The iPhone is a simpler and more intuitive device than other smartphones. But behind the screen, there are many great features that will make your time easier. The latest iOS 14 update brought many additional features such as widgets and an app library.
But not all functions cause a splash. Here are some fresh iOS14 tips and tricks that might become your favorites.
1. Zipped calls for more screen space
Before we forget, the phone is for making calls. But smartphones do a lot more. This is why the latest version of iOS uses a compact banner for all calls that does not occupy the entire screen.
Incoming phone and video calls can be displayed in full screen as before, or limited by a banner. The latter allows you to keep doing something on the screen before answering the call.
Select Settings Phone Incoming Calls Banner or Full Screen.
2. Three-dimensional touch tip to save time
By arranging similar apps into neat folders, you can save a couple of clicks with 3D Touch When you see any folder with a notification icon, you can directly navigate to the notification app in that folder.
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Click on a folder and the 3D Touch menu will display the app name with a notification. Tap it to open the app.
You can change the sensitivity of 3D Touch by going to Settings General Accessibility 3D Touch
3. Facetime picture in picture
Facetime Picture-in-Picture greatly simplifies multitasking while talking on Facetime or watching videos. The call or video window is reduced in size and you can navigate to any other app from the home screen. Resize the video window or drag it anywhere on the screen while working in another application.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq0gc5azHrc?feature=oembed]
4. Write captions with pictures
A caption can help you add context to your photos. Go to the “Photos” section and select a photo. Swipe up on it and write your signature.
5. Hide hidden album
What good is a hidden album in your gallery if it’s visible? iOS14 has the ability to really hide an album with a simple toggle switch.
Go to Settings Photos Hidden Album. Toggle the toggle to Off and the album will disappear into your gallery. When enabled, it will reappear.
6. Use the volume button to shoot quickly
A little tweak to the volume buttons, and you can take better spontaneous pictures or videos. Press the volume up button to take a quick shot in burst mode. Press the volume down button to take a video. Keep it pressed while shooting.
But how do you enable this hidden trick in iOS 14 that turns a physical button into a button for the camera shutter?
- Go to Settings Camera.
- Enable the Use option. Volume up switch for burst shooting.
It might be better (and faster) than dragging the onscreen shutter button in the iPhone Camera app.
7. Swipe up and down to quickly set alarm
The Clock application has undergone minor changes, and the Alarm clock has become slightly smaller. You may hate that there is no big scroll wheel now. Instead, there is a tiny window with a time counter. It seems counterintuitive, but this tiny window also works like an old scroll wheel that lets you set the time.
You can set the time in two ways after clicking to add a new alarm or edit an existing one.
- Use the numeric keypad to quickly enter an alarm.
- Click on an hour to select it. When it turns orange, you can slide your finger across the screen like an old scroll wheel to select the hour. Then do the same for the minutes.
The keyboard is the fastest way to enter the time (or use Siri). But it is useful to know about another option.
8. Press the back of your phone to perform actions faster
Imagine: a simple double or triple tap on the back of your phone will help you quickly perform actions on your iPhone. Back Tap is an accessibility tool, but you can customize it to control your phone.
- Open Settings Accessibility.
- Click Touch.
- Swipe down and select Back.
- Click Double Tap or Triple Tap to select an action. For example, you can double-tap to take a screenshot.
Tip: You can set up Back Tap with customized shortcuts for more powerful automation.
9. Change the default browser
Safari has long been the default browser on iOS devices. You can now change your browser to Chrome, Edge, or DuckDuckGo.
Open “Settings” [Browser] “Default Browser Application”
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Tip: You can also change the default email client to Apple Mail or Outlook.
10. Share approximate location for privacy
Some apps won’t work without your location information. But now you can control your privacy by reporting your approximate location, not your exact location. For some applications, this may be sufficient.
- Go to Settings Privacy Location Services.
- Select apps from the Share My Location list and check their location permission. Turn off the Exact Location switch for any app that doesn’t need to send its exact location.
11. Improve security with password recommendations
The security advisory feature is similar to auditing all passwords stored on iPhone. It will alert you when your password appears on suspicion of a data breach. The smartphone’s security feature will also prompt you to change common passwords, which are easy to guess.
To enable this feature, go to: Settings Passwords Security Recommendations Detect Cracked Passwords
12. Stay safe with exposure notices
Thanks to the Covid pandemic, Apple has made exposure notifications a standard part of the iPhone. This is an optional feature (since iOS 13.6) in countries where it is supported by local health authorities. You don’t need to download a third-party contract tracking app and worry about data privacy.
- Open Settings.
- Swipe down and click Impact Alerts.
- Click Enable Impact Notifications to access this feature.
- Click Continue and check if it is available in your country.
- Turn off availability alerts if you don’t want to know when contact tracing is available in your area.
13. Improve your language skills with the translation app
With Apple’s native Translate app, you won’t get lost for (foreign) words. You can use it to translate text and voice into any of the supported languages. No internet connection required to download languages.
The synthesized voice can speak entire sentences and can be a useful tool for learning pronunciation in a foreign language. Also, save the difficult words or the ones you will use the most in the Favorites.
This Apple Support article explains all the features of the app, which is now a real alternative to Google Translate
14. Travel with the Apple Guide
Explore new locations with Apple Guides on Maps. Curated guides offer advice on all hotspots in selected cities. You can save the guides and come back to them later as they will be updated frequently.
More hidden features
Want to know more about hidden iPhone features? IPhone Settings is the place to go. We’ve covered just a few of them that can help you be more productive and safer with your device in your pocket. Tell us about any other iOS 14 tips and tricks you’ve come across.
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