The iPhone has been one of the most popular and iconic smartphones since its initial release in 2007. Over the years, Apple has packed the iPhone with cutting-edge features and capabilities that have helped cement its status as an industry leader. However, there are also some hidden tricks and lesser-known features built into the iPhone that not everyone is aware of. Let’s explore some of the iPhone’s best-kept secrets.
Access Hidden Camera Features
The iPhone’s built-in camera app is loaded with handy features, like Portrait mode, time-lapse, and slow-motion video. But if you venture into the Settings app, you’ll find even more camera capabilities you can enable.
One useful setting is Formats, which allows you to capture photos in HEIF or HEVC formats instead of JPG or MP4. These newer file types use advanced compression to deliver better quality images and video in smaller file sizes.
Digging further, there is an option to enable Scan QR Codes from the camera app itself. Rather than using a third-party app, you can simply open the Camera app, point it at a QR code, and your iPhone will automatically recognize it and prompt you to take action.
For more creative types, there is the Hidden Filters setting that unlocks additional filters in Camera like Vivid, Dramatic, and Silvertone. Play around with these to add some flair to your regular photos.
Keyboard and Text Tricks
The iOS keyboard has all sorts of undiscovered tricks up its sleeve. For instance, did you know you can move the cursor precisely when typing? Simply press and hold on the space bar, then slide left or right to quickly reposition the cursor.
Or try touching and holding letters or symbols to conjure up special characters and accented versions. Hold down the letter O, for example, to see options like Ø, Œ, Ô, and more.
When typing numbers, the keyboard can convert into a calculator. Start entering a math problem and your iPhone will display a calculator icon – tap it to see the equation solved.
Finally, enable text replacement in Settings to have your iPhone automatically substitute abbreviations for longer phrases. Set up shortcuts like “omw” for “On my way!” or “ttyl” for “Talk to you later!”
Secret Contacts for Emergency or Medical Info
Your iPhone has a couple covert ways to share important medical or emergency details when needed. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture – here you can fill in critical info like medical conditions, medications, allergies, and emergency contacts.
Alternatively, open the Phone app and tap Medical ID at the bottom. Again, you can populate crucial personal details and who to contact in an emergency. Both of these are accessible from the lock screen for quick reference.
Control Center Power
The iPhone’s Control Center offers speedy access to frequently used settings, tools, and shortcuts. But look closely, and you’ll see that 3D/Haptic Touch can uncover advanced options.
Try 3D Touching the brightness slider, for example, to enable Night Shift mode which tints the screen amber for easier viewing at night. Or hard press on the music playback controls to quickly switch output sources like Bluetooth speakers or AirPods.
You can also firmly press on the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth buttons to access detailed connection settings and options. Discovering these hidden functions can streamline your everyday iPhone usage.
Accessibility Shortcuts
Apple has loaded iOS with powerful accessibility features to make iPhone usage easier for all. And for quick access to these tools, enable Accessibility Shortcuts which adds a button to Control Center.
Tap this button to toggle options like VoiceOver, Switch Control, Assistive Touch, and more. You can visit Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcuts to choose which shortcuts you want active.
So by customizing this Control Center button with your most-used accessibility features, you can enable or disable them on the fly with just a tap.
Find My App Features
The Find My app can track down lost Apple devices or items with AirTags attached by leveraging Apple’s global network. But download the app for bonus features you won’t find elsewhere.
The Find My app allows you to put your iPhone into Lost Mode in case you misplace it. Lost Mode locks the phone, displays a custom message on the lock screen, and tracks the phone’s location history.
You can also use the Find My app to remotely erase your iPhone if needed. This is useful as a last resort if your device is stolen and you want to protect your private data.
Secret Wi-Fi Options
Managing Wi-Fi networks is straightforward on iPhone, but there are advanced options accessible too. Head to Settings > Wi-Fi and tap on the “i” icon next to any network to uncover them.
Here you can tweak settings like Auto-Join, Private Address, and limit IP Address Tracking. These provide more granular control and privacy around connecting to networks.
You can also enable or disable band steering. This allows your iPhone to connect to 5GHz networks over slower 2.4GHz for optimal speeds when available.
Find Nearby AirTagged Items
If you have an iPhone 11 or newer, you can take advantage of the UWB chip inside to precisely locate any nearby AirTagged items. Just open the Find My app and select the Items tab.
When an AirTagged belonging comes into proximity, your iPhone will guide you to its exact distance and direction. The precision locator will lead you right to the lost item as you move around.
So leverage this UWB integration to track down misplaced keys, luggage, or anything attached to an Apple AirTag swiftly.
Scan Documents with Notes App
Tucked away in the Notes app is a handy document scanner. Open a note, tap the camera icon, and select Scan Documents. You can then use the viewfinder to snap photos of documents, receipts, letters, and more.
The scanner will automatically detect the document borders, crop to size, eliminate glare, and convert to a scannable file within the note. It saves you from having to photograph and laboriously crop documents manually.
Secret Safari Website Tricks
Safari for iOS has some useful features in its desktop counterpart too. For instance, quickly tap and release the address bar to scroll back to the top of long webpages.
Or tap and hold on the reload button when on a site to reveal a menu where you can request a desktop site. This helps if the mobile site is wonky or lacks certain content or features.
You can also create home screen web clips for convenient one-tap access to favorite sites. Navigate to the site in Safari, tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen – customize the icon and name as you want.
Hidden Photos Album
For truly private photos and videos, iOS has a built-in Hidden album separate from your main library. Open Photos, swipe down to Albums, and scroll to find the Hidden section.
You can stash away sensitive images here knowing they won’t be seen when browsing your public photo galleries. For added security, you can protect the Hidden album behind Face or Touch ID.
Track Focus Time
Trying to be more productive or avoid distractions? Use Focus Mode on your iPhone. Enable a Focus like Work or Do Not Disturb and pick which notifications and apps can send alerts.
For bonus productivity stats, allow Focus to track the time you spend in dedicated Focus sessions. Open Settings > Focus to toggle on Share Focus Usage – you’ll find metrics within Screen Time on usage, trends, and patterns.
Conclusion
Even if you’ve used an iPhone for years, there are likely some features or settings you’ve yet to uncover. Part of the appeal of Apple devices is the sheer depth of clever software tricks under the hood. Take some time to poke around settings, apps, and system menus to find iPhone secrets tailored to how you work and play.