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Stay up-to-date on the latest iPhone news and learn new tips and tricks with our comprehensive tutorials. From software updates to new features, we’ve got you covered.

Read this before upgrading your iPhone 4s to iOS 8

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 17, 2014

Think twice before updating your rusty old iPhone 4s to the just-released iOS 8 because Apple's feature-packed upgrade makes its handset run most tasks about two times (or more) slower.

iOS 8 will slow down common tasks on the handset, including approximately two times slower launching of stock apps, almost three seconds longer booting and more, ArsTechnica reported Wednesday.

In addition to the performance hit, the three-year-old handset is incompatible with certain hardware-dependent iOS 8 features such as Handoff, AirDrop, the OpenGL ES 3.0 and Metal graphics run-time and more.

1Password 5 launches with Touch ID support, App Extensions, goes freemium

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 17, 2014

AgileBits, the maker of the popular password-keeping utility, 1Password, has issued a major new version of the app following Apple's release of the iOS 8 software update earlier this morning.

1Password 5 for iOS 8 now takes full advantage of Touch ID fingerprint scanning to unlock your vault and comes with a brand new iOS 8 App Extension in Safari and other apps that also uses Touch ID.

The Safari extension is available right in the Share sheet and permits you to fill Logins directly into web pages. Taking advantage of AgileBits' own proprietary extensions for integrating third-party apps with 1Password, supported apps can now log you in with just a tap. And as you update passwords in these apps, 1Password updates the corresponding item in its database.

As for the price, the new 1Password 5 is a free update to existing users and a freemium download for everyone else, with a one-time In-App Purchase to unlock features like folders, tags, custom fields, Multiple Vaults, as well as the full range of items including Bank Accounts, Email Accounts, Memberships, Passports, Reward Programs, Wireless Routers, Software Licenses and many more.

How to setup a new iPhone from an iTunes backup

IDB Staff ∙ Updated April 14, 2017

We previously wrote a guide on how to setup a new iPhone from an iCloud backup, but that is limited by the fact that Apple only gives you 5 GB of free storage. If you have more than 5 GB of music, apps and other data, and you do not wish to pay for additional iCloud storage, you will have to resort to an iTunes backup. Read ahead for step-by-step instructions on how to setup a new iPhone from an iTunes backup.

How to setup a new iPhone from an iCloud backup

IDB Staff ∙ Updated April 14, 2017

I know quite a few iPhone users that upgrade their smartphone once every few years, often coinciding with the two-year contract they locked into with AT&T or other carriers. For some reason, a lot of these people seem to think that transferring all of their content over to the new iPhone is a daunting task. In reality, the process is actually fairly simple. Read ahead for step-by-step instructions on how to restore an iCloud backup on a new iPhone.

Despite its highest daily output ever, Foxconn still struggling to boost iPhone 6 production

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 17, 2014

Despite huge investment it's made in production lines, workers, sophisticated machinery and tooling equipment, Foxconn, the world's largest contract fabricator, is having issues keeping up with massive iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus demand, The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog reported Wednesday.

“For iPhone 6 Plus, we are still ramping up the production line,” sources tell WSJ. ”Another reason for the limited supply is the shortage of 5.5-inch displays”.

Another person at a display component supplier told the paper that Foxconn is scrapping almost half of the 5.5-inch panels due to quality control issues. The output rate of the 4.7-inch display is reportedly better at 85 percent.

Manufacturing woes stem from the in-cell display technology which allows for a thinner and lighter screen assembly by integrating touch sensors into the liquid crystal display.

Initial iPhone 6 and 6 Plus reviews rave about displays, battery life

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 7, 2024

Right after its big iPhone event last Tuesday, Apple gave a select group of journalists early access to its two new handsets: the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Both devices feature larger displays than their predecessor, and both launch this Friday.

The move is a familiar one for the company, who typically gives out products to [favorable] writers for analysis ahead of launch. And as usual, we've put together a roundup of excerpts from these reviews to give you an idea of the general consensus.

Apple launches guide for moving content from your Android phone to iPhone

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple launched a web page on Tuesday guiding new iPhone users on how to move their content from an Android device, just in time for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus' launch on Friday.

The webpage is a first for Apple, as it's usually Android OEMs who have posted similar guides in the past taking jabs at the competition - aka Apple. However with the larger screens on the new iPhones gunning to take market share from Google, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and others, it's now Apple's turn.

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may not launch in China until 2015

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple could have to wait until next year to launch the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in China, according to 21st Century Business Herald. The Chinese news site is reporting today that the handsets have failed to receive the necessary approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

If true, this would be a huge blow to Apple, who some believe was hoping to ship as many as 80 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units by the end of the year. China of course has two of the largest carriers in the world, China Mobile and China Unicom, and is an important market for the company.

Some extensions not working yet in iOS 8-optimized apps

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

After announcing last week that iOS 8 will be released to the public on September 17th (that's tomorrow), Apple invited developers to begin submitting their apps and app-updates for the new firmware. In fact, it's already approved a number of iOS 8-optimized apps into the App Store.

But there's a problem that you've probably noticed if you're running a beta version of iOS 8 right now: extensions for many iOS 8 apps aren't working properly. According to MacRumors, the issue seems to be related to code-signing on Apple's end, and it's currently working on a fix.

Early hands-on videos for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus hit the web

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus don't officially launch until Friday, but it seems that some users have managed to get their hands on the two devices early. YouTube channel UNDERkg, which appears to be based in South Korea, has posted hands-on videos for both a Space Gray iPhone 6 Plus and a Gold iPhone 6.

The two clips are 4 minutes long and 7 minutes long respectively, and are both shot in 4K for excellent detail. The videos do a good job of exploring the external hardware of the handsets, as well as some of the more nuanced features in the iOS 8 software. If you have the time, they're definitely worth a look.

‘AppBuyer’ malware steals Apple IDs and passwords from jailbroken devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Security research firm Palo Alto Networks reported this weekend about a new iOS malware that's affecting jailbroken devices. It's called 'AppBuyer,' and it's programmed to steal a user's Apple ID and password for the purpose of purchasing apps from the App Store.

It's not clear exactly how AppBuyer is being installed, but the group says it could be done a number of ways including through a malicious Cydia Substrate tweak or PC jailbreaking utility. Those infected complain of random apps periodically popping up on their devices.

Apple creates tool to remove U2’s free album from both your iTunes music library and purchase history

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 2, 2017

After taking some heat over its decision to force the free U2 album, “Songs of Innocence”, onto users' devices last Tuesday, Apple today published a support document and released a tool which removes the album from users' iTunes music library, as well as from their iCloud purchase history.

The decision to give away the Irish rock band's latest album has backfired because having added it to purchase history has automatically downloaded the album for folks with automatic music downloads enabled in Settings.