Do you have an iPhone for the first time or have you used one for years? You may not know these hidden iPhone functions yet.
10 hidden iPhone functions
Apple is known for its intuitive interfaces, but not everything speaks for itself within iOS. Your iPhone has some useful hidden features that you probably only find out when someone tells you about it. That is why we list ten of these functions for you. Who knows, you may learn something new!
1. Use a cursor while typing
When typing, it can be difficult to place the cursor exactly between two letters to correct a mistake. If you use the standard keyboard of iOS, fidgeting is not necessary. Press and hold the space to draw a pointer that moves like a mouse by sliding your thumb over the keyboard.
2. Lower the screen to reach the top
Do you hold an iPhone with one hand, but do you want to tap something at the top of the screen? That is difficult with those big screens of modern iPhones. Fortunately, you can easily take the picture down.
- With the home button: Tap the home button quickly twice in succession (do not press) to lower the image.
- Without the home button: Swipe down from the gray navigation button at the bottom of the screen, pulling the image down.
You may need to enable this function first. For that, you go through the next steps.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘General> Accessibility’;
- Under the heading ‘interaction’, transfer the switch to ‘Accessibility’.
3. The hidden functions of the control panel
Swipe from the bottom up on an older iPhone, or from the top right down on an iPhone without a home button, the control panel appears. You may think that everyone looks the same, but that is not true. Follow the steps below to adjust the control panel:
- Open the Settings app;
- Choose ‘Control panel’;
- Choose ‘Adjust controllers’ and place extra shortcuts at the bottom of the panel.
The control panel can also do more than you think. Press harder on the different parts for more options. For example, if you do not disturb, you can switch on the one-hour mode, you can immediately start a recording with a dictaphone and adjust the brightness of your flashlight.
4. Go quickly to the top of an app
Are you nice scrolling on Twitter, Instagram or another app and do you want to go all the way up again? Then you just have to tap the bar at the top of the screen. The app then shoots all the way to the top again.
5. Call the last number again
In the dialing screen to dial a phone number, there is no button to retry the last number called. You can go to the Recent tab for that, but that is not necessary. Press the green call button and the last number will be entered directly for you. Press the call button again to make a call.
6. Delete one digit in the calculator
You know it: you type a number in the calculator incorrectly, do not know exactly how to fix it and start all over again with your math. It’s not necessary! Swipe left on the part of the calculator where the numbers are located, and the last digit you pressed will disappear.
7. Take a picture without unlocking
Do you want to take a photo quickly? Then you do not have to unlock your device first. Swipe left on the lock screen to open the camera.
8. Take lots of photos quickly
Do you want to take a picture, but are you afraid that you do not have the perfect shot? Then press and hold the record button to take a whole series of photos. These photos are stored bundled so that you can search for the best later.
9. Create shortcuts for frequently used words and phrases
It is not necessary to type frequently-used, long words over and over again. You do not have to type out entire sentences that you often repeat. For this, you use the text substitution function on your iPhone. So you can automatically have some letters replaced for full sentences.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘General> Keyboard> Text substitution’;
- Tap the plus sign;
- Type in ‘Sentence’ a word or phrase and in ‘Keyword’ an abbreviation.
10. View desktop version of websites in Safari
If you surf in Safari, you will be automatically redirected to mobile versions of websites. Sometimes, however, you prefer the desktop version, because you have more options or find what you are looking for faster. You can easily request the desktop version by holding down the refresh button and then tapping ‘Ask for desktop site’.
Do you already know these accessibility functions?
In the Settings app of iOS, you can also find a lot of functions for people with disabilities. These functions can greatly facilitate the use of the iPhone. iPhone puts all these possibilities in different guides: