Navigating your iPhone can sometimes feel like a chore. If you’re tired of endless taps and swipes, try these eight tricks to speed things up and get more done with less effort.
8Install Apps Without Opening the App Store
Whenever you need to install an app on your iPhone, the obvious way to do it is to open the App Store, search for the app you want, and then hit the download button.
However, Apple’s Spotlight feature provides a faster way to do this. Swipe down on your Home Screen and type the name of the app you want to install.
Sometimes, you might need to add “app” to the end, but once the result pops up, tapGetto install the app.
7Check for App Updates Quickly
We always recommend that youupdate your iPhoneto the latest software version whenever available. The same applies to your installed apps. However, you don’t need to dig through the App Store when you want to check for app updates.
Instead, you can long-press the App Store icon from your Home Screen or App Library and tapUpdatesfrom the pop-up menu. This will take you directly to the update list, where you’ll see apps that have updates available and those that have been recently updated.
6Jump to the Top of Any Page
Scrolling endlessly through a long document or web page to return to the top can be a pain. Luckily, you don’t have to do it manually on your iPhone—there’s a built-in shortcut that makes the whole process effortless.
Whenever you want to jump to the top of any page quickly, tap the top right corner of your screen (where the cellular, Wi-Fi, and battery icons are). With a tap, your device will instantly scroll back to the top. This works in most Apple apps, such as Safari, Messages, Mail, Notes, and even some third-party apps like X (formerly Twitter).
5Quickly Scan Documents Using the Notes App
If you often need to scan receipts, forms, or handwritten notes, your iPhone’s Notes app has a handy built-in scanner that does the job perfectly. Using the scanner feature toscan documents on your iPhoneis also superior to taking pictures of documents.
Apple Notes provides a shortcut for scanning new documents quickly. To use it, long-press the Notes app icon from your Home Screen or App Library, then selectScan Documentfrom the pop-up menu. The app also helps you take better scans by automatically cropping and flattening the document, as shown below.
4Quickly Switch Between Apps
Typically, when you want to switch between apps on your iPhone, you have to open the App Switcher by either swiping up from the bottom and pausing in the center or, for older iPhones, double-clicking the Home button. However, there’s a faster way to do so for iPhones with Face ID.
From the Home Screen, swipe left along the screen’s bottom edge to open the last used app. Keep swiping until you land on the app you want. you’re able to also swipe right if the app you’re viewing isn’t the last one you opened.
3Access Quick Actions on Different Apps
Different iPhone apps offer context-specific shortcuts that you can use to perform actions quickly. For instance, as we discussed, you can quickly check for app updates from the App Store and scan documents in the Notes app using such shortcuts.
However, it doesn’t only apply to the App Store and Notes app. You can check for these shortcuts on any of your installed apps by long-pressing and holding the icon. For instance, X has shortcuts for searching posts and creating new posts and messages.
WhatsApp has shortcuts for searching, launching the in-app camera, creating a new chat, and viewing your QR code. With Gmail, there’s a shortcut to compose an email. These are just three examples, but you can check if your favorite apps have quick actions. Keep in mind that not every app supports these shortcuts, though.
2Use Back Tap for Custom Shortcuts
Back Tap is a handy feature that turns the back of your iPhone into a customizable button. Using the feature, you’re able to quickly perform certain actions on your iPhone, like opening the camera, locking the screen, adjusting the volume, navigating to the Home Screen, and more. Back Tap even allows you totake a screenshot on your iPhone without the Home or Power button.
The 9 Best iOS Shortcuts to Improve Your iPhone Experience
Make your iPhone more capable with these handy shortcuts that help you get the job done.
To enable an action when you tap the back of your iPhone, follow these steps:
The next time you want to perform your set action, double- or triple-tap, the back of your iPhone and it will do it.
1Launch the Camera Instantly From the Lock Screen
Have you ever missed a shot because you were fumbling with your iPhone? Fortunately, there’s a faster way. You can access your Camera directly from the Lock Screen and, even better, without wasting time unlocking your phone.
To do so, swipe left from the Lock Screen to open the Camera app instantly. Alternatively, long-press the Camera icon in the bottom right corner.
Mastering these quick iPhone navigation tricks will help you save time while using the device. Whether you’re snapping a photo, taking a screenshot, scanning a document, or switching apps in a flash, these shortcuts help you get more done with fewer taps.
