Solution 1:

NSString *valueToSave = @"someValue";
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setObject:valueToSave forKey:@"preferenceName"];
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] synchronize];

to get it back later

NSString *savedValue = [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults]
    stringForKey:@"preferenceName"];

Solution 2:

more precisely

-(void)saveToUserDefaults:(NSString*)myString
{
    NSUserDefaults *standardUserDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];

    if (standardUserDefaults) {
        [standardUserDefaults setObject:myString forKey:@"timestamps"];
        [standardUserDefaults synchronize];
    }
}

Solution 3:

Here's how to do the same with Swift;

var valueToSave = "someValue"
NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().setObject(valueToSave, forKey: "preferenceName")

To get it back later;

if let savedValue = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().stringForKey("preferenceName") {
    // Do something with savedValue
}

In Swift 3.0

var valueToSave = "someValue"
UserDefaults.standard.set(valueToSave, forKey: "preferenceName")

if let savedValue = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: "preferenceName") {

}