You spend hours on your device every day, yet here is the uncomfortable truth: you are likely using less than 10% of its actual power. Hidden beneath the surface are secret iPhone hacks and iPhone tricks that turn everyday tasks into productivity superpowers.
Don’t settle for the basics. If you want to unlock the true potential of your device with the absolute best iPhone features, you have arrived at the right place.
Ready to stop using your phone like a rookie? Here are 15 smart iPhone hacks you need to know right now.
Phase 1: The Invisible Productivity Buttons
These features turn complex tasks into single-second actions.
1. The Secret Back Tap Button
One of the coolest iPhone hidden features is that the Apple logo on the back of your phone isn’t just a logo—it’s a button. You can program your iPhone to perform actions when you double or triple-tap the back of the case.
- How to unlock it: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
- Pro Tip: Set a double-tap to take a screenshot and a triple-tap to launch the Flashlight. It works even with a case on!
2. The Keyboard Trackpad Trick
Among the most useful iPhone tips and tricks, this one solves a major annoyance: fixing typos. Stop frustratingly tapping the screen to place your cursor. Your keyboard has a hidden trackpad mode that offers mouse-like precision.
- The Hack: Press and hold the Spacebar until the keys turn blank. Now, slide your finger around the keypad area to move the cursor exactly where you need it.
3. Text Replacement for Speed Typing
If you want to learn about iPhone efficiency, start here. If you find yourself typing your email address, home address, or generic replies repeatedly, this hack is a lifesaver. You can create short codes that automatically expand into full phrases.
- The Hack: Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
- Example: Set @@ to auto-fill your email address. Type @@, hit space, and you’re done.
4. Scan Documents Without a Scanner App
Stop downloading ad-filled third-party scanner apps. One of the best iPhone features is the professional-grade scanner built right into the Notes app.
- The Hack: Long-press the Notes icon on your home screen and select Scan Document. It automatically detects edges, removes glare, and creates a clean PDF ready for export.
Phase 2: Visual Sorcery & Camera Magic
Your camera is smarter than you think. Let’s put it to work.
5. Lift Subjects from Photos (The Sticker Tool)
Want to remove a messy background from a photo of your dog or a product? You don’t need Photoshop. This is a prime example of an iPhone hack that feels like magic.
- The Hack: Open a photo, press and hold directly on the subject, and watch as it magically lifts off the background. You can now tap Copy and paste it into iMessage or Instagram as a perfect cutout sticker.
6. Identify Plants, Pets, and Landmarks Instantly
Here are some fun facts about iPhones: your device is an encyclopedia. If you take a photo of a flower, a dog breed, or a famous statue, your phone can identify it for you.
- The Hack: Swipe up on the photo. If you see a sparkle icon near the i (Info) button, tap it. It will tell you the breed of the dog or the species of the plant immediately.
7. Live Text: Copy Text from the Real World
Why type out a Wi-Fi password, a quote from a book, or a phone number from a flyer? One of the most practicaliPhone features is the camera’s ability to read text.
- The Hack: Open your camera and point it at any text. A small text icon (three lines in a square) will appear in the corner. Tap it to copy, paste, or even translate that text instantly.
8. Search Your Photos by Sound or Object
You probably search for Beach or Dog in your photo library. But did you know you can search for very specific things like a receipt, a concert, or even a text inside a photo? This is one of those iPhone tricks and tips that saves hours of scrolling.
- The Hack: Open Photos and tap Search. Type Guitar to find every photo you have ever taken that features a guitar.
Phase 3: Mastery of Focus and Privacy
Take control of your attention span and your data.
9. Guided Access (The Kid Mode Lock)
Handing your phone to someone to look at a photo, but are afraid they will swipe through your gallery? Or lending your phone to a child? Use Guided Access to lock them into one single app. It’s one of the essential iPhone tricks for parents and privacy-conscious users.
- The Hack: Enable it in Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access. Once on, triple-click the side button to lock the phone to the current app. They cannot leave until you triple-click and enter your passcode again.
10. Hide Your Email Address
Spam is the enemy of productivity. Apple allows you to generate burner email addresses that forward to your real inbox. If one starts getting spam, you simply delete it.
- The Hack: When signing up for a new service online, select Hide My Email above the keyboard (requires iCloud+).
11. Custom Vibration Patterns
Know who is calling without even looking at your phone. You can create unique vibration rhythms for your most important contacts (like your boss or your spouse).
- The Hack: Go to a contact card, tap Edit > Ringtone > Vibration > Create New Vibration. Tap the screen to record a custom beat.
Phase 4: The Pro User Gestures
Gestures that will make you feel like you are living in the future.
12. The Two-Finger Drag
Deleting emails or messages one by one is for amateurs. There is a much faster way to bulk-select items using this simple iPhone hack.
- The Hack: In Mail, Messages, or Files, simply drag two fingers down the list. It will instantly select every item your fingers pass over.
13. Copy and Paste with Gestures
You know Command+C on a computer. On an iPhone, use your fingers.
- The Hack: Pinch inward with three fingers to copy selected text. Move to a new spot and pinch outward (expand) with three fingers to paste. It takes practice, but it is incredibly fast once mastered.
14. Drag and Drop Between Apps
This is the ultimate multitasking flex. You can drag a photo from your gallery and drop it directly into an email, just like on a computer. It is easily one of the best iPhone features for power users.
- The Hack: Tap and hold a photo with one finger (don’t let go!). Use your other hand to swipe out of the app, open your email app, and drop the photo in.
15. The Timer Stop Playing Trick
Do you like falling asleep to music or podcasts but hate waking up to a drained battery because it played all night?
- The Hack: Go to the Timer in the Clock app. Set a duration (e.g., 30 mins). Under When Timer Ends, scroll to the very bottom and select Stop Playing. Now, your media will automatically cut off when you drift to sleep.
The Bottom Line
Your iPhone is a tool of immense power, but only if you know how to wield it. Don’t try to memorize all 15 hacks at once. Pick the two or three that surprised you the most—perhaps the Back Tap or the Spacebar Trackpad—and start using them today.
Once these become muscle memory, come back and master the rest. You have paid for the technology; it is time you got your money’s worth.