Got a tip for us?

iPhone

The iPhone is a smartphone from Apple that runs the iOS mobile operating system. Between its apps, communication features, the camera, mobile internet access, and other functionalities, the iPhone has quickly become an integral part of many peoples tech lives.

How to optimize iPhone battery charging

by Tyler Stephen

iPhone includes charging features that help extend your battery’s lifespan by reducing the time your battery stays fully charged. With Optimized Battery Charging, iPhone pauses charging at 80%, then finishes charging closer to when you usually unplug your iPhone.

For example, if you typically unplug your iPhone at 7 a.m., charging may pause at 80% overnight and finish just before that time. It needs a routine, though, and when you need a full charge sooner than scheduled, you can temporarily override it.

What to expect

  • It needs a routine: Optimized Battery Charging activates when your iPhone predicts it will be connected to a charger for an extended period, like overnight. The feature requires time to learn your charging habits, so it works most consistently in the locations where you spend the most time, such as your home and office. It may not activate when your charging habits are more varied, like when you’re traveling.
  • It may not always be active: If your charging schedule is inconsistent or you’re in a new place, Optimized Battery Charging may not activate. In these situations, your iPhone will charge to 100% without pausing.

Temporarily override Optimized Battery Charging

If your iPhone needs a full charge sooner than scheduled, you can temporarily override Optimized Battery Charging.

The charging information card in iPhone Battery settings. The card shows the battery at 80% with the message “Charging on Hold: Optimized Battery Charging.” It is scheduled to finish by 12:41 PM, with an option to “Resume Charging.”

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Battery and tap Resume Charging.

Turn Optimized Battery Charging on or off

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • On iPhone 14 or earlier: Tap Battery, then tap Battery Health & Charging. Turn Optimized Battery Charging on or off.
    • On iPhone 15 or later: Tap Battery and then tap Charging. Turn Optimized Battery Charging on or off.
Tag: Battery
Show Full Article

How to hide distractions when browsing webpages in Safari on iPhone

by Dave Johnson

Use Distraction Control to hide menus and other diversions on a webpage. With Hide Distracting Items in the Safari app on your iPhone, you can hide as many items as you want from the webpage, and you’re free to stop hiding items later.

In Safari, the Page Menu button on a website has been tapped, revealing options including Hide Distracting Items.

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPhone.
  2. On a website, tap the Page Menu button and then tap Hide Distracting Items.
  3. Tap an item you want to hide from the webpage and then tap Hide. You can hide as many items as you want.
  4. Tap the Selected button.

To stop hiding items, tap the Clear button.

Tag: Safari
Show Full Article

How to view your sleep history in Health on iPhone

by Dave Johnson

Sleep data provides insight into your sleep habits. To obtain sleep data, you can use a sleep tracker or monitor, or manually add the data on your iPhone.

In the Health app, you can view sleep data by week or month, change the time span displayed in the graph, and view the details for a day. The Sleep screen shows the estimated time you spent awake and in REM, Core, and Deep sleep, and you can also get cumulative sleep data.

The Sleep screen in Health showing the estimated time spent awake and in REM, Core, and Deep sleep.

  1. Start the Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Browse and tap Sleep. Tap Sleep again.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • View sleep data by week or month: Tap a tab at the top of the screen.
    • Change the time span displayed in the graph: Swipe the graph left or right.
    • View the details for a day: Tap the column for the day.
    • Manually add sleep data: Tap the Add button in the top-right corner of the screen.
    • Get cumulative sleep data: Tap Show More Sleep Data.
Tag: Health
Show Full Article

How to search for email in Mail on iPhone

by Moses Johnson

You can search for email messages using different criteria.

Mail searches the address fields, the subject, the email body, plus documents and links, and the most relevant messages appear in Top Hits. You can narrow a search with a keyword, search by timeframe, or search by email attributes, like flagged or unread. And you can quickly find travel booking confirmations for flights and hotels with the three-letter airport code or the city name.

Here’s how to search for email in Mail on iPhone.

Quick tip: Search results in Mail can reflect what you mean, not just the words you type.

For example, a search for “NYC business trip” brings up emails about event locations, travel details, and your itinerary, plus other relevant messages.

Search results in the Mail app.

Search for text in an email

  1. Open the Mail app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the search field and type the text you’re looking for.
  3. Choose between searching all mailboxes or the current mailbox above the results list.
  4. Tap a message in the results list to read it.

    Mail searches the address fields, the subject, the email body, documents, and links.

    The most relevant messages appear in Top Hits above the search suggestions as you type.

    Tip: To quickly find travel booking confirmations for flights and hotels, enter the three-letter airport code or the city name.

Search by timeframe

  1. Open the Mail app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the search field of a mailbox list.
  3. Enter a timeframe, like “September” and then tap the calendar suggestion buttons to see all emails from that timeframe.
  4. To narrow the search, tap the search field again, then enter a keyword, like “meeting.” Tip: Refine your search by timeframe using the Date, Before, or After options above the message list.

Search by email attributes

  1. Open the Mail app on your iPhone.
  2. In an inbox, tap the search field.

    Before you begin typing, you may see suggested recent searches, recent documents, and links listed.

  3. Enter your search criteria and tap one of the listed items, or do any of the following: Find all flagged messages: Enter “flag” in the search field, scroll down, then tap “Message is flagged” below Suggestions.

    • Find all unread messages: Enter “unread” in the search field and scroll down. Tap “Message is unread” below Suggestions.
    • Find all messages with attachments: Enter “attachment” in the search field and scroll down. Tap “Messages with attachments” below Suggestions.
Tag: Mail
Show Full Article

How to take macro photos and videos with your iPhone camera

by Emily Long

On supported models, Camera uses the Ultra Wide camera to capture macro photography, close-ups in sharp focus. You can take macro photos and Live Photos, and shoot macro slow-motion and time-lapse videos.

You don’t need a separate mode for it. In Photo or Video mode, you just get close to the subject. You can also control automatic macro switching.

Here’s how to take macro photos and videos with your iPhone camera.

Take a macro photo or video

  1. Open Camera on your iPhone.

    Make sure Camera is in Photo or Video mode.

  2. Get close to the subject—as close as 2 centimeters. Camera will automatically switch to the Ultra Wide camera to enable macro photography.
  3. Tap the Shutter button to take a photo or the Record button to start and stop recording video. On models with the Camera Control, click to take a photo or to start and stop recording.

Take a macro slow-motion or time-lapse video

  1. Open Camera on your iPhone.
  2. Swipe right to select Slo-mo or Time-lapse mode.
  3. Tap .5x to switch to the Ultra Wide camera and then move close to the subject.
  4. Tap the Record button or click the Camera Control on (supported models) to start and stop recording.

Control automatic macro switching

For macro photos and videos, you decide when Camera automatically switches to the Ultra Wide camera.

  1. Open Camera on your iPhone.
  2. Get close to your subject.

    When you get within macro distance of your subject, the Auto Macro On button appears on the screen.

  3. Tap the Auto Macro On button to turn off automatic macro switching.

Quick tip: If the photo or video becomes blurry, you can back up or tap .5x to switch to the Ultra Wide camera.

  1. Tap the Auto Macro Off button to turn automatic macro switching back on.

To turn off the manual Macro Control when taking photos and videos, go to Settings > Camera, then turn off Macro Control.

If you want to maintain your Macro Control setting between camera sessions, go to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings, then turn on Macro Control.

Tag: Photos
Show Full Article

How to search for events in Calendar on iPhone

by Abigail Shilets

You can search for events by title, invitees, location, and notes in the Calendar app on your iPhone, and Calendar shows you the events that match. You just enter the text you want to find in the search field. Siri can tell you what’s on your calendar, too.

  1. Start the Calendar app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Search button. Enter the text you want to find in the search field.

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “What’s on my calendar for Friday?”

Tag: Calendar
Show Full Article

How to use VoiceOver on iPhone with a pointer device

by Chris Smith

If you use a pointer device with iPhone, you can adjust how it works with VoiceOver. You can set the pointer to ignore, follow, or move the VoiceOver cursor, and adjust the delay to speak the item under the pointer.

  1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap VoiceOver.
  2. Below Pointer Control, tap any of the following:
    • Pointer: Set the pointer to ignore, follow, or move the VoiceOver cursor.
    • Speak Under Pointer: You can adjust the delay to speak the item under the pointer.
Tags: accessibility, VoiceOver
Show Full Article

How to print from iPhone

by Kevin Hollington

Use AirPrint to print wirelessly to an AirPrint-enabled printer from apps such as Mail, Photos, and Safari. Many apps available on the App Store also support AirPrint. First, though, confirm that your printer supports AirPrint.

Depending on the app, you’ll find Print with the Share, More, Reply, or Actions Menu buttons. After you print, you can see the status of a print job, too.

Here’s how to print from iPhone.

Note: Make sure your iPhone and the printer are on the same Wi-Fi network.

Choose an AirPrint-enabled printer

After confirming that your printer supports AirPrint and that your iPhone and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network, do the following:

  1. Open the app you want to print from.
  2. Tap the Share button, the More button, the Reply button, or the Actions Menu button (depending on the app).
  3. Tap Print, tap No Printer Selected, and choose an AirPrint-enabled printer.

Print a document

  1. Open the app you want to print from.
  2. Tap the Share button, the More button, the Reply button, or the Actions Menu button (depending on the app).
  3. Tap Print. (If you don’t see Print, swipe up.)

See the status of a print job

Open the App Switcher, then tap Print Center.

The icon’s badge shows how many documents are in the queue.

To cancel a print job, select it in Print Center, then tap Cancel Printing.

Tag: iPhone
Show Full Article

How to organize books in the Books app on iPhone

by Abigail Shilets

The books and audiobooks you purchase in the Books app are saved in your library and automatically sorted into collections, such as Audiobooks, Want to Read, and Finished.

You can create your own collections, too, to organize and personalize your library, for example, Beach Reads or Book Club. Then you can add a book to a collection, organize your books, and remove books, audiobooks, and PDFs. And if a collection outlives its use, you can delete it.

The Library screen in the Books app. At the top of the screen is the Collections button. In the middle of the screen are book covers. At the bottom of the screen are, from left to right, the Home, Library, Book Store, Audiobooks, and Search tabs. The Library tab is selected.

Note: Apple Books isn’t available in all countries or regions.

Create a collection

To organize and personalize your library, you can create your own collections.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Library, tap the Collections button, and then tap New Collection.
  3. Name the collection—for example, Beach Reads or Book Club—then tap the Done button.

Add a book to a collection

The collections you create can include books from your library or from the Book Store.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to a book. Tap the More Info button below the cover.

Tap Add to Collection, then tap the collection you want to add it to.

Quick tip: You can add the same book to multiple collections.

Organize your books

You can choose how books are displayed and sorted in your library or a collection.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Library or go to a collection.
  3. Tap the More button. Then do either of the following:
    • Change the book display: Tap Grid or List.
    • Sort your books: Tap Recent, Title, Author, or Manual.

If you choose Manual, touch and hold a book cover, then drag it to a new position.

Remove books, audiobooks, and PDFs

From Home, Library, and your library collections, you can remove or hide books, audiobooks, and PDFs.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to a book or audiobook you want to remove and tap the More Info button below the cover.
  3. Tap Remove and choose an option.

Note: Choose Remove Download, and the title’s content and data are no longer stored on your iPhone. To get it back, tap the More Info button and then tap Download. Choose Hide Book instead, and the book won’t show up in your library or collections. To unhide books and audiobooks later, tap Home and tap your account icon, then tap Manage Hidden Purchases.

You can automatically remove downloads from your iPhone after you finish a book. Tap Library, then tap the More button. Tap Remove Downloads, then tap Automatically When Finished.

Delete a collection

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Library, then tap the Collections button.
  3. Swipe left on the collection you want to delete and then tap Delete.

Note: Deleting a collection doesn’t delete the books or audiobooks in it. They’re still in your library.

Tag: Apple Books
Show Full Article

How to add an app on iPhone

by Dave Johnson

To add an app to your iPhone, you can download it from the App Store. When you download an app, you can choose to add it to both your Home Screen and App Library, or to App Library only.

An app that lands in App Library isn’t stuck there, either. You can easily move it to the Home Screen. App Library is the page that comes after all your Home Screen pages.

Choose where apps get downloaded

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Home Screen & App Library.
  3. Choose Add to Home Screen or App Library Only.

Move an app from App Library to the Home Screen

If you downloaded an app to App Library, it’s easy to move it to the Home Screen.

  1. Swipe left past all your Home Screen pages to get to App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the background until the apps begin to jiggle.
  3. Touch and hold the app you want to move and drag it to the left.
Tag: App Store
Show Full Article