Discovering New iPhone Features: Enhancing Your User Experience

As technology continues to evolve, it’s important to take advantage of all the features and capabilities that come with your device. If you’re an avid iPhone user, you may feel like you know every feature and trick in the book. However, there is always more to discover.

Finding new features and ways to interact with your iPhone can not only make your user experience more productive but also spicier. In this article, we’ll explore some lesser-known iPhone features that you may not have known about.

Take Photos with Headphones

As iPhones continue to have advanced camera features, taking beautiful photos has become easier. However, there are times when photos can become unstable and blurry. One way to reduce the possibility of blurry photos is by taking photos using your headphones as a shutter button.

While in the camera app, simply press the center button of the headphones to take a picture. It’s a simple trick that can enhance your photo-taking experience and result in clearer pictures.

Boost Photos HDR

HDR stands for High-dynamic range photos. This technology takes two photos, matches them to find their best qualities, and merges them into one stunning photo in just a few seconds. To take HDR photos on your iPhone, go to the camera app, click “Options” at the top center, and select the “HDR” option.

It’s important to note that HDR automatically turns off when adjusting flash settings, and the lighting is adjusted automatically. But overall, HDR is an excellent feature for taking beautiful, high-quality photos with minimal effort.

Define Terms Dictionary

Whether you’re reading an article or chatting with friends, there are times when you come across a word that you’re not familiar with. Rather than going to a separate dictionary app, you can define terms directly on your iPhone.

Simply press and hold on the word to highlight it, use the blue circles to narrow down to a single word, and click “Define”. The pronunciation, part of speech, and definition, along with an example, will appear. It’s a fantastic way to quickly expand your vocabulary.

More Access with AssistiveTouch

While AssistiveTouch is designed to make using iPhones easier for those with disabilities, there is no reason everyone can’t benefit from this feature. Located within the Accessibility section in Settings, AssistiveTouch offers access to Siri, favorites, and the home screen with just one button.

In the “device options” section, you can take a screenshot, rotate your device, and more—all with the simple click of a button. It’s a feature that can enhance your iPhone experience overall.

Get Notified with LED Alerts

One of the most convenient features of Blackberry and other devices was the red notification light that alerted users to incoming messages or emails. But did you know that the iPhone has a similar notification option, using the camera’s flash?

In Accessibility, you can turn on “LED Flash for Alerts” so that when you receive a notification, your iPhone’s camera flash will go off. It’s a great way to quickly and easily know when you have incoming messages or emails, without having to constantly check your phone.

Scroll to Top – Faster

Whether you’re reading an article or scrolling through a web page, it can take a while to reach the top. But did you know that there’s an easier way to do it? Find the top tab bar, where you’ll find the signal strength, time, and battery life, then click on that area to quickly scroll to the top.

Quick Access When Locked

Just because your iPhone is locked doesn’t mean that you can’t still use it for common tasks. Two options for accessing your iPhone when it is locked are Siri access and photo taking.

To activate Siri, simply press the home button twice. To take a photo, find the camera icon at the bottom right, then press and flick all the way up. It’s a handy feature for when you need quick access to your device and don’t want to waste time unlocking it.

Hide Native Apps

Many native apps that come with your iPhone can be deemed unnecessary or take up too much space. While there are apps that can help you remove them, you can also hide the apps through iPhone restrictions.

When restrictions are enabled, you can essentially hide the app by toggling off the appropriate setting in “Settings” → “General” → “Restrictions” → “Enable Restrictions” → Enter Your Password → Switch toggles off to enable restrictions.

Emoticons Galore

Expressing emotions can be difficult, especially in written communication. Emoticons are an excellent way to convey your emotions and add some fun to your messages. iPhone offers a wide selection of emoticons so you don’t have to download a separate app.

To access iPhone’s emoticons, go to the keyboard settings (Settings → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard… → Emoji). When you want to use them, bring up the keyboard and press and hold the globe at the lower left until you see Emoji. Click on that, and you’ll have a wide selection of emoticons to choose from.

Know When iMessages are Read

Have you ever sent a message and wondered if it was received or read by the recipient? With the “Send Read Receipts” feature on iMessage, you can easily find out. To activate this feature, go to “Settings” → “Messages” → toggle on “Send Read Receipts.”

This not only notifies you when a message has been read but also lets the recipient know that you’ve read their message. It’s a great feature for keeping track of important messages and ensuring that your communication is being heard.

iCloud Reading List

Sometimes, you may be browsing a webpage on your Mac, but not have time to finish reading it. With iCloud Reading List, you can easily access that webpage and finish reading it on your iPhone if both devices are connected to the same iCloud account.

Once iCloud is set up, go to Safari → Bookmarks icon → iCloud Tabs. Separated by device, you will see a list of active tabs that you can view on your iPhone.

Switching Keyboard Quickly

Typing can be faster and more efficient if you take advantage of iPhone’s features. To switch to the number keyboard quickly, press and hold the number key, slide to the number you want, and lift your finger off. This will automatically type the number and switch back to the previous keyboard.

There are always new features and tricks to discover on your iPhone. By taking advantage of these lesser-known features, you can enhance your user experience, improve productivity, and add some fun to your iPhone interactions. Take the time to explore and see what new features you can find.