Phone Screen Replacements Tips

Some iPhone 14 Pros are showing flashing lines on wake-up

A new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max bug has been spotted by users on multiple forums (via MacRumors(opens in new tab)), in which various numbers of green and yellow horizontal lines appear on the screen as the phones wake up.

According to the users' accounts (mostly centered on this r/iPhone Reddit thread(opens in new tab)), this problem has been occurring at least since the arrival of iOS 16.2, but there are some reports on older versions, too.

Resetting the phone doesn't appear to make a difference either, although the problem is inconsistent, not happening with every pick-up and showing a different number of lines each time. In one instance, the user claims it happens more regularly after watching video just before locking the phone(opens in new tab).

We tried to replicate the bug on an iPhone 14 Pro Max (running iOS 16.2 (20C65)), but ours behaved normally. We also tried it with the iPhone 14 Pro always-on display turned off, but that didn't change anything.

Some forum users have said that after contacting Apple Support, they were told this is an iOS 16 issue, not a hardware problem, so we can breathe a sigh of relief there. Hopefully, this means this strange issue can be addressed with a software update in the near future, something one Reddit user claims an Apple Support worker informed them of directly.

iOS 16.3 is currently in beta, but that likely won't be released publicly until spring. Ideally, Apple will patch the problem faster than that, even if this problem doesn't seem to carry any risk to the phone from what can be seen.

Beyond this issue, and a lack of supply of the most in-demand models, the iPhone 14 series launch seems to have been pretty smooth. All four models in the family are excellent, but the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max remain our favorites, even if some of them are having a weird time with these flashing lines right now.

Dynamic Island is one of the biggest iPhone 14 Pro additions — here's what you can do with it

The iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island has arrived to provide a less obtrusive and more intelligent alternative to the notch we've all grown to love (or hate) over the past five years of iPhone models.

The regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus may still have the notch, but Apple finally introduced a proper alternative to the punch-hole selfie cameras seen on rival Android phones. And as iOS 16 continues to get updates and app developers work on taking advantage of new features in the iPhone's software, the Dynamic Island is slowly getting more and more practical.

For now though, while the Dynamic Island is the favorite iPhone 14 Pro feature of some on the Tom's Guide staff, others reckon it's more of a let-down.

Below, we've got a breakdown of what the Dynamic Island is and does, as well as some of the apps and features that take advantage of this iPhone 14 Pro addition. Take a look at those, and then check out our iPhone 14 cameras and the iPhone 14 specs guides for more details on Apple's latest phone.

iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island: What is it?

Ignore the Dynamic part of Dynamic Island for a second. At its simplest, this iPhone 14 Pro feature involves two cut-outs in the display containing the selfie camera and Face ID sensors. They're actually embedded separately in the phone if you look closely, but the iPhone's interface places them together in one larger pill cutout for a more unified look than multiple cutouts.

But rather than just attach them together, Apple also uses the Island to display relevant information depending on which apps you're using or alerts you're getting. For example, if you set a timer in the Clock app, the Dynamic Island displays the countdown. Or if you're playing music, the album art and a waveform will appear there, too.

Tapping and holding the Dynamic Island will pop open a larger version of the widget, letting you control a few things without going directly into the app. Going back to the album example again, tapping and holding shows a full media widget with skip forward/back buttons, an interactive progress bar and an AirPlay button to choose your output device.

iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island: Compatible iPhones

As things stand right now, only the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max can use the Dynamic Island. The regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus still use Apple's old notched design; as a result, they can't take advantage of the new feature.

As for future iPhones, rumors currently claim that all flagship iPhones from iPhone 15 onward will adopt the Dynamic Island. Since the iPhone SE is currently a generation behind design-wise, using the iPhone 8 as its basis, it could be a number of years before the cheapest iPhone also gets a Dynamic Island, even if the iPhone SE 4 appears in 2023 as has been rumored.

iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island: Compatible apps and features

Apple put a lot of alerts into its Dynamic Island, so here is a list of the most interesting features any iPhone 14 Pro user will find in their Dynamic Island.

Face ID and iPhone lock

Probably the first thing you'll notice when picking up an iPhone 14 Pro is that there's a little padlock icon in the Dynamic Island to show it's secure. It'll turn into a processing bubble and then a tick to show you've been allowed in.

Also, opening apps or verifying your identity will cause a Face ID window to pop open while the iPhone double checks you are who you say you are.

Apple Maps

Apple put in a lot of effort into integrating its Maps app with the Dynamic Island. In its normal form, Maps shows your next instruction as you travel to your destination. A tap and hold will reveal more information if you need to clear up exactly where you're heading.

AirDrop

Sending or receiving files between different Apple devices will show a loading bar in the Dynamic Island to let you know when your items are ready to open.

Voice Memos 

The Dynamic Island displays a waveform of your recording and the time elapsed when you're taking audio notes in Voice Memos.

AirPods and accessories connection and battery life

If you connect your Apple-made earbuds or headphones to the iPhone, then Dynamic Island will show a little icon of them with a green or red ring showing how much charge they (and their charging case if present) contain. The feature works with other select accessories, too.

Apple Pay

When your battery starts to run low, the typical iPhone 20% and below warnings will pop into the Dynamic Island to give you a visual warning that it's about time to start charging your phone.

And when you do set your phone on charge, the Dynamic Island will show you a confirmation so you can be certain you're going to wake up to a fully juiced phone.

Silent on/off

Flicking the alert switch on the left side of the iPhone already gives some tactile feedback, but you can also see a silent icon appear or disappear in the Dynamic Island now too.

Timer

Setting a timer on your iPhone 14 Pro lets you keep a constant eye on the time remaining, either in the full Dynamic Island or a little circular sub-island to the right. Tapping and holding the island will let you pause or cancel the timer.

Shortcuts

If you run Shortcuts — those are the customizable iOS automations — you can see a circle filling in the island as your shortcut progresses through its instructions.

Screen record

Dynamic Island will count you down to a recording's start and display a red dot to make sure you don't forget.

Current phone call

Whoever's calling you will get their contact photo put on display on the Dynamic Island, with the accept/decline call buttons available for you to use too.

Privacy notifications

When you're using the iPhone's microphone or cameras, the orange or green dots will appear in the middle of the Dynamic Island to remind you that you're being watched or recorded.

Media Player

When there's a song, podcast, video or whatever else playing that would normally appear in Control Center's media widget, you'll now also find it 

On top of Apple's built-in features, you also get Live Activities, which are new to iOS 16 and give you real-time updates to apps you previously would have had to open. On phones without Dynamic Island, Live Activities are typically confined to the lock screen.

So if you want to check your team's scores for a currently ongoing game, or see where your Uber or takeout delivery is up to, that can now appear in the Dynamic Island.

Swiping left or right along the Island will stop any active animations, or if you've got two apps currently in the Island it will dismiss the one active on the side you swiped in from. You can bring them back by swiping again.

You currently can't turn off the Island as a feature as of iOS 16.1, but perhaps future versions of iOS will let users do this.

iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island: outlook

Apple has done a good job of giving the Dynamic Island multiple functions out of the gate, and the feature looks like it'll only get more and more useful as time goes on. For example, a recent update keeps the Wi-Fi and signal strength icons in view when the island's active.

Even though only the iPhone 14 Pro models sport the new Dynamic Island, it's a pretty big deal when the world's most prominent smartphone gets a redesign. The notched iPhone design that's become so ubiquitous over the past five years is about to enter a gradual retirement, and the new, but just-as-unique pill-shaped cutout is here to add a new way of interacting with your iPhone apps.

For now though, it's a shame only the Pro models will be abandoning the notch. Not only does it mean less display for the regular iPhones, and even fewer new features, but it makes them look old-fashioned, even though they're brand new.

MacBook keyboard shortcuts are essential to know. Whether a newcomer to the Apple ecosystem or a veteran, keyboard shortcuts can help you breeze through tasks on the best MacBooks. And since most shortcuts are relatively easy to remember, you shouldn’t have a problem incorporating them into your routine.

Apple has an entire page(opens in new tab) dedicated to keyboard shortcuts. There are well over a hundred shortcuts, which can be quite daunting to sift through even for seasoned Apple laptop users. To that end, we’ve compiled the seven most important MacBook keyboard shortcuts everyone should know.

Want to get a jumpstart on using a MacBook or simply want a quick refresher on keyboard shortcuts? Read on to get started.

1. Open spotlight

Need to find something on your MacBook quickly? Press Command + Space to bring up Spotlight. After that, type whatever you’re searching for in the search bar.

This is arguably the most important shortcut to remember.

2. Switch between open apps

If you have several open tabs, you can easily switch between them by pressing Command + Tab. This shortcut has been around for years and is extremely useful. It also pairs nicely with the following shortcut below.

3. Close window

You can close the current active window by pressing Command + W. This one is a big time saver since you won’t have to scroll the cursor over to the Close button on a window’s top left corner. 

4. Take screenshots

Press Shift + Command + 3 to take a screenshot. This one is a bit more complex than the previous shortcuts since it involves pressing three keys simultaneously. However, it shouldn’t take long to become second nature — especially if you frequently take screenshots.

if you want to capture a certain part of the screen, hit Command + Control + Shift + 4 on your Mac. Then click on you mouse and drag the cursor to draw a box around the area you want to capture, and it will automatically be copied to your clipboard. 

5. Force close a program

macOS Ventura and its programs are generally stable. However, you’ll inevitably need to force close a program that freezes or crashes.

To do that, press Option + Command + Esc to force close any troublesome program.

6. Reopen tab 

Reopening a closed tab is as easy as pressing Command + Shift + T. This shortcut is useful if you ever accidentally close a tab.

7. Define highlighted word

Everyone eventually runs into a word they’re either unfamiliar with or don’t know how to pronounce.

Pressing Command + Control + D will bring up a window containing a word’s definition, along with its thesaurus entry. 

Other useful keyboard shortcuts 

As we said, there are over a hundred keyboard shortcuts on a MacBook. The ones listed above are essential, but there are many many more. Below are a few others to keep in mind, but refer to Apple's Mac keyboard shortcut page(opens in new tab) for a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. 

Both iOS and iPadOS let users easily share Wi-Fi passwords between Apple devices. Still, sometimes people need to see the password of a known Wi-Fi network to share it with non-Apple devices. Now with iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple has finally added an option to let users quickly view saved Wi-Fi network passwords on the iPhone and iPad. Read on as we detail how to do this on your device.

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How to find saved Wi-Fi passwords in your iPhone and iPad

While Mac users have always been able to easily view saved Wi-Fi passwords, iPhone and iPad users have never had such an option until now. Luckily, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 let users check the password of a known Wi-Fi network with just a few quick steps.

Here’s exactly what you need to do:

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Choose the Wi-Fi menu.
• Tap the More Info button next to the Wi-Fi network in the list.
• Tap the Password field and authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID.

After following these steps, you’ll be able to see the password for that Wi-Fi network. You can then simply enter it on another device, or even copy it to the clipboard right from there. But what if you want to check the password of a Wi-Fi network that you know but are out of range?

Luckily, there’s also a way to do just that with iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. After entering the Wi-Fi menu in the Settings app, tap the Edit button. Then, after authenticating with Face ID or Touch ID, you’ll find a list with all your known Wi-Fi networks. Tap the More Info button and then tap the Passwords field, just like you did before.

From there you can also delete any known Wi-Fi network from the list of known networks. This, of course, will make the device forget your password, so you will have to re-enter it if you want to reconnect to that Wi-Fi network.