iOS

BatteryBox Mini keeps your iPhone (and much more) powered while on the go

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 11, 2016

Because I'm always out and about, and my iPhone can always use a good charge when I'm away from an outlet, external battery accessories are always of great interest to me. BatteryBox, which you may remember made it to both my top 5 accessories for iPhone and top 5 accessories for Mac lists, has long filled that void for me.

Nevertheless, I've been looking for something a little easier to carry around with me when I leave the house or leave the car, and something I can use a little more easily while walking around and while not carrying a backpack.

One solution I've found to work quite well for this need is BatteryBox's little brother, dubbed BatteryBox Mini, which can be had on the BatteryBox website for less than $35. In this review, we'll take you through the features of BatteryBox Mini and show you whether it's a good investment for your needs.

3D Touch tips and tricks for the stock Videos app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 6, 2016

In this day and age of YouTube streaming and on-demand video, the stock Videos app feels a little outdated and way too limited in terms of features though it gets the job done.

With the Videos app, you can watch movies, televisions shows and music videos that you bought or rented from the iTunes Store, as well as enjoy your personal clips synchronized from iTunes on your computer.

On the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, using the Videos app is a little more engaging thanks to 3D Touch. In this tutorial, we'll let you in on 3D Touch shortcuts and gestures that are available in the Videos app.

Jailbreak tweaks of the week: Edge, SlideMe, & more…

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 10, 2016

It's Sunday again, and that means we'll be sharing a list of all the jailbreak tweaks that were released in Cydia this week.

Although Cydia isn't quite as busy as it is when there's a fresh jailbreak out and about for the latest iOS firmware, Cydia is still kicking with some interesting releases.

In this roundup, we'll show you our favorite jailbreak tweak releases of the week first, and then we'll get to showing you the rest.

This tweak keeps you from accidentally deleting your Messages app conversations

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 10, 2016

A problem that has happened to me more than once is I've accidentally deleted a really important SMS or iMessage conversation in my Messages app, and had no way to get that stuff back again.

A new free jailbreak tweak called MessagesDeleteConfirmer has just hit the Cydia store and ensures you won't be deleting conversations by accident in your Messages app any time soon.

In this review, we'll show you how it works and explain why it can be a life-saver.

Brevis lets you customize your 3D Touch Quick Action menus

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 9, 2016

If something looks a little different to you in the 3D Touch Quick Actions menu examples above, that's because you are seeing the effects of a new jailbreak tweak called Brevis, which is available now in Cydia for $1.00.

What this tweak will allow you to do is customize the look and feel of your Quick Action menus on your 3D Touch-enabled iPhone.

We will be showing you how the tweak works and what it's capable of in this piece, and you might just want to pick it up yourself!

Callisto lets you use the current time as a passcode on your iOS 9 device

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

You may have heard that the best security is something that lays in plain sight. In some instances, this can be right, because people tend to over-think things.

A jailbreak tweak called Callisto is now available in Cydia's BigBoss repository for $1.49 that lets you use the current time for a passcode instead of something you set for yourself.

In this review, we'll walk you through how it works and show you all of the settings it comes with to make life more comfortable for passcode input.

Apple barred from using the term Split View in India over alleged trademark infringement

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 8, 2016

iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan have brought out several new multitasking modes on compatible iPads and Macs, including a split-screen feature referred to as Split View. That term is now under fire by the Delhi High Court which has ordered Apple to stop actively using and marketing Split View in India over an alleged trademark infringement.

The infringement claim was filed by a company called Vyooh, a Microsoft vendor, which owns the trademark for the name ‘SplitView’, reports The Indian Times.

Spotting the signs of a fake Apple Lightning cable

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated June 26, 2018

Whenever you buy a new iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, it'll come with a Lightning to USB cable that you will use to charge and sync your device. On the other hand, you have to be careful when you buy these cables separately, especially online, because you could end up with a counterfeit cable.

A counterfeit is a cable that tries to look just like Apple's OEM Lightning to USB cable, even though it isn't. Using these cables could have an adverse effect on your device, so we'll show you how to spot the differences between a counterfeit and genuine Lightning to USB cable in this piece.

Mountie: a simple way to mount your iOS device side-by-side with your MacBook

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 7, 2016

Whether you're looking to make multitasking easier by having your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad right next to your computer, or you're using some kind of screen-extension software like Duet Display, the Mountie by Ten 1 Design is a great way to use your iOS device side-by-side with your Mac or PC.

The Mountie, which can be had in either Blue or Green flavors on Amazon for just under $25, is an affordable way to keep your iOS device right where you want it – in front of your face – without needing to shell out big bucks on fancy desk stands.

In this review, we'll show you how the Mountie works and give you our general opinion on why you should or shouldn't consider it for your Apple accessory wish list.

Lautus is a tweak that lets you clear app caches using 3D Touch

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 7, 2016

Over time, apps accumulate cache files that will take up valuable space on your device. Since iOS devices don't have upgradeable storage, users of devices with smaller storage capacities have to be careful and closely monitor the amount of storage space their apps are using.

Lautus is a new free jailbreak tweak that empowers users with clearing app caches as they grow over time and it utilizes 3D Touch for use. In this review, we'll walk you through how the tweak works and talk about what it does.

How to convert various image file types to JPG or PNG on iPhone or iPad

Ankur Thakur ∙ Updated May 15, 2025

Check out two free ways to convert images on your iPhone and iPad between JPG, PNG, and other formats without using specialized websites.

Apple may soon permit users to hide unwanted stock apps on iOS, iTunes metadata suggests

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 25, 2017

Strings discovered in iTunes metadata suggest that the ability to remove Apple's stock iPhone and iPad apps such as Compass, Voice Memos, Find My Friends, Tips and Stocks is coming very soon.

For those wondering, iTunes metadata provides information about iPhone, iPod touch and iPad apps that can be found on the App Store, such as the date an app was released, its size, the store category it’s in and so forth.

As explained by AppAdvice, a pair of new keys—labeled “isFirstParty” and “isFirstPartyHideableApp”—started showing up in iTunes metadata a few weeks ago on every app in the App Store.