After 13 years with us, the iPhone is not exactly a novelty anymore, and neither are most of the hacks you can find on the Internet for Apple’s smartphone.
If you want to improve your device’s performance or charge it faster, close all the apps in the background or put the device in Airplane Mode.
However, there’s something you may not have considered yet: every operating system update always comes with new, often hidden, tricks.
Last September, iOS 14, the latest software, introduced some useful new features, such as the ability to unlock your phone with an Apple Watch and new privacy options. However, there are previous tricks that I’m sure you still don’t know. Let’s go with them.
Send spam calls to voicemail.
Are you tired of receiving automated calls? Now you can direct unknown callers directly to your voicemail.
While some call spoofing bots can make it seem like a family member is calling you, iOS can’t do much about that. If the number isn’t saved in your contacts, though, you don’t have to deal with it until later.
Automotive experts say that exceptions to this would be phone numbers you’ve dialed recently or that Siri finds saved in your email, for example.
To enable the Silence unknown numbers option, go to Settings > Phone, scroll down and select Silence unknown numbers.
Enable dark mode only at night
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For years, people have been asking for Dark Mode on iOS 13 and finally got what they wanted. However, if your main preference isn’t a small dark screen, if you still want to get some of the benefits of Dark Mode, such as reducing your eye strain at night, you can choose to turn it on only during certain hours.
Settings > Display & Brightness > Turn on Automatic > Choose Options, and then a listing should appear just below. With Dark Mode, you can set a schedule that corresponds to either dusk to dawn or according to your own personal preference.
Type faster with one hand
Android users have had this feature for years, but Apple is finally catching up. With QuickPath, you can type quickly by sliding your finger across the letters of what you want to say rather than pressing each key individually.
It is often quicker and always lessens the potential for human error. The keyboard will automatically select the correct word, even if you don’t touch all the right letters, similar to how to autocorrect and suggestions work in iMessage.
Save yourself some money and get a third-party keyboard app like SwiftKey. If you don’t already have one of these apps, you’re in for a treat!
QuickPath is enabled by default. To turn it off, simply go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Swipe to type.
Pair two sets of AirPods with one iPhone
AirPods are notorious for getting dirty, and if you’ve ever had the misfortune of sharing someone else’s pair, you know just how icky they can be. Thankfully, there are ways to clean them so you can enjoy using them again.
If this sounds familiar, you can ask your friends to pair their AirPods with your device. This works with Beats-branded wireless headphones as well. Here are all the compatible models you can use with this setup:
- AirPods Pro
- AirPods (1st generation or later).
- Solo Pro
- Powerbeats Pro
- Powerbeats3
- Beats Solo3 Wireless
- Beats Studio3 Wireless
- BeatsX
Connect your AirPods to your iPhone > Press the AirPlay icon in Control Center or from the locked screen or the current app you’re listening to > Now go to Share audio > To connect your friend’s AirPods or Beats headphones to your device, hold them close to the iPhone. > When your friend’s headphones appear on the screen, choose Share audio.
Customize your ‘Do Not Disturb’ doors
For years, my mother has used the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature on her phone. As a result, I have experienced several minor emergencies where I could not reach her. She still has her “Do Not Disturb setting on,” but I am now one of the people she would allow to break through that barrier. If you consider their emergency contacts, you should consider adding them to that list.
Find the desired person in Contacts > Choose Edit in your phone’s top right corner > On the edit page, click on Ringtone or Text Tone > The Emergency Divert option is located at the top, and with this enabled, you will still receive sounds and vibrations from that person even when ‘Do Not Disturb’ is on.
A silent ringtone may be best, so you’re not constantly woken up by every text and call after bedtime, as not all of them are emergencies.
Charge smarter, not harder
Apple’s new “Optimized Battery Charging” feature is a response to the company’s past controversy surrounding battery life.
As Apple explains on its website, a battery’s lifespan is determined by Its chemical age rather than how long it has been since the battery was first put in. When lithium-ion batteries get old, the amount of charge they can store decreases. This causes reduced battery life and reduced peak performance.
The function of optimized battery charging is to prevent your iPhone’s battery from wearing down too quickly. It does this by pausing the charging process once your phone reaches 80 percent capacity.
According to Raceonthebase, the device’s machine learning algorithms study your past charging habits to know when the feature should turn on, like usually overnight.
The ultimate goal is to provide you with a full battery by the time you unplug it so that if you typically wake up around 8 a.m., the optimized battery charging will use up the last 20 percent of the battery shortly before you get out of bed.
This setting is enabled by default when you upgrade to iOS 13. To disable it, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Status > Optimized Battery Charging.
Play radio stations through Siri
Although this wasn’t a new feature with iOS 14, all iPhone users can now ask Siri to play a certain radio station. In the past, only some iOS 12 users could enable it.
Say “Hey Siri” and ask it to play the station for you (with its name, of course). For example, “Hey Siri, play Radio 3.”
