iPhone Tips and Tricks 2022

Ever since the release of Apple's first iPhone in 2007, users haven't been able to get enough. The company has built up a loyal fanbase, who consistently praise the iPhone for its simplicity, speed and top-tier features. Now that Apple has surpassed 1.5 billion active devices, it's safe to say it's one of the most popular smartphone brands in the world.

Despite all this popularity, even the most dedicated iPhone users might not know about all of the secret iPhone tips and tricks you can do with your device. From fun text message effects to travel hacks and safety features, there is so much more for iPhone users to discover.

iPhone Tricks Apple Won't Tell You

With every new iPhone release comes a slew of built-in features — so many that it can be a challenge to keep up. Whether you use your phone for business, pleasure or both, Apple has you covered with all kinds of shortcuts to help you communicate better, stay productive and get the most out of your phone.   

• Photography
• Messaging & Calls
  
• Text Effects 
  
• Siri
  
• Usability
  
• Productivity
  
• Travel
  
• Safety & Security
  
• Entertainment
  

Photography

In an era where many people live and work from their cell phones, the ability to take stunning photos and high-quality videos has become more important than ever. Everyone knows Apple produces some of the best smartphone cameras on the market, but you may not be aware of these features:

• Add stickers to pictures: Add fun stickers, words, shapes and filters to your images by tapping the "Effects" button after taking a photo. This is also a fast way to block out sensitive information, like a visible phone number or address, before sending the picture to someone else. 
  
• Snap a faster selfie: iPhones have a great feature that allows you to quickly access your camera, so you can snap a selfie or record a video before a moment has passed. Use 3D Touch to long-press the camera icon and access shortcuts for picture and video functions.
  
• Take expert photos with the grid feature: Most smartphone cameras have a built-in grid system for taking better photos, but many people forget it's a feature. By using the grid, you can position your subject or camera lens to capture a well-composed picture.
  
• Use Burst Mode: Burst Mode is an easy way to make sure you get the best shot, especially if you're shooting a moving subject or looking for something more candid than a traditional portrait or posed photograph. Turn on Burst Mode by pressing and holding the camera shutter button and listen for the rapid shutter sounds to follow.

Messaging and Calls

Before smartphones were all about camera quality and third-party apps, messaging and calling were the most important features. Return to those roots with these time-saving tips:

• Silence unknown callers: With robocallers, telemarketers and spammy phone calls on the rise, you probably spend a lot of your day swiping to ignore calls from people you don't know. Say goodbye to non-stop phone calls by sending unknown callers straight to voicemail. You can find the Silence Unknown Callers feature in your phone settings.
  
• Finish sentences quickly: Ever need to jot important information down into your phone notes quickly? Save yourself some time by hitting the space bar twice to add an automatic period at the end of your sentences. You can also use Apple's new QuickPath feature, which allows you to swipe across letters to spell out words instead of pressing each one individually.
• Access the trackpad: For easier navigation when typing messages, you can transform your keyboard into a touchpad with a cursor — similar to the kind on laptops — by pressing and holding your space bar while you're in Messages. 
  
• Silence message threads: Group chats can be a lot of fun, but constant notifications every time you receive a new message might be a little tiring. To silence a message thread, swipe left on the conversation and press "Hide Alerts."
• Make it personal: You probably already have pictures assigned to each of your contacts, but you can take that personalization one step further. In addition to assigning each person their own ringtone, you can also give them a personal vibration setting, so you know who's calling or texting even when you've silenced your phone. You can find this feature in the Sounds and Haptics section of the Settings app.

Text Effects

If you're texting with a friend who also has iMessage, add some flare to plain messages with these iMessage tricks:

• Pew pew: When you send "pew pew" to one of your friends, the screen will display a colorful laser light show. 
  
• Screen effects: When you really want your text message to have an impact, you can choose a screen effect inside Messages. Press and hold the send button to attach special screen effects with your message, like balloons, fireworks, shooting stars, confetti or spotlights. This same menu lets you choose whether you want your message to be delivered with "Slam," "Loud," "Gentle" or "Invisible Ink."
• Well-wishes: Send well-wishes to your loved ones from afar with screen effects that trigger when you type things like "happy birthday," "happy new year," "happy Chinese new year" and "congratulations." You'll have fun sending them, and your loved one will feel special when they open the message — it's a win-win.
  
• Text Replacement: Text Replacement is one iPhone feature that is both convenient and fun to play with. By opening the general section of your Settings app, you can choose to replace certain words or phrases with shortcut versions. For example, instead of having to type your entire email address every time you log in to a new site, you can set up a quick shortcut symbol or word.
  

Siri

Millions of people rely on Siri for everyday tasks, like setting alarms and reminders, scheduling calendar events and communicating hands-free. You probably know you can change Siri's accent, but you can also:

• Teach Siri new names: Have a new nickname? Activate Siri and say, "Call me [name] from now on" to change the way Siri refers to you. You can also teach Siri how to better pronounce your contacts' names by saying, "Siri, that's not how you pronounce [name]." 
  
• Communicate via text: A hushed library, peaceful parks, in the classroom, near your napping child — you never know when you're going to need Siri's assistance. In your Accessibility settings, there is an option to toggle on "type to Siri," so you don't have to talk out loud to your phone in quiet settings or in public unless you want to.
• Identify songs: We've all been riding in the car or shopping at the grocery store when a catchy new song starts playing on the radio, and we can't wait to get home and search it online — only to forget everything about it by the time you make it back. Stream the track directly to Apple Music and save it for future listening by asking Siri to identify the song.
  
• Have a conversation: Siri is a reliable digital assistant, terrific co-pilot when traveling and a gifted comedian. Pass the time by asking Siri to tell you a knock-knock joke or jam out to your assistant's very own beatbox track. You can also ask fun questions, such as, "What's your favorite color?" and pop culture references like, "Is winter coming?"
  

Usability 

The best smartphones are those that save us time, with convenient usability features, such as:

• Undo actions with a shake: Have you ever typed out a long message, only to change your mind in the end? You're not alone — which is why Apple added the ability to shake your phone to delete a message quickly.
  
• Quick jump to the top of your screen: If you're browsing Safari or scrolling through a timeline on a third-party app, save time — and give your thumb a break — by touching the top of the screen to jump back to the top of the page.
• Cut battery consumption: Head to your Battery Health section and turn on Optimized Battery Charging to conserve your charge a little bit longer. You can also switch to airplane mode to save some battery in a pinch.
  
• Add additional faces to Face ID: If you share your phone with someone else, you can add multiple faces to your Face ID for easier access. Go to your Face ID and Passcode section and select "Set Up an Alternate Appearance." 
  
• Tell your browser to close tabs automatically: If your phone is behaving sluggishly, you may have too many browser tabs open. Navigate to your Safari settings to close your browser tabs manually or schedule a set frequency for Safari to shut tabs down automatically.
  
• Move multiple apps at once: If you spend hours meticulously perfecting your home screen, you'll love this time saver. Instead of moving each app one at a time, you can hold your finger down, select multiple apps and drag to move them all to a new screen at once.
  
• Adjust your volume with a touch: Control your phone's volume from your touchscreen by clicking the volume button once and then dragging your finger up and down your screen to adjust the level until you find a comfortable setting.
  

Productivity

If you depend on your cell phone to help you stay organized and get projects done, you'll love these productivity tips:

• Use the Measure app: Need to tackle some projects around the house? The iPhone Measure app is an augmented reality (AR) feature that lets you use your camera as a measuring tool to get dimensions easily. Take your handiness to the next level by combining this with the Compass app, enabling you to turn your phone into a level. 
  
• Limit yourself: If you're struggling to stay focused or want to limit your time on social media, your iPhone will let you set limits for specific apps in the Screen Time section of your settings.
• Turn your device into a magnifying glass: Toggle the "magnify" setting in your phone's Accessibility section to turn your device into a magnifying glass.
  
• Scan important documents: Easily scan and upload important paperwork and files without purchasing a bulky scanning machine by going to your Notes app, pressing "scan documents" and snapping a picture. 

Travel

Your iPhone is here to help you reach your destination quickly and safely with these cool features:

• Share your ETA: Whether you're meeting a colleague for lunch or traveling home for the holidays, you can share your ETA with anyone directly from your Maps app by tapping the gray menu line above your arrival time. 
  
• Find your parked car: It happens to the best of us — you park your car before heading into the store, only to return later with no memory of where you left your vehicle. Avoid wandering around any more parking lots by pairing your device with your car's Bluetooth and enabling the "Show Parked Location" feature in the maps section of your settings. From here on out, you can select "Parked Car" in your Maps app, and your iPhone will help you find your way back. 
• Check your flight status: Stay up to date on the status of your flight by typing the name of your airline and flight number into Safari. While you're waiting, you can transfer your boarding pass to your Apple Wallet by opening the confirmation email and granting your device permission when it asks if you want to add it. 

Safety and Security

Smartphone features are for more than entertainment and fun iPhone text tricks — they can also keep you safe and secure your personal information with features like these:

• Distraction-free driving: The Do Not Disturb feature is one of Apple's smartest and definitely worth exploring. By enabling this feature in your settings, you can prevent your phone from receiving calls or texts while you're driving and instead send the person a message letting them know you'll be in touch once you're no longer behind the wheel. 
  
• Set up Self Destruct: By turning on the "erase data" setting in your Touch ID and Passcode section, you can enable a self-destruct mode that automatically erases all of your data after 10 failed attempts to unlock your device. Proceed with caution — if you're someone who struggles to remember log-in information, you should only use this feature if you are storing sensitive information on your phone. 
• Fill out your Medical ID: Medical ID is a built-in Health app feature that lets you fill out potentially life-saving information, including your blood type, medications, emergency contact information and more. By allowing it to "show when locked," first-responders can access the information quickly if necessary. 
  
• Hide pictures from albums: Keep your photos as private as possible by making them invisible in your albums. This means, when you hand your phone off to a friend, they won't accidentally swipe too far and see the rest of your photos. To hide a picture, open the album it's in, select the photo, touch the "share" button and tap "hide photo."

Entertainment

With mobile gaming, video streaming and Apple Music, your smartphone is one of the easiest ways to unwind and pass the time. Enhance your experience with the following:

• Listen to your ebook: Listen to your favorite ebook by enabling the Speak Screen in the Spoken Content section of your Accessibility settings.
  
• Connect to a console controller: Say goodbye to swiping and tapping and become a mobile gaming pro by syncing your wireless Xbox or Playstation console controller with your iPhone via Bluetooth. 
• Set a timer for automatic shut-off: If you like to fall asleep watching videos and listening to music, you can set a timer in the Clock app to stop playing them at a specific time, which helps preserve your battery.
  
• Listen to live radio: iPhone users with iOS 13 or higher can ask Siri to play live radio stations directly from your device, so you can stay up-to-date with the latest chart-topping singles and favorite live shows on the go. 

Customization

Customizing the look of your phone to your liking is a great way to make it feel individualized to your style. With some cool iPhone tricks, there are endless ways to incorporate personalization to make it look more visually appealing to you, such as:

• Changing app icons: Home screen widgets allow you to change the color, arrangement, style or photo of any apps. You can simply change the background, color or icon of any app on the iPhone itself or use an additional app to create a custom look for your most-used favorites. If you save new or custom icon designs on your phone, you can access them through the Shortcuts app and save your favorite images to any app you like.
  
• Remove from home screen: Many people have pages and pages of apps on their iPhones. If you prefer a home screen with a cleaner, minimal look, you can hold down your apps and click "Remove from Home Screen". This feature does not delete your apps — it only visibly takes them off your home screen. Your apps will still be available in your library when you search for them.
• Changing app names: You can also change the name of your apps through the Shortcut app. This iPhone trick can be useful when you regularly use an app that has a long name and wish to abbreviate it or give it a shorter name for quick searching.
  
• Changing wallpaper: If you struggle with deciding on which wallpaper to use on your home or lock screen, you can have it regularly updated with a new photo from your custom album. Simply set up a custom shortcut in your iPhone to change your wallpaper automatically.

Privacy

In relation to safety and security, there are also a few settings and features on the iPhone that can enhance privacy using iOS 14 or later. It's always a good idea to take a peek into your privacy settings to ensure that no unnecessary information or data is being shared without your knowledge.

Some iPhone tips for added privacy include:

• Not allowing apps to track: iOS apps have to explicitly ask for permission before tracking your data for advertisement purposes. However, you can turn this setting off to receive less personalized ads and prevent apps from collecting data about your activity. Simply go into the Settings app and open the Privacy tab to turn off tracking.
  
• Local network access: You can easily manage third-party access to your local network with iOS 14. The Settings app on your phone will take you to Privacy, which will show you all of the apps that have local network access. You can turn this access on and off for apps that don't need Bluetooth or WiFi connections. You can also manage third-party access to your photos. This will ensure that apps only have access to specific photos that you select or no photos at all.
• Precise location: You can also turn off the setting that allows apps to have your specific location. You may need this feature for GPS services or ride-hailing apps, but otherwise, you can turn it off.