4 of the perfect obscure iPhone options you are not utilizing

Apple touts many

iPhone
options from the hills, no matter how essential they’re in observe. Take into account the

Camera Control
button on the

iPhone 16
, for instance — I principally solely use it for opening the Digital camera app, taking a shot, and adjusting zoom, and a few individuals do not use it in any respect. This form of factor is to be anticipated, although, because it’s within the nature of capitalism to assert any benefit you’ll be able to over the competitors.

Often, nonetheless, Apple does introduce options that obtain little if any advertising regardless of being genuinely helpful. That additionally is sensible in its personal method, as a result of among the issues that make a product higher aren’t essentially simple to promote by way of TV commercials and roadside billboards. These are among the extra obscure iPhone options I like — your personal checklist might range.

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1

Again Faucet

Like Double Faucet in your iPhone

Again Faucet is just like the Double Faucet gestures Apple launched with the Apple Watch Collection 9 and Extremely 2, letting you employ movement gestures to set off instructions as a substitute of clicking a button or utilizing a touchscreen. Arguably, it is higher — particularly since you’ll be able to assign your personal customized features everytime you double- or triple-tap the again of your iPhone, reminiscent of turning on the flashlight, taking a screenshot, or opening Management Heart.

Why have not you heard a lot — if something — about Double Faucet? For one, Again Faucet remains to be thought of an “accessibility” characteristic, meant to simplify iPhone use for individuals with bodily impairments. The opposite is that it’s important to flip it on manually by going to Settings > Accessibility > Contact > Again Faucet. It is off by default, presumably as a result of it could be all too simple to set off instructions by chance in case you have been unaware of the characteristic’s existence. How usually do you drum on one thing once you’re bored?

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2

ChatGPT integration into Siri

Lastly, Siri can truly inform you in regards to the Mongols

Apple / Pocket-lint

Till iOS 18.2, Siri was notoriously dangerous at answering information questions. It might reply some apparent ones, reminiscent of who the US President was or what the climate was going to be like, however too usually it could throw up its fingers or ask you to faucet on an internet hyperlink — even in case you have been speaking to a HomePod. In truth, that is nonetheless how questions work on Apple’s sensible audio system.

iOS 18.2 added ChatGPT integration for iPhones with Apple Intelligence, specifically the iPhone 16 collection and the iPhone 15 Professional. So in the end, in case you ask a posh query, Siri can produce a solution with out making you go some place else for it. You could have to attend a second whereas Siri contacts OpenAI’s servers, nevertheless it nonetheless makes the assistant really feel much more highly effective. You may even make it generate photographs in some conditions, reminiscent of Messages.

Apple does truly promote this characteristic just a little, however solely within the context of different Apple Intelligence choices. It is most likely none too desperate to shine the highlight on a product it is not accountable for, and it is trying to recruit different AI companions too, reminiscent of Google.

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3

Altering default apps

Use your most popular on a regular basis instruments

Apple would favor that you just use its personal apps every time potential, nevertheless it additionally lives in the true world — different apps are typically extra common, and antitrust lawsuits can (and do) preserve its habits in examine. In case you go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps, you’ll be able to select your personal preferences for issues like e mail, net looking, translation, and passwords. In some nations, at the least, you’ll be able to even select an alternative choice to Apple Pockets for dealing with NFC transactions.

The principle catch right here, aside from potential regional restrictions, is that some apps you’d assume can be selectable merely aren’t. Google Translate cannot be chosen as an alternative choice to Apple Translate, as an illustration, regardless that it is undoubtedly extra widespread. Control this characteristic — the gates could also be compelled all the best way open by legislators sooner or later. You would not tolerate a Home windows PC that locked out Chrome and Firefox, in any case.

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4

Textual content Substitute

Create shortcuts and repair shortcomings

A variety of human communication includes the repetition of inventory expressions. That is not a judgment of the species — that is simply how language works. As a result of expressions like “see ya” and “on my method” are so commonplace, they’re loaded with which means, and we do not have to hassle formulating a brand new phrase every time we talk the identical normal idea. You’d assume somebody was losing their time in the event that they stated “I stay up for seeing you once more after I return to work tomorrow morning” earlier than heading out to their automotive.

To avoid wasting much more time, when typing at the least, you’ll be able to go to Settings > Common > Keyboard > Textual content Substitute and generate shortcuts that mechanically swap in your most used expressions. Utilizing “omw” to set off “on my method” is an apparent instance, however I might probably use “@rf” to insert one thing like my e mail tackle, cellphone quantity, or Bluesky deal with. In a perfect world, I might be capable to share an entire contact card, however that is not right here simply but.

NameDrop
can do one thing related if each individuals have an iPhone (and so they’re standing proper subsequent to one another).

An attention-grabbing trick Apple helps is utilizing Textual content Substitute to drive iOS to not substitute one thing, say if it is just a little overzealous about “correcting” product names, music names, or swear phrases. Within the Textual content Substitute menu, you merely enter a phrase or sentence into the Phrase subject, however go away Shortcut clean. In truth, that is one in every of my largest pet peeves about iOS, so I am reminded that I ought to sit down someday and enter a flurry of latest shortcuts. Someday, iOS will cease attempting to appropriate me in regards to the obscure ambient and industrial bands I like from locations like England and Germany.

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