page 2 of 4
Close Multiple Apps
You can use more than one finger to close apps in the multitasking view. I’ve been able to close three at a time. Simply place a finger over each app preview and slide toward the top of the screen. This is a great way to close many apps quickly.
Stop Ad Tracking
iOS 7 enhances privacy by allowing users to disable ad tracking. Navigate to Settings > Privacy > Advertising and turn on Limit Ad Tracking. This is turned off by default. You can also prevent websites from tracking you in Safari by going to Settings > Safari > Privacy and Security. For even more privacy, you can use Safari in “private mode”. Keep in mind, these privacy modes only do so much. They do not prevent government agencies from spying on you. There are technologies, such as Cocoon, which greatly enhance privacy. Check out this article about iPhone privacy tips for more information.
Make Text Bigger
Some people feel the text in iOS 7 is too small. This is easily solved, as iOS 7 allows for user-configurable font sizes, just like on the Mac. Navigate to Settings > General > Text Size and move the slider to adjust text size. Not every app supports Dynamic Type.
Speed Up the Keyboard
If your keyboard seems sluggish after the iOS 7 upgrade, wait a while. An optimization process runs after upgrading. Spotlight needs to index files. Other “housekeeping” tasks are also running in the background. If your keyboard is still sluggish hours after upgrading, try resetting your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Reset All Settings. Many users claim this has improved keyboard performance.
New Landscape Modes
A few iOS 7 apps feature different viewing modes when switching between portrait and landscape orientations. Calendar will display a week of appointments when your iPhone is held horizontally. The Music app will display a grid of albums when switched to the landscape orientation in album view. If you stretch/pinch the album grid, it will zoom in and out, showing larger or smaller album covers.
View List of Calendar Appointments
Prior to iOS 7, there used to be an obvious way to view a chronological list of all Calendar appointments. This is now done by tapping the search button (magnifying glass icon) on Calendar. This is not the best usability, but it gets the job done.
Maps: Walking Directions and Public Transportation
iOS 7 Maps now offers directions for pedestrians. This is important, because it will not only keep you off freeways, but allow you to walk any direction on a one way street (which saves a lot of time in a big city). You can toggle between driving, walking and public transportation directions using the bar at the top of Maps. If you would like to make walking or driving the default setting, go to Settings > Maps > Preferred Directions. The public transportation directions are spotty at best. Maps will usually refer you to another app to get the job done. Apple’s recent acquisition of HopStop should make for an improvement in public transportation directions. (continue…)