Fun features of the iPhone that you didn’t know you had
Limit screen time for specific apps. Have you ever wondered how or why you wasted so much of your time on a specific app – like Facebook, X or Tik Tok? You can turn on a setting that restricts your access to those apps. Within Settings, tap Screen Time, and then tap App Limits > Add Limit. You can select an entire app category, such as Social, or you can set limits on specific apps by tapping the category and then selecting apps within those categories. Tap Next in the top-right corner and then choose how much time you’ll allow yourself to spend in those apps. You can give yourself more time on weekends if you want by tapping Customize Days.
Use the Camera faster. Swiping left on your iPhone’s lock screen opens the Camera app by default (though you can also change that shortcut to something else if you want). It’s much easier to shoot photos by pressing the physical volume button on the side of the phone instead of tapping the Shutter button. Swiping the Shutter button to the left shoots a bunch of photos in a row, a function known as burst mode, while holding down the Shutter button shoots video without your having to swipe into video mode.
Move a group of apps to another page on your home screen. Moving apps to different pages on your home screen can be tedious. You can move a group of apps over at the same time: Just long-press an app, tap Edit Home Screen, and then grab the app you want to move. While still holding your finger on the screen, tap on each app icon you’d like to move with it, and the iPhone will grab them all.
One last fun tip! If you are typing in specific apps – like Mail, Messages or Notes, you can shake your phone to delete your typing. If you shake it again, the words will come back!
Tip of the month
Android features
1. Find your parked vehicle. After you’ve parked at a busy shopping mall, you might find it difficult to remember where your vehicle is hours later. To mark your spot, open Google Maps once you’re in park and tap the blue dot that shows your location. Tap Save parking.
If you have trouble locating your vehicle later, launch Google Maps, tap the search bar | Parking location | Directions.
2. Use one-handed mode. The bigger smartphones become, the more difficult it may be to operate them with one hand. Google’s custom keyboard has a one-handed mode you can easily activate that lets you hold your Android phone and type with the same hand.
Press and hold the comma key and select the right-hand icon for one-handed mode. Your keyboard will appear smaller and off to one side. To reposition from left- to right-handed mode, use the arrow icon beside the keyboard. Tap the four little arrows to restore the keyboard to full size.
If this tip doesn’t work for you, you might not be using the official/default Google keyboard, also known as a Gboard. You can download it free from the Google Play store.
