Your iPhone comes with a built-in white noise machine. Here are 3 more cool things you may not know it can do.
I upgraded from the iPod Touch to an iPhone 5 as a 13-year-old in 2012, so I consider myself a bit of an expert. Yet years later, my iPhone 14 Pro Max seems to be outpacing me with innovations. I've grown used to the old ways of manual functions, typing queries into the Safari search bar, and having to rely on my memory.
As Apple introduces new features, I've picked up on the tools that I see every day — like sending voice notes over iMessage or searching for apps instead of looking for them in all of my folders. However, there are more obscure additions that I hadn't made use of.
These days, top-of-the-line iPhones cost over $1,000, and Apple analysts have said they could become much more expensive if President Donald Trump follows through with the steep tariffs he wants to impose on China, the main hub for iPhone manufacturing.
I decided it's time to get my money's worth out of my handset since I won't be getting an upgrade for a while.
Here are four ways I'll be putting Apple's software to good use.
Shortcut Automations
Apple launched the Shortcuts app as part of iOS 12 in 2018. It was marketed as a time-saving app that could perform actions according to custom commands.
I remember the "I'm Being Pulled Over" feature being a big deal in 2020. When activated it would begin recording your interaction with police during traffic stops, but that's the last I paid attention to Shortcuts.
I perused the app again and found a number of customizable features that could come in handy. What's more, they can be automated.
For a trial run, I made a command for my phone to automatically FaceTime my friend whenever he sent me the word "hey." It worked, though it's probably not a command he'd like me to keep on.
You can use Shortcuts for things like:
Turning on "Do Not Disturb" when you open a certain app.
Sending a message when you leave a location.
Changing your wallpaper every day.
Voice Isolation
Voice Isolation is one of my favorite iPhone features of this decade. Since its release in 2021, I've been singing its praises to anyone I talk to on the phone.
In New York City, I find myself talking in a loud environment as soon as I step out of my door. Inside, my two dogs go wild with barking whenever someone gets too close to the windows. Voice Isolation, however, silences all of the fuss.
When my best friends and I fell into the habit of group FaceTime calls, we discovered that we could isolate our voices and silence non-vocal background noise. So, when a ambulance whizzes by with a loud siren, my friends can still hear me recapping my day.
You can enable it by pressing "Phone Controls" in the Control Center while you're on the phone.
Clean Up Safari Tabs Automatically
If you're an organized technology user, you probably don't need this. However, if you're like me, you're welcome.
I like to leave my Safari tabs open as a way to keep track of places I want to visit, things I want to buy, and any other helpful sites that I might need to refer to.
Naturally, many many tabs are never revisited again as I continue to add more. Eighty-nine tabs is modest compared to the 150+ that I've proven to be capable of. I'm hoping that will change now that I know I can set my tabs to automatically close after a period of time.
I think I'll start with monthly tab closings — just to ease myself into the concept.
Follow these steps to close all of your tabs:
Settings > Safari > Close Tabs.
Background Sounds
The most zen discovery of the group is also the coolest. I've played rain sounds and white noise before by looking them up on Apple Music, but I learned that they've been built into my iPhone.
Through the Settings app, you can turn on Background Sounds to hear calming sounds like the ocean, dark noise, or a crackling fire. The sounds will continue playing behind other media if you that setting toggled on.
Follow these steps to enable Background Sounds:
Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Background Sounds.
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