The best iOS features to upgrade your travel experience [Video]

I was recently lucky enough to go on a great vacation where we spent eight days traveling around Europe. One of the things I noticed was how useful my iPhone was throughout this whole experience. Yes, we all know that we can use maps to help us navigate new cities and geographic areas. But did you know you can convert currencies directly in the Notes or iMessage apps? Or that you can create a shared library so everyone on the trip can see all the photos you’ve taken. I discovered over 25 iOS features that are specifically built into iOS to make your travels better and easier.

Check out our video below for a hands-on look and overview of all the features mentioned!

Translate on iOS

Translation should be one of the most important aspects of travel. We’ve spent some time in both Belgium and the Netherlands, and even though there are plenty of English speakers, it’s great to quickly look up what certain words or phrases mean. The locals seem to appreciate this.

Now yes, Apple has created a special app for iOS called Translate that is on your phone by default. He is extremely healthy. It lets you quickly search for words and phrases, you can use text or voice, and it even has a live chat aspect. But the beauty of translation is that it’s built into all your iOS apps

You can write entire paragraphs in iMessage and translate it into another language and send it. You can take a photo of a sign and use Visual Look up to translate the text in the photo app and more. Watch our video above to see how it all works!

Currency and unit converters

Unless you’re one of the few countries that use the imperial system of measurement, you’ll need a unit converter to convert from miles to kilometers, ounces to grams, or gallons to liters. Just like the translation app, there are currency and measurement converters built right into your iPhone in most of its apps. For example, if someone sends you an iMessage about buying 2 kilos worth of chicken, that unit of measurement will be highlighted. You can then long press it and it will instantly convert it to pounds and ounces so there is no discrepancy.

This is true for almost any unit of measurement. Your iPhone can convert currencies in real time, it can convert temperature values ​​and different units of measurement as I mentioned. This works in all your native Apple apps. You can use it in the Notes app, in iMessage when taking a photo, and more. This was a huge savings when I was ordering steak for dinner and it was a gram!

Flight tracking

Similar to how conversion works, you can also track real-time flights in the same way. It is very simple and gives you basic information. There are other apps like Flight Tracker and Flighty that allow you to create accounts, track flight history and view airport data. But if you just want to get real-time information about when your plane is leaving, how far along the flight is, and information about any delays, all you need is your iPhone. If you pick someone up from the airport, all they have to do is send you their flight number and again, iMessage will highlight that flight number and let you see the flight details and all the information you need!

Shared audio

Shared audio may have been our most used on the trip. My wife and I took two flights and seven trains on our travels. To pass the time, we liked to watch movies or shows together on my iPad. Yes, we could have shared one AirPod each and that would have been fine. But we both have a pair of AirPods Pro. This is where the magic of the Apple ecosystem comes into play. Apple products have a feature called Shared Audio that does exactly what you think. It syncs audio to two different pairs of headphones where the audio source comes from one device.

To set this up:

1. Bring the other person’s AirPods closer to your device.
2. Open the Airpods box
3. The iPhone will ask if you want to connect the other person’s AirPods
4. Boom, you’re connected to someone else’s AirPods while also connected to yours

The other travel features

As I said, there are over 25 different iOS features that are built in to make your life easier when you need to travel. Of course, other apps provide more features, but the ones built right into your phone are more than enough to help you get around in a foreign country. From visual overviews of landmarks to public transport information in maps to shared notes to keep itineraries between multiple people. Be sure to watch our video here to get a hands-on tutorial on how to put these features to work for you!

What’s your favorite iOS feature that no one is talking about? Let’s discuss in the comments below!