This video is brought to you by MOFT Ever since my last iPad guide, I’ve had
people asking me to do a similar overview video on the iPhone sharing beginner's concepts,
tips & tricks, apps, and even accessories.
So, today I am excited to share some essentials that I use that can help you get the most
out of your iPhone.
Most of what we'll talk about today are my personal choices and applications that can
work great on modern-day iPhones as well as previous degeneration devices.
Let’s start with some core integrations.
I am a huge fan of iCloud Drive, and I use it for pretty much anything.
One of the reasons to preach iCloud is that it's tightly integrated with the iPhone.
Since I store everything on my iCloud and I share my desktop and documents folder alongside
my Mac and iPad, I can be sure I can access anything I need from the iPhone as well.
For that, I utilize the Files app a lot.
Meanwhile, I tend to see people ignoring this default app altogether, which I think is a
missed opportunity.
When I open the Files app, the tab that I use 99% of the time is the Browse one.
I find the recent’s view messy, and I rarely find a need to open my shared folders.
When I open the Browse tab on the top, you’ll see that I have two cloud connections - one
with iCloud and the second with Google Drive.
I use GDrive for sharing work-related files and some of my wallpapers and widgets, and
for everything else, I use iCloud.
With that in mind, I’d recommend you to take full advantage of your favorites as I
do here.
The favorites are quick paths to your most used folder.
In fact, my favorites resemble pretty much my Mac Finder’s favorites which I talk more
about in my recent “How I setup a new Mac” Guide, which I’ll link at the end of this
video.
If I were to open my This is E YouTube folder, I’ll end up with a few folders inside my
iCloud, and if I tap back on the Recents tab, I’ll go back to my Files default structure.
Very efficient way to move back and forth.
Note that I see everything in list view sorted by date so that newer items always appear
on the top.
Additionally, I scan a lot of documents through the Files app.
Every receipt I get gets scanned and saved to my Accountings folder, which in terms,
is shared with Accounting.
Using the Files built-in scanner is a must to me.
Equally important is using the annotations options of the Files app and the ability to
place my pre-scanned signatures when necessary.
There are two quick ways of navigating around Files while dealing with stuff that you want
to move around.
The first one is to grab a file with the intention to move it, and while holding it, tap on additional
files to add to the pile and then move everything around.
The second and most used tip that I shared in my iPad guide is to use two fingers to
multi-select items and then grab them to move them around.
If you want to quickly insert a bunch of items into a folder, you can use two fingers to
multi-select them and then press on the More menu (the circle with the dots) and choose
NEW FOLDER WITH X AMOUNT OF ITEMS.
BTW, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe…because WHY NOT?
In terms of photo tips, one that I love using is the built-in iOS 16 Smart Cutouts.
This is where you tap and hold on the subject of a photo that you’ve taken with the iPhone,
and you drag it to create a collage.
This is an extremely useful feature for generating personal greeting cards and fun images that
you can share around holidays or other occasions.
In most cases, I use the pocket version of the Pro Create app, which is free, where I
insert a desired background and then drag and drop the cutout as intended to create
something fun.
I can later edit the end result in Lightroom for some final touches.
While on the topic of collages, if you have one of the latest Pro iPhones, you can take
advantage of the 48MB RAW format if you want to have more freedom and clarity when working
with the cutouts.
In terms of the Apple Ecosystem integration, aside from the iCloud integration, I can’t
live without two other things - AirDrop and Universal Clipboard.
I send back and forth photos, videos, and files between my Mac and iPhone on a daily
basis, thanks to AirDrop.
Even larger video files are relatively quick to move around, which comes in handy when
I do video edits, and I find need to shoot some run and gun shots to prove a point, so
yeah, AirDrop is vital for me.
Universal Clipboard or the ability to copy something on the Mac to paste on the iPhone
is equally handy.
When I post something on Instagram, for example, I write it first on the Mac.
After I’ve spellchecked it and added the necessary hashtags, I just hit cmd+C and then
paste it on the iPhone.
For messages, I greatly appreciate the ability to undo them in the first 2-minute window,
but most of all, edit them in the initial 15 minutes.
This comes in handy when I reply to a message via Siri in the car, only to realize on the
next traffic light that Siri messed up my entire purpose of the text.
Before we get to the fun home screen & widget part and of course, the multi-purpose accessory
choices that I’ve prepared, allow me to tease my favorite combo that covers two categories
of accessories into one.
This is the MOFT Snap Stand Power Set, and it's an extraordinary external battery combined
with a 3-in-1 phone stand and wallet.
For starters, this is one of the best-looking batteries I've seen.
It's palm-sized and covered with vegan leather, marking it very satisfying to hold.
The 3400mAh capacity can top up iPhone at up to 7.5W, but of course, you can charge
your AirPods as well or something else Chi compatible.
In the package, tucked underneath the battery, there's the MOFT magnetic 3-in-1 phone stand
& wallet, which is where things get extremely practical.
I've been preaching about this wallet for a long time because while storing cards, it
can also prop the phone in almost all directions, even floating.
Stacked with the battery, you can use this combo while enjoying a meal, working on a
desk on its own, or plugged in with the help of the included breakaway magnetic tip cable
that snaps into place effortlessly.
MOFT's Snap Stand Power Set comes in four beautiful vegan leather finishes, so be sure
to check out the first link in the description below to grab one yourself.
When it comes to the organization of the iPhone, I would suggest you open the Duplicate Photo
album and use this built-in feature to clear up unnecessary duplicates.
In terms of home screen organization, I keep a tight ship.
As I’ve mentioned in previous videos, I always try to keep a single home screen and
utilize a combination of widgets and stacks as best I can so I can achieve the ultimate
efficiency and one-handed use.
With that in mind, I have a single home screen where I push the most used apps toward the
bottom for reachability while keeping a large Widgy Widget on the top.
The Widgy widget is actually a stack that holds my large calendar as well as a clear
background, thanks to an app called Clear Spaces.
At the end of they day, when I want to relax, a swipe away, and I see no distractions.
The widget itself is my newly created one, which I called MARS.
Not sure what inspired me to draw this wallpaper, but it was definitely the reason to create
this clean multi-purpose layout.
Behind the planet, I see a large clock above which I see my weekly calendar view - a simple
way to remind myself which day it is.
Below it, I have two pill-shaped action bars.
The left one holds two apps that don’t necessarily need to live as apps and take up space which
in my case are Notes and the Files app.
Next to them, I have the current feels-like temperature and conditions outside.
If like this widget, you can grab it yourself on my website and support a creator while
at it.
In terms of apps, some of my most used recents are Flipboard for news - primeraly for the
quick glance widget that I’ve placed in the widgets page - something I really enjoy
on my Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Tick-tick is my new favorite to-do app - not sure why I switched to it so late.
An inconspicuous app that I appreciate in the late hours of the day is Noir - this is
what coverts websites into dark mode versions and preserves my eyes and of course, Widgy
Widget which is what I use to tinker and create widgets and clear spaces for hiding sections
of the home screen or simply push icons to a desired location.
Let's talk accessories!
I will show you a range of products that I’ve tested, some of which you might find inspiring
and useful.
In terms of cases, I go through various choices as they are a great way to compliment the
outfit while providing additional functionality.
Aside from the Snap Stand Power Set that I teased earlier, MOFT has a great new offering
which can compliment the snap set in terms of color and finish while also be quickly
attached to a lanyard which might come in handy if you travel.
Another case that I use a lot is Pitaka’s latest Sunset Moment which is a limited edition
in terms of color yet pretty much the same as the standard MagEZ Case 3.
I enjoy it a lot because it’s the thinnest and lightest choice, and it comes with crazy
strong magnets.
Combined with the MagEZ Grip, this is one practical propping and fidgeting combo which
you can barely feel on the iPhone.
Of course, no iPhone is complete without AirPods.
Out of all AirPods choices, I much prefer generation three as I can’t keep the Pro
models for too long in my ears.
If you are interested to know my Pro struggles, I’ll be sure to leave a link to my AirPods
guide in the description below.
Keeping some buds at your disposal will give you the freedom to enjoy music, podcasts,
and books while commuting or waiting in line but if you budget is tight and you can’t
really afford AirPods, I am happy to show you a great alternative.
These are Marshall Minor III which are very much like the AirPods 3.
Aside from looking much better, coming in in the typical Marshall high-end black and
gold finish, they are more affordable and to some, might arguably sound better.
Of course, they are not as tightly integrated as the AirPods, but to many of you, that won’t
be a deal breaker.
All the products that I mention will be linked in the desciption below BTW.
The perfect companion to any iPhone is course, the AirTag.
I used the holidays to equip my relatives with those little guys, as they come very
handy and give a great piece of mind.
Since I use the Nintendo Switch, there was no reason to look for a better controller
alternatives.
With that in mind, I stumbled upon this Grefay controller adapter for the JoyCons, which
essentially turns the iPhone into a Nintendo Switch counterpart.
Now that you can connect JoyCons to pretty much all Apple devices, this is a great accessory
if you want to travel lighter and keep the Switch at home while enjoying awesome titles
from the Apple Arcade roster.
In terms of stands, there are choices galore.
One that I take advantage of at home is Belkin’s BoostCharge PRO.
There are cheaper alternatives out there…keep in mind.
The Belkin is rather expensive, but it does compensate when it comes to sturdiness.
It can accommodate the iPhone, Apple Watch an AirPods all at the same time - too bad
it doesn’t charge the Ultra at max speed, though.
Finally, if you are into video, think about the DJI Osmo 4 Combo.
This folding compact gimble has never been more affordable - I am saying that because
I remember how much I paired for the very first model.
The gimble comes in very handy for outdoor shots in both vertical and horizontal orientations
and it is surprisingly good to be used indoors as a Tripod…especially if you take advantage
of DJI’s tracking capabilities.
If you enjoyed this video then you should definitely check out my Get THE MOST Out of
iPad GUIDE here.
If you are into WIDGETS and home screen setups, be sure to check this video out.
Like & Subscribe to the channel, as well as my newsletter, and as always, it’s been
an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over & out