iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

Can You Remove the Camera from an iPhone Lock Screen?

The only way to disable the camera icon on your iPhone Lock Screen is to completely disable the Camera app in Settings. While I don't recommend keeping this setting permanently enabled, this is a good temporary solution if your camera activates during certain activities, or if you have mischievous loved ones who adore taking dozens of selfies from your Lock Screen. 

How to Organize Your Calendar in 2025

(Sponsored Post) By Amy Spitzfaden Both on Thu, 05/08/2025

Apple is pretty good about updating its products, but it seems to have forgotten about the Calendar app and its many downsides. The makers of Informant 5, on the other hand, do not forget to regularly improve their app based on user experience. The latest updates to this calendar and task-management app are a productivity game-changer.

I love taking photos and my Instagram account shows it. The Layout app from Instagram helps me combine multiple photos into one collage. So if I have pictures from a party or a walk around the park, I can put several of them together into one frame. Layout makes it easy to customize, share, and save my creatively arranged photos.

My iPhone has become something I always carry with me, along with my keys and wallet. I have a better chance of finding my iPhone in the dark than say, the bathroom doorknob on the first try. One of the most useful things my iPhone provides is the Flashlight feature. With the iOS 12 update, I can now turn the Flashlight on and off using "Hey Siri" voice commands. So if I'm stuck in the dark, "Hey Siri" lights the way.

As part of the Apple home automation wave, the HomePod is a fun way to use Apple HomeKit accessories. The smart speaker connects to other iOS devices and can access Siri for voice commands, responding to questions, or playing music. If you want to let family members or friends use the HomePod to do things like turn lights on and off and adjust the thermostat in your house, you can give access via the HomePod. Here's how to add another user to the Apple HomePod.

The Apple Notes app is a convenient organizer app for everything from planning projects to writing down your grocery list. The Notes app allows users to create folders so they can group related notes. Sometimes I'll make a note and later realize it's in the wrong folder. Other times I won't put the note in a folder, and it will end up in the general Notes folder by default. The Notes app has a simple way to fix this; you can move a note to another folder, or start a new folder. If you've been wondering, "how do I move a note to a folder in the Notes app?", read on.

In the 97th episode of the iPhone Life Podcast, David, Donna, and Sarah tell you what new iOS 12.1 features to keep an eye out for, including Group FaceTime and a new batch of emojis. Other topics include pros and cons of sharing Apple’s HomePod, advanced photo search tips, and apps and gear iPhone Life’s editorial team is loving this holiday season.

How to Add Another Face ID to iPhone

Face ID has been the default for Apple's smartphone security since its debut. However, if you'd like to share your iPhone with a partner, friend, or child, unlocking might be a little difficult. Luckily, just like Touch ID allows you to save multiple fingers, there is a way to allow another face to unlock your iPhone. We'll show you how to add another Face ID.

iPhone cameras are improving every year, to the point where we can all take (and edit) professional-grade photos with just our phones. Still, once you've dived into iPhone photography there are a few accessories you may want to try out; we've rounded up our favorite photo gear for this very reason. From iPhone camera attachments like lenses, to our favorite iPhone tripod, to an awesome starter drone, an iPhone photo printer, and of course a selfie stick, we've gathered our favorite gear of the year right here. We've also included a few extras like a travel bag, a waterproof iPhone case, and some great free photo filter and editing apps to take you from start to finish on your photography adventure. Let's get started! 

Easily Generate Strong Passwords on iPhone

It's important to make sure that the passwords on all your accounts are strong and not easily guessed. But complex passwords that are hard to guess are also hard to remember. That's why I love the iCloud Keychain feature, which allows you to store your saved passwords. Did you know that you can also use the iCloud Keychain to generate complex passwords for you? I'll show you how to use Keychain's strong password suggestions.

Coffee is my co-pilot throughout the week. But if you asked me how much I drink on average, I'd draw a blank. Since my coffee habit was actually on auto-pilot, I chose RECaf - Caffeine Recorder as a a caffeine tracker for what, when, and how much caffeine I was consuming. This app is compatible with "Hey Siri" for logging entries and has customizable options so I can add specific drinks or food with their approximate caffeine content.

I had the opportunity to try the updated BEDDI Glow SE ($79.99) from WITTI. I reviewed the original model, and was happy when WITTI sent me the newer version. This one has a compact footprint and battery backup, two valuable enhancements for nightstand use, which is how I used my original BEDDI for years. You can set multiple alarms on different days, such as a weekday alarm for work or school and a weekend alarm that's a little later.

We all want our kids to avoid screen addiction and be safe online, but that can be hard to accomplish when children have open access to the internet via their iPhone or iPad. Fortunately, Apple's Screen Time parental controls are easy and free to use. In the past you might have had to pay for iPad or iPhone parental control apps to make sure inappropriate content wasn't getting through on your kids' devices, but not anymore. Learn how to set up Screen Time settings on your child's iPhone and iPad, and how to lock those settings so your curious kids can't access the content you've blocked.

Now that November is here I can officially start thinking about Christmas gift ideas, and lucky for me I was tasked with writing this roundup of top tech gifts under $100. I found so many cool things to buy for the 2018 holidays; gifts for women and men, and even a few things kids and teenagers will love. Let's get started with my 2018 Buyer's Guide for tech gadgets, including toasty warm winter texting gloves, a GPS tracker to help find lost items, a smart water bottle, and more. Your friends and loved ones are going to be really happy with their presents this year! 

I recently reviewed a number of iPhone accessories from Moshi, so I was surprised when the company sent me another item just a few days later. It looks like Moshi was working on something that improves upon the items I just reviewed. The Porto Q 5K Portable Battery with Built-in Wireless Charger ($84.95) has a nice fabric and rubber surface like their previous wireless Qi charger, but this has some welcome enhancements.

How to Make a Shortcut on iPhone Quickly & Easily (iOS 16)

The iPhone Shortcuts app lets you completely personalize your phone by creating automated workflows. This means that a single command using Siri can get your phone to do the hard work, like text all the attendees of an upcoming event with your exact ETA without you lifting a finger. You can also use Shortcuts to create GIFs quickly, customize app icons, and so much more!

I love using a thesaurus when I write, so the absence of this option from the iPhone's dictionary feature, Look Up, used to be a sore spot for me. Beginning with iOS 12, I no longer need a third-party thesaurus app, because a thesaurus is included in Look Up on iPhone and iPad for free! Let's get started learning how to add a thesaurus to Look Up, so you can find just the word you're looking for, be it a synonym or antonym. 

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