Phone Hacks | iPhone Tricks and Tips

Netflix today announced that it is going to raise its subscription fees in the U.S. by 13 percent to 18 percent. Netflix had last hiked its subscription fees in 2017 but that was only for its HD and 4K Premium plans.  This time around, the price increase will affect all 58 million Netflix subscribers in the U.S. The cheapest Netflix ‘Basic’ plan which currently costs $8/month will increase to $9/month after the hike. The company’s most popular plan, HD Standard, will cost $13 instead of $11 that it currently costs. The 4K Premium plan will see its monthly fees jump from $14 to $16. This is the biggest price hike from Netflix since it came into existence 12 years ago. The new subscription rates will be applicable effective immediately for new subscribers and roll out to existing subscribers over the next three months. Apart from the U.S., 40 other Latin American countries where Netflix charges its customers in US currency will also be affected by this change. Key Netfl...

Verizon may not have as many bundled perks as some of the other carriers out there, but it does, at the very least, offer up a six month free trial period of Apple Music . So that’s something. But it looks like the partnership between Verizon and Apple is going to get a bit better for customers, based on unofficial information shared on Tuesday by 9to5Mac . According to the publication, Verizon is going to announce in the next couple of days that customers subscribing to the Beyond Unlimited and Above Unlimited plans can get a full Apple Music subscription at no additional cost. It will simply be bundled with the plan, and the plan is going to remain the same price. However, customers of the Go Unlimited plan will still only have the six month trial period for Apple Music, after which they will be billed the standard $9.99 per month fo an individual plan. This offer will be available for new customers, as well as existing customers. The report also indicates that subscribers who a...

A regional German court in the city of Mannheim has dismissed a patent lawsuit filed by Qualcomm against Apple. The court claimed the suit was groundless and that Apple did not violate any of Qualcomm’s patents by “the installation of its chips in Apple’s smartphones.” Qualcomm says that it disagrees with the decision of the Mannheim’s court and that it will appeal against the decision. “Apple has a history of infringing our patents,” said Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm’s executive vice president and general counsel. “While we disagree with the Mannheim court’s decision and will appeal, we will continue to enforce our (intellectual property) rights against Apple worldwide.” Qualcomm had previously been handed over a win in a separate patent case against Apple by the Munich court. The preliminary junction from the court forced Apple to stop the import and sales of the iPhone 7 , iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus in Germany across its 15 retail outlets. The...

The latest update to the YouTube iOS app adds a new gesture to the video player to quickly switch between videos. Next time you are watching a video on your iPhone, you can swipe left to go to the next suggested video, while swiping right will take you back to your previously watched video. The gestures will work in both portrait and landscape mode. There’s also a sneak peek feature in which you can partially swipe to the left/right to get a sneak peek of the next/previous video. The current video you were watching will continue playing as well. There’s a new way to navigate between YouTube videos on iOS – you can now swipe to the next or previous video. To use this feature on your iOS device (6S and higher), just make sure you’re using the most recent version of the YouTube app. Rolling out this week on the YouTube iOS app (for 6S phones & above)! From your video player: 👈Swipe left for the next video 👉Swipe right for your previously watched video If you prefer, you can sti...

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook revealed to Apple employees during his all-hands meeting that the company replaced 11 million iPhone batteries in 2018. Usually, Apple replaces around 1-2 million iPhone batteries every year. The jump in iPhone battery replacement can be attributed to Apple’s discounted battery replacement program which ran for almost the entirety of 2018. As a part of the program, Apple offered existing iPhone owners to get the battery on their device replaced by paying just $29. This helped in restoring the device back to its original performance which coupled with the improved performance by iOS 12 meant that most users preferred to go this route instead of upgrading to a new iPhone. During Apple’s all-hands meeting January 3, Tim Cook said Apple replaced 11 million batteries under the $29 replacement program, and they’d have only anticipated about 1-2 million battery replacements normally. Apple started running a discounted $29 battery replacement program from early...

Min Zheng, a security engineer at Alibaba, has shown off an iOS 12.1.2 exploit over on Twitter. As proof, he has posted some command line screenshots of root access on iOS 12.1.2 on an iPhone 6s . It is unlikely that we will see Zheng release the exploit to the public for the development of a possible iOS 12 jailbreak tool. He will probably end up talking about this exploit in a security conference down the line but that’s about it. We have seen in the past that many Chinese security researchers manage to find an exploit in iOS 11 – iOS 12 but they never got around to releasing it to the public and a similar story will play out here as well. (Mach) Port-oriented Programming Attack Proof 2: Getting task_for_pid_0 & root on iOS 12.1.2 (iPhone 6s) @bxl1989 pic.twitter.com/v7cAJdP9FC — Min(Spark) Zheng (@SparkZheng) January 11, 2019 It does seem unlikely that we will see an iOS 12 jailbreak tool being released anytime soon. Tihmstar has teased the release of “s...

Apple may be ready to make some big changes in 2019, including a revitalization of an aging brand, and the adoption of a oft-requested port. According to a report on Monday from Mac Otakara , based on information gathered by the publication from unnamed sources, Apple “might” be on the way to launch a brand new, seventh-generation iPod touch. For those keeping track, the last time Apple updated the iPod touch lineup was in the middle of 2015, so it has been several years now. Unfortunately, while the report indicates the company may be working in this direction, there is no word on when Apple might actually launch the device — if it exists at all. Apple discontinued the iPod shuffle back in 2017, which has left the iPod lineup up in the air as the public has waited to see what might happen to it. Apple hasn’t seemed to keen on the idea of refreshing the lineup recently, aside from storage capacity changes in 2017 to the iPod touch lineup. If that’s not enou...

Another day, another company is launching another streaming service. At least this one’s not arriving for another year. According to a report from CNBC , NBC is going to launch its own streaming service in the first quarter of 2020. This will be a free, ad-supported option for folks who are already paying for TV. But here’s the kicker: NBC’s free option will actually be available for people who are paying for competing services from the likes of Charter, AT&T, and others. So basically if you’re paying for TV you can get NBC’s streaming option at no additional cost — you’ll just have to watch some ads. According to the report, NBC will be offering up 1,500 hours of shows like Parks and Recreation , Saturday Night Live , and others. In addition to that, there will be “hundreds of hours” of movies from Universal, and the service will apparently cost around $12 per month. NBC is still working on the deals, aiming to finalize everyth...

Get a new Mac over the holiday season? The Mac Power User Bundle will ensure you’re using your new gadget to the best of its ability, giving you four top Mac apps that will help manage your Mac’s data, increase download speeds and much more. And the best news is, it’s currently available for the low price of $14.99 at the iPhoneHacks Deals Hub. This bundle includes four apps that are sure to help your Mac run smoother. Now that you have a new Mac, don’t junk it up with all of your cloud services. The first, CloudMounter for Mac, streamlines services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3 and Microsoft OneDrive, organizing them all in one place and making them more accessible on your hard drive. Second, SyncMate 7 promises to make syncing your calendar, contacts and other data infinitely easier. Have non-Apple products too? SyncMate 7 saves the day, making syncing data between your Mac and any other non-Apple devices hassle-free. Airy YouTube Video Downloader lets...

MacBook Pros are sleek and functional, but let’s face it — they aren’t super handy when it comes to ports. If you’re the owner of a 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro, chances are pretty good that you’ve discovered this flaw. Fortunately, 7-in-1 USB C Hub For MacBook Pro solves that problem, giving you seven additional ports for just $34.99 at the iPhoneHacks Deals Hub. MacBook Pro owners of both the 13″ and the 15″ models know the plight of needing an extra port. That’s what the 7-in-1 USB C Hub For MacBook Pro sets out to prevent — by serving up extra ports via a handy and sleek hub that fits flush with your MacBook to match that iconic Apple aesthetic. So what exactly does the 7-in-1 USB C Hub bring to your MacBook Pro? More flexibility. Maybe you need an extra USB port so that you can charge your iPhone with your USB-to-Lightning cable as you work? Maybe you’re just in desperate need of a microSD port. Maybe you’re dying to upload your ca...

In today’s world, PDFs are unavoidable. So even if you’re not the biggest fan of the inconvenient file type, you’re bound to have to work with them. Let PDF Converter OCR 6 help you conquer your aversion to this pesky problem with a lifetime license available now for just $19 at the iPhoneHacks Deals Hub! We’ve all been there. You need to edit a PDF to apply for a job. Or maybe you need to fill out important paperwork ASAP. Unfortunately, PDFs are notoriously hard to work with. Let PDF Converter OCR 6 be the middle man, stepping in to convert both native and scanned PDF files to the file format of your choice. Don’t worry about losing any part of the original PDF, this tool will make sure the original layout is retained down to every single letter. Transform your PDFs to an editable version in a flash. Need to search for something within the PDF file? No problem, as PDF Converter OCR 6 not only makes your files editable and selectable, but searchable too. ...

Want to start developing your own apps in 2019? Into to macOS Development gives you the hand-on practice necessary to hone your skills. This online course typically retails for $199, but is currently available for 90% – that’s just $19 at the iPhoneHacks Deals Hub. The best way to learn is with hands-on experience, which Intro to macOS Development gives you. With 60 lectures filled with over 16 hours of instruction, you’ll gain knowledge on everything from UI design to front and back-end development. With the instructor’s guidance you’ll be building different, full-stack applications as you learn — from a fully functional weather widget app to a clone of the popular workspace chat app Slack! Don’t have any prior app development knowledge? No problem! This course is geared towards those new to the app building world. Throughout the course you’ll be getting familiar with key tools in macOS development, like Node.js and MongoDB, all from Ma...

These days your iPhone also serves as your camera. While that certainly makes life more convenient, it doesn’t always result in quality photographs. That’s where Shuttercase for iPhone comes in! For just $49.99, Shuttercase for iPhone will improve your iPhone photography, while also ensuring you never run out of battery while snapping photos. iPhone photographers know the feeling — you’re just about to get the shot when your phone dies. Shuttercase realizes how quickly snapping photographs drains your battery, so it is equipped with an embedded 3,000 mAh battery to keep you charged and ready to shoot. But besides helping your battery life, Shuttercase also ups your photographer game. A removable camera handle gives your iPhone the feel of a real point-and-shoot camera. And because Shuttercase realizes it’s not always natural to click that capture button, they’ve also included a patented physical shutter button that lets you get the show with just one...

By now it’s old news that the iPhone XS lineup and the iPhone XR use Intel chips under the hood, rather than a mix of Intel and Qualcomm. And while some have speculated that Apple had always wanted to use Intel-only for that particular year of iPhones, it turns out that’s not the case at all. According to Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, it’s actually Qualcomm that has taken a remarkably hard stance against Apple and actually refused to sell chips to the company for the 2018 iPhone lineup. This latest revelation comes during the Qualcomm vs. FTC trial, where Williams recently took the stand to discuss the relationship between Qualcomm and Apple. Williams said that Apple, despite the legal battle with Qualcomm, originally planned on using a combination of Intel and Qualcomm chips in its smartphone lineup, something it has done in previous generations. From Williams’s testimony: “The strategy was to dual source in 2018 as well. We were wo...

Tidal, one of the other streaming services out there, ran afoul of some troubling reports regarding its streaming numbers. Dagens Næringsliv is reporting on Monday that the Norwegian authorities are currently investigating Tidal over its allegedly fraudulent streaming numbers. Økokrim is Norway’s National Authority for Investigation, and apparently Tidal’s streaming numbers caught the agency’s attention after there were reports that 320 million streams of Beyoncé’s album Lemonade and Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo didn’t happen at all. That report surfaced last May — around the same time it was reported that Tidal was also months behind its royalty payments to some record labels. This discovery, if true, of fraudulent streams means that Tidal would be artificially inflating royalty payments to some artists. And for those keeping track, Tidal has also been accused of inflating its overall subscriber numbers , too. Here’s a statement from...

It might be possible that some owners of older iPhone models don’t know about the iPhone XR, but, hey, just in case Apple’s sending out email reminders! Apple is now sending out emails to folks who own older iPhone models, letting them know that they can trade in their older device to get the new iPhone XR. In this case, you can get the handset for $549 with the trade in, which is $200 off its normal starting price. The email banner also includes the standout features of the iPhone XR, including its “all-screen design”, the “most durable glass ever in a smartphone”, better performance, and “more storage for all your photos and apps”. It sounds like the emails are tuned to each individual iPhone owner that’s getting these emails. In this case, the iPhone 6 Plus is cited. This all seems pretty straightforward, except that it’s all in addition to the aggressive promotion of the iPhone XR (and iPhone XS) basically ever since the p...

Apps need to support device displays if people actually want to enjoy them, but sometimes the rollout takes time or leads to more issues. For example, let’s take a look at YouTube. Despite the fact that Apple launched the 11- and 12.9-inch in late 2018, here we are in January of 2019 and YouTube is finally rolling out support for the newest Apple-branded tablets. That’s not the quickest turnaround, but better late than never, right? It’s not all good news, either. It’s been confirmed that the new version of the app has an issue, namely that the Home indicator actually blocks the bottom row of icons: Good news: YouTube's been updated for the new iPad Pros. 🙌 Bad news: They forgot about the home indicator. 👀 pic.twitter.com/BZuD1rxkpK — Ryan Christoffel (@iryantldr) January 14, 2019 That’s certainly not great! Hopefully YouTube has another update planned to address this issue. Meanwhile, the Facebook-owned Instagram has updated its app as well, br...

Facebook’s Stories feature, which was a grasp at trying to steal folks away from the Snapchat platform, might be getting quite a bit more useful in the coming months. As detailed by The Verge , Facebook is planning on testing a brand new feature within Stories that will focus on live events, and making it easier to “meet up with friends IRL”. (Do people say IRL anymore?) The social network will be testing the new Stories feature in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico, and it will be available for iOS and Android users when it goes live. There is no word on a public launch, though, so that may still be a ways out. This new Stories feature will make it easy to share specific details of an incoming live event with your friends and family. Folks will be able to see who wants to go and is planning on showing up. And since this is based in Stories, there are stickers that people will be able to tap and get more information about the event. The stickers will let viewers cho...

It was not only the poor iPhone sales in China which led Apple to revise its revenue forecast for Q4, 2018. The company also had a poor run in India where it saw iPhone sales decline by a staggering 50 percent in 2018. While Apple shipped 3.2 million iPhones in India in 2017, it is estimated to have shipped around 1.6-1.7 million units in 2018. The slowdown in iPhone sales was attributed to their insanely high prices and attractive offerings from OnePlus which dominates the premium ($400+) smartphone segment in the country. Up until 2017, Apple saw its market share increasing in India at a steady pace. In 2017, it had 2.4 percent of the smartphone market in India and shipped 3.2 million iPhones, up from 2.8 million in 2016. In 2018 though, the company is estimated to have shipped around 1.6-1.7 million iPhones and saw its market share decline to 1.2 percent. The decline brings back iPhone shipments in India to the same level as of 2014 when Apple shipped 1.5 million iPhones. In the sa...