Connect to the Internet
In order to make full use of your iDevice's features, you will need an Internet connection. There are two ways to connect, via Wi-Fi and via your provider's cellular network.
Via Wi-Fi: Open Settings → Wi-Fi and slide to ON. If there are networks in range, you will see them listed. Tap on a network to join, and if the network is password protected, enter the password. Once connected, you will see an icon with three horizontally curved bars in your status bar that indicate the Wi-Fi signal's strength. If you want your iPhone or iPad to alert you whenever there are Wi-Fi networks in range, scroll to the bottom and side Ask to Join Networks to ON.
Via Cellular Network: When you are within your carrier's cellular network range, you will see the name of your carrier in the status bar, along with up to five vertical bars indicating the signal's strength. You will also see EDGE, 3G, or 4G listed, which are the carrier signals available across the U.S.
Whenever possible, connect using Wi-Fi. It won't use up your monthly allotment of data, so you can browse and download to your heart's content.
Track Your Data Usage
If you don't have an unlimited data plan, you will want to keep an eye on your data usage so as not to get hit with extra charges. Go to Settings → General → Cellular Usage and look at the amount of data your device has sent and received under Cellular Network Data; normally the limit your carrier sets is the combined amount of sent and received data.
You can also monitor your data usage using your carrier's iOS app, or a third-party app such as DataMan Next ($0.99, app2.me/6010), DataWiz (free, app2.me/6011), or My Data Manager (free, app2.me/6012). The advantage to using this method is that you can set alerts and notifications for when you near your limit, so you don't have to keep checking manually.
Save Your Power
When you don't need an internet connection for a while, turn Wi-Fi to OFF; it will cut down on battery usage. To disable all wireless signals (i.e., no internet, no phone calls in or out, and happy flight attendants), go to Settings and slide Airplane Mode to ON.
Surfin Safari
If you want to browse the web, tap on the Safari icon on your Home Screen. You can also download other web browser apps, such as Chrome and Dolphin, but since Safari is Apple's built-in browser, it is integrated into every function of iOS. Here are a few pointers on using Safari.
Viewing Pages: At the top of the screen, enter a URL in the bar and tap Go, or use the Search field on the top right to perform a web search. Once on the page, scroll up and down or use the slider bar on the right to navigate the page. Zoom in and out of a page by pinching or double-tapping the screen.
Managing Pages: To open a new page, close an existing page, or navigate between pages while browsing, tap the double-square icon on the bottom right of the screen. Select New Page to open a new one. Hit the small red "X" at the top left of the page to close it. To scroll between pages, slide your finger left or rigt, then select Done when you find the page you want to open.
Sharing & Pages: Tap the share icon at the bottom of the screen (the rectangle with an arrow coming out) and several options will appear. You can choose to email a link to the page, send it via text message, share on Twitter or Facebook, add it as an icon to your Home Screen, bookmark it, and more.
Viewing Bookmars: Tap the open-book icon at the bottom of the screen to see a list of your bookmarked pages. You can tap Edit to delete bookmarks or create folders. You can also use this button to view your browsing history and to manage your Reading List (a collection of pages to read later, even if you are not connected to the Internet) and iCloud tabs.
The Reader Feature: A small "Reader" button appear on the URL bar when you visit certain sites. If you tap it, Safari will strip the page of all ads, cumbersome formatting, and images irrelevant to the article, leaving only a clean page with easy-to-read text. You can adjust the font size in Reader mode by tapping on the pair of capital "A"s in the top left corner of the screen. Two "A" buttons will pop up; tap the large one to enlarge text, or the small one to shrink it.
Customizing Safari Settings: If you'd like to change Safari's default settings, open Settings → Safari and play around with the different options for Search Engine, AutoFill, and more. You can also turn on the Private Browsing feature from this page.
iCloud Tab Syncing
A feature of Safari in iOS 7 is the ability to sync open tabs across multiple devices. Any iDevice running iOS 7 or Mac running OS X Mountain Lion will, if connected to the Internet and iCloud, sync any open tabs across all of your devices. Go to Settings → iCloud and slide Safari to ON. This creates a new list on your Bookmarks page called iCloud Tabs. On your Mac or iPad, just tap on the cloud icon and your list of tabs will appear.