Modern smartphones are incredibly powerful devices, and they offer a wide range of features that can help to make your life easier and more enjoyable. However, the vast majority of smartphone users don’t take full advantage of the features available in their device and miss out on many useful tips, tricks, and hacks to make their lives easier.
If you’re an iPhone owner or a future buyer of an iPhone, there are plenty of ways in which you can take full advantage of the capabilities of your device. To this end, here is a list of 14 useful and fun tips and tricks for your smartphone that will help you get the most out of it:
1. Quickly view notifications on the lock screen
A lot of people keep their iPhones locked almost all the time to protect it from unauthorized access. If you do this too, then you should know that you can quickly view notifications without having to unlock your phone by swiping down with two fingers from the top right corner of your lock screen. This makes it easy to see any incoming messages or notifications without unlocking the device.
2. Take better photos with Live Photos
The Live Photos feature is present in iPhones since 6s and offers a unique way to capture moments with motion – basically capturing video rather than still images when taking photos. To enable it, go to Settings > Camera > Live Photos and toggle it on. From then on each photo taken will also record 1.5 seconds worth of audio just before snapping so that you get more dynamic pictures depicting moments perfectly instead of being limited by static frames alone!
3. Activate Do Not Disturb mode while driving
In iOS 11 Apple introduced “Do Not Disturb While Driving” which essentially silences incoming notifications while keeping important ones like calls routed through so that if there is an emergency one can still be contacted easily without distraction! To enable this head over to Settings > Do Not Disturb while driving and toggle it on - Automatically or When connected to Car Bluetooth depending upon user preference.
4. Set up Bedtime mode for better sleep quality
iPhones now come with built-in sleep tracking features which help keep track not only when we go to bed but also how long we’re actually sleeping for as well as how rested we feel afterwards! To set up a Bedtime mode simply navigate to Clock App > Bedtime tab where one can define their own schedule as well as customize what type of alerts/notifications should come through during off-hours for an undisturbed restful experience!
5. Get organized with iCloud and Notes
iCloud is one of the best tools for staying organized on your iPhone. It allows you to sync all of your data across multiple devices, so you can quickly access any document or information that you need, no matter where you are. Furthermore, the Notes app can be used to quickly jot down ideas or reminders that you don’t want to forget.
6. Take advantage of Siri
Siri has become a lot smarter over time and now offers plenty of useful commands and tricks to make life easier on the go. You can ask her anything from setting up alarms and timers to playing music, sending messages, looking up definitions and more! Just say “Hey Siri” followed by your request or query to get started.
7. Create custom vibrations
Tired of annoying ringtones? No problem - iPhones offer the ability to create custom vibration patterns which can be used as an alternative way to alert someone about incoming calls/texts without getting overwhelmed by loud noises! To set these up navigate Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone > Vibration tab & from here select Create New Vibration pattern in order customize how the phone should vibrate when ringing thus adding an extra level of customization into mix!
8. Make use of Night Shift mode
When using phones late at night it’s important to remember that blue light emitted from displays can have a negative impact on our eyesight as well as cause disruptions in sleep quality so Apple introduced ‘Night Shift’ feature in order reduce this effect! This mode automatically adjusts brightness levels based upon user’s local time zones making sure that they stay comfortable while reading content during late hours without straining their eyes too much!
9. Schedule Do Not Disturb times
iOS also offers users the ability to schedule Do Not Disturb times either manually (from Control Center) or automatically (from Settings) which allows them specify certain hours when they don’t wish notifications like calls/messages coming through thus helping them avoid distractions during important tasks or meetings!
10. Use Low Power Mode for longer battery life
Low Power Mode is specifically designed for those times when we might not have access to a power outlet nearby and need our iPhones working for slightly longer than usual without having worry about battery draining out too soon due its aggressive power saving features! This mode can be accessed directly from Settings menu if enabled beforehand otherwise just pressing Home+Power keys together activates this mode instantly making sure one doesn’t run into emergency situations where charge runs out suddenly leaving them stranded helplessly!
11. Customize Control Center functions
Control Center is great tool for accessing oft-used settings & features quickly but sometimes it might not contain all those options one wishes they had access too; thankfully there are ways around this limitation - users can now add additional shortcuts tile their Control Center by going into Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls tab; these tiles range from playback controls (for music/video) over quick access links like Calculator or Flashlight among other things offering immense flexibility towards packing whatever features one frequently needs access too without needing go through menus first!
12. Utilize Spotlight search efficiently
Whether user needs look something up within phone itself like contacts numbers/emails or outwards like checking news headlines then Spotlight Search comes handy here – just swipe down while Home Screen open & type whatever it is they’re looking for – results should show up instantaneously eliminating need hunt down individual apps before accessing content or information being searched after giving convenience boost compared manual searching process would entail taking significantly longer time wise!
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