Technologies
Use this hidden iPhone feature to drag-and-drop files, photos, links and text across your apps
The drag-and-drop feature on iOS 15 allows you to quickly send a link via text message or add a photo attachment to an email.

The release of iOS 15 finally brought drag-and-drop to the iPhone ($330 at Amazon) — a feature that’s been available on the iPad ($182 at Amazon) for several years now, thanks to iPadOS15’s various multitasking capabilities. However, it wasn’t one of the highlighted features when the big iPhone update released last year, which is why you may not be familiar with it.
With drag-and-drop on the iPhone, you can move seamlessly between apps to quickly upload photos, send links, share files and more. In a few seconds, you can quickly drag a dozen photos to send via text message or drop a link into an email. In the guide below, we’ll show you everything you can do with the new drag-and-drop feature on iOS 15.
How to drag-and-drop photos and videos on the iPhone
The first way you can use drag-and-drop on iOS is to move images from one app to another. Now, this feature works with any application that allows you to press down on an image to share it, like in Photos, Safari, Twitter and more. For this example, we’ll show you how to drag-and-drop from the native Photos application.
1. Open the Photos app.
2. In grid view, press and hold your finger down on a photo or video, until the quick action menu appears, and then move your finger around so that it floats under your finger.
3. If you want to add more photos to share, use your other finger to tap on any other photos or videos, which will automatically be added to the other photo underneath your finger.
4. Use your other finger to leave the application and navigate to where you want to drop the photo or video.
5. You’ll see a green plus sign on the corner of the photo or video if you can drop it off there.
6. Lift your finger to drop the photo and video.
For example, you could drag the photo into the Mail app, to add it as an attachment, or to the Messages app, to quickly send it via text.
How to drag-and-drop files on the iPhone
The files that live in your Files application, like a PDF, WAV, MP4 or PNG, can also be dragged out of Files and into other applications, like Messages or Mail if you want to share the file, or even another file organizer app if you’re trying to upload the file.
1. Open the Files app.
2. In icon or list view, press your finger down on a file until the quick-action menu appears, and then move your finger around without lifting it so that the file follows your finger.
3. Use another finger to leave the Files app and go to another app.
4. Wait until you see a green plus sign, which means you can drop it there, and then lift your finger to release the file.
If you’re already in the Files app, this is a faster way to share files via text or email.
How to drag-and-drop links on the iPhone
Like with photos, you can also drag-and-drop links from applications such as Safari, Calendar and more. Again, you must be able to press down on the link and have the quick action menu appear to be able to drag and drop it. Here’s how to do it from Safari.
1. Open the Safari app.
2. Press your finger down on any link, until the quick action menu appears, and then move your finger around so the link floats under your finger.
3. Use your other finger to leave the app and lift your finger to drop it elsewhere (only if you see a green plus sign).
You can drop links in other apps such as Messages, Mail, Notes, or any number of social media apps.
How to drag-and-drop text on the iPhone
Finally, you have the option to drag any highlighted text into another app.
1. First, find the text you want to drag-and-drop.
2. Use your finger to then highlight the text, as you would if you wanted to copy it.
3. Then press and hold down on the selection and move your finger around, without lifting it, until the text follows your finger around.
4. Use another finger to leave this app and then drop it elsewhere.
Although copy and paste might be a better (and even faster) option, you do have the ability to drag and drop text on iOS.
If you’re a visual learner, Frederico Viticci, editor-in-chief of MacStories, tweeted a screen recording of the process in June.
For more, check out everything to know before updating to iOS 15 and everything we didn’t get in iOS 15.
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Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #686
Hints and answers for Connections for April 27, #686.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections puzzle might make you hungry — especially if you spot the four words in the blue category. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Do the math.
Green group hint: Tresses.
Blue group hint: Munchies.
Purple group hint: Think Stockholm.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Calculator buttons.
Green group: Amounts of hair.
Blue group: Salty snack unit.
Purple group: Swedish ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is calculator buttons. The four answers are equals, minus, percent and times.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is amounts of hair. The four answers are lock, shock, thatch and tuft.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is salty snack unit. The four answers are Combo, Goldfish, Ruffle and Taki.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is Swedish ____. The four answers are Chef, Fish, massage and meatball.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #420
Here are hints — and answers — for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 420 for April 27.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Sleep used to be so simple, but now it can be complex, as we try to add in extra things to help us get that good night’s rest. Today’s NYT Strands puzzle highlights sleep assistance, and a few of the words are tricky. If you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Sleep tight
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Zzzzz…
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- BEDS, MINE, TAKE, TAKES, TAKER, STAKE, LATS, EARL, PLUG, PLUGS, ROUT, MIKE, DATE
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- MASK, EARPLUGS, MELATONIN, MEDITATION, MOUTHGUARD
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is BEDTIME. To find it, start with the B that’s five letters down on the farthest row to the left and wind across.
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