iPhone Secrets

Chapter 15

Social Networking Savvy

In This Chapter

• Taking advantage of iOS 6’s Twitter and Facebook integration
• Choosing the top social networking apps
• Navigating the best sharing apps
• Using location-based networking to score deals
• Keeping tabs on friends and family

Prior to iOS 5, there was no core integration of social networking within Apple’s mobile OS. Plenty of third-party apps, sure, but nothing tied into its fabric in the way that Messages, Maps, Facebook, and Twitter are now. To say that the 140-word microblogging site has become a worldwide phenomenon is a laughable understatement, and even Apple knows that it isn’t apt to rival The Big Two with anything of its own. (Yes, this is my gentle jab at the now-defunct Ping.) With the introduction of iOS 5, Twitter became not only a recommended app, but an app with links to just about everything else in the system. In iOS 6, that same courtesy was extended to Facebook. Now, sharing just about anything is as natural as e-mailing with the company’s own Mail app. In fact, Twitter saw sign-ups increase threefold when iOS 5 was launched, as people found it convenient to register for the service since it was integrated. The iPhone is a highly social tool, and there’s plenty to be done with it in the world of sharing and networking. From learning the ins and outs of Twitter to diving into the rabbit hole of location-based deals, this chapter breaks down everything you need to know about “handles,” “check-ins,” and “Likes.”

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