The iPhone is often criticized for lacking the deep customization features of Android, but one area where the iPhone shines is in its hidden features that often make it easier to use.
Over the years, iPhone users have stumbled upon a number of little features that boost productivity, make the phone easier to use, and make it faster and more efficient. So, here are some of the most important features that make using the iPhone easier on your daily life.
Accessibility feature
How many times have you found yourself using your iPhone with one hand when you need to press something on the top half of the screen? This can happen so often that it can be annoying, but there’s a simple solution to this problem on your iPhone: Reachability.
You can enable it by going to Settings, then Accessibility, then Touch, then enable Reachability.
On iPhone X and later models that don’t have a home button, you can swipe down on the gesture bar, while on older devices, you can double-press the home button gently. Once enabled, the screen will slide down until the top is level with the volume rocker, leaving just a blank space at the top of the screen. That’s all Reachability actually does: bring the top of the screen closer to where your thumb can press.
Convert keys to touchpad
Apple’s text selection loupe gives you an easy and simple way to navigate around a text field and place the cursor exactly where you want it. The only minor problem is that it requires you to lift your fingers off the keyboard. There’s a slightly faster alternative that can be accessed directly from the keyboard, but it will take some getting used to.
Simply press and hold the space bar on the keyboard, wait for a small tactile nudge, and the keys will turn into a blank canvas. That’s now enabled the iPhone’s built in Touchpad. It lets you move your finger up and down, or left and right, giving you precise control over the cursor. The cursor moves letter by letter, making it easy to move it exactly where you want it. Then, when you lift your finger, the keyboard will return to its normal position.
The Touchpad makes it even easier to select text. You can move the cursor to the beginning of the section of text you want to select, then tap the canvas area with your other hand. Now drag the cursor and tap again at the end of that section. You’ll have selected text in half the time it would otherwise take.
Back tap feature
A simple but useful feature, depending on what you set it to do. For example, you can use it to open the Notification Center or Control Center, both of which require you to use Accessibility to open them with one hand.
You can also use it to easily take screenshots, for example. You can customize the tap on the back of the phone by going to Settings, then Accessibility, then choosing Touch, then scrolling down to Back Tap.
You will see two options: Double tap and Triple tap, tap each to choose to customize the feature you want when you double or triple tap on the back of the iPhone.