Quick Tips
How To: Do This to Start Your Day with a Favorite Song, Not an Obnoxious iPhone Alarm Sound
Why are you still waking up to an annoying alarm clock sound on your iPhone? It's 2020, not 2011. That's almost a decade since you were limited to a strict set of default tones. Yes, your iPhone has a ton of tones by now to choose from, but you could be waking up gently to your favorite slow song, or jolting awake by the harsh sounds of metal ringing in your ears to get pumped for the rest of the day.
How To: This Trick Makes It Easier to Type on Your iPhone with One Hand
We're beyond the days where iPhones fit perfectly in most hands. The iPhone 11 Pro is still a bit big for many people, and the 11 Pro Max is truly massive. If you're having trouble typing out your thoughts without using two hands, know that there's a quick way to make one-handed typing possible on any iPhone.
How To: The Fastest Way to Check for Galaxy Store App Updates on Your Samsung Device
If you have a Samsung device, you probably know the hassle of dealing with both the Galaxy Store and the Google Play Store at the same time for apps. Samsung's offering is forced onto you whether you like it or not; however, it's the only way to officially receive essential updates for your Samsung apps. The good news? You can keep on top of these updates with a super simple trick.
How To: There's a Faster Way to Check for System Updates on Your OnePlus
We all know Android updates have been iffy in the past. But Google has implemented several measures recently that have sped up the process substantially, and OnePlus is taking advantage of these. Still, a staged rollout update might keep you waiting for a few days or longer. So if you'd rather skip the wait, there's a better way to manually check for system updates.
How To: Use Your Pixel's Camera to Quickly Estimate the Angle of a Slope
It feels like every few months, some new feature is discovered in the Pixel's Camera app. By taking advantage of machine learning and the high-quality camera, Google continues to add hidden functions that improve your life even if they're a little niche.
How To: YSK That You Can Mute Live Photos So Nobody Has to Listen to Them
Live Photos are a great way to relive moments beyond a simple still image since you get up to 1.5 seconds of video before and after the shot. Of course, your iPhone doesn't just capture motion during a Live Photo — it also records audio. And that audio portion may not be something you want to share.
How To: Don't Want to Share the 'Live' Part of a Live Photo from Your iPhone? Do This
Have you ever taken a photo to share with a friend, only to realize it was actually a Live Photo? Maybe you said something embarrassing in the background, or perhaps you moved the camera out of frame onto a subject you don't want your friend to see. Luckily, making a Live Photo a regular still photo is a breeze.
How To: Your iPhone Can Switch to Dark & Light Modes Automatically When the Sun Sets & Rises
Apple's Dark Mode in iOS 13 and later offers a cool, comfortable viewing experience on your iPhone. You may prefer the dark theme all day long, but if you like to use it only at night, it's not very convenient to switch it on and off daily. But there's a setting that lets you set it and forget it, so you never have to do it manually again.
How To: Stop Deleting iPhone Notifications One by One — Clear All Alerts at Once by Doing This
If you're like me, no matter how hard you try, your iPhone's notifications are a mess. There's just too many of them. That's when it becomes helpful just to get rid of the whole bunch and start fresh. However, deleting alerts one at a time is as tedious as it is unnecessary since you can clear all of your notifications at once.
YSK: You Can Manage App Downloads & Updates Right from Your iPhone's Home Screen
Everyone knows that app updates on iOS are found in the App Store. What you might not have known, however, is that you don't need to manually open the App Store app to manage your updates and downloads. In fact, that work can be started or completed directly from the first place you interact with on your iPhone — the home screen.
How To: Finally, You Can Hide the 'Hidden' Album from the Photos App on Your iPhone
The "Hidden" album on your iPhone has always had one problem — it was never truly hidden. Since iOS 10, when the feature was introduced in the Photos app, any image or video that you conceal in the private folder could be seen by anyone with access to your unlocked device. Finally, that has changed.
How To: The Hidden Way to Delete Numbers on Your iPhone's Calculator
Let's say you're using your iPhone's Calculator app, and you're knee-deep into a complicated calculation with many steps. You type in a large number, for example, "123,466,789," but mess up. You meant to type "5" midway through but accidentally typed "6" instead. The only thing to do now is start over, no matter how far along you are, right? Wrong.
How To: You Can Block Any App from Using Up Your iPhone's Precious Mobile Data by Doing This
If you have a limited mobile data plan on your iPhone, you know how tricky it can be to stay within your given allotment. Large app installs and updates, 4K resolution videos, and photo backups can waste precious data resources in no time. And apps like Apple News, Facebook, Mail, and Netflix eat data like it's candy. But you can nip the problem in the bud by restricting data hogs from your cellular network.
How To: Lock Facebook Messenger Behind Face ID or Touch ID for Maximum Security
Although Facebook has some questionable privacy and security practices, you'll find it still offers you ways to protect the information that's important to you. One of those ways is locking Messenger behind biometric authentication protocols such as Face ID and Touch ID, ensuring that no one else can access your private chats.
How To: Your Samsung Galaxy S20 Has a Built-in Level to Check if Any Surface Is Flat
The next time you need to build some IKEA furniture or assemble a shelf in the bathroom, bring your Samsung Galaxy S20. It has a hidden feature that replaces one tool you will need for the job.
How To: There's a Super Fast Button Combo to Put Your Android Phone into Vibrate Mode
Everyone has that internal checklist on the way out the door. Keys? ID? Phone? Check, check, check. But it still feels like you're missing something as you head off to work. It's not until your ringtone starts blasting at full volume in an important meeting that you realize what you forgot to do: put your phone on vibrate.
How To: iOS 14's Revamped Home Screen Search Can Help You Open Hidden Apps Faster
The ability to hide entire pages on your iPhone's home screen is an excellent privacy upgrade packed into iOS 14. That said, it can be a bit of a pain to find and open the hidden apps on those pages in a timely fashion. Luckily, iOS 14 has a solution that makes opening those apps, as well as any others, faster and more convenient — and we're not talking about the new App Library.
How To: Telegram Has a Hidden Attach Button That Works After You've Started Typing
On the Android version of the Telegram app, the attachment icon disappears when you input your first letter or emoji. This "feature" forces you to either delete what you wrote to attach a picture first, or just send the file afterward. Since both of those options suck, we were happy to find a hidden third way.
How To: There's a Hidden Notification History Widget on Your Android
Have you ever accidentally dismissed an important notification? Realized you didn't mean to delete an alert after hitting "Clear all?" Instead of pulling out your hair, know you can see the alert again — at least, a portion of it.
YSK: Gboard Lets You Copy & Paste Multiple Items
Touchscreen typing has always presented its own unique challenges, so a phone's copy and paste capabilities are more important than you might think. Gboard users should know about a useful feature in this category: extended clipboard history.