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Best Book to Learn iPhone?

Ambrosia7177

Ambrosia7177

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 6, 2016
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I have never owned a smartphone and am looking to buy a new iPhone 6S Plus this week.

Can someone recommend some book titles that would best teach me how to use my new phone? (Am looking to buy titles available on Barnes & Noble's website.)

Really all I care about is basic stuff like how to turn it on, how to access the control panel, sending and receiving text messages, how to lock it, how to surf the internet, and so on.
 
One good start is Apple iPhone manual available at iBook store for free.
Also you can search "take control of iPhone" and see if there is any high reputation title for purchase. Maybe those books contain more info than Apple tells to you.
 
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Another vote for the user manual. It's pretty good for the basics.

There are also some pretty good YouTube videos out there if you're a visual learner. These guys (AppFind) always put out good videos:



EDITED: Sorry, posted the one for the 7. Here's the 6s.
 
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Texas_Toast said:
I have never owned a smartphone and am looking to buy a new iPhone 6S Plus this week.

Can someone recommend some book titles that would best teach me how to use my new phone? (Am looking to buy titles available on Barnes & Noble's website.)

Really all I care about is basic stuff like how to turn it on, how to access the control panel, sending and receiving text messages, how to lock it, how to surf the internet, and so on.
Click to expand...

Buy a Starbucks at B&N and browse their books. You can even check out magazines they have, most of time they are readily available for iPhones.
 
BeeGood said:
Another vote for the user manual. It's pretty good for the basics.

There are also some pretty good YouTube videos out there if you're a visual learner. These guys (AppFind) always put out good videos:



EDITED: Sorry, posted the one for the 7. Here's the 6s.
Click to expand...

Do I want a guide on the iOS or on the iPhone 6S Plus?
 
Texas_Toast said:
I have never owned a smartphone and am looking to buy a new iPhone 6S Plus this week.

Can someone recommend some book titles that would best teach me how to use my new phone? (Am looking to buy titles available on Barnes & Noble's website.)

Really all I care about is basic stuff like how to turn it on, how to access the control panel, sending and receiving text messages, how to lock it, how to surf the internet, and so on.
Click to expand...
YouTube ;)
 
BeeGood said:
Either would be good, each version of iOS is pretty consistent across all devices, but an iPhone 6S Plus guide will be more specific to what you're wanting to do so I'd go with that.
Click to expand...

So your video in post #7 should be all I need?

By the way, which iOS will I get if I buy a new iPhone 6S Plus from Apple this week?
 
Texas_Toast said:
I have never owned a smartphone and am looking to buy a new iPhone 6S Plus this week.

Can someone recommend some book titles that would best teach me how to use my new phone? (Am looking to buy titles available on Barnes & Noble's website.)

Really all I care about is basic stuff like how to turn it on, how to access the control panel, sending and receiving text messages, how to lock it, how to surf the internet, and so on.
Click to expand...

You turn it on by holding the power button on the right side of the phone. It's the lone button on the right side. Left side has a switch that toggles mute and volume buttons. The volume buttons also function as a shutter button in the camera app.

If your phone ever freezes you can hold the power button and the home button (the circle on the front of the phone with the fingerprint reader in it).

You can access the control panel by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. If you have your keyboard up in the messages app you will have to swipe up a bit slower for it to register. It will take getting used to but it DOES open with the keyboard up in imessage.

You text with the app called Messages. It will either be in the row at the very bottom of the screen or it'll be the very first app at the top left corner of your screen by default. It looks like a speech bubble.

Surfing the internet is done with Safari. White icon with a blue compass inside it.

You lock the phone by hitting the power button or just leaving it alone for a few seconds. Hitting the "power" button doesn't turn it off unless you hold it down. It's technically called a sleep/wake button.

Honestly, it's a really simple phone to get used to. Pretty much everything is very simple to find and use on an iphone to the point that there's not a whole lot to learn from a book that you can't learn by poking around with it for a few minutes. It's a pretty accessible phone.

Also... Screenshots are done with Home + Sleep/Wake button. Hit them together and your screen will flash. It saves them to your pictures.

The 6S will probably have iOS 9 on it. You update by hitting Settings > General > Software Update or just waiting for it to bug you about it.
 
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HippieMagic said:
Honestly, it's a really simple phone to get used to. Pretty much everything is very simple to find and use on an iphone to the point that there's not a whole lot to learn from a book that you can't learn by poking around with it for a few minutes. It's a pretty accessible phone.
Click to expand...

So you think I will survive, huh? :confused:


HippieMagic said:
The 6S will probably have iOS 9 on it. You update by hitting Settings > General > Software Update or just waiting for it to bug you about it.
Click to expand...

I will want to upgrade to iOS 10 right?
 
Texas_Toast said:
So you think I will survive, huh? :confused:



I will want to upgrade to iOS 10 right?
Click to expand...

Up to you if you want to upgrade now or wait really. iOS 10 has some good things and some aspects I just don't like at all. Since you know nothing about iOS it really won't hurt you to upgrade to iOS 10. You won't miss what you never knew existed lol.

There isn't a major difference between them, really. iOS never really changes too drastically from one version to another as far as how it operates is concerned.
 
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Texas_Toast said:
So your video in post #7 should be all I need?

By the way, which iOS will I get if I buy a new iPhone 6S Plus from Apple this week?
Click to expand...

Yup, that video will get you proficient in all the day-to-day stuff.

And I second everything @HippieMagic said. By design, it's a very simple device to learn with more than enough free resources. I wouldn't pay money to do so. And yes, it will in all likelihood ship with iOS 9.x, but you can upgrade to iOS 10 right after setup.
 
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BeeGood said:
You, that video will get you proficient in all the day-to-day stuff.

And I second everything @HippieMagic said. By design, it's a very simple device to learn with more than enough free resources. I wouldn't pay money to do so. And yes, it will in all likelihood ship with iOS 9.x, but you can upgrade to iOS 10 right after setup.
Click to expand...

Does it suggest it as part of the setup now? I believe my 7+ actually had me update during the setup. Not sure if that's a 10 thing or an iOS 9 thing now.
 
Texas_Toast said:
So you think I will survive, huh? :confused:




I will want to upgrade to iOS 10 right?
Click to expand...

Yeah you'll be just fine :)

A month from now, you'll wonder how you got along without it lol!

I say upgrade to iOS 10 right away. You won't care about most of the changes since you've never used iOS before, but iOS 10 is more fluid with animations and it willl have the latest security patches.
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HippieMagic said:
Does it suggest it as part of the setup now? I believe my 7+ actually had me update during the setup. Not sure if that's a 10 thing or an iOS 9 thing now.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...actually, you're right. But I think that might only be on the 7/7+ with iOS 10. His 6s+ with iOS 9.x will probably do it the "old" way.
 
Another thing, you said you haven't used a smartphone, but I am assuming you have used a touchscreen device. The iPhone's touch screen is pressure sensitive so you need to be aware of how hard you push down. If you push down a little too hard it will appear that what you are hitting is behaving weirdly. It might act like it didn't register the touch or look like it's trying to open the app but failing. It might take getting used to at first.
 
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BeeGood said:
Yeah you'll be just fine :)
Click to expand...

Let's hope.


BeeGood said:
A month from now, you'll wonder how you got along without it lol!
Click to expand...

Don't go too far... o_O

Um, I will still be able to go to the bathroom and drive WITHOUT a smartphone - unlike 90% of Americans!


BeeGood said:
I say upgrade to iOS 10 right away. You won't care about most of the changes since you've never used iOS before, but iOS 10 is more fluid with animations and it willl have the latest security patches.
Click to expand...

True. Plus why learn an old iOS...
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HippieMagic said:
Another thing, you said you haven't used a smartphone, but I am assuming you have used a touchscreen device.
Click to expand...

Well, believe it or not, but I am pretty handy at the self checkout lanes at the grocery store!


HippieMagic said:
The iPhone's touch screen is pressure sensitive so you need to be aware of how hard you push down. If you push down a little too hard it will appear that what you are hitting is behaving weirdly. It might act like it didn't register the touch or look like it's trying to open the app but failing. It might take getting used to at first.
Click to expand...

I actually bought a 13" rMBP that I have yet to pick up, and I am a bit worried how Apple supposedly changed the touch pads. Between my new rMBP and a new iPhone, guess I will have to become good at touching soon!
 
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techiebug said:
Why would you real a book.... Watch youtube videos.
Click to expand...

Because most stuff on YouTube is crap.

Publisher spend lots of money to create a book, so you know it will be of good quality.

Also, David Pogue is on the NY Times Best Seller List, and nothing on YouTube is...

You must be under 30... :)
 
Texas_Toast said:
Because most stuff on YouTube is crap.

Publisher spend lots of money to create a book, so you know it will be of good quality.

Also, David Pogue is on the NY Times Best Seller List, and nothing on YouTube is...

You must be under 30... :)
Click to expand...
Plenty of good stuff online about many things, especially something like iPhone/iOS, without the need of a book. But books can work as well for those that might want those instead (for whatever reason). Age or anything else like that has pretty much nothing to do with any of it.
 
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