Listed below is a selection of posts from across the AppleVis website which have been especially selected to help you setup and get to know your first iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
In this podcast, Thomas Domville introduces us to Apple’s News app which is new in iOS 9.
News collects all the stories you want to read, from top news sources, based on topics you’re most interested in — so you no longer need to move from app to app to stay informed.
Explore a huge selection of topics from sources including top news organizations and indie publications. Choose the ones you want to add to your favorites so you can get the news that interests you — like business, technology, fashion, sports, and more.
The more you read, the better News gets at understanding your interests, refining the selection of stories delivered to your screen so they are relevant to you. Easily share articles with others and save them to read offline.
In this episode, Thomas Domville demonstrates how to delete your entire iPhone call history or a specific call.
There are several reasons why individuals might choose to delete their iPhone call history or specific call log entries. One common reason is to ensure privacy by removing records of personal or sensitive calls that they wish to keep confidential, especially from others who may have access to their phone. Additionally, deleting old or irrelevant call logs helps maintain an organized call history, making it easier to find important calls and reducing clutter. Sometimes, to prevent misunderstandings or confusion, one might delete a call log entry related to an accidental dial or a call received from a specific number. Furthermore, while call logs take up minimal storage space, clearing them can help free up a small amount of storage on the iPhone, which is particularly useful if there is an extensive call history accumulated over time.
In this episode, Thomas Domville delves into the details of iOS battery health and charging features. He begins by explaining what battery health is and why it’s important for your device’s performance. Then, he explores the various charging options that iOS provides, discussing how each one affects your device’s battery health.
A key part of this episode is the introduction of a new feature that’s only available on iPhone 15 and newer. This feature lets users set a charging limit to 80%, and Thomas discusses its benefits and how it can extend your device’s battery life. He also provides a step-by-step guide on how to set this charging limit on your iPhone 15 and newer devices.
The following guide has been inspired by this episode of the Apfel-Fleger Podcast, a podcast in German for blind users of Apple products. All credit goes to JĂĽrgen Fleger and his friend for discovering and presenting this little trick.
In this episode, Dave Nason explores the changed gestures and button functions on the iPhone X, the first iPhone to ship without a Home button. Although these changes are demonstrated on the iPhone X, they apply to all subsequent iPhone and iPad models that lack this button.
Using alternative gestures as well as the other buttons on the device, all functions involving the Home button can be accessibly replicated. The table below lists affected functions, how to perform them on devices with a Home button, and how to perform them on devices without a Home button.
With the recent release of the new iPhone 16e, this means the end of the Home Button for iPhone users. Those who have been using iPhone SE's for years will now have to face not having a phone on the market which has the Home Button. We can't bring Touch ID back, but we can do something about duplicating the function of the Home Button. While many users have adapted in various ways, including performing the gesture, the fact remains that this gesture isn't as simple to perform until you are used to it as hitting a button. Speaking of buttons, I've sent the feedback several times to Apple that this should be an option for the Action Button. As of iOS 18.3.1, this still isn't one, though you can set up a Siri shortcut to assign the Action Button to the Home gesture (discussed below).
In this episode, Thomas Domville takes us through a comprehensive tutorial on how to use the effects and react features in the iOS Messages app. Whether you're a long-time user of the app or just getting started, you'll learn how to add some fun and creativity to your messages by using the various effects and reactions available. Thomas will walk you through step-by-step instructions on how to use these features, including the different types of effects and how to customize them, as well as how to use reactions to respond to messages in a fun and engaging way.
In this episode, Thomas Domville demonstrates the call recording and transcription feature in iOS 18.1. This update brings an exciting built-in call recording capability to iPhones. Recording a call is straightforward: just double-tap the Record button in the top left corner during a call (note that you might need to hide the keypad to see the button). A voice message will notify all participants that the call is being recorded. These recordings are saved directly in the Notes app, which uses end-to-end encryption to keep your conversations private. To review a call, simply go to the Notes app, and you'll find your recordings securely stored there. Additionally, iOS 18.1 offers automatic transcription, generating real-time captions and notes during your call. This feature makes it easy to reference important points later, with transcriptions handled entirely on your device to ensure privacy, with no data sent to external servers.
As is widely known, a major selling point of Apple devices is the interconnected ecosystem they collectively foster, allowing users to work seamlessly between iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices. Some of these features, like iCloud, iMessage, and FaceTime, are facilitated by central servers, whereas others, like the Continuity features discussed in this guide, are largely facilitated by Apple’s proprietary peer-to-peer networking protocols that allow devices to directly communicate with each other.
Keep in mind that this guide is not intended as an exhaustive list or explainer of every feature, but rather an overview of those which I consider to be most useful, and that I feel I have sufficient experience with to comment on their overall utility. Features that involve platforms I don’t personally have experience with, like iPadOS and watchOS, will be mentioned, but not covered in detail.
If you receive or initiate a phone call or text message, from a number that isn't in your iPhone Contacts, you may want to add that information to an existing contact or create a new contact.
In this episode, Tyler shows us how to automatically delete messages on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
By default, the Messages app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS retains messages and conversations until you delete them. However, particularly if you receive a large number of attachments, messages can occupy a significant portion of space on your device. To automatically delete messages after a set amount of time after they've been received on iOS and iPadOS, go to Settings > Messages > Keep messages, and choose an option. To do the same on macOS, open Messages, choose Messages > Settings, (or press Command-Comma) click the General button in the toolbar, and choose an option from the "Keep messages" popup menu.
In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to automatically deny App Tracking requests in iOS and iPadOS.
App Tracking Transparency (ATT) is a feature in iOS and iPadOS that aims to give users more control over which apps can track their activity across apps owned by other companies for targeted advertising purposes by requiring user permission to access the device's identifier for advertisers (IDFA). To automatically deny all tracking requests, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, and toggle the "Allow apps to request to track" switch off.
Note: This setting will not affect an app's ability to track your activity within that app or other apps owned by the same company. For information about how a particular app uses your data, consult the company's privacy policy or App Store nutrition label.
In this podcast, Thomas Domville shows us how to allow your Medical ID information to be sent automatically to emergency services, via a secure third-party service, when you call or text 911 or use Emergency SOS from your iPhone or Apple Watch (U.S. only; iOS 13.5 or later required; watchOS 6.2.5 or later required if Apple Watch is connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network without your iPhone nearby).
In this episode, Tyler demonstrates how to change Safari's default search engine on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
To do this on iOS and iPadOS, go to Settings > Safari and double-tap "Search engine" to specify the search engine for standard browsing windows, or "private search engine" if you want to specify a different search engine to be used in private browsing windows. On macOS, in Safari, choose Safari > Settings (or press Command-Comma) click the Search button in the toolbar, and choose from the "Search engine" or "private browsing search engine" popup menus.