10 incredibly useful iPhone and Android tricks that make your life easier

Keep in mind again once we used telephones for under calls? Right now, our smartphones maintain our whole digital life. 

That features, after all, your treasured images and movies. Faucet or click on for 9 images it’s best to at all times have useful, like your medical and dental insurance coverage playing cards. 

Talking of images, how usually do you spend method an excessive amount of time looking for a photograph you know is hidden someplace in your gallery? Cease scrolling and use this good trick to discover a picture rapidly. 

Your iPhone or Android has a ton of hidden goodies. Listed here are 10 methods you’ll come again to time and time once more. 

1. Begin utilizing again faucet 

As a substitute of fumbling via pages of apps, you’ll be able to immediately do a selected process along with your telephone. I take plenty of screenshots with my telephone, and I do it by tapping the again of my telephone twice. Three faucets, and my driveway entry gate opens. A good friend of mine activates his again patio lights the identical method. 

On an iPhone 8 or newer, you should use your finger to faucet on the again of your telephone two or 3 times to set off a customized motion. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Contact > Again Faucet. Choose Double Faucet or Triple Faucet.  

From there, select a selected motion. Whereas that is useful, I warn you that you simply may unintentionally set off an motion infrequently. 

Extra Apple smarts: 10 iPhone methods I take advantage of day by day, and you’ll, too 

2. Arrange shortcuts on your most-used apps 

Need to add a shortcut to a selected app to your property display screen? Not all apps have shortcuts, however you will discover out by holding down on the app. 

Right here’s find out how to do it on Android: 

• Press down on an app, then carry your finger. If the app has shortcuts, they may seem.
• Contact and maintain the shortcut.
• Transfer the shortcut to the place you need it and carry your finger.

In your iPhone, this can be a tremendous useful shortcut. Press down on the Messages app icon, and you may see a number of of your conversations. Choose and maintain one in all your most messaged contacts. Drag it to your property display screen. Now you faucet that button to have a chat.  

Trick in a Trick: If you’re looking for an app in your telephone, cease going from web page to web page. In your iPhone, swipe proper till a search bar seems on the high. Then, kind within the identify of the app you wish to use. On Android, swipe up from the center of the display screen. Within the app drawer, faucet Search. 

3. Cease lacking nice motion pictures 

For those who’ve ever tried to get a superb image of your children enjoying, you know the way powerful it’s to seize motion. Burst mode permits your digital camera to take footage quicker than humanly attainable. You get a number of images for every second, after which you’ll be able to choose your favorites to maintain. 

Contact and maintain the shutter button you probably have an iPhone X or earlier. Swipe the shutter button to the left you probably have an iPhone Xs or later.  

Both method, carry your finger to cease burst mode. Then choose the photographs you wish to hold by tapping Burst > Choose > Accomplished. 

Lady utilizing smartphone on a picket desk. 
(iStock)

On Android telephones, maintain down your digital camera’s shutter button to allow burst mode. 

Uninterested in taking dangerous images? Take higher images with these genius ideas. 

4. Eliminate the muddle 

When’s the final time you closed all of your telephone’s browser tabs? Do not waste time going via them one after the other. On Android, open Chrome. Faucet the quantity subsequent to the URL bar to see a grid of all of your tabs. Faucet the three-dot menu, then choose Shut all tabs. 

On an iPhone, you are able to do the identical in Safari. Faucet the icon with two overlapping containers within the decrease proper nook. A menu will pop up. Select Shut All Tabs. 

Talking of your browser, it is value clearing cookies. Faucet or click on right here for the steps to get it completed in your most popular cell browser. 

5. Use your iPhone as a magnifying glass 

The final time I needed to learn out a tiny serial quantity, I remembered how useful it’s to make use of the iPhone’s built-in magnifying glass. No extra squinting or operating on your readers. 

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier and switch it on. Now your Magnifier is an accessibility shortcut. This works on iPads, too. 

To entry it rapidly while you want it, add it to your Management Middle. Go to Settings > Management Middle > Customise Controls. Faucet the + button subsequent to Magnifier. You will see the magnifying glass icon in your Management Middle while you swipe down from the highest of your display screen. 

A buyer tries out an iPhone.

6. Right Google Assistant 

Is your good assistant at all times getting names incorrect? It could appear foolish to show your telephone find out how to pronounce a reputation. Make a change so Google understands you the primary time while you name somebody sooner or later. 

• Say, “Hey Google, open Assistant settings.”
• Select You, then faucet Your individuals > Add individual.
• Choose a Contact.
• Beneath “Identify pronunciation,” Select Report your individual > Report.
• Select Play to listen to it again, then faucet Save to complete up.

You are able to do the identical with Siri on an iPhone. Faucet or click on right here and scroll to quantity 7 for the steps. 

Get extra out of your Android: 5 hidden Google Assistant methods to check out now. 

7. Signal paperwork the short method 

When somebody emails you a doc you must signal, you don’t should print it, signal it, and scan it. Simply use your iPhone. First, obtain the PDF, click on the pen icon within the high proper and signal along with your touchscreen. Click on Accomplished on the highest left of the display screen. 

You’ll be able to reply to the e-mail with the newly signed attachment. 

For those who use AirDrop, you’ll be able to share the paperwork you signal along with your different Apple units. Faucet or click on right here to see why AirDrop is a useful iPhone characteristic it’s best to begin utilizing. 

8. Inform them to neglect it 

Siri and Google Assistant each make distinctive noises, so when you may have unintentionally activated them. To cease Google Assistant from recording the remainder of your dialog, say, “That wasn’t for you.” This deletes no matter it simply began recording. 

You’ll be able to say the identical to Siri, however know that Apple hasn’t formally stated whether or not this phrase wipes your earlier recording from its reminiscence. Faucet or click on right here to cease all of your good units from listening to you and recording what you say. 

9. Measure or degree something 

Need to see if one thing is degree? Whip out your iPhone and open the Measure app. This beneficial app makes use of augmented actuality to show your system right into a improbable measuring instrument. 

It’s easy to make use of. Say you wish to measure a body. Open the app, then faucet the display screen on one aspect of the body. Scan your telephone throughout the body and faucet the other finish. The measurement will pop up on the display screen. 

You will have to maneuver your system round so your digital camera can seize an object’s dimensions. Save your measurement by tapping Copy, which provides the numbers to your clipboard. 

10. Get captions when a video or audio performs 

For those who’re having bother understanding one thing otherwise you’re in a loud place, attempt Android’s Stay Caption. Use them for podcasts, YouTube movies, and even telephone calls. This characteristic is on the market on Pixel 2 and newer and a few choose different Android telephones. 

• Press the quantity button.
• Beneath the quantity controls, faucet the Stay Caption icon.
• Stay Captions at the moment are on for all media in your system.
• To show off Stay Captions, press the quantity button and faucet the Stay Caption icon once more.

Bonus Tip: Wi-Fi on the moon, Russian cyberattacks and a Google tip for saving fuel cash 

Do you know Wi-Fi is coming to the moon? Sure, actually. On this episode of Kim Komando Explains, I will educate you find out how to discover an airline seat with probably the most legroom, save fuel cash and some different tech ideas you will use time and time once more. I’ve additionally obtained an motion plan you should use to guard your self in opposition to Russian cyberattacks. 

Take a look at my podcast “Kim Komando Explains” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast participant. 

Take heed to the podcast right here or wherever you get your podcasts. Simply seek for my final identify, “Komando.” 

What digital way of life questions do you may have? Name Kim’s nationwide radio present and faucet or click on right here to seek out it in your native radio station. You’ll be able to take heed to or watch The Kim Komando Present in your telephone, pill, tv, or laptop. Or faucet or click on right here for Kim’s free podcasts. 

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Study all the most recent know-how on The Kim Komando Present, the nation’s largest weekend radio discuss present. Kim takes calls and dispenses recommendation on as we speak’s digital way of life, from smartphones and tablets to on-line privateness and knowledge hacks. For her day by day ideas, free newsletters and extra, go to her web site at Komando.com.