If you’re receiving notifications of missed calls yet didn’t hear your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max ringing for incoming calls earlier, it’s likely due to misconfigured settings, software bugs, or hardware problems. When these issues persist, continuing to unknowingly miss important family and work calls is never good.

But don’t worry. We’ll walk you through the solutions so that you won’t miss a call this way again. Let’s look at what you can do when your iPhone can receive calls but doesn’t seem to ring at the time the call comes in.

1. Test Your iPhone’s Speakers

The first step is to test your iPhone’s speakers to rule out hardware issues. Open YouTube or any other music app and play something. Use the Volume Up button on the side of your device to increase the volume level.

Once you’re confident that the speaker is working, the likely reasons your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max doesn’t ring are bad settings or temporary software glitches.

2. Turn Off Silent Mode

If your iPhone 18 Pro Max is set to Silent mode, it won’t ring when you get a call. Press and hold the Action button to turn Silent mode on. Press and hold the Action button again to turn Silent mode off.

If your Action button isn’t set to Silent mode, go to the Settings app on your iPhone, tap Sounds & Haptics, then turn Silent mode on or off.

Check your Focus settings: Your calls may be silenced if you turned on a Focus Mode, like Do Not Disturb. You can check this by opening Control Center. You can also check this by going to Settings > Focus.

You can also choose to silence calls from unknown callers and send them directly to voicemail.

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
3. Choose one of the following:
   • Never: Call Screening is turned off and your iPhone will ring when you receive a call from an unsaved number.
   • Ask Reason for Calling: Calls from unknown numbers will be asked for more information before iPhone rings.
   • Silence: Calls from unsaved numbers will be silenced, sent to voicemail, and appear in the Recents list.

3. Disconnect Bluetooth Audio Devices

If you leave wireless audio devices like AirPods connected to your iPhone, your incoming call ringtone may play through these instead of the phone’s speakers. This mostly happens with third-party earbuds that don’t automatically sense when you’re wearing them.

You can disconnect all wireless devices by opening the Control Center and tapping the Bluetooth icon. Your Bluetooth accessories and devices disconnect from your iPhone until the next day.

To disconnect devices individually instead, head to Settings > Bluetooth. Tap the Info (i) button next to the device and tap Disconnect. Once your Bluetooth devices are disconnected, incoming calls should play via your iPhone’s speakers.

4. Turn the Ringtone Volume Up

If your ringtone volume is too low, you may not hear a call coming in if your iPhone is in your bag. So, it may appear that your iPhone didn’t ring at all. You can quickly fix this by increasing the ring volume. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings and tap Sounds & Haptics.
2. Drag the Ringtone slider to the right. The further right it is, the louder your ringtone will be.

   

On the same page, you might also want to toggle off Change with Buttons. Doing so will prevent you from accidentally lowering the ringtone volume when you’re changing the volume in gaming or video apps. When this option is disabled, the volume buttons only change the volume for media, not your ringtone.

5. Choose a Different or Louder Ringtone

Sometimes, you might miss phone calls because your ringtone isn’t loud or piercing enough. In this case, you should try out other ringtones and use the one that’s the easiest to hear.

Follow these steps to change your iPhone’s ringtone:

1. Open Settings and tap Sounds & Haptics.
2. Tap Ringtone.
3. From here, tap to hear the different tones. When you’ve found one that suits you, hit Back.

6. Check for Custom Contact Ringtones

The ringtone you set above applies to all contacts unless you’ve added a custom tone to someone. If you miss calls from only certain people, follow these steps to ensure their custom tone is clear:

1. Open the Phone app and go to the Contacts tab.
2. Select a contact, tap Edit, tap Ringtone, then choose a ringtone.

7. Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

Restarting your device is a simple and effective way to fix common issues without much trouble. If your phone doesn’t ring even after trying the above solutions, restart your iPhone by manually turning it off and back on. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

Fortunately, it’s easy to restart your iPhone, even if its buttons are broken.

8. Enable Cellular Data or Connect to a Wi-Fi Network

This particular solution applies if you’re receiving notifications of missed calls on apps like WhatsApp and Messenger, yet found that your iPhone did not ring at all when the caller was contacting you.

Such messenger apps require an active internet connection to work. Therefore, if your iPhone isn’t connected, the apps will only inform you that you have missed calls when your device has an internet connection later.

If you frequently use third-party apps for texts and calls, it’s best to enable mobile data or connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network throughout the day. In the Control Center, tap the Cellular Data toggle. It turns green when enabled. For a Wi-Fi connection, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and select an available network to connect.

9. Fix an iPhone Stuck in Headphone Mode

In rare situations, your iPhone may incorrectly think it is still connected to wired earphones, even though it isn’t. As a result, there may be no sound from the built-in speakers when you play media or receive phone calls.

To get out of this inconvenience, fix an iPhone stuck in headphone mode.

10. Try Turning Off Calls on Other Devices

If you own other Apple devices and have opted to receive iPhone calls on your Mac, consider turning this feature off to see if it fixes the ring issue for you. See How to Stop iPad Ringing When iPhone 18 Pro Max Rings. Here’s how:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone.
2. Tap Calls on Other Devices.
3. Toggle off Allow Calls on Other Devices.

11. Update Your iPhone and Reset All Settings

By this point, one or more of the above solutions should work if your iPhone 18 Pro Max has been receiving calls but not ringing. But in case you’re still having problems, make sure you update your iPhone.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if a new iOS version is available for your device. Additionally, update your iPhone apps like WhatsApp and Zoom to ensure app-specific bugs aren’t causing the issue.

Finally, if nothing else works, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. This won’t erase personal data like music, photos, and apps. However, all the settings you’ve changed, like Wi-Fi, your Home Screen layout, notifications, and more, will return to default.

It’s a bit of a hassle, but it confirms that no settings prevent your iPhone from ringing when you get a call or text.

Hopefully, Your iPhone Rings Perfectly Now!

The problem with your iPhone 18 Pro Max not ringing should be fixed by now, ensuring you don’t miss any future calls or texts. To check, ask a friend or family member to call you, or try calling yourself from a Google Voice number instead.

However, if the issue persists, it’s best to contact your mobile carrier or Apple Support for assistance.

The Lock Screen with its support for Depth Effect improves the appearance of your wallpaper.

However, you may wonder why Depth Effect does not work when selecting a wallpaper on your iPhone 18 Pro Max. This guide will show you how to fix Depth Effect on your iPhone’s Lock Screen if it isn’t working.

What Is Depth Effect on the Lock Screen?

To distinguish between the subject and the background, your iPhone employs AI-based image processing. As a result, the Lock Screen has a multi-layered effect.

The primary subject comes to the foreground, and the clock moves between the foreground and background, making the subject stand out. However, depending on the subject’s placement, a small portion of the Lock Screen clock is cut off.

For instance, if you choose a wallpaper with yourself in the foreground and a great background, the Lock Screen clock will be between you and the background.

Requirements for Lock Screen Depth Effect on iPhone

Before troubleshooting Depth Effect on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, ensure you’ve met the prerequisites. What you’ll need for Depth Effect to work on your iPhone is as follows:

• A suitable wallpaper with prominent foreground

Troubleshooting Tips to Fix Depth Effect Not Working on iOS Lock Screen

If you have met all the Depth Effect’s requirements and cannot get it to work, try these troubleshooting tips to ensure it works again.

1. Update Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

Since Depth Effect is a software feature, it can be buggy. Sometimes, Apple releases fix for these bugs with the latest iOS updates, which is one of the reasons why you need to update iOS on your iPhone.

So it’s best to check for updates and install them on your iPhone. Here’s how to check for the latest iOS version and install it on your iPhone:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Navigate to General > Software Update.
3. Tap Update Now if there is a new update available.

Wait for it to finish and select Install once it downloads the update. Your iPhone will restart and install the latest iOS update. Once restarted, check if Depth Effect is working or not.

If there’s no new update available on your iPhone, try the following fixes.

2. Enable Depth Effect on the Lock Screen

You might have disabled the Depth Effect option even if you have set the suitable wallpaper on your Lock Screen. Depth Effect won’t work if you have disabled the option. Here’s how to turn it on:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Wallpaper and tap Customize under the Lock Screen wallpaper.

   

3. Hit the three-dot menu on the bottom right and select Depth Effect from the context menu.
4. Tap Done once enabled.

Depth Effect should work on your iPhone’s Lock Screen wallpaper if you have had it disabled before.

3. Remove Lock Screen Widgets

If you place any widgets on your Lock Screen, Depth Effect will not work. You’ll have to remove the widgets from the Lock Screen and here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Wallpaper and select Customize under the Lock Screen.
3. Tap on any widget and then the minus (-) icon to remove a widget on the Lock Screen.
4. Hit Done once you’ve removed all the Lock Screen widgets.

Removing the Lock Screen widgets should automatically enable the Depth Effect feature. If not, allow the Depth Effect option from the Lock Screen.

4. Try a Different Lock Screen Wallpaper

You’ll need a wallpaper with a subject that can reach the clock on the Lock Screen. Also, the wallpaper should have an acceptable resolution for the Depth Effect feature to work.

Some wallpapers, even with a prominent and clear foreground subject, might not work with Depth Effect. In such cases, it’s best to switch to a different wallpaper.

However, if you want to stick with your current wallpaper, you must make some changes. You can use online tools to blur parts of the image, especially the background, to make the foreground more eminent.

Try setting the edited wallpaper, and Depth Effect should start working now. If not, you should switch to a different wallpaper.

Alternatively, you can search Google for some amazing Depth Effect wallpapers. However, check the r/deptheffectwallpaper Reddit community for some sure-shot wallpapers that work with Depth Effect.

5. Check the Wallpaper’s File Format

For some reason, the Depth Effect feature in iOS doesn’t work well with PNG formats. It currently supports only the JPEG and HEIC formats without any issues. If you don’t know how to check your wallpaper’s file format, follow these instructions:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Select the photo whose file format you want to check.

   

3. Tap the Info (i) button at the bottom or swipe up on the image.

You’ll find the file format right next to the metadata of the image under the Adjust option. If you see PNG as the file format, converting the PNG image to JPG on your iPhone would be ideal.

6. Reposition the Wallpaper Subject

The wallpaper should automatically switch to Depth Effect once you pick a suitable wallpaper. However, it doesn’t always work like that. iOS might fail to separate foreground from background, given that it’s an AI algorithm.

Sometimes, you’ll need to reposition the wallpaper carefully for Depth Effect to work. Here’s how you can move your current Lock Screen wallpaper:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Navigate to Wallpaper and then Customize under the Lock Screen wallpaper.
3. Drag the wallpaper with two fingers slowly until it’s right below the Lock Screen clock.

   

As a result, Depth Effect should start working itself. If not, you’ll have to look for a better wallpaper for Depth Effect.

7. Restart Your iPhone

Restarting or rebooting is the best way to fix a software bug on any device. As a last resort, you should restart your iPhone 18 Pro Max to see if it fixes the issue. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Fortunately, there are ways to restart your iPhone, even if the buttons aren’t working.

After restarting your iPhone, Depth Effect should be working perfectly. If it isn’t working still, trying different wallpapers is your best choice.

Use Depth Effect on Your iPhone 18 Pro Max Without Problems

We hope you finally got Depth Effect to work with your iPhone wallpaper. It’s an excellent way to redefine your Lock Screen, making it unique to iPhones. Furthermore, Depth Effect works with multiple image formats and filters.

However, it’s not perfect and might possess issues like these for some time. So, you must ensure that you have chosen a suitable wallpaper for Depth Effect.

iPhones are extremely reliable devices, but even the best can experience trouble from time to time. One of the most feared problems is the so-called ‘White Screen of Death’, which keeps your iPhone 18 Pro Max stuck in a frozen state with only white light showing on the screen.

Thankfully, this isn’t as permanent as it may first appear and can often be fixed through a variety of easy methods. We explain how to fix the White Screen of Death without the need for special tools or technical knowledge.

What causes the White Screen of Death?

There are two main culprits when it comes to this particular ailment: software or hardware. Now, we know that practically all problems fall into one of those camps, but the White Screen of Death is known to be caused by either, which can make diagnoses a little more problematic.

On the software side of things, users often experience the WSoD (we’ll just keep it short from now on) if they’ve tried to install an update, or attempted to jailbreak their phone.

A failed installation, due to a corrupt file or something going wrong during the process, can easily result in the condition, but this is actually the best-case scenario, as it’s not too difficult to fix yourself.

The other suspect is a hardware problem, one that is normally experienced after the phone has sustained impact damage from being dropped. If the internal components have been damaged or any of the connecting cables have disconnected then you might want to visit the Apple Store to have it repaired professionally.

Restarting your iPhone

The first thing to try is simply restarting your device. As the device isn’t responsive, you won’t be able to use the usual combination of buttons to turn it off, because this also requires swiping the Power Off slider on the screen. So instead you’ll need to do something Apple calls a Force Restart. This won’t wipe any data or anything like that, but it should allow you to quickly power down the iPhone.

How to force-restart iPhone 18 Pro Max

Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Press and hold the side button. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button.

Using Recovery mode with your Mac or PC

If restarting your iPhone doesn’t solve the problem, you can always try plugging it into your Mac or PC to use Recovery mode and reinstall iOS.

Using Recovery mode on macOS

In older versions of macOS, you would have used iTunes to recover your iPhone. But, since Apple ditched the ageing software in Catalina, you’ll need to use Finder instead for newer iterations of the Mac operating system.

To do this, plug your iPhone into the Mac, open Finder and select the iPhone from the sidebar.

As when restarting the device, as outlined above, you’ll need to press and release the Volume Up button, then the Volume Down button, followed immediately by pressing and holding down the Side button. Keep holding the Side button until you see the recovery mode screen.

Go back to your Mac and you should see new options have appeared: Update or Restore. Click Update and your Mac will now try to reinstall iOS on the iPhone, leaving the user data and files in place.

Using Recovery mode with iTunes

If you have a Windows PC or Mac running macOS Mojave or earlier then you’ll be able to use iTunes to put your iPhone in Recovery mode.

Connect the iPhone to your computer with a cable, then launch iTunes. You should see your device appear at the top of the screen with a little icon. Click that to open up the iPhone page.

Next, you’ll need to use some button combinations on your iPhone to enter Recovery mode. These are the same as those outlined in the previous section, so follow the steps to get your iPhone back up and running.

Using DFU mode

Should neither of the above options give you any joy then you can try entering the Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode. This differs from Recovery mode in that it doesn’t allow the iPhone to start its boot loader or iOS, but is still able to communicate with iTunes or Finder.

Using this technique you can restore the iPhone to its original settings, then use your iCloud or iTunes backups to reload your data.

Entering DFU mode is something of a challenge, and there’s a good chance you might get it wrong due to the arcane combination of buttons presses and times required to enter the mode. We’re not sure why Apple makes it so tricky, but give it a few goes and eventually you should be able to repair iOS.

First off, connect your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to your PC/Mac using its USB-C cable, then launch iTunes or Finder and click on the iPhone icon. Now, press the Volume Up button briefly, do the same with the Volume Down button, then press and hold the side button on the right side of the iPhone until the screen goes black.

Keep the side button pressed down, but now press and hold the Volume Down button again. Count to five then release the side button, but keep the Volume Down button depressed for a further ten seconds or so. The screen should be black, so if you see the Apple logo appear at any time it means you’ve accidentally gone into Recovery mode.

On your PC/Mac you should see a message from iTunes or Finder saying that it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode, and giving you the option to Restore iPhone. Click this and hopefully you’ll have a fully working system when the process completes.

To exit DFU, just use the button combination for your device which would normally put it in recovery mode.

Time to take a trip to the Apple Store

If, after all these routes, you still can’t get the iPhone working again then it looks like you have a hardware issue. We’d recommend booking an appointment at the Genius bar, at least to work out what’s wrong.

Hopefully it won’t be fatal, but if you find it is you can at least peruse the latest handsets available while you’re there.

While it’s great to have every album you own always in your pocket, putting all your music on an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max can present storage issues, leaving you with no space for videos, photos, and games. Thankfully there are solutions to this issue.

In this article, we show how to delete the music on your iPhone and explain how you can still access the tracks without storing them on your device.

Delete one album or song at a time

Open the Music app. From the Library tab, select Albums or Songs, and find the track or album you wish to delete. Long-press an album or tap the small three-dot menu and you’ll be presented with a list of options, one of which is a red trash icon labeled Delete from Library. Tap this and you’ll be asked to confirm the deletion.

Go to the Music app on your iPhone, touch and hold an item that you downloaded, then tap Remove Download. The item is removed from iPhone, but not from your music library on your other devices.

Note that if you’ve purchased the music and don’t have it backed up in the cloud, you might lose the album. If you previously bought the music from iTunes or subscribe to Apple Music, you will be able to download it again for free.

Delete music all at once

If you’ve got a lot of albums stored on your iPhone 18 Pro Max, or just want to wipe the slate clean and start again, then there’s a quick way to delete everything in one go. To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Music > Downloaded Music, tap Edit, then tap the Delete button next to All Songs or the artists whose music you want to delete.

How to keep accessing the music you deleted

Any music you buy from the iTunes Store is always available to download again if you delete it, and Apple’s iTunes Match means that you can have access to your entire catalog. There’s also Apple Music, which offers a huge collection of music and videos ready to stream at any time.

The great thing about iTunes Match and Apple Music is you can download any track from your collection and listen to it whenever you want (as long as you have a data connection). It’s also good because you can delete any tracks on your phone if you need to and be confident that they will still be there in the cloud the next time you want to play them.

Summary

• Check your internet connection: A stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection is crucial for the ChatGPT app to work. Verify your connection and try reconnecting if necessary.
• Enable necessary permissions: Make sure all permissions like microphone access and mobile data are enabled for optimum performance of the app.
• Free up storage space: Maxed out iPhone 18 Pro Max storage can slow down apps, including ChatGPT. Delete unnecessary apps and clear cache to restore functionality.

With over thousands of downloads and stellar ratings, the ChatGPT app for iOS is becoming increasingly popular. Tons of users have become reliant on the app due to its fantastic features, which is why encountering any issues with the app on your iPhone 18 Pro Max can be extremely frustrating.

However, we’ve compiled a list of effective troubleshooting solutions to restore your app’s functionality in case of a problem. You can easily try them all out and have your ChatGPT app back up on its feet in no time.

1. Verify Your iPhone’s Internet Connection

It is essential for your iPhone 18 Pro Max to have a stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection for the ChatGPT app to work. If you do not have one, your prompts will not be received or replied to.

If you’re unsure whether your internet connection is causing problems, open the app and check. A banner saying “There is a problem with your internet connection” will appear on the top of your screen. You can also try running some other internet-based apps or some links in Safari.

If you do have a strong internet connection, but it doesn’t seem to be working on your device, you can try reconnecting to the network by entering the Wi-Fi password again or disabling and re-enabling cellular data from the Control Center.

2. Ensure All Permissions Are Enabled

The ChatGPT app requires your permission to run certain features on your iPhone for optimum performance. For example, if the voice input feature isn’t working, it may be because you haven’t allowed microphone access for the app. To make sure all permissions are enabled, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then find ChatGPT in the list of apps and tap to open.
3. Turn on the toggle for Microphone and Cellular Data, and all the toggles under Siri.

If you don’t see the option for Cellular Data here, you can go to Settings, tap Cellular and then turn on the toggle for ChatGPT.

3. Ensure Sufficient iPhone Storage Space

When your iPhone’s storage is maxed out, your iPhone tends to lag and slow down. This interferes with apps and features on your device, including the ChatGPT app. To restore optimal functionality, take some time to declutter your digital space.

Delete unnecessary apps, clear your cache, or offload some photos to iCloud. Everything on your iPhone that is not useful and can be cast aside, it will be best to do so. You can get started by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.

4. Disconnect VPN

VPNs are great tools for online privacy, but they can potentially interfere with connections to the server. Many apps have a hard time maintaining a stable connection or syncing data with VPNs, especially if the service is having a slow day, and ChatGPT can be one of them.

Users have reported that a VPN connection stopped their app from working, and disconnecting immediately caused the problem to cease. You can always turn your VPN connection back on after you’re done using the app, as disconnecting and connecting is as easy as a single tap from the Settings menu or third-party VPN app.

5. Update the ChatGPT App

As is the case with every device, app, and item, an update can do wonders to fix inexplicable issues. They’re usually released to implement bug fixes and resolve issues, so you’re likely to find a fix there. To check if an update is available, follow these steps:

1. Open the App Store.
2. Search for ChatGPT and open the app description.
3. The blue button will say UPDATE if one is available and OPEN otherwise.

You can also check for an update by tapping your profile icon (at the top-right corner) on the App Store.

6. Uninstall and Reinstall the ChatGPT App

If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting solutions above and still can’t pinpoint the exact problem or work out an effective solution, your best bet is to move ahead with a fresh start. Delete your ChatGPT app from your iPhone, open the App Store, and try downloading it again.

To delete an app from your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Long-press on the app.
2. Tap Remove App, then tap Delete App.
3. Confirm by pressing Delete again.

Download the app again by pressing the blue cloud icon next to the app’s name in the App Store, and you’ll be good to go.

7. Update Your iPhone

New updates bring fixes to bugs and glitches, and those fixes might be exactly what you need to get your app back up on its feet. Here are the steps to update your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to the latest iOS version available:

1. Open Settings and go to General.
2. Select Software Update.
3. If an update is available, you’ll see an Update Now option and a brief overview of what the update offers.

8. Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

No list of troubleshooting fixes is complete without the mention of the tried and tested restart technique. Restarting your iPhone is equivalent to taking a power nap for a quick boost. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

9. Reach Out to ChatGPT Support

If you can’t figure out the problem yourself, leave it to the professionals to do it for you. They know all the inner workings of the app, and they’ll figure out what’s wrong.

To contact ChatGPT support, go to help.openai.com and tap the chat bubble icon at the bottom-right to start a chat with OpenAI Support.

Resolving Your ChatGPT Issues

From a quick internet check to restarting your device, we’ve provided a brisk overview of all the troubleshooting methods you can adopt to fix any problem you encounter with the ChatGPT app on your iPhone 18 Pro Max. Keep this guide handy, and you should hopefully have no hiccups with your AI chatbot experience.

Don’t give up on the ChatGPT app when you’re facing minor issues, though, because it’s better than the website in many ways.

If you’re an avid iPhone 18 Pro Max user, you might think you already know everything about your device’s Camera Roll. After all, it’s just a scrollable list of your photos, right?

Wrong!

There’s a lot more to it than that. Keep reading as we investigate some of the roll’s lesser-known tricks and even find answers to common issues and questions.

1. Why Photos Disappear From Camera Roll

A lot of people complain about all their photos suddenly disappearing from the Camera Roll. Often, it’s caused by a misconfigured iCloud account.

Two common account issues might cause your photos to vanish unexpectedly:

• You have logged into a different iCloud account.
• You have disabled iCloud Photo Sync.

To check you have signed into the correct iCloud account, go to Settings > [Name] and verify the email address you see listed is the one connected to the iCloud account you want to use. If it’s not, scroll down to Sign Out and enter your correct credentials.

To re-enable iCloud Photo Sync, go to Settings > [Name] > iCloud > Photos and turn on Sync this iPhone.

2. How to Recover Deleted Videos From Camera Roll

Either you—or someone using your phone—could have accidentally deleted some photos or videos. It’s another cause of photos mysteriously “disappearing” from the app.

Thankfully, it’s straightforward to recover deleted photos and videos on your iPhone 18 Pro Max. They sit in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days after deletion.

You can check the contents of this folder by going to Photos > Collections > Recently Deleted, then tap View Album and unlock your iPhone. To restore a photo, tap Select, choose the photo, tap the More button, then tap Recover.

3. How to Hide Photos in Camera Roll

Did you know you can hide photos from the Camera Roll? Doing so has privacy benefits, but also lets you turn the Camera Roll into a curated list of high-quality images and videos that you can show to other people.

The process for hiding photos and video is simple:

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Locate the photo(s) that you want to hide.
3. Open the photo.

   

4. Tap the More button, then tap Hide.
5. Agree to the on-screen confirmation.

If you change your mind and want to unhide a picture, follow these instructions:

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap Collections, tap the Hidden collection (below Utilities), tap View Album, then unlock your iPhone.
3. Find the photo you want to unhide.
4. Tap the More button, then tap Unhide.

4. How to Send From Camera Roll to Snapchat

Natively, it’s not possible to share a file from your Camera Roll into a Snapchat Story. You can send it in a chat by locating the photo or video in the Photos app and going to Share > Snapchat. However, as dedicated Snapchat users will know, this method will not influence your score or Snapstreak.

5. How to Back Up the iPhone 18 Pro Max Camera Roll

Because Apple is incredibly stingy with the amount of free iCloud storage it gives you, many people don’t realize their photos are not getting backed up.

The simplest solution is to install a third-party app from a less miserly provider, even if you only use it for the backup features. Google Photos is a great option.

Alternatively, you can back up photos with the Files app or manually back up your images to a computer using the Photos app. Connect your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to your machine, open the Photos app on your computer, and choose your preferred destination.

6. How to Download Google Drive Videos to Camera Roll

In late 2014, Google updated its Drive app for iOS. As part of the update, the company added a feature which allows you to save photos and videos from your account directly into your Camera Roll.

Follow these instructions to get started:

1. Install Google Drive and sign in.
2. Open the app and find the photo or video you want to add to the Camera Roll.
3. Tap on the three vertical dots next to the file.
4. Select Send a Copy.
5. Choose Save Image.

Your photo/video will now be visible in the Camera Roll.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max Camera Roll Explained

We were telling the truth when we said there’s far more to the Camera Roll than meets the eye.

Various factors can prevent you from establishing a connection to the VPN server on your iPhone 18 Pro Max, ranging from unstable internet connection to technical difficulties with the VPN provider. Fortunately, you can try the troubleshooting steps below to get it resolved quickly.

1. Perform Some Preliminary Checks

To begin troubleshooting, perform the following preliminary checks, which may resolve the problem right away:

• Force quit your VPN app, then reopen it.
• Restart your iPhone 18 Pro Max to rule out temporary software issues.
• Ensure that your iPhone is connected to the internet.
• Run a ping test to check the stability of your network connection. If the ping rate is too high or you get errors during the test, your internet likely isn’t stable.
• Keep only one VPN app open at a time. Also, close any other apps that could interfere with the VPN connection.
• Verify that the VPN app is updated to the latest version.

If the preliminary checks don’t help, proceed to the remaining fixes.

2. Connect to an Alternate Server

Occasionally, your VPN provider may face technical difficulties with servers in a particular region. Therefore, if you fail to connect to the servers of your VPN provider based in a specific country, try connecting to a different server available.

Most VPN providers allow connecting to numerous servers across the globe, even if you’re on the free plan. If your app does not offer that or you fail to connect to all servers, try an alternative.

3. Try Other VPN Apps

If you’re unable to connect to all the available servers across different countries, there could be a backend or technical issue with your VPN provider. The easiest way to rule out backend issues is to try a different VPN app, preferably one that is more reliable, and connect to one of its servers.

If the connection is successful, then your primary VPN provider may be the culprit. While you wait for your VPN provider to resolve the issue, you can continue using the other app.

However, if you can’t connect to a VPN from the other app as well, there may be an issue with the VPN configuration or your iPhone’s settings. So, apply the remaining fixes.

4. Delete the VPN Profile

A VPN profile enables a device to connect to a private network securely. When you connect to a new VPN for the first time, the app asks for permission to create a new VPN profile. When you grant permission, the app creates a profile, which allows the VPN to monitor or filter your iPhone’s network activity.

The corruption of VPN profiles can also hinder your connection. Therefore, you should delete the existing profile and add it again to rule out this possibility. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings app.
2. Navigate to General > VPN & Device Management.
3. Tap on VPN.
4. Locate the VPN profile associated with your primary VPN, which isn’t connecting.
5. Tap the More Info button next to the relevant VPN profile.
6. Tap Delete VPN and then tap Delete in the confirmation popup.
7. When you reopen the VPN app, it will ask for permission to recreate the VPN profile. Grant access and see if it fixes the problem.

If deleting and re-creating your primary VPN profile doesn’t resolve the issue, delete all other VPN profiles you see in the VPN settings menu other than the one you just created. This may resolve the problem.

5. Change the VPN Protocol

A VPN protocol consists of rules that determine the encryption used for data and the way information travels between your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max and a VPN server. Almost all VPN providers offer multiple VPN protocols and are configured to automatically connect to the most appropriate one based on the use case.

The default auto mode is generally the best, but it sometimes malfunctions and causes connection problems. If you’ve also been using the default auto settings, manually switch between available protocols. Depending on your VPN provider, you may need to dig into the app’s settings to change the protocol.

If manually changing the protocol doesn’t resolve the issue, revert the change and switch to auto again.

6. Reset Your iPhone’s Network Settings

If none of the above fixes have helped resolve the issue, reset your iPhone’s network settings. Resetting your network settings deletes network caches and old data records saved on your device, resolving all network issues. Thus, resetting the settings may also fix the VPN connection problem at hand.

To do this, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Once you confirm the process with your device passcode, reconnect to the VPN again to see if you can connect successfully this time.

When you reset network settings, previously used networks and VPN settings that weren’t installed by a configuration profile or mobile device management (MDM) are removed. So, use this solution as a last resort.

7. Ensure Your ISP Isn’t Blocking Your Connection

Although it rarely happens, restrictions imposed by your ISP can also prevent your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max from connecting to the VPN. If resetting the network settings does not work, you need to rule out this possibility. To do that, connect to your cellular network or a different Wi-Fi network to see if changing the internet provider fixes the issue.

If you find that your ISP is the culprit, you may need to try a different VPN app to see if that’s blocked as well. You can also contact your ISP directly to have them look into the issue or switch to a different network provider that doesn’t block VPNs altogether.

Get Your VPN Up and Running Again

Having trouble connecting to a VPN can be frustrating. Hopefully, you now understand why your iPhone 18 Pro Max fails to connect to a remote VPN server and how you can fix it using the troubleshooting steps above. If none of the fixes listed worked in your favor, reinstall the VPN app or contact your VPN provider’s customer support.

Apple’s annual iOS update can bring fantastic new features on your iPhone, but if you would rather wait a few weeks to give Apple a chance to fix the inevitable bugs and issues, you might not be happy to find your iPhone 18 Pro Max has downloaded the update without asking.

iPhones are set to automatically download the latest version of iOS, and install it once you plug in your iPhone and join a Wi-Fi network. This can be a useful feature from a safety standpoint: by making it easy to update their iPhones Apple is able to ensure that users have the most up-to-date software, including security patches to protect from malware and hacks.

Shortly after Apple issues an iOS update, iPhones will automatically download the installer from Apple’s servers. Users will then see a pop-up alert on their iPhone telling them that software is available to be installed. While Apple isn’t installing the iOS update on your iPhone without gaining permission, some people would rather that Apple didn’t download the installer onto their iPhone in the first place—especially if they don’t want to update to the next version of iOS.

Nor are people necessarily happy to have the installers for a software update taking up valuable space on their device. And few things are as annoying as having your iPhone constantly displaying “Install Now” and “Remind Me Later” messages as it nags you to install an iOS update that you don’t want.

You can take back control of your updates by simply turning off “Automatic Updates” and never have your iPhone 18 Pro Max download an iOS update again unless you tell it to.

How to turn off Automatic Updates

Automatic Updates are enabled by default, but you can turn them off.

This won’t help if your iPhone has already downloaded the current update, but it will stop you from getting these messages in future. So the first thing you should do is dive into settings and turn Automatic Updates off:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General, tap Software Update, then tap Automatic Updates.
3. Turn off Automatically Install, then turn off Automatically Download.

This will prevent iOS from downloading iOS updates in future.

As an alternative you could turn on Automatically Download, which downloads an update automatically when your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi, charging, and locked so you can install the update later. However, you will see those annoying nagging notifications that you need to update your iPhone.

How to delete the downloaded update you don’t want to install

If your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max has already downloaded an update you don’t want to install read on to find out how to delete that.

Once you remove the installer your iPhone will stop reminding you to update the iPhone.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap iPhone Storage.
4. Scroll down to see a list of apps and the amount of storage they each take up. Look for latest iOS update or tap the magnifying glass icon in the top right and search for “iOS”.
5. Tap the update to see more details, and then select Delete Update.
6. Tap Delete Update again to confirm.

Turning off Automatic Updates and deleting the latest update from your storage will prevent you from getting the alert windows in the future. If the ‘Install Now/Remind Later’ alert re-appears, check in your iPhone Storage and delete the update again. You’ll still get alerts from the App Store when Apple releases a new version. But these only come along every few months; not daily.

How to block Apple updates from your Wi-Fi router

A nuclear option for those who never want to see another update again is to block the Apple Software Update Domains on your router.

The process varies depending on the router. Typically you’ll have to open your router’s web-based interface, find a service called “Domain Blocking” or “Domain Block” and enter the following domains:

appldnld.apple.com
mesu.apple.com

You’ll no longer be able to download updates. Note that this prevents software update from working completely. When you click Software Update on your iPhone, you’ll see “Unable to Check For Update.”

It’s a slightly extreme way to prevent software updates, but some users may be determined to keep the latest version. We think it’s wiser to tap Update Later and accept the update to the latest version of the software.

You may have faced an issue on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max where whenever you receive a message, the Messages app shows it as coming from a phone number instead of the saved contact name.

This can be quite annoying, as you can’t see who has actually tried messaging you, even if you’ve got their number saved on your phone.

Fortunately, this is a common issue and can be easily fixed! We’ll show you what to do below.

Why Does Your Contact Name Disappear?

When you initially see the Messages app on your iPhone 18 Pro Max showing a phone number instead of a contact name, you may think someone random has messaged you.

This may look even weirder when you have a conversation pinned to the top of your Messages screen for easier access, and that’s the one showing a phone number.

However, this is usually a temporary issue and should fix itself. If this isn’t the case, you can try a few quick fixes to get things back to normal quickly.

Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

A quick fix to getting your contact names back instead of phone numbers is to restart your iPhone. As with many other issues, a quick reboot usually does the trick, and you should be able to see your contact names instead of phone numbers in Messages. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

In the case that this doesn’t work and you are still facing the same issue, follow the fixes below.

Add or Remove the Country Code

Sometimes the issue may be caused by Messages not associating phone numbers without a country code with their entries in your contact list. For example, the international dialing code for the UK is +44. If Messages thought that +447981234532 was different from 07981234532, it would show the chat under a phone number.

The solution to this is simple. Just add the country code to the phone numbers that are showing this behavior:

1. Open up Contacts on your iPhone, and select the person who’s showing up incorrectly in Messages.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Add the country code to the start of their phone number, using either the full format (0044) or the short format (+44). Make sure you get the right country code for their device, which should be what shows up in the Messages app.
4. Tap Done.

You’ll have to do this directly from the Contacts app because Messages doesn’t recognize the phone number as a contact and hence won’t make the change.

Alternatively, if you choose to add a new contact from the phone number, you can add it to an existing contact. But then you’ll have two numbers saved for that person.

Once you fix a phone number, you’ll see Messages will automatically merge the conversations split across different chats.

Toggle iCloud Contacts

Some people have reported iCloud contacts being the reason behind this issue. If you are syncing your contacts with your iCloud account, it might be worth re-syncing them, which might fix the issue.

To do this, follow these steps on your iPhone:

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Tap on [Your Name] > iCloud.

   

3. Tap See All next to Saved to iCloud.
4. From the list, turn off Contacts.
5. When prompted what to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your device, choose Delete from My iPhone. Don’t worry because they’ll still be saved in iCloud.
6. Wait for a few seconds and then turn Contacts back on. When you are asked, select Merge. This will merge all your contacts with your phone’s contacts.
7. Now, restart your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, and this should fix the issue.

Fix Messages Showing Phone Numbers Instead of Contact Names

Hopefully, these three fixes should fix the issue of the Messages app showing phone numbers instead of contact names, and you’ll be able to resume your normal conversation with your friends and loved ones. If none of these tips work, you may want to contact Apple support to help you get it fixed.

Every time you want to contact someone in your contact list, a simple search should show their number. However, there are instances when some or all of your contact names don’t show up on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max.

If contacts aren’t showing up on your iPhone, you can use this guide as a fix. But before we dive into the different options, remember that various problems can make your iPhone contacts disappear.

And therefore, there are various solutions that you can use to fix it. So, try each of these methods and see which one helps to restore contacts on your iPhone.

1. Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

One of the first steps you should try is restarting your iPhone. Sometimes when mobile devices run for a while, they may run into issues. Restarting your iPhone will help give it a fresh start and thus may help fix minor issues you’re facing, including contacts not showing up, sluggish performance, app crashes, and so on.

Restarting can fix most smartphone problems, and that’s why the first question a tech support agent asks is, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Once your iPhone is back up and running, confirm if your contacts have been restored. If not, move on to step number two.

2. Resync Your Contacts With iCloud

You could also fix this issue by resyncing your Contacts app with iCloud. We’ll do this by disabling iCloud access to Contacts and then re-enabling it again. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings and tap on your name.

   

2. Next, select iCloud > See All.

   

3. Toggle off Contacts.
4. Select Keep on My iPhone to save copies of synced contacts to your iPhone. You can also select Delete from My iPhone if you want. Don’t worry; this option doesn’t make your contacts disappear.
5. Re-enable Contacts again. And if your iPhone asks to merge existing contacts, select Merge.

After that, give your device a few minutes, then check to see if your contacts have been restored. If you’re still facing problems, read on for more solutions.

3. Show All Contacts in Your Phone App

Your iPhone 18 Pro Max contacts might not show up because you have hidden some of them. You may not know this, but your iPhone usually places your contacts in groups based on your connected accounts. To see all your contacts, no matter their group, you need to ensure all groups are visible.

So, follow these steps to show hidden contact groups:

1. Open the Phone app and tap the Contacts tab.
2. Tap Lists in the top left.
3. On the Lists page, tap All Contacts at the top to view all your saved contacts.

If some contacts from a particular account weren’t showing up on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, this should fix the issue. However, read on if you still don’t see all your contacts.

4. Add All Your Accounts to Your iPhone

If you have several accounts that you use, chances are contacts might be saved across them. To fix this, you need to add all your accounts to your iPhone to ensure you have access to all your contacts. So, follow these steps to add an account to your iPhone:

1. Open Settings, then tap Apps and select Contacts.
2. Now, tap Contacts Accounts. You’ll see all accounts that are currently added to your iPhone.
3. Tap Add Account, select the type of account, and log in using your credentials.
4. After successful login, the account will appear under Settings > Apps > Contacts > Contacts Accounts.

If you don’t see any contacts from the newly added account, follow the steps in the next tip to ensure contact visibility.

5. Modify Your Contact Account Settings

Your Contacts Accounts settings also affect the visibility of your contacts. You need to ensure that all your connected accounts have Contacts sync enabled. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Launch Settings > Apps > Contacts.
2. Under Contacts, select Contacts Accounts. You will see all your connected accounts listed here.
3. Tap each account and ensure Contacts is toggled on.

If contacts from one of your connected accounts weren’t showing up on your iPhone 18 Pro Max, this should help fix the issue.

Additionally, you can try disabling and enabling Short Name on your iPhone. While this feature is handy to ensure more names fit on the screen, it can sometimes be problematic. To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Contacts > Short Name. Disable Short Name, then wait for some time and turn it on.

6. Rebuild Your iPhone Contacts

Another way to troubleshoot iPhone contacts not showing up is by force rebuilding them. To do this, you’ll have to edit one of your contacts first, then restart your iPhone. Here’s how:

1. First, select any visible contact from the Phone app and select Edit in the top right.
2. Add some new details—they don’t have to be accurate. You can add a fake email, address, note, or anything.
3. Once done, tap Done in the top right and then restart your iPhone.

When your iPhone powers on, it will have to rebuild all the contact names and details. Once your iPhone restores all the contacts, you can delete the fake information you added to the contact above. Check if your contacts have been restored after a few minutes. If this doesn’t solve your issue, try data recovery tools.

7. Recover Lost Data Using iCloud

We advise using iCloud first. You can do this by going to the iCloud website. Go to icloud.com/contacts, then sign in to your Apple Account (if necessary). Select the App Launcher button in the toolbar, then select Data Recovery.

You need to be on a tablet or computer to use Contacts on iCloud.com. Next, select Restore Contacts. You’ll then have to select an archive to restore.

You need to have an archive of your contacts that you can restore. You can restore your contacts from an earlier version that was automatically archived in iCloud.

8. Seek the Help of Apple Support

If all else fails, you can get tech support with the Apple Support app for more assistance.

Alternatively, you can reach out to them via Apple’s support website. Either way, a certified expert should help sort out the issue in more ways than we could.

Restore Your Missing iPhone Contacts

Contacts not showing up on an iPhone 18 Pro Max isn’t something new. It can happen to you, but when it does, don’t panic. There are a variety of ways to fix the problem. In summary, you could restart your iPhone, resync with iCloud, show all contacts in your Phone app, add all accounts to your iPhone, modify account settings, or force rebuild your contacts.

If none of these solutions work for you, you can try restoring lost contacts from your iCloud backups. If that fails, make sure to contact Apple’s support team. Hopefully, one of the free methods works for you.