Last updated on December 17th, 2022 at 02:04 pm
Users will notice in a matter of minutes that their iPhone usage is very different from that of other users. The iPhone operation method that I have never seen before may catch my eye, and there will be functions that only the person knows.
Most of the useful features built into the iPhone are often not used properly. Modern smartphones have evolved into very powerful and complex devices, but it is difficult to grasp all the features unless you look carefully. Here are 10 iPhone features and usage tips that most users don’t know. However, please note that these functions are only available on the latest iPhone with iOS 15 or later.
Mute unknown callers
We’re getting an ever-increasing amount of spam calls coming in. I also get 3 to 4 spam calls a day.
There is a feature on the iPhone to block ringtones from spam calls. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Phone and enable the toggle button for ‘Mute unknown callers’. Then, calls from unknown numbers will not be blocked, but will be silenced.
It is sent directly to the voice mailbox without a beep or vibration, and notifications with phone numbers are also displayed in silence. However, calls from a phone number stored in Contacts, a recent caller number, or a Siri-recommended number will sound normally.
Free cursor movement
If you hold down the space bar while typing text on your iPhone, all the keyboard letters will disappear. But now you can use your finger just like a trackpad to place the cursor where you want it with your finger. If you make a typo or the automatic correction is wrong, you can fix it more easily.
Download manual
The iPhone user manual is not in the form of a booklet, but is provided up-to-date through the Apple website. There is a convenient search function and table of contents, and simple and clear description items are linked to each other by hyperlinks. You can also download iPhone user manuals for free from the Apple Books app.
The iPhone user manual contains a lot of new content that even people who have used iPhone for a long time see for the first time, so it is good to actively use the manual download function.
Back Tab Shortcut Settings
Tap the back tab in Settings > Accessibility > Touch. Tap the back of your iPhone two or three times to jump directly to a specific app or feature. You can set shortcut functions in double-tap and triple-tap, respectively.
The back tab is a useful feature, but it’s hidden so deeply that many users aren’t aware of it. It is convenient for everyone to be able to jump directly to another app with just a few taps with one hand while using one app.
Play background sound
A little background noise is useful for concentrating on work, relaxing, and going to bed.
The iPhone also has a feature to create background noise. In Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual Effects, turn on the ‘Background Sound’ toggle button. At this point, you can adjust the volume and choose from six sounds. You can also set ‘Stop sound when locked’ and ‘Use when media is playing’.
It’s a bit cumbersome to have to go to the Accessibility section of the Settings app every time you set the background sound. Therefore, it would be more convenient to set this function as a shortcut on the back tab introduced earlier.
Select text in Photos or Camera app
Live Text is one of iOS 15’s best features, but it’s not getting as much attention as you might think.
When you open the Camera app and point the camera at a subject that contains text, a yellow box appears around the subject. Press the little yellow button in the lower right corner to dock the text area. After selecting text with your finger, you can copy, translate, search, and more.
The live text feature also works in the Photos app. Photos with text appear with a small live text icon in the upper-right corner. Tapping on the icon highlights all the text contained in the photo. You can copy, translate, search, and share the highlighted text.
You can also add text directly to notes this way. Just tap the camera icon in the Notes app, then select “Scan Text.”
Search everything, anywhere
The iPhone’s search function is far more powerful than you might think. However, surprisingly many people don’t even know that they are using the search function.
Just swipe down from any home screen. This is done by holding down the mid-point of the screen and dragging it slightly downwards. Please note that swiping from the corner of the screen will open the notification or control center, not the search bar.
In the search bar, you can type everything from iPhone search suggestions to installed apps or websites, matching photos, knowledge from the Siri knowledge base, apps from the App Store, matching Apple Music and Messages entries, and more. There’s also a “Search in App” option to find search results in the Mail or Calendar apps.
Scan documents
The iPhone has a built-in document scanner. All you have to do is place the document you want to scan on a flat surface, and decide whether you want to create a new PDF document or attach the scanned document to a note in the Notes app.
To create a new file, first open the folder where you want to save the scan in the Files app and press the menu button at the top right. Here, select ‘Scan Document’, and then take a picture of the document you want to scan.
Photos taken automatically or manually are minimized in size and moved to the corner in this state. You are ready to shoot the next image. If additional scans are required, repeat the same process. When done, click ‘Save’ and name the file.
In the Notes app, open the note to which you want to attach the scanned document, then tap the camera button and then ‘Scan Document‘.
You can also digitally sign documents. Open the scanned PDF file in the Files app and tap the small markup button that looks like a pen tip shown in the upper right corner. Click the ‘+’ icon in the markup toolbar at the bottom of the screen. By selecting ‘Signature’, you can immediately add or remove a signature, or add an existing signature to the document.
Send message with effect added
There may be times when you want to add some effect to your text messages. Even if you’ve seen a message with automatically added special effects, not many users know that you can put it in any message.
However, this feature only works when sending iMessages, not SMS. You can switch between the balloon effect and the screen effect at the top by typing a message and pressing and holding the send button. Select the desired effect from among them and send the message.
Call on hold
Most users know about muting a call, but not about the hold feature. When talking on your iPhone, press and hold the mute button for a few seconds to put it on hold.
If you set call mute, you can hear the other party’s voice, but the other party cannot hear you. The microphone is literally muted. While on hold, both parties cannot hear each other.
