Even if you’re a seasoned smartphone user, chances are you’re only scratching the surface of what your device is capable of.

If you’re like most users, you stick to what you know rather than venture out of your comfort zone.

Sound familiar?

Break free and try these lesser-known features embedded in your iPhone or Android device, to help save you time, money, and frustration.

The following are a dozen tips to help you get more out of your device.

 

iPhone

The iPhone is the most popular smartphone in Canada, so let’s start here.

Find Your Phone

 Can’t find your iPhone in the dark? Say “Hey Siri, turn on flashlight”! This is also handy if you’re walking in a dark parking lot or need to find something at the bottom of a purse.

Edit, Unsend Messages

We’ve all had that “uh oh” moment where you send a message and realize it needs to be edited or deleted. Well fear not, there is a solution! Press and hold over that sent message and you’ll see options like “Edit” and “Undo Send” in the menu that pops up. Tap whichever you want to use at the time. There’s a catch: the person you’re sending it to must also be on iPhone or else they’ll still see the message, and you only have 15 minutes to edit (and only 2 minutes to unsend the message).

Speak to Me

Want to rest your eyes and have an article or ebook read to you? To activate “Speak Screen,” go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak Screen. Then, swipe down with two fingers from the very top of the iPhone screen to hear the contents of the screen read to you. This works in other apps, too, like Safari (web browser), Mail, Notes, Messages, and more.

Shake to Delete

When typing words in any app (such as Messages or Notes), did you know you can shake the iPhone to undo your typing? This is much faster than pressing the back button to delete unwanted text. If this shake feature accidentally happens often, deactivate it in Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Shake to Undo > Off.

Back Tap

There’s a hidden button on your iPhone – but it’s not visible to the naked eye. Double- or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to perform an action quickly, such as launch the camera or mute your phone during a meeting. You can set this up in Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.

Recover Deleted Photos

Ever accidentally delete photos or videos you actually wanted? Don’t worry, as they’re not gone – even though you can’t see them. Open the Photos app, tap Albums at the bottom, scroll down and select Recently Deleted, under “Utilities.” Show your face or type in your PIN to confirm it’s really you, and now select the photo or video you want to save from the trash. 

 

Android

Remember, several companies make Android smartphones, therefore as you follow along with these half-dozen tips, you might find a few small differences among Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, Motorola, OnePlus, TCL, and so on.

 

Enable Flash Notifications

Whether you’re hard of hearing, deaf, or simply want to minimize loud noises emanating from your phone, Android users can enable flash notifications to let you know there’s something requiring your attention. This is where your phone’s screen or built-in camera flash will blink to let you know of a call, text, app alert, and more. To set it up, go to Settings  > Accessibility > Flash notifications. If you don’t see it here, do a search for “flash notification” on your phone. You’ll get two options: Camera flash and Screen flash. Toggle one or both to enable this handy feature. 

Find Your Parked Vehicle

After you’ve parked in a spot, open Google Maps and tap the blue dot that shows your location. Tap “Save parking.” Later, launch Google Maps, tap the search bar and then Parking location. Now tap Directions and never get lost in a parking lot again.

Access “Quick Settings” Faster

You might know you can swipe a finger down from the top of the screen to access some of the more popular settings, but a two-finger swipe opens up even more options!

Retrieve Deleted Photos

Accidentally deleted photos or videos you in fact want to keep? On your Android device, open the Google Photos app and at the bottom, tap Library Trash. Now touch and hold the photo or video you want to restore, and then tap Restore at the bottom of the screen.

Run Apps Side-By-Side

Why not watch a cooking show and jot down a shopping list at the same time? Swipe up from the bottom or your Android screen and you’ll see recently opened apps in a carousel. Press and hold the small circle at the top of an app you want to open and select “Open in split screen view.” Now select another app near the bottom of your phone to access both simultaneously.

Access Your Phone On Your PC

Speaking of multitasking, did you know Windows users can link their Android phone to their computer? Once you do it, you can make calls, send texts, access the phone’s photos from your PC and more. It’s easiest to set it up on your PC. To link a phone, type the word “phone” in the search bar at the bottom of your computer screen and you’ll see Phone Link. Click this and follow the prompts. (This also works with iPhone.)