iPhone 12 Tips & Tricks: First things to do on your new iPhone 12

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If you have gotten yourself a brand new iPhone, there’s a chance that you are a user shifting from Android or perhaps somebody who has upgraded to one of the latest models available. Now, if you do belong to either of those categories and are looking for things you should do with your new device or know about it, well, this guide will help you do just that! Below we have listed ten tips and tricks you should know to ensure your device feels comfortable from the get-go.

Set up your iPhone

Focussing on setting up your brand new device, if coming from Android, Apple has an application called Move to iOS, which you can use to transfer messages, photos, videos, calendars, and contacts. While the app may help you ease into using your new device by copying essential information, its reviews aren’t a great look, but your mileage may vary. So make sure to give it a shot!

Now, if you are using an iPhone at the moment, in that case during the setup, you will have the following three options: 

  • Set up with Quick Start: This feature needs your current device (iPhone or iPad) to be running iOS 11 or later. Bringing it closer to your new iPhone will initiate a prompt that will transfer your Apple ID and directly give you the option to download data backed up in iCloud.
  • Restore from iCloud: This option will allow you to download all of your backed information to your new device.
  • Restore from iTunes: This feature will allow you to restore your previous device’s information, backed up to your computer, via a wired connection.

Quick Start will not work if your device belongs to an organization and has its MDM software enabled. Also, this method transfers the Apple ID present on your current device to the new one, so if you want to use a new or different one, choose Set up manually, which will then let you Restore from iCloud or from iTunes.

Swipe Gestures on iPhone

Since the removal of the home button, gestures are the de facto way to navigate an iPhone, and listed below are those which each user must be aware of:

iPhone iOS 14 Home Screen
Home Screen, Notification Centre, Control Centre, and Reachability (Left to Right)
  • Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go to Home Screen
  • Swipe down from the left top of the screen to access Notification Centre
  • Swipe down from the right top corner of the screen to access Control Centre.
  • Swipe right from the left edge of the screen to go back to a previous menu in an application.
  • Swipe down from the bottom edge of the screen to activate Reachability.

Note: Reachability is off by default and needs activation by going into the Accessibility subsection of the Settings app.

Haptic Touch

iOS Haptic Touch
Haptic Touch Menus in iOS

Haptic Touch is a feature implemented in the various UI elements of iOS. On the Home Screen, a long press on any app icon brings forward options that perform pre-determined actions in the application. For example, the camera app allows users to begin taking a selfie or record a video instantly.

Control Centre

Akin to Quick Settings on Android, Control Centre is Apple’s way of providing users with immediate access to system-level functionality that allows deactivating Wifi or Bluetooth, turning on your Hotspot, changing brightness and volume levels, and other features of the sort.

Users can also customize this menu to cater to their particular needs by adding or removing control modules. The steps to do so are listed below:

How to change Control Centre Settings

  • Open Settings.
  • Scroll down to the Control Centre subsection.
  • Add or Remove modules with the plus or minus buttons and re-arrange their order by tapping and dragging around the triple bar symbol.

Customize your Home Screen

Managing Pages

how to hide home pages on iOS

With iOS 14, Apple added a neat little trick that allows you to hide the number of app pages visible. To do this, long-press on an empty portion of the Home Screen and then tap on the dots right above the Dock. Now, select which pages you want visible.

Adding Widgets

iPhone how to add widget tip

To begin adding widgets to your Home Screen, long-press on an empty section and then tap on the plus button in the left-top corner. Now, choose an application and select the style you want to use, and place it anywhere.

Learn about Sections around the Home Screen

While iOS’ Home Screen is the place you’ll see most of your applications and widgets, Apple has developed certain sections and features around this element that can come in handy. You can find their details below.

iPhone App Library, Widgets, Spotlight Search
Today View, Spotlight Search, and App Library (Left to Right)
  • Today View for Widgets: Found in the left-most section of your Home Screen, this feature serves as the default location for you to find your widgets. You can also find those from applications that haven’t received an update to support use on Home Screen.
  • Spotlight Search: Accessible with a swipe down from the middle of the screen, this feature is universal to every device Apple makes. It allows you to look up information, files, or applications on your device.
  • App Library: Found in the right-most section of your Home Screen, this was a feature added to iOS 14. It provides you with a folder or list view of all the applications installed on your device.

Adding Accounts to your iPhone

The steps listed under this subheading will help you import contacts, calendar events, and notes into your new phone by logging into your email account — provided you’ve synced your contact list with it on previous phones. Follow the steps listed below to configure this setting.

Adding Accounts to iPhone

  • Open Settings, scroll down, and tap on the Mail subsection.
  • Now, tap on Accounts and then Add Account.
  • Once you’ve done this, you can configure which information you want syncing with your iPhone.

iPhone Camera Tips

Unfortunately, unlike Android phones, Apple doesn’t provide users with several customizable options within the camera app. Yes, iOS 14 did add the ability to change the quality and frame rate in which you record a video in the app, but that reverses back once you quit. So through the steps listed below, you will learn how to configure camera settings on your iPhone.

iPhone Changing Camera Settings

  • Open Settings, scroll down, and tap on the Camera subsection.
  • Within this, we recommend clicking on Formats and changing the setting to Most Compatible.
  • Also, tapping on any of the record options (marked in green) will allow you to change the default resolution in which your phone records videos.

Also, on iPhone 12, Apple features an option to record HDR video. We recommend turning this off so that when you share video files with other services, the recorded clips will be visible as you see them on your screen and not have blown-out highlights. Although, HDR files recorded on iPhone will playback fine on most of Apple’s devices released in and after 2017.

Understanding iCloud

iCloud is a service you may have heard of before. It allows you to store your content in the cloud and keep it up to date across your various devices. Using this can make changes made on one device reflect across all the other Apple products you own. By default, the service offers users 5GB of free online storage, which can be upgraded to 200GB for $2.99 per month or to 2TB for $9.99 per month.

iCloud also serves as the basis for the feature that allows you to connect your AirPods to one device and find them accessible on others that use your Apple ID. All in all, it is a cloud-based service that offers storage, data syncing and enables the Apple Ecosystem.

iCloud configuration can happen on your iPhone or iPad by tapping on your profile which shows up at the top within the Settings application.

Managing Subscriptions on iPhone

Note: When subscribing to services (not owned by Apple) through the App Store’s payment system, you may end up paying a little more; this covers the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases.

If you are someone with several subscriptions, knowing how to manage them is essential, and the steps listed below will show you how to do so on iPhone.

how to cancel subscriptions in iOS

  • Open Settings and tap on your profile visible at the top.
  • Select Subscriptions and wait for the next page to load.
  • On this screen, you can see all of your subscriptions and manage them.

If you’re planning on paying for iCloud Storage or Apple Music, we recommend checking out Apple One plans. If you can find a use for every feature they offer, this is one of the most comprehensive packages available. The service is available in three tiers, and you can learn more about it by reading this article on our website.

Note: When subscribing to services (not owned by Apple) through the App Store’s payment system, you may end up paying a little more; this covers the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases.

And with that, we come to the end of this list of tips and tricks you should use with your new iPhone. If you’re looking into accessories to protect your investment, we recommend reading our compilation of some of the best cases that you can buy for the iPhone 12 without breaking the bank. Also, if you still haven’t jumped onto the TWS trend, here is an article from XDA which talks about the best options in the market; because iPhones have ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack, and you may find yourself in need of a new pair.




A 20-year-old whose interest is peaked when someone says the word ‘Ecosystem’. When not doing any writing related to technology, you may find Aryan filming videos, doodling or diving into RPGs.

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