Text snippets, additional buttons, and even custom controls
When it comes to the iPhone, Apple’s iOS has gone a long way since it was first introduced with iPhoneOS. In 2007, Steve Jobs proved the potential of the iPhone with a large on-stage Starbucks order, and the platform has evolved year after year with each major update introducing new functionality.
The introduction of multitasking, the notification and Control Center, and even the App Store to the iPhone after its initial version has made it difficult to keep up with all the new features.
So, we’ve compiled this list of important features that you may have overlooked. Some of these are accessibility features that can be activated, while others are ready to be used right away. All of them, on the other hand, will enhance your iPhone use.
Text may be selected by clicking on it with a mouse pointer.
However, even at its most efficient, texting is still a pain in the neck. This advice is for you if you’ve ever had an autocorrect mistakenly add a word to your document, only to discover it after you’ve typed several hundred additional words.
It’s possible to skip to a certain word or phrase by holding your finger on the text, although this might lead to highlighting the whole word or sentence. We’d suggest the following if you’re looking for finer-grained control:
- Place your index or middle finger or thumb just below the keyboard at the bottom of your screen.
- Until you lift your finger or thumb, the keyboard will be greyed out and function as a trackpad.
- So, there you have it: a simple way to pick text.
bits of your own writing
Mac users love text snippets, but you can get the same effect on your iPhone. Even better, no third-party software is required.
For copying in pre-registered phrases, text snippets are a great option. It’s possible to send the same answer to all of your clients, even if you’re communicating by text message. To publish a block of text every time you input a sentence, you may use text replacement.
- Go to General, then Keyboard, in the Settings app’s settings menu.
- When you choose Text Replacement, you’ll be able to generate new replacements, as well as the words needed to activate them.
- On my way! is an example of when this might be beneficial, but there are many more instances in which entering “omw” would bring up a relevant response. Additionally, emoji may be used as you write, which is a nice touch that you don’t get from the emoji picker in the same manner.
The scientific calculator must be enabled.
It’s possible that the iPad doesn’t have a calculator, but the iPhone has one. Outside of the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, it might seem constricting — at least until you get a fresh viewpoint.
The scientific calculator may be activated by swiping your iPhone to the side when the calculator app is active. Many additional useful commands are included, such as, tan/cos/sin/tan options, and brackets.
Activate a fourth ‘button.’
While the iPhone’s ‘back tap’ button was designed as an accessibility feature, power users searching for extra input for their device may find it useful.
- Select Touch under Accessibility in the Settings menu.
- Several alternatives will be provided to you when you choose Back Tap.
- The App Switcher may be triggered, a short screenshot can be taken, or Spotlight can be launched from anywhere on your smartphone with this. You may even programme it to do numerous actions with a double or triple tap.
Using your camera’s ‘Burst Mode’ is a good idea.
Although the camera on your iPhone is more than capable, you may not have taken use of one feature: Burst Mode. For action photographs, you may choose burst mode, which shoots a sequence of rapid-fire images with one push, as the name indicates.
It’s perfect for dogs and rambunctious children, allowing you to go back and pick out the finest photos once the event is over. It’s also convenient to get to. Take a snapshot by swiping left on the Shutter button (the one you press to take a picture).
The volume rocker may be used to start burst mode by simply holding it down when shooting a picture under Settings, selecting Camera, and turning Use Volume Up for Burst on.
Use the camera to scan papers.
Even while Live Text lets you extract text from photographs, it’s possible to digitise a whole document using the camera on your iPhone. However, you may not have seen how to do it since it’s hidden in the Notes app.
- Take a picture of your documents using the camera icon under Notes, then hit Scan.
- It should save instantly if you highlight your paper. The shutter button may also be used to capture a scan.
- Once the scan has been saved, you can either sign it or simply share it through email or messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. It’s not quite as good as a custom-built scanner, but it’s good enough to get the job done in a hurry.
What if I’m wrong? Check out our list of the top apps for scanning documents for more information.
Use the flash of your camera to alert you to anything.
One last, somewhat different camera technique. When you get a notice, you may set your iPhone’s camera flash to go off as an accessibility feature, letting you see who is calling or texting you more clearly.
- Go to the Accessibility tab under Settings.
- There is a ‘LED Flash for Alerts’ option in the Audio/Visual section.
- If you don’t want your phone to vibrate on a desk, you may set it to only operate while your phone is on mute.
Control Panel for the Master Computer
When iOS 7 came out, Control Center was at the bottom of the screen. Since then, it’s been relocated to the top of the screen, and it offers a lot more functionality than you may have realised.
You can obtain more Control Center choices by holding down the Option key while pressing an icon in the Notification Center for a lengthy period of time.
- Spatial Audio can be enabled with compatible earbuds, as well as Focus mode, a better look at your audio app, or even two levels deep – the quadrant with Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile signal may be enlarged to make it easier to find a Wi-Fi access point, for example.
Using the Control Center’s Shazam feature, you can identify any music.
Shazam is back, right? There’s no better way to find out what song is playing than using the music recognition service, which was bought by Apple in 2018 and is still an excellent method to find out what song is being played.
- It is possible to add Shazam to your iPhone’s Control Center so that it is always at hand.
- Enter Settings, then Control Center, then press the Plus button next to Music Recognition to activate it.
With the Shazam app in Control Center, you can quickly identify any music playing in the background. The tune will appear in your collection if you’re using Apple Music.
Use these top free iPhone applications to get the most out of iOS.