Tagging someone on Instagram is pretty straightforward. If you’re viewing an Instagram photo you really like that you want to share with a friend, you can simply tag them in the comments and they'll receive a notification. But did you know you can also send an Instagram picture as a dm, or direct message? If you choose this option, it's more private because you don't have to mention them in the public comments. Let's learn how to direct message a picture on Instagram, or how to just tag someone on an Instagram photo without sending them a dm.
Photo & Video
How to Shoot Clearer, Better Photos on Your iPhone
By Rheanne Taylor
I’ve heard it said over and over again that the best camera is the one you have with you. Honestly, I couldn’t agree more. I have an amazing DSLR and yet I find that the majority of my pictures are taken with my iPhone. Unfortunately, our iPhones still struggle in a lot of ways that more advanced cameras don’t. One of those ways is the iPhone’s intolerance for low-light situations. If you’re sick of blurry, unclear images, then here are a few tips and tricks that have really helped me out. Here’s how to shoot clearer, better photos on your iPhone.
The Ultimate App for Dog Photos: BarkCam
By Leanne Hays
The camera roll on my iPhone is jam packed with pictures of my dogs—there's just something about those fuzzy faces that demands to be adored and photographed so that the pictures can be adored as well. Then of course there's the sharing; #instadog #socute #sorryyouguysicantrestrainmyself. I've been known to take dog photos with Instagram, share them to Facebook, then text and private message them to friends and family that really must see the latest iteration of canine cuteness right away. Therefore it is with great delight that I announce the discovery of my new favorite app, BarkCam, the "Instagram for Dogs."
How to Use Selfie Portrait Lighting & Portrait Mode on iPhone X
By Conner Carey
The front camera on iPhone X is capable of a lot of incredible things, including improving your selfie game with front-facing Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting. You're likely familiar with how to take a selfie on iPhone, but Selfie Portrait Mode and Lighting makes taking good selfies super easy. With the Portrait Lighting, you can change the lighting before ever taking a photo. You have various lighting options to choose from, depending on the effect you want and your location. And the background of the photos are blurred for that professional Bokeh look. For iPhone X users, front-facing Portrait Mode and Lighting is essential to learn for taking great selfies. You can use this Portrait Lighting when taking regular photos (not selfies) on iPhone X and iPhone 8, and you can use Portrait Mode on those devices as well as the iPhone 7 Plus. But Selfie Portrait Mode and Lightning is reserved to the iPhone X for now. Here’s how to use Selfie Portrait Mode & Portrait Lighting on iPhone X.
How to Turn Off Video Autoplay in the App Store on iPhone
By Conner Carey
The App Store got a huge upgrade with iOS 11. One of the new features is videos! Developers can create little videos that autoplay when you're browsing apps. When you're browsing with WiFi, this probably isn't a problem. But on cellular, you don't want to eat up data just to play a video about an app you're downloading. Of course, if you're not a fan of video autoplay under any circumstance, you can turn it off completely. Here's how to turn off video autoplay in the App Store on iPhone.
Enter iPhone Life’s Instagram Photo Contest: Deadline November 13
By Rheanne Taylor
ATTENTION: Our photo contest has recently undergone a few changes, so be sure to read our new rules carefully.
It's photo contest time again. We know you enjoy taking the occasional artistic shot with your iPhone, so why not get rewarded for it? Enter our iPhone Photography Contest on Instagram for a chance to win an Olloclip lens and a spot in our magazine!
Before I headed out on a four-month trip to the island of Hawaii this past October, I put a lot of research and thought into what kind of rugged iPhone 7 accessories I would bring. I wanted to ensure the safety of my iPhone 7, as I knew it would be a valuable tool in documenting the trip. The most obvious accessory was a protective waterproof iPhone 7 case. And while my rugged iPhone 7 case ultimately did the job, there were some close calls with water, rocks, sand, heat, and yes, even a volcano. Now, if my iPhone had fallen into a volcano, I seriously doubt any case would have saved me from that loss. However, having been through this adventure with my iPhone 7, I came back to the mainland with a better understanding of what rugged iPhone gear I could have gone a little more “hard-core” with, as well as some ideas about what I could have brought with me but didn’t. Here are the top seven rugged iPhone accessories I will bring on my next adventure, from an outdoor Bluetooth waterproof speaker and portable solar panels to an iPhone camera lens kit and Bluetooth shutter remote.
How to Repost a Photo to Instagram
By Conner Carey
If you have an Instagram account, you’ve surely seen reposted photos with credit given to the account it originated from. But there is no option to repost a photo within the Instagram app, so how do they do it? With a third-party app! Being able to repost photos is crucial for businesses and fun for individuals. There are multiple third-party apps you can use to repost photos to Instagram, but I’m going to show you my favorite and how I use it along with the Instagram app to repost a photo.
How to Save Photos Taken Within Messages to the Photos App
By Conner Carey
If you take a photo within Messages, it isn’t automatically saved to your iPhone. If you take a photo you really like, you’ll want to manually save it with this tip. It’s nice that iPhone doesn’t automatically save those photos so that you aren’t accidentally taking up too much space or saving private photos meant only for the conversation. But if you send a photo you like, here’s how to save it to the Photos app.
Darkroom: The Must-Have Photo Editing App for iPhoneographers
By Conner Carey
iPhone Life’s resident iPhoneographer and Managing Editor Rheanne Taylor has a favorite photo editing app that she uses constantly for her polishing her photos: Darkroom Photo Editor (free). But it’s not just her—avid photographers will tell you their all-time favorite filter from Darkroom at the drop of a hat, and a quick look at the app’s review will tell you much users love it. This app offers users a lot of control over their photos with a wide range of options. Access to the basic features of the app is free, but users say it’s well worth $3.99 to get all the premium tools or $5.99 for all the tools and filters. We’ll tell you more about the Darkroom app below, including what it can do and why we love it.
Enter iPhone Life’s Instagram Photo Contest: Deadline September 4
By Rheanne Taylor
ATTENTION: Our photo contest has recently undergone a few changes, so be sure to read our new rules carefully.
It's photo contest time again. We know you enjoy taking the occasional artistic shot with your iPhone, so why not get rewarded for it? Enter our iPhone Photography Contest on Instagram for a chance to win an Olloclip lens and a spot in our magazine!
Not too long ago, Instagram introduced the ability to save photos you like into your own little collection board. This is a great feature for keeping track of photos you’ve found that you love and may want to check out again later on. But, not only can you save those photos, you can organize those photos into collections, much like a Pinterest board. I’m saving every Insta-pic I like now, so this feature is perfect for making sure I can find the image I want to among the many saved. Here’s how to organize your saved Instagram photos like a Pinterest board.
I love to add my photos to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, whether it’s to show off my vacation or share pictures of my kids for distant family members to see. And, of course, there’s the not-so-occasional cute photo of my pets. If you have an account on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, there is an easy way to upload your photos from your iPhone or iPad right to your choice of social media sites. Here’s how to upload photos to your social media account on iPhone.
How to Disable Facebook's Video Autoplay on iPhone
By Sarah Kingsbury
A while ago, Facebook introduced autoplay for videos on the social network. Perhaps the most obnoxious part about it is that every time a video ad starts playing in your News Feed, you are essentially paying with your precious data or battery power for them to advertise to you. Fortunately, it's easy to disable this feature. Here’s how to disable Facebook’s video autoplay.
I've tried out many of the best rugged and waterproof iPhone protective cases over the years, and while there are undoubtedly many excellent options on the market, my current favorite for the slightly older iPhone models (6/6 Plus and 6S/6S Plus iPhones), is hands down, the Dog & Bone Wetsuit Impact ($79.95). I'm rough on my iPhones—ike, really rough—and of all the cases I've put to the test, the Impact has consistently performed the best. Read on after the break to find out all the ways this remarkably well-designed case performs in harsh terrain and under extreme conditions.
How to Delete Attachments from Messages without Deleting the Conversation
By Sarah Kingsbury
All those cute pictures, funny memes, and hilarious gifs your friends send you in Messages can take up a surprising amount of your iPhone's storage capacity. Each attachment is saved to the message conversation thread, which is great if you decide to save a couple of the photos. But if you’re someone who doesn't often delete older messages, you can easily free up some phone storage by deleting the attachments. And luckily, you can delete attachments from Messages without deleting the conversation.
How to Add Words To a Photo with Over on iPhone
By Conner Carey
Whether you want to create a fun image, a small poster to promote an event on Social Media, or any other graphic with words, using the free app Over is a great way to go. The app is easy to use and allows you to create professional-looking graphics on your iPhone. Here’s how to add words to a photo with Over on iPhone.
Big news broke the internet recently. Since Instagram now has Snapchat-like features such as disappearing photo stories, the social network decided to continue its imitation: if someone takes a screenshot of your disappearing photo, you will receive a notification. While the internet seemed to freak out over this, it’s a great measure for privacy. Disappearing photos are supposed to...well, disappear. So it only makes sense that you’d receive a notification when someone decides your disappearing photo should be a more permanent photo on their device. Now that Instagram stories are a bit more secure, here’s how to take an Instagram photo that will disappear.
How to Change Playback Quality for TV App on iPhone
By Conner Carey
The TV app on iPhone is designed to bring all of your entertainment content together in one app. Instead of having to individually search through your favorite apps like Netflix, Hulu, etc, you can use the TV app to quickly see what’s up next and look at watching options for the streaming services you’re signed up with, as well as movies and tv shows available in the iTunes Store, of course. Movies and TV shows that you download from the iTunes store can be downloaded in Good or Best Available playback quality. Purchases and Rentals from the iTunes Store can be played in High Definition or Standard Definition. However, if you want to change the playback quality of shows you watch from Netflix, Hulu, etc, then you’ll need to visit the Settings for each individual app. Here’s how to change playback quality for the TV app on iPhone.
How to Attach a Video to Messages on iPhone
By Donna Schill
Capturing special or funny moments is one of the things our iPhones do best. And sometimes, taking a video is the best way to do that, such as when you want to show friends or family the new trick you taught your puppy. But once you’ve recorded your cute video, you’ll need to attach it to a message to send it to a friend. Here’s how to attach a video to Messages on iPhone.