From essential first steps to pro-level tweaks, these are the things I do first every time I set up a new iPhone.
When you set up a new iPhone, iOS prompts you about some preferences for customizing certain things, such as the theme, access to location services, and Siri. Still, there are a lot of hidden features in iOS that many users don’t even know about—even those who have been using iPhones for a long time.
Whether you’re setting up a brand new iPhone or have just restored yours, read on as we detail which settings you may want to change on your device to get the most out of it.Give your iPhone a name
Did you know that your iPhone has its own name? It appears not only in the list of devices logged into your iCloud account, but is also visible to other people when you AirDrop to them.
Changing the name of your iPhone to something more personal than “iPhone 17 Pro” is a good way to start after setting up your new device. To do this, go to Settings > General > About and tap Name. You can type whatever you want.
Just keep in mind that other people will see the name you choose if you leave AirDrop turned on, so keep it clean.
Make your iPhone yours by giving it a personal name.Limit Background App Refresh
By default, iOS apps can keep their content updated in the background, even when you’re not using the app. This allows apps to be ready with the latest content available when you open them. However, keeping this feature turned on can drain your battery faster.
Revisiting this setting is a good way to ensure that your iPhone won’t drain your battery or waste your cellular data plan if you don’t want it to.
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and tap Background App Refresh at the top of the list. You can choose from three options:
Off: Turn off background updates completely (you will still receive notifications from your apps).
Wi-Fi: Your apps will download new content only when your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Wi-Fi & Cellular Data: Your apps will download new content regardless of whether you’re connected to Wi-Fi or 5G.
If you opt to keep this feature enabled, you can also limit it to specific apps. All you have to do is disable the apps that you don’t want to allow to download content in the background.Switch between light and dark modes automatically
During iPhone setup, you can customize things such as text size and whether you want to use your iPhone in light or dark mode. However, there are many more options available when it comes to display settings, and revisiting them can make your experience better and more comfortable.
You can set a schedule for when your iPhone switches to dark mode.
For instance, your iPhone can automatically switch between light and dark mode. To do this, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and tap Options under the Appearance section.
You can choose between “Sunset to Sunrise,” which will automatically select the best time of day for each theme, or set a custom schedule.
