How-To

Forget package tracking apps! Did you know you can track shipments on your iPhone without ever leaving the app in which you received the tracking number? If you’re worried about porch pirates, one of the best security measures is knowing when a package is supposed to arrive. Your iPhone will automatically detect tracking any tracking number that you receive in Mail or Messages. You can also use the same method to track packages from websites like Amazon by copying and pasting the tracking number into Notes. For an extra layer of security, you can add a unique passcode to Notes. With this tip, you’ll be able to set up tracking from any carrier. Let’s dive in to how to use iPhone package tracking.

Group messages on your iPhone or iPad are a great way to communicate with several people at one time. We've already gone over how to make a group chat, how to name a group chat, and how to add or remove someone from a group chat, but one question remains; how many people can join an iMessage on an iPhone or iPad? We'll go over the difference between a group iMessages chat, SMS, and MMS before learning about iMessages group chat limits. These limits are set by your cell phone carrier, so we'll reveal the limits set by the top four carriers, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular. Let's get started!

If you're wondering whether your cough is allergies or COVID-19, you aren't alone. Apple has added COVID-19 to things you can ask Siri about. If you want to know more about the illness, this tip will show you a way to access reliable and accurate information. Whether you're checking your symptoms or looking for help from a medical professional, Siri's here to help. Let's dive in with how to ask Siri for information about COVID-19.

Want to scan a document on the iPhone? Your Files app can be used as a document scanner where you can scan and save documents to your iPhone and iCloud. Using the Files app to scan a document on the iPhone helps keep you organized by scanning, saving, and marking up documents from one location. Here’s how to scan a document on the iPhone using the Files app.

Join iPhone Life’s CEO David Averbach and Editor in Chief Donna Cleveland as they lead a free, live workshop on Wednesday, March 25, at 4 p.m. EST to help you stay safe and connected during this unprecedented time. With the growing outbreak of the coronavirus in our communities, it’s hard not to worry about the health risks that COVID-19 poses to us and our loved ones. Many of you may be wondering how to safely sanitize your iPhone, optimize your home office while working remotely, and stock up on essential items without leaving your house. Get answers to all this and more when you register for your free spot in the workshop.

Want to change the default Gmail account in the Mail app? To change the email on an iPhone from one default to another, you have to go into the Settings app. You can make a Google account the default email address, but if you have more than one Gmail account, this tip will teach you how to select a specific Gmail address. Choosing your preferred email address helps your contacts know that the email you just sent really did come from you and could save you from getting filed as junk. Read on to learn how to change the default email on an iPhone to a Gmail account.

Want to download large apps without Wi-Fi? Since Apple introduced iOS 13, you can download apps over 200 MB using cellular data. By default, your iPhone will ask for permission to download large apps. That can get really annoying if you have unlimited data and frequently download large apps. This tip will teach you how to download apps on the iPhone using cellular data without having to give permission every time. Let’s dive in with how to allow large apps to download over cellular data. 

We've already gone over Apple's new recommendation for how to sanitize your smartphone and other devices with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes or similar wipes with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol. Now, let's talk about another option, using ultraviolet light as a disinfectant and sanitizer. We have three different options for people looking to kill bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms on their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Mac, and even Apple TV remote to prevent COVID-19. Some of these devices are on our person nearly all the time, especially the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and therefore have more bacteria and viruses on them than the average toilet seat. Let's cover how to sanitize your cell phone, tablet, earbuds, smartwatch, and other Apple devices.

In iOS 13, Reminders lets you group related lists of reminders on the iPhone. When you create a group in Reminders, you can bring together related lists under one folder. This tip will help you set up groups and get your reminders organized. You can even use this method to add groups in Reminders on your iPad! Read on to learn how to use the updated iOS 13 Reminders app to set up groups of lists on the iPhone.

The Scribble feature makes Apple Watch lets you compose texts by writing the words on your Watch Face with a finger rather than dictating them to Siri. Quiet texts on the Apple Watch make it easier to send and receive texts discreetly. But what happens when your watch fails to correctly translate your scribbling into text? With Scribble on the Apple Watch, you can also edit incorrect words without talking to Siri. Here’s how to text on an Apple Watch and edit texts using Scribble.

I rarely write a tip that will impact people's health, but learning how to clean and sanitize your Apple devices, including your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Mac, and even Apple TV remote, is part of how to prevent coronavirus. Some of these items are on our person nearly all the time, especially the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, and therefore have more bacteria and viruses on them than the average toilet seat. Apple has recently changed their cleaning guidelines, so let's go over how to sanitize your cellphone, tablet, earbuds, smartwatch, and other Apple devices.

Did you know that you can close all your Safari tabs that have been open beyond a set amount of time, instead of waiting for Safari to hang up or slow down? When you close tabs regularly, Safari runs much more smoothly, but it’s easy to forget to close tabs in between use. Luckily, you can create a schedule to close all your Safari tabs. Here’s how to close tabs on Safari automatically.

f you want to know how to unzip files on the iPhone or iPad, you can extract that zip file straight from the Files app! This is great news, since in the past unzipping a file on the iPhone required third party software. Now, you can unzip files and view them inside the Files app! Let’s dive in with how to extract a zip file on the iPhone.

You can search Safari on the iPhone to find words or phrases, but did you know you can also Safari Search your open tabs? If you tend to have large numbers of Safari tabs open at once, this tip will help you search Safari for the tab you want without having to scroll through all your open tabs to find it. Read on to learn how to search Safari on the iPhone to switch between tabs.

Is your iPhone storage taken up by apps you don't use, buried deep in folders where you can't see them? If you want to know how to delete an app on the iPhone, this tip will show you the quickest way to delete apps, even if you're not sure where the app is on your phone. You can delete apps and remove the app data quickly, all from the App Store, without ever having to locate the app's exact location on your iPhone. This is a great way to free up storage and get rid of the apps you never use. Read on to learn how to delete an app on the iPhone.

The current panic about the novel coronavirus causing the COVID-19 outbreak has made us all a little more conscious about bacteria, viruses, and germs in general. While you're busy house cleaning and washing your hands to prevent disease and kill germs, remember to disinfect and sanitize your Apple devices, including your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, EarPods, Mac, and even your Apple TV remote. Whether or not you ever come in contact with the coronavirus, studies have shown that our phones are downright filthy. A University of Arizona study shows that the average cell phone carries ten times more germs than a toilet. Ew. Bacteria found on iPhones include Streptococcus, MERS, and E. Coli, and viruses can linger on your smartphone as well. If this news leaves you wondering how to clean your phone and other Apple devices, this article will fill you in on all the methods to disinfect or sterilize them all without damaging them. Let's get started.

You can easily take a screenshot on your iPad, whether you have an iPad Pro or an older model. Whether or not your iPad has a Home button, this tip will teach you how to take iPad screenshots using your iPad’s physical buttons. A screenshot is a great way to capture information on the internet, such as a favorite recipe or the current score, as well as fond memories like texts from the grandchildren. Let’s dive in with how to take screenshots an iPad.