With Apple releasing a new model of the iPhone every year, not only is it difficult to keep up with the latest technology, but it’s also very expensive. While it’s tempting to go for the upgrade, dishing out over $1,000 on a new iPhone isn’t really a necessary necessity, especially since your existing iPhone still has plenty of life left in it.
Whether you’re stuck on a contract or on a budget, extending the life of your current iPhone offers more opportunities to save up for some AirPods, a weekend getaway or next year’s iPhone that offers truly worthwhile features.
Here are some useful tips and tricks to make your existing iPhone feel new again.
1. Understand Your iPhone’s Camera
One of the biggest reasons to upgrade your iPhone to the latest model is to enjoy a better camera. However, many iPhone users don’t really need a new phone, they just need to figure out how to take better pictures with their current iPhone.
Exploring the full range of features of the iPhone’s Camera app can make a big difference. For example, if you hold your finger down on the screen where you want the camera to focus, the exposure will change. Similarly, if you have a steady hand, you can turn on HDR to get the ultimate balance of shadows and highlights, combining three photos taken in quick sequence one after the other.
2. Invest in a New Case
Give your iPhone a new lease of life by buying a new case, like the Rapic Shield that’s been military-grade drop-tested. A phone case not only protects your phone, but with the vast amount of options available, you can also restyle your entire iPhone at an affordable price.
Whether your phone is covered in scratches or you’re just bored with the color you’ve chosen, you can make your iPhone feel new again in no time. What’s more, you can buy more than one case, so you can change your case regularly.
3. Free up space with iCloud
iCloud is free for iOS users; You’ll get up to 5GB of free storage when you sign up. It allows you to store anything from your iOS devices including photos, apps and files. iCloud is not only useful for backups, but you can also remove items from your iPhone that are taking up too much space and store them securely with iCloud accessible at any time.
By freeing up space on your iPhone, you’ll see that you have room for new apps, photos, and more. iCloud+ plans start at $0.99 per month for 50GB of storage and up to $9.99 per month for 2TB of storage.
4. Upgrade Your iOS
iOS updates are available for free directly from your iPhone. You can check if your phone has the latest version of iOS by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It’s worth turning on Automatic Updates so that your phone notifies you when a new iOS is available.
iOS updates not only ensure that your iPhone has the latest software, but also bug fixes, security updates, and new features, such as redesigned apps and widgets. If your iPhone is capable of running the latest iOS, you may find that you don’t need to upgrade, as you can access features that even the latest iPhone models have.
5. Organize Your Apps
Tired of using and seeing the same old apps on your iPhone? Why not switch things up and make your iPhone feel like it came out of the box! By pressing and holding your finger on an app on your iPhone, you can remove unwanted or unused apps, or edit the Home screen to rearrange your apps by color, into different folders or categories.
It’s amazing how much the placement of your apps on your home screen can change your overall iPhone experience.
6. Turn off Location Services
Some apps on your iPhone use your location to improve the app, serve you better, or save data so you can more easily find things like photos through filters. However, Location Services use GPS and Bluetooth to determine your approximate location, draining your iPhone’s battery and ultimately reducing its longevity.
You can see which apps are using your location by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Here, you can turn off location services entirely, or allow location access only when using the app to help improve your iPhone battery life.
7. Update Your Apps
Like your phone’s iOS, your apps get updates too. These updates can improve performance and introduce new features to your iPhone when using apps.
To make sure your apps are running the latest versions, go to the App Store on your iPhone and then tap on your profile picture in the top right corner. You can update your apps individually or all at once. Alternatively, you can go to Settings > App Store and turn on App updates so that your phone automatically downloads updates when they become available.