The official iPhone User Guide is free on Apple’s website at support.apple.com/guide/iphone. Open that address in Safari on your iPhone or in any browser on a computer, pick your iOS version from the Select version menu, then tap Table of Contents or type a topic in the search field. There is no printed manual to order from Apple. The website is the current home of the guide.
This article covers Apple’s iPhone User Guide as it appears in October 2026, when iOS 27 is the newest version and the version menu goes back to iOS 12. It also covers Apple’s model-by-model manuals page, older guides for iOS 5 through iOS 11, the Tips app, and the older Apple Books copy of the guide.
What You Need
- An internet connection and a web browser. The guide works on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows PC.
- Your iOS version (the version of the iPhone’s operating system), so you read steps that match your phone.
- No Apple Account sign-in. Apple’s online guide opens without one, and it costs nothing.
How to Open the iPhone User Guide Online
- Open Safari, or any other browser.
- Type support.apple.com/guide/iphone in the address bar and go to the page. The page is titled iPhone User Guide, and it opens on the newest version.
- Tap Select version near the top and choose the iOS version on your iPhone. The page updates for that version.
- Tap Table of Contents to browse by chapter, or tap Search this guide and type a word or phrase, such as “screenshot” or “Face ID”.
- Tap a topic to read Apple’s steps. Use the Next link at the bottom of a page to keep reading in order.
How to tell it worked: the page shows “iPhone User Guide” at the top, and the Select version menu shows the iOS version you picked. To go back to the newest version, choose it from the same menu.
New to the guide? Its opening chapters cover setup and the basics, and a What’s new chapter lists the features added in that iOS version. That is a good place to start after a major update.
How to Pick the Right Version of the Guide
Menus and button names change between iOS versions, so a step written for iOS 27 may not match a phone running iOS 18. Check your version first. Apple’s article on finding the software version on your iPhone gives this path:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap About. The number next to iOS Version is the one you need.
- Go back to the guide and choose the same main number under Select version. For example, a phone on iOS 18.6 uses the iOS 18 guide, and a phone on iOS 27.0 uses the iOS 27 guide.
The menu lists iOS 27, iOS 26, then iOS 18 and earlier. There is no iOS 19 through iOS 25, so nothing is missing. Apple went straight from iOS 18 to iOS 26.
If the phone will not open Settings, Apple also lets you read the version on a computer. Connect the iPhone, select it in the Finder on a Mac (or in iTunes on macOS Mojave and earlier), or in the Apple Devices app or iTunes on a Windows PC, and look on the General or Summary tab.
How to Keep the Guide One Tap Away
You can save the guide in Safari so you don’t have to type the address again. Apple’s page on bookmarking a website in Safari covers saving a site as a bookmark, as a favorite, or as a Home Screen icon.
- Bookmark: with the guide open, open Safari’s page menu and choose the option to add a bookmark, pick a location, then tap Save. For the full steps, read about bookmarking a website in Safari on iPhone.
- Home Screen icon: open the Share options, scroll down, tap Add to Home Screen, then tap Add. The icon appears only on the device where you add it. For more details, read about adding a Safari link to your Home Screen.
Both are easy to undo. Delete the bookmark from your bookmarks list, or remove the icon from the Home Screen like any other icon. Neither one saves the guide for offline reading. You still need a connection to load the pages.
How to Find Manuals for Your iPhone Model
The User Guide is organized by iOS version, not by phone. For documents tied to one model, use Apple’s manuals page.
- Go to Apple’s iPhone Manuals and Downloads page. The newest models, such as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 17e, are at the top.
- Tap your model in the list. Tap Show more if you have an older iPhone that isn’t shown at first.
- Not sure which model you have? Tap How to identify your iPhone model on that page. Apple’s Identify your iPhone model list matches model numbers, colors, cameras, and buttons to each phone. Model numbers differ by country or region, so check the one for where you bought the phone.
- Under Documents, open what you need. Depending on the model, this can include the iPhone User Guide, an Info document with safety and regulatory details, and for many recent models a Repair Manual.
Each model page also shows the year the phone was introduced and a Tech Specs link. The same Manuals and Downloads page has separate sections for iPhone accessories, such as MagSafe chargers and AirPods.
Guides for iOS 11 and earlier
The online version menu stops at iOS 12. Apple keeps older material on the same Manuals and Downloads page, which lists software from iOS 27 back to iOS 5. Choose the iOS entry for your phone to see what Apple still offers for that version. Expect older guides to describe features and settings that have since changed or been removed.
How to Learn With the Tips App
The Tips app is built into the iPhone and gives short lessons instead of a full manual. According to Apple’s Tips app page, you open Tips, tap a collection, then tap a tip. Collections cover things like navigating the iPhone and editing photos, and new tips are added regularly.
- Save a tip: open it and tap the save button. It goes to a collection called Saved tips.
- Share a tip: open it, tap the share button, and send it with Messages, Mail, or AirDrop.
- Get tip notifications: go to Settings > Notifications > Tips and turn on Allow Notifications. Turn the same switch off to stop them.
In iOS 17, you could scroll to the bottom of Tips to browse user guides for other Apple devices. The current Tips page doesn’t list that section, so use the website for the newest guide.
Can You Download the iPhone User Guide in Apple Books?
Sometimes. The iOS 16 version of the online guide says you can also download the guide from Apple Books “where available.” The newer versions of the same page, including iOS 27, don’t include that line and point only to the website. So treat Apple Books as an option for older editions, not a sure way to get the newest one.
To check, open the Books app, use its search, and type iPhone User Guide. Look for a result with Apple listed as the author and the iOS version you want in the title. If one is offered, tap Get. You may be asked to confirm with your Apple Account. The book is then saved in your Books library. To keep it apart from your other reading, you can create a new collection in the Books app for manuals.
A Books copy is fixed to one iOS version, so it won’t match your phone after a major update.
Troubleshooting
- The steps don’t match your screen. The guide is probably set to a different iOS version. Check Settings > General > About, then change Select version.
- Your iOS version isn’t in the menu. The menu starts at iOS 12. For an older phone, open the iOS section of the Manuals and Downloads page described above.
- You’re looking for iOS 19 or iOS 25. Those versions don’t exist. Pick iOS 18 or iOS 26, whichever your phone shows.
- A topic disappears when you switch versions. Features that didn’t exist in an older iOS version have no page in that version of the guide. Switch back to a newer version to read about them.
- The guide is in the wrong language. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap the country or region name (for example, United States), then choose another one.
- You can’t find the guide in Books. It may not be offered for your iOS version or in your country or region. Use the website instead.
- You can’t find Add to Home Screen. Scroll to the bottom of the share options, tap Edit Actions, and add it there.
- The page won’t load. The guide needs an internet connection. Check Wi-Fi or cellular data and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the iPhone User Guide free?
Yes. Apple publishes the iPhone User Guide on its support website at no charge, and you can read it in any web browser without signing in.
Does the iPhone come with a printed manual?
Apple publishes the full iPhone User Guide online instead of as a printed book. Printed iPhone books from other publishers exist, but they are not from Apple. If you buy one, check that it covers your iOS version and your type of iPhone (Face ID or Home button).
Which version of the iPhone User Guide should I read?
Read the version that matches the iOS version on your iPhone. Find it in Settings under General, then About, and choose the same number in the Select version menu at the top of the guide.
Is there a separate user guide for each iPhone model?
No. The iPhone User Guide is written for an iOS version and covers every iPhone that runs it. Each version includes a page listing compatible models. Model-specific documents, such as repair manuals, are on Apple’s iPhone Manuals and Downloads page.
Can I read the iPhone User Guide on a computer?
Yes. The guide is a regular website, so it opens in a browser on a Mac or Windows PC. That is handy when you want to follow steps on the phone while reading on a bigger screen.
Does Apple have user guides for other devices?
Yes. Apple’s Manuals and Downloads pages also cover iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and other products, with a similar list of documents for each model.
Next Step
Open the guide, set it to your iOS version, and add it to your bookmarks. Setting up a new phone? Start by learning how to turn on an iPhone 17 and set it up. To search with Google in Safari, change the iPhone search engine.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.