Boost productivity
Get more from Apple’s built–in apps
Apple’s bundled iOS apps have a reputation for being basic, but in part that’s perhaps because many useful features are not readily apparent. Let’s look at four of Apple’s most popular productivity apps.
Tap Edit in the Mailboxes list and you will see a number of options that are initially hidden. Turn on those you consider might be useful. You’ll then be able to zero in on messages with attachments, and those that are unread. Also, make use of the VIP mailbox to quickly get at emails from your most important contacts.
CALENDAR
The main problem with Calendar is that it can get cluttered quickly. To remedy this, use multiple, color–coded calendars to make specific items easier to spot.
Tap the word Calendars, then Add Calendar. Even if you have separate work and home calendars already, consider adding an ‘urgent’ or ‘important’ iteration of each as well. Note that in the Calendars menu, you can turn calendars on and off, in order to focus on specific kinds of event.
NOTES
While editing a note, tap Aa above the keyboard for text formatting controls. At the very least, it’s a good idea to add a title to each of your notes, because this is the first thing shown in the notes list. Consider using special characters in the titles to make notes quicker to differentiate.
In the notes list, swipe right over one to pin it to the top of the list. Slowly swipe left over one and tap the padlock to lock it. It’ll now need Face ID or Touch ID to open. Don’t forget the password — see bitly.com/notespw.
REMINDERS
In a reminders list, tap Edit and then Sharing. Add a contact who also uses macOS/iOS and they’ll be able to view and update the list. This is particularly useful for things like shopping lists.
Rather than making the same lists all the time, reuse existing ones. For the shopping list scenario, mark items complete by tapping the circles. When you’re about to return home, tap Show Completed, and tap the items again to return them one–by–one.
1 GROUP NOTIFICATIONS
By default, notifications are grouped by app. Tap a group to see what’s in it. If you want to turn off grouping for an app, hold a finger/ press firmly on one of its notifications and tap ‘…’ > Settings > Notification Grouping > Off.
2 SILENCE NOTIFICATIONS
You’re bound to accidentally allow an app to play annoying notification sounds. Hold/press firmly on the visual notification and tap ‘…’ > Deliver Quietly to silence the app, or Turn Off to stop all of its forms of notification.
3 EDIT WIDGETS
Loads of apps come with a widget for the Today view. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Notification Center, then swipe right to reach that view. Tap Edit at the very bottom to see what widgets are available to add.
4 PRIORITIZE THE BEST
Drag on the three–line icons on the right to change the order in which widgets are listed. Put the most useful at the top. On iPhone in particular, this means the right widgets will be visible as soon as you go to the Today view.