Tech

The Hidden Button on the Again of Your iPhone, and 22 Different Settings You Can Customise

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Perhaps you simply acquired your first iPhone, or perhaps you’ve got been an iPhone consumer because the very starting, however there are in all probability just a few settings that you have by no means tweaked earlier than. Perhaps you’ve got discovered some methods that will help you improve your battery life, however have you learnt the way to improve your privateness or entry the key button on the again of your cellphone? A few of the choices are buried fairly deep within the settings and are not so intuitive. We’ll present you some hacks and fast fixes that may end up in a way more satisfying iPhone expertise.

Perhaps you are already arrange however uncover you are burning by way of battery life too shortly, otherwise you need to save a while and set up a shortcut to show in your favourite exercise playlist as quickly as you stroll into the health club. We have you coated.

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You are certain to search out some cool customization choices, together with some that you understand and others that you just might need by no means heard of. Need to declutter your home screenUse your battery a little less all through the day. You are able to do all that and extra with these 23 iOS settings to optimize your cellphone’s efficiency. 

If you need to check out different iOS options, try how to unlock your iPhone’s hidden trackpad together with the remainder of our iOS 17 tips and tricks.

Take a Nearer Have a look at the iOS Settings You Ought to Change Proper Now

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1. Cease apps from monitoring your actual location

Apps like Doordash and Postmates require your actual location to ship meals to the suitable location or on to you. That does not imply each utility in your iPhone must know exactly the place you might be at each second. That is why you have got the power to forestall an app from monitoring your actual location. 

Within the Settings app, select an utility (like Instagram, for instance), faucet Location after which toggle off Exact Location. Any app with Exact Location off will solely know your approximate location, inside just a few miles.

Learn extraWhy You May Want to Revoke Precise Location Permissions From Instagram

Precise Location setting on iOS

Do not toggle this function off for apps that require actual location, like meals supply and navigation providers.

Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

2. Flip the again of your iPhone right into a button

The again of your iPhone can be utilized as a secret button to activate sure actions corresponding to taking a screenshot, enabling low energy mode or working a shortcut that may routinely play music whenever you arrive on the health club. The Motion Button on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max fashions do the identical, however you probably have an older mannequin, the again of your iPhone works.

The choice is hidden deep in your settings; here is the way to discover it.

Within the Settings app, go to Accessibility > Contact > Again Faucet and select one in all two choices: double faucet or triple faucet. You must see a listing of actions you may run by tapping the again of your iPhone, like opening your digital camera, turning on the flashlight and scrolling up and down. Faucet an motion or shortcut to allow it with Again Faucet.

Back tap feature on iOS

Faucet on the again of your cellphone to do every kind of fancy methods. 

Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

3. Allow Stay Voicemail to get real-time voicemail transcriptions

You get a name and do not need to essentially choose up except it is necessary. Sadly, the one approach you will know is for those who hearken to a voicemail left after the decision. With iOS 17, you may learn a real-time transcription of any voicemail being left. That is proper: If somebody is leaving you a voicemail, you may learn it in your cellphone and select to select up the decision, connecting you with the individual leaving the voicemail.

The Stay Voicemail function is not on by default, so go to Settings > Telephone > Stay Voicemail and switch it on. That is it.

4. Carry again full-screen incoming name alerts

In case your iPhone is unlocked and also you obtain a cellphone name, a banner-style notification seems on the high of your display, with a small photograph and identify or variety of the individual calling, and the choices to select up or deny the decision. 

This wasn’t all the time the default possibility. Previously, incoming calls would take over your complete show when your iPhone was unlocked. It was disruptive, certain, nevertheless it additionally acquired the job performed. The banner could also be a welcome change for a lot of as a result of it is extra discreet and means that you can use your cellphone whereas receiving a name. 

If for any motive you are not an enormous fan of the banner and need to revert to the extra attention-grabbing full-screen alert, go to Settings > Telephone > Incoming Calls and faucet Full Display screen.

A phone showing a notification bar at the top of the screen, propped up on a table in front of various toys

This incoming name alert is not perfect for everybody. 

Jason Cipriani/CNET

5. Flip off 5G protection you don’t need or have

Apple touts a Good Knowledge function that is particular to its 5G telephones that can routinely change between 4G LTE and 5G networks primarily based on the way you’re utilizing your gadget. You could discover that your iPhone’s battery drains sooner than it did earlier than. Should you do not need to sacrifice battery life for sooner 5G speeds, shut it down. You may all the time flip 5G again on whenever you need it, or when service in your space improves.

To turn off 5G on your iPhone, forcing it to all the time use 4G LTE (even you probably have 5G protection), open the Settings app, then go to Mobile > Major > Voice & Knowledge and faucet LTE. Alternatively, in order for you your iPhone to completely use a 5G connection when accessible, you may choose 5G On.

An iPhone held in a hand

5G is sweet you probably have entry, nevertheless it will also be a battery hog. 

Patrick Holland/CNET

6. High quality-tune how a lot knowledge is utilized by a 5G connection

Should you’re completely satisfied together with your 5G efficiency, here is a network-related setting it is best to try. Go to Settings > MobileMajor > Knowledge Mode, the place you will discover three choices: Enable Extra Knowledge on 5G, Customary and Low Knowledge Mode.

Although you may learn transient descriptions beneath the three settings, they do not paint an entire image of the primary possibility. In keeping with an Apple support document, permitting extra knowledge on 5G offers you high-quality video and FaceTime calls. It additionally lets your cellphone obtain software program updates and stream high-definition Apple TV and Apple Music content material, and it permits third-party builders to enhance their respective apps.

The default setting on this web page will rely in your provider and knowledge plan, so it is a good suggestion to check your iPhone and ensure it is accurately set to your choice.

7. Cease apps from cluttering up your house display

The App Library is a spot the place you may shortly discover and entry your entire functions. And whereas apps are housed right here, all newly downloaded apps additionally seem on your house display. This might not be an issue for those who obtain apps sparingly, however for those who’re putting in new apps on a constant foundation, they’ll shortly litter up your house display.

To cease downloaded apps from showing on your house display, go to Settings > Residence Display screen & App Library and choose App Library Solely. If you wish to discover the app, you will need to swipe left on your house display till you attain the App Library.

App Library setting on iOS

This setting will stop your house display from getting too messy.

Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

8. Unlock your cellphone whereas carrying a face masks

Should you put on a masks in public, unlocking your iPhone with Apple’s Face ID expertise will be irritating. As a result of half of your face is roofed, Face ID simply would not work. And whereas coming into your passcode to unlock your cellphone works, it isn’t as handy. 

With iOS, you have got the choice to activate a face unlock feature that makes it straightforward to unlock your iPhone whenever you’re carrying a face masks. Earlier than the replace, you can solely unlock your iPhone if you owned an Apple Watch

To unlock your iPhone together with your Apple Watch, open the Settings app in your iPhone after which open the Face ID & Passcode possibility. Scroll down till you discover the Unlock with Apple Watch part (you have to be related to an Apple Look ahead to the setting to look), the place you may activate the function for any watches linked to your iPhone. 

When you have an iPhone working iOS 15.4 or later, you may unlock your iPhone whereas carrying a masks with out an Apple Watch. Go to the Settings app and open Face ID & Passcode. From there, you may toggle on the Face ID With a Masks possibility. It is fairly superior. 

Apple Watch Series 7 with a geometric face

You may unlock your iPhone together with your Apple Watch if Face ID is not working.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

9. Put the handle bar in Safari again on high

The handle in Safari migrated to the underside of the display just a few years again; welcome for these with smaller fingers who had issue reaching it with one hand on the high. Whereas this transfer may really feel extra pure, because it’s nearer to the keyboard and the place you usually place your thumbs, it may be off-putting since some persons are used to seeing the URL bar close to the highest of the display.

If you wish to put the handle bar again on the high of the display, go to Settings, faucet Safari and select the Single Tab possibility below the Tabs subheading.

10. Add options that can be utilized when your iPhone is locked

There are occasions whenever you may need to have sure data useful even when your cellphone is locked. That is why Apple means that you can allow some options with out having to unlock your units, such because the notification heart, Management Middle, the power to answer to messages and the Pockets app.

To customise the options you’d prefer to entry on the lock display, launch the Settings menu, faucet Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode when prompted. Scroll down till you see the Enable Entry When Locked part, and toggle the sliders primarily based in your preferences. 

Allow Access When Locked settings with most of them enabled

You may resolve which options you need to entry when your cellphone is locked. 

Screenshot by Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

11. Make your favourite e-mail app or net browser your default

It is not all about Safari. In your iPhone, you have got the power to decide on your personal default apps, no less than for e-mail and net shopping. That signifies that whenever you faucet a hyperlink or an e-mail ship button, your iPhone will routinely launch the online browser or e-mail supplier of your selecting somewhat than Safari or Mail. 

To get began, open the Settings menu and choose the app you’d prefer to set as a default (corresponding to Google Chrome or Outlook). You must then see a button that claims Default Mail App or Default Browser App. Faucet that possibility and choose the app of your selecting as a substitute of Safari or Mail.

Chrome settings screen with the default browser set to Safari

You not have to make use of Safari or Mail as default apps. 

Screenshot by Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Learn extraIf You Care About Your Privacy, You Need to Change These Browser Settings

12. Get full notifications in your lock display

The primary time you expertise Apple’s Face ID tech, you will discover you can’t see the content material of recent alerts and notifications on the lock display. For instance, as a substitute of seeing who despatched you a textual content message and what it says, you will solely see a generic Messages alert.

By default, all iPhones with Apple’s Face ID tech will conceal the content material of an alert till you choose up your cellphone and unlock it. It is a privateness function that I somewhat take pleasure in, however I additionally perceive the way it could possibly be annoying (I’ve heard just a few complaints from readers and relations alike).

You may change how notifications seem in your lock display by going to Settings > Notifications > Present Previews and choosing At all times. Conversely, you may choose By no means if you wish to preserve the content material of your notifications all the time hidden from the lock display.

13. Flip off (or on) HDR video for sharing movies

The iPhone can document excessive dynamic vary (HDR) video with Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Meaning your movies are usually brighter, with extra correct colours and improved distinction. Which may be perfect for some, but when you don’t need movies which are routinely adjusted since you need to do it by yourself, there’s a strategy to disable the function.

You may flip off HDR video by going to Settings > Digital camera > Document Video and turning the change subsequent to HDR Video to the Off place. Going ahead, all movies might be captured in the usual dynamic vary.

iPhone 12 settings with arrows pointing to what to select to get HDR video

HDR video appears nice, nevertheless it would not work all over the place but.

Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

14. Customise your house display with fancy wallpaper

One other residence display tweak it is best to make includes your wallpaper or background. Apple has many wallpapers of its personal, with a fairly cool twist. 

Open the Settings app in your iPhone and choose Wallpaper from the record. Be certain that the change labeled “Darkish Look Dims Wallpaper,” which you will see beneath the 2 thumbnail previews of your wallpaper, is turned on. Now, faucet Select a brand new wallpaper and choose both Stills or Stay. Search for the circle close to the underside of every wallpaper. It is half black, half white. 

That circle signifies that the wallpaper has each mild and darkish mode variations and can change routinely primarily based on the system standing of your cellphone. 

You can even set live wallpapers as your background for those who’re not bought on darkish and lightweight mode.

On an iPhone with 3D Contact, you should use a third-party app to play longer-duration “Stay” photographs in your lock display.

GIF by Patrick Holland/CNET

15. Activate darkish mode to save lots of your battery

Talking of darkish mode, for those who do not need to need to repeatedly regulate your display’s brightness, you should use your cellphone’s devoted darkish mode. Darkish mode converts the entire white backgrounds in apps to, as a rule, a black background. In flip, your cellphone is ready to save battery energy due to the darker colours. 

Flip it on by going to Settings > Show & Brightness and choosing the Darkish possibility on the high of the display. You can even simply swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone and faucet the Darkish mode icon within the Management Middle.

Apple’s apps will routinely change to a darkish shade scheme, and most third-party apps have also adopted the feature

Dark Mode on an iPhone 11

Darkish Mode on the iPhone certain appears good. 

Jason Cipriani/CNET

16. Handle your notifications with Focus Mode

We get lots of notifications day-after-day, however not all of them are related on a regular basis. That is why Apple introduced a feature called Focus Mode. Consider it as a customized Do Not Disturb function that is tailor-made to particular circumstances. 

Focus Mode blocks much less related alerts whereas permitting notifications from necessary folks and apps to return by way of in order that you do not miss something. You may arrange various kinds of Focus Modes for particular circumstances. 

Apple presently provides choices for Do Not Disturb, private, sleep, work, driving, health, gaming, mindfulness and studying, however you may as well create your personal customized mode. You may schedule Focus Modes in order that they activate routinely when wanted and show your standing in apps in order that others know you have got notifications silenced. 

To get began, open the Settings menu, faucet Focus and select one of many accessible choices to arrange your notification preferences. Faucet the plus (+) image within the high proper nook so as to add a brand new Focus. 

17. Make your display textual content greater or smaller

With a few faucets in your iPhone’s display, you may regulate the font measurement to make it simpler to learn. Open Settings and go to Show & Brightness > Textual content Dimension the place you should use the slider till you are proud of the font measurement. For a little bit added oomph, you may activate Daring Textual content (it is slightly below the Textual content Dimension button). 

18. Add an alternate look to Face ID

Apple’s facial recognition function, Face ID, consistently learns completely different features of your face with every scan. Should you’re struggling to get Face ID to constantly acknowledge you, attempt the Alternate Look possibility. 

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > enter your PIN > Set Up An Alternate Look and undergo the method of enrolling your face once more. 

A woman in sunglasses smiling at an iPhone

Face ID would not all the time get it proper. 

Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

19. Disable auto-brightness for longer battery cost

Your iPhone’s display brightness degree can have a big effect on battery life. By default, iOS will routinely regulate the show’s brightness primarily based on how a lot mild its ambient sensor detects. If you wish to take full management, you may disable auto brightness, which means the brightness degree will keep the place you set it till you regulate it once more. 

Open Settings > Accessibility > Show & Textual content Dimension and on the backside of the web page, you will discover a change to show off Auto-Brightness

Now, everytime you need to regulate your display, you are able to do so by opening Management Middle with a swipe up from the underside of the display on a tool with a house button, or a swipe down from the top-right nook on newer iPhones. 

Accessibility settings with arrows showing where to enable Auto Brightness

Maintain your display dim to save lots of battery life. 

Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

20. Triage your privateness settings

The primary time you arrange an iPhone with your entire apps, you are bombarded with prompts asking for permission to entry private info starting from monitoring your location to your Apple Well being info or your digital camera roll. 

It is too straightforward to get within the behavior of approving every thing simply so you should use the app, however take a couple of minutes and undergo your privateness settings to tailor what every app can and may’t see. We walk you through the whole privacy process in two quick steps

iPhone showing iOS 13 privacy settings

Apple has put all of its privateness controls in a single place. 

Jason Cipriani/CNET

21. Use the Management Middle to entry apps with a swipe or faucet

The iPhone’s Management Middle is a handy spot to shortly change songs, activate airplane mode, hook up with Wi-Fi or begin a timer, however there’s a lot extra to it than that. You may shortly flip in your flashlight, test on a timer or begin recording your display with a fast swipe and faucet. 

Customise which apps and options can be found in Management Middle by opening Settings > Management Middle. Take away an possibility with a faucet on the crimson minus button or add an possibility by choosing the inexperienced addition button. Drag options up or down utilizing the three-line icon on the suitable aspect of the display. 

Personally, I like having fast entry to the Pockets app and toggles for low-power mode and darkish mode. 

As a reminder, you probably have an iPhone with a house button, just like the iPhone SE, you may swipe up from the underside of the display to open Management Middle. When you have an iPhone with Face ID, you will must swipe down from the top-right nook of the display the place the battery icon is. 

Management Middle has lots of potential; you simply must customise it. 

GIF by Jason Cipriani/CNET

22. Manage alerts with Notification Abstract

Apple desires that will help you handle your notifications in iOS, beginning with the Notification Abstract function. Moderately than letting notifications pile up on your house display, you may schedule alerts that are not pressing to reach in a bundle at a selected time of day. 

Vital notifications like calls, direct messages and different time-sensitive alerts (just like the standing of your Uber or Lyft journey, for instance) will nonetheless seem instantly.

To do that out, open Settings, press Notifications and faucet Scheduled Abstract

23. Change Siri’s voice

Should you’ve not too long ago arrange a brand new iPhone, you’ll have seen that Siri not defaults to a feminine voice. As a substitute, you will be requested which Siri voice you need to use, together with a number of newer choices. As soon as you’ve got made your choice, Apple will change Siri’s voice throughout the entire units linked to your Apple ID.

You may try the voice choices by going to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice. To be taught extra, try our complete guide to changing Siri’s sound. Apple additionally added a gender-neutral Siri voice option for English audio system.

Irrespective of what number of settings you toggle on and off, battery life will all the time be a difficulty, particularly for those who’re touring and do not all the time have entry to your quick charger. Should you’re consistently on the go and wish some juice, take into account getting this inexpensive and slim MagSafe charger that may cost your iPhone from zero to 50% in simply half-hour.

Particulars

For extra, listed here are 17 hidden features on our iPhone it is best to learn about and annoying iPhone features you are able to do one thing about.



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