You could be new to iOS and even be an iPhone veteran, however both approach, there’s at all times a brand new setting to find that fully modifications how you utilize your Apple gadget.
Perhaps you are burning by battery and want to preserve vitality, otherwise 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 cellphone troubles are at your disposal — you simply have to know the place to search for them.
You are certain to seek out some cool customization choices — some that you already know and others that you just might need by no means heard of — in your settings. Wish to declutter your property 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 to optimize your cellphone’s efficiency.
And in order for you to try some hidden iOS options, try the best way to unlock your iPhone’s hidden trackpad and one of the best hidden options on iOS 16. Additionally, in the event you’re trying to improve to the most recent cellphone, try the finest offers on the iPhone 14 proper now. There are additionally hidden options on iOS 17 (at present in public beta) which it is best to try.
Take a Nearer Take a look at the iOS Settings You Ought to Change Proper Now
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1. Cease apps from monitoring your actual location
Apps like Doordash, Postmates, Google Maps and Waze all require your actual location to ship meals to the best location or instantly you. However that does not imply each software in your iPhone must know exactly the place you might be at each second. That is why you’ve the power to stop an app from monitoring your actual location.
Within the Settings app, select an software (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 just a few miles.
Learn extra: Why You Could Wish to Revoke Exact Location Permissions From Instagram
Do not toggle this characteristic off for apps that require actual location, like meals supply and navigation companies.
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, allow low energy mode, run a shortcut that may robotically play music once you arrive on the fitness center. Nevertheless, the choice is hidden deep in your settings — here is the best way to discover it.
Within the Settings app, go to Accessibility > Contact > Again Faucet and select one in every of two choices: double or triple faucet. You need to see an inventory of actions you possibly can 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 an motion or shortcut to allow it with Again Faucet.
Faucet on the again of your cellphone to do every kind of fancy methods.
3. Convey again full-screen incoming name alerts
In case your iPhone is unlocked and also you obtain a cellphone name, a banner-style notification will seem on the high of your display screen, with a photograph and identify of the particular person 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 total 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 lets you nonetheless use your cellphone whereas receiving a name.
Nevertheless, if for any cause you are not an enormous 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.
This incoming name alert is not superb for everybody.
4. Flip off 5G protection you don’t need or have
Apple touts a Sensible Information characteristic that is particular to its 5G telephones that may robotically swap between 4G LTE and 5G networks based mostly on the way you’re utilizing your gadget. Nevertheless, chances are you’ll discover that your iPhone’s battery drains sooner than it did earlier than. In case you do not need to sacrifice battery life for sooner 5G speeds, shut it down. You may 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, forcing it to at all times use 4G LTE (even you probably have 5G protection), open the Settings app, then go to Mobile > Major > Voice & Information and faucet LTE. Alternatively, in order for you your iPhone to solely use a 5G connection when obtainable, you possibly can choose 5G On.
5G is good, you probably have entry, but it surely may also be a battery hog.
Learn extra: AirPods 3 vs. AirPods Professional: Evaluating Apple’s Newest Earbuds
5. Fantastic-tune how a lot information is utilized by a 5G connection
In case you’re joyful together with your 5G efficiency, here is a network-related setting it is best to try. Go to Settings > Major > Information Mode, the place you will discover three totally different choices: Enable Extra Information on 5G, Normal and Low Information Mode.
Although there are temporary descriptions beneath the three totally different settings, they do not paint an entire image for the primary choice. In keeping with an Apple assist doc, permitting extra information on 5G offers you high-quality video and FaceTime calls. It additionally permits your cellphone 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 information plan, so it is a good suggestion to verify your iPhone and ensure it is appropriately set to your choice.
6. Cease apps from cluttering up your property display screen
The App Library is a spot the place you possibly can rapidly discover and entry your entire purposes. And whereas apps are housed right here, all newly downloaded apps additionally seem on your property display screen. This is probably not an issue in the event you obtain apps sparingly, however in the event you’re putting in new apps on a constant foundation, they will rapidly muddle up your property display screen.
To cease downloaded apps from showing on your property display screen, go to Settings > Residence Display & App Library and choose App Library Solely. If you wish to discover the app, you will need to swipe left on your property display screen till you attain the App Library.
This setting will forestall your property display screen from getting too messy.
7. Unlock your cellphone whereas carrying a face masks
In case you nonetheless put on a masks out in public, unlock your iPhone with Apple’s Face ID know-how could be irritating. As a result of half of your face is roofed, Face ID simply does not work. And whereas getting into your passcode to unlock your cellphone works, it is not 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 carrying a face masks. Earlier than the replace, you possibly 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 possibly can activate the characteristic for any watches linked to your iPhone.
You probably have an iPhone operating iOS 15.4 or later, you possibly can unlock your iPhone whereas carrying a masks with out an Apple Watch. Go to the Settings app and open Face ID & Passcode. From there, you possibly can toggle on the Face ID With a Masks choice. It is fairly superior.
You may unlock your iPhone together with your Apple Watch if Face ID is not working.
8. Put the deal with bar in Safari again on high
The deal with 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 would possibly 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 deal with bar again on the high of the display screen, go to Settings, faucet Safari and select the Single Tab choice below the Tabs subheading.
9. Add options that can be utilized when your iPhone is locked
There are occasions once you would possibly need to have sure data useful even when your cellphone is locked. That is why Apple lets you allow some options with out having to unlock your gadget, such because the notification heart, Management Middle, the power to answer to messages and the Pockets app.
To customise the options you’d prefer 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 Enable Entry When Locked part, and toggle the sliders based mostly in your preferences.
You may resolve which options you need to entry when your cellphone is locked.
10. Make your favourite e-mail app or net browser your default
It was a very long time coming, however 2020’s iOS 14 replace lastly introduced the power to decide on your personal default apps — at the least for e-mail and net looking. That implies that once you faucet a hyperlink or an e-mail ship button, your iPhone will robotically launch the net 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 prefer to set as a default (akin to Google Chrome or Outlook). You need 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 a substitute of Safari or Mail.
You not have to make use of Safari or Mail as default apps.
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 will discover that you may’t see the content material of recent alerts and notifications on the lock display screen. For instance, as a substitute of seeing who despatched you a textual content message and what it says, you will 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 decide up your cellphone 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 just a few complaints from readers and members of the family alike).
You may change how notifications seem in your lock display screen by going to Settings > Notifications > Present Previews and deciding on All the time. Conversely, you possibly can choose By no means if you wish to maintain 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
The iPhone can report excessive dynamic vary (HDR) video with Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Which means your movies are usually brighter, with extra correct colours and improved distinction. Which may be superb for some, but when you don’t need movies which can be robotically adjusted, since you need to do it by yourself, there’s a approach to disable the characteristic.
You may flip off HDR video by going to Settings > Digital camera > Report Video and turning the swap subsequent to HDR Video to the Off place. Going ahead, all movies will likely be captured in normal dynamic vary.
HDR video appears to be like nice, but it surely does not work in all places but.
13. Customise your property display screen with fancy wallpaper
One other residence display screen tweak it is best to make includes your wallpaper or background. Apple has added some new wallpapers of its personal, with a fairly cool twist.
Open the Settings app in your iPhone and choose Wallpaper from the checklist. Make certain the swap labeled “Darkish Look Dims Wallpaper,” which you will see beneath the 2 thumbnail previews of your wallpaper, is turned on. Now, faucet Select a brand new wallpaper and choose both Stills or Reside. See the circle close to the underside of every wallpaper? It is half black, half white.
That circle implies that the wallpaper has each mild and darkish mode variations and can change robotically based mostly on the system standing of your cellphone.
You too can set stay wallpapers as your background in the event you’re not offered on darkish and lightweight mode.
On an iPhone with 3D Contact, you need to use a third-party app to play longer-duration “Reside” pictures in your lock display screen.
14. Activate darkish mode to save lots of your battery
Talking of darkish mode, in the event you do not need to need to repeatedly regulate your display screen’s brightness, you need to use your cellphone’s devoted darkish mode. Darkish mode converts all the white backgrounds in apps to, as a rule, a black background. In flip, your cellphone is ready to save battery energy due to the darker colours.
Flip it on by going to Settings > Show & Brightness and deciding on the Darkish choice on the high of the display screen. You too can simply swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone and faucet the Darkish mode icon within the Management Middle.
Apple’s apps will robotically swap to a darkish coloration scheme, and most third-party apps have additionally adopted the characteristic.
Darkish Mode on the iPhone certain appears to be like good.
15. Handle your notifications with Focus Mode
We get numerous 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 individuals and apps to come back by in order that you do not miss something. You may arrange several types of Focus Modes for particular circumstances.
Apple at present presents choices for Do Not Disturb, private, sleep, work, driving, health, gaming, mindfulness and studying, however you may as well create your personal customized mode. You may schedule Focus Modes in order that they activate robotically when wanted, and show your standing in apps in order that others know you’ve 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 possibly can regulate the font dimension to make it simpler to learn. Open Settings and go to Show & Brightness > Textual content Measurement the place you need to use the slider till you are proud of the font dimension. For just a little added oomph, you possibly can activate Daring Textual content (it is slightly below the Textual content Measurement button).
17. Add an alternate look to Face ID
Apple’s facial recognition characteristic — Face ID — continually learns totally different points of your face with every scan. In case you’re struggling to get Face ID to constantly acknowledge you, attempt 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.
Face ID does not at all times get it proper.
18. Disable auto brightness for longer battery cost
Your iPhone’s display screen brightness stage can have a big effect on battery life. By default, iOS will robotically regulate the show’s brightness based mostly on how a lot mild its ambient sensor detects. However if you wish to take full management, you possibly can disable auto-brightness, that means the brightness stage will keep the place you set it till you regulate it once more.
Open Settings > Accessibility > Show & Textual content Measurement and on the backside of the web page, you will discover a swap to show off Auto-Brightness.
Now, everytime you need to regulate your display screen, you are able to do so by opening Management Middle 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.
Maintain your display screen dim to save lots of battery life.
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 the whole lot simply so you need to use the app, however take a couple of minutes and undergo your privateness settings to tailor what every app can and may’t see. We stroll you thru the entire privateness course of in two fast steps.
Apple has put all of its privateness controls in a single place.
20. Use Management Middle to entry apps with a swipe or faucet
The iPhone’s Management Middle is a handy spot to rapidly change songs, activate airplane mode, connect with Wi-Fi or begin a timer, however there’s a lot extra to it than that. You may rapidly flip your flashlight on, verify 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 Middle by opening Settings > Management Middle. Take away an choice with a faucet on the purple minus button or add an choice by deciding on the inexperienced addition button. Drag options up or down utilizing the three-line icon on the best 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, you probably have an iPhone with a house button, just like the iPhone SE, you possibly can swipe up from the underside of the display screen to open Management Middle. You probably have an iPhone with Face ID, you will have to swipe down from the top-right nook of the display screen the place the battery icon is.
Management Middle has numerous potential; you simply have to customise it.
21. Set up alerts with Notification Abstract
Apple desires that can assist you handle your notifications in iOS, beginning with the Notification Abstract characteristic. Reasonably than letting notifications pile up on your property display screen, you possibly can schedule alerts that are not pressing to reach in a bundle at a particular time of day.
Necessary notifications like calls, direct messages and different time-sensitive alerts (just like the standing of your Uber or Lyft trip, for instance) will nonetheless seem instantly.
To do that out, open Settings, press Notifications and faucet Scheduled Abstract.
22. Change Siri’s voice
In case you’ve not too long ago arrange a brand new iPhone, you could have seen that Siri not defaults to a feminine voice. As a substitute, you will 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 all the units linked to your Apple ID.
You may try the voice choices by going to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice. To be taught extra, try our full information to altering Siri’s sound. Apple additionally added a gender-neutral Siri voice choice for English audio system.
Irrespective of what number of settings you toggle on and off, battery life will at all times be a difficulty, particularly in the event you’re touring and do not at all times have entry to your quick charger. In case you’re continually on the go and want some juice, it is best to think about getting this reasonably priced and slim MagSafe charger that may cost your iPhone from zero to 50% in simply half-hour.
For extra, here is the best way to arrange your new iPhone and the best way to switch your information out of your previous iPhone. Plus, this iOS trick offers you extra iCloud storage free of charge.
