If your iPhone’s side button or volume up button is faulty, you can’t take screenshots using the traditional way. However, some of the methods that I’m going to discuss are easier than simultaneously pressing two physical buttons. Let’s take a look.

1 Take an iPhone Screenshot Using AssistiveTouch

You need to enable AssistiveTouch on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max. This is an accessibility feature that allows you to access many of your iPhone’s functions from a software menu instead of pressing physical buttons.

To activate this, head to Settings > Accessibility and choose Touch under Physical and Motor. Tap AssistiveTouch and toggle it on in the subsequent menu. This will add a white circular button on top of your screen.

Whenever you tap this AssistiveTouch icon, it opens a menu that provides quick access to various functions. To easily add screenshot functionality to the menu, select Customize Top Level Menu from the AssistiveTouch settings menu.

Here, tap an icon you’d like to replace and choose Screenshot from the list of actions. You can also add another icon by tapping the Increment button and assigning the Screenshot action to it.

If you’re not a fan of tapping through these menus, there’s a faster way to take screenshots using AssistiveTouch. On the AssistiveTouch settings menu, select the Double-Tap or Long Press option and set it to Screenshot. Then, quickly tap twice or press and hold the AssistiveTouch button to take a screenshot.

This is even more convenient, as you don’t have to show the full AssistiveTouch menu that takes up screen space. If you find the AssistiveTouch button annoying, lower the Idle Opacity in the settings menu to make it more transparent when you’re not using it. You can drag the button to any corner of the screen you like when you’re not using it.

Now, all you need to do is select Screenshot from the AssistiveTouch menu or perform your assigned tapping shortcut, and your iPhone will take a screenshot. This works just like the usual method of taking an iPhone screenshot with the buttons. When you take a screenshot, the AssistiveTouch button and its menu won’t appear in the image.

2 Take a Screenshot on iPhone 18 Pro Max by Tapping Its Back

For even more convenience, you can use another iPhone accessibility shortcut to take screenshots without the buttons. This feature is called Back Tap and allows you to perform actions simply by tapping the back of your iPhone with your fingers.

To configure it, head to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. You can customize two actions that happen when you tap twice and three times on the back of your device.

Select Screenshot to take a fast screenshot with a few taps. If you don’t want to do this for some reason, try combining this shortcut with AssistiveTouch. Choose AssistiveTouch for one of your Back Tap shortcuts, and you’ll be able to toggle the feature on and off by tapping.

This is an extra step, but if you only take screenshots occasionally, it will keep your screen clear of obstruction.

3 Ask Siri to Take an iPhone Screenshot

You may not have realized that one of Siri’s lesser-known tricks is taking a screenshot for you. Simply summon Siri by saying “Hey Siri” or pressing and holding the Side button. Say, “Take a screenshot,” and after a moment, Siri will acknowledge the request and take a screenshot as normal.

This method comes in handy if your hands are dirty, or when you can’t perform the gesture to take a screenshot for whatever reason.

Now you know how to take a screenshot on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, even if you can’t use the other buttons. One or more of these methods will suffice for grabbing screenshots while your buttons aren’t working.

Otherwise, consider replacing your iPhone when you can, especially if you have an AppleCare+ warranty plan. Working around a broken Side button gets tiring after a while.

Apple’s Visual Voicemail was heralded as a remarkable change when it appeared with the iPhone in 2007. Prior to that, carrier-managed voicemail required calling a number and navigating a menu with cell phone buttons.

What if you want to free up your voicemail and not lose precious or important (or legally valuable) messages forever? You can export it or record it.

To export the voicemail, open the Phone app, select the voicemail message, and tap the Share button. Because the audio is a file, not an image or video, the options you see are file related. You can text it to yourself, use AirDrop to save it to a Mac, save it to Files (the iOS local interface that lets you save to iCloud Drive or other locations), or save to a third-party service like Dropbox.

If that doesn’t work, or you’d prefer to access it directly, or you’re not using Visual Voicemail, you can take advantage of Apple’s on-device recording feature. Instructions follow below.

How to use Screen Recording to copy a voicemail message

At a glance

• Time to complete: 5 minutes

1. Control Center

Open Control Center. Tap the Add button of Control Center to begin editing the controls.

Tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen to open the controls gallery, then tap Screen Recording to add it to Control Center.

2. Voicemail

Open the Phone app and tap the Voicemail button.

3. Start Screen Recording

Swipe to reveal the Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button (it has a record icon). A three-second countdown starts.

4. Set to play through the speaker

In Phone, tap the voicemail to select it, then tap the Speaker icon to have it play aloud. Or use the Phone app to call a voicemail service.

5. Play message and record

With Visual Voicemail, once the Screen Recording starts, tap the Play button on the voicemail. It will turn into a Pause button while playing the message. Screen Recording should be recording the message as it plays.

6. Stop recording and save

When the voicemail ends, swipe to reveal the Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button (now a square for Stop) to end.

This recording is saved to Photos. You can play the message back within the Photos app.

You wouldn’t buy a new smartphone if it didn’t have a camera on it. So what good is your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max when the camera isn’t working?

Here are the most common problems you might come across with your iPhone camera, along with everything you can do to fix them.

1. iPhone 18 Pro Max Camera Shows a Black Screen

If you launch the Camera app and see a black screen, try the following steps to fix it:

1. Make sure nothing is blocking the camera lens. You may have put the case on incorrectly or there may be something stuck to the back of your iPhone.
2. Try using the official iPhone Camera app, rather than any third-party alternatives. This app is more reliable than the alternatives and more likely to work properly.
3. In the Camera app, switch between the front and back cameras to see if both of them are working or not. To do this, tap the camera flip icon on the right side of the screen. If only one camera works, that might indicate a hardware problem.

   

4. Restart the Camera app. To do so, swipe up from the bottom edge, pause in the center of the screen. Then close the Camera app by sliding it off the top of the screen.

   

5. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Wait 30 seconds before pressing the side button again to restart your iPhone. If that doesn’t work, force restart your iPhone instead. Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Press and hold the side button. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button.

   

   

2. iPhone Photos Are Blurry or Out of Focus

If the photos you take with your iPhone camera are blurry or out of focus, try these fixes:

1. Make sure both the front and back camera lenses are clean. Wipe away smudges or fingerprints using a dry microfiber cloth. If you see dirt or debris behind the glass, take your iPhone to an Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider for a repair.
2. Remove any metallic or magnetic iPhone cases and camera accessories. They can interfere with the optical image stabilization. This might explain why the camera isn’t working.
3. If the Camera app says AE/AF Lock at the top of the screen, tap on a blank space to turn auto-focus back on. You may have accidentally locked the focus by tapping and holding in the Camera app.
4. Keep your hand steady while tapping the shutter button. Sometimes it’s easier to press one of the volume buttons to take steady pictures instead. Be careful in the dark when the shutter needs to stay open for longer.

3. iPhone 18 Pro Max Camera Flash Isn’t Working

Although most photos look better without a flash, sometimes you need that extra light for dark environments. When your iPhone flash isn’t working, try these tips:

1. Test the LED on your iPhone by turning on the flashlight from the Control Center.

   

2. Make sure you set the flash to On or Auto in the Camera app. To do this, tap the Flash button above the camera frame to see your flash options (you can’t use the flash for panoramic photographs or time-lapse videos).

   

3. Be careful when using the flash for long videos or in hot environments. If your iPhone gets too hot, it might disable the flash entirely until it has cooled down again.

4. iPhone Photos Are Flipped the Wrong Way

This problem can often happen when you turn your iPhone horizontally to take a landscape-oriented photo. After snapping the picture, it flips back to portrait orientation in your photo library. Try these tips to fix it:

1. Open Control Center on your iPhone and tap the lock icon with a circle around it to turn off the rotation lock.
   1. To open Control Center, swipe down from the top-right corner.
2. Before snapping a photo, take a moment to make sure that the icons in the Camera app have rotated to their new horizontal orientation. If not, rotate your iPhone back and forth until they do so.
3. You can always edit your pictures later from the Photos app, or other third-party iPhone image editing apps.
4. If you’re wondering why your selfies always appear mirrored, that’s simply how Apple designed the front-facing camera. The camera works like a mirror, but the photo flips over as if someone took it for you.

5. The Camera App Is Missing or Keeps Freezing

If you can’t find the Camera app on your Home screen, or if the app freezes when you switch between cameras, it may be due to your iPhone restrictions. You can check this out from the Screen Time settings:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. Tap on Allowed Apps & Features and enter your Screen Time passcode if you have one.
3. Make sure you turn the Camera app on; the toggle should be green.

6. General iPhone Camera Software Fixes

If you experience any other oddities with your iPhone 18 Pro Max camera not working, it’s a good idea to try some general software troubleshooting tips. Test your iPhone camera again after each of the tips below.

1. Close all the apps on your iPhone.
2. Restart your device.
3. Update iOS by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
4. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. This doesn’t delete any of your content—such as photos or apps—but it does reset all your iPhone settings.
5. Finally, factory reset your iPhone and set it up as a new device. This erases everything and is the last resort, but should resolve any software issues that stop your iPhone camera from working.

7. General iPhone Camera Hardware Fixes

If you’ve tried everything above and your front or back iPhone camera is still not working, you might have a hardware problem instead. Try the troubleshooting steps below to fix it:

1. Double-check that the camera is not obstructed by a case or sticker.
2. Make sure there are no smudges, dirt, or debris on the camera lens. Smudges and fingerprints should wipe away easily with a microfiber cloth.
3. Contact Apple Support to arrange a hardware repair at the Apple Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. If your iPhone is out of warranty, you may need to pay for this repair yourself.

Get Back to Taking Great Photos With Your iPhone

These tips cover the most common reasons your iPhone 18 Pro Max camera might not be working. If you didn’t see your exact issue, hopefully the general tips helped you fix the camera anyway. Otherwise, you may need to speak to Apple about a hardware repair.

If your iPhone 18 Pro Max emails aren’t updating, several issues could be the culprit. These include incompatible system settings, software problems, differences in email protocols, and more. Here are different ways to fix your problem and start receiving emails as usual.

1 Do a Manual Refresh

Try to manually refresh your Mail app before attempting anything more complicated. Open the app’s inbox, drag your finger down the screen until you see a spinning wheel, then release it. This should prompt the app to (re)connect to the email servers.

In the Mail app, you can see the last time your emails were synced at the bottom. Updated Just Now means the manual refresh was successful.

2 Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off

A connectivity issue can cause your iPhone 18 Pro Max emails to quit updating. To refresh your connection, open your iPhone’s Settings app and turn on the switch next to Airplane Mode. You can also tap Airplane Mode on and off from your Control Center.

After that, wait 10 seconds, turn off Airplane Mode, then check your Mail app. If nothing has changed, try the manual refresh in #1 above.

3 Reset Network Settings

You can fix any underlying connectivity issues by resetting your network settings. You can do so in the reset iPhone section, which allows you to reset your iPhone’s Home Screen layout, network settings, location, keyboard dictionary, and more.

Head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and any VPN/APN settings you’ve used before.

After completing the network settings reset, you must manually reconnect to any Wi-Fi network. You should then force close and reopen the Mail app to see if the problem persists.

4 Check Mail Settings

If you’re still not receiving emails on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, it may be an in-app issue. Typically, you’ll get email updates and notifications if you have the Push button turned on for the app.

Instead of trying to ‘fetch’ your emails, Push instructs the email servers to ‘push’ them to your iPhone.

So, when your iPhone emails stop updating, take a quick trip to double-check your email update settings. Start by heading to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Fetch New Data, then toggle on the Push button.

If you only have trouble with a specific mailbox, tap it from the Accounts list and select Push from the menu on the next page. For accounts that do not offer a Push option (such as Gmail accounts), select Fetch.

Next, select an update frequency under Fetch on the Fetch New Data page. You want to set it to the quickest update interval possible—Every 15 Minutes. If you wish to update your email even quicker, manually refresh the Mail app.

5 Delete and Reinstall the Mail App

A sure method to reset any possible in-app issues is to delete and reinstall the app itself. This will restore any settings you may have tampered with to default and possibly fix the problem of your iPhone 18 Pro Max emails not updating.

To remove the Mail app, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Mail, tap Delete App, and confirm by selecting Delete App.

Then, reinstall the Mail app from the App Store, launch it, and sign in with your email address. You can add any additional accounts in Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account.

Download: Mail (Free)

6 Remove and Re-Add the Account

Remove and re-add any problematic accounts that refuse to update. This should help you fix problems caused by a faulty or corrupted configuration.

To do so, head to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts and select the faulty account. After that, tap Delete Account. Confirm your action by selecting Delete from My iPhone. When that’s done, return to the Mail Accounts page and tap Add Account to re-add the account. Once you’re signed in and can see your emails, do a manual refresh to load new emails.

7 Check Your Notification Settings

If the problem is that you’re not getting notifications for email updates, you should check your Notifications settings. Open the Settings app and go to Notifications > Mail. If Allow Notifications is toggled off, tap the toggle to enable it.

Then, ensure that the notification settings (Alerts, Sounds, and Badges) are set up to alert you when a new email drops in your inbox. You can customize other notification settings in this section as well.

Also important, tap Customize Notifications to check the notification settings for individual accounts to ensure they’re set to your liking.

However, notifications on iPhones can be complicated to work with, which could be why you’re not getting emails on your iPhone 18 Pro Max.

8 Enable Background App Refresh

Another possible fix is to enable background app refresh. This feature allows apps to update with new content even when you’re not actively using them.

To enable Background app refresh, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh, tap Background App Refresh, and select your preferred conditions for its use—Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and Cellular Data. If you want to reduce your mobile data usage, select Wi-Fi; otherwise, choose Wi-Fi & Cellular Data.

Finally, scroll down the list of apps and ensure the toggle next to Mail is not turned off.

9 Check Cellular Data Settings

Some people restrict certain apps from using cellular data to conserve data usage. If you notice that your Mail app does not update when you’re on cellular data, chances are you’ve blocked it from using your iPhone’s mobile bandwidth.

To disable the setting, open the Settings app and select Cellular from the menu. Then, under the Cellular Data section, turn on the toggle beside Mail.

10 Disable Low Data Mode

iOS has a Low Data Mode that conserves Wi-Fi and cellular network bandwidth. If you enabled the feature previously, it could be why your iPhone Mail is not updating, as it could be restricting internet activity on the app.

To allow the Mail app full internet access, you must check that you haven’t enabled Low Data Mode for Wi-Fi and Cellular Data. To disable Low Data Mode on Wi-Fi, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the Info icon next to the active Wi-Fi connection. Next, turn off the switch next to Low Data Mode.

To disable Low Data Mode on cellular data, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options, tap Data Mode, then choose Allow More Data on 5G instead of Low Data Mode.

If you have bought a second hand iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max and discovered that it is still linked to the previous owner you may encounter problems with Find My iPhone – a feature found in iOS and macOS that enables users to locate lost or missing iPhone and Mac devices. It can be very tricky to turn off Find My iPhone on a device that is linked to a previous owner – that’s exactly why we recommend that if you are selling an iPhone you disable Find My iPhone before you do so.

Another reason you may want to deactivate Find My iPhone is if you are concerned that Find My iPhone can allow someone to track you. In theory anyone who has your Apple Account log on details could use the Find My app to locate your iPhone (or Mac).

It’s a useful service if you do lose your iPhone because you can use it to locate the iPhone or Mac by logging on to iCloud.com (on a Mac or Windows PC) or using the Find My app on an iPhone. Using Find My iPhone you’ll be able to see the location of your device on a map, remotely lock it, wipe its contents or send a message to a lost device (encouraging a finder to return it).

But if you do want to remove Find My iPhone, either because you are selling the iPhone, because you don’t like the idea that Apple (or anyone else with your details) could track you, or because you have obtained an iPhone that is still linked to someone else’s Find My iPhone, then luckily it’s relatively easy to remove an iPhone from Find My iPhone. In this article we show you how.

How to disable Find My iPhone

Assuming it’s Find My iPhone on your own device – rather than someone else’s iPhone – that you want to turn off, here’s what you need to do.

On an iPhone 18 Pro Max

1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap your name, then tap Find My.

   

3. Tap Find My iPhone.
4. On the next page tap on the switch to turn off Find My iPhone (the switch will be grey if it’s off).
5. You will need to enter the Apple Account and Password to turn off Find My iPhone, if you don’t have that move to the next section.
6. Find My iPhone will now be disabled for that iPhone, and you can continue to reset the device to its factory settings (if you’re planning to sell it.) Do this using Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

How to disable Find My iPhone on someone else’s phone

Find My iPhone is a tremendously useful service, and was implemented in part to discourage the theft of Apple devices. Because of this you cannot disable Find My iPhone without the Apple Account and password used to set it up. Furthermore, if you cannot turn off Find My iPhone, you cannot completely restore the iPhone to its original factory settings.

Because of this you must disable Find My iPhone before selling, or passing on, your iPhone. If you have purchased an iPhone 18 Pro Max second-hand and do not have the Apple Account and password requested by Find My iPhone, you will need to contact the original owner to retrieve it (or hand them the iPhone and get them to enter the password).

What if you inherited the iPhone or Mac and the previous owner is now dead? Unfortunately it’s not at all easy to gain access to an iPhone even in these sad circumstances. However, it may be worth a call to Customer Services who may be able to help, you may need to show a death certificate but it may be possible to get the device unlocked in these special circumstances.

Can Find My iPhone be used to find me?

Can Find My iPhone be used to track someone else’s phone though? And if you enter someone else’s Apple Account details to track their iPhone they will see a notification on their device?

If someone knows your Apple Account and password they could log on to Find My iPhone on their iPhone, enter your details and locate your iPhone (and any other devices you own). For that reason if you think someone might have your Apple Account and password and you don’t want them to be able to track your whereabouts (a stalker for example) then you should change your password. With two-factor authentication, a trusted phone number or trusted device helps verify your identity when you sign in to a new device or browser.

If someone logs on to your iCloud account via a web browser you will receive an email informing you.

How to turn off Find My iPhone so I can’t be tracked

If you are concerned that someone can track your whereabouts using Find My iPhone you might want to deactivate it. Here’s how:

Turning off Find My iPhone is pretty straightforward as long as you have the Apple Account and password. Follow these steps to turn off Find My iPhone:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name, then tap Find My.
3. Choose Find My iPhone.
4. Set Find My iPhone to Off.
5. Enter the Apple Account password for the account listed and tap Turn Off.

In an emergency, you can also use Safety Check to quickly reset access to your device and personal information. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check, tap Emergency Reset, tap Start Emergency Reset, then follow the onscreen instructions.

How to turn off Find My iPhone without the Apple Account or password

If you don’t have the Apple Account or password – even if it’s your own iPhone 18 Pro Max – turning off Find My iPhone can still be impossible.

If it’s not your phone, you need to request the Apple Account and password from the previous owner. Even if you don’t know the original owner, you should be able to find out which email is associated with the Apple Account and then email them and request the password.

While it’s normal for an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to pause an update for a few minutes or so, you can sometimes get stuck in the middle of a download with no progress, which can be extremely frustrating. So, let’s see what you can do if your iOS software update download gets stuck halfway through.

1. Charge Your iPhone

Apple requires your iPhone to have a battery percentage of at least 50 percent to download an iOS update. If you started a download at 55 percent, for example, it’s highly likely the battery level will fall below this required percentage in the middle of an update.

Thus, this might be the reason why your iOS update is paused. To resolve this, simply charge your iPhone and leave it there until the download completes.

2. Reset Your Network Settings

One of the most common reasons for an interrupted iOS update is an unstable network. If you lose your internet connection while an update is downloading, your iPhone 18 Pro Max will automatically pause the iOS update. The same thing will happen if your connection is weak or fluctuating.

Typically, your iPhone will resume the update when your internet connection improves, but that is not always the case.

A sure indicator that your internet is the culprit of a paused iOS update is a grayed-out Resume Download option on the update screen.

There are several fixes you can try to make your network conditions better and unpause your iOS update:

• Try resetting your Wi-Fi connection by turning your iPhone’s Wi-Fi off and back on.
• Do a soft reset by restarting your iPhone.
• Turn Airplane Mode on and off to restore your connections. You can access Airplane mode from your iPhone’s Control Center.

  

• Reset all network settings on your iPhone to eliminate any underlying connectivity problems.
• Restart or reset your router.

Also, avoid using your iPhone’s cellular data to update iOS. Unless you have an active 5G plan, Apple doesn’t allow you to download a major iOS update on cellular data.

It’s best to use cellular data for minor updates only or rely on Wi-Fi if your cellular data connection is often slow, unstable, or has a limited quota.

3. Clear More Storage Space

If you’re running low on iPhone storage, your update may stop before it downloads completely. Before starting an update download, your iPhone indicates how large the file is. You can expect iOS updates to be anywhere from 1GB to 6GB in size. However, you’ll need to make sure your device has twice the storage space to download and install the update.

To confirm you have enough storage for an update, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. If you don’t have enough space on your device, try deleting some media or offloading unused apps to free up storage space on your iPhone.

If you have insufficient space to download the update, try updating your iPhone 18 Pro Max with a Mac. This way, you don’t need quite as much free space on your iPhone. Just follow these steps:

1. Connect your iPhone and Mac via USB.
2. Open Finder to locate your iPhone. You may need to trust your device to continue.
3. Select your iPhone from the sidebar.
4. Under the General tab, click Check for Update.

If you have a Windows PC, follow these steps using the Apple Devices app instead of Finder.

If you find that you have enough storage space for the update, then it’s likely not the problem. Let’s look at more fixes for your interrupted iOS update.

4. Remove Beta Software or Incomplete Updates

If you’ve previously downloaded an iOS beta or an incomplete update, it’ll almost certainly cause your update to fail this time.

The way forward is to uninstall the iOS beta or remove the former update’s installation package. To do the latter, open your iPhone’s Settings, go to General > iPhone Storage, and scroll down the list of apps till you find Software Update. Tap it, then select Delete Update.

Once you’ve deleted the update file, you can head to General > Software Update to restart the update.

5. Turn Off Content & Privacy Restrictions

Most people turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions to block themselves or someone else from installing and deleting apps. It’s also a great feature for parents trying to restrict their children from accessing certain content.

If you previously turned on content restriction for iTunes and App Store purchases, your iOS update will not succeed.

To lift the restrictions, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. You can turn off all restrictions by toggling off the switch at the top of the page or allow access for specific categories. For example, tap iTunes & App Store Purchases to create customized access rules for installing or deleting apps.

6. Check Apple’s System Status Page

When Apple releases a new iOS update, iPhone users all over the world rush to download it. This can cause Apple’s servers to become overburdened, resulting in downtimes that will cause your iOS update to pause.

It’s rarely the case, but we can’t rule out the possibility that Apple’s update servers have failed. To be sure, visit the Apple System Status page and check for a green circle for update-related services such as the App Store, iCloud Account, etc. If there isn’t a green circle, that means there’s a system problem, and you’ll have to wait until Apple fixes it.

Unpause and Finish Your iOS Update

When your iOS update pauses for whatever reason, one of these fixes should help you resume your iOS update download and installation.

But if none of these tips work, you may have to try a DFU restore to completely erase and reinstall all the software and firmware on your iPhone 18 Pro Max. This step will also erase all your data, so make sure you have a backup first.

Although iPhones are known to be resilient against malware and viruses, they’re not immune to all issues that plague smartphones, including concerns related to hardware. For example, iPhones can experience issues like the camera only showing a black screen, overheating, or the battery draining too fast.

While Apple typically provides free diagnostic support at its Genius Bar, not everyone can take the time out of their day to show up at a physical store. Thankfully, Apple makes it possible to perform a diagnostic exam remotely. Here’s how.

What Is a Remote Diagnostic Exam?

While it’s not always possible to escape a trip to the Apple Store, especially if the physical damage is a broken screen, there are some problems that you can resolve from home. With a remote diagnostic exam, Apple Support can identify any potential hardware issues with your device without inspecting it in person.

If it’s possible to fix your concerns remotely, the tech support will guide you through the methods of resolving it. Apple support can also recommend visiting a physical Apple Store or authorized repair center if they identify that the issue requires a professional repair.

How to Request for Remote Diagnostic Exam

To request a remote diagnostic exam, you must first contact Apple Support and receive a prompt from their end. If your iPhone still works at all, you can get in touch with tech support using the Apple Support App.

Alternatively, follow these steps:

1. Go to Apple’s Get Support website.
2. Click Sign in to view your products, or just click Choose a product and select the iPhone.
3. Click Repairs & Physical Damages.
4. Choose the most relevant option and select Continue.
5. Under Contact, click Chat. If you don’t see a Chat option, go back and select a different option instead.

Afterward, you can explain your hardware concerns with your iPhone 18 Pro Max. If the Apple support specialist wants to verify your iPhone’s issues, they will ask you to allow a remote diagnostic exam through a prompt.

If your device with an issue is not linked to your Apple Account, you may have to provide your iPhone’s IMEI number instead. Thankfully, there are several methods to find out what your iPhone’s IMEI is.

How to Allow Apple Support to Conduct a Diagnostic Exam on Your iPhone 18 Pro Max Remotely

Take note that you will not be able to initiate the remote diagnostic exam without a prompt from Apple. If you follow these steps without talking to a specialist, the option to start a diagnostic report will not show up on your iPhone.

Once a request for a diagnostic report is sent by your Apple specialist, here’s what you have to do:

1. On your iPhone, navigate to Settings.
2. Select Privacy & Security.

   

3. Tap Analytics & Improvements.
4. Select Start Diagnostic Report with Apple Support.
5. After reading the terms and conditions, tap Agree.

Then, wait for Apple to run the diagnostic exam on your device’s hardware. According to Apple support, this process will take a minute or two to complete. After the diagnostic exam, the Apple support specialist will be able to guide you with the best methods to resolve your concern.

Find Out What’s Wrong With Your iPhone Remotely

By asking for the help of Apple support, you can avoid the hassle of traveling by finding out what’s wrong with your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max before going to the Apple Store. If the issue isn’t severe, Apple support can help you with some concerns in just a few minutes through a remote diagnostic exam.

Although the Apple support specialist will attempt to help you as much as possible, it’s important to remember that there are limits to what they can do remotely. For this reason, you may still have to go to an authorized Apple repair center to get a physical repair if the matter is still not resolved.

Here’s how to keep all your Messages in sync across all your devices, back up the photos and attachments that are sent to you via iMessage, plus save space on your iPhone, iPad and Mac, and access your entire message history on any device any where.

At WWDC in June 2017 Apple revealed that it was going to improve Messages so that your texts would always be in sync across all your devices. It took until the end of May 2018, almost an entire year, before the company updated iOS and MacOS to make this possible.

If you’d like to know how to implement Messages in iCloud read on…

But, first, a little background:

How Messages used to sync

Before, if you were signed into the same Apple Account on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, then the Messages apps on each device would show incoming messages at the same time. If you replied to a message, the conversation would be updated on each device. Except it didn’t always work like that.

If, for example, all your devices weren’t powered on or connected to the internet, the messages wouldn’t arrive there. And if you deleted a message on one device – say some spam from some random iCloud address – it would still be on all your other devices until you deleted it there too.

What does Messages in iCloud do?

If you turn on Messages in iCloud (we’ll show you how below), this is what you can expect:

Backed up to iCloud All your Messages (that’s iMessages and SMS texts sent from other types of phone) will be stored in iCloud rather than on your devices.

Attachments and images That will include all the attachments and images that are sent to you via Messages – they are often the reason why Messages takes up so much room on your iPhone 18 Pro Max, for example.

On any device Because all your text messages are stored in the cloud, you can access them on any of your devices – as long as you are signed into your iMessage account.

Always in sync One of the annoyances about the way Messages used to work was that Messages weren’t always in sync. It depended on whether your device was online during a conversation, for example, and if you deleted a message on one device it would still be left on another device. Now, because everything happens in the cloud everything is mirrored across all your devices.

New device, old messages If you register a new device it will have your entire Message history, without having to restore from an old iPhone back up which would be the only way to do that previously.

Save space It could save valuable space on your iPhone 18 Pro Max. Before we turned the feature on our Messages took up 5.7GB of space on our iPhone. Plus, because it stores photos and attachments in the cloud this frees up local space on your iPhone and Mac.

Faster backup And since every device you owned backed up its entire Message library, you could be wasting iCloud storage space. Plus, your usual iPhone back up should happen quickly because your Messages file will be smaller since only your newest messages are stored locally.

Sound like a good feature to you? Here’s how to set up Messages in iCloud.

The negatives:

A few things that might hold you back:

Deleted forever If you delete a message it will be deleted from the back up – so bear that in mind when deleting a message on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Storage requirement It is likely that you will require more than the 5GB storage if you turn on Messages in iCloud.

How to set up Messages in iCloud

If you have decided that you want all your Messages to be in sync across all your devices, so that if you delete a message it will delete on all your devices, so that you have your entire Messages history accessible on any device and via the cloud, here’s how to turn on Messages in iCloud.

On iPhone 18 Pro Max:

You will need two factor authentication enabled.

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap your name, tap iCloud, then tap Messages. If Messages doesn’t appear, tap See All in the Saved to iCloud section.

   

2. Turn on “Use on this iPhone” (if it’s not already turned on).

Make sure that your iPhone is turned on and connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network, and that you sign in to the same Apple Account on each device.

After the initial sync, everything should always stay up to date – as long as you are connected to the internet.

On the Mac:

Messages in iCloud arrived on macOS in the 10.13.5 update. This is how to set it up:

1. Go to Messages > Settings, click iMessage.
2. Click on the box beside Enable Messages in iCloud.

The upper-left and sometimes upper-right corner of your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max display does a lot of work packing in meanings using symbolic shorthand. Apple has used since the iPhone’s introduction a few letters or a tiny graphic to let you know at a glance the performance, nature, and quality of your internet signal.

But with so many generations of cellular technology in use and so many symbols involved, can you decipher them all? Here’s your guide to understanding the oldest to newest U.S. symbols.

Cellular generations started with an analog service, now called 1G. The first digital service, 2G is our starting point:

• G, E, 3G: These symbols represent 2G, 2.5G (EDGE), and 3G. EDGE was a bridge technology that aggregated 2G cellular channels for greater throughput, used by Apple in iPhones before the company felt 3G chipsets were low energy enough to deploy without draining batteries quickly. 2G, 2.5G, and 3G networks have either shut down or have deadlines to shut down in most countries that have deployed 4G and 5G networks. These early flavors used frequency ranges inefficiently, and carriers want to use them now to carry much more data.
• 4G: Really a faster version of 3G, it was more of a marketing label–about 6Mbps downstream and less than 2Mbps upstream. You may still see this on some networks and phone models. It’s more likely you’ll see, however…
• LTE or 5GE: Both technologies use 4G protocol–the “5G” in “5GE” is pure marketing–which offers up to tens of megabytes per second downstream and several Mbps upstream. They were evolutionary steps on the road to true…
• 5G: The 5G icon appears when connected to a 5G network that roughly overlaps frequencies previously used for LTE. T-Mobile uses it to indicate its “extended range” network, as their 5G upgrade allows a greater high-speed coverage area than LTE cellular transmitters in the same locations. Data rates are somewhat speedier than LTE, but not lightning fast.
• 5G or 5GUC: Depending on your carrier and region, you might see either 5G or 5GUC for connections that can run from 100 to 300 Mbps downstream.
• 5GUW: In the United States only, another version of 5G uses a high frequency or millimeter wave band that can offer up to 1Gbps, and some carriers call this “ultrawideband.” For that flavor Apple confusingly shows 5G+; for others, 5GUW.
• Cell/satellite: The number of bars indicates signal strength. If you have either a SIM and eSIM or two eSIMs active, the upper row of bars indicates the signal strength of the line you use for cellular data. The lower row of bars indicates the signal strength of your other line. Apple enhanced a “No Service” label when there’s no signal to read “SOS” with dots beneath it when another cellular network may be available for emergency calls. In a country that supports it, the icon that shows a satellite appears when you engage Emergency SOS via satellite.
• Wi-Fi: The familiar Wi-Fi waves show a weak, moderate, or strong connection. When Wi-Fi Calling is available, “Wi-Fi” is displayed after your carrier name in the status bar, and all your calls go through Wi-Fi. The icon, two overlapping chains, indicates the iPhone 18 Pro Max is connected to the Internet via tethering. (This includes Wi-Fi for a Personal Hotspot, Bluetooth, and USB.)

Note: iPhone 18 Pro Max models purchased in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM.

Not being able to hear music, audiobooks, or your alarm on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max can be a headache. See iPhone 18 Pro Max Alarm Not Going Off. There’s often a quick fix, especially if it’s a simple problem with your software. Here are some simple tips for boosting your smartphone’s volume.

High volumes can damage your ears, so take care when using the tricks below.

Your iPhone Could Be on Silent

We’ll first check through some of the basic areas that are easy to overlook. For instance, you might’ve been annoyed by that shutter noise when taking a photo, so set your phone to Silent. Press and hold the Action button to turn Silent mode on. Press and hold the Action button again to turn Silent mode off. Important: Clock alarms, audio apps such as Music, and many games play sounds through the built-in speaker, even when Silent mode is on.

To change the Action button to Silent mode, go to Settings > Action Button. To choose an action (like Silent Mode), swipe to the action you want to use—its name appears below the dots.

Your iPhone 18 Pro Max Volume Could Be Turned Down

On the side of your phone, under the Action button, you’ll find the Volume buttons, which adjust sounds for videos and music in increments. This also works if you’re trying to increase the ringer volume.

If the buttons don’t change anything, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics, then check that Change with Buttons is turned on. Alternatively, alter the volume via the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right of your screen.

There’s also an option to limit the maximum volume. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety. There, you can toggle on Reduce Loud Audio. This should be automatically set to 85 decibels (“as loud as heavy city traffic”), but you can go up to 100 decibels (“as loud as an ambulance siren”), just be careful with this. Your phone will warn you if you exceed recommended volume levels in a week.

Attention Aware Features: iPhone checks for attention before dimming the display, expanding a notification when locked, or lowering the volume of some alerts.

If you don’t want iPhone to check for your attention, do the following: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Face ID & Attention.

Check That Your iPhone Isn’t Connected to Bluetooth

There may not be a problem with your speakers at all; you might be connected to another device. You might not notice this if you use wireless earphones like Apple’s AirPods. This could also be the case if you use an Apple TV or connect your phone to your vehicle’s audio system.

To test this, swipe down from the top-right of your interface to access your Control Center and turn off Bluetooth. Otherwise, go to Settings > Bluetooth, where you can also check which devices you’re connected to. Disconnect as needed.

When playing music or videos, you can also tap the AirPlay button at the bottom of your screen to select where the track is playing.

Make Sure Do Not Disturb Is Turned Off

Do Not Disturb stops interruptions while you’re busy or asleep; notifications won’t appear and calls won’t ring out. You might’ve activated it and forgotten to turn it off.

You should first check your Control Center by swiping down from the top-right of your screen. Tap on Focus and check on Do Not Disturb to see whether it’s disabled or not.

You should also check whether this feature is on a schedule, so head to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. Scroll down to see if there’s a schedule set; if so, tap on it and either turn it off by tapping on Schedule or get rid of it completely by tapping Delete Schedule.

Update and Reset Your iPhone

The classic advice of turning your device off and on again when an issue arises is a great way of fixing problems on your iPhone. A force-restart on your iPhone could clear your device of any minor software issues. Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Press and hold the side button. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button. Don’t worry, you won’t lose any personal data through restarting.

You may also have an old version of iOS installed. While this shouldn’t cause sound complications, it’s always worth keeping your iPhone updated to iron out potential problems. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if a new iOS version is available.

If the problem lies in an app—for example, volume everywhere on your iPhone except when using a specific app—check whether there’s an update to install via the App Store. If not, you could contact the developer and ask for advice.

Toggle the Equalizer to Make Your iPhone 18 Pro Max Music Louder

Perhaps there’s nothing wrong with your phone. Some just want music and alarms to play as loudly as possible.

Head to Settings > Apps > Music > EQ. This is Off by default, but you can use it to accentuate certain sounds when listening to songs. Go to Settings > Apps > Music and turn on Sound Check to normalize the volume level of your audio. For supported Apple and Beats headphones, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Headphone Accommodations to make soft sounds louder.

The difference isn’t massive, and will depend on the tracks you’re listening to. Nonetheless, you’ll often hear a boost in volume, particularly when listening through earphones.

Check That Your iPhone Isn’t in Headphone Mode

This largely affects older iPhones with headphone jacks, but newer models can still be affected by dirt in the charging port (especially if you use an adapter for wired headphones).

If your iPhone thinks earphones are attached, it will play music through a non-existent connection. Adjust the volume using the side buttons; the screen will tell you if it’s being routed through another speaker.

If you use AirPods, the Bluetooth solution above should fix it. Otherwise, shine a light in the USB-C connector; you might see blockages. Such debris can be tiny, so you could have an issue even if you don’t see anything. This can also be the issue if your iPhone speaker isn’t working.

Try to insert headphones or a charging cable, then remove them. Do this a few times and test the volume again. Doing so could dislodge any dirt inside.

Use a soft lens cloth to gently clean the port and speaker areas. You can also use a dry cotton swab, cotton ball, or toothbrush to lightly rub around the edge of the small recess. Don’t press anything into recesses because you may push dirt further inside.

Avoid liquids as these can cause further damage. Even small amounts of sweat can trick your phone into thinking headphones are connected.

Sadly, if these tricks don’t help—and you’re not experienced enough to deconstruct your device—you need to visit Apple for professional help. But in most cases, you shouldn’t be too worried about troubles with your iPhone 18 Pro Max volume not working. They’re usually caused by a simple oversight.