2012 was an interesting year for Apple's iPhone and iPad. We got a new operating system with iOS 6, and that came with a fair share of problems. Still, lots of new features, apps, and fixes came along. Here are the most popular iOS-related posts of the year.
Upgrade to iOS 6 Right Now
Although iOS 6 won't see an official release until September 19th, you can install the final version right now even if you're not a developer thanks to some anonymous public postings of the software update files. More »
Everything You Need to Know About iOS 6
iOS 6 is out and ready for download. Here's everything you need to know, from how to update your device(s) to getting started with Apple's latest OS upgrade. More »
The Best Jailbreak Apps for iOS 5
It took a good while before iOS 5 received its first jailbreak, but now that you've jailbroken your compatible iDevice you need to know all the great apps and hacks it can handle. More »
Can I Transfer App Data and Game Saves from My iPhone to a New iPad?
Dear Lifehacker,
I'm thinking about grabbing a new iPad, but I want to transfer all my app data from my iPhone over to it so I can continue using some of the data from my apps and finish up some games. More »
Lifehacker Pack for iPhone: Our List of the Best iPhone Apps
The iPhone's app selection is unparalleled, but it can be frustrating to sift through the thousands of options to find the best. For our third annual Lifehacker Pack for iPhone, we're highlighting the apps that help you stay productive, connected, informed and entertained. More »
Lifehacker Pack for iPad: Our List of the Best iPad Apps
There are over 225,000 apps designed just for the iPad, which makes finding the most essential apps for the tablet a bit of a hunt. Let us save you some time with this collection of the best iPad apps to help you get things done, stay connected, enhance your lifestyle, and more. More »
The Most Useful Apps You've Probably Forgotten
Technology moves fast. So fast, in fact, that great apps often get left in the dust if they don't come out of the gates full-featured and ready for primetime. More »
Google Maps Is Now Available for iOS Devices, Offers Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions, Street View, and More
iOS: iPhone and iPad users, your wait is over: Google has unveiled an official Google Maps app for iOS, and it's available now in the iTunes App Store. More »
How to Customize Your iPhone, Inside and Out
The iPhone is a beautiful device on its own, but with hundreds of millions of iPhones sold it's not particularly unique. Whether you employ a few simply tricks or more complicated alterations, it's easy to put your own custom stamp on your ordinary device. More »
See the Actual Signal Strength on Your iPhone or Android
iPhone: Ever feel tricked by your phone's signal bars into thinking you have a better reception that you actually do? This simple hack will transform those bars to show the actual signal in decibels (dBm). More »
All the Awesome Things You Can Do with a Long Press on Your iPhone, iPad, or iPad touch
Long pressing-that is, tapping and holding down on a part of your screen-provides a lot of handy shortcuts on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. More »
Zombies, Run! Turns Your Exercise Routine into a Game of Survival
iOS: Not motivated to start running? Would it help if you were trying to escape a pack of brain-hungry zombies? If the possibility of a gruesome death is enough to get your legs moving, Zombies, Run! is an app that will get you going. More »
This Is How You Should Secure Your iPhone
You probably know that your iPhone features a simple passcode functionality that secures the device by requiring, by default, a 4-digit PIN to unlock your phone. More »
How to Speed Up, Clean Up, and Revive Your iPhone
With the sun shining and bees buzzing in celebration of spring you've likely started decluttering your closets and basements. If you need a break from all that indoor work, it might be time to step away and do the same for your iPhone. More »
Superior Replacements to the Boring Stock iPhone Apps
With every iteration of iOS, Apple tweaks their software a little, but for the most part, the default lineup of apps remains unchanged since launch. For a lot of us, these apps just aren't cutting it anymore. More »
Make a Smarter Notification System for Your Phone or Tablet with Pushover
No offense, but your phone's notification system sucks. With a clever app called Pushover, you can create your own custom notification system that's a heck of a lot smarter, so your phone only bothers you with notifications you want, when you want them. More »
The iPad's Split Keyboard Has a Few Hidden Buttons that Make Typing Easier
You've no doubt seen the split keyboard that iOS 5 brought to the iPad, but it turns out it has a few hidden buttons on the edges. Here's how they work. More »
How to Get the Best Features of iOS 6 Right Now
iOS 6 isn't coming to your iPhones and iPads for another few months, but a lot of its best features are available through third-party apps and jailbreak hacks right now. More »
Hide Unwanted Apple iOS Apps Without Jailbreaking
iOS: Tired of built-in apps like Stocks and Weather taking up space on your home screen when you've got better third-party alternatives you're using instead? More »
What's a Good Replacement for Apple's Unreliable New Maps App?
Dear Lifehacker,
I just upgraded to iOS 6 and I'm liking most of the new features. However, the new Maps app is terrible. Is there a good replacement that won't send me driving all over the place? More »
It has been an interesting year for iOS. The new operating system brought a bunch of great features, but it also caused one of the years biggest controversies with Apple Maps failures. Want more of the iOS greatest hits? Check out our most popular posts from 2011, 2010, and 2009.