So, are you getting the new iPhone SE or already have it lying around, but don’t know how to set it all up and get the most out of it? Well, switching to a new phone can be daunting, and we also understand if you couldn’t resist upgrading to the iPhone SE due to the incredible value it offers for $399. Well, we’ve got you covered. Here are the first ten things to do on the iPhone SE:

1. Back up and restore

This is the first but the most important step, because you obviously don’t want to lose all the data stored on your old iPhone. Now, there are two ways to proceed here – either create an iCloud backup or go with the local backup route.

On your old iPhone, here’s how you can create an iCloud backup

  1. Go to Settings > User’s name > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
  2. Enable iCloud Backup.
  3. Tap Back Up Now.

If you want to create a backup on your Mac or PC, here’s how you can do it:

Create backup on a Mac

Create backup on a Windows 10 PC

1. Connect your old iPhone to a Mac.

1. Connect your old iPhone to a Windows 10 PC

2. Select your iPhone in the Finder sidebar on your Mac

2. Top on the iPhone button near the top left in the iTunes app

3. Click on General in the Finder window.

3. Select “Summary.”

4. Tap on “Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.”

4. Tap “Back Up Now.”

5. Select “Encrypt local backup” to encrypt and protect all your data by setting a password

5. Select “Encrypt local backup” to encrypt and protect all your data by setting a password

6. Select “Back Up Now.”

Note: If your Mac is not on macOS Catalina, you’ll have to use iTunes to create a local backup

Now, to restore all that data on your new iPhone SE, you can do so using the appropriate method. Here’s how you can restore it using iCloud:

  1. Turn on your iPhone SE and follow the onscreen setup steps until you reach the Apps & Data screen, then tap Restore from iCloud Backup
  2. Choose a backup with the most recent date and then sign in with your Apple ID when asked to restore all your apps and purchases.
  3. Once it is done, you can start using your iPhone SE with all the app data that was on your old iPhone. Photos and other media will be restored gradually in the background.

If you are looking to restore backup from your computer on your iPhone SE, here’s how you can do it:

  1. Open Finder (on a system with macOS Catalina) or iTunes on a different system with Windows 10
  2. Connect the iPhone SE with your computer
  3. Tap on your phone when it appears and then select Restore Backup
  4. Select the most recent backup and click Restore. Enter the password, if you get the prompt.
  5. Wait for the restoration to finish without disconnecting the iPhone SE from your computer.

Note: If you are switching to an iPhone SE from an Android phone, you have to download the Move to iOS app and then transfer your data. You’ll find the instructions on how to do so here.

2. Set up Touch ID

After restoring your backup, you need to set up a passcode and your fingerprint to lock/unlock your iPhone SE. During the initial setup, you’ll be asked to do so by first creating a passcode and then registering your fingerprint. In case you skipped that step, here’s how you can set up Touch ID later:

  1. Go to Settings and select Touch ID & Passcode
  2. Add your fingerprint and then follow the on-screen instructions

3. Enable True Tone

The iPhone SE comes with a True Tone display. But what is a True Tone? Well, it is a display feature that automatically adjusts its color temperature based on the external lighting conditions. Here’s how you can enable it:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Tap on Display & Brightness
  3. Enable the True Tone toggle

4. Set up Apple Pay

Apple Pay is of great convenience and saves you the hassle of carrying your debit or credit card all the time. In order to set up Apple Pay on your new iPhone SE, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Wallet app
  2. Tap on the round ‘+‘ sign and enter your credentials
  3. Add your card details, either existing or new
  4. You can drag and drop to arrange the cards and select which one is your primary banking card

5. Pair your Apple Watch

If you’ve got an Apple Watch and want to pair it with your shiny new iPhone SE, it is relatively easy to do. Just follow these steps:

  1. Put on your Apple Watch and switch it on. Wait till you see the Apple logo.
  2. Open the Apple Watch app and select Pair New Watch
  3. When you see the prompt, move your iPhone SE until you see the Apple Watch appear in the viewfinder inside the Apple Watch app.
  4. Once paired, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the setup.

6. Start using wireless charging

The iPhone SE supports wireless charging and is compatible with Qi-certified charging pads. Just plug in your wireless charging mat, put your iPhone SE on it and feast your eyes as your new phone starts charging without the hassle of using a cable.

7. Play with Depth Control in Portrait Mode

One of the best camera features on the iPhone SE is the support for depth controls in Portrait mode, allowing users to adjust the depth effect and adjust focus. Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Open the camera app
  2. Swipe to Portrait mode on the home screen
  3. Click the shutter button to take a photo
  4. Open a Portrait mode photo in the gallery
  5. Select Edit and then tap on the Depth Control button at the top
  6. Drag the slider below the photo to adjust the effect
  7. Select Done when you are done making the changes

8. Have fun with portrait lighting effects

  1. Open the camera app
  2. Swipe to Portrait mode on the home screen
  3. On the Portrait mode screen, choose between the Portrait lighting effects and see a live preview of how it looks
  4. Tap on the shutter button once you’ve selected the best portrait lighting effect. You can also adjust the Portrait lighting effect after taking the photo by editing it in the gallery.

9. Manage your notifications

Having a lot of apps on your phone means they’ll send a tonne of notifications. And if you use multiple messaging and social media apps, the notification bombardment can become overwhelming. Thankfully, you can control the barrage of such pesky notifications by following these steps:

  1. Swipe left over an incoming notification and tap Manage
  2. Select Deliver Quietly to receive notifications from that app showing up on the lock screen or while using the phone
  3. If you think that an app’s notifications are not worth checking, you can disable it by selecting the Turn Off option

Another way to manage notifications efficiently is to enable the Group Notifications feature. Here’s how you can activate it:

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Notifications
  2. Tap on an app icon and select Notification Grouping
  3. Chose between these three options – Automatic (Notifications from each app will appear in groups based on app alerts), By App (All notifications from each app will be grouped into single expandable alerts), and Off (Notifications appear in the order they’re received, without grouping).

10. Enable Find My iPhone feature

Another crucial step that you must perform early on is setting up the Find My iPhone feature to make sure that you can locate it if it is ever lost or stolen. Here’s how you can set it up:

  1. Open the Settings app and select iCloud
  2. Scroll down and tap on Find My iPhone
  3. Slide to enable Find My iPhone and Send Last Location
  4. Enter your Apple ID credentials when asked