6 Essential Tips to Optimize Your New iPhone

The iPhone 16 Pro has just hit the shelves, and while it's stunning out of the box, there's always room to make it truly your own. If you're like me, you want your iPhone to be efficient, personalized, and optimized for daily use. Here are six essential things I do every time I get a new iPhone to get the most out of it.

1. Enable Battery Percentage

One of the first things I always do is enable the battery percentage. It’s a simple tweak, but it makes a big difference. Knowing how much charge you have left helps you manage your daily usage. With the iPhone's extensive battery features, it’s easy to miss the percentage, so turning this on ensures you’re never caught off guard.

2. Adjust Display & Brightness Settings

Next up are the display settings. Personally, I’m not a fan of the "Always-On" display—it drains battery and can be distracting. I also disable the "Raise to Wake" feature for the same reasons. These small adjustments help preserve battery life and reduce unwanted interruptions.

Another tweak I recommend is turning on Night Shift. This feature adjusts your display's colors to warmer tones during the evening, reducing blue light and easing eye strain. After long scrolling sessions or late-night reading, your eyes will appreciate the difference.

3. Organize Your Dock for Productivity

Your dock is prime real estate on your iPhone, so use it wisely. I like to keep mine filled with apps I use daily, such as Reminders, Calendar, and Notes—things that add real value.

While it's tempting to put social media apps there, I recommend reserving the dock for tools that boost productivity. Keep your most useful apps just a swipe away and stay focused.

4. Simplify Your Home Screen

A cluttered home screen can be overwhelming, so I always take the time to simplify it. Here are three ways you can declutter your iPhone:

• Option 1: Go old school—delete everything you don’t use.
• Option 2: Move your most-used apps to the next page, and clear out the rest.
• Option 3: Use the "lean and clean" method—move one app to a new screen, then gradually build from there using the App Library for a minimalist look.

Bonus Tip: Add widgets to your home screen for easy access to important information. I like to have widgets for Calendar, Reminders, and even Screen Time to monitor my daily usage. It’s a game-changer when it comes to staying organized and productive.

5. Focus Modes: My Favorite iPhone Feature

If I had to pick one feature that stands out the most, it’s hands down Focus Modes. It’s incredibly helpful in staying productive and managing distractions. Here’s how I set up mine:

• Monk Mode: For deep, focused work sessions.
• Fitness Mode: To block distractions while I’m at the gym.
• Sleep Mode: To ensure my phone stays quiet when I’m winding down at night.

These modes allow you to customize notifications and screen appearances depending on your activity, keeping you in control of your time and focus.

6. For Pros: Automation

For the control freaks out there, this one's for you—automation via the Shortcuts app. This is by far one of the most powerful features on the iPhone because it automates tasks that save time every day.

Here are two automation I use all the time:

• Automatically enable Airplane Mode when I go to bed to avoid distractions.
• Turn off WiFi when I leave home to save battery And to avoid my Phone automatically connecting to a random WiFi (Just be aware this might drop your connection unexpectedly!)

You can even create a Quick Capture shortcut, using either the Action Button or a double tap on the back of your iPhone for fast access. If you want to dive deeper into automation, I’ll include links to my video and a guide to help you get started.

By making these small adjustments, your iPhone 16 Pro will be tailored to your specific needs, helping you boost productivity, save battery, and minimize distractions. Enjoy your optimized iPhone experience!