Hidden Apple iPhone Features: 100+ Tips & Secrets

This comprehensive guide reveals over 100 tips, tricks, and hidden features for your Apple iPhone, covering everything from keyboard hacks and screenshot mastery to camera shortcuts and security enhancements. Dive deep into the world of iOS 17, unlock the full potential of your iPhone, and become an expert user.

Input

Master the keyboard with these handy tips and tricks.

• Shift Your Keyboard Left or Right: When typing with one thumb, hold down the globe or emoji icon to bring up a left and right keyboard option for easier one-handed typing.
• Hold the Space Bar to Make a Trackpad: Holding down the space bar turns your keyboard into a trackpad, allowing you to easily move the cursor around the text without lifting your thumb.
• Create Text Replacements: Save time by creating text replacements for frequently used phrases or emoji sequences in Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
• Swipe Type to QuickPath: Enjoy the convenience of swipe-type typing, also known as QuickPath, for seamless word input in iOS 13 and later.

Screenshots

Unlock advanced screenshot features that will revolutionize the way you capture content on your iPhone.

• Screenshot an Entire Lengthy Web Page: Capture a full web page in Safari, even if it extends beyond the screen, by tapping the "Full page" tab after taking a screenshot.
• Sign Documents: Sign documents digitally within your iPhone by taking a screenshot of the document, adding a signature via the Plus sign in the screenshot thumbnail, and dragging the signature onto the document.
• Snag Text from Photos and Video: Use Live Text to extract editable text from photos and videos, even translating foreign languages, calling phone numbers, or opening URLs. Simply click the Live Text icon on the image or paused video.

Safari

Customize your browsing experience with Safari's powerful settings.

• Customize Settings per Website: Tailor font size, view the desktop version, or disable content and advertising blockers on a per-website basis using the AA font icon in the address bar.

Recording

Record your screen and audio with ultimate control and flexibility.

• Turn Off Your Microphone on Screen Recordings: Long-press the Screen Recording button in Control Center to choose whether to record audio or not.
• Broadcast Your Screen: Share your screen live with apps like Facebook Messenger, Zoom, Google Meet, TikTok, Twitch, and more by choosing the broadcast option while recording your screen.
• Enhance Your Voice: Reduce background noise and improve audio quality in Voice Memos by enabling Enhance Recording in the equalizer menu.

App Store

Manage your app library with ease and efficiency.

• Force App Updates: Ensure your apps are up-to-date by enabling Automatic Downloads > App Updates in Settings > App Store or manually updating all apps in the App Store.
• Offload Apps: Free up storage space by turning on Offload Unused Apps in Settings > App Store, which automatically removes unused apps while preserving data and documents.

Phone

Take control of your phone calls with powerful features to filter unwanted calls and enhance your experience.

• Silence Unknown Callers: Silence calls from numbers not in your contacts or recent call list by enabling Silence Unknown Callers in Settings > Phone.
• Watch a Live Voicemail: View real-time transcriptions of voicemails on your lock screen, allowing you to answer important calls without waiting for the full voicemail.
• Hang Up via Airplane: Discreetly end a call without sounding rude by switching on Airplane mode while on the call.
• Make Calls Over Wi-Fi: Enjoy uninterrupted communication even when cellular service is unavailable by enabling Wi-Fi Calling in Settings > Phone.
• Use Your iPad to Make Calls: Make calls using your main iPhone's internet connection on your iPad or other iPhones without a cellular account by enabling Add Wi-Fi Calling for Other Devices.

Interface

Customize the layout and look of your iPhone to your liking.

• Move Multiple Apps at Once: Move a group of apps to a new home screen page by pressing down on one app to enable wiggle mode, tapping other apps with another finger, and then dragging the stack to the desired location.
• Change the Default Apps: Select your preferred mail and browser apps, such as Gmail and Chrome, as default options in Settings > General > Default Apps.
• Hide a Page of Apps: Conceal a page of apps without deleting them by going into wiggle mode on the home screen, tapping the home-screen scroll dots at the bottom, and turning off the page view in the Edit Pages interface.
• The Three-Finger Symphony: Quickly undo actions by swiping three fingers left, tapping three fingers on the screen, or shaking your phone.
• Take the Night Shift: Reduce blue light emission from your screen to improve sleep quality by enabling Night Shift in Settings > Display & Brightness.
• Live Wallpaper Returns: Transform Live Photos into animated wallpapers in iOS 17 by clicking the Share icon on a Live Photo and selecting Use as Wallpaper.
• Photo-Shuffle Your Wallpaper: Change your wallpaper automatically every hour or day by selecting Photo Shuffle in Settings > Wallpaper > +Add New Wallpaper.
• Customize Icons, Widgets, and More: Personalize your home screen with custom icons, widgets, and more using the customization options in iOS 14 and later.

Networking

Connect effortlessly with these networking features.

• Share Your Wi-Fi Password Automatically: Share your Wi-Fi password with contacts using Bluetooth in Settings > Wi-Fi, allowing them to connect without entering the password manually.
• Find Forgotten Wi-Fi Passwords: Retrieve forgotten Wi-Fi passwords by clicking the info icon next to the network name in Settings > Wi-Fi.
• Quick Switch a Network or Bluetooth Connection: Access a quick menu of available Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth connections by long-pressing the corresponding buttons in Control Center.

Siri & Search

Utilize Siri and search for a seamless and convenient experience.

• Teach Siri Names: Help Siri pronounce names correctly by saying, "Hey, Siri, learn how to pronounce [name]," and following the on-screen prompts.
• Change Siri's Voice: Select a male or female voice with a variety of accents in Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice.
• Find Other iOS Devices: Locate a lost iOS device by saying, "Hey, Siri, find my [device name]," or using the Find My app.
• Just say "Siri": In iOS 17, simply say "Siri" instead of "Hey, Siri" to activate your digital assistant.

Calculator

Embrace the power of the built-in calculator with hidden tricks.

• Skip the Calculator to Calculate: Perform basic calculations quickly using the search bar by typing in the equation; iOS will instantly display the answer.
• Swipe to Delete Calculator Entry Mistakes: Delete wrong entries in the calculator by swiping left or right on the display, allowing for easy correction.

FaceTime

Elevate your video calls with these FaceTime features.

• Read What They're Saying: View Live Captions, generated in real time, during FaceTime calls to make conversations easier to follow. Enable Live Captions in Settings > FaceTime.
• Zoom Yourself: Double-tap your own thumbnail during a FaceTime call to expand it to full size for a closer view.
• Take a FaceTime Live Pic: Capture a Live Photo of the other participant during a FaceTime call by tapping the screen and clicking the white shutter button.
• Make Eye Contact for Real: Ensure your eyes appear to be looking directly at the camera, and thus at the other person, by enabling Eye Contact in Settings > FaceTime.
• Trigger Things by Hand: Add visual effects to your FaceTime calls by using hand gestures like thumbs up, thumbs down, peace signs, and more.
• Leave a Message: Record a video message for the other participant if they don't answer your FaceTime call by tapping Record Video.

Contacts & Calendar

Personalize your contacts and calendar entries for a more efficient experience.

• Make Custom Ringtones for Each Contact: Distinguish callers easily by assigning custom ringtones to specific contacts in Edit > Ringtone within their contact entry.
• Customize Good Vibrations: Create unique vibration patterns for specific contacts in Ringtone > Vibration to identify them even when your phone is on vibrate.
• Create SOS Contacts: Designate emergency contacts in Health > Medical ID > Emergency Contacts to receive notifications if you activate Emergency SOS.
• Use Search to Make a Quick Calendar Entry: Create calendar entries quickly by typing or speaking dates, times, and descriptions in the Spotlight search bar.

Camera & Photos

Elevate your photography and videography skills with these iPhone camera tips and tricks.

• Use Volume Buttons as Shutter Buttons: Take photos and videos using the Volume buttons instead of the on-screen shutter button for a more comfortable and convenient experience.
• Take People and Things Out of Images: Remove objects or people from a photo using Visual Look Up by tapping the desired element and selecting Copy, Share, or dragging it to another location.
• Snap Photos While You Shoot Video: Take still images while recording a video by tapping the white circle shutter button on the screen.
• Hidden QR Code Scanner: Access a dedicated QR code scanner app by searching for CodeScanner in Spotlight search.
• Lock Camera Focus: Keep the camera focused on a specific area by holding a finger on the screen over the desired spot to activate AF Lock.
• Adjust Focus After the Shot: Refocus photos and videos after they've been taken in the Photos app by clicking Edit and using the focus adjustment tools.
• Mirror Selfies: See yourself in the front camera as a mirror image by enabling Mirror Front Camera in Settings > Camera.
• Copy Your Edits to Paste: Apply the same edits to multiple photos by clicking Copy Edits after editing a photo and then selecting Paste Edits on other images.
• Burst Changes: Take burst shots by holding the shutter button and dragging it left or using the Volume Up button as a default burst mode trigger.
• Strip Data From Photos Before You Share: Remove location data, edit history, and other metadata from photos before sharing them by turning off All Photos Data in the Share sheet options.
• Keep It On the Level: Ensure your photos are perfectly level by enabling the level line in Settings > Camera, which turns yellow when the phone is level.
• Crop It Quick: Quickly crop an image to your desired size by using two-finger zoom and tapping the Crop button.

Notes

Unleash the full power of the Notes app for efficient organization and note-taking.

• Scan Multiple Pages Into a PDF: Create a PDF from multiple pages of a physical document by using the Scan Document option in the Notes app.
• Draw a Note: Sketch or handwrite notes in the Notes app using the pen-nib icon, which provides a variety of tools for drawing.
• Password-Protect a Note: Secure your notes by setting a password in Settings > Notes > Password and then locking individual notes using the lock icon.

Messages

Enhance your messaging experience with these useful tricks.

• Name a Group: Rename a group conversation and assign an emoji or Memoji to it for easy identification by clicking Change Name and Photo.
• Draw Your Message: Send hand-drawn images to friends by tapping the hand-drawn loop icon in the Messages keyboard and drawing on the canvas.
• Thread Messages in Group Chat: Keep group conversations organized by replying to specific messages to create a threaded conversation.
• Add Almost Anything to Messages: Share images, audio files, your location, and more in Messages by tapping the Plus sign icon and selecting from the list of available apps.
• Talk, Pause, Talk Some More: Send longer audio messages in iOS 17 by using the pause button to break up your recordings.
• Send Check In Alerts: Share your location and device details with contacts using the Check In feature in Messages.

Security

Stay secure with these iPhone security tips and tricks.

• Enhance Password Security: Check for password breaches and receive recommendations for improving password security in Settings > Passwords > Security Recommendations.
• Hide Your Precise Location: Control location sharing by turning off Precise Location for individual apps in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
• Turn Off Ratings Nags: Silence annoying app rating prompts by disabling In-App Ratings & Reviews in Settings > App Store.
• Set Face ID to Work With a Mask: Enable Face ID authentication even when wearing a mask by adjusting the settings in Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
• Delete One-Time Security Codes: Automatically delete one-time security codes from messages after you've used them by enabling Clean Up Automatically in Settings > Passwords > Password Options.
• Private Browsing Gets Face ID: Protect your private browsing history by requiring Face ID authentication to access Private tabs in Safari.
• Stop Getting Nudes: Blur sensitive content in Messages, FaceTime Video Messages, and AirDrop by enabling Sensitive Content Warning in Settings > Privacy & Security.

Maps

Navigate with confidence using these Apple Maps features.

• Download Maps for Offline Use: Download map data for offline use in areas with limited or no internet access by clicking Download New Map in Settings > Maps.

Accessibility

Make your iPhone more accessible with these helpful features.

• Unlock via Voice: Unlock your iPhone using your voice by setting up a custom voice command in Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
• Flashy Alerts: Enable LED flash alerts for notifications in Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual.
• Turn Voice Off (or On) via Voice: Control Voice Control using your voice by saying "Hey, Siri, turn off Voice Control" or "Hey, Siri, turn on Voice Control."
• Change Appearance in Select Apps: Adjust display and text size, contrast, and other settings for specific apps in Settings > Accessibility > Per-App Settings.
• Mouse Around the iPhone: Connect a Bluetooth mouse to your iPhone and use it as a pointing device by enabling Assistive Touch and pairing the mouse in Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
• Back Tap to Success: Perform actions like taking a screenshot, activating Siri, or locking the screen with a double-tap or triple-tap on the back of your phone by setting up Back Tap in Settings > Accessibility > Touch.

The Shortcuts App

Automate tasks and create custom shortcuts to streamline your iPhone experience.

• I'm Getting Pulled Over: Install the "I'm getting pulled over" Shortcut to automatically activate Do Not Disturb, dim your screen, pause audio, send your location to contacts, and start recording video.
• Say Cheese via Siri: Create a Shortcut that allows you to take a photo hands-free by saying "Hey, Siri, say cheese."
• Make a Speed-Dial Button: Add a custom speed-dial button to your home screen for quick and easy calling.