25 hidden iPhone features most people never find

Apple adds features to iOS every year, and most of them stay buried in Settings. This list covers the ones that are actually useful day to day, with the exact path to each one. Where a feature needs a recent version of iOS or a newer iPhone, it says so.

Typing and text

1. Turn the keyboard into a trackpad

Touch and hold the Space bar until the keys go blank, then slide your finger to move the cursor exactly where you want it. Much easier than trying to tap between two letters.

2. Undo with three fingers

Swipe left with three fingers to undo and right to redo. A double tap with three fingers also undoes. Shaking the phone still works too, if you prefer.

3. Text replacement for things you type often

Settings, General, Keyboard, Text Replacement. Add a short code such as "@@" that expands into your email address, or "addr" for your full address. It syncs to your other Apple devices through iCloud.

4. Accents and special characters

Touch and hold a letter to see its accented versions: hold "c" for č and ć, "s" for š, "z" for ž. Hold the currency key to get €, £ and others.

5. A keyboard that clicks back

Settings, Sounds & Haptics, Keyboard Feedback, Haptic. Every key press gives a light vibration, which makes fast typing feel more accurate. Needs iOS 16 or later.

Camera and photos

6. Copy text from any photo or the camera

Open a photo with text in it, or point the camera at a sign or document, and tap the text icon in the corner. You can then select, copy, translate or call a phone number straight from the image. This is Live Text, available from iOS 15.

7. Lift a subject out of a photo

Touch and hold the person, pet or object in a photo for a second. A glowing outline appears and you can drag the cut-out into Messages or Notes, or tap Copy. No editing app needed. Requires iOS 16 or later.

8. Identify plants, animals and landmarks

Open a photo and look for an info button with small sparkles on it. Tap it and Visual Look Up suggests what the plant, dog breed or building is.

9. Scan documents in Notes

In Notes, tap the camera icon and choose Scan Documents. The iPhone finds the page edges, straightens them and saves a clean PDF. Good enough for receipts and signed forms.

10. Hidden photos stay locked

The Hidden and Recently Deleted albums are locked with Face ID or Touch ID by default on iOS 16 and later. You can turn this on or off under Settings, Photos, Use Face ID.

Messages and calls

11. Edit or unsend a message

Touch and hold a message you sent in iMessage. You can edit it for up to 15 minutes or undo send for up to 2 minutes. Recipients on older iOS versions may still see the original. iOS 16 or later.

12. Schedule a message for later

In Messages, tap the plus button next to the text field and choose Send Later, then pick the date and time. Handy for birthday wishes or a reminder to a colleague first thing in the morning. iOS 18 or later.

13. Share your contact by holding phones together

Bring the top of your iPhone close to someone else's iPhone and NameDrop offers to swap contact details. Both phones need iOS 17 or later.

Privacy and security

14. Lock or hide an app with Face ID

Touch and hold an app icon and choose Require Face ID. Locked apps need your face to open, and hidden apps move to a locked Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library. iOS 18 or later.

15. See saved Wi-Fi passwords

Settings, Wi-Fi, tap the info button next to a network, then tap the hidden password. On iOS 18 and later, the Passwords app also lists every saved Wi-Fi network.

16. Set up Medical ID

In the Health app, tap your profile picture and choose Medical ID. Add allergies, medication and emergency contacts, and turn on Show When Locked. Paramedics can see it from the lock screen without your passcode.

Battery

17. Check battery health

Settings, Battery, Battery Health (on some models, Battery Health & Charging) shows the maximum capacity compared to when the phone was new.

18. Limit charging to 80%

On iPhone 15 and later models, Settings, Battery, Charging lets you cap charging at 80% or another limit. Keeping the battery away from 100% helps it age more slowly.

Everyday conveniences

19. Spotlight is a calculator and converter

Swipe down on the Home Screen and type "45 eur in usd", "15% of 280" or "6 ft in cm". The answer appears as you type.

20. Jump back several screens at once

In Settings or any app with a back button, touch and hold the back button to see a list of every screen in the path, then jump straight to the one you need.

21. Background sounds for focus or sleep

Settings, Accessibility, Audio & Visual, Background Sounds. Rain, ocean or soft noise plays from the phone, and it can keep playing quietly under other audio.

22. Sound Recognition

Settings, Accessibility, Sound Recognition. Your iPhone can notify you when it hears a doorbell, a smoke alarm, a baby crying or a dog barking. Useful with headphones on or for people with hearing loss.

23. Back Tap shortcuts

Settings, Accessibility, Touch, Back Tap. A double or triple tap on the back of the phone can take a screenshot, open Control Center, turn on the flashlight or run any shortcut. Our guide to iPhone Shortcuts automations has ideas for what to assign.

24. Rearrange Control Center

Swipe down from the top-right corner, touch and hold an empty spot, and you can add, remove, resize and move controls. On iOS 18 and later, Control Center can have several pages.

25. Screen Distance

Settings, Screen Time, Screen Distance. On iPhones with Face ID, the phone warns you when you hold it closer than about 30 centimetres for a long time. Designed for children, but useful for adults who read in bed. iOS 17 or later.

A note on versions

Apple moves settings around from one iOS version to the next. If a path above does not match your phone, open Settings and type the feature's name into the search bar at the top. It finds almost everything.