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How To Get The Best Battery Life Out Of Your Apple Watch

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How To Get The Best Battery Life Out Of Your Apple Watch - BGR

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The Apple Watch is a computer on your wrist, and as the famous saying goes, with great power comes great battery drain, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

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10 Essential Apple Watch Features You Have To Enable Yourself

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10 Essential Apple Watch Features You Have To Enable Yourself - BGR

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Customizing workouts, changing your Control Center, and setting up a sleep schedule are essential Apple Watch features you should enable and test.

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How to have Safari notify you of website changes and updates

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How to have Safari notify you of website changes and updates

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Set Safari to alert you when a website publishes new posts, an out-of-stock item comes back in stock, or concert tickets go on sale.

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How 'Find My Phone' Still Works Even When Your Battery Is Dead

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How ‘Find My Phone’ Still Works Even When Your Battery Is Dead - BGR

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Using the Ultra Wideband chip and Bluetooth Low Energy, Apple’s Find My app can help you locate your lost iPhone even when the battery is dead.

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5 ways the Camera in iOS 27 is more refined than ever

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The Camera is one of the iPhone's most essential apps.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The Camera app in iOS 27 is chock-full of small but meaningful improvements. The UI was given a major simplification last year; this year, that design is iterated and refined upon to make it the best yet.

This is one of the changes I've really grown to appreciate since installing the developer betas. Check it out below.

5 tweaks in the Camera coming in iOS 27

The camera is one of the iPhone's most fundamental features. The camera was an afterthought at first - during the iPhone's introduction, Steve Jobs described it as "a phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough internet communicator."

But today, I think most people would put "a powerful digital camera" as one of the three core features. Getting a better camera is one of the top reasons people cite for upgrading to a new model.

That means that any change to the Camera app is pretty seismic - and there a few big changes to unpack this year.

Table of Contents: Camera features in iOS 27

1. Rearranged controls

2. A new Siri mode with Visual Intelligence

3. Smoother transitions between camera lenses

4. More accurate portrait / landscape orientation

5. Better performance in Low Power Mode

6. More new features in iOS 27

Rearranged controls

The Camera app largely sticks with the same visual design from last year, with a few controls moved around.

The Macro / Portrait button (the flower / the italic 𝑓 icon) now sits in the black area next to the shutter button, rather than on top of the camera preview. It's much more prominent.

The Camera Controls button (the little grid icon) was moved from the top, down to the opposite side on the right. You can also bring up this menu by tapping on the current mode at the bottom (like Photo) but this menu is now much easier to find.

The settings at the top for choosing the format, toggling flash and Live Photo are now clustered together in the center.

The Camera Controls menu also now adds toggles for Portrait mode depth, Night Mode, grid, level and format. Some of these options, like the grid and level, could only be enabled by digging through Settings > Camera. Rumors indicate that later this year, you'll be able to customize which controls show up in the menu and which controls stay at the top of the screen.

A new Siri mode with Visual Intelligence

Apple merged Visual Intelligence with the Camera app. Before, these were two separate systems that most people either didn't know about or found confusing.

Now, on models that support Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and later) there's a new Siri mode alongside Photo and Video. The Ask button on the left lets you ask questions based on what you see, though it now uses Siri AI instead of ChatGPT. The Search button lets you visually look up what's on screen using Google, eBay and Amazon.

The Siri button in the middle will try to intelligently help based on what you take a picture of.

If you point it at an object, it'll look up what it is and tell you about it.

If you take a picture of some text, you can use Live Text to copy it, summarize it, translate it or open links.

Point it at a concert or event poster and it can instantly add details to your calendar.

Take a picture of a receipt, and it'll let you split the bill and request funds from friends using Apple Cash.

Take a picture of an animal or plant and it can try to identify the breed or species.

Smoother transitions between camera lenses

While the pro phones have three separate lenses on the back with different optical properties, Apple wants you to treat it as one fluid camera system. You can freely zoom in and out and the phone will crop in on the sensor until it can switch to another lens. Those transitions can be a bit sudden and jarring, though.

Apple says that in iOS 27, you can expect smoother jumps between camera lenses. I haven't noticed an improvement in my personal testing, but maybe this will continue to be tweaked as betas progress.

More accurate portrait / landscape orientation

If you point the camera straight down at something to take a picture, your phone often doesn't know if the photo is supposed to be portrait or landscape. It'll go with what it was last. If you catch it before you take the photo, you'll have to turn your phone up and back down before you take the shot. And if you miss it, that means editing the picture and rotating it later. It's easy, but still annoying.

In iOS 27, Apple says it has improved the orientation detection to be more accurate. Hopefully, you'll encounter this problem less.

Better performance in Low Power Mode

The Camera is one of the most battery draining apps on your phone. Processing each photo is a computationally intense task. If you're concerned about your battery life, you should use Low Power Mode - and now in iOS 27, you'll find much better camera performance when it's enabled.

Apple says that in iOS 27, the Camera launches faster and uses less power. That's a win-win!

More new features in iOS 27

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5 ways the Camera in iOS 27 is more refined than ever

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The Camera app in iOS 27 is chock-full of small but meaningful improvements. Last year's design is refined upon to make it the best yet.

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Your iPhone is secretly ruining your video audio — here’s the fix

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Your iPhone is secretly ruining your video audio — here’s the fix

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Turn off this one default iPhone setting for instantly better video audio.

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8 built-in editing tools to glow up your pictures on your iPhone

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8 built-in editing tools to glow up your pictures on your iPhone

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Who needs a computer or expensive software like Adobe Lightroom? You can edit pictures like a pro, right on your iPhone.

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13 Hidden iOS 18 Features You Should Be Using On Your iPhone - BGR

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BGR compiled a list of 13 iOS 18 hidden features that will make your life much easier, including some for your new iPhone 16.

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How 'Find My Phone' Still Works Even When Your Battery Is Dead

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How ‘Find My Phone’ Still Works Even When Your Battery Is Dead - BGR

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Using the Ultra Wideband chip and Bluetooth Low Energy, Apple’s Find My app can help you locate your lost iPhone even when the battery is dead.

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Apple unveils new accessibility features, and updates with Apple Intelligence

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Apple announced major accessibility updates powered by Apple Intelligence, including new capabilities for VoiceOver, Magnifier, and Voice Control.

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Is Your iPhone Lock Screen Missing the Volume Bar? Here's How to Bring It Back

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Is Your iPhone Lock Screen Missing the Volume Bar? Here’s How to Bring It Back

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Apple removed the lock screen’s volume bar a few years ago with iOS 16, but you can bring it back to your screen now.

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10 Apple Shortcut Hacks Every iPhone User Should Know

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How to Copy All URLs in Open Tabs on Safari

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How to Copy All URLs in Open Tabs on Safari

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It’s surprisingly easy to copy all tabs from a tab group in your iPhone’s Safari app! I’ll go over how to copy selected links to paste them in another app like Notes, Messages, or Mail. Here’s how to copy and paste website links simultaneously:

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7 best AI apps for Mac (and how I actually use them)

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7 best AI apps for Mac (and how I actually use them)

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After months of testing, these apps genuinely improved my workflow. From voice typing to organization, these are the best AI apps for Mac.

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How to upload personal songs to Apple Music and stream them

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How to upload personal songs to Apple Music and stream them

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Find out how to upload songs you have collected over the years to Apple’s server and stream them on all devices where you use Apple Music.

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How to sync all your iPhone messages to Mac

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Learn how to have your iPhone SMS texts, MMS, RCS, and iMessages show up inside the Messages app on your Mac.

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iOS 26 Guide: How to Safely Clear iPhone System Data (2026)

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iOS 26 Guide: How to Safely Clear iPhone System Data (2026)

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iOS 26 System Data can grow beyond the OS size; clear Messages and Photos Recently Deleted folders, then restart to reclaim space.

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The Camera Control is a new button on the iPhone that opens the camera, takes pictures and adjusts camera settings on the fly.

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How to use FaceTime and iMessage on devices with the same Apple ID

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How to use FaceTime and iMessage on devices with the same Apple ID

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Learn how to make FaceTime calls and send iMessages to iPhones, iPads, and Macs that have the same Apple Account.

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The release of iOS 26 introduces the ultra-light liquid glass effect, a feature designed to enhance your iPhone's display with improved clarity, contrast, and customization options. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough to help you enable and optimize this feature, making sure a seamless and visually refined experience across your device. From lock screens to menus, the ultra-light liquid glass effect offers both aesthetic and functional benefits. The video below from iDeviceHelp gives us more details.

Why the Ultra-Light Liquid Glass Effect Matters

The ultra-light liquid glass effect is more than just a visual enhancement-it's a practical upgrade that improves usability. By enhancing screen clarity and contrast, this feature ensures better visibility in a variety of lighting conditions, including bright outdoor environments. Whether you're customizing your lock screen or navigating menus, the liquid glass effect delivers a sleek, modern aesthetic while improving readability and accessibility. It's a feature designed to make your iPhone not only look better but also work better for you.

Customizing Your Lock Screen for Maximum Impact

The lock screen is one of the most prominent areas where the ultra-light liquid glass effect truly stands out. To customize your lock screen and make the most of this feature:

Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone.

Navigate to "Lock Screen Personalization."

Adjust the clock's appearance to enable the solid white liquid glass effect.

This customization enhances readability while giving your lock screen a polished and contemporary look. The result is a lock screen that is both functional and visually appealing, setting the tone for the rest of your device.

Optimizing Display Settings for Better Visibility

To fully use the ultra-light liquid glass effect, it's essential to fine-tune your display settings. Follow these steps to optimize brightness and contrast:

Go to "Settings" and select "Display & Brightness."

Enable the tinted liquid glass option to enhance contrast, making text and icons more distinct.

Adjust the brightness slider to achieve optimal visibility in both low-light and bright environments.

These adjustments ensure that your screen remains clear and easy to read, regardless of the lighting conditions. The combination of enhanced contrast and adjustable brightness creates a display that adapts to your surroundings while maintaining a sharp and vibrant appearance.

Enhancing Accessibility with Liquid Glass

The ultra-light liquid glass effect also offers significant benefits for users who prioritize accessibility. By tweaking specific settings, you can further enhance the usability of your device:

Open "Settings" and navigate to "Accessibility."

Enable "Show Borders" to make buttons and interface elements more defined.

Activate "Increase Contrast" to improve visibility for users with visual impairments or those who prefer sharper displays.

These accessibility features ensure that the liquid glass effect is not just visually appealing but also functional for a wide range of users. Whether you need clearer buttons or sharper text, these settings allow you to tailor your iPhone's display to your specific needs.

Applying the Effect Across Notifications and Menus

The ultra-light liquid glass effect extends beyond the lock screen, enhancing the appearance of notifications, menus, and submenus. To apply this effect across your device:

Go to "Settings" and select "Notification Styling."

Customize the appearance of notifications with the liquid glass effect for improved clarity and readability.

Access "Menu and Control Center" settings to apply the effect across menus and submenus.

This creates a cohesive and visually appealing interface throughout your device, making sure that every interaction feels smooth and modern. By applying the liquid glass effect consistently, you can enjoy a unified design language that enhances both form and function.

Step-by-Step Guide to Enable and Optimize Ultra-Light Liquid Glass

To summarize the process of allowing and optimizing the ultra-light liquid glass effect, follow these steps:

Open "Settings" and navigate to "Display & Brightness."

Enable the tinted liquid glass option and adjust the brightness slider for optimal visibility.

Go to "Accessibility" and activate "Show Borders" and "Increase Contrast."

Customize the lock screen clock under "Lock Screen Personalization" to apply the liquid glass effect.

Enhance notifications and menus by adjusting settings in "Notification Styling" and "Menu and Control Center."

By following these steps, you can unlock the full potential of the ultra-light liquid glass effect, transforming your iPhone's display into a more adaptable and visually stunning interface.

Maximizing the Potential of Ultra-Light Liquid Glass

The ultra-light liquid glass effect in iOS 26 is a feature that seamlessly combines functionality with style. By customizing your lock screen, optimizing brightness and contrast, and using accessibility settings, you can create a personalized experience that caters to your preferences and needs. Additionally, applying the effect to notifications and menus ensures a cohesive design across your device. This feature not only enhances the visual appeal of your iPhone but also improves its usability, making it an essential part of the iOS 26 experience.

Uncover more insights about the iOS 26 liquid glass effect in the previous articles we have written.

Source & Image Credit: iDeviceHelp

Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.

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How to Enable Ultra-Light Liquid Glass on iPhone in iOS 26

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Discover how to enable and optimize iOS 26's ultra-light liquid glass effect for a stunning and functional iPhone display.

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How to add a restart button to iPhone Home and Lock Screen

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Learn how to reboot your iPhone or iPad with just two taps on your Home Screen or Lock Screen so you can refresh the system quickly.

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How to Stop Apple Watch from Dinging While Charging

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How to Stop Apple Watch from Dinging While Charging

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Now that you know why your Apple Watch dings while charging, let’s go over how to stop Apple Watch from dinging while charging:

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Your iPhone is about to get a new privacy feature to protect your location data from prying eyes

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The iOS 26.3 update has a new Limit Precise Location feature designed to protect your privacy.

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Go through these tips to cut down the amount of local storage space Apple Music takes up on your iPhone or iPad.

The storage used by high-quality streaming and downloading on Apple Music can quickly balloon to several gigabytes. Once this happens, you may not have sufficient space left for taking pictures, recording videos, downloading new apps, and so forth. Therefore, it's important that you make some changes if you have an iPhone with base storage.

Restart your iPhone regularly

Switching your iPhone off and back on every few days can automatically clear unnecessary cache and offline data, keeping local storage space in check. I generally restart my iPhone every 4 to 5 days or sooner if something isn't working right, which happens often in iOS 26.

Saving songs for offline consumption takes up a lot more local iPhone space compared to streaming. So, if you have fast Wi-Fi or unlimited cellular connectivity, keep just a few of your favorite songs offline and stream the rest.

Turn off automatic downloads

Apple Music lets you enable automatic downloads, which saves every song for offline listening when you add it to your library. While handy for some, this feature can quickly eat up a lot of local space on your iPhone or iPad. So, head to iOS Settings > Apps > Music and turn off Automatic Downloads. You can still manually download songs that you want.

Set a lower download quality

Lossless audio consumes more data and takes up more local space when downloaded offline.

Unless you're a hardcore audiophile and use high-quality wired earphones/headphones, you'll notice no difference between Lossless audio and standard audio.

So, go to iOS Settings > Apps > Music and tap Audio Quality. If Lossless Audio is enabled, turn it off, or select Downloads and set it to High Quality (AAC 256 kbps).

Assign a storage limit for downloaded songs

iOS includes a handy Optimize Storage feature that automatically removes songs you haven't listened to recently when your iPhone runs low on space. However, it will still preserve at least 4 GB of music (about 800 individual tracks), so you continue to have some offline media. Go to iPhone or iPad Settings > Apps > Music > Optimize Storage to turn on this feature and set a minimum storage boundary.

Delete duplicate songs

Just like duplicate photos, contacts, and files, you may have duplicate songs in your Apple Music library. These can be the same tracks or another version of the same song (Live, Clean, Explicit, Acoustic, Lo-Fi, Cover, etc.).

If you have a Mac, use the dedicated duplicate cleaner built into the Music app. Thanks to Sync Library, songs you delete from your Mac will also be removed from your iOS device.

But if you only have an iPhone or iPad, follow these steps instead:

1. Open the Music app and tap Library > Songs.

2. Tap the three dots menu button at the top and select Title to sort all songs by name (A to Z or Z to A).

3. Now, browse through your library, and if you see the same song more than once, delete the version you don't want to keep.

Get rid of music videos

Video files can take up significant space on your iPhone or iPad. Go to the Library section of the iOS Music app and tap Music Videos to see if you have downloaded some clips. Then, remove the ones you have already watched or no longer want to rewatch.

Free up Apple Music cache

There are easy ways to clear Apple Music cache on Mac and Android. But on iPhone and iPad, you can delete the cache only by doing one of these things:

Delete and reinstall the app

And finally, if your Apple Music app size has exceeded several GBs, and you don't know where to start, the quickest option is to delete the app altogether, which will remove all downloaded songs and also clear any cache and local files.

After you delete the app, restart your iPhone and then download the iOS Music app again from the App Store.
These are some of the most practical ways to reduce the amount of local storage space taken up by Apple Music on your iPhone or iPad. Which of the above tips will you be using?
Also, check out: 50+ tips to free up storage space on iPhone and iPad

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How to reduce the space taken by Apple Music on iOS

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Go through these tips to reduce the amount of local storage space Apple Music takes up on your iPhone or iPad.

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How to reduce the space taken by Apple Music on iOS

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How to Stop iPhone from Switching Audio from Headphones to Speakers - iOS Hacker

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Are you tired of seeing your iPhone automatically switch audio from your headphones or AirPods to a Bluetooth Speaker or Car Audio? In this guide, we will

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How to Stop iPhone from Switching Audio from Headphones to Speakers

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iOS 26’s Photos app has a helpful new feature for events: Here’s how it works

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iOS 26’s Photos app has a helpful new feature for events: Here’s how it works - 9to5Mac

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At WWDC25, Apple introduced a few new capabilities to the Photos app for iOS 26. Most notably, it reintroduces a…

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How to use OR, AND, or NOT to narrow down file search on Mac

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Use Boolean operators (OR, AND, or NOT) to narrow down or broaden your search results in Finder to quickly locate the right files.

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How to use OR, AND, or NOT to narrow down file search on Mac

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Transform your iPhone: Ultimate guide to custom Home Screens, widgets and icons

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You can customize your iPhone Home Screen’s theme, icons and widgets like never before. Here’s how to do it, with examples for inspiration.

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Transform your iPhone: Ultimate guide to custom Home Screens, widgets and icons

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Block all YouTube ads with the best Safari extension ever [Awesome Apps]

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Block all YouTube ads with the best Safari extension ever [Awesome Apps]

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Vinegar blocks all YouTube ads and restores features like playing videos in the background and picture-in-picture on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

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iOS users can install the full spectrum of top VPNs. Here’s how to make them work for you.

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How to add family members to your Apple Account

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How to add family members to your Apple Account

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Learn how to add your spouse, kids, and family members to Apple’s Family Sharing to share purchases, manage parental controls, and more.

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The 8 best apps to identify anything using your phone’s camera

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Point, shoot, and know. It’s really that simple.

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The 8 best apps to identify anything using your phone's camera

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Create a safe, age-appropriate iPad setup for your kid by configuring Family Sharing, Screen Time limits and more.

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10 Hacks Every Apple Watch User Should Know

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10 Hacks Every Apple Watch User Should Know

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Your Apple Watch can do a lot more than tell you the time and track your workouts. You can customize everything including the widgets, activity rings, and alarm sounds.

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This Mac superpower lets you copy text from any PDF [Pro Tip]

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Trying to copy text from a PDF can be a nightmare. But the Mac has Live Text, a secret trick up its sleeve to make it dead simple.

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This Mac superpower lets you copy text from any PDF [Pro Tip]

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When you need to video chat and they don’t pick up the phone, you can send a FaceTime voicemail to someone that they can watch later.

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This Mac superpower lets you copy text from any PDF [Pro Tip]

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Trying to copy text from a PDF can be a nightmare. But the Mac has Live Text, a secret trick up its sleeve to make it dead simple.

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This Mac superpower lets you copy text from any PDF [Pro Tip]

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4 Clever Uses For Your Old Apple TV - BGR

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Your old Apple TV can still be put to good use if you’re replacing it with another device. Before you donate it, try these simple ideas to make it useful again.

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Hate iPhone’s new ‘slide to stop’ alarm? Get the old button back.

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You don’t need to use the iPhone’s new slide to stop gesture for alarms. Here’s how to quickly and easily deactivate it.

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Hate iPhone's new 'slide to stop' alarm? Get the old button back.

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is there a way to combine apple services to save money? are there any web sites that do a good job of breaking this down?

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is there a way to combine apple services to save money? are there any web sites that do a good job of breaking this down?

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Yes, combining Apple services through Apple One can save money, especially for households or individuals using multiple Apple services. Apple One bundles several services—such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud storage, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+—into a single subscription, which is typically cheaper than subscribing to each service individually. There are three plans available: the Individual plan ($16.95/month), the Family plan ($22.95/month) for up to five members, and the Premier plan ($32.95/month) that includes additional services like Apple Fitness+ and 2TB of iCloud storage. The Family and Premier plans allow sharing among up to five people, making them particularly cost-effective for families.

In addition to Apple One, other strategies can help save money. For example, the Apple Music Voice plan is available for $5/month but is limited to Siri-enabled devices. Students can get Apple Music for $6/month, and the Family plan for Apple Music offers unlimited access for up to six people at $15/month. Bundling services through Apple One can also provide significant savings compared to individual subscriptions.

Several websites provide detailed breakdowns of Apple One and related savings strategies. Wired offers a comprehensive overview of Apple One, including its pricing, included services, and value proposition. Pocket-lint explains how to use Family Sharing to share subscriptions and save money, highlighting which services are shareable and how to set it up. GoSplit provides a platform to share and split the cost of Apple One subscriptions with others, even outside of family groups, by managing payments and account details. These resources can help users understand how to consolidate and optimize their Apple service subscriptions for maximum savings.

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Yes, combining Apple services through Apple One can save money, especially for households or individuals using multiple Apple services. Apple One bundles several services—such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud storage, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+—into a single subscription, which is typically cheaper than subscribing to each service individually[7]. There are three plans availabl…

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How to use continuous background music recognition on iPhone

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How to use continuous background music recognition on iPhone

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Use Auto Shazam to have Shazam continuously listen for songs in the background and identify them, even if you exit it or lock your device.

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Make calls more personal: Your guide to creating custom iPhone Contact Posters

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How to make a killer contact poster.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Contact Posters let you customize how your Apple contact card looks to other people when you call them. If they have your contact info in their address book, your customized Contact Poster will appear on their iPhone's screen.

Done right, Contact Posters look great - way better than the old thumbnail images that preceded them. Plus, it's really easy to turn an ordinary picture into a gorgeous-looking Contact Poster that makes a real impact.

And once you set one up, everyone with your matching phone number and/or Apple Account will see your chosen contact picture and personalized Contact Poster.

I'll show you how to set one up; the process might look familiar if you've set up a custom Lock Screen.

How to create a Contact Poster on iPhone

Introduced in iOS 17, Contact Posters turn your iPhone contact card into a shareable bit of self-expression. Rather than displaying a default thumbnail, you can choose and customize a photo, Memoji or a classy-looking monogram that shows up on someone's screen when you call them.

This guide will walk you through how to pick the perfect portrait, add filters, tweak colors, choose fonts or go full Memoji - and once you tap "Done," your customized Contact Poster becomes the image that pops up whenever you reach out.

They're more than cosmetic, though. Contact Posters transform the bland incoming call screen into a personal, expressive calling card. Contact Posters give you a way to project professionalism, personality or a bit of style before you even say "hello."

Create one for yourself, and everyone you call can see the image you choose, with all your customizations. And if your friends drop the ball and can't be bothered to make one for themselves, you can make one for them.

Table of contents: How to create an iPhone Contact Poster

1. Choose a Contact Poster style

2. How to edit a Photo Contact Poster

3. How to make a Memoji Contact Poster

4. How to make a Monogram Contact Poster

5. Instantly swap your contact info

6. More iPhone customization features

Choose a Contact Poster style

To make a Contact Poster, open the Contacts app (or go to the Contacts tab of the Phone app, where you'll find your contact card at the very top). Tap My Card and tap on Shared Name & Photo. Tap the Poster tab at the top.

You can create three kinds of Contact Posters: Photo, Memoji or Monogram. I'll run through how each of these work.

How to edit a Photo Contact Poster

Tap on one of the suggestions under "Photos" as a starting point, or tap the New Photo button to the left to choose one.

This interface looks very similar to creating a custom iPhone Lock Screen. You pick a photo - preferably a vertical one - from your library. Photos taken with Portrait mode work great because your phone can easily separate you from the background to apply color effects. Just don't crop yourself out of a group photo - everyone can tell when you do that.

Next, it's time to edit your photo so it looks great. Swipe left and right between various filters on the image to help separate your face from the background. You can tap on the color circle in the bottom right to pick an accent color.

Then, tap on your name at the top of the screen to customize the font, color and weight. With two fingers, you can zoom and drag the picture around on the screen to achieve the perfect position that works with the other elements of your custom Contact Poster.

Tap Done when you're satisfied.

How to make a Memoji Contact Poster

If you don't want to present an actual picture of yourself, you can use the Memoji Contact Poster. Pick a Memoji from the list - one of the stock animals or one you created of yourself. (Read our how-to: How to make a great Memoji.)

You can pick a preset face - winking, tongue out, thumbs up, etc. - or capture an expression from your own face. A few of the Memoji presets show torsos and arms. While these look marginally less weird than the floating heads, I find the poses a bit awkward.

As before, you can customize the background color of the Contact Poster and the color of your name. Tap Done to save your changes.

How to make a Monogram Contact Poster

Want something that's more typeface and less of your face? With the Monogram option, you enter simply your initials - up to three characters - and pick a color. The font of your initials that appears front and center on the Monogram Contact Poster matches whatever you set for your full name up top.

When creating a Monogram Contact Poster, you have a limited font selection - even fewer than with the custom Lock Screen feature. You can choose from the system font, a rounded version, a condensed version and a nice serif font. If you're pretentious enough to make a monogram of your name, just go ahead and use the fancy serif font.

Tap Done to save your changes.

Instantly swap your contact info

Once you're finished, you'll see your freshly created Contact Poster in a few different places. If you meet someone new, you can hold your phones together to quickly exchange contact info using NameDrop - and you'll see each other's Contact Posters. (You can also start SharePlay using the same feature.)

When you get a phone call from someone you know, if they have a Contact Poster set up, you'll see it on a beautiful new incoming call screen.

Contact Posters may not have taken off in the same way that custom Lock Screens and Home Screens have, but a nicely made one will always impress.

More iPhone customization features

iPhone customization has taken some big steps forward in the last few years. Home Screen widgets opened the floodgates with iOS 14 in 2020. Using apps like Widgetsmith, people could create aesthetic, cutesy and highly personalized Home Screens. Two years later, Lock Screens got a major upgrade with iOS 16. Apple built in loads of awesome styles, with plenty of features to make your photos look unique.

Here are some other ways to customize your iPhone.

You can fully customize your iPhone's Home Screen. Place icons anywhere on the screen. Fans of dark mode can now enjoy alternate dark mode icons. If you have a color theme you want to match, you can tint icons to any hue you want.

You can edit the buttons in the iPhone's Control Center. You can add loads of toggles and buttons, including those from third-party apps. You can resize some buttons to make them more prominent, and you can arrange your controls across multiple pages. In one fluid motion, you can swipe down to activate Control Center and continue swiping down to scroll through your pages.

StandBy mode turns your phone into a smart display when it's sitting on your desk, your nightstand or the kitchen counter.

Customize your iPhone's Lock Screen with a bunch of widgets, aesthetics and styles. You have loads of fonts, colors, styles and themes available.

We originally published this how-to on creating iPhone Contact Posters on June 14, 2023. We updated it with the latest information on September 25, 2023; June 3, 2024; and December 3, 2025.

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Make calls more personal: Your guide to creating custom iPhone Contact Posters

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Contact Posters let you customize how your contact card looks to other people when you call them from your iPhone.

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How to ping your lost Apple Watch from your iPhone

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How to ping your lost Apple Watch from your iPhone

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You can ping a lost Apple Watch from your iPhone. The reverse has always been one of the best uses of an Apple Watch.

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How to stop your AirPods from switching between devices

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If you’re trying to listen to podcasts or music on your phone, it can be annoying when your AirPods keep switching to other devices.

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How to stop your AirPods from switching between devices

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How to see iPhone Live Activities on car’s screen in iOS 26

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Learn how to get active Live Activities from your iPhone apps on your car’s display when using wired or wireless CarPlay in iOS 26.

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How to see iPhone Live Activities on car’s screen in iOS 26

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How to take Scrolling Screenshots on iPhone: Step-by-Step Guide

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How to take Scrolling Screenshots on iPhone: Step-by-Step Guide

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Limited Apps support Apple’s native Scrolling Screenshot feature.

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My 5 favorite tricks in Apple's new Preview app - and how I use them on my iPhone

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My 5 favorite tricks in Apple’s new Preview app - and how I use them on my iPhone

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The Preview app on iPhone is pretty impressive. Here’s which features have won me over so far.

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You Can Store Your Car Keys On Your iPhone - Here’s How - BGR

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With Apple’s digital car key in Wallet, your iPhone connects to your vehicle via NFC, letting you unlock and start your car just by tapping your phone.

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You Can Store Your Car Keys On Your iPhone - Here's How

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Learn about your options to turn off all text, app, and call notifications or distractions when you're on an important phone call on your iPhone.

While browsing the Apple Community forum, I came across an interesting question: a person asked about turning off app notifications when they are on a phone call.

Now, it does make sense to have no sound or visual disturbances when you're on an important phone call, such as a job interview or talking to a special someone after a long time. Secondly, the new notifications can also cause confusion when you're taking notes during a phone call.

Because of these reasons, you may want to turn off all alerts during a call on your iPhone. Now, the good news is that it's really easy to do this manually, and the bad news is that there isn't yet a way to automate it, even in iOS 26. We'll tell you about what works and what doesn't.

Turn on DND when on a phone call

The best, easiest, and frankly the only practical way to disable all notifications when you're on a phone call is to open Control Center from the call screen and tap the crescent moon icon to activate Do Not Disturb (DND).

DND will mute all text and app notifications so you can have a distraction-free calling experience. Apple also encourages you to turn on DND when you're sharing your iPhone screen on FaceTime, WhatsApp, Telegram, or other video calls, so the people you're sharing your screen with can't read the contents of your text or sensitive app alerts.

The next crucial thing to keep in mind is that once you end the call, return to Control Center and turn off Do Not Disturb. If you forget to do so, you may miss important phone calls, texts, and app notifications.

Aside from DND, you can also turn on silent mode during a phone call. This will mute sound for new notifications but still show them temporarily as banners at the top of your iPhone screen.

Turn off banner notifications and sounds of disturbing apps

Imagine your work or personal life involves spending hours on phone calls, and there are a few gaming or unproductive apps whose notifications disturb you constantly. To tackle this, simply go to iPhone Settings > Notifications > app > and turn off Allow Notifications or turn off Sounds and Banners.

Similarly, if you get disturbed by a person or group chat, go to Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, or the concerned texting app and mute them.

Turn off call waiting

When you're on a phone call, and someone else calls you, their call will appear as waiting on your screen. While this is helpful for most people, if you think otherwise, you can turn it off from iPhone Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Waiting.

Disable Hold Assist Detection

Hold Assist is a new iOS 26 feature that lets your iPhone wait on hold for you during a customer care call. Once the live agent (i.e., a human support staff) joins your call, your iPhone will alert you to get back to the call.

Your iPhone can understand the waiting music on such calls and show a banner to activate Hold Assist. If you don't want to get this visual alert, go to iOS 26 Settings > Apps > Phone and turn off Hold Assist Detection. Remember that even after turning it off, you can still enable Hold Assist when needed by tapping the three dots icon on the phone call screen.

What doesn't work

Lastly, here are some things that don't work to silence app notifications when on a phone call.

1) The Automation option inside the stock Apple Shortcuts app is one of the most powerful features that's often overlooked. We have covered several tutorials related to this. Unfortunately, as of iOS 26, there isn't a way to build an automation that puts your iPhone in Do Not Disturb mode when you're on a phone call, and turns DND off once the call ends.

2) The 'Set a Schedule' option for Do Not Disturb and other Focus modes allows you to activate that said Focus automatically at specific times, locations, or app launches. So, you can set it to activate DND when you open the Phone app. But that's not useful because when you pick up an incoming call or make a call, the call interface itself is technically different from the Phone app (screenshot below). Hence, DND or other Focus will turn off automatically, defeating the purpose.

3) I couldn't build an effective iOS shortcut nor find one on the web that silences alerts when you're on a phone call.

4) Lastly, there isn't anything yet in the iOS Phone or FaceTime app settings that auto-mutes all alerts during phone calls.

So, you're pretty much limited to manually turning on Do Not Disturb before going on an important call or during one. And after the call ends, you must remember to turn DND off, else you'll miss useful app notifications, texts, and phone calls.

Also, check out: 15 new features added to the iPhone Phone app in iOS 26

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How to disable all notifications when on a call on iPhone

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Learn how to turn off all text, app, and call notifications and distractions when you're on an important phone call on your iPhone.

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How to disable all notifications when on a call on iPhone

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Stop texting passwords! There’s a safe, easy way to share them on iPhone.

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Stop texting passwords! There’s a safe, easy way to share them on iPhone.

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You can share passwords on iPhone automatically with your whole family, so you don’t need to let everyone know every time a password changes.

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How to Save Photos Captured Via Messages Camera (or Not)

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Taking photos by opening your Camera app directly from your Messages app is a quicker way to share something with the person you are chatting with. This version of the Camera app is a lot more basic with fewer features, so the photos won't be as good as regular ones. This is why some people don't want them to auto-save to their Photos Library, but others do-I'll let you decide.

Why You'll Love This Tip

Declutter your photo library by not autosaving photos you take directly via the Messages app.

Save room on your iPhone storage by only saving the photos you wish to keep.

Decide Which Photos to Keep from Messages Camera Feature

System Requirements
This tip was performed on an iPhone 17 Pro Max running iOS 26.1. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.
When you snap a photo using the Camera app directly from your Messages app, you'll get an easy-to-share photo that you might not want in your photo library. Or maybe you do. For more tips iPhone tips, don't forget to check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter. I'll teach you how to toggle this feature on or off based on your preference.

1. Open Settings.

2. Tap Camera.

3. Scroll to the very bottom and toggle on Save Captures to Photo Library.

If you toggle this off, you will still have the option to save the photo you took from the text thread, it just won't happen automatically.

Now you know how to choose if the photos you take via the Messages app get automatically saved in your Photo Library or stay in your text thread without cluttering up your phone. This is a fun trick to help you customize your iPhone based on your personal preferences.
Top image credit: The-DesignStudio / Shutterstock.com
Olena Kagui is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life. In the last 10 years, she has been published in dozens of publications internationally and won an excellence award. Since joining iPhone Life in 2020, she has written how-to articles as well as complex guides about Apple products, software, and apps. Olena grew up using Macs and exploring all the latest tech. Her Maui home is the epitome of an Apple ecosystem, full of compatible smart gear to boot. Olena's favorite device is the Apple Watch Ultra because it can survive all her adventures and travels, and even her furbabies.

Learn about Olena

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How to Save Photos Captured Via Messages Camera (or Not)

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Taking photos by opening your Camera app directly from your Messages app is a quicker way to share something with the person you are chatting with. This version of the Camera app is a lot more basic with fewer features, so the photos won't be as good as regular ones.

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Yes, you can print anything from your phone—here’s how

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Yes, you can print anything from your phone—here’s how

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iOS 26’s Shortcuts app adds 25+ new actions, here’s everything new - 9to5Mac

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When iOS 26 launched, it brought a variety of upgrades and expansions to the Shortcuts app, including 25+ brand new actions.

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iOS 26’s Shortcuts app adds 25+ new actions, here’s everything new

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How to use digital IDs in Apple Wallet & where they are supported | AppleInsider

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How to use digital IDs in Apple Wallet & where they are supported | AppleInsider

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In a growing number of states, now including West Virginia, you can add your ID to Apple Wallet. Here’s how to add them, how they work, what the limitations are, and what they can do.

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iOS 26 Is Out: Here's a Cheat Sheet for Your iPhone

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Here's how to use the latest iPhone features and what could land on your phone next.

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iOS 26 Is Out: Here's a Cheat Sheet for Your iPhone

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How to set parental controls on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26

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Apple’s iOS 26 makes it easier than ever for parents to set up Child Accounts, with stronger safeguards and more control over what kids can see and do. Here’s how to use it.

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How to insert the current date and time with a shortcut on Mac

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Learn how to use a Mac shortcut to quickly enter the current date and/or time in a text field without typing those details manually.

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How to fix Apple Music songs not downloading on Apple Watch

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If you can’t save songs from Apple Music for offline listening on your Apple Watch, here’s everything you need to do to fix this issue.

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With visionOS 26 and later, you can add prism values from your prescription to adjust the displays in Apple Vision Pro.

The Digital Prism Correction feature is only for those with prism values in their vision prescription from an eye-care professional. You'll need your prism values to complete setup. Not all prism prescriptions are supported. ¹

This feature is available only in the U.S. and U.S. territories. ²

Setting up this feature resets any eye-comfort adjustments that you've made to your Apple Vision Pro displays. You can make eye-comfort adjustments again after setup, if needed.

Your Apple Vision Pro needs visionOS 26 or later. Learn how to update visionOS.

1. Open Settings in your Apple Vision Pro, then tap Eyes & Hands.

2. Under Displays & Optical Inserts, tap the more buttonmore button next to your ZEISS Optical Inserts. If you don't use ZEISS Optical Inserts, tap the next to Default Displays.

3. Tap Add Prism Prescription. The prism setup window appears, and all other content is hidden. You can cancel setup at any time and return to your Apple Vision Pro view by double pressing the Digital Crown.

4. The setup window asks if prism values are part of your prescription. Press the Digital Crown to select Yes, Prism Is in My Prescription. Or rotate the Digital Crown to select No, Prism Is Not in My Prescription. If you select No, the setup process ends.

5. Which type of prism values are in your prescription? Select Base or Angle.

6. Select an eye to start with: Right Eye - OD or Left Eye - OS.

7. If your prescription has Base values, select Base In (BI) or Base Out (BO) to add any relevant values for the eye you selected. Then select Base Up (BU) or Base Down (BD) to add those values if they're in your prescription. If your prescription has Angle values, set the angle in degrees to add any relevant values for the eye you selected.

8. Do the same for your other eye, if needed.

9. Select Confirm when you're finished adding prism values.

10. Apple Vision Pro asks you to look at a series of dots and tap each one to complete the eye setup. Follow the onscreen instructions.

1. Open Settings in your Apple Vision Pro.

2. Tap Eyes & Hands.

3. Under Displays & Optical Inserts, tap the more button next to the ZEISS Optical Inserts or the Default Displays that you added prism values to.

4. Tap Update Prism Prescription or Remove Prism Prescription.

When you let another person use your Apple Vision Pro with Guest User, they can use the Digital Prism Correction feature if they've set up the feature before on another Vision Pro and saved their setup information to their iPhone or iPad.

Your guest's prism values will be applied to your Apple Vision Pro when they use their iPhone or iPad to start a Guest User session. When the Guest User session ends, your Vision Pro returns to your settings.

Contact Apple Support if you need help with the Digital Prism Correction feature in Apple Vision Pro. If you have questions about your vision prescription, consult an eye-care professional.

1. The Digital Prism Correction feature supports prism prescriptions up to 7.75 Prism Diopters (PD) in the horizontal and/or vertical direction - i.e., base-in (BI), base-out (BO), base-up (BU), and base-down (BD) - and the equivalent range in polar direction (0-359°), per eye.

2. America Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Use Digital Prism Correction in Apple Vision Pro - Apple Support

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With visionOS 26 and later, you can add prism values from your prescription to adjust the displays in Apple Vision Pro.

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Here’s everything new for Apple Wallet in iOS 26 - 9to5Mac

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Apple Wallet is getting a big update in iOS 26, with a variety of new features joining the Liquid Glass redesign.

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How to Turn Off Apple Music Song Transitions

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How to Turn Off Apple Music Song Transitions

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Apple Music’s AutoMix is a pretty cool feature when it works as it’s intended. However, for some songs, particularly ones where the artist sings right up until the last second, AutoMix can lead to some awkward transitions in which the next song starts playing before the current one ends. As a result, you might want to turn this feature off.

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Your iPhone has a custom voice command feature — here’s how to use it

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Get your iPhone to perform a host of tasks by simply asking for them — without Siri

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What is Enhance Dialogue in Apple Podcasts and how to use it?

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Learn how to enhance dialogue in Apple Podcasts on the iPhone and iPad to boost voices, reduce noise, and enjoy clearer spoken audio when listening to your favorite shows.

The Enhance Dialogue feature from the built-in TV app has leaped onto the Apple Podcasts app on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. With it turned on, voices won't be muffled or drowned in background sounds and audio effects. If you stumble upon a podcast episode where it's difficult to hear spoken words clearly, then this is for you.

Utilizing computational audio, the Enhance Dialogue feature isolates voices and amplifies spoken words, making it easier to hear the host and their guests.

The Enhance Dialogue feature is only available in the Apple Podcasts app on iPhone and iPad, running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. It isn't available on Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, or HomePod. Furthermore, it won't work when you use AirPlay on your iPhone or iPad.

Turn on Enhance Dialogue for clearer audio podcasts

1. Launch the built-in Podcasts app on your iPhone or iPad, and play any show.

2. Pull up the Now Playing screen to access all playback controls.

3. Tap the 1x playback speed button and select Enhance Dialogue in the menu.

The Podcasts app will now process audio to make the voices clearer, but you may not notice a discernible difference for some shows. When Enhance Dialogue is turned on, a small dot (.) will appear below the playback speed button (1x).

Enhance Dialogue remains turned on when switching to another episode or show, meaning it works as a global setting. However, I would have loved it if there were a per-show Enhance Dialogue setting. For example, while I do want the voices amplified a bit for talk-heavy shows like Huberman Lab or Lex Fridman Podcast, I don't need extra processing when enjoying something like CLUBLIFE by Tiesto.

If Apple Podcasts isn't your first choice...

While the vocal boost enabled by Enhance Dialogue is new to the Apple Podcasts app, similar features have been available in third-party apps for some time now.

Overcast, arguably one of the best podcast apps for iOS devices, has a Voice Boost option to make the voices clearer. Similarly, Pocket Casts allows you to turn on the Volume Boost toggle to make the audio louder and easier to hear.
Which shows do you hear regularly? And will you be using this new vocal booster feature? Share in the comments below.

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What is Enhance Dialogue in Apple Podcasts and how to use it?

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Learn how to enhance dialogue in Apple Podcasts to boost voices, reduce noise, and enjoy clearer audio when listening to episodes.

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How to use Siri with ChatGPT on older iPhones without Apple Intelligence

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Millions of iPhone owners can still use Siri with ChatGPT, even without Apple’s official integration. Here’s how to use ChatGPT on your older iPhone.

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How to use Siri with ChatGPT on older iPhones without Apple Intelligence