Essential iPhone Tips That People Rely On: A Complete Guide to iOS Productivity

Introduction

Your iPhone is packed with powerful features that can transform how you work, stay organized, and protect your privacy. While many users only scratch the surface of their device’s capabilities, these proven iPhone tips have become essential tools that people rely on daily. Whether you’re a busy professional, a parent managing family devices, or someone who wants to get more from their iPhone, these tips will help you unlock your device’s full potential.

Why These iPhone Tips Matter

In our 15+ years of helping clients with mobile technology, we’ve found that most iPhone users only use about 20% of their device’s capabilities. The tips in this guide address real-world scenarios that our clients face every day – from protecting sensitive information to improving productivity and accessibility. These aren’t just cool features; they’re practical solutions that can save you time, protect your privacy, and make your iPhone work better for you.

Essential iPhone Tips for Daily Use

1. Identify Plants and Animals with Your Camera

What it does: If you take a photo of a plant, flower, tree, or animal, you can find out exactly what it is by tapping the Info button on the bottom of the screen. If your iPhone knows what it is, a symbol with stars will appear at the bottom of the photo.

How it works: The metadata details will tell you what the plant or animal is and will also give you an option to look up more information about it. This feature uses Apple’s machine learning to identify thousands of species.

Pro Tip: This works best in good lighting and with clear, focused photos. The more detail visible, the more accurate the identification will be.

2. Transform Your Phone into a Portable White Noise Machine

What it does: In Settings, go to Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds and choose from sounds such as Ocean, Rain, and Stream.

Why it’s useful: We’ve tested this ourselves and with babies, and the sounds are soothing for all. Perfect for creating a calm environment during work, study, or sleep.

Quick Note: You can adjust the volume independently of your media volume, so you can listen to music while having background sounds.

3. Ask Siri to Read Things to You

What it does: Open the Safari app and then command Siri to “read this” or say “I want to listen to this page.” You can also tap the Page Settings button on the left of the address bar and tap Listen to Page.

Customization options: You have the option to adjust the speaking speed as well as pause. This is especially helpful for long articles or when you’re multitasking.

Pro Tip: This feature works with most websites and can be a great accessibility tool for those with reading difficulties.

4. Schedule a Text to Send Later

What it does: If you don’t want people to know you’re awake at all hours of the night, schedule your messages to send at more, uh, normal hours.

How to use it: Open a chat, type your text, and then tap the + on the left side of the message field. Select Send Later, then choose a day and time for your scheduled message to be delivered.

When to use it: Perfect for scheduling birthday wishes, work reminders, or any message that needs to be sent at a specific time.

5. Keep People Out of Your Private Tabs

What it does: If you’ve been away from Safari for 15 minutes, your iPhone can require authentication before displaying your private tabs.

Why it’s handy: This is useful if you often let other people use your phone and would like to keep some browsing habits private.

How to enable: Go to Settings, tap Safari, scroll down, and switch on the toggle for Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing.

Pro Tip: This feature works with both Face ID and Touch ID, depending on your iPhone model.

Advanced iPhone Features for Power Users

6. Create Gestures That You Can Trigger with Your Voice

What it does: The iOS accessibility features can replay any series of touch actions when you give a voice command.

Practical applications: Imagine mapping out an entire, tedious action that you do frequently in an app, such as manually entering information to move through screens, or having a command that scrawls your signature or draws a picture.

How to set it up: Go to Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap Voice Control. Toggle it on, and then tap Commands > Create New Command. Enter your desired command phrase, tap Action, and then tap Run Custom Gesture.

Important Note: We found that Voice Control would respond to anyone using the commands, so maybe turn this one off when you aren’t using it.

7. Quickly Remove the Background from Photos

What it does: Tap and hold any picture stored in the Files app, and then tap Quick Actions > Remove Background.

Result: iOS creates a duplicate of your original photo with no background—perfect for further editing in another app. You can use the same trick with several photos, too.

Pro Tip: This feature works best with photos that have clear contrast between the subject and background.

8. Use Two Fingers to Select All

What it does: Just swipe down to select all to mark every item as read or mass-delete items within apps like Messages, Mail, Notes, and Reminders.

Compatibility: This action also works in some third-party apps, such as Telegram, but there is no support yet in others, like Gmail.

Quick Note: This is a great time-saver when managing large amounts of content.

iPhone Photography and Media Tips

9. Copy or Translate Text with the Camera

What it does: Open the camera app and point your phone lens at a block of text. An icon with three lines in an outlined square appears at the bottom-right corner.

Available actions: Tap the icon, and it captures the text with the option to copy, select all, look up, translate, or share.

Pro Tip: This works with printed text, handwritten notes, and even text on screens.

10. Look Up Laundry-Care Icons

What it does: After you take a photo of a laundry-care label, tap the Info button at the bottom of the page and tap Look Up Laundry Care.

Result: The results will show you what each specific label means, helping you care for your clothes properly.

Quick Note: This feature can save you from accidentally ruining expensive clothing.

11. Become a Faster Photographer with Camera Shortcuts

What it does: Swiping left on your iPhone’s lock screen opens the Camera app by default (though you can also change that shortcut to something else in iOS 18).

Pro tips: It’s much easier to shoot photos by pressing the physical volume button on the side of the phone instead of tapping the Shutter button. Swiping the Shutter button to the left shoots a bunch of photos in a row, a function known as burst mode, while holding down the Shutter button shoots video without your having to swipe into video mode.

Why it matters: Shaving a second off the time it takes to snap a photo or record video can be precious when you’re capturing something fleeting, like fast-moving kids or pets.

Privacy and Security Features

12. Lock Apps You Don’t Want People to Open

What it does: You can protect specific apps with Face ID, which is useful if you have a grand-kid who regularly uses your phone and you don’t want them playing games or sending accidental e-mails.

How to enable: Long press on the app and select Require Face ID to enable it.

Pro Tip: This is especially useful for banking apps, email, and other sensitive applications.

13. Keep People from Snooping Through Your Phone

What it does: A setting called Guided Access keeps your phone locked to one app, which is particularly useful when you’re letting kids play with your iPhone.

How to activate: In Settings, tap Accessibility > Guided Access to activate the feature, which prevents whoever is using your phone from exiting an app and opening another one.

Important reminder: Just remember to turn it off once you get your phone back.

Productivity and Time Management

14. Limit Screen Time for Specific Apps

What it does: Wasting too much time mindlessly scrolling TikTok or Instagram? You can turn on a setting that restricts your access to those apps.

How to set it up: Within Settings, tap Screen Time, and then tap Add Limits > Add Limit. You can select an entire app category, such as Social, or you can set limits on specific apps by tapping the category and then selecting apps within those categories.

Customization: Tap Next in the top-right corner and then choose how much time you’ll allow yourself to spend in those apps. You can give yourself more time on weekends if you want by tapping Customize Days.

Pro Tip: This feature can help you maintain a healthy relationship with social media and improve your productivity.

15. Move a Group of Apps to Another Page on Your Home Screen

What it does: When you’re curating your iPhone home screen, moving apps one by one to a different page can be tedious.

Time-saving method: You can move a group of apps over at the same time: Just long-press an app, tap Edit Home Screen, and then grab the app you want to move. While still holding your finger on the screen, tap on each app icon you’d like to move with it, and the iPhone will grab them all.

Quick Note: This is perfect for organizing your apps by category or frequency of use.

Connectivity and Sharing Features

16. Share a Wi-Fi Password via QR Code

What it does: The easiest way to share a Wi-Fi password on an iPhone is to stand close to the other person, then have them go into Settings, click Wi-Fi, and select the network.

How it works: Then, on your device, hit Share Password in the pop-up at the bottom of your screen. But if the other person has an Android phone, or perhaps there are lots of people who need the password, it might be easier to open the Passwords app, navigate to Wi-Fi > network name > Show Network QR Code, and then hold up the QR code for them to scan.

Pro Tip: This is much more secure than sharing passwords verbally or through text messages.

17. Record Calls Without Downloading an App

What it does: After collectively spending a small fortune on call recording apps, we’re pleased that iPhones now have a native call recording feature.

How to use it: After placing a call in the Phone app, look in the top left corner of the screen and tap the Start Call Recording symbol, which looks like a series of vertical lines. A voice will announce the call is being recorded.

How to stop: When you’re done recording, touch the red Stop button located in the middle of the screen or hang up the call.

Important Note: Always ensure you have consent to record calls, as laws vary by state and country.

18. Automatically Transcribe Voice Recordings

What it does: That call you just recorded? You can now access a transcribed version of it in the Call Recordings folder in the Notes app.

Additional features: Your phone will also transcribe voice recordings you make in the Voice Memos and Notes apps.

Pro Tip: This feature is incredibly useful for taking notes during meetings or interviews.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting to update iOS: Always keep your iPhone updated to the latest iOS version for security patches and new features.
• Not backing up regularly: Use iCloud or iTunes to back up your iPhone regularly to prevent data loss.
• Ignoring privacy settings: Regularly review your privacy settings to ensure apps aren’t accessing more data than necessary.
• Not using Find My iPhone: Enable this feature to locate your device if it’s lost or stolen.

When to Seek Professional Help

While these tips can help you get more from your iPhone, some issues require professional assistance. If you’re experiencing:

• Hardware problems (cracked screen, battery issues, water damage)
• Software glitches that persist after restarting
• Data recovery needs
• Network connectivity issues
• Performance problems that affect daily use

Our technicians can help diagnose and resolve these issues quickly, often remotely. We’ve helped hundreds of clients with iPhone problems and can usually resolve most issues within 15-30 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do these tips work on all iPhone models?

A: Most features work on iPhone 6s and newer running iOS 13 or later. Some newer features require iOS 15 or later.

Q: Will these tips drain my battery faster?

A: Most of these features are designed to be battery-efficient. However, features like Voice Control and Background Sounds may use slightly more battery when actively used.

Q: Are these features available outside the United States?

A: Most features are available worldwide, but some may be limited based on your region or carrier.

Q: Can I customize these features further?

A: Yes! Many of these features have additional customization options in the Settings app under their respective menus.

Q: What if I accidentally enable a feature I don’t want?

A: You can always disable any feature by going back to the same Settings menu where you enabled it and turning it off.

Conclusion

Your iPhone is capable of so much more than making calls and sending texts. These 18 essential tips represent just the beginning of what your device can do. By implementing these features, you’ll not only improve your productivity and privacy but also discover new ways to use your iPhone that you never knew existed.

Remember, technology should work for you, not against you. These tips are designed to make your iPhone more useful, secure, and efficient in your daily life. Start with the features that address your most immediate needs, and gradually explore the others as you become more comfortable with them.

If you’re having trouble implementing any of these tips or if your iPhone isn’t performing as expected, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team at Chapin Business Services has helped hundreds of clients master their mobile devices, and we’re here to help you get the most from your technology investment.

Still having trouble? If this didn’t solve your issue or you’d prefer professional assistance, call Chapin Business Services at (203) 262-1869. We offer both remote support and on-site visits throughout the Chapin area.