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15 tips and tricks for your new iPhone

Get the most out of it.

iPHONES ARE GREAT at doing basic things like making phone calls, sending text messages, and checking emails.

But did you know that they can do so much more to automate our lives and make tasks easier?

If you got a new iPhone for Christmas, here are some essential tips and tricks to get you started.

By the way, most of these tricks will also work on your new iPad too.

See also: 15 tips and tricks for your new Android phone>

Tips and tricks for iPhone
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  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    This tip will save some battery life when you're in a pinch. Start by going to settings, next head to general, and finally tap cellular. The second option is a toggle for "Enable LTE." When you need to save some battery and can spare internet speed, switch this option off.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    To lock your screen orientation, double tap the home button and swipe to the right. You'll see a gray circle opposite the rewind button. Tap that one time and a lock will appear. Now when you turn your phone sideways the orientation will stay put.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    This tip is handy if you ever fall asleep listening to music. After you've selected a song in the Music app, head to the the clock app. Select the timer option in the bottom right hand corner and set a specific time. Below the time, there is an option that says, "When Timer Ends ..." tap that. At the very bottom of the list is an option for "Stop Playing." Select this and when the timer is up it will stop the iPod from playing.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    This is a handy feature if you have a lot of Apple devices. You can make it so that apps and music automatically download on all your devices. Head to settings and navigate to the middle of the page. After that select the "Store" option. Once inside under "Automatic Downloads" switch on the options for Music, Apps, or both.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    If you're tired of the note app's marker font, you can quickly change it. Start by going to Settings, then navigate to Notes. In this menu you can easily switch between three fonts.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    In your email, if you want to get back to a draft quickly, touch and hold the Compose button to switch to your last saved draft.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    Add PDFs from Safari to your iBooks or other apps. From a Mail message or a web page, touch and hold the PDF icon or link, then select “Open in iBooks.”
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    Spotlight is a useful tool for finding stuff on your phone, but if you've set it to search your entire phone for every single item present then it can take some time. Have it only search items you care about by starting at Settings, then select General, and finally choose Spotlight search. You can select what your phone indexes and speed up the interface.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    Creating a custom vibration can let you know who is calling or texting you without having to look at the phone. You can make a vibration as long or short as you like. To do this one, head to Settings, then tap "Sounds" at the bottom of the page. You'll be able to select custom vibration or record your own.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    Make sure that your browsing stays private by turning this option on. Start in settings, next head to Safari, and in the middle of the page switch Private Browsing on.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    To enable Emoji first head to the settings app. Tap general, scroll down and tap keyboard, from there you'll see another option a bit down the page, and you'll see "Keyboards," tap that. From there you'll want to select, "Add new keyboard," once inside that menu you'll scroll down until you see "Emoji". Select Emoji. Leave out of settings by pressing the home button and head to a text, note, or new email message. Start typing and you'll see a globe icon in the bottom left corner tap that once to toggle between the alpha-numeric keyboard and the Emoji keyboard.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    Take advantage of iOS 6's 'Do Not Disturb' feature: Right inside the settings menu is one of Apple's latest iPhone features, "Do Not Disturb." You can switch this on at night or when you do not want to be bothered by your phone. Right below Do Not Disturb is an option for Notifications. The Notifications menu will allow you to tweak Do Not Disturb allowing it to turn off at a certain time or who you can receive calls from.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    In case you don't want to yell out your question to Siri and have her broadcast it back to you try this trick: Head to settings, next general, then Siri. The last option in the list will be "Raise to Speak." Switch that on and the next time you raise your phone to your ear Siri will activate.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    This tip comes straight from Apple: You probably know Siri can be used to set a reminder, like saying "Siri, remind me to call mom at 4pm today." But did you know you can set location-based reminders on your iPhone 4S? Say "Remind me to call mom when I leave here" or "Remind me to call mom when I get home" and you'll be notified accordingly.
  • Tips and tricks for iPhone

    View websites in full screen: This one's easy... while browsing a web site in Safari, turn your iPhone to the side (landscape) and tap the full-screen icon (arrows coming together in the bottom right) and you can view a website without distraction.

- Kevin Smith

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20 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David
    Favourite David
    Report
    Dec 27th 2012, 8:35 PM

    Who would still buy an iPhone? They’re like buses….there’ll be another one along soon but it’ll be roughly the same!

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute padraig
    Favourite padraig
    Report
    Dec 27th 2012, 9:26 PM

    Buying a good quality case is alpha and omega. A person will drop it a time or two. Grouping apps in folders is a good idea too.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Vanessa Curley
    Favourite Vanessa Curley
    Report
    Dec 28th 2012, 12:16 AM

    Turning off your message preview too is also one of the handiest things in the world! Nothing worse than talkin about someone or something awkward n u get a text with the message up on the screen lookin right at the person you were talkin about

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Nolan
    Favourite Alan Nolan
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    Dec 28th 2012, 2:29 AM

    How do you do that on iPhone 4?? Would be so handy!

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Vanessa Curley
    Favourite Vanessa Curley
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    Dec 28th 2012, 6:28 AM

    Settings-notifications-messages and then it says show preview, just turn that off and bobs your uncle!

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matt Donovan
    Favourite Matt Donovan
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    Dec 27th 2012, 6:44 PM

    Sync sync SINK!

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jenny Halley
    Favourite Jenny Halley
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    Dec 27th 2012, 6:36 PM

    How do u upload a bought ring tone on to ur I phone?

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Amy Larkin
    Favourite Amy Larkin
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    Dec 27th 2012, 6:44 PM

    It should b in your iTunes once you sync the phone the tone should b in your sounds,

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Darran Murray
    Favourite Darran Murray
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    Dec 27th 2012, 7:55 PM

    Check out audiko.net for ringtones, ya can search for any ringtone an download it to ur computer when u double click it after downloading it will add the tone to the ringtone section in iTunes then all u have to do is sync it to ur phone :-)

    14
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Marilyn Maroney
    Favourite Marilyn Maroney
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    Dec 27th 2012, 11:20 PM

    Whenever I need to do anything to my iPhone, I YouTube it, there are videos on how to do everything, really good too because I’m “visual” so actually seeing it makes it simple ..if I can do it anyone can, I’m severely electronically challenged

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Mac Gabhann
    Favourite Sean Mac Gabhann
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    Dec 28th 2012, 3:59 AM

    Tip for iphone users – move to android. :-)

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute neuromancer
    Favourite neuromancer
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    Dec 28th 2012, 1:17 PM
    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ken Dunleavy
    Favourite Ken Dunleavy
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    Dec 27th 2012, 7:33 PM

    For Jenny
    Download a ringtone maker and it will show you how to do it

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor O'Neill
    Favourite Conor O'Neill
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    Dec 27th 2012, 10:56 PM

    The Iwatch is on its way

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niamh Ní Fhoghlú
    Favourite Niamh Ní Fhoghlú
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    Dec 27th 2012, 9:37 PM

    Technically Ireland does not have LTE yet so you should turn it off… Although I checked there I’ve an iphone6 and I do not have that option

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gamma
    Favourite Gamma
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    Dec 27th 2012, 10:18 PM

    You also have a time machine if you got your hands on an iphone6!

    93
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute fizi_water
    Favourite fizi_water
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    Dec 27th 2012, 10:45 PM

    LTE toggle is not available on Irish networks as phone only shows this toggle if detects suitable LTE signal.
    There is no LTE here yet – so no button for switching this on and off :)

    18
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Marilyn Maroney
    Favourite Marilyn Maroney
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    Dec 27th 2012, 11:22 PM

    Hahaha

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kieran Colfer
    Favourite Kieran Colfer
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    Dec 28th 2012, 11:02 AM

    One of the things you’ll find yourself doing most on the iPhone is fighting with the battery life, as the phone will always start running out of juice just as you need it.
    - if you use wifi, turn it off when you go out, otherwise it’ll constantly be trying to make a connection
    - turn off cellular data except when you think you need it.
    - one good tip is that if you’re on wifi, you don’t need your 3G data turned on and vice versa, so 3G and wifi should be an either/or situation, if one is on the other should be off.
    - set your screen brightness down to about 80%, and about 10-20% if you’re reading in bed at night.
    - a lot of apps ask you to enable push notifications; unless you know you want them from that app, is best to say no. They all connect to the Internet every so often to check for updates, so having notifications turned on when you’re out & about can waste battery (and money, if you’re not on an unlimited data plan).

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Uwa Noghan
    Favourite Uwa Noghan
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    Dec 29th 2012, 7:26 PM

    http://www.firstcrowdspring.com says that is quirky and pretty smart

    1
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