25 iPhone Power Tips

INSIDER RESOURCES

Special Sponsored Section

The video player requires Flash 8 Player or later. Please download the latest Flash Player.

FEATURE
100 Snow Leopard Tips, Tricks, and Features

FEATURE
OS X Browser Speed Wars: May the Fastest App Win

FEATURE
The Complete iTunes History -- SoundJam MP to iTunes 9

FEATURE
iTunes 9 Tips and Tricks - Solve the Mysteries of the New iTunes

TOP STORIES

How-Tos

25 iPhone Power Tips

Posted 08/28/2007 at 2:14:03pm | by Leslie Ayers and Roman Loyola

11. Get the Official Mod Tool

If you’ve already had to send your iPhone back to Apple for warranty repair or replacement, you might have discovered something different about the replacement iPhone. First off, it comes in a much thinner box. Second, it comes complete with the official iPhone SIM card removal tool: a paper clip. Yes, Apple actually supplies a paper clip with all replacement iPhones, along with instructions for using it to open the SIM card slot and insert your card. (Thanks to the guys at InsanelyGreatTees.com for tipping us off about this!)

12. Find Wi-Fi Hotspots

JiWire makes it easy to find the nearest hotspot on your iPhone - so you can rescue yourself from the slow-moving hell that is AT&T’s EDGE data service. Surf to iphone.jiwire.com on your iPhone and fill in your location info. If you’re a cheapskate like us, check the box for “Search free hotspots only.”

13. More Wi-Fi Performance Tips

Apple has a potentially useful collection of Wi-Fi-related iPhone tips in a regularly updated knowledge-base article on its website. Suggestions include fixing problems like paid Wi-Fi connections that drop off suddenly, weak Wi-Fi signals, and Wi-Fi connections that revert to EDGE due to issues with WEP passwords or wireless routers that use MAC address filtering as a security measure.

14. Kill GSM Buzz

If you experience a buzzing sound using an iPhone cassette adapter for your car stereo, such as Monster’s iCarPlay - which claims to be iPhone compatible but doesn’t appear anywhere on Monster’s website, www.monstercable.com - Gizmodo offers a low-tech solution: aluminum foil. Yep, just take a little bit of Reynolds Wrap and wrap it around the cable closest to the iPhone. This eliminates the need to switch to airplane mode - which is a viable solution, but sends incoming calls to voicemail.

aluminum foil wrapped around iphone camera

If you really want to amuse your friends, try twisting the foil around the iPhone cable into the shape of a swan.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

15. Buy Spare Parts

If you’re the type who simply can’t resist trying to take your iPhone apart, here’s where to go to find replacement parts when you go too far: www.ifixit.com/iPhone-Parts. Our sources tell us that Apple charges $300 for a replacement screen, but you can get a replacement from iFixIt for $199.95.

16. Troubleshoot Hardware Issues

Apple has a relatively helpful collection of troubleshooting tips for iPhone hardware problems here. iPhone Atlas and The Unofficial Apple Weblog, aka TUAW, also do a great job of keeping tabs on iPhone bugs and common issues.

17. Foil Nosy Nellies

If you’re reading sensitive email on your iPhone or viewing images or documents you’d rather the guy with the wandering eye next to you on the bus or subway didn’t see, invest in an iPhone privacy screen protector from iStyles ($9.99).

18. Choose Your IM Service Wisely

A handful of free Web-based instant messaging apps work pretty well on the iPhone, including Meebo.com, HeySan.com, TinyBuddy, and JiveTalk. Our latest favorite is mundu IM iPhone Edition (free beta, www.mundu.com/im/iphone), because it boasts several of the features we’re used to in Adium (our top choice for IM on the Mac), including tabbed chats, simultaneous logins, and an iChat-like interface. To get started with mundu IM, enter the URL iphone.mundu.com on your iPhone.

mundu IM iPhone Edition interface

Tabbed chats on the iPhone in an iChat-like interface - brilliant!

More...

COMMENTS: 18

TAGS: iphone

COMMENTS

Does this article really
Submitted by alex cutter (not verified) on Tue, 2007-08-28 12:56

Does this article really need to be spread over so many pages?

Login or register to post comments

What's with the two page article spread over 10 pages?
Submitted by Dave (not verified) on Tue, 2007-08-28 16:18

This is plain silly. I use ad block so I may be missing some blink-o-licious ads, but the whole click and reload the whole page 50 zillion times doesn't fool anybody

Login or register to post comments

Why is there no print version of this article?
Submitted by JimH (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 04:37

How hard could it possibly be to make a "format for printing" version of all these pages? Who wants to keep clicking Next and printing seperate pages?

Login or register to post comments

Add my voice to the growing chorus asking why so many pages?
Submitted by Hano (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 06:58

Add my voice to the growing chorus asking why so many pages? Who's silly/goofy idea was that? How about a "Print" version so people don't have to cycle through so many pages?

The tips may be great, but who's going to want to cycle through so many to get to them? Very poor presentation.

-- Hano

Login or register to post comments

Guiltless page-spreading
Submitted by Dan (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 07:59

It's great that you've posted an article of potentially useful iPhone tips. No, I won't load your site eight-plus times (giving you unearned page-views) for one article. I wanted to read this article, but you won't cheat advertising revenue through me. Show more respect for readers and post articles on a single page.

Login or register to post comments

GSM Buzz at desktop
Submitted by Skookum (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-29 09:41

Thanks for the aluminum foil idea for isolating the iPhone from the GSM buzz while driving...but what about at the desktop?

I have desktop Harmon Kardon speakers plugged into my Mac, but whenever I put my iPhone into its cradle I have to turn the speakers off, or else I get a godawful buzz. Is there any way to solve that problem?

jta

Login or register to post comments

RE: GSM Buzz at desktop
Submitted by khansen on Wed, 2007-08-29 10:30

I don't really have a good answer for this one, but you might try asking by submitting that question to ask@maclife.com

Login or register to post comments

GSM buzz
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-01-21 03:29

Put the phone into aircraft mode?

Login or register to post comments

You forgot my favorite
Submitted by Pete (not verified) on Thu, 2007-08-30 08:24

You forgot my favorite iphone game, BattleFleet!:
http://www.iphonebattlefleet.com

Login or register to post comments

TOOOO Manyyyy clickkksss
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2007-08-30 12:23

Sorry folks. I'm removing your site from my bookmarks. Your article requires just TOOOO Manyyyy clickkksss.

Login or register to post comments

Looooooooooooooosers
Submitted by Sanjay (not verified) on Thu, 2007-08-30 23:57

Multi-click articles are soooooooooooo amateur. And so is your website. Giv us some credit, okay? Treat us like something other than click providers?

Login or register to post comments

Great article
Submitted by Brad (not verified) on Sun, 2007-09-02 04:23

I really enjoyed this article, especially the tin-foil trick, I'll definitely remember that one! I was a little disappointed you didn't mention Launchrz as a great source for finding iPhone web apps and managing the links to the ones you like. Many of the apps you mentioned can be found there. Regards!

Login or register to post comments

Re: How do you update your Ipod
Submitted by fujiyato on Thu, 2008-10-30 22:04

ipod nano video converter supports convert movie to ipod nano so that you can watch your favriout movies on ipod nano at any time.

Login or register to post comments

are you still selling the item
Submitted by revhall000 on Thu, 2009-04-30 16:12

Dear Seller,

My son birthday is at hand and he surf through and come across your item as his favorite, which he want me to present to him as a birthday gift.but it is unforturnately that i dont have it in my store for now, His currently studying in Africa and I would have like to buy it directly and send it to him but my job won't permit me to do such cos I'm a busy person due to the nature of my job.

I will make an immediate offer of your price in USD and give me the total cost for the item including shipping and handling charges to Africa and if you are to busy to do that i can arrange for pickup so if you are interested in selling this item to me kindly forward to me your PayPal details e-mail address so that i can send out the payment through my PayPal account or Money order immediately.

Regards,

Login or register to post comments

great posting iLouis Vuitton
Submitted by xiaodanhu on Fri, 2009-09-11 22:22

great posting iLouis Vuitton like it ..

Good to see the film, in the past I have read

Login or register to post comments

fvfds
Submitted by 123 on Wed, 2009-10-07 19:35

http://www.buylouboutin.com/
http://www.salelouboutin.com/

Login or register to post comments

omega watches
Submitted by benet (not verified) on Tue, 2009-11-10 19:34

Every little chat Salon 1000 ah!replica watchYou are my best's buddy
dnwiuefhui

Login or register to post comments

omega watches
Submitted by benet (not verified) on Tue, 2009-11-10 22:25

Were not smart, but also learn from others bald.omega watchesChing had no water to fish, one to the cheap is invincible.replica watchI left Dragon, White Tiger right shoulder tattooed Mickey Mouse.replica watchesEfforts should be made! ! For your Audi Dior me.rang

Login or register to post comments