Ask HN: Got my first iPhone. What should I know?
I just got an iPhone 15 as a gift, was using a cheap Motorola before. I know iPhones are very common in the US and Europe but I've never used one before and I'm pretty new to the Apple ecosystem (I have a Macbook Air but I use mostly dev tools).
My phone usage was heavy but fairly basic: social media, reading sites like HN, taking pictures, music, etc. what are some cool apps I might not be aware of as an Android user? What are some gotchas or tips you have that I might not have any idea about?
Feel free to point me to blog posts or youtube videos as well; I've been watching a few but they are mostly very generic going over the basic iOS features.
Thanks!
45 comments
[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 96.8 ms ] threadWhat you’ll really want to spend time on is learning the system and first party apps from Apple.
For example, in the camera app there is a little carrot in the top center that reveals a bunch of more advanced features. Simply swiping up (or away from the shutter button) on the viewfinder will also quickly bring these options up. Also, instead of tapping the shutter button, sliding it one way will start a video, while sliding it the other way will take a burst of photos.
I find tips like this really help me use my phone much better and easier, and they are things most users never stumble across on their own.
Apple likes to make apps that appear simple on the surface, so it’s easy for the 80% to use, but certain apps have a good amount of depth when you know where to look.
The iOS keyboard was without question the hardest part of the transition from Android to the iPhone for me. (GBoard for iOS is a pale imitation of GBoard for Android.) I still think it's weird that I have so much trouble with the iOS keyboard, because I've used an iPad for years, and the iPadOS "Flick Keyboard" has always been just fine since it was introduced 5 or so years ago.
iOS user since 2014. What's wrong with the keyboard exactly?
The most important missing feature is multi language support - I frequently combine multiple languages in one sentence. Switching languages every time I need to say a word or two in the other one is tiring.
It could be a function of time spent writing bilingual text. If I add a new keyboard (I tried Hungarian as well) and it didn't work for that. Or it may only work with exactly two languages? It's not a documented feature as far as I know, so it's hard to say what the conditions and parameters are.
For good measure I also tried reseting my keyboard dictionary just in case what I'm describing is just the effect of intermingling my autocorrect dictionary with so much Spanish over the years that it can code switch now, but nothing changed.
Most symbols (%@*'"!? etc.) are available on the keyboard itself with a long-press. (This is also true of the iPadOS "Flick Keyboard", but not iOS.)
There's a comma on the keyboard (why is it so hard to get a comma on literally every iOS keyboard?! This also is available on iPadOS. Yes, I use commas.)
Swype word detection is more accurate, even with the strictest privacy settings.
At the end of the day, with GBoard for Android, I never, ever needed to change modes on the keyboard or do a long swipe to type numbers, punctuation or symbols. Don't need to do it on iPadOS either. iOS, it's a total nightmare.
Maybe Tim Cook never types on an iPhone. I'm baffled as to why this is an issue. They made the iPadOS keyboard modern in 2018, the iOS keyboard remains mired in 2008.
The iPhone 15 Pro hardware is remarkable. The keyboard, though, oof, ow.
I am baffled by 1-2 extra keypresses to use numbers or symbols & get back to the letters is such a big issue. The majority of the US & Japan (predominantly iPhone users) function just fine.
Either way it's too late for iOS to change it now because "loyal" iPhone users are used to it now.
Swift allows me to configure multiple languages to be active at once allowing to type without bothering which of the languages is currently active
When texting Android users, don't use reactions. It spams them with an additional text saying "Soandso liked your post blah blah." They don't share a compatible messaging protocol.
"Find My" with precision finding can be useful for locating your devices or wallet (with an Airtag).
If your iPhone has a lidar, you can have some fun with photogrammetry apps. It's like a Kinect in your phone.
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Those are just the random things I'm jealous of as an Android user. Had an iPhone for a while but couldn't get used to it.
The Reactions thing depends on your phone's default app. On Pixels and a few Samsungs the Google app comes default, but that's not the case across Android (especially older and cheaper devices). In a mixed group, you can't reliably predict who can and cannot see them. There's usually 3 or 4 separate protocols (SMS/MMS/RCS/iMessage). Safer to not use them unless you're talking 1 on 1 with someone you know can receive them.
Precision Finding is different from the base location system. The iphones have a separate ultrawide band radio that can triangulate and point to things nearby with a compass. Some Android phones have dormant UWB radios in their chips but as far as I know there is not yet ecosystem support for it yet except maybe in limited Samsung devices. That's supposed to coming to Pixels later this year. We'll see.
Yeah the lidar is neat. Mostly just a toy though since most of the photogrammetry is done by the visual camera instead (you can disable the lidar and still get similar results).
Also, shared messages app.
Explore the Accessibility section in the Settings. That's where the useful customization options are.
If you have the storage space, let the Photos app on the Macbook store the photos locally. Way easier to deal with them as a bulk there than on the Phone.
You can store web apps on the homescreen by using the share button. If it's a pwa, it will appears like a real web app (Was great for Navidrome, Logitech Media Server, and Outlook).
Some apps have both iOS and Mac versions, like Bear, Things, Anybox,... Be sure to check the iOS counterpart.
Explore Shortcuts. While I prefer scripts on the Mac, they're good on the iPhone.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProperHonestTech
He is excellent at explaining how to use the iPhone (and other Apple stuff) in a fun, clear and concise way. His explanations are simple, but he goes deep on features that I haven't seen covered elsewhere.
On my Android phone (running gboard), long pressing the spacebar means that moving my finger left and right scrolls the cursor left and right, but it doesn't operate like a touchpad (the cursor doesn't move smoothly, nor does it move up or down).
Is that not the same for you?
When typing, double tap the Space Bar to insert a period followed by a space.
Long pressing on app icons from the Home Screen will often give access to a few handy shortcuts. For example, with the Messages app one option allows you to go directly to the New Message screen.
The Firefox Focus app is a good set-it-and-forget-it ad blocker for iOS Safari.
Be mindful of how Apple benefits users who have multiple devices and take advantage as you see fit. Others have mentioned Continuity, the Notes app is good and syncs between iOS and macOS, the Reminders app will also sync across platforms, etc.
Don't count on Siri for much. Rudimentary tasks are typically reliable, but not much else: setting timers; basic math, saying, "Call Judy," tell Bob I'm leaving now (for a text/iMessage), basic language translations.
Selecting text provides a pop-up menu that can be scrolled right to left and has some helpful options (like getting a word defined and a few other things).
When the next major iOS release comes out in a couple months, Apple sites like MacRumors and 9to5Mac can be helpful resources for tips on the new OS.
Explore builtin features for notes, tasks, mail app etc.
That is when you get awesome synergy with your macbook.
The stock iOS apps (calendar, mail, etc.) are all pretty good and clean, I recommend trying to use them unless you find a good reason not to.
Settings -> Accessibility -> Audio & Visual -> Background Noise
I can activate it by pressing the home button three times (but I think that needs an additional setting).
- Enable lockdown mode and any other privacy features
- Limit all app permissions to the minimum, including notifications (for privacy and battery)
- For password manager, use bitwarden (or 1password), not apple's own (to prevent lockdown)
- Under location settings, avoid using precise location unless explicitly required, like maps (for privacy)
- open a specific web page every day at 5:00
- an icon on the Home Screen that enables low power mode (otherwise you have to dig into the settings for it)
- custom icon images for various apps, just to make it more visually appealing