Useful iPhone Shortcuts: Tips & Tricks

The secret iPhone tips and tricks you may not know about


Apple's iPhones are pretty complex gadgets - filled with hidden tips and tricks you may not know about.

Even if you've been using your device for years, Apple often includes new shortcuts with each software upgrade.

1.New special effects in Messages

With the launch of iOS 10 last year, Apple introduced a range of new "screen effects" in messages - such as balloons, confetti, lasers and fireworks to emphasise the tone of what you are saying.

Now, with iOS 11, Apple is adding two more screen effects - a new "Echo" option, which repeats your message in a flurry of text across the screen, and "Spotlight," which shines a beam of light around your message.

You can add these effects by holding down on the send button, tapping the "screen" tab at the top, and then swiping right or left to select and effect.

There's also now the option to mute conversations within Messages - so if you're stuck in a group chat and are sick of the incessant notifications, you can turn them off.

Just go to the main messages screen, swipe left on the conversation you want to mute, and tap on "Hide Alerts". Problem solved.

2.Check signal strength

Is there anything worse than being desperate to send that text but your signal is poor or being in the middle of a phone call and the connection breaks?

Well, now you can find out where the best place for a strong signal is where ever you are.

Type *3001#12345#* into your phone’s dialling keypad and press call.

This then will launch a hidden Field Test tool.

At the top on the left hand side you will then see a ‘-’ sign followed by a number. It is the number which indicates if you have good signal where you are.

A score of -50 is what you are aiming for, with -120 being pretty poor.

3.How to activate the cursor

This is only available on models starting from the iPhone 7.

If you hold down on the screen you finger becomes like a cursor- making deleting letters from certain words that little bit easier.

4.Three finger zoom

First up on our list of iPhone tips and tricks will definitely come in handy. Buried deep within your iPhone's Settings is a nifty little feature to help you zoom in on your screen.

This is usually disabled by default and we doubt you've been told about it. Once activated you can double tap the screen with three fingers to zoom in.

If you also activate the Zoom and Show Controller option you'll get a handy little pan tool to help navigate around your zoomed in screen.

To activate these features go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom.

5.Keep some photos private

Of course, generally speaking, your photos are private so long as you control who has access to your phone. But what about those times you want to show off your holiday snaps but don't your friends and family to see certain images? This great example of iPhone tips and tricks will save you some embarrassment.

To do this head over to your Photos app. Select the pictures you want to hide, tap Share (the small square with an up arrow) and then select Hide. You'll then be able to access these photos in you hidden folder within Albums.

6.Make custom replies for missed calls

If you are driving, in a meeting or simply far too busy to deal with calls, why not set up some pre-written text responses for missed calls?This is one of the most useful iPhone tips and tricks on the list and one you might not know exists.

Setting it up is actually very easy. Simply go to Settings > Phone > Respond with text and then create your very own response. You can now type your very own responses instead of relying on the standard defaults.

7.Faster than normal charging

Although iPhone 8 and X models both allow for faster charging as standard, for those with older models there is still a nifty way of doing this.

A great little iPhone tip is to put your phone into flight mode whilst charging to drastically reduce the charging time of your device.

To do this, if you are not aware, swipe on your home screen to open the control center. Then locate and activate the airplane icon. This will promptly put your phone into flight mode and allow your phone to charge about 5 minutes quicker. 

8.Lock focus and exposure when taking a photo

This is a great example of iPhone tips and tricks that will save you from a lot of frustration when taking photos. Save yourself the annoyance of losing focus and exposure when the camera moves with this tip.

You can actually lock the focus and exposure by tapping and holding the screen until a yellow "AE/AF Lock" message appears. Even if you change you composition the focus and exposure will not be affected. Fantastic.