Author: RSS Feed

USB-C, now present on every current iPhone model, opens up far more possibilities than simply topping up the battery. According to Macworld’s Mahmoud Itani, many owners still treat the connector as little more than a charging outlet, missing out on a range of practical accessories and features available on iPhone 15 and later devices.Here are a dozen useful ways to put that USB-C port to work.

Your iPhone can supply up to 4.5 W of power through a USB-C cable, enough to top up AirPods, an Apple Watch, or even another phone. Just connect the cable between the two devices—no wireless flipping required.

When internal space runs low, plug in a compatible USB-C flash drive or external hard drive and manage files directly in the Files app. Some drives even support recording ProRes video straight to external storage on Pro models, helping conserve the phone’s memory during long shoots. Compact options such as Samsung’s Type-C flash drive are popular choices.

For longer writing sessions on larger iPhone models, a wired USB-C keyboard works natively. Compact desktop keyboards or dedicated cases like the Clicks keyboard case keep a physical keyboard ready whenever you need it.

Content creators can connect high-quality microphones for clearer sound. Wireless systems that use the USB-C port, such as the Rode Wireless Micro, deliver professional results while remaining convenient.

Photographers and videographers can transfer images and footage faster with a wired SD card reader. Apple’s own USB-C to SD Card Reader works with the iPhone and can also be used on a Mac or iPad.

Mirror the iPhone’s screen to a TV or monitor via HDMI using Apple’s USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter. This is especially handy in places where wireless casting is blocked, and it supports 4K output.

AAA titles run smoother with a physical controller. Wired connection of a DualSense or similar pad through USB-C can reduce latency compared with Bluetooth.

For the most stable, high-speed network connection (useful for large downloads or competitive gaming) a USB-C to Ethernet adapter provides a wired link when Wi-Fi or cellular is less reliable.

A USB-C endoscope or borescope camera turns the iPhone into a portable inspection tool. These flexible cameras with built-in lights reach into crevices and are available at relatively low cost.

Small USB-C powered fans that plug directly into the port offer portable airflow on hot days. Compact, high-speed models draw minimal power while delivering a noticeable breeze.

When the connector is not in use, simple USB-C dust plugs keep lint and debris out. Inexpensive multi-packs or magnetic versions that attach to the phone help prevent loss and can even serve as a one-handed grip aid.

Older vehicles without wireless CarPlay still rely on a data-capable cable. A coiled USB-C cable of suitable length and flexibility keeps the connection tidy and reliable in the car.

A single USB-C hub can add HDMI, Ethernet, SD card slots, USB-A ports, and more simultaneously. Models such as Plugable’s 7-in-1 multiport adapter expand the iPhone’s single port into a versatile docking solution.

The iPhone’s lone USB-C connector is far more versatile than many realize. With the right cables and accessories, it supports storage, productivity, media, networking, and everyday convenience far beyond basic charging.

---

‎

.

Source link: https://macdailynews.com/2026/08/21/your-iphones-usb-c-port-to-do-much-more-than-charge/

Find out how to automatically organize your open Safari tabs into relevant topics to cut the confusion and streamline your multi-tab browsing experience on iPhone, iPad, and Mac running iOS 27, iPadOS 27, or macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by countless open Safari tabs?

Out of the box, Safari tabs show in the order you open them. And you can always touch and hold a tab tile and drag it to another spot to make things simpler. However, once you have more than, say, 10 or 12 tabs, manually dragging and arranging your open websites can get cumbersome. This is where Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 can help.

In just a couple of taps, Apple Intelligence will automatically bundle/group and organize your tabs into topics.

Plus, it seems to update the bundle automatically as you browse, which can be helpful (or irritating for some, as you may no longer see that tab in that bundle). Allow me to explain with an example:

• I opened the Tesla and Starlink website homepages in a few tabs, and Apple Intelligence automatically grouped them under the ‘Internet & Energy‘ label (Cars would have been a better name, but Tesla is also a massive energy company, so it’s fine, I guess).
• Once I went to the order page for some Tesla cars, they all left the ‘Internet & Energy‘ group and changed to ‘Tesla Offers.’ Starlink website links got bundled in their own separate topic.

Apple Intelligence currently offers just one choice, and that is to organize by topics. You can’t organize it by website or other parameters, as seen in the screenshot below.

• I opened 5 iDownloadBlog links. It bundled my author page tabs and didn’t include the other two.

• Similarly, initially all four Apple website links were in their own ‘Apple Devices‘ bundle, but when I visited the iPad purchase link, it was pushed out of that bundle.

If you have a device that supports Apple Intelligence, set it up and see for yourself if you find it useful.

Here’s how to organize your Safari tabs automatically by topic.

iOS 27

1) Update your iPhone to iOS 27 (currently it’s in beta).

2) Open Safari and visit some websites if you don’t already have them open.

3) Tap the tabs button to see all your open website tabs.

4) Tap the three-line icon in the upper left corner.

5) Select Organize Tabs > Automatically Create Topics. Apple Intelligence will now rearrange your open tabs into topics.

Once you’ve bundled websites into a few topics, you can filter to see just one (filters seem to stay available even if you turn off Automatically Create Topics after enabling it once).

1. Tap the same three-line icon at the top and select a topic to see only the websites in that topic.
2. Tap the same button to exit topic view.

Tip: Tap the three-dot icon and select Arrange Tabs By to reorganize them by title (A to Z) or website.

iPadOS 27

1) Visit a few sites in Safari on your iPad running iPadOS 27 (currently it’s in beta).

2) Tap the tabs icon to see a tiled view of all your open websites.

3) Tap the three-dot icon in the top-left corner and select Organize Tabs.

4) Then choose to Automatically Create Topics (same as iPhone) or Show Related Tabs. Since we already covered the former in the iPhone section, we’ll choose the latter here.

4) Return to your normal browsing.

5) Based on your open tabs, Safari may suggest grouping them into topics by showing a little arrow icon in the address bar and a number saying how many tabs will be added to that group. Tap it and select +Organize to group suggested tabs (tapping the blue ‘Automatically Organize’ button (if you see it) enables the same feature we discussed in the iPhone section).

Since you have not selected the automatic option, repeat step 5 for other topics to group them manually as needed.

6) As you browse, Safari will automatically organize related tabs into groups. Tap the pill-shaped topic groups in the address bar to expand the tabs and see websites only from that group. On iOS, you can do this by filtering, as discussed above.

macOS 27

1. Update your Mac to macOS 27 Golden Gate or install it on a partition to try out beta without affecting your current setup.
2. Open Safari.
3. Click Safari > Settings in the top menu bar.
4. Go to the Tabs tab.
5. Set Organize Tabs to ‘Automatically Create Topics‘ or ‘Show Related Tabs.’
6. We have already discussed these basics in the iPad section above.

Here’s a screenshot showing websites grouped by topics on macOS 27:

What do you think of this? I enabled it, and it surprisingly seems helpful for my use case.

Also, new in iOS 27:

• How to have Safari notify you of website changes and updates
• How to block ‘Write with Siri’ on iOS 27 keyboard

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/08/21/group-by-topics-safari/