iPhone 5 For Dummies, 6th Edition

Locking the iPhone

Carrying a naked cell phone in your pocket is asking for trouble. Unless the phone has some locking mechanism, you may inadvertently dial a phone number. Try explaining to your boss why he or she got a call from you at 4 a.m. Fortunately, Apple makes it a cinch to lock the iPhone so this scenario won’t happen to you.

In fact, you don’t need to do anything to lock the iPhone; it happens automatically, as long as you don’t touch the screen for one minute. (You can change this duration in iPhone Settings, a topic in Chapter 14.)

Can’t wait? To lock the iPhone immediately, press the sleep/wake button. To unlock it, press the sleep/wake button again. Or press the Home button on the front of the screen. Either way, the on-screen slider appears. To unlock the device, drag the slider to the right with your finger and then, in some cases, also enter a passcode, another topic reserved for Chapter 14.

By now, you’re picking up on the idea that your fingers play an instrumental role in controlling your iPhone. We talk more about the responsibility your digits have later in this chapter.

The iOS 5 software upgrade introduced a Notification Center that clues you in on, well, notifications. These include, but are not limited to, missed calls, texts, e-mails, and the weather. What’s more, Apple is kind enough to serve up notifications right on the iPhone’s Lock screen.

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