Apps Home (1 of ?) – Minimum Viable Python

This year (2019) I changed how I use apps on my (relatively) new iPhone 10R. During my 2019 Spring Cleaning, I also learned new Swipe-in shortcuts that start from off-the-screen: Top, bottom, and left

Sweeping down from the top right corner opens system shortcuts (Control Center). This shows camera, flashlight, audio controls, screen brightness, do not disturb, low power mode, ‘do not rotate’ and so forth. The Control Center screen can be customized, so it is worth knowing about. Also, this gesture can work even from inside an app, so it is more powerful than a superhero.
Sweeping up from the bottom edge on any page returns to the Home screen. I decided to make the Home screen the fulcrum of my effort to get as much out of the phone as possible, so the Home screen is the main subject of this story. The Home screen, along with Control Center, Today screen, and Search (swipe down between apps), are 99% of how to be more effective with your iPhone. You also have to turn off most notifications.
Sweeping right from the left edge of the Home screen opens the “Today” screen which you can customize with app ‘widgets’, such as calculator, battery life, step counter, Kindle app, Reminders, Things, and so forth. You can edit which apps appear here, and the order in which they appear.
Search: This sweep is NOT from the edge: sweeping down between the icons activates a ‘search by name’ capability. I use this to launch apps that are offscreen, and for just plain searching things out on the phone, so make sure you try it out.

On Easter weekend I read an article by a writer we will refer to as “Thoughtless Lee” which appeared in the New York Times on how to “declutter” and speed up your phone by examining your apps. The article showed how to go into the iPhone “System Settings” app to look at the memory used by each app.

You can also see the last time you’ve used each app.

The article suggested that if you never use apps that are “cluttering up” your handy little pocket computer, then you ought to delete them. It didn’t say how this would “speed up” your phone (it won’t).

When I read this, I decided to take a look at my own apps. It did change my life. Just not in the way Thoughtless Lee recommended.

I noticed that one of my rarely used apps was PCalc, a venerable & super cool memory calculator. (What IS a memory calculator, you may wonder)

I imagined a different approach.

Instead of deleting PCalc and other apps on the home screen of my phone, I would explore how to use them better. I felt that eliminating an app based on the last time I used it would not honor my intent in getting the app in the first place.

So I searched for and downloaded the user manual that describes how to use PCalc, also known as 42, the Meaning of Life, the Universe, and (if I remember the name correctly) Everything.

Then, after reading just part of one of the appendices to the PCalc manual without even getting out of bed in the morning, I returned here, where I dictated my plan using an app called “RecUp”, which first records (“Rec”) and then uploads (“Up”) the recorded file to Dropbox. A highly edited version of that beginning is what you are reading now.

*Not really — that came out of the automatic transcription done by Describe. The actual author was Thorin Klosowski & the story came via NYT from Wirecutter, an NYT property original article

Apps by Category: focus on creative

To take stock, I assigned the apps on my iPhone’s home page to one of these categories: creative, photo, communication, utility, media access, and tool. When I started this, I didn’t have any games on the home screen.

The resulting bar chart shows a media/utilitarian focus

(img)

I left out apps stashed in folders on page 1, and counted them on page 2, since it takes an extra selection step (opening the folder) to get to them.

These apps were on my home screen: Clock, Messages, Weather, Camera, Settings, Photos, Overcast, Notes, Safari, Brave, Reminders, Tweetbot, Phone, Music, PCalc, WolframAlpha, Agenda, Audible, Spectre, Drafts, Recup, iThoughts, Mail, Things, Ulysses.

The app lineup has changed since I started thinking about this. I’ve learned more, and moved them around. The number of apps I have deleted: Zero.

The “big picture”: apps for media consumption, some utilitarian tools and handy things, and one or two creative apps.

I don’t use many apps from other screens, or apps tucked away in folders.

I discovered “widgets” for many of these apps. Widgets are app extensions that go into a preview screen called “Today”. Here, a reduced version of the app is a right-swipe away from the home screen, but I keep these apps on my home screen too.

The swipe-down from the top right edge of the phone screen reveals typical settings adjustments, which Apple calls “Control Center”. So I don’t need Settings, Clock, or even Camera on the main screen. I moved Apple’s Settings app to the second screen.

My goal is to SEE the apps I want to use, and be reminded they exist. When I got further along, I rearranged the home screen to put my favorites in reach of my thumbs.

--- title: "Apps Home (1 of ?)" author: "George Girton" date: "2019-05-18" categories: [analysis,throwback, iPhone] image: "Small10XDesk.png" --- This year (2019) I changed how I use apps on my (relatively) new iPhone 10R. During my 2019 Spring Cleaning, I also learned new Swipe-in shortcuts that start from off-the-screen: Top, bottom, and left 1. Sweeping down from the top right corner opens system shortcuts (Control Center). This shows camera, flashlight, audio controls, screen brightness, do not disturb, low power mode, 'do not rotate' and so forth. The Control Center screen can be customized, so it is worth knowing about. Also, this gesture can work even from inside an app, so it is more powerful than a superhero. 2. Sweeping up from the bottom edge on any page returns to the Home screen. I decided to make the Home screen the fulcrum of my effort to get as much out of the phone as possible, so the Home screen is the main subject of this story. The Home screen, along with Control Center, Today screen, and Search (swipe down between apps), are 99% of how to be more effective with your iPhone. You also have to turn off most notifications. 3. Sweeping right from the left edge of the Home screen opens the "Today" screen which you can customize with app 'widgets', such as calculator, battery life, step counter, Kindle app, Reminders, Things, and so forth. You can edit which apps appear here, and the order in which they appear. 4. Search: This sweep is NOT from the edge: sweeping down between the icons activates a 'search by name' capability. I use this to launch apps that are offscreen, and for just plain searching things out on the phone, so make sure you try it out. On Easter weekend I read an article by a writer we will refer to as "Thoughtless Lee" which appeared in the New York Times on how to "declutter" and speed up your phone by examining your apps. The article showed how to go into the iPhone "System Settings" app to look at the memory used by each app. You can also see the last time you've used each app. The article suggested that if you never use apps that are "cluttering up" your handy little pocket computer, then you ought to delete them. It didn't say how this would "speed up" your phone (it won't). When I read this, I decided to take a look at my own apps. It did change my life. Just not in the way Thoughtless Lee recommended. I noticed that one of my rarely used apps was PCalc, a venerable & super cool memory calculator. (What IS a memory calculator, you may wonder) I imagined a different approach. Instead of deleting PCalc and other apps on the home screen of my phone, I would explore how to use them better. I felt that eliminating an app based on the last time I used it would not honor my intent in getting the app in the first place. So I searched for and downloaded the user manual that describes how to use PCalc, also known as 42, the Meaning of Life, the Universe, and (if I remember the name correctly) Everything. Then, after reading just part of one of the appendices to the PCalc manual *without even getting out of bed in the morning*, I returned here, where I dictated my plan using an app called "RecUp", which first records ("Rec") and then uploads ("Up") the recorded file to Dropbox. A highly edited version of that beginning is what you are reading now. \*Not really --- that came out of the automatic transcription done by Describe. The actual author was Thorin Klosowski & the story came via NYT from Wirecutter, an NYT property [original article](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/smarter-living/wirecutter/declutter-speed-up-phone.html?searchResultPosition=4) ## Apps by Category: focus on creative To take stock, I assigned the apps on my iPhone's home page to one of these categories: creative, photo, communication, utility, media access, and tool. When I started this, I didn't have any games on the home screen. The resulting bar chart shows a media/utilitarian focus (img) I left out apps stashed in folders on page 1, and counted them on page 2, since it takes an extra selection step (opening the folder) to get to them. These apps were on my home screen: Clock, Messages, Weather, Camera, Settings, Photos, Overcast, Notes, Safari, Brave, Reminders, Tweetbot, Phone, Music, PCalc, WolframAlpha, Agenda, Audible, Spectre, Drafts, Recup, iThoughts, Mail, Things, Ulysses. The app lineup has changed since I started thinking about this. I've learned more, and moved them around. The number of apps I have deleted: Zero. The "big picture": apps for media consumption, some utilitarian tools and handy things, and one or two creative apps. I don't use many apps from other screens, or apps tucked away in folders. I discovered "widgets" for many of these apps. Widgets are app extensions that go into a preview screen called "Today". Here, a reduced version of the app is a right-swipe away from the home screen, but I keep these apps on my home screen too. The swipe-down from the top right edge of the phone screen reveals typical settings adjustments, which Apple calls "Control Center". So I don't need Settings, Clock, or even Camera on the main screen. I moved Apple's Settings app to the second screen. ## My goal is to SEE the apps I want to use, and be reminded they exist. When I got further along, I rearranged the home screen to put my favorites in reach of my thumbs.