You’ve just bought a used iPhone off Craigslist and are trying to transfer your iPhone SIM card. You boot up your phone and discover that it's Restricted; the device you bought is locked into a specific network provider. Now, here’s the good news; it’s possible to unlock a locked phone. Here’s even more good news; if you bought a new phone directly from Apple then your phone is already unlocked and available for any carrier you choose. How can you tell whether or not a used phone is locked? Of course, if you've already purchased a locked device, you'll be wondering how to unlock an iPhone. Also, what if you want to check if your current phone is locked? Whether you have a newer model like an iPhone 7, or an older version like the iPhone 6s, 6, or 5, we’ll answer all your questions in this article.
iPad
How to Fix iCloud Photo Link Not Working on iPhone
By Leanne Hays
Can't open an iCloud photo-sharing link? Here's the fix for when photo sharing is not working or because the iCloud link is not working or isn't loading. Here's how to fix it and open an iCloud link on an iPhone.
How to Keep iPhone Screen On by Disabling Auto-Lock
By Sarah Kingsbury
Want to know how to keep your iPhone screen on? Whether you want to change your Lock Screen settings to turn off Auto-Lock or change how quickly your screen dims, we've got you covered. All your burning questions about Auto-Lock on iPhone will be answered below.
How to Get Rid of Split Screen on iPad
By Jim Karpen
Wondering how you get rid of split screen on iPad? Split View is the split screen feature that allows two apps to be open at once on your iPad's screen, but many people end up with a split screen on their iPads by mistake, especially in the Safari app. While there are many useful ways to use split screen on the iPad, some users simply don't like the iPad split screen. Here's how to remove split screen on iPad.
How to Send a PDF File via Text on iPhone
By Rachel Needell
If you want to attach a PDF to a text message, it's actually quite simple. You just need to have uploaded the file to your iCloud account so you can access it through the Files app. If you need to figure out how to text a PDF file, I'll walk you through the steps.
How to Know If Your Apple Pencil Is Charging
By Amy Spitzfaden Both
"How do I know if my Apple Pencil is charging?" I asked this question not too long ago, and it turned out that my Apple Pencil was not charging, and was in fact broken. The Apple Pencil 1 and Apple Pencil 2 have different charging mechanisms and ways to let you know that they're charging, so we'll go over both. Here's how to tell if your Apple Pencil is charging.
How to Sync Messages from iPhone to Mac
By Conner Carey
Here's how to set up Apple's Messages app on an iPhone, Mac, and iPad. Once you've done this, you can view text messages sent and received from all the Apple devices you've synced. Let's start learning how to connect iPhone to Mac and iPad to get iMessage on Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
What iPad Do I Have? How to Easily Identify Any iPad Model
By Leanne Hays
Here's how to do an iPad model number check, so you can easily identify which iPad version you have. We'll also go over how to know what iPad generation your iPad is from. Finally, we'll give you a list of all iPad versions and iPad model numbers. Here's how to tell what iPad you have!
How to Turn Off RTT (Real Time Text) on an iPhone
By Leanne Hays
RTT on an iPhone is a built-in assistive technology that lets users call and receive phone calls with text instead of voice. If you don't need to make RTT calls, here's how to turn off RTT on your iPhone or iPad.
Will My Alarm Go Off in Do Not Disturb? Here's What to Know
By Amy Spitzfaden Both
Does Do Not Disturb block alarms? It doesn't block iPhone alarms but it can block alarms from third-party apps. Here's how to make sure your alarm goes off if you have Do Not Disturb or a Focus mode set.
Health App Missing from My iPhone! How Do I Reinstall It?
By Sarah Kingsbury
There are a couple of reasons why your Apple Health app might have disappeared from your iPhone: it was accidentally deleted or removed from your Home Screen, or you have it hidden in Screen Time settings. We'll walk you through how to get this vital app back on your Home Screen.
How to Fix Split Keyboard on iPad
By Rachel Needell
If your iPad has a Home button, you can still split the keyboard on your iPad. But you may be wondering how to fix a split keyboard on an iPad. Luckily, it's a fairly simple fix to unsplit the keyboard. Here's why the iPad keyboard is split and how to unsplit the keyboard on iPad.
How to Manage iCloud Storage & Which Apps to Back Up
By Belinda Sanmiguel
What would you do if you lost all of your data? Scary thought. Our devices are more than just for communicating with friends and family. We use our iOS devices for work, to purchase items, and to plan travel. But as much as we love our apps, they take up large amounts of space. So if you have limited iCloud storage space, you might not be able to sync everything. Below, we'll explain your options to manage iCloud storage, as well as how to sync specific apps to iCloud and which apps you should prioritize backing up.
Screen addiction is a real issue for many smartphone users, and Apple has a solution. There are several Screen Time features that can help iPhone and iPad users become aware of how much time they spend on their devices and cut back if needed. One of these settings is called Downtime, and we'll go over what it is and how to use it.
Fill Out Forms Automatically on iPhone & iPad
By Rhett Intriago
Does your iPhone frequently AutoFill the wrong information? Maybe you let a friend use your iPhone once and now their name and address won’t stop auto-populating forms. Thankfully, you can easily edit your AutoFill settings on your iPhone, ensuring your contact information is always correct.
Create a Smart List in the Reminders App
By August Garry
Are you a Reminders devotee ready to take your use of the app to the next level? If so, Smart Lists can help you configure your Reminders app to get reminders exactly when you need them, where you need them. Let's dig into how to use Smart Lists in the Reminders app.
Apple Pay Not Working? Here's the Fix!
By Amy Spitzfaden Both
Why is Apple Pay not working? Hitting obstacles at the point of payment is an extremely frustrating experience, and can even land you in a real pinch. Luckily, there are several troubleshooting steps you can try when you run into problems with Apple Pay, and we'll go over them all here. Here's what to do when Apple Pay won't work.
Video Games & Kids: Stop Worrying & Love Tech
By Leanne Hays
Kids and video games: it seems like everyone has an opinion on the topic, but there isn’t a lot of practical advice for how to walk the middle road between unhinged internet addiction and living like the Amish. I’ve had my share of internal struggles about letting my kids game, and honestly still do! Here’s what I’ve learned along the way about introducing gaming in a safe and healthy way. Hopefully, my experience will help you find a strategy that works for your family.
Solved: How to Share a Cart on Amazon
By Rachel Needell
Amazon's wishlist feature is a great way to quickly share a list of items from Amazon's website with another person. You might want to share your Amazon cart for a few reasons, whether as a potential gift guide, a shared shopping list, or more. However, you cannot share your shopping cart on Amazon without also sharing your username and password information. We've found a few ways to send an Amazon cart to someone.
In this day and age it's become commonplace for us to do just about everything with our iDevices, which means that we need gear that can keep up with us on any outlandish escapades, as well as on our day to day grind. The items featured here represent some of the best in their respective categories; built tough and designed with integrity and durability to handle the adventures that lie ahead. Many of the products featured here have impressive MIL-STD or IP ratings.
Here at iPhone Life we love turning people on to great gear that fits their specific purpose and need and we're hoping that these reviews will make your holiday shopping that much easier. Whether as a present for yourself, or as gift idea for family or friends, this list of exceptional products will help you find the perfect accessories.