iPhone

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.

How to enable ‘Show me the best tweets first’ on Twitter

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

Twitter recently unveiled a new feature that lets you elect to have the service surface new and interesting content at the top of your timeline since your last visit.

Called “Show me the best tweets first,” it's a staggered release so not everyone may have it at the same time although the majority of Twitter's user base should now see this option in their settings.

This post will take you through the steps you need to take in order to enable this feature in Twitter's mobile apps and in the desktop interface, so that you never miss important updates from people you follow.

Bloomberg profiles Apple’s silicon chief, gives a peek at secret chip-testing lab in Cupertino

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 18, 2016

Bloomberg Businessweek has published an interesting profile of Johny Srouji, Apple's silicon chief (official title: Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies), who joined the company back in 2008 to lead development of the A4, the first Apple-designed system-on-a-chip that made its debut in the iPhone 4 and the original iPad.

Apple is now widely praised by critics and fans alike for taking its chip destiny in its own hands. The article tells an in-depth story of how then CEO Steve Jobs had the foresight and courage to take Apple on a risky path to make it a fabless silicon designer.

Apple-designed mobile chips went on to differentiate iPhones and iPads on the hardware level from competing devices using off-the-shelf parts. The story also gives us our very first peek at chip-durability testing at an unmarked Apple lab in Cupertino.

Apple launches new Trade Up With Installments 24-month iPhone payment plan

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

CNET is reporting that Apple is launched a new iPhone payment plan, the Trade Up With Installments program, that gives users the option of unloading their old phone to get a brand new iPhone for an outlay of less than about $35 a month.

The program, CNET explains, was designed for people who have older-generation iPhones and lets these customers hand over their old iPhone, Android or Microsoft Windows phone device in exchange for credit toward a new iPhone purchase. It's currently available in the United States through Apple's official retail stores.

Concept: dual-camera iPhone 7 Plus and pink iPhone 5se with iPhone 6-style design

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 18, 2016

The rumor-mill cannot agree whether a rumored 'iPhone 5se' is going to feature a refined iPhone 5s design or an iPhone 6-style look with smoothly rounded corners and curved screen edges.

Be that as it may, German magazine Curved.de has taken upon itself to envision what the iPhone 5se might look like should Apple streamline its handset lineup around the current iPhone 6/6s look and feel.

As a bonus, they've also done some intriguing renditions of what a next-generation 'iPhone 7' and a dual-camera 'iPhone 7 Plus' might look like, based on the rumors that have been floating around. Check out the images and tell us what you think in the comments.

Skype group video calling starts rolling out with support for up to 25 participants

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 18, 2016

As promised, Microsoft has begun rolling out free group video calling in Skype's mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, Engadget reported this morning.

According to Microsoft, this feature will allow Skype users to video chat with up to 24 other people at once in crisp 1080p resolution, and each participant can flip between the front and back camera mid-call.

Group video calling in mobile Skype apps is going to be available to users in North America and Western Europe. “We plan to be fully available worldwide in March,” said Skype.

How to use the hidden emoticons on your iPhone ＼(^o^)／

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated August 13, 2026

Learn how to access unique emoticons and ASCII faces on your iPhone or iPad by enabling the hidden Japanese keyboard for some fun ways to express yourself.

How to quickly get your answers from a website you’ve searched before in Safari

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 8, 2018

In addition to finding all occurrences of a word within any webpage, Apple's Safari browser for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac includes a nifty little feature called Quick Website Search which lets you get your answers from within a specific website as long as you've used its search box before.

Safari keeps tracks of the webpages as you surf the web so you can later find anything within a previously visited website, right from the Smart Search field.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to leverage Safari's Quick Website Search feature to search within a website.

How to select Siri voices for VoiceOver, Speak Screen and Speak Selection features

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 17, 2021

I'm not hearing impaired but that doesn't prevent me from taking advantage of certain VoiceOver features on my iPhone. For instance, I sometimes use Speak Selection to get iOS to read a book to me as I'm surfing the web, or doing something else.

Being a non-native English speaker, I also rely on that feature to have my iPhone read aloud words and phrases whenever I'm unsure about their correct pronunciation, which is a lot of help—especially with the adjustable pitch and speaking rate.

Starting with iOS 8, a number of options for the Siri voices you can use for the VoiceOver, Speak Screen and Speak Selection features became available. This tutorial explains how to choose a voice for Speak Screen and Speak Selection and adjust voices for VoiceOver.

Pre-register for Miitomo, Nintendo’s first smartphone app

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 17, 2016

Back in October 2015, Nintendo announced its inaugural smartphone app for iOS and Android, Miitomo. Today, the Japanese gaming giant has opened up pre-registrations on its website for the forthcoming app. Signing up requires you to create a Nintendo Account so you can be notified when Miitomo launches in the App Store.

Creating a Nintendo Account ahead of Miitomo's launch will also net you Platinum Points for the My Nintendo rewards program, which is scheduled to go live alongside the Miitomo app.

Apple removes iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c from sale in India as iPhone 5se launch looms

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 17, 2016

In India, Apple has stopped selling the iPhone 4s, which debuted in the fall of 2011, as well as the unapologetically plastic iPhone 5c, The Economic Times reported Tuesday. In withdrawing its most affordable handsets from the 1.25 billion people country—the world’s third market for smartphones and the fastest-growing smartphone market in the world—Apple is looking to boost its average selling price and profitability “which have been under strain in the country lately,” stated the report.

Apple vehemently opposes FBI request to create iPhone backdoor in San Bernardino court case

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 17, 2016

Apple is vehemently opposing the FBI's request to create a backdoor in iOS that would permit authorities to access encrypted data on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. In an open letter to all customers posted on the company's website, CEO Tim Cook acknowledges that Apple believes that the FBI's intentions are good and makes note of the fact that his company has done “everything that is both within our power and within the law” to help the authorities.

“But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create,” he wrote. “They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone.”

Judge orders Apple to help FBI recover data from San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to help investigators access encrypted data on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, reports NBC News. The ruling says that the Cupertino firm must provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the FBI in recovering data from the handset.

More specifically, the device is an iPhone 5c that belongs to Syed Farook, who with his wife Tashfeen Malik murdered 14 people in San Bernardino, California last year. The phone is locked with a passcode, and prosecutors say data found in Farook's iCloud account suggests it could contain evidence.