iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

Want to know how to get in touch with your favorite people even faster? On iPhone, you can favorite contacts so that you can reach them easier. You can set a default contact method and then just tap their name and get instantly connected by whichever option you choose. So text, call, and FaceTime with just a tap by adding contacts to Favorites on iPhone!

In the 110th episode, tune in for recommendations on how to pick a wireless charging hub for your iPhone and second-generation AirPods. Other topics include finding summer concerts with the Bandsintown app and customizing your favorite contacts list in the Phone app. Scheduling update: The next episode will be in three weeks on May 28.

Feel like you need to leave the house or want to squeeze in a small outing on your business trip? If you're wondering how to meet people or find local events, the Meetup app is your answer. With its array of groups and events created by people local to the area, Meetup could show you something you've never seen before, even in your own hometown.

If you came of age in the pre-smartphone era, you already know the basics of phone etiquette. But now that texting and messaging apps have overtaken phone calls as the preferred method of staying in touch, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the dos and don’ts of texting as well. Here’s how to avoid being the bane of the group chat, telling someone it’s funny that their loved one died, and snubbing someone just by letting them see that you read their message!

In the 109th episode of the iPhone Life Podcast, tune in as Sarah, Donna, and David share their first-hand experiences with Apple's second-generation wireless earbuds. Other topics include productivity apps and tips and Apple's last-minute cancellation of the AirPower mat it's been promising since 2017.

There's something soothing about grouping related things together, and that goes for contacts too! Contacts are listed alphabetically in the Contacts app and Apple doesn't offer a way to group them by any other criteria (although you can use the search function to filter contacts by things like company name or notes you may have added to a contact card). But these contacts won't otherwise be grouped all together in your list of contacts. You can work around this by editing your contacts' names to include initials or words so they appear grouped together according to criteria determined by you. Use this tip to group your contacts by how you know them—work, a hobby, family, etc.—so you can quickly browse to message a specific person or see everyone in that group at once. 

At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I picked up a pair of ThinOptics Glasses and Case (starting at $19.95) from ThinOptics. The company has a novel design for reading glasses (and computer glasses) that rest on your nose without temples, so the glasses are quite small. They are also flexible and durable.