Last-Minute Gift Ideas for iPhone Users

Every December I say that I should write a post about gift ideas for iPhone users but never write it. But, a lot of friends and family ask me for recommendations for brands of iPhone accessories that I use, so here we go. For each of these gift ideas, I'm including links to the specific version of the item that I actually use every day because I won't recommend it unless I've actually tried it myself and like it.

Screen Protectors

Ever since my unfortunate screen crack incident in 2016, I've been using the same brand of screen protector on every phone I have. I also place the screen protectors on the iPads my two young sons use, as well as on my mom's iPhones. We've saved ourselves from at least three screen catastrophes in the past six years. I swear by these clear glass screen protectors from Ailun that I buy on Amazon. They're inexpensive, easy to put on, do a good job protecting the screen, and feel normal/good like a usual touch screen on my iPhone. This is the exact protector on my iPhone 13 now, but of course buy the right size for the recipient's specific iPhone or iPad. I get my nephew a multi-pack of these screen protectors for his iPhone every birthday and Christmas.

iPhone Cases

A nice phone case is a great gift, especially for someone who doesn't like to spend money on themselves (and therefore has a cheap case or no case on their very expensive iPhone.) Apple offers nice cases in leather, silicone, and clear plastic that all work with MagSafe charging.

I use this Apple iPhone 13 Pro Leather Case with MagSafe in "midnight" color on my iPhone 13 Pro. There's also some very cute colors in the slightly-less expensive silicone cases. Make sure to get the right size case for the specific iPhone model your gift recipient uses.

Night Stand Charger

I use this Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Charger for my iPhone 13 Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods case on my night stand. After my husband got jealous of my new charger, I bought him the same one as a present.

To use this charger, you need a MagSafe compatible iPhone - that means an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 12, or iPhone 12 Pro. It's extra great for people who have a loop band on their Apple Watch, since some of the mat-style chargers don't work well with a closed-loop band on the watch that gets in the way of setting the watch on the mat to charge.

AirTags

AirTags are little battery-powered tags that you register with the "Find My" app on your iPhone. I keep one on my key chain, one in my wallet, and one in my suitcase when I travel. When you can't find the item, you can look in the "Find My" app on your iPhone to track the AirTag's location. The AirTag does not need to be nearby your specific iPhone - it will connect to any iOS device on the "Find My" network (anonymously) to report its location. The AirTag can also play a sound to help you find it when you're close by.