iPhone's 'Secret' Menu

Look into the hands of any person in a café or restaurant and you’re bound to see a mobile device. The time before the smartphones feels distant but it was not that long ago. One of the most iconic and influential smartphones came from Apple creator, Steve Jobs. The very first iPhone was released in 2007, paving the way for smarter, touchscreen devices with internet. With the rise in technology came other smart devices such as Android. Thus, waging a rivalry between the two mainstream operating systems. 

Loyal iPhone users find the simplicity of Apple products appealing. The designs are familiar, easy-to-navigate, and they excel in the apps department. Android products are often easier on the budget and have multiple manufacturers creating different looks and styles. A main argument from Android users is that the iPhone lacks the ability for customization. However, you’ll find that there are many lesser-known iPhone settings and options to enhance users’ IOS experience. Avid iPhone users read on! 

1. Raise to Wake

The Raise to Wake feature allows you to see your notifications immediately by simply picking up your phone. Any time you lift your phone from a flat surface, it will light up automatically for easily viewing your locked screen notifications. This feature is on all iPhones 6S or later. To enable this feature, open Settings, tap “Display & Brightness”, and activate the “Raise to Wake” option. 

2. Automatically Remove Unused Apps

Ever download an app for the free perks and never use it again? You’re not alone. We all have apps with some dust on them. Enable the “Offload Unused Apps” options and your iPhone will automatically remove apps that have been inactive over a period of time. This feature will declutter your phone and maximize storage space. To turn on this feature go to, Settings, tap “App Store” or “iTunes and App Store”, and then enable the “Offload Unused Apps” option. These apps are easy to reinstall if you want to use them again.

3. Safari Smart Search 

If you’re among the few who use Safari instead of Chrome for your internet browsing, the Smart Search feature is for you! This isn’t necessarily an iPhone setting, rather a Safari setting but since Safari is strictly used for Apple products; po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe. This feature comes in handy if you are looking for a specific opened tab. This is only available when in landscape mode.  

To access this search feature, open the Safari app, rotate your phone to landscape mode, and then click the tabs button in the upper right-hand corner (icon with two squares). Now you’ll see a “Search Tabs” box in the upper left-hand corner (this box isn’t normally visible). You can type in a keyword to quickly find the tab you want. 

4. Wi-Fi Features

If your phone is set to automatically connect to Wi-Fi you may want to reconsider. Public or ‘free’ Wi-Fi that you aren’t familiar with can not only be unreliable but also unsafe. Often your phone’s data will be more efficient and secure when on the go than most public Wi-Fi. Under the Wi-Fi settings, set your phone to “notify” under “Ask to Join Networks.” This way your known networks will automatically connect but all unknown networks will not.

Also, you can use the Wi-Fi Assist feature to automatically ditch networks that have a poor connection and switch to using cellular data. Go to your Settings, tap “Cellular” and scroll down (below all of your apps) until you see the “Wi-Fi Assist” toggle. Simply tap to switch it on. 

5.Customize Call Responses

When receiving an incoming call on an iPhone, you may have noticed the “Message” and “Remind Me” options. If you click on the Message option, a preset list of generic responses pop up. To replace these vanilla responses with your own customized responses, simply open Settings, scroll down to the “Phone” tab, and tap. You will see a “Respond with Text” option, click it to add and edit 3 potential messages. 

The Remind Me feature is one we probably all need to use more often. In our business and personal lives, it’s easy to forget to return a call or message. If you receive a call but can’t answer at that moment, click the “Remind Me” button. You will see two options, “In 1 hour” and “When I leave”. The first is self-explanatory. The second option will only work if you provide your iPhone permission to track your location. If you have your location tracking on, this feature will remind you to call back once you have left your current location.

6. Protect Your Notes

The Notes app has become an essential tool for storing important information. Whether you store your grocery lists, passwords you can’t remember, or late-night reminders for yourself, you don’t want anyone accessing this information. Secure your Notes app by applying a password. In your Settings, scroll down until you see the Notes icon. Once inside, you will see an option labeled “Password”. Here you have the option to create a password and hint or set up Face ID. Furthermore, inside the actual Notes app, you can lock specific notes by pressing and sliding the note to the left in the list and tapping the lock icon.

7. Siri Secret

Does anyone even use Siri? Yes! Market research shows that most iPhone users do in fact use the virtual assistant, Siri. However, the research also shows that majority of people are too embarrassed to use Siri in public. It would appear we haven’t fully become comfortable with speaking with our devices in front of strangers. But of course, Apple prepared for this. You can type instructions to Siri! 

To activate this feature, you will go into Settings. Then, depending on the model of iPhone you will either scroll down until you see the "Accessibility" icon or tap “General”, then “Accessibility”. Once inside Accessibility, you will click on the Siri option. “Type to Siri” should be at the top. If you turn this feature on, whenever you press the Home button or Side button (if your device doesn’t have a Home button) it will prompt a keyboard and the option to type a command. You can still speak to Siri by saying, “Hey, Siri.” 

8. Easily Transfer Money Through Texts

Thanks to technology, sending money is easier than ever. Apple definitely honed in on this trend and integrated Apple Pay into all aspects of iOS. Forget downloading additional apps, iPhone users can send money straight from a text with their iMessage app. 

Simply, open a text message and tap the Apple Pay button. If you don’t see the Apple Pay button, tap the Applications icon. Enter the dollar amount you want to send and tap “Pay”, then click “Send” to review or cancel the payment. To prevent accidental money transfers, you can confirm your payment with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. You can even cancel the payment if the person has not yet accepted the money. 

9. Flashlight Intensity 

The iPhone has really become the Swiss Army Knife of smartphones. The built-in flashlight has especially become one of the more useful features. For a flashlight built into a phone, it has a particularly bright beam, which is not necessary for every situation. Thankfully, you can adjust the brightness. You can only make this adjustment through the Control Center. It will not work on the Locked Screen. Once inside the Control Center, simply tap and hold the flashlight icon. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust the brightness.  

10. Timer for Your Music

Apple created a secret feature that automatically stops playing audio after a set amount of time. This allows you to drift off to sleep while listening to your favorite audiobook or playlist without worrying about your phone casting audio all night. Wake up with a fully charged and rested phone and potentially save data if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi. 

To use this feature, access the Timer function through your quick tabs in the Control Panel or from your Clock app. Select the amount of time you would like your audio to play. Then click the option “When Timer Ends” and choose “Stop Playing” at the bottom of the screen. In the upper right-hand corner of the screen select “Set”. Press “Start” to begin the timer.  

Now, any audio you play will come to a halt when the timer ends.