We're less than a week away from Glowtime, people! That's right, we're ready to see an iPhone 16 reveal event in just a few days, and that's not all - expect a first look at new Apple Watch models, too, and potentially even new Apple Intelligence features.

With the event kicking off on September 9, here's everything we know so far - including how you can tune in and enjoy it, even if you didn't get one of Apple's slick invites.

How to watch Apple’s iPhone 16 event “Glowtime”

The easiest way to watch the iPhone 16 keynote on Monday is through YouTube, with the stream likely to go live 15 minutes before kick-off time.

You'll find the stream below here, and if you log in you can opt to be reminded when it goes live, too.

If you already have an Apple device, you can watch the Glowtime event on your iPhone, Mac, or iPad through Apple's website, and it'll be streaming on tvOS' Watch Now section, too.

iPhone 16 — Into the unknown

There's plenty to look forward to this year with the iPhone lineup. Between the arrival of AI features under the Apple Intelligence banner, to the usual camera and chip improvements and the potential for a new Capture button, it could be another solid iPhone year.

As for the Apple Watch, the long-anticipated Apple Watch X could offer a drastic change, while we're also expecting an Apple Watch Ultra 3, too!

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

macOS Sequoia (also known as macOS 15) is inching closer, and it's packing a few nifty features. From iPhone Mirroring, to a new Passwords app, there's a little something for just about everyone.

One of the major features that we've been waiting for for years is an updated suite of Window Management tools. Traditionally the domain of Windows (it's in the name, after all), Mac users have needed to use third-party apps like Magnet or Moom to be able to snap windows side by side or in a variety of configurations, but macOS Sequoia will finally bake it into the OS.

It's remarkably easy to use, but there are also a variety of additional features you may not have spotted if you're running the beta.

Here's how to get the most out of window snapping in macOS Sequoia.

How to use Window Tiling in macOS Sequoia

If you've used any Windows machine in the last decade and a half, you'll likely know what to expect from window snapping - and it works similarly on macOS Sequoia.

Click to drag a window, and move it around, and by holding it for a second or two along the side of your screen you'll have the option to snap it to that side.

It's a little finicky in the current beta, but it'll likely get better with time. Other apps can't get smaller than a certain size, though, so your mileage may vary.

You can hold your cursor over the green "traffic light" button on your app window, hold the click, and select a preset area there, too. Options include half-screen options, full-screen, and tiling with a couple of apps together.

The full-screen options allow for multiple apps to run on each side of the display, entirely borderless, too.

Additional window management options

If you head into the System Settings app on your Mac, and then Desktop & Dock, there are a few options inside the menu.

You can toggle "Tile by dragging windows to screen edges" on and off, as well as "Hold Option key while dragging windows to tile". The latter makes it easier to allocate space on your display, but Tiled windows will have small borders between them.

You can turn that off by toggling off "Tiled windows have margins". Try experimenting with the settings to find what works best for you.

What about third-party apps?

If you're already comfortable using an app like Magnet, you don't have to give it up just yet.

Third-party window tiling apps will still be able to be used with macOS Sequoia - but it's good to know Apple finally has an option, too.

Personally, I'll stick with Magnet. It's not that I don't like Apple's built-in option in macOS Sequoia, but it has a whole host of keyboard shortcuts that make it much easier to shift my active apps around.

iOS 18 is likely just weeks away at the time of writing, but if you're using the beta already you'll know there are plenty of new features you can test drive right now.

And, while RCS messaging is definitely one of the headline features of Messages this year, we'd be remiss if we didn't shine a spotlight on the fun new text effects making their debut in iOS 18.

Ideal for making a statement in a crowded group chat, or just to add a little of your own personal flair to text messages, things are a little different this year since you can now apply effects to single words or phrases - not just the entirety of a message.

Here's how to have fun with text effects on iOS 18.

How to use text effects in Messages on iOS 18

Text effects are available as part of Messages, but they'll only work between iPhones and other Apple devices - sorry, green bubble users.

Still, they're easy to use and fun to experiment with. You can only use one at a time, however, although the formatting options (Bold, Italic, Underline and Strikethrough) are able to be used all at once. You can use multiple text effects on separate words in the same message, though.

1. Open your Messages app, and prepare to start typing a new message or replying to an existing chat
2. Tap the text box where you enter your text, then tap the 'A' icon on the right-hand side of the predictive text options.
3. Select your formatting option between Bold, Italic, Underline, or Strikethrough, or use one of the eight included text effect options.

You can also highlight the words, tap on them to open the 'Cut/Paste' menu, and press the arrow from there to reach Text Effects. The A symbol is likely quicker, though.

All text effects available in iOS 18

There are eight text effects in iOS 18 -  here's the list:

• Big - as the name suggests, this will cause your chosen word or phrase to appear larger, adding emphasis.
• Small - use this to make a more subtle point.
• Shake - make your word selection shift from side to side.
• Nod - agree with a point? This will let your words shift up and down in agreement.
• Explode - this one sends your letters flying.
• Ripple - this text effect adds a touch of sarcasm, I'd say.
• Bloom - Bloom highlights your word, letter by letter, so it catches the eye.
• Jitter - Give your word a nervous shake.

As stated above, you can add multiple text effects to the same message, so long as you're using different words for each.

So, you can highlight, the first half of your message and use Big, and the second half to use Small, if you were so inclined.

Personally, I like the idea of using Explode on a 'Hello', before following up with a Bloom later in the message - just for fun.

Will you be using any of the text effect features in iOS 18 when it arrives? Let us know in the comments.

What about message effects?

Despite the arrival of text effects, you can still use message effects. Just hold down the send button and you'll still have access to Slam, Loud, Gentle, and Invisible Ink - the latter of which is often a godsend for spoilers.

Apple's next iteration of watchOS, watchOS 11, is coming soon, and it's finally going to let you take a rest day.

The fitness tracker has been encouraging us to close our activity rings since 2015, but it's always cut your streak short if you don't hit your goal - even if you had a good reason.

Whether it's a rest day, illness, an injury, or just traveling for a long period of time, our streaks have been consigned to history - but no longer.

WatchOS 11 will let you pause your activity rings for a period of time, meaning you can pick up when you've recovered or it's safe to do so. Here's how to pause your Apple Watch activity streaks.

How to pause activity streaks in watchOS 11

While much of your Apple Watch can be interfaced with by using the Watch app on your iPhone, you can do this directly on the Apple Watch with watchOS 11.

Here's how it's done:

1. Open the Fitness app on your Apple Watch
2. Tap the Summary button in the top-left corner (that's the bar graph)
3. Scroll down using the display or the Digital Crown and select 'Pause Rings'
4. You can then select from options for "Today", "Until Monday", "Until [Next Month]", or set a Custom date.

You can also pause your activity rings using our iPhone, too. If you're using iOS 18, open the Fitness app.

• Tap the Activity Rings section
• Scroll down and press the green 'Pause Rings' button
• Again, you'll get options for "Today", "Until Monday", "Until [Next Month]", or set a Custom date.

Reasons to pause your activity rings

As mentioned above, there are plenty of reasons you may want to pause your activity rings. For one, you might be traveling, and a long-haul flight is less than ideal for getting your steps in, no matter how many times you march up and down the cabin.

It can also be useful when you're recovering from an injury, or even just strenuous exercise the day before - if you've run a marathon on Saturday, you may want to enjoy a day sitting down on Sunday, but that shouldn't impact your streak.

It can also be nice to have a rest day. If you're working out with weights, your rest days are where your muscles start to rebuild to come back stronger - so it's key to give them a chance to do so without your Apple Watch nagging you to get out there.

I also acknowledge that this will only be a consideration for some people, and others won't mind too much if their streaks fade away. Still, it's good to have the option to preserve them, especially if you're particularly proud of them.

One of Apple Intelligence's big new features, its Siri overhaul, is still yet to arrive as of the time of writing but should hit iPhones before the end of 2024.

Thankfully, among the features available in beta right now is the ability to type to Apple's voice assistant instead, and it's infinitely better than muddling through awkward conversation with it.

Here's how to text with Siri in iOS 18, and why it's so much better than using your voice.

How to type to Siri on iOS 18

While you can trigger Siri's slick new animation by holding your iPhone's side button, that only invokes the voice commands we've been using for years (at least until the latter stages of Apple's assistant's upgrade hit iPhones).

Typing to Siri is a little less obvious, but it requires you to tap twice at the bottom of your screen - the same area where you'd drag up to go back to the home screen.

This means you can use it on any part of the iOS, letting you pull up Siri while in the middle of something. The Siri keyboard is denoted by the pinkish glow that covers it, and you can still switch to dictation with the mic button in the bottom right corner. 

1. On your iPhone, double tap the bottom 'bar'
2. Type your request to Siri in the keyboard that appears
3. Press the send button as if you were sending an iMessage

Siri's responses drop down from the top of the screen, too. While it doesn't take up the entire screen (at least on a Pro Max phone), it's pretty close. It also tends to default to a web search, and then one tap can launch you into your default browser - so you're not tied into Safari.

It's worth noting that Siri hasn't got the major upgrade that's expected with a later version of iOS 18, so it's not able to work with personal context or on-screen awareness as Apple showed off in its impressive WWDC 2024 demos. So, it's still the same Siri you've had for a while, it's just now easier to get your point across.

In the current iOS 18.1 beta I've also had Siri get "stuck" at the bottom of the screen, just showing the Siri text entry window but no keyboard. Expect that to be ironed out in the coming weeks.

Why you should try texting Siri instead

Siri's voice recognition has long been a bone of contention for Apple users, with the assistant constantly getting things wrong despite its best efforts. Worse yet, it often assumes it knows what you need and offers something completely different.

Not only does texting Siri mean it's much easier to get your request across, but it saves you from having to speak to it in public when you might really just want to keep quiet - there's nothing worse than getting into a minor argument with Siri because it's getting confused yet again.

The iOS 18 update has brought a lot of changes to all the best iPhones, and one of the most interesting – and wide-ranging – is what’s happened to Control Center. Apple’s quick-access dashboard has had a total revamp, with more controls and greater ways to customize it.

Now, you can make icons larger or smaller, arrange them across multiple screens, power off your iPhone with a quick tap, and there are also new controls, from opening any app to launching Tap to Cash. As well as that, third-party apps can add their own Control Center icons. There are even a few Control Center-related changes in places you wouldn’t expect, like the Lock Screen and the Action button.

We’ve put together this guide to show you all the ways you can use Control Center's new features in iOS 18. Read on to get stuck in.

Adding and removing controls

A key component of the new Control Center is the ability to add and remove functions and controls, allowing you to customize your phone with more options than before. Got a page that’s already full of icons? Just add one and it will automatically be added to a new page for you.

1. First, swipe down from the top-right corner of either your Lock Screen or your Home Screen.
2. Now tap and hold any empty space on the screen, or tap the + button in the top-left corner.
3. Your Control Center icons will now be outlined with a pulsating line, and you’ll see a minus (-) symbol in their top-left corner. This shows that you’re in editing mode.
4. Tap the - button to remove a control, or tap Add a Control to add a new one.
5. When you add a new icon, you’ll be presented with a list of popular controls. Scroll down to see icons arranged by categories, or try searching for an icon using the box at the top of the screen.
6. When you’ve picked a control you want to add, just tap it and it will join the other icons in the Control Center.

Rearranging and resizing Control Center icons and widgets

Moving icons to new positions is a good way to make the Control Center work better for you. And for the first time, you no longer need to keep these icons at the sizes Apple has picked – you can enlarge or shrink them as well.

1. To move an icon to a new position, enter Control Center’s editing mode, then tap and hold on an icon. You can now move it to a new location.
2. If you want to move an icon onto a new Control Center page, you’ll first need to drag it to the top or bottom of your Control Center screen. Wait a second or two and the page will scroll for you, letting you drop the icon into place in its new home.
3. You’ll notice that, in editing mode, each Control Center icon has a thicker line in its bottom-right corner. You can drag this edge to resize the icon.
4. When you drag the corner, the icon will change size. As it gets larger or smaller, its appearance may change (for instance, text might be added alongside the icon). Note that some icons have restrictions, such as not being able to go more than three tiles wide. When you’re done, let go and tap an empty space on the screen to save your alterations.

Managing multiple Control Center screens

In iOS 18, you can swipe up or down between multiple Control Center screens. This is a good way to thematically arrange your controls (by default, there are pages for the Music and Home apps, for example) and keep things organized.

1. When you first start, you’ll notice there are pages for favorites, music, home, and connectivity (each with an icon on the right-hand side of the Control Center). You can remove these pages if you like, or add new ones instead.
2. Enter the Control Center editing mode by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen and either pressing the + button or long-pressing a blank area of the screen.
3. Swipe down through all of your existing pages until you come to a blank one. You can start adding icons to this page by pressing the Add a Control button.
4. Each time you add a control to a blank page, you will be able to add an additional page below it.
5. To remove a page, you’ll need to delete all of its controls one by one, after which the page will be automatically removed. There’s currently no way to remove an entire page that is populated with controls without first getting rid of its existing icons.

Control Center on your Lock Screen

There’s another place you can find the Control Center: on your Lock Screen. It’s not the full setup, but you might recognize the flashlight and camera icons, which have been present on the iOS Lock Screen for a few years. In iOS 18, you can swap them out for different Control Center functions.

1. On your Lock Screen, tap and hold an empty space, then go to Customise > Lock Screen.
2. In the bottom-left and bottom-right corners are two quick-access icons (the torch and camera by default). Tap the - button to remove one, then tap the + button that appears in its place.
3. You’ll now see a list of functions that you can add to your Lock Screen. It’s a very similar list to the one you get when editing your Control Center screens.
4. Once you’ve picked a replacement control and added it to your Lock Screen, tap Done, then tap your Home Screen again or swipe up from the bottom to confirm your changes.

Control Center via the Action button

If your iPhone has an Action button, you can assign Control Center features to it, letting you quickly launch your favourite features with just a press.

1. Open the Settings app and go to Action Button > Controls.
2. Tap Choose a Control, then pick an option from the list (or search for one using the box at the top). This will assign your chosen control to the Action button.
3. Note that not every Control Center feature can be activated using the Action button, so make sure to check the whole list to ensure the feature you’re looking for is present.

Have you ever wanted to be part of Team Rocket in Pokémon GO? Turns out the game can almost make it possible!

Team Rocket has been the main antagonist of the Pokémon series since its inception in 1996. If you used to watch the original cartoon series, you'd be familiar with Jessie, James, and the Pokémon Meowth with its human vocabulary. In the games, including Pokémon GO, and Team Rocket are usually up to no good, and you need to stop them. But what if you want to pay homage to them by wearing their uniform?

With this in mind, we've created the guide below to help you choose between the outfits available, and how much each one costs.

Rock that Team Rocket look

A bunch of Team Rocket costumes have been available in the style shop in Pokémon GO for several years. There are currently four outfits you can buy:

• Team Rocket Cliff-Style Outfit - 300 coins
• Team Rocket Cliff-Style Outfit (Short Sleeve) - 300 coins
• Team Rocket Arlo-Style Outfit - 200 coins
• Team Rocket Arlo-Style Outfit (Black) - 200 coins

These costumes are almost on the high-end in the store when you see a bunch of tops and trousers that can be bought for 200 coins. If you find yourself low on coins, we recommend visiting some Gyms to build up your wallet.

However, if you do have enough coins, read on.

How to buy and equip a Team Rocket costume

Buying and equipping a Team Rocket costume is a simple affair:

1. Tap on your Avatar in the lower left-hand corner of the main screen
2. Tap on the Style option in your Avatar menu

3. Locate the Team Rocket costume pieces in the Style menu
4. Tap Exchange to pay for one of the costumes

Congratulations — you're now (unofficially) part of Team Rocket in Pokémon GO! Niantic, Pokémon GO's developer, usually updates the shop with new styles of tops, trousers and costumes.

Make sure to check every few weeks to see if they drop a new Team Rocket costume for your avatar to wear on your adventures!

Evolving Feebas and Wurmple in Pokémon Go requires a lot of patience, but the reward is well worth it.

These Pokémon come from Generation III of the series, first introduced in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, all originally released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003. If you remember playing these games, you may have some nostalgia for, not only catching Feebas and Wurmple but to evolve them for your collection.

It's not as simple as training them up to certain levels, standing back, and seeing them transform into a new form — these Pokémon have some unique requirements in order to start the process.

With this in mind, we've created the guide below to help lay out the steps needed to evolve Feebas and Wurmple.

How to evolve Feebas into Milotic in Pokémon Go

Milotic is a Water-type Pokémon. It evolves from Feebas, which is reminiscent of Magikarp. Unlike Gyarados and Magikarp candy, though, It doesn't take 400 Feebas candy to evolve Milotic. It only takes 100. But, it also takes Friendship.

Friendship is a mechanic we saw introduced in Pokémon Go Gen 2 where, in order to evolve an Eevee into Espeon or Umbreon, you had to make it your Buddy Pokémon and walk it for 10 KM.

Feebas is similar. But in order to evolve it into Miltoic, you need to walk it 20 KM.

Important: You can't just walk any Feebas for 20 KM in order to evolve one into Milotic. You need to walk the specific Feebas you want to evolve for 20 KM. That means, if you want a good (high iV) Milotic, you first need to find a good (high IV) Feebas. If you find a better Feebas you'd rather evolve, you'll have to start over.

1. Tap on your Avatar.
2. Tap on your Buddy.
3. Tap on the Switch button, bottom right.
4. Tap on Yes to confirm you want to switch buddies.
5. Choose the Feebas you want to walk.
6. Walk with your Feebas Buddy for 20 KM.
7. Collect 100 Feebas candy as you go (if you haven't already).
8. Tap on your Feebas Buddy.
9. Tap Evolve.

Once you're done, you'll have your Milotic. If you didn't get Waterfall and Surf as the Fast and Charge moves, you'll want to TM them at your soonest opportunity.

How to evolve Wurmple into Dustox and Beautifly

Wurmple is like the Caterpie of Gen 3. It's a little bug that only requires 12 candies to evolve into its second stage. Unlike Caterpie, Wurmple has a split second-stage evolution: It can evolve into either Cascoon or Silcoon.

Split evolutions are something we've seen since Gen 1, also with Eevee. Evolve an Eevee and you could get Flareon, Jolteon, or Vaporeon. Picture that, but with only two second-stage possibilities — and with each of those possibilities having a third stage evolution.

Important: Unlike Eevee in Gen 1, there's no trainer name trick you can use to guarantee control of at least one of each evolution. Unlike Eevee in Gen 2, there's also no Friendship mechanic and day vs. night trick to guarantee control over all evolutions. With Wurmple, second-stage evolutions seem to be totally and completely random.

1. Choose the Wurmple you want to evolve.
2. Tap Evolve.
3. Repeat as often as is necessary to get both Cascoon and Silcoon.
4. Evolve Cascoon into Dustox and Silcoon into Beautifly whenever you have the candy and the opportunity.

Did you know that there are regional exclusive Pokémon in Pokémon Go that can only be found in certain locations around the world? Having these Pokémon in your collection can earn you some serious bragging rights. But are they really worth the challenge to track down and catch?

Around the world, there are up to nine unique Pokémon that can only be found in certain regions. Kangaskhan, for example, can only be found in Australia. Keep in mind though, that Niantic, Pokémon Go's developer, has hosted special events in the past that can save you from traveling in different countries just to find certain exclusive Pokémon.

To help you on your quest, we've put together a guide below to highlight which Pokémon are exclusive to certain countries.

What are Regional Exclusive Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

Pokémon Go makes some Pokémon only available in certain regions of the world. Sometimes it's a country or island, a subcontinent or continent or part thereof, or in one case, coastlines around the equator. Whatever the region is, you have to go there to find its exclusive Pokémon.

What are the Regional Exclusive Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

There are over 40 regional exclusive Pokémon that can only be caught or hatched in specific parts of the world. While these Pokémon each have designated regions where they can be caught or hatched, there is the occasional overlap, as well as parts of regions that fall outside of the spawn areas. For example, the southern tip of Florida and Texas won't see the North American Regional Exclusive Tauros. Some Regional Exclusive Pokémon also swap regions periodically or during events.

Americas

• Bouffalant
• Carnivine
• Corsola (Tropical regions)
• Heracross
• Pachirisu
• Sigilyph (Southeastern USA)
• Tauros

Central and South America, Caribbean

• Corsola
• Heracross

Europe, Middle East, Africa

• Klefki (France)
• Mr. Mime
• Pansear
• Sigilyph (Greece, Egypt)
• Tropius
• Volbeat
• Zangoose

Asia

• Farfetch’d
• Kangaskhan
• Mime Jr.
• Pansage
• Relicanth
• Throh (Asia)
• Torkoal

Oceania

• Corsola (Tropical regions)
• Kangaskhan
• Relicanth
• Volbeat
• Zangoose

Do Pokémon Go Regional Exclusives ever change region?

They do! There are currently a few pairs that have swapped regions since their introduction, such as Zangoose and Seviper. Likewise, there is a trio of Legendary Pokémon, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, who swapped regions, giving Trainers a few weeks to attempt to catch each of them.

Have any Pokémon ever stopped being Regional and gone worldwide?

Plusle and Minun started off separately, like Zangoose and Seviper, but now both spawn globally. Rumor has it; that the Pokémon Company told Niantic the two best buddies shouldn't be separated.

Do Regionals sometimes appear in other regions, like during events?

Yes. Sometimes Regional Exclusive Pokémon will be included in events. It's almost always at real-world events like Go Fest Chicago, and sometimes during in-game events.

How do you catch Regionals in Pokémon Go?

You catch Regionals just like you catch any Pokémon in Pokémon Go but, if you have limited time or limited spawns, you're going to want to maximize your chances.

1. ABC. Always be curving. Once you can nail Curve Ball every time, you'll get a 1.7x bonus every time.
2. Max out your medals. Some are easier to get than others, but they consume no resources like Great or Ultra Balls or Razz Berries, so once you get them, that 1.1x to 1.3x is automatically applied each time.
3. Consistency counts. Aim for the smallest target you can nail every time. If that's Nice, it's nice. If that's Great or Excellent, even better. But the better the bonus you get the one you miss, and that extra 1.3 to 2x also doesn't consume resources and can make a difference.
4. Razz for real. Use Razz Berries when you need to. Unlike Great or Ultra Balls, you can't miss a Razz Berry, and its 1.5x bonus will last until you hit. For Golden Razz Berries, it's 2.5x!
5. Bump them Balls. Use Great and Ultra Balls to maximize your odds. You get an extra 1.5x for a Great Ball and 2x for an Ultra Ball, so use them to get those super rare or hard-to-catch Pokémon.

Trading for Regionals in Pokémon Go

If you just cannot afford to travel the globe in search of regionals, it is possible to trade with a friend who has. Well, for a price. If the Regional Pokémon is new to your Pokédex, it'll be considered a Special trade and cost both you and the person you're trading with a non-trivial amount of stardust. Here are the numbers:

• Friend: No Special Trades
• Good Friend: 20,000 Stardust
• Great Friend: 16,000 Stardust
• Ultra Friend: 1,600 Stardust
• Best Friend: 800 Stardust

There are restrictions on Trades based on Friendship level and location. This is, in part, to discourage people from selling Pokémon. While you can meet other players through Facebook, Discord, and Reddit, most players willing to trade Regional Exclusive Pokémon aren't going to ask for money or anything offline in return. If they do, it's probably a scam.

Apple Maps has received its biggest update in years thanks to iOS 18. Apple has crammed in a whole heap of new features for walking and hiking, as well as changes that make it easier to manage saved locations, find new places, use the app offline, and more.

You can now get a topographic view of hiking trails to help you better plan and understand the path you’ll be taking (note that it’s limited to the U.S. and Japan for now), and routes can be saved for offline viewing, which is helpful if you’ll be visiting an area with very poor cell reception. Elsewhere, locations are now better organized in the app’s library, with categories for Pinned, Places, Guides and Routes, making it easier to sort through all your saved spots.

Here, we’ll show you how to use the new features, from plotting custom walking routes to saving notes about your favorite locations on all the best iPhones.

Find popular hiking routes

We’ve mentioned a few of the new features coming to Maps in iOS 18 above, but there are more to explore.

1. If you want to quickly find new hiking ideas, navigate to an area, then type “hikes” in the search box to see a list of popular trails (make sure to select the search option that uses a green icon of a person hiking). You should see a preview of each hike’s route next to its name in the resulting list. This feature appears to be limited to the U.S. for now
2. Note that you can also search “hike”, “hike trail” or “trail” in the search box. Maps will show a list of trail starting points in the area. This is different to the “hikes” search in step 1 in that it doesn’t provide full, existing trail directions, only starting points. But it might still be useful for giving you ideas

How to plan a custom hike or walking route

You no longer have to rely on Apple’s own directions when you want to head off on a walk or hike. In iOS 18, you can plan your own routes with just a few taps. Here’s how it’s done.

1. In Maps, tap the search box and type “trailheads”. Maps will populate with trailheads in your area – each one uses a green icon with a signpost on it. Tap one, then tap Create a Custom Route
2. Alternatively, you can create a custom walking route from any starting point (not just a trailhead). To do so, tap your profile icon in Maps, then tap Library > Routes > Create Route
3. Whichever option you choose, you can now start building your custom route. Try tapping locations on the map – they will be added one-by-one to your route as it forms. As you go, Maps will show you distance, duration, and elevation details to keep you informed
4. You’ll see three options at the top of your route’s information box: Reverse, Out & Back, and Close Loop. Tap Reverse to switch the order of your path’s steps, Out & Back to create a route that goes to the end point and then retraces its steps, or Close Loop to have Maps finish creating the path by looping it back to your starting point
5. If you want to start your new route straight away, tap Directions. Otherwise, tap Save, give the route a name, enable the toggle to download it if you want to use it offline, and then tap Done. It will now be saved to your Maps library in the Routes section

Working with places and locations

The new Maps features in iOS 18 aren’t just limited to hiking. Apple has introduced new ways to interact with shops, bars, and other locations, as well as more options for the places you’ve saved to your library.

1. Open Maps and search for a type of location – “restaurants”, for example, or “vets”. Now swipe the map’s focus to a different area and tap Search here. You’ll now see the area updated with new locations that meet your search criteria
2. When you’ve found a place that you want to remember for later, tap its pin, then tap the + button in its card’s top-right corner to add it to your library of places. You can find it again by tapping your profile icon and going to Library > Places
3. Once a place is added to your library, you can add a note to it (don’t worry, no one else will see your notes). Just find the location, then tap Add a Note. You can do this to places not in your library by selecting a pin and tapping More > Add a Note. Creating a note in this way adds the location to your library automatically
4. As well as existing places, you can also save custom locations to your library. Press and hold a location to drop a pin (or Marked Location, in Apple’s terminology), then scroll down and tap Pin in the location’s information sheet. It will now be added to your library in the Pinned category
5. Alternatively, you can save a custom location by dropping a pin as usual and then tapping the + button in its information sheet. You will be prompted to give it a name; when you’re done, tap Save. This will add it to the Places category in your library

The best Pokémon in Pokémon Go will power you through trainer battles and let you take on Gyms with ease. They can help you take on a raid and they also just look cool when showing off to friends. Though Pokémon Go’s biggest mechanic is all about throwing Pokéballs, its battles can be a lot of fun if you do the necessary prep work. 

However, legendary Pokémon can be hard to get a hold of, and some haven’t shown up in the game for years. Here are the best Pokémon in Pokémon Go, split up into both legendary and non-legendary choices. 

Best legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Mewtwo  (Psychic)

Mewtwo is a classic choice thanks to its iconic look and great move set. With its Psychic typing, you are better off putting the likes of Confusion and Psystrike in its moves but, in a pinch, it can learn Fire, Ice, Electric, Fighting, Ghost, and Normal moves. 

Eternatus (Poison/Dragon)

With a fairly unique typing and super high CP stats, Eternatus is an excellent choice. It can learn fewer moves than Mewtwo with only Fire, Poison, and Dragon moves, but both Dragon and Poison moves get a boost thanks to its typing. 

Groudon (Ground/Fire)

Groudon has good moves in its moveset, with Ground and Fire-type moves getting a boost. It also has very high stats and can be mega-evolved into Primal Groudon to dish out even more damage. 

Zekrom (Dragon/Electric)

This choice is at its best when paired with Dragon and Electric moves and can do serious damage thanks to its high attack stat. For a more defensive playstyle, put Charge Beam and Outrage into its moves to offer some versatility. 

Best non-legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Slaking (Normal)

Slaking is a bit of an anomaly, having one of the very highest max CPs in the entire game. Being a Normal type, and therefore only weak to one type and not super effective against any, it can be a bit of a shakeup in a PVP team and might take the enemy by surprise. Yawn, its quick attack, generates energy, and Hyper Beam, its heavy attack, can take out enemies in a single brutal move. Slaking can also be mega evolved for more power.

Garchomp (Dragon/Ground) 

As you might expect from such a popular Pokémon, Garchomp is naturally a very good choice for any team thanks to high stats, and some great moves. It can take a while to get as it takes 125 candies and is pretty rare but it’s worth that effort for such a powerful choice. 

Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

Tyranitar is the closest you get to a Dragon-type Pokémon without actually having the Dragon typing. It looks like Godzilla, has huge stats, and can even mega evolve to do more damage. If you need Rock and Dark moves in your team, this is the best choice out there. 

Metagross (Steel/Psychic) 

Metagross’ unique typing gives it a nice moveset and it has both very high attack and defense stats, allowing it to stay alive for longer than most Pokémon. We recommend pairing it with Bullet Punch or Zen Headbutt, as well as Meteor Mash, though Earthquake is also a solid choice. Like some of our previous choices, this too can mega evolve. 

With a grouping of these choices, you should be able to beat any raid, conquer any gym, and take on any friend. 

As you start to reach the higher levels, the Pokémon Go level requirements can be a real pain to reach. However, they allow you to catch even more powerful Pokémon and give you the ultimate bragging rights. If you’re playing the game anyway, it’s worth eventually completing them. 

Once you start getting to the high 30s and low 40s, it’s worth planning ahead by stockpiling your eggs, holding onto incense, and not using up all your berries. If you’re looking for the level requirements to get through them a little quicker, here’s how to get all the way up to level 50. 

What are the Pokémon Go level requirements?

Level 41-50 Requirements Graphic from r/TheSilphRoad

Up to level 40, you simply need to collect EXP from activities to level up. You will need an awful lot though, with level 39 taking five million EXP to get there. It could take you months, though it will take a little less time once you learn how to level up the fastest. 

From level 40 onwards, not only do you have to earn an absurd amount of EXP but you have to complete challenges too. Here are all the challenges from level 40 to level 50. Any requirements that use medals will work retroactively and the rest have to be completed while you have the challenge. The members of a Pokémon Go subreddit have put together a nice infographic that you can click on above but, if you can’t see it, here are the level requirements:

Level 41

• Power up Legendary Pokémon 20 times
• Win 30 raids
• Catch 200 Pokémon in a single day
• Earn 5 gold medal

Level 42

• Evolve Eevee into each of its unique Evolutions
• Use items to evolve Pokémon 15 times
• Make 3 excellent throws
• Use 200 berries to help catch Pokémon

Level 43

• Earn 100,000 Stardust
• Use 200 supereffective Charged Attacks
• Catch 5 Legendary Pokémon
• Earn 5 platinum medals

Level 44

• Win 30 battles in the Great League
• Win 30 battles in the Ultra League
• Win 30 battles in the Master League
• Battle in the Go Battle League 20 times

level 45

• Defeat 100 Team Go Rocket Grunts
• Purify 100 Shadow Pokémon
• Defeat a Team Go Rocket Leader 50 times
• Earn 10 platinum medals

Level 46

• Complete 100 Field Research tasks
• Take a snapshot of Pokémon 7 days in a row
• Make 50 excellent throws
• Hatch 30 eggs

Level 47

• Win 30 raids using a team of all unique Pokémon species
• Win a three-star raid using only Pokémon with 1,500 CP or less
• Power up 3 Pokémon to their max CP
• Earn 20 platinum medals

Level 48

• Receive 10 Souvenirs from your buddy
• Earn 300 hearts with your buddy
• Walk 200 km with your buddy
• Walk 25 km in a week 8 times

Level 49

• Make 10 trades with Pokémon caught at least 300 km apart
• Obtain 50 Lucky Pokémon in trades
• Send 500 Gifts to friends
• Earn 35 platinum medals

Level 50

• Make 999 excellent throws
• Catch one of the next five Legendary Pokémon you encounter
• Defeat a Team Go Rocket Leader 3 times using only Pokémon with 2,500 CP or less
• Achieve rank 10 in the Go Battle League

Why you should take the time to get past level 40 in Pokémon Go

Not only do you get level rewards every level but getting to the game’s highest levels bumps up the CP on each Pokémon. This means, that if you want the strongest version of the strongest Pokémon in the game, you need to put in the time to increase your level. 

You need a Metal Coat to evolve two Pokémon in Pokémon Go and, though it may take you a while to get both of them, it is worth it. Used for Pokémon that get the Steel type added during evolution, this not only makes them much tougher via evolving but gives them access to new move types. 

Unfortunately, as it's an evolution item, you will be heavily reliant on RNG, though there’s one thing you can do to up your chances of getting your item. Here’s how to get Metal Coat in Pokémon Go and what to do once you’ve finally found one. 

How to get Metal Coat in Pokémon Go 

You have a 1% chance of getting an evolution item each time you spin a Pokéstop. As you can get any of the six evolution items each time, this means you have significantly less than a 1% chance of getting Metal Coat with every spin. However, there’s a more consistent method. 

Pokémon Go has a daily quest system, where you can unlock new quests by spinning Pokéstops. If you don’t like the quests you have been given, you can get rid of them and unlock more from fresh Pokéstops. Each new day that you do a quest gives you a stamp and, when you collect 7 stamps, you get a guaranteed evolution item. The following items can drop from this method: 

• Dragon scale
• King’s Rock
• Metal Coat
• Sinnoh Stone
• Sun Stone
• Unova Stone
• Upgrade

Which Pokémon evolve with Metal Coat in Pokémon Go?

As of right now, there are two Pokémon in Pokémon Go that evolve using Metal Coat. The first is Scyther, which evolves into Scizor with Metal Coat and 50 Scyther Candy. With a max CP of just shy of 3000, high attack stats, and a combination of Flying, Steel, Dark, Bug, and Normal moves, this can be a powerhouse on the right team. 

Next up is Onix, which evolves into Steelix with Metal Coat and 50 Onix candy. Capable of learning Electric, Steel, Dark, Ground, and even Psychic type moves, this is a solid Pokémon with decent stats to boot. 

Apple Intelligence is finally here (well, at least the first beta is), and you can try it out today. Some of Apple’s new AI features have been included in the iOS 18.1 developer beta so you can give features like proofreading, summarization, and rewriting a try. 

In this guide, we’ll show you how to install the Apple Intelligence beta on your iPhone so you can test out the new features before the official release later this year.

From installing the developer beta to joining the Apple Intelligence waitlist we’ve got you covered. So grab your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and let’s get started.

Apple Intelligence compatibility

To use Apple Intelligence early you’ll need to own a compatible device. Apple’s AI features are currently available on the best iPhones, best iPads, and best Macs. So if you own one of the following you’re in luck:

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPad Air (M1 and later)
• iPad Pro (M1 and later)
• MacBook Air (M1 and later)
• MacBook Pro (M1 and later)
• iMac (M1 and later)
• Mac mini (M1 and later)
• Mac Studio (M1 Max and later)
• Mac Pro (M2 Ultra)

Spot your device on the list? Keep reading. If not, you’ll need to upgrade to a newer device now or wait until the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro releases in the Fall.

How to install the Apple Intelligence developer beta

To access Apple Intelligence beta today you’ll need to install the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta on your compatible device. We highly advise you not to do this on your daily drivers as developer betas are buggy and can cause performance and battery issues.

How to install iOS 18.1 developer beta

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General, then Software Update
3. Enable Beta Updates
4. Select iOS 18.1 developer beta 1

How to install iPadOS 18.1 developer beta

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General, then Software Update
3. Enable Beta Updates
4. Select iPadOS 18.1 developer beta 1

How to install macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta

1. Open Settings
2. Click General, then Software Update
3. Enable Beta Updates
4. Select macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta 1

Now that you’ve installed the latest developer beta, read on to find out how to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist and use the new AI tools.

How to join the Apple Intelligence waitlist

To access the Apple Intelligence beta you’ll need to join the waitlist. Luckily, it’s really easy to do and shouldn’t take too long for you to gain access (I only had to wait a couple of minutes). You’ll need to live in the United States of America to use the new features but if you’re not there’s a way to access Apple Intelligence from outside the US.

1. Open Settings
2. Choose Apple Intelligence & Siri
3. Select Join Waitlist

You’ll get a notification when you’ve been accepted into the Apple Intelligence beta, from there toggle on Apple Intelligence in the same Settings tab from above. You’ll now have access to the first Apple Intelligence beta as well as Siri’s new redesign.

Apple Intelligence is here

The Apple Intelligence beta is pretty limited at launch but you can expect more features to be added as we grow closer to the release in October. You’ll now have access to proofreading tools like Grammarly, rewriting tools, better quick replies in Mail and Messages, the ability to summarize any text from articles or emails, and you can even record phone calls to a note.

Generative AI capabilities like Genmoji or Image Playground are not available as of yet and neither is the next-generation Siri which is set to launch in 2025. That said, Apple Intelligence is finally here and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be an Apple fan.

Getting a Dragon Scale in Pokémon Go is the only way to evolve one of the game’s best Water Pokémon, and it can give you access to Dragon-type moves before you actually catch yourself a good dragon. Unfortunately, with it being an evolution item, you need some luck, or a decent bit of time to get one for yourself. 

If you’ve been searching high and low for a Dragon Scale and just can’t seem to grab one, here’s everything you need to know about the elusive item. 

How to get Dragon Scale in Pokémon Go

Like many other evolution items in Pokémon Go, you can get the Dragon Scale from Pokéstops and Gyms if you are very lucky. With just a 1% chance of getting it though, you are better off trying via the daily task system. Every day, you can complete challenges. These challenges are unlocked by spinning Pokéstops and can be discarded for new ones if you don’t like them. If you do one every day, you unlock a stamp. After a week of collecting stamps, you get an Exp bonus and some special items. One of these items will be an evolution item. 

The following are the evolution items you can get from these weekly rewards: 

• Dragon scale
• King’s Rock
• Metal Coat
• Sinnoh Stone
• Sun Stone
• Unova Stone
• Upgrade

This means you have a 1 in 7 chance of getting the Dragon Scale on your first attempt but, if you spin enough Pokéstops and do enough challenges, you will get a Dragon Scale eventually. 

Which Pokémon evolve with Dragon Scale in Pokémon Go?

As of right now, only one Pokémon in Pokémon Go evolves using a Dragon Scale: Seadra. This Water-type Pokémon evolves from Horsea with 25 Horsea candy, and then from Seadra into Kingdra with 100 Horsea candy and the Dragon Scale. With a max CP of mid-2000, with even extra during a weather boost, and a Dragon/Water type pairing, this is a solid Pokémon with decent stats and a good move set. If you need some Dragon moves and see yourself combatting something with Fire too, this is an excellent pairing, and deserving of a spot in almost any team. 

The iOS 18 public beta is available to download right now, so you can use Apple’s next generation of iPhone software early.

While it doesn’t have Apple Intelligence features yet there is plenty to get your teeth stuck into including new customization features and small quality-of-life improvements.

In this article, I’m going to list the five best things to do in iOS 18 public beta right now so you can take advantage of the new operating system before its official release later this year.

Customize your Home Screen

iOS 18 adds a whole new level of customization to the best iPhones by allowing you to change the color tint of your app icons and position them anywhere on the grid. Gone are the days of downloading third-party apps to add blank space to your Home Screen (yes, you can literally download blank widgets to fill out your Home Screen on the App Store).

These new customization features also allow you to remove app label icons altogether with a new large option that looks gorgeous on the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s large 6.7-inch display. Darker colors work better with the tinting option as it stands, so why not opt for a monochrome look that pops out on the OLED display of the iPhone 15 Pro?

Switch the quick toggles

You know the Lock Screen quick toggles? The ones you’ve annoyingly been unable to change since their first introduction? Yeah, those. Well, now you can change them and it’s awesome. 

Want to open a specific app from your Lock Screen or remove the flashlight because you accidentally activate it from your pocket? Well, now you can. This is a very simple change that allows you to essentially put any of the quick toggles you’ve used with the Action button on your Lock Screen. Simple, but effective.

Relive special moments in Photos

The Photos app has had a complete overhaul and the best way to try out the new design is by browsing collections which allow you to see different moments in time with different themes.

The new Photos app will take a little getting used to but it’s very well designed and adds a new dynamic feel to the application. You can also pin specific collections so your favorites are easily accessible whenever you want to see them.

Hide and lock an app with Face ID

iOS 18 has new privacy tools that allow you to easily hide and lock apps. While this won’t be for everyone it’s good to familiarize yourself with the new feature just in case there comes a time where it needs to be used.

Once the app is hidden it goes into a specific Hidden folder in the App Library out of sight from any peeping Toms. Any new privacy feature is welcome and this is something that a lot of people have been asking for for a long time. You might use it, you might not but make sure to try it out just so you know if and when you need to.

Get comfortable with Passwords

Passwords have a new home in iOS 18 and it’s a fantastic new addition to help stay in control of your passwords. The app is very simple to use and automatically imports all of your passwords that you’ve used over the years with Keychain. 

Passwords also has a setting that automatically upgrades passwords to Passkeys for added security on compatible websites. This is a really nice feature that should hopefully lead to far more secure digital security once more websites use the technology.

More to come

There are plenty more features in iOS 18 and even more to come when Apple Intelligence launches later this year alongside the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Once Apple’s AI features arrive we’ll see far more in iOS 18 such as Genmoji, the ability to create emojis from prompts, proofreading, new email features, and massive upgrades to Siri that make the smart assistant actually smart.

Ever wanted to quickly remove the background of an image on your iPhone without downloading expensive third-party applications? There’s a hidden editing tool built into one of your iPhone’s applications that can do just that.

Nestled in the Files app, you’ll find a hidden editing tool that magically removes the background from any image you select. From there you can then import the edited image into any application you want.

Here’s how to quickly remove the background from images on iPhone.

Remove backgrounds in seconds

Hidden in the Files app is a fantastic feature that makes photo editing that little bit easier. Found under the Quick Actions tab, the ability to remove backgrounds from images simply plucks the subject from a photo and saves it as an additional file:

1. Select an image from within Files
2. Long press on the image
3. Tap Quick Actions
4. Select Remove Background

It’s that easy and all from within a file management app that many don’t even use. This trick not only works on the best iPhones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max but also on all devices able to run iOS 17.

In iOS 18, Apple Intelligence will allow you to remove elements from the background of images so you may not need to remove the whole background altogether, but until then this quick trick will get the job done.

If you’d like to try iOS 18 and all it has to offer early, you can download the iOS 18 beta right now and it’s really easy to install. Be warned, however, we don’t advise using beta software on your primary device as it can impact the performance and battery life. 

iOS 18 is set to launch later this year alongside the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

iOS 18 will be released later this year alongside the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new software is set to usher in the arrival of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI-powered features that will transform the way you use your iPhone.

Aside from the standout features like Apple Intelligence, iOS 18 grants users the ability to take control of their smartphones like never before and one new feature that makes that possible is the ability to lock apps with Face ID and hide apps altogether. 

Here’s how to hide apps and lock apps on iOS 18 so you can take control of your privacy.

How to hide and lock apps in iOS 18

iOS 18 is currently in development but you can download the iOS 18 beta right now. While we advise readers to wait until the official release in the Fall, the public beta and subsequent versions should be reliable. That said, never install a beta version of iOS on your primary device as you never know how it may impact your usage.

With iOS 18 you can simply hide apps from your Home Screen altogether and place them in a secret area of your App Library. To do so:

1. Long press on the app you want to hide
2. Tap Require Face ID
3. Select Hide and Require Face ID
4. Tap Hide App

The app you’ve selected will now appear in the Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library. If you would rather just lock the app, select Require Face ID in step 3 instead of Hide and Require Face ID.

If you’d like to show the app again follow these steps:

1. Open the Hidden folder
2. Long press on the app 
3. Select No longer require Face ID

It’s that simple, you can quickly lock and hide apps and make them reappear again based on your preferences. It might not be a feature you use regularly but for those that need extra privacy on their iPhones, iOS 18 is sure to add a much-needed extra level of security.

Earlier this year I wrote about “click to reveal desktop” and called it the “most annoying change in Mac update history.” Seven months later, macOS Sonoma’s divisive feature has won me around and I think everyone should learn how to master it.

macOS Sonoma, the latest operating system for all the best Macs allows you to quickly disperse all of your open applications to the side of the screen, letting you access your desktop easily.

At launch, many couldn’t quite understand why all of their applications would randomly disappear only to return with a click sparking confusion and annoyance at the feature that’s meant to make window management on Mac that little bit easier.

Here’s how to quickly access your desktop from anywhere and master macOS Sonoma.

Window ninja

If you’ve got multiple windows open across different applications simply click any area of your screen where your wallpaper is visible. Just like magic all your windows will move off to the corners showing your full uninterrupted desktop.

If you’re aware of the feature's existence then you can use it to your advantage, clicking on your wallpaper to see macOS Sonoma’s widgets or if you need help finding a window that’s hidden at the back of the pile.

If, like me, your desktop houses your most important folders and files, “click to reveal desktop” helps you have them accessible with the click of a mouse button. I’ve found myself using this feature more and more over the last few months and think it’s an excellent addition to the world of macOS.

If you’re still not satisfied and find the feature infuriating throughout your workday, you can simply turn off “click to reveal desktop” by following our handy guide.

macOS Sequoia launches later this year and adds further window management to Mac similar to the features Windows users have had for years. Combined these window management tools will help you take full advantage of everything macOS has to offer.

When iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia combine you get a magical new feature called iPhone Mirroring that unlocks new possibilities in the way you use your smartphone at your desk.

iPhone Mirroring allows you to control the best iPhones with your mouse and keyboard on your Mac all without unlocking the physical device itself. 

It’s a revolutionary new way to use your iPhone when working on a Mac and merges perfectly with Standby mode introduced in iOS 17. You’re able to use your iPhone as a widget hub or clock and at the same time interact with the device via your Mac — it’s truly impressive. 

iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia release later this year but you can try iPhone Mirroring today by downloading the public beta software available right now. Whether you’ve got access to these new operating systems now or are waiting for the official release, here’s how to use iPhone Mirroring on macOS Sequoia.

What you'll need

How to use iPhone Mirroring

iPhone Mirroring works similarly to Continuity and Universal Clipboard, to get it working you’ll need an iPhone with iOS 18 and a Mac with macOS Sequoia. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the updates to your iPhone and Mac follow these steps to enable iPhone Mirroring:

1. On iPhone, open Settings
2. Tap General, then AirPlay & Continuity
3. Select iPhone Mirroring and make sure your Mac is listed

Ensure both devices are on the same WiFi and nearby, then open the iPhone Mirroring application on Mac. You’ll need to make sure that your iPhone display is locked and then your Mac will magically start casting your iPhone’s Home Screen.

That’s all there is to it! iPhone Mirroring is one of the biggest changes to macOS and iOS coming later this year. While Apple Intelligence has everyone excited, iPhone Mirroring could completely change the way you use your iPhone and Mac in tandem.

iOS 18 is set to launch alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro in the Fall. Apple Intelligence will also arrive at the same time, albeit, in beta. Stay tuned to iMore for all your iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia news.

Password management terrifies me. I have thousands of passwords and constantly feel overwhelmed by needing to de-weed my online security garden. Does this sound familiar? If so, a new addition to iOS 18 could change your online security for good.

The Passwords app in iOS 18 finally brings all of your Keychain passwords into a dedicated app rather than hiding them inside the Settings app on older operating systems like iOS 17. You can quickly access your passwords without going through menu after menu to find their location — it’s a much-appreciated change. 

While it’s great to have a dedicated app for Passwords across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, one setting could be the standout new addition and you should make sure you’ve got it enabled.

Here’s how to enable Passkey upgrades in iOS 18

Apple says Passkeys are “a more secure alternative to passwords for signing in to online accounts.” They are digital keys that use powerful cryptography so “unlike passwords, malicious websites cannot trick you into giving away your passkeys.” While Passkeys aren’t available for all sites, there’s hope that in the future all accounts will convert to allow Passkeys so you can use Face ID or Touch ID to login to websites.

In Settings, go to Apps, followed by Passwords, you’ll find a toggle to Allow Automatic Passkey Upgrades which means your iPhone running iOS 18 will do all the work for you and upgrade accounts to use Passkey if and when they become available. Using this setting means your garden of Passwords should de-weed itself over time — think of it as the password equivalent of a robot vacuum. 

iOS 18 is currently in beta and you can download the public beta right now. While the operating system is relatively stable we advise waiting until the full release of iOS 18 alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro later this year before installing on your main device. If you’re impatient, however, we’ve got a full guide to show you how to download the iOS 18 beta.

The Action button was the feature I was most looking forward to on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. But almost a year since I first got my hands on the best iPhone, I can’t remember the last time I stretched my hand to activate the shortcut tool.

In iOS 18, however, Lock Screen customization tools allow you to use most of the Action button’s functionality from the bottom of your screen and it has fundamentally changed the way I use my device. You see I spend far too much time on Reddit and checking sports scores and now I can do both from my Lock Screen. In iOS 18 I get to quickly access those applications without stretching for the Action button or unlocking my device. 

When iOS 18’s first beta launched I wrote about the benefits of removing the Flashlight from the Lock Screen so you no longer embarrassingly activate the bright light by mistake — at the time some functionality like launching any app was not working. A few months later, Lock Screen customization works properly on the iOS 18 public beta, allowing you to set any app you want to launch with the press of a button. Here’s how to do it.

Launch any app from your Lock Screen in iOS 18

To launch any app from your iPhone’s Lock Screen you first need to download iOS 18 beta. The latest software will officially launch in September alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro but if you’re itching to test it out like myself the current build is fairly stable. I don’t advise using beta software on your primary advice, however, so proceed with caution.

1. Long press on your Lock Screen to bring up customization options
2. Tap the - next to one of the two Lock Screen launchers in the bottom left or right
3. Tap + then select Open App
4. Choose the app you want to launch from your Lock Screen 
5. Tap Done

Now whenever you long press on the icon on your Lock Screen it’ll launch your selected app. There are definitely more productive ways to use this new feature than launching the Apollo app like I have, but I have an unhealthy obsession with Reddit, ok?

Considering I haven’t used the Action button in months because of its awkward placement, this new Lock Screen customization option looks like it’ll quickly replace my 15 Pro Max’s extra button altogether. Hopefully in the new iPhones releasing later this year Apple chooses to make the Action button easier to reach. 

When Apple first revealed Math Notes for iPadOS 18, I thought to myself: “That’s pretty cool, but when would I ever use it?” Now, after downloading the iOS 18 public beta and trying Math Notes on an iPhone, I’m fully convinced that these new capabilities to do calculations are going to be incredibly useful.

You see, in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Math Notes isn’t confined to the Calculator app. If you head to Notes you can type equations and do quick arithmetic all without using a calculator. If you think that sounds impressive, wait until I show you how I’ve been using these new powers to completely overhaul my budget planning.

Does this sound interesting? Here’s how you can use Math Notes in iOS 18 to quickly calculate whatever you need.

Math Notes = Win

I don’t want to go too in-depth into Math Notes right now as I’ve already written about it plenty and think it deserves a dedicated how-to guide. Instead, I want to focus this article on how Math Notes can change simple tasks that you do daily without the need for an Apple Pencil or opening the Calculator app.

I’ve been using iOS 18’s calculator capabilities to simply tally up costs of my monthly expenses and then Math Notes does all the work to tell me exactly how much everything costs. This is ideal for trying to work out a vacation budget, for example. I used Math Notes in a shared note with my girlfriend earlier this week on vacation in France and it was a brilliant way to keep on top of things without constantly opening my banking apps. 

To use Math Notes in Notes simply:

1. Open Notes
2. Type a word like “Rent” followed by = and a price
3. Add as many items and prices to your list
4. Type for example “Rent + Food =” 
5. Watch as iOS 18 calculates the total

For adults out there who don’t use handwriting to do equations, this variation of Math Notes is probably going to be the way you use the new feature. It’s quick, accurate, and really easy to use.

The iOS 18 public beta doesn’t have access to Apple Intelligence but I presume Apple’s AI features will improve the power of Math Notes by allowing you to combine the calculations you do with other elements of iOS like Siri or your Mail app. iOS 18 is set to officially launch later this year alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro and being able to calculate a quick budget in Notes might just be one of its most useful new additions.

One of the biggest changes coming to iOS 18 is the ability to customize the Home Screen on your iPhone. After years of waiting, we can now finally move app icons anywhere in the grid and there are also color customization options for the first time on iOS, too.

You can install the iOS 18 public beta today if you want to try these Home Screen customization features early, but remember it's not a stable release.

In this how-to guide, we’ll take you through all the steps needed to give your app icons a color tint as well as show you how to place them anywhere on the grid. Here’s how to customize your Home Screen on iOS 18.

How to rearrange icons anywhere on the grid

How to rearrange icons anywhere on the grid

Now that iOS 18 lets you place icons anywhere on the grid, you can have unique designs for your Home Screen that can also be far more functional (easier-to-reach icons without using widgets, anyone?).

Here’s how to rearrange your icons anywhere on the grid in iOS 18:

1. Long press on the Home Screen to make your screen jiggle
2. Move apps to wherever you want them, you no longer need to place them side by side
3. Tap done

Just like that, you’ve customized the location of app icons on your Home Screen without the shackles that we’ve been so used to for years. In the past, I’ve used widgets that mimic blank space to achieve this style of Home Screen, so it’s awesome that you can do this without installing extra applications.

How to enable Dark Mode icons in iOS 18

Another new customization feature in iOS 18 is the ability to enable Dark Mode icons and they look gorgeous. Right now, in the iOS 18 beta, it’s only first-party Apple apps that get the new look but developers will be able to make Dark Mode icons for their apps so expect to see more in the future. Here’s how to enable Dark Mode icons:

1. Long press on the Home Screen
2. Tap Edit, then Customize
3. Select Dark list

You also have the option to slightly dim your wallpaper to make it match the Dark Mode icons, it’s a subtle tint but works really well if you’ve been using Dark Mode on the best iPhones with OLED display panels over the last few years.

How to change the color of icons in iOS 18

My favorite new Home Screen customization feature in iOS 18 is the new color tinting option. This allows you to tint your app icons in any color, perfect for matching your wallpaper. I’ve found the best colors are darker shades like grey but you can pick any color you want from bright pink to dark brown (yuck!). Here’s how to tint app icons:

1. Long press on the Home Screen
2. Tap Edit, then Customize
3. Select Tinted and then choose a color from the slider

Getting the perfect tint will take some trial and error but once you land on the perfect color to match your wallpaper it’s insanely satisfying.

The world of iOS 18 is your oyster

iOS 18 implements simple but effective Home Screen customization tools that help personalize your iPhone more than ever before. If you want a pink device with navy icons, you can do it. If you want larger app icons with no app names, you can do that too. Heck if you want three app icons one above the other in dark blue, go for it. With iOS 18, Apple has unleashed the shackles of the Home Screen and it’s refreshing, to say the least. 

You can download the iOS 18 public beta now, but we advise waiting for a more stable version before giving it a try. In the meantime, start thinking about your favorite Home Screen variations and what color tints you want to try — iOS 18 arrives later this fall but expect the public beta later this month.

Learning how to get Upgrade in Pokémon Go is the next step in making your Porygon much stronger. Being the only way to evolve it into Porygon2 and rather rare, you may have found yourself at a dead end looking for the illustrious upgrade item. Luckily, it’s a little easier to find than you may think — it just requires some patience. 

Here’s how to get Upgrade in Pokémon Go and how to use it. 

How to get Upgrade in Pokémon Go 

Unfortunately, there’s quite a lot of luck involved in getting an Upgrade. Though you can technically get it in many random drops, the most consistent way to guarantee a chance at receiving it is by doing seven daily tasks on separate days. From the game, click the binoculars at the bottom right corner of the screen. Then click “Today” and do one of those tasks. Once that is done, a small stamp will appear at the top of the screen and you have to do tasks on seven different days to unlock a “breakthrough” which comes with an evolution item at random. These do not need to be consecutive days so don’t worry about doing it every single day but it will take longer if you don’t. 

It’s worth noting that quests have a small bin icon next to them that you can use if it doesn’t seem worth your time. With a quest slot open, you can interact with a Pokéstop and you will receive a new task. This is a nice way of filtering through the time-intensive tasks and getting a slightly easier one. 

Which Pokémon evolve with Upgrade in Pokémon Go?

As of right now, Porgyon is the only Pokémon in Pokémon Go that evolves using Upgrade and 50 Porygon candies. From here, you can evolve Porygon2 into Porygon-Z with a Sinnoh Stone and 100 Porygon candies. Once you have more than one, you can hold onto it and evolve more Porygon or throw it out to save on storage space. Catching more Porygon can allow you to farm different stats and natures, but it’s also a good way to get Pokémon Go XP fast. 

This year’s Apple Watch operating system update, watchOS 11, may have seemed like a smaller update than in previous years, but owners of the best Apple Watches still have lots of new goodies to try out, whether you’re interested in downloading the developer beta or you’re waiting for the official release in September. 

Chief among these goodies is the new Vitals app, a health tool from Apple that emphasizes sleep and recovery. However, your Apple Watch already records your heart rate, blood oxygen, respiratory rate, and more - so what’s the big deal about an app that tells us things we already know? Below, we’ve collected everything you need to know about the Vitals app, along with a guide on how to get started using it. 

 What is the Vitals app?  

The Vitals app focuses on sleep. According to Apple, “Apple Watch allows users to measure important health metrics during sleep: heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen. With watchOS 11, the new Vitals app gives users a way to quickly view these key health metrics and gain better context when it comes to their health.”

The idea is to wear your watch at night to allow Apple to record these metrics in their normal range, establishing a baseline for health. If two or more of these metrics ever fall outside of this baseline overnight, you’ll receive an alert from Apple and a prompt to examine the causes more closely. 

You can view the last seven days of sleep in the Vitals app on your Apple Watch. While it’s true that you can check all these statistics individually in your Health app on your iPhone, the Vitals app places them in context with a handy graph, along with lifestyle-orientated prompts and actionable advice to bring those vitals back to your baseline levels.

For example, when you wake up, your Vitals app may prompt you with the message “your heart rate and wrist temperature were higher than normal. This could be due to many factors including illness or alcohol consumption.” Other wearables that focus on holistic health rather than fitness, such as the Oura Ring, track these biomarkers during sleep to predict oncoming illness, so it’s great to see Apple Watches finally get these tools too. 

 How does the Vitals app use your data? 

Apple claims its health features are “grounded in science and developed with input from clinical experts”, using information from the Apple Heart and Movement Study.  Developed in partnership with the American Heart Association, the study aims to “identify factors affecting heart health, mobility, and heart function over time.”

Apple has used this information to develop its wellness algorithm so that the watch can understand more intelligently if your vitals are abnormal to the point that you need to be warned. We’ll be interested to see what other messages users get in the Vitals app when different combinations of vital signs flag up: the only example we’ve received so far is the message about illness and alcohol, which is based on an increase in skin temperature and heart rate. 

What kind of message will users get when respiratory rate decreases, for example, or sleep duration decreases - and how different will these messages be when the full version launches in September? These are questions that are still to be answered, and we’ll know more in the coming weeks and months. 

 How to use the Vitals app on your Apple Watch 

First off, just like other watchOS 11 features such as Training Load, you’ll need to download the watchOS11 beta before using any of its new tools.

You can get watchOS 11 by going to Software Update > Beta Updates and enabling Beta updates. If your phone’s software is up-to-date, you will be presented with the option to download the iOS 18 beta. Next, go to the Watch app and download the watchOS 11 beta by going to Watch > General > Software Update.

Once you’ve updated, you’ll need to ensure you sleep with your watch for seven days. The watch’s Vitals app needs at least a week of information to establish your “normal range”. From then on, Vitals works on a rolling seven-day basis, comparing your night with the last seven days of information to establish outliers versus your recent normal range. 

From then on, whenever you enter Sleep mode, you’ll contribute to this rolling seven-day bank of information about your sleep. You no longer have to manually enter Sleep mode, as watchOS 11 finally offers automatic sleep tracking. Simply wear your watch to bed, ensuring it’s charged enough for the night, and watchOS 11 will automatically record your Vitals. 

When you open the Vitals app, you’ll see a bar at the top of your watch’s screen detailing a brief summary of the last seven days, and you can scroll down with the digital crown to view a seven-day summary of each of the following statistics: heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen. You’ll also be able to view your Training Load in the Vitals app by continuing to scroll down with the digital crown, and you can tap on the Training Load card to jump directly to the Training Load screen in Workouts. 

If you’re looking to know how to get Unova Stone in Pokémon Go, there’s a good chance you’ve found a very lovable trio of monkeys. Used on Pansage, Pansear, Simisage, and a few more Pokémon from the fifth generation, it’s a bit of a grind to get the stone but worth it for those new Pokémon. 

Going over the two methods to get it, as well as every Pokémon that can evolve with it, here’s everything you need to know about the Unova Stone in Pokémon Go. 

How to get Unova Stone in Pokémon Go

There are a few main ways to get Unova Stones. The first is through Research Breakthroughs, the game’s quest system. After you have signed into the game, click the binoculars icon at the bottom right of the page. From here, click on the “Today” tab and you will see daily quests. Complete daily quests seven days in a row and you will get a Research Breakthrough that has a chance of giving you a Unova Stone. You should do these daily quests anyway as they're a good way to get Pokémon Go XP fast.

If you can’t be bothered to wait a whole week for a chance at a Unova Stone, you can also get one by defeating a Team Go Rocket Leader. There are three of these; Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo. Cliff is a tough-looking gentleman with a cap on, Sierra is a lady in a white and purple jumper, and Arlo has streaks of red in his black hair. Defeating any of these gives you the chance to get a Unova Stone. If you don’t get it the first time, you can walk around and fight more until you get it. Though you used to be able to get a Unova Stone by defeating Team Rocket’s Giovanna, it seems you can no longer do this. 

Which Pokémon evolve with Unova Stone in Pokémon Go?

The following Pokémon evolve with a Unova Stone: 

• Pansage into Simisage with one Unova Stone and 50 candy
• Pansear into Simisear with one Unova Stone and 50 candy
• Panpour into Simipour with one Unova Stone and 50 candy
• Munna into Musharna with one Unova Stone and 50 candy
• Minccino into Cinccino with one Unova Stone and 50 candy
• Eelektrik into Eelektros with one Unova Stone and 100 candy
• Lampent into Chandelure with one Unova Stone and 100 candy

These are all the Pokémon that evolve with Unova Stone in Pokémon Go right now and it’s the only use of this peculiar-looking stone. 

Notifications are key to the way you use your iPhone, alerting you of important information throughout your day. They can, however, bombard your life and cause anxiety by continuously spamming pop-ups that you don’t necessarily need to see all the time. One way of getting rid of notifications for a set amount of time is by using your iPhone in Silent mode or in a Focus mode like Do Not Disturb. But what if you still want to receive calls and text messages from the most important people in your life while on your notification detox? Well, you’re in luck and I’m going to show you how.

Emergency Bypass is a must

There are a couple of ways to receive calls from contacts when using Focus modes like Do Not Disturb or even just iOS’s Silent mode. That said, this iPhone trick is specifically for those who just want to use their iPhone with no distractions but don’t want the faff of using the Focus mode feature.

By turning on Emergency Bypass for a contact you’ll get vibrations and ringtones for a contact even when your device is set to silent or a Focus mode is on. This is perfect for people who like to use Silent Mode but still want to hear ringtones from their loved ones or for important work calls. Here’s how:

1. Open Contacts
2. Select a contact
3. Tap Edit, then Ringtone
4. Toggle on Emergency Bypass

Now whenever the chosen contact phones or texts you’ll receive an alert despite your iPhone’s notification state. It’s a really great way to switch off from the world without worrying about missing those important people in your life.

While you can’t tweak and alter settings as much as you can by using Focus mode, this simple trick is easy enough for anyone to use and makes a huge difference to the way you use your iPhone.

AppleCare+ is Apple’s insurance offering for all of its hero products that protects your devices from accidental damage and extends the limited warranty. Throughout my time working at the Genius Bar I was often faced with customers asking if AppleCare+ is worth it or if they should save their cash for an accessory or something else entirely instead.

So I’m here to answer the age-old question: Is AppleCare+ worth it? And should you add the insurance policy to your basket next time you purchase an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, AirPods, or HomePod?

General AppleCare+ benefits

Before I get into whether or not AppleCare+ is worth it for each individual Apple hero product, we’re going to look at the general benefits of AppleCare+.

AppleCare+ extends your limited warranty beyond the 12 months you get with an Apple purchase. This means that depending on the product you’ll either get two or three years of warranty coverage instead of the regular one-year coverage. If you opt to pay monthly for AppleCare+ you can continuously extend the warranty of your products, fantastic for people who keep their devices for a few years.

AppleCare+ also gives you free battery replacements on products should the battery capacity drop under 80% while still covered by the plan. This is brilliant for iPhones, especially considering that devices are lasting far longer than ever before.

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my iPhone?

After years of seeing broken iPhones at the Genius Bar, I think most people should purchase AppleCare+ for their iPhones. Especially on the best iPhones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, repair costs are astronomical so one mistake without AppleCare+ and you’d wish you had purchased it to begin with. For example, a display repair on a 15 Pro Max costs $379 without AppleCare+ versus $29 with AppleCare+ — a no-brainer for peace of mind as one small mistake and your iPhone repair is nearly half the price of your smartphone.

Nowadays you can pay for AppleCare+ monthly, this is fantastic as the subscription allows you to pay past the 2-year mark extending the warranty of your device indefinitely until you decide to upgrade to a new iPhone like the iPhone 16 when it comes out later this year.

The Theft and Loss AppleCare+ option is slightly more expensive and while it may seem like something worth having to protect your iPhone from being misplaced or stolen there are lots of safety features that should help should this scenario occur. For instance, Find My is required in order for this version of AppleCare+ to remain valid so why pay the extra fee when your iPhone’s last location will be shown regardless? If you’re deeply concerned about theft then paying roughly $70 extra over two years may be worth it for you, but I think this addition devalues the overall value proposition of the program. Additionally, some bank accounts or insurance policies already offer protection against theft and loss, so it might be worth checking with your provider before paying extra for the most premium AppleCare+ tier.

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my iPad?

Of all the products Apple sells I can’t think of one more in need of AppleCare+. If you buy an iPad, especially one of the best iPads like the iPad Pro M4 then please add AppleCare+ at checkout. You have 60 days to add the insurance if you opted out at first but the reason I’m so forceful with AppleCare+ for iPad is that iPad repair costs are quite frankly wild.

If you crack the screen of an iPad or damage the chassis, Apple will offer to replace the full unit at costs close to the original price of the device. If you’ve got AppleCare+ however the repair cost varies depending on the model between $29 and $99, saving your bank balance and bringing a source of relief if anything bad was ever to happen to your tablet. In my opinion, AppleCare+ for iPad is a must for all models, especially for parents who purchase one for their kids — trust me I’ve seen children breaking iPads many times and without AppleCare+ it isn’t pretty.

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my Apple Watch?

Ranging from $49 to $99 if you buy two years outright or under $5 a month if you opt for the monthly AppleCare+ subscription, the insurance plan for the best Apple Watch models is definitely worth your consideration. Just like the iPad, Apple Watch models are sent away to the depot for repairs from the Apple Store, and most issues are resolved with a full unit replacement. This means that a broken display on an Apple Watch Ultra 2, for example, ends up costing $499 instead of just $79 with AppleCare+. In other words, break your Watch once with AppleCare+ and the insurance policy has already paid itself off.

Considering your Apple Watch is on your wrist and prone to bashes, especially if used for sport, an AppleCare+ plan feels like a must-buy when picking up your next smartwatch.

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my Mac?

I never buy AppleCare+ for my Mac and I’m not too sure why. When I was in college I broke the display of my MacBook Pro twice and wished I had AppleCare+ when the huge repair fees were revealed. I think more than the other AppleCare+ plans we’ve discussed this plan really depends on the type of Mac user you are. If you travel a lot and keep your MacBook in a backpack then AppleCare+ will give you peace of mind should something happen on your travels. If you stay at home and only work from your desk then it’s harder to justify the cost of AppleCare+.

AppleCare+ for Mac can be paid annually or three years up front and you get unlimited accidental damage claims throughout that period. Mac repairs can be incredibly expensive so if you’re worried about dropping your Mac or are prone to accidents like spilling your coffee over the keyboard, then an insurance policy like AppleCare+ is well worth the cost. 

With Mac, the extended general warranty really plays a part here too as most people keep their Macs far longer than other Apple products. Not only does your AppleCare+ cover your Mac but it also covers accessories like your power brick, which can be very expensive to replace — a 96W power adapter costs $79 at the Apple Store.

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my AirPods?

You’ll notice a recurring theme here with my AppleCare+ advice: If it’s a product that is used outdoors then I highly recommend picking up the insurance policy. For AirPods and Beats, you’ll spend $29 for two years coverage and if you own the AirPods Max the price is slightly more expensive at $59. That said, none of these plans cover loss and that seems to be the most common problem with the small wireless earbuds.

I always add AppleCare+ to my new AirPods purchases but I have yet to use the services. If you’re the kind of person to lose sleep at night because you paid $29 to cover your AirPods Pro 2 and never used the extra coverage then I’d probably say skip, but otherwise, AppleCare+ for AirPods is well worth the small upfront fee.

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my Vision Pro?

Yes. If you’ve spent over $3,500 with tax for a spatial computing headset then you should spend $24.99 a month or $499 for two years of AppleCare+ coverage. Why am I so sure about this? Well, the repair costs for accidental damage on Apple Vision Pro are astronomical ($799 for the front glass or $2,399 for any other physical damage), yes the price of AppleCare+ is expensive and the excess is $299 but if you’ve got the cash to burn on Apple’s first generation spatial computer then why not pay that little bit more to protect it?

When I tested the Apple Vision Pro in the Apple Store I thought about the times I’d maybe move instinctively or trip on something that could cause the headset to break and I think everyone who’s investing in this new Apple product should cover their backs just in case disaster strikes. You’ve spent thousands already, what’s a few hundred dollars more?

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my Apple TV?

AppleCare+ for Apple TV is only $29 for three years but I honestly don’t think I would ever buy it for myself or for a loved one. Yes, you’ll get all the benefits of AppleCare+ and coverage on the remote as well, but considering the small black box is usually very reliable and won’t be moving around your home regularly I don’t see the need for paying extra.

In my time working at the Genius Bar, I never saw accidental damage on an Apple TV, there were often software faults that required resets but I also never saw any hardware issues. Obviously your mileage will differ depending on your usage but I think you’re best saving $29 unless you’re worried about the longevity of the product or you have young kids that might want to snatch it from under the TV.

Is AppleCare+ worth it for my HomePod?

Just like the Apple TV, I don’t see the need for AppleCare+ for HomePod. The main benefit is the extension of the limited warranty as all HomePod hardware repairs need to be sent to Apple’s depot from the Apple Store.

If you’re concerned about the longevity of your HomePod then the low upfront cost for AppleCare+ may be worth it, but you can’t extend past the two-year warranty so it may just be wasted cash. I would hope most people’s HomePods last longer than two years and considering they are in a static position in your household, you’d be very unlucky to need to use an accidental damage claim. You’ll need to weigh up if the extra $15 for HomePod mini or $39 for HomePod 2 is worth another year’s coverage but for me, I think I’d pass and replace when the speaker stops working altogether.

Navigating iOS can be complicated at times, especially considering a lot of neat tricks are sometimes hidden in plain sight. One of those tricks is the ability to drag and drop files and photos between applications making your iPhone far more efficient for getting work tasks done on the go.

Most of us opt for the built-in menus in apps to insert attachments or add media, but that quickly becomes frustrating when you need to scroll back through months and months of photos to find exactly what you’re looking for. Instead, this iPhone trick lets you take the file or photo from wherever you found it in the first place and simply drag it across applications.

Drag and drop

To drag and drop between applications simply find the photo or file that you want to insert into another app and hold down on it until you can move it around with your finger. From there swipe up to close the app, select the destination app all while still holding down with your original finger, and then drag the file or photo into the destination app. It can feel a little convoluted to start but once you’ve got the hang of it dragging and dropping becomes a powerful tool in your repertoire.

If the written steps are hard to understand, I’ve embedded a great YouTube video from Beardfm which not only shows you how to drag and drop iPhone but also what works and what doesn’t.

The power of drag and drop really comes to life on the bigger screen of the iPad, allowing you to get serious work done. I can’t imagine not using drag and drop on either my iPhone 15 Pro Max or my 11-inch iPad Pro as it makes the devices far more intuitive to navigate.

iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 launch later this year and with the added functionality of Apple Intelligence these platforms are going to become even more powerful. Combine that new AI power with simple navigation tricks like drag and drop and you’ll be getting more work done than ever on your favorite Apple devices — “What’s a computer?”, Right?

When it comes to mastering typing on iPhone there are a few gestures that make sending a message or drafting a note far more efficient. If you often make typos and need to remove text, this gesture will change the way you type removing the need for you to stretch for the backspace.

We’ve covered iPhone tricks like the hidden trackpad feature in the past, and that hidden feature works fantastic with this gesture, turning you into the iOS keyboard ninja you’ve always dreamed of.  

Here’s how to use an iPhone gesture to undo mistakes quickly.

Three-finger swipe

The three-finger swipe is an incredibly useful gesture that will change the way you type on your iPhone once you manage to incorporate it into your daily usage patterns. The gesture works by, as you’d expect, swiping with three fingers. If you swipe left you undo the entered text and if you swipe right you redo the text input, so it’s very efficient and a fantastic tool to have in your repertoire. 

This gesture might take some getting used to as it can feel awkward to remove one hand from your iPhone to swipe. I found it quite hard to adjust to this gesture on larger iPhones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max but once it clicks you’ll find yourself using it daily.

Combined with other iPhone tricks like the aforementioned trackpad or tapping the top of your display to scroll back to the start of a page, you’ll be navigating iOS 17 and the upcoming iOS 18 like a real pro.

iOS 18 launches later this year for all the best iPhones but you can download the iOS 18 beta today and give the new software a try. We don’t recommend installing any beta on your primary device, and all these iPhone tricks will work with the new software so why not get in the practice now before Fall comes around? Need a new iPhone to get the most from iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence? Check out the iPhone 15 Pro:

Have you ever needed to quickly send your current location to a friend or family member via iMessage? Chances are you probably have or maybe you don’t even know the name of the street you’re on but want to send the details of the bar you’re in. Luckily iMessage has a neat trick built-in that lets you easily send your location with just two simple words.

Here’s how to quickly send your location over iMessage without checking Maps to know where you’re at. 

Just two simple words

I was in New York City last month and I wish I had known about this iPhone trick rather than jumping between apps to tell my friends my location. If you simply type I’m at in the text field of the Messages app you’ll see an option to add your current location to the message. This means you can quickly send your whereabouts to friends and family without typing it all out or looking at Maps to get a street name. To get this trick to work you’ll need Location Services enabled for Messages. To do this head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > set Messages to While Using.

This is a really handy trick, especially if you travel often and don’t know exactly where you are as it takes away any stress of making sure you type an address correctly. In iOS 18, Apple Intelligence will make tricks like this even better by using personal context to know when to offer you reply prompts and other useful tidbits of information.

You can download iOS 18 beta just now but it won’t have access to Apple Intelligence until later this year when Apple’s AI launches in beta. If you want to make the most of all of Apple’s AI features such as image generation, proofreading, and a smarter Siri for situations like the one above you may need to upgrade to a new iPhone like the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro or an iPhone 15 Pro:

If you use voice messages on your iPhone regularly you’ll have come across awkward moments where you forget your train of thought or don’t know what to say. This trick for the Messages app on iPhone helps alleviate that by allowing you to pause mid-voice messages before continuing to speak. 

As someone who uses voice messages frequently, I often find myself sending multiple recordings one after the other because I either stop recording because I’ve forgotten what to say or the awkward silence as I think what to say next is too cringe to endure. But with this trick, you never have to worry about the silence again, just simply pause and restart when you’re ready to keep chatting.

How to pause and start a voice recording in Messages on iOS

As a European, I mostly use WhatsApp (I know U.S. readers it seems a bit odd) which doesn’t have this cool feature I’m about to share with you. Knowing that I can now pause and start a voice recording from within the Messages app might make me use iMessage far more than WhatsApp moving forward. Here’s how to do it:

1. In Messages start an Audio recording by tapping + then Audio
2. Record your first section of audio then tap the square stop recording button
3. Now instead of tapping send, tap the small plus sign beside the recording length
4. You will start to record again, record what you want to say, and then tap stop
5. You can do this endlessly, removing any awkward pauses whenever you want

The ability to pause and start recording again is massive, and I wish other applications like WhatsApp allowed you to do the same because I’m fed up with rerecording voice messages when I forget what I was trying to say. 

Apple Intelligence could drastically improve the future of voice messages as we could see a world where Apple’s AI removes all the awkward silence automatically allowing you to record and send without any worry. We’ll need to wait for iOS 18 later this year to test the AI improvements across the iPhone’s operating system but considering how clever it appears to be I wouldn’t be surprised to see some major improvements to the way we record audio in Messages.

Is one AirPod not charging? This issue can plague the best of us, but don’t fret iMore is here to help. AirPods are one of Apple’s most impressive products but when they don’t work it can be seriously irritating.

We have a guide on how to fix AirPods if they aren't charging, but if you’re only hearing sound out of one earbud then you’ve come to the right place. Sometimes, your AirPods desync with each other or the charging case, leaving you feeling frustrated and confused as to why the wireless earbuds that are just meant to work, don’t.

How to fix one AirPod not charging

If you’re experiencing one Airpod not charging or losing connection intermittently then there are a couple of things you can try to get them back to working in glorious stereo.

1. With your AirPods connected, open Settings
2. Select your AirPods
3. Tap Forget This Device

Now your AirPods are no longer connected with your iPhone you can reset them completely before connecting them again. This allows both AirPods to sync with the charging case again.

4. Put both AirPods in their case and open the charging case lid
5. Hold down the button located on the back of the case for roughly 15 seconds
6. Keep holding until the light on your AirPods starts to flash white
7. Once the light flashes white continuously, close the case’s lid
8. Open the case again and sync your AirPods with your iPhone as normal

Your AirPods should now be fully synced with each other and your iPhone. If one AirPod is still not charging then it could be a hardware issue that is causing the lack of power. We advise you to check out your local Apple Store for Genius Bar support to rule out any hardware faults should the above steps not fix the issue.

Want a new pair of AirPods instead? Opt for the AirPods Pro 2:

Kecleon in Pokémon Go is one of the most interesting species in the game purely because of how strange it is to catch. Every Pokémon up until the point Kecleon was introduced could either be caught by exploring your location or doing special events. Kecleon, the mischievous little chameleon, has a method true to its nature — one that requires a little perception. 

However, not only is catching it a fun gimmick, but Kecleon can be a surprisingly good part of a Pokémon Go team thanks to an interesting moveset and decent stats. 

If you want to catch Kecleon in Pokémon Go, this is everything you need to know. 

How to catch Kecleon in Pokémon Go

Kecleon generally doesn’t pop up as you walk, like other Pokémon. Instead, it turns invisible and clings to the side of Pokéstops. Click on every Pokéstop nearby and you will eventually come across one. The Pokéstop will inform you an obstacle is in the way and, if you click around enough, the Kecleon will fall off. Once this has happened, go out of the Pokéstop and look around for the Pokémon. 

Luckily, you don’t need to be within range of a Pokéstop to see the Kecleon so you can check Pokéstops from a distance and walk towards it when you spot the Pokémon. They don’t tend to be too quick to run away once you have found one so throw a berry down and start throwing your Pokéballs. If it does happen to get away, Kecleon isn’t super rare so keep trying Pokéstops until you have found one again. They will appear at Pokéstops that have been taken by Team Rocket but won’t appear until after you have cleared Rocket so you can’t check ahead of time. Kecleon and Ditto are two of the toughest Pokémon to find in the game.

Best Pokémon Go Kecleon moveset and counters

Kecleon can learn the following moves as part of its traditional moveset: 

Fast Attacks: 

• Sucker Punch
• Lick

Charged Moves:

• Flamethrower
• Ice Beam
• Aerial Ace
• Shadow Sneak
• Thunder
• Foul Play

As Kecleon is a Normal-type Pokémon, it doesn’t gain any bonuses from any of its moves, making them all viable choices. However, pairing Lick and Foul Play results in the highest overall damage, making it a great choice for taking on any battle. With so many of its charged moves covering different types, you can plan out your moveset based on who you are battling. You can play defense with the Pokémon’s moveset but you will likely want a dedicated defense Pokémon in your party instead.

If you are looking to beat a Kecleon, put a Fighting-type Pokémon in your party with Fighting moves and it should deal with the Kecleon in no time. 

Is your iPhone’s Home Screen a bit of a cluttered mess? Do you have loads of apps and numerous pages that make swiping left fill you with a sense of dread? Well, there’s a neat iPhone trick that will help declutter your Home Screen and it’s hidden in plain sight.

With the right know-how, you can essentially remove pages of apps from your Home Screen, housing them in your App Library without the faff of manually removing one at a time. Here’s how to become an App Library expert by removing full pages of apps from your Home Screen — one of my favorite quick tips yet!

Declutter your Home Screen with this neat iPhone trick

I like to keep a clean iPhone Home Screen with just my most used apps and a couple of widgets. For most of my navigation, I use Spotlight to search for specific apps, meaning I don’t need to scroll through hundreds of icons to find the one I want. That said, I’m really bad at letting my Home Screen get disheveled, and in just a few weeks I can go from one page to seven pages of apps. This iPhone trick fixes that, here’s how to do it:

1. Enter jiggle mode by holding down on any app icon
2. Tap the dots above your iPhone’s dock
3. Select which pages you want to hide or show
4. Tap Done

In the space of 10 seconds, I just went from seven pages back to one and now my Home Screen feels far more intuitive and easy to use. I can either access my apps by swiping left and looking through the App Library or by using Spotlight by swiping down from the middle of my screen. So if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by your ever-growing list of app icons and want a way to take back control, give this iPhone trick a try and declutter your Home Screen.

Once iOS 18 arrives later this year, you’ll be able to combine this trick with new Home Screen customization tools that let you tint the color of your app icons and position them anywhere on the grid.

Are your loved ones not very tech-savvy? Or maybe you use your iPhone primarily for making phone calls? Well, this simple shortcut creates a speed dial button on your iPhone’s Home Screen — perfect for people who want no faff and just want to make a phone call.

The iPhone doesn’t have a speed dial option as such, but with this easy iPhone trick, you’ll be able to call anyone in your phone book with just one tap.

Here’s how to set up speed dial on iPhone

I used this speed dial iPhone trick on my elderly mother’s iPhone SE recently and it has changed her life. Simply adding important contacts to the Home Screen so she can phone people without opening the app has made her more confident using her smartphone. I think this trick is so great that I’ve added some contacts to my Home Screen myself. Unlike the Contacts widget which opens the Contacts app and then requires another tap to make a call, this is one tap and done. Here’s how to add speed dial to your Home Screen:

1. Open Shortcuts
2. Tap +
3. Type Call, then tap Contact in the box that appears
4. Select the Contact you want on speed dial
5. Tap ⌄ next to the Shortcut name at the top
6. Now rename the shortcut and tap Add to Home Screen
7. Choose a photo by clicking the shortcut’s icon, then tap Add

You should now have speed dial on your Home Screen, allowing you to make calls by simply tapping the icon. For most, opening the Phone app and calling a contact is second nature but for anyone who just wants to make a call as simple as possible then this trick is for you. I recommend adding a few different contacts all with their image to the Home Screen alongside their names in order to make the most of this handy shortcut. 

With iOS 18 releasing this fall, bringing Apple Intelligence to the iPhone, we may not need speed dial shortcuts much longer. But for now, this is the easiest and quickest way to get in touch with your loved ones.

If you’ve used a phone, smart or otherwise, in the last few decades you’ll know about SMS, or ‘Short Message Service’. SMS is the underlying technology behind text messages, and it’s been around for a long time, along with MMS - ‘Multimedia Messaging Service’.

Still, a new dawn is coming, with RCS (Rich Communication Services) on the horizon (although it’s actually been around since 2007). With it comes a host of features, and you’ll be able to enjoy all of them on your iPhone when iOS 18 arrives. Here’s what RCS is, and what it means for your iPhone. 

What is RCS?

Rich Communication Services slightly predates things like iMessage, but offers many of the same features.

While SMS is restricted to text, and MMS will let you send images, RCS is much more akin to something like iMessage. It offers features like read receipts, the ability to send and receive high-quality media, and things like typing indicators when your recipient is beginning to respond.

Like iMessage and Whatsapp, it also leans on data connections, whereas SMS can sometimes come with usage limits (although the days of getting a set number of texts on your monthly plan are almost a thing of the past).

RCS has been a core part of Android for years, but it’ll soon be coming to your iPhone, too. Google began investing heavily in it a long time ago, but Apple has tended to want to keep iMessage separate.

In fact, Apple finally opening the door to RCS could be down to accusations of a potential monopoly on messaging services on its platform.

What does it mean for iPhone users? 

Apple wasn’t expected to accept RCS as the new standard but finally confirmed iOS 18 will do so at WWDC 2024.

While the company didn’t linger on it for long, it does bring Android and iPhone users ever so slightly closer together. 

Once iOS 18 arrives,  conversations with Android users will still be a “green-and-gray bubble” affair (Apple is reserving blue bubbles for iPhone users), but you’ll be able to see more iMessage-like features within those chats.

The aforementioned benefits like typing indicators and high-resolution media may help some users move away from WhatsApp, but it won’t be for everyone.

Some features will remain exclusive, too. Google’s Gemini integration, or editing and unsending messages on iMessage, will stay locked to Android and iOS respectively, but the lines are blurred a little at least.

What about SMS?

Don’t expect SMS to go anywhere. It remains the universal standard, but by default, it appears iOS 18 will lean on RCS in the first instance when you’re texting Android users.

That’s likely to make RCS the default, too, meaning you won’t need to actually do anything to begin using it. 

It is worth remembering there’s a whole host of additional features coming to Messages in iOS 18, too. From Genmoji to sending messages via Satellite and additional ‘tap back’ options, it’ll be fascinating to see how much the app changes from one iOS release to the next.

When Apple bought Dark Sky, one of the best iPhone weather apps on the planet, back in 2020 many users of the beloved application were left wondering how Apple would incorporate all of its features into the stock Weather app.

One of those features was Dark Sky’s incredible ability to tell you that it was about to rain just before the first drizzle hit your forehead. Last year Apple added Next-Hour Precipitation to the Weather app but it’s off by default, so many users have been missing out.

Here’s how to enable Next-Hour Precipitation in the Weather app on your iPhone so you never get stuck in the rain again.

Rain rain go away

I live in beautiful rainy Scotland and hadn’t received a rain notification from the Weather app in over a year. I had presumed the setting was turned on by default and that it couldn’t keep up with Scotland’s intermittent rain starting and stopping every two minutes. Either that or the feature itself was just useless across the globe. Turns out you might think it’s on but it could be disabled. Here’s how to turn it on:

1. Open Weather
2. Tap the menu button in the bottom right corner 
3. Tap the three dots in the top right corner
4. Select Notifications
5. Toggle on Next-Hour Precipitation for Current Location

Underneath these settings, you can also enable Next-Hour Precipitation for any of your saved locations. Additionally, there’s a Severe Weather warning alert option that will make sure to notify you if a storm is brewing.

I loved Dark Sky and had thought Apple had just messed up one of the app’s best features. Instead, it turns out that you need to make sure it’s enabled correctly to get the benefit of knowing when rain is coming, even when you’ve yet to feel a drop of water. For somewhere like Scotland this feature is a life-saver considering you can leave the house in sunglasses and a t-shirt in the summer heat only to be hit with torrential rain before you get to the end of your street.

While iPhone mirroring and Apple Intelligence are likely to be the headline features of macOS Sequoia, there’s plenty more in the latest version of macOS that’s worth a look.

One of those is the arrival of a Passwords app, which is also available across iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, which finally pulls passwords out of the depths of System Settings and makes them easier to access while keeping them secure. 

What is the Passwords app?

As the name suggests, Passwords pulls together all of your login information, including Passkeys, Wi-Fi networks, and much more into one centralized app.

From there you can scan for the ones you need, autofill them, or create randomly generated ones to avoid reusing the same login information for multiple accounts.

The Passwords app is available as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, but there’s also a handy Safari and Chrome extension to bring it into your browser, too, and it runs on Windows via the iCloud for Windows app. 

What can the Passwords app do?

Your Passwords app will automatically import the passwords you previously kept within the System Settings on your Mac (or iPhone/iPad), so you won’t need to re-enter them.

Upon setup, you’re given the option to install the relevant browser extension, too, but right off the bat the app is easy to use.

On the left, you’ll find the following categories:

• All - for a full list of every password in the app 
• Passkeys - for data secured with biometric login information like Face ID or Touch ID 
• Codes - for account information secured with number codes like you’d find on something like Google Authenticator or Authy 
• Wi-Fi - for stored Wi-Fi network information
• Security - for security recommendations (more on that in a moment) 
• Deleted - for passwords you’ve deleted in the last 30 days 

It’s a pretty comprehensive list, and all of the data in each category is synced across platforms, so you can save your password once and never need to enter it again. Similarly, you can edit a password once and know it’s been updated everywhere. 

 Security Recommendations explained

If you’ve used something like 1Password, think of the Security tab as being akin to Watchtower.

In our testing of the beta, the Mac version of Passwords didn’t highlight any potential security issues, which is good to know, but it can flag duplicate passwords, or potential appearances of your data that have been found in data breaches.

It’s not quite as detailed as 1Password (at least not yet), which offers a quick rundown of accounts you can move to Passkeys or add 2FA for, but it’s a really solid start that should help users understand better password habits.

How are passwords stored? 

Apple has been leaning on its Keychain technology for over two decades now, with the encrypted container the place where the company stores your most personal data. This is synced across iCloud, which is itself protected by encryption.

Put simply, your saved passwords within the app will be under lock and key, and in our testing, the Mac app does a great job of locking itself as soon as it thinks your attention has moved elsewhere.

Sharing Passwords

While you can always copy and paste passwords, even with iMessage encryption it’s best to avoid doing so.

With the Passwords app, you can create a sharing group for Passwords and Passkeys with trusted contacts that will then sync across their devices. This could be useful for, say, sharing utility bill information with a housemate, or banking information with a spouse.

You can choose what to share and rescind it at any time, too, so you’re always in control of what’s being shared at any time.

What about existing password managers?

Apple has been accused of “Sherlocking” apps like 1Password with the arrival of the Passwords app, and there are definitely similarities. Even the app layout, for example, looks a lot like many third-party options.

Still, at the time of writing, Apple’s app doesn’t have the option to save payment card information. While that makes sense for something like your iPhone where you may prefer to use Apple Pay, it could cause issues if you want to quickly summon your card number while on, say, a Windows PC.

You also can’t store notes in it the way you can with 1Password, although Apple’s own Notes app is a great alternative with notes you can lock.

Have you ever been watching a brilliant TikTok only to accidentally refresh your feed and lose it for good? Well, there’s a handy iPhone trick that helps you find your recently watched TikTok clips and it’s a lifesaver.

Whether you’re watching a TikTok of the best Air Fryer chicken tenders you’ve ever seen or the perfect outfit for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, this quick hack will get you back to the content you want to see in just a few simple steps.

Here’s how to find TikToks that you accidentally lost by refreshing your feed.

How to access your watch history on TikTok

Originally found by TikTok user @kaansanity, this iPhone hack will get you back to the TikTok video you lost via your watch history, here’s how to do it:

1. Tap the search icon
2. Enter a “.” and tap search
3. Tap view your watch history

It’s as simple as that, you’ll now have access to all of your recently viewed TikToks perfect for when you lose a video you’ve been watching. This iPhone hack might be the most useful new addition to your content consumption, allowing you never to lose track of what you’re watching ever again on all the best iPhones. 

While TikTok’s watch history is fairly hidden, this is the kind of hack that once you know about you’ll be telling all your friends. As someone who loses access to videos on YouTube all the time, the watch history has become second nature to me when I’m trying to find a clip I’ve already seen.

TikTok is one of the world’s most used social media sites and while it’s incredibly addictive some of the app’s design choices leave users scratching their heads. None more so than this hidden watch history which should be visible for all to see without the need to search for it.

Did you know one of the best sleep features on iPhone is built into the Clock app and has been for years? If not, I don’t blame you. It’s a fairly hidden setting that you’d easily miss if you didn’t know it existed.

So what is this feature? Embedded into the iPhone’s Clock app is the ability to turn off media playback at a certain time, ideal for listening to music or watching a TV show before bed. My partner goes to sleep every night watching Gilmore Girls and this feature has proven to be a godsend, making sure I’m not woken up at 4 AM to switch off the cast of Stars Hollow.

If you’re someone who likes to fall asleep to sounds, this hidden iPhone feature could become one of the most used tricks on your smartphone, and here’s how to use it.

The iPhone’s built-in sleep timer

Sometimes you just can’t switch off your brain when a room is too silent but this built-in sleep timer found in the Clock app can help. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Open Clock
2. Select the Timers tab
3. Tap When Timer Ends
4. Scroll down to the very bottom and tap Stop Playing, then Set
5. Now select a duration like you would a regular timer
6. Tap Start

Your iPhone will now stop playing whatever media is on in the background once the timer ends, allowing you to fall asleep without the worry of endless interruptions. I’ve been using this feature for years but considering how hard it can be to find I’m not surprised to hear some of my colleagues have never heard of it.

Combine this with the sleep sounds available on iPhone and you’ve got yourself the perfect sleep timer without the need for a third-party app.

In iOS 14 Apple ripped up the rule book and changed the way incoming calls look on the iPhone for the first time. Then, in iOS 17,  new Contact Posters made Lock Screen calls look better than ever before and when using your device discrete notification-style pop-ups appear for calls rather than the full-screen interrupters they once were.

After three years, the small notifications still don't feel quite right and I often miss phone calls because I'm so used to the full-screen alerts that used to be the bane of every iPhone user's existence. But what if I was to tell you that you can have the glory days back? That you could have full-screen incoming call alerts to annoy you and interrupt your life when you least expect them? Well, you can and this quick tip is going to show you how.

How to turn on full-screen incoming call alerts on iOS 17

For most people, the smaller incoming call notification banner when using your device is the best non-intrusive solution that Apple could offer. It's sleek, small, and easy to dismiss. But for others, that big annoying full-screen alert is the only way they remember to pick up a call, and without it using their iPhone as a phone can be difficult. If you're one of the latter types of people, here's how to turn on the full-screen call alerts:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Phone
3. Select Incoming Calls
4. Choose Full Screen

That's all there is to it, you'll now get a full-screen call alert even when using your iPhone, perfect for bringing every single call to your attention. If you find the full-screen calls too disrupting you can always change back to banners by following the steps above.

iOS 18 is fast approaching and with new Apple Intelligence features coming to the best iPhones like the ability to transcribe calls, the phone part of the iPhone is about to get even better.

For over a year, I've been incredibly frustrated with a lack of Slack notifications often berating the application to my colleagues as I missed important work information.

At first, I tried to find the solution, scratching my head and checking forum posts to see if anyone else had the same issue but despite changing all notification settings in the app nothing seemed to work. So I gave up, moved on with my life, and accepted I needed to have one eye on Slack at all times to ensure I didn't miss important work communications.

Fast forward a year and with the upcoming launch of macOS Sequoia making me want to give my M2 Mac Mini a spring clean, I decided enough was enough. I needed to get to the bottom of why Slack notifications never work on my Mac and unfortunately, the solution has been hiding in plain sight all this time.

I had accepted macOS notification suck

This morning while chatting with my colleagues I had an epiphany, not only do I miss Slack notifications but my Mac never notifies me at all. For over a year, I had presumed I was using my Mac with notifications either turned off or in Do Not Disturb, and as I like minimal distractions when working I was absolutely fine with that. It was only when I realized that I had never edited any settings that my brain started to piece two and two together to get to the bottom of my incompetence.

At iMore we review a lot of monitors, some of the best monitors for Mac to be exact, and when using multiple displays via a dock most require an application called DisplayLink. From a macOS perspective, DisplayLink is sharing your Mac display, in order to preserve your privacy, notifications are turned off by default. This ensures that if you use your Mac to screen share on a video call notifications won't pop up for all your colleagues to see. This also means, using DisplayLink 24/7 automatically prevents notifications from appearing on your Mac.

As soon as I realized, I went straight to Settings to change things up and get my Slack notifications back. Here's how:

1. Open Settings
2. Choose Notifications
3. Toggle on "Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing the display"

As soon as I enabled this setting notifications started popping up left, right, and center — I was no longer living an unintentionally distraction-free computer experience. For many who use DisplayLink to enable multiple display support through a dock, this could be a revelation or I may just be absolutely scatterbrained and everyone knows this setting needs to be enabled. 

Either way, I now have Slack notifications again but considering how annoying the constant pop-ups are I might end up turning them off, again unless I put the effort in to streamline my work notification workflow — considering this has taken me a year to work out due to pure laziness and acceptance, I doubt I'll be bothered.

Every year when I purchase the newest iPhone, there's one setting that I change immediately to make my typing experience as good as can be. I exclusively use my iPhone on silent with no typing sounds and this setting makes the keyboard on all the best iPhones feel far more responsive — I can't imagine my life without it.

When an iPhone is on silent, you tap the glass with no typing feedback. For years, I hated using my device without sound on as I found the lack of tactility really offputting. Since iOS 16, Apple has made it possible to turn on specific Haptics to mimic the feeling of typing on a real keyboard, and turning it on is a must. 

Here's how to turn on haptic keyboard feedback on iPhone.

This setting will change the way you type on iPhone

Using haptic keyboard feedback on iPhone will make typing on your favorite smartphone so much easier, thanks to the tactility that makes it feel like typing on an actual keyboard. Using the setting will take a little getting used to if you've never used haptics on a keyboard before but once you do it will change the way you type forever. Just follow these simple steps to turn it on:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Sound & Haptics
3. Select Keyboard Feedback
4. Toggle on Haptic

Now that haptic feedback is enabled every time you type a key whether in silent mode or with sound on you'll get a subtle vibration through your hands. I've been using this feature for nearly two years now and it has made me a significantly better typer on my touchscreen Apple devices. This feature can also be enabled on all the best iPads and works equally as good on the larger screens.

Haptic typing feedback is a must for any iPhone user, trust me, and try it!

Did you know your iPhone can help with your laundry? Using Visual Look Up on iOS 17 can help you get on top of that massive clothes pile in your laundry basket thanks to its ability to read labels.

You know the ones, the complex labels found on clothing with icons that nobody really understands? Yeah, those ones. Your iPhone can take away all that head-scratching and tell you exactly what they mean in a split second.

Here’s how to use your iPhone to read your laundry labels in just a few simple steps.

How to read laundry labels with iPhone

1. Take a photo of a laundry label on a piece of clothing
2. Open Photos and select that photo
3. Swipe up and Tap Look Up Washing Care
4. Your iPhone will explain every symbol on the label

That’s all there is to it, simple and efficient. You can use this same Visual Look Up tool to look up species of plants, bugs, and even give you information about the food you’re eating in a restaurant — it’s seriously impressive.

iOS 18 is fast approaching and you can already download the beta now. Later this year, when it officially launches, the new software update will add huge AI improvements thanks to Apple Intelligence. One of those improvements will be the ability to ask Siri for information on photos you see on your smartphone’s screen which will allow for even more in-depth photo identification thanks to services like ChatGPT.

For those who don’t have access to the best iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which are the only iPhones compatible with Apple Intelligence, luckily you don’t need anything fancy to use Visual Look Up. So whether you own an iPhone 12 mini or an iPhone 15, you can read laundry labels on iOS 17 as well as take advantage of Visual Look Up’s other awesome capabilities.

Have you just installed the new iOS 18 beta and are having regrets? If you chose to install the developer beta on your iPhone and the bugs and stability issues are too much for you to keep going, it’s easy to downgrade iOS 18 to iOS 17.

Unfortunately, you’ll lose any data that wasn’t backed up or anything that you’ve done since updating to iOS 18 but if your iPhone is having issues then downgrading back to a stable release is the fix.

Here’s how to downgrade iOS 18 to iOS 17.

Downgrade iOS 18 to iOS 17

The first step to downgrading from iOS 18 to iOS 17 is putting your device in recovery mode. Once complete, plug the phone into your computer and Finder on your Mac or iTunes on your Windows PC should launch automatically; if it doesn't, launch the software manually. iTunes will detect your device in recovery mode and ask you what you want to do.

1. Click Restore on the Finder popup
2. Click Restore and Update to confirm
   
   
   

3. Click Next on the iOS 17 Software Updater
4. Click Agree to accept the Terms and Conditions and start downloading iOS 17

If your device reboots to iOS 18 before the download is complete, simply repeat the steps above and put it back into Recovery Mode. Once the download is complete, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch will be restored to the older version of iOS.

Once the restore is complete you'll be back on a stable release of iOS 17 without all the bells and whistles of the latest software coming to iPhone later this year. You're not missing out, however, most of the big features coming in iOS 18 are thanks to Apple Intelligence and that won't be available for a while anyway.

In the meantime, you can access features like the ability to Type to Siri on iOS 17 without the need for iOS 18. Yes, it's not quite as swanky as the new update but it gets the job done and is incredibly useful.

It's also worth noting that as long as you backup before updating to betas, you shouldn't ever have an issue going back to older software. However, Apple will stop signing off older software at some point and then you're stuck on the latest software for good.

At WWDC 2024 Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, the brand new AI features included in iOS 18 for iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and presumably the upcoming iPhone 16 models when they launch later this year.

Alongside huge improvements to Siri, one of the awesome new additions is the ability to Type to Siri rather than use your voice — perfect for circumstances where speaking to your smartphone might be a bit awkward. Pretty cool right? What if I were to tell you that you can access Type to Siri not only on iPhones that aren’t compatible with Apple Intelligence but also on iPhones running iOS 17 right now? 

Here’s how to use Type to Siri on iOS 17.

How to Type to Siri in iOS 17

Type to Siri has been possible for years, nestled in your iPhone’s accessibility settings. I’m Scottish and it’s fair to say that Apple’s voice assistant doesn’t like my accent very much, so I’ve been using Type to Siri for years. It was to my surprise when Apple showcased the “new” feature at WWDC, completely ignoring the fact that anyone who wants to can Type to Siri already. The difference will be the ability to switch between speaking and typing, unlike this accessibility feature. Here’s how:

• Open Settings
• Tap Accessibility, then Siri
• Toggle on Type to Siri

Now whenever you activate Siri by holding the side button you’ll be prompted to type a query to the voice assistant. Siri will reply via text, allowing you to use it whenever you want, even while your iPhone is on silent.

You can download the iOS 18 beta right now, but we advise waiting for the official release later this year. The beta doesn’t have Apple Intelligence capabilities right now so if you want to access Type to Siri early just activate it on iOS 17 and save yourself the bother of dealing with beta woes.

Follow WWDC 2024 as it happened. Check out our roundups for all the latest on the newly announced iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and Apple Intelligence.

watchOS 11 public beta has arrived and you can download it right now for your favorite smartwatch.

The latest software for all the best Apple Watches brings a new Vitals app to stay healthy and rest days to the Activity app.

If you're thinking of taking the plunge, remember that your iPhone also has to update to iOS 18. You can find out how to do that right here. Once you've done that, read on and find out how you can update your Apple Watch to watchOS 11 beta.

watchOS 11 beta is here and you can install it now

Beta software, also referred to as a preview, seed, or release candidate, is a version of software that’s still under development and not yet released to the public. This software is intended only for installation on development devices registered under your Apple Developer Program membership. Registered development devices can be upgraded to future beta releases and the public version of the software. Attempting to install beta software in an unauthorized manner violates Apple policy and could render your device unusable and necessitate an out-of-warranty repair. Make sure to back up your devices before installing beta software and install only on devices and systems that you’re prepared to erase if necessary.

watchOS 11 brings some great new additions to your Apple Watch without the need to purchase a new device. Live Activities come to the Watch, which allows you to get up-to-date information right from a widget in Smart Stack. This means you'll be able to track your food delivery with GrubHub, follow the arrival of an Uber, or check up on live flight information with United Airlines, directly from your wrist. Another big feature is rest days. You can finally pause a streak within the Fitness app! This can be very useful if you've had an injury, for example, keeping you from doing a workout.

How to download and install watchOS 11 developer beta

Installing watchOS 11 on your Apple Watch is incredibly simple. So simple in fact that you can do it in just a few easy steps. 

1. Open Apple Watch app
2. Tap General, then Software Update
3. Enable Beta Updates
4. Select watchOS 11 developer beta 3

That's all there is to it. Your Apple Watch will now update to the latest operating system. The process may take a little while to download and install, but you can keep going about your day until the installation process begins.

How to download and install watchOS 11 public beta 1

The watchOS 11 public beta is now available, here's how to install it:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General, then Software Update
3. Enable Beta Updates
4. Select iOS 18 public beta 1
5. Open Apple Watch app
6. Tap General, then Software Update
7. Enable Beta Updates
8. Select watchOS 11 public beta 1

The wonders of watchOS 11 await

It's not just Live Activities and the ability to have rest days that are new in watchOS 11. The new Vitals app uses the built-in sensors of your watch and the data they all produce to create a more detailed picture of your health. Apple Watch can see what's happening with your heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen. This way, it can give you a better idea of the state of your health. Vitals will also alert you when certain levels aren't within their normal operation.

It's worth noting that despite the availability of these betas, you should never install a watchOS beta on your primary device and we advise against doing so.

tvOS 18 was announced at WWDC 2024 on June 10, with Apple revealing some exciting changes to your home entertainment box, such as InSight.

If you're a developer, you know it's time to get tvOS 18 onto your test devices so you can bring your apps up to speed with Apple's latest Apple TV software. We advise general members of the public against installing the beta until Apple releases a public beta in a few weeks time.

With this in mind, here's how to download and install tvOS 18 beta 1.

How to download and install tvOS 18 beta

How to download and install tvOS 18 developer beta

Beta software, also referred to as a preview, seed, or release candidate, is a version of software that’s still under development and not yet released to the public. This software is intended only for installation on development devices registered under your Apple Developer Program membership. Registered development devices can be upgraded to future beta releases and the public version of the software. Attempting to install beta software in an unauthorized manner violates Apple policy and could render your device unusable and necessitate an out-of-warranty repair. Make sure to back up your devices before installing beta software and install only on devices and systems that you’re prepared to erase if necessary.

1. Open Settings on your Apple TV
2. Select System then Software Updates
3. Choose Beta Updates then tvOS 18 developer beta

It's that simple. You no longer need to use Xcode or any other external software to update your Apple TV to the newest tvOS developer beta, and you don't need to be a developer either.

How to download and install tvOS 18 public beta

The tvOS 18 public beta is not currently available but we expect to see the first iteration in July. The process is identical to the developer beta installation:

1. Open Settings on your Apple TV
2. Select System then Software Updates
3. Choose Beta Updates then tvOS 18 public beta

The next step in tvOS

Although there aren't many new features this year for tvOS, you'll likely be using what's been announced for tvOS 18 in due course.

For instance, InSight lets you find out more information about the actors and music in the show you're watching. This is very familiar to Amazon Prime Video's 'X-Ray' feature, so if you've used that before, you'll feel right at home.

tvOS 18 now supports 21:9 projectors, which can be great for watching certain movies in their intended aspect ratio. Enhanced dialog improves the way you hear actor's voices in certain scenes that may be harder to hear. There's also a new dynamic subtitles feature that only shows captions when you need them. Finally, Screensavers have been redesigned in how you can choose them, as well as a new portraits category.

Follow WWDC 2024 as it happened. Check out our roundups for all the latest on the newly announced iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and Apple Intelligence.