Seminar Team leaders are Carol, Jennifer, Tom and Melissa.
We are just volunteers who are enthusiastic about our iPhones and iPads. We’d love to have you join our team to share what you have learned about these magical mobile devices.iOS Basics is a seminar focused on the apps that came with your device. We hope you will embrace this technology. Your learning has just begun and is a journey to discover what will empower your curiosity as you use iPhone and iPads as windows to your world.
Make our website a Home Screen icon. From this email, touch the link below to open our website (in the Safari browser app). Look for the Share icon, a box with an arrow, in the upper right corner on an iPad and in the middle at the bottom of an iPhone screen. Touch the icon to open the Share Sheet and scroll up to see Add to Home Screen [+]. Touch Add to Home Screen. The top field is often a long name - tap the (X) to delete the name and type iOS Basics then touch the Add button. Now an icon for our website will be on your Home Screen. Just a touch away from the latest info we post.
Gestures are key to using a touch screen. One finger or multiple fingers, swipe right to left/left to right, up from the bottom, down between icons, down from the top and down from the top right corner are all gestures that you will be using. Also, tap, touch and slide, touch and hold. A great way to practice with gestures is to download a solitaire game. Tap, drag, double-tap cards to see what happens. Other games as well will help you get comfortable with iPad and iPhone.
Apple has designed iPhone and iPads as individual devices where one Apple ID is used for several devices. It is best NOT to share your Apple ID with another person. The IDs are free and come with 5 GB of iCloud storage space. But each Apple ID (user name is often an email address) has a unique password (created by you) that must be typed when buying an app, song, book or making a purchase through the Apple Store app. Most app purchases include the option for Family Sharing where your spouse can also download the app to their device.
Attention Everyone!
As a courtesy, use the Control Center to access Do Not Disturb and silence your iPhone by tapping Until I leave this location. All of your seminar leaders and peers will appreciate this action. In afternoon seminars, share this tip with others for the sanity of all.
How to bring up the Control Center …? More on that in a minute, keep reading.
WiFi at home, not on campus. You will NOT be encouraged to use WiFi in our seminar. In fact, we won’t answer any questions about how to get online with your device. If you insist on using WiFi on campus, read the instructions on the RenSoc Tech Help page at https://www.csus.edu/college/social-sciences-interdisciplinary-studies/renaissance-society/spotlights/tech-help.html - 4 hours max per login and your experience will be slow (frustrating and break your concentration on seminar activities).
Spotlight Search will help you find any app or content on your device. Try it by swiping down in-between icons on any Home Screen. The search field appears at the top of the screen with Siri Suggestions for recently opened apps. As you type the suggestions will change to reflect the letters or words in the search field.
The gear icon is the operating system Settings app. Don’t be nervous about looking at the information presented by this app. There is a Search option here that will help you target the element for review or change. To access the search field on the Settings screen swipe down with one finger. You want to know details on your device, type “about” then touch About (General). This screen shows the Name, Software Version, Model Name … AppleCare+ Expires date, number of Songs, Videos, Photos, Applications, Capacity and Available.
In the Settings app there are detail pages hidden behind a “>” button. If you don't use search here, you can browse following this path of cookie crumbs: Settings > General > About >
You need to know the iOS version on your device to get your free Apple User Guide where you can read about the features discussed in class. Control Center is a good place to start! Depending on your device - do you have facial recognition or a physical Home button?
When I write instructions I am using the latest operating system, iOS 13.3 and Face Recognition on an iPhone XI Pro or an iPad Pro, 3rd Generation. Your details will be different on a past operating system and older devices with a physical Home Button. So, you will need to adjust my notes to your situation by reading the free user guide for your device. In Apple Books, search for “user guide” and then tap (Get) for the device and iOS version you have. Every semester I download the newest user guide and review it for details that I missed in the last edition! Yes, I learn new things every semester. Just re-reading the guide again after taking IOS Basics you will learn new things. Scroll down this page to see additional links for help with your iOS devices on the post dated 2/7/20.
If you want to carry a book around, consider visiting your local public library or a nearby Barnes & Noble bookstore. In the computer section you will find books introducing you to iPhone or iPad, or both. You might look for a publisher that writes with Senior audiences in mind. In addition to iPad for Seniors you might look for iPhones for Dummies - a series of software and hardware books intent on pealing away the confusion of technology. It is a great idea to read instructions on a different book/device while doing the described steps. And it is easier too!
Personalize your device by rearranging apps to meet your needs. There are three Home Screens (at least) on your devices. Look for faint white dots just above the Dock, center screen. Swipe from right to left with one finger to see the second Home Screen, swipe again to see another. To go back, swipe left to right.
Move icons/apps to different Home Screens. Move one app over another to start a folder of like apps. On an iPhone, a folder of most used apps is very handy because only 4 icons fit on the Dock. On an iPad, your can arrange the apps on the Dock to meet your preference. Jiggling apps will also show (X) or (-) that allows you to delete an app (not immediately, you are prompted to confirm the deletion). I have seen many RenSoc users that have successfully deleted core Apple apps like Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Books, Maps, Stocks … A “best practice” is to move these apps into a folder and move the folder to the last Home Screen. As you continue through this seminar these apps will become more important to your success and you might promote them to a different Home Screen.
Practice using Spotlight Search on your device for the helpful apps that might be hidden or deleted:
- Tips
- Apple Support
- Tips changes and updates with new suggestions.
- Apple Support is tied to your Apple ID and can give you specific details on your devices.
We covered more information, but I bet you can't absorb anymore details so I’ll stop writing here. See you in class on Friday.