Tons of Tips and Tricks for New iPhone 14 Owners

We've got a bunch of useful tips and tricks for you to use on your new device, if you were lucky enough to receive an Apple device for the holidays.

We have a long list of basic tips on how to use your mobile device.

iPhone Tips for Beginners

iOS 16 Guides and Tutorials

Do you want to know more about the operating system? There are guides and how-tos that cover every new feature.

Tips and Tricks for your New iPhone

Here are more helpful tips about your new phone.

1. Check Your iPhone Warranty

If you need a repair or just want to know your warranty status, you can do it on your phone.

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Tap on "General."
3. Tap on "About."
4. Tap on "Limited Warranty" or "‌AppleCare‌+" to see your device status.

The section will be labeled with AppleCare + if you have it. It will let you know when it expires if you don't.

If you pay the deductible, AppleCare + is good for two years or indefinitely, and it covers manufacturer issues and accidental damage if you pay monthly or yearly. If you're prone to accidents, it's a good idea to make sure you have an affordable fix for your phone.

The limited warranty from Apple lasts for a year after you purchase your phone. It allows for a year of phone and chat support if you have manufacturing issues.

Your phone is out of warranty once the year is up. If you did not purchase AppleCare when you purchased your phone, you have 60 days to do so.

2. Auto Schedule Low Power Mode to Save Battery

If you use the Shortcuts app, you can create an automation that will cause Low Power Mode to come on automatically, so you don't have to turn it on manually.

1. Open up the Shortcuts app.
2. Tap on "Automation."
3. Tap on the "+" button.
4. Tap on "Create Personal Automation."
5. Scroll down to "Battery Level."
6. Tap on the parameter that you want. Options include "Equals x%," "Rises Above x%," and "Falls below x%." You'll want to use "Falls Below" or "Equals" for this Shortcut.
7. Use the slider to select a specific percentage.
8. Tap "Next."
9. Tap "Add Action."
10. Search for "Low Power Mode."
11. Tap on "Set Low Power Mode."
12. Tap on "Next."
13. If you want your ‌iPhone‌ to ask you before turning on Low Power Mode, leave the "Ask Before Running" toggle activated. If not, turn it off.
14. Tap "Done."

When you set for Low Power Mode, your Shortcut will run whenever your phone hits the threshold. The automation section of the app can be adjusted.

If you want to set Low Power Mode to come on at a certain time, follow the above steps, but use "Time of Day" as the first option.

Low Power Mode is designed to cut down on background processes to preserve battery life when the phone is low on battery. When your battery is at a higher percentage, it's a good idea to use the Shortcuts app to create the Low Power Mode automation.

3. Customize Your Lock Screen

The Lock Screen was updated with the iOS 16 update. You can choose from a variety of built-in wallpaper options, some that are interactive and others that are just plain boring, and you can also change the look and color of the time on the lock screen.

It's easy to get to all of the settings if you know how to navigate the Lock Screen features.

1. On the Lock Screen, unlock with Face ID or Touch ID.
2. Long press on the display.
3. Tap on the "+" button to create a new Lock Screen.
4. Select your wallpaper from the available options.
5. Tap on the time to change the look.
6. Tap on "Add Widgets" to choose widgets to go on the Lock Screen.
7. Tap up above the time to customize the widget located in that spot.

There is only one thing to it. If you haven't used Apple's mobile operating system before, you'll want to browse through our guide to see all of the available options.

If you don't already use it, you can use the shared photo library to exchange photos with friends and family. You're only going to want to use it with your closest friends and family, but it lets you share all of your images in a dedicated library that works just like the standard photo library.

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to Photos.
3. Tap on Shared Library.
4. Tap on Set Up.

You will want to go through all of the available setup steps, which include adding participants and choosing the photos that you want to share.

The iCloud shared photo library will work the same as the standard library, but with more users. The photos that you add to the library are moved to your personal library if you participate.

If you want to set up the iCloud shared photo library, you're going to want to read our guide first.

5. Customize Your Safari Start Page

You can change what you see on your start page by opting in to sections like Frequently Visited, shared with you, and more.

1. Open up Safari.
2. Open up a new blank page.
3. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.
4. Tap on "Edit."
5. Toggle on the sections that you prefer.
6. Toggle on "Background Image" if you want to pick a custom background for Safari. You can choose from the available Apple-designed backgrounds or use your own photo by tapping on the "+" button.
7. If you want the same Start Page on all devices where you're signed into ‌iCloud‌, toggle on "Use Start Page on All Devices" at the top of the page.
8. When you're all done customizing, tap on the "X" button in the upper right hand corner.

Favorites, Frequently Visited, Privacy Report, Siri Suggestions, Reading List, and iCloud Tabs are some of the options that can be turned on or off.

6. Change Your Safari Design

The changes that Apple attempted to make to the Safari design in the new version of the software were not well received and they reverted to the previous design.

The bottom and top of the tab bar.

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to Safari.
3. Under Tabs, select the "Tab Bar" option for a tab bar located at the bottom of the Safari window. Choose "Single Tab" for the top bar.
4. Toggle on "Allow Website Tinting" if you want to have the color blending feature when using the top bar, and choose "Landscape Tab Bar" if you want to see your open tabs when the ‌iPhone‌ is held horizontally.

When using the top bar, there is a feature that allows website tinting. The URL bar causes the background color of the website to change when you scroll down.

The top and bottom navigation bars can be swapped in the browser. You can use the "Aa" icon in the URL bar to find the "Show Bottom Tab Bar" or "Show Top Address Bar"

7. Rearrange Your Home Screen Pages

You can rearrange your Home Screen pages quickly and easily.

1. Press and hold in an empty space on the ‌Home Screen‌ to enter "jiggle mode," where the app icons are wiggling slightly.
2. Tap on the row of dots at the bottom of the page.
3. Your ‌Home Screen‌ pages will be shown in a grid view. Put a finger on one page and drag it to move it to a new position relative to your other pages.
4. Once you have your pages the way you want them, tap on "Done" in the upper right corner.

This interface can be used to remove Home Screen pages. Go to the grid view and tap on the checkmark under the page that you want to eliminate.

8. Edit and Undo Send Messages

There are new features in the Messages app that you should be aware of if you're new to the app. If the person you're chatting with has an Apple device, you can both send and receive messages.

As long as you press on the message, you can use these features. There are time limits to remember. You can un send a message up to two minutes after sending it.

Reporting junk, marking messages as unread, and recovering deleted messages are some of the features that can be found in Messages.

9. Store Two-Factor Authentication Codes in Passwords

It's a good idea to set up two-factor verification for any online account where the feature is available, and you don't need a separate verification code app like Authy for storing one-time passwords. It's much more difficult for your accounts to be breached if you use two-factor authentication codes when logging into a website with these codes regenerated every 30 seconds.

There is a built-in feature for storing two-factorAuthentication codes with your iCloud Keychain passwords. There is a way to add a code.

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to "Passwords."
3. If you're adding a two-factor code for a login and password already stored in ‌iCloud‌ Keychain, search for the entry that you're looking for. Otherwise, tap the "+" button to add a new login.
4. After either accessing your login and password for the account you're interested in or adding new details, tap on "Set Up Verification Code."
5. Initiate the two-factor authentication process for the website or account where you're enabling two-factor verification.
6. For many services, you're provided with a QR code that you can scan to set up two-factor authentication, though this does require two devices. If you have a QR code to scan, tap on the "Scan QR Code" option. Alternatively, tap on "Enter Setup Key" and enter the number that you're provided from the website.
7. After the QR code is scanned or the Setup Key is entered, the login will automatically update with the verification key.

You can use the verification code found in the Passwords app whenever you need to confirm your identity with a one-time password. If you hold down on the verification code, you can copy it and paste it into the site where it's needed, if you have iCloud Keychain enabled.

You will need to set this up for each site.

If you want to set up two-factor authentication on a website on your phone, long press on the code when you see it. If you tap on the option to "Add Verification Code in Passwords", you will be able to add two-factor verification to your site login without having to use a barcode.

10. Maximize Your Privacy With iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email

Apple made web browsing and email more secure by cutting down on how companies can track your online behavior.

Make sure you turn on the iCloud Private Relay on your new device.

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Tap on your name to open up your Apple ID and ‌iCloud‌ settings.
3. Tap on "‌iCloud‌."
4. Tap on "Private Relay."
5. Make sure "Private Relay" is toggled on.

If you start getting unwanted content from someone you've interacted with, you can use Hide My Email, which allows you to create different email addresses for each site, so you can prevent them from happening. It is possible to hide Email My temporary addresses all the way to your main email address.

Hide My Email can be used in more than one way. As long as you open the Mail app, you can compose an email. To hide my email, tap and then choose "Hide My Email" from the field.

Follow these steps if you want to.

• Open up the Settings app.
• Tap on your name.
• Tap on "‌iCloud‌."
• Tap on "Hide My Email."
• Tap on the "+ Create New Address" button.
• Choose a label for your Hide My Email address.
• Tap "Next," then tap "Done" and your randomly generated email address is ready to use.

The Hide My Email interface allows you to manage all of the temporary email addresses that you have created. You can remove any of the temporary email addresses at any time and the company or person that has that email address won't be able to reach you.

You can change the email address that your Hide My Email addresses forward to by following our Hide My Email lesson.

You can link your Lock Screens to a specific Focus Mode, which will allow you to set up dedicated Lock Screen and Home Screen interface for your different modes. If you switch to that Lock Screen, the Lock Screen will come up if you have the Focus set to go off at a certain time.

1. On the ‌iPhone‌'s Lock Screen, unlock with ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌.
2. Long press to get to the Lock Screen customization interface.
3. On your Lock Screen of choice, tap on "Focus."
4. Choose one of your Focus modes to link it to the Lock Screen. If you already had a Focus mode set up, that's all you need to do. Swapping to the Lock Screen will now activate the Focus mode linked to it.
5. If you need to create a new Focus or customize an existing Focus, tap on Focus settings at the bottom of the page.
6. In the Focus interface, tap on "+" or one of the existing Focus modes to change it up. From there, follow the on-screen instructions.

If you want to separate work life and home life, focus modes are a great way to do it. You can choose which Mail accounts and tab groups you want to be accessible in the app.

We have a dedicated Focus guide that walks you through everything you need to know to get the features you want in the Focus mode.

You can use the subject from any photo or image in Messages, emails, and more with the fun feature in Apple's iPhone 14 models.

1. Select a photo, Safari web image, or another image that has a clear subject.
2. Place your finger on the screen over the subject and hold it there gently.
3. You'll see a glowing border surround the subject.
4. Tap on the "Copy" option to copy it to your clipboard, or on Share to drop it into an email or a message.
5. Alternatively, drag the highlighted image with a finger and open up another app to drop it in.

This feature can be used to create little stickers of your own from your photos or to add a new background to a picture. It's not perfect but it works best when there is a clear color difference between the subject and the background.

13. Use Your iPhone as a Webcam for Your Mac

The lower quality built-inWebcam of the Mac can be bypassed if you have a Mac that runs macOS Ventura. If you want to attach your phone to your mac, you will need a stand, and you can find it on Amazon.

All you have to do is attach your Mac to your iPhone 14 and you're good to go.

Center Stage keeps you in frame as you move around, Portrait Mode blurs the background, and Desk View shows off what you're doing on your desk for demonstrations. If that's the case.

14. Get Familiar with the Dynamic Island

If you have an iPhone 14 Pro, you have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch like the iPhone 14 models and prior- generation iPhone 13 models. There are various iPhone features in that little pill-shaped box that you can see at the Dynamic Island.

Dynamic Island can show some things by default.

• Apple Pay transaction confirmations
• Privacy indicators when microphone or camera is in use
• AirDrop file transfers
• AirPods connection status and battery life
• ‌iPhone‌ charging status and battery life
• Low battery alerts
• Silent mode turned on or off
• ‌Face ID‌ unlocking
• Apple Watch unlocking
• NFC interactions
• AirPlay connections
• Focus mode changes
• Shortcut actions
• Airplane mode/no data alerts
• SIM card alerts
• Accessories connecting
• Find My alerts
• Shortcuts
• Upcoming and turn-by-turn Maps directions
• Incoming phone call and duration of call
• Time remaining of playing song
• Active timers
• Live Activity info
• SharePlay sessions
• Screen Recording
• Voice memo recordings
• Personal Hotspot connection

Anything with a Live Activity can show information in the Dynamic Island, and you can download apps that have support for that. Track car rides, watch sports games, and more. You can find a list of third-party apps that support Dynamic Island.

There is more information on the Dynamic Island and what it can do.

15. Do a Safety Check

You should do a safety check after you've set up your new phone. Safety Check is an app that walks you through all of the privacy and security features on your device so you can see who you're sharing information with.

It is useful for keeping track of which people and apps have access to your info if you want to quickly reset all of the data and location access you have granted to others.

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Tap on Privacy and Security.
3. Scroll down to Safety Check and tap it.
4. Tap on Manage Sharing and Access.
5. Authenticate with ‌Face ID‌.
6. From there, go through all of the steps to see what you're sharing with others, from location to photos and notes. If you want to change something, tap on the option, and if you don't, tap on skip to move on.
7. Make sure to take your time and go through all of the different options because you'll also see lists of all the apps that have access to your data, which devices are signed into your ‌Apple ID‌, and more.

If you're in a situation where you need to immediately revocation all access to your location services, you're not going to want to use that option. In our privacy and security guide, we have a more in-depth look at safety check.

16. Test Emergency SOS via Satellite

It is possible to get help in an emergency even if you don't have a phone or internet connection. You don't want to try out Crash Detection, but you can use Satellite to learn how it works.

1. Open the Settings app on your ‌iPhone‌.
2. Scroll down and tap Emergency SOS.
3. Under "Emergency SOS Via Satellite," tap Try Demo.
4. Follow the instructions to test it out.

If you want to make an emergency call, you need to know how to do it.

1. Launch the Phone app.
2. Dial emergency services (911 in the United States).
3. When the call fails, tap the green Emergency Text via Satellite button that appears.
4. Follow the onscreen prompts to communicate your emergency.

It's not possible to make phone calls using the satellite feature, but you can send short text messages to get help. The emergency personnel who can communicate with you and get a rescue team to you are the ones who you will be asked important questions by the iPhone.

It has been used successfully in several emergency situations.

If you're in a remote location and have no access to cellular service or internet, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to update your location with the Find My app, so friends and family can see where you are.

1. Open the Find My app on your ‌iPhone 14‌.
2. Tap the Me tab at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
3. Swipe up on the card to reveal "My Location via Satellite."
4. Tap Send My Location.

17. Customize Always On Display (iPhone 14 Pro)

It's possible to have an always on display option for the iPhone 14 Pro if you have one. Even if you don't use your phone, you can still see your notifications, wallpaper, and time even if you don't use it.

If you have the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, you can turn off wallpaper and notifications for a more minimalist experience.

You can get to your display settings.

1. Open up the Settings app.
2. Choose Display and Brightness.
3. Scroll down to Always On Display.
4. Tap on the toggles for Show Wallpaper and Show Notifications to enable or disable these features.

Learn More About iPhone 14

If you're still getting to know your new phone, we have dedicated iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro reviews that give you a complete rundown of all of the features.

If you want to know everything the latest iPhones have to offer, we have aniOS 16 roundup.