iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

How to Use New Interactive Widgets with iOS 17

One fun new feature that debuted with iOS 17 is the highly requested interactive widgets. In previous iterations of iOS, the widgets displayed bits of info or data. Now, with iOS 17, you can actually use the widgets as if they are mini versions of the app! This includes things like checking off reminders on your to-do list, turning your lights on and off via the Home widget, or pressing play or pause on your Apple Music. Here's how it works!

How to Organize Your Calendar in 2025

(Sponsored Post) By Amy Spitzfaden Both on Thu, 10/31/2024

Apple is pretty good about updating its products, but it seems to have forgotten about the Calendar app and its many downsides. The makers of Informant 5, on the other hand, do not forget to regularly improve their app based on user experience. The latest updates to this calendar and task-management app are a productivity game-changer.

This collection of tips covers the basics of using your iPhone's Camera and Photos app. Here, you'll learn how to print images from your iPhone using AirPrint, view a slideshow of your favorite photos directly on your Apple TV, and improve your photography by taking advantage of key camera features such as Manual Exposure and Auto-Focus Lock.

This is something I’ve always wondered about but didn’t realize there was a solution for until recently. When someone dies, what happens to their Facebook page? This must have been a question posed by many users because Facebook allows you to designate someone to manage your Facebook page if you should happen to die, this is called a Facebook legacy. You can also set your profile to automatically delete once Facebook has been notified of your death. Either way, here’s how to create a will for your Facebook page.

Like a turtle, I love to carry my home on my back. If I can depend on a single backpack to organize and carry everything I need, whether for the day or a week, I’m immensely impressed. I’ve used backpacks in the past with pockets for laptops and side pockets for water bottles, but I didn’t realize it could get so much better. The Haven backpack by STM ($99.95) is encapsulated by the name. The designers of this tech bag thought of everything.

Last night, Tim Cook sat down with Jim Cramer on CNBC’s Mad Money to discuss the “huge over reaction” Wall Street had over Apple’s Q2 Results. Cook spoke to the future of Apple, “We are going to give you things that you can’t live without that you just don’t know you need today.” “That’s what I want.” replied Cramer. And I echo his response with a resounding, “me too.” Tim Cook also put Apple’s quarter earnings into perspective, reminding us that by regular standards Apple had an incredible quarter with $10 billion in profits, which is “more than any other company makes.”

Nobody likes toll roads. Luckily, you can navigate around those pesky wallet traps with your iPhone. Both Google Maps and Apple Maps offer alternate directions that allow you to take the (cheaper) scenic route and avoid toll roads. Especially when driving through cities you don't know, knowing how to avoid tolls on Google Maps or Apple Maps is a smart way to prevent unnecessary extra expenses. Here’s how to avoid toll roads using Apple and Google Maps.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and Apple released a 30-second montage of photos representing motherhood around the world to celebrate. Utilizing photos from the “Shot on iPhone” campaign that re-launched in February, the short ad reflects the love and strength of motherhood through the eyes of the iPhone lens. With the song Because You Are Who You Are by K.S. Rhoads playing in the background, it’s a heart-warming piece everyone can appreciate.

The Apple News app is a great place to follow your favorite magazines and websites, and the day's top stories. You can save articles to read offline, Like articles to see more of the same, Mute Channels you don’t want to hear from, and Share articles you want your friends to read as well. Regardless of what topics you’re interested in, there’s easily something for everyone here. Here’s how to share articles in News that you find and love.

With the introduction of iOS 9.3, we saw new additions to Apple apps that are 3D Touch enabled. One such addition is the Settings app. Often, there are three main places within our Settings that we need to visit on a regular basis: Battery, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. By adding 3D Touch to the Settings app, Apple has made it super easy to access those frequently visited sections. If you have an iPhone with 3D Touch (iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus), then this will be a welcome addition.

Using Do Not Disturb on your iPhone is a great way to take a break from technology to focus on something else. There are multiple ways to turn on Do Not Disturb. One such way is in Control Center. You can also turn it on in Settings. However, the easiest way is to simply ask Siri to turn it on. Turning on Do Not Disturb will silence calls, alerts, and notifications. Here’s how to use Siri to turn Do Not Disturb On and Off.

Ready to look for a new home, but don’t know where to start? Forget spending countless hours online or checking your newspaper’s local listings—there’s a quicker, more efficient way to find your dream property. As well as posting photos and prices, many of the following apps list previous sale prices of neighboring homes, local crime rates, and even rankings of nearby schools. All of you potential new homeowners can now breathe a collective sigh of relief as these eight free apps simplify your real estate experience. 

If you have an Apple Watch paired with your iPhone, you’re familiar with Activity rings. On the Apple Watch, your activity is represented by three concentric circles that track how much of your daily goals you have met. There’s a red circle for your Move goal, a green one for Exercise, and a blue one for Stand. However, you can also view these Activity rings in graph form in the Health app and include it as a part of your health Dashboard. Here’s how to view your activity rings in your health app dashboard.

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