Did you just upgrade your iPhone to a new model with no Home button? The most common question we hear from users new to the no-home-button "club" is how to find the Home screen on an iPhone without that button. I encountered this issue with my iPhone 11 and was stuck Googling "How do I get to my iPhone 11 Home screen?" So I'm here to help, and hopefully to make it easier for you to feel comfortable with the new way to navigate home on your iPhone without a Home button. Here’s how to get to the Home screen on iPhone XR, XS, X, 11, and more.
How-To
How to Control F on iPhone: Spotlight Search 101
By Conner Carey
A fast search using Spotlight can help you find anything on your iPhone. It is equivalent to pressing the Control and F keys on a computer. Spotlight Search can help you find apps, text messages, and even photos. I’ll walk you through doing a quick search to find anything that’s on your phone!
How to Back Up Your iPhone to a Mac without iTunes
By Cullen Thomas
It’s official. Apple has killed off iTunes, marking the end of its oldest and most iconic piece of software. Beginning with macOS 10.15 (Catalina), iTunes is no more, prompting many to ask: How do I back up my iPhone without iTunes? The answer is simple: You can back up your iPhone in Catalina or later by using Finder on your Mac and, of course, you can back up your iPhone to iCloud. This article covers both options.
How to Stop Apps Disappearing from Your iPhone
By August Garry
Have you ever gone to use an app you haven’t touched in a long time, only to find that the app has disappeared? The good news is you’re not losing your mind: Apple occasionally offloads apps it doesn’t think you’re using anymore. The better news is that you haven’t lost any data stored in the app (you only need to reinstall to get it back), and the best news is that it's easy to prevent your iPhone from unloading unused apps in the future. Let’s go over how.
How to Hide Purchased Apps & Books on an iPhone
By Amy Spitzfaden Both
While family sharing can be a useful way to consolidate your family's tech, there can be many reasons why you might want to hide app or e-book purchases. Some apps have credit card information you might not want to give your kids access to, and other apps may have content suitable for some family members but not others. Whatever your reason is for wishing to hide certain app or book purchases from Family Sharing, it is possible to do. First, here's how to hide app purchases, followed by how to hide book purchases.
How to Change Your Default Kindle Device on iPhone or iPad
By Conner Carey
When you purchase a new Kindle book, it’s automatically delivered to your default device. You can send e-books you’ve purchased to any or all of your devices, but only your default device will receive it automatically. While you may simply be able to view your Kindle Cloud on your device and download the book for reading there, you may not want to go through that process each time you get a new book if you know for certain where you’re going to end up reading it. For some, books get read on iPhone or iPad, since it’s a device that’s often or always with you. Regardless of whether you want your iPhone, iPad, or Kindle device to be your default, here’s how to change where new Kindle books are sent.
How to Share Kindle Books with Your Friends and Family When You Don’t Have Amazon Prime
By Conner Carey
Do you really want to borrow a Kindle book that a friend owns? Chances are, that friend can loan you her Kindle book for 14 days, so long as she hasn’t lent it to anyone previously. Welcome to the not-so-wide world of sharing Kindle books. There are a few points you should keep in mind before you loan Kindle books and a couple more if you’ll be borrowing a Kindle book. We’ll go over everything you need to know including how to share a Kindle book, how to borrow and return a Kindle book, and which Kindle books you can share and for how long. Let’s get to it: here’s how to share Kindle books with your friends and family.
How To Update Kindle Books on Your iPhone
By Leanne Hays
One of the best features of digital books, besides their incredible helpfulness in saving space, is their ability to be updated. When corrections and changes need to be made, Amazon can simply send the updated content to your Kindle. But how can Kindle owners manage their Kindle settings to make sure these automatic updates happen? We've already gone over how to buy Kindle books on your iPhone or iPad and how to delete them on the Kindle app or a Kindle device. Now, let's go over how to manage your Kindle settings to make sure your e-books are automatically updated so you can have all the most current versions of your Kindle content!
How to Create a Shared Music Playlist with Apple SharePlay
By Ashleigh Page
Apple SharePlay is a new feature that allows you to play movies and music during your FaceTime calls. It's fun to listen to music together, and even more so when everyone can add their favorite tunes. Let's cover how to play music on FaceTime and make a shared playlist.
How to Convert Pages to Word in Three Clicks
By Amy Spitzfaden Both
If you're a Mac user who needs a file to be compatible with Microsoft Word, converting a file from Pages to Docx might seem daunting. Turns out, it's actually super easy to do! File converters might vie for your attention, but all you need to do is click three times when your Pages document is open, and you'll be good to go. Let's learn how to convert a Pages document to Word.
Apple TV Remote: How to Clean Sticky Controller Buttons
By August Garry
Our Apple TV remotes live rough lives: they're dropped, spilled on, manhandled by grubby paws. So when I notice my Apple TV remote is not working, the first thing I do is clean it. In this article, we'll go over how to clean your Apple TV remote.
NEW: Never Forget Your Phone Again with Apple Watch Alerts
By Olena Kagui
Have you ever left your iPhone behind and didn’t realize it until it was too late? We’ve all been there! Luckily, your Apple Watch can now alert you if your iPhone, or other Apple products, have been left behind. Plus, there are other Apple Watch features to help you find your iPhone once you’ve returned to the location where you left it. I’ll walk you through the steps!
How to Call & Check Your Voicemail from Another Phone
By Leanne Hays
If the need arises, you can call your voicemail and check your messages from another phone. You can also delete, replay, save, and even hear the date, time, and number of a voicemail message using this method.
I take a screenshot on my iPhone several times a day, so I'm happy that Apple has introduced a new way to take a screenshot. One of the new iOS 14 features Apple has rolled out is Back Tap, a set of shortcuts that allow iPhone users to double or triple tap the back of their phones to perform various tasks. Back Tap is a great iPhone accessibility feature for people with reduced dexterity or limited vision, but being able to take a screenshot with a few taps on the back of our iPhones is convenient for everyone. Let's learn how to take a screenshot on your iPhone using Back Tap. Back Tap works with the iPhone 8 and later, including the iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and the new iPhone 12 line.
How to Set a Passcode on the Apple Watch
By Conner Carey
A passcode on an Apple Watch works a bit differently than a passcode on an iPhone. On an iPhone, you have to enter the code or use Face ID or Touch ID every time the screen turns off. But it would be super annoying if you had to enter the password on your Apple Watch each time you lifted your wrist—no one would use one if that were the case. A passcode on an Apple Watch is only asked for when your Apple Watch restarts and when you’ve removed the watch from your wrist and put it back on. That’s why this Apple Watch feature is an effective privacy measure, and not so inconvenient that users won’t bother setting a passcode. Here's how to set a passcode on your Apple Watch.
How to Take a Height Measurement with the Measure App on the iPad Pro & iPhone 12 Pro
By Leanne Hays
Did you know that the Measure app (which acts as a digital tape measure and level) on your iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max can automatically take a height measurement when it detects a person in the viewfinder? Let's go over how to measure someone's height with the iPhone and iPad Measure app, then take and save a photo with their height measurement.
How to Change Password on iPhone
By Conner Carey
Your iPhone contains precious memories and sensitive information that can be protected with a password. Apple has default six-digit passcodes on newer iPads and iPhones for better iPhone security, but not everyone wants to enter a longer iPhone passcode, while others want to add an even stronger passcode. I will teach you how to change your iPhone passcode in a few simple steps!
Scrolling the iPhone can be tedious, but it turns out that we’ve been scrolling the wrong way the whole time! This tip will help you quickly master the art of iPhone scrolling. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering if there was a better way to use the scroll bar, then this is the tip for you! Let’s get started with how to quickly scroll on your iPhone.
You probably already know that you can control your iPhone’s music from the Apple Watch. And if you have the Apple Watch Series 3 with Cellular, you know you can stream music directly on your watch without your iPhone. But if you have an Apple Watch without cellular data and want to leave your phone at home, how will you listen to music without your iPhone? And if you have the Apple Watch Series 3 with Cellular, how can you listen to music without data or Wi-Fi? The best way to listen to music while running or doing another iPhone-free activity is to put it on your Apple Watch, of course. We’ll go over how to make a playlist on your iPhone, how to sync music to your Apple Watch, and how to pair Bluetooth headphones with your Apple Watch so you can listen without data. Here’s everything you need to know about how to add music to your Apple Watch.
How to Change Work & Home Addresses in Maps on an iPhone
By Conner Carey
Set your home address in the Google or Apple Maps app so it's easy to get directions from your current location to home. Set a work address and add favorites in Apple or Google Maps, and getting directions takes just a few taps. You can also edit and update the location of your home, work, or other favorites on your iPhone.