Have You Been Missing Out on This Hidden iPhone Trick?
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Sometimes, a solution is so obvious we can’t believe we haven’t noticed it before. That’s the case with the iPhone’s Quick Action feature. In just one simple step, the iPhone allows you to quickly access your iPhone’s most commonly used features directly from the Home Screen, Control Center, or App Library without having to open the app first.
Home Screen Quick Actions are app-specific shortcuts available on Apple apps and many third-party apps. When you long-press on an app icon, a menu pops up with shortcuts to features of that specific app. For example:
- If you long-press on the Camera app icon, you can immediately go to selfie, portrait, or video mode, saving a few extra steps.
- Long-pressing on the Calendar will allow you to add a new event quickly.
- Long-pressing on the Fitness app will allow you to directly access your trends and previous sessions or manage your sharing.
As we touched upon yesterday, Quick Actions work in the Control Center, too. Swipe down from the top-right side of your screen to open the Control Center, and then try long-pressing on a few controls:
- Long-pressing on the flashlight will allow you to adjust the flashlight’s brightness.
- Long-pressing on the alarm clock icon will allow you to create a new alarm or start the stopwatch directly from the Control Center.
- Long-pressing on the Wi-Fi icon will show you a list of available Wi-Fi networks.
Finally, Quick Actions work from your iPhone’s App Library. To access your App Library, swipe left on the Home Screen until you reach the last page. Your App Library will appear. Long-press on any app from the App Library for quick access to that app’s most commonly used features. For example, a long press on the Chase app allows me to open the app and send money quickly without navigating through the app.
It’s incredible how sometimes such simple solutions hide in plain sight. I hardly ever use Quick Actions for no good reason, but I forget they exist. Quick Actions have been available since 2015! It’s time to get with the program.
