Tip 18: Use Maps to explore and navigate the world

Maps is an app that lets you explore and navigate the world on your iPhone. You can use Maps to find places, get directions, see traffic, transit, and weather information, and more. You can also use Maps to discover new places, such as restaurants, landmarks, museums, and more.

To use Maps, open the app and type or speak the place that you want to find. You can also tap the compass icon on the top-right corner to see your current location. You can zoom in or out, swipe, or rotate the map to see different views. You can also tap the i button on the top-left corner to change the map type, such as satellite, hybrid, or terrain.

To get directions, tap the Directions button on the bottom-left corner and choose your mode of transportation, such as driving, walking, cycling, or transit. Then, enter your destination and tap Go. You can also add multiple stops, avoid tolls or highways, or share your ETA with your contacts. You can also use Siri to get directions, such as “Hey Siri, take me home” or “Hey Siri, how do I get to the airport?”.

To see traffic, transit, and weather information, tap the i button on the top-left corner and turn on the layers that you want to see. You can see the traffic conditions, such as green for clear, yellow for moderate, or red for heavy. You can also see the transit lines, such as buses, trains, or subways. You can also see the weather forecast, such as sunny, cloudy, or rainy.

To discover new places, tap the Search button on the bottom-right corner and browse the categories, such as Food, Shopping, Travel, and more. You can also tap the Guides button to see curated collections of places, such as Best of New York, Must-See Museums, or Hidden Gems. You can also create your own guides, or follow guides from trusted sources, such as Lonely Planet, The Washington Post, or Zagat.

Tip 19: Use Messages to chat and have fun with your friends and family

Messages is an app that lets you chat and have fun with your friends and family on your iPhone. You can use Messages to send and receive text messages, photos, videos, audio messages, stickers, emojis, and more. You can also use Messages to make voice or video calls, play games, send money, and more.

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To use Messages, open the app and tap the New Message button on the top-right corner. Then, enter the name, phone number, or email address of the person that you want to chat with. You can also tap the + button to add more people and create a group chat. Then, type your message and tap the Send button. You can also tap the Camera button to take a photo or video, or tap the Photo Library button to choose a photo or video from your iPhone. You can also tap the Microphone button to record an audio message, or tap the App Store button to access various apps and features, such as stickers, games, Apple Pay, and more.

To make voice or video calls, tap the Contact button on the top-right corner and choose Audio or FaceTime. You can also use Siri to make calls, such as “Hey Siri, call Mom” or “Hey Siri, FaceTime John”. You can also join or start group FaceTime calls with up to 32 people, and use fun effects, such as Animoji, Memoji, filters, and stickers.

To have more fun with Messages, you can use various features, such as:

• Tap and hold the Send button to access the Message Effects, which let you add animations and expressions to your messages, such as balloons, confetti, fireworks, or slam.
• Tap the Memoji button to create and use your own personalized emoji, or use the Animoji button to use animated emoji, such as a monkey, a unicorn, or a robot.
• Tap the Emoji button to access the emoji keyboard, which lets you choose from hundreds of emoji, or use the Tapback feature, which lets you react to messages with emoji, such as a heart, a thumbs up, or a question mark.
• Tap the Digital Touch button to send sketches, taps, or heartbeats, or use the Handwriting feature, which lets you write messages with your finger.

Tip 20: Use Photos to capture and edit your memories

Photos is an app that lets you capture and edit your memories on your iPhone. You can use Photos to take photos and videos, apply filters and effects, crop and rotate, adjust the color and light, and more. You can also use Photos to organize and manage your photos and videos, create albums and slideshows, and share them with your friends and family.

To use Photos, open the app and tap the Camera button on the bottom-right corner. Then, choose the mode that you want to use, such as Photo, Video, Portrait, or Pano. You can also swipe up or down to access more modes, such as Time-Lapse, Slo-Mo, or Night Mode. You can also tap the Flash button to turn on or off the flash, tap the Live Photo button to capture a short video with your photo, or tap the HDR button to capture a high dynamic range photo. You can also tap the Filter button to apply a filter, such as Vivid, Mono, or Noir.

To edit your photos and videos, open the Photos app and tap the photo or video that you want to edit. Then, tap the Edit button on the top-right corner. You can use various tools, such as:

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• Tap the Crop button to crop, rotate, flip, or straighten your photo or video.
• Tap the Adjust button to adjust the color and light, such as exposure, contrast, saturation, or warmth.
• Tap the Filter button to apply or change a filter, such as Vivid, Mono, or Noir.
• Tap the Markup button to draw, write, or add shapes to your photo or video.
• Tap the More button to access more features, such as retouch, sharpen, or reduce noise.

To organize and manage your photos and videos, open the Photos app and tap the Albums tab. You can see various albums, such as Recents, Favorites, People, Places, and more. You can also create your own albums, or use the Smart Albums, which automatically group your photos and videos based on criteria, such as date, location, or person. You can also tap the Search tab to search for photos and videos by keywords, such as “dog”, “beach”, or “birthday”.

To create albums and slideshows, open the Photos app and tap the + button on the top-left corner. Then, choose New Album or New Slideshow. You can name your album or slideshow, and choose the photos and videos that you want to include. You can also edit your album or slideshow, such as adding or removing photos and videos, changing the order, or adding music, transitions, or themes.

To share your photos and videos, open the Photos app and tap the photo or video that you want to share. Then, tap the Share button on the bottom-left corner. You can choose how you want to share, such as Messages, Mail, AirDrop, or social media. You can also use iCloud Photo Sharing, which lets you create and join shared albums with your friends and family, and comment and like each other’s photos and videos.

Tip 21: Use Music to listen to your favorite songs and discover new ones

Music is an app that lets you listen to your favorite songs and discover new ones on your iPhone. You can use Music to access your music library, stream millions of songs with Apple Music, listen to live radio stations, and more. You can also use Music to create and manage playlists, download songs for offline listening, and share your music with your friends and family.

To use Music, open the app and tap the Library tab. You can see your music library, which includes the songs that you’ve added from your computer, iTunes Store, or Apple Music. You can also tap the Browse tab to explore various categories, such as New Music, Playlists, Genres, and more. You can also tap the Radio tab to listen to live radio stations, such as Beats 1, NPR, or BBC. You can also tap the Search tab to search for songs, artists, albums, or playlists.

To stream millions of songs with Apple Music, you’ll need to have a subscription, which costs $9.99 per month, or $14.99 per month for a family plan. You can also try Apple Music for free for three months, and cancel anytime. To sign up for Apple Music, open the Music app and tap the For You tab. Then, tap the Try It Free button and follow the instructions. You can also use Siri to play songs from Apple Music, such as “Hey Siri, play the latest album by Taylor Swift” or “Hey Siri, play some jazz music”.

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To create and manage playlists, open the Music app and tap the Library tab. Then, tap the Playlists button and tap the New Playlist button. You can name your playlist, add a description, and choose a cover image. Then, tap the Add Music button and choose the songs that you want to include. You can also edit your playlist, such as adding or removing songs, changing the order, or renaming it.

To download songs for offline listening, open the Music app and tap the song, album, or playlist that you want to download. Then, tap the Cloud button to download it to your iPhone. You can also turn on Automatic Downloads, which automatically downloads the songs that you add to your library.

Tip 22: Use Reminders to create and manage your tasks and lists

Reminders is an app that lets you create and manage your tasks and lists on your iPhone. You can use Reminders to set reminders for things that you need to do, such as buy groceries, pay bills, or call someone. You can also use Reminders to organize your tasks into lists, such as Work, Personal, or Family.

To use Reminders, open the app and tap the New Reminder button on the bottom-right corner. Then, type your reminder and tap the i button to add more details, such as a due date, a location, a priority, or a note. You can also tap the Flag button to mark your reminder as important, or tap the Camera button to add a photo or scan a document. You can also use Siri to create reminders, such as “Hey Siri, remind me to buy milk tomorrow” or “Hey Siri, remind me to call Mom when I get home”.

To create and manage lists, open the Reminders app and tap the Add List button on the bottom-left corner. Then, name your list and choose a color and an icon. You can also tap the Edit button on the top-right corner to edit, delete, or rearrange your lists. You can also share your lists with your contacts, and collaborate on tasks together.

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Tip 23: Use Find My to locate and protect your iPhone and other devices

Find My is an app that lets you locate and protect your iPhone and other devices, such as your iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, or AirTag. You can use Find My to see your devices on a map, play a sound, lock or erase them, or mark them as lost. You can also use Find My to find your friends and family, and share your location with them.

To use Find My, you’ll need to have an iPhone with iOS 14 or later, and a device that supports Find My, such as an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, or AirTag. You’ll also need to turn on Find My on your devices, by going to Settings > Your Name > Find My and turning on Find My iPhone, Find My Network, and Send Last Location. You can also use Siri to locate your devices, such as “Hey Siri, where are my AirPods?” or “Hey Siri, find my Mac”.

To locate and protect your devices, open the Find My app and tap the Devices tab. You can see your devices on a map, and tap on them to see more options, such as:

• Play Sound: This will make your device play a loud sound, which can help you find it if it’s nearby or lost.
• Directions: This will open the Maps app and give you directions to your device’s location.
• Notifications: This will let you choose to receive a notification when your device is found, or when it’s moved.
• Mark As Lost: This will lock your device with a passcode and display a message with your contact information. It will also disable Apple Pay and other services on your device, and track its location history.
• Erase This Device: This will erase all the data and settings on your device, and remove it from your account. This option should only be used as a last resort, as you won’t be able to locate or recover your device after erasing it.

To find your friends and family, open the Find My app and tap the People tab. You can see your contacts who have shared their location with you, and tap on them to see more options, such as:

• Contact: This will let you call, message, or FaceTime your contact.
• Directions: This will open the Maps app and give you directions to your contact’s location.
• Notifications: This will let you choose to receive a notification when your contact arrives or leaves a certain place, or when they share their location with you.
• Add to Favorites: This will add your contact to your favorites, which will make them easier to find and access.
• Stop Sharing My Location: This will stop sharing your location with your contact, and remove them from your list.

To share your location with your friends and family, open the Find My app and tap the Me tab. You can see your current location and status, and tap the Share My Location button to choose who you want to share your location with. You can also turn on or off Share My Location, which will let you control whether your location is visible to others or not. You can also use Siri to share your location, such as “Hey Siri, share my location with John” or “Hey Siri, stop sharing my location with everyone”.

I hope you enjoyed these 23 expert tips to make the most of your new iPhone. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know. Thank you for reading!