With every new version of iOS, the iPhone gains features that, alongside the rest of the new additions, can sometimes go unnoticed among the bigger headlines. Many of them can substantially change the way we use the device in our everyday lives. At Hanaringo, as active Apple specialists since 2018, we often see in our training sessions how small adjustments, when properly configured, make a huge difference. So, let’s talk about 7 interesting iPhone features we need to know.
Gestures and shortcuts to be more efficient with our iPhone
Let’s start with the Back Tap feature. From Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap, we can configure two or three taps on the back of the iPhone to trigger specific actions. Taking a screenshot, turning on the flashlight, opening Control Centre or running a shortcut are some of the most interesting options.
We can also customise the buttons on the Lock Screen. The flashlight and camera are very useful, of course, but we can replace them with other controls. We just need to press and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customise, tap the “-” next to the button we want to change at the bottom, and then tap the button itself to choose which function we want to assign to it.
Another very practical feature is turning an app into a widget. We simply press and hold an app icon and, if that app offers a widget option, choose one of the available sizes at the top. This way, we can see the app’s information without having to open it.
Privacy, order and customisation in our everyday lives
If we use Silent mode a lot, custom vibrations are a little wonder, as they let us know who is calling without looking at the iPhone or taking it out of our pocket. From the Contacts app, we open a person’s card, tap Edit, then Ringtone —or Text Tone—, go into Haptics and choose Create New Vibration.
Another very interesting feature is found in screenshots. When we take a screenshot of a website or a PDF, we can tap the screenshot thumbnail and, at the top, choose Full Page. This way, we save all the content in a single long screenshot instead of having to take several.
Before sending an image, we can remove its location by opening the photo, swiping up and tapping Adjust Location to choose No Location. Alternatively, we can do it from the share button, by opening Options and turning off Location. A small change, yes, but one that prevents our recipient —especially useful on social media— from knowing exactly where a photo was taken.
Finally, we can hide entire pages of apps from the Home Screen. To hide a page, we press and hold the screen, tap the dots at the bottom and untick the page we want to hide. The apps will still be on our device and we will find them in Spotlight or in the App Library, but they will not take up a section when we swipe through our apps.
All these features show something we talk about constantly at Hanaringo: the iPhone has many more possibilities than we see at first glance. That is why we offer personalised training and technical support, both for individual users and for companies; because in every session, by phone and, when necessary, with remote access to the screen, we can discover a small change that makes a big difference.
Apple designs its systems to be powerful and simple at the same time. Knowing these little details allows us to enjoy the iPhone more, make it more private, faster and more comfortable, and turn it into an even more personal tool, if that were possible.
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