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The Complete Guide to Every iOS 27 Feature

How to see the time worldwide in Clock on iPad

by Emily Long

You can see the local time in time zones around the world. In the Clock app, World Clock lets you manage your list of cities, so you can add a city, delete a city, or reorder the cities. You can also set an alarm in Clock on iPad.

Siri: Ask Siri something like: “What time is it?” or “What time is it in London?” Learn how to use Siri.

The World Clock tab, showing the time in various cities. The Edit button near the upper-left corner lets you reorder or delete clocks. The Add button near the upper-right corner lets you add more clocks. World Clock, Alarm, Stopwatch, and Timers buttons are along the bottom.

  1. Start the Clock app on your iPad.
  2. Tap World Clock.
  3. To manage your list of cities, do any of the following:
    • Add a city: Tap the Add button and choose a city.
    • Delete a city: Tap Edit, then tap the Delete button. When you’re finished, tap the Done button.
    • Reorder the cities: Touch and hold a clock and drag it to a new position.

See also

Tag: Clock
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iPhone setup basics: what to set up first on a new iPhone

by Abigail Shilets

iPhone has an easy setup process to help you get going when you first turn on your device. Whether you’re just getting started or want to make sure you have the basics set up, you’re in the right place.

You can transfer your apps and info from your previous iPhone, set up cellular service and connect to Wi-Fi, and sign in to your Apple Account. Face ID or Touch ID, Find My iPhone, and iCloud are part of it, too.

Transfer your apps and info onto your new iPhone

During setup, the first time you turn on your iPhone, you can wirelessly move many of your apps, settings, and content from your previous iPhone straight to your new iPhone. Bring the two devices close together, then follow the onscreen instructions.

The Wi-Fi options screen in Settings. Wi-Fi is turned on, and a network is selected.

Set up cellular service and connect to Wi-Fi

Depending on your model, use an eSIM from your carrier or install a physical SIM card to connect to your cellular network. To check if your iPhone is connected to your cellular plan, go to the Settings app , then tap Cellular.

To connect your iPhone to your home Wi-Fi network, go to the Settings app , tap Wi-Fi, turn on Wi-Fi, then choose your network. iPhone automatically connects to your Wi-Fi network whenever you’re home.

The Apple Account sign-in screen.

Sign in to your Apple Account

Your Apple Account is how you get into Apple services like iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Music, Apple Books, the App Store, the iTunes Store, and more.

To sign in to your Apple Account, go to the Settings app , then tap Apple Account. If you have an iPad (with iPadOS 17 or later) or another iPhone (with iOS 17 or later) that’s signed in, you can simply bring your iPhone near your other device. Otherwise, you can manually sign in.

To verify that you’re signed in, go to the Settings app , then tap your name. Your Apple Account appears below your name.

The Face ID recognition setup screen. A face is shown on the screen, enclosed in a circle. Text below the face instructs the user to move their head slowly to complete the circle.

Set up Face ID or Touch ID

Face ID (face recognition) or Touch ID (your fingerprint) can securely unlock your iPhone, sign you in to many apps, and make purchases. Face ID and Touch ID data stays on your device for your security, and it isn’t saved anywhere else.

What you do here depends on your iPhone model:

  • Set up Face ID: Go to the Settings app , tap Face ID & Passcode, tap Set up Face ID, then follow the onscreen instructions.
  • Set up Touch ID: Go to the Settings app , tap Touch ID & Passcode, tap Add a Fingerprint, then follow the onscreen instructions.

The Find My screen showing two devices at home.

Turn on Find My iPhone

With Find My iPhone turned on, you can find your iPhone if it’s ever lost or stolen.

Go to the Settings app , tap your name, tap Find My, tap Find My iPhone, then turn on Find My iPhone.

You can see the location of your devices in the Find My app or the website Find Devices.

The iCloud settings screen showing the iCloud storage meter and a list of apps and features.

Store your data in iCloud

iCloud keeps your important info safe and in sync across your devices. So if your iPhone is lost, stolen, damaged, or replaced, your photos, videos, and more stay secure in iCloud.

To turn on or change the features you want to use with iCloud, go to the Settings app , tap your name, then tap iCloud.

These guides walk you through the next steps:

Apple notes that not all features are available for all iPhone models.

Tags: iCloud, iPhone
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How to scan documents with your iPad camera

by Tyler Stephen

On supported iPad models, Camera can automatically detect and scan documents within the camera frame. After you scan a document, you can save it in the Files app, open it in the Preview app, or share it using AirDrop or an app like Mail or Messages.

You can scan additional pages, too, and edit or delete the scans. iPad automatically captures the page, or you can capture the scan yourself instead, and on supported models, the flash can remove shadows and enhance colors. You can also search the scan.

  1. Open Camera on your iPad.

    Make sure Camera is in Photo mode.

  2. Position iPad so the document appears on the screen and tap Scan Document; iPad automatically captures the page.

    To capture the scan yourself instead of automatically, tap Manual, then tap the Shutter button.

    Tip: On supported models, turn on the flash to remove shadows and enhance colors.

  3. Repeat the steps above to scan additional pages.
  4. Tap the thumbnails at the bottom of the screen to edit or delete the scans. Then tap the Back button.
  5. Tap the Done button when you’re done scanning. Then choose one of the following:

    • Save the scan in the Files app: Tap Done, tap Save to Files, and then tap Save.
    • Open the scan in the Preview app: Tap Preview.
    • Search the scan: Tap the Search button.
    • Share the scan using AirDrop, Mail, Messages, or another app: Tap the Share button, then tap a share method.
    • Delete the scan: Tap Done, then tap Delete.

See also

Tags: camera, Files
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How to get started with accessibility features on iPhone

by Kevin Hollington

Customize iPhone in ways that work best for you with features for vision, hearing, mobility, speech, and cognitive accessibility—whether you need them temporarily or on an ongoing basis. You can hear what’s on the screen with the built-in screen reader, make text bigger, or control iPhone using just your eyes or spoken commands. You can also get real-time captioning of spoken audio, create a custom voice that sounds like you, and set up a simplified interface for someone with a cognitive disability.

Note: Not all features are available in all countries, regions, or languages.

An iPhone with the Mail app open. An email is displayed with large, bold text.

Vision

To hear what’s on the screen and navigate iPhone with gestures, use the built-in screen reader. You can also adjust display colors, zoom in on the screen, make text bigger, and more. And by holding up your iPhone, you can even use it as a magnifying glass and get descriptions of your surroundings.

An iPhone showing a number next to each item in the Reminders app.

Mobility

Using just your eyes or spoken commands, you can navigate and perform actions on iPhone. You can also connect an assistive device or an external keyboard to control iPhone, set options so iPhone responds best to your touch, and make it easier to use gestures.

An iPhone showing an example of subtitles with a custom style.

Hearing

Get real-time captioning of spoken audio from an app or live conversation, turn on flash notifications, have iPhone recognize sounds, and more. You can also pair hearing devices with your iPhone, and adjust headphone audio so it’s right for you. Or experience songs as taps, refined vibrations, and other haptics that are synced to the rhythm of the music.

An iPhone with information about how to create a Personal Voice.

Speech

To have what you type spoken out loud, use a custom voice that sounds like you, or one of dozens of system voices. Siri can also recognize a wider range of speech patterns, and iPhone can learn to perform an action when you speak a word or sound you choose.

An iPhone showing the Assistive Access Home Screen with a large grid of apps.

Cognitive

With help from iOS accessibility features, you or someone you care for can use iPhone with greater independence. For someone with a cognitive disability, you can set up an iPhone with a simplified interface, and when you let a child use iPhone, you can temporarily lock it to one app.

Quick tip: Your go-to accessibility features and settings are easy to control with Siri, the click of a button, or from Control Center.

Tag: accessibility
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How to change advanced camera settings on your iPad

by Moses Johnson

You can manually adjust the focus and exposure, adjust the volume of the shutter sound, and change other settings on your iPad camera.

Before you take a photo, the camera automatically sets the focus and exposure, and face detection then balances the exposure across many faces. You can lock your own settings with AE/AF Lock, and a grid can help you straighten and compose your shot.

Here’s how to change advanced camera settings on your iPad.

Adjust the focus and exposure

Before you take a photo, the iPad camera automatically sets the focus and exposure, and face detection balances the exposure across many faces. To manually adjust the focus and exposure, follow these steps:

  1. Open Camera on your iPad.
  2. Tap the screen to show the automatic focus area and exposure setting (in yellow).
  3. Tap where you want to move the focus area.
  4. Next to the focus area, drag the Adjust Exposure button up or down to adjust the exposure.

    To lock your manual focus and exposure settings for upcoming shots, touch and hold the focus area until you see AE/AF Lock; tap the screen to unlock settings.

Use a grid to straighten your shot

To display a grid on the camera screen that can help you straighten and compose your shot, go to Settings > Camera, then turn on Grid.

The editing tools in the Photos app let you further align shots and adjust horizontal and vertical perspective after you take a photo. See our article, Straighten or tilt a photo or video, for details.

Save camera settings

  1. Open Settings, tap Camera, and then tap Preserve Settings.
  2. Turn on any of the following:

Adjust the shutter volume

  1. Open Camera on your iPad.
  2. Open Control Center and drag the volume slider up or down to change the shutter volume.
  3. Tap the screen outside of Control Center to go back to Camera.

    Note: The shutter doesn’t make a sound if Live Photos is turned on.

    Note: In some countries and regions, you can’t mute the shutter sound.

Turn Scene Detection off and on

Scene Detection, on supported models, can recognize what you’re photographing and apply a tailored look that brings out the best qualities in the scene.

Scene Detection is on by default. To turn off Scene Detection, go to Settings > Camera, then turn off Scene Detection.

Turn Lens Correction off and on

For more natural-looking results, the Lens Correction setting on supported models adjusts photos you take with the front camera or Ultra Wide camera.

Lens Correction is on by default. To turn off Lens Correction, go to Settings > Camera, then turn off Lens Correction.

Stop saving photos taken in Messages

Photos you take in the Messages app are automatically saved to your library in the Photos app.

To turn this feature off, go to Settings > Camera, then turn off Save Captures to Photo Library.

Tags: camera, Settings
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How to add music to iPad and listen offline

by Dave Johnson

As soon as you subscribe to Apple Music, you can add and download songs and videos from Apple Music to your music library. You can stream music you add to iPad when you have an internet connection.

To play music when you’re not connected to the internet, though, you need to download it first. Music you add is also added to your other devices, as long as you’re signed in to the same Apple Account with Sync Library turned on. You can also delete music from your library and manage your storage.

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Add this to my library” while playing something. Learn how to use Siri.

Add music from Apple Music to your library

  1. Start the Music app on your iPad.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Touch and hold a song, album, playlist, or video, then tap Add.
    • While viewing the contents of an album or playlist, tap the Add to Library button to add the album or playlist, or tap the More button next to a song, then tap Add to add that song.
    • On the Now Playing screen, tap the More button, then tap Add.

Music you add to your iPad is also added to other devices if you’re signed in to the same Apple Account and have Sync Library turned on (go to Settings > Apps > Music, then turn on Sync Library).

Download music from Apple Music to your iPad

Before you can download music from Apple Music to your library, you need to turn on Sync Library. Go to Settings > Apps > Music, then turn on Sync Library. Then follow these steps to download music.

  1. Start the Music app on your iPad.
  2. Do any of the following:

    • Download a song, album, or playlist: Touch and hold music you added to your library, then tap Download.

      After you add a playlist or album, you can also tap the Download button at the top of the screen.

    • Always download music: Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Music, and then turn on Automatic Downloads.

      Songs you add are automatically downloaded to iPad.

    • See download progress: Tap the Show Sidebar button, tap Downloaded, and tap Downloading.

Note: Music that’s available in Dolby Atmos shows the Dolby icon next to it, and you can download it in Dolby Atmos or in stereo. To always get Dolby Atmos when it’s available, go to Settings > Apps > Music and turn on Download in Dolby Atmos. Read our guide, Play music in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos on iPad.

Delete music from your library

  1. Start the Music app on your iPad.
  2. Touch and hold the song, album, playlist, or music video. Tap Delete from Library.

    Note: Deleting a song from your library doesn’t delete it from your playlists. To change this behavior, go to the Settings app, tap Apps, tap Music, then turn on Add & Delete Playlist Songs.

Manage storage space

You can manage storage space in any of these ways:

  • Remove music and videos stored on iPad: Go to the Music app on your iPad, touch and hold an item that you downloaded, then tap Remove Download.

    The item is removed from iPad, but not from your music library on your other devices.

  • Free up music storage: If iPad is low on storage space, you can automatically remove downloaded music that you haven’t played in a while. Go to Settings > Apps > Music > Optimize Storage.
  • Remove all songs or certain artists from iPad: Go to Settings > Apps > Music > Downloaded Music, tap Edit, then tap the Delete button next to All Songs or the artists whose music you want to delete.
  • Remove all Apple Music songs from iPad: Go to Settings > Apps > Music, then turn off Sync Library.

    The songs are removed from iPad but remain in your music library on your other devices. Music you purchased or synced also remains.

Choose cellular data options for Music

If you have a Wi-Fi + Cellular model of iPad, you can choose cellular data options.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Apps and tap Music.
  3. Turn on Cellular Data. Do any of the following:

    • Turn Download over Cellular on or off.
    • Tap Audio Quality, turn on Lossless Audio, then tap Cellular Streaming to choose a setting (None, High Efficiency, High Quality, Lossless, or High-Resolution Lossless).

      High Quality, Lossless, and High-Resolution Lossless use significantly more cellular data than High Efficiency, which may incur additional charges from your cellular carrier. Songs may also take longer to start playing.

When you purchase access to movies, TV shows, music, music videos, ebooks, audiobooks, or ringtones from Apple, you also have the option to permanently download these items to a compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC. Apple cannot revoke your downloaded content, and you can always access your downloaded content without an internet connection.

See also

Tag: Music
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How to change mouse settings on iPad

by Moses Johnson

You can change how you use a mouse to interact with items on the iPad screen. You can set the tracking speed of the pointer, turn Natural Scrolling on or off, and choose which finger to use for a secondary click.

  1. Open Settings and tap General. Select Trackpad & Mouse.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Change the tracking speed: Drag the slider to set the tracking speed of the pointer when you move it across the screen.
    • Turn Natural Scrolling on or off: With this option selected, the contents on the screen move in the same direction as your finger.
    • Specify a finger to use for Secondary Click: You can specify either the right or left finger to show the Quick Actions menu when you click items like icons on the Home Screen, messages in a mailbox, or the Camera button in Control Center. To turn off Secondary Click, choose Off (Magic Mouse 2).

Note: It’s also possible to change how the pointer looks, including its color, shape, and size. Read our article, Make the pointer easier to see when using a mouse or trackpad with iPad.

See also

Tag: Trackpad and Mouse
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How to move and copy items with drag and drop on iPad

by Stacey Butler

With drag and drop, you can use a finger to move text and items within an app and copy items from one app to another. You can move an image from Notes into an email, for example (not all third-party apps support drag and drop).

The Insert icon shows you where you can drop an item, and a long document scrolls automatically when you reach its top or bottom.

Here’s how to move and copy items with drag and drop on iPad.

Move an item

  1. Locate the item you want to move.
  2. Touch and hold the item until it lifts up (if it’s text, select it first).
  3. Drag it to another location within the app.

    If you drag to the bottom or top of a long document, it automatically scrolls.

Copy an item between open apps

  1. Open two apps and then touch and hold the item you want to copy until it lifts up (if it’s text, select it first).
  2. Drag it to the other app.

    As you drag, the Insert icon appears wherever you can drop the item. If you drag to the bottom or top of a long document, the document automatically scrolls.

    Tip: If you want to drag the item to a new note or email, open the new note or email first so you can drag the item directly to it.

Working in multiple apps, which are open side-by-side at the same time. Notes is open on the left and an email is open on the right. A photograph from Notes is dragged into the email.

Copy an item to an app on the Home Screen or in the Dock

  1. Locate the item you want to copy (if it’s text, select it).
  2. Touch and hold the item until it lifts up.
  3. While continuing to hold the item, use another finger to swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and then either pause to reveal the Dock or press the Home button (on an iPad with a Home button).
  4. Drag the item over the other app to open it (a ghost image of the item appears under your finger as you drag).

    You can drag over items in the app to navigate to where you want to drop the item (as you drag, the Insert icon appears wherever you can drop the item). For example, you can drag over the notes list to open the note where you want to drop the item, or you can use another finger to open a new note where you can drop the item.

If you change your mind about moving the item, lift your finger before dragging, or drag the item off the screen.

Select multiple items to move

  1. Locate and select the items you want to move.
  2. Touch and hold the first selected item, drag it slightly, and continue holding it.
  3. While still holding the first item, tap additional items with another finger. A badge indicates the number of selected items.
  4. Drag all of the items together.

If you change your mind about moving items, lift your finger before dragging, or drag the items off the screen.

See also

Tag: Multitasking
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How to enter characters with diacritical marks while using an Apple external keyboard with iPad

by Abigail Shilets

If the Apple external keyboard you use with iPad doesn’t include accents and other diacritical marks for the language you’re typing, you can use an Option key modifier or the onscreen keyboard to enter those marks.

You can add a keyboard for a language that supports diacritical marks, or choose an alternative keyboard layout that does. You can also switch to a language keyboard with the Switch Keyboard key on Magic Keyboard.

Here’s how to enter characters with diacritical marks on iPad.

Use the Option key to enter a diacritical mark for a character

To enter a character with a diacritical mark, you can press the Option key to select a mark.

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. In an app, press and hold the Option key and then press a key that enters a diacritical mark.

    For example, the Spanish (Mexico) keyboard and the U.S. International – PC alternative layout support these diacritical marks:

    • Acute accent (for example, é): Option-E.
    • Grave accent (for example, è): Option-`.
    • Tilde (for example, ñ): Option-N.
    • Diaeresis or umlaut (for example, ü): Option-U.
    • Circumflex (for example, ê): Option-I.
  3. Press the letter.

    For example, to enter ñ using the Spanish (Mexico) keyboard or the U.S. International – PC alternative layout, press Option-N, then type an n.

Note: With the ABC – Extended alternative layout, you can also enter tone marks for typing Mandarin Chinese in Pinyin orthography. To type ǚ in lǚxíng (“travel”), for example, press Option-V, then type a v. The ABC – Extended layout also lets you type diacritical marks and letters from several European languages, like Czech, French, German, Hungarian, and Polish.

Use the onscreen keyboard to enter a diacritical mark

  1. Switch to the onscreen keyboard.
  2. On the onscreen keyboard, touch and hold the letter, number, or symbol on the keyboard that’s related to the character you want.

    For example, to enter é, touch and hold the e key.

  3. Slide your finger to choose a variant.
  4. To hide the onscreen keyboard when you’re finished, tap the Hide Keyboard button.
Tag: Keyboard
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How to turn the iPad flashlight on or off

by Abigail Shilets

On supported models, you can use the built-in flashlight to light your way or get a better view of something. It’s in Control Center. You can also turn it on or off with Siri, and change the brightness of the flashlight, too.

Use Control Center to turn the flashlight on or off

  1. Open Control Center.
  2. Tap the Flashlight button to turn the flashlight on; tap it again to turn it off.

    Note: If you don’t see the Flashlight button in Control Center (on a supported model), you can add it. See Customize controls.

Use Siri to turn the flashlight on or off

You can use Siri to turn the flashlight on or off.

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Siri, turn on the flashlight.” Learn how to use Siri.

Change the brightness of the flashlight

  1. Open Control Center.
  2. Touch and hold the Flashlight button in Control Center. Slide your finger up or down on the control to adjust the brightness.

See also

Tag: Control Center
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