10 Hidden iPhone Features Most People Never Use

Most of us use our iPhones for hours every day, yet we use only a small slice of what they can do. We text, scroll, take photos, and check maps, and meanwhile some of the most helpful tools Apple has ever built sit quietly in Settings, waiting to be found.

These hidden features are not gimmicks. Some of them can protect you if your phone is stolen. Some can save you minutes every day. Others can turn a boring photo into a sticker, copy a phone number from a poster, or keep your battery healthy for years longer.

In this guide, we walk through 10 of the most useful hidden iPhone features, explain exactly how to turn each one on, and show you when it is worth using. Each one takes less than two minutes to set up.

A quick note before we start: Apple has just shipped iOS 27, and menu names and layouts shift slightly from version to version. The steps below match recent versions of iOS. If something is in a slightly different place on your phone, use the search bar at the top of Settings to find it quickly. A few features also need a newer iPhone, and we point those out as we go.

1. Back Tap: Turn the Back of Your iPhone Into a Button

This is the feature that makes people say “wait, my phone does that?”

Back Tap lets you double-tap or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to trigger an action. Your phone uses its built-in motion sensors to detect the taps, so you do not need any extra hardware, and it even works through most cases.

How to turn it on

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Accessibility, then Touch.
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Back Tap.
4. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
5. Pick an action from the list.

What you can do with it

The list of actions is long, but these are the most useful:

• Screenshot. Double-tap the back and the screen is captured. No more awkward two-button press.
• Flashlight. Handy when you are fumbling for your keys in the dark.
• Control Center. Open it without swiping from the corner.
• Magnifier. Turn your phone into a quick magnifying glass for menus and small print.
• Shortcuts. Trigger any custom shortcut you have built, such as sending a “I’m on my way” message or starting a timer.
• Lock rotation, mute, or volume. Quick toggles you would normally dig around for.

Pro tip

If you worry about accidental taps, set your most important action to Triple Tap. It is harder to trigger by accident, and you will still reach it faster than hunting through menus.

Back Tap works on iPhone 8 and later, so almost everyone can use it.

2. Lift a Subject Out of Any Photo

Here is a feature that feels like magic the first time you try it.

Your iPhone can recognize the main subject in a photo, whether it is a person, a pet, a plant, or an object, and cut it out from the background in about a second. You can then drop that cutout into a message, a note, a document, or a design.

How to use it

1. Open a photo in the Photos app.
2. Touch and hold on the subject. You will see a soft white glow trace around it.
3. Lift your finger. A menu appears with options such as Copy, Share, Add Sticker, and Save as File.
4. Or keep holding and drag the cutout into another app, such as Messages or Notes, with a second finger.

Why it is so useful

• Make custom stickers. Turn your dog, your friend, or your lunch into a sticker you can use in any chat.
• Create quick designs. Paste a product photo into a presentation without opening a photo editor.
• Share without the clutter. Send someone just the object, not the messy room behind it.
• Remove backgrounds for listings. If you sell items online, a clean cutout makes your photos look more professional.

This works in Photos, Safari, Files, Screenshots, and more, and it is available on iPhones from the XS onward. If the subject is not detected cleanly, try touching a slightly different spot on it.

3. Live Text: Copy Words Straight From Photos and the Camera

Have you ever taken a photo of a whiteboard, a poster, or a recipe, planning to type it out later? You never have to retype anything again.

Live Text recognizes text in photos, screenshots, and even through your camera, and it lets you select, copy, search, and translate it as if it were typed text.

How to turn it on

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General, then Language & Region.
3. Switch on Live Text.

How to use it

• In Photos: open a picture containing text and touch and hold the words. Select, copy, or share them.
• In the Camera app: point your camera at text, such as a sign or a document, and tap the small text-scan icon that appears. You can copy the text or act on it right away.
• In videos: pause a video and select the text on the frame.
• For translation: select foreign text and choose Translate to read a menu or sign in your own language.

Real-life uses

• Copy a Wi-Fi password from a card in a hotel room.
• Grab a phone number from a flyer and tap it to call.
• Pull an email address or website from a business card.
• Translate a restaurant menu while traveling.
• Convert currencies and units in the camera view.
• Copy a long tracking number from a delivery slip.

Once you start using Live Text, you will find yourself pointing your camera at text everywhere. It is one of the quiet time-savers on the iPhone.

4. Lock or Hide Any App With Face ID

Privacy matters, and sometimes you hand your phone to a friend, a child, or a coworker to show them a photo or let them make a quick call. You do not want them wandering into your banking app, your messages, or your photos.

Recent versions of iOS let you lock any app behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. You can even hide an app entirely so it does not appear on your Home Screen.

How to lock an app

1. Touch and hold the app icon on your Home Screen.
2. Tap Require Face ID (or Touch ID or passcode, depending on your phone).
3. Confirm when asked.

From then on, the app will ask you to authenticate every time it opens.

How to hide an app

1. Touch and hold the app icon.
2. Tap Require Face ID, then choose Hide and Require Face ID.
3. Confirm.

The app disappears from your Home Screen and Search results, and moves into a locked Hidden folder at the bottom of your App Library. You can still open it any time, but only after authenticating.

Good apps to lock

• Banking and payment apps
• Notes with private information
• Photos or messaging apps
• Health apps
• Password managers and email

A small warning: hiding an app is about privacy, not security from a determined thief who knows your passcode. For that, see feature number 8.

5. Text-Editing Tricks: Spacebar Trackpad and Shake to Undo

Typing on a small screen is hard, and fixing a typo is even harder when you cannot get the cursor in the right place. Luckily, the iPhone has some surprisingly powerful editing gestures that most people never discover.

Turn the keyboard into a trackpad

Touch and hold the spacebar until the keyboard letters fade away. You can now slide your finger around to move the cursor precisely, like a laptop trackpad. This is far easier than tapping at a tiny spot between two words.

Select text faster

• Double-tap a word to select it.
• Triple-tap to select a sentence.
• Quadruple-tap to select a full paragraph in many apps.

Use three-finger gestures

• Swipe left with three fingers to undo.
• Swipe right with three fingers to redo.
• Pinch in with three fingers to copy.
• Pinch in twice to cut.
• Spread three fingers out to paste.

Shake to undo

You can also give your phone a shake to undo the last thing you typed or deleted. If it is not working, check Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Shake to Undo and make sure it is on.

Once your fingers learn these gestures, editing long messages and emails becomes dramatically faster and far less frustrating.

6. Check In: Let Friends Know You Got Home Safe

Here is a safety feature that deserves far more attention. Check In is a tool inside the Messages app that automatically tells someone you trust when you have arrived at your destination, so you do not have to remember to text them.

How to use it

1. Open Messages and start or open a chat with the person you want to notify.
2. Tap the + button.
3. Tap More, then Check In.
4. Choose Edit to set your destination and travel mode (driving, transit, or walking).
5. Send.

When you arrive, your friend gets a notification automatically. If you are delayed or your phone detects you are not making progress toward your destination, it first checks with you. If you do not respond, it can share useful details with your contact, such as your location, your battery level, and your cellular signal status.

Who it is perfect for

• People walking home late at night
• Parents with teenagers who are driving
• Solo travelers meeting someone for the first time
• Anyone who wants peace of mind without constant texting

You stay in control of what gets shared, and you can end a Check In at any time. It is a simple feature that can genuinely help in an emergency.

7. The Action Button: Make It Do Exactly What You Want

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, including the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 lines, you have a customizable Action Button where the old mute switch used to be. Many owners leave it set to silent mode and never touch it again, which is a missed opportunity.

How to customize it

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Action Button.
3. Swipe through the options and choose the one you want.

The best uses

• Camera. Press it once to open the camera instantly, ready to snap a photo or start a video before the moment passes.
• Flashlight. A real button for a real flashlight.
• Voice Memos. Start recording a thought or a meeting with one press.
• Translate. Start a live translation conversation quickly when you travel.
• Focus. Switch into Work, Sleep, or Do Not Disturb in one press.
• Magnifier. Read tiny print with a single press.
• Shortcut. This is where the Action Button becomes incredibly powerful. Link it to any shortcut you have built, such as turning off your smart lights, logging your water intake, or sending a pre-written message.

The best choice depends on your day. A photographer will love the Camera setting, a commuter will love Focus or a transit shortcut, and a busy parent might prefer the flashlight. Spend two minutes trying a few and keep the one you actually reach for.

If your iPhone does not have an Action Button, you can get a similar result with Back Tap from feature number one.

8. Stolen Device Protection: A Safety Net If Your Phone Is Taken

This one is less fun than a sticker, but it may be the most important feature on the list.

Phone thieves have learned a nasty trick: watch someone type their passcode in a bar or on a train, steal the phone, and then use the passcode to change the Apple Account password, turn off Find My, and lock the owner out of their own digital life. Stolen Device Protection is built to stop exactly that.

How to turn it on

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode.
3. Scroll down and switch on Stolen Device Protection.

What it does

When your iPhone is somewhere unfamiliar, away from home or work, certain sensitive actions require Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback. Examples include viewing saved passwords, using saved payment methods, and turning off Lost Mode.

For the most sensitive changes, such as changing your Apple Account password or turning off Find My, there is also a security delay of one hour. You must authenticate, wait an hour, and authenticate again. A thief who just grabbed your phone cannot quickly lock you out.

Why you should use it

It takes ten seconds to turn on and costs you nothing. If your phone is never stolen, you will never notice it. If it is, it could save you from a very bad week. Most security experts recommend switching it on for everyone.

For a stronger approach, also use a unique, strong passcode and keep Find My turned on.

9. Scan, Sign, and Send Documents Without Another App

Before you download a scanner app, know that your iPhone already has a very good one built in. You can scan pages, sign contracts, and send PDFs in minutes.

How to scan a document

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Create a new note or open an existing one.
3. Tap the paperclip or camera icon.
4. Tap Scan Documents.
5. Hold your phone over the page. It will detect the edges and capture automatically.
6. Tap Save when you are done.

The scan is straightened, cropped, and cleaned up, and you can scan multiple pages into a single document. You can also find the scanner in the Files app.

How to sign a document

1. Open the scanned document in the note, or open a PDF in Files or Mail.
2. Tap the Markup icon (a small pen tip).
3. Tap the + button, then choose Signature.
4. Draw your signature with your finger and tap Done.
5. Place it, resize it, and save.

Your signature is saved, so next time you can add it in a couple of taps.

Handy extras

• Text in scanned documents can be searched, and Live Text from feature number three lets you copy it.
• You can share the result as a PDF by email, AirDrop, or messaging.
• Great for receipts, forms, ID copies, school paperwork, and rental agreements.

This single feature can replace a printer, a scanner, and a paid subscription app.

10. Charge Limit: Protect Your Battery for the Long Run

Battery wear is the main reason phones start to feel old. Every battery slowly loses capacity, and heat and constant full charges speed that up. Your iPhone has tools to slow that wear that many people never switch on.

Optimized Battery Charging

This is on by default for most people, and it learns your routine. If you charge overnight, your phone will often pause at 80 percent and finish charging just before you usually wake up, which reduces the time spent at a full charge.

Charge Limit

On newer iPhones, including iPhone 15 and later, you can set a firm cap on how far your battery charges.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Battery, then Charging.
3. Choose a Charge Limit, such as 80 percent.

An 80 percent limit is ideal if your phone spends most of its time plugged in, such as on a desk or at night. When you need a full day of power, you can switch it back to 100 percent.

Check your battery health

Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to see your maximum capacity. As a rough guide, once it drops well below 80 percent you will probably notice shorter battery life, and a battery replacement can make an older phone feel new again.

Other battery-saving habits

• Keep your phone out of hot cars and direct sun, because heat is a battery’s worst enemy.
• Avoid fast charging when you do not need it.
• Use Low Power Mode when you are running low.
• Lower your screen brightness and turn on Auto-Brightness.

A few settings now can add a year or more of comfortable use to your phone.

Bonus: Check Your New Anti-Scam Tools in iOS 27

Scams are getting more convincing, and Apple has been adding protections to deal with them. Reports on iOS 27 describe a scam-detection setting that is not switched on by default. If you have updated, it is worth opening Settings and searching for terms like “scam” or “safety” to see what is available on your phone and turn on whatever protections you find. Availability can depend on your iPhone model and region, so check what your own device offers.

While you are at it, turn on Silence Unknown Callers in Settings under Phone if you get a lot of spam calls, and be suspicious of any message that creates urgency about money.

How to Get the Most Out of These Features

Do not try to set everything up at once. Pick two or three that sound most useful and spend ten minutes on them this week. A good order might be:

1. Safety first: turn on Stolen Device Protection (number 8). It takes seconds.
2. Save time: set up Back Tap or the Action Button (numbers 1 and 7).
3. Get creative: try lifting a subject from a photo and using Live Text (numbers 2 and 3).
4. Protect your battery: set a charge limit (number 10).

Then revisit the rest over the next few weeks.

It also helps to explore Settings every few months. Apple adds quiet improvements with almost every update, and the best ones are rarely announced loudly. After each major update, search the web for “hidden features” for your iOS version to see what you might have missed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these features work on every iPhone?

Most work on any recent iPhone, but a few depend on your model or software. The Action Button needs an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Charge Limit options are on iPhone 15 and later. Lifting subjects works on iPhone XS and newer. If a setting is missing, update to the latest iOS and check your model.

Will Back Tap drain my battery or trigger by accident?

It uses very little power. Accidental taps can happen with Double Tap, so many people use Triple Tap for important actions.

Is Stolen Device Protection annoying to live with?

Most people never notice it at home or at work, because it relaxes in familiar locations. It only adds friction when your phone is somewhere unusual, which is exactly when you want it.

Can someone still find my hidden apps?

Hidden apps are locked behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode, and they do not appear in Search or the Home Screen. Anyone with your passcode could still access them, so keep your passcode private.

Is the built-in document scanner as good as a paid app?

For receipts, forms, and contracts, it is excellent. If you need advanced features like automatic filing or heavy-duty text recognition across thousands of pages, a dedicated app may be worth it.

How do I find hidden features in future updates?

Use the search bar in Settings, read Apple’s release notes after each update, and look for “what’s new” guides from trusted tech sites.

Final Thoughts

Your iPhone is a remarkably capable device, and most of us only use a fraction of its potential. These 10 hidden features show how much power is tucked away just a few taps from your Home Screen.

Some will save you time every day, like Back Tap, the Action Button, and the spacebar trackpad. Some will unlock creativity, like lifting subjects and Live Text. Some will protect you when things go wrong, like Stolen Device Protection, Check In, and app locking. And some will quietly keep your phone running well for years, like a smart charge limit.

The best part is that every one of them is free and already on your phone. Pick two today, try them for a week, and you will probably wonder how you ever lived without them.

Which one will you try first?