Here at iPhone Life, we're big fans of Apple, but that doesn't mean learning how to use the new mobile operating system (iOS) they release each year comes easily. That's why we've taken everything we've learned about iOS 12 and created The Complete iOS 12 Guide for members of our premium monthly service, iPhone Life Insider. This guide is packed with all of the how-tos, tips, and tricks you need to become an expert in iOS 12. We’ll cover all of the features big and small, and we'll make it easy to follow with guided videos that’ll show you exactly what your iPhone or iPad screen will look like every step of the way. You’ll be teaching your friends iOS 12 tricks in no time. Check out a preview of the guide and learn more about the iPhone Life Insider membership below.
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It seems like there are apps and smart gear for every aspect of life these days, and that even applies to caring for our pets! We've researched the best electronic pet accessories for our 2018 Buyer's Guide, including items like a GPS tracker, automatic cat and dog feeder, a microchip-enabled cat and dog door, and even a smart dog toy. Read on to learn more about some of the best new gear for keeping your animals safe, healthy, and entertained.
Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy the New iPad Pro
By Sarah Kingsbury
In the live taping of episode 96 following Apple's iPad event in Brooklyn, Donna, Sarah, and David tell you all the important details about the new iPad Pro line in order to help you make your purchase decision. Are Face ID, an edge-to-edge display, and an Apple Pencil that charges wirelessly enough to make the new tablet worth the expensive price tag? Also, tune in to hear why David thinks the newly released MacBook Air missed the mark.
Having already won the tablet wars, Apple could have simply refreshed its tablet line with a faster processor (it did), more storage (up to a terabyte) and a nicer display (you guessed it). While it certainly fulfilled this baseline expectation, Apple pushed the boundaries of tablet computing further today with the announcement of its new iPad Pro. Let's take a look at the most notable new features this next generation of the iPad has to offer.
How to Use One-Handed Zoom in Apple Maps on Your iPhone
By Conner Carey
Did you know you can zoom in and out using just your thumb in the Apple Maps app? Before iOS 11 you needed two fingers, which meant you generally also needed two hands—one to hold the phone and another to zoom. But now using Apple Maps is easier than ever before on your iPhone; you can hold your phone in one hand and use just one finger or your thumb to zoom in and out of maps in the Maps app. Here’s how.
What to Expect from Apple's October iPad Announcement
By Sarah Kingsbury
In the 95th episode, Donna, David, and Sarah delve into everything we’re expecting from Apple’s October 30 event in Brooklyn, New York. Tune in to hear the latest iPad, MacBook, AirPod, and AirPower rumors ahead of the big announcement day. Sign up for our live podcast following the event.
The first iPad was released on April 3, 2010, and Apple currently offers three different iPad models: the recently announced 9.7–inch iPad 2018, a 10.5-inch and 12.9–inch iPad Pro, and a 7.9–inch iPad mini. Now there's an Apple event scheduled for October 30, and we're hopeful that at least one new iPad, whether it be an iPad Pro or even an iPad Mini, will make its debut. We had hoped for one or more new iPads at September's special event, but although Apple did give us three new iPhones and the Apple Watch Series 4, we were a bit disappointed about the lack of new iPads. iOS 12, Apple's latest iPhone and iPad operating system, has given us tantalizing hints about the next iPad(s) and their features. Will some new iPad Pros will join this tablet lineup very soon, along with several long-awaited capabilities? What about the iPad mini 5? Let's discuss when the new Apple products may be released, which upgrades and improvements to expect, and all the other iPad hints and rumors we've been collecting for the past several months. There's no way to know exactly what Apple has in mind until October 30, but we can have fun piecing together clues and making educated guesses in the meantime!
App Saturday: Groupon
By Leanne Hays
For me, the only thing better than having a good time with family and friends is knowing that I'm getting the most for the money I spend while we're out and about. That's why I've enjoyed using the Groupon app so far, and why the shopping and coupon app has earned a permanent place on my iPhone. Whether I'm looking for discounts at restaurants, money-saving deals on a hotel room or other travel expenses, or even experiences like couples massage or indoor playground tickets for the kids, the Groupon app always seems to have a coupon or rebate to help keep costs down. Best of all, the Groupon mobile app is free, and there are constantly new businesses and merchants offering some of the best coupons and discounts I've found anywhere online or in print. Let's get started learning about the Groupon app for iPhone and iPad, so you can start saving money, too!
App Saturday: Yelp
By Leanne Hays
I absolutely love going on road trips, or travel of any kind, really. One of the most fun aspects of any trip for me is finding places to eat, as well as museums and shops that are off the beaten path, local favorites that become part of my mental "must visit" list for future adventures. One of the best tools I've found for trip research to destinations near and far is the Yelp app. Yelp is a free app that collects professional and business reviews from all over the world including restaurants, movers, home cleaning services, shopping, and even doctors and clinics! Yelp has collected over 135 million reviews so far, and the number keeps growing as more and more smartphone users discover this handy app. If you're the type of person that likes to plan ahead and get the most for your money and time, you'll want to learn more about Yelp, including how to set up your own free account and use it to read and write reviews.
App Saturday: WeatherBug
By Leanne Hays
We live in an age of extreme weather, according to Science Daily, "Globally... the number of floods and other hydrological events have quadrupled since 1980 and have doubled since 2004, highlighting the urgency of adaptation to climate change. Climatological events, such as extreme temperatures, droughts, and forest fires, have more than doubled since 1980. Meteorological events, such as storms, have doubled since 1980." As weather becomes increasingly unpredictable, we need an accurate weather app to report on today's forecast, both current and hourly, as well as an extended weather outlook that includes the severe weather forecast and alerts. Since so many of us travel, we need not only local radar, but also national and global weather data so we can receive updates no matter where we are. WeatherBug is a free weather app that offers all these features; let's get started learning about my favorite weather app now, so you can decide whether or not to give it a home on your Apple device.
One of the iOS 12 features I've been eagerly awaiting is Apple's new Shortcuts app. This new app allows you to instruct Siri to accomplish a task or series of tasks with native and third-party apps, all triggered by a phrase of your own choosing. In addition to creating your own Shortcut, Apple's latest help app also lets you choose from a Gallery of pre-designed shortcuts. Let's get started learning how to find the Shortcuts app on iPhone and iPad, and then use the Gallery to install a Shortcut we all need from time to time: finding directions home. Once you've installed the driving directions Shortcut, you can choose and configure as many other Gallery Shortcuts as you need. We'll go over how to create your own Shortcut in a future tip.
Apple Announcement: Should You Buy a New iPhone & Apple Watch?
By Sarah Kingsbury
In the 92nd episode of the iPhone Life Podcast, Sarah and Donna weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each of Apple's new smartphones: the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. They'll also discuss how the Series 4 is making the Apple Watch an invaluable medical device.
App Saturday: Pinterest
By Leanne Hays
Name any hobby, sport, interest, or diversion, and you'll find out more about it than you ever dreamed possible on the Pinterest app. Not so very long ago if you wanted to find guidance for your latest woodworking project, some fresh new garden ideas, inspiration for a unique vacation destination, or an exciting new craft idea, you'd have to pore over books and magazine articles or spend tons of time surfing the web to find all the most helpful links. Now, though, your search can be much more quick and rewarding; you can look to Pinterest as a clearinghouse for pictures, videos, and information about over 100 billion different topics ranging from wildly popular to extremely obscure, right on your iPhone or iPad. What's more, you can share your favorite Pinterest categories and findings with friends and family who are also using the site or app, and keep all your best pins (saved posts) for whenever you'd like to go back and refer to them. Let's get started learning about everything Pinterest now, so you can start pinning with the best of them!
Airbnb App: Convenience, Savings & Comfort on Your Next Trip
By Leanne Hays
I'm on a summer road trip right now with my kids and sister; an adventure I've been planning for the last two months. My favorite booking tool for accommodations has been, by far, the Airbnb app. This free travel app has saved me not only money, but also loads of time and effort in researching and budgeting for our lodgings from Iowa to the East Coast and back again. Whether you're planning a business trip or a family vacation, going to somewhere rural or to a big city, there's an Airbnb room, apartment, or house just right for you. Let's go over what the Airbnb app is, how it works, and why you should try it out if you haven't already.
Apple unveiled iOS 12 today at the WWDC 2018 Keynote, and we can expect exciting improvements and features when the iOS update is released in the fall. From overall upgrades to performance, privacy, and security, to app overhauls for the News and Stocks apps, to fun additional Animoji choices, as well as the brand-new Memoji option, Apple engineers have put together a well-balanced crowd-pleaser of an operating system that we can't wait to upload to our devices! Let's go over which devices are compatible with iOS 12, discuss all the new iOS features, and learn how to sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program to try out iOS 12 before the official release date.
How to Get Your iPad Ready to Give Away
By Sarah Kingsbury
Need iPad and iPhone help? Sign up for iPhone Life Insider and Sarah will help you with all your iPhone troubleshooting and iOS-related issues. To learn more go to iPhoneLife.com/Insider. In this Hey Sarah column, one Insider wants to know how to remove everything from their old iPad so they can give it away to a friend while another wants to know if it's possible to delete photos from their iPhone without also deleting them from iCloud.
App Saturday: Tomorrow App for Writing a Will on iPhone
By Leanne Hays
Every morning, five days a week, we publish iPhone how-tos to help you get the most out of your phone. But just as important as understanding how your Apple devices work is finding the best apps to use with them. That's why every Saturday we share one of the apps the iPhone Life Team has used and loved with our readers.
According to AARP, only four out of ten American adults have created a will. Writing a will is an important step for every adult, particularly for those of us with children, because we don't want those we've left behind unprotected and confused about our final wishes. Since I'm one of the six out of ten who haven't made a will yet and don't want to spend the time and money to visit a lawyer, I've made it my mission to find a way to write a do-it-yourself online will, preferably for free. I've found an iPhone and iPad app called Tomorrow that not only helps users write a will, including designating heirs, executors, and guardians for children and pets, but also walks us through the process of purchasing life insurance and setting up a trust for our beneficiaries. To learn more about how the Tomorrow last will and testament app works, read on.
How to Use TV Provider to Watch Cable on iPhone or iPad
By Tamlin Day
Have you ever asked yourself, "What is the TV Provider function on iPhone?" You've come to the right place, because we've got the answers on how you can use TV Provider feature in the Settings apps to connect to your cable provider. The TV Provider setting brings all of your TV show and movie watching experiences together under the Zero Sign-In feature. With TV Provider, you can sign in once with your cable provider or any iOS TV app like Hulu or Amazon and never have to sign in again on any other Apple device. Here’s how to watch cable on your iPhone or iPad using the TV Provider setting.
Best To-Do List & Note-Taking Apps for iPad & iPhone
By Rheanne Taylor
Using the right task-management app and note-taking app can make all the difference to your productivity. Unfortunately, the iPhone Notes app and Reminders app aren't quite up to handling more than the basics. On the other hand, the App Store offers so many alternatives that it can be hard to know which of the options will end up being the right app for your particular needs. Whether you're looking for the best task-reminder app, the best Evernote alternative, the best checklist app, or the best iPad note-taking app, we've assembled this list of our favorites and shared which functions each app does really well. There's sure to be an app in this list that can meet your requirements!
How to Use Siri with Third-Party Apps on iPhone
By Conner Carey
Starting with iOS 10, when Siri got the ability to complete tasks in third-party apps, a lot of third-party app developers added Siri voice command compatibility, including Pinterest, Skype, and Uber. You can even make Siri open Google Assistant for you. But how can you know what apps can Siri use? We’ll cover some top third-party apps Siri is able to use and how to make sure those apps are enabled for use with Siri. Here’s how to use Siri with third-party apps and some top apps to try.