In a city like Chicago, it can feel like iOS in in the majority, market share stats notwithstanding. Everyone has an iPhone out on the L, usually browsing Facebook or playing a game.
I have noticed a few quirks in how everyone seems to use iOS though. Things that could be done easily instead are often done in roundabout ways, while built in functionality is overlooked.
As an iOS newcomer after years on Nexus devices, I have worked out some kinks on my way to getting more comfortable with the is. Here are a few things to try out on iOS 8:
Customize your Today widget
I’ve known iPhone users who went months not knowing that they could pull down from the lock screen to see the weather. In iOS 8, you can see a lot more. Calendar, Reminders, Stocks and others are built in and there’s a great selection of their party options including :
BuzzFeed
Yahoo News Digest
SportsCenter
PCalc
Day One
Pedometer++
Turn on Wi-Fi calling
If you’re on a carrier with poor indoor coverage, consider Wi-Fi calling. It’ll boost your call quality. It’s found in Settings under Phone -> Wi-Fi Calls.
Turn on Bluetooth
It’s on by default (weird) but you’ll need it for lots of stuff other than your headset or Jambox. AirDrop and Handoff both require Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to be on.
Reorder your share sheets
iOS 8 makes it easy to share content between apps. You’ll see some apps further to left of the share sheet than others, but you can adjust to get the layout more in line with what you actually use. Go to the More option and you can drag the buttons around or even turn them off.
Download Mr. Crab and Plunder Pirates
Both of these games are free and make the most of the new Metal API for low level GPU access. Meaning: The graphics are gorgeous.
