• January 23, 2025

    Mail on the iPhone Can Categorize Your Messages in iOS 18.2

    Apple slipped a significant new feature into Mail in iOS 18.2 that has nothing to do with Apple Intelligence: Categories. Like Gmail and other email apps, Mail can now automatically categorize messages into four buckets: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. The idea is that categories make it easier to pay attention to important messages while collecting other messages for later proc... Read more
  • January 21, 2025

    Improve Your Hearing with the AirPods Pro 2 and iOS 18

    For many, Apple’s AirPods are just another pair of earbuds: a convenient way to listen to media. But with the latest versions of iOS and automatically applied firmware updates, the AirPods Pro 2 have become significantly more interesting. They have long had noise cancellation features, which we find... Read more
  • January 16, 2025

    What You Can Do with the December Wave of Apple Intelligence Features

    The first set of Apple Intelligence features appeared in macOS, iOS, and iPadOS in October. Apple has now debuted the second set in the December releases of macOS 15.2 Sequoia, iOS 18.2, and... Read more
  • January 14, 2025

    Manage Default Apps in One Place in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2

    An unheralded feature in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 helps you manage the default apps on your iPhone and iPad. A default app is one that opens automatically for a particular function, like opening a Web link or inserting a saved password. Previously, the only way to change a default app was within the settings for that app, but now you can go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps to see and set... Read more
  • December 19, 2024

    Safari 18 Adds Highlights, Distraction Control, Redesigned Reader, and Video Viewer

    Alongside this year’s crop of operating systems comes Safari 18, the latest version of Apple’s Web browser. Most of what you do in Safari depends on the websites you use, of course, but Apple has added a handful of features aimed at improving your overall browsing experience, including Highlights, Distraction Control, a redesigned Reader, and Video Viewer. We’ll focus on the Mac with macOS 1... Read more
  • December 5, 2024

    In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Quickly Turn Home Screen App Icons into Widgets

    Widgets on the iPhone or iPad Home Screen are enhanced versions of app icons that display extra information. You can now bypass the complicated widget creation process and experiment with widgets more easily. No longer do you have to edit the Home Screen, tap the Edit button, tap Add Widget, choose a widget from the full set of choices, and position it as desired. Instead, touch and hold an app... Read more
  • October 22, 2024

    In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Control Center Is Now Highly Customizable

    Control Center has been a part of our iPhone and iPad experience for over a decade, first appearing in iOS 7 in 2013. It provides direct access to important controls so we don’t have to hunt through Settings or apps. On the whole, it has been a welcome addition. Although Control Center has changed a bit over the years, it provided relatively minimal customization options until iOS 18 and iPa... Read more
  • October 17, 2024

    Passwords Becomes a Real App in macOS 15 Sequoia, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18

    Although we’re still fans of 1Password, and there are plenty of other good password managers out there, like BitWarden and Dashlane, Apple has finally removed the last hurdle to using its bu... Read more
  • October 15, 2024

    Restrict Access to Sensitive Apps in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18

    Do you worry about family members with whom you’re otherwise happy to share your iPhone passcode reading your private diary in a journaling app? Or perhaps you want to keep your child out of apps where they could cause mischief. A new feature in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 lets you use Face ID or Touch ID to restrict access to specific apps, optionally hiding them in the process. Touch and hold the ap... Read more