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iPhone 14 Pro Stuck on Preparing Update, How to Fix

by GeeksModo Staff

Apple periodically releases updates and upgrades to its iOS operating system. These updates may bring new features and fixes for bugs. Upgrades are major (e.g., iOS 16 etc.), and updates are minor (e.g., iOS 16.1) releases. Usually, these updates are easy to do and go smoothly. However, sometimes you may run into issues. A common issue that can occur with any update is when iPhone 14 Pro is stuck on a screen saying, “Preparing Update…“With this issue, the iPhone never passes this screen. This issue may also occur on the iPhone’ 14, iPhone 14 Plus, or iPhone 14 Pro Max. In this article, I’ll explain why your iPhone 14 Pro is stuck on preparing update and show you what you can do to fix this error.

What is ‘Preparing Update…’?

The Preparing Update step is a part of the iOS update and occurs after your device has downloaded the update from Apple’s update servers. This step involves your device preparing and configuring the downloaded files. After this, your iPhone restarts to install the new update. This step usually lasts a few minutes. You will also see a progress bar under it. However, if you notice that the progress bar is not moving at all for a long time and the screen hangs in this step, there is something wrong with the update. If your iPhone hangs on this screen for more than an hour, you should cancel the update and try again.

Why is your iPhone 14 Pro stuck on ‘Preparing Update…’?

There could be many reasons your iPhone 14 Pro is stuck on preparing update, for example:

  • Poor Wi-Fi connection.
  • Some sort of interruption in the download, process causing corrupted files.
  • Lack of response from Apple’s servers.
  • Lack of available storage on the iPhone.

How to fix iPhone 14 Pro stuck on preparing update issue

Follow these steps in this order until your problem is fixed.

Make sure your iPhone is connected to the Internet

If your iPhone 14 Pro is stuck on preparing update, make sure that your device is connected to a strong Wi-Fi network. While you can download an iOS update via mobile data, it is advisable to update your iPhone over a Wi-Fi. Try the following:

  • Restart your Wi-Fi router.
  • If you are using Hotspot, turn it off.
  • If you are using a VPN, disconnect and try again.

Make sure you have enough storage space

If your iPhone 14 Pro is still stuck on preparing update, ensure that your device has enough available storage to install the update. Ensure that your iPhone has at least 6 GB of free space. You can check your storage by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. This screen will show your storage details. This screen will also show how much each app is taking up. You can delete or offload apps to free up storage. You can also delete your videos or photos if needed.

restart your iPhone

iPhone 14 Pro still stuck on preparing update? Restart your phone and then try again.
Go to settings > General > Shut Down.

Delete the update

Delete the downloaded update file, and then restart the process. As I said above, this ‘Preparing Update…’ occurs after you download the iOS file. Follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Wait for a few seconds for the screen to populate. Find the iOS update file from the list of apps and tap it. Then tap Delete Update.
  • After deleting it, restart your iPhone.
  • Then go to Settings > General > Software Update and restart the update process again.

update iPhone manually

If your iPhone 14 Pro is still stuck on preparing update screen, update your device manually instead of wirelessly. For this, you will need a computer. Back up your iPhone first before you continue. Restart your iPhone and then follow the steps below, depending on your computer. Here is how:

If you have a Mac with macOS Catalina or later:

  • Connect your iPhone to your computer with the USB cable.
  • Open a Finder window.
  • From the left Finder sidebar, select your iPhone.
  • Click General > Check for Update and then follow the onscreen instructions.

If you have a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier or a Windows PC:

  • Open iTunes on your computer.
  • Connect your iPhone to your computer.
  • Then in iTunes, select your iPhone and go to Summary > Check for Update.
Tags: iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone Troubleshooting
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5 Best macOS Ventura Tips and Tricks to Try First

by Moses Johnson

Apple released macOS Ventura to the public in the fall, and the update brings notable improvement for Mac users. Here are the best macOS Ventura tips and tricks you should try first.
With macOS Ventura, Apple has brought major additions to the stock apps and bridged the gap between iPhone and Mac. Beyond the headline features, Apple has also made numerous tweaks and changes to macOS that aim to make the time you spend using your Mac‌ more efficient, more functional, and more enjoyable. To that end, we’ve pulled out the best macOS Ventura tips and tricks, some of which may have gone under your radar, and we’ve highlighted five of them below. Keep reading to learn some of the best macOS Ventura tips and tricks in 2022.

Best macOS Ventura tips and tricks

1. Stage Manager

Unlike iPad, Apple doesn’t limit Stage Manager to a few Mac models only. All MacBook models are compatible with the Stage Manager function. The option is disabled by default. You can turn it on from the Mac Control Center.

Once you enable Control Center, the system automatically organizes your apps and windows in a single view on Mac. The function helps you focus while moving between tasks. You can even create a group of apps for specific tasks or projects. For example, you can group Lightroom, Photoshop, and Canva and pin them in Stage Manager to summon with a single click.

Similarly, you can group social media or writing apps and focus on a single project, removing other obstructions. While Stage Manager is off to a rocky start, it will be interesting to see how Apple continues to evolve it in future updates.

2. utilize Continuity Camera

You no longer need to settle with a below-average webcam during important video meetings on your MacBook. With this MacOS Ventura trick, you can set your iPhone to wirelessly connect to the Mac as a web camera, allowing you take advantage of the phone’s better cameras instead of relying on the lower-resolution cameras that are often built into MacBook laptops. The new feature, named Continuity Camera, works with most iPhone models that are running iOS 16. Just remember to enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices and sign in using the same Apple account.

Once you enable Continuity Camera from Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff menu on iPhone, you will find an option to use your phone camera as the default

You do require separate hardware from a third-party manufacturer like Belkin to hold your iPhone on top of your Mac and need to change the default camera from your preferred video calling app like Zoom, FaceTime, Teams, or Google Meet.

Your iPhone camera on Mac does support Center Stage to stay centered in the camera frame during video calls, Studio Light, Portrait Mode to blur the background, and Desk View to show your desk and face at the same time.

3. Give Apple Mail a Try

Thanks to macOS Ventura trick, Apple Mail now lets users unsend an email they have just sent, schedule emails to hit the perfect timing in the recipient’s time zone, and get reminders to follow up or come back to a message later. The Mail app also has an improved search function to deliver more accurate and astute results and provides suggestions before you start typing.

In short, Apple Mail receives a major feature boost with the macOS Ventura update. If you have ditched Mail in favor of Outlook or Spark on Mac due to a lack of features, it’s time to give Mail another shot after the latest update.

4. Use Spotlight Like a Pro

Spotlight is a major part of the macOS experience, and Apple has enhanced its capabilities with the Ventura update. Simply hit the Command Space keys on your Mac and find images in Photos, Messages, Notes, the Finder, and the web right from the Spotlight Search. You don’t need to open any respective app and navigate dozens of menus to find a photo.

Spotlight even lets you use Live Text to search for an image based on the text inside it. Spotlight also supports quick actions to set the alarm, start Focus, find the name of a song using Shazam integration, run a shortcut, and more.

The default search function on Mac does miss out on a few features, as we usually find in third-party alternatives, but it’s still a promising start with the macOS Ventura update. The update also brings richer search results when finding info about an actor, TV show, movie, sports event, and business. Go ahead, give Spotlight Search a try, and be amazed by the search results.

5. Share Your Photo Library

The default Photos app on Mac allows you to create and share a separate photo library among up to six family members. While creating an iCloud Shared Photo Library, you can select specific photos, people, and scenes like Forest, Sky, Beach, etc., and invite others to collaborate. Everyone can add, delete, edit, or favorite shared photos and videos. The same will appear under every user’s Memories tab in the Photos app.

Unfortunately, you can only create one iCloud Shared Photo Library. You can’t create multiple photo libraries with friends and family.
See also: Apps crashing on macOS Ventura? Here’s the Fix

These New MacOS Ventura Tips and Tricks Make Your Mac Much Better

So these were some of the best macOS Ventura tips and tricks you would love to try on your Mac today. My favorite macOS Ventura tips and tricks include using the stage manager, and using an iPhone as a wireless webcam with Camera Continuity. There’s surely plenty more hidden macOS Ventura tips and tricks to discover, so I’ll keep tapping, swiping and noting anything I find. Did we miss out on something important that needs to be added to the list? Which are your favorite macOS Ventura tips and tricks? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tags: Mac Tips, macOS Ventura
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14 Hidden iPhone Features – You Probably Didn’t Know About

by Kevin Hollington

In this article, you’ll be excited to learn that there are several new hidden features that could completely change how you use your iPhone.

Now running the 16th major release of iOS, the iPhone is packed with so many features that mastering them all is no less complicated than learning all the nuances in Windows or MacOS. If you want to get the most out of your iPhone and learn the best tips and tricks for using your phone, here are 14 of the best lesser-known features in Apple’s mobile pocket-sized computer.

If you want to take a closer look at some of the hidden iPhone features, like password-protected photo albums and easily accessible Wi-Fi passwords, here’s what you need to know.

1. Hide apps you don’t use without deleting them

It doesn’t take long to accumulate so many apps that they become hard to manage and organize. If you have apps you rarely use but don’t want to delete them entirely, you can hide them from the Home screen. They’ll still show up in Siri search and you can find them in the App Library (that last page on your iPhone when you keep swiping left). This also comes in handy for hiding built-in apps that Apple doesn’t let you delete.

Just tap and hold the app icon until the pop-up menu appears, then tap Remove App. Instead of tapping Delete App, tap Remove from Home Screen.

2. Automatically close old Safari tabs

If you’re like most people, you may have countless Safari tabs open. But it’s surprisingly easy to tame Safari using this hidden iPhone feature. Start the Settings app and then tap Safari. In the Tabs section, tap Close Tabs. Here you can specify when your iPhone should automatically clean house by closing old tabs — you can choose After One Day, After One Week, After One Month, or Manually, which leaves them open until you close them yourself.

3. Change the iPhone’s default browser

Not a fan of Safari? Perhaps you are a dedicated Chrome or Firefox fan on your desktop computer, and would rather use one of those browsers on your iPhone as well. With this iPhone hidden feature,changing your default browser is easily done. Start the Settings app and then tap Safari. Tap Default Browser App and choose whichever installed browser app you prefer.

4. Lock your camera’s focus and exposure

Digital SLR and mirrorless camera photographers know how easy it is to lock the focus and exposure settings — usually just by pressing a button near the shutter release — so they can reframe and recompose the photo. Thanks to this hidden iPhone feature, you can do the same thing on your phone. Start the Camera app and then tap and hold the screen where you want to lock the focus and exposure. After a moment, you’ll see the AE/AF Lock message at the top of the screen; as you recompose the shot, the focus point and exposure setting will stay fixed until you take the picture. You can drag your finger up or down to manually adjust the exposure. To cancel the lock, tap anywhere on the screen.

5. Set a sleep timer for any media

Want to play music or a show at bedtime so the phone shuts off after a set time? You can easily enable a sleep timer using this hidden iPhone feature. Start the Clock app and tap Timer at the bottom. Set the amount of time you want the music to play and then tap When Timer Ends. In the pop-up menu, choose Stop Playing, then Set. Now you can start your timer and the Music app will stop playing automatically.

6. Reply to a specific message in Messages

Did someone send you a long string of messages, and you want to respond to something from a particular message way up in the conversation? Simply use this hidden iPhone feature. In the Message app, tap and hold the message you want to respond to, then tap Reply. Now you can write a message and it’ll appear in the Message app attached to the original message so it’s clear what you are referring to.

7. Tag contacts in group messages

If you’ve been in a group chat you probably know that it’s sometimes hard to get a specific person’s attention, especially if not everyone is closely following the conversation. If you are group chatting in the Messages app, you can use this hidden iPhone feature to tag a specific contact so they get a notification when you send the message. In the Messages app, open a group message and type the @ symbol followed by someone in the chat’s name, like @dave. When you press Space or add punctuation, the @ symbol will disappear and you’ll see a subtle animation effect on the name. When you send the message, that person will get a notification.

8. View and share saved Wi-Fi passwords

In Settings, go to Wi-Fi and tap the tiny information icon to the right of the network you want the password for. To view the network password, tap the Password section and then use Face ID or enter your passcode to view it. You can then tap Copy to copy the password into your clipboard and share it.

9. Use the Space bar as a mouse

It can be infuriatingly difficult to position the cursor at a specific place on the screen when correcting a typo or moving the cursor somewhere else in a document. Thankfully, Apple has given you a sort-of-secret way to easily move the cursor as if your phone had a built-in mouse or touchpad. Simply tap and hold the keyboard’s Space bar. After a moment, the keyboard will turn blank. Now the entire keyboard area is a large touchpad — just move your finger around to reposition the cursor.

10. Compress the keyboard for one-handed typing

The iPhone keyboard has more secrets hiding in plain sight. If you frequently type one-handed, you can compress the keyboard and slide it to the left or right, depending upon which hand you prefer to type with. To do this, tap and hold the Globe or emoji icon at the bottom left until the pop-up menu appears. In the menu, tap the right- or left-justified keyboard icon. To cancel the compressed keyboard and go back to the ordinary one, tap the arrow to the left or right of the keyboard.

11. Find and remove duplicate photos and videos

Maybe you’ve saved the same photo multiple times or downloaded a video more than once, resulting in duplicates littering up your photo album. It may not be a problem if you’ve got storage to spare, but you’re running out of space, you can now remove every single duplicate easily with this hidden iPhone feature.

In Photos > Albums, you should see a new Duplicates album under Utilities. Apple scans through all of your photos and shows you any photo or video you’ve saved more than once in that album. From there, you can either delete any duplicates, or simply press Merge, which will keep the photo with the highest quality (and relevant data) and then move the others to the trash.

12. Bring haptic feedback to your keyboard

With this hidden iPhone feature, you can enable a slight vibration for every single key you type in. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle on Haptic. The sound option you see is the loud and annoying clacking sound you might hear when you type in something and your phone isn’t on silent mode, so you can keep that disabled.

13. Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are now password protected

Thanks to this hidden iPhone feature, you can now lock the Hidden album. You don’t actually need to do anything to toggle this feature on. If you want to check it out, launch the Photos app and go to the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen. If you scroll down, you’ll see a tiny lock next to the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums. To view the contents of those albums, you’ll need to use Face ID or your passcode.

14. Pin your favorite tabs in Safari

Safari caps your open tabs at 500, and if you’re nearing that limit, it might be pretty darn hard to find the exact tab you’re looking for. You could scroll endlessly, but with this hidden iPhone feature, you can easily find the exact tab you’re looking for.

In Safari, if you press down on an open tab, you will see an option to hit Pin Tab. This will move that tab to the top of Safari, where it will exist as a tiny tab preview, permanently pinned there, which you can then tap to view.

Tag: iPhone Tips
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How to Use Siri to Hang Up a Call on iPhone 14

by GeeksModo Staff

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in Product RED

If you own an iPhone 14, you can hang up on an active phone or FaceTime call using the virtual assistant, Siri. Keep reading to learn how it works.

With each version of iOS, Apple seeks to improve the accessibility features of its mobile operating system to ensure that as many people can use it as easily as possible, and that’s been no different in its latest release, ‌iOS 16‌.

Apple has recognized that some users may need or prefer help when hanging up a phone of ‌FaceTime‌ call, and thanks to a new accessibility feature, now you can get ‌Siri‌ to do it for you so you don’t have to lift a finger.

Simply follow these steps to turn on the function on your iPhone 14.

Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone 14.
  2. Go to Accessibility.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom and under “General,” tap Siri.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Call Hang-up.
  5. Tap the switch next to Call Hang-up to enable the function.

Now that’s done, the next time you wish to end a phone or ‌FaceTime‌ call, simply say “Hey ‌Siri‌, hang up the call.” Note that the other person/people on the call will hear your request to ‌Siri‌ before being hung up on.

Tags: iPhone 14, iPhone Guides
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How to set up a Focus mode on your iPhone 14 Pro

by Moses Johnson

If you own an iPhone 14 Pro, you may want to set up Focus modes to filter out distractions, keeping notifications at bay and homing in on the task at hand. The feature came to the iPhone with iOS 15 in 2021, but it’s new and improved for iOS 16, as Apple’s software update has made it easier to set up a Focus mode on your iPhone 14 Pro.

That’s a welcome change. If you’ve yet to embrace the notification-silencing wonders of Focus mode, it’s likely because you found setting up and turning on the feature to be a bit of a pain. iOS 16 Focus streamlines things somewhat — it’s now easier to manage the people and apps you still want to connect with when a particular Focus is enabled. You can now link lock screens that you’ve customized in iOS 16 to particular Focus modes, and you can turn off the focus mode straight from the lock screen if you want.

If that sounds appealing and you’re ready to finally give Focus a try — or another try, if you gave up when the feature first debuted with iOS 15 — here’s how to set up a Focus mode on your iPhone 14 Pro.

Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

How to set up a Focus mode on your iPhone 14 Pro

  1. Start the Settings app and tap on Focus.
  2. Pick the Focus setting you wish to set up by tapping either Do Not Disturb, Personal, Sleep or Work. You can set up a customized Focus mode by tapping the Plus ( ) button in the upper right corner. For the purposes of this how-to, let’s set up a Work Focus mode together.
  3. Next, tap Customize Focus.
  4. Next on, choose the people you want to manage the notifications of in your Focus mode by tapping Choose People. From there, you can pick whether to allow notifications from the people you select or silence notifications.
  5. Tap the Plus ( ) button to add people. You can then pick people in your Contacts list and tap done. When you’ve got a complete list, tap Next.
  6. You’ll be asked to choose whose calls to allow. By default, Focus mode will let through contacts you’ve designated as favorites, but you can also change that to the people you’ve allowed in Step No. 5 or everybody. You can also allow calls from anyone in your contacts or a specific contacts group. Tap Done when you’ve made your pick.
  7. Now choose the apps you wish to manage for your Focus mode by selecting Choose Apps. Once again, you can pick whether to allow or silence notifications from a given app.
  8. Tap the Plus ( ) button to add apps. Then pick the apps you want to allow/silence notifications from out of the supplied list and tap Done.
  9. You’re back on the Choose Apps to Allow page. Tap Done again.

At this point, you’ve got the Focus mode basics, with filters set up for people and apps. But iOS 16 lets you take things one step further by tying your Focus mode to a specific lock screen. (You could previously assign a home screen to your Focus mode, which you can still do in iOS 16.)

Here’s how you can set up a Focus mode with specific lock and home screens.

How to set up a Focus mode with specific lock and home screens

  1. Tap Choose under the screen you wish to customize. We’ll start with the lock screen, where you have the option of creating a new lock screen, or selecting one of your existing lock screens. Tap Done when you’ve made your selection.
  2. Tap Choose under the home screen to set a custom home screen for your Focus mode. Again, you can pick from your existing home screens or you can create a new home screen that the Focus mode will populate with relevant apps. For instance, a Focus-generated home page tied to a Work Focus mode, includes the Calendar, Notes, Reminders and Mail apps among others. You can tap Edit Apps to add and delete options, including third-party apps.
  3. When you’re satisfied with the apps on your home screen, tap Add in the upper right corner.

Again, you can stop customizing your Focus mode right now, or you can take advantage of scheduling features for your Focus mode. You have the option of turning on your Focus mode automatically at a set time or location; you can also tie it to a specific app.

How to schedule a Focus Mode

  1. Tap Smart Activation to turn on the feature automatically and then move the slider to the on position on the next screen. This will turn on your Focus mode when your phone decides that it’s a relevant time or location.
  2. If you prefer not to leave such things to chance, tap Add Schedule and then pick a specific time, location or app to activate your Focus mode. In this case, I’ve turned on my work focus between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

You can add other times, locations or apps by tapping Add Schedule again.

How to use Focus Filters to set up a Focus mode on your iPhone 14 Pro

Focus Filters is a new addition to iOS 16 that allows you to filter out irrelevant or distracting data when a Focus mode is enabled. Here’s how Focus Filters work with Focus mode.

  1. Tap Add Filter and on the next screen, pick the app you want to customize. We’ll pick Calendars in this example, but you can filter inboxes in Mail, Tab Groups in Safari, conversations in Messages and other apps, including third-party software that’s updated with Focus Filter support.
  2. You now choose which calendar shows up when. For instance, I want my GeeksModo Calendar to show up when my Work Focus is turned on. Tap Add when you’ve selected the right calendar.
  3. You can go back and add more filters if you want by tapping Add Filter.

When you’re satisfied with your Focus mode, tape, the Focus menu button in the upper left corner of the screen to return to the main menu. All your changes will be saved.

How to enable and disable a Focus mode in iPhone 14 Pro

Once you’ve set a Focus mode on your iPhone 14 Pro, it will automatically be turned on. You can turn if off from the Focus screen in Settings by going to the command center (swipe diagonally downward from the lefthand corner of the home screen) and tapping the Focus control. Tap the enabled Focus mode to turn it off.

As of iOS 16, you can also turn off Focus modes from the connected lock screen. Tap the Focus icon on the bottom of the screen and then tap the enabled Focus mode to turn it off from the menu that appears.

Believe me, it’s a lot easier to set up and customize a Focus mode on iPhone 14 Pro than it was before, even if that does sound like a lot of steps. And you should reap the benefits of Focus, as you’ll see fewer unwanted notifications and remove the temptation to fool around with games, text messages and other potential distractions when you really need to be working. (Conversely, Focus is also great for setting up a Personal mode that hides all your work related apps so you can actually spend time relaxing.)

See also: How to Use Siri to Hang Up a Call on iPhone 14

Tags: iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone Guides
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How to Unlock Your iPhone 14 Using Just Your Voice

by Dave Johnson

Apple includes an accessibility feature that allows you to unlock your iPhone 14 using just your voice. Keep reading to learn how it works and how to set it up on your ‌iPhone 14‌.

For several years now, Apple’s iOS mobile operating system has included a voice control feature that enables users to control a variety of system functions on their ‌iPhone‌ using only their voice as the trigger.

Until recently, one of the limitations of Voice Control was that it wouldn’t work if your ‌iPhone‌ was locked. Thankfully, Apple includes an enhanced version of the feature so that if your ‌iPhone‌ is on the lock screen, you can now use your voice to enter the passcode and unlock it.

How to Unlock Your iPhone 14 Using Voice Control

The following steps show you how to set up Voice Control to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ 14 using a simple speech command.

Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

  1. Start the Settings app on your ‌iPhone 14‌.
  2. Go to Accessibility.
  3. Under ”Physical and Motor,” tap Voice Control.
  4. Toggle on the switch next to Voice Control.
  5. Now lock your ‌iPhone‌ using the Side button.
  6. Tap your ‌iPhone‌ to wake the Lock Screen, then say ”Go Home” to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID. If that doesn’t work and you’re presented with the passcode screen, say (for example) “Tap 1” to press the 1 key on the screen with your voice. Repeat this action for all six digits in your passcode to unlock your ‌iPhone‌.
  7. That’s all there is to it. Note that the same Voice Control accessibility feature also works with iPad.
  8. See also: How to set up a Focus mode on your iPhone 14 Pro
Tags: iPhone 14, iPhone Guides
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25 iPhone Hacks – You Had NO IDEA Existed

by GeeksModo Staff

2022 was a big year for Apple Fan. The year brought us new phones, like the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, and new software updates, like iOS 16. Whether you bought something new, updated your iPhone with new software, or just kept on trucking with the same old tech, we were here to help you use it all. These are our favorite iPhone hacks and tips of 2022.
If you dive into the Settings app, you can find some cool iPhone hacks you might not have even known existed. Want to declutter your home screen? Use your battery a little less throughout the day? You can do all that — and more. Some of these iPhone hacks are relatively straightforward, while others are hidden deep within your device.

In this guide, we’ve got 25 iPhone hacks that you’ll definitely want to try today.

1. Stop apps from tracking your exact location

Apps like Doordash, Postmates, Google Maps and Waze all require your exact location to deliver food to the right location or direct you to where you want to go. But not all apps need to know precisely where you are at every moment.

Thanks to this iPhone hack, you can easily prevent any app from tracking your exact location. In the Settings app, choose an application (like Instagram, for example), tap Location and then toggle off Precise Location. Any app with Precise Location off will only know your approximate location, within a few miles.

Don’t toggle this feature off for apps that require exact location, like food delivery and navigation services.

2. Turn the back of your iPhone into a button

With this cool iPhone hack, the back of your device can be used as a secret button to activate certain actions, like take a screenshot or enable low power mode, and run shortcuts that can automatically play music when you arrive at the gym or turn on your smart lights when you get home. However, the option is hidden deep in your settings — here’s how to find it.

In the Settings app, go to Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and choose one of the two tapping options (double or triple tap). You should see a list of actions you can run by tapping the back of your iPhone, like opening your camera, turning on the flashlight, scrolling up and down and more. Tap on on action or shortcut to set it for double or triple tap.

3. Bring back full-screen incoming call alerts

If your iPhone is unlocked and you receive a phone call, a banner-style notification will appear at the top of your screen, with a photo and name of the person calling, and the options to pick up or deny the call. But this banner wasn’t always there.

Before iOS 14, the incoming call screen would take over your entire display when your iPhone was unlocked and in use. It was disruptive, sure, but it also got the job done.

When the banner appeared, it was a welcome change for many, because it’s more discreet and allows you to still use your phone while receiving a call. However, if for any reason you’re not a big fan of the banner and want to revert to the more attention-grabbing full-screen alert, you will appreciate this hidden iPhone hack. Go to Settings > Phone > Incoming Calls and tap Full Screen.

4. Turn off 5G coverage you don’t want or have

Apple touts a Smart Data feature that’s specific to its 5G phones (iPhone 12 and iPhone 13) that will automatically switch between 4G LTE and 5G networks based on how you’re using your device.

However, you may find that your iPhone’s battery drains faster than it did before. If you don’t want to sacrifice battery life for faster 5G speeds, shut it down with this neat iPhone hack. You can always turn 5G back on when you want it, or when service in your area improves.

To turn off 5G on your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, forcing it to always use 4G LTE even if you have 5G coverage, open the Settings app, then go to Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data and tap LTE.

Alternatively, if you want your iPhone to exclusively use a 5G connection when available, you can select 5G On.

5. Fine-tune how much data is used by a 5G connection

If you’re happy with your 5G performance, here’s a related iPhone hack you should check out. Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Mode, where you’ll find three different options: Allow more data on 5G, Standard and Low Data Mode.

Even though there are brief descriptions below the three different settings, they don’t paint a complete picture for the first option. According to an Apple support document, allowing more data on 5G will give you high-quality video and FaceTime calls. It also enables your phone to download software updates and stream high-definition Apple TV and Apple Music content, and it allows third-party developers to also improve their respective apps.

The default setting on this page will depend on your carrier and your data plan, so it’s a good idea to check your iPhone and make sure it’s correctly set to your preference.

6. Stop apps from cluttering up your home screen

The App Library is a place where you can quickly find and access all of your applications. And while apps are housed here, all newly downloaded apps also appear on your home screen. This may not be a problem if you download apps sparingly, but if you’re installing new apps on a consistent basis, they can quickly clutter up your home screen.

Thanks to this iPhone hack you can stop downloaded apps from appearing on your home screen. Go to Settings > Home Screen and select App Library Only. If you want to find the app, you’ll have to swipe left on your home screen until you reach the App Library.

7. Stop unexpected (and embarrassing) photo popups on your iPhone screen

Apple’s artificial intelligence helps surface photos and videos in various places across your iPhone, as a reminder of family vacations, couple photos and holidays — but you may not always want your personal pictures to pop up unexpectedly, especially if they’re private, embarrassing or inappropriate.

With this iPhone hack, you can now prevent Featured Photos, as well as curated collections known as Memories, from appearing in photo widgets on your home screen and the Search and For You sections in Photos.

To block these tailored photos, make sure you are running iOS 16 or higher. Now, launch the Settings app, go into Photos and toggle off Show Featured Content. All featured content will no longer appear across your device — instead, it’ll only be available in your photo library and albums.

8. Put the address bar in Safari back on top

The address in Safari migrated to the bottom of the screen with the introduction of iOS 15 — a welcome addition for those with smaller hands who had difficulty reaching it with one hand at the top. While this move might feel more natural, since it’s closer to the keyboard and where you typically place your thumbs, it can be off-putting since many people are used to seeing the URL bar near the top of the screen.

Thanks to this hidden iPhone hack, you can easily put the address bar back at the top of the screen. Go to Settings, tap Safari and choose the Single Tab option under the Tabs subheading.

9. Add features that can be used when your iPhone is locked

There are times when you might want to have certain info handy even when your phone is locked. That’s why Apple allows you to enable some features without having to unlock your device, such as the notification center, Control Center, the ability to reply to messages and the Wallet app.

To customize the features you’d like to access on the lock screen, simply use this iPhone hack. Launch the Settings menu, tap Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode when prompted. Scroll down until you see the Allow Access When Locked section, and toggle the sliders based on your preferences.

10. Make your favorite email app or web browser your default

It was a long time coming, but 2020’s iOS 14 update finally brought the ability to choose your own default apps — at least for email and web browsing. That means that when you tap a link or an email send button, your iPhone will automatically launch the web browser or email provider of your choosing rather than Safari or Mail.

To set up this iPhone hack, open the Settings menu and select the app you’d like to set as a default (such as Google Chrome or Outlook). You should then see a button that says Default Mail App or Default Browser App. Tap that option and select the app of your choosing instead of Safari or Mail.

11. Get full notifications on your lock screen

The first time you experience Apple’s Face ID tech, you’ll notice that you can’t see the content of new alerts and notifications on the lock screen. For example, instead of seeing who sent you a text message and what it says, you’ll only see a generic Messages alert.

By default, all iPhones with Apple’s Face ID tech will hide the content of an alert until you pick up your phone and unlock it. It’s a privacy feature that I rather enjoy, but I also understand how it could be annoying (I’ve heard a few complaints from readers and family members alike).

Thanks to this cool iPhone hack, you can change how notifications appear on your lock screen by going to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and selecting Always. Conversely, you can select Never if you want to keep the content of your notifications always hidden from the lock screen.

12. Turn off (or on) HDR video for sharing videos

Phones in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups can record high dynamic range (HDR) video with Dolby Vision. That means your videos will be brighter with more accurate colors and improved contrast. Sounds awesome, right? It is. But there’s a problem — not every app or service will work with HDR video.

Developers will need to update their apps in order to accept HDR video, but even then, the person viewing the video will need a capable device to see the difference in quality. For Apple devices, those include the iPhone 8 or newer, the 2020 iPad Air, the second-generation iPad Pro and some Macs.

So, what can you do to share videos universally? Well, you have a few options:

You can turn off HDR video by going to Settings > Camera > Record video and turning the switch next to HDR Video to the Off position. Going forward, all videos will be captured in standard dynamic range, and you shouldn’t have any issues sharing or editing it.
Leave HDR Video turned on, but when you want to share the video, with Facebook for example, use the Photos app instead of going into the Facebook app and uploading it. When you use the Photos app, your iPhone will automatically convert the video to SDR and upload it. When you send the video to another iPhone user, Apple will detect if their iPhone, iPad or Mac is compatible with HDR Dolby Vision. If it’s not, Apple will convert the video automatically.
If you leave HDR Video on and need to edit your video, you can use Apple’s iMovie app or the Photos app that’s built into your iPhone. You can even use iMovie to export the video as SDR if needed.

13. Customize your home screen with fancy wallpaper

Another iPhone hack related to home screen you should implement involves your wallpaper or background. Apple has added some new wallpapers of its own, with a pretty cool twist.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone and select Wallpaper from the list. Make sure the switch labeled ”Dark Appearance Dims Wallpaper,” which you’ll see below the two thumbnail previews of your wallpaper, is turned on. Now, tap Choose a new wallpaper and select either Stills or Live. See the circle near the bottom of each wallpaper? It’s half black, half white.

That circle means that the wallpaper has both light and dark mode versions and will change automatically based on the system status of your phone.

You can also set live wallpapers as your background if you’re not sold on dark and light mode.

14. Turn on dark mode to save your battery

Speaking of dark mode, if you don’t want to have to repeatedly adjust your screen’s brightness, you can use your phone’s dedicated dark mode. Dark mode converts all of the white backgrounds in apps to, more often than not, a black background. In turn, your phone is able to save battery power thanks to the darker colors.

Turn on this cool iPhone hack by going to Settings > Display & Brightness and selecting the Dark option at the top of the screen.

Apple’s apps will automatically switch to a dark color scheme, and most third-party apps have also adopted the feature.

15. Manage your notifications with Focus Mode

We get a lot of notifications every day, but not all of them are relevant all the time. With iOS 15, Apple introduced a feature called Focus Mode. Think of it as a custom Do Not Disturb feature that’s tailored to specific circumstances.

Focus Mode blocks less relevant alerts, while allowing notifications from important people and apps to come through so that you don’t miss anything. You can set up different types of Focus Modes for specific circumstances.

Apple currently offers options for Do Not Disturb, personal, sleep, work, driving, fitness, gaming, mindfulness and reading, but you can also create your own custom mode. You can schedule Focus Modes so that they turn on automatically when needed, and display your status in apps so that others know you have notifications silenced.

To set up this neat iPhone hack, open the Settings menu, tap Focus and choose one of the available options to set up your notification preferences. Tap the plus ( ) symbol in the top right corner to add a new Focus.

16. Make your screen text bigger or smaller

With a couple of taps on your iPhone’s screen, you can adjust the font size to make it easier to read. Open Settings and go to Display & Brightness > Text Size where you can use the slider until you’re happy with the font size.

For a little added oomph, you can turn on Bold Text (it’s just below the Text Size button).

17. Add an alternate appearance to Face ID

Apple’s facial recognition feature — Face ID — constantly learns different aspects of your face with each scan. If you’re struggling to get Face ID to consistently recognize you, try this hidden iPhone hack.

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > enter your PIN > Set Up An Alternate Appearance and go through the process of enrolling your face again.

18. Disable auto brightness for longer battery charge

Your iPhone’s screen brightness level can have a big impact on battery life. By default, iOS will automatically adjust the display’s brightness based on how much light its ambient sensor detects. But if you want to take complete control, you can disable auto-brightness using this iPhone hack, meaning the brightness level will stay where you set it until you adjust it again.

Open Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and at the bottom of the page, you’ll find a switch to turn off Auto-Brightness.

Now, whenever you want to adjust your screen, you can do so by opening Control Center with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen on a device with a home button, or a swipe down from the top-right corner on newer iPhones.

19. Triage your privacy settings

The first time you set up an iPhone with all of your apps, you’re bombarded with prompts asking for permissions to access personal information ranging from tracking your location to your Apple Health information or your camera roll.

It’s far too easy to get in the habit of approving everything just so you can use the app, but take a few minutes and go through your privacy settings to tailor what each app can and can’t see. We walk you through the whole privacy process in two quick steps.

20. Go back to using old iPhone lock screen notifications

Apple’s latest redesign brings widgets, customizable fonts and colors, a wallpaper gallery and stylized date and time to the lock screen, as well as one overlooked change to notifications. Instead of appearing at the top of your lock screen, notifications now appear at the bottom, which you can then tap on to appear full screen.

However, not everyone may be happy with this change. If you want to go back to the way notifications appeared on iOS 15, simply use this iPhone hack. Launch the Settings application and go to Notifications > Display As. You’ll then see three options:

  • Count: Notifications appear as a numbered count at the bottom of the screen.
  • Stack: Notifications appear in a stack at the bottom of the screen.
  • List: Notifications appear fully across your screen.

To go back to the old notification style, choose the List option.

21. Use Control Center to access apps with a swipe or tap

The iPhone’s Control Center is a convenient spot to quickly change songs, turn on airplane mode, connect to Wi-Fi or start a timer, but there’s so much more to it than that. You can quickly turn your flashlight on, check on a timer or start recording your screen with a quick swipe and tap.

Customize which apps and features are available in Control Center by opening Settings > Control Center. Remove an option with a tap on the red minus button or add an option by selecting the green addition button. Drag features up or down using the three-line icon on the right side of the screen.

Personally, I like having quick access to the Wallet app and toggles for low-power mode and dark mode.

As a reminder, if you have an iPhone with a home button, like the iPhone SE, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center. If you have an iPhone with Face ID, you’ll need to swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen where the battery icon is.

22. Strip the new search button from your iPhone’s home screen

Your iPhone’s search feature lets you quickly find a text message, third-party app, file, note or location — pretty much anything on your device or on the web. As you know, to get the search bar, you just swipe down anywhere on the screen, and it appears.

With iOS 16, Apple adds another way to access Search from the home screen, via a small button right above your dock.

However, the new search button is easy to accidentally trigger, because it’s near where your thumb might go when you swipe between your various home pages.

But, like many new features on iOS 16, you can turn this setting off. Simply launch the Settings app, go to Home Screen and toggle off Show on Home Screen to remove the search button from your home screen.

The Search bubble should disappear, replaced by a few small dots representing your various home screens.

23. Organize alerts with Notification Summary

Apple wants to help you manage your notifications in iOS 15, starting with the Notification Summary feature. Rather than letting notifications pile up on your home screen, you can schedule alerts that aren’t urgent to arrive in a bundle at a specific time of day.

Important notifications like calls, direct messages and other time-sensitive alerts (like the status of your Uber or Lyft ride, for example) will still appear immediately.

To try this iPhone hack, open Settings, press Notifications and tap Scheduled Summary.

24. Keep from accidentally ending your own phone calls

The side/power button on the side of your iPhone allows you to quickly sleep and wake up your device, but if you accidentally hit it during a phone call, you’ll prematurely end your call. If that’s something you’ve encountered in the past, this iPhone hack will let you prevent that from happening.

Make sure you are running iOS 16. Then go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and toggle off Lock to End Call to prevent the side button from ending your calls. If you do hit the side button accidentally, your screen will go to sleep, but you’ll stay on your phone call, uninterrupted.

25. Change Siri’s voice

If you’ve recently set up a new iPhone, you may have noticed that Siri no longer defaults to a female voice. Instead, you’ll be asked which Siri voice you want to use, including several more recent options. Once you’ve made your selection, Apple will change Siri’s voice across all of the devices linked to your Apple ID.

You can check out the voice options by going to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice.

Tag: iPhone Tips
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How to turn on keyboard vibration on iPhone

by Kevin Hollington

One of the upgrades with iOS 16 that’s a bit under the radar is the ability to use haptic feedback with the native keyboard. Here’s how to turn on the iPhone haptic keyboard and why it’s preferable to third-party keyboards.

While we’ve seen third-party keyboards like Google’s Gboard offer haptic feedback for a while, many people prefer to stick with the native iOS keyboard. One of the big reasons is privacy as third-party keyboards often ask for access to track all of your keyboard input.

Fortunately, Apple has made it possible for users to enable vibrations on the native stock iOS keyboard for each tap, providing a physical confirmation for users as they type.

Apple says these vibrations help serve as a “confirmation” as a user types. However, haptic keyboard feedback is turned off by default. Therefore, one has to explicitly turn on haptic keyboard feedback in iOS 16

Here’s how to turn keyboard vibration on or off on iPhone running iOS 16.

How to turn on keyboard vibration on iPhone in iOS 16

To enable the haptic keyboard on an iPhone, make sure that Vibration mode is turned on. Go to Settings, tap Accessibility and then select Touch. Turn on the switch for Vibration if it’s not already on.

To test it out, open an app that triggers the keyboard, such as Notes, Reminder, Messages or Mail. Start tapping the keys on the keyboard to experience it with just the clicking sound turned on (Figure B).

You can also set up your iPhone to use the haptics keyboard in Ring mode versus Silent mode. To do this, go to Settings, and select Sounds & Haptics. Tap the setting for Keyboard Feedback. Turn on the switch for Haptic. Go back to the Sounds & Haptics screen, and make sure the switches are enabled for Play Haptics in Ring Mode and Play Haptics in Silent mode

Return to the keyboard-based app you were using and continue tapping keys. Experience how tapping feels using the haptic keyboard to see if you prefer it enabled or disabled. You can switch back and forth with it on and off to get a better sense of it (Figure D).

You can also try typing with the Sound turned off. Return to the Keyboard Feedback screen under Sounds & Haptics and turn off the switch for Sound. Try different combinations of Sound and Haptic enabled and disabled to judge which setting works best for you.

Apple cautions that turning on keyboard haptics might affect the battery life of your iPhone. Without more details, it’s difficult to know if this is much of an issue. But, you may want to keep haptics turned off for a typical day and then turned on for another typical day to gauge any potential impact to your phone’s battery life.

Tags: iOS 16, iPhone Guides
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iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max Buyer’s Guide

by Kevin Hollington

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are the newest iPhones on the block. These are the most notable differences to help you make the right buying decision.

Earlier this year, Apple unveiled the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max as the successors to the popular iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max, featuring an always-on display with the Dynamic Island, the A16 Bionic chip, significantly improved cameras, longer battery life, and more. As Apple’s premium flagship offerings, the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max are the most fully-featured iPhones available.

The ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ starts at $999 and the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max starts at $1,099. Although the two phones share the vast majority of features, there are a small number of differences between the devices besides just screen size. Our guide highlights the differences between the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max, and helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you.

Comparing the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max

The ‌‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max share virtually all of the same key features. Both phones have the same OLED Super Retina XDR always-on display with ProMotion and the ‌Dynamic Island‌, the A16 Bionic chip, 5G connectivity, a “Pro” camera setup, and are available in the same colors. More interesting is where the two devices differ:

Differences

iPhone 14 Pro

  • 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution
  • 23-hour battery life (during video playback)
  • 5.81-inch (147.5mm) height
  • 2.81-inch (71.5mm) width
  • 7.27-ounce (206 grams) weight
  • $999, $1,099, $1,299, or $1,499 for 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage

iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2778-by-1284-pixel resolution
  • 29-hour battery life (during video playback)
  • 6.33-inch (160.7mm) height
  • 3.05-inch (77.6mm) width
  • 8.47-ounce (240 grams) weight
  • $1,099, $1,199, $1,399, or $1,599 for 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage

Unlike some previous ‌iPhone‌ models offered in two sizes like the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, there are no additional camera improvements to be gained with the larger model this year, meaning that there is even less difference between the two flagship devices than usual.

Final Thoughts

The most important decision point between the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max comes down to screen size, but comfort, pocketability, weight, and battery life are also important considerations. The added $100 in price for the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max seems fair for the added display area and battery life, but it is important to weigh up these additional factors in your personal use case.

The ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max represents the most you can get out of an ‌iPhone‌ with the best possible battery life, but that does not necessarily translate into a worthwhile purchase for all users. A larger, heavier 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ is not for everyone. Some may find the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max’s size excessive or uncomfortably large to hold, while others will love the larger display for consuming media. Screen size is ultimately a matter of personal preference, and since the ‌‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and ‌‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max share almost all features except for battery capacity, it comes down to individual taste.

Tags: iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone Products
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Apple Watch Series 8 tips and tricks: 20 great features to try

by Dave Johnson

In this article, we’ve listed 20 best Apple Watch Series 8 tips and tricks you should definitely know about.

Best Apple Watch Series 8 Tips and Tricks

1. Get Email Notifications When Not Connected to iPhone

Apple Watch users have long been able to receive email notifications from third-party email accounts pushed from their paired ‌iPhone‌. But in ‌watchOS 9‌, you can also be alerted when an important message arrives when you’re wearing your Apple Watch, but away from your ‌iPhone‌.

The option uses iCloud servers to securely access the third-party account, and needs to be manually enabled. To set it up, launch the Watch app on your ‌iPhone‌, tap My Watch, tap Mail, then turn on Email Notifications under “When Not Connected to ‌iPhone‌.”

2. View Activity Rings During Workout

Previously if you were doing an Apple Watch workout and you wanted to see how it was impacting your activity rings, you had to exit out of the Workout app and switch to the Activity app.

Now you don’t have to, because with this Apple Watch Series 8 trick, you can get a glance of your activity rings right in the workout display simply by scrolling up with the Digital Crown.

3. Follow Podcasts

In ‌watchOS 9‌, Apple finally fixed its hobbled Podcasts app, and for the first time you can now follow and unfollow podcasts directly from your Apple Watch.

Tap Listen Now -> You Might Like, then tap a show and select Follow. You can also find the same options by searching for a show and tapping on it.

4. Add Calendar Events on Your Wrist

Thanks to this Apple Watch Series 8 trick, you aren’t just limited to viewing calendar events synced from your ‌iPhone‌ on your wrist – you can now add them too. Simply tap the ellipsis (three dots) button that appears in the corner of the screen when you stop scrolling, then tap New Event.

On the next screen you can add all the usual details including event title, location, start date and time, end date and time, and whether to make it a repeat event. Before you Add the event, you can also choose which calendar to add it to, add invitees, opt to receive alerts, and include any notes.

5. Astronomy Watch Face

Apple in ‌iOS 16‌ added new dynamic wallpaper options to its revamped ‌iPhone‌ Lock Screen settings, and the watch face that arguably mirrors these enhancements in ‌watchOS 9‌ is Astronomy.

Astronomy is actually a revamped version of the original Astronomy watch face, but it has been remastered and includes a new star map and current cloud data based on your location. You can set the Earth, Moon, or Solar System as the main view, and customize the font. It supports two complications, and turning the Digital Crown lets you fast forward or rewind to see the moon phase/planet location on another day.

6. Retrace Your Steps With Backtrack

You don’t need an Apple Watch Ultra to use the redesigned Compass app’s Backtrack feature. With an Apple Watch Series 8 ‌, you can use it to track your route and then help you retrace your steps in case you get lost.

Tap the footprints icon in the bottom-right of the screen, then tap Start to begin recording your route. When you’re ready to retrace your steps, tap the pause icon in the bottom-right of the screen, then tap Retrace Steps.

Your starting location will appear on the compass, and a bouncing white arrow will point you in the right direction. Follow the path back to return to where you first turned on Backtrack, then when you’ve arrived at your starting location, tap the footsteps icon and you’ll be able to delete your steps.

7. Change Watch Face Based on Focus

In ‌‌‌iOS 16‌‌‌, you can customize pretty much everything about your Focus. It’s not just the Home Screen and Lock Screen that you can set – with this Apple Watch Series 8 trick, you can select one of your Apple Watch faces to activate on your wrist for a specific Focus mode.

On your ‌iPhone‌, go to Settings -> Focus, select an existing Focus or create a new one. Set any notification silence options for people and apps when your Focus is active, then under “Customize Screens,” tap Edit under the watch face option. Choose a watch face from your Apple Watch face gallery, then tap Done.

That’s all there is to it. With your chosen Apple Watch face now linked to your Focus Mode, it will be activated automatically on your wrist the next time you enable the Focus on your ‌‌iPhone‌‌.

8. View Edited Messages

In ‌iOS 16‌, Apple added the ability to edit texts sent over iMessage, and with Apple Watch Series 8 ‌, you can view any edits to a received message that have been made.

Simply tap and hold the word Edited in blue below the message to reveal the edits. Tap Hide Edits to make them disappear again.

9. Edit Reminders

Previously, the Reminders app only let you view or add reminders. With this Apple Watch Series 8 trick, you can now Edit existing reminders and add key details, including date and time, location, tags, and notes. You can also move reminders between lists right on your wrist.

10. Change Calendar View

Not only can you now add calendar events in the Calendar app on Apple Watch, you can also switch to day, list, and week views.

Simply tap the ellipsis (three dots) button that appears in the corner of the screen when you stop scrolling, then under “View Options,” choose from Up Next, Day, and List. When you’ve made your choice, tap Done.

11. Add Favorites to the Dock

Accessed with a press of the Side button, the Dock was originally the place you went for quick access to your most recently used apps. With ‌this cool Apple Watch Series 8 tip‌, however, you can change it to list your favorite apps in order of preference.

Open the Watch app on your ‌iPhone‌, then tap Dock. Under “Dock Ordering,” select Favorites, then tap the Edit button to choose your favorite apps. You can have up to 10 docked apps on Apple Watch, and you can drag the three lines beside each app to re-order them.

12. Turn Off Cellular Data

For years now on ‌iPhone‌ you’ve been able to turn off cellular data without losing the ability to make and receive calls. Previously, the same option wasn’t offered on cellular Apple Watch models – whenever your cellular service was enabled, so was cellular data, eating your battery right up.

In ‌watchOS 9‌, Apple has helpfully added separate switches for your watch’s basic cellular/mobile service and mobile data, so now you can control them independently. You can find the settings in your watch’s Settings app, under Cellular/Mobile Data.

13. Kickboard Swim Detection and SWOLF Score

In good news for swimmers, Apple Watch Series 8‌ can now automatically detect when you’re using a kickboard during a pool swim workout.

The Workout app can even give you your SWOLF score, one of the key swim-specific metrics. SWOLF is calculated using a combination of your stroke count and your time spent in the water. The fewer strokes and the less time you take, the lower your SWOLF score, as a measure of your swimming efficiency.

14. Text Size Control

In another boon for accessibility, Apple has added a Text Size control to the Control Center in ‌watchOS 9‌, so now it’s even easier to ensure Apple Watch apps that support Dynamic Type adjust to your preferred reading size.

15. Dictation Auto-Punctuation

Dictation is a popular feature on Apple Watch for sending messages, since it converts your speech to text, which is so much quicker than typing on a tiny keyboard. This Apple Watch Series 8 trick lets you automatically insert punctuation into your sentences in real time, so you no longer have to say “comma” or “question mark” out loud.

The feature should be turned on by default, but if it isn’t, you can go to Settings -> General -> Dictation and turn on Auto Punctuation.

16. Apple Watch Mirroring

With ‌iOS 16‌ and ‌watchOS 9‌, Apple introduced a new Apple Watch Mirroring feature that lets you see and control your Apple Watch screen from your paired ‌iPhone‌. It’s designed to make the watch experience more accessible for people with physical and motor disabilities, but it can also be useful if, say, your Apple Watch screen is cracked or unresponsive.

To enable it, launch the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌, tap Accessibility, then under “Physical and Motor,” tap Apple Watch Mirroring, before toggling on the feature in the next screen.

A graphical representation of your Apple Watch will appear on your ‌‌iPhone‌‌’s screen, while a blue outline will appear around the face of your Apple Watch to indicate that mirroring is enabled. You’ll now be able to control your Apple Watch by tapping and swiping on the watch image that appears on your ‌‌iPhone‌‌. You can even tap the Side button and swipe the Digital Crown to mimic the same physical actions that you would perform on your watch.

17. Quick Actions

With this Apple Watch Series 8 trick, users with upper body limb differences can now do even more with a double-pinch gesture to respond to alerts on their Apple Watch, including answer or end a phone call, take a photo when the viewfinder and shutter button are showing in the Camera app, play or pause media in the Now Playing app, and start, pause, or resume a workout. You can also use quick actions to snooze an alarm or stop a timer.

To enable Quick Actions, Open the Watch app on your ‌iPhone‌, tap Accessibility, then under “Motor,” tap Quick Actions. Choose from one of the following options: On, When AssistiveTouch is Enabled, and Off. You can also choose their appearance to be Full or Minimal.

With Quick Actions on, when you see an alert on your Apple Watch, you’ll be prompted to perform a Quick Action. For example, when you’ve paused a workout, a prompt lets you know that you can double-pinch to resume it (tap index finger to thumb twice quickly).

18. Control Your iPhone With Apple Watch

In a sort of reverse take of Apple Watch Mirroring, you can also control your ‌iPhone‌ with your Apple Watch. On your watch, go to Settings -> Accessibility, then select Control Nearby Devices. Select your ‌iPhone‌ (or iPad) from the list.

Once connected, you’ll see a series of control buttons enabling you to perform a variety of actions on your ‌iPhone‌, including Go to Home Screen, Open App Switcher, Open Notification Center, Open Control Center, and Activate Siri. Tapping the More button will also give you media playback controls.

19. Find Your Car

The redesigned Compass app includes the ability to create Compass Waypoints and then find the distance and direction between them. The feature can also be used to find your parked car.

If your car has CarPlay or Bluetooth connectivity, you don’t actually have to do anything to set it up. Provided your ‌iPhone‌ is paired with your car in some capacity, your Apple Watch can recognize when you’ve parked and disconnected, and it will drop a waypoint where your car is located.

Launch the Compass app, then look for a blue waypoint on your compass dial. If you turn the Digital Crown, the dial will zoom in and out, giving you a better idea of how far away your car is. Tap the waypoint to get more information about it, then tap Select to see a pointer that will guide you to your car.

If you find yourself relying on this feature frequently, you can even add a Parked Car Waypoint complication to your Watch face that will lead you to your vehicle.

20. Add Favorite Timers

If you use certain timer durations frequently, why not favorite them? Thanks to this Apple Watch Series 8 trick‌, you can.

Simply open up the Timer app, swipe left on a recently used timer, then tap the star icon that appears. The favorited timer will now live at the top of your timer list, until such a time when you swipe left on it and tap the red X to remove it.

Your favorite Apple Watch Series 8 tips and tricks?

So these were some of the best Apple Watch Series 8 tips and tricks you would love to try today. My favorite Apple Watch Series 8 tips and tricks include the ability to get Email notifications when not connected to iPhone and the ability to follow podcasts. There’s surely plenty more hidden Apple Watch Series 8 tips and tricks to discover, so I’ll keep tapping, swiping and noting anything I find. Did we miss out on something important that needs to be added to the list? Which are your favorite Apple Watch Series 8 tips and tricks? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tags: Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Tips
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