The other day I was watching my mom type her passcode into her iPhone 6 and realized she didn’t need to be doing that! “We haven’t activated your finger print ID,” I exclaimed! She very mistrustfully allowed the smartphone to scan her thumb print every which way until entering her locked phone took a split second. Now she loves it.
It’s a feature she didn’t realize she had, but since she has it, she might as well use it, right? That’s the thing about these tiny computers we tote around in our purses. They were made by incredibly smart people laced with tons of smart potential. Sometimes we just need to take the time to learn to use them to their utmost potential. So here are some tips to make your smartphone even smarter!
First of all, let’s have a chat about updates. On my first “study date” with my now-husband, he installed all of the updates I had been ignoring on all of my devices. “Updates are like medicine for your technology,” he explained. So from then on, I’ve been diligent to install updates whenever I see them. It will keep things moving smoothly for you, allowing developers to tweak the way your phone runs as they go.
Have you installed parental controls on your iPhone? If you have a kid who occasionally grabs your phone to play games or take silly photos, it might not be a bad idea. I like these easy instructions for setting up restrictions.
AND if you have young kids, then learn how to keep them from taking tons of photos, deleting apps, and making in-app purchase. It’s a must for parents of littles!
Do you love arts and crafts time but hate the cleanup? Me too. That’s why I’ll opt for some of these fun arts apps on days when we need to keep the house tidy, but we’re feeling crafty!
Ever notice how the vibrations for different alerts tend to vary? A Tweet might feel different from a text or an email. If you haven’t noticed, then you should take control of it yourself so you really know the patterns. Go into your settings –> vibration –> create new vibration. This way you’ll always know exactly what you’re being alerted about without even looking at your phone!
Are you using your smartphone to keep yourself organized? You probably are. But here are twenty apps that will help you stay organized that maybe you hadn’t thought of before!
Did you know that you can teach Siri? The next time she (or he, depending on which voice you’ve chosen!) mispronounces something, just tell her, “That’s not how you pronounce [word], it is pronounced like this!” She’ll get better over time the more that you correct her.
Also, you do not need a fancy camera to take stunning photos these days. Many of our smartphones are capable of taking near-professional quality photos when used to their utmost potential.
Your iPhone can remind you to do things based on your location! For real, it’s called a Geofence. So when you drive by the grocery store for the fifth time this week, you won’t forget to buy dishwasher soap again! Here’s a great tutorial on how to set up a Geofence reminder.
The volume controls on your headphones can do a lot more than you think. For example, they can take a photo! Who needs a selfie stick? Just set your phone up, plug in your headphones and get a little more distance on that family selfie!
Your iPhone can be used as a level! So next time you’re hanging frames on the wall, open the Compass app (yes, you already have it,) and swipe to the left. You’re welcome.
You can easily create little shortcuts for yourself for things you commonly type into text messages or emails. So instead of, “I’m driving now but will text you back when I get there,” you could simply type “IDN” and the whole phrase will pop up for you!
I’m sure the list could go on for days with all of the intricacies built into these wonder-devices, but these 12 tips will surely make help you get your money’s worth out of your phone!
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