Apple Just Shared 10 iPhone Tricks You Might’ve Never Tried

Search and Launch Apps from Your Lock Screen

Your iPhone's Spotlight is a useful feature that lets you search anything, from apps to photos and even Google in one place! You probably already knew you could access it by swiping down from the middle of your Home Screen, but in iOS 15, you can also swipe down from the middle of the Lock Screen, and the search bar will appear. You can search for whatever you want, or access Siri-suggested apps quickly!

Jump to Your First Photo in the Photos App Fast

This is a really cool tip that'll save you a lot of time. Whether you're looking at all your photos or at a specific album, you can quickly jump to the first picture without having to swipe all the way up! 

All you need to do is tap the edge near the top of your iPhone, right below the notch. If you want to go back to your most recent photos, just tap on the button for the view you're in at the bottom of the screen. 

Bonus Tip: Tapping the edge at the top of your iPhone will also work if you want to go back to the top of an app or website in Safari. Granted, not all apps support this feature, but the most popular apps do. 

Select Multiple Photos to Drag to Other Apps

A cool iPhone feature not everyone knows about is that you can move pictures and other files from one app to another. As long as both apps support this feature, you can basically drag one picture from the photos app to Messages without having to press the Share button.

1. Touch and hold a photo until you feel a tap.
2. Drag the photo a little bit while still holding it.
3. Tap on the other photos you want to move to a different app with another finger. You'll see all the apps will start stacking.
4. Switch to the other app you want to move the photos to.
5. Release your finger in the place you want to place your photos

Save Time Typing with Text Replacement

For people who use the same phrases in every text message you send, you might want to use your iPhone's text replacement feature. That way, you'll only need a few letters, and your iPhone will turn it into the full text you want to send. Here's how you can use it.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on General.
3. Scroll down and select Keyboard.
4. Tap on Text Replacement.
5. Tap on the plus icon in the top right corner of your screen.
6. Enter the phrase you want your iPhone to the right. 
7. Enter the Shortcut or text replacement you want to use. 
8. When you're done, tap on Save in the top right corner. 

When you type the shortcut you entered, your keyboard will show you the full phrase you want to use. 

Open the Camera from the Lock Screen

Granted, most of us probably already knew this trick, but Apple Support still wants to share it with the world.

You can access your camera without ever unlocking your iPhone, which is great if you want someone else to take pictures without having full access to your phone.

All you need to do is swipe to the left on your iPhone's Lock Screen. Or you can also long-press the camera icon in the bottom right corner of the Lock Screen, and both options will take you to the Camera app.

Scan a Document in the Notes App

Your Notes app isn't just to store your groceries list; it can also scan documents and save them in a note.

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Create or open the note you want to use to scan a document.
3. Tap on the camera icon at the bottom of your screen.
4. Select Scan Documents.
5. Position the document in the View Finder, and your iPhone will automatically scan the document.
6. Once you're done, tap on Save in the bottom right corner.

You can repeat the same process and add as many scanned documents as you want.

Use Live Text with Your Camera

Live Text is a pretty new feature that lets you scan the text on basically anything with the help of your camera. You can then use that text and paste it somewhere else or even call a number without having to dial it yourself.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Place your camera in front of the text you want to scan.
3. The Live Text button should appear in the bottom right corner of your camera. Tap on it, and your iPhone will do the rest.

You'll see the options to copy the text or share it right then and there. If you want, you can select any piece of text from the Photos app too.

Stack Widgets on Your Home Screen

Having widgets on your iPhone Home Screen isn't anything new, but some people might not know that you stack all your favorite widgets, so you have more room for other apps.

This is thanks to a feature called Smart Stack. Smart Stack will let you have different widgets in the same space, and it'll rotate between them every now and then. You can also swipe the Smart Stack Widget so that you can see all your widgets.

1. Press and hold your Home Screen until the apps and widgets start to jiggle.
2. Drag one widget on top of the other and then release your finger.
3. Repeat the same process for all the widgets you want.

You can have up to ten widgets stacked but keep in mind they need to be the same size for this to work.

Pin Shared Content in Messages

Apple introduced in iOS 15 a new way to pin all the links and content people shared with you in Messages. That way, you can find it in a flash when you search for it in the Messages app and even in other apps too. Here's how:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Select the item you want to pin.
3. Long-press the item you want to pin until a menu pops up.
4. Tap on Pin.

And that's it! Now, next time you search for that item, it'll be elevated in the Messages search. You might also see that pinned item on other apps if the apps support the Shared With You feature.

Delete, Copy, and Paste Numbers in Calculator

I've been surprised by how many people don't know this, but you can quickly and easily delete single digits from the Calculator app without having to delete the whole number. 

Next time you enter the wrong digit, instead of tapping the C button, a simple swipe to the left or the right at the top of the Calculator app, and you'll delete digits individually. Pretty easy and cool, right?

You can also copy and paste numbers to and from the Calculator app. All you need to do is long-press the top of Calculator until the options to copy and paste pop up on top of the numbers.