How Tos

In iOS 18, Apple Maps has gained a new "Search here" button that makes it much easier to find what you're looking for in areas that aren't your current location or when you're exploring any new place on the map. In earlier versions of iOS, if you search nearby for, say, gas stations or restaurants in Apple Maps, and then drag the map to another location with your finger, it will usually (but ...

With iOS 18, Apple overhauled the Home Screen, introducing design changes that allow for more customization and personalization. One of the changes is the freedom to arrange icons and widgets with space between them, opening up a variety of new layout options. In iOS 17, new apps added to the ‌Home Screen‌ automatically occupy the next available spot, and there is no way to space out icons on...

Apple has made available the third betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to public beta testers, bringing the new software to the general public. Keep reading to learn how to prepare your device for the beta software and install it. Signing up to get the ‌iOS 18‌ or ‌iPadOS 18 beta is simple, and can be done by enrolling an iPhone or iPad in Apple's free Apple Beta Software Program. The steps...

In iOS 18, currently in beta, Apple has broadened the customization options for the Home Screen on iPhone, and thanks to a new setting it is now possible to make app icons and widgets bigger by hiding their labels. With the setting enabled in iOS 18, the names of apps are removed from the grid, which increases the size of the icons and widgets on your Home Screen with the space saved. With...

Apple is introducing a set of AI features in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 under the banner "Apple Intelligence." These features are officially only currently available in beta to developers in the US, but it's actually pretty easy to get it up and running on iPhones and iPads in most other locations with the exception of the European Union and China. The main reason Apple has limited region access...

iOS 18 introduces a convenient new feature in the Passwords app that allows you to share Wi-Fi passwords using QR codes when other sharing methods aren't available, or for when you want to share the network details with several people. By using a QR code, not only you can share the Wi-Fi password with multiple people simultaneously, you can share it with people who are not in your contacts...

Do you find yourself frequently scrolling through multiple Home Screen pages on your iPhone to get to the apps you access most often? If so, chances are you've already filled up the first page with some of your favorite apps. But what if you could automatically make all of your most-used apps appear on page one? With the Siri Suggestions widget, you can. The Siri Suggestions widget...

Apple has introduced Apple Maps for the web, currently available in a public beta. This new feature brings the convenience and functionality of the ‌Apple Maps‌ app to web browsers, enabling users to access directions and location information without needing to open the standalone app or even have an Apple device. With ‌Apple Maps‌ on the web, you can get driving and walking directions, explore ...

In iOS 17, Apple includes an option in Safari that allows Siri to read articles to you, just like an audiobook. Keep reading to learn how it's done on iPhone and iPad. If you tend to be put off by the thought of reading long-form articles on the web on a small screen, here's some good news. In iOS 17 and later, Siri can read them out loud for you, meaning all you have to do is sit back and...

Apple has made a macOS 15 Sequoia beta available for its public beta testing group, letting public beta testers try out the software before it launches this fall. Keep reading to learn whether you should install it on your Mac, and if so, how to go about it. Signing up to get the macOS Sequoia beta is simple, and can be done by enrolling a Mac in Apple's free Apple Beta Software Program. The ...

In iOS 18, Apple added several new accessibility features, and one feature in particular that is likely to have widespread appeal among car passengers is Vehicle Motion Cues, which aims to prevent motion sickness when looking at an iPhone or iPad. According to Apple, research shows that motion sickness is commonly caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel,...

When using an iPad, you might notice blue frames appearing around the screen elements. This often happens when Full Keyboard Access is enabled. Full Keyboard Access is an accessibility feature that allows users to control the ‌iPad‌ using a keyboard. The blue frames indicate which element is currently focused and can be interacted with via the keyboard. Causes of Blue Frames Appearing on ‌iPad‌...

Apple's latest Beats-branded Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker has a useful reset function that returns the speaker to its factory settings. It can come in handy if you're having sound, Bluetooth, or charging issues with your speakers, or any other problem with them. How to Reset Beats Pill To reset your Beats Pill and keep your settings: Press and hold the system button for at least 10...

Apple devices support a relatively unknown three-finger gesture that lets you share a photo across your devices in super-quick time. It's a neat trick to fall back on if AirDrop is playing up or your iCloud Photos are taking ages to sync. Universal Clipboard is usually associated with copying and pasting text, but by using this gesture, you can make it work really well for sharing images...

Fed up of seeing "Sent from my iPhone" at the end of your emails? Customizing your email signature can add a personal touch to your messages and project a professional image. Here's how to change it on iPhone and iPad. If you're an iPhone user, you've probably noticed the default "Sent from my iPhone" signature that accompanies emails sent in the Mail app. While this signature serves as a...

In iOS 17, Apple doesn't offer a system-level method for individually locking sensitive apps like Photos behind Face ID. There is a Shortcut action that provides rudimentary protection, but it's not infallible. Thankfully, iOS 18 includes a dedicated option to lock and even hide individual apps even when the iPhone itself is already unlocked. This is useful because it means you can unlock...

Your iPhone has multiple touch and gesture capabilities that can enhance how you interact with apps. Some, like pinch and zoom, are well known enough to be considered second nature, but others are less obvious, like the one we're about to explain. Two-Finger Drag to Select Items If have apps where you habitually tap on each individual item in a list to select them – emails in your Mail...

Gemini is Google's state-of-the-art AI model, designed to compete with other large language models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT-4. On iPhones, you can chat with Gemini right within the Google app. Keep reading to learn how it's done. Apple recently announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to iOS 18 later this year, and Apple has suggested that it is looking into partnerships with...

If you installed iOS 18 Beta or iPadOS 18 Beta through Apple's Developer Program or Software Beta Program, you may decide you want to downgrade because of usability or stability issues. Keep reading to learn how it's done. Apple's beta versions of its major software updates can be notoriously buggy, especially the early releases. You may find apps not working properly, poor battery life,...

Apple has released the first iOS 18 beta to developers, but even non-developers have the opportunity to download beta software updates on their iPhones for free. Keep reading to learn how it's done. Traditionally, when Apple announced a major new operating system update, the first wave of betas would only be available to download by paying subscribers to Apple's Developer Program, which...