Most of us are too busy to learn all the things our smartphones are capable of doing. Here are 12 tips and tricks for using iPhone tools you may not have known existed.
ÌýHang that picture straight
It’s hidden in the iPhone’s built-in Compass app — swipe left and you’ll find a level that can help you make sure the photos on your wall aren’t crooked.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
Make it tougher on crooks
You’re not limited to the 4-digit passcode you used to set-up your phone — a phrase, or letter-number combination is more secure. In Settings>General>Passcode Lock, turn off Simple Passcode. With iPhone 5 or 6, it’s located in Touch ID & Passcode.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
Change direction for Panorama shotsÌý
With Panorama, you can capture an ultra-wide angle view. The default setting of Panorama has you panning left to right. If you tap on the arrow while in Panorama mode, you can change directions and pan right to left.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
ÌýCharge in a hurry
If you need to charge your iPhone as quickly as possible, in Settings, turn on Airplane Mode. You temporarily won’t be able to get calls or surf the web, but your phone will charge almost twice as quickly.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
Turn up the photos
Sometimes it’s not convenient to press the white button while taking pictures in the iPhone Camera app. ÌýYou can snap photos by touching the Volume controls on the phone, or on the standard-issue iPhone ear buds.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
Put some pizzazz in your emails
Even without resorting to emojis, you Ìýcan add some emphasis to your emails. While typing in the body of your email, highlight the text you want to format. By pressing on the option arrow, look for BIU. When you click on that, you can choose from bold, italics, or underline.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
ÌýTell me a story, iPhone
If you’re driving or multi-tasking, your iPhone can read highlighted content out loud. To activate Text-to-Speech: Settings>General>Accessibility>Speech>turn on Speak Selection.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
You weren’t supposed to read that
Do you have a coworker or family member that always seems toÌý“accidentally” read your incoming texts, when your phone is unattended? Here’s how to stop texts from popping up on your screen: Settings>Notifications>Messages>turn off Show Previews.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
What time did I send that text?
If you want to know the exact time and date you sent a text, touch the SMS message, and drag it to the left. Voila!
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
ÌýMake it easy on the eyes
Browsing in a totally dark room can be harsh on your eyes. Rather than turning down the resolution, you can invert your screen colors. Additional fun: It makes your photos appear as negatives. Go to Settings>General>Accessibility>turn on Invert Colors.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
ÌýStop the music
Many of us like listening to musicÌýin bed, but it kinda defeats the purpose if you have to rouse yourself to turn off the iPhone. You can set the phone’s timer to turn off the music. In the Clock app>Timer>choose how long you want to hear music. In When Timer Ends, choose Stop Playing.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein
ÌýWhen your phone battery is about to die
Few things are as frustrating as your iPhone running out of power at a crucial moment. When you need to squeeze every last drop of juice out of your battery, choose these settings. You will still be able to receive phone calls and text messages.
(Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø/Neal Augenstein)
Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.