There have been so many new iPhones purchased by friends and colleagues recently that people are asking even me how things work (don't laugh, Lyle). And, of course, thousands of people are soon to be proud new owners of the iPhone 4 ½ …I mean 4S. This all got me thinking that I ought to write down a few beginner tips and tricks for new iPhone/iPod Touch users, especially those who have never owned a smartphone before. I am not denying the self-interest (we are selling an an app for goodness sake), but I feel a special connection to all of the "I still had my 2004 flip phone until I picked up this iPhone this morning" people. That was me not so long ago.
I will write a little bit each week for the next few weeks, hopefully answering all of the questions people have asked.
So, here goes my first installment of Friday Tips for New iPhone Users:
Big fingers, little letters
Type patiently, you get used to it, train the spell check to know the names and vocabulary you use most frequently and it will help you with all of the little typos that big fingers make.
Auto-correction—own it or it’ll own you
When your fingers type “trysa” when you meant “trays” and you don’t notice that the phone changed it to “tryst,” that’s when the smartphone has outsmarted you. Keep an eye on the screen as you type and when the little “suggestion” word(s) appear with an “x” just press the x to NOT change what you typed. Often the suggestion will be the right word that you simply haven’t finished typing—that’s when it is actually a good thing. You just press the space key and the full word appears, saving you a few characters of typing. Over a year of use, my phone knows that I often hit the w key instead of the space key and it autocorrects that. It knows my children’s names and the acronyms I use most for work even though they look like nonsense words. I still get an embarrassing slipup now and then (not as bad as these), but it has improved over time. I do think you can turn it off under “settings” if you need to.
Ear Dialing
Beware of using your ear to hold the phone on your shoulder—it may press “hold” or hang up for you. It’s another reason to use a headset or earbug or Bluetooth.
A Word about iTunes
Almost everyone I know thinks that iTunes is frustratingly limiting and feels a little trapped by having to use it. That said, there are some things I like—you can play your music or videos right there wherever you are in addition to on your iPhone/iPod, you can group your music into playlists, and, if you select the settings initially, you can let iTunes figure out what podcasts and videos you have already heard and whether to keep them on your phone or not. Another perk for me is that I can use an older iPod with different settings than my iPhone, yet use the same library of content so that the iPod gets all the stuff the kids might want to use and the iPhone gets only my stuff—even if I downloaded games and videos for them while on my iPhone. The best thing to do if this is all alien to you is a) spend some time exploring and experimenting with it to get comfortable, b) find a teenager to show you what to do.
The Genius Bar is your own, free, personal helpdesk at any Apple retail store. Use it. They are great. You have to go see them in person, but it can be well worth it. They have brought tears of joy to both my Dad and Lyle's eyes with their ability to resolve bad iPhone dilemmas (i.e., I dropped my phone into my wet kayak...).
Use SoDunked! to dunk your boss or just your teenager who spilled hot chocolate on the front seat of your car. It's fun!
Tune in here next week for the next installment which will include “Yes, it is a camera, too.”
Thanks to all who tried the app this week (and all weeks). Please keep telling your friends about SoDunked!
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