The Apple iPhone range is one of the bestselling smartphone families on the planet, but if you have just got your first iPhone and are wondering how to utilize all of the features, fear not. This little guide to basic iPhone tips will teach you how to start harnessing your handset as comprehensively as possible.

Siri
If you have the new iPhone 4S then you have probably encountered the digital personal assistant known as Siri. You can use Siri to perform a number of actions, but unless you know what to say it can become confusing.

One of the best ways to use Siri is to hold down the iPhone`s home button to activate it and then press the `i` icon which appears. This will present you with a detailed list of commands.

If you want to get started with something simple, then it is sensible to explain your relationships to Siri. For example, if you father is listed as a contact by his first name, which could for example be Tom, then you can simply say `Tom is my dad` and Siri will make a note of this. Then, when you next use Siri you can just say `Call dad` rather than the far less natural `Call Tom`.

AirPlay
If you have an Apple TV box sitting in your living room then you can synchronize it with your iPhone and beam audio and video across to enjoy on the big screen from the comfort of your sofa.

AirPlay Mirroring can be activated by double tapping the home button on your iPhone to bring up the multitasking menu, then scrolling across to the right to show the multimedia playback options, from where you can turn this feature on or off.

AirPlay is great for when you are at home and you have found a video on YouTube which you want to share with other people without all having to crowd around the small display of your iPhone.

Screen grabbing
If you are a regularly user of social networking sites then you may have noticed that some people publish images which apparently show a full screen capture taken from an iPhone.

Anyone can get a screen grab from their handset at any point just by holding down the home button and then hitting the lock key at the top at the same time. If you have done this correctly, the screen of the iPhone will flash and whatever was on the display at the time will be captured and added to your collection of pictures on your phone.

You can then share these images as appropriate, either sending them out as a tweet or a Facebook update or keeping them for your own purposes.

Not all mobile phones offer this type of functionality as standard, which is a testament to the hard work and care that has gone into developing the iPhone range and the iOS software over the years.