iPhone Features You Might Not Know About

Anyone who's familiar with Apple and its products will be no stranger to the likes of Siri and Animoji. Both are features used by millions daily, but did you know that there are loads of other, smaller features built into every handset that so many iPhone users simply haven't heard of? From handy hacks for Safari to keyboard tricks you won't be able to live without, we're going to be taking a look at some of the lesser-known iPhone features below - just make sure you've downloaded the latest version of iOS before we get started.

Shake to Undo

Made a mistake on your iPhone? The Shake to Undo feature makes it easier than ever to correct any slip ups. Physically shake your iPhone, and a window will pop up asking if you'd like to remove your last action. It works with a number of different apps, including Notes, iMessage, Mail and WhatsApp.

This iPhone feature isn't just limited to typing either. As well as deleting words, you can also shake your iPhone to bring back the email you've just deleted, or move a photo back to an album you accidentally removed it from.

Activating Shake to Undo is simple. Just head to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and switch the toggle on or off whenever you like.

QuickPath

QuickPath was introduced with the release of iOS 13, and it means users can finally take advantage of the swipe to type action on Apple's native keyboard. This is a popular feature already found on many Android smartphones, but before the iOS upgrade Apple users could previously only access this by downloading a third-party keyboard.

QuickPath has been designed to help you type without having to lift your finger off the screen. Instead, you just need to tap the first letter of the world you're about to type then drag your finger across to the second letter. To type 'mobile' for example, you'd start by pressing 'M', swipe across to 'O', swipe again to 'B' and so on. Once one word is finished, lift your finger off and repeat the process again to type another word. Many users find this much quicker, and easier, than regular typing.

Screenshot Shortcuts

Whether you've found a funny meme online that you can't wait to share with friends, or a recipe you'd like to save for later, screenshots offer a super convenient way to capture information directly from your iPhone.

Whenever you do take a screenshot on your iPhone (just press the Side Button and Volume Up button simultaneously to do so), a preview will then appear at the bottom left-hand corner. Most users already know that if you tap this preview, it'll open up and let you crop and annotate the screenshot before saving. However, what many people don't realise is by tapping and holding down on the preview, options to quickly share the screenshot will appear.

The share sheet will let you send the screenshot directly to a specific contact, post on social media channels like Facebook and Instagram, add it to Notes, AirDrop it and much more. It's far more convenient than saving the screenshot manually, and then opening up Photos and sharing that way.

Share your Location

Meeting a friend or keeping a loved one updated on your whereabouts? You can share your location quickly in iMessage with this handy iPhone hack. Begin typing a message with 'I'm at' and Apple's predictive text feature will pull up your Current Location as a suggestion. Tap it and press send, and your location will instantly be shared with the recipient of the message.

Safari Tabs

Did you know you can close down all of your Safari tabs at once, as well as search through open tabs to find relevant pages quickly? Ideal for those who tend to do a lot of browsing, you can access these Safari tricks in just a few taps.

To close down all of your tabs, simply open up Safari and press and hold on the tab button (located on the bottom right). You'll then see the option to close all of your tabs.

Alternatively, if you're looking for something specific that you'd previously searched - let's say you're researching iPhone 11 - just tap the tab button once, and scroll up until you reach the top. A search bar will then appear, and if you type in 'iPhone 11', any pages that feature that term will be listed below.

Hide Photos

Every single photo, video or screenshot taken on your iPhone will automatically be added to your 'Recents' album and can be viewed by anyone using your device. This can be a problem if you tend to share your device with children, friends or family - you might, for example, have a screenshot of a birthday present stored on there that you don't want anyone to see, or 50 versions of the same selfie that didn't quite make it to Instagram.

Luckily, there's a way to easily hide your photos without deleting them. Just open up the Photos app, click Recents, tap Select (located on the top right) and choose what you would like to hide. Once selected, tap on the Share icon (bottom left) and scroll down until you see Hide. You'll then be asked to confirm your decision, and the photos will no longer be visible.

To relocate hidden photos, just head over to a new photo album Apple has named Hidden.

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