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A guide outlines several ways to boost performance on an aging iPhone, centered mainly on freeing up storage space. It recommends checking Settings > General > iPhone Storage to identify space hogs like photos, videos and messages, enabling iCloud Photos optimization to offload full-resolution images, and clearing Safari's stored website data.
Apple's upcoming iOS 27.2 and HomePod 27.2 software update introduces a 'Lock Controls' setting in the Home app that disables touch input on the device's top cap. The feature, spotted by leaker pdfu in a release candidate build, will work across all HomePod models, including the original 2018 version. Even with controls locked, Intercom, timers, alarms, Check In, and FaceTime calls will still respond to touch.
Apple has shipped the release candidate build of iOS 27.2, typically the final version before a wide public release. The beta cycle added Group FaceTime Dual Capture, additional Siri AI languages, Apple TV app profiles, reorganized Podcasts episodes, and a redesigned Apple Music icon with a new blue accent color.
Verizon confirmed it will support Apple's new iPhone Handoff feature in iOS 27, charging $10 a month once the service rolls out. The feature lets users switch calls, texts, voicemail and Find My location between two iPhones simply by unlocking the device they want active. T-Mobile already offers the same feature for $5 a month, while AT&T has not committed to supporting it.
Apple's Phone app now includes Hold Assist, which detects when a caller has put you on hold and notifies you when they return, and Call Screening, which questions unsaved numbers before letting them ring through and displays their response on the Lock Screen. Both features arrived with iOS 26 and are toggled on in Settings under Apps > Phone. A third feature, Call Context, is planned for iOS 27 and will use Apple Intelligence to surface relevant information automatically when calling a business.
A tech reviewer testing Apple Watch Series 12 alongside Apple's redesigned Health app says the software lacks a feature found on WHOOP: measuring a 'day' from sleep cycle to sleep cycle rather than the standard midnight-to-midnight clock. The new Health app, which includes features like Readiness and Health Age, briefly appeared in an iOS 27.2 beta before being pulled, with Apple saying it will return in a later beta ahead of a full release this year.
Apple's iOS 27 update adds CarPlay support for video apps, letting drivers watch content on their vehicle's screen once parked; playback switches to audio-only automatically when the car starts moving. The update also redesigns the Now Playing screen with album art, controls and a progress bar, and Apple says it improves wireless connection stability and GPS accuracy. New wallpapers and the ability for apps to share route data, including EV charging stops, are also included.
A new free iOS app called Hoardware allows users to track and organize their Apple hardware, logging details like model numbers, serial numbers, and software versions. The app auto-fills device details and images when adding items, includes a coverage tab showing iOS version distribution across a collection, and can alert users to new software updates. It requires iOS 17 or later and has no ads, in-app purchases, or subscriptions.
Verizon announced it will support Apple's iOS 27 Handoff feature, which lets a single eSIM number be shared across two iPhones, for $10 monthly. The company also confirmed it will carry the iPhone Duo, with Handoff listed as 'coming soon' to its network. T-Mobile already offers the same feature in the US for $5 a month, as does Deutsche Telekom in Germany.
A hands-on test shows Apple Intelligence inside the Shortcuts app can generate automations from plain-language prompts, such as switching a screen to grayscale when opening Instagram. However, the generated shortcuts frequently fail to fully match the request, requiring manual edits or splitting tasks into multiple shortcuts to work correctly.
Verizon has confirmed it will charge customers $10 per month to use Apple's iPhone Handoff feature, which lets a single phone number be shared across two compatible iPhones running iOS 27. That's double the $5 monthly fee T-Mobile announced for the same feature, while Deutsche Telekom bundles it into its existing €6.95 MultiSIM service.
Apple has launched its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, featuring a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display with a nano-texture finish and minimal crease. The device drops Face ID in favor of Touch ID on the power button, includes dual rear cameras, and runs a redesigned version of iOS 27 built around the folding form factor. Pricing starts at $1,999 for the base 256GB model.