iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

Student Gear: Essentials for a Successful School Year

Back to school shopping for my kids is pretty different than it was during my own academic career. In my day, we’d select notebooks, folders, pencils, and pens. These days? Kids have a lot more options, to say the least! Smart supplies and tools are available for every part of the school day, from waking up in the morning, to lunchtime, to practices, to field trips, to hitting the hay at the end of the day.

Delete Unknown Fingerprints from Your iPad (or iPhone)

A good way to maintain a secure device is to ensure no one can access it but you. Having a passcode that you keep to yourself is a great way to keep a device private, but a device that uses Touch ID may end up with a few extra fingerprints from unknown persons. But you might not have known that you can actually test which fingerprints are yours and which fingers they belong to! Here's how to determine unknown fingerprints and delete them.

One of the best ways to use the Apple Watch is as a fitness tracker. Luckily, Apple designed the Apple Watch with fitness in mind, including various features, sensors, and metrics built-in to the device. If you're interested in strength training but are not a fan of using weights, or you would prefer to exercise in a way that's more natural to the body's movements, you'll want to learn all about Functional Strength Training on the Apple Watch.

Which Apple Services Are Worth Paying For?

Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, iCloud+, News+, Apple One… The list of Apple’s subscription options is enough to make your head spin. Each subscription comes with its own questions: Is it better than its competitors? Is it worth the monthly price? If I subscribe, will I use it? How can I best bundle my subscriptions? Lucky for you, I’ve tried every Apple subscription out there and can tell you with confidence which are worth the monthly price tag.

How to Automatically Forward Text Messages to Another Phone

Can you divert text messages to another phone automatically? Sort of. If you want to automatically forward text messages to another device, you have to link that device to the same Apple ID as your iPhone, and then enable automatic text message forwarding. If you don't want to link another device to your Apple ID, your best option is to forward text messages manually.

What Is Stolen Device Protection & Is It Better Than FindMy?

Stolen Device Protection was released with iOS 17.3, and it helps protect your phone from iPhone passcode thieves who might get access to your passcode or Apple ID password. This Apple security update requires biometric data to access or change any sensitive iPhone settings. It also forces you to wait an hour to make changes to your Apple ID if you are at a location other than work or home.

How to Lock the Journal App

The Journal App, a fun new app that came with iOS 17.2, is a great way to keep a digital journal directly from your iPhone. The Journal app has a straightforward user interface that allows you to write, upload media, add links, and keep track of important memories. For this reason, it's important to be able to keep that information private. Here's how to lock the Journal app to protect your entries from prying eyes.

In the 208th episode, Editorial Director Sarah Kingsbury joins Donna to share a behind-the-scenes look at our award winners at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. From health and fitness gear, to artificial intelligence and robotics, to mixed reality and self-driving cars, get a tour of the latest tech trends with Sarah!

AI Planned My Vacation

By Linda Ruth

AI Planned My Vacation

With my 35th wedding anniversary coming up, I wanted to plan something extra special. My husband is ambivalent about travel—sure, it’s a big treat, but it’s also a big pain. Plus, when you travel, you’re not at home! I have a reputation as the family’s travel planner. This year, though, I wondered: might AI have something to contribute?

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