2 days ago
Secret zero-effort iPhone hack helped me lose nearly 4 stone – it'll make your weight drop faster too
WITH constantly buzzing smartphones and gadgets around the house it's harder than ever to get a moment's peace from tech these days.
And little do many people realise they have an impact on your weight too - unless you make some easy changes like I have.
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It's well-known that sleep and weight are linked.
Any scientist will tell you a good night's kip is essential because it regulates the hormones affecting hunger and appetite.
Using a number of gadgets, I've been able to shed almost four stone.
But to get that all important sleep, I tap my iPhone three times and I nod straight off, all thanks to a feature that almost no one knows about.
Even if you've had an iPhone since the very beginning, you'll find it impossible to absorb every single trick, hack, and hidden setting.
Gadgets are just too complicated these days to truly master. It's literally my job as The Sun's tech editor, and even I struggle to keep up.
However, one feature you should be taking full advantage of is Background Sounds.
It's a special iPhone feature tucked deep inside your Accessibility settings.
Unless you have a specific Accessibility need, there's a good chance you've never even looked in there.
Background Sounds is meant to deliver soothing noises to you.
This can be while you're sleeping, but also while you're working, listening to a podcast, or doing almost anything.
Apple explains: 'Play background sounds to mask unwanted environmental noise.
'These sounds can minimise distractions and help you to focus, be calm, or rest.'
There's a selection of different sounds on there, depending on your needs, and some clever ways to quickly activate the feature.
The good news is that you don't need to go into Accessibility settings every single time.
HOW TO SET UP
First, go into Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds.
Now tap on Sound and choose one. I like Rain, but some people swear by Stream, or Fire, or the ominous but effective 'Dark Noise'.
The full list right now is:
Balanced Noise
Bright Noise
Dark Noise
Ocean
Rain
Stream
Night
Fire
I don't know why I love rain so much. Maybe it's just in my nature as a Brit. There's probably a horrified Aussie out there who can only use Ocean and finds rain sounds terrifying.
Now go back and select a volume for your background sound.
You can also set it up to play when media is playing.
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This is great if you're trying to listen to a podcast in headphones somewhere noisy. It can help dim the din.
You can have it so that the volume is lower with media, so it doesn't drown out what you're actually trying to listen to.
Tap on Play Sample if you want to test the volume before committing.
And finally, there's an option to Stop Sounds When Locked.
I keep that switched off, as I like using it for sleep. But it's your choice.
HOW TO USE
Once that's done, you can then choose how you want to activate your Background Sounds.
My favourite way is with a triple-click of the Side Button (the one for locking your phone) to turn Background Sounds on or off.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and then choose Background Sounds.
Then you're good to go.
Another option is to add it to your Control Centre.
That's the panel of quick-access icons that appears when you swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone (or from the bottom on older models with a Home Button).
Tap on the plus symbol in the corner, add Background Sounds, and then you can tap the new icon whenever you need it.
I turn it on just before I go to bed if I'm feeling stressed, and it helps send me to the land of nod.
But it's also a lifesaver in the office when it's noisy and I really need to finish writing a story about an iPhone feature called Background Sounds.
Maybe you work from home and the neighbour's dog won't stop barking, or you want a bit of peace from colleagues on your lunch break.
Just slap some Rain on and away you go. You're in the rainforest, a world apart from stress.
ANOTHER SECRET BUTTON TO TRY...
If you like the iPhone 'triple click' trick, wait until you try this...
You can actually turn the back of your iPhone into a button.
Yes, that Apple logo on the rear isn't just for good looks.
Go into Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
Then you can set functions to both a Double Tap and Triple Tap off the back of your phone.
So you could set Double Tap to Screenshot, allowing you to quickly snap a screengrab.
And you could set Triple Tap to Shazam so you can work out what song is playing nearby with minimal faff.
There are dozens of combinations to choose from, so pick what you like from the list.
You can launch the camera, activate the torch, lock your phone's screen rotation, or even link it to your own custom "Shortcut".
And if you decide you hate it, you can just turn it off again and your iPhone's rear will go back to normal.
Picture Credit: Apple / The Sun
Of course if you're trying to sleep, you don't need to wear headphones. You can have Background Sounds come straight out of your phone speaker.
But if you're at work, it's probably best to use headphones – or you risk having everyone reaching for their umbrellas on a sunny day.
BONUS IPHONE SLEEP TRICKS
If you're struggling to sleep, there are two other tricks I'd recommend.
The first is called Sleep Focus, which is a variant of Do Not Disturb.
You can find your iPhone's Focus modes by going into Settings > Focus.
Now tap on Sleep and you'll find a whole selection of different options.
They're all designed to help you sleep in peace – minus the distractions.
So, for a start, you can set it to block all notifications.
You won't be buzzed, and they'll remain hidden until you pop out of Sleep Focus in the morning – so they're not there right away.
As well as that, you can add exceptions.
So I've set mine to allow notifications from my wife, brother, mum and dad to break through.
That way I won't miss something important if there's an emergency.
When you're in Sleep Focus, you can set your iMessage up to show an alert to anyone texting you that you have notifications silenced.
That way, they'll be put off from bothering you in the night – or at least know that you're not intentionally ignoring you.
You can set up a Sleep Focus schedule so that it kicks in automatically.
And you can choose a zen colour for your Lock Screen background while in Sleep Focus – like a nighttime blue.
It'll work across all of your Apple devices (if you have an Apple Watch or iPad, for example) too.
To turn it on or off (if you don't want a schedule), just swipe into the Control Centre from the top-right of your screen, tap on the Do Not Disturb icon, and then choose Sleep Focus.
My second trick is called StandBy Mode.
This one is easily missed, though there's a chance you've accidentally stumbled across it and not realised what's going on.
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If you place your iPhone on charge (plugged in or on a floating MagSafe magnetic charger) and turn it so it's horizontal (landscape orientation), StandBy Mode will kick in.
This effectively turns your iPhone into a desk clock.
It'll show the time and date, but you can customise it to include a calendar, or photos, or whatever else takes your fancy.
Then when your room gets dark, StandBy Mode will shift into a gentle red.
That way, it doesn't strain your eyes in the night.
It'll shut off and then wake up if it notices you moving, like if you're looking across to check the time.
So it means your iPhone can double up as a bedside clock that doesn't strain your eyes, isn't constantly running, and won't take up extra space on the nightstand.
I use it every night, but loads of people have no idea this secret iPhone mode exists – all because the method of activating it isn't that obvious.
Now you know, it'll be sweet dreams tonight.
STAYING motivated is hard, The Sun's Sean Keach writes, even with the help of gadgets…
The problem with gaining unwanted weight is that it usually doesn't happen all at once.
It's a slow thickening over months and years – until one day you realise you're now very thick indeed, and have a lot of work to do.
That's daunting. I remember the sinking feeling. I was 210lbs at 6ft, giving me a BMI of 28.5 – firmly in the "overweight" category.
And if it took months to gain, it was probably going to take months to lose, I thought.
But I had to remind myself that it wouldn't just be six or seven months of pure misery. There would be wins along the way.
Thankfully I was right. I felt stairs become easier to climb and brisk walks could be brisker still.
Jumpers and shirts that were just a little too tight suddenly looked how I'd hoped they would.
Once-tight jeans were now loose, giving me a nice excuse to buy a fresh pair. They were knackered anyway.
All of this – plus taking regular progress pictures and tracking the pounds – was fantastic motivation.
So whether you've got weeks, months, or years ahead, just remember that there's plenty of joy to be had on the journey – long before you hit your goal.
