iOS 9 tips

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on iOS 9 tips:

Use this neat trick to hide unwanted apps in iOS 9

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Screen Shot 2016-01-05 at 13.45.33
Say goodbye to the stock apps you don't want. Temporarily.
Photo: videosdebarraquito

iPhones may not come with the crazy amounts of bloatware that swell up Android devices, but there are still a handful of pre-installed apps that some users don’t want to have on their home screen.

While Apple doesn’t let you delete its stock apps in iOS 9, a new method for hiding them was recently discovered by YouTube user videosdebarraquito, who posted a video revealing his solution. Check it out below.

Siri will win you over as a trusted assistant

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Siri will remind you of tasks you need to complete based on your location.
Siri will remind you of tasks you need to complete based on your location.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

Maybe there aren’t a ton of new features in iOS 9, but you may find yourself getting tighter with Siri.

Siri is out to earn the title of “Best Assistant” with a series of new tricks aimed at making your life easier.

You no longer have to set a time for Siri to remind you to do tasks. You will automatically get reminders once you arrive or leave a location. No time to read an email or an interesting article? Ask her to remind you later and she will do so.

Siri can call up any photo you like based on a location or timestamp. She can also give you sports scores without directing you to a website, can convert measurements and, if you have a shiny new iPhone 6s, there is no need to press the home button to summon her. Just say, “Hey Siri.”

To see how Siri worked for me, check out the video below.

How to activate AT&T Wi-Fi Calling on your iPhone

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iPhone 6S
Apple is investigating battery issues for the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

AT&T finally activated Wi-Fi calling on its network, allowing iPhone users to seamlessly switch to their local wireless network to place calls when their LTE signal is weak.

Apple added WiFi Calling in iOS 8, but you probably haven’t had a chance to use it yet because the only carrier in the U.S. to support it has been T-Mobile. Now that the nation’s second-largest carrier is getting on board, more iPhone users than ever can take advantage of the feature to place calls anywhere in the United States, free of charge.

Here’s how to turn it on:

Pro Tip: How to fine-tune 3D Touch sensitivity

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Try not to bust that thing, ok? You just got it.
Try not to bust that thing, ok? You just got it.
Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

Pro Tip Cult of Mac bug You don’t have to press so hard on your expensive new iPhone 6s or 6s Plus to get the groundbreaking 3D Touch working easily.

We’ve all been looking forward to this killer UI upgrade, but some users say they’re worried about breaking their new iPhone screens because they’re pushing so hard to get the “pop” level of 3D Touch.

Here’s how to make this a little easier to use.

How to use content blockers in iOS 9 (and whitelist Cult of Mac!)

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Silentium (left) and Purify, two great content blockers for iOS 9.
Silentium (left) and Purify, two great content blockers for iOS 9.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

iOS 9 includes a new feature that desktop users have had for a while: content blocking. More conventionally known as ad blockers, this software cuts out all the advertisements and other cruft from web pages, allowing faster load times and a more streamlined experience.

Of course, most websites you read these days (including Cult of Mac!) rely on advertising to keep the lights on.

Luckily for all of us, most new content blockers let you whitelist specific sites so you can continue to help them pay their bills.

17 secret iOS 9 tricks everyone should know

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iOS 9 has tons of little tweaks waiting for you.
iOS 9 has tons of little tweaks waiting for you.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Once you get your iPhone upgraded to iOS 9, you might be overwhelmed. While Apple’s new mobile OS doesn’t pack a lot of grand new visual features, the update does include tons of little tricks that make using your iPhone and iPad even more ridiculously easy to use.

Here are all the secret iOS 9 tricks every user should know:

How to master iOS 9’s killer new features

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iOS 9 is loaded with new features. Here's how to use them.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

We’re all going to be diving into the deep end with iOS 9. While many of the changes are subtle, there are a fair number of differences in both the visual style and the under-the-hood workings of Apple’s new mobile OS.

That means this a perfect time to take a deeper look at all the killer stuff you don’t want to miss. These iOS 9 tips will help you make the most of all the great new features.

How to get ready for your iOS 9 upgrade the right way

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This action plan  will ensure your iOS 9 upgrade is buttery smooth.
This action plan will ensure your iOS 9 upgrade is buttery smooth.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Whether you’re getting a new iPhone 6s or not, you’re going to want to upgrade to iOS 9 to take advantage of everything Apple’s new mobile operating system has to offer.

iOS 9 is ready to revolutionize your mobile life, but there are a few things you should do before making the leap. Here’s how to get your iPhone (or iPad) ready for its iOS 9 upgrade — the right way.

The quickest way to find images with iOS 9

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ios 9 photos scrubber

Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

In previous versions of iOS, finding your photos was a bit tricky, especially as you started to amass them in the thousands, what with having a high-quality camera in your pocket at all times.

In iOS 9, currently in public beta, the Photos app has gotten a new way to find the photo you’re looking for amidst the haystack of your Photo Roll. Here’s how to use this new feature.

How to make Siri fetch your photos in iOS 9

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Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

I wanted to find photos from my vacation a couple of weeks ago, so I figured I’d try out Siri’s new iOS 9 functionality.

“Siri,” I said, “show me photos from Hawaii.”

Dutifully, Apple’s updated digital assistant pulled up photos from my trip to Oahu a couple of years ago. They’re lovely, but I wanted more recent pictures.

“Siri, show me photos from Hawaii last week,” I said, reasonably.

As soon as I finished speaking, there they were. Siri had launched my Photos app on my iPhone and brought up the photos I’d taken while in Kona. Great stuff.

Here are some other ways you can get Siri to find the photos you want in the huge pile you have sitting on your iPhone.

Whip out iOS 9’s Wallet app from your lock screen

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Apple Pay iPhone
Yet another reason to use Apple Pay.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new Wallet app replaces Passbook in iOS 9, currently in public beta. Just like Passbook, when you wave your iPhone at an Apple Pay kiosk, it will only let you choose your default credit card and pay for the goods or services you bought.

In iOS 9 beta, you’ll also be able to choose any of your other provisioned credit cards from your Apple Pay account without even unlocking your iPhone or accessing the Wallet app.

Here’s how.

Save your battery with iOS 9’s Low Power Mode

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Keep your iPhone humming for up to three hours until your next charge.
Keep your iPhone humming for up to three hours until your next charge.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

iOS 9 brings a bunch of battery-boosting features, most of which work right out of the box. But there’s one battery-saving feature you’ll have to enable yourself.

Called Low Power Mode, this new feature should prove super-useful when you need to eke out just a bit more time with your device — provided you’re not doing anything intense.

Wallpapers and Wi-Fi calls galore: All the new treasures in iOS 9 beta 5

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iOS 9 beta 5 has some of the most exciting goodies yet including a new wallpaper set.
Photo: Apple

The brand-new beta of iOS 9 brings an entirely new set of wallpapers, some welcome improvements to Apple Music and more new treasures. These are some of the most exciting changes yet to Apple’s upcoming mobile operating system (the previous beta brought back Home Sharing and delivered lots of tiny design tweaks).

Let’s run through all the changes in iOS 9 beta 5, which was made available to developers today.