I took the plunge on Friday and bought a new iphone 4 s. This is a big step for me as I've used only Nokia's since mobile phones came out.

All I can say is that I LOVE this amazing phone.

I probably only know about 40% of its features but as a new person to it I have plenty of time to learn.

One thing I'd really like on the home screen is a blue tooth and wifi shortcut. I've searched other forums and it seems the only way to do it is to purchase an app. Not the end of the world but it annoys me somewhat.

Does anyone know of a free way to add those shortcuts on OS 5.1.1 please?

Thank you in advance.

ps: if anyone has any tips or tricks, pls share with this newbie!

Probably find a lot of this frustration with the restricted ios system. A colleague in work was asking me something similar this morning wierdly after looking at my phone. I had no idea either

^^ Yep!

I do know that a lot of the stuff is locked down etc but there is always a way around it. I'll probably end up buying the app as it appears to work.

The other thing I need to work out is how to create text message templates.

Oh well, lots to get used to!

Further investigation shows that with the latest OS there is no way to actually do it, unless you jailbreak your phone.

Why is so apple so anal about something as simple as having a bluetooth shortcut on your home screen.

This was the reason I always JB my iPhone.
Once you installed SB Settings one swipe along the top of the phone gives access to bt,WiFi,GPS toggles plus a host of other settings that you can use no matter which app your using.

This hold on the reins by apple is one of the major reasons for not buying an iPhone for many.

So I am learning

I'm still happy with it and have used "notes" to create an SMS template (copy and paste into a message). Works fine for me.

I am annoyed about the bluetooth and wifi shortcuts though.

I used to use Icon Project. You could create icons and assign scripts using a tiny app to take you straight to the right page of your preferences. There was no need to Jailbreak. However it seems iOS 5.1 broke it. I've never understood why Apple make toggling power saving options so unfriendly. One of the main reasons many people jailbreak.

Have a look at TextPics. You don't have to use the ASCII artwork in your texts, but it does allow you to create any text templates which you can send as needed.

Thanks!

Methinks there was an aptly named app in the news of very recent that got banned by Apple for allowing shortcuts.

Very bizarre sounding but there is no doubt financial logic in this for Apple.

I forget the name but saw which app it was.
I really don't see what the problem is having a nice shortcut

I've found another way to do it using Siri.
You add Bluetooth and Wifi as contacts and put in the path to them in the URL field.

Works quite well but would prefer a home icon

What is the "path" how do you find it, I do have an app which can create shortcuts to a contact.

I'd like to know this as well. Have scoured google and nothing comes up for this method...

No mtter, found it:-

http://idevicedaily.com/exclusive-ho...cations-video/

and URL links to use:-

http://idevicedaily.com/exclusive-ho...cations-video/

oh my God and people say android is complex all that for a basic command

Bluetooth and Wifi use hardly any power when on standby, there isn't really any need to disable them. I leave mine on all the time and my phone lasts 2 days under standard usage, 1 day under heavy usage.

Infact Bluetooth 4.0 that the 4S uses consumes 400nA when on standby, virtually nothing. And WiFi is automatically turned off when your phone is in sleep (unless WiFi sync is enabled and connected)

yeah whatever I do so love the apple excusers, apple thinking of everything again eh ... think I will stick with my easy and simple way to turn off BT and wifi anyway thanks.

It is a fact not excuse, and it's the reason that Apple haven't included shortcuts to disable these features. Why disable features that are using virtually no power when on standby.

Also why post in a thread like this with off topic comments, offering no help or solutions to the OP. it's as if you troll Apple threads just to say "Apple sucks, Android is Awesome"

mine are correcting your silly ascertions that leaving Bluetooth and wifi on permanently makes no difference. The OP asked for a way to turn these off and was annoyed it was not more simplistic. You decide because apple makes doing this difficult that's OK because it doesn't matter anyway.

Maybe your happy to leave these on permanently as they "take no power" LOL but the OP wasn't in any event I would not want my BT showing all the time.

So perhaps you should stop seeking every opportunity to blindly defend every decision apple take and accept some people wish to do more with.their phone and do not always feel they have to accept the position imposed upon them by apple like you.

Nonsence!

I at least gave advice of not worrying about it. When you switch the display off on an iPhone the wifi automatically disables, no need to switch it off, this is why Apple doesn't have a way to disable it. As for Bluetooth this doesn't disable when the screen is off but only uses 400nA which is a negligible amount of power.

They should still allow you a way to turn them on/off if you wish to

Yeah and again not what was asked ... wifi takes quite a bit of power relatively searching for connections when screen is on and depending how long screen is on can be quite considerable.

Additionally in the OP no mention of the reasons why were given just that they were wanted simple as that. Apple dont give the user a lot of things you going to reason and excuse them all are you?

As i said not everyone is happy to be spoon fed by apple like you so stop telling them what they should accept.

There is a way to turn it off via Settings - WiFi then click off. You just can't do it via a sortcut on the home screen but we are talking 2 extra touches of the screen.

I agree allowing you to make a shortcut of any setting would be a useful feature.

Most people disable Wifi and bluetooth due to it draining battery, I used to do this on my Nokia N95 for this reason.

As the OP was coming from a Nokia they may think the iPhone also drains a lot with WiFi and Bluetooth on which is simply not the case which is why my advice was relevant unlike your usual "iPhones suck lol" or something to that effect that you say anytime iPhones or iOS is mentioned