Mobile Mastery: Transforming Work Habits with 8 iOS Productivity Techniques

👤 Diwas Poudel 🕒 07 Jan 2024 📁 TECH

When it comes to productivity, you might think of tools like your reliable laptop, Google Docs, and Slack. However, I've discovered that one of my most crucial productivity tools is actually my iPhone. Most people don't see their iPhones this way. It's often seen as a communication tool, an internet portal, a music player, a gateway to social media, or even a gaming device. But if you follow these tips, you'll discover that your iPhone can enhance your productivity throughout the day. It will increase what you can achieve and the quality of your work.

How to Boost Work Performance?

1 Turn On Focus Mode

Whether you admit it or not, almost everyone has fallen victim to mindlessly scrolling at some point. You find yourself in the zone, working away, but then you grab your phone and think, "Why not treat yourself to just 5 minutes of Instagram?" Before you know it, half an hour has slipped by and you're still lost in the endless reels. Not only does it become difficult to refocus on work, but your break doesn't feel as rejuvenating as it should.

So, what's the solution? Take away the temptation altogether during your work hours with Focus Mode. On your iPhone, head to Settings > Focus Mode. You'll recognize the mode as a violet square icon with a crescent moon on top.

2 Don't Abuse the Best Productivity Apps

Many apps focus on managing your time and tasks. However, when there are a lot of them, you and your device experience the opposite effect - slowdown. Use a phone cleaner app to declutter your device. With the CleanUp app, you can free up device resources and organize the internal space of your iPhone. If you are looking for an iPhone cleaner app, you should check out here to install one of the best apps safely. It can remove unnecessary data and applications, organize your contact book, get rid of duplicates, and even create a secure.

3 Quick Access to Notepad

In the Settings app, go to Control Center > Customize Controls. Make sure that Notes are included in the "Include" section. If it's not, find it in the "More Controls" section and tap the plus sign. This will add a Notes button to your Control Center, accessible with just a swipe down from the top of your screen, even when your iPhone is locked. By tapping the Notes button in Control Center, you can instantly launch a new blank note on your screen. Now, start typing away!

4 Voice Control

Use iPhone's dictation tools whenever possible. They can be especially helpful if you're convinced you think faster than you type. Although you might make a few mistakes along the way, brainstorming on paper and later editing the document is likely faster than typing it alone. Just open a writing app like Microsoft Word, find the microphone icon on your keyboard, touch it, and start dictating. You'll need to learn a few of the iPhone's commands, but it's not difficult.

5 Automate Repeated Tasks

Do you often find yourself engaging in certain activities on a regular basis? Perhaps you utilize the Pomodoro technique to maintain focus (25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break). You might also send a text to your significant other while on your way home, allowing them to notify you of any needed grocery store items.

Regardless of the activity, there is likely a Siri Shortcut available for it. And if not, rest assured you can create one yourself. Simply locate the Shortcuts app on your phone and discover the myriad of shortcuts available, most of which can be triggered by voice commands. Choose the desired shortcut and whenever you issue the corresponding voice command, the action will be executed.

6 Switch to One-Handed Keyboard

When it comes to typing, using a small smartphone screen is not nearly as convenient as a physical keyboard. This inconvenience becomes even more apparent when you are walking with your iPhone and trying to type using both thumbs.

Fortunately, iOS 12 and later versions include a useful feature that simplifies typing, allowing you to do it with just one thumb. To enable this feature, go to Settings, then tap General > Keyboard > One Handed Keyboard. On the following screen, choose either Left or Right based on whether you are left- or right-handed.

Setting up this trick may seem a bit troublesome at first, but it can be a real game-changer for those who constantly miss out on important emails and notifications. For example, let's say you hear an alert sound and check your phone – it's a food delivery app reminding you that it's lunchtime, encouraging you to order some take-out. But you already know it's lunchtime, your stomach is telling you that. So, if you want to keep these nuisance notifications off and prioritize important ones, here's what you can do:

Open up your Settings and find the Notifications section. Then, set relevant permissions for each application.
Make sure to enable badges, banners, and sounds for the applications whose notifications truly matter to you.
On the other hand, disable badges, banners, and sounds for applications that aren't all that important.

8 Create Text Replacements

You may have come across text replacements for your iPhone, but are you aware that the Text Replacement feature on your Mac can also be utilized? Several repetitive typing instances are evident, such as your address or a specific paragraph that aids in email sign-off. Let's explore how you can establish word shortcuts (e.g., tmwyr) that will automatically convert to more extensive word strings (e.g., text me when you reach).

Find and hold the Smiley button or the globe icon on your phone. After that, go to Keyboard Settings and click on Text Replacement. Look for the + button at the top right and tap on it. In the Phrase Field, type the longer phrase, and in the Shortcut Field, enter the corresponding shortcut.

Conclusion

If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's probably time to transform your work habits. You may be frequently distracted, use your work time inefficiently, take a long time to complete routine tasks, and simply feel overwhelmed. Your iPhone can be transformed from a burden and a distraction into a helper, just follow the tips listed above and you will feel relief.