Posts for Category: iPhone Basics
Basics: How to Save Pictures From the Web on the iPhone (and iPad)
If you see a picture you like while browsing the Internet on your iPhone, you can easily save those photos to your iPhone’s Camera Roll. Here’s how. While using the iPhone’s web browser, you can save a photo simply by …
AppleCare+ Is Apple’s Insurance for the iPhone That Covers Accidental Damage. But Is It Worth It?
A lot of people are interested in insuring their iPhone for accidental damage. Until last year, only third-party companies offered insurance for the iPhone. But in 2011, Apple stepped up to the plate and now offers AppleCare+ for iPhone. In …
Basics: The iPhone’s Screen Brightness Settings, Explained
By default, the iPhone’s Auto-Brightness feature controls the brightness of your iPhone’s screen and will dim or brighten the screen depending on ambient light levels. A sensor behind the iPhone’s screen measures ambient light and dims the screen in dark …
Basics: What Does the iPhone Ringer Switch Mute (And Not Mute)?
The iPhone’s ringer switch seems like it should be a simple thing. You move the iPhone’s ringer switch to the “mute” position, and all sound is muted, right? Wrong. Just ask the gentleman who infamously brought the New York Philharmonic …
Basics: How to Set Up Wireless Wi-Fi Syncing for iPhone and iPad
Ready to never plug your iPhone into your computer again to sync? Here’s how. You’ll need an iPhone/iPad running iOS 5 or newer and iTunes 10.5 or newer. 1. For one last time, plug your iPhone into iTunes: 2. Click …
How to Prevent Text Messages and Notifications From Appearing on the iPhone’s Lock Screen
Text messages and other notifications appearing on the iPhone’s lock screen could cause privacy problems for some. Such alerts automatically wake up the iPhone’s screen and display the messages for anyone walking by to see. However, there is a way …
Basics: How to Make a FaceTime Call on the iPhone
FaceTime is Apple’s video chat service that is built into the iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iPod touch 4th gen devices as well as now being available on Macs. But to use FaceTime requires a few conditions. To start off, if this is your first time using FaceTime on the iPhone, you must make sure …
Basics: How to Use the iPhone Camera’s Zoom
The iPhone’s camera comes with the ability to digitally zoom, but the controls aren’t immediately visible. Here’s how to make them appear: How to Bring Up the iPhone’s Zoom Controls 1. Open the Camera App: 2. Make sure the camera is set to take photos (and not record video): 3. Tap anywhere on the screen …
Basics: How to Turn On Find My iPhone
Find My iPhone is now a free feature for anyone with an iPhone 4 or newer, and it’s something you’ll want to have turned on, as it can come in extremely handy—not only does Find My iPhone show the location of your iPhone should it be lost or stolen, it can remotely lock the iPhone, …
How to Search for Text Within a Web Page on the iPhone & iPad
The ability to search for a specific bit of text within a web page has long been a sorely missing feature on the iPhone and iPad. Thankfully, Apple added the feature in the iOS 4.2 update. Too bad the iOS browser gives no indication on how to use the feature. But we’ve got you covered: …
iPhone Basics: How to Turn On Call Forwarding
The iPhone makes it a snap to activate call forwarding. You simply activate it in the iPhone’s Settings. Just follow these instructions (note that the time you talk on a forwarded call will count against your iPhone’s minutes, even if it’s on another phone): 1. Open Settings: 2. Scroll down and tap Phone: 3. Tap …
iPhone Basics: How to Create a Playlist on the iPhone
iOS 4 brought with it a new way to make playlists on the iPhone, replacing the clunky “On the Go” playlists from the previous version of the iPhone software. Now, playlists can be created, named, edited, and synched back to …
Basics: How to Change the iPhone’s Default From: Email Address
Is the wrong email address showing up in the iPhone’s From: field by default? Here’s how to change it. Note that the default email address only works for new emails created in the “All Inboxes” view and in emails created …
Basics: How to Activate FaceTime on the iPhone
If you’re trying to use the FaceTime feature on your new iPhone 4 and find that there are no on-screen buttons to tap or any way to access it, it’s likely not available because you restored your new iPhone 4 …
Basics: How to Give an iPhone Contact Their Own Specific Ringtone
The iPhone comes with a default ringtone that plays anytime a call comes in. You may know you can easily change that ringtone in the iPhone’s settings, but did you know you can also give each person in your iPhone …
Basics: How To Order iPhone Contacts By First or Last Name
The iPhone lists your contacts alphabetically, but did you know you can change whether it sorts by first or last name? To change the way the iPhone sorts your contacts, just follow these steps: 1. Tap Settings: 2. Tap Mail, …
iPhone Basics: How to Show Battery Percentage on the Home Screen
If you’re looking for a little more precision in just how much juice is left in your iPhone battery, the iPhone has a way to display battery life as a percentage next to the battery icon. To turn on this …
iPhone Basics: How to Transfer Videos to the iPhone
The iPhone’s bright and detailed screen is perfect for watching movies and TV shows while on the go. Videos purchased in iTunes are relatively easy to transfer to the iPhone. Videos from other, non-iTunes sources are a different matter (see …
iPhone Basics: How to Attach Multiple Photos to an Email
To send multiple photos on the iPhone, you need to start in the iPhone’s Photo app, not in the Mail app like you’d assume. Below are step-by-step instructions for attaching multiple photos to an email. 1. Launch the Photo App: …
How to Make an Em Dash and Ellipsis With the iPhone Keyboard
The iPhone’s keyboard has a few extra characters that only become visible if you press and hold down keys. Two frequently used characters you might find useful to know about are the em dash (–) and the ellipsis (…). Em …