iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

On October 30, Apple squeezed in what is probably its last announcement of the year by bringing us the third-generation M3 chip and refreshing its MacBook Pro line and the 24-inch iMac. The upgrades to these computers focused entirely on performance rather than design or special features, but the M3 chips bring big improvements to graphics processing, and signifies a noteworthy boost to the iMac, which was last updated with the M1 chip. Here's everything to know about Apple's latest Mac release.

iCloud Drive on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac makes sharing files between devices seamless. When you add a file to a folder within your iCloud Drive on your Mac computer, the file is instantly available via the iCloud Drive app on your iPhone or iPad. While this is extremely convenient in a number of situations, from sending mail attachments via iPhone to having access to photos without taking up storage, you may want to create folders with iCloud Drive to keep all your various files organized and easy to locate. Here’s how to create a new folder in iCloud Drive on iPhone.

How to Sign Up for the Apple iOS 18 Public Beta Program

The iOS 18 public beta is coming soon. The Apple beta program software isn't ready for prime time yet, so if you download the iOS 18 beta, you'll get the first look at all the new features, but you'll also experience bugs and glitches. If you'd rather not deal with a rough-around-the-edges operating system, I'd advise waiting for the finished operating systems to be released. Now, let's go over how to download the beta profile and participate in iOS 18 beta testing. 

Need iPad and iPhone help? Sign up for iPhone Life Insider and I’ll help you with all of your iPhone troubleshooting and iOS-related issues. Here’s a question from an Insider who wants to know how to customize the Siri suggestions that show up on his Spotlight page (also known as the Widget screen), which is a combination of widgets and siri recommendations:

How Do You Take a Screenshot on an iPhone?

Every iPhone user needs to know how to take a screenshot. A screenshot, or screen capture, is a photo of whatever is on your iPhone screen. If you can’t figure out how to save a photo, taking a screenshot is another way to save an image to your Photos app. If you haven't learned how to screenshot on your iPhone yet, don't worry, it's simple! We'll cover how you take a screenshot on iPhone models old and new.

These are the best apps for writers who want to finally complete that novel they’ve been letting collect dust. I’ve got recommendations for apps that will help you write your story in every part. First, we’ll look at the best writing apps for planning your story, from mind-mapping to idea generating. Then it’s time to sit our butts in the chair and get started, so we’ll look at creative writing apps for actually doing your writing. Lastly, there are some tools every writer needs during and after the process, which is why I’ve got a writing app with tips for the business side of writing. As a writer, I use all of my devices to work, including the iPhone, iPad, and a Macbook. So each writer's app below will also indicate which devices it’s available on. I believe we’ve all got a book in us. Here are the nine best writing apps for getting your book onto paper and into the world.

If you’ve never had your Facebook hacked into, consider yourself one of the lucky few. Nearly everyone I know has had their Facebook account hacked into at some point or another. While you can never be sure no one will ever manage to get in, there are important steps you can take to make your profile secure again. If your Facebook has been hacked, here’s what to do.

The new 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros from Apple are incredible. Especially once iOS 11 comes out, you’re going to want to be ready. Make your iPad Pro truly yours with our favorite picks for the best iPad accessories. Whether you need an iPad Pro keyboard, case, or other complementary tech, we’ve got you covered. Not a fan of Apple’s iPad Pro Smart keyboard? Check out the Logitech iPad Keyboard featured below. Don’t want an Apple Pencil? How about a Wacom stylus for your iPad Pro instead? Apple accessories aren’t the only accessories for your new iPad Pro. Here’s all the best iPad Pro accessories we have to offer you right now.

What is AirDrop? Apple's AirDrop feature is a quick and easy way to share files, photos, videos, contacts, and more between Apple devices. You can AirDrop pictures and files from your iPad to your friend’s iPhone or from your iPhone to your Mac for an easy transfer. You can also AirDrop from iPhone to iPhone. As long as you have relatively recent devices running on an updated operating system, you’re probably already set up to use AirDrop. Let's go over what AirDrop is below, as well as how to turn AirDrop on, how AirDrop works, and how to use AirDrop whether you’re on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Once you know how to use AirDrop, you’ll never go back.

How Reset Apple ID Password

If you forgot your Apple ID password or you want to reset your iCloud password, we’ll show you how. Your Apple ID account is the same thing as your iCloud account, so if you forgot your iCloud passcode, you forgot your Apple ID passcode. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to reset. Here's how to reset your Apple ID password.

I have an Apple Watch, but there are times when I don't always wear it. That's why I was pleased to try the Activity Tracker app (free) from Bits&Coffee. Even as I type this, my Apple Watch battery has less than 10 percent left. This is why I can't always wear it, but I almost always have my iPhone with me. When combined with the Activity Tracker app, I can keep track of steps via the built-in pedometer independent of my Apple Watch.

Does FaceTime Use Data?

By Conner Carey

Does FaceTime Use Data?

Does FaceTime use data or call minutes? If FaceTime uses data, how much? In fact, FaceTime does use data and not cellular call minutes. So, if you want to save data on your iPhone, you can turn cellular off for FaceTime, which will make FaceTime use Wi-Fi only. We’ll break it down step-by-step and tell you how much data FaceTime uses and how to disable FaceTime's data usage.

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