iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear
Get Cleaned Up with This Portable & Cordless Car Vacuum
Sponsored By Truffle Make Lemonade on Tue, 10/01/2019
When you’re on the go, your mess comes with you. From stale crackers to the dirt on your shoes, your car’s upholstery can take a real beating. Fortunately, Make Lemonade has an ultra-portable and super affordable solution. Read on to learn about the cordless vacuum that will save you space, time, and money.
Best Protective Cases for the iPhone 11 & iPhone 11 Pro
By Todd Bernhard
It always amazes me that, despite Apple’s reputation for secrecy, new iPhone cases are designed, manufactured, and shipped by case makers before the phones are even announced. Maybe Apple is loosening up, or they can’t control every worker in their Chinese factories, but the result is I have received dozens of cases to try before my new iPhones arrived. Now that I have been able to test the cases with actual iPhone 11 models, here are my impressions, in alphabetical order.
Smart Medical Devices: Take Charge of Your Health
By Sarah Kingsbury
Half of all adults in America are living with one or more chronic illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But thanks to the growing availability of smart health-monitoring devices, patients with iPhones have never been more empowered to take a bigger role in managing their own or their family’s health. This gear makes it easy to collect and share the most accurate data possible with care providers, which can lead to better health outcomes. Health-monitoring devices for iOS can range from basic equipment like thermometers and pillboxes to more specialized equipment meant to be used as part of a doctor-supervised care plan for conditions like diabetes or asthma. Since accuracy is essential for these devices to be helpful, some may require you get training from a health professional in order to use them properly.
Why the Wallet App Makes the Apple Card Worth Getting
By Donna Cleveland
In the 121st episode, iPhone Life's COO Noah shares how the Apple Card is transforming the way he manages his credit cards, thanks to cash back rewards and spending trends. David also explains why he's buying his 7-year-old stepson a phone and trades tips with Noah on how to set up Screen Time and Family Sharing to control what content kids can access on their iPhones and iPads.
Review: SmartCine Complete Universal Smartphone Video Kit
By Todd Bernhard
I do a lot of videography, so I was excited when Movo sent a review unit of the SmartCine Complete Universal Smartphone Video Kit ($99.95). It is a multi-component kit that you assemble to create a full-featured videography tool that just needs your smartphone. Technically, it also needs a 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapter, because Apple chose to drop that feature. The SmartCine includes a lot of items in one, namely a quality HD microphone, a multi-level lighting ring that surrounds the camera lens, and the option of adding either a wide angle or fisheye lens. The lenses screw in easily, but be careful you don't get fingerprints on them. I've used other cases with lenses that attach via magnet and that is a nice touch.
How Your iPhone Can Help You Beat the Winter Blues
By Hallei Halter
Ah, winter. As much as I wish I could curl up in bed and hibernate like a bear, I still have as much to do during this season as any other. There are apps such as AccuWeather (free) to keep me informed about the forecast and the Winter Survival Kit (free) to help me prep my car or send for help when the weather gets scary. But on average, I just want my chilly days to be easy and enjoyable. Here are a few iPhone apps and accessories to make winter less of a hassle and more of a holiday.
How to Set a Unique Password for Each Account in Your Notes App
By Tamlin Day
For an extra layer of protection when using the Notes app, Apple now allows you to create a unique password for each of your Notes accounts, whether that's iCloud, On iPhone or On iPad, or an email-associated account. Before iOS 13, when you locked a note with a passcword for the first time, that password became the password for locking notes in all your Notes app accounts. You can now create a unique password for a Notes account by going to Notes in the Settings app and selecting Password.
Top 10 Cooking, Recipe & Meal-Prep Apps (Free & Paid)
By Abbey Dufoe
If you've been wanting to learn how to cook, try out a few new recipes, or even get on board with a meal-delivery service, we have an array of apps to help you meet your goals. Let's go over ten apps that will help you expand your repertoire and use your kitchen to its fullest potential. Bon appetit!
How to Customize Your iOS 13 iMessages Profile with Your Name & Picture
By Cullen Thomas
Customize a display picture in your Messages app profile and you’ll be able to share the face you choose with anyone you message. As of iOS 13, you can edit your profile picture and name; simply open messages, tap the three dots at the top of the screen, tap Edit Name and Photo, and swipe left or right to select an option. You can use a memoji or animoji, your initials with a custom color, or any picture on your iPhone. Once it’s set, you can choose whether to make your profile name and image visible to everyone in your contacts list, or only to select contacts. Let’s get started.
How to Swipe Text on the iPhone with iOS 13
By Cullen Thomas
Slide to Type, or the QuickPath keyboard, has finally arrived on the iPhone with iOS 13! With the QuickPath keyboard you can compose words by swiping from letter to letter without lifting your finger from the virtual keyboard, and the phone predicts what word you want by noticing when you hesitate or change directions. You can also switch back and forth between swiping and tapping to type, as you prefer. When I first heard of this feature I didn't think much of it, but it quickly became my go to method for typing on my phone, and with all the texting and messaging we do these days, that's a big deal. I found I could compose messages one-handed, with increased overall speed and accuracy. Let's get started.
Mechanical Keyboard Review: Woo-dy Combines High Tech with Old-School Materials
By Todd Bernhard
I love the juxtoposition of high-technology and old-fashioned materials, like leather and wood. That describes the Woo-dy Mechanical Keyboard (starting at $99) that UNICK sent me to review. The keyboard is being crowdfunded but it has already passed its goal and I was able to try a real unit. Here are my impressions. First, it's beautiful. Customers can choose the wood type and key cap colors, and then use the software (Windows only, currently) to customize the backlighting and keyboard layout. While mine had a "WIN" key, it worked just like an Apple Command key.
Review: iOttie Car Mount with Alexa
By Todd Bernhard
I have reviewed quite a few car mounts over the years, and a few years ago, the Easy One Touch Connect ($69.95) that iOttie sent me to try would have been the best ever. It does things no other car mount I've tried does, namely integrate the Alexa voice assistant. This is a luxury that I now consider a necessity. I love being able to request navigation or music or weather without pushing a button or swiping a screen and taking my eyes off the road.
How to Switch Your iPhone to Dark Mode with iOS 13
By Tamlin Day
The new iOS 13 Dark Mode feature reverses the color scheme on your iPhone, darkening the background and lightening text to provide higher contrast, and can help reduce the eye strain caused by looking at bright screens. Thanks to iOS 13, all you need to do to switch to Dark Mode on your iPhone is open the Display & Brightness options in the Settings app. Let's get started with how to switch your iPhone from Light to Dark Mode.
How to Make a Professional, High-Quality Video on Your iPhone
By Cielo de la Paz
Even though I have three DSLR cameras and a variety of wide and telephoto lenses sitting on my shelf, I still prefer to shoot videos with my iPhone X. I used to do it to prove a point—that you can make quality videos with just your iPhone. But nowadays I shoot with my iPhone for other reasons I’ve discovered along the way.
One of the biggest reasons I enjoy using my iPhone is that it lends itself better to intimate storytelling, which is important for the types of videos I like to make. I’ve found that when shooting with my iPhone versus a DSLR, my subjects act more natural. That’s because most everyone is familiar with iPhones. It’s like ordering mac and cheese at a restaurant. You’ve had it before, and you’ve made it yourself at some point. It’s not a mystery. It's also easier to carry three iPhones than it is to haul three DSLRs with a variety of lenses. And if the impact of the story is going to be the same regardless of the tool used, then heck, why not shoot with an iPhone?
Protect Your Privacy with a Camera Cover for Your iPhone
By Todd Bernhard
I go to a lot of trade shows, not just technology ones like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas but also the NY Toy Fair, hoping to find smartphone-related gadgets that would be of interest to iPhone Life readers. That's how I discovered BLOCKERZ Camera Covers ($13.99) from Zorbitz. They are a wholesaler but you can find their products at Amazon, Urban Outfitters, and other retailers. They gave me a sample to try and it turns out, it's not just for iPhones.
Review: Control this Robotic Vacuum with Alexa or an iOS App
By Todd Bernhard
While others may have more name recognition, Ecovacs is a strong contender with nearly a dozen different models to meet the needs of specific customers. They sent me their most popular model, the DEEBOT 500 ($259.95), to try. For me, with primarily hardwood flooring, it works well. This particular model travels somewhat at random, stopping at walls and other obstacles and changing direction, but Ecovacs has more advanced models that can be programed via the app based on your floor layout.
How to Format Email in the iPhone Mail App (iOS 13)
By Cullen Thomas
Rich text email, including bold text and fonts, has come to the iPhone! As of iOS 13, you can format emails to your pleasure in the Mail app by simply composing an email, selecting the text you want to format, and then tapping the "Aa" option just above the keyboard. A menu of text formatting options will replace the keyboard, and you can format your email like a pro. Here’s how to format your text in the Mail app on an iPhone with iOS 13.