Apple’s iPhone 17 can be a powerful work device once you start cracking the whip. While the phone has automated features to maintain battery life throughout the day and manage brightness, once you get your hands on it, you can turn the iPhone 17 – with its excellent value for money – into a work productivity powerhouse. The best part is that it’s already built into the iPhone, no need to buy anything. That’s right, it’s time to use Focus and Shortcuts.
The different shortcuts on iOS are automations that can be run to complete a task. Created using a no-coding scripting language, you can use shortcuts to save PDFs, manage expenses, and move files without having to touch the Files app, for example. More complex functions, like changing the action button to display a menu of tasks that you perform regularly, are also available. However, this is just one step to improve the working capabilities of your iPhone 17.
Focusing on iPhone will help you balance your work and home life
Another way to increase your productivity, via a better work-life balance, is to use the iPhone’s Focus mode. For most users, it may be best to avoid keeping work apps accessible after the day is over, or even before you arrive. If checking email on the way to work is a habit, for example, it’s one that Focus Mode’s customizable profiles can help you break.
Focus mode allows you to set up Do Not Disturb and Work profiles that can be used to silence apps while this profile is enabled. For example, by moving your work email to its own app, you can access your personal emails while avoiding your work account outside of the office. This also applies to communication and productivity apps, like Signal, WhatsApp, Trello, and Slack. The process also works in reverse, preventing you from being distracted while you work.
These profiles also let you customize the phone’s home and lock screen, so you can dedicate pages to work that only appear when the profile is active. Focus mode has improved since arriving with iOS 15 in 2021. It now supports mailbox filters, calendar filtering, and lets dual SIM users choose which line rings. With Smart Activation, your Focus modes can even be activated automatically based on a schedule, when you arrive at a set location (like at work) or when an app opens.
