iOS tips - page 14

Update: Mailbox developers emailed us today to let us know that the option to change default browsers is indeed in version 1.6.2, but only appears if you have Chrome installed. Hooray!

One of the biggest complaints about Apple’s iOS is the inability to decide which apps will open when you click links like website URLs and email addresses. Being able to change the default web browser, or the default mail application, would be a fantastic addition to an already great operating system, iOS 7.

Until then, though, we have to use mobile Safari, and Apple’s Mail app, at least when we click through to a link on Twitter or in an email.

The developers of the Mailbox app included a little feature that–when using the Mailbox app at least–will let you choose a different browser for any web URLs you click through to. Unfortunately, it only seems to hold true for an earlier version of Mailbox, 1.5.0, instead of the current version 1.6.2. We’ve emailed the Mailbox devs to find out where this setting went and why.

If you’re running 1.5.0, still, though, here’s how to enable it.

Back in the iOS 7 beta, we noticed a feature that would focus your iPhone camera when you held down the volume button in landscape mode.

When I went to do the same thing yesterday while taking pictures of my Macbook Air’s trackpad (don’t ask), and instead of a nicely auto-focused picture, I got a bunch of pictures of my (not-moving) trackpad, inadvertently activating what Apple calls “burst mode.”

Here’s how to use it to get action shots on your own iPhone or iPad running iOS 7.

iOS 7 comes with a brand new set of Siri voices. Here in the US, there’s an updated female voice, as well as a new male voice included in the latest and greatest mobile operating system.

Did you know, though, that Siri is proud of her new voice? Well, just let him know that you like her new vocal apparatus, and you’ll see a few fun new easter eggs as answers.

On the Mac, you can always hit Command-Z to undo something. You can also hit Command-Shift-Z to redo something and put it back to what it was before you hit undo. Make sense?

This isn’t so easily done on iOS, as there isn’t a Command key, to being with, but there is, in fact, an option to undo and one to redo hidden in the iPad keyboard. Here’s how to get to each of them.

Notification Center has new tabs now, including Today, All, and Missed notifications. Even with this bit of filtering, things can get overwhelming fast, especially if you have a ton of apps that default to sending notifications to you for darn near everything.

If you want to lower the amount of information overload in your Notifications Center, it’s a fairly simple affair. Here’s how.

It used to be simple to delete text messages from your iPhone (or, I suppose, your iPad if you use iMessages), but with iOS 7, the cute little Edit button has gone away from the upper right corner. Instead, there’s a Contact button up there, which–while useful–used up the space where the Edit button used to be.

You can still delete entire message conversations by swiping to the left in the list of all your text messages, but how do you delete specific messages within a conversation? Swiping to the left just shows you the timestamps of the messages.

Never fear, we’ve got the answer.

With iOS 7, you are no longer a slave to the constant need to update your apps. John McCain should be totally happy.

With this new automatic update feature, though, it might be nice to see what’s been updated lately. To do that, it’s just a quick trip into the guts of iOS 7. Here’s how.

Oh, hey! You got the new iOS 7 for your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad–congrats! Wondering what to do with it? Looking for the best tips and tricks to get the most out of Apple’s pastel-and-parallax-flavored operating system for that amazing mobile device?

Well look no further than Cult of Mac for your iOS 7 needs. We’ve been working through the iOS 7 features and options since the first beta came out, and we’re here to give you the best of them.

While we’ve noted that you can use panoramic photos as wallpaper on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in in iOS 7, we haven’t spent a lot of time talking about the other major visual wallpaper and lock screen facelift: parallax.

In iOS 7, the background behind your Home screen apps is just a little bit 3D-ish, moving slightly as you twist and turn your iOS device around. Personally, I figured it was some fancy special effect that only Apple could create, but I was wrong.

Here’s how to make your own parallax wallpapers.

iOS 7 is coming this Wednesday, September 18, and it’s going to be a fairly simple upgrade. You’ll be able to just update your iOS device without any trouble, most likely over the air or by connecting to iTunes. No fuss, no muss.

However, you do most likely want to make a backup in case things go awry during the update process. Chances are you already have a backup if you use iCloud or iTunes, but here’s how to make a manual backup, just in case.

Ever been to a professional conference? You probably take those little cardboard bits of paper with pictures and contact info along with you, right? Business cards are kind of a given at conferences, but you can also cut to the chase and send your contact info to anyone you’re chatting with.

Using your iPhone Contacts app, you can send your contact info, or any contact you have on your phone, with a couple of simple taps. Here’s how.

I watched the Apple iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c special event yesterday. I went in skeptical, not planning on wanting any of the new iPhones. I never upgraded to an iPhone 4S, so why would I want a 5s?

Turns out, I kind of do. I want a better camera. I want Touch ID and a fingerprint sensor. I want a five times faster CPU, a motion co-processor, and up to 40X faster graphics. Yes. Yes I do.

So I did what any self-respecting first-worlder does, I checked for upgrade availability. You see, here in the US, at least, we’re all kind of stuck on a two-year contract system. To get the subsidized prices, we purchase our phones on a two-year cycle.

If you’re not sure whether you are able to upgrade to a new iPhone 5s (or iPhone 5c) when it’s available, here’s where to look.

While I still use Apple’s own Maps app from time to time, mostly because it’s built in to iOS, I tend to prefer Google Maps more. It just feels more complete, though that’s just my own opinion; I haven’t done any scientific analysis or comparison.

That said, the Google Maps app is pretty darn great, and there’s a couple of hidden features you can access with just a swipe (and maybe a tap or two). Here they are.

Think your messages are private? Think again!

A Cult of Mac reader, asking to remain anonymous, sent in a tip about how he caught his girlfriend reading Messages on his iPhone.

Privacy is important to this fellow, but he suspected that his love was sneaking peeks at his text and iMessages.

So he took a couple of steps to catch her in the act.

You know those long email threads, conversations, whatever you call them? The ones that run to the hundreds of words, several layers of indentation and quoting? Yeah, of course you do. We all deal with them.

Did you know that you could cut through the confusion with a simple move on your iPhone or iPad when replying to one of those beasts? Yeah, you can be the voice of coherence and reason, cutting to the chase and only replying with specifically selected text in your reply email.

Here’s how to do just that on your iOS device.

If you’re an early iOS 7 beta adopter, you might want to restore iOS 6 for a number of reasons. Perhaps you just don’t like the beta experience, preferring a less changeable, buggy iPhone software. Maybe you just want to put the official iOS 7 software on your iPhone when it releases, possibly in early September. Maybe you just miss the iOS 6 version of Maps.

For whatever reason, though, it’s a fairly straightforward process; here’s how to do it.

There are a host of accessibility options within iOS, and many of them can be the difference between someone being able to use a mobile device and not being able to use it. There are also a ton of reasons why those of us without a disability might want to check them out.

That said, it can be time consuming and even difficult to hop into the Accessibility section to activate specific features, especially if you are dealing with some sort of disability. That’s why Apple has set iOS up to make them easier to access right from the Home button. Here’s how to set it up and use it.

Over at iPad Insight, Patrick Jordan found this unique feature in YouTube’s new version of its iOS app, and I though it was too cool not to share.

If you’ve used the iOS YouTube app in the past, you know that in order to find a new video, either browsing or searching for it, you had to stop the video you were watching and then perform your search, or scroll through videos on offer.

No longer is that the case – check it out.

Google’s Chrome for iOS is a heck of a browser on iOS, and a great alternative to using Safari, except for the fact that it’s not quite as integrated into the experience as Safari is.

Because of that, if you use Chrome and want to clear out your browser data to keep others from checking out what you’ve been doing on the web, you won’t be able to do so in the official Settings app like you can with Safari data.

Here’s how to clear your cache files, browsing history, and any cookies from Chrome in iOS.

Ever been caught out by a long YouTube video someone emails or sends you via Message that you really don’t have time to watch right then?

That’s where YouTube’s Watch Later playlist comes in handy, but it’s not super easy to find or access on the iOS version of YouTube.

If you want to know how to send a video to your Watch Later list, and then access it again in the future, here’s how.

I’m sure you all know that you can take a photo with your iPhone using the volume up button. If not, do it real quick right now, and prepare to have your entire iPhone photo taking experience changed.

No, really, launch the Camera app, flip that iPhone onto its side, putting it into landscape orientation, and then hold it like a traditional point and shoot camera. Press down on the volume up button to snap a picture. Brilliant!

Camera+ was the first non-Apple app to use this control scheme, at least until Apple put a stop to it by rolling the feature into the actual operating system. Now, in iOS 7 beta, Apple’s added another little fun feature. Here’s how to activate it.

Ever go to add a website to your Home Screen in mobile Safari and notice it just looks like a jumbled, unidentifiable mess?

This doesn’t happen too often any more, as most sites have learned how to create a special icon for Home Screen bookmarks on iOS, but every so often, you’ll come across a site that won’t have a custom icon.

When that happens, here’s a quick and easy way to make that Home Screen icon look a bit better.

Notifications in iOS 6 can be annoying, for sure. To dismiss them takes some funky gestures, which we tipped you on a while back.

In iOS 7, however, notifications look different, and — thankfully — are a little easier to dismiss. Here’s how it works.

Back when iOS got “multitasking,” it was a matter of pride in my group of geeky friends to be able to double click the home button on their iPhones and then space three or four of their fingers *just* right to tap a bunch of apps’ little red circles to force quit the apps all at once. “Hey,” they’d say, “why settle for force quitting just one at a time?”

I suppose they had a point, as today’s tip is all about “flick quitting” up to three apps at once on the iPhone, provided said iPhone is running iOS 7 beta.

There’s a special delight to be had in watching upcoming movie trailers. Apple even has its own website and app dedicated to them. Watching a trailer is also a great way to find out if you want to even bother going to see a movie.

So, if you’re hanging out, looking for something to do on your iPhone or iPad, or you want to decide what movie to watch this evening, maybe you just want to ask Siri for help.

It’s pretty easy to ask her to show you a movie trailer. Here’s how.