11 Things You Should Be Using Your iPhone For (But You’re Not)
The iPhone is a really versatile device. Of course, it helps you do basic things like making calls, sending text messages, and browsing the web. However, there are so many more things your iPhone can do that you're probably not taking advantage of.
We're not even talking about using the countless apps on the App Store to turn your iPhone into a comic book reader, a fitness tracker, or anything else you can think of.
As it turns out, the iPhone already comes with a lot of cool and different features you can set up and use at a moment's notice.
There's so much more your iPhone can do than just regular smartphone stuff. You can use it to become a better version of yourself, keep your finances in check, or just use it to start your car; there are a lot of cool features that you need to try to use your iPhone to its full potential.
Read on for more than ten ways you can use your iPhone to do more than just make calls and send texts.
Use Your iPhone to Store Your Car Keys
Yes, you read the title correctly. The iPhone is the perfect tool to help you use your car too.
Granted, you'll need to have a compatible car, and you'll also need at least an iPhone XS or a later model. With those, you can add your car key to the Wallet app, where you can rest assured that Apple will safely store your delicate information.
You can then use your iPhone to lock and unlock your car or start it up with nothing but your iPhone or even just your Apple Watch. You can also share digital car keys with other friends and family members and set them to expire when they're no longer needed.
Use Your iPhone as a Remote for Your Apple TV
Did you recently lose your Siri remote? No problem; you can still use your iPhone to control your Apple TV with just a few taps.
After you add the Siri Remote Control to your iPhone's Control Center, you can trigger the control to turn your iPhone into a remote. You can use it to control your Apple TV as you would use a regular Siri remote.
What's more, thanks to the upcoming iOS 17 and tvOS 17 software updates, you'll also soon be able to use your iPhone to locate your actual Siri remote. So, you soon won't need to worry about keeping your remotes close; your iPhone will take care of everything.
Use Your iPhone as a Credit Card
Long gone are the days when you needed to carry your money with you. Now, you can simply use your iPhone instead.
That's right; you can add your credit or debit card to your iPhone's Wallet app and use it to pay in places where they use Apple Pay.
Additionally, if you also have an Apple Watch, you can also use it to pay for everything without even having to take out your iPhone.
Keep Track of Your Health With Your iPhone
Thanks to the Health app, you can easily keep track of nearly all the health aspects of your life. For instance, you can track your weight, any health issues you may have, and even the workouts you do every day.
Not only that, but you can also set up your iPhone for emergencies. The latest iPhone models even know if you've been in a car accident and will call your emergency contacts if you don't respond quickly enough.
Likewise, you can set up your Medical ID so people know important health information like your blood type or if you have any health issues.
Plus, if you have an Apple Watch, you can take your health tracking to the next level. You'll be able to do things like tracking your sleep, your respiratory rate, and even track your menstrual cycles.
Use Your iPhone as a Medications Tracker
Another cool feature that's worth covering by itself is the Medications feature your iPhone has.
Inside the Health app, there's also a Medications section that helps you keep track of all the medications you need to take. Not only that, but it'll also send you reminders when you need to take them.
The Medications app also offers warnings about the medications you take. For instance, when you register a new medication, you can check if that medication has any side effects when you combine it with drugs, caffeine, or alcohol.
Use Your iPhone as a Portable Gaming Console
The iPhone has evolved so much. While we only used to have silly games available on the go, nowadays, you can play console games in the cloud.
Thanks to subscription services like the Xbox Game Pass, you can access an entire library with amazing games to play on your iPhone without having to install them. This makes running more demanding games really easy.
If you're more of a mobile gamer, Apple still offers a cool subscription service called Apple Arcade; this gives you access to hundreds of mobile games you can play whenever you want, even if you're offline. These games won't have any ads or in-game purchases, making them a great option if you're tired of free-to-play games.
Lastly, if you don't want to handle more subscriptions, you can just open up the App Store. You'll find thousands of amazing games you can buy or download for free. It doesn't matter if you like puzzles, platformers, or multiplayer games; you'll find something you like.
Keep Track of Your Habits With Your iPhone
Speaking of the App Store, there are also countless different apps you can use to improve your life.
If you want to workout out every day or you want to quit smoking, you can use apps like Streaks, which help you track all the progress you make towards your habit goals.
Use Your iPhone to Manage Your Passwords
When you think of password managers, you probably don't think about your own iPhone. However, Apple has turned iCloud into a powerful password manager you can use seamlessly.
Thanks to a feature called iCloud Keychain, you can safely store all your most important passwords in the cloud. Not only that, but you're also able to autofill your passwords and even hide them, so they are more than impossible to crack.
What's more, with iOS 17, you'll soon be able to share those passwords with your family members. We all share some passwords for streaming services or important platforms, and with iCloud Keychain, you'll be able to share and let other people edit your passwords.
Use Your iPhone as Your Driver's License
Granted, this feature is not for everyone, but how cool is it that you can use your iPhone to store your driver's license and other important IDs?
As of right now, only four states let you use your driver's license with your iPhone: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland, but there are plenty more still working on it. If you live in any of these states, you can easily add your driver's license to your iPhone.
Let Your iPhone Read Articles for You
How cool would it be if you could catch up with your favorite books or articles without having to read them? No, we're not talking about using audiobooks; your iPhone can actually read anything that's on screen for you.
Your iPhone has a useful accessibility feature called Speak Screen. As you can probably tell by its name, this feature will automatically read anything that's on your screen.
This feature is typically used by people who have issues with their sight. However, you can still use it to read an article or post while you're doing something else, like working out or cooking.
Granted, your iPhone's voice isn't the most beautiful, but it'll definitely get the job done.
Use Your iPhone as a Bank Account
This is a completely new feature, but now you can literally turn your iPhone into a savings account.
Thanks to the Wallet app, you can request to open an Apple savings account. This account offers a crazy annual percentage yield (APY) of 4.15%, which is way more than most.
To use this account, you'll need to be a US citizen, have an Apple Card, and be at least 18 years old. If you meet those requirements, you can sign up for a savings account in a matter of seconds, and have your Daily Cash rewards automatically deposited there.