A few months ago I wrote a post sharing a few iPhone hacks that I had learned about recently and thought were amazing! (If you missed it, check it out at the link below!) I thought the hacks were both interesting and useful, but I wasn’t sure if anyone else would like them as much as I did. Well, as it turns out I didn’t need to worry, because that post ended up being quite popular! Apparently lots of people are just as eager to learn about clever and simple smartphone tips as I am. :-) So I hope you’re all hungry for more because I’ll be sharing another batch of clever iPhone hacks with you today!
Related: If You Have An iPhone, You Need To Know These 11 Brilliant Tricks!
These smartphone hacks have a variety of benefits, like saving you time, improving your phone’s battery life, adding excitement to your texts, and more! I hope you find them as helpful as I do! And feel free to share your own brilliant iPhone or smartphone hacks with us in a comment at the bottom of this post! :-)
Related: 9 MORE Brilliant iPhone Hacks That Will Make Life Easier
13 More Brilliant iPhone Hacks
1. Frequent Locations
Your iPhone stores data from locations you’ve visited to help improve their Maps app and other services. You can access this by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Turn off Significant Locations to prevent your phone from storing that data.
Related: The One Easy Decluttering Project You Should Do ASAP
2. Take A Photo “Burst”
Use the “Burst” function in the Camera app to take several photos in quick succession. This is a great feature for taking action shots! To use Burst, just press and hold the shutter button when you’re taking a picture.
Related: 11 Photos You Can Take That Will Make Your Life Easier
3. Time Stamped Texts
If you’re curious about how much time has passed since you sent that text to your friend, there’s an easy way to tell! Just swipe left on the message and the time stamp will appear to the right of it.
Related: 11 Surprisingly Useful Features That Are Hidden In The Notes App
4. Simple Sentence Ender
When you’re using the keyboard, there’s an easier way to start a new sentence than reaching for both the period and space keys. Instead, just double-tap the space bar. It will add the period automatically, and you’ll be onto your next sentence! A major time-saver for slow texters like me!
Related: These Are The Best Ways To Stay In Touch While Social Distancing
5. Give Siri An Accent
Want to personalize the voice of Siri, your favorite search assistant? Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice. Mix things up by choosing a different accent or gender! I have set mine to a male voice with a lovely British accent. I like to call him Mr. Darcy. ;-)
6. Pardon My Reach
Sometimes when you’re using your phone with one hand, it can be tricky to reach certain parts of the screen. In those cases, there’s a neat little trick that can help! Just double-tap the home button (tap, don’t press), and the screen will scoot down. This makes it much easier to hit whatever you were reaching for!
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7. Quick Redial
Can’t remember that number you called a few minutes ago? Open the Phone app, then hit the green call button. The last number you dialed will be pasted into the number field, so you can copy it or call it again.
8. Text Replacement Shortcuts
There’s a very useful feature under Settings > General > Keyboard called Text Replacement. This feature allows you to create text “shortcuts” for longer phrases or text. The default one that Apple enables is that typing “omw” will get corrected to the phrase “on my way.” You can set up Text Replacements for anything you type frequently, like an address, a favorite phrase, or whatever! Just make sure to assign each one a unique call-up text that you wouldn’t type frequently.
9. Identify Battery Hogs
If it seems like your apps are draining your battery, there’s an easy way to figure out which ones are to blame. Go to Settings > Battery and look for the section titled Battery Usage. It lists which apps have drained the biggest percentage of your battery power in the last 24 hours or over the last 7 days. You can also see which apps are running in the background that you might not know about.
10. Celebratory Texts
Send “congrats” or “happy birthday” in iMessage, and it will appear to the recipient with confetti or balloons! These are a couple of the automated “bubble effects” you can use, but you can add them to other iMessages manually. After typing out your message, click hard down on the send button. It will pull up a menu of “bubble effects” for you to choose from. Check out the video above to see it in action!
11. Send GIFs In iMessage
Did you know you can send GIFs in your iMessages to your friends and family? And it’s so easy to do! Just go to a message and click the App Store button next to the text field. Choose #images (the button with the magnifying glass symbol), and search for your favorite GIF. It will play when they receive the message!
12. Let Siri Decide
Can’t decide whether to order Mexican or Thai food for dinner? Let Siri decide! Just say, “Hey Siri, flip a coin.” Assign heads as one restaurant, tails as the other, and let the coin flip decide your dinner destiny.
13. Quick App Options
Press hard on the icons of your apps, and it will bring up a menu of quick and useful options for you to use. For instance, the menu for most social networking apps has an option to write a new post. This feature makes it easy to post something new, and it’s much faster than waiting for the whole app to load first!
Want Even More Smartphone Hacks?
- For even more clever hacks that will make your smartphone more useful and easier to use, check out the other posts in the “iPhone Hacks” series!
- Click here to explore the “iPhone Hacks” series archive.
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I use a MacBook Air and an iPhone. I’m very happy with them, btw. But every once in awhile you have to psych yourself up to spend some time on the phone with customer support, right? Well, last time was very helpful! I learned why I have 2 passwords. I had just been using one when the other one didn’t work. But the helpful customer rep explained that my APPLE ID password was for things like downloading and apps, music, etc. and is tied to my email address. Then there’s my ADMIN password, which is associated with my user name (my actual name). Now when I see that my email address is defaulted in, I use that password, and when I see my user name defaulted in , I use the other one. Why did no one ever explain that before? Praise the Lord, now I know. I always learn something from your tips, Jillee. Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is a request… Often, I take a photo and want to share it on Facebook. I forget that I’m logged off on Facebook. I get the message that I need to logon in order to share the photo, so I have to change apps (camera to facebook) to go logon. Ugh – shouldn’t it be easier to logon from where I am? Thought someone might have a shortcut – thanks, Jillee and thanks, folks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for all the, “I didn’t know that” tips. Very useful.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow, so much to learn! Jillee, you always have the scoop on everything we need to make our lives a little bit easier! I’m going to have to take some time to sit with my phone and check out each of these items!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillie, do some hacks for Android cell phone users.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One thing I use on the iPhone is the volume key to silence an incoming call that I don’t want to answer and I don’t want to decline. I found this useful because it tricks some telemarketers into thinking that no one is at my number. I also like to press the blue i button in recents tab in contacts. You can block a caller or add them to your contacts.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I really dislike the “bubble effects” as you call them. They are annoying AF. Not every “congrats” needs to be followed by bright colors, exclamation marks, and balloons. What are we, like 6?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you so much for these tips! I don’t have an iPhone but I’ve found that some of these can also be used on other phones. I’m also definitely bookmarking this for if my friends or I get an iPhone soon! Thanks! (Also, please make one for Motorolas or Android)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These tips are helpful if you are 75 and just upgraded from a flip phone. Was a waste of time reading this article.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sorry Stephanie! I hate to disappoint, but I really didn’t know all of these tips :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No need to be rude. I knew all but the last one but you don’t see me complaining.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Being tech savvy doesn’t give you the right of being rude Stephanie. We should all be so lucky to reach 75 and still trying to learn. Kudos for grandparents!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Not everybody is on their phone 24/7. I found these tips very helpful.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow Stephanie! What a horrible person you are!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Tip 13 When I press hard on any app, all I get is the wiggling icons which allows me to move or delete them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Press harder! It’s a hard press, more like a click! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have something fun to add to the iPhone Bitmoji. You can make an emoji to look just like you. It is fun and free.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s really cool! Thanks for sharing that one.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.no, I think it’s like $1.99 check your bill
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I got it free. There are other ones that cost money. I shard the free one.
Thank you so much for this info, Jillee! Great hints and helps!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Sandi!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very interesting – my husband and I are now facing the problem of needing to get a mobile phone. We have steered away for 22 years and it looks like we do not have a choice, cell phone here we have to come. What to get, who has the best service, how complicated does our phone have to be. We definitely need for on line banking while traveling. These things are mind boggling!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.All depends on your location, how much you travel, if you are retired and so on. Hubby and I are retired and live in the country, so either AT&T or Verizon work best in our area and where we travel. I found through AMAC Pure Talk which works on the AT&T network. We have been to San Antonio, TX, Iowa, and MI (plus all the states we traveled through and Pure Talks has worked great. We also chose it because on the Iphone it gives us a hot spot to connect the computer to for email. Another that looked good but no hot spot are TING. They run on either AT&T or Verizon.
We got our phones from Gazelle. We had no need for the latest and greatest so we purchased a used phone. Our iphone 6S Plus work great!
Hope this helps with your decision!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh Pamm, thank you so much for this information! We have a Cellular One phone that we have had for many years for travel and so far so good, for calling friends, etc. Unfortunately if we do need to use it around our house, in a rural area, we are standing on the porch. It supposedly uses AT&T. Husband is thinking whatever we get will replace our landline – so I am thrilled to get this information – thanks again.
If you are at least 50 years old, you can go to AARP, join up for next to nothing and you can get a free phone from them. They say it’s free, but you have to pay for a provider of course. It may just get you started to see if you need a phone that offers more of which you may need. Start simple then work your way up.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks, Vikster. We have a Cellular One but did not know AARP could help with a more sophisticated phone,
OOPPS not Cellular one – Consumer Cellular – what a mind
Hi Marti! You might want to go to youtube.com and look up videos about “how to get a smartphone,” “best smartphone options,” “how to use a smartphone” or even “smartphones for seniors” — regardless of your age, you just might find some very valuable information! Good luck!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Jillee, off to You Tube we go!
I also use Puretalk. It’s very cheap and we’ve never had any big problems. No contract either.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.FYI- My husband and I had Cingular One for many years, then they were bought out by AT&T. We are in a place that gets a fair amount of hurricanes. We would lose cell phone service for days/weeks at a time. For years they told us they were putting up new towers to alleviate the poor signal problems but that never happened. During the last bad storm here(not even a hurricane) but it was the Great Flood of 2016, all the first responders(police, firemen, EMT’s, you name it) all had issued AT&T phones. No service for like three weeks. None of the rescue personnel could respond or communicate with one another. You can only imagine what that was like. Most everyone here switched to Verizon after that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Nancy – sad when we really can only depend on 2 services – Verizon and At&t – even the others mentioned depend on the towers of those 2. It is amazing how many tell you to find out who’s tower is closest to your home and make that your determining factor – forget what it costs.
Nancy, you must be from Southwest Louisiana! I was so happy to have Verizon that week!
These are great for iPhone users but what about those of us using Androids???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.MMM I was thinking the same thing
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Mary! I’ve never had an Android, but I found some tips and tricks for you here: https://jillee.co/2o801nT
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks, Jillee!
These hacks are great. My main problem is I’ve been locked out of accessing certain apps. The whole problem started because my name is spelled wrong on certain screens so when I tried to correct it , I got locked out my accounts because they think I’m trying to hack someone else’s account.. I’ve already spent.at least an hour talking to someone who was very helpful. I have need to make an appointment to someone at our local provider to get this whole mess cleared up. Anyone know if there’s any tricks to recover information. I think somehow after I got back from vacation I accidentally threw a piece of paper in my trash with the info?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In your message “certain apps” and “certain screens” and “my accounts” are too general for offering specific help.
Go to https://support.apple.com/ and scroll down. You can chat online with Apple support or even schedule a phone conversation with them. If you do this on iPhone, you can get a screen share going so they can see what you see. But you can contact apple support using your computer too If, like me, you find typing a chat preferable with a full keyboard.
Nonetheless, here are 2 tips. 1. Take screenshots of the screens that show the problem. 2. An easy fix for email is to delete the account and then add it back. Your messages will come back to the phone. However, this process requires knowing your password, so if you have any doubts, don’t do it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like T-Mobile…I was with ATT but find that every time I travel international I have to pay to send text. T-Mobile is free.
I’ve had to that before. I did get some of my personal contacts back. But, the main problem in order to get a few things straightened out I’m going to need My iCloud account I’d.I accidentally threw a piece of paper with my iCloud account information and password away. This was after I returned from our family vacation. I can’t get my email just fine. I did finally send my Sister a text telling her I need a big favor from her husband who helped me set my phone.
Your Apple ID is the key to lots of critical iPhone services including backup and sync and the App Store (not just iTunes). If you lost the Apple ID password and your relative doesn’t have it, your iCloud-locked iPhone is damaged goods for the rest of its life.
Don’t go to your provider Go straight to Apple Our daughter works for Apple and she said there biggest problems have been undoing what providers have done to fix things. Apple employees have access to codes immediately that providers do not. This sounds more like an itunes account problem than a phone problem.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks I actually spent at least an hour one my phone with Apple rep and we were unable to get the bells and whistles worked out. Luckily my phone is still under the 1 warranty. She wanted to make an appointment m but unfortunately the closest Apple store is about an hour drive.Luckily our local sprint services these types of phones and emailed them all the details. Because when I got my phone set up my name was misspelled and I tried to correct . Apples service centers screens didn’t make the connection that it’s me and not some hacker. So I’m going to have to get my Sister to talk to her husband. I think I accidentally threw out the paper with my information. Hope he still has it written somewhere.
My provider is actually Boost mobile, and they have Apple reps at our sprint store.
I wasn’t very satisfied with our provider and they said because of the type of phone I had to call Apple. I hoping I’ll have better luck at our local sprint store. They own Boost .
Well when I tried to fix another issue with my phone ringing after I’ve made calls to download iTunes. The problem is I live at home and needed my Dads password and permission, and of course both of my folks weren’t at home. Anyway that’s what Apple told . I still don’t quite understand why you need to use iTunes to fix certain problems that aren’t at all related to music downloads,