Optimizing Your iOS Experience: Essential Apps and Settings
Apple’s iPhone has a 23.4% market share in the world’s smartphone market today. This makes Apple the biggest smartphone brand having larger control over other manufacturers. And it’s not exactly cheap. If you’re paying upfront, you’re most likely paying an average of $800. And in some cases, it may even reach $1500 depending on the unit that you’re getting.
Given its price tag, it’s common for people to want to discover the full potential of their device. In this article, we’ll help you discover the essential apps and settings that can make you enjoy your iOS device even more.
Why Optimize Your iOS Experience?
But before we give you some useful tips, why would you want to play around with your phone’s settings and maybe add some apps?
For one, not all users are the same. Some iPhone users are parents who are looking to set limits to their child’s smartphones, while others want better productivity when they are on their phones. And also, iOS is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface which means that anyone can do it.
Apps for Productivity
While smartphones can be distracting, they can also boost your productivity if used correctly. Here are some apps that can help you do more.
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Apple’s Note App
Gone are the days when you needed pen and paper to be reminded of what you have to do. Apple’s note app can act as your notebook, or your grocery list depending on what you need to do for the day. Here, you can write things down and be reminded of what you need to accomplish for the day. It can even act as your cheat sheet when you need to talk in front of a crowd.
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Omnifocus
If you feel like your phone’s interface comes with a lot of distractions, OmniFocus is a great app that can help you turn your cluttered thoughts into a doable list.
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Google Calendar
If you have a Gmail account, then the highly suggested calendar app that you should have on your iPhone is Google Calendar.
It comes with a simple and easy-to-set-up feature that also integrates with Google’s other services. And because it is available on other platforms, you can get updates even if you’re not on your phone.
Google can help you with your scheduling needs even if you’re on your Windows PC, or even on your Mac.
Parental Control
Did you know that by age 11, half of kids already have their own smartphone in the United States? The good news is that you can manage your child’s digital usage effectively using iOS parental control apps.
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Kaspersky Safe Kids
For $15 per year, you can monitor your child’s YouTube search and browsing history. Also, it comes with a GPS tracking feature to make sure that you know where your kids are all the time. Now, if you’re not yet sold you can also enjoy the free version. The free version comes with web filtering, screen time control, and safe search features.
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Eyezy
The Eyezy is a great app that lets you know what your children are doing on their phones. Here, it gives you access to their contact list and even call logs. If you have kids who communicate via social media, then you can maximize the Social Spotlight feature. Parents get to see what they discuss and even check the multimedia files that they shared using these apps.
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Family Time
Family Time comes with different features perfect for teens and kids. It can be used as an SOS button if there is an emergency. Plus, it also comes with speed monitoring which is perfect for teens who already learned how to drive. This way, you will know if they’re driving too fast. On top of that, you can also block certain apps and keywords using Family Time. This app however comes with a $45 price tag per year.
Settings That Can Make a Difference
Aside from apps, some features can make a huge difference in the way you use your phone.
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Turn off notifications
Here, you’ll be able to choose which app gives you a notification. We highly suggest leaving the app’s notification for messages, maybe your delivery app. But with this setting, this means that you won’t be glancing at your phone unnecessarily.
- Go to Settings > Notifications
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Hide Social Media and other apps
Unless you manage social media accounts for a living, you should be hiding your social media apps. It has been proven in studies that social media has been associated with anxiety and even depression.
Limit your exposure to social media perhaps to twice a day. This way, not only do you get too consumed by curated content, but you also get to maximize your time offline.
- Drag all apps that you want to hide on your homepage > Press and hold on any part of your home screen
- Tap the home screen dots > Uncheck the page to hide from the view
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Focus Mode
If your phone is using iOS 15 and later, then you can take advantage of the Focus feature on your iPhone. It comes with Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work, and other settings that you can add. After you’ve selected Focus, you can choose a variety of options.
If you think that you need to be always on your phone, at least use the Sleep Focus option. This makes sure that you get uninterrupted sleep at night time.
- Go to Settings > Focus
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Parental Control
Here, you will have a say on which apps are blocked on your child’s device. Plus, you can also limit the amount of time they spend on certain apps. In this feature, you can also set a passcode that prevents your child from taking this feature off.
- Settings > Screen time > Choose “This is My Child’s (Device)”
Final Thoughts
Not all users are the same. The good thing about iPhones is that you can tweak the settings or have the necessary apps to make your life easier. Whether it is for work or you’re a parent concerned about your children, these are things that you can do with your iPhone.