chris
No matter how long you’ve had your iPhone, chances are there are still features hidden beneath the surface—little tricks that can save you time, simplify your day, or just make your device feel a little more magical. Many of these functions aren’t advertised front and center, which makes discovering them all the more satisfying.
After all, few things beat the moment you stumble across a shortcut that changes how you use your phone forever.
We’ve gathered 20 of our favorite under-the-radar iPhone features—some brand new, others long overlooked. Whether you’re an iPhone veteran or a curious newcomer, these tips can make your everyday interactions with your phone easier, faster, and more fun.
1. Use the Back Tap Feature for Custom Shortcuts
You can set up your iPhone to perform actions when you double or triple tap the back of the phone. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap, and assign functions like taking a screenshot, locking the screen, or even launching apps via Shortcuts. It works like magic.
2. Pin Messages in iMessage
Tired of losing your most important conversations in a sea of texts? You can pin up to nine conversations to the top of your Messages app for quick access. Just swipe right on a conversation and tap the pin icon.
3. Scan Text from Photos or Your Camera
With Live Text, introduced in iOS 15, you can highlight text in your photos (or through your camera in real-time) and copy it, look it up, or translate it. Just open the photo, tap the text, and use the pop-up options. It’s brilliant for capturing Wi-Fi passwords, notes, or signs on the go.
4. Drag and Drop Between Apps
This multitasking feature is a favorite. Hold your finger on a photo, link, or block of text, then use another finger to swipe to a different app—like Notes or Mail—and drop the item right in. It’s especially helpful for curating mood boards, compiling research, or drafting emails faster.
5. Use the Hidden Trackpad in the Keyboard
Typing a long message and need to precisely move your cursor? Tap and hold the space bar—your keyboard will turn into a trackpad, letting you easily drag the cursor around the text. Game changer for editing.
6. Silence Unknown Callers
If you’re plagued by robocalls, your iPhone can help. Go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers, and any number not in your contacts will be sent straight to voicemail. You’ll still get notifications of missed calls, but you’ll hear a lot less ringing.
7. Use Spotlight Search Like a Pro
Swipe down on your home screen and use Spotlight to do way more than just find apps. You can search for contacts, emails, messages, websites, weather, and even do basic math and currency conversions. Try typing “100 euros in dollars” or “timer 10 minutes” to see it in action.
8. Customize Your Control Center
Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center, but did you know you can add more shortcuts there? Go to Settings > Control Center and add tools like low power mode, screen recording, Apple TV remote, or even sound recognition for alerts like smoke alarms.
9. Measure Objects Using the Camera
Need a quick measurement? Open the Measure app—it uses augmented reality to estimate dimensions. It’s surprisingly accurate for basic measuring tasks like checking if that new bookshelf will fit your wall space.
10. Hide Photos from Your Main Library
Want to keep some photos private but not delete them? You can hide images from the main Photos feed. Tap the photo, hit the share icon, and choose “Hide.” They’ll be moved to the Hidden album, which you can even lock with Face ID in iOS 16 and above.
11. Use Siri to Announce Notifications on AirPods
If you’re wearing AirPods or Beats headphones, you can have Siri read incoming messages or notifications aloud, so you don’t have to pull out your phone. Enable this in Settings > Notifications > Announce Notifications.
12. Scan Documents with the Notes App
The built-in Notes app can double as a scanner. Open a note, tap the camera icon, and select Scan Documents. It automatically detects edges, straightens the scan, and lets you save or share PDFs instantly.
13. Set Custom Vibration Alerts
Need to know who’s calling without looking? Go to Contacts > Edit > Vibration, and create a custom vibration pattern. You’ll feel the difference in your pocket and instantly know who’s trying to reach you.
14. Use Focus Modes to Filter Notifications
Focus modes go beyond Do Not Disturb. In Settings > Focus, you can create custom modes for work, sleep, fitness, or personal time—and control which apps and people can reach you during each mode. It helps reduce distractions without missing what matters.
15. Search for Photos by Objects or Locations
Want to find that photo of your dog at the beach—but can’t remember when you took it? The Photos app lets you search by object, place, or even text thanks to on-device image recognition. Try searching “dog,” “pizza,” or “San Francisco.”
16. Use Your iPhone as a Magnifying Glass
There’s a built-in Magnifier that uses your camera to zoom in on fine print, restaurant menus, or anything hard to see. Enable it in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier, then add it to Control Center for fast access.
17. Change Default Apps (Finally!)
Starting with iOS 14, you can now set default apps for your browser and email. Prefer Chrome or Gmail? Go to Settings > Chrome (or Gmail) and tap Default Browser App or Default Mail App.
18. Stack Widgets to Save Space
iOS lets you stack multiple widgets on top of each other to reduce clutter. Drag one widget onto another of the same size and swipe between them. You can even use Smart Stack to auto-rotate widgets based on time, location, or activity.
19. Use Safety Check for Emergency Privacy Resets
iOS 16 introduced Safety Check, a feature designed for those in abusive or dangerous situations. It lets you quickly revoke access to your location, apps, and shared data across all your devices. It’s in Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check.
20. Tap and Hold for Quick Actions Everywhere
Try tapping and holding icons on your home screen, in Safari, or in apps like Mail and Photos. You’ll find contextual menus that let you jump straight to common actions—like composing a new message, starting a timer, or sharing a link. It’s one of the fastest ways to navigate your phone.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings