iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear
Our Favorite Dark Mode Shortcut, Self Timer Tips & Astrology App That Will Analyze Your Life
By Donna Cleveland
In the 130th episode, David and Donna share a shortcut for enabling Dark Mode, self timer tips for capturing group photos, and the astrology app they can't get enough of this week.
Review: iAdapt 7-in-1 Multiport USB-C Hub with Card Reader for MacBook Pro
By Todd Bernhard
I use a MacBook Pro at work and a different one at home, and I use multiple monitors and other accessories in both places, so I'm always looking for the ideal docking hub. Kanex sent me the iAdapt 7-in-1 Multiport USB-C Hub + Card Reader ($79.95) to try. For users like me, it's a great addition. I specify users like me, because it does require a MacBook Pro with two adjacent USB-C ports. It simply won't fit on other Macbooks. Indeed it plugs in to those two slots and essentially become a part of the MacBook Pro.
9 Ways to Fix an iCloud Photo Sharing Link Not Working Message on Your iPhone
By Leanne Hays
Saving photos and photo sharing is easier than ever before with iCloud, particularly now that we can share pictures from our iCloud photo library with a link. It's even possible to use iCloud photo sharing with non-Apple phones, by creating an iCloud for Android link. Sometimes, though, an error occurs and recipients can't open the iCloud photo sharing link. We'll go over nine ways to resolve this problem, so you can see the videos and pictures that have been shared with you!
How to Fix Small iPad Icons
By Tamlin Day
With the new iPadOS, Apple made app icons smaller in order to fit more icons on a given screen. But what use is having more icons if you can’t find the app you’re looking for because the app icons are so small? Apple anticipated this and nested a fix for the small iPad icons inside the Settings app. Read on to learn how to make the change the app icons on your iPad to be bigger.
Review: RapidX Portable Wireless iPhone Charging Stand
By Todd Bernhard
RapidX has come up with a clever way to distinguish its MyPort portable charger ($79.99). The company sent me a review unit of its latest battery pack and it stands out, literally, because it works as a stand or a horizontal Qi charging pad or via a USB-A port. The battery pack charges by just being placed in the included dock, which charges via USB-C. There is an included USB-A to USB-C cable. This is a nice touch that helps deliver fast wireless charging at 10 watts from the 10,000 mAh battery.
Featured iUser: How Preschool Director Rebecca Bellonci Uses Her iPhone
By Leanne Hays
In every issue of iPhone Life magazine, we feature the iPhone Home screens of people from different walks of life, so our readers can see how they use iPhone apps to meet a variety of needs. In our Spring 2020 issue, we featured preschool director Rebecca Bellonci, who uses her iPhone for parking, visiting museums, fitness, and more. If you have a story and apps you'd like to suggest, email Tamlin Day, and we may feature you in an upcoming issue of the magazine!
How to Turn Off Siri in iOS 13
By iPhone Life Team
Artificial intelligence has come a long way from the HAL9000. Thankfully, it is far easier to control our virtual assistants than it was to disable HAL. Sometimes you don’t want to be asking Siri everything. Sometimes Siri is making too many errors. Sometimes you feel like you just want no assistance at all. Whatever the reason for putting Siri in the corner, here is a guide to turning off, limiting, and re-enabling Siri on your iPhone.
Our Favorite Drones, External Chargers & Password Management Apps
By Donna Cleveland
In episode 129, discover the apps and gear the iPhone Life team can't get enough of. David shares the external charger he travels with, and Donna recommends a drone for aerial videography and photography.
Review: Eve Water Guard Leak Detector
By Mike Riley
The HomeKit-enabled Eve product catalog continues to rapidly expand into a variety of home automation hardware, with the most recent being a smart Wi-Fi water sensor alarm that detects standing water. If you have ever experienced a leaking washing machine, dishwasher or overflowing sump pump, the Eve Water Guard ($79.95) is an ideal water leak detector to add to your Apple HomeKit-powered environment.
Are AirPods Waterproof?
By iPhone Life Team
Owning a late-model iPhone means that you not only don’t have a headphone jack, but also, you most likely now own a set of AirPods. These convenient Bluetooth accessories have made living without wired headphones a breeze, but did Apple make AirPods waterproof? We’re here to help you with that and provide some other important AirPod information.
Hands On with iPadOS: Closer to a Laptop than Ever Before
By Mike Riley
Apple has been pushing the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement for the last few years, yet its interface hasn’t allowed the levels of productivity afforded by traditional desktop operating systems like macOS and Windows. So when Apple announced its bold intent to fork the iOS platform by creating a separate version for the iPad, most enthusiasts, including myself, applauded the strategy. Let’s take a look at the most impressive features iPadOS has to offer.
How to Use the Apple Watch Noise App
By Tamlin Day
The Noise app on your Apple Watch is there to help protect your hearing against harmful decibels, but to get the notifications, you’ll need to enable the app. With the Noise app, you can set the decibel at which you want to be notified and set how you receive the notifications. Let’s dive in with how to protect your ears with the Noise app.
AirPods Pro Controls: How to Use Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode
By Leanne Hays
The AirPods Pro, Apple's latest wireless, Bluetooth earbuds, have more noise-canceling options than previous generations. AirPods Pro owners can decide how much noise reduction they'd like by choosing between three noise-control modes: Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Off. There are several ways to switch between these modes, either directly from your AirPods, or by using your paired device, whether it be your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Let's get started learning how to turn on and switch between AirPods Pro noise-canceling settings on all your Apple devices.
Review: Next-Generation Headphones from MU6 Deliver High-End Noise Cancellation
By Todd Bernhard
My daily desktop wireless headphones are the Space 1 from MU6 (say it out loud and it sounds like "Musics") for several reasons. Most importantly, they deliver great sound and the over-ear design helps block out office noise. Plus, the leather earcups and padding are comfortable for long-term use. So I was very interested in checking out the Space 2 (starting at $139) when I visited the MU6 booth at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
How to Get Directional Buttons for the iPhone Apple TV Remote App
By Tamlin Day
Swiping to make a selection on the Apple TV’s Siri Remote can be frustrating. With the Apple TV Remote app installed on your iPhone, you can adjust your accessibility features to use directional buttons instead of swiping. Let’s get started with how to enable directional buttons on the Apple TV Remote on your iPhone.
How to Take Screenshots with the iPhone’s Voice Control
By Tamlin Day
Taking a screenshot using the physical buttons can be a literal pain if you have joint problems. That, plus messy fingers from cooking or being outside in the cold can make it hard to use to your hands to control the iPhone. For those times when using your hands isn’t an option, the iPhone’s Voice Control is a great alternative for taking screenshots. Here’s how to take a screenshot using Voice Control.
Apple TV Plus: Content, Cost, Devices, Pros & Cons
By Todd Bernhard
Shortly before he passed away, Steve Jobs told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, that he had finally “cracked” how to make television smarter and easier. Eight years later, Apple has finally released Apple TV Plus. So, did Apple make good on Steve's prediction? In this article, I will assess the quality of the user interface, original content, pricing, and hardware compatibility of Apple TV Plus, but, as is true with most Apple products, the sum is greater than the parts. Apple’s ecosystem is what makes Apple TV Plus so appealing compared to the competition.
How to Fix Your AirPods When They're Not Working
By Cullen Thomas
AirPods cutting out, not working, not connecting, or skipping? Here are some common AirPods problems and their easy solutions. Whether your issue is with Airpods, AirPods 2nd Generation, or AirPods pro, we've got you covered. Between sharing your AirPods with other people's devices and using two sets of AirPods with one iPhone, you can get a lot of mileage out of your set. But even though they're normally more reliable than other true wireless headphones, you'll still sometimes need to do some AirPod troubleshooting. We're here to help.