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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 find your downloaded files on iPhone

by Kevin Hollington

In the Files app, you can find and view your documents, images, and other files that you downloaded from the internet or your mail app. They’re in the Downloads folder on the Browse screen. If you don’t see the folder there, it may be in iCloud Drive, or you can check your downloads in Safari.

  1. Open the Files app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Browse.
  3. Tap the Downloads folder to see your downloaded files.

Quick tip: Tap iCloud Drive if the Downloads folder isn’t on the Browse screen.

Note: When your downloaded files are nowhere to be found, go to the Safari app on your iPhone and tap the Download button, where you can check the status of a downloading file or get to downloaded files quickly.

Tag: Files
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How to subscribe to Apple Creator Studio in Freeform on iPhone

by Tyler Stephen

You can sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to Apple Creator Studio using your Apple Account. You can cancel your subscription at any time, and you can share your subscription with up to five other family members.

In Freeform, you can subscribe when you use an Apple Creator Studio feature, such as Auto Crop, or when you remove the watermarks from a premium image. And if you cancel, you still have full access to premium content and features until your billing period ends.

Available with subscription: These features require a subscription to Apple Creator Studio.

Subscribe to Apple Creator Studio from Freeform

  1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Use an Apple Creator Studio feature, such as Auto Crop.
    • Tap the Content Hub button, tap a premium image to add it to the board, then tap Remove Watermarks.

    Note: If you currently subscribe to Apple Creator Studio but still see an option to subscribe, scroll down, click Already Subscribed? and follow the onscreen instructions.

  3. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Cancel or change your Apple Creator Studio subscription

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your name, tap Subscriptions, and tap Apple Creator Studio.

    Note: If you don’t see your subscriptions, make sure you’re signed in to your Apple Account in the App Store.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • Modify your subscription plan: Tap See All Plans and select a new plan. Tap Subscribe.
    • Cancel your subscription: Tap Cancel Subscription and then follow the onscreen instructions.

Even if you cancel, you keep full access to premium content and features through the end of your billing period.

It’s best to subscribe to Apple Creator Studio with the same Apple Account you use for iCloud, because some Apple Creator Studio apps rely on iCloud to sync projects, documents, and content between devices.

Tag: Freeform
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How to add a member to a Family Sharing group on iPhone

by Emily Long

With Family Sharing, each family member joins the family group with their own Apple Account. That way you can share access to subscriptions and other features without sharing personal information like photos or documents.

The family organizer can invite family members who have an Apple Account, or create an Apple Account for a child who doesn’t have one yet. A Child Account is required for children under 13 and available for children up to 18. Here’s how to add a member to a Family Sharing group on iPhone.

Add a family member

If someone has their own Apple Account, the organizer of the Family Sharing group can add them as a family member.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Family.
  3. Tap the Add Member button, tap Invite Others, and follow the onscreen instructions.

You can send the invitation using AirDrop, Messages, or Mail. If you’re near the family member, you can also tap Invite in Person and ask the family member to enter their Apple Account email address (or phone number) and password on your device.

Your invitation appears at the top of Settings in the Family row for people you invite. If they haven’t accepted it yet, you can follow up with reminders.

To join an existing Family Sharing group, you’ll need the organizer to add you. You can only belong to one Family Sharing group at a time, though, so leave your current group first if you’d like to join a different one.

Tag: Family sharing
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How to set reading goals in the Books app on iPhone

by Abigail Shilets

The Books app helps you keep track of how many minutes you read each day, and how many books and audiobooks you finish each year. You can customize your goals to spend more time reading, set new reading streaks, and receive encouragement to reach your goals.

You can change your daily and yearly reading goals, turn coaching notifications on or off, or clear reading data. You can even turn off reading goals entirely.

The Reading Goals screen showing stats for the user—such as today’s reading, their reading record for the week, and their books read this year. Across the bottom are the tabs Home (which is selected), Library, Book Store, Audiobooks, and Search.

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

Change your daily reading goal

If you don’t customize your daily reading goal, it’s 5 minutes per day. Adjust it depending on how many minutes you want to read each day.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Home, then tap the reading goals button.
  3. Tap the reading goal timer, then tap Adjust Goal.

    Note: To count PDFs toward your reading goal, go to Settings > Apps > Books, then turn on Include PDFs below Reading Goals.

  4. Slide the counter up or down to set the minutes per day that you want to read and tap Adjust Goal.

Change your yearly reading goal

Once you finish a book, its cover appears below Books Read This Year. Your yearly reading goal is three books per year by default, though you can raise or lower it depending on how many books you want to finish.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Home, then tap the reading goals button.
  3. Tap a book cover or a cover placeholder. Tap Adjust Goal.
  4. Slide the counter up or down to set the books per year that you want to read. Then tap Adjust Goal.

Quick tip: You can mark a book in your library as finished. Tap the More Info button below its cover, then tap Mark as Finished.

Turn on coaching notifications

To help you reach your reading goals, Books can send you encouragement and nudges, which you can turn on or off.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Home and tap your account button.
  3. Tap Notifications, then turn on Coaching.
  4. Tap the Close button.

Turn off reading goals notifications

When you achieve a reading goal or set a reading streak, Books notifies you, and these notifications can also be turned off.

  1. Start the Books app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Home and tap your account button.
  3. Tap Notifications, then turn off Goal Completion.
  4. Tap the Close button.

Turn off reading goals

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps, tap Books, and then turn off Reading Goals.

With Reading Goals turned off, the Home tab’s reading indicators are hidden, and reading notifications stop.

Clear reading data

You can clear reading data such as reading streaks, reading goals, and time spent reading.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps and tap Books. Then tap Clear Reading Goals Data.
Tag: Apple Books
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How to use Check In on iPhone to let your friends know you’ve arrived

by Tyler Stephen

Check In can automatically notify a friend that your iPhone has arrived. If you don’t complete your Check In, you choose what details they can see. It’s flexible, too: you can add time to your Check In, or cancel a Check In.

A Check In showing a map and estimated travel times for Driving, Transit, and Walking. At the bottom is a button to Add Extra Time.

Note: Both the sender and recipient need iOS 17 or later to use Check In.

How Check In works

Use Check In on iPhone, and it can automatically let a friend know your iPhone has arrived. If you don’t successfully complete your Check In, you decide what details they can see.

In the same way, if a friend sends you a Check In and their iPhone hasn’t arrived as expected, you can see their battery percentage, location, cellular signal, and more.

Send a Check In

  1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Compose button and add a recipient, or select an existing conversation.
  3. Tap the Apps button, tap More, tap Check In, and then tap Edit.
  4. Choose one of the following:
    • When I Arrive: Specify your destination, how you’re traveling (driving, transit, or walking), and add extra time if needed. Check In monitors your journey and notifies your friend if your iPhone isn’t progressing for an extended period of time or if it doesn’t reach your destination as expected. When you arrive at your destination successfully, the Check In automatically completes and notifies your friend that your iPhone has arrived.
    • After a timer: Specify a period of time—for example, if you’re meeting someone new. If you don’t end the Check In before the time you set, Check In notifies your friend.
  5. Tap the Send button.

Say your iPhone never reaches your destination, or you don’t cancel the Check In. If you also don’t respond to the Check In prompts, your friend receives the details of your iPhone’s journey.

Note: If you start a Check In and then lose service or your iPhone powers off, your Check In recipient may get a delayed or early notification and have the option to view the iPhone details you shared with them.

Add time to your Check In

If you need extra time, you can add time to your Check In.

  1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Open the conversation with the friend you sent a Check In to.
  3. On the Check In message, tap Details and tap Add Time. Select one of the options.

Cancel a Check In

Once you’ve completed your journey, or if you want to end your session for any reason, cancel your Check In to let your friend know.

  1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Open the conversation with the friend you sent a Check In to.
  3. On the Check In message, tap Details and tap Cancel Check In and confirm.

Choose what details you share

You can change the details you share with your friend during a Check In.

  1. Open Settings, tap Apps, and then tap Messages on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap Check In Data.
  3. Choose what details you want to share if you don’t complete your Check In as expected:
    • Limited: Share your current location, in addition to the network signal and battery details of your iPhone and Apple Watch.
    • Full: Share the data above (current location, network signal, and battery details), in addition to the route you’ve traveled and the last time you unlocked your iPhone or removed your Apple Watch.
Tag: Messages
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How to delete recent directions in Maps on iPhone

by Emily Long

You can delete directions that you recently viewed. There are two ways to do it: delete a single item, or delete all recent directions. Both are in Recents, in the card in the Maps app on your iPhone, and the list only keeps what you want.

  1. Start the Maps app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down in the card to Recents. Do one of the following:
    • Delete a single item: Tap the More button and then tap Clear.
    • Delete all recent directions: Tap Recents, then tap Clear.
Tag: Maps
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How to create and use scenes in Home on iPhone

by Moses Johnson

In the Home app, you can create scenes that allow you to control multiple accessories at once. For example, you might define a “Reading” scene that adjusts the lights, plays soft music on HomePod, closes the drapes, and adjusts the thermostat.

The first accessory you add decides which room the scene belongs to. So if you start with your bedroom lamp, the scene is assigned to your bedroom. Each accessory can then be set to the state you want when you run the scene.

Create a scene

  1. Open the Home app on your iPhone.
  2. On the Home tab, tap the Add button, then tap Add Scene.
  3. Tap Custom and enter a name for the scene (such as “Dinner Party” or “Watching TV”). Then tap Add Accessories.
  4. Select the accessories you want this scene to include and then tap Done.

The first accessory you select determines the room the scene is assigned to. If you first select your bedroom lamp, for example, the scene is assigned to your bedroom.

  1. Set each accessory to the state you want it in when you run the scene.

For example, for a Reading scene, you could set the bedroom lights to 100 percent, choose a low volume for the HomePod, and set the thermostat to 68 degrees.

  1. Test the scene and choose whether or not to show it on the Home tab (scenes appear on the Home tab by default) and tap Done.

Use scenes

Here’s how to use your scenes once they’re set up:

  • Run a scene: Tap the scene on the Home tab.

    If you’ve decided not to show the scene on the Home tab, tap the More button, choose the room the scene is assigned to, then tap the scene.

  • Edit a scene: Touch and hold a scene, then tap Edit Scene. You can change the scene’s name, test the scene, add or remove accessories, and more.
Tag: Home
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How to use your vehicle’s built-in controls to control CarPlay

by Stacey Butler

CarPlay works with your vehicle’s built-in controls, for example, a touchscreen, a rotary knob, or a touchpad. To learn how to operate your display, see the owner’s guide that came with your vehicle.

With those controls, you can open apps, move between CarPlay Dashboard and CarPlay Home, get back to your vehicle’s own Home Screen, and scroll quickly through long lists. You can also use Siri to control CarPlay with your voice instead.

  • Open an app: Tap the app on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to select the app, then press the knob.
  • Switch between CarPlay Dashboard and CarPlay Home: CarPlay Dashboard displays several items you likely want to view or control, such as driving directions, audio playback, and suggestions from Siri. CarPlay Home shows all your CarPlay apps organized into pages.

    To go to CarPlay Home, tap the Home button on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to select the Home button, then press the knob.

    To go to CarPlay Dashboard, tap the Dashboard button, or turn the rotary knob to select the Dashboard button, then press the knob.

  • Return to your vehicle’s Home Screen: Select the icon with your vehicle’s logo if it appears on CarPlay Home or, if available, the physical Home button on your radio.
  • Return to a recently used app: Tap its icon on the edge of the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob to the icon, then press the knob.
  • View additional apps: If you have more than eight apps, some may appear on another page of CarPlay Home. To view them, swipe left on the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob.
  • Scroll quickly through a list: Tap the letters in the list on the right side of the touchscreen, or turn the rotary knob.
  • Control audio playback: Use the audio playback controls on CarPlay Dashboard. Or from CarPlay Home, select Now Playing to view and control the current audio app.

Use Siri to control CarPlay

Siri allows you to control CarPlay using your voice instead of your vehicle’s built-in controls.

Use Siri AI (Beta) with CarPlay

Siri AI (Beta)* is your conversational AI assistant with entirely new capabilities that you can use in CarPlay. Use the Siri AI CarPlay app to get information, resume your prior conversations, and more.

Siri AI is available in beta on iOS 27 or later on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later with Siri and device language set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iOS. Usage limits may apply.

Siri is designed to protect your information, and you can choose what you share.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions.

Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts.

Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

Tag: carplay
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How to locate a friend in Find My on iPhone

by Dave Johnson

When a friend shares their location with you, you can use the Find My app to locate them on a map.

When your friend can’t be located, “No location found” appears below their name, and if you aren’t following them, you see “Can see your location” instead. You can also contact a friend, get directions to them, and set a label for a location.

Here’s how to locate a friend in Find My on iPhone.

Note: Want to know how far away your friends are? Turn on Precise Location for the Find My app.

The Find My screen open to the People list. There are four people in the list: Olivia Rico, Dawn Ramirez, Ashley Rico, and Will Rico. Tap the Add button at the top of the People list to share your location.

See the location of a friend

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap People. Then tap the name of the person you want to locate.
    • If your friend can be located: They appear on a map so you can see where they are.
    • If your friend can’t be located: You see No location found below their name.
    • If you aren’t following your friend: You see Can see your location below their name. You can ask to see a friend’s location.

Contact a friend

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap People, then tap the name of the person you want to contact.
  3. Tap Contact and choose how you want to contact your friend.

Get directions to a friend

The Maps app can give you directions to a friend’s current location.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap People, then tap the name of the person you want to get directions to.
  3. Tap Directions to open Maps.

Set a label for a friend’s location

To make a friend’s current location more meaningful, you can give it a label, like Home or Work. When they’re at that location, the label appears below their name.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap People, tap the name of the person you want to set a location label for, and tap the More button.
  3. Tap Edit Location Name and select a label.

To add a new label, tap Add Custom Label, enter a name, then tap Done.

Mark a friend as a favorite

Favorite friends are marked with a star and appear at the top of the People list.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap People. Find the person you want to mark as a favorite.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Tap the name of the person, tap the More button, then tap “Add to Favorites.”
    • Swipe left across the person’s name, then tap the star.

To remove a friend from your Favorites, swipe left and tap the star, or tap the friend, tap the More button, then tap “Remove from Favorites.”

Tag: Find My
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How to play Emoji Game in News on iPhone

by Dave Johnson

Apple News+ subscribers can solve daily Emoji Game puzzles by completing words and phrases with emoji. The object is to complete several phrases with as few moves as possible, and each emoji can be read directly, through association, or in combination with others. Trying an answer or expanding a clue counts as a move.

Letters relating to an emoji may appear nonconsecutively in an answer, and a group of emoji is interpreted as a whole. If you reveal the answers you didn’t find, the puzzle doesn’t count in your Scoreboard stats and streaks.

Note: Apple News, Apple News+, and puzzles aren’t available in all countries or regions.

The Emoji Game, showing the number of moves, two emoji placed as answers, and one about to be placed in an unanswered spot.

  1. Start the News app on your iPhone.
  2. Open an Emoji Game puzzle.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • Try an answer: Consider the various definitions or associations for the emoji and then drag the most appropriate emoji (or group of emoji) to complete each word or phrase. For example, a pear emoji 🍐 could complete DISAP_ _ _ _, but interpreted as fruit it could complete _ _ _ _ _ FUL. Letters relating to emoji may appear nonconsecutively in an answer. For example, dragging an earth emoji 🌍 to L_ _ _N _ _E ROPES completes the phrase learn the ropes. Interpret grouped emoji as a whole. For example, a single 🐠 could mean fish, while 🐠🐠🐠 might mean school.
    • Expand a clue: Tap the Expand button. This counts as a move.
    • Reveal answers: Tap the More button, then tap Reveal. The answers you didn’t find are shown. The puzzle doesn’t count in your Scoreboard stats and streaks.

Quick tip: For a quick Emoji Game tutorial, tap the More button and tap How to Play. You can also choose More Puzzles to open the Emoji Game feed.

Tag: News
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