How to Use an iPhone for Beginners: Calls, Texts and Photos

Learn how to return Home first, then practice one call, one message and one photo. Start with an iPhone that has completed setup. If you still see the Hello screen, follow the new-iPhone setup guide first.

Version context: checked against Apple’s iOS 27 guide on 23 October 2026. The steps explain Face ID and Home-button models. Button positions and Phone layouts can vary on older software.

1. Unlock the phone and find the Home Screen

1. Press the side button to wake the screen.
2. On a Face ID model, look at the screen and swipe up from its bottom edge. Enter the phone’s passcode if asked.
3. On a Home-button model, press the Home button and use Touch ID if set up, or enter your passcode.

Result: the Home Screen shows your app icons. The screen with the clock that appears before unlocking is the Lock Screen.

Your way back: inside an app, swipe up from the very bottom edge on a Face ID model, or press the Home button once. This returns Home without deleting the app. Practice opening Camera and returning Home before continuing.

Tap means touch once and lift. Swipe means slide a finger across the glass. To find an app you cannot see, swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen, type its name and tap the result.

2. Make a call and hang up

1. Open Phone, the app with the telephone symbol.
2. Tap Keypad and enter the number of someone expecting your call. Correct a wrong digit with the delete button.
3. Check the number, then tap the green call button.
4. During the call, adjust the side volume buttons if needed. Tap the red end-call button to hang up.

Result: you hear the call connect, and the call screen shows when it is active. Your carrier plan and signal affect calling.

Called the wrong number? End the call with the red button. If a call fails, check the number and the phone’s signal before trying again. The Calls tab in the Unified layout combines recent calls and favorites; the Classic layout separates them. Keypad is a straightforward place to start in either layout.

3. Send a short text message

1. Open Messages and tap the compose button (a pencil symbol).
2. In To, type a saved contact’s name or the recipient’s phone number. Select and check the intended recipient.
3. Tap the message field and type a short message. Read it before sending.
4. Tap the send arrow.

Result: your message appears in the conversation. A blue or green bubble can both be normal; the color depends on the messaging service. It does not by itself prove the recipient has read the message.

Spot a mistake before sending? Tap the text and use the keyboard’s delete key. See a red failure alert? Tap it for the retry options and check your connection. Once you send, you cannot rely on being able to recall a message; check the person’s name and text first.

4. Take a photo and check it

1. Open Camera and select Photo mode if another mode is selected.
2. Point the phone at your subject and hold it steady.
3. Tap the round shutter button once. Either volume button can also take the photo.
4. Tap the small photo thumbnail in Camera to review the picture.

Result: the photo is saved to Photos. A brief tap takes a still photo; holding the shutter can start a video, so lift your finger after tapping.

Wrong camera facing you? Tap the camera-switch symbol to swap front and back cameras. Blurry result? Hold the phone steady and take another photo. Returning Home leaves the saved picture in Photos.

When you get stuck

Wrong app or unexpected screen: return Home and reopen the app you wanted. Read any payment, sharing or deletion prompt before confirming it.

Screen goes dark: press the side button, then unlock. The phone may simply have locked while idle.

One app stops responding: open the app switcher. On Face ID models, swipe up from the bottom and pause in the middle; on Home-button models, double-click Home. Swipe the frozen app’s card up, then reopen the app. Use this for an unresponsive app rather than closing every app routinely.

Text is hard to read: follow the larger-text steps. For fewer shortcuts and alerts, follow the simpler everyday setup.

A small practice routine

Repeat those three tasks with a familiar person: call them, send a message, then photograph something nearby. Use the steps again when you need them. For a broader route through everyday use, read iPhone for Seniors.

Sources and version notes

Checked against Apple documentation on 23 October 2026. These are documentation-checked instructions, not a hands-on device test. Menu labels can vary with software version and language.

• Apple: wake, unlock and lock iPhone
• Apple: make a call
• Apple: send and reply to messages
• Apple: Camera basics
• Apple: close an unresponsive app