6 random hacks for your iPhone that you didn't know yet
Okay, honestly? Our iPhone is basically our BFF. It goes everywhere with us, knows everything about us (sometimes too much), and is there when even your real-life bestie is unreachable. But did you know that your handsome phone can do so much more than you think? Life is complicated enough – let your phone at least cooperate. These six iPhone tricks will make your iPhone smarter and you'll seriously want to forward them to everyone.
1. Outsmart thieves (and no, this is not a crime series)
Thieves are smarter than ever these days. If they grab your iPhone from your jacket pocket, they immediately put it in airplane mode and turn it completely off. Result: you can no longer track your iPhone. Find my iPhone is useless then - so annoying. But here comes hack #1, and it's a lifesaver.
Go to Settings > Tap on Face ID & Passcode > Scroll all the way down > Turn off Control Center
What does this do? Your iPhone can no longer be put in airplane mode without your Face ID or code. Do you think a thief will like this? Nope. They can no longer turn off your iPhone without you being able to track it. Tough luck for the thief, great for you. There's a good chance they'll just dump it. And you? You can easily find your device via Find My iPhone. Chiiiilll.
By the way, you should check: that your iPhone is trackable anyway – even when it's off. If you don't have this enabled, the previous hack is useless.
Go to Settings > Tap on your Apple ID at the top > Click on Find My > Enable the following three options: Find My iPhone, Find My Network, Send Last Location
What happens then? Even if your iPhone is completely turned off (like that thief probably wants), the location remains visible. Hello detective, hello recovered iPhone.
2. Is your battery always dying?
Seriously, who doesn't recognize this? You start the day with 100%, take one photo of your coffee and poof, your battery is already half empty. This often happens because apps keep running in the background. Here's how to fix it:
Go to Settings > Click on General > Scroll down and click on Background App Refresh > Turn it off for all apps you don't use daily
Or even better: set your iPhone to low power mode by default (that yellow battery icon). It works wonders. And yes, your Instagram may load 0.3 seconds slower, but hey: you'll have battery left at the end of the day.
3. Want to film quickly without switching? The flip tip
Do you know that moment when you want to make a video super quickly but that camera app just refuses to cooperate? This will improve your life:
Hold the photo button down and swipe to the right > Your iPhone will start filming immediately.
No hassle, no switching to ‘video’. Just hold & go. Ideal for when your friend suddenly does a crazy TikTok dance during your weekly photoshoot or when a puppy walks by that you need to film quickly.
4. Make your notifications cute (and thus less stressful)
Nothing is as depressing as a bright red notification in the top right corner of the app icon. As if your iPhone wants to say: you have 347 unread emails, good luck with that. So why not just make them... pink? Here's how to make your notifications totally girly:
Go to Settings > Click on Accessibility > Go to Display & Text Size > Scroll down and turn on Color Filters > Choose the red-green filter
Et voilà: your red notifications turn into a cute shade of pink. Small change, big aesthetics #cutecore.
5. Keyboard hack: type without thumb injury
Do you ever walk through the city with a cappuccino to-go in one hand and a phone in the other? Typing with one hand is then a kind of finger yoga. But that doesn't have to be the case anymore:
Open your keyboard > Hold the emoji button in the bottom left > Swipe the keyboard icon to the left (for left-handed users) or right (for right-handed users)
Hello comfort, goodbye autocorrect drama and thumb pain.
6. The Apple logo is a secret button. No joke.
Did you know that the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone is more than just a style statement? It's actually a button - or rather, a kind of touch screen. What it's for? You can set it up this way:
Go to Settings (it won't hurt to check) > Click on Accessibility > Go to Touch > Click on Back Tap > Choose double tap or triple tap > Set your action (for example: turn on flashlight, open camera, activate Siri)
My favorite? Double tap = flashlight on. Party trick and lifesaver at the same time.
