While you might not be using your iPhone entirely "wrong," there's a good chance you could enhance your phone usage by customizing your settings beyond the default.
If the last time you tweaked your settings was when iPhones still had home buttons, you're probably missing out on some of the best new features from recent iOS updates. Here are a few things worth changing:
Apple introduced customization of the Control Center in iOS 11 and has expanded these options since. You can customize Control Center shortcuts by going to Settings -> Control Center and adding your preferred shortcuts. Your choices may vary depending on the apps you use most, but here are a few recommendations:
- Low power mode: Keep this shortcut handy in Control Center if you're concerned about battery life. It's an essential feature to enable before your battery gets critically low.
- Alarm: Add this shortcut if you use your phone as an alarm clock for convenience.
- Screen Recording: This is a useful feature for creating quick videos without using your phone's camera. A Control Center shortcut allows you to initiate screen recording without leaving your current app.
- Dark Mode: While it's currently available only for iOS 13 beta users, soon you'll be able to add the long-awaited dark mode to Control Center.
Another often overlooked but incredibly useful feature is setting quick text shortcuts for frequently used phrases. You can configure these shortcuts in Settings. A few helpful shortcuts include:
- My initials shortcut to my email address, such as 'khb," which fills in my complete email address.
- "omw" as a shortcut for "on my way," handy for those times when you're running late.
- A shortcut for your mailing address (e.g., street name) for situations when you need to enter your address manually and autofill isn't an option.
If you're not using Apple's Shortcuts app, you're missing out. Introduced with iOS 12, this app may initially be confusing, but it offers the ability to automate various actions. Shortcuts streamline daily app functions with a single Siri command. For instance, you can create a shortcut for your favorite Pandora station, allowing Siri to open the app and start your music. You can also run shortcuts from a widget in the "today" view.
Consider these helpful built-in shortcuts:
- "Remind me at work" sets reminders based on your office address or any other location you frequent.
- "Turn videos into GIFs" converts your most recent video clip into an animated GIF.
- "Speed dials" enable you to call frequently contacted individuals directly without opening the phone app.
- "Where next" extracts the location of your next calendar event and provides directions in Apple Maps.
One of the most important settings is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for enhanced security. When 2FA is active, you must verify your account whenever you sign in using your Apple ID on a new device. This verification can be received on another Apple device, like a MacBook, or via your phone number.
To activate 2FA, go to Settings, tap on the menu with your name, then "Password & Security." Turn on two-factor authentication and ensure that your "trusted phone number" is accurate. You can also add more trusted numbers and enable a recovery key for additional protection against unauthorized password resets.
For preparedness, consider setting a few emergency contacts. You can do this either via the Health app or in Settings -> Emergency SOS -> Edit Emergency Contacts. These emergency contacts can be viewed by anyone who picks up your iPhone, even if it's locked. Additionally, your emergency contacts will be notified and receive updates on your whereabouts if you use your iPhone's emergency calling feature.