With every iOS update comes more tips and tricks to keep track of on your iPhone. Here you’ll find a list of handy shortcuts and helpful hints to keep you moving quickly and working efficiently when you’ve got your iPhone in hand.
Emergency Contact Info Now Available
Worst-case scenario is that you end up somewhere without your wallet, thus void of all emergency contact information. Or you may find that you are unable to respond to simple questions as to who you are. Lucky for you, Apple has devised an Emergency Contact info portion into their phone. Simply use the Health app to access the form. Turn on the ‘Show When Locked’ function at the top of the form, and any person can view your Medical ID information form by swiping to unlock your phone, then tapping the emergency button. This could be a lifesaver.
Add Widgets to Notification Center
The Notification Center has always been the easiest way to see what’s happening when on your iPhone, easily available from the lock screen with a simple downward swipe from the top of the screen. Now Apple lets you add your own widgets to the Notification Center. Scroll to the bottom of the Notification Center, select the Edit button, and then rearrange and choose widgets based on your installed apps.
Lock Screen App shortcut
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If you have location services enabled on your device, this lock screen shortcut will come in handy. Location services will display an app shortcut in the bottom left of the lock screen to an app that pertains to your location. Just like the quick-access camera icon, simply swipe up to access the app.
Battery Usage
Sometimes it seems as though your battery can’t last long enough. On iOS 8, you can find out which of your apps are taking up the most battery on your phone by going to Settings>Usage>Battery Usage. Then it is up to you as to how you want to limit your time on your biggest battery busters.
DuckDuckGo Search Engine
If you’re looking for a new way to search, check out the search engine DuckDuckGo, which protects your privacy to the utmost. Enable this search engine by going to Settings>Safari>Search Engine>DuckDuckGo.
Autofill Credit Card Info
Filling out credit card information on an iPhone can be tricky, tiresome, and downright frustrating. iOS 8 decided to tackle this dilemma by allowing you to take a photo in order to fill in your credit card info. When in Safari and on a credit card form, the option ‘Scan Credit Card’ will appear on the top of the keyboard. Click it, align the card with the frame, and iOS 8 automatically populates the form for you.
Adjust Exposure for Photos
With the new iOS, you no longer need all of those photo editing apps to take the perfect picture. iOS 8 comes with a bunch of helpful photo editing tools, like straightening, cropping, filters and more. One of the cooler functions is the ability to adjust the exposure on a photo. To do this, tap to focus when taking a photo, then slide your finger up or down to change the exposure level.
‘Hide’ option in Photos
Admit it: there are probably some photos on your phone that you would rather not let everyone see. Everyone has, at one point or another, been stricken with fear when a friend or family member starts scrolling through their Camera Roll. With iOS 8, you can choose to hide certain photos by performing a tap-and-hold on any photo, then choosing the ‘Hide’ option. (Disclaimer: the photo will still be visible in Albums, however.)
Reclaim Deleted Photos
One of the unfortunate parts of owning a smartphone is never having enough space for all of your photos. And sometimes you end up deleting one by accident, and believe that all hope is lost. However, iOS 8 makes it possible to reclaim deleted photos by simply accessing the ‘Recently Deleted’ album nested under your Photos app.
Disable Annoying Group Message Notifications
Have you ever found yourself stuck in a group conversation with a plethora of messages that don’t pertain to you? Well in iOS 8, you can mute all notifications from a group text by selecting the ‘Do Not Disturb’ option from the group message ‘Details’ section.
Hopefully these tips and helpful hints will make your iOS 8 experience more enjoyable and smoother than ever before.