How Tos

Flight tracker apps are a popular way to keep tabs on planes in the sky, because when you're preparing to fly or when someone you know is on board a flight, you can use them to check that things are still on schedule. But if you have an iPhone, you don't need to download and install a third-party app to track a flight – it's a handy built-in feature of the operating system. The ability to ...

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,...

Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models include a multi-functional Double Tap gesture that you might not know about or haven't yet got around to trying. Here's everything Double Tap can do, and how you can make the most of it on your Apple Watch. Double Tap is a gesture-based feature for Apple Watch models that lets you control watch functions by tapping your thumb...

In iOS 18, Apple has introduced a clever new way to identify if your iPhone charging setup is running at less than optimal speeds. The new feature appears directly in Settings, making it easy to spot when you're not getting the fastest possible charge. The Battery section displays a Slow Charger message when your iPhone detects a "slow" charger in use. You'll also see charging periods with...

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a messaging standard Apple adopted in iOS 18 that is significantly enhancing the messaging experience between iPhone and Android devices. Think of it as SMS 2.0 – a major upgrade to the traditional text messaging we've been using for years. Key Features of RCS Apple's decision to embrace RCS came last year after persistent persuasion from Google, which...

Ever fumbled with your iPhone's buttons trying to remember the right combination to power it off? Whether you have mobility challenges or just prefer simpler controls, Apple in iOS 18 includes a much-welcome solution in the form of a dedicated power button right in Control Center. Using the New Power Button in Control Center Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone screen to...

Apple occasionally releases firmware updates for its AirPods and AirPods Pro wireless earphones that can include performance improvements, feature tweaks, and bug fixes. If you're having a particular issue with your AirPods or AirPods Pro, or if you just want to make sure they're up to date with the latest software, then follow the steps below. How to Update Your AirPods or AirPods Pro I...

Apple's new Genmoji feature lets you create personalized emoji that aim to perfectly match what you want to express, going far beyond the limitations of standard Unicode emoji. Want an emoji of a break-dancing astronaut or a dog playing bagpipes? With Genmoji, you can make it happen. Unlike standard emoji that are fixed Unicode characters, Genmoji are dynamically generated using on-device...

As an Apple Music subscriber, you're able to download songs, playlists, and albums from the Apple Music catalog to your iPhone or iPad for offline listening, but this can gradually eat up your device's storage space over time. Fortunately the Music app includes a handy feature that can spring into action whenever your device's storage space runs low, and automatically offload songs you...

People compress electronic files for different reasons – to make them easier to transport electronically, to organize their backups, or to save device storage space, for example. That's why Apple's native Files app supports the common ZIP compression format, which means you can uncompress zipped files downloaded in Safari, or compress several files into one neat zipped package ready for...

If you're concerned about hearing loss and own AirPods Pro 2, Apple in iOS 18.1 offers a convenient new clinical-grade hearing test that's easy to use. Here's everything you need to know about checking your hearing health with this new feature. Note that Apple's Hearing Test feature is not available in all regions, likely due to differing regulatory laws. Apple maintains a list on its website...

This article explains how to erase and factory reset your Mac if you plan to give it away, sell it, or trade it in. Apple silicon Macs and Intel Macs with a T2 security chip (2017-2020 models) have an "Erase All Content and Settings" option available in macOS Monterey and later. If you have an older pre-2017 Mac, it's a more convoluted process – follow this link instead to erase and factory reset ...

Apple's iPhone 16 and ‌‌‌iPhone 16‌ Plus‌‌ come in the same size options as their equivalents in last year's iPhone 15 series, while the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌‌‌iPhone 16 Pro‌‌‌ Max have ever so slightly bigger screens than their predecessors. All ‌iPhone 16‌ models now also come with a Camera Control button, but otherwise share similar design elements with Apple's 2023 flagship smartphone ...

StandBy is a Lock Screen mode in iOS 17 and later that activates when an ‌iPhone‌ is charging and positioned on its side. Here's everything you need to know to get started using the feature. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. How to Activate StandBy StandBy can be thought of as a kind of smart display for your iPhone that offers fast access to different screens of...

From business meetings to family memories, there are countless reasons to record a phone call, but until now, iPhone users have had to rely on third-party apps or complex workarounds. That changed in October 2024 with the release of iOS 18.1, which introduced native call recording and transcription powered by Apple Intelligence. Apple's new Phone app feature not only records conversations...

Say you've captured a stunning sunset at the beach, but there's a trash can ruining the foreground. Or maybe you've taken the perfect family portrait, only to later realize there's a stranger in the background. With iOS 18.1's new Clean Up tool, Apple aims to make such photo frustrations a thing of the past. Here's how it works. Clean Up uses Apple Intelligence to analyze your photos and...

Apple's Messages app offers one of the most convenient ways of having a text-based conversation with your contacts on iPhone and iPad, but messages aren't the only things you can send and receive. Apple's iMessage service enables all manner of files and attachments to be shared, such as photos, links, documents, audio messages, and more. Files that are sent to you can of course be accessed...

Deleting old messages from your iPhone or iPad is a good way to save on your device's storage space, but going back through your old conversations and deleting them individually would be a tedious and long-winded process. Fortunately, there's a simpler way to say goodbye to old messages in iOS – Apple's mobile operating system can be automated to discard messages that have been on your...

Downloading lots of songs or albums from the Apple Music catalog can use up a lot of local storage on your device. Fortunately it's easy to remove downloaded Apple Music content and reclaim the storage space of your devices. Here's how. Launch the Music app on your iPhone or iPad, or open the Music app on your computer. Find the song or album in your library that you want to remove...

If you have an Apple TV+ subscription or you've rented or purchased movies via iTunes, you can download the videos to your iPhone and iPad over Wi-Fi or cellular using Apple's TV app, which allows you to watch them offline. Apple gives iPhone and iPad users granular control of TV app video download settings. So if you want, you can choose high quality video if you don't mind them taking...