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10 of My Favorite Apps for the iPhone XR

By now, most of you have heard about PokémonGo, Civilization, and Sims, but there are many other apps available that are fun to play, learn, or use for passing time on that long ride home.

Here are 10 of my favorite apps for the iPhone XR.

  
 
(Some charges apply)

Homer Stories: Homer is adapted to your child’s education level and brings the stories to life. The app also helps develop a child’s understanding of phonics, learn ABCs, and learn sight words.
 


Wonderscope: My kids tried this app at an Apple event and fell in love with the app. Characters appear in front of you and kids can meet and engage with the characters. You can even follow a character around the room. Watch out for that old woman, she can get away quickly.


 
Lego AR Playgrounds: As if playing with a Lego set could get any better. Well, it can. After putting together a Lego set, it becomes interactive with characters that go along with the set. In the picture, my children are playing with figures in and around the Ninjago set. The characters weren’t on the table, but showed up on the iPhone XR and my children could control them.
 
Mondly: My family travels a lot and are placed in situations where we don’t always know how to answer or understand. Mondly helps travelers or those that wish to learn a language grasp an understanding in a fun interactive approach.
 
Monster Park: Dino World: You may have played dinosaurs at the park with your children, but with this app, you can see what a dinosaur would look like if it appeared behind the slide. Kids will get a kick out of seeing dinosaurs show up at the park, in a store, or on the street. Parents, if you desire time while shopping at Costco and Target, this is an excellent way to stroll down a few more aisles without an outburst. However, you might look to see what the dinosaurs are doing.
 
WWF Free Rivers: Want to teach your kids what the Amazon River looks like or are curious yourself? Clear the dining room table and let the Amazon River appear before you on the phone. You can get up close or have an aerial view.
 
Boulevard AR: If you can’t make it to the finest art galleries in London, Paris, and NYC, or would love to see how a Chagall would look on your wall, this app is a great way to appreciate art. My favorite is I can get up close to a painting without setting off any alarms.
 
Dance Reality: If you’re like me and attend many parties, but don’t know all the dances, this app helps you learn the latest dance moves by placing steps in front of you. Now I’m ready to embarrass my kids on the dance floor.
 
My Very Hungry Caterpillar: A classic story comes to life in your own area with this app. Watch the caterpillar transform into a butterfly and float away in your living room.
 
Ikea Place: I have a confession – I hate Ikea. Mainly because the store overwhelms me, but I love those meatballs. I also love dropping my children off at the play area. With Ikea Place, I can drop a virtual piece of furniture down and understand how it will look in my home before I visit the store.  Instead of wandering the floors, I can head straight to the warehouse and pick up the item I need.

Those are my choices, what are yours?

Disclaimer: I was provided an iPhone XR on borrowed terms. 

More tips and tricks for the iPhone XR from Apple.i
-Adjust the background blur on portrait photos with Depth Control – Depth Control lets you adjust the depth of field before or after you shoot Portrait mode photos. To change the depth of field before you shoot, in Portrait mode, tap the ‘f’ icon in the top-right corner of the screen and drag the Depth Control slider to change the effect. To edit your portrait after you shoot, go to Edit and drag the Depth Control slider. Depth Control with Portrait mode also works on the front-facing TrueDepth camera for even more stunning selfies. 
-Move the keyboard cursor and more with Haptic Touch – When using the keyboard, touch and hold the space bar to turn the keyboard into a trackpad for your cursor. Haptic Touch makes it easy to change the position of the cursor without tapping directly on text. You can also use Haptic Touch on the Lock screen shortcuts or to see more options in Control Center.
-Water resistance – iPhone XR is splash and water resistant rated IP67 (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes) and protects against everyday spills including coffee, tea and soda. Allow at least 5 hours before charging with a Lightning cable or connecting a Lightning accessory. You can use wireless charging after wiping the phone dry.
Memoji – Memoji are an entirely new type of Animoji just for you. Create a Memoji to match your personality and mood. Then make as many alter egos as you want in Messages and FaceTime. To create a Memoji, tap the Animoji icon in messages, then swipe right and select New Memoji
-Group FaceTime – FaceTime with more people than ever before—up to 32 simultaneous participants with Group FaceTime, now available With iOS 12.1. Add new filters and effects to your video conference that keep your conversations lively. To start a Group FaceTime call, simply  add participants with the ‘+’ button in FaceTime and select audio or video to start the call. 

Tips for those new to an all-screen iPhone
Unlocking with Face ID 
To quickly unlock your iPhone XR, simple raise to wake, glance at your display and simultaneously swipe up to go home

Siri
Press and hold the side button to ask Siri a question

Apple Pay 
Double-click the side button to pre-arm Apple Pay, then glance at the screen to authenticate with Face ID, and hold your phone to the terminal

Wake
Tap anywhere on the display to wake your iPhone XR

Lock Screen Shortcuts 
You can now access Flashlight & Camera even quicker straight from the lock screen on iPhone XR using Haptic Touch 

Home
Swipe up from the bottom edge at anytime to return home

Lock Screen Notifications 
Access Lock Screen Notifications by swiping down from the top of the display

Control Center
Swipe down from the top-right edge to open Control Center

Turn Off 
Press and hold the side button and either volume down and side button, then swipe to turn off iPhone

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