Oct 26, 2022
Get the Most From Your iPhone
Reading time: 8 minutes
You love your smartphone and, specifically your iPhone, but sometimes you’re unsure how smart it really is. Can’t it be easier to do things like increase the size of the text and install updates? It would be nice if doing these things was a bit more intuitive or user-friendly, but, as they’re not, PureTalk is here to help. In this post we offer tips and tricks for iPhone users.
How to charge your battery faster
Isn’t it always at the most inconvenient times that you discover you’re just about out of battery? Well you can charge it faster if you first put it in Airplane Mode. Because Airplane Mode turns off lots of features of your phone – like cellular and Wi-Fi – there’s much less for the battery to do so it charges faster. When you’re all charged up, just turn Airplane Mode off.
To turn “Airplane Mode” on, open Settings, then toggle “Airplane Mode” to the “on” position.
How to increase the font size
Make reading text messages easier by doing the following:
Under Settings, choose “Accessibility.” Look for and click on the words “Display & Text Size.” On the next screen, you have the option to turn on “Bold Text” and “Larger Text,” among others. Click on “Larger Text” and you can turn on what are called “Larger Accessibility Sizes.” The larger text won’t work on every app, but it will function on many, and that will make reading on your phone easier.
If you’d like to darken the text, which is called bold, turn on “Bold Text.” Again, the text won’t be bolded on every app, but it will be on many of them.
How to install updates on your phone
Open Settings, then click on “General” and then “Software Update” and turn “Automatic Updates” to the “on” position. On the next screen, turn on “Download iOS Updates” and “Install iOS Updates.” Now software updates will be made automatically after they have been downloaded. iPhone sends you a notification before updates are installed. All you need to do is make sure your iPhone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi to complete the update.
How to turn your phone into a hot spot
A hot spot enables you to work on your laptop when you’re away from home or in a place where there’s no public Wi-Fi. Using your phone in this manner allows you to remain productive and connected.
On an iPhone: Open Settings, then tap “Personal Hotspot,” then “Allow Others to Join.”
Once your hotspot is on, return to your laptop or other device and go into your Wi-Fi menu. Your phone should be there as an option. Select it and provide the password your phone gave you.
How to take photos with the volume feature
This tip and the next are the kinds of tricks you can use to impress your kids or grandkids or even your spouse so, honestly? They’re worth knowing!
Ready? You don’t need to take photos by tapping the little button. Nope. You can simply press the volume “up” or “down” feature on the side of the phone. All you need to do is open the camera app, aim, and click the volume button up or down and ta da! Your phone snaps a photo.
How to get Siri to take photos
Sir does more than answer questions. She can make taking photos faster, a crucial skill if you’re trying to capture your kids or grandkids doing something super cute!
Here’s how:
Activate Siri by holding down the “home” or “side” button. Now ask Siri to take a photo. In a second, the camera app is open and all you need to do is tap the button.
You can also ask Siri to take a square or panoramic photo (you can say “picture” too), a video, a time-lapse video, or even a selfie.
When you like the image you see, tap the camera button!
Note: This works on all iPhone models, but the selfie feature requires iOS 10 and up.
How to “shake off” unwanted text
You’re typing a text or a note and decide you it doesn’t read properly so you want to get rid of it. Forget the back button. Enable this trick and all you’ll need to do is shake your phone.
Open Settings and tap “Accessibility.” Tap “Touch” and then “Shake to Undo” and toggle it “on.”
Now, when you’ve typed something you’d like to delete, simply shake your phone and when the pop-up window pops up, tap Undo.
How to get your battery to last longer
Over time, the battery in your phone won’t last as long as it once did. But there are things you can do to extend its life. Here are a few:
If you have animated or live wallpaper on your phone, delete it. It’s fun and it looks nice, but it drains the battery.
Certain apps, like Uber and Grubhub, track your location. If they’re tracking it all the time, it will drain your battery. On your iPhone, open an app like Google Maps or Uber or Grubhub, etc., and make sure that the “Location” setting is switched to “While Using.”
If your screen is very bright, which you might have needed it to be prior to enlarging your font size, it will drain your battery. To dim it, under Settings click on “Display & Brightness,” then use the slider to adjust the brightness down a notch. These directions apply to iPhones and Androids alike.
Turn Bluetooth off. Using Bluetooth to transmit data requires an enormous amount of battery power. Enable it when necessary, and shut it off when you don’t need it.
On an iPhone, go to Settings and click on “Bluetooth.” Move the slider to the left to turn it off.
Adjust email retrieval
That the more frequently your device looks for new data, the more it drains your battery. To adjust the frequency, on your iPhone open Settings, then click on “Mail” and then “Accounts.” On the “Accounts” screen, click “Fetch New Data” and then how often your phone should check for email. The longer you go between checks, the better for the life of your battery.
Don’t worry – even though you’ve adjusted the frequency with which your phone will check for email, you can still check your email manually by opening up Gmail, etc.
How to know when it’s time for a new phone
Most people upgrade every one to two years, but you really can go three years or more. If you’re considering getting a new phone, here are a few reasons to take the plunge:
- To get the latest updates. If your current phone has reached the point where it simply can’t support them, it’s time for an upgrade.
- If despite all your best efforts and trying all the suggestions provided above for saving your phone’s battery your phone holds a charge for only a half day or less, it’s time for a new phone.
- And if, even though you made the font size larger and maybe even bolder you’re still having trouble reading what’s on the screen, it’s time for a bigger screen. One that’s attached to a new phone.
Now that you’re the smartest iPhone user you know, make another smart move:
Switch to PureTalk!
We’ve got budget-friendly family plans and plans for seniors, plus great coverage at half the cost of those pricey wireless companies.
At PureTalk we’re proud to offer you phone plans starting as low as $25 a month for unlimited talk and text and 2GB of data, and tablet plans starting at just $10 a month with 2GB of data. Beyond that, PureTalk is on America’s most reliable 5G network – which delivers the best cell coverage of any network before it – but at half the cost of those overpriced wireless companies. And our customers reap the savings. In fact, families of four who switch to PureTalk save $75 a month for an average of $900 a year. Plus, you can keep your phone and your phone number if you like.
More about PureTalk’s phone plans: They’re all flexible, flexible, flexible. If you need more data one month, you can simply go into your account portal and add more. When next month rolls around, if you need less data, you can go right back into your portal and reduce it. Simply log on to PureTalk.com, click on My Account, and select Manage My Data. Make your changes, save them, and log out. It’s that simple.
Why choose PureTalk?
When you choose PureTalk, you’re choosing to support a company whose values align with your own. You’re choosing to support a company whose CEO is a U.S. veteran and a company that supports our military. You’re also choosing to support American jobs: 100% of our customer service is based right here in the United States.
Even more importantly, PureTalk offers a risk-free, thirty-day money back guarantee. That means you have absolutely nothing to lose. Sign up and give us a try for one month. We know you’ll love us – our coverage, our service, our flexibility! But if you don’t, simply cancel your service within thirty-days and we’ll return your money without any hassles or penalties. Plus, with PureTalk, you can bring your phone and keep your phone number or choose from our large selection of the latest iPhones and Androids.
More reasons to love PureTalk
PureTalk requires no contracts, no long-distance fees, no roaming fees, no additional handset fees, and no prepaid cards. All PureTalk phone plans include Unlimited Talk & Text with high-speed data with speeds up to 5G. All plans include voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, conferencing, call waiting, and everything else you would expect from your carrier. There are no gimmicks with PureTalk. It’s just Simply. Smarter. Wireless.
What our customers are saying:
Happy I Switched to PureTalk
“It was very easy to switch from AT&T to PureTalk. Everyone that I spoke to on the phone was polite and very helpful. I gave my old phone to my sister and encouraged her to also switch to PureTalk, which she did. She is also happy that she switched.” Claudean H., AL
Great customer service
“Your people are courteous, knowledgeable, efficient, and friendly. They fix my issues, port my numbers, and always sound happy to help. They speak American English and they are clear and easy to understand. Thank you all and don’t change.” Robert Z., FL
Great Experience
“It was very efficient to contact and set up the service with PureTalk. The website is easy to navigate, so one can both stay informed and keep their account information up to date. The price is much better than the larger carriers (I had T-Mobile for almost 20 years) and the voice and data services are at least as good as any others. Looking forward to many great years of excellent service.” Michael S., PA
Don’t wait a moment more. Start saving with PureTalk today!
Posted 1 year ago