iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear
Best iPhone 11 & 11 Pro Cases: Waterproof, Protective, Cool & Cute
By Leanne Hays
If you've invested in a new Apple smartphone like the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, it's a good idea to purchase a cell phone case to keep your investment safe. There is a huge variety of covers to buy, offered by companies including Lifeproof, Otterbox, Speck, UAG, and more. Whether you're looking for a protective phone case to safeguard your iPhone against drops and falls, a waterproof case to keep moisture out of your device, a wallet phone case, or just some cute or cool iPhone 11 covers to add some flair to your device, we've rounded up the best iPhone cases on the market for you to choose from.
What Is 5G, When Will It Be Available on the iPhone & Is it Dangerous?
By Donna Cleveland
In the 128th episode, members of the iPhone Life team answer your questions about 5G—What is it? When and where will it be available? Do we need a special phone in order to access it? Is it safe to use? Joining the show is Michael Schill, CEO of internet service provider Natel Broadband (and Donna's dad!), to explain how 5G technology works, explore the possibilities it opens up, and to address health concerns regarding the safety of 5G.
Ergo Pro Programmable Keyboard: Protect Your Wrists & Work Faster
(Sponsored Post) By Tamlin Day on Mon, 01/20/2020
Do you find yourself typing the same things over and over, like "please reply at your earliest convenience" or "looking forward to our next lunch?" If so, you might want to check out the Ergo Pro Programmable Keyboard by Matias. Not only can you set up macro keys to create shortcuts for commonly used phrases, but this keyboard is also designed to take the pressure off your joints. Read on to learn how the newest model of the Ergo Pro can improve your workflow and wrist health.
How to Check the Status of Your AirPods & Charging Case
By Tamlin Day
Using your iPhone to check the status of your AirPods and AirPods charging case is a quick way to see how much time you have left to listen to music or make important phone calls before having to recharge your AirPods and whether you the case has enough power to recharge your Airpods. To check the battery levels of your AirPods and their charging case, open the AirPods case near your iPhone to view the status on your screen. Let's get started with how to use your iPhone to monitor the status of your AirPods and their charging case.
Review: Blue Light Blocking Shades from Lucyd Make Reading Screens Easy on the Eyes
By Todd Bernhard
I have reviewed the Bluetooth-enabled sunglasses from Lucyd, which Lucyd developed in partnership with NFL star Richard Sherman, and found them to be affordable and useful, so I was anxious to try their newest collaboration, known as Sherman Shades. These are an assortment of stylish sunglasses (or clear glasses) designed to make screen reading easier with blue light blocking. Lucyd sent me the Cool Down Glasses ($24.99), which is one of four styles.
How to Use Sign in with Apple
By Cullen Thomas
The Sign in with Apple feature lets you use your Apple ID to sign in to websites and their associated apps securely, privately, and without the hassle of a million different passwords to keep track of. Sign in with Apple looks just like the Sign in with Google and Sign in with Facebook buttons you often see when creating new accounts; but unlike Google and Facebook, Apple doesn’t give away any of your information—no advertising profiles, no usage statistics. Read on to find out how to use Sign in with Apple to secure and simplify your online life.
10 Best Travel Apps for Planning & Enjoying Your Next Trip
By Conner Carey
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 to Customize an Action Menu on Your iPhone
By Tamlin Day
When you tap the Share icon in an app, you are taken to a menu that includes options for Recent Contacts, Apps, and Actions. Editing the Favorites section of an action menu in apps like Photos or Notes lets you add the functions you use most often in that app to the top of the action menu. To edit an action menu, you'll need to select Edit Actions at the bottom of your screen and locate the function you want to edit, such as Print or Copy. The actions available will vary according to app. Let's dive in with how to customize action menus in the iPhone Share screen.
How to Save Battery on the iPhone: Maintaining Your Lithium-Ion Battery
By Cullen Thomas
If you’re wondering how to save battery on your iPhone, you’re probably thinking about keeping it going through the day, but saving battery doesn't just mean making your iPhone last longer on one charge, it also means making sure your iPhone's lithium-ion battery itself lasts longer, thus extending the life of your iPhone; and the sooner you start, the better. To help you save battery on your iPhone and extend the life of the physical battery, we'll explain how to check your iPhone Battery Health regularly, when you should replace a worn out battery, how to take care of your lithium-ion battery’s physical safety, and what to do if your phone won’t charge. Let’s get started.
Review: MOFT X Invisible Foldaway Stand for iPhone & iPad
By Todd Bernhard
MOFT recently shipped me the crowdfuned X Invisible Foldaway Stand (starting at $17) for both phones and tablets. MOFT has been selling similar items for laptops for some time, so in spite of being a Kickstarter project, this is the real deal. So what is it? It's a compact stand that is so thin it could fit in an envelope, but it expands to support a three different angles and accommodates both portrait and landscape modes.
How to Adjust Portrait Mode Lighting on the iPhone
By Cullen Thomas
Portrait mode has been making folks look great since the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus—taking great portraits has never been so easy as picking a Portrait Lighting mode and letting the iPhone work its magic. With iOS 13, Apple has added even more flexibility: you can adjust the intensity of the lighting effect applied in Portrait mode. To avoid your photo looking like a bad photoshop job, just tap the lighting intensity icon at the top of the screen and swipe on the slider left or right to tune the effect up or down. A little goes a long way! Let's get started.
Best Protective Cases for the iPhone 11 & iPhone 11 Pro
By Todd Bernhard
It always amazes me that, despite Apple’s reputation for secrecy, new iPhone cases are designed, manufactured, and shipped by case makers before the phones are even announced. Maybe Apple is loosening up, or they can’t control every worker in their Chinese factories, but the result is I have received dozens of cases to try before my new iPhones arrived. Now that I have been able to test the cases with actual iPhone 11 models, here are my impressions, in alphabetical order.
Smart Medical Devices: Take Charge of Your Health
By Sarah Kingsbury
Half of all adults in America are living with one or more chronic illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But thanks to the growing availability of smart health-monitoring devices, patients with iPhones have never been more empowered to take a bigger role in managing their own or their family’s health. This gear makes it easy to collect and share the most accurate data possible with care providers, which can lead to better health outcomes. Health-monitoring devices for iOS can range from basic equipment like thermometers and pillboxes to more specialized equipment meant to be used as part of a doctor-supervised care plan for conditions like diabetes or asthma. Since accuracy is essential for these devices to be helpful, some may require you get training from a health professional in order to use them properly.
Why the Wallet App Makes the Apple Card Worth Getting
By Donna Cleveland
In the 121st episode, iPhone Life's COO Noah shares how the Apple Card is transforming the way he manages his credit cards, thanks to cash back rewards and spending trends. David also explains why he's buying his 7-year-old stepson a phone and trades tips with Noah on how to set up Screen Time and Family Sharing to control what content kids can access on their iPhones and iPads.
Review: SmartCine Complete Universal Smartphone Video Kit
By Todd Bernhard
I do a lot of videography, so I was excited when Movo sent a review unit of the SmartCine Complete Universal Smartphone Video Kit ($99.95). It is a multi-component kit that you assemble to create a full-featured videography tool that just needs your smartphone. Technically, it also needs a 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapter, because Apple chose to drop that feature. The SmartCine includes a lot of items in one, namely a quality HD microphone, a multi-level lighting ring that surrounds the camera lens, and the option of adding either a wide angle or fisheye lens. The lenses screw in easily, but be careful you don't get fingerprints on them. I've used other cases with lenses that attach via magnet and that is a nice touch.
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 Set a Unique Password for Each Account in Your Notes App
By Tamlin Day
For an extra layer of protection when using the Notes app, Apple now allows you to create a unique password for each of your Notes accounts, whether that's iCloud, On iPhone or On iPad, or an email-associated account. Before iOS 13, when you locked a note with a passcword for the first time, that password became the password for locking notes in all your Notes app accounts. You can now create a unique password for a Notes account by going to Notes in the Settings app and selecting Password.
Top 10 Cooking, Recipe & Meal-Prep Apps (Free & Paid)
By Abbey Dufoe
If you've been wanting to learn how to cook, try out a few new recipes, or even get on board with a meal-delivery service, we have an array of apps to help you meet your goals. Let's go over ten apps that will help you expand your repertoire and use your kitchen to its fullest potential. Bon appetit!
How to Customize Your iOS 13 iMessages Profile with Your Name & Picture
By Cullen Thomas
Customize a display picture in your Messages app profile and you’ll be able to share the face you choose with anyone you message. As of iOS 13, you can edit your profile picture and name; simply open messages, tap the three dots at the top of the screen, tap Edit Name and Photo, and swipe left or right to select an option. You can use a memoji or animoji, your initials with a custom color, or any picture on your iPhone. Once it’s set, you can choose whether to make your profile name and image visible to everyone in your contacts list, or only to select contacts. Let’s get started.