Video Tips: 10 Surprising Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Your iPhone

In this how-to video tutorial, we’ll take a look at 10 hidden iPhone features you might not know about, but you should definitely try them out ASAP!

10 Hidden iPhone Features You Should Know About

This is hardly the ultimate list of the most amazing things the iPhone can do. Some people will be familiar with some of these tips. For others, these hidden gems may be new, so be sure to check out the seven-minute video above. We recommend watching even experienced users, because they too can learn something new.

The video covers the following topics…

If you’d rather read about these features than watch a tutorial video about them…

1. Surprise and delight with iMessage effects

Instead of tapping the Send button in the Messages app, press and hold it to reveal a hidden screen where you can select effects for your chat or full-screen animated effects like laser beams, balloons, etc. They are also activated by certain messages, such as “Happy Birthday”, “Happy New Year”and “Congratulations!”

2. Use captions to better organize photos

View the image in the Photos app, then swipe up to reveal the caption directly below the image. Add custom captions for better photo organization.

3.Measure the person’s height with the “Measure”app.

Use Spotlight search to open the Measure app if you can’t find it on the home screen. With iPhone 12 and later, you can easily measure a person’s height and take other measurements in augmented reality.

4. Find out where you parked your car with Siri

“Hey Siri, remember where I parked my car!”will work if the iPhone doesn’t automatically save your parking space (which happens as soon as you disconnect from CarPlay or Bluetooth). “Hey Siri, where’s my car?”then direct you to the parked car. You can also try “Hey Siri, where did I park my car?”for the minimap.

5. View advanced weather data

The Weather app in iOS 16 is much more useful than it was in earlier versions. First, the app now has maps of temperature, precipitation, and air quality. And if you click on any tile, you’ll get much more detailed information about the current temperature, UV index, wind, humidity, visibility, pressure, and more.

6. Set your own background image in Safari

You can customize the start page in Safari that appears when you create a new tab or window with an optional background image. Create a new tab, then select Edit at the bottom of the screen and slide the Background Image switch to On to use one of the preset backgrounds. To select a custom image in the Photos app, press the plus (+) button. Read: How to Personalize Safari on iPhone

7. Auto turn off Do Not Disturb mode

Press and hold the Focus icon in the Control Center to open the menu, then press (…) the three dots next to Do Not Disturb to reveal some hidden options.

From there, temporarily turn on Do Not Disturb by selecting one of the options “For 1 hour”, “Until tomorrow morning”, and “Until I leave this place”. This tip gives you the flexibility to end Do Not Disturb automatically if you’re the type of person who usually forgets to turn it off manually.

8. Perform custom actions with Back Tap

Perhaps the least known feature that draws attention. In Settings → Accessibility → Tap → Press Back, you can set up a custom action or system/app script from the Shortcuts app to trigger when you double/triple tap the back of your phone right below the camera module. Read: How to Use Custom Back Tap Actions on iPhone

For example, you can set up a double-tap action to take a screenshot, or assign a three-tap action to launch the home screen or bring up Do Not Disturb mode.

9. Use LED flash for notifications in the dark

You can set your iPhone’s LED flash to blink if you receive a notification while the phone is locked. This setting is disabled by default. To turn it on, go to Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Video → Alert LED Flash, then turn on Alert LED Flash.

While this assistive feature is useful for people who are hard of hearing, or just about anyone who might miss audio alerts, be mindful of others. It’s generally socially unacceptable to interrupt or confuse people around you with intermittent flashes of light while notifications are still coming in.

10. Relax with white noise and other background sounds

A little-known fact is that the iPhone can play white noise and other sounds to mask ambient noise. In fact, iOS 16 comes preloaded with several soothing sounds, including ocean and rain sounds. Turn on background sounds in Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Video → Background Sounds, then tap Sound to select Balanced Noise, Bright Noise, Dark Noise, Ocean ”, “Rain” and “Stream”.

Turning on the “Use when playing media”toggle will allow you to adjust the volume of the background sound when iPhone is playing music, video, or other media. If you want the sound to play when your phone is locked, turn off the Stop Sound When Locked option.

Teach us something new!

What are your favorite tips from this video? Did you learn something new today or are you already familiar with some (all?) of the features that Michael so skillfully went through? As we said, such lists are always subjective. It mostly depends on the author who draws on their experience to determine which features can be considered lesser known.

Of course, there is no such thing as “hidden features”.

Functions are either there or they are not. iOS is not a computer game where you have to find hidden virtual objects and various boosters. That being said, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t be helped by reminders of some features you may have forgotten about.

And since most of our readers are so busy that they never have time to stay up to date with everything new in iOS 16, we aim to release helpful videos from time to time that reintroduce lesser-known iPhone features.