iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

Organize Your iPhone’s Storage & Battery

Now that you’ve perfected your Home Screen, it’s time to clean behind the scenes. In the past, you may have deleted apps from your Home Screen and now you’ve lost track. Maybe you have an absurd amount of photos or downloaded videos taking up a lot of storage and making your iPhone run slower than it needs to. Or maybe you keep ignoring the software updates, which puts your phone at a security risk. If any of those things sound relatable, this next section is all about how to make sure even the stuff occurring in the background of your iPhone is kept in check.

The Best Gear for a High Tech Spa Day

By Amy Spitzfaden Both

The Best Gear for a High Tech Spa Day

I’ve been enjoying at-home spa days for more than a decade. Over the years, they’ve evolved from drugstore face masks and fuzzy socks for an hour to full-day productions with coordinated snacks, playlists, aromas, and lighting—and now tech. Here’s how to get your gear to work for you for the most relaxing experience you can get without leaving your house.

Apple has finally unveiled its new iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 5, and even a new seventh-generation iPad. But whether or not you’re planning to upgrade to any of the new devices Apple just announced, you’ll still want to update most of your existing Apple devices and start enjoying all the newest features of iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS as soon as possible. Here’s when you can expect to start updating the software on your Apple devices and which iPhones are compatible with iOS 13 and which Apple Watches, and iPads can run the watchOS 6 and iPadOS.

Port number to new iPhone top image

Do you need to set up a new iPhone? We'll go over how to switch iPhones, including how to transfer everything from iPhone to iPhone, including photos, contacts, other data, and even your phone number. You don't need to transfer a SIM card to port your phone number or transfer your old messages, contacts, and photos from your old phone. Here's everything you need to know about how to transfer data and how to switch your phone number to your new iPhone.

With the Files app, you can use your iPhone to view notes, images, documents, and files that you've saved from your computer or iPad to iCloud and other storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive. To view saved items using the Files app, you'll need to go to your Apple ID in the Settings app and enable iCloud Drive. Let's get started with how to use the Files app to access documents saved to iCloud Drive.

Adjust exposure iPhone camera top image

Did you know you can brighten and darken your iPhone camera shots before you even take them? You can do this by setting the exposure, and it's as easy as sliding your finger up or down. Adjusting exposure is a way to make the darks a little darker or the lights a little lighter. We'll show you how to change the exposure on your iPhone camera and create the image you want every time.

During the Space Race, the United States spent millions to develop a Space Pen that could work in zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil. The lesson is that sometimes there can be too much technology. While numerous businesses are developing robotic toys and pet food dispensers, the folks at Cheerble have introduced a lower-tech, but still technically solid alternative. It's being crowdfunded, but I know it's a real product because they sent me a review unit of the Wicked Ball (starting at $34) to try.

The iPhone's Screen Recording feature lets you record videos of your screen along with in-app sounds so that you can share videos of things like how to use your favorite golfing app or that funny GIF you found online. When you enable the Screen Recording feature in the Settings app, your iPhone can record videos of your screen that include the audio feedback on most apps. While this tip won't let you capture audio in apps like Apple Music or Netflix, it will let you record audio in most other apps. With that in mind, let's dive into how to record your screen along with in-app audio.

I have reviewed a number of SleepPhones wireless headphones from Acoustic Sheep over the years, and while they always do the job, namely serve as Bluetooth headphones integrated into a soft headband, suitable for sleeping, I did write that I wish they had could charge as easily as my Apple Watch and iPhone do. I'm glad to announce that they now come with wireless charging!

I have been a customer of Logitech Harmony remotes since the beginning, before Logitech acquired the Harmony Remote Control company, so I am always excited when the company introduces a new model. The latest is the Harmony Express ($249.99) and they kindly sent me a review unit to try. Compared to the traditional models, the Express is much more compact and sleek. And since it's so small, it's nice to know you can use the app to find the remote control. It charges using a microUSB cable (included) and not a cradle as other models do. I would have preferred USB-C or, better yet, Qi-based wireless charging so I could just place the remote on a charging pad. 

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