TAPPY DAYS
Secret iPhone buttons you’ve missed for years instantly make your phone faster to use
There's a way to use this with the App Store that is so handy
EVERY iPhone has some hidden buttons that are so easy to miss – but extremely useful once you start using them.
They're hiding in plain sight on your Home Screen.
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It's a feature called Quick Actions, and it's built into most of the app icons you've probably got downloaded.
All you need to do is touch and hold on an app icon and you'll pull up a list of QUick Actions.
You'll have the standard ones for moving or removing apps.
But app-makers will often add very useful shortcuts that instantly take you to very specific parts of their apps.
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IPHONE QUICK ACTIONS – WHERE DO THEY WORK?
For instance, Apple has Quick Actions for some of its own apps.
Take the Camera app, for instance: you might have Quick Actions like Portrait Selfie, Portrait, Video, and Selfie.
If you're trying to take a Portrait Selfie, this is probably the fastest way to get there.
Similarly, hold down on the Messages app and you'll have the option to jump straight into specific conversations – or create a brand new chat.
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The Notes app lets you quickly add a new note, checklist, or photo, as well as scan a document.
And Reminders has options for quickly adding entries to any one of your lists.
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One of the handiest ones is for the App Store.
Getting to your updates for apps can be a bit of a pain – but holding down on the icon gives you a way to instantly get to that page.
Apple Maps also has a handy option to immediately mark your location, which is great for saving where you've parked.
And you can also use it to instantly share your location with someone else.
A third option also allows you to search nearby, which can be handy when you're on the move.
QUICK ACTIONS ON NON-APPLE APPS
Importantly, it's not just Apple apps that have this ability.
Any developer can design their apps to offer special Quick Actions.
For instance, Instagram has an option to let you switch between your accounts, view notifications, create a new post, or enter straight into the camera.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best...
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
WhatsApp is also set up for this: it has Quick Actions for sharing your QR code with other people, launching new chats, opening the camera, or searching your conversations.
And the YouTube Quick Actions can take you to Search, Shorts, or Subscriptions in a flash.
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Try to pick one or two of your most-used apps and try to get into the habit of using Quick Actions.
You should find that you're able to use your iPhone much faster once you master the trick.
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