iPhone For Dummies. Bob LeVitus
custom numeric code, or a longer alphanumeric code. In fact, if you do opt to go with Touch ID, you must set up a passcode as a backup should the iPhone fail to recognize your paw three times in a row. Hey, it happens. Maybe you’re sweating profusely, or you have a cut in the wrong place, or you’re wearing gloves.
Typing passcodes may seem antiquated. However, you still need to type a passcode when you first power up your phone after it has been turned off.
Facing up to Face ID
Face ID debuted on the iPhone X and has been on all but the newest version of the SE models ever since. Using this clever technology, we've found that Apple’s facial recognition technology can determine that you are who you say you are, even in pitch black and even if you change your look by adding or removing facial hair, putting on sunglasses, donning a hat, and so on.
You set up Face ID here during the setup process on your phone. The phone instructs you to position your face in a camera frame and then move your head in a circular fashion so that the outline of the frame turns green, as shown in Figure 2-1. Repeat the setup drill we just described. That’s it. The entire process shouldn’t take more than 15 seconds.
FIGURE 2-1: Face it: Face ID keeps your iPhone secure.
Want to redo it later? Tap Settings ⇒ Face ID & Passcode, and enter your current passcode. Then tap Reset Face ID ⇒ Set Up Face ID. You can also set up an alternate appearance in Face ID, which could come in handy if you share a device with a family member.
Two more Face ID settings are worth noting. The first is the Require Attention for Face ID switch. When enabled, you need to be looking at the display before the phone unlocks, which might prevent your kids from getting past the Lock screen while you’re sleeping by pointing the phone at your face. The second is an Attention Aware Features switch, in which the TrueDepth camera on your phone checks for your attention before dimming the display or lowering the volume of alerts.
As with Touch ID, whether you choose to set up facial authentication now or later, you need to create a passcode. And you will need to type that passcode when you first power up a phone that has been turned off.
Continuing the setup
Your iPhone setup continues. You get to determine whether you want to call on Siri, your loyal loquacious iPhone genie. We tell you all about Siri in Chapter 5, so we’ll skip the details here.
Apple makes another couple of requests. Apple would love for you to have your iPhone automatically send the company daily diagnostic and usage data, including your location. Armed with such information, Apple says it can better improve the company’s products and services. We think the request is harmless. In addition, you can also assist app developers by permitting Apple to share with them crash data and statistics on how you use their apps. If you find either prospect unappealing, just say no — or to be more precise, choose Don’t Send or Don’t Share, respectively.
Thanks to the generous screen real estate on all current iPhones, Apple includes another step to the setup process: You can choose a zoomed view (with larger text and controls) or a standard view that fits more items on the screen. Don’t worry too much about this setting at this stage. You can always change the Display Zoom setting later in Settings. (If you do, you must restart your phone.)
Another custom option for models with the Home button lets you choose now or later (in Settings) how hard you must press the Home button to click it. Just tap the circled 1, 2, or 3 option on your screen and then press the Home button to give each selection a try. From then on, you’re pretty much good to go.
If you want to give your phone a quick nap, you can put it to sleep by pressing and quickly letting go of the sleep/wake button. To turn the device completely off, press either volume button and hold down the sleep/wake button until a translucent Slide to Power Off button appears at the top of the screen. Drag the button to the right. Tap Cancel (X) if you change your mind. (Note other options here let you display a medical ID to show physicians or first responders if you become ill or injured, plus an emergency SOS feature to summon help.)
As noted, if you’ve been through much of this drill before and have another device running iOS 11 or later, you can simplify the setup process. Place your new iPhone next to your older iOS device. Next, position the pattern that appears on the screen on the new phone inside the frame that appears on your old phone. After that is recognized, tap Continue on the older phone and follow the instructions to proceed. Keep the older iPhone nearby while the information is being transferred. Enter the passcode on the older phone when prompted.
Locking the iPhone
Carrying a naked cellphone in your pocket is asking for trouble. Unless the phone has some locking mechanism, you may inadvertently dial a phone number. Try explaining to your boss why he or she got a call from you during your 4 a.m. jog. Fortunately, Apple makes it a cinch to lock the iPhone so this pocket-dialing scenario won’t happen to you.
TRAINING YOUR DIGITS
We’ve already told you how to train your digits to use Touch ID. Well, your fingers play a prominent role throughout your iPhone experience, tapping, flicking, pinching, dragging, and swiping. Fortunately, these gestures are not challenging, so you’ll be mastering many of the iPhone’s features in no time:
Tap: Tapping serves multiple purposes, as becomes evident throughout this book. You can tap an icon to open an app from the Home screen. Tap to start playing a song or to choose the photo album you want to look through. Sometimes you’ll double-tap (tapping twice in rapid succession), which has the effect of zooming in (or out) of web pages, maps, and emails.
Flick: A flick of the finger on the screen itself lets you quickly scroll through lists of songs, emails, and picture thumbnails. Tap the screen to stop scrolling, or merely wait for the list to stop scrolling.
Pinch/spread: On a web page or picture, pinch your fingers together to shrink the image, or spread your fingers apart to enlarge the image. Pinching and spreading (or what we call unpinching) are cool gestures that are easy to master and sure to wow an unfamiliar audience.
Drag: Slowly press your finger against the touchscreen and then, without lifting your finger, move it. You might drag to move around a map that’s too large for the iPhone’s display area.
Swipe: Keyboard technology known as QuickPath lets you swipe from one letter to the next without lifting your finger.
A gesture called reachability helps owners of the larger-display iPhones. By gently double-tapping (but not double-pressing) the Home button, the top portion of the screen shifts toward the bottom of the display so that you can tap icons and items that were previously out of reach. The purpose of this gesture is to help you use these phones with one hand.
In fact, you don’t need to do anything to lock the iPhone; it happens automatically, as long as you don’t touch the screen for one minute. (You can change this duration in iPhone Settings, a topic in Chapter 14.)
Can’t wait? To lock the iPhone