Section 4: Utilizing Your iPhone's Basic Tools

Customization Options

Set a Ringtone & Text Tone

Having the same ringtone and text tone as your friends can get frustrating. Sometimes you're sure you just received a text, only to find that it was actually the person next to you who received a text, and you took your phone out for no reason. If you want a way to distinguish your iPhone a little more, then changing your ringtone and text tone is a good place to start. Plus, it just makes it much more personalized! To change your ringtone and text tone:

Go to Settings.
Select Sounds & Haptics.
Under Sounds and Vibration Patterns, you'll see a variety of sounds options—you can even change the sound you hear when you receive a new voicemail or email.
Go to Ringtone to change your ringtone and Text Tone to change your text tone.
From either of these sections, you tap on a tone to hear it play and to set it as your new tone.
You can also scroll up and choose to buy a new tone from the Tone Store if you don't like any of the tones listed.

Change Your Wallpaper

Another fun way to personalize your device is to change your wallpaper (the image that appears on your Lock screen and behind your apps on your Home screen).

To change your wallpaper, go to:

Open the Settings app and select choose Wallpaper.
Add New Wallpaper.

You can choose one of Apple's images from Dynamic, Stills, and Live, or you can choose a photo from one of your photo albums. Once you've selected a photo that you like, you can adjust the image by zooming in on it or move the image around by long pressing on it and then dragging it where you want it to be. If it's a Live Photo, you also have the option to select Still or Live Photo (if you select Live Photo, then your Lock screen comes to life whenever you press on it). Once you're satisfied, tap Set or Add. You'll then be given the option to Set Lock Screen, Set Home Screen, or Set Both.

iOS 16 introduced a whole new way to create Wallpapers using existing themes including Dynamic and Still images, your own photos or photo collections, and more! Plus, you can now have many different Wallpapers, connect Focus modes to them, add Widgets, and switch between them to turn Focus modes on and off. You can learn more about this in our iOS 16 Guide.

Understanding Control Center

Going through the Settings app every time you need to make an adjustment to your screen's brightness or turn your Bluetooth on is just inconvenient. That's why we love Apple's Control Center. Control Center provides quick access to standard tools—e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Airplane mode—as well as shortcuts for features you use the most. But first, let's go over Control Center's core functions:

Standard Controls

Airplane Mode

When you turn on Airplane Mode, all connectivity is cut off. That means you won't be using any mobile data—no texts, calls, or internet use allowed in this mode (unless you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, in which case you can use certain features).

Mobile Data

When you tap this icon, you disable your device's cellular data connection. This is useful if you are traveling and don't want to accidentally use too much data.

Wi-Fi

When you tap the Wi-Fi icon, you temporarily disconnect from your Wi-Fi net- work. This is useful if your Wi-Fi connection is acting up and you need to temporarily use your cellular data. If you want to connect to a Wi-Fi network for the first time, you will need to go to settings first, though.

To connect to a Wi-Fi network:

Go to Settings and select Wi-Fi.
Under Choose a Network, select the network you want to connect to.

If there is a lock icon next to the Wi-Fi name, that means you will need a password. If not, you will be able to connect to the network right away. Once you've connected to a Wi-Fi network, your iPhone will automatically connect to it in the future. You can choose to completely forget a network by tapping the network name and then selecting Forget This Network.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth allows you to connect your iPhone to Bluetooth-compatible devices. If you have a set of wireless headphones, an Apple Pencil, or another device, then Bluetooth allows it to function with your iPhone. The very first time you connect a device to your iPhone using Bluetooth, you'll need to do so from Settings. But once that's done, you can use Control Center to quickly connect to your devices in the future.

To pair an accessory with your iPhone for the first time using Bluetooth you must first make sure that your accessory is charged and in pairing mode (there's usually a button that turns pairing mode on). You should also make sure that the device is within 33 feet of your iPhone.

Go to Settings and tap Bluetooth.
Under Other Devices, the name of the device to which you are trying to 4 connect should pop up. Select it.

Now your device will be listed under My Devices!

From Control Center, you can now easily turn Bluetooth on/off by tapping the Bluetooth icon. When you long press the pairing icon in the Now Playing section and then tap the icon that looks like a bullseye and an arrow, you'll see a list of Bluetooth accessories that you can pair to as well (just make sure your device is turned on when you try to find it here).

Now Playing

You'll also see the Now Playing card in Control Center. This allows you to easily skip or pause songs without having to open your music app. If you long press the Now Playing section, you'll see more options. You can adjust volume, jump to another point in the song, or tap on the song itself to open it within the app it's playing from.

Orientation Lock

When you tap this icon, you turn on/off Orientation Lock. When Orientation Lock is on, that means your iPhone stays in Portrait mode, even when you turn your phone sideways. When Orientation Lock is off, then you can watch videos in Landscape mode by turning your phone sideways.

Focus

Tap the moon icon to enable/disable Focus mode. When a Focus is enabled, then all calls, texts, and notifications will still come through, but you won't hear them or see them on your screen. This is super convenient when you're trying to get some sleep or just need a break from your phone, and you don't want your screen lighting up and tempting you with notifications.

Screen Mirroring

Want to share a funny video you have on your phone on the big screen of your Apple TV? That's where this feature comes in. It's much more effective than having a group try to crowd around your tiny iPhone screen. When you tap screen Mirroring from Control Center, you should see any devices listed that this feature can work with. Just tap the device from the list that you want to mirror your iPhone screen to.

Brightness

When you slide your finger up or down the Brightness box, then you can (surprise!) adjust your screen's brightness. Swipe up to make your screen brighter and down to make it dimmer. When you press and hold the Brightness slider, then you'll see other options too: Dark Mode, Night Shift, and True Tone. Dark Mode darkens the primary colors of your iPhone interface and many apps, switching from black text on white

to white text on black to make it easier on the eyes. Blue light before bed can make it more difficult to fall asleep, so in the evening, Night Shift mode slowly fades your iPhone's display colors to reduce the blue from the screen. True Tone adjusts brightness, contrast, and color balance on the screen to match your environment, so your iPhone is easier on the eyes regardless if you're viewing it in direct sunlight or in a shaded room.

Volume

There's also a box for adjusting the volume of media playback. Swipe up on the slider to bring the volume up and down to bring the volume down.

Quick Notes

Quick Notes has been a really useful feature on iPad for some time. But now that the feature has come to the iPhone as well, the feature has really become even better. While accessing your Quick Notes on the iPad and the iPhone are slightly different, there is a universal way to get to Quick Notes on all your devices.

And that's how to use Quick Notes and easily access them on your iPhone! I love how convenient Quick Notes is and I often find myself jotting down things I would normally forget because it's just so quick and handy at the moment.

Customizing Control Center

One of the best parts of the Control Center is the ability to add shortcuts to the tools you use the most!

To customize Control Center:

Go to Settings then tap Control Center.
You'll see a list of all the controls that you can add to the Control Center (we recommend adding controls such as Flashlight, Low Power Mode, Wallet, and Calculator).
Tap the plus icon next to the controls you want to add, and then you'll see them move under Include.

Now when you open Control Center, you'll see all the controls you've added. Note: Many of these controls reveal more options if you press and hold on their icon. For example, you can adjust the brightness of your flashlight or quickly scan a document with Notes. So try a few of them out and see what options you discover!

Charging & Monitoring Your iPhone's Battery

Charging Your Device

Charging your iPhone is simple: All you have to do is connect your iPhone to a power outlet using the Lightning cable that was included with your device. What you may not have realized, however, is that if you have the iPhone 8 or the iPhone X or later, that you can also charge your device wirelessly with the help of a Qi-certified wireless charger. Once your iPhone is completely charged, the battery icon will turn completely green and have "100% Charged" shown beneath it.

Turn on Low Power Mode

If your battery is draining and you have no way of recharging it, then there's a solution. Aside from turning your phone completely off, there's no way to stop your battery from draining—but you can slow the drain down significantly. This is useful if you are outdoors and need your phone to have power in case of an emergency.

To enable Low Power Mode:

You can simply ask Siri to "enable Low Power Mode.”
You can do it manually by going to Settings, then select Battery.
Toggle on Low Power Mode.
You can also do this from the Control center if you have added the option.

View Battery Health & Battery Usage

Over time, your battery's health may diminish, and you will notice that it doesn't maintain a charge the way it once did. To check the health of your iPhone's battery:

Go to Settings and tap on Battery.
Select Battery Health.

Here, you will see your battery's maximum capacity. From the Settings > Battery screen, you can also view Battery Level, Activity, and a list of the apps that use most of your battery power.