Got a new iPhone 14? Do these 7 things first

So you just bought a brand new iPhone 14, transferred everything from your old phone, and now you’re ready to play with your shiny new toy. What do you do first? Obviously, you’re going to check out the apps you’ve been using on your old iPhone for so long, probably marveling at how fast they load and how smooth and responsive everything is.

Than what? Here are our suggestions for the first seven things you should do with your iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro. And if your iPhone 14 is your first experience with iOS 16, you should know that there are also many excellent new features to try!

Update to iOS 16.2

If you have an iPhone 14 series handset, it came with iOS 16. But it probably doesn’t have the latest version, which is iOS 16.2. It came out in mid-December and brought with it several new features, including Apple Music Sing, which converts your favorite songs into karaoke tracks, the Freeform app for cross-device collaboration, and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. In addition, there are plenty of bug fixes and security updates, so you should install it as soon as possible. To get it, go to Settings and tap General and Software update.

Adjust the display settings

Your new iPhone 14 Pro is the first iPhone with an always-on screen, so you should try that first. You can enable it in Settings > Display and brightness and enable the Always On Display. Also check out the settings that let you hide the wallpaper and notifications.

Depending on what previous iPhone you may have had, you may not have found much use for some display settings that could be much more useful on an iPhone 14. Open Settings > Display and brightness and experiment with some of the options there. Dark mode is easier on the eyes in low light and saves battery life with your OLED display. If you don’t want it on all the time, click the Automatically toggle and choose between “Light to Sunset” (which switches based on the time of day) or “Custom Schedule” (which lets you set a personalized schedule).

Change auto lock of the default 30 seconds can also save you a lot of frustration, and this is a good time to mess around with things like text size. Night Shift takes some of the blue tones out of your screen late at night, but it’s a bit strong – set it to the time you want (start a few hours before you go to bed) but move the slider a bit to the Less hot side if you don’t want to skew the screen so much.

Keep it safe

are iPhones duration. And even if you have the money to buy a new one, you want to keep it this one one in good condition to help resale or trade-in value, or make it a better hand-me-down in a few years.

We recommend putting a case on your iPhone 14. If you’re not into covers, look for a super thin one from the likes of Totallee or consider a skin from Dbrand or Slickwraps. It doesn’t add much protection against drops, but it will keep your iPhone free from scuffs and scratches without adding any bulk or weight.

Also consider a good glass screen protector. Even with Ceramic Shield, shattered screens are the biggest problem with dropped phones, and even with AppleCare+ they are expensive to repair. A good screen protector is almost invisible and ensures that your screen does not crack!

Check out the new camera modes

One of the coolest new camera features of the iPhone 14 is Action Mode, which applies very heavy video stabilization to your handheld shots. It’s just what you need to shoot videos while running, on a boat or in any other situation where it’s hard to keep your phone still. Open the camera app, switch to video mode and tap the little action button to turn it on. Try running around with it on and off.

Cinema mode has been updated to 4K resolution, so you might want to try that too. If you upgraded from an iPhone 12 or earlier, you didn’t even have this feature. It’s fun to experiment with, but Apple also has a support article that explains how to use it. Find a random location with a subject up close and in the background (or stage something) and try it out! Play with tap to focus or double tap on a subject to enable automatic focus tracking. When you’re done, open the Photos app and play around with editing the video to change the focus from the way it was originally shot.

Another fantastic feature is the Macro mode, which allows you to take incredibly detailed close-up photos with the iPhone 14 Pro. It works automatically out of the box when you get close enough to an object, but you can also take more control over it in the settings.

You can do this on any iPhone, but many people haven’t done it yet and it could save your life one day. So setting up a new iPhone is the perfect time to open the Health app to enter important medical ID information and set up an emergency contact. Medical ID information can display critical medical information or allergies on your lock screen for a first responder, and an emergency contact is someone who can be called in an emergency by holding down the side and volume buttons.

1. First, open the Health app.
2. Then tap your profile picture top right.
3. Crane Medical ID.
4. Crane Edit top right.
5. Enter all the critical medical information a first responder needs to know if you have an accident, and an emergency contact you would like to reach.

Set photographic styles

Photographic styles were introduced with the iPhone 13, but since most users don’t upgrade every year, they may be new to you. This feature allows you to adjust the image processing pipeline to give your photos a slightly different tone that is more to your liking. Open the Camera app, switch to photo mode and swipe up to reveal the small camera controls. Select the one that looks like three stacked layers to reveal the Photographic Styles selections.

Swipe left or right between the different styles: standard, rich contrast, vivid, warm and cool. In each you can further adjust the tone and warmth of the image. Once you enter something you like, it will be applied to every photo you take as you take it. The differences can sometimes be subtle but important, so take the time to experiment and take test shots! You can also select your photographic style in Settings > Camera > Photographic styles.

IDG

Take a trip to the Dynamic Island

The cool new feature on the iPhone 14 Pro is not the camera, but the Dynamic Island. It looks like a smaller notch when you turn on your phone, but when you start using your new iPhone, it springs into action, bouncing and expanding with music, FaceTime calls, timers, and much more. See everything the Dynamic Island can do and try out third-party live activities.

Read the manual

Did you know that your iPhone actually comes with a manual? No, it wasn’t in the box… it would never fit in there. Apple keeps it online. But it’s super useful, with a nicely organized hyperlinked guide to your iPhone hardware and iOS 15 online in the iPhone User Guide. You’ll be amazed at how many useful details it contains and how much you learn just by reading the instructions!

If you prefer to read offline, or just want to keep your manual handy for times when you don’t have internet, you can download a free ebook in the Book app.