Let’s be honest: most of us spend a small fortune on our iPhones, yet we tend to use them exactly like we used our phones five years ago. We text, we scroll through social media, we take pictures, and maybe check the weather. But hiding beneath that sleek glass screen is an operating system packed with powerful features designed to make your life easier, faster, and a little bit more magical.
Apple is notorious for burying its coolest features deep within the Settings menu, leaving them undiscovered by the average user. Today, we are going to change that. Whether you are rocking the latest model or holding onto a classic, these hidden iOS tricks will help you unlock the full potential of your device. Get your iPhone ready—you are going to want to try these immediately.
1. The "Secret Button" on the Back of Your Phone
Did you know the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone isn't just for branding? It is actually a secret button waiting to be programmed. This feature is called "Back Tap," and it is an accessibility feature that has become a favorite among power users for its sheer convenience.
Back Tap turns the back of your phone into a touch-sensitive trigger. You can set it up to recognize a double-tap or a triple-tap, allowing you to launch specific actions without even touching the screen. It is perfect for when your hands are full or you want to trigger a shortcut instantly.
How to set it up:
- Open Settings and tap on Accessibility.
- Select Touch.
- Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Back Tap.
- You will see options for Double Tap and Triple Tap.
- Assign an action to each. Popular choices include taking a screenshot, turning on the flashlight, or launching the Camera.
Pro Tip: If you use the "Shazam" control center shortcut to identify music playing nearby, you can map Back Tap to launch Shazam instantly. The next time you hear a catchy song at a coffee shop, just tap the back of your phone twice to find out what it is!
2. Turn Your Keyboard into a Trackpad
We have all been there: you are typing a long text or email, and you spot a typo three sentences back. You try to tap the screen with your finger to move the cursor to the exact spot, but you keep missing. You end up deleting half a word just to fix one letter. It is frustrating, imprecise, and completely unnecessary.
There is a hidden "Trackpad Mode" built right into your standard keyboard that solves this problem instantly. It allows you to control the cursor with the precision of a computer mouse.
How to use it:
- Open any app where you can type (Messages, Notes, Mail).
- Press and hold down the Spacebar.
- Wait for the letters on the keyboard to turn blank/grey.
- Without lifting your finger, slide it around the keyboard area. You will see the cursor on your text moving in sync with your finger.
- Drop the cursor exactly where you need to make an edit.
Once you master this trick, editing emails on your phone goes from a chore to a breeze. It changes the way you interact with text entirely.
3. Visual Magic: Lift Subjects and Live Text
Recent iOS updates have introduced some of the most impressive computer vision technology we have ever seen, blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds. Two features, in particular, stand out: the ability to "lift" subjects out of photos and "Live Text."
First, let’s talk about lifting subjects. You can now separate a person, pet, or object from the background of a photo simply by touching it. It essentially creates a transparent PNG file instantly, which you can drag and drop into messages.
How to lift a subject:
- Open a picture in your Photos app.
- Press and hold your finger on the main subject (like your dog or a friend).
- You will see a glowing line trace the outline of the subject.
- Tap Copy to paste it into a text message, or drag it directly into another app.
Second is Live Text. Your iPhone camera can now read text in the real world. If you are at a restaurant and want to share the menu, or you need to copy a long Wi-Fi password from the back of a router, you don't need to type it out manually.
How to use Live Text:
- Open your Camera app and point it at any text (a document, a sign, a screen).
- Look for the small Live Text icon (a square with lines of text inside) to appear in the corner of the viewfinder.
- Tap the icon. The image will freeze, and you can highlight the text just like you would in a Word document.
- Select Copy, Look Up, or if it is a phone number, tap to Call.
4. The Built-in Document Scanner
How many times have you needed to scan a document, sign it, and email it back? Many users rush to the App Store to download third-party scanner apps, many of which require expensive subscriptions or riddle you with ads. The truth is, your iPhone already has a professional-grade scanner built right into the Notes app.
The Notes scanner is surprisingly robust. It automatically detects the edges of the paper, corrects the perspective if you are taking the photo at an angle, and removes shadows to create a clean, crisp PDF.
How to scan a document:
- Open the Notes app and create a new note.
- Tap the Camera icon above the keyboard.
- Select Scan Documents.
- Point your camera at the paper. If "Auto" is on (top right corner), it will snap the picture automatically once it finds the document.
- Tap the thumbnail to review it, then hit Save.
Did you know? You can sign the document immediately after scanning it. Tap the scanned image in your note, tap the Share button (square with an arrow), and select "Markup." Use the pen tools to add your signature right then and there.
5. Text Replacement for Speed Typing
If you find yourself typing the same things over and over again—your email address, your home address, or a specific hashtag block for Instagram—Text Replacement is going to save you hours of your life over the long run.
This feature allows you to create "codes" or shortcuts that automatically expand into longer phrases. For example, you could set it up so that typing "@@" automatically turns into "firstname.lastname@example.com".
How to create shortcuts:
- Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
- Tap Text Replacement.
- Tap the + sign in the top right corner.
- In the Phrase field, type the long version (e.g., your full address).
- In the Shortcut field, type the code you want to use (e.g., "myadd").
- Hit Save.
Now, whenever you type "myadd" in any app, iOS will offer to replace it with your full address. It works flawlessly and syncs across your iPad and Mac if you use iCloud, making your productivity seamless across all devices.
These tricks are just the tip of the iceberg, but they are the ones that offer the most immediate value to your daily life. By mastering the keyboard trackpad, utilizing the back tap, and leveraging the camera's hidden smarts, you aren't just using an iPhone—you are using a powerful tool the way it was meant to be used.