Apps

Happier Holidays with Recipe, Shopping & Gift-Giving Apps

By Melanie Newell

When I was a kid many moons ago, Christmastime was my absolute favorite time of year—even more so than my birthday. As an adult, I love to reignite that childlike spirit at the end of each year. I get so excited when I think of Santa hats, holiday tunes, festive lights, mouthwatering feasts . . . I could go on. This year, I’ve discovered entertainment, recipe, shopping, and gift-giving apps that can help make this holiday season more magical than ever before.

Review: Smart String Lights Get Smarter for 2019 Season

By Todd Bernhard

One of the neat things about writing product reviews for iPhone Life for over a decade is getting to see enhanced versions of products I've reviewed in the past. Case in point, Twinkly sent a review unit of its updated Smart LED String Lights (starting at $148.95). As with the previous generation, they are intelligent holiday lights that can be programmed to display solid colors or patterns.

The Best Home & Interior Design Apps for Your Construction & Renovation Projects

By Mike Riley

Taking on a home project can be a challenging and rewarding experience. If you have tackled this type of task before, it can be downright daunting. Fortunately, a variety of applications are available to help alleviate anxiety and move your renovation toward a fun and satisfying conclusion. The tools and materials you’ll need will depend on the scope of your endeavor. Finding the right app for the job is equivalent to finding the right tool in the physical world; there are so many that identifying the right one can be a challenge. Fortunately, I’ve tested a diversity of apps and will share a handful here that can help make your next home-improvement effort a success.

Apple or Google Photos? Which App Is Best for Cost, Quality & Editing

By Kenneth Boshell

Ever lost a precious memory because you forgot to back it up? With these two major photo management solutions, Apple Photos and Google Photos, those concerns should be a thing of the past. But which one should you pick? In this article, I'll go in depth to find out. I'll compare cost, file formats, upload quality, and a number of other factors in order to help you make an informed decision.

Buyer's Guide 2019: Smart Gear & Toys for Kids & Teenagers

By Leanne Hays

If you've been looking for the best gifts for kids or teenagers in your life, look no further. Our 2019 Buyer's Guide has four options for all sorts of interests, from science and programming to stories, music, and of course, the ever-popular LEGO franchise. You'll find a smart toy or tool for every budget and every age; even adults will want to get in on the fun! Let's jump into the kid's section of our annual buyer's guide now.

How to View Notes in Gallery View in the Notes App

By Leanne Hays

Apple's Notes app is a handy, native application that's one of the best note-taking apps available for the iPhone and iPad. iOS 13 and iPadOS came with new features for the Notes app, including the ability to view notes in Gallery View. Gallery View allows Notes users to see all their entries with or without visual thumbnails, making it easier to find particular notes.

How to Add an Attachment to a Reminder on Your iPhone

By Leanne Hays

Apple's Reminders app for the iPhone and iPad has a useful new feature with the introduction of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, the ability to add attachments to Reminders. We've previously covered how to set a reminder and how to search for a particular reminder, now we'll get into how to make your reminders even more useful by adding attachments like photos or documents. 

10 Best Travel Apps for Planning & Enjoying Your Next Trip

By Conner Carey

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Do you have a business trip or vacation to plan? Here are our ten top apps for getting a handle on restaurants to try, currency conversion, maps and directions, and entertainment for your flight. Once you've reached your destination, we have apps for translation, hotel and bed and breakfast bookings, photo sharing, and more. Here are our top ten travel apps; enjoy!

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 Declutter, Organize & Streamline Your iPhone

By Brianna Eason

Decluttering my physical surroundings changed my life. Getting rid of the things I didn’t need or that brought me down gave me space to breathe and feel more peaceful. I knew that this would become a lifestyle for me and that I could never go back. Once my physical possessions were under control, I realized that although I had taken the time to clear out my closet and my bookshelf, I had let myself hang on to digital possessions long past when they served a purpose. And just like with physical clutter, removing digital clutter reduced stress and gave me peace of mind. So even if you’ve used the KonMari method on your wardrobe and narrowed down your books and files, you’re not done if you haven’t decluttered your phone and computer. That’s where I come in.

Featured iUser: How Blogger & Fashion Influencer Malvika Sheth Uses Her iPhone

By Leanne Hays

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 2019 issue, we featured Malvika Sheth, who uses her iPhone for uploading fashion, beauty, and travel videos, and maintaining her social media profiles and website. If you have a story and apps you'd like to share, email me and we may feature you in an upcoming issue of the magazine!

The 10 Best Apps for Making & Listening to Music

By Kenneth Boshell

Whether you're a music maker, a music lover, or both, you're probably on the lookout for the best apps to record songs or find new favorites. We've rounded up ten free and paid apps; some, like Pandora, YouTube, and Amazon Music are well known, others are more obscure. Whether you'd like to learn a new instrument or improve your skills, listen to favorites or discover new artists, we have the app for you.

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