iPhone’s have changed a lot over the years. With each and every model came a whole new load of revolutionary features and cool things you could do with the device. Here are ten of the best things you can do with an iPhone.
- Put A Case On It
One of the coolest ways to personalise your iPhone is by putting a case on it. There’re plenty of different options available, so you’ll always be able to switch things up. If you have a 6, then check out some iPhone 6 cases to both protect your device and make it look neat, too. Some cases even add functionality to your iPhone. You can purchase charging cases. These will give your phone an extra bit of juice when you’re running low, prolonging the battery life considerably. There are even case options that will waterproof your device.
- See The Timestamps On Your Messages
Isn’t it frustrating not being able to see when your iMessages were sent or received like you can do so easily on WhatsApp? Well, actually, you can. Apple lets your see the exact timestamp for each message by swiping and holding left when in a conversation in the Messages app. That’s pretty handy, right? Now you’ll know exactly how long it’s taking your sluggish friends to reply to you!
- Charge It Faster
iPhone battery life has never been amazing and sometimes you may struggle to make it through a whole day. Don’t worry, though, there’s an easy solution to getting a ton of charge in just a few minutes. If you’ve got your charger and cable on you, and you can find a wall outlet, then you’re in luck. Simply swipe up from the bottom of your screen to launch Control Centre and then turn on the Airplane Mode toggle. By turning off the majority of your iPhone’s features, the phone can charge significantly faster. This is really cool if you don’t have much time to spare charging your phone.
- Find Out What Song Is Playing
It’s so annoying discovering a new song on the radio and not knowing what it’s called so that you can look it up again later. With your iPhone, that’s no longer a problem. You can simply ask Siri, hands-free if your phone is on charge. She will listen to the music and via the internet, be able to decipher what song is playing. This information will then be fed back to you. Problem solved!
- Make Free Phone Calls
If you haven’t got many minutes included on your contract, and you’re always trying to save them in the case of emergency, the don’t bother! With the iPhone, you can make free VoIP calls to any iPhone, iPad or Mac with FaceTime Audio – how cool! Simply open the FaceTime app, select a contact and instead of hitting the FaceTime icon, tap FaceTime Audio. It’s literally like a phone call, without the cost. Great times to use this are when you’re calling your Mum back, and she likes to natter on for hours. Now you won’t have to tell her that you need to hang up! Sorted.
- Use It As A Sat-Nav
If you pick up a dashboard mount for your car, then you can enjoy your iPhone as a SatNav. Using either Apple Maps or Google Maps will easily get you from A to B. Helpful voice instructions and a clear visual layout of the road are displayed on the screen. Be sure to get a car charger for your iPhone though, as this uses Location Services, which takes up a lot of battery life. If you have a limited data plan, then this almost might not be advisable, as it uses a big chunk of your 3G or 4G connectivity.
- Turn It Into A Torch
If ever the power cuts out and you’re left stranded in a dark room, fear not. Don’t just turn your iPhone on and wave it around hoping that it’ll create a decent amount of light. Use the camera flash as a torch! If you swipe up from the bottom of your display, you’ll be able to access Control Centre. From here, tap the torch icon and you’re away. Bright white light will burst out of the rear of your iPhone, it’s surprisingly a very strong beam. It’s always cool to know that you’ve got a torch in your pocket.
- Say It With Your Voice
Hate typing out long text messages just to explain what has happened to a friend? If you’ve got a lot to say and a pair of very tired thumbs then simply send a voice message instead. You’ll need to be able to iMessage this person, so they’ll have to have an iPhone too. But instead of dictating a message, or typing it out in full, just record your own voice and send that snippet to your mate. Just tap the little microphone at the bottom right of the screen to get started. It’s an incredibly handy and underrated feature. Definitely one of the coolest and relatively new additions to the iPhone.
- Catch-Up On Your Favourite TV Shows
Your iPhone has the capability to basically become a Smart TV. There are countless apps on the App Store that provide Catch-Up and On Demand television services for your phone. Certain companies will also let you view the channels available to you from your set-top box, live on your iPhone – how cool! The iPhone already has great, loud speakers, so you’re all set to kick back, relax, and take in your favourite shows or movies. Maybe invest in a stand for your phone, however, your hands may get a bit achy three episodes into a Netflix series!
So, if you’ve just got an iPhone or are getting bored of one that you’ve had for ages, try some of these cool tricks to get the most out of yours! All nine of these things are both really cool and incredibly useful. What are you waiting for?