It’s powerful to high the sensation of unboxing and organising a brand-new telephone. Even for those who restore your whole information and apps, it feels such as you’re getting a recent begin. That recent begin normally comes with a complete bunch of thrilling new options, too, however they’re not at all times simple to search out. Now that Apple has added some new buttons and methods to customise the appear and feel of iOS 18, organising an iPhone 16 can really feel extra sophisticated than ever.

Fortunately, we’ve already had a couple of days with your entire sequence, and we’ve picked out a couple of issues that may make your iPhone 16 really feel extra private proper out of the field. Listed here are a couple of ideas and tips to get probably the most out of your iPhone 16.

After all, there’s no higher place to start out exploring the iPhone 16 sequence than with the Digicam Management. In any case, it’s the one new button (that’s not only a button) that makes its technique to all 4 iPhone 16 gadgets. The Digicam Management isn’t laborious to search out as you are feeling your manner round your new iPhone — it sits low on the correct aspect, proper round the place the 5G window was — and is fairly simple to succeed in in both panorama or portrait orientation.

While you begin to play with the Digicam Management, you’ll shortly understand why Apple didn’t wish to name it a button. Though it technically is one and may simply be used to set off the digital camera shutter, it does a lot greater than that. Quite than poorly explaining how one can open and use the Digicam Management, I’ll run via what every sort of press does.

• Agency press: Opens the digital camera and in addition triggers the shutter.
• Single half-press: Opens the earlier menu to scroll via.
• Double half-press: Opens the general digital camera menu to vary settings.

Utilizing the Digicam Management works like this: Press the button as soon as to open your digital camera, then evenly faucet it twice to swap between zoom, depth, publicity, and Photographic Types. When you’ve chosen a setting, you possibly can reaccess it with a single gentle faucet. You must know, nonetheless, that you simply don’t must swipe on the Digicam Management itself to regulate your setting — as a substitute, it’s a lot simpler to swipe up and down on the sting of your show.

One of many key items of iOS 18 is that it now feels extra like Android than ever. And by that, you possibly can lastly rearrange apps and widgets so that they don’t all float to the highest of your display screen. As somebody who loves a clear, easy setup, iOS 18 has been music to my ears. Fortunately, rearranging your property display screen is not any completely different than in earlier variations of iOS; you simply have extra management over it. So, whenever you’re prepared to combine issues up, merely long-press in your wallpaper and begin dragging issues round.

Proper now, I’m operating with a lean, imply format paying homage to my traditional Android desire. Which means I solely have a social folder and a piece folder inside attain, in addition to my 4 important apps (Messages, Mail, Safari, and the dialer). I saved Climate and Spotify widgets on the high, too, however I’ve relegated all the pieces else to the App Library on the aspect. It’s not fairly as second nature as swiping via an app drawer, however I desire it to the muddle Apple beforehand compelled on me.

When you’re rearranging, it’s possible you’ll as nicely take a look at Apple’s colourful new app icons. You possibly can change them by way of the identical long-press in your wallpaper after which faucet the Edit and Customise buttons — in that order — to open up app settings. From there, you possibly can fine-tune your icons: Mild, Darkish, Automated, or Tinted. The primary three are fairly simple, whereas the final one helps you to match your app icons (and elements of some widgets) to a colour in your wallpaper.

Whereas we’re on the subject of rearranging, Apple has utterly redone its Management Heart for iOS 18. Like transferring round apps and widgets, you possibly can drag and drop completely different Management Heart buttons to make them simpler to succeed in. Even for those who don’t wish to transfer your controls round, there are nonetheless loads of new ones to dig into. As an alternative of the earlier Management Heart, which provided only a single menu of fast toggles, you now have entry to 4 completely different screens — one in your iPhone’s media, one for House controls, one for connectivity, and, after all, the customizable favorites menu.

For those who’re prepared to combine up your Management Heart, right here’s what to do:

1. Swipe all the way down to open the Management Heart.
2. Faucet the plus-shaped icon within the high left nook.
3. Drag and drop your controls.
4. Press Add a Management to decide on extra buttons from the menu.

And sure, the very best information of all is that the Management Heart works like the house display screen — you now not have to succeed in the highest of your display screen.

Apple additionally lastly determined to indicate the Photographs app some like to match its digital camera updates, however the brand new format takes a little bit of getting used to. It’s each extra cramped than earlier than but simpler to navigate. The default format now exhibits 5 photographs per row, beginning your gallery about two-thirds of the way in which down the display screen. Under that, you’ll get a tab marked Current Days, which covers days whenever you took a number of photographs, and a tab marked Folks for faces that seem typically. Sadly, Apple doesn’t contemplate pets individuals, so that you’ll must work a little bit tougher to search out your furry mates.

Outdoors of the shuffled format, there’s not a lot to discover with Photographs in iOS 18, not less than not but. Earlier than lengthy, it needs to be one of many stars of Apple Intelligence, not less than as soon as it will probably take away objects like Google’s Magic Editor does.

Whereas there’s no denying that Apple’s mixture of glass and aluminum or titanium is formidable, it’s definitely not invincible. The one time you’re taking your iPhone 16 for a careless journey might be the one time one thing occurs to it. The excellent news, nonetheless, is that you need to not often really feel like it’s important to take your iPhone and not using a case, as there are by way more choices for Apple merchandise than for some other system — not less than until you had been one of many 4 individuals who purchased a FineWoven case for the iPhone 15 sequence.

Simply understand that shopping for an iPhone 16 case comes with a couple of new wrinkles. For starters, all 4 gadgets are completely different sizes, with the vanilla iPhone 16 sitting at 6.1 inches. From there, you’ll want a unique case for the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Professional, one other for the 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus, and the largest case for the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Professional Max. Combine within the Digicam Management and Motion Button on the perimeters, and you’ll’t even use a case from the earlier era.

RCS assist will most likely get — and deserves — many of the consideration in Messages, however it’s not the one trick Apple saved up its sleeve. In any case, it’s not at all times simple to promote a die-hard iMessage person on higher communication with Android telephones as a result of they’ll nonetheless solely see a inexperienced bubble on the opposite aspect. What could be extra thrilling, nonetheless, is the flexibility to react to a message with any emoji in Apple’s library and to use completely different textual content results to different elements of your message. The consequences are someplace on the extent of Microsoft PowerPoint, however they’re nonetheless enjoyable.

As soon as once more, many of the new Messages options are energetic by default, however it’s nonetheless value a fast journey to the Settings menu if you wish to change one or two of them. Simply keep in mind that Apple has rearranged its settings in iOS 18, so entry to Messages now lies alphabetically beneath the Apps subheading.

Whereas I normally desire Apple Maps for driving instructions and saving my climbing routes to be used on my Garmin watch, I’m open to making an attempt new issues. A kind of new issues is that Apple Maps now helps downloadable trails. Do you have to resolve to let Apple Maps be your information, you’ve got two choices — both select from a pre-existing trailhead or create one among your personal. Proper now, the chances aren’t fairly as fleshed out as they might be in an app like AllTrails, however it’s laborious to argue with utilizing one app to drive and hike.

If you wish to create your personal hike inside Apple Maps, right here’s the way it works:

1. Open Apple Maps.
2. Seek for a close-by (or not close by) park.
3. Faucet on a trailhead (normally marked with a inexperienced icon).
4. Press Create a Customized Route.
5. Choose different path markers or campsites so as to add them to your route.
6. Full your route with the Save button.

You can even select to reverse your hike, make it an Out & Again, or let Apple Maps shut your loop by filling in trails it deems acceptable. It’s far more difficult to completely customise a route, as Apple Maps appears fairly depending on its path markers, however the general course of is far more simple than counting on a Strava-created map.

The Digicam Management could have grabbed many of the consideration relating to Apple’s iPhone 16 cameras, however it’s not the one improve. After introducing Photographic Types — which operate like Instagram filters — way back to the iPhone 13 sequence, they’ve been upgraded for Apple’s newest gadgets. Beforehand, you can swipe between 4 kinds: Wealthy Distinction, Vibrant, Heat, or Cool, and each solely modified the tone and heat of your shot.

Now, you continue to have entry to these primary profiles, however you too can faucet into a couple of rose-based choices, in addition to Dramatic, Cozy, Ethereal, and some black-and-white Photographic Types. The up to date Photographic Types nonetheless modify the tone of your shot, however they now concentrate on Coloration and Palette fairly than heat. I’ve largely relied on Vibrant and Stark B&W throughout my testing, as each appear to offer the iPhone 16’s often-natural digital camera a bit extra punch.

Right here’s how one can swap your Photographic Model:

1. Open your iPhone 16 digital camera.
2. Faucet the small set of dots within the high proper nook.
3. Swipe left or proper to undergo the Photographic Types.

You can even use the Digicam Management to entry Photographic Types. Faucet it twice whereas the digital camera is open and swipe to the identical dot-based icon. From there, swipe up and down on the Digicam Management or the show itself to decide on your fashion.

I already take pleasure in organising a brand new iPhone just because I’m virtually at all times logged into my favourite apps instantly, however now Apple has a brand new technique to make password administration simpler. It launched a Passwords app as a part of iOS 18, and it’s value a glance for those who’re not already a LastPass or 1Password person. For those who already use one other password supervisor, you would possibly discover it redundant, however you may also discover that Apple already has most of your passwords for those who saved them in Safari.

Truthfully, the truth that I already use a MacBook Air daily for work has made Apple’s Passwords an instantaneous hit. It already has entry to my important accounts, that means I can snag electronic mail logins, banking data, and an ever-growing record of Wi-Fi passwords with out having to go looking too laborious. Passwords routinely locks itself utilizing your Face ID data, making it as safe as your iPhone.

For those who really feel like sharing, you possibly can create Teams throughout the Passwords app to ship a Netflix password (or some other login) forwards and backwards. Simply understand that Passwords received’t get you round geo-restrictions.

Lastly, we must always focus on the opposite button that Apple added to the iPhone 16 sequence: the Motion Button. It’s not as new or thrilling because the Digicam Management because it was already out there on the iPhone 15 Professional sequence, however now it’s normal concern for all Apple flagships. Basically, the Motion Button replaces the mute swap, sitting above the amount buttons on the left aspect of the iPhone 16, and it provides a bunch of, nicely, actions to the combo.

Positive, you possibly can preserve it as a mute swap, with an extended press to leap between sound and silence, however that’s solely the beginning. The Motion Button will also be used to toggle Focus, open the digital camera, activate the flashlight, or bounce into a favourite app or management. I’ve saved mine locked in on silent mode, however it’s value making an attempt a couple of different choices to see if one clicks for you (pun supposed).

Right here’s how one can remap your Motion Button:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Choose the Motion Button.
3. Swipe left or proper to undergo the out there actions
4. Press the again arrow or swipe out of Settings to substantiate.

Fortunately, it’s extremely easy to vary your actions in only a few seconds, although I want the Motion Button did a bit extra. Because it stands, you possibly can solely program a single press of the Motion Button, however I’d have preferred an choice to double-press and even triple-press for extra capabilities.

Anyway, these are among the first issues I did whereas organising and exploring my iPhone 16. For those who actually wish to discover all the pieces that the iPhone 16 sequence can do, you possibly can take a look at the present costs under.