Alright, folks, so you’ve taken the leap and picked up one of those snazzy new iPhone 16s, right? First things first, let’s acknowledge that Apple’s still reaching into your bank account, but let’s be honest, we’re all in this cult-like following now. If you’re splurging a week’s paycheck on a phone, you better ensure you’re getting every penny’s worth, am I right? Here are 16 tips to guarantee that your shiny new iPhone is not just a pretty face in your hand. Buckle up, because I’m about to help you maximize every cent from this powerhouse without launching it out the nearest window!
Safeguarding Battery Health
Let’s kick things off with something everyone loves: fantastic battery life. Remember the days when your phone battery lasted more than a few hours? Anyone rocking an iPhone 15 knows that sinking feeling of watching the battery percentage drop quicker than your aspirations on a dreary Monday. The iPhone 16 comes with some improvements to give your battery a fair shot, but it’s still utilizing lithium-ion tech, mate. It turns out, these cells prefer to chill between 20% and 80% charge, so Apple’s given you a slider to help manage that.
HOW? Navigate to Settings, select Battery, then Charging, and you’ll find a slider that allows you to cap the charge between 80% and 100%. If you’re hoping to keep your iPhone functioning for a few years (and not have it die after a year), try setting it below 100%. Seriously, your future self will be grateful.
Note: Turn on ‘Optimised battery charging’ so your device stays at 80% while you dream of your favorite team winning, then juicing up to full just before you wake up. Smart move.
Background App Refresh
So, your phone’s been lounging in your pocket all day, yet somehow it’s still chowing down on battery? It’s likely those pesky apps are running in the background while you pretend to be busy. Apps like Maps, WhatsApp, and others love to keep their activity going when you’re not looking. But not every app needs to be lurking, does it? Time to put an end to that.
HOW? Head to Settings, proceed to General, and tap Background App Refresh. Now, disable the apps that you don’t want hogging resources in the background. The fewer you leave active, the longer your battery will last.
Lock Screen Security
So, you think your phone is secure just because it’s locked? Think again, mate. Even on the lock screen, there’s a load of stuff accessible to anyone—Control Centre, Notifications, Smart Home controls… and before you know it, your nan’s fiddling with your lights. If you want to keep your lock screen tidy or safe from prying hands, it’s time to tighten security.
HOW? Visit Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode, enter your code, and scroll to Allow Access When Locked. Now, disable anything you don’t want some nosy person messing with while your phone’s locked.
Lock Screen Shortcut Controls
Ever accidentally triggered your iPhone’s flashlight shortcut and blinded everyone in the gym at 6am? Yeah, me too. Thankfully, those days are behind us; you’re no longer stuck with just the flashlight and camera shortcuts. Now you can swap them out for something that doesn’t make you look silly in public.
HOW? Keep your phone unlocked but remain on the lock screen. Long press a blank area until the customize menu appears. Tap Customise, hit Lock Screen, and replace that annoying flashlight with something more functional, like a shortcut to your Spotify workout playlist or a direct link to the dog-walking app.
Personalise Your Icons
Time to give your home screen a fresh look. With iOS 18, you can position icons pretty much anywhere—or have some fun by placing all the apps randomly. You can also change the appearance of icons, making them look top-notch.
HOW? Long-press any empty area on your home screen, select Edit, then choose customise. There you have it—adjust icon sizes, switch to dark mode, and tint them any colour that suits your mood. Make it uniquely yours.
Lock or Conceal Apps
Got some apps you’d rather keep away from prying eyes? Maybe it’s your crypto wallet or something else you’d prefer kept quiet. With the new iPhone 16, you can lock them behind Face ID or hide them entirely. Privacy, sorted.
HOW? Long-press any app on your home screen. Choose Require Face ID or Hide and Require Face ID. The latter option stashes it away in a hidden folder. Good luck finding it after a few drinks.
Conceal Ads on Safari
Tired of ads popping up every time you try to catch up on the news? Need a little clean slate from the distractions? Safari has a feature called Distraction Control that allows you to remove ads—or any irritating clutter—from a webpage faster than you can say “Thanos snap.”
HOW? Launch Safari, tap the Distraction Control icon next to the address bar, select Hide Distracting Items, and swipe away the annoying items. Done.
Stealth Mode for Silent
If your iPhone spends 90% of its time on Silent like mine does, you don’t need the strike-through bell icon reminding you every time you glance at it. Want to get rid of that? Apple has finally given you the option.
HOW? Go to Settings, select Sound & Haptics, and turn off Show in Status Bar. Simple as that. No more bell icon clutter.
Personalise the Action Button
Remember the iPhone 15 Pro’s nifty Action Button? Well, non-Pro iPhone users can enjoy it too now. You’re not just limited to Silent Mode—now you can assign any function to it. I use mine to quickly access my gym playlist. Priorities!
HOW? Go to Settings, scroll down to Action Button, and browse through the options. Choose any function from lighting up your torch to launching a shortcut directly to Uber Eats. It’s your button… make it count.
Personalise Control Centre
Apple has finally made Control Centre more user-friendly—how wild is that? You can now resize widgets, reposition them, and even play with full-screen widgets. It feels like Christmas for a tech enthusiast.
HOW? Swipe down from the top-right corner, long-press any empty area, and start rearranging and resizing. Easy as pie.
Camera Control-Cum-Action Button
One of the iPhone 16’s snazzy new features is Camera Control. Press, swipe, tap—you can engage with the camera in more ways than just swiping up from the lock screen. A full press defaults to launching the native Camera app, but if you want to jump straight to Instagram or snap a QR code, you can adjust it.
HOW? Settings -> Camera -> Camera Control. Choose any app that uses your phone’s camera and set it as your go-to for quick snaps.
Adjust the Pressure
While Camera Control seems fancy, some folks struggle to press it without making the phone twitch like your mate after too much pre-workout. Good news: You can adjust the sensitivity.
HOW? Settings -> Accessibility -> Camera Control. Choose between Lighter, Default, or Firmer. If the idea of shaking like a leaf isn’t appealing, select Lighter.
Top-Quality Ultrawide
Apple’s throwing a 48Mp ultrawide camera on the iPhone 16 as if we’re all professional photographers. But the cheeky ones still set it to default 12Mp. Not cool, Apple, not cool. Want to unlock its full potential? I thought so.
HOW? Head to Settings, select Camera, go to Formats, and enable ProRAW & Resolution Control. Then, hit that HEIF Max icon in the camera app and voila—48Mp ultrawide snaps!
Note: Larger photos consume more space, so ensure you have adequate storage; otherwise, your iPhone will soon be hollering for more room.
Tuning the Photos App
Apple’s tinkered with the Photos app again, and if the new layout isn’t to your liking, you can customize it to your heart’s desire. Finally, some freedom, right?
HOW? Launch Photos, scroll to the bottom, and tap Customise & Reorder. Choose what you want (or don’t want) visible in your gallery and rearrange it to your liking.
Complete Photos Data
Want to share a photo with all the edits and metadata or strip it down? Now, you can select how much you want to share. Super handy when you don’t want anyone tampering with your perfect edits from your last date night or gym selfie.
HOW? Share a photo, tap Options, and turn on All Photos Data. Easy peasy.
Note: iCloud links last for only 30 days, so act fast.
Compose Now, Send Later
Got a mate who needs an iMessage but not just now? Schedule that message to arrive later. Perfect for forgotten birthdays or for when you want to appear more organized than you really are.
HOW? Open Messages, type your message, click the plus icon, and find Send Later. Choose your preferred time and date, and that’s it. A total lifesaver for us forgetful souls.
Summary: Maximizing Your Investment
Let’s be honest, mate. Apple’s taken a hefty chunk of your money, but with these tips, at least you’re ensuring you’re making the most out of that iPhone 16. You’ve got your battery handled, your apps managed, your camera set up, and your lock screen looking sharper than your mid-week banter. No more buyer’s remorse. Now get out there and actually put this beauty to good use like you mean it.
