NAVIGATING YOUR DEVICE
Apple's mobile operating system (iOS) offers a simple, uniform experience across the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Once you know the basics of iOS, you'll be handling your device like a pro in no time.
A SIMPLE LAYOUT
Your iPhone and iPad center around the Home screen, which stores icons for all of your apps. Tapping an app icon opens the corresponding app; pressing the Home button (the circular button below the touchscreen) takes you back to the Home screen. Apple has also thoughtfully included a few shortcuts to everyday tools and settings with Notification and Control Center.
CONTROL CENTER
This handy panel of quick settings appears when you swipe up from the bottom of your screen. It houses frequently used settings such as Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, brightness, audio control, and AirDrop (which lets you share files with new Apple devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network). You can also launch the Clock, Calculator, Camera app, or flashlight by tapping their correspond- ing icons in the bottom row. By default, you can access Control Center from any screen, or you can disable access while using apps or from the lock screen in Settings > Control Center. You can close the settings panel one of three ways: swipe down, tap the top of the screen, or press the Home button.
NOTIFICATIONS & WIDGETS
Swiping down from the top of your screen opens Notification Center, a gathering of timely information about your life. The Notifications view on the right displays missed calls, texts, and alerts from your app collection. The Today view on the left is a list of timely information that you can customize by tapping Edit at the bottom of the Today screen. You'll be able to choose to include updates from the Weather, Clock, Stocks, Calendar, and Reminders apps as well as widgets from third-party apps you've installed on your phone.
You can tailor how apps send you notifications by going to Settings > Notifications. Choose between banners that appear at the top of your screen, pop-up alerts, or nothing at all. You can also switch on or off the Badge App Icon, which lets you see which apps have new notifications from your Home screen by pinning a red number to your app icons.
MANAGING APPS
Apps are bite-sized software programs that give you amazing capabilities on your iOS devices, from managing work projects to improving your health.
Downloading apps on your iPhone or iPad is a simple process. Once you've launched the App Store app and found a title you want to download, tap the price and then BUY for paid options or tap GET for free ones, then verify the download via Touch ID or by entering your Apple ID password.
To find new apps, tap the Featured section to peruse Apple's picks or Top Charts to see the most downloaded apps and top-grossing titles. The Explore tab features apps by category and locally produced apps, the Search bar lets you find specific titles, and Updates lets you manage app versions and restore past purchases.
You can also install apps from the iTunes Store on your computer by opening iTunes, clicking iTunes Store, and clicking on Apps in the dropdown menu. You can search apps by iPhone and iPad compatibility, or look for a small “+” symbol in the upper left corner of an app's price box to see if it's universal.
You can also see a list of compatible devices under each app's Information subhead. To download an app, click the price, click install, log in to iTunes with your Apple ID, and the app will appear on your iDevice.
AUTOMATIC APP UPDATES
App developers usually update their offerings regularly, and you can decide whether you'd like to install these updates automatically or by hand. To maintain control over the process, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store, and toggle off Apps under Automatic Downloads. Go to Updates in the App Store to control the process manually.
MULTITASKING
To see a list of your most recently used apps and favorite contacts, double-tap the Home button and the items will appear on the screen in a side-scrolling list. Tap a name to make a call or tap an app to open it. You can close as many as three apps at a time by swiping up with your fingers.
ORGANIZING & DELETING APPS
To delete an app, press and hold on the icon until it begins to wiggle. A transparent circle with an X will appear in the left-hand corner; press the X, and when a prompt appears, tap Delete.
To move an app, tap and hold on the app you wish to move. Once it begins to wiggle, drag it to your desired spot or all the way to either side of the screen to carry it onto a new screen. To create a folder, drop an icon on top of another app. The default folder name will be based off of the app categories, but if you tap the name field, your keyboard will pop up, and you can rename it. You can put an unlimited number of apps in a folder.