Best Smart Survival Gear of 2025
By Olena Kagui
By Leanne Hays
Our pets give us so much: affection, comfort, entertainment, and, if you’re a dog owner, plenty of exercise. But as every animal lover knows, being a pet parent isn’t all fun and games! Pets require food, water, veterinary care, supervision, and, of course, someone to clean up after them. Here are the smart devices that help the iPhone Life crew spend less time on pet chores and cleaning, and more time enjoying our furry, scaly, and feathery friends.
By Rachel Needell
Any writer can tell you that taking a writing project from start to finish requires a seemingly endless system of steps and tasks. However, one of the best things to emerge from the computer age is sophisticated software designed specifically for writers. I’ve researched and tested the best resources to take you through your entire writing process—from brainstorming, to outlining, to writing, to editing—so you can finally banish writer’s block and master your story’s organization.
By Olena Kagui
Do you still vacuum, mop, and clean windows by hand? The good news is you can now keep your home clean using smart vacuums while you kick back and relax. You can save so much time by outsourcing your cleaning and letting AI-powered robots do all the hard work with just a tap of a button on your iPhone.
By Olena Kagui
Since every iPhone comes out with a better camera than the last, many of us have ditched those bulky digital cameras and use our smartphones instead. As an iPhone photography and videography enthusiast, I am always looking for gear to take my shots to the next level.
By Olena Kagui
Do you enjoy finding new books, movies, and music or do you prefer to revisit old favorites again and again? Whatever your style, you're sure to find some top quality entertainment with these apps.
By Olena Kagui
I am that dog owner that refers to her beloved pets as furbabies, and I would do anything to keep them safe, healthy, and happy. Smart dog collars or pet-tracking gadgets are a great way to have peace of mind because you know exactly where your pet is at all times. While some dog collars focus on tracking, others do so much more!
By Olena Kagui
According to Forbes, 78 percent of Americans prefer banking online or via an app than going to the bank in person. While your phone won't give you a free lollipop with your transaction, these apps will keep your finances sweet.
By August Garry
Apple is slowly rolling out plans to let you add your driver's license to your Apple Wallet, and use your iPhone to present your ID at TSA checkpoints. Let's learn how to add your driver's license to your Apple Wallet.
By Leanne Hays
Avoiding allergens, taking preventive medication, and alerting others to allergic conditions are three ways that people with allergies can preserve their health and be prepared in the event of exposure. Luckily, app developers are here to help. Here are seven apps to help you avoid and manage your allergies, so you can spend less time sneezing and more time enjoying your day.
By Olena Kagui
Not a lot of people know that Apple bundles its services into a monthly subscription called Apple One. There are three options, including Apple One Premier, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and even 2TB of iCloud+ that can be shared with up to five other people. I'll teach you how to get it!
By Paula Bostrom
Which stores take Apple Pay? Too many to list in one article, which is great news for Apple Wallet enthusiasts. We've compiled a list of popular stores and their Apple Pay status. We'll also show you how to quickly figure out if a particular business accepts Apple Pay using the Maps app.
Do you want to delete messages on your iPhone but keep them on your Mac? Deleting messages on your iPhone and keeping them on your Mac is possible if you unsync iCloud Messages on your Mac; here's how!
Your battery is getting low, so you decide to charge your iPhone. However, you get an alert that says that charging is unavailable because your iPhone has detected liquid in the Lightning connector. It is dangerous to charge your iPhone when it’s wet, but when you’re expecting an important call, making sure your iPhone is charged is important. We will show you measures to take if you ever receive the liquid detection alert.
The Apple Watch has a comprehensive built-in sleep tracker that can analyze your sleep graph, create a healthy bedtime routine, and even monitor your nightly heart rate, body temperature, breathing rate, etc. If you want to dive even deeper into sleep tracking, I’ll introduce you to paid and free third-party apps that use artificial intelligence to help track, analyze, and improve your sleeping habits.
By Olena Kagui
Gone are the days when tech and water didn’t mix. Today we have a wide selection of water-resistant and waterproof products that can enhance our poolside days and beach trips. Living on Maui gives me constant opportunities to test the best beach and pool gear against the elements. I’ll share my favorite gear with you that passed the test of tropical island life.
By Leanne Hays
Did you know you can turn on Apple's Mail Privacy Protection to hide your IP address and make it difficult for senders to find your location or track your online activity? Here's how to turn Mail Privacy Protection on or off.
By Rachel Needell
Keeping the Photos app organized can be quite a difficult task. The option to organize your photos into albums and folders makes organizing your pictures much easier. However, if you have a lot of photos already sorted into albums, it can be a pain to try to add each photo into a folder individually. Luckily, there's a way to add existing albums to folders. Here's how!
By Conner Carey
Sometimes, while browsing the internet, you'll come across words you don't understand or subjects you want to learn more about. The Look Up menu provides links to several options: Apple's dictionary, other dictionaries, Siri-suggested websites, Wikipedia, the App Store, and more. Let's go over looking up words on iPhone with the Look Up feature.
By Olena Kagui
iPhone app icon customization is a great way to personalize your device or hide apps by disguising them. Here's how to customize app icons with the free Apple Shortcuts app to create aesthetic app icons for your iPhone Home screen.
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