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    42 iPhone Hacks That'll Make Your Life Wayyy Easier

    Today I learned you can use the phone as a level to perfectly measure and hang pictures.

    1. With the new iOS 16, you can customize your lock screen. (Finally!) You can now add widgets, like weather, stocks, and calendar appointments to your lock screen, as well as change the font and color of the text.

    a lock screen with a customized font

    2. Change your display to grayscale — and ~maybe~ become less addicted to your phone.

    3. Make your speakers louder.

    4. Search your photos based on the objects that are in the photos. The Photos app has a search icon at the top that lets you search through your photos based on who — or what — is in them. Try it; it's like magic.

    5. If you've ever been annoyed at how you had to estimate how much battery you have left, worry no longer. In Settings --> Battery, you can now set the battery percentage to display on the battery indicator:

    battery percentage number on the screen

    6. Everyone has fallen victim to the occasional errant thumb or autocorrect fail. Luckily, you can now long-press a text in iMessage and edit it after it's been sent. No more sending follow-up texts with asterisks:

    editing a text

    7. Or if you REALLY screw up, you can un-send a text for a short time after you send it:

    undo send option

    8. Playing your music at the loudest volume and it's still not loud enough? All you have to do is go to Settings > Music > EQ > Late Night.

    Graphic of iPhone Settings options

    9. Use shortcuts.

    Text: Create a shortcut so you never have to type in your email address again

    10. Measure stuff using the camera.

    Camera showing length of a table

    11. Or use your phone as a level to hang pictures.

    12. Add a "home button" back in.

    13. Use iOS's Dark Mode.

    14. Use the keyboard as a track pad to move the cursor while typing.

    15. Use Google Maps when you're offline.

    Google Maps option for Kanda Station in Tokyo

    16. Set a sleep timer so you can listen to music while you fall asleep.

    When Timer Ends options highlighted

    17. Use a scientific calculator and get more functions.

    Calculator keys

    18. Reach apps at the top of your screen more easily.

    19. Or turn off Reachability so you don't accidentally do it.

    Reachability under Accessibility options is turned on

    20. Turn on your Do Not Disturb during a movie and have it turn off automatically.

    Do Not Disturb screen options

    21. Stop getting notifications from that overactive group chat.

    Screenshot of iMessage chat

    22. Quickly text someone your location.

    Text: "I'm parking right now, where you at" and "I'm at"

    23. Customize your Control Center for easy access to the stuff you change often.

    Screenshot of Control Center options

    24. Change the brightness of your flashlight.

    Flashlight brightness options

    25. Tell Siri to pronounce your name properly.

    Five options for Siri to pronounce the name Saoirse

    26. Record your screen.

    Arrows pointing to Screen Recording option in Control Center

    27. Hide your "private" photos.

    Hide option circled

    28. You can close out three apps at once.

    Multiple apps open at once

    29. Have Siri read your email out loud:

    Screen notification of at least 25 emails

    30. Make custom vibrations for alerts.

    31. Use numbers and letters to make your password instead of just numbers.

    32. If you make a mistake, remember you can "shake to undo" as a way to backspace.

    "Undo Typing" option: Cancel or undo

    33. Use the built-in clock to go to bed on time.

    Clock screen options

    34. Have your flashlight go off when you get an alert.

    Flashlight lit up on iPhone

    35. You can ask Siri what planes are flying above you right now:

    Siri showing flight numbers in response to question "Hey Siri what flights are above me?"

    36. Use your phone to set reminders when you arrive at or leave a specific location.

    37. You probably already know this one, but if you push the volume button, it will snap a photo.

    38. Use the camera as a magnifying glass.

    39. If you have an iPhone X, you can swipe at the bottom of the screen to switch between apps.

    Two apps on a split screen

    40. Use the rear-facing camera (the one on the back of your phone) instead of the front-facing camera (the one used for selfies) whenever you can.

    41. Use the headphones that came with your iPhone as a remote for taking photos.

    Headphones tangled up with charger wires

    42. And finally, record in 4K video.

    Record Video resolution options

    This post contains content from Michelle Rennex, Andy Golder, Kevin Smith, and Rachel Wilkerson Miller. It was compiled by Laura Frustaci.