30 little-known iOS features you never knew existed

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Check how well you know your iPhone.

1. Deleting in the calculator

It turns out that the standard iPhone calculator has a delete function. It is much easier to use than to reset the calculations and re-enter the numbers. The next time you type a typo, just swipe in any direction and delete the wrong numbers.

2. Quick entry of characters

Everyone knows about the quick entry of domain zones with a long press on the "dot" and Caps Lock by double-tapping the Shift button. But many people do not even know about entering characters in one touch.

To quickly enter a number, punctuation mark or other symbol, simply press the "123" key and, without lifting your finger, select the option you want. The keyboard will then automatically return to normal mode.

3. Cancel input

When you need to erase after entering a large piece of text, you don't have to erase characters one at a time. Instead, it is more convenient to shake the smartphone in your hands and confirm the cancellation of the input in a pop-up window. If you change your mind, then you can repeat the action again and return everything to the original version.

4. One-handed keyboard mode

For quick typing on the go, it's more convenient to use the one-handed input mode. To turn it on, hold down the language change button, and then click the keyboard icon on the left or right, depending on which hand you hold the smartphone in. Clicking on the arrow will return to the normal input method.

5. Trackpad mode

The trackpad function comes in very handy when editing large texts, when you need to move the cursor frequently to select and edit. Instead of trying to operate it with your finger, try firmly pressing on the keyboard and without lifting it, move the cursor, using the key zone as a trackpad bar.

On iPhones without 3D Touch support, this function also works, but to activate it, you need to press and hold the spacebar.

6. Fast sending of geolocation and contacts in iMessage

When in the correspondence the interlocutor asks where you are, instead of a long description of the location, it is easier to send a mark on the map by clicking "Current location" at the top of the keyboard.

This works by integrating with Siri, which recognizes such requests in the text. In addition to geolocation, the assistant can operate with phone numbers and email contacts.

7. View notifications in folders

If you use folder grouping of apps, you probably open them often just to see which apps have unseen notifications. A simpler option is to click on the folder icon. After that, a list of programs with notifications and their number will appear.

8. Selecting the order of downloads

When loading several applications, you can set the priority for individual of them. To do this, forcefully click on the icon of the desired program and select "Prioritize download" from the 3D Touch menu. Convenient when setting up your iPhone for the first time.

9. Removing unused applications

One way to save disk space is to turn on the Uninstall Unused Applications feature. Their data will be saved, and the system will unload the programs themselves from the device and reinstall them when they are needed.

To enable, open "Settings" → App Store and activate the "Download unused" toggle switch.

10. Moving multiple apps

When tidying up your desktop or folders, you don't have to move icons one at a time. It is much faster to transfer them several at a time.

To do this, start moving one icon and, without lifting your finger, touch the ones you want to select. The items will be collected in a pile, which can be transferred both within folders and across desktops.

eleven. Moving multiple objects in Files

Similarly, you can select and move objects in the built-in Files application. The principle is absolutely identical: we begin to move the first element, then we select the rest.

12. Sorting in "Files"

The sorting function in the standard file manager is easy to miss, but it is there. To open the corresponding panel and change the sorting, swipe down and select the desired grouping option. In the same menu, you can create new folders and switch the view from the list to thumbnails.

13. Decrease brightness below minimum

In the dark, even the minimum brightness level of the display may be too high. To save your eyes, you can activate the Low Light function, which dims the screen.

To do this, go to Settings → General → Accessibility → Zoom → Filter and select Low Light. In the next item "Zoom area" set "Full screen".

Go back to the Accessibility section, scroll to the very end, and then go to Quick Commands and check Zoom. Now, by triple pressing the Home button or the side button, the brightness will decrease. Clicking again will return the backlight settings to standard.

14. Turning on the flashlight through Siri

In situations where your hands are dirty, busy, or you just don't want to take off your gloves, use Siri to activate the flashlight. Call the voice assistant with the command "Hey Siri" and ask to turn on the flashlight. Voice can also turn it off.

15. Changing the brightness of the flashlight

By default, the brightness is set to the maximum level, but it is easy to lower it to save battery power. To bring up the adjustment slider on devices with 3D Touch, firmly click on the flashlight icon in the Control Center. On the rest, just hold your finger. There are four levels of brightness available.

16. Quickly open links in the background

If you have to open a lot of links in new tabs while surfing in Safari, you can save a lot of time by using this trick. Instead of bringing up the context menu and selecting the "Open in New Tab" option, simply tap the link with two fingers - Safari will open it and navigate automatically.

It is not necessary to hit the link with both fingers - just touch one, and with the second, click anywhere on the page.

17. View recently closed Safari tabs

Do not delve into history when you accidentally close a page. It is much faster to return to it through the Recently Closed Tabs menu that appears when you hold down the New Tab button.

18. Find Safari Tabs

If you always keep a lot of open pages in your browser and constantly look for the ones you need by flipping through them in the tab menu, then you are wasting your time. Better to just turn your iPhone to landscape mode while in the tab menu and use search. Well, or find the page you want in the thumbnail grid.

19. Search Lyrics in Apple Music

In the Apple Music Service, you can listen to a song stuck in your memory, even if you don't know its name and artist. It is enough to drive a line from a verse or chorus into the search, and the application will immediately find it.

20. Search for photos by several keywords

The standard iOS gallery can recognize objects in a photo, allowing you to search for pictures by certain keywords. Few people know, but they can also be combined to narrow your search.

Start typing the desired phrase, select it from the list of suggestions, and then add the second and subsequent queries in the same way. Now the system will take into account all keywords when searching.

21. Accelerated charging

When the battery is discharged, and there is not enough time for a full recharge, you can speed up the process by turning on the airplane mode. This will help to reduce the load in the background: it will remove notifications, connection from the Network, the use of GPS. You can also use a more powerful adapter. For example, from the iPad.

22. Music mute by timer

Surprisingly, even experienced iPhone users are not aware of this feature. A standard timer is capable of not only counting the time, but also stopping music playback. For example, if you want to fall asleep with your favorite playlist.

This can be done by selecting the Stop option in the “When finished” sound setting menu, which is located at the very end. When the timer expires, the music turns off. The feature works with the standard player, Spotify and other third-party apps.

23. Precise setting of time in the "Calendar"

By default, the time for calendar events is set in increments of five minutes. And, on the one hand, this is good: it is unlikely that you will be scheduled an appointment at 12:27 instead of the more usual 12:30. However, sometimes the need to set the time with an accuracy of the minute still arises.

In this case, you need to make a double tap on the time setting wheel, and the step of minutes will change from five to one. Repeated double tap will return the previous option.

24. Dialing the last number

When you need to dial the last number, do not rush to open the call history and tap on the desired line. Better go to the dialer and press the call button - the contact you used before will immediately appear on the screen. And to call him, you just have to press the receiver again.

25. Quick access to settings

To quickly go to the settings of a specific application, it is not necessary to open the "Settings" themselves and look for the desired section there. Instead, just tell Siri "settings" while you're in the program. And in a moment the corresponding section will open.

26. Roulette

The iPhone had a building-level feature a long time ago, but starting with iOS 12, augmented reality roulette has also appeared. Find it through the search and run. To measure the size of an object or its area, you just need to point the camera at it.

The error will fluctuate within one centimeter for small objects and several centimeters when measuring a room. Pretty good for a tool that's always at hand.

27. Magnifier

In addition to the roulette wheel, the iPhone also has a magnifier. It works at the expense of the camera, but in a slightly different way. You can enable the function through the accessibility settings, but it's easier to add it to the Control Center and launch it from the curtain.

For a more comfortable perception, there are contrasting color filters, focus lock, as well as adjusting the magnification and turning on the backlight.

28. Protected Notes

Keeping secrets doesn't have to be in dubious safe apps. Thanks to the password protection feature, regular notes are fine too. To set a password, click the "Share" button, select "Block" and enter the desired combination.

Now, to open a note, you have to enter a password or use Face ID or Touch ID.

29. "Do not disturb" mode by geolocation

In iOS 12, the Do Not Disturb mode can be turned on not only for a specified time, but also until you leave a specific location. To take advantage of this, touch with force the crescent button in the control room and select "Until I leave this location." Useful at a meeting, in a movie theater or other place where silence is needed.

30. Sleep

When you enable Sleep, iOS will take care of your rest. iPhone will remind you when it's time to go to bed and gently wake you up in the morning. In addition, if you use the function in conjunction with the scheduled Do Not Disturb mode, when you wake up, the system will wish good morning and show the weather forecast.

To activate, open "Clock" → "Sleep" and specify how much time a day you want to sleep. Go to "Settings" → "Do not disturb", turn on the toggle switches "Scheduled" and "Go to bed."