Gadget Hacks » Smartphone Lifehacks, Guides, Tips, Tricks & How-Tos

How To: Download and Install iPadOS 17 Beta to Try New iPad Features Before Everyone Else

The next big iPad software update is in the works, and you can try out all the new features before almost everyone else. With iPadOS 17, you'll get the same Lock Screen customization iPhone already has, hey-less Hey Siri, an improved Health app, new Freeform tools, and more.

How To: Here Are All the iPad Models iPadOS 17 Supports (And Doesn't Support)

A new iPadOS version is coming this fall, but some iPad models that currently work on iOS 16 will not be compatible with iPadOS 17. Here are the iPad models that do and don't work.

How To: Unlock the Secret Emoticon Keyboard on Your iPhone

Emoji have taken over the world, so there's a good chance you regularly use (or overuse) emoji on your iPhone's keyboard just like everyone else. But before emoji were popular, there were emoticons, short for "emotion icons" — and iOS has a secret emoticon keyboard just waiting for you to unlock.

How To: Everything We Know About the iPhone 15 Series Models Coming This Fall

Apple's iPhone lineup has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, captivating the world with each new iteration. As we eagerly anticipate the iPhone 15 series release, rumors, leaks, and speculations about the highly anticipated 2023 models are at full steam.

How To: Make Gmail Write or Improve Your Emails for You Using Its New Experimental Generative AI Feature

Thanks to rapid advancements in the field, generative AI can do some amazing things already, from generating text, images, and video with just a prompt to automating tasks and developing new products and services. Now, artificial intelligence can even help you craft emails directly in Gmail.

How To: Download and Install iOS 16.6 on Your iPhone to Try New Features First

Apple's iOS 16.6 software update for iPhone is currently in the works, and you can try out all the upcoming new features as long as you're OK with running beta software on your iPhone.

How To: Download and Install iPadOS 16.6 on Your iPad Right Now

New features will come to the iPad with iPadOS 16.6, and you can try them all out before everyone else as long as you're OK with running beta software on your device.

How To: iOS 16.5 Has 19 New Features and Changes for iPhone You Won't Want to Miss

Apple has a few exciting surprises for you in its latest iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 software updates. Released on Thursday, May 18, version 16.5 includes new features, bug fixes, and security patches, and there are even hints of some big things coming in future software updates for iPhone and iPad.

How To: Download and Install iOS 17 Beta to Try New iPhone Features First

Apple is working on the next big software update for iPhone – iOS 17 – and you can install and use it on your iPhone before its anticipated stable release later this year. If you want to try out new iOS 17 features such as Journal (coming later this year), NameDrop, Hey Siri without the "hey," and Standby mode before most everyone else, here's how you do it.

How To: These Are the iPhone Models iOS 17 Does and Doesn't Support

Apple's next big iPhone software update is in the works, with a stable release scheduled for the fall, but your iPhone may not work with iOS 17. Apple is kicking three iPhone models to the curb, limiting them to the latest iOS 16 updates.

How To: 6 New Features iOS 16.6 Is Bringing to Your iPhone in Apple's Next Software Update

Apple is releasing the first iOS 17 beta to developers soon, but that doesn't mean the company's done updating iOS 16. There's already a new iOS 16.6 software update in the works, and it might come with an important feature for your iPhone that's been highly anticipated since it was announced last year.

How To: Apple News Has 8 Big Updates on iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 — Here's Everything That Changed

Of all the new features and changes on iOS 16.5, the Apple News app has the most, and there are a few big ones that will change the way you read stories. Some updates even affect Apple News on iPadOS 16.5; the most significant ones apply to both free users and Apple News+ subscribers.

How To: Discover Nearby Concerts and Music Venues with Apple Maps and Apple Music on Your iPhone

Whether you're staying in your hometown for the weekend or traveling to a nearby or faraway city, live music is always a great option for entertainment — but finding decent music or a good music venue isn't always easy. With new features added to two of its core apps, your iPhone just made it easier to do both.

How To: Use Health Connect to Sync Your Health and Fitness Data Between Google Fit, MyFitnessPal, and Other Android Apps

Taking a cue from Apple and its Health app for iOS, Google has created a central hub to collect health and fitness data on your Android device. With it, you can share and sync health and fitness data, such as steps, heart rate, water intake, sleep quality, and calories burned, between different apps and devices and use your favorite app to view all the information.

How To: 10 Badass AI Features Coming to Your Google Apps, Some of Which You Can Use Right Now

For all intents and purposes, Google could have called its 2023 developer conference A/I instead of I/O. Capitalizing on the artificial intelligence hype, Google devoted most of its keynote address to AI research, experiments, and developments. But there's some substance behind the hype in the form of new features in the Google services you already use on Android, iOS, and desktop.

How To: Multitask Like a Pro on Your iPad by Using Up to 4 Open Apps at the Same Time

Apple's latest multitasking feature for iPad lets you go beyond Split View's two-app restriction to use up to four apps at once. Here's how it works.

How To: 6 Home Screen Hacks for Your iPhone Apple Won't Tell You About

There are many ways to customize your iPhone's Home Screen on iOS 16, but some of the more interesting ones are the options Apple won't tell you about or hasn't even thought of.

How To: Access All Your Mac's Files Right on Your iPhone or iPad — No Third-Party Software Needed

When you need a file on your Mac as soon as possible, you usually have to get your MacBook or hop on your iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, or Mac Studio. But that's too much work if you're in bed, lying on the couch, or outside in the fresh air. Why even bother when you can access that file directly on your iPhone or iPad — without moving an inch?

How To: Never Lose Another Game with Your iPhone or iPad's Hidden Cheat Mode — Here's How It Works

Gaming just got easier, thanks to Apple. A secret feature on your iPhone or iPad makes it so much easier to beat that level or opponent you can't seem to defeat, and it can even help you learn to play a new game faster.

How To: FaceTime's Latest Trick Lets You Play Games with Family and Friends on Your iPhone During Calls — Here's How It Works

Whenever you're on a FaceTime call, you can use SharePlay on your iPhone or iPad to screen share, watch TV or movies together, work out with each other, and even listen to the same music at the same time. SharePlay also recently received a new skill that turns FaceTime into a portable gaming platform.

How To: Change the Cover Images on Your Spotify Playlists to Get Rid of All Those Ugly Album Art Grids

Spotify lets you customize some aspects of your experience, whether on the desktop, web, Android, or iOS app. And one of the simplest yet coolest customizations you can perform is changing your playlist cover images. However, it doesn't work on all playlists.

How To: Force Apps to Use Android's Transparent System Navigation Bar if They Don't Already Support It

One aspect of Android's interface that remains clunky is its gesture- or button-based navigation bar, mainly because app developers aren't fully utilizing the tools available to them. But a new feature Google is working on may finally make your nav bar more uniform across your apps.

How To: Attention Android Users — Activate This New Privacy Setting to Help Keep Thieves Out of Your Phone

Android has a new security feature that every Android smartphone user needs to start using — even you. It won't change how you use your phone, but it will make life harder for nearby thieves.

How To: Your iPhone Has a Secret Button That Can Run Hundreds, Even Thousands of Actions — But You Have to Unlock It First

An invaluable button on your iPhone can do hundreds, even thousands of amazing things, but most iPhone users don't even know it exists. You can't push it. You can't click it. You can't press it. But it's the largest button on your iPhone, more powerful than the versatile Side button, and it's hiding in plain sight.

How To: Unlock Android's Developer Options to Access Powerful Hidden Tools Anyone Can Use

Compared to Apple's iOS, the Android operating system has earned a reputation for giving smartphone users more customization options up front — but there are even more Android features to customize hidden from plain view behind secret menus like the developer options. Despite its name, Android's developer options can benefit everyone, but you have to unlock them first.

How To: 7 Screenshot Secrets for iPhone You Need to Start Using When Capturing Your Screen

The screenshot tool on your iPhone can come in handy in various ways, but it may be even more helpful than you realize. So if you thought you knew everything there was to know about your iPhone's screenshot tool, it's time to put your knowledge to the test.

How To: This Hack Lets You Use Custom Names for Newly Captured Screenshots on Your iPhone

Apple's screenshot feature is a near-perfect tool for saving images of your iPhone's screen to keep for yourself or share with others. But iOS is missing one thing that would make it almost flawless: a way to rename your screenshots from their original IMG_1234.PNG file name.

How To: This Play Store Trick Lets You Share Android Apps and Updates with Nearby Devices — Even When Offline

Because our smartphones are ever present, frequently used apps become the topic of conversation in social situations. This often leads to sharing app links via messages, either by copying/pasting an app's URL or sending it through the sharing menu. However, there's another way to share an app, and it's most valuable when you need to share multiple apps and app updates without an internet connection.

How To: 5 Wild Things You Can Do with Bard, Google's AI Chatbot

Now that Bard — Google's response to the revolutionary ChatGPT generative AI chatbot — is out in the wild, it's beginning to let its freak flag fly.

How To: 7 Hidden iPhone Apps You Didn't Know Existed

Your iPhone has hidden apps that work behind the scenes to filter SMS messages, trust computers, deal with payments, test ads, and perform other actions. You won't find any of them in your App Library, but there are tricks you can employ to unlock and use some of these secret apps.

How To: Use LED Flash Alerts on Your iPhone So You Never Miss Another Notification Again

Ringtones and text tones can be annoying, so my iPhone is almost always set to vibrate on silent mode. Unfortunately, that causes me to miss phone calls and text messages when the device isn't in my hands or pockets. While I hate missing alerts, I'm still reluctant to switch to ring mode — and that's where another iOS and iPadOS feature helps out.

How To: You're Taking Screenshots Wrong — Here Are Better Ways to Capture Your iPhone's Screen and Why You Should Be Using Them

You may know the traditional way to take a screenshot on your iPhone, but it may not be the best action for your needs. There are faster ways to capture an image of your iPhone's screen, methods for capturing overlays and other elements that won't show in regular screenshots, and even options for blocking screenshot thumbnail previews from appearing.

How To: These Browsers Let You Add Web Apps and Bookmarks to Your iPhone's Home Screen

Safari isn't the only web browser on your iPhone or iPad anymore that will let you add icons to your Home Screen for progressive web apps and website bookmarks. Apple gave developers the key to its "Add to Home Screen" feature, and your favorite iOS or iPadOS web browser may already support it.