7 Simple iOS 8.4 iPhone Tips and Tricks Most People Miss

As always, I’ve got some great iPhone and iPad tips and tricks to share! If you haven’t heard of these before, then you’ve been missing out!  I’ll show you how to create keyboard shortcuts, how to create a fix for your broken home button and more!  So let’s dive in and if you have a trick that you use and it didn’t make this list, feel free to share.

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1)   How To Create Keyboard Shortcuts

Did you know that you can create shortcuts to type frequently used phrases?  Apple has already prebuilt into iOS simple ones such as the copyright symbol ©, or the trademark symbol ™.  Let’s quickly show you how to create your own shortcuts for your frequently used phrases.

a) Go to SETTINGS —> GENERAL —> KEYBOARDS —> SHORTCUTS

b) Tap on ‘+’ in the upper right of  the screen

c) Type in the phrase you frequently use on the ‘PHRASE’ line, and then type the shortcut you want to use for that phrase below where it says ‘SHORTCUT’

d) Go to messaging and type the shortcut, and it will change to the phrase when you hit the spacebar.

2)    How To Save or Create A Fix For Your Broken Home Button!

Many of us that have owned iPhones and iPads have come to realize that the home button is not very durable. After time, it can just stop working and it’s a very well known issue.  Here’s a little trick to prolong the life of your home button or even create a fix if your home button is broken!

a) Go to SETTINGS —> GENERAL —> ACCESSIBILITY
b) Switch the toggle to ON for ‘AssistiveTouch’
c) You will now have a small little box with a circle (just like your home button) on your screen. You may move it around to where it doesn’t get in the way.
d) When you click on that button, you will see the screen below.

3) How To Leave Group Messages! Finally!!!

We have all been there I’m sure.  You start receiving group messages from one of your co-workers while you are sleeping and it’s waking you up.  They decided to send it to everyone, rather than just a few.  Well, now there is a solution as you can opt-out of group messages!

a) On the group message, click ‘DETAILS’ in the upper right.
b) Scroll to the bottom and click ‘LEAVE THIS CONVERSATION’
c) Another way is to just hit ‘DO NOT DISTURB,’ which will leave you in the conversation but stop notifying you of new messages.

4) How To Define Define A Word On Your iPhone or iPad

Have you ever been reading a text or email and you don’t know what a word means?  Did you know that you can highlight the word and get the definition?  If not this is how it works.

a) Highlight the word you wish to define by clicking and holding it.
b) Click ‘DEFINE’ in the menu that pops up above your finger.

5) How To Share Your Location

This little trick comes in really handy for parents trying to locate their teenagers who are out and about or if you need a ride.  Within your text conversations, you can actually share your location.

a) Click on ‘DETAILS’ in the upper right of the messaging screen within your conversation.
b) You can either click on ‘SEND MY CURRENT LOCATION,’ or ‘SHARE MY LOCATION.’
c) It will send a quick map of your current location to the individual you are texting.

6) Generate A Random Password Using Siri

You might also like: Siri Tips and Tricks

Did you know that you can use Siri to create random passwords for you?  Since we all need hundreds of passwords for all of the websites we use, this is perfect!  Siri uses Wolfram Alpha to assist with this process. Take a quick look!

a) Activate Siri by holding the home button
b) State ‘Wolfram password’ when prompted by Siri
c) It gives you a random 8 character password, along with 6 additional variations to use

7) Invert colors quickly for nighttime viewing

Do you find yourself using your iPhone or iPad at night and it’s still too bright with the brightness turned all the way down? This quick solution will invert your colors on your device which makes apps such as Maps easy on the eyes in the dark.

a) Go to SETTINGS —> GENERAL —> ACCESSIBILITY
b) Scroll all the way down to ‘ACCESSIBILITY SHORTCUT’
c) Choose ‘INVERT COLORS,’ and then exit out to the home screen

There you have it; 7 simple iOS 8.4 iPhone tips and tricks most people miss.  I hope you found at least one that you didn’t know before.  iOS has hundreds more hidden features, so stay tuned for more and you can also get them delivered straight to your inbox when you subscribe the our newsletter!