Tech Tips for iPhone and iPad

This page provides basic tips on using your iPhone or iPad effectively, or links to reputable pages to provide the necessary advice.

What are the iPhone and iPad?

The iPhone and iPad are mobile devices created and sold by Apple Computers. They connect to the internet either via wireless connections (Wi-Fi), or a mobile network, using a SIM card.

They run an operating system called iPadOS (newer iPads) or iOS (iPhones and older iPads).

Software or apps for iPhones and iPads are found in the App Store.

The Apple support pages can be very helpful for general, common tasks or issues.

What device and iOS do I have?

Find the software version on your iPhone, iPad or iPod

Update your OS

Wherever possible, we recommend keeping your iOS up-to-date. Very old versions of operating systems can cause devices not to work or connect properly.

However, if your device is itself quite old, it may not be able to upgrade to the most recent iOS, and that may itself be causing slowness or problems.

Update your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Close apps

“Apps” are applications. Every time you open something on an iPhone or iPad, it stays open until you consciously close it.

Too many open apps can slow down your device and use up data, which could in turn slow down your internet service.

How to force an app to close on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Shut down and restart

“Turn it off and on again” works on any computer device.

Restart your iPhone

Restart your iPad

Uninstall and (if need be) reinstall apps

Sometimes apps can get stuck, or you have too many apps installed. This is the equivalent of turning them off and on again.

If you don’t use the app regularly, don’t reinstall it. You can generally download the app again.

However, if you’re considering uninstalling an app you use regularly, check that you’ll be able to reinstall it afterwards. Apps sometimes stop being made or supported, which means they’re removed from the App Store.

We recommend backing up your device before making any major changes. You should be able to restore apps from the backup.

If you’ve bought your app, you should be able to re-install it without having to pay for it again through the App Store.

  1. Press and hold your finger on the specific app.
  2. It will start wiggling on the screen OR a menu will appear.
  3. If the app is wiggling, press the “X” on the top.
  4. Otherwise, select “Remove app” from the menu.
  5. Restart your device.

Go to the Apple Store and re-download the app.

Reset network settings

Don’t do this if you don’t have mobile data over a SIM and don’t know how to log into the local Wi-Fi network, or you won’t be able to get back on the internet.

Apple have helpful advice on checking for Wi-Fi connections in general. Resetting network settings is at the bottom of the list.

This does not delete any data except for Wi-Fi passwords and your local and mobile network settings. Your device will look for new settings and automatically save them.

Backup and reset to factory defaults

This can be quite a drastic step. It removes all your apps and data, “resetting” your device to the most basic set of apps.

We strongly recommend backing up your settings, either to a computer or to iCloud, FIRST.

Once you’ve set your iPad back to factory settings, only install the apps necessary to run the troubleshooting you need.

If an app isn’t the issue, you can always do a full restore of your device to its previous setup, from the backup you’ve made.

How to back up your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod to factory settings