Even if Apple takes care of every detail of its devices (iPhone and iPad above all), iOS is subject, like all systems, to problems or annoyances caused by new features, options to change and oddities to correct following a system update . If we have recently made an update on our iPhone or iPad, we recommend that you follow the tips in this guide, so that you can disable and modify options for each iOS version and customize new functions. In this way we will be able to maintain our healthy habits without disrupting the use of the Apple device, effectively deactivating only those functions that are not very useful or even uncomfortable in which we can run after an iOS update.
Options on iOS to change or disable
To make the best use of our smartphone, we recommend that you change or disable the following functions on our Apple device with iOS. Obviously we must not take the suggestions proposed as "sacred": if you find a function that is convenient for you and that you do not want to deactivate, ignore our suggestion and go ahead.Unlock the iPhone with only the fingerprint
The iPhone is normally unlocked by pressing the Home button (on iPhone 8 or lower) or by bringing the face closer to the front camera (Face ID on iPhone X or higher).If, however, on old models we want to avoid fatigue, press the Home button every time and we want a simpler and faster way to unlock it, go to the Settings menu -> General -> Accessibility -> Home button and activate the Finger rest option to continue . In this way, just a finger on the Home button for a few seconds, without having to press, to unlock the device.
Deactivate the "raise to activate" function
Lift to activate is a feature of recent iPhones that makes sure that the screen turns on automatically when you pick up the phone. If you don't want this function, if you notice that the screen stays on for too long or at the wrong times, you can disable this option by going to Settings -> Screen and brightness . You can then go back to the old way of touching a button to activate the screen.Turn off the ability to reply to messages from the lock screen
For privacy reasons, you may not be so happy that incoming messages now appear directly on the lock screen and you can also reply directly to them.This function can be completely disabled from the Settings> Touch ID and code menu, by entering the access code, going to the Allow access if blocked section and disabling the Reply with message option. From here you can also disable other screen lock features like Notification Center .
Turn off location tracking for Apple services
The iOS operating system tracks the places where we move when connected to the internet in Wi-Fi or LTE, so that we can always use the tracking system included in iCloud (in case of loss or theft).If, however, we particularly care about our privacy and do not want the smartphone to know "where we are" continuously, we can stop tracking the position by going to the Settings> Privacy> Location menu, selecting the item System services and disabling all the Apple services that track the position (they will be indicated with a gray compass needle, a sign that they have traced the position in the last 24 hours). Obviously, it is not necessary to turn off the functionality completely, since it is essential when we use navigation apps such as Google Maps or Waze.
Disable automatic compilation in Safari
Safari now includes a special keyboard that offers suggestions for filling in personal information on website forms, for automatically writing things like name, surname, phone number, email and credit card number.This is a useful function that could harm our privacy, especially if someone else uses our phone: to deactivate it, go to Settings> Safari> Automatic filling and deactivate the items Use contact info and Credit cards .
Send the last position with the low battery
Find My iPhone is the feature to find your cell phone if it is lost or lost. When our battery is completely discharged and the phone is about to turn off, we can make the iPhone record the last position, so that we can recover this precious information.To activate this function, open the Settings app, tap on our username at the top, open the iCloud menu, tap on Find my iPhone and activate the Send last position option. After activating this function, every time the device battery is almost discharged, the iPhone will use the last energies to send the current position of the device to iCloud, provided that an Internet connection is active.
Disable any unused system apps
On iOS we can remove the pre-installed apps, so as to avoid consuming battery and being active in memory (slowing down the smartphone). These are not, in reality, eliminated and uninstalled, but only deactivated and can be reactivated by downloading them from the app store. To deactivate the system apps, simply hold down with the finger on any app and use the X key that will appear on the system apps to remove them. Currently we can remove Calculator, iCloud Drive, Reminder, Calendar, iTunes, Bag, Compass, Mail, Tips, Maps, Videos, FaceTime, Music, Voice Memos, Find Friends, Contacts News, Watch, Home, Notes, Weather, iBooks, Podcasts .However, we cannot remove the system apps Clock, Camera, Settings, App Store, Wallet, Health, Photo, Safari, Phone, Messages and Find iPhone. If we want to reactivate some system apps, just open the App Store and look for the app name.
Find the apps that consume the most battery
If we notice that the battery drains too quickly, maybe the problem is caused by some app that stays in memory and consumes too much energy.On an iPhone or iPad we can check the energy consumption of the apps by going to Settings -> Battery and tapping at the bottom on the Show activity item, so to see the list of applications that use more energy. You can then decide whether to uninstall or disable these apps in order to make the iPhone and iPad battery last longer.
Change text size
Those who have difficulty seeing closely can increase the size of the text; if instead we see all too well closely we can make the text smaller.To adjust the text size, go to Settings> Screen and brightness -> Text size and choose the font size. For better visibility we can also activate the bold text item or go to Settings -> General -> Accessibility and activate the larger text item.
Activate app restrictions
For better privacy, in iOS it is possible to block access to specific apps or limit their temporal use through the system of restrictions integrated in the iPhone and iPad (one of the best, in fact there are no third-party apps parts for functionality).To activate the restrictions of the iPhone or iPad, go to the Settings-> Time of use path and use the App limitations, Content and privacy and Pause use menus to set the limitations. To make the restrictions effective and prevent someone from removing them, make sure to enter the unlock code, by tapping on the Use code "Use time" item and choosing a 4-digit PIN. In this way we will have prevented children or even strangers from using applications that they shouldn't touch, from using our accounts to share things and from shopping on the store.
Load a web page in desktop version on Safari
Safari, the browser integrated on iPhone and iPad, has the option of opening websites in desktop version, very useful on sites where the mobile version is badly formatted.To take advantage of this feature, open Safari, go to the website to be displayed in the desktop version, wait for the upload to finish, then press and hold the Reload button at the top right of the address bar; as soon as the superimposed window appears we tap on Request desktop site .
Safari will now update the web page and show the site as if we saw it from Safari on Mac or any PC browser.
Conclusions
With the suggestions proposed above we will be able to make the most of our iPhone and iPad, adapting it to our needs and our daily habits. Since no user is the same as the other, someone could modify or deactivate only one or two items, while someone else could very well ignore all the suggestions and use the Apple device "as is".If we want to further optimize our experience on iPhone and iPad, we advise you to read the guide to the best tricks and functions for Safari on iPhone and iPad . If we recently purchased the iPhone or iPad, we can also read our in-depth article on the new iPhone Configurations and iOS settings to get the most out of it .
If, however, our Apple device has a few years on its shoulders, we suggest you read the article on how to speed up the iPhone and optimize iOS .
