iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

Find Out If Your Data's Been Compromised

(Sponsored Post) By Amy Spitzfaden Both on Thu, 01/08/2026

Here's a hard truth: it's a new year but the same people are buying and selling your information daily. But who are these people? This is where our friends at Incogni come in. They've launched a free data checker so you can see exactly which data brokers and people search sites have your information. 

In this special back-to-school episode, the iPhone Life team shares tips and gear recommendations for students and parents and gives you the scoop on Apple's free Beats headphones for students who buy MacBooks or iPads. Also listen in to hear the latest iPhone 8 and Apple Watch rumors as Apple's fall announcement approaches.

We're all aware that there are millions of apps in the App Store, which means there’s very little chance any one of us has heard of even a quarter of what’s available. That’s why we love to look for lists of the coolest iPhone apps, best apps for iPhone, and now, the best unheard of apps, including apps for travel, photography, dating, and more. Lots of cool apps are bound to slip under the radar. But we’re all excited when a new app we’ve never heard of turns out to be fantastic, and better yet, free. We’ll cover eight apps that aren't trending but are still awesome, educational, and helpful for iPhone users. 

When you’re on the phone with someone, you can still use other apps. Let’s say you’re talking to a friend who needs another mutual friend’s number. You can stay on the phone with them while you visit your contacts to find the information. It’s a simple tip but one that will be forever useful. Here’s how to use another app while on a phone call with the iPhone.

It's hard to earn a five star review from me, especially for something as mundane as a charging hub. But the Nomad USB Charging Hub (starting at $39.95) does the job of a hub, and hides the cables inside to prevent accidental disconnection and look good at the same time. Speaking of cables, Nomad has some of the most rugged cables you can buy, so when you're on the go, you can take Nomad quality with you.

3D Touch can be a cool, helpful feature for a lot of people. But I also know some who never use the feature or even find that it gets in the way of simply pressing and holding something on the screen. Whatever your reasoning, you can turn 3D Touch off on your iPhone. And it’s very easy to do. Here’s how to turn 3D Touch off on iPhone.

ATTENTION: Our photo contest has recently undergone a few changes, so be sure to read our new rules carefully.

It's photo contest time again. We know you enjoy taking the occasional artistic shot with your iPhone, so why not get rewarded for it? Enter our iPhone Photography Contest on Instagram for a chance to win an Olloclip lens and a spot in our magazine! 

I use the Reminders app on my iPhone quite a bit. I’ll create a reminder to pick up my dry cleaning, to buy my cousin a birthday present, or to pay a bill. When I create Reminders, I usually set them to remind me on a certain day, at a certain time. But if I need to make a change to one reminder among many, manually shuffling through them is a pain. For example, I made a Reminder to “pay a fee for the school trip” my son was going on. I forgot what the fee amount was and needed the information before the due date. Instead of tapping each folder and scrolling through them to find it, I simply accessed the Reminders search field. Here’s how to search for a particular reminder on iPhone.

How to Manually Check for Carrier Settings Update on iPhone

Whatever cellular provider you use (Verizon, TFW, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, etc.), you'll need update carrier settings on your iPhone from time to time. It's important to update the carrier settings on your iPhone because it allows your cellular provider to update your network, enhance performance, and add new features. We'll cover what a carrier settings update means and how to update the carrier settings on your iPhone.

These five to-list apps and task management apps are fairly simple, contain a sleek interface, and most importantly, keep you organized. Say goodbye to forgetting to write important tasks down and having to remember the paper list on the counter. The following to-do list apps can help you keep up with your everyday life while keeping the process as simple (or detailed) as you like and as personalized as you desire. Also, they all have free versions with the option to pay for premium with an in-app purchase. Give one (or all) a try and comment below on how it goes.

Let’s say you’re listening to music using your Bluetooth speaker, and you get a call. When you answer that call, the audio will probably default to your iPhone. But what if you want the call to always default to your Bluetooth headphones, speaker, or earbuds? You can select which Bluetooth device your call audio defaults to in the Call Audio Routing settings in the iPhone Settings app. We've already covered Bluetooth pairing to your iPhone, and how to change which Bluetooth connection you're using to play audio from your iPhone or iPad. You can even connect an Xbox controller to your iPhone. Now, here’s how to set your speaker, headphones, or earbuds as the default audio on your iPhone.

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