First Things First – What to Do After Updating to iOS 7

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new-icons-ios7Installing a new operating system to your iPhone or iPad almost feels like getting a new phone.  It looks completely different and has a bunch of cool new features.  An upgraded operating system can breathe life into an older phone.  iOS 7 is treating me very well so far, but there are a few things I recommend doing first.

  1. Turn on Automatic App Updates. This will automatically update your apps as the updates become available.  There’s no need to worry about burning through your cellular data because there’s an option to turn off automatic updating while using cellular data.  This option is in Settings > iTunes & App Store
  2. Turn off Background App Refresh on apps you don’t use often.  Now there’s an option to manage which of your apps can update their content while in the background and not active.  This is a great option, because background apps used to waste a ton of battery life as well as use cellular data while you were not connected to WiFi.  If you turn off Background App Refresh on the apps you rarely use, you can save battery life as well as cell data.  This option is in Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
  3. Set your Airdrop setting to “Contacts Only.”  Airdrop is a feature that has been used on MacBooks in the past and has been brought over to iOS.  It’s a way of sharing files, contacts, or documents without sending an email or text.  If you’re nearby your friend, you can wirelessly share a document through Airdrop using WiFi or Bluetooth rather than sending an email.  Although you get the chance to approve whatever is sent to you, it’s best not to broadcast yourself to everyone nearby.  Airdrop is located in the Control Center.
  4. If you’re shocked by the brightness of iOS 7, try changing your background to solid black.  Some people, including myself, may be shocked at first by the bright colors that iOS 7 brings.  Changing your background to solid black helps tone down the colors.

Check out all of the new features in iOS 7 on Apple’s site, and let us know if you have any other iOS 7 tips to share.

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About the Author

Perry Brauner
I'm an architect by trade, but the overarching theme of my life has always been trying to keep up with the newest, coolest technology. Ever since I picked up an NES controller, I've been hooked on the latest and greatest gadgets, gizmos, and toys. Whether it's gaming, mobile phones, and accessories, or PCs and Apple products, I'm interested. I use many Apple products in my daily life, such as the iPhone, iPad, and my MacBook Pro. I've also built a few PCs in my day, so I'd like to say that I'm a pretty well-rounded techie.

1 Comment on "First Things First – What to Do After Updating to iOS 7"

  1. David Goodspeeed | September 19, 2013 at 5:42 am |

    I just blushed a little when I saw “personal hotspot”

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