If you're into iPhone photography and filming, there will come a time when you feel the need to start investing in accessories to improve your results. One of the most basic yet helpful extras you can buy is an iPhone tripod. A phone tripod can help you get your best shots by stabilizing your iPhone, thereby eliminating unwanted movement and jiggling while you film or live stream. A tripod is also very handy when the time comes for a selfie or group shot where you'd like to include everyone. Whether you have the newest iPhone or an older version like the iPhone 6, iPhone 7, or iPhone 7 plus, there's a tripod out there that will help you take your filming and photography to the next level. Let's get started learning about three of my recommendations for your upcoming purchase.
Photo & Video
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.
Woolfie: Take a Perfect Selfie with Your Dog
By Todd Bernhard
I love my dog, but getting her to sit still for a photo is tricky, let alone for a selfie with both of us in the picture. There's just too much to coordinate. The folks at Model Citizen had the same idea, but they did something about it! They created the Woofie ($9.50). It's not a selfie-stick, but rather a snap-on attachment for your phone.The idea is to insert a dog treat in the top of the device so it gets your dog's attention. And it works!
iCloud Photo Library vs. Google Photos: Workshop + PDF
By Conner Carey
If you weren’t able to tune-in live or if you’d like to watch it again, here’s the workshop video for iCloud Photo Library versus Google Photos. This workshop focuses on giving you the information needed to make an informed decision on which cloud-based photo storage tool is right for you. Thank you to everyone who joined us and all of you who watch it now. This was our second ever workshop, and we are thrilled with your feedback. We had almost 400 of your join us live! So again, thank you! Learn more on what we covered and watch the full replay below.
How to Use Live Camera Effects in Messages on iPhone
By Leanne Hays
iOS 12 has added tons of helpful and fun new features to your iPhone's software, one of my favorite new ones is the ability to add cool effects and Animojis (and Memojis!) while taking a picture or video in the Messages app.
The Ultimate Guide to Selfie Sticks
By Tamlin Day
While planning your next family vacation or tropical getaway, you might find yourself wondering how some people grab those great group selfies without losing their iPhone over a waterfall. If you’ve ever found yourself fumbling for the shutter button while trying to take a perfectly framed self-portrait, then it might be time to consider a selfie stick. Read on to learn about the different types of selfie sticks and how to incorporate one into your next group selfie.
Beginning with iOS 9 the Mail app included Markup, a photo editor that lets you write, draw on, and add shapes and signatures to your images. Now there's no need for a separate app to sketch and add text to pictures; iPhone and iPad users can insert images into the body of emails, then mark them up right there without ever leaving the Mail app. Let's get started learning how to use Markup on your email images.
Maybe you've learned a bit about iPhone photography already; you already know how to take good pictures, but now you're ready to learn some tips and tricks to take really awesome pictures. If you're hoping to master some photography techniques that will result in creative, artsy, amazing photos, then it's time to start paying more attention to lighting. When it comes to photography, there’s no doubt that light is one of the most crucial aspects of creating a great image with your iPhone, but did you know you can also have a lot a fun with it? Whether you’re new to iPhoneography or you’ve been working at it for years, here are some lighting tricks you should try for great, unusual images.
iPad Mini 5? New iPad Release Date, Features & Pricing
By Leanne Hays
The iPad mini 5; to be released, or not to be released, that is the question. I'd already come to my own conclusion about Apple's iPad mini line; I felt that with the advent of larger displays on iPhones, plus the less expensive 2018 iPad that was released earlier this year, iPad minis will be discontinued. It turns out that the Apple fans who vehemently disagree with me were correct, though; the iPad mini 5 was just announced! Below are the ideas we had about features to expect if and when the latest in the mini 5 was released, including release date and features might we expect to see in a new version of the iPad mini. Finally, we wondered how much the latest iPad mini would cost. Let's get started discussing the iPad mini 5 rumors, then you can compare them to the newly-released tablet and see how close we were to accuracy!
When you have thousands of photos, there’s no way you’re going to look through them to try and spot the duplicates. There’s also the matter of exact versus similar duplicates—it would be a pain in the ass to try and sort that out manually. Well, a question in the iPhone Life Facebook group about this very topic sent me on a search for the best app for easily removing duplicate photos. And I do believe I’ve found it: Remo Duplicate Photos Remover on the iPhone is a free app that scans all of your photos, presenting you with a quick look at all of the duplicates. Then the app makes it easy for you to quickly remove the photos you don’t want to keep. Learn more on what this app does and why we love it below.
Capture the Story of Your Life in One Second a Day with 1SE App
By Conner Carey
1SE is a video-diary app that allows you to save one second videos of each day. The app will then automatically string all of those memories together to create a movie collection of your life. You can view them anytime or at the end of a year to reflect. It’s any easy yet beautiful way to capture and appreciate a little something from each day you live. With the latest update, you can add two one-second snippets to each day, as well as add journal notes and record your mood. The added features make this both the perfect keepsake and journaling app. Learn more on what 1SE does and why we love it below.
8 Best iPhone Apps You've (Probably) Never Heard Of
By Conner Carey
We're all aware that there are millions of apps in the App Store, which means there’s very little chance any one of us has heard of even a quarter of what’s available. That’s why we love to look for lists of the coolest iPhone apps, best apps for iPhone, and now, the best unheard of apps, including apps for travel, photography, dating, and more. Lots of cool apps are bound to slip under the radar. But we’re all excited when a new app we’ve never heard of turns out to be fantastic, and better yet, free. We’ll cover eight apps that aren't trending but are still awesome, educational, and helpful for iPhone users.
Animoji is a new iMessage feature that currently is only available on the iPhone X. Animojis are animated emojis, and the technology required to create them is really incredible, with far-reaching potential applications. The Animojis feature allows iPhone X owners to animate various characters in ten-second videos and send them to friends. When you move your face, the Animoji automatically moves with you. With Animojis, you are essentially animating your own face, as though you were in a cartoon right from the comfort of your iPhone. The first iteration of Animojis allowed you to be a unicorn, the poop emoji, a panda, a chicken, and more. With iOS 11.3, Apple has added a bear, a dragon, a lion, and a skull. Here’s how to use Animojis on your iPhone X.
The Apple News app is great for keeping up to date on the day's top developments and stories. The more users interact with the News app, the more customized it becomes, and now, with iOS 11.3, Apple has made the News app even more individualized. The For You section of the News app now allows you to tailor the For You video selection to your preference. Let's get started learning how to personalize the For You section of Apple's News app on your iPhone, so you can get all the content you're really looking for by keeping or eliminating the Today's Videos and Must-See Videos section.
I have never used my Photos app to properly sort my pictures into albums, and I’m going to make an educated guess and say that this is true for most of us. We take a bunch of photos at an event or with friends, share the ones we love, and let the others take up space on our devices. When it comes time to find a photo, I’m always searching through the All Photos album, scanning for the one I need. But there is a better way! I found Slidebox because I was looking for an app that would let me easily create albums, sort photos into those albums, and delete the photos I don’t need to keep. To my absolute delight, Slidebox allows me to do this super easily by using swiping gestures to quickly sort through photos like you sort through potential connections on Tinder. Learn more on why I love this app and what it does below.
Tagging someone on Instagram is pretty straightforward. If you’re viewing an Instagram photo you really like that you want to share with a friend, you can simply tag them in the comments and they'll receive a notification. But did you know you can also send an Instagram picture as a dm, or direct message? If you choose this option, it's more private because you don't have to mention them in the public comments. Let's learn how to direct message a picture on Instagram, or how to just tag someone on an Instagram photo without sending them a dm.
How to Shoot Clearer, Better Photos on Your iPhone
By Rheanne Taylor
I’ve heard it said over and over again that the best camera is the one you have with you. Honestly, I couldn’t agree more. I have an amazing DSLR and yet I find that the majority of my pictures are taken with my iPhone. Unfortunately, our iPhones still struggle in a lot of ways that more advanced cameras don’t. One of those ways is the iPhone’s intolerance for low-light situations. If you’re sick of blurry, unclear images, then here are a few tips and tricks that have really helped me out. Here’s how to shoot clearer, better photos on your iPhone.
The Ultimate App for Dog Photos: BarkCam
By Leanne Hays
The camera roll on my iPhone is jam packed with pictures of my dogs—there's just something about those fuzzy faces that demands to be adored and photographed so that the pictures can be adored as well. Then of course there's the sharing; #instadog #socute #sorryyouguysicantrestrainmyself. I've been known to take dog photos with Instagram, share them to Facebook, then text and private message them to friends and family that really must see the latest iteration of canine cuteness right away. Therefore it is with great delight that I announce the discovery of my new favorite app, BarkCam, the "Instagram for Dogs."
How to Use Selfie Portrait Lighting & Portrait Mode on iPhone X
By Conner Carey
The front camera on iPhone X is capable of a lot of incredible things, including improving your selfie game with front-facing Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting. You're likely familiar with how to take a selfie on iPhone, but Selfie Portrait Mode and Lighting makes taking good selfies super easy. With the Portrait Lighting, you can change the lighting before ever taking a photo. You have various lighting options to choose from, depending on the effect you want and your location. And the background of the photos are blurred for that professional Bokeh look. For iPhone X users, front-facing Portrait Mode and Lighting is essential to learn for taking great selfies. You can use this Portrait Lighting when taking regular photos (not selfies) on iPhone X and iPhone 8, and you can use Portrait Mode on those devices as well as the iPhone 7 Plus. But Selfie Portrait Mode and Lightning is reserved to the iPhone X for now. Here’s how to use Selfie Portrait Mode & Portrait Lighting on iPhone X.
How to Turn Off Video Autoplay in the App Store on iPhone
By Conner Carey
The App Store got a huge upgrade with iOS 11. One of the new features is videos! Developers can create little videos that autoplay when you're browsing apps. When you're browsing with WiFi, this probably isn't a problem. But on cellular, you don't want to eat up data just to play a video about an app you're downloading. Of course, if you're not a fan of video autoplay under any circumstance, you can turn it off completely. Here's how to turn off video autoplay in the App Store on iPhone.