Apple released their latest iPhone, the iPhone 8 last September. It is one of the best phones around right now. Of course, iPhones have always been popular, which is easy to see when you click here and view the history of the iPhone. Since 2007, new iPhones have taken over the mobile phone world, and it hasn’t stopped with the iPhone 8. The phone comes pre-installed with iOS 11 which has lots of new features that are amazing. If you are looking to get the Apple iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus during the Flipkart upcoming sale then here are ten essential tips and tricks that might come in handy.
Transfer Data Wirelessly between your two iPhones
If you already own an old iPhone with iOS 11 installed and you have decided to get the new iPhone 8 then you can transfer the data wirelessly to your iPhone 8. The old method needed you to use iTunes to make a backup of data on your old phone and then transfer it to the new phone using the data cable. Now, all you need to do is point your old iPhone’s camera towards the new iPhone 8 or 8 Plus.
The old phone will scan the new device and ask for an authentication code. Once you enter the code Apple will sync the two devices and transfer all your data, settings, and other content to your new device. Even your passwords will be synced over the secure connection. This means you no longer need to use iTunes to back up your iPhone and then restore it to your new phone.
Use the True Tone feature or turn it off
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus come with the “True Tone” feature which was previously exclusive to the iPads. True Tone adjusts the screen color temperature and brightness based on the ambient lighting conditions.
The True Tone feature is active by default on your new iPhone. If you are not satisfied by the results or it is taxing your battery then you might want to turn it off. This can be done by opening the control center by swiping from the bottom of the screen. Touch the brightness control using the 3D touch feature and you will be presented with the Auto-Brightness and True Tone feature. You can turn it on/off from here as per your wish.
Use the portrait mode on your iPhone 8 Plus
The portrait mode was introduced with the iPhone 7 Plus and it has been enhanced for the iPhone 8 Plus. It has new features that you might want to use.
If you take a portrait shot with the iPhone 8 Plus and then decide that you wanted to use one of the new lighting effects. No no need to worry as all portrait shots are saved with all the depth data required to re-process the shots. Open an iOS 11 portrait shot in the Photos app, tap Edit, and you can apply any of the depth effects to your picture.
One of the major updates in Portrait mode was the addition of new lighting modes. These can dramatically increase the beauty of your picture. There are two lighting effects (which add drama to the face of your subject), and two dramatic spotlight effects that drop out the background behind the subject. These can be accessed through a panel in portrait mode on your iPhone 8 Plus.
Change the resolution and Frame Rate of the videos and Read QR codes
The iPhone 8 has a bunch of options for shooting normal and slow-motion videos. These can be accessed and changed by going to Settings > Camera > Record Video, for normal videos, and Settings > Camera > Record Slo-mo, for slow-motion videos. The available options for normal videos range from 30 fps at 720p to 60 fps at 4K resolutions whereas the slow-motion videos can be recorded at 240 fps in Full HD resolution.
If you want to scan the QR codes then there is no need of downloading any third-party apps. All you need to do is open the native camera app and point your phone towards the code. A pop-up will appear which will show you the details. To enable this feature go to the Settings>Camera and toggle on the “Scan QR codes” option.
Customize the Control Center and personalize Siri
One of the new features that iOS 11 brings to your iPhone 8 is the ability to customize the control center. To tweak the things that you want to appear in the control center. Simply open Settings>Control Center>Customise and add or remove the things you want.
Siri can be a bit impersonal but you can teach it about yourself. All you need to do is add your details as contact and then head into Settings > Siri & Search > My Information and pick your name from the Contacts list.
Prepare your iPhone to handle emergencies or let you drive safely
You can set up your iPhone to help you in any emergency much readily. All you need to do is go to Settings > Emergency SOS. You can add your medical details here and it lets your iPhone automatically call the emergency services or notify named contacts that you need assistance. Once you set it up this feature can be accessed by tapping the power button five times in quick succession.
Another safety feature that was added with the iOS 11 is the “Do Not Disturb While Driving.” Once turned on, this feature automatically turns on when you’re driving. It stops you from accessing your phone and disables notifications (unless they’re urgent). It is a lifesaver and you should keep it enabled.
Use the wireless charger and/or Fast charger
The iPhone 8 supports Fast charging which claims that it can charge the iPhone up to 50 percent within half an hour. To use the fast charging feature, you need to buy a supported adapter separately. You should buy an adapter as it helps.
The iPhone 8 also supports wireless charging thanks to its glass back. The upcoming AirPad will let you charge your supported iPhone and other accessories just by placing them on the mat. Until Apple releases the AirPad you can use any Qi-certified wireless charger for the same. Just ensure that it comes from a reliable brand. The Mophie and Belkin chargers that Apple sells are an excellent choice.
Scan Documents efficiently and search for websites more quickly
The iPhone’s native notes app lets you scan documents efficiently. Open the Notes app and add a new note, then tap the plus icon at the bottom of the screen and you can choose Scan Documents. The camera will focus on where it thinks the document is and eliminate everything else to give you a perfect document scan.
To eliminate the necessity of typing the complete URL suffix you can press and hold the full stop button at the bottom of the keyboard and it will bring up a list of common website address endings.
Erase typos with just a flick or find the meaning of a word.
Suppose you are typing a text message or a reply on your favorite social networking site and you make a mistake. Now you can either press the backspace to erase the typo or you can just shake your iPhone and you’ll get an Undo Typing prompt that allows you to delete the lot in one fell swoop. If you change your mind you can also shake again and choose Redo or delete more with another Undo.
If you come across a word whose meaning is not known to you. You can either type the word on google to find out what it means or for a faster solution you can copy and paste it. The smart alternative to do the same is, just select the word and you will get a list of options. Select the lookup and you will be presented with the meaning and additional information related to the word.
Use reachability and squeeze the keyboard
The Plus models of the iPhone are big and everyone can’t reach the top of the screen. Now, you can make the top of the screen come to you. To access the reachability option just tap your home button twice and the screen will move a little bit towards the bottom.
Typing on the keyboard might be a little bit hard if you cannot reach the keys easily. To deal with this press and hold the emoji button on the keyboard and you’ll see three keyboard icons: a left-hand side keyboard, the current standard keyboard, and a right-hand side keyboard. Choose either left or right to squish the keyboard to that side for easier typing.
Bonus tips and tricks
- Add more effects to your live photos: To add more effects swipe the photo up to see the effects options, which enable you to loop or bounce your Live Photo or apply a long-exposure effect.
- Use the AR features: iOS 11 has introduced the Augmented Reality feature to the iPhone. You can download loads of apps from the store for fun and productivity. Apps like Sky AR show you the name of the constellation when you point the iPhone towards the sky.
- Use new video/photo formats: HEIF and HEVC are a lot more efficient and can provide the same kind of quality at under 50% of storage space. To use these formats, Go to Settings -> Camera -> Formats and switch to High Efficiency.
Conclusion
Hope you liked the tips and tricks which will help you to use your iPhone a lot more efficiently and increase your productivity. There are lots of new amazing features in the new iPhones and the accompanying iOS 11 that you might find interesting. iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are two great devices and you will enjoy using them.