17 iPhone Tricks To Make Your Life Easier (| part)
Did you know you could actually correct Siri's pronunciation?
By Luke Johnson
Sure, there's plenty your trusty iPhone can already do. It can help you find your way home, settle bar debates and, heck, even make the odd phone call or two. In a pinch you could probably serve small canapés off it. But this pocketable box of wonder isn't just a pretty vessel into the world of internet joy and messaging madness. Oh no.
There are dozens of cool iPhone features hidden beneath the surface that you probably weren't even aware of. These are some of the best iPhone hacks you didn't know about, and exactly how you can find them.
1. Charge your phone faster with a single button press.
Tired of waiting for your phone to recharge? Well, there is a way to speed up the re-juicing process, and it's surprisingly simple — just engage Airplane mode. By knocking out all your phone's Wi-Fi-searching, data-draining communication skills, it takes the strain off your battery while it's being powered up. Not hugely, true — but if you're pressed for time and looking to eke out every bit of juice, that extra 4% you'll add in 30 minutes connected to the mains could make all the difference.
2. Shave seconds off of your searches.
When it comes to finding out the latest league standings or proving a point, getting where you need to go on the internet is all about speed and precision — something missing when you're forced to knock out type-heavy web addresses. So save time by holding down the period icon while typing out an address to bring up a short-cut series of URL suffixes. From the classic (.com) to the less used (.edu, .ie), there are quick hit shortcuts for all.
3. Discover exactly what your phone knows about you.
Slightly sinisterly, your iPhone is always gathering data on you in the background — be it the apps you're using the most, how much data you're churning through... or even, most creepily, where you are. To see what we mean, head to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Frequent Locations. Here you can see not just where you've been, but how long you've spent in each place. Big Brother really is watching...
4. Replace a toolbox essential.
You've probably filed away the Compass app alongside the Stocks and Find Friends apps in a folder entitled 'Crap I can't delete'. You should pull it back out, though — it's got a secret second function that will help with your DIY duties. No: not using your iPhone to hammer in nails (although it can — briefly — do that too). Instead, swiping left in the Compass app brings up a very useful level — a digital bubble gauge than can check if that shelf really is level. (Spoiler: it isn't.)
5. Lock your camera's focal point.
We all know that tapping the screen while taking a photo will set the camera's point of focus, right? Good. Annoyingly though, every time you move the camera after picking a focal point, it disappears. Well, no more. Instead of just tapping the screen, press for a second or two until an 'AF Locked' box pops up. Now you can twist, turn and swing the thing around without losing focus.
6. Create custom vibrations.
Ever wished you could tell who's calling just by how your phone feels buzzing against your leg? Now you can: In Contacts, select your person of choice and hit Edit. Here you'll see aVibration option. Selecting this will give you plenty of options, including the Create New Vibration tool. Making your bespoke buzz is as simple as tapping the screen to the beat of your choice.
7. Correct Siri's pronunciation.
Siri's a bit of a smug know-it-all — so there's nothing better than calling it on its mistakes. Like when it mispronounces peoples' names like an ignorant American abroad. So if Siri says something wrong, just tell it. Following up a mistake by saying "That's not how you pronounce…" will see Siri ask for the correct pronunciation then let you check it's got things right. Because we all know it's Levi-O-sa, not Levi-o-SAR.
