well kiss that iPhone goodbye, right? Not yet, as long as the right person gets their hands on it first. But that potential do-g ...more
Apple's Contacts app just got its biggest update ever. Since the first iPhone in 2008, there have only been minor upgrades here and there to how you manage and interact with contacts. That changes with iOS 16. The last major feature Contacts received was emergency contacts th ...more
If you're sick of seeing some of your contacts' faces in the sharing menu every time you share photos, apps, webpages, or other content on your iPhone, or if you want to keep nearby eyes from sneaking a peek at the people you frequently share things with, you can make some or ...more
Mikoto, from Karen Tsai (aka angelxwind), is a free jailbreak tweak unlike any other. With Mikoto, you can customize features in your favorite iOS apps to an extent that you would've never thought possible. Not only is the tweak elegantly designed, but it also has more settin ...more
In iOS 13, Apple added the ability to use Memoji and Animoji for your contact photo and then share your name and photo with others through iMessage. It works excellent for contacts that use iMessage, but those that don't are stuck with old pictures or gray monograms. With a fe ...more
Why is transferring contacts from an old smartphone to a new one still insanely difficult? I can check my bank account, upload a picture to Instagram, email someone across the globe, and check the weather forecast on my phone—all in under five minutes. So why does transferrin ...more
Switching between mobile operating systems is fairly easy, but there are a few bumps along the way that you're bound to encounter. One of the first issues you'll run into is that the contacts on your old iPhone don't easily sync with your new Android device. So if you've rece ...more
Certain contacts on my iPhone have special ringtones so that I know exactly who's calling or texting without looking at my screen (like Adele's "Hello" for all my exes). But when my phone is silenced and tucked away in my pocket, these contact-specific ringtones can't really h ...more
If you're tired of fumbling with the Control Center every time you need to turn off your iPhone's LED flashlight, you'll be happy to know there's a faster way. Using a simple trick that was discovered by Redditor 49599066, you can actually toggle your flashlight off in less th ...more
Whether it's because you're too startled from a sudden awakening or you're elbow-deep in cake batter, turning an alarm or timer off on your phone can be annoying. So why not simplify the process by eliminating the need to even touch your phone? With these free apps by Augmente ...more
I've used the flashlight feature on my iPhone more times than I can count. It's an invaluable tool that's super easy to activate; just pull up the Control Center and hit the flashlight icon. However, turning it off isn't always as easy, especially when you're on the lock scree ...more
As one of only three hardware buttons on an iPhone, the Sleep/Wake button gets a lot of use day in and day out. If you've had your iPhone for a considerable length of time, this button—which is also used to power down the device, as well as turn it on—may begin to malfunction ...more
Though its necessity is less frequent compared to Android devices, iPhones still need to be shut down from time to time. Whether it's to help correct a buggy app, prevent overheating on a hot day, or conserve battery life in a pinch, the power button on any device is an indisp ...more
It took all the way until firmware version 4.2 for Apple to add a function to the iPhone that's been present on other phones for years: the ability to set custom ringtones / sounds for text messages from different contacts. This video will show you how quick and easy it is to ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to force an iPhone or iPod touch to turn off. First, hold the power button ( at the top of the device) and home button (one the bottom middle) at the same time and wait until the screen turns completely off. To turn back on, press the power butto ...more
Take a look at this instructional video and learn how to scroll through your contact list on the iPhone quickly without having to pause by each individual entry.
Apple introduced recent contacts for the app switcher (aka multitasking menu) in iOS 8, useful for quickly calling and texting your most-contacted friends and family. Just tap on one of the contact bubbles and an assortment of options appear—call, message, or FaceTime. While t ...more
From my experience, the recent contacts in the iOS 8 app switcher is a love-hate feature. On the plus side, it's a speed dial for not only phone calls, but messages. On the downside, it's a way for others to see your favorite contacts and who you've contacted most recently. W ...more
If you're not a fan of your iPhone's ability to adjust screen brightness by itself, you've probably turned off auto-brightness on multiple occasions in the past. All you would do is go to your "Display & Brightness" settings and toggle it off, but that's no longer the case in ...more
It happens to almost everyone. You wake up one morning, check your phone, and realize your alarm never went off. Now you're late to start the day, and you spend every night onward paranoid it'll happen again. But if you have an iPhone, there are two things you can check to mak ...more
Before you sell or give away an old iPhone, Find My iPhone, which works in conjunction with Activation Lock (Apple's anti-theft system) needs to be deactivated from your iCloud account. This also applies if you've lost your passcode and are locked out of the device, if you're ...more
WhatsApp is the go-to application for sending a message (or 100) to friends at home and abroad. And the best thing is, the service has remained true to its roots after Facebook acquired the company for $19 billion. Despite its awesomeness, there's one thing that WhatsApp is l ...more
There are tens of thousands of iPhone applications out there. Some are fabulous. Some are stinkers. From boredom-busting games to truly useful utilities, Fox News Tapped-In tell you which are worth a place on your iPhone. Their concise video reviews and how-tos let you see the ...more
Want to transfer songs and movies from your iPhone to your desktop? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of an Apple iPhone 3G or perhaps just considering picking one up second hand, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial. For mor ...more
Have you ever noticed that when you put your iPhone to sleep, it takes an extra second longer than it probably should for the screen to go black? It's a bit strange and forces you to wait another moment until your iPhone locks. But most of you can avoid the small delay entirel ...more
Update 1/17: Tim Cook chimed in about the upcoming iOS upgrade with expanded battery health data. We'll expand on that below. Today, Apple announced that they'd be dropping the price of their battery replacement by $50, from $79 to $29. While this will help ailing consumers' ...more
Not everyone digs Siri. Some of you probably can't live without the personal assistant on your iPhone, and some of you probably never even use it — and likely never will. If you fall into the latter category of iPhone users, you can simply disable the feature altogether, which ...more
When the screen is dark, your iPhone is still checking e-mail. Watch this electronics video tutorial to learn how to really turn off your iPhone. This will help conserve the battery, and this how-to video will give you tips on how to make sure your iPhone is really off. This v ...more
How to turn off or restart an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch If you want to turn your Apple iPhone or iPod Touch off hold the sleep button on the top of the iPod until a dialog box that says slide to power off with a red arrow. When that dialog box comes up slide the arrow and the ...more
In this video you will learn how to delete apps off of your iPod Touch or iPhone. All you need to do is press select the app you wish to delete. And instead of tapping it you hold your finger until the X pops up on the top left corner of each of the apps. Then simply press on ...more
Amber, emergency, and public safety alerts on an iPhone are loud — startle-you-to-death loud even. They can happen at any time, day or night, and sometimes back to back when you're in a big city. Those blaring sirens can wake you from sleep, interrupt an important meeting, or ...more
While Apple's tech used for Face ID on the iPhone is impressive, it's debatable whether it's more convenient than Touch ID. There are also concerns that your face could be used to track shopping patterns or be seen during mass surveillance by intelligence agencies. More import ...more
The iPhone is great for a lot of reasons, but one fault it may have is the keyboard and the ability to type. It's hard enough to actually type emails and notes on the small keyboard, but when auto-correction thinks it knows more about what you're writing than you do, it could ...more
The best way to transfer contacts from a computer to an iPhone is to use Mobile Me, formerly known as Dot Mac, which automatically synchronizes Outlook or Entourage with the iPhone. Keep track of contact information, on both the computer and the iPhone, with tips from a digita ...more
Love them or hate them, Live Photos have their place. The problem is, they're always on, requiring you to disable the feature every single time you open the Camera app. At least, that's how Apple has things set by default — but you can change that with just a few taps. To sta ...more
Syncing your Google and Facebook friends to your smartphone gets your contacts list up-to-date quickly, so you'll never have a problem finding someone's number. But, there's always a negative side to things. In this case, you'll not only get contacts with phone digits, you'll ...more
Some elements of iOS's design, like its minimal color palette, are what make Apple products unique, helping to produce a clean, sleek user experience. But after you jailbreak, that all goes out the window. Once you've tried things like theming your status bar, changing your ic ...more
While it's very easy to enable "Low Power Mode" on your iPhone, since Apple will prompt you to enable it once your battery dips below a certain percentage, it's not as obvious as to how to disable it. If you start charging your iPhone, it won't automatically disable it right a ...more
Now that there's a working jailbreak for every iOS 6.1 device, there are more and more people jailbreaking their iPhones (including me) for better customization. But for those of you who have no desire to jailbreak, you can still do some pretty cool tweaks. One such non-jailb ...more
You can view and hide iCloud contact groups on your iPhone, but Apple won't let you create or delete groups or add or delete contacts from any groups unless you're on a tablet or computer. Why Apple refuses to add a group management tool to Contacts on iOS is anybody's guess, ...more
If you want to increase your privacy and prevent iPhone apps from gaining access to data containing your location, take a look at this tutorial on turning off the location services in the settings menu on Apple's iPhone 3G devices and above.
Apple doesn't want you to know how to do this - at least not by yourself - because they can't earn any moolah off of it. But with just a few basic tools you probably already have lying around the house you can remove the back cover of your iPhone 4 easily and then replace the ...more
In this video, you will learn how to turn off and restart your iPod Touch or your iPhone. In order to do so, just follow these simple steps and instructions: To turn off the iPhone or iPod just hold the black button on the top of the phone. You will have to slide the button t ...more
You don't have to browse your entire contacts to find the one you're looking for anymore. There's a shorter way to find the contact of your choice on the iPhone. It's a nice little shortcut you can use when you know exactly who you're calling. So how? With the Search function. ...more
Apple's iOS doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to customization, but with every new iOS version we get, there are more options to personalize. Your iPhone comes packed with plenty of tweaks and hacks to make the device feel truly yours, and one of those is a fun ye ...more
The days of D batteries and bulky Maglites are over thanks to that handy little device in your pocket called a smartphone. Everyone has one, and thanks to the Control Center in iOS 7, your iPhone now has an easy-to-access flashlight, no matter what screen you're on. Just swipe ...more
Directing a message at a specific person in a group conversation, or to a select few people in the group, can be difficult if you're in a particularly active or hectic chat. Notifications and badges on your iPhone can help you keep track of important messages, but it's still e ...more
Last week, I showed off a deeply buried accessibility feature built into iOS 7 and 8 that lets you disable screen touches in certain apps. While useful for many reasons, I found it most helpful for preventing nosy family and friends from swiping through the Camera Roll when sh ...more