My main quibbles are that it doesn't play well with the buttons on the sides of my Droids, and doesn't seem to like phone cases. *** I've revised this for mechanically-challenged folks (like me). *** Think of the phone holder as having two parts. PART_ONE contains the clamp that holds the phone holder onto the edge of something. That's CLAMP_ONE. If you buy it new, the spring will be extremely stiff. PART_TWO is the rest. It contains the clamp to hold a phone ("CLAMP_TWO"). When you first unbox the phone holder, the entire phone holder is compact. I'll call this the "COMPACT_SHAPE." *** Starting from the COMPACT_SHAPE, rotate PART_TWO. It goes 360 degrees, in a full circle until the phone holder returns to the COMPACT_SHAPE. Let's start by rotating PART_TWO until the phone holder is as long as possible. We'll call that the "LONG_SHAPE". (There are actually *two* LONG_SHAPEs as we'll see later. This is the simplest.) CLAMP_TWO (on PART_TWO) can rotate in a full circle *by itself* - even when PART_ONE and PART_TWO are both stationary. Rotate CLAMP_TWO to hold a vertically-positioned phone or leave it as it is for a horizontally-positioned phone. *** PART_TWO can do more than rotate in a full circle. Starting from the COMPACT_SHAPE, *bend* PART_TWO until it's perpendicular (90 degrees) to PART_ONE. (Don't "rotate," instead "*bend*."). You can continue bending PART_TWO until it once again is perpendicular to PART_ONE - but let's wait on that. Now the whole phone holder should be in the shape of an 'L'. PART_ONE is the vertical part of the 'L' and PART_TWO is the horizontal part. This is the "L_SHAPE". Now hold the phone holder so that PART_ONE is horizontal. While keeping PART_ONE stationary, rotate PART_TWO. It can go in a full circle. This is a *different* way of rotating PART_TWO. When trying to get back to the COMPACT_SHAPE, you may find that PART_TWO doesn't fold back into PART_ONE because it collides with CLAMP_ONE. Just bend PART_TWO backwards a little and jiggle it. (This oddity baffled me when I first got the phone holder. It still often occurs.) *** 1) Let's get the phone holder to hang down, off the edge of your airplane tray table as shown in the most common picture (the tray table is in the vertical/'up' position). Start from the COMPACT_SHAPE. The first step is to *bend* (not rotate) PART_TWO until you get to the L_SHAPE. Keep going until you get to a LONG_SHAPE (this happens to be the second type of LONG_SHAPE). Continue the same motion until PART_TWO is perpendicular (90 degrees) to PART_ONE. Now imagine CLAMP_ONE holding on to the edge of the tray table. (Remember the tray table is in the 'up' position.) Your phone will be *above* the tray table. But if you want the phone *below* the edge of the tray table, do a second step: rotate PART_TWO 180 degrees. If you now put your phone in CLAMP_TWO, it would be facing the back of the seat in front of you - which isn't helpful. Currently, PART_TWO is perpendicular (90 degrees) to PART_ONE. Finally bend (NOT rotate) PART_TWO until it's again perpendicular to PART_ONE. CLAMP_TWO will now hold your phone in a horizonal position. This is exactly what the most common picture shows. OR, rotate CLAMP_TWO if you prefer your phone to be in a vertical position. 2) You can also use the phone holder to hold your phone on a flat surface. Starting from the COMPACT_SHAPE, *bend* (not rotate) PART_TWO until you get the LONG_SHAPE. Keep bending PART_TWO until it's perpendicular (90 degrees) to PART_ONE. Finally rotate (not bend) PART_TWO 180 degrees. You can now bend PART_TWO to fine-tune the viewing angle. In this case CLAMP_ONE isn't attached to anything, so the phone holder can be moved easily. (Or it could slide off if you're on a plane or a train.) 3) If you want to show a video to a baby in a high chair, start with the COMPACT_SHAPE and *bend* (not rotate) PART_TWO until you reach the LONG_SHAPE. Use CLAMP_ONE on the edge of the high chair's table. This obviously also works for (adult) tables. OR start from the COMPACT_SHAPE and *rotate* PART_TWO until you reach the LONG_SHAPE. Use CLAMP_ONE on the table edge so that someone seated at the table in front of the phone holder can see the phone. 4) You can use CLAMP_ONE on a relatively thin vertical or horizontal pole or something similar. Most of thse configurations begin with rotating PART_TWO to create the simplest LONG_SHAPE. Depending on the situation you may want to bend and/or rotate PART_TWO. For example if your airplane tray table is down, you can have the phone on the left or right edge of the tray table. Starting from the COMPACT_SHAPE, bend PART_TWO past the LONG_SHAPE until it's perpendicular with PART_ONE. Finally rotate PART_TWO (it will want to be crooked, just handle it firmly). Unfortunately a horizontally-positioned phone will stick out past the left or right edge of the tray table. 5) If you have the space, using the rear of your down tray table might be better. This is the same idea as the high chair in #3 (you're playing the baby's role). Starting from the COMPACT_SHAPE, bend PART_TWO into the LONG_SHAPE and use CLAMP_ONE on the rear edge of the tray table. If the passenger in front of you has reclined their seat, you can put PART_TWO at the appropriate angle for best viewing. (If all else fails, use the method in #2 to put the phone holder flat on the surface of your tray table.)