These 22 iOS Settings Enhance Your iPhone in a Main Means

Did you obtain a brand new iPhone over the vacations? Whether or not you are attending to know your model new iPhone 14 or attempting to make your 5-year-old telephone work higher for you, there’s at all times one thing you’ll be able to change in your iPhone settings to optimize your telephone’s efficiency. Possibly you are burning by means of battery and need to preserve the telephone’s vitality, or possibly you need to arrange a shortcut to show in your favourite exercise playlist as quickly as you stroll into the fitness center. Hacks and fast fixes to your telephone troubles are at your disposal — you simply have to know the place to search for them. 

It doesn’t matter what you want, you are certain to search out some cool customization choices — some that you recognize and others that you just might need by no means heard of — in your settings. Need to declutter your house display screen? Use your battery rather less all through the day? You are able to do all of that and extra with these 22 iOS settings.

And in order for you to try some hidden iOS options, try tips on how to unlock your iPhone’s hidden trackpad and the most effective hidden options on iOS 16. Additionally, should you’re seeking to improve to the most recent telephone, try the finest offers on the iPhone 14 proper now.

1. Cease apps from monitoring your precise location

Apps like Doordash, Postmates, Google Maps and Waze all require your precise location to ship meals to the precise location or direct you to the place you need to go. However not all apps have to know exactly the place you might be at each second.

You possibly can simply forestall any app from monitoring your precise location. Within the Settings app, select an utility (like Instagram, for instance), faucet Location after which toggle off Exact Location. Any app with Exact Location off will solely know your approximate location, inside a couple of miles.

Learn extra: Why You Might Need to Revoke Exact Location Permissions From Instagram

2. Flip the again of your iPhone right into a button

The again of your iPhone can be utilized as a secret button to activate sure actions, like take a screenshot or allow low energy mode, and run shortcuts that may mechanically play music once you arrive on the fitness center or flip in your good lights once you get house. Nonetheless, the choice is hidden deep in your settings — here is tips on how to discover it.

Within the Settings app, go to Accessibility > Contact > Again Faucet and select one of many two tapping choices (double or triple faucet). It is best to see a listing of actions you’ll be able to run by tapping the again of your iPhone, like opening your digital camera, turning on the flashlight, scrolling up and down and extra. Faucet on on motion or shortcut to set it for double or triple faucet.

3. Convey again full-screen incoming name alerts

In case your iPhone is unlocked and also you obtain a telephone name, a banner-style notification will seem on the high of your display screen, with a photograph and identify of the individual calling, and the choices to select up or deny the decision. However this banner wasn’t at all times there.

Earlier than iOS 14, the incoming name display screen would take over your whole show when your iPhone was unlocked and in use. It was disruptive, certain, but it surely additionally bought the job performed. 

When the banner appeared, it was a welcome change for a lot of, as a result of it is extra discreet and means that you can nonetheless use your telephone whereas receiving a name. Nonetheless, if for any purpose you are not a giant fan of the banner and need to revert to the extra attention-grabbing full-screen alert, go to Settings > Telephone > Incoming Calls and faucet Full Display screen.

4. Flip off 5G protection you do not need or have

Apple touts a Sensible Information characteristic that is particular to its 5G telephones (iPhone 12 and iPhone 13) that can mechanically change between 4G LTE and 5G networks primarily based on the way you’re utilizing your gadget. 

Nonetheless, you could discover that your iPhone’s battery drains sooner than it did earlier than. When you do not need to sacrifice battery life for sooner 5G speeds, shut it down. You possibly can at all times flip 5G again on once you need it, or when service in your space improves.

To flip off 5G in your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, forcing it to at all times use 4G LTE even if in case you have 5G protection, open the Settings app, then go to Mobile > Mobile Information Choices > Voice & Information and faucet LTE.

Alternatively, in order for you your iPhone to solely use a 5G connection when obtainable, you’ll be able to choose 5G On.

Learn extra: AirPods 3 vs. AirPods Professional: Evaluating Apple’s Newest Earbuds

5. Tremendous-tune how a lot knowledge is utilized by a 5G connection

When you’re completely satisfied together with your 5G efficiency, here is a network-related setting you must try. Go to Settings > Mobile > Mobile Information Choices > Information Mode, the place you may discover three completely different choices: Permit extra knowledge on 5G, Commonplace and Low Information Mode.

Although there are temporary descriptions beneath the three completely different settings, they do not paint a whole image for the primary choice. In line with an Apple help doc, permitting extra knowledge on 5G offers you high-quality video and FaceTime calls. It additionally allows your telephone to obtain software program updates and stream high-definition Apple TV and Apple Music content material, and it permits third-party builders to additionally enhance their respective apps.

The default setting on this web page will rely in your provider and your knowledge plan, so it is a good suggestion to examine your iPhone and ensure it is accurately set to your desire.

6. Cease apps from cluttering up your house display screen

The App Library is a spot the place you’ll be able to rapidly discover and entry your entire functions. And whereas apps are housed right here, all newly downloaded apps additionally seem on your house display screen. This is probably not an issue should you obtain apps sparingly, however should you’re putting in new apps on a constant foundation, they will rapidly litter up your house display screen.

To cease downloaded apps from showing on your house display screen, go to Settings > Residence Display screen and choose App Library Solely. If you wish to discover the app, you may must swipe left on your house display screen till you attain the App Library.

7. Unlock your telephone whereas sporting a face masks

One of many irritating facets of sporting a face overlaying has been the lack to unlock an iPhone with Apple’s Face ID expertise. As a result of half of your face is roofed, Face ID simply does not work. And whereas coming into your passcode to unlock your telephone works, it isn’t as handy. 

With iOS, you now have the choice to activate a face unlock characteristic that makes it straightforward to unlock your iPhone once you’re sporting a face masks. Earlier than the replace, you can solely unlock your iPhone if you owned an Apple Watch. 

To unlock your iPhone together with your Apple Watch, open the Settings app in your iPhone after which open the Face ID & Passcode choice. Scroll down till you discover the Unlock with Apple Watch part (you should be related to an Apple Look ahead to the setting to seem), the place you’ll be able to activate the characteristic for any watches linked to your iPhone. 

When you have an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 that runs iOS 15.4 or later, you’ll be able to unlock your iPhone whereas sporting a masks with out an Apple Watch. Go to the Settings app and open Face ID & Passcode. From there, you’ll be able to toggle Face ID With a Masks and select the Face ID With a Masks choice. It is fairly superior. 

8. Put the tackle bar in Safari again on high

The tackle in Safari migrated to the underside of the display screen with the introduction of iOS 15 — a welcome addition for these with smaller fingers who had issue reaching it with one hand on the high. Whereas this transfer may really feel extra pure, because it’s nearer to the keyboard and the place you usually place your thumbs, it may be off-putting since many individuals are used to seeing the URL bar close to the highest of the display screen.

If you wish to put the tackle bar again on the high of the display screen, go to Settings, faucet Safari and select the Single Tab choice beneath the Tabs subheading. 

9. Add options that can be utilized when your iPhone is locked

There are occasions once you may need to have sure data useful even when your telephone is locked. That is why Apple means that you can allow some options with out having to unlock your gadget, such because the notification middle, Management Heart, the flexibility to answer to messages and the Pockets app.

To customise the options you’d wish to entry on the lock display screen, launch the Settings menu, faucet Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode when prompted. Scroll down till you see the Permit Entry When Locked part, and toggle the sliders primarily based in your preferences. 

10. Make your favourite e-mail app or internet browser your default

It was a very long time coming, however 2020’s iOS 14 replace lastly introduced the flexibility to decide on your personal default apps — a minimum of for e-mail and internet searching. That signifies that once you faucet a hyperlink or an e-mail ship button, your iPhone will mechanically launch the online browser or e-mail supplier of your selecting quite than Safari or Mail. 

To get began, open the Settings menu and choose the app you’d wish to set as a default (resembling Google Chrome or Outlook). It is best to then see a button that claims Default Mail App or Default Browser App. Faucet that choice and choose the app of your selecting as an alternative of Safari or Mail. 

Learn extra: If You Care About Your Privateness, You Have to Change These Browser Settings

11. Get full notifications in your lock display screen

The primary time you expertise Apple’s Face ID tech, you may discover that you would be able to’t see the content material of latest alerts and notifications on the lock display screen. For instance, as an alternative of seeing who despatched you a textual content message and what it says, you may solely see a generic Messages alert.

By default, all iPhones with Apple’s Face ID tech will disguise the content material of an alert till you choose up your telephone and unlock it. It is a privateness characteristic that I quite get pleasure from, however I additionally perceive the way it could possibly be annoying (I’ve heard a couple of complaints from readers and relations alike).

You possibly can change how notifications seem in your lock display screen by going to Settings > Notifications > Present Previews and choosing All the time. Conversely, you’ll be able to choose By no means if you wish to preserve the content material of your notifications at all times hidden from the lock display screen.

12. Flip off (or on) HDR video for sharing movies

Telephones within the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups can document excessive dynamic vary (HDR) video with Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Meaning your movies can be brighter with extra correct colours and improved distinction. Sounds superior, proper? It’s. However there’s an issue — not each app or service will work with HDR video. 

Builders might want to replace their apps to be able to settle for HDR video, however even then, the individual viewing the video will want a succesful gadget to see the distinction in high quality. For Apple units, these embody the iPhone 8 or newer, the 2020 iPad Air, the second-generation iPad Professional and some Macs. 

So, what are you able to do to share movies universally? Properly, you will have a couple of choices: 

• You possibly can flip off HDR video by going to Settings > Digital camera > Report video and turning the change subsequent to HDR Video to the Off place. Going ahead, all movies can be captured in customary dynamic vary, and you should have no points sharing or modifying it.
• Go away HDR Video turned on, however once you need to share the video, with Fb for instance, use the Pictures app as an alternative of going into the Fb app and importing it. While you use the Pictures app, your iPhone will mechanically convert the video to SDR and add it. While you ship the video to a different iPhone consumer, Apple will detect if their iPhone, iPad or Mac is appropriate with HDR Dolby Imaginative and prescient. If it isn’t, Apple will convert the video mechanically.
• When you go away HDR Video on and have to edit your video, you should use Apple’s iMovie app or the Pictures app that is constructed into your iPhone. You possibly can even use iMovie to export the video as SDR if wanted. 

13. Customise your house display screen with fancy wallpaper

One other house display screen tweak you must make includes your wallpaper or background. Apple has added some new wallpapers of its personal, with a reasonably cool twist. 

Open the Settings app in your iPhone and choose Wallpaper from the checklist. Ensure the change labeled “Darkish Look Dims Wallpaper,” which you may see beneath the 2 thumbnail previews of your wallpaper, is turned on. Now, faucet Select a brand new wallpaper and choose both Stills or Stay. See the circle close to the underside of every wallpaper? It is half black, half white. 

That circle signifies that the wallpaper has each gentle and darkish mode variations and can change mechanically primarily based on the system standing of your telephone. 

You may also set dwell wallpapers as your background should you’re not bought on darkish and lightweight mode.

14. Activate darkish mode to avoid wasting your battery

Talking of darkish mode, should you do not need to must repeatedly modify your display screen’s brightness, you should use your telephone’s devoted darkish mode. Darkish mode converts the entire white backgrounds in apps to, as a rule, a black background. In flip, your telephone is ready to save battery energy because of the darker colours. 

Flip it on by going to Settings > Show & Brightness and choosing the Darkish choice on the high of the display screen. 

Apple’s apps will mechanically change to a darkish shade scheme, and most third-party apps have additionally adopted the characteristic. 

15. Handle your notifications with Focus Mode

We get plenty of notifications day-after-day, however not all of them are related on a regular basis. With iOS 15, Apple launched a characteristic referred to as Focus Mode. Consider it as a customized Do Not Disturb characteristic that is tailor-made to particular circumstances. 

Focus Mode blocks much less related alerts, whereas permitting notifications from vital folks and apps to return by means of in order that you do not miss something. You possibly can arrange several types of Focus Modes for particular circumstances. 

Apple presently presents choices for Do Not Disturb, private, sleep, work, driving, health, gaming, mindfulness and studying, however you can too create your personal customized mode. You possibly can schedule Focus Modes in order that they activate mechanically when wanted, and show your standing in apps in order that others know you will have notifications silenced. 

To get began, open the Settings menu, faucet Focus and select one of many obtainable choices to arrange your notification preferences. Faucet the plus (+) image within the high proper nook so as to add a brand new Focus. 

16. Make your display screen textual content larger or smaller

With a few faucets in your iPhone’s display screen, you’ll be able to modify the font dimension to make it simpler to learn. Open Settings and go to Show & Brightness > Textual content Dimension the place you should use the slider till you are pleased with the font dimension. 

For just a little added oomph, you’ll be able to activate Daring Textual content (it is slightly below the Textual content Dimension button). 

17. Add an alternate look to Face ID

Apple’s facial recognition characteristic — Face ID — consistently learns completely different facets of your face with every scan. When you’re struggling to get Face ID to persistently acknowledge you, strive the Alternate Look choice. 

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > enter your PIN > Set Up An Alternate Look and undergo the method of enrolling your face once more. 

18. Disable auto brightness for longer battery cost

Your iPhone’s display screen brightness stage can have a huge impact on battery life. By default, iOS will mechanically modify the show’s brightness primarily based on how a lot gentle its ambient sensor detects. However if you wish to take full management, you’ll be able to disable auto-brightness, that means the brightness stage will keep the place you set it till you modify it once more. 

Open Settings > Accessibility > Show & Textual content Dimension and on the backside of the web page, you may discover a change to show off Auto-Brightness. 

Now, everytime you need to modify your display screen, you are able to do so by opening Management Heart with a swipe up from the underside of the display screen on a tool with a house button, or a swipe down from the top-right nook on newer iPhones. 

19. Triage your privateness settings

The primary time you arrange an iPhone with your entire apps, you are bombarded with prompts asking for permissions to entry private info starting from monitoring your location to your Apple Well being info or your digital camera roll. 

It’s miles too straightforward to get within the behavior of approving every thing simply so you should use the app, however take a couple of minutes and undergo your privateness settings to tailor what every app can and might’t see. We stroll you thru the entire privateness course of in two fast steps. 

20. Use Management Heart to entry apps with a swipe or faucet

The iPhone’s Management Heart is a handy spot to rapidly change songs, activate airplane mode, hook up with Wi-Fi or begin a timer, however there’s a lot extra to it than that. You possibly can rapidly flip your flashlight on, examine on a timer or begin recording your display screen with a fast swipe and faucet. 

Customise which apps and options can be found in Management Heart by opening Settings > Management Heart. Take away an choice with a faucet on the purple minus button or add an choice by choosing the inexperienced addition button. Drag options up or down utilizing the three-line icon on the precise aspect of the display screen. 

Personally, I like having fast entry to the Pockets app and toggles for low-power mode and darkish mode. 

As a reminder, if in case you have an iPhone with a house button, just like the iPhone SE, you’ll be able to swipe up from the underside of the display screen to open Management Heart. When you have an iPhone with Face ID, you may have to swipe down from the top-right nook of the display screen the place the battery icon is. 

21. Set up alerts with Notification Abstract

Apple needs that can assist you handle your notifications in iOS, beginning with the Notification Abstract characteristic. Somewhat than letting notifications pile up on your house display screen, you’ll be able to schedule alerts that are not pressing to reach in a bundle at a particular time of day. 

Essential notifications like calls, direct messages and different time-sensitive alerts (just like the standing of your Uber or Lyft journey, for instance) will nonetheless seem instantly.

To do that out, open Settings, press Notifications and faucet Scheduled Abstract. 

22. Change Siri’s voice

When you’ve just lately arrange a brand new iPhone, you’ll have observed that Siri now not defaults to a feminine voice. As an alternative, you may be requested which Siri voice you need to use, together with a number of newer choices. As soon as you have made your choice, Apple will change Siri’s voice throughout the entire units linked to your Apple ID.

You possibly can try the voice choices by going to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice. To study extra, try our full information to altering Siri’s sound. Apple additionally added a gender-neutral Siri voice choice for English audio system.

For extra, here is tips on how to arrange your new iPhone and tips on how to switch your knowledge out of your outdated iPhone. Plus, this iOS trick provides you extra iCloud storage at no cost.