Leanne Hays

Author Details

Leanne Hays's picture

Author Details

Leanne Hays

Leanne Hays has over a dozen years of experience writing for online publications. As a Feature Writer for iPhone Life, she has authored hundreds of how-to, Apple news, and gear review articles, as well as a comprehensive Photos App guide. Leanne holds degrees in education and science and loves troubleshooting and repair. This combination makes her a perfect fit as manager of our Ask an Expert service, which helps iPhone Life Insiders with Apple hardware and software issues.
In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.

If you love hiking in the mountains, camping and fishing at a favorite lake, or just going for a walk in the woods, you likely already know that time in nature does a world of good for both physical and mental health. Researchers at the University of East Anglia performed a meta-analysis of more than 140 studies completed in 20 countries that objectively confirms these subjective impressions. Exposure to wild spaces reduces the production of stress hormones, lowers pulse rate and blood pressure, decreases sleep disturbances, and increases happiness, well-being, and even creativity. For many people, spending time in the great outdoors, whether for an afternoon or weeks at a time, means a break from technology. But there are so many practical benefits of having your phone with you! So before you escape to the woods to eat roots and berries and forget human speech, think about adding some of this essential camping gear and equipment to your packing list. While you're at it, check out our collection of travel, hiking, plant identification, and bird apps.

In every issue of iPhone Life magazine, we feature the iPhone Home screens of people from different walks of life, so our readers can see how they use iPhone apps to meet a variety of needs. In our Spring 2020 issue, we featured preschool director Rebecca Bellonci, who uses her iPhone for parking, visiting museums, fitness, and more. If you have a story and apps you'd like to suggest, email Tamlin Day, and we may feature you in an upcoming issue of the magazine!

The AirPods Pro, Apple's latest wireless, Bluetooth earbuds, have more noise-canceling options than previous generations. AirPods Pro owners can decide how much noise reduction they'd like by choosing between three noise-control modes: Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and Off. There are several ways to switch between these modes, either directly from your AirPods, or by using your paired device, whether it be your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Let's get started learning how to turn on and switch between AirPods Pro noise-canceling settings on all your Apple devices. 

If you've invested in a new Apple smartphone like the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, it's a good idea to purchase a cell phone case to keep your investment safe. There is a huge variety of covers to buy, offered by companies including Lifeproof, Otterbox, Speck, UAG, and more. Whether you're looking for a protective phone case to safeguard your iPhone against drops and falls, a waterproof case to keep moisture out of your device, a wallet phone case, or just some cute or cool iPhone 11 covers to add some flair to your device, we've rounded up the best iPhone cases on the market for you to choose from.

Whether your iPhone is on Lock Screen, one of your Home screens, or you have an app open, you'll see your iPhone battery icon in the upper-right corner of your screen. You may be wondering, though, "Why is my iPhone battery yellow?" Don't worry; nothing is wrong with your phone. The yellow battery icon just means that your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, a power-saving feature that kicks in when your battery needs to be charged. Let's learn about Low Power Mode, including when it's set to turn on and off automatically, and how to turn it off and on manually.

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