30+ iOS Tips and Tricks to Try in 2019!

3D Touch Your Keypad

I've written about this one before, but I really don't think it gets enough attention. Your iPhone or iPad doesn't have a mouse, but that doesn't mean you can't easily move the text cursor or make changes to text. Sure, you can tap to bring up text selection and other options, but there's a better way.

• 3D Touching on your iPhone's keyboard allows you to use the keyboard area like a trackpad.

You can reposition the cursor, and on 3D Touch devices you can press once to select a word, twice to select a sentence, and three times to select the paragraph. Simply tap the selected text to bring up more options.

On iPad, you can also move the cursor using the space bar or by moving two fingers on the keyboard.

Hide Your Photos, Lock Up Your Notes

Some things are meant to stay private. If you use the Notes app, you can lock your sensitive notes to protect them from prying eyes.

• Simply swipe left on a note and select the Lock icon to get started. Locked notes can be unlocked using a password, Touch ID, or Face ID.

You can also hide photos and videos in your Photos app. Just find a photo you want to hide, open the share sheet, and select “Hide Photo.” The photo will be removed from your regular library and can be accessed in the “Hidden” album.

Total Control

Change up your Control Center controls and add new features like Screen Recording and the Apple TV remote! Go to Settings > Control Center. Learn more about Control Center here.

Private Browsing

Safari supports private browsing. This keeps websites from tracking you as you move from page to page. Additionally, when in private browsing, your history isn't updated. It's perfect for avoiding cookies and keeping secret escapades—such as shopping for birthday gifts—off the record.

To use private browsing, tap the tabs button in the bottom-right corner, select "Private," and add a new window.

To disable private browsing, go back to your tabs and tap "Private" again. Keep in mind, any open tabs will still be there next time private browsing is enabled again.

Get the Most Out of AirPlay

AirPlay is great for playing music to a speaker or showing a movie on the big screen. But it can do even more.

First, you can control multiple speakers. You can AirPlay music to multiple Apple TVs and HomePods, as well as speakers that support AirPlay 2. Then you can control the volume of each individual speaker.

To do this, open your Control Center and tap the wireless icon in the top-right corner of the music control. Then select which speakers you want to play to. That's it!

Another cool thing you can do with AirPlay is mirror your device to an Apple TV. Some apps will even scale to your TV’s display or display a different interface than what appears on the phone. One example is Keynote which lets you mirror your presentation while using your iPhone as a controller.

Screen Mirroring is great for showing your phone's display on the big screen or using apps that work in tandem with AirPlay. To enable it, just find the Screen Mirroring control in your control center, tap it, and select the display you want to use. To stop mirroring your display, tap the control again and choose “Stop Mirroring.”

Wrangle Your Notifications

Your iPhone is your connection to the world. You get messages and phone calls from your favorite people, you can stay up-to-date on current events, and even be notified when it's about to rain. But sometimes, you don't want notifications from every app on your device.

It's easy to tap “Allow Notifications” when installing a new app; but, later on, you may regret the decision. Luckily, it's easy to change notification options in iOS 12. When a new notification comes in, simply swipe left and select “Manage.” You'll see options to deliver notifications quietly or disable them completely.

Hide Alerts in Messages

If you're feeling a little bombarded by your friends or family, you can mute their messages. Simply find the thread in Messages, swipe left, and select Hide Alerts. Do the same action again to turn them back on.

One other thing you can do is turn on/off Read Receipts for individual contacts. While in a thread, tap the Contact photo at the top of the display and select the blue info button. Here you'll see a toggle to enable or disable Read Receipts. You can also see a map of contacts that share their location and tap attachments to scroll through all media within a thread.

Try 3D Touch

If you haven't already, give 3D Touch a try and try these 19 tricks. Really use it for a few days to get a feel for it and see what you think. 3D Touch offers a more contextual approach to navigating iOS. It can speed up some tasks and gives you access to options that are otherwise unavailable. Keep in mind not all iOS devices support 3D Touch.

Find Your Favorite Photos

You can search your photos for just about anything. Dogs, cats, your cousin Bill, smiles, trees, cars, Christmas, 2015, October, birthday, and much more. Your device will use machine learning to recognize people and objects. Even dates and places are searchable. So if you're looking for a photo, stop scrolling and start searching. Just 3D Touch on the Photos app icon to get started.

Dim Your Display to an All-New Level

There's dim, and then there's really dim. Like Joey Tribbiani dim. The brightness on your iPhone can be adjusted from the Control Center. But what if you need it even darker? Like when your significant other is trying to sleep.

It turns out there's a little trick using the “zoom” accessibility feature that makes this possible. Here's how you do it:

1. Open Settings and select General > Accessibility > Zoom
2. Make sure the “Show Controller” option is enabled then set the "Zoom Filter" to "Low Light."
3. Enable the “Zoom” toggle.
4. Tap the circular control pad that appears.
5. Using the slider at the bottom of the zoom settings, zoom all the way out.
6. Select “Hide Controller” and tap outside the settings box to exit.
7. Now just turn the brightness all the way down.

Now that you have zoom setup, you need to make it easy to enable/disable it.

1. Navigate to Settings > General > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut.
2. Make sure "Zoom" is checked.

Now anytime you want to dim your display, triple-tap the side/home button and select Zoom (if asked). Then turn the brightness all the way down.

Use Widgets

Widgets are fun. You should try them. Swipe over to the Today View and select “Edit” to add some. Third-party widgets include calculators, weather forecasts, and more. Learn more about widgets here.

Favicons Make a Comeback

Safari supports favicons, and on iOS 12 you can display them proudly on your tabs. Just go to Settings > Safari and enable the toggle for “Show Icons in Tabs.” Now when you switch between open pages—or have the tab bar enabled on your iPad — you'll see little favicons at the top of the open page/tab.

AirDrop Anything

AirDrop is handy for sharing photos and documents. But did you know you can AirDrop just about anything. You can even AirDrop webpages, passes/cards in Wallet, and even apps (using 3D Touch). Try it out for yourself, just access the Share Sheet in various locations to see if AirDrop is an option.

Why Message When You Can iMessage?

iMessage is awesome. Simply put, it's the best way to communicate by text. If you're simply texting, you're doing it wrong.

• Try double-tapping message bubbles to use Tapback.
• Hold the send button to try out screen effects.
• Use iMessage apps and stickers.

iMessage is both practical and fun. It will make your 2019 more enjoyable.

Relive Your Past

In the Photos app, select the “For You” tab to see slideshows your phone made just for you. You can even adjust them to your liking.

Sync Your Health Records

The Health app is handy for tracking various health data points; but, it also lets you link various health providers so you can access and share your health records.

To get started, launch the Health app, select the “Health Data” tab at the bottom of the screen, tap “Health Records,” and then tap “Add Account.” Follow the steps to add a supported account.

The app supports multiple accounts, once added you can access multiple records including allergies, conditions, medications, and more.

Group Messaging Done Right

The Messages app handles group threads beautifully, especially if everyone is using iMessage. iMessage users can use Tapback, effects, stickers, apps, and more. You can even see read receipts and share your location with the group.

To make things even better, you can control a group. Tap the group members at the top of the screen and select “Info.” Here you can set a name for the group, see people in the group, and even add additional people. Additionally, you can remove people by swiping left on them.

Using the info section you can also mute the conversation or leave it completely.

Marvelous Multitasking Mail

The Mail app in iOS lets you start a message and come back to it later. Just swipe down on a message so you can navigate your mailboxes. Then tap it again to return.

You can do this with more than one message. So feel free to handle multiple drafts at a time.

Send Richer Emails

Emails sent from mail aren't limited to plaintext. You can tap the body of the email or select text to make multiple changes and additions. You can add attachments and drawings, set font as bold, italic, or underlined, and even change the indent level.

Collaborate

Apple also supports collaboration in its iWork productivity apps. These include Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Many third-party apps also support collaboration. Through, the most common use case might be the built-in Notes app. Just use the Silhouette icon with the plus sign in the top right corner of the Notes app to get started adding your friends, co-workers, or family.

Go Off the Grid

Want to disconnect but still use your device? Maybe you're looking to read an ebook or write an essay and you don't want the distraction of the outside world. In Control Center, enable AirPlane mode to disable everything or select from Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Bluetooth.

See Your Photos in a New Light

On supported iPhones, open your Camera app and swipe over to Portrait mode. At the bottom of the viewfinder you'll see various lighting options to dramatically change your photos. The effects can also be changed after the photo is captured. Give it a try.

Make It Kid Friendly

In addition to parental controls, Guided Access is great for keeping kids right where you want them. To enable Guided Access, tap the Home button or side button three times. Tap “Options” to choose which features are enabled, then tap “Start.” Learn more about Guided Access here.

Stay Level Headed

The level used to be in the Compass app. If you need it, you can find it in the new Measure app. While you're there, try out the other features of the app.

Take FaceTime for a Spin

FaceTime is new and improved. You can use Animoji and Memoji, add stickers and effects, and create a group video chat with up to 32 participants.

Add Websites to Notes

When visiting a website or a location on Apple Maps, tap the Share button and choose Notes from the share sheet. This will add the website or location as a tile to a new note.

Make Calls Over Wi-Fi

If you live in an area with an unreliable or nonexistent cellular connection, you may be able to make calls using your Wi-Fi network. In Settings, under Cellular > Wi-Fi Calling, enable the toggle to get started. Note your carrier might charge an additional fee to use this feature, however some include Wi-Fi Calling for free.

Sync Your Movie Library

iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Vudu, and many others offer digital movie purchases. Using the Movies Anywhere app you can sync many movies across platforms. Now you don't have to hop around apps so much, or be tied to one platform. Learn more about Movies Anywhere.

It's a Cloud Storage Reunion

In the Files app, tap “Locations” and “Edit.” You can add multiple cloud storage sources so you can access all your files in one place. Sources include Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and more. Installing certain apps can add more locations.

Try Some Accessibility Settings

Wander over to Settings > General > Accessibility. There are some pretty cool features you might find useful. You can make the LED light flash with notifications, turn on “speak text selection,” show icons on toggle switches, and more. Explore this section and see if there are any hidden features you might want to use.

Sending out an SOS

Under Settings > Emergency SOS, you can setup emergency contacts and emergency calling. Simply hold the side button and a volume button (and keep holding) to initiate an emergency call. This will lock your iPhone's biometrics, send a notification to your emergency contacts, and place a call to emergency services.

Search TV and Movies Across Platforms

The TV app is a great place to search multiple platforms—including HBO and Hulu—all at once. Go to Settings > TV and scroll down to “Connect to TV.” Enable the sources you want to use. Now when you search for media in the TV app, you will see which items are available in another app.

Teach Siri a Thing or Two

The new Shortcuts app is great for teaching Siri new things. After creating a new shortcut, open Settings and go to Siri & Search > My Shortcuts and tap a shortcut to record a phrase. This recorded phrase will now work with Siri. Learn more about Siri shortcuts here.