Without a doubt, the era of on-site work is fast being replaced with remote work. Thanks to amazing technologies taking over, most corporate and even technical roles can now be managed without being physically on-site. Earlier on when remote work wasn’t yet widely adopted, persons who worked remotely had to have a PC and still show up on-site periodically. But today, with stronger communication technologies, remote work can be conveniently and efficiently done using smartphones from literally anywhere in the world. And one of such smartphones that make remote work highly convenient and efficient is the iPhone.
What’s So Special About The iPhone?
On the surface, the iPhone looks like a typically luxury phone with thinly cut edges and an overall sleek appearance. But, what really sets it apart from other smartphones are its technical specifications. Thanks to its fast processing speed and exclusive apps, it’s a mini-powerhouse of possibilities for remote work. User access to exclusive apps and strong data encryption makes it ideal for protecting user privacy and confidential data.
How Your iPhone Can Improve Your Remote Work
Maximizing your iPhone for remote work is all about digging deeper into your iPhone’s features. One of the common challenges of remote work is procrastination and distractions which heavily affect productivity. Thankfully, the iPhone comes with a lot of settings and features that can help.
Here are a few ways your iPhone can help improve your remote work:
- Improved with optimized notification features: while smartphones are great for staying connected and informed in this digital age, it gets pretty distracting when you’re bombarded with endless notifications and flashy contents. Statistically speaking, more and more young persons are at risk of phone addictions. This risk of phone and content addiction means productivity would be heavily impacted.
While most smartphones come with DND (Do Not Disturb) settings and apps to monitor screen time, these features are not as efficient as the iPhone’s Focus Mode. Besides locking out mobile notifications, the Focus Mode also restricts background activity of apps, thus ensuring “focus” for as long as it stays on. This coupled with apps that monitor screen time, features that restrict access to non-essential apps, and the DND mode itself, ensures that your iPhone helps you maximize your time and attention.
- Siri is always ready to assist with tasks: Siri is arguably one of the best AI voice assistants, and she’s available to all iPhone users. As a voice assistant, Siri is trained to respond to voice queries and carry out instructions. With Siri, you can automate and delegate certain tasks such as sorting through files, quickly browsing online, managing notifications, and even managing phone calls. With Siri on standby, it’s easier to focus and execute remote tasks since you won’t be tackling them alone. With the popularity of generative AI like Gemini, there’s so much that could be achieved by partnering with your dedicated voice assistant – Siri.
- Smartly look-up information from photos and screenshots: A helpful feature of the iPhone is its ability to simply capture information from still photos and screenshots, and look them up online. This is pretty similar to Google Lens, and it helps when working on tangible paperback documents.
- Proprietary data encryption means extra privacy and data protection: As a remote worker, one of the worst possible nightmares would be that your phone or PC is hacked, or that confidential office documents are leaked. With the proprietary data encryption available on iPhones, there’s an extra layer of strong security protecting your privacy and all data in your iPhone. Even in the event of loss or theft, your data will be nearly impossible to access, and can even be remotely wiped.
Essential Apps For Remote Working On Your iPhone
To work remotely using your iPhone, you need apps that help manage communication, data protection, file sharing, and productivity. Here are a few you should have installed:
Communication Apps:
- Slack: This is a real-time messaging and collaboration app that’s suitable for corporate teams. An alternative to this is Microsoft Teams
- Zoom: This works for video conferencing and holding online meetings. An alternative is Google Meet
Productivity Apps:
- Google Calendar: This can be used for scheduling tasks, meetings, and events. Alternatively you can use Microsoft Outlook
- Google Workspace: This is a full suite of productivity tools like Google Docs for typing documents, Google Sheets for creating excel documents and data analytics, Google Slides for creating slideshows and presentations. Alternatively, you can use Microsoft 365
- Notion: This is a note-taking and project management software that helps with assigning and monitoring tasks. Alternatively, you can use Apple Notes.
File Storage and Sharing Apps:
- iCloud: This allows you to store your files online, and also share them directly via email. Alternatively you can use Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
Additional Productivity Apps:
- Voice Memos: For recording, editing and sharing audio recordings of meetings
- NordVPN: for encrypting your online activity and protecting your iPhone from cyber attacks. Alternatively you can use a different VPN for your iPhone.
Conclusion
Your iPhone is a mini-powerhouse that can improve your productivity in remote work. With the right settings and mobile applications, you’d do more with your iPhone than simply taking pictures and managing calls. To get the best out of your iPhone, take time to go through the settings and preinstalled applications. Understand what each setting or application can do, and see how you can structure your remote work around the settings and apps on your iPhone.
Keep in mind also that distractions come in different forms. While your iPhone can help with online distractions, you need to discipline yourself against external distractions. As such, it’s advisable to create a workspace where you can shut-out distractions and strictly focus on work. It helps to also use noise-canceling headphones as well to shut-out distractions while you work. Don’t forget to take breaks and gradually build your remote work routine by consistently visiting your workspace and using the helpful iPhone settings.
