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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 poll people in Messages on iPhone

by Moses Johnson

You can send a poll in any iMessage conversation to decide what to eat, which movie to see, where to travel, when to meet, and more. Everyone in the conversation can contribute options and watch as votes come in.

You start one from the Add button in a conversation, and with Apple Intelligence, you can even create a suggested poll quickly. You can also add an option to a poll, vote, and check on the results of a poll.

Note: Starting, seeing, or voting in a poll requires iMessage on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, or visionOS 26 or later. Anyone who can’t see it gets a message saying a poll was sent to the group.

In a Messages conversation, a poll shows options and vote tallies in horizontal bars and.

Start a poll

  1. Start the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. In a conversation, tap the Add button, then tap Polls.
  3. Tap each row to add options.

    A poll can have up to 12 options.

  4. Tap the Send button.

Quickly create a suggested poll with Apple Intelligence

  1. Start the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Open a conversation or start a new message.
  3. Mention several options in the conversation.
  4. When Apple Intelligence detects that a poll might come in handy, the Create a Poll button appears—tap it to create the suggested poll.

    Tap the Send button to send the poll to everyone in the conversation who can participate in the poll. Those who can’t participate receive a message that you sent a poll.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

Vote in a poll

  1. Start the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Open a conversation with a poll in it.
  3. Tap an option to add your vote.

    Tap again to remove your vote. You can vote for none or all of the options.

Add an option to a poll

Regardless of who started the poll, anyone participating in it can add other options.

  1. Start the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Open a conversation with a poll in it.
  3. Tap Add Choice, then enter another option.
  4. Tap the Send button to add the option to the poll.

Note: Options are added without any votes, so tap to vote for any option you add.

Check on the results of a poll

You can see who hasn’t voted yet, or how people voted.

  1. Start the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. Open a conversation with a poll in it.
  3. Touch and hold the poll and tap Poll Details.

*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.

Tags: Apple Intelligence, Messages
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How to change or add stops to your route in Maps on iPhone

by Kevin Hollington

While you’re following driving or cycling directions, you can add stops along your route, and your route is updated right away. A multistop driving route can have up to 14 stops, and you can switch the starting point and destination, or choose a different one.

Note: Turn-by-turn spoken directions aren’t available in all countries or regions.

Change the starting point or destination

A map with several possible routes for driving directions between My Location and a destination.

  1. Open the Maps app on your iPhone.

Get directions.

Do one of the following: Switch the starting point and destination: Touch and hold the Reorder button for the starting location, then drag it below the destination.

  • Choose a different starting point or destination: Tap either the start or destination, then use the search field or a recent search result to find and select a different location.

Create a multistop driving route

Your route can include up to 14 stops.

  1. Open the Maps app on your iPhone.

    Get driving directions, then do one of the following: Tap Add Stop, then search for the place you want to stop.

    • Zoom in and move the map, tap a place (for example, a landmark or business), then tap Add Stop in the place card.

Your newly added stop appears as your final destination.

  1. To reorder the stops, touch and hold the Reorder button for the stop and drag it to a new position in the list before you tap Go.

Add a stop while following driving or cycling directions

  1. Open the Maps app on your iPhone.

Get driving or cycling directions, then tap Go.

  1. Tap the route card at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap Add Stop. Tap a category (or if you’re looking at driving directions, search for the place you want to stop).
  3. Select a place to stop. Tap Add or Add Stop.

The chosen destination is now the next stop, and your route updates.

If you’re cycling and you decide not to take the detour, tap Resume Route at the top of the screen.

Delete a stop from your driving directions

  1. Open the Maps app on your iPhone.

Create a multistop driving route, as above.

Do one of the following: Before you tap Go: Swipe left on any stops you want to delete, then tap Delete.

  • After you tap Go: Tap the route card at the bottom of the screen, then tap the Delete button next to the stop.

Stop getting directions before you arrive

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Stop navigating.” Or without using Siri: Go to the Maps app on your iPhone.

  1. Tap the card at the bottom of the screen and tap End Route.
Tag: Maps
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How to play audio from iPhone on HomePod and other wireless speakers

by Tyler Stephen

You can play audio from iPhone on wireless devices like HomePod, Apple TV 4K, AirPlay 2-enabled smart TVs, and Bluetooth® headphones and speakers. With AirPlay 2, you can play audio on multiple devices on the same Wi-Fi network, like a party playlist playing on HomePod speakers in the living room and kitchen.

Play audio from iPhone on a wireless device

  1. Open an audio app such as Podcasts or Music on your iPhone.
  2. Choose an item to play.
  3. Tap the Playback Destination button and then choose a playback destination.

    The playback controls for Music, including the Playback Destination button at the bottom of the screen.

Note: AirPlay 2-enabled devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to appear in the list of playback destinations. And with a Bluetooth device, moving it out of Bluetooth range sends the playback destination back to iPhone.

To select the playback destination, you can also tap the Playback Destination button on the Lock Screen or in Control Center.

Play audio on multiple AirPlay 2-enabled devices

Using AirPlay 2, iPhone can play audio on several AirPlay 2-enabled devices on the same Wi-Fi network. A party playlist could play on HomePod speakers in the kitchen and living room, for example, as well as on an AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV in the den and an Apple TV 4K in the bedroom.

Siri: Ask Siri something like:

  • “Stop playing music everywhere”
  • “Set the dining room volume to 10 percent”
  • “What’s playing in the kitchen?”
  • “Play a song I like in the kitchen”
  • “Add the living room speaker”
  • “Remove the music from the kitchen”
  • “Move the music to the den”

Playback destinations can also be chosen from the iPhone screen.

  1. Tap the Playback Destination button in Control Center, on the Lock Screen, or on the Now Playing screen for the app you’re listening to.
  2. Select each device you want to use.

Note: A stereo pair counts as a single audio device.

Hand off audio from iPhone to HomePod

While playing audio from Music, Podcasts, or another audio app, bring iPhone close to the top of HomePod.

For audio handoff to work, you need all of the following:

  • You must be signed in to the same Apple Account on both devices.
  • On your iPhone, you’ve turned on Wi-Fi and Handoff.
  • iPhone and HomePod must be in the same Apple Home and on the same Wi-Fi network.
  • Your devices must have Bluetooth turned on in Settings and be within Bluetooth range of one another (about 33 feet or 10 meters).

To disable Handoff between iPhone and HomePod and other devices, go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity.

Tag: AirPlay
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How to change your Translate settings on iPhone

by Stacey Butler

You can customize your preferences for the Translate app in Settings. Download languages, use on-device translation, or choose a different default translation app.

On-device translation keeps processing on your iPhone instead of Apple servers, even without an internet connection. With Automatic, translations may be processed on Apple servers when the languages aren’t downloaded. With Always, translations are always processed on your iPhone using your downloaded languages, which also work for Live Translation and offline use.

Here’s how to change your Translate settings on iPhone.

Download languages

For on-device translation, Live Translation, or offline use, download languages first.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps, tap Translate, and tap Languages.
  3. Tap the Download button next to the languages you want to download.

Choose when to use on-device translation

On-device translation processes your translations on your iPhone rather than on Apple servers, and it works even without an internet connection.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps and then tap Translate.
  3. Set On-Device Translation to one of the following options:
    • Automatic: Translations are processed on your device when the languages are downloaded; otherwise, translations may be processed on Apple servers.
    • Always: Translations are always processed on your device using your downloaded languages.

Choose a default translation app

You can change the default if you have multiple translation apps.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Apps and then tap Translate.
  3. Tap Default Translation App, then choose an app.
Tag: Translate
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How to flash the iPhone screen or indicator light for notifications

by Abigail Shilets

With Flash for Alerts, you can set the iPhone indicator light, the screen, or both to blink when you receive a notification. That’s useful if you can’t hear the sounds that announce incoming calls or other alerts, or if you might miss audible alerts in a noisy environment.

The indicator light is the LED on the back of iPhone, next to the camera lens. You can choose LED Flash, Screen, or Both, and the light can flash even when iPhone is unlocked or in Silent mode.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Audio & Visual and tap Flash for Alerts. Then turn on Flash for Alerts.
  3. Select any of the following:
    • LED Flash: The indicator light on the back of the iPhone flashes.
    • Screen: The iPhone screen flashes.
    • Both: Both the iPhone indicator light and the iPhone screen flash.
  4. Turn any of the following on or off:
    • Flash While Unlocked: The indicator light flashes even when iPhone is unlocked.
    • Flash in Silent Mode: The indicator light flashes even when iPhone is in Silent mode.
Tag: Notifications
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How to request or give remote control in a FaceTime call on iPhone

by Tyler Stephen

During a one-to-one FaceTime video or audio call, you can remotely control someone else’s screen or allow a trusted person to remotely control yours. The person controlling the screen can help with an issue or demonstrate how to use an app.

You stay in charge, too. You can accept or decline a remote control request, and stop remote control at any time.

Here’s how to request or give remote control in a FaceTime call on iPhone.

Note: Remote control isn’t currently available in the European Union.

Request remote control

You can ask to control an iPhone screen that’s being shared with you.

Note: You and the other participant both need iOS 18 or later.

  1. Start the FaceTime app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the window showing the shared screen, then tap the Remote Control button.

If the other participant accepts your request, you can tap or swipe to interact with the shared screen. You can also use the onscreen keyboard within apps.

Accept a remote control request

To remotely control your screen, a participant needs to be in your contacts and on an iPhone or iPad with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or later. Additional restrictions may apply to remote control requests to help protect your data and privacy.

When you receive a remote control request notification in the FaceTime app on your iPhone, tap Allow.

WARNING: The person remotely controlling the screen can perform tasks on your iPhone such as opening and closing apps, changing settings, deleting items, or sending messages. Only approve remote control requests from people you trust.

Tasks like erasing your device, making payments, or changing your Apple Account or Face ID settings may be off-limits to the person remotely controlling the screen. Face ID and Touch ID don’t work during a remote control session.

You can still tap, swipe, or type while your screen is remotely controlled—your actions take priority over remote actions.

Decline a remote control request

When you receive a remote control request notification in the FaceTime app on your iPhone, tap Don’t Allow. Screen sharing continues, and the other participant can still tap, draw, or write on your screen to highlight important areas.

Stop remote control

At any time, you can end remote control in one of these ways:

  • If you’re allowing someone to control your screen: Tap Stop at the bottom of the screen sharing window.
  • If you’re controlling someone’s screen: Tap the Remote Control button at the bottom of the screen sharing window.

Ending a FaceTime call ends remote control and screen sharing, too.

Tag: FaceTime
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How to switch between open apps on iPhone

by Stacey Butler

You can quickly switch from one open app to another on your iPhone. When you switch back, you can pick up right where you left off. The App Switcher shows all your open apps, and on an iPhone with Face ID, there’s an even quicker way to switch between open apps.

Use the App Switcher

  1. To see all your open apps, do one of the following:
    • On an iPhone with Face ID: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, pause in the center of the screen and then lift your finger.
    • On an iPhone with a Home button: Double-click the Home button.
  2. To browse the open apps, swipe right and tap the app you want to use.

The App Switcher. Icons for the open apps appear at the top, and the current screen for each open app appears below its icon.

Switch between open apps

To quickly switch between open apps on an iPhone with Face ID, swipe right along the bottom edge of the screen.

Tag: Home Screen
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How to capture a verifiable photo with Apple Reference Image

by Chris Smith

On iPhone 18 Pro models, you can use Apple Reference Image to save and share additional data to verify the authenticity of a photo. Use Reference mode to take a photo and also capture the original data from the sensor in the Main camera.

You only have to turn on Reference mode once, in the Settings app. After that, it’s a camera mode like any other, and iPhone captures the original, signed sensor data with each photo.

Note: Apple Reference Image is not available in all countries or regions.

Before you begin

It’s a one-time step: turn on Reference mode in the Settings app.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Camera, then tap Reference Image.
  3. Tap Add Reference Mode, then follow the onscreen instructions.

Take a photo with a reference image

  1. Open Camera on your iPhone.
  2. Swipe to select Reference mode.
  3. Tap the Shutter button, or click the Camera Control (on supported models), to take the photo.

iPhone also captures the original, signed data from the Main camera’s sensor, so you can develop and view a reference image in Photos.

Tag: Photos
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How to control access to information in apps on iPhone

by Emily Long

You control whether third-party apps have access to information in Contacts, Photos, Calendar, and other apps. The first time an app wants information from another app, it has to ask you and explain why, and you can change access later. You can also review how apps use the permissions you grant them.

Review or change access to information in apps

When an app first wants to use information from another app, you’ll get a request explaining why. A messaging app, for example, may request access to your contacts to find friends who use the same app. Whether you grant or deny access, you can change it later.

  1. Open Settings and then tap Privacy & Security.
  2. Tap a category of information, such as Calendars, Reminders, or Motion & Fitness.

    A list appears showing the apps that requested access. You can turn access on or off for any app on the list.

Review how apps are using the permissions you grant them

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security, then tap App Privacy Report.

To see how apps are using the permissions you granted them, and their network activity, check the App Privacy Report.

To turn off the report and delete its data, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report, then tap Turn Off App Privacy Report. You can return to this Settings screen to turn the report on again.

Tag: Privacy & Security
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How to contribute to a shared album on iPhone

by Kevin Hollington

You can add and delete photos and videos that you added to a shared album. You can also save photos and videos from a shared album to your photo library.

The people you share the album with are notified automatically when you add new photos. Everyone in the album can also react to content with emoji and comments that all participants can see.

Here’s how to contribute to a shared album on iPhone.

Add photos and videos to a shared album

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap Shared Albums and tap an album.
  4. Tap the More button and then tap Add Photos.
  5. Select photos and videos and then tap the Done button.

Whenever you add new photos, the people you share the album with get notified automatically.

Note: Seeing Items Not Shared after adding content to the album usually means the organizer is short on iCloud storage. Ask them to make sure they have enough for new content.

Comment and react to shared album content

In a shared album, you can react to content with emoji and comments, and all participants can see them.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap Shared Albums and tap an album.
  4. Tap a photo or video and then tap the Reactions button to react with an emoji, or tap the Comment Lines button to enter a comment.

To delete a comment, touch and hold it, then tap Delete. You can only delete your own comments, unless you’re the album organizer, who can delete any comment.

View shared album activity

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap Shared Albums and tap Activity.
  4. The latest contributions to your shared albums are shown here.

Tap the Updates button to see a detailed feed of all activity in your shared albums. Tap the Reactions button or the Comment Lines button below a contribution to leave a reaction or comment. Tap the More button to save content someone else contributed or to delete content that you contributed.

To view activity for a specific shared album, tap the album, then tap the Conversation button.

Filter shared album content

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap Shared Albums and tap an album.
  4. Tap the Sort and Filter button, tap Media Types or Shared By, and tap a filter option.

To remove the filter, tap the Sort and Filter button, then tap Remove Filter.

Delete photos, videos, and comments from a shared album

In a shared album, organizers can delete any photos, videos, or comments, but participants can only delete content they personally added. Whatever’s deleted is removed from the shared album automatically, both on all your devices and on the devices of every participant.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap Shared Albums and tap an album.
  4. Do either of the following:
    • Delete multiple items: Tap Select, tap the items to delete and tap the Delete button. Then tap Delete from All Devices.
    • Delete a single item: Tap the photo or video, tap the Delete button, and then tap Delete from All Devices.

To delete a comment, touch and hold it, then tap Delete. You can only delete your own comments unless you’re the album organizer, who can delete any comment.

Save photos and videos from a shared album to your library

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap Shared Albums and tap an album.
  4. Tap the More button. Then tap Save All Shared Items or Save Remaining Items.

To save a single photo or video, tap the image to open it, then tap the Save button.

Tag: Photos
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