100 iPhone Features You've Been Missing Since 2015

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Your iPhone has been lying to you about what it can do.

The AirDrop Awakening That Broke My Brain

Me, supposedly tech-savvy Android and Windows master, changed sides and owns a MacBook and a iPhone for a whole month. I need to sign a doc but I don’t know how. I made a Google search to understand how can I add my signature with my finger.

I tried all the apps. Not some, ALL of the apps.

Either they want egregious amount of money or they don’t work the way I need it to work it.

I asked a college buddy and he directly said, “Buddy, use Apple Notes.”

That’s when I realized: if I missed this, what else was I missing?

Every day, every feature I learnt felt like it’s mocking me.

Best one: The spacebar has been a trackpad this entire time.

Almost 8 years and one obsessive documentation journey later, here’s everything. All 100 hidden features. Organized by how much they’ll make you hate past-you.

Part I: The Novice Foundation (Tips 1–20)

The Keyboard and Text Secrets

Tip 1: The Spacebar is a Trackpad. Hold the spacebar. Keys disappear. Move your finger to control the cursor. This alone will save you 5 hours per year.

Tip 2: Select Text Instantly. Double-tap selects a word. Triple-tap grabs the whole paragraph. Stop fighting with that magnifying glass.

Tip 3: Copy with Three-Finger Pinch. Select text. Pinch three fingers together. Text copied. No menu needed.

Tip 4: Paste with Three-Finger Spread. Opposite motion. Spread three fingers apart. Text appears where your cursor is.

Tip 5: Undo with Three-Finger Swipe Left. Made a mistake? Swipe left with three fingers. Universal undo everywhere.

Tip 6: Text Replacement Saves Hours. Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. Set @@ to become your email. Set “omw” to become “On my way!” Never type common phrases again.

System Navigation Magic

Tip 7: Spotlight Does Math. Swipe down from home screen. Type any equation like 847*3.5. Answer appears instantly. Calculator app becomes obsolete.

Tip 8: Spotlight Converts Everything. Type “100 USD to EUR” or “5 miles in km” directly in Spotlight. Instant conversion without Google.

Tip 9: Back Tap Creates Phantom Buttons. Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Double-tap your phone’s back for screenshots. Triple-tap for camera. Your phone has secret buttons.

Tip 10: Reachability Saves Your Thumb. Quick swipe down on the home bar. Entire screen slides down. Top corners become reachable with one hand.

Tip 11: One-Handed Keyboard for Walking. Hold the globe/emoji icon. Select left or right keyboard. Perfect for subway typing.

Capturing Information Like a Pro

Tip 12: Full-Page Screenshots in Safari. Take screenshot. Tap preview. Select “Full Page” tab. Entire webpage saved as PDF. Receipt keeping revolutionized.

Tip 13: Screen Recording is Built In. Add to Control Center. Swipe down. Tap record. Creates videos of your screen for tutorials or proof.

Tip 14: Safari Reader Kills Ads. Tap “aA” in address bar. Select “Show Reader.” Article appears clean. No ads. No popups. Just words.

Tip 15: Recover Closed Tabs. Hold the + button in Safari. List of recently closed tabs appears. That research you accidentally closed? Still there.

Tip 16: Pin Important Conversations. Swipe right on any message thread. Tap pin. Most important people stay at the top in large circles.

Tip 17: Silence Unknown Callers. Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers. Spam calls go straight to voicemail. Your sanity returns.

Tip 18: Notes App Scans Documents. Open note. Tap camera. Choose “Scan Documents.” Phone finds edges automatically. Creates perfect PDFs.

Tip 19: Files App Also Scans. Three-dot menu in Files. “Scan Documents” option. Save PDFs directly where you need them.

Tip 20: Lift Subjects from Photos. Press and hold any person or object in a photo. They pop out with perfect edges. Drag into any app. Instant stickers.

Part II: The Intermediate Customizer (Tips 21–40)

Home Screen Liberation

Tip 21: Icons Go Anywhere Now. Long-press home screen. Drag apps anywhere. Leave blank spaces. The grid is dead.

Tip 22: Tint All Icons One Color. Jiggle mode > Edit > Customize. Choose “Tinted.” Pick any color. Instant aesthetic upgrade.

Tip 23: Dark Mode for Icons. Same menu. Choose “Dark.” All icons get black backgrounds. Looks incredible at night.

Tip 24: Make Icons Bigger. Customize menu again. Choose large icons. App names disappear. Cleaner look for minimalists.

Tip 25: Hide Names Without Size Change. Set to large, then shrink back. Names stay hidden. Icons stay normal size.

Tip 26: Turn Icons into Widgets. Long-press compatible apps like Photos. Option appears to convert to widget. Live information replaces static icon.

Lock Screen and Control Center Mastery

Tip 27: Multiple Lock Screens. Long-press lock screen. Create different profiles. Work lock screen. Personal lock screen. Switch with a swipe.

Tip 28: Replace Flashlight and Camera. Lock screen editor lets you swap these. Put Shazam there. Or Notes. Or anything useful.

Tip 29: Rainbow Clock Effect. Lock screen color options include rainbow. Subtle color shift throughout the day. Surprisingly pleasant.

Tip 30: Control Center from Scratch. iOS 18 lets you delete everything. Start fresh. Build your perfect control panel.

Tip 31: Multiple Control Center Pages. Create pages for different needs. Smart home page. Media page. Swipe between them.

Tip 32: Resize Any Control. Hold and drag controls bigger or smaller. Make important ones huge. Shrink the rest.

Tip 33: Third-Party App Controls. Apps can add their own buttons. Instagram post button. Spotify controls. Direct access from anywhere.

Tip 34: Reset When You Mess Up. Settings > Control Center. Reset option available. Start over when customization goes wrong.

Tip 35: Adjust Flashlight Beam Width. iPhone 15 Pro and later. Long-press flashlight. Adjust brightness AND beam width. Spotlight or floodlight mode.

Tip 36: Action Button Does Anything. Settings > Action Button. Assign to camera, shortcuts, flashlight, anything. Physical button becomes customizable.

System-Wide Power Moves

Tip 37: Focus Modes Change Everything. Different notification rules for work and personal. Apps and people filtered by context.

Tip 38: Focus Filters Transform Apps. Work Focus hides personal emails. Personal Focus hides Slack. Same apps, different content.

Tip 39: Change Default Browser. Settings > Chrome (or Firefox). Set as default. Safari’s monopoly ends.

Tip 40: Multilingual Keyboard Magic. Add multiple keyboards. Autocorrect works for all languages simultaneously. No switching needed.

Part III: The Productivity Pro (Tips 41–60)

Next-Level Note Taking

Tip 41: Live Text Digitizes Everything. Point camera at any text. Tap the icon. Text becomes digital. Business cards obsolete.

Tip 42: Extract Text from Photos/Videos. Works on existing photos too. Pause videos and grab text from frames.

Tip 43: Collapsible Sections in Notes. Create headings. Arrow appears. Tap to collapse sections. Long notes become manageable.

Tip 44: Five Highlighter Colors. Notes has proper highlighting now. Five colors for categorizing. Studying becomes visual.

Tip 45: Record and Transcribe Audio. Attachment menu in Notes. Record audio. iPhone 12 and later transcribe in real-time.

Tip 46: AI Summarizes Recordings. After transcription, one tap creates summary. Hour-long meetings become bullet points.

Tip 47: Math Notes Solves Equations. Calculator app’s Math Notes. Write equations with finger. Answers appear in your handwriting.

Tip 48: Calculator Shows History. Swipe down in Calculator. See all recent calculations. No more redoing math.

Tip 49: Scientific Calculator in Landscape. Turn phone sideways in Calculator. Full scientific functions appear. Hidden since day one.

Communication and Information Power

Tip 50: Reminders in Calendar. Calendar settings. Enable Reminders integration. Tasks and events in one view finally.

Tip 51: Mail Auto-Categorizes. iOS 18.2 sorts inbox automatically. Primary for humans. Transactions for receipts. Promotions for garbage.

Tip 52: AI Summarizes Long Emails. Massive email threads get “Summarize” button. Key points extracted. Walls of text defeated.

Tip 53: Safari Highlights Key Info. Automatically highlights addresses, prices, important facts. Browser does the work for you.

Tip 54: Article Summaries in Reader Mode. Safari Reader Mode includes AI summary option. Get the gist before committing to read.

Tip 55: Create Custom Hiking Routes. Apple Maps has topographic maps. Draw your own trails. Choose loop or out-and-back.

Tip 56: Save Maps Offline. Download hiking routes and maps. Full navigation without cell service. Voice guidance included.

Tip 57: Smart Dialer Finds Contacts. Type names using number pad like old T9. 6453 finds “Mike.” Faster than scrolling.

Tip 58: Share WiFi with QR Code. Passwords app shows network QR code. Friends scan to connect. No spelling out “BigChungus69!$” anymore.

Tip 59: Dedicated Passwords App. All logins, passkeys, verification codes in one place. Works on Windows too.

Tip 60: Remote Control Other iPhones. During FaceTime, share and control screens. Fix mom’s phone from 500 miles away.

Part IV: The Creative Powerhouse (Tips 61–80)

Photo and Video Mastery

Tip 61: Customize Photos Layout. Reorder collections. Pin favorite albums. Change sorting. Make it yours.

Tip 62: Pin Collections to Top. Family album always first. Travel photos second. No more scrolling through 200 albums.

Tip 63: Hide Screenshots from Main View. Filter menu unchecks screenshots. Camera roll becomes actual photos only.

Tip 64: Copy All Photo Edits. Three-dot menu. “Copy Edits.” Apply same adjustments to multiple photos instantly.

Tip 65: Copy Specific Edits Only. iOS 18 lets you choose. Copy just crop and filter. Leave exposure alone.

Tip 66: Choose Edit Theme. Photo editing can be dark mode while phone is light. Or vice versa. Your choice.

Tip 67: Five-Second Timer. Not too rushed like 3. Not awkward like 10. Perfect for group shots.

Tip 68: Record Video with Music Playing. Hold photo button for QuickTake. Spotify keeps playing. Concert videos with actual music.

Tip 69: Lock Focus with Camera Control. iPhone 16’s button. Light press locks focus and exposure. Manual control achieved.

Tip 70: Camera Control for Selfies. Swipe on Camera Control button. Switch to front camera. No screen touching needed.

Tip 71: Perfect Shapes in Markup. Draw circle. Hold finger still. iOS snaps it perfect. Works for arrows, squares, everything.

Tip 72: Videos Auto-Loop. Photos app loops videos by default. Short clips play forever. Hypnotic and useful.

Advanced Messaging

Tip 73: Schedule Messages. Type message. Schedule for later. Birthday wishes at midnight. Reminders for different time zones.

Tip 74: React with Any Emoji. Not just six thumbs up options. Any emoji. React with 🦆 if you want.

Tip 75: Bold, Italic Text in Messages. Format your texts. Add emphasis. Make certain words pop.

Tip 76: Better Android Messaging. RCS support means high-res photos. Read receipts. Typing indicators. Green bubbles improved.

Tip 77: Text via Satellite. No service? No problem. Messages work via satellite. Camping connectivity achieved.

Tip 78: AI Rewrites Your Texts. Highlight text. Choose tone. Professional. Friendly. Concise. AI fixes your rambling.

Tip 79: Create Custom Emoji. Type “cat wearing chef hat.” AI generates new emoji. Unlimited sticker potential.

Tip 80: Remove Photo Bombers. Circle unwanted objects. AI erases them. Background fills perfectly. Photoshop unnecessary.

Part V: Security and Automation (Tips 81–90)

Privacy Power Moves

Tip 81: Lock Individual Apps. Banking app needs Face ID even when phone unlocked. Double security achieved.

Tip 82: Hide Apps Completely. Remove from home screen. Lock in hidden folder. Apps become invisible.

Tip 83: Privacy Audit Everything. Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check. See who has your data. Revoke instantly.

Tip 84: Stop App Tracking. Turn off tracking requests. Apps can’t follow you across the internet. Ad targeting dies.

Tip 85: Share Select Contacts. Apps ask for contacts? Choose specific ones. Rest stay private.

Tip 86: Inactivity Reboot Security. Three days unused? Phone reboots. Forensic tools blocked. Stolen phones become bricks.

Advanced System Control

Tip 87: Game Mode for Performance. Minimizes background activity. All power to the game. Reduces controller lag too.

Tip 88: Answer Calls with Head Nod. AirPods Pro 2 feature. Nod yes to answer. Shake no to decline. Hands stay free.

Tip 89: Voice Isolation on Calls. Removes background noise completely. Call from construction site. They hear only you.

Tip 90: Shutdown from Control Center. Add power button to Control Center. No more button combinations. One tap shutdown.

Part VI: iOS 26 Future Features (Tips 91–100)

The Next Evolution

Tip 91: Liquid Glass Interface. Everything translucent. Menus float. Colors shift with wallpaper. Design revolution incoming.

Tip 92: AI Screens Your Calls. Unknown callers talk to AI first. You see transcript. Decide whether to answer.

Tip 93: iPhone Waits on Hold. AI sits in queue for you. Notifies when human returns. Customer service solved.

Tip 94: Real-Time Message Translation. Text in any language. Both see native language. Completely offline and private.

Tip 95: Circle to Search Screenshots. Circle anything in screenshot. Instant web search. Google Lens competitor arrives.

Tip 96: Dedicated Games App. Central hub for all games. Achievements tracked. Discovery improved. App Store competition.

Tip 97: Simplified Camera Interface. Streamlined controls. Faster mode switching. Less clutter. More shooting.

Tip 98: Floating Dynamic Menus. Static lists dead. Menus pop out. Float over content. Feel alive.

Tip 99: Better AI Emoji Creation. More detailed. More realistic. Text descriptions become art. Sticker game elevated.

Tip 100: AI-Powered Shortcuts. Shortcuts app gets on-device AI. Build automations that think. No third-party services needed.

The Bundle That Actually Makes Sense

These 100 tips? Free. Because I’m terrible at business.

Want the complete Apple ecosystem guide? Mac shortcuts that’ll save hours. iPad tricks nobody knows. Apple Watch features hidden three menus deep. Get the bundle at:

Consider it payment for the therapy I’ll need after learning about AirDrop.

Who This Is Not For

• People who email photos to themselves in 2025
• Anyone who thinks Force Touch was better
• That friend still asking “what’s AirDrop?” (Maybe exactly for them. Share this to them.)

Your iPhone Has Been Sandbagging

Every tip here has existed for years while you struggled.

The spacebar trackpad? Since 2015. Three-finger gestures? Since 2019. Back Tap? Since 2020.

You’ve been playing iPhone on hard mode. These 100 features are the difficulty settings you never knew existed.

Pick ten that solve real problems. Master those first. Add more gradually. Your muscle memory will adapt.

Got an iPhone trick that’ll make me question reality again? Which feature made you angry you didn’t know sooner?

If this helped, explore my templates and tools in my Gumroad →

If you need product consulting or an idea that you want to start: berkerceylan.com →

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