Your iPhone is full of secrets. It has hidden features that enhance your iPhone experience in more than one way. We unlocked some of the iOS 13 hidden features and tricks in a previous article. Now, it’s time to look a little deep into Apple’s latest iOS upgrade, iOS 15. This guide gives you all the details on these hidden features and tricks.
We tested our tips on the latest version of iOS 15, i.e., iOS 15.0.2. Some may not work in older versions of iOS or other models like iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. However, most of them should work just fine. Let’s get started.
1. Siri is now more powerful than before
If you’ve been using Siri regularly, then this one is for you. Apart from the usual commands like sending text messages, opening apps, and controlling your phone via voice-controls, iOS 15 gives Siri a whole new level of depth with their latest software update. It’s got a wide variety of features that enhance the user experience in a completely different way. Here are a few things you can do with it:
To launch an app: If you want to use any particular app right away but don’t feel like unlocking the screen and looking for it among hundreds of other apps on your phone, just say “Ok Siri” followed by the name of that particular app. Siri will launch it for you. For example, if you want to play Candy Crush, just say, “Ok Siri, open candy crush,” and voila!
To call or text someone: If there’s any particular person who comes up all the time in your texts or calls like your mom, wife, husband, etc., why not make things easier by telling Siri to do it for you? After this update, you can tell ‘her’ to text that person without unlocking your phone! Just say, “Ok, Siri, text my wife that I’ll be late for dinner.”
You can also use the exact same command in case of calling someone. It’s faster than typing out a long number on your keyboard!
To search for something on the web: There are times when you need to look up particular information or find out about something but don’t feel like typing it all over again. It’s tedious, tiring, and time-consuming. This is where Siri comes in! Just say, “Ok Siri, Google <insert your query>.” No more searching on the internet for anything now.
2. You can now get Hyperlapse Videos
One of the best features that came with iOS 15 was the ability to create hyperlapse videos right from your iPhone. If you’re not very tech-savvy, here’s what hyperlapses are: Time-lapse videos capture an image at set intervals and link them together to show how time goes by. Hyperlapse videos are a more advanced version of time-lapse videos. The motion in hyperlapse videos is much smoother than the ones in regular time-lapses. Here’s how to make one:
Install Instagram on your phone if you don’t already have it. It should be part of the iOS 15 update anyway.
Now select “Hyper lapse” when you open the app and swipe across the screen to choose the speed (1x, 2x, 4x, etc.) or duration (2s, 5s, etc.). You can also set both duration and speed together by swiping left/right thrice on the screen.
Take photos with your camera while you keep moving in any particular or simply hold your phone vertically to record the movement. You can also take multiple shots to create a hyperlapse video.
Once you’re done recording, open Instagram and choose “Share” at the bottom right corner of your phone.
Select Hyperlapse from available options to save or share your video on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter etc.
3. Arrange Icons According to Your Taste!
Not only do iOS 15 users have the option of arranging icons according to their taste, but they can also arrange folders in any particular order according to their needs as well. Just put 2 fingers on an icon or folder you want to move and gently shake your iPhone to rearrange it accordingly. This is especially useful when you’re trying to find deleted photos, contacts, or apps.
4 – Quickly Scan Any Text with your iPhone camera!
iOS 15 ensures you can quickly scan an email address or a large piece of text from a paper. iOS 15’s latest “Scan Text” tool gives you the ability to shoot a photo of any text and automatically crop it without losing quality. You can also edit and sign documents or return calls directly from the “Notes” app.
Take a photo from your front or rear camera to scan any text easily! Images will be automatically enhanced, so they have good contrast giving you an easier time while reading it!
5 – Set More Accurate Alarms
You’ll never ever miss a call or a meeting again with iOS 15’s new notification feature, which allows you to set more accurate reminders according to your location. You have to open up the alarm clock app and choose the ‘later today’ option under the reminder section. Now select ‘when I leave.
6 – Reply to Notifications Directly From your Lock Screen!
If you’re always busy with something and find yourself checking notifications often, iOS 15 brings good news for you. The new update allows users to reply to messages (WhatsApp) or read full emails (Mail) directly from their lock screen without unlocking their phone! It’s like an answer key right on your lock screen.
7 – Activate Do Not Disturb While Driving Mode Automatically!
We often forget that our phone is set to silent mode while driving but have no time to check whether the feature is on or off. That’s where iOS 15 comes in handy! With ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving mode, your phone will be put into silent mode automatically when you’re driving so that there is no way notifications can distract you from your main purpose, which is to drive safely!
Open the Settings app and tap on the Do Not Disturb under the “modes” section to activate this wonderful feature. To set a timer for the reminder, just slide the bar accordingly.
8 – Make Group Conversations Easier on Messages!
Messages have always made group conversations extremely easy by allowing users to name their groups. Still, iOS 15 adds another option that enables users to select members of their chat directly from Contacts! This allows users to invite more people for a conversation without asking them their yet another number.
To start using these features, open the Messages app and select the chat you want to manage. Simply tap on the “Details” button at the top right corner of your screen, followed by selecting all desired members from your address book through the contacts list!
9 – Add Quick Video Clips as Favorites in Instagram!
This is one of my favorite iOS 15 hidden tricks because now you can quickly add videos as favorites directly from the Video section! No need to visit your profile or explore the page which is full of long boring videos! The video feature was already there, but all it allowed users to do was just post videos. Now you can also see other’s popular videos and add or remove any video from favorites with a single tap!
To do these things, open the Instagram app and search for the video you want to add as a favorite. Simply click on three dots at the top right corner of your screen and choose the “Add to Favorite” option from the menu. You can also check other’s popular videos by clicking on the ‘Explore’ section next to the user icon.
10 – Make Your iPhone Scream When You Shake It!
This iOS 15 hidden trick is just amazing! This feature allows users to make their phone scream when they shake it. Isn’t that cool? To use this feature, go into the Settings app and tap Accessibility under the device section, then select the Shake to Shout option in the Interaction section.
To be honest, this iOS 15 hidden trick is extremely useful! I often keep my phone on silent mode and forget to switch it back to the ringtone when someone calls me. This feature allows you to set a certain time (I suggest at least 2 minutes!), after which your phone will start screaming loudly even if it’s in silent mode! Just make sure your ringtone is loud enough for people who live around you not to get annoyed!
11 – Save Phone and Battery Power Without Using Low Power Mode!
iOS 15 brings up a new feature called ‘Low Power Mode’, which reduces battery consumption allowing users to use their iPhone for a longer time between charges. Although the idea itself is great, you might not want to use this feature for certain reasons. For example, you might feel like saving battery power right now but not all the time!
So how can we save battery life without using Low Power Mode? iOS 15 has a solution for that as well! Just go into the Settings app and tap on Battery under the device section, followed by turning on the ‘Battery Saver toggle. Now your phone will automatically come out of Low Power mode whenever the battery reaches 20 percent level. This is extremely helpful if you’re planning to stay in a meeting or in some other important event but still want to save your phone’s energy in case someone calls you.
12 – Search Whole Web Instead of Just Keyword Using Safari App!
With improved Siri intelligence in iOS 15, you can now search for whole web pages instead of specific keywords. This is especially helpful if you’re looking for an exact result. Simply activate Siri by holding the home button and asking it to search for a certain topic on your preferred browser (Safari or Chrome). That’s it! Now simply read results without having to type anything else!
13 – Turn ON Dark Mode in Settings App!
iOS 15 comes with a brand new Dark Mode, which changes the color scheme of the Settings app to dark gray color while retaining other color schemes like blue, apple green, etc. The idea behind this feature is that using this mode will reduce battery consumption by reducing light emitting from screens! To use this mode, just open the Settings app and tap the General section, then click on the ‘Use Dark Theme’ option, which is located under the Interface section.
14 – Make Your App Icons Bigger in iOS 15!
With iOS 8, Apple introduced the Dynamic Links feature, which allowed users to see web pages directly from the app icon. The idea was great, but it failed to gain much popularity because of the small size of app icons. As a result, when you tap an icon for an application, the page or website would be shown inside the app instead of expanding the icon itself.
iOS 15 fixes this problem by allowing users to make their app icons bigger! To do this, open the Settings app and tap on the General section, followed by tapping the Accessibility option at the top. You then see the ‘Reduce Motion’ option. Simply scroll down and enable the ‘Reduce Motion’ toggle. Doing this will allow you to expand app icons and reduce the motion effect inside iOS, which is a definite battery saver!
15 – Add Extension for Third-Party Apps in Apple Watch Using iPhone!
Apple Watch comes with a built-in set of Apple-approved applications called apps. These apps are pre-installed on your watch and cannot be deleted or moved. Although it’s great to have these built-in apps, sometimes users wish to add more functionality by installing additional third-party extensions from App Store. For example, if I really like an application on my iPhone but does not come with any extension for Apple Watch, then I guess there’s no point having that app, right?
With the release of iOS 15, Apple has done just that! They have added a new section called ‘Watch Apps’ in App Store, which allows users to directly download extensions created by third-party developers for their applications. Simply search for an application and look for the Watch apps link at the top. Doing this will display all extensions created by third-party developers. You can simply tap to install on your watch.
16 – Use Apple Pay in Safari Using Digital Touch Method!
Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service developed by Apple Inc. With this service, people are able to add debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, etc., from supported banks and buy products from participating retailers using iPhones instead of swiping or inserting any card in a traditional card reader slot.
With iOS 15, Apple has added another cool feature that allows users to use Apple Pay in the Safari browser. Although this feature is not yet widely available but it still works on some websites like MacRumors etc. To use this feature, simply open any web page you wish to purchase an item from and click on the ‘Buy’ or ‘Order’ button. Once clicked, simply place your watch near the NFC chip of the supported website (it will say that the payment has been sent) and wait for a confirmation message on your iPhone asking if you want to complete the transaction by entering your passcode. This process is extremely easy and secure!
17 – Add More Than One Photo in Emails Using Continuity Camera Feature!
Continuity is an umbrella term used by Apple to describe a set of features that allows people to seamlessly switch from one compatible device to another or use both devices at the same time.
With iOS 15, Apple has added yet another cool feature called the Continuity camera feature, which allows users to add more than one photo in emails sent from apple products like iPhone and Mac. This means you can send multiple photos as attachments using your iPhone, and they will be combined into a single image on the other end (recipients email). Pretty sweet, right? To do this, open any email app (like Gmail) and click on the Plus button. Once clicked, simply tap on the ‘Take Photo’ option and hit the Select Multiple options at the top right corner. Doing this will allow you to take multiple photos and add them in email.
18 – Activate Do Not Disturb Mode Automatically at Home!
iOS has a very cool feature called ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, allowing users to temporarily disable all sounds, alerts, or notifications. Although this cannot be scheduled, there’s a way around it using location services. In other words, if you wish to enable “Do not Disturb” when you’re home, then simply add your current location as a trusted place inside the Location Services section of the Settings app. Once added, your iPhone will automatically enable Do Not Disturb mode when you reach home!
So these were some of the iOS 15 tricks and tips we could gather. Which one of these new features do you like the most? Let us know in the usual place. And if you are looking to get your hands on the newest Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, read our review first.
(Image credits: Apple.com)
