Your iPhone is more powerful than you might think. Beyond the standard functions, there’s a world of hidden features and smart tricks that can enhance how you use your device daily. Whether you’re after productivity boosts, smarter shortcuts, or fun tweaks, these cool iPhone hacks are here to transform your smartphone experience.
1. Use Back Tap for Quick Shortcuts
Back Tap is a hidden gem that lets you double or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to trigger actions like screenshots, Control Center, or app launches.
How to Activate Back Tap:
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Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch
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Tap Back Tap and choose Double Tap or Triple Tap
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Assign an action from the list
It’s especially useful for quick actions without even touching the screen.
2. Speed Up Charging with Airplane Mode
Need a quick battery top-up? Turning on Airplane Mode disables background activity and network usage, helping your iPhone charge faster.
Steps:
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Swipe into Control Center
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Tap the Airplane Mode icon
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Plug in your charger and notice the difference
3. Hide Private Photos Without Deleting
Want to keep certain photos private without removing them? You can easily hide them from your main gallery.
How to Hide Photos:
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Open Photos, select your images
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Tap Share > Hide
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Confirm, and the images move to the Hidden album
Enable or disable the Hidden album under Settings > Photos.
4. Use Your Keyboard Like a Mouse
Fine-tuning text placement is easier with your iPhone’s hidden trackpad.
How to Use:
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Hold the spacebar on your keyboard
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Slide your finger to move the cursor precisely
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Release to place it exactly where you want
5. Measure Anything Using Augmented Reality
No tape measure? No problem. Your iPhone’s Measure app uses AR to size up real-world objects.
To Measure:
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Open the Measure app
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Point the camera and tap the + button to begin
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Mark start and end points for measurements
Perfect for quick home improvement checks or furniture fitting.
6. Enable Flash Alerts for Notifications
If you often miss alerts in loud settings, set your iPhone to flash when a notification arrives.
How to Enable Flash Alerts:
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Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual
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Turn on LED Flash for Alerts
You can even limit it to Silent Mode.
7. Create Custom Vibrations for Contacts
Make your iPhone vibrate in personalized patterns for certain contacts, so you know who’s calling—even in your pocket.
Steps:
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Go to Contacts, tap a contact
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Tap Edit > Ringtone > Vibration
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Choose Create New Vibration, tap your custom pattern, and save
8. Translate Instantly with Siri
Traveling or learning a new language? Siri can help with quick translations.
To Translate:
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Activate Siri and say, “Translate [phrase] into [language]”
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Siri will display and pronounce the translation
This works for multiple languages on the fly.
9. Scan Documents with the Notes App
No scanner? No problem. The Notes app doubles as a scanner app for iPhone, letting you digitize paper documents in seconds.
How to Scan:
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Open Notes, start a new note
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Tap the camera icon > Scan Documents
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Position the document and capture it
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Adjust and save
You can annotate, share, or convert to PDFs right from your iPhone.
10. Stop Music Automatically with a Timer
Set a timer to stop music or podcast playback before bed to conserve battery and avoid waking up to blaring audio.
To Set It Up:
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Open Clock > Timer
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Set your duration, tap When Timer Ends
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Select Stop Playing, then start the timer
Your media will pause when the timer finishes.
11. Swipe to Delete Numbers in the Calculator
No need to clear everything in the Calculator app if you mistype. Just swipe.
How:
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Swipe left or right across the number display to delete the last digit
A simple time-saver during calculations.
12. Use One-Handed Keyboard Mode
Typing on a larger iPhone? Switch to one-handed mode for better reach.
Steps:
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Open the keyboard in any app
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Hold the globe or emoji icon
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Choose left- or right-handed layout
It’s ideal for multitasking or texting on the go.
Final Thoughts: Unlock More with These Cool iPhone Hacks
Exploring these cool iPhone hacks can drastically improve your user experience. From faster charging and easier typing to turning your Notes app into a powerful scanner app for iPhone, these tips reveal just how versatile your device can be. Whether you’re a longtime iPhone user or just getting started, try out these features and take your smartphone skills to the next level.