The Weekender
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All 25 iPhone side button shortcuts, ranked!

All 25 iPhone side button shortcuts, ranked!

It takes just a moment to add handy new features to your iPhone.

Lewis Wallace
August 05, 2023

You don’t need to wait for the rumored Action button supposedly coming to an iPhone 15 near you. You can customize current iPhones to take advantage of more than two dozen side button shortcuts that deliver some remarkable functionality.

Our writer D. Griffin Jones went through them all, and this weekend’s how-to shows you exactly how to set them up (and which ones will likely prove most useful).

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

This week’s crop of Apple rumors includes a possible date for the iPhone 15 launch event.
Tim Cook explains that AI is baked into nearly every Apple product.
Miss the old Twitter icon? Here’s how to get it back.
Leander cooked up a cheap and easy way to add wireless CarPlay to any vehicle — even beaters!
If you’re not watching Apple TV+ sci-fi show Foundation yet, we’ve got three reasons you should be.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

All 25 iPhone side button shortcuts, ranked

Quickly customize your iPhone by adding shortcuts to useful features, all of which you can trigger by triple-clicking the phone's side button.

The cheapest and easiest way to add wireless CarPlay to any vehicle

If you don't want to rip your car stereo out of your dashboard, you can add Apple CarPlay to any vehicle with these inexpensive items.

Change the X icon back to Twitter

You can change the X icon to the Twitter bird icon by replacing it with a Shortcut. Here's how to get the blue bird back on your Home Screen.

News

Tim Cook calls AI ‘absolutely critical’ to Apple products

Apple has been quiet about its plans for AI, but CEO Tim Cook points out that it is already used by many Apple products.

iPhone 15 launch event reportedly will happen on September 13

Apple could unveil this year's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineup, with lots of upgrades and price hikes, on September 13.

Plus, more Apple rumors:

1 billion subscribers push Apple’s services revenue to all-time high [Updated]

Subscriptions to Apple services passed 1 billion, and that segment of the company brought in record revenue in Q3 2023.

Here’s what I use my Apple Newton for in 2023

The Apple Newton never found a strong user base or "killer app.” But decades later, I found two good uses for my Newton MessagePad 2000.

The latest AirTag and Apple Watch rumors make us giddy [The CultCast]

This week on Cult of Mac's podcast: Which gets you more excited, an AirTag with new AR capabilities or new colors for Apple Watch?

Users deposit more than $10 billion into Apple Card Savings accounts so far

The high interest rates offered by Apple Card Savings have now brought in $10 billion in deposits since the service launched in April.

Deals

Security camera, body cam, dash cam: This tiny gadget can do it all

Save on the Tokk Cam C2+, a versatile device that works as a security camera, a body cam and/or a dash cam. It even has night vision!

Plus, more hardware deals:

HR bots are no match for this AI resume writer

Make all your job searches easier with a lifetime subscription to Resoume, the AI assistant resume writer, for just $29.97 (regularly $180).

A one-time payment of less than $100 gets you 20TB of cloud storage for life

Cult of Mac readers can get a lifetime subscription to 20TB of Prism Drive secure cloud storage for just $99.99 (regularly $1,494).

Get 13-inch M2 MacBook Air for $150 off in amazing back-to-school sale

Best Buy is discounting the M2 13-inch MacBook Air by $150 ahead of the college season, making it a great time to buy one.

Plus, more deals on great gear:

Study IT fundamentals with this $40 course bundle

The back-to-school season is about more than returning to the classroom. It’s about taking your education into your own hands. If you want to become an IT pro, start here.

Reviews and recommendations

Pumped for ‘Physical’ season 3? Here’s why we’re really not. [Apple TV+ reviews] ★★☆☆☆

Apple TV+'s enormously frustrating '80s fitness comedy “Physical” bounces back for its third and final season this week.

Plus, this week’s Apple TV+ recaps:

This is the power bank professional digital nomads are looking for [Review] ★★★★½

The HyperJuice 245W USB-C Battery Pack comes with four USB-C ports, stores a whopping 27,000mAh and can output 100W for high-speed recharges.

Stay classy with this supple Italian leather Apple Watch band

Olpr. Leather Goods’ gorgeous gray Apple Watch strap will develop a rich patina over time.

3 Reasons to Watch: Apple TV+ sci-fi epic ‘Foundation’

Fantastic acting, sci-fi vistas, human drama: Apple TV+'s spectacular "Foundation" is a space opera worthy of the classics of the genre.

Kingston’s securely encrypted SSD unlocks with built-in touchscreen [Review] ★★★★½

The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 External SSD is encrypted to protect user data, and unlocks with the convenience of a touchscreen.

Setups

That's one way to get 50% off a Studio Display

If you could get a Studio Display for $800, would you tolerate a crack off to one side?

Fab office remodel suits MacBook Pro and massive display

This setup boasts an M2 MacBook Pro and a super-ultra-wide display ... and yet an accent wall and a DIY standing desk fascinate onlookers most.

MacBook Air pairs with Studio Display in creator rig

The 15-inch M2 MacBook Air drives a still-brilliant 30-inch Cinema Display that was new about 15 years ago.