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These are some of my favorite iPhone features that I use every day to get work done quickly and comfortably. I’m sure you know about some of them, while a few may be new to you.

Text replacements

This is one of my all-time favorite iOS features.

My work involves typing my email address, the iDB iOS app link, social media links, and more every day. I have set up text replacement shortcuts that insert my email address, links, symbols, etc., with just a few letters.

For instance, whenever I type “idbapp” on my iPhone, iPad, or Mac (yes, text replacements sync via iCloud and are available on all Apple devices linked to my account), it automatically changes to our app link “https://apps.apple.com/app/idb-app/id1086682264.”

One-handed keyboard

I have relatively small hands, but a Pro Max iPhone (mainly to get the most use time on a single charge). So, typing with one hand gets very uncomfortable, and then there is a risk of dropping my phone. To take care of this, I just hold the emoji or globe icon in the bottom-left corner of the keyboard, then make the keyboard smaller and stick it to the left or right side for easier typing.

Clear all notifications in one go

I have set many apps (like Bloomberg and Instagram) to deliver their notifications quietly without making a sound. These app notifications stack in the Notification Center, and most of the time I glance at them and then touch and hold the X icon to clear them all in one go.

Automatically stop music or video playback before going to sleep

Most nights, I play a YouTube video, music playlist, or my favorite historical podcast in bed. To ensure the playback stops automatically after 40 minutes, I use the hidden ‘Stop Playing’ timer feature built into the iOS Clock app.

Universal Clipboard to copy and paste between my Apple devices

Apple’s Universal Clipboard Continuity feature lets me copy and paste between my iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It involves no extra steps, aside from ensuring Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are fully enabled on all devices.

Copy Mac screenshot to the clipboard and paste on iPhone

This one is related to the above tip.

Using the Control key lets me copy a Mac screenshot directly to the clipboard (without saving it to the Finder). And then, I can paste it in WhatsApp or other apps on my iPhone to send it. I love this feature, but in case it doesn’t work, I use the next two tips mentioned below.

Camera QR code scanner

While Universal Clipboard is a terrific feature, I regularly find that it stops working abruptly, and the fixes to solve this are time-consuming.

Now, when I have to copy and paste a link from my Mac to iPhone and Universal Clipboard doesn’t work, I simply Control-click the webpage in Chrome (my default browser on macOS) to create a QR code for that page. Then I scan it with my iPhone’s camera to copy the link, or open it in a browser and copy it there. Of course, the iPhone camera can also scan other QR codes.

iPhone Mirroring on Mac

I mainly use iPhone Mirroring to access WhatsApp on my Mac (I haven’t set up WhatsApp web or the app on my computer). Other times, I use it to drag and drop files between my Mac and iPhone when AirDrop fails.

Secondly, I use the in-box 1-meter charging cable, and the power outlet is on the other side of my bed. So, when my phone is charging, I just use iPhone Mirroring on my MacBook, without bothering to reach across the bed to my phone.

Live Text to copy text from images

Though not every day, I regularly use the Live Text feature to extract text from an image in the Photos app, in Safari, or even when in Camera viewfinder.

Voice recording from the Lock Screen

I have set up my iPhone to quickly start a voice recording all from the iOS Lock Screen. This ensures I don’t have to fiddle around to record something of importance, usually for proof-keeping purposes.

Screenshot with AssistiveTouch

I don’t keep AssistiveTouch enabled all the time, as I don’t like having a button floating around the screen. However, I often have to take several screenshots in quick succession, and this is when I use AssistiveTouch to capture the screen. I have, of course, customized AssistiveTouch to take the screenshot by tapping the floating button just once.

Secondly, when you try to take screenshots of some screens using the physical buttons (like the purchase confirmation screen in the App Store), the main content disappears from the screen. The only easy way to grab screenshots of these screens is to use AssistiveTouch.

Daily app limits for X (Twitter)

I’m kind of addicted to X; you may be to Instagram, Facebook, Netflix, gaming apps, or something similar that’s unproductive. To make me feel guilty of using X for a long time, I have set a daily App Limit of 2 hours. When the time is up, my iPhone blocks the app, which I can, of course, bypass, but having the app limit reminder does make me aware that I should probably touch grass now.

Use Reachability to bring down the screen

I regularly make a small swipe down gesture at the bottom of my big iPhone screen to bring the entire screen down. This makes it easy to reach buttons at the top of the screen or to open Control Center and Notification Center.

Have my iPhone automatically put all calls on speaker

I usually keep my iPhone on a stand on my desk, and when I get an incoming call, I nearly always answer it on speaker (I work from home). So, to make things quicker and easier, I have set my iPhone to always route the calls to the speaker after I pick it up (Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Call Audio Routing > Speaker). Of course, I can manually switch to the earpiece or AirPods if I want.

Which lesser-known iPhone features do you use every day?

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/05/25/iphone-features-i-use-daily/

Learn how to set a call back reminder directly in the iPhone Phone app so you never forget to return a call.

When someone calls you, and you don’t want to answer immediately, you can use the “Remind Me” option on the full call interface to get alerted to call back after an hour or after you leave the current location.

But what if you want to be reminded to call back someone whose call you missed, or someone you already talked to but have something important to follow up on later? For instance, when my bank’s relationship manager calls me, I usually pick up, and if there is something that requires a follow-up call, I use the call reminder feature so I don’t forget.

If you make and receive a lot of calls, the built-in call reminder feature can act as an assistant, alerting you to call someone back.

Set up a call back reminder on iPhone

1. Open the Phone app and go through your recent call logs.
2. To set a callback reminder, swipe left on a cellular or FaceTime call entry, then tap the little clock icon.
3. Choose to get reminded in 1 hour, tonight, tomorrow, or tap Remind Me Later to set a custom date and time. Choosing the custom option displays the Reminders app interface, where you can enter the details as needed.

When it’s time to call back…

You’ll get a time-sensitive notification on your iPhone, tapping which will take you to the iOS Reminders app. From there, tap the tiny Phone icon area carefully to place a call. You can also tap the info button ⓘ next to the reminder, then tap the call button on the next screen.

In my opinion, it would have been far better if tapping or touching & holding this reminder notification showed an option to call back, thus eliminating one extra step of going to the Reminders app. But as of now, doing that just shows options to reschedule the reminder or mark it as completed.

See all your call back reminders

If you use the new and default Unified Phone app style, all your callback reminders will be visible in an appropriately named ‘Reminders‘ section at the top of the Calls tab.

However, if you have switched to the Classic Phone app style, you can see your callback reminders in the ‘Today‘ or ‘Scheduled‘ sections of the iOS Reminders app.

Edit a call back reminder

You can make changes to the time and other things in the Reminders app, like you normally do. Or, you can swipe left on a recent call with a reminder set up, then tap the clock icon. Now, choose to Edit in Reminders and make the necessary changes.

Mark a call back reminder as completed

Mark it as completed in the Reminders app, or swipe left on a call entry in the Phone app, and tap ‘Mark as Completed.’ The latter won’t take you to the Reminders app.

If you swipe left on a recent call and tap the red trash icon, it will remove that call entry from your recent call log, along with any callback reminder you set for it.

What do you think of this little feature? As someone who often doesn’t pick up calls straightaway, I sure find it useful.

Also, check out:

• How to get task reminder when you message a person
• 15 new features added to the iPhone Phone app

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/05/27/callback-reminder-iphone/