Olena Kagui is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life. In the last 10 years, she has been published in dozens of publications internationally and won an excellence award. Since joining iPhone Life in 2020, she has written how-to articles as well as complex guides about Apple products, software, and apps. Olena grew up using Macs and exploring all the latest tech. Her Maui home is the epitome of an Apple ecosystem, full of compatible smart gear to boot. Olena’s favorite device is the Apple Watch Ultra because it can survive all her adventures and travels, and even her furbabies.
By Olena Kagui
HomePods are Apple's smart speakers that work with Siri as your virtual assistant. Since they can respond to voice commands, many HomePod-related privacy and security concerns have arisen. While it is technically possible to eavesdrop with a HomePod, it doesn't work as one would imagine. I will teach you the steps to keep you safe from being overheard.
By Olena Kagui
If you have enabled "Hey Siri" on your HomePod and other devices, then yes, Siri is always listening to you. But that doesn't mean that it is analyzing your conversations. All this means is that your HomePod, like your iPhone or other Apple devices, is listening to see if you say "Hey Siri" so that it can assist you. Let's dig a little deeper.
By Olena Kagui
When you play music on your iPhone and approach your HomePod, the song automatically transfers to your HomePod. Or at least, it should. But if this is happening when you don't want it to, I'll teach you how to turn this off to give you more control over what plays where. These tips can also help you troubleshoot your HomePod handoff not working as it should.
By Olena Kagui
During the HomePod mini Bluetooth pairing process, you have to keep your iPhone close. However, once your HomePod is set up, it will have a surprisingly good range. I will clarify how far you can be without needing to raise your voice and give you tips for improving it.
By Olena Kagui
The new iPhone 14 satellite SOS feature makes it possible for users to contact emergency services via satellite even if they don't have an internet or cellular connection. Users can send important information about the situation via text and their location via Find My. Apple created a demo to familiarize you with this feature so you can use it confidently in a real-life emergency.
By Olena Kagui
Were your AirPods stolen? We can help! We'll teach you how to find missing AirPods using FindMy and give you other tracking tips. We'll also cover reporting your AirPods stolen to the proper authorities and getting affordable single AirPod replacements in case all else fails!
By Olena Kagui
Are you wondering what you can do on an Apple Watch Ultra with the Action button? This new customizable button offers a quick way for you to access your favorite watch features with the click of a button. No other Apple Watch model to date has an Action button, and none of the existing buttons offer this level of personalization. I'll teach you all the different ways to use the Action button, leaving the best for last, so make sure to read until the end!
By Olena Kagui
Instead of the notch that houses the iPhone's front or selfie camera, the newest iPhone 14 Pro models have Dynamic Island. It exists primarily because of the camera and its sensors, but Apple has integrated it into the software to become an interactive button/background activity alert! With the Always-On Display, Dynamic Island can provide valuable at-a-glance snippets of information, sometimes even without needing to unlock your phone!
By Olena Kagui
The new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have a Dynamic Island at the top of their screens instead of the static notch on other iPhone models. It can display a lot of exciting information, including Now Playing. If you find it distracting or want to take a screenshot without the whole world knowing your guilty pleasure song, you can temporarily hide it in one swipe!
By Olena Kagui
So many people are saving time by adding their transit cards to their Apple Wallets. But did you know that you can refill your transit card directly from the Maps app? The biggest reason to do this is that you can first check how much your commute is going to cost, then top up the correct amount. I’ll show you how it works!
