iPhone Cheat Sheet for Seniors

A free, quick-reference guide to help you use your iPhone with confidence. Print it out and keep it next to your phone.

Basic Controls

Go Home: Press the Home button, or swipe up from the bottom on newer iPhones.
Lock / Unlock: Press the side button once to lock. Press again and swipe up to unlock.
Volume Up / Down: Use the two buttons on the left side of your iPhone.
Take a Screenshot: Press the side button + volume up at the same time.
Restart Your iPhone: Hold the side button + volume down until the slider appears, then slide to power off.

Open the Phone App: Tap the green phone icon on your home screen.
Call a Contact: Tap Contacts, find the person, then tap their phone number.
Use the Keypad: Tap Keypad at the bottom, dial the number, then tap the green call button.
Speaker / Mute: During a call, tap the speaker icon for hands-free or the mute icon to mute yourself.
FaceTime Video Call: Open the FaceTime app, tap a contact, and press the video button.

Send a Text: Open Messages, tap the compose icon (pencil), type a name, then type your message.
Send a Photo: In a message, tap the + button, choose Photos, pick one, and tap Send.
Voice Message: Hold the microphone icon in a message to record, then release to send.
Delete a Message: Long-press the message bubble, tap More, select it, then tap the trash icon.
Read Receipts: Blue bubbles are iMessages. Green bubbles are regular SMS texts.

Take a Photo: Open the Camera app and tap the big white circle button.
Switch to Selfie: Tap the camera-flip icon (two arrows) in the corner.
View Your Photos: Open the Photos app to see all your pictures, organized by date.
Share a Photo: Open a photo, tap the share icon (box with arrow), then choose how to send it.
Zoom In: Pinch outward with two fingers on the camera or any photo to zoom in.

Connect to WiFi: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi, pick your network, and enter the password.
Turn On Bluetooth: Go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it on to connect wireless devices.
Adjust Brightness: Swipe down from the top-right corner and drag the brightness slider.
Make Text Bigger: Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size and drag the slider.
Do Not Disturb: Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb to silence calls and alerts.

Emergency SOS: Press and hold the side button + volume button for 2 seconds, then slide Emergency SOS.
Set Up Medical ID: Open the Health app > tap your photo > Medical ID. Add allergies and emergency contacts.
Find My iPhone: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and turn it on.
Block a Caller: In the Phone app, tap the (i) next to a number, scroll down, and tap Block this Caller.
Silence Unknown Callers: Go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers to stop spam calls.

Swipe Up: From the bottom of the screen — go to the Home screen or see recent apps.
Swipe Down: From the top-right corner to open the Control Center (WiFi, brightness, etc.).
Pinch to Zoom: Place two fingers on the screen and spread them apart to zoom in.
Long Press: Press and hold an app icon to see quick options or rearrange apps.
Shake to Undo: Gently shake your iPhone to undo the last thing you typed.

Force Restart: Press volume up, then volume down, then hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
Free Up Storage: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see what is using space and delete old apps.
Update iOS: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap Download and Install.
Save Battery: Turn on Low Power Mode in Settings > Battery when your battery is running low.
App Not Working: Swipe up and hold to see recent apps, then swipe the problem app up to close it. Reopen it.

These step-by-step guides go deeper on the topics covered in this cheat sheet.