The iOS Settings app has received more and more functions over the years, but which ones are really worth checking (regularly)? In this article we list them.
1. Search function
Since iOS 9, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch’s settings window finally has a search function to find specific settings. You will find the search field at the top and as you type, relevant suggestions will be shown. As a result, you do not have to go through all the settings in search of one particular feature.
2. Wifi Assistance
Wifi Assist (‘Wifi Assist’ in English) can be useful if you regularly walk away from a location where you are connected to wifi. If the connection is lost, your iOS device will switch more quickly to 3G or 4G. However, if you do not want this, for example to avoid higher data usage, go to ‘Settings> Mobile network’ and scroll down to disable the function.
3. Notification
If you get crazy about all the notifications and pop-ups you get from the apps that are on your iDevice, you can determine exactly which apps may or may not disturb you via Notifications. Per application you have the option to indicate where and how the notifications appear.
4. Hotspot function
Via ‘Settings> Personal hotspot’ or ‘Settings> Mobile network> Personal hotspot’ you can turn your mobile data connection into a WiFi hotspot. You can then log in with another device, where the hotspot is visible as, for example, ‘iPhone van Gijs’. You can determine the password for the connection yourself; choose one that is difficult to guess.
5. Do not disturb
If you want to avoid being woken up by notifications at night, you can of course turn off your iOS device or put it in flight mode. But it is more convenient to go to ‘Do Not Disturb’ and choose ‘Scheduled’ here. Determine a start and end time and then your device will silence at set times.
6. Battery saving
Also recently introduced in the iOS settings is the energy saving mode that you can find via ‘Settings> Battery’. Here you can enable the feature and see which apps consume the most energy. If you don’t mind that your iDevice becomes a bit slower, you can also leave the saving mode on when the battery is (almost) full. The function will only turn off when charging when a certain battery percentage is reached.
7.iCloud
iCloud is one of the most essential parts of the Settings. Here you determine, among other things, whether or not your photos, mail and contacts are backed up. But you will also find the option to make a backup copy of all your data. You can then restore it via iTunes if something goes wrong with your device. The function ‘Find my iPhone’, to find your device or delete it remotely, can also be found in the iCloud menu.
8. Empty Safari Cache
Unlike other apps, Safari does have the option to delete temporary data, for example if you run out of storage space. To do this, go to ‘Settings> Safari’, scroll down and press ‘Clear history and website data’. This can easily save a few dozen to hundreds of MBs; useful if you have a device with little free storage space.
9. Privacy
If you have just started using a new iOS device, it is good to go to ‘Settings> Privacy> Advertising’ and enable the ‘Limit advertising tracking’ option. Then the personalized ads that iOS offers are limited. From the Privacy menu you can also turn off your location and determine which apps can have access to, for example, your contacts, microphone and camera.
This is just a selection of the number of options that the Settings app offers. If you have an addition to the list, let us know in the comments!