When you get your first iPhone, you’ll probably be a little overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that every model comes with its own set of features and functionality. But don’t worry: This guide has everything you need to know about setting up your new iPhone, connecting it to Wi-Fi and cellular networks, checking data usage, managing content on your phone, protecting your information and privacy—plus much more!
Table of Contents
What’s the best iPhone for me?
The best iPhone for you is the one that fits your budget and lifestyle. If you’re looking to save some money, you can get an older model with a smaller screen and less storage space. If you don’t mind spending more, there are plenty of newer iPhones with better camera quality and faster processors. Here are the most popular options:
- iPhone XR: This is Apple’s most affordable option in terms of upfront cost (starting at $749), but it also has better battery life than other models. The main drawback is its lower resolution display compared to the XS or XS Max ($899-$1,099).
- iPhone XS: This model has a larger 5.8-inch OLED display than previous iPhones ($999-$1,149) and comes in three colors: gold/silver/space gray (same as last year). It also features Face ID for unlocking your phone without having to enter your passcode each time you want access!
- iPhone XS Max: This 6.5-inch OLED display offers greater viewing area compared to earlier models ($1,099-$1,249). It’s also available in gold/silver/space gray colors like last year’s model so if those colors suit your style then they’ll look great together!
Setting up iPhone
When you first set up your iPhone, you’ll enter some information that will be stored on iCloud. This includes:
- Your Apple ID and password (so you can view and manage your iCloud data)
- A passcode for your device (to protect the contents of its storage)
If none of these are what you speak or listen to most often when using iOS devices like iPhones and iPads then just select whichever works best with how much time they spend talking with each other!
Connecting iPhone to Wi-Fi and cellular networks
When you connect your phone to a Wi-Fi network, it uses your cellular data connection to access the internet. To turn off cellular data and only use WiFi when you’re connected to a network:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Cellular or Mobile Data at the top of the screen to see all your cellular options for managing how much data you consume on your device across each month’s billing cycle (you can also select this option from within certain apps if it’s available).
- Tap your carrier name in order to see more detailed information about any of their plans such as costs per gigabyte or what type of features are included in each plan, like unlimited text messages or streaming video quality levels (this will vary depending on where you live).
Checking iPhone data usage
You can check your iPhone data usage quickly by tapping on the Settings app, then tapping “Cellular”. This will show you a summary of your data use in the past month (if applicable), with a list of apps that have used the most data in the past day or week. You can also see how much cellular data is being used by each app and disable specific ones from using it if necessary.
It’s important to know what these numbers mean before setting a limit for yourself:
- The total number of bytes transferred is the sum of all downloads and uploads since the last time you reset this feature
- The average number of bytes sent per kilobyte (kB) transferred tells you how many KBs are being transmitted over cellular networks as compared to Wi-Fi networks
Managing content on your iPhone
You can manage content on your iPhone by using the following methods.
- Photos: View and edit your photos, or share them with others by emailing, printing, posting on a blog or website, or copying and pasting into another app. If you have multiple photo albums created in iPhoto on your computer, they will sync with iTunes so that the photos are available for viewing and editing from your iPhone. To show all of the photos stored on your phone instead of just those synced from iTunes (which may include older images), tap Albums at the bottom of the screen after tapping Camera Roll.
- Videos: View and edit videos taken with this device’s camera or imported from an external source. You can also watch videos stored locally on this device as well as videos streamed over Wi-Fi from YouTube™ .
- Music: Play music stored locally on this device; stream over-the-air radio stations in North America; listen to podcasts downloaded through Apple Podcasts® ; purchase songs through iTunes Store® ; listen to audiobooks downloaded through Audible® ; access Internet radio stations via Pandora®, Slacker Radio®, TuneIn Radio®, iHeartRadio™ , NPR One®, CBS Radio News, CNN Headline News & more*.
Protecting your information and privacy
When it comes to using your iPhone, you should always keep in mind that there are certain things you can do to protect your information and privacy.
- Use different passwords for each of your online accounts. This will help prevent someone from accessing all of your accounts with only one password, or even worse, if a hacker steals the password for an account with sensitive information (like banking).
- Don’t leave your phone unattended when you’re at home or work. This way, no one will be able to access any personal data on it while it’s in another room—and if they try to break into the phone while it’s locked and encrypted, they’ll have a harder time getting what they want!
- Don’t share your phone number with random people via text message or other messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp; only give out contact info when absolutely necessary (for example: doctors’ offices).
Using Siri and Dictation
Siri and Dictation are both ways to talk to your iPhone. They work together, so you can use them interchangeably if you’re comfortable with that. In many cases, Siri is better than Dictation because it understands context, but sometimes you might find yourself in a place where speaking aloud rather than typing is more convenient or natural. Here’s how each feature works:
You can use Siri hands-free by saying “Hey Siri” or by pressing and holding the Home button on your iPhone (you’ll see a white circle light up). If you press the button instead of using voice commands, Siri will ask what you want help with before providing suggestions based on previous usage patterns or offering to search online for solutions in Safari (or other apps).
To use dictation without talking directly into the phone, open an app that takes input from keyboard fields—like Notes or Mail—and hold down either Shift key until it turns blue. The microphone icon will then appear above each field so that when you lift off it again after finishing writing something (if needed), everything will be automatically typed into place! You may need to do this manually while using third party apps such as Facebook Messenger since they don’t have built-in support yet but hopefully they soon will as well.
The best iphone for you is the iphone with the features you want.
It’s important to know what you want from your phone and what features are most important to you. The best iPhone for you is the one that has the features that are most important to you, not necessarily the most expensive or newest model.
- Do I want a large screen? If so, then an iPhone Plus or Max might be right for you. It also allows for more battery life and more storage space than other iPhones (upwards of 512 GB).
- Do I need portability? Smaller phones could be right for those who carry their phones in a pocket or purse often, while larger devices may be better suited for people who use their phones mostly at work or while traveling around town as they won’t feel so bulky in those cases.
Conclusion
So now that you have an idea of what to look for in a new iPhone, it’s time to make your choice. If you’re looking for something affordable and compact, the SE might be right for you. If you want more power and better battery life from your phone, consider getting the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. The Plus model has several additional features such as dual cameras on the back (for taking photos), water resistance, stereo speakers at top-and bottom-ends of device.
