Top 10 Hidden iPhone Features You Probably Didn’t Know About
iPhones are equipped with so many features these days, from impressive cameras to an extensive range of downloadable apps, they’re capable of doing a lot. However, there are some iPhone features that not everyone knows about, and they can revolutionise the way that you use your device.
To make the most of iPhone features, consider upgrading to the latest model and selling your old device with our ‘sell my iPhone’ service. Let’s get into the top 10 hidden features and what they can do to improve your phone experience.
1. Scheduled Texts
Perhaps you want to send a text to someone but don’t want to send it right away – scheduled texts are a lifesaver! Just like with popular emailing platforms, Apple phones allow you to schedule your messages so that you don’t disturb your contacts late at night or early in the morning. Simply open a chat, type your message and click on the + icon next to the message field. Select the ‘send later’ option which allows you to choose a set date and time that your message will be delivered.
2. Back Tap
Sometimes, you don’t want to be worried about searching through menus and home screens to find what you’re looking for, especially if you’re in a rush. With the back tap feature, you can assign specific actions such as taking a screenshot, muting your device or opening the camera to take place by double or triple tapping the back of your phone. To enable this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and choose from the variety of actions that utilise this feature.
3. Translate or Copy Text with Camera
If you’re in a foreign country and require a translation, or need to take notes from a whiteboard, your iPhone camera can actually assist with these requests. To translate or copy text, open your iPhone camera and point the lens at the selected block of text. You’ll see an icon with three lines in an outlined square appear at the bottom of the screen, tap this icon and it will give you the option to copy, select all, look up, translate, or share the text.
4. Use Your Phone as Level
Hanging a picture or assembling furniture often requires using a tape measure to ensure that it’s perfectly level, but did you know that your iPhone has a built-in tool for that? This means that no matter where you are, all you need is an iPhone to make sure that what you’re hanging or assembling is accurately level. To access this, open the Compass app and swipe left to switch to the level function.
5. Identify Plants and Animals
Here’s another example of how the iPhone camera is superior: it can identify plants, flowers, trees, and even animals! This is a great feature for the nature enthusiasts or for keen learners who wish to know more about the environment around them. To do this, take a photo of your subject, and if the phone can detect what it is, a symbol with stars will appear at the bottom of the photo under the ‘info’ button. This will tell you what it is, as well as giving the option to look up more about it.
6. Text to Speech
For those who prefer listening to things rather than reading, your iPhone is equipped to read text aloud. Whether it’s an email, a webpage, or a book in the Kindle app, you can have Siri read it to you. To enable this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content, and turn on Speak Selection and/or Speak Screen. You can highlight any text you want to be read aloud or swipe down using two fingers to have the entire screen read. There’s even the opportunity to adjust speed and voice in settings, making it perfectly adaptable to your preferences.
7. Custom Vibrations
Not many people know about this feature, but you can actually customise the vibrations of your messages and calls depending on the contact. This means that you know exactly who’s contacting you based on the way your phone vibrates. Simply open your contacts app, select a contact, and click ‘Edit’. Scroll down to where it says ‘Vibration’ and select a custom pattern or even create your own.
8. Find Your Lost iPhone Using Siri
If you know your phone is in the house, but you’ve temporarily misplaced it, there’s a useful hack which comes in handy especially when you’re alone. Just say ‘Hey Siri, find my iPhone’ and your device will ring, even if it’s on silent mode. This way, you don’t have to search through every drawer to find your missing phone.
9. Limit Screen Time for Apps
It can be tricky to limit your screen time, and you might find that you spend extended periods on certain apps such as social media. If you’re looking to crack down on your screen time, go to Settings > Screen Time > Add Limits > Add Limit, and either select an entire app category or set specific limits on certain apps. You can even give yourself more freedom on weekends by selecting ‘Customise Days’.
10. Silence Unknown Callers
Perhaps you’re tired of receiving spam calls, and since they often call from different numbers, it’s not as easy as just blocking a number. What you can do, however, is silence calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts, recent call history, or in your message threads. These unknown calls will go straight to voicemail, to avoid disturbing you throughout the day. Go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers and toggle it on.
The iPhone possibilities are endless. Not all of the older models are equipped with these latest features, which is why many choose our phone recycling service to earn cash for a newer model. We can accept devices from the iPhone SE all the way to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Please contact us to learn more.