iPhone SE (2016) Bought my first iPhone, I'm regretting it, tell me why I should reconsider returning it

[Cake9437]

I recently bought a new iPhone SE. This is my first iPhone. I paid the extra 50 bucks and got the 128gb model. All and all it was just under $500 after taxes.

So with this state of the art phone that I paid all this money for, why on earth can I not set my ringtone to what I want??? The process of doing so seems like it has intentionally been made difficult. I have the file, I want to just drop it in the system folder for ringtones, but no, i can't do that.

Also, Why am I not allowed to see the directory for the file system on my phone? I took some photos today and found that they automatically saved to iCloud. I don't want them in the cloud, I want them on my phone. I had to disable iCloud completely for it to save pictures onto my device by default because IOS just seems to never ask me or give me the option where I want to put my stuff.

So whose phone is it anyway?

I love my macbook pro and have been using it happily for years. But on my computer i have the option to see everything and arrange it as I want. It is absolutely beyond me that IOS for iPhone doesn't let me have access to the most basic functions.

Still, it has only been a few days. I want to like the iPhone. If it can work for me I will be happy, but this is not the experience i expected, to be fighting with the phone every step of the way for seemingly no reason at all.

What are the redeeming features I should check out? Is there anyway to solve these problems and I can have control over my phone or should I just return it?

 

[iCorz87]

I recently bought a new iPhone SE. This is my first iPhone. I paid the extra 50 bucks and got the 128gb model. All and all it was just under $500 after taxes.

So with this state of the art phone that I paid all this money for, why on earth can I not set my ringtone to what I want??? The process of doing so seems like it has intentionally been made difficult. I have the file, I want to just drop it in the system folder for ringtones, but no, i can't do that.

Also, Why am I not allowed to see the directory for the file system on my phone? I took some photos today and found that they automatically saved to iCloud. I don't want them in the cloud, I want them on my phone. I had to disable iCloud completely for it to save pictures onto my device by default because IOS just seems to never ask me or give me the option where I want to put my stuff.

So whose phone is it anyway?

I love my macbook pro and have been using it happily for years. But on my computer i have the option to see everything and arrange it as I want. It is absolutely beyond me that IOS for iPhone doesn't let me have access to the most basic functions.

Still, it has only been a few days. I want to like the iPhone. If it can work for me I will be happy, but this is not the experience i expected, to be fighting with the phone every step of the way for seemingly no reason at all.

What are the redeeming features I should check out? Is there anyway to solve these problems and I can have control over my phone or should I just return it?

How to Make Ringtones for an iPhone | Digital Trends

No one really wants to have to pay for ringtones. So save your money and check out our quick guide on how to use your songs to make ringtones for your iPhone.

www.google.com.au

This should help you to make a ringtone. As I see it it’s up to the owner to decide wether they like iOS or not. Admittedly there is a lack of customisation but that’s one thing I like about having an iPhone it’s just simple and the whole ecosystem that’s what gets most of us stuck. I’m sure on other platforms things may flow but being in the Apple ecosystem makes it a smoother experience having all Apple products.

 

[MisterAndrew]

You can add ringtones from the Mac. It's in iTunes on Mojave and older, and with Finder on Catalina and newer. You can also select a song as the ringtone.

Apple Support document: Use tones and ringtones with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

You can view files using the File app.

Apple Support document: Use the Files app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

 

[fs454]

iOS is fast, reliable, and secure. You don't see the bare system files, and neither does any third party software. No shenanigans make it arguably the most secure mainstream operating system on the planet. You're not going to change the system font and you're not going to be able to dump anything into the system libraries. People like iOS because it's extremely fast and rigorously designed while still being very flexible and capable, not because it's an open source platform.

It's a whole different philisophy - I would at least attempt to trust that Apple has the user in mind and that everything is done intentionally to keep the platform secure and make an experience that's reliable, predictable, and rock solid. Apple makes great UI, and part of that is the intentional rigidity of some of the conventions. If that's not your vibe, I would stick to Android, but honestly try and give it a week of not fighting for your exact old ways of doing stuff. Some things admittedly aren't perfect, but you'll likely find that most things are pretty great.

If you left iCloud Photo Library on and paid for a little storage, any photos taken on your phone will automatically be in your photos app on your MacBook in realtime, no transferring required. It's pretty nice and feels seamless, and I find the editing tools in Photos on both iOS and Mac (the edits are seamless between MBP/iPhone and editable on both devices too) to be as good as Lightroom for everyday use. If you don't want them in iCloud, they're stored just on your phone and you can easily airdrop between the MBP and the iPhone, but iCloud is plenty secure and poses almost no risk at all. It's not a finder-like folder structure, but an assumed central photo library on every iOS device.

Also with your iPhone you can seamlessly have text message conversations on either device. Get a text on your phone, start the conversation and finish it on your MBP, all the messages will be there too. It's all the little integrations that are nice about iOS and macOS. iMessage is a million times better than SMS and relying on brutal third party messaging apps. Send any file of pretty much any size, good quality video, etc without fuss or third party stuff, on any of your devices.

 

[alien3dx]

I recently bought a new iPhone SE. This is my first iPhone. I paid the extra 50 bucks and got the 128gb model. All and all it was just under $500 after taxes.

So with this state of the art phone that I paid all this money for, why on earth can I not set my ringtone to what I want??? The process of doing so seems like it has intentionally been made difficult. I have the file, I want to just drop it in the system folder for ringtones, but no, i can't do that.

Also, Why am I not allowed to see the directory for the file system on my phone? I took some photos today and found that they automatically saved to iCloud. I don't want them in the cloud, I want them on my phone. I had to disable iCloud completely for it to save pictures onto my device by default because IOS just seems to never ask me or give me the option where I want to put my stuff.

So whose phone is it anyway?

I love my macbook pro and have been using it happily for years. But on my computer i have the option to see everything and arrange it as I want. It is absolutely beyond me that IOS for iPhone doesn't let me have access to the most basic functions.

Still, it has only been a few days. I want to like the iPhone. If it can work for me I will be happy, but this is not the experience i expected, to be fighting with the phone every step of the way for seemingly no reason at all.

What are the redeeming features I should check out? Is there anyway to solve these problems and I can have control over my phone or should I just return it?

1. There is file folder call files.
2. I never change my ringtone either android nor ios..
3. You can disabled i cloud, me to .
4. Apple yes annoyance on drag and drop file but you can use their magic thing AIR DROP

 

[akash.nu]

With threads like this I have only one response. Please do yourself a favour and return the damn phone.

 

[alien3dx]

With threads like this I have only one response. Please do yourself a favour and return the damn phone.

the problem of youngster , but kinda laugh when in a lift one ringtone everybody check their phone because old folks rarely change it.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

I know this isn’t helping the OP, but posts above have done that. Ringtones are one of the reasons I like my Apple Watch so much. I no longer need a ringtone. Phone is permanently on silent, all the notifications I need are vibrations from my watch. Hearing other people’s loud ringtones now almost seems anachronistic.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

So you can do what you want, as shown above, it's just done differently.

If you wanted to do it exactly as on Android, obviously you need an Android !

Whilst you are still able to return it, you need to make a decision if you are willing to learn the differences or if that seems like too much like hard work and really you just want an Android.
Seems like you are in the latter frame of mind, after all why didn't you just google "how to change" or "how to customise" "ringtone on iPhone"?

it might be you are just too locked in to the Android way of doing things to want to try to learn.

 

[Michason]

With threads like this I have only one response. Please do yourself a favour and return the damn phone.

If you must reply, answer his concerns. There's no need to be condescending

 

[The Game 161]

My one bit of advice would be never judge a phone based off a few days usage.

You need to give it a good 10-14 days to get used to the OS.

 

[minimo3]

OP, it takes time to get used to a new platform. Btw you can turn off photos saving to iCloud by going to Settings-<tap on your name>-iCloud-photos then unselect “iCloud photo library”. You should also unselect “upload to photo stream” Your photos will then only reside on your device in an album called “camera roll”

 

[tranceking26]

Funny, I’m using custom ringtones which took one simple setup, it’s easy to find this stuff out.

 

[now i see it]

I'm with the OP.
When I first tried out an iPhone five years ago after having lived with the Mac for so long, I was thoroughly disgusted with iOS (iOS 8 and 9). It seemed like such a junky dumbed down super restricted prison.
It dismayed me so much I tossed the iPhone in a drawer and didn't look at it again for another 6 weeks. I really really despised it. Yuck.

After time went by, I decided to give it another chance and grabbed the iPhone out of the drawer and set up some challenges for myself. How do I do this? How do I do that? I approached it as a puzzle toy, trying to see if I could do certain things.

Within short order I got frustrated with it again — and back in the drawer it got tossed to be forgotten about for at least another month. I wanted nothing to do with it.

Then I got injured and was trapped stuck at home lying on a bed most of the day for a month and out of sheer boredom I fetched that iPhone out of the drawer and started plying with it again— thought I'd give it another try. It kind of was bugging me that I despiser it so much when millions of other people seemed so enthusiastic about it.
So, with nothing else to do, I fiddled with the iPhone, figuring out its quirks, and after a while (a really long while) I got to the point where I didn't think it was THAT bad, but it still bugged me and I definitely didn't "enjoy" using it. I was tolerating it.

As time went by and I used it more & more (out of boredom) I got used to its weird ways and limitations and eventually it didn't bother me any more. Sure the overall experience was (and still is) super restrictive and limited, but the more I accepted it for what it was (super restrictive, confining and limited) the more it didn't bother me. It was what it was and it sure the hell wasn't a Mac.

While I've never thought iOS and the iPhone way was great or pleasant to use, I eventually got used to it and accepted it. And now after five years of using it all day, every day, I'm so familiar with it that it now seems fine to me (mainly because there's a Files app finally in iOS).

Is iOS flawed? Definitely. Is it super restrictive and confining? Definitely.. Is it unnecessarily dumbed down? Yep..
Is it "horrible"? No.
Is it all that bad? Nope.
Is it pretty neat once you get used to it? Believe it or not, but I'd now say yes.

iOS isnt so bad nowadays. it just takes some getting used to. For some people the transition is quick, for others it's a long uphill battle.

 

[Apple_Robert]

The smart thing to have done is not assume you can do x,y, and z with the iPhone, and find out ahead of time about ringtone and other features.

You can set your own ringtone as has been stated, albeit it isn’t as simple a process as changing default tones.

If you want to return the phone, then do so. No need to be so dramatic about it, by challenging the forum to convince you otherwise. Make an adult decision.

 

[Lekro]

Yeah, can’t even send Java games over Bluetooth or infrared with an iPhone. I mean then what is this phone is all about if it can’t do such everyday task in 2020?

 

[alien3dx]

Yeah, can’t even send Java games over Bluetooth or infrared with an iPhone. I mean then what is this phone is all about if it can’t do such everyday task in 2020?

java games ? if era symbian i would said so . now dalvik apk era
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I'm with the OP.
When I first tried out an iPhone five years ago after having lived with the Mac for so long, I was thoroughly disgusted with iOS (iOS 8 and 9). It seemed like such a junky dumbed down super restricted prison.
It dismayed me so much I tossed the iPhone in a drawer and didn't look at it again for another 6 weeks. I really really despised it. Yuck.

After time went by, I decided to give it another chance and grabbed the iPhone out of the drawer and set up some challenges for myself. How do I do this? How do I do that? I approached it as a puzzle toy, trying to see if I could do certain things.

Within short order I got frustrated with it again — and back in the drawer it got tossed to be forgotten about for at least another month. I wanted nothing to do with it.

Then I got injured and was trapped stuck at home lying on a bed most of the day for a month and out of sheer boredom I fetched that iPhone out of the drawer and started plying with it again— thought I'd give it another try. It kind of was bugging me that I despiser it so much when millions of other people seemed so enthusiastic about it.
So, with nothing else to do, I fiddled with the iPhone, figuring out its quirks, and after a while (a really long while) I got to the point where I didn't think it was THAT bad, but it still bugged me and I definitely didn't "enjoy" using it. I was tolerating it.

As time went by and I used it more & more (out of boredom) I got used to its weird ways and limitations and eventually it didn't bother me any more. Sure the overall experience was (and still is) super restrictive and limited, but the more I accepted it for what it was (super restrictive, confining and limited) the more it didn't bother me. It was what it was and it sure the hell wasn't a Mac.

While I've never thought iOS and the iPhone way was great or pleasant to use, I eventually got used to it and accepted it. And now after five years of using it all day, every day, I'm so familiar with it that it now seems fine to me (mainly because there's a Files app finally in iOS).

Is iOS flawed? Definitely. Is it super restrictive and confining? Definitely.. Is it unnecessarily dumbed down? Yep..
Is it "horrible"? No.
Is it all that bad? Nope.
Is it pretty neat once you get used to it? Believe it or not, but I'd now say yes.

iOS isnt so bad nowadays. it just takes some getting used to. For some people the transition is quick, for others it's a long uphill battle.

for me phone just pure phone so i don't care much. But ipad files management still ehm ehm and the macos annoy me a lot compare to linux and windows. Macos memory management bad.

 

[verito81]

Funny, I’m using custom ringtones which took one simple setup, it’s easy to find this stuff out.

can you share the app?

 

[BigMcGuire]

I recently bought a new iPhone SE. This is my first iPhone. I paid the extra 50 bucks and got the 128gb model. All and all it was just under $500 after taxes.

So with this state of the art phone that I paid all this money for, why on earth can I not set my ringtone to what I want??? The process of doing so seems like it has intentionally been made difficult. I have the file, I want to just drop it in the system folder for ringtones, but no, i can't do that.

Also, Why am I not allowed to see the directory for the file system on my phone? I took some photos today and found that they automatically saved to iCloud. I don't want them in the cloud, I want them on my phone. I had to disable iCloud completely for it to save pictures onto my device by default because IOS just seems to never ask me or give me the option where I want to put my stuff.

So whose phone is it anyway?

I love my macbook pro and have been using it happily for years. But on my computer i have the option to see everything and arrange it as I want. It is absolutely beyond me that IOS for iPhone doesn't let me have access to the most basic functions.

Still, it has only been a few days. I want to like the iPhone. If it can work for me I will be happy, but this is not the experience i expected, to be fighting with the phone every step of the way for seemingly no reason at all.

What are the redeeming features I should check out? Is there anyway to solve these problems and I can have control over my phone or should I just return it?

Because you didn't take the time to find out how you can. I've been using custom ring tones for years now. From the Munsters, to the Star Trek TNG theme music, to custom Star Trek communicator beeps for text messages and emails. I've been doing this since the iPhone 4s and I know many other people that do the same.

Looking at a new device and wanting it to conform to you is not how you understand and deal with new technology. It's like me going from a Bike to a Car and asking where the hell are the circular pedals? Where the hell is the grip mounted brake?

Because most people use cloud storage today. If Apple pandered to all the little things that people wanted, the majority would not buy the phone. So Apple obviously panders to the majority. That said, I don't know what the heck your issue is, I went to Files --> On my iPhone and I'm looking at storage on my phone.



Seems to me that different technology from what you're used to is not for you. Do yourself a favor and do what works for you. Do your own homework and it will be a LOT more rewarding than having someone else do it for you.

Btw, the movie your avatar references - love it.
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I know this isn’t helping the OP, but posts above have done that. Ringtones are one of the reasons I like my Apple Watch so much. I no longer need a ringtone. Phone is permanently on silent, all the notifications I need are vibrations from my watch. Hearing other people’s loud ringtones now almost seems anachronistic.

Ahhh someone else that does this too! I've been doing this since I got the Apple Watch. Can't imagine life otherwise.
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I'm with the OP.
When I first tried out an iPhone five years ago after having lived with the Mac for so long, I was thoroughly disgusted with iOS (iOS 8 and 9). It seemed like such a junky dumbed down super restricted prison.
It dismayed me so much I tossed the iPhone in a drawer and didn't look at it again for another 6 weeks. I really really despised it. Yuck.

After time went by, I decided to give it another chance and grabbed the iPhone out of the drawer and set up some challenges for myself. How do I do this? How do I do that? I approached it as a puzzle toy, trying to see if I could do certain things.

Within short order I got frustrated with it again — and back in the drawer it got tossed to be forgotten about for at least another month. I wanted nothing to do with it.

Then I got injured and was trapped stuck at home lying on a bed most of the day for a month and out of sheer boredom I fetched that iPhone out of the drawer and started plying with it again— thought I'd give it another try. It kind of was bugging me that I despiser it so much when millions of other people seemed so enthusiastic about it.
So, with nothing else to do, I fiddled with the iPhone, figuring out its quirks, and after a while (a really long while) I got to the point where I didn't think it was THAT bad, but it still bugged me and I definitely didn't "enjoy" using it. I was tolerating it.

As time went by and I used it more & more (out of boredom) I got used to its weird ways and limitations and eventually it didn't bother me any more. Sure the overall experience was (and still is) super restrictive and limited, but the more I accepted it for what it was (super restrictive, confining and limited) the more it didn't bother me. It was what it was and it sure the hell wasn't a Mac.

While I've never thought iOS and the iPhone way was great or pleasant to use, I eventually got used to it and accepted it. And now after five years of using it all day, every day, I'm so familiar with it that it now seems fine to me (mainly because there's a Files app finally in iOS).

Is iOS flawed? Definitely. Is it super restrictive and confining? Definitely.. Is it unnecessarily dumbed down? Yep..
Is it "horrible"? No.
Is it all that bad? Nope.
Is it pretty neat once you get used to it? Believe it or not, but I'd now say yes.

iOS isnt so bad nowadays. it just takes some getting used to. For some people the transition is quick, for others it's a long uphill battle.

Great post. I started out with Android back in the day, I rooted, I spent countless months configuring, flashing, re-setting, and customizing to my heart's content. Now that I'm older, fatter, with less free time, iOS works really well for me - stays out of my way, doesn't need tons of configuration out of the box, and doesn't blast in my face ads every other touch press. I don't see myself leaving ever.

That said, I make a point to keep informed. I'll ask a friend/family to use their android phone just to make sure I know what's out there.

 

[jagolden]

A little research ahead of time would have avoided these "deal breakers".
Tell us why we should convince you.
Do I understand you to say you had to turn iCloud off completely just so your photos don’t go there? Nope.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Because you didn't take the time to find out how you can. I've been using custom ring tones for years now. From the Munsters, to the Star Trek TNG theme music, to custom Star Trek communicator beeps for text messages and emails. I've been doing this since the iPhone 4s and I know many other people that do the same.

Looking at a new device and wanting it to conform to you is not how you understand and deal with new technology. It's like me going from a Bike to a Car and asking where the hell are the circular pedals? Where the hell is the grip mounted brake? It just makes me look ignorant.

Because most people use cloud storage today. If Apple pandered to all the little things that people wanted, the majority would not buy the phone. So Apple obviously panders to the majority. That said, I don't know what the heck your issue is, I went to Files --> On my iPhone and I'm looking at storage on my phone.

View attachment 937352

It didn't take me ANY effort to find this ..... ?

Seems to me that different technology from what you're used to is not for you. Do yourself a favor and do what works for you. Do your own homework and it will be a LOT more rewarding than having someone else do it for you.

Btw, the movie your avatar references - love it.
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Ahhh someone else that does this too! I've been doing this since I got the Apple Watch. Can't imagine life otherwise.
[automerge]1595690644[/automerge]


Great post. I started out with Android back in the day, I rooted, I spent countless months configuring, flashing, re-setting, and customizing to my heart's content. Now that I'm older, fatter, with less free time, iOS works really well for me - stays out of my way, doesn't need tons of configuration out of the box, and doesn't blast in my face ads every other touch press. I don't see myself leaving ever.

That said, I make a point to keep informed. I'll ask a friend/family to use their android phone just to make sure I know what's out there.

Good points. Hope lockdown has not been unkind to you. This is the second post I have seen from you in past 2 or 3 days where you claim to be a fat man Perhaps you are just big boned. Gotta try to stay healthy.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Good points. Hope lockdown has not been unkind to you. This is the second post I have seen from you in past 2 or 3 days where you claim to be a fat man Perhaps you are just big boned. Gotta try to stay healthy.

Too much sitting on my bee-hind has taken its toll! Same to you - hope all is well! ---- these posts may have stemmed from the fact that someone took a photo of me recently (first one I've seen of myself since April) - to say I was surprised is an understatement.

In terms of Android, while it has REALLY sped up recently, I still find I spend way too much time configuring things. I prefer simple things that just work.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Too much sitting on my bee-hind has taken its toll! Same to you - hope all is well! ---- these posts may have stemmed from the fact that someone took a photo of me recently (first one I've seen of myself since April) - to say I was surprised is an understatement.

In terms of Android, while it has REALLY sped up recently, I still find I spend way too much time configuring things. I prefer simple things that just work.

Yes, things can sneak up on us without realising. I try to walk an hour every day at a good speed and find I feel better as a result. But we were not in lockdown here in Finland. Try to get back into it slowly.

 

[eyoungren]

I recently bought a new iPhone SE. This is my first iPhone. I paid the extra 50 bucks and got the 128gb model. All and all it was just under $500 after taxes.

So with this state of the art phone that I paid all this money for, why on earth can I not set my ringtone to what I want??? The process of doing so seems like it has intentionally been made difficult. I have the file, I want to just drop it in the system folder for ringtones, but no, i can't do that.

Also, Why am I not allowed to see the directory for the file system on my phone? I took some photos today and found that they automatically saved to iCloud. I don't want them in the cloud, I want them on my phone. I had to disable iCloud completely for it to save pictures onto my device by default because IOS just seems to never ask me or give me the option where I want to put my stuff.

So whose phone is it anyway?

I love my macbook pro and have been using it happily for years. But on my computer i have the option to see everything and arrange it as I want. It is absolutely beyond me that IOS for iPhone doesn't let me have access to the most basic functions.

Still, it has only been a few days. I want to like the iPhone. If it can work for me I will be happy, but this is not the experience i expected, to be fighting with the phone every step of the way for seemingly no reason at all.

What are the redeeming features I should check out? Is there anyway to solve these problems and I can have control over my phone or should I just return it?

There is a way to get what you want and are used to, aside from all the other suggestions.

The kind of thing you ran into is precisely why the jailbreak community exists. If there is a jailbreak for your iPhone and version of iOS then jailbreaking can allow you to do this and more.

Some will argue it's not safe, you open yourself up. And sure, if you're used to leaving your phone lying around so strangers can get a hold of it, installing sketchy stuff and pirated tweaks and also visiting websites that aren't legit, that can happen.

I am not saying you should do it, and I am not saying you shouldn't. But it's an option. It's one I took when I switched from Windows Mobile to iPhone and it allowed me to do the things with my iPhone I expected. It's not for everyone, but again, it's an option.

Oh. And if anyone mentions, violating warranty, blah, blah, blah, they should know Apple's policy on that changed years ago. Despite what they say, they don't care. They will replace parts and service the device as long as the JB is not the problem. The most that will happen is that you are asked to restore your device. If you restore it to begin with, you wipe the jailbreak and there's no issue.

 

[subjonas]

I used to be anti-iPhone, pro-choice/Android. Then I got tired of constantly tinkering, troubleshooting, and things slowing down. So I tried the iPhone and it was pretty much the opposite experience. Everything was smooth, reliable, and well-thought out/no hassle. There was a short period of getting used to iOS, and afterward there were still a tiny number of things I wanted to do that the iPhone wouldn’t allow, but it also had features that Android didn’t have, especially when it came to ecosystem. Overall the positives vastly outweighed the negatives for me. And though Apple is admittedly slow to add customizing features, in most cases they eventually do, so that want list got even tinier. Now I can’t even think of anything that Android offers that I want. And then privacy entered on my radar and now a non-iPhone isn’t even an option.