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Credit: Tom’s Guide
The most useful features of the iPhone are often not the ones that Apple emphasizes. After years of using the iPhone, I’m still finding clever built-ins that solve everyday problems. I recently discovered five incredibly useful iPhone features that have solved problems I’ve had for years.
From removing distracting notification badges to improving text editing, these hidden options eliminate common frustrations without the need for additional software. Most of them are hidden in the settings and only take a few seconds.
Let’s explore these five hidden features and how to use each of them on your iPhone right now.
1. Get rid of annoying red notification badges
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Those constant red circles with numbers that appear on app icons can quickly overwhelm your home screen and cause unnecessary visual strain.
Open the Settings app and scroll down to Notifications. From here select any app whose badge notifications you want to disable. Simply in the notification settings of each app turn off the Bookmarks option.
You’ll have to repeat this process for each app separately, but the result will be a cleaner, less distracting home screen that doesn’t constantly demand your attention with arbitrary numbers.
2. Improve text editing with space bar
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Accurately positioning the cursor while editing text is one of the most frustrating aspects of touchscreen typing, but there’s a hidden gesture that makes it a lot easier.
Instead of tapping and holding text to bring up a magnifying glass and then trying to place the cursor exactly where you want it, you just press and hold the space bar. It instantly turns your keyboard into a control panel.
While holding the spacebar, slide your finger in any direction to move the cursor smoothly and precisely through the text. This method gives you much more control than the traditional tap and drag method.
3. Mute keystrokes without muting
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Constant tapping sounds from the keyboard can be annoying on silent settings, but you don’t need to put your entire phone on silent mode to fix it.
Open Settings and scroll down to Sound & Haptics. Then scroll until you find keyboard feedback and tap it. Here you can turn off the sound leaving Haptic on if you still want noiseless haptics.
This targeted adjustment mutes only the keyboard and allows other important sounds, such as ringtones and alerts, to continue working normally.
4. Turn the Apple logo into a hotkey with a back tap
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Your iPhone has a hidden button that you can’t even see – the Apple logo on the back of the device – that can be programmed to perform various actions when tapped.
Open Settings, then go to Accessibility and select Tap. Scroll down and tap Back Tap. From here select Double Tap or Triple Tap and select an action from the list of options.
You can set this invisible button to take screenshots, open the control center, silence the phone or open the camera, all by simply touching the back of the device.
5. Control the brightness of the flashlight
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
What many people don’t realize is that the iPhone’s flashlight isn’t just on or off—you can adjust its intensity to better suit your preferences in any situation.
Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open Control Center. Then long press the flashlight icon until the brightness slider appears. To adjust the intensity, slide your finger up or down this meter from soft glow to maximum brightness.
It provides excellent lighting in any situation, whether you’re reading a menu in a dark restaurant or looking for something under the sofa.
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More from Tom’s guide
The most useful features of the iPhone are often not the ones that Apple emphasizes. After years of using the iPhone, I’m still finding clever built-ins that solve everyday problems. I recently discovered five incredibly useful iPhone features that have solved problems I’ve had for years.
From removing distracting notification badges to improving text editing, these hidden options eliminate common frustrations without the need for additional software. Most of them are hidden in the settings and only take a few seconds.
Let’s explore these five hidden features and how to use each of them on your iPhone right now.
1. Get rid of annoying red notification badges
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Those constant red circles with numbers that appear on app icons can quickly overwhelm your home screen and cause unnecessary visual strain.
Open the Settings app and scroll down to Notifications. From here select any app whose badge notifications you want to disable. Simply in the notification settings of each app turn off the Bookmarks option.
You’ll have to repeat this process for each app separately, but the result will be a cleaner, less distracting home screen that doesn’t constantly demand your attention with arbitrary numbers.
2. Improve text editing with space bar
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Accurately positioning the cursor while editing text is one of the most frustrating aspects of touchscreen typing, but there’s a hidden gesture that makes it a lot easier.
Instead of tapping and holding text to bring up a magnifying glass and then trying to place the cursor exactly where you want it, you just press and hold the space bar. It instantly turns your keyboard into a control panel.
While holding the spacebar, slide your finger in any direction to move the cursor smoothly and precisely through the text. This method gives you much more control than the traditional tap and drag method.
3. Mute keystrokes without muting
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Constant tapping sounds from the keyboard can be annoying on silent settings, but you don’t need to put your entire phone on silent mode to fix it.
Open Settings and scroll down to Sound & Haptics. Then scroll until you find keyboard feedback and tap it. Here you can turn off the sound leaving Haptic on if you still want noiseless haptics.
This targeted adjustment mutes only the keyboard and allows other important sounds, such as ringtones and alerts, to continue working normally.
4. Turn the Apple logo into a hotkey with a back tap
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
Your iPhone has a hidden button that you can’t even see – the Apple logo on the back of the device – that can be programmed to perform various actions when tapped.
Open Settings, then go to Accessibility and select Tap. Scroll down and tap Back Tap. From here select Double Tap or Triple Tap and select an action from the list of options.
You can set this invisible button to take screenshots, open the control center, silence the phone or open the camera, all by simply touching the back of the device.
5. Control the brightness of the flashlight
(Photo: © Tom’s Guide)
What many people don’t realize is that the iPhone’s flashlight isn’t just on or off—you can adjust its intensity to better suit your preferences in any situation.
Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open Control Center. Then long press the flashlight icon until the brightness slider appears. To adjust the intensity, slide your finger up or down this meter from soft glow to maximum brightness.
It provides excellent lighting in any situation, whether you’re reading a menu in a dark restaurant or looking for something under the sofa.
Follow up Tom’s Guide to Google News and add us as a preferred resource to get the latest news, analysis and reviews in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!