4 of the very best obscure iPhone options you are not utilizing

Apple touts many

iPhone
options from the hills, no matter how vital they’re in observe. Think about 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.

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

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1

Again Faucet

Like Double Faucet on your iPhone

Again Faucet is just like the Double Faucet gestures Apple launched with the Apple Watch Collection 9 and Extremely 2, letting you utilize movement gestures to set off instructions as an alternative 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, comparable to 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 continues to be thought-about an “accessibility” characteristic, meant to simplify iPhone use for individuals with bodily impairments. The opposite is that you must flip it on manually by going to Settings > Accessibility > Contact > Again Faucet. It is off by default, presumably as a result of it might be all too straightforward to set off instructions by chance if you happen to had been unaware of the characteristic’s existence. How usually do you drum on one thing if you’re bored?

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2

ChatGPT integration into Siri

Lastly, Siri can really let you know concerning the Mongols

Apple / Pocket-lint

Till iOS 18.2, Siri was notoriously dangerous at answering information questions. It may reply some apparent ones, comparable to who the US President was or what the climate was going to be like, however too usually it might throw up its palms or ask you to faucet on an online hyperlink — even if you happen to had 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, particularly the iPhone 16 sequence and the iPhone 15 Professional. So in the end, if you happen to ask a fancy query, Siri can produce a solution with out making you go some other place for it. You might have to attend a second whereas Siri contacts OpenAI’s servers, but it surely nonetheless makes the assistant really feel much more highly effective. You possibly can even make it generate photographs in some conditions, comparable to Messages.

Apple does really promote this characteristic a little bit, however solely within the context of different Apple Intelligence choices. It is in all probability none too desperate to shine the highlight on a product it is not chargeable for, and it is trying to recruit different AI companions too, comparable to Google.

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3

Altering default apps

Use your most well-liked on a regular basis instruments

Apple would favor that you just use its personal apps each time attainable, but it surely additionally lives in the true world — different apps are typically extra in style, and antitrust lawsuits can (and do) hold its habits in verify. For those who go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps, you’ll be able to select your personal preferences for issues like e mail, internet shopping, translation, and passwords. In some international locations, at the very least, you’ll be able to even select a substitute for Apple Pockets for dealing with NFC transactions.

The primary catch right here, other than attainable regional restrictions, is that some apps you’d assume could be selectable merely aren’t. Google Translate cannot be chosen as a substitute for Apple Translate, as an example, although it is undoubtedly extra widespread. Control this characteristic — the gates could also be compelled all the way in which open by legislators in some unspecified time in the future. 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 number 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 means” are so commonplace, they’re loaded with that means, and we do not have to trouble formulating a brand new phrase every time we talk the identical basic idea. You’d assume somebody was losing their time in the event that they mentioned “I look ahead to seeing you once more once I return to work tomorrow morning” earlier than heading out to their automotive.

To save lots of much more time, when typing at the very 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 means” is an apparent instance, however I may doubtlessly use “@rf” to insert one thing like my e mail tackle, telephone quantity, or Bluesky deal with. In a great world, I would be capable to share a whole 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 fascinating trick Apple helps is utilizing Textual content Substitute to pressure iOS to not exchange one thing, say if it is a little bit overzealous about “correcting” product names, tune names, or swear phrases. Within the Textual content Substitute menu, you merely enter a phrase or sentence into the Phrase area, however depart Shortcut clean. In truth, that is considered one of my largest pet peeves about iOS, so I am reminded that I ought to sit down someday and enter a flurry of recent shortcuts. Someday, iOS will cease making an attempt to right me concerning the obscure ambient and industrial bands I like from locations like England and Germany.

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