The 10 iPhone Settings Everyone Should Adjust

Whether you have just bought a new iPhone, or have been walking around with an Apple smartphone for years: in our opinion, these are the settings that you must adjust immediately.​

10 Customize iPhone Settings That Make Your iPhone Better

When you turn on an iPhone for the first time, everything is set by default. That goes well in many cases, so that you sometimes don’t even have to dive into the Settings app to adjust something. Nevertheless, there are at least eight adjustments that we can recommend to everyone.

1. A Grid in the camera app

Taking photos with your iPhone just got a little easier when you can align everything nicely. That becomes easy with the built-in grid.

You can turn this on via the Settings app, scroll down, tap ‘Camera’ and set the button behind ‘Grid’ to green. This also activates a built-in spirit level. Handy if you want to photograph something from above and applezo keeps the image straight.

Also read: How to use the iPhone camera’s hidden stabilization tool​

2. Enable Scheduled Do Not Disturb

We can recommend everyone not to receive phone calls, apps and other notifications at a certain time of the day. Therefore, schedule the Do Not Disturb feature. This ensures that your iPhone goes on silent every evening at ten o’clock until seven o’clock in the morning.

The screen then remains black and no longer shows distracting notifications. You enable this via ‘Settings > Do Not Disturb’, where you can set a time.

3. Take a critical look at your apps’ messaging

Apps love to distract you, but of course that’s not what you want. Therefore, do not just give all apps permission to send you notifications. By going to ‘Settings’ and ‘Notifications’, you can see what their permissions are per app.

For example, we recommend that WhatsApp send messages, but many iOS games do not need this permission at all.

Regularly reviewing this list and revoking apps permissions makes for an iPhone that’s less distracting and easier to use, because every time you get a notification, you know it’s worth it.

Also read: 5 practical tips to make your iPhone less addictive

4. Turn off location data for apps that don’t need it

Your iPhone already does a lot of things itself to guarantee your privacy, but you can also give it a hand. This can easily be done by taking a critical look at the apps that have access to your location data.

As with the previous tip on Messaging, a lot of apps on your iPhone don’t need to know where you are at all. So go to ‘Settings’, tap ‘Privacy’ and turn off all apps under ‘Location Services’ that don’t need to know where you are.

5. Customize the Control Panel

The iOS Control Center is a convenient way to quickly access specific iPhone functions. For example, change the brightness of your screen, switch Bluetooth on and off and activate the flashlight of your iPhone.

In addition, you can expand this panel even further by adding controls. That way you put a remote control for the Apple TV, an alarm clock, do not disturb while driving, or a screen recording in this panel as well.

You do this via ‘Settings > Control panel’. Then add all kinds of controls (or remove unwanted controls) as you like.

6. Hide or Remove Default Apps

To give your iPhone a flying start, a number of apps are installed on the device by default. In the case of Apple Maps, the Weather app, and iMessage, that’s very useful. But if you never have to check stock prices and read ebooks with Books, some of them are unnecessary.

Fortunately, you can easily hide this in a folder, or even better: delete it from your iPhone. You do this by holding down the app icon for a while and then pressing the cross. Do you want to download the app again later? Then you can just find them in the App Store.

7. Set widgets from your favorite apps

Widgets are expanded versions of apps to personalize your home screen. For example, add a Weather widget to see if you need an umbrella today, or get an overview of your favorite Photos.

You add widgets by long pressing the screen until the app icons start to wiggle. Then tap the plus sign at the top left and choose the widget(s) you want to add from the list. Then drag the ‘expanded app’ to the desired spot on the iPhone home screen and choose ‘Done’.

Read more: Homescreen guide: how to personalize your home screen

8. Set emergency contacts

We hope you never need this feature, but it’s nice to have it handy. By setting up an emergency contact, someone is immediately informed if the emergency number is called with your iPhone. They will also receive a map of your location.

You set this option via the Settings app, after which you can follow the steps on the screen via ‘Emergency notification’ and ‘Configure emergency contact’.
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Also read: This is how you send an SOS emergency notification with your iPhone and set up emergency contacts

9. Turn off the light

Better for your eyes and the battery life of your iPhone improves. We are fans of the dark mode. Once you turn on this built-in iPhone feature, the operating system takes on a different touch.

Menus, settings and many apps are no longer stark white, but dark. On the other hand, texts that were previously white now become dark, so that a contrast is turned on. The dark mode is especially nice when you use your iPhone in the evening.

You turn on the dark display via the Settings app. Tap ‘Display & Brightness’ and choose ‘Dark’ at the top. Do you want your iPhone to have a light display during the day, and switch to dark itself at night? Then slide the switch at ‘Automatic’.

10. Eliminate Spies

Advertisers use trackers to follow you across the internet. By mapping out exactly what you (don’t) like, they serve you very personal advertisements. This is very lucrative for them, but it comes at the expense of your privacy.

Fortunately, the iPhone has a built-in function to block these trackers. Once you do this, advertisers’ spying software will be automatically blocked.

You can do this via the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and choose Privacy, tap Tracking, then slide the switch at the top.

More Helpful iPhone Tips

iPhoned is packed with useful tips to get the most out of your iPhone. For example, what is the best navigation app for iOS? And which car holders do we recommend? In our iPhone beginner’s guide, we’ll update you from A to Z on everything you need to know.