25 Awesome iPhone tips and tricks

Whether you're a seasoned user or brand new to the iPhone world, chances are you're probably not using your smartphone to its fullest. Don't worry, you're not alone, as these pocket-sized computers boast many hundreds of features buried in the operating system. And so here we share a number of our fa orite iPhone tips and tricks, some of which you may know already. !opefully there's a good number of ones you aren't aware of yet. "ost of these following #$ suggestions will work with all ersions of the iPhone, but be sure to ha e the latest software installed %i&' $.(). &*, here we go+ Take a photo with your headphone cord+ ,ow that you can use the olume up or down buttons to snap a photo, steady your hand while framing up the photo and when you're ready to take the picture, press the button on the cord so it won't shake the iPhone. -oila. Dry out a wet iPhone+ /ou're not the first one to drop an iPhone in a toilet or sink. 0f this happens, don't turn it on as you can damage the smartphone by short-circuiting it. 1ightly towel dry the phone. Don't use a hairdryer on the phone as it can further push moisture into areas that aren't wet. 'ubmerge the iPhone in a bowl or 2iploc bag of uncooked white rice and lea e it o ernight. 0f you ha e it, try using a desiccant packet you might find with a new pair of shoes or leather purse. Dismiss suggested words+ 0f you're typing an email or note and the irtual keyboard is suggesting the correct spelling of the word 3 and you don't want to accept it 3 you don't need to tap the tiny 454 at the end of the word in 6uestion. 'imply tap anywhere on the screen to close the suggestion bo7. Take photos faster+ 8 en if your iPhone is locked you can double-tap on the !ome button and you'll see a camera icon you can tap to open the camera immediately. ,ow you can use the olume up button to snap the photo, too. /ou can also use the olume up on the headphone cord to take a photo %if you want to) and pinch the screen to zoom instead of using the slider bar.

Use location-based reminders+ /ou probably know 'iri can be used to set a reminder, like saying 4'iri, remind me to call mom at 9pm today.4 :ut did you know you can set location-based reminders on your iPhone 9'; 'ay 4<emind me to call mom when 0 lea e here4 or 4<emind me to call mom when 0 get home4 and you'll be notified accordingly. Get word definitions+ Apple has recently added a built-in dictionary and you can access it in most apps that let you select a word. 'imply press and hold on a word 3 such as in an email, reminder, i:ooks, and so on 3 and you'll see a pop-up option for 4Define.4 e!i!e a fro"en iPhone+ 0f your smartphone freezes on you and pressing the 'leep=Wake button on top of the de ice doesn't do anything, don't panic. 0nstead, press and hold the !ome button and the 'leep=Wake button at the same time. /ou'll be prompted to swipe the 4'lide to Power &ff4 tab. >his so-called 4hard reset4 resuscitates the frozen iPhone. /ou'll first need to wait through a full shut down and restart. Get more done in less time+ /ou can create shortcuts to words and phrases you use a lot, such as ,orthern ?alifornia Association for 8mployment in 8ducation. 0n 'ettings, go to @eneral, then *eyboard, and select Add ,ew 'hortcut. ,ow you can add new words or phrases and assign shortcuts to them %such as 4,?A88,4 in the abo e e7ample, and it'll type out the full word each time. #ee a $-day weather forecast+ 0f you're one of the many weather Aunkies out there, you probably know you can swipe down the i&' de ice's screen and you'll see the ,otifications center. Weather will be at the top, but did you know you can swipe to the left or right and you'll toggle between current conditions and a B-day forecast; Plus, Aump to the Weather app by tapping anywhere on the weather bar inside ,otifications screen.

#elect U % domains faster+ When typing a website address in 'afari, you don't ha e to type the 4.com.4 Cor e7ample, you can type 4yahoo4 in the D<1 bo7 to get to yahoo.com. &n a related note, you can press and hold down the .com button and you'll see a list of alternati es to choose, such as .net, .org and .edu. &ake your own ringtone+ Don't settle with the ringtones pro ided by Apple and you need not pay your carrier for more of them. As the name suggests, the free <ingtone "aker app lets you take a clip from your fa orite songs and make ringtones out of them in seconds. 'eel and see when people call+ Apple has added a number of accessibility features to i&' $, specifically designed to assist those with hearing, ision, mobility and other disabilities. Cor e7ample, those who are hearing impaired might opt to ha e the 18D flash when a call comes in. 0f you're seeing impaired, you could set a uni6ue ibration pattern for different people in your ?ontacts, so you know who's calling.

'ind your lost iPhone+ As long as you sign up in ad ance, the free Cind "y iPhone app will help you locate your de ice on a map %on your computer or other i&' de ice). /ou can display a message or initiate a loud ring %in case it's under the cushions), or remotely lock or wipe its data. #a!e photos in #afari+ /ou're surfing the web in 'afari and stumble upon a photo you'd like to sa e. 'imply press and hold on a photo when on a website and you'll be prompted with a menu asked if you'd like to 4'a e 0mage.4 &nce the photo is sa ed, you can iew it offline, email it or set it as wallpaper. Take an iPhone screen grab+ &n a related note, if you want to take a screenshot of a website or application, press down on the !ome button and tap the 'leep button. /ou'll hear the camera click, see a white flash and the screenshot will be sa ed to your ?amera <oll.

Get new sounds+ 0t's been a long time coming, but Apple has added the ability to select custom tones for incoming te7t messages, new emails, oicemails, tweets, calendar alerts, reminders and

more. /ou can select something you like from within the 'ounds menu. /ou'll also notice you can scroll to the top of this list of sounds and you'll see a 4:uy "ore >ones4 option, which takes you to i>unes. (ip to the top of the page+ 0n "ail, 'afari, ?ontacts and other apps, simply tap the status bar at the top of the screen 3 the area that displays time, battery and cell bars 3 to Aump back to the top 6uickly. Prolong your battery+ 'peaking of the battery, here's how to s6ueeze more life out of your iPhone between charges. >urn down the brightness of your screen, turn off wireless radios you don't use %such as @P', Wi-Ci or :luetooth) and reduce the number of apps with info you ha e 4pushed4 to your phone. Also, make sure you lock it before putting in your pocket, purse or backpack or else it could turn on and drain the battery. #pread out the keyboard for easier typing+ !ere's a tip for iPad users+ 0f you like typing while holding the tablet, rather than stretch your fingers or thumbs for those middle letters like @, !, / or :, you can drag the keyboard to each side of the screen to separate it into two, allowing you to easily type while holding it. %earn some gestures+ ?lose any app ridiculously fast by putting your four fingers and thumb stretched on the screen and pinch inwards. 'weet. /ou can also magnify what's on your iPhone screen with a three-finger tap. /ou'll first need to go to 'ettings, @eneral, Accessibility, and select the arious gestures options here. )reate an *app* out of a website you !isit often+ >o add a website to your !ome screen, Aust isit the webpage in 'afari and at the top of the screen, tap the @o >o icon and select 4Add to !ome 'creen.4 )reate a music playlist on the fly+ /ou no longer need a computer to create a playlist. 0n the "usic app, tap Playlists, then select Add Playlist and gi e it a name %4"arc's Workout "i74). ,ow, tap any song %or ideo) to add it to the playlist. /ou can add indi idual songs, entire albums, or all songs by a particular artist. Don+t waste your day deleting messages indi!idually+ /ou can delete unwanted emails en masse rather than deleting one at a time. 0n your 0nbo7, simply click the 8dit button and check off the emails you want to delete with your finger and then choose Delete. ,eep track of your te-ting limits+ 0f you don't ha e the best te7ting plan and don't want to unnecessarily pay to send more te7ts than you need, here's a tip to turn on the character count in the "essages app. 8nable this in the 'ettingsE"essage option to keep an eye on your word count. Dsually, your one te7t becomes two after (BF characters. &irror your iPhone with your T.+ 0f you own an Apple >-, you can instantly and wirelessly share e7actly what's on your iPhone 9' or second- and third-generation iPad with your !D>-, connected to an Apple >- 3 such as games, apps or ideos. 'imply double-tap the !ome button, swipe all the way to the right and select AirPlay "irroring.

25 /more0 awesome iPhone tips and tricks

What's the only thing better than #$ ways to master your iPhone; #$ more. 0n case you missed our first round-up of #$ assorted iPhone tips and tricks, be sure to read these simple ways you can get more out of your smartphone in estment. 0n the first post we co ered e erything from how to dry out a wet iPhone and fi7ing those dang 4autocorrect4 issues to using the phone cord to take a picture %and why) and making your own ringtone without ha ing to pay your carrier. And now we' e got another #$ awesome things to try with your iPhone, many of which you weren't aware of. And hey, if you ha e any tips of your own to share, be sure to lea e them in the ?omments section at the bottom 3 so you can get credit where it's due. !ere we go+ Turn i1ooks into audio books+ 1ike most smartphones, the iPhone has a number of accessibility options. &ne feature is called -oice& er and it can read aloud any te7t on the screen. While designed primarily for the seeing impaired, anyone can take ad antage of this feature if they want to turn an e-book into an audiobook. ,ow you can listen while commuting to and from work, while closing your eyes in bed or when Aogging down the street. >o acti ate it, go to 'ettings, then @eneral, followed by Accessibility. Cinally, swipe to change -oice& er from &ff to &n. /ou'll also be able to tweak settings, such as the speed of oice reading to you. 'he sounds like the oice of 'iri, by the way. 2uick access a draft email+ /ou probably know you can start an email and sa e it as a draft to finish or re iew at a later time -- if not, when you're typing an email, tap ?ancel and then select 'a e Draft 3 but here's a super 6uick way to access your message draft when you're ready to continue working on it+ &pen up the "ail app, touch and hold the ?ompose button %the icon of the small pencil in the s6uare) and after a second or two it'll automatically take you to your last sa ed message draft. ,eat, huh; &therwise, you need to open "ail, select the email account, select Drafts and then find the message. #end multiple photos at the same time+ >o send multiple photos to the same contact %say, in an email or i"essage), open the Photos app and then tap on an album, such as ?amera <oll. ,ow tap the 'elect icon in the top right of your iPhone screen. ,ow you can tap to choose any photo you'd like to send to someone. &nce you' e selected the desired pics, tap 'hare in the bottom right of the screen and you'll ha e three options+ 8mail, "essage or Print. Tell #iri the entire email+ iPhone 9' owners probably go through a lengthy back-and-forth with 'iri Aust to compose an email. "ost people say the person's name and then, when prompted, the subAect line, and finally, the body of the email. :ut did you know you can do it all in one fell

swoop; Cor e7ample, hold down the home button and say 4<emind my wife about the party and say don't forget to pick up a bottle of red wine tonight.4 'iri will know who your spouse is %or will ask you once) and place that in the >o+ field, and because you said 4about4 the party, 'iri knows you want that in the 'ubAect %<e+) field. /ou also said 4and say,4 which places words you said after that into the body of the email. >his will all sa e you time. )lose open apps to sa!e battery life+ "ake sure apps you're no longer using are not open and draining the battery. Do this by double-tapping the !ome button and you'll see all the recently used apps running in the background along the bottom of your phone -- such as a @P' app you no longer need because you' e reached your destination. Press and hold an icon and they'll all Aiggle, which means you can tap the 5 to close the open apps at the bottom of your iPhone. Tweet from any app+ 0f you scour comments and message boards on the web you'll find iPhone users who complain the integrated >witter support isn't working for them. ?hances are it's because they didn't know they had to sign in first 3 but it's only re6uired once. @o to 'ettings on your iPhone, select >witter %look for the little white bird on a blue background) and enter your >witter handle %or email) and password. ,ow, you can tweet directly from apps like 'afari, Photos, ?amera, "aps and /ou>ube. Also remember that you can start typing a friend's >witter handle and the iPhone will autocomplete the rest. Undo the 1luetooth *ignore* command+ 0f you' e e er paired :luetooth products with your iPhone then you're likely aware you can also choose to 40gnore >his De ice.4 >here are different reasons why you'd want to do this, but sometimes you tap this option accidentally or you might change your mind after the fact. ,ow you won't see the wireless gadget you want to pair with. What to do; >o ha e it show up on the list again, simply turn off your iPhone by pressing and holding the power button %on top of the phone) for a few seconds and then swipe to shut down. When you boot back up again you'll see the :luetooth de ice you pre iously ignored. #iri can handle 'acebook3 Twitter+ >he i&B update will add nati e Cacebook and >witter support this fall, but until then, you can still use your oice to tweet or update your status. 0t in ol es setting up these popular social networking ser ices to work with te7t messaging. Cor Cacebook, te7t the word 4hello4 to G#BB$ %which spells C:&&* on a traditional keypad). /ou'll get an automated reply on your phone with a link to click to finish the setup. Cinally, add the short code to your address book and rename it 4Cacebook.4 ,ow you can tell 'iri 4>e7t Cacebook,4 followed by your status update. 0t's the same process for >witter, as you'll want to enable mobile updates by sending a short code to >witter. >hen you'll add the short code to your ?ontacts, name it 4>witter4 and then instruct 'iri to send a message there. >o get going, te7t the word 4start4 to 9F9F9 %D.'.) or #(#(# %?anada). %ock the screen orientation+ Does it dri e you nuts to ha e the iPhone screen flip around when you rotate the phone; /ou can pre ent this from happening if you ha e no desire to swap between portrait and landscape iew. 'imply choose the orientation you prefer by tilting the de ice and then double-click the !ome button. >his will bring up the multitasking interface at the bottom of the iPhone. ,ow swipe from left to right and you'll see a 4portrait orientation lock4 icon at the ery left of this string of apps %it has a circular arrow on the icon). >ap it once to lock your orientation and you'll see a padlock appear. >urn it off by tapping it again.

Add PD's to i1ooks+ /ou don't need to spend money on apps that let you read Adobe PDC %Portable Document Cormat) files. 0nstead, if you get a PDC as an attachment in an email, or see one on a website in 'afari %or another iPhone browser), simply press and hold the PDC icon or link and you'll see an option appear called 4&pen in i:ooks.4 'elect this and you'll be able to read the PDC in the i:ooks app. 0n fact, all your PDCs will now be stored here. 'imply tap the word :ooks in the i:ooks app %top, center of screen) and now select PDCs to see them all on the irtual bookshelf. /ou can delete them from this screen, too, if desired. &aster the keyboard+ 0n the first #$ Awesome iPhone >ricks post we co er how to add your own shortcuts and 6uickly accept or refuse autocorrect suggestions. :ut here's a few other keyboard related tips+ tap the space bar twice and the iPhone will add a period and capitalize the ne7t wordH 6uickly capitalize a word by pressing on the 'hift %arrow) button and dragging your finger to the first letter of the wordH to enter a number or symbol 6uickly, touch and hold, then select the key you want %lifting your finger returns you to the alphabet keyboard)H and touch and hold a letter to re eal a list of special characters, such as I, J, K, L, M, N and O, when you press and hold on 4a.4 !ey, now you can type 4"Ptley ?rQe4 properly. #iri is a !erbal calculator3 too+ /ou might know 'iri on iPhone 9' can gi e you facts and definitions on-demand but 4she4 can also sol e math problems for you, too %this is where students, off for the summer say 4so ,&W you tell me4). Rust gi e 'iri a erbal task, be it addition, subtraction, multiplication, di ision, e6uations or fractions 3 and you'll see %not her) the answer on the screen. :etter yet, this is ery handy when figuring out tip at a restaurant. Cor e7ample, say you're out with three friends and the bill comes to SGFF. /ou can ask 'iri something like 4What's a #F percent tip on SGFF, for four people;4 and 'iri will tell you e eryone owes S($. #wipe to delete messages+ >his one is pretty simple, but you'd be surprised how many people do it the longer way+ to delete an unwanted email, te7t message or oicemail without opening them, Aust swipe across the message from right to left when you see it in list iew and tap the red Delete button. 0nstead, many iPhone users waste time by opening up each and e ery message and tapping the small trash can at the bottom of the screen. &n a related note, you can delete unwanted emails in bulk rather than deleting one at a time+ 0n your 0nbo7, simply click the 8dit button and check off the emails you want to delete with your finger and then choose Delete. Tap to focus the camera+ >hose who regularly use the iPhone as a camera might know this simple trick+ When you're snapping photos or shooting ideo on your iPhone 3 and seeing the subAect on your screen as you line up the shot -- tap the screen where you want to iPhone to focus and it'll adAust the e7posure and white balance automatically for that area. Cor e7ample, you might want your friend's face in perfect focus or might opt for a more artsy shot of the sushi they're holding in their chopsticks by focusing the camera on the food. /ou get the idea. &anage your camera time+ !ere's another tip when using the camera. Dnless you're running out of room, ne er delete unwanted photos from your iPhone when you're out. Why; /ou really don't know what the photo looks like until you see it much bigger on a computer monitor %it may be better than you think and=or fi7able with software). Plus, spending time deleting photos on your smartphone right after you took them means you might miss an awesome shot because

you're not paying attention. And finally, deleting photos and ideos off your iPhone unnecessarily drains the battery. Add folders to the dock+ 'ince i&' 9, you' e been able to create a folder to store many similar apps on your home screen 3 this helps you better group your programs and find them easier. %Rust press and hold an app until they s6uiggle, then drag and drop it onto another app). :ut did you know you could also create folders and add them to your dock at the bottom of the iPhone; &nce you' e got your folders created 3 and you can create or edit the name for the folder by pressing and holding the icon 3 simply drag it to the bottom of the iPhone screen for easy access. /ou can only ha e four icons at a time, so you might ga e to mo e one there to your homescreen to make room. 4old your iPhone like a camera+ 0f you donTt like take a photo on your iPhone by pressing the irtual shutter button on the screen 3 after all, it's not the most comfortable and could cause the iPhone to shake when you snap the picture 3 then remember you can now take a photo by pressing the olume button on the side of your iPhone, which will be on top 3 in the same place as a shutter button on a regular camera. Pre!iew that picture+ &n a related note, if you want to pre iew the photo you Aust took, Aust drag your finger from left to right in the ?amera app for a pre iew. "ost people will tap the icon in the lower-left of the screen and open up the photos manually. 0f you ha en't taken any photos or ideos lately, swipe from left to right in the ?amera app will start to show your ?amera <oll, from newest to oldest, as you continue to swipe along. 5asily control your music+ When you're listening to music on your iPhone and using the earbuds that shipped with them, you might be aware you can press once on the small controller in the middle of the headphone cord to pause the music, and press again to play. :ut did you know you could 6uickly double tap to skip to the ne7t song and triple-tap to listen to the pre ious song; Also, iPhone 9' users can use 'iri to play music, such as saying 4Play Ray 24 or 4Play other music like this4 or 4Play playlist workout mi7.4 2uickly add a calendar entry+ /ou might' e noticed when reading an email in the "ail app it'll automatically underline anything related to date and time. Cor e7ample, you're typing to your buddy something like 4Don't forget we're hooking up for drinks on Criday afternoon.4 iPhone will detect this is a date or time and will con ert it to a link -- your friend will see 4on Criday afternoon4 underlined and in blue 3 and they could tap the link to add the e ent to their calendar. #ync it all+ ?omputer; What computer; /ou need not connect your iPhone to your P? or "ac e ery again if you acti ate the i?loud ser ice. Automatically back-up your iPhone information to i?loud by going to 'ettings, i?loud and finally 'torage and :ack-Dp. Also, be sure to select what gets synched o er Wi-Ci %or if you prefer, G@, too, though be aware of data costs). /ou can choose to sync "ail, ?ontacts, ?alendars, <eminders, :ookmarks, ,otes, Photos and more. /ou get $@: of free storage through i?loud, but can pay for more if you like. Also, while here, acti ate 4Cind "y iPhone4 so you can track your phone if missing or stolen %see here).

5nable restrictions+ Whether it's on your iPhone or your child's iPod touch or iPad, you can block inappropriate content from your kids %such as music with e7plicit lyrics), pre ent them from buying apps %or in-app purchases) and block /ou>ube, 'afari, Cace>ime and more. >o enable restrictions 3 and then customize what they're able to access -- go to 'ettings, @eneral, <estrictions and tap 48nable <estrictions.4 /ou will first be promoted to select a 9-digit passcode before choosing which content and apps can be accessed. Delete your memory-hogging apps+ :eginning with the i&' $ update, you can see how much space your apps are taking up on your iPhone and delete them from your de ice 3 e en a bunch at once. >o do this, tap 'ettings, followed by @eneral and finally, Dsage. Crom here you'll see a list of all your apps and their file size. 0f you see that "a7 Payne game is (.G @igabytes and you don't play it anymore, tap to delete it. /ou can always reinstall it later of ia i?loud, App 'tore or your computer. #a!e battery by turning off *pushed* data+ Another way to prolong battery performance is to off push notifications in email, instant messaging and other applications that constantly ping a ser er to push real-time notifications to your smartphone. >hat is, if you don't need to know this kind of information right away. 0n 'ettings, select the option that says "ail, ?ontacts and ?alendars, tap 4Cetch ,ew Data4 and change it from Push to 8 ery GF "inutes, !ourly or "anually. Turn on the *5mo6i* /emotions0 keyboard+ 8 er notice how some of your friends ha e cute little emoticons in their emails or te7t messages. /ou know, like a little yellow face with hearts for eyes, teddy bears, ?hristmas trees, and so on; :y default, your iPhone doesn't gi e you access to these emotions and other graphics 3 but it is stored on your phone and ready when you are. >o enable the 8moAi keyboard, go to 'ettings, then @eneral and finally *eyboard. &nce inside, tap 0nternational *eyboards and 4add4 new keyboard. 'elect 48moAi.4 ,ow, when typing an email or te7t, tap the globe key near the space bar for these new options. >ap it again to return back to 8nglish.