Its new interface better resembles the new Siri Remote that ships with the latest Apple TV 4K, introduced back in April, and offers greater functionality over the old design.
Siri will soon be able to handle many of your questions and requests offline. When Apple’s next-generation software updates roll out this fall, on-device speech recognition will negate the need for a data connection.
Apple is also opening Siri up to third parties, paving the way for its virtual assistant to be integrated into all manner of smart devices in the future.
Safari extensions are finally coming to iPhone and iPad this fall with iOS and iPadOS 15. You’ll have access to all the same extension options you’re used to seeing on your Mac, with developers getting the ability to create universal extensions that work across all devices.
Not interested in likes? Get rid of them. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Facebook and Instagram have added the ability to hide likes and view counts — a feature that’s been in the works for a while. You can block counts on your own posts and well as on those from others.
We’ll show you how to enable the setting inside Facebook and Instagram for iPhone and iPad.
The safe and easy way to share HomeKit control. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
If you’re going away this summer and leaving your home in the hands of someone else, you might want to give them control of your HomeKit devices. And it’s really easy to do that inside the Home app.
Here’s how to invite anyone with an iPhone, iPad or Mac to control your smart home gadgets as a guest.
Some low-light photos look better without Night mode. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Want to capture a low-light photo without using the Night mode feature on newer iPhone models? It’s real easy to turn off right inside the built-in Camera app. We’ll show you how.
Keep your iPhone, iPad, Mac and more topped up and connected with generous discounts on Amazon Basics charging cables and USB-C hubs.
Prices start at just $6.31 for a three-foot fast charging cable, while a 30W USB-C charger with GaN technology can be yours for $17.29. Amazon’s 3-in-1 USB-C hub is down to just $25.49.
The discounts are good for a limited time only, so enjoy them while you can.
Handy for charging. Handier for retrieving your dropped iPhone from a canal in Germany. Photo: Apple
What do you do when you drop your iPhone 12 Pro in a canal and can’t find it? Simple: You take advantage of one of its neat new features to fish it out of the murky depths.
That’s what Twitter user and developer Frederik Riedel recently did — crafting a fishing rod with magnet that allowed him to latch on to the MagSafe charging magnets on the back of the device. Impressively, it worked. As did the iPhone continue to do.
Question: When is the front-facing FaceTime camera on an iPhone more trouble than it’s worth? Answer: When you’re a thief who has just stolen an iPhone and, by using it, you’re recording video evidence against yourself.
This is one of the presumably many mistakes made by 21-year-old Kairo Theophilus-Reid. Theophilus-Reid recently appeared in the UK’s Swindon Crown Court, charged with a 2019 mugging of a younger teen’s iPhone 7.
He was arrested alongside fellow mugger Charlie Graham, and was found to have used the iPhone to record video of the pair in a restaurant hours after the incident.
Keeps your iPhone firmly in your hand. Photo: Casetify
If you were born with butter fingers and you find it hard to hold onto your iPhone, you need the Casetify Ring. This little device sticks to the back of any smartphone to provide a secure grip, and doubles as a stand.
Stick with your job and get an iPhone doesn't sound like a bad deal. Photo: A Befendo/Flickr CC
The fast food industry doesn’t just produce on-demand fries and burgers quickly, it’s also classically had a rapid turnover of employees. That’s a headache during normal times, but with the current post-COVID staffing shortage, it’s proving to be more of a migraine.
One McDonald’s restaurant in Altamont, Illinois, has a bright idea to get staff to hang around, though: Offer free iPhones for those who stay in the job for at least six months.
Give others the ability to use your Apple Card. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple Card now gives users the ability to add a co-owner from their Family Sharing group. Co-owners share the same credit line and have the ability to add the card to Apple Pay, view their own spending activity, and more.
It’s also possible to share Apple Card with other members of your family (aged 13 years or older) and give them their own spending limit. Here’s how to start sharing yours on iPhone and iPad.
How do you follow up a monster like the A14 chip? With the A15, of course! Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor maker, has reportedly commenced production on the next-gen A15 chip for the iPhone 13.
It seems that Apple’s expecting to have a big hit on its hands, too. Digitimes reported Wednesday that “demand for the chip surpass that for its predecessor last year in scale, according to industry sources.”
Reachability makes even the largest iPhone models easy to use one-handed. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Reachability remains alive and well in iOS 14 — even if you have an iPhone without a Home button. The feature, which makes even the largest iPhone models easier to operate with one hand, is super-simple to use with just a quick flick of the thumb.
However, Reachability is disabled by default, so you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how to enable and use Reachability in the latest iPhone firmware.
Bag yours before the price returns to normal. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new MagSafe Duo Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch just got its very first discount on Amazon. Order yours today for $112.45 — down from $129 — before the price returns to normal.
Enjoy Apple Music anywhere. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
If you are unable to play Apple Music tracks when you’re driving or out and about, it’s probably because you need to enable streaming over a cellular connection. We’ll show you how.
Start testing Opera GX today. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Gaming-focused web browser Opera GX is on its way to iPhone and iPad, almost two years after its initial debut. It comes with a customizable interface, the ability to sync with Opera GX on desktop, and ad blocking.
The browser also offers a number of unique features aimed at gamers, like GX Corner, which highlights gaming news and deals. Anyone can download and try out the Opera GX beta today. We’ll show you how.
Putting an AirTag into Lost Mode means others know how to contact you if they find it. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
AirTag’s diminutive size and lack of ability to attach to anything out of the box means that it’s ironically easy to lose. Locating one that goes missing shouldn’t be too difficult, but if yours is proving hard to find, you might want to put it into Lost Mode.
If your AirTag is found by someone else, it will be possible for them to contact you and return your device — and anything it might be attached to — if it’s in Lost Mode. We’ll show you how to use it.
For cleaner, more responsive browsing. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Microsoft Edge has some nice advantages over Safari on iPhone and iPad — especially if you typically use Windows on your desktop. But just like other third-party browsers, it can’t play nicely with content blockers.
However, Edge does have a built-in ad blocker on iOS and iPadOS. And in this guide, we’ll show you how to enable it.
Are you fed up with the iPhone notch? Artists concept: Cult of Mac
Apple could shrink this year’s iPhone “notch” thanks to a 40% to 50% smaller VCSEL chip in the Face ID sensor, Digitimes reported Friday. According to the report, the smaller die size could show up as soon as the “new iPhone and iPad devices to be rolled out later in 2021.”
Get immediate access to supported streaming apps. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
iOS, iPadOS and tvOS give users the ability to link their TV provider for instant access to video apps included with their TV subscription. Here’s how to get set up on your iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.
People sure like their fingerprint sensing. Concept image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple customers are seemingly always on the lookout for the next big thing when it comes to new products. That may not be quite true for the iPhone 13, though.
According to a survey by SellCell.com, the feature most Apple customers look forward to is actually the return of Touch ID, the fingerprint sensor Apple has been phasing out in favor of Face ID.
Woolnut's leather iPhone 12 case takes blue to the max. Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
Woolnut’s slim leather cases look fantastic enough that you might not mourn covering up your beautiful iPhone. And when I put a blue one on my ridiculously huge iPhone 12 Pro Max, it did more than provide an acceptably luxurious layer of protection.
Don't let songs take up all your space. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
If you like to store music locally on your iPhone so you don’t need a data connection to listen to your favorite tracks while you’re on the go, you may find that, over time, your music takes up too much space.
You can prevent that from happening by optimizing music storage on your device so the songs you don’t listen to anymore are automatically deleted to make room for other content. We’ll show you how.
Twelve South’s excellent PowerPic charger for iPhone is now available at half its original price. Designed to look like a stylish photo frame with built-in wireless charging functionality, the PowerPic looks right at home on any desk or nightstand. Get yours today for just $39.99.