Hidden Tricks on Your iPhone Most People Don’t Know.

The features found on the iPhone can be useful in ways that you may never have considered before. Although some of the hidden tricks of the iPhone come from the most recent version of iOS (19), they can help you save time as well as provide a lot of conveniences for users who are both busy professionals and casual users.

From navigating traffic in Delhi to drafting long-form posts on fintech blogs or managing your MSME finances while out and about, these lesser-known features will make life easier for users in many different ways. In a place like Delhi, where every minute counts (imagine trying to avoid auto-rickshaws or converting USD to INR quickly for an international client), these tricks can help you turn possible inconveniences into seamless victories. Each category will include detailed, step-by-step instructions and examples specific to India to help you get the most out of your iPhone.

Master the Keyboard Like a Pro

Make your iPhone keyboard a precise trackpad for editing with ease. Simply hold the space bar in any text box or field, and the keyboard disappears. Your finger now acts as a precise cursor, which can be moved precisely to a particular word or letter. This technique works wonderfully when correcting a misspelt word in a lengthy message or email. Think of editing a short message during a Delhi Metro ride without any problems. You can precisely move the cursor to a particular word in a matter of seconds, even during a bumpy ride. To use this technique, open the Notes or Messages app, start typing a message or a note, hold the space bar, and start typing again after tapping. Pro Tip: Try using the technique in conjunction with selecting text by tapping on a word and selecting it with two fingers.

Quickly select multiple items anywhere, like photos or emails, with a two-finger drag gesture. Swipe down with two fingers to highlight bulk content, then lift to copy or delete in seconds—perfect for cleaning up your photo library after a family event in Connaught Place without the usual hassle of tapping each one individually. This works across apps like Mail, Photos, and Notes, speeding up your workflow dramatically. For instance, in the Photos app, enter Select mode, two-finger drag over 50 images from your Diwali album, and share them to WhatsApp in one go. It’s a game-changer for content creators archiving screenshots of fintech charts.

Quick Edits: Undo and Redo with Simple Gestures

Oops! No need to worry about physically shaking the device, just swipe left with three fingers on the keyboard for an undo option. And by swiping right, you’ll find the redo functionality—this allows you to have a smooth workflow, while shaking your device doesn’t work for everyone, especially if you’re on a crowded train or on a video call. To enable this, go to Settings>Accessibility> Touch>Shake to Undo (if you do not want to use the shake to undo function, then turn it off). When you accidentally erase a paragraph while brainstorming your latest piece on sustainable finance, simply swipe three fingers left, and it will be back—uninterrupted.

Boost Your Productivity with iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts

You can also type faster one-handed by using the One-Handed Keyboard setting found at Settings> General> Keyboard. The keys slide left and/or right to allow for better access with your thumb on devices with larger screens, such as the iPhone 16 series. This feature is excellent if you’re walking in Lodhi Gardens during the morning with coffee in one hand and your phone in the other.

When you create text replacements in Settings>General>Keyboard>Text Replacement, it will automatically generate complete phrases for you (such as “On my way, stuck in Delhi Traffic—ETA 20 mins!” when typing “omw”) so that you can coordinate with your coworkers at peak times through Slack or Microsoft Teams.

In Messages, swipe down on the keyboard for emojis, GIFs, and stickers; long-press the microphone for dictation that handles mixed accents smoothly—Hinglish included—saving precious typing time during brainstorming or jotting ideas for your next fintech article on UPI digital payments. Dictation even punctuates automatically: say “Send an email to the team about the MSME loan update period,” and it formats perfectly. These tweaks alone can shave minutes off your daily communications, letting you focus on high-value tasks like outlining 2,000-word blogs.

Spotlight Search Superpowers

Spotlight isn’t just for apps—swipe down from your home screen middle to unlock math wizardry, unit conversions, and flight updates. Type “50 USD to INR” for instant currency swaps (pulls live rates) or “Flight AI123” for live status from Indira Gandhi International Airport, all without opening another app—handy for tracking international fintech deals or converting client expenses on the fly. It even factors in real-time exchange rates, perfect for NRIs managing rupees abroad.

It can search for complex queries such as “Delhi weather next 7 days” for monsoon forecasts or calculator history from past sessions, bringing everything to one place in a fluid interface that is almost magical. With iOS 19, Spotlight becomes smarter with on-device AI suggestions based on your habits. It can bring up reminders, calendar events, and web snippets in real time as you type, changing fluidly to help you access information quickly during a tight schedule, such as bringing up a meeting note or a recipe just as you are rushing to a client pitch in Gurgaon.

Spotlight pulls from everywhere: type a contact’s name plus “text” to jump straight to messaging them, or “remind me to call mom at 6 PM” for instant reminders without app-hopping. For finance enthusiasts, query stock tickers like “RELIANCE.NS” for live NSE quotes, with iOS 19 summarising news snippets right there to fuel your next blog post on sustainable finance or green bonds. Swipe right for definitions (e.g., “What is ESG investing?”), translations (great for Hindi terms like “mudra yojana” in bilingual workflows), or song previews from Apple Music. Your pocket dictionary, DJ, and research assistant all in one. This deep integration means less app-switching, keeping your momentum going whether you’re researching MSME loans via the Mudra scheme or planning a weekend getaway to Agra.

Back Tap: Your Invisible Buttons

Tap the back of your iPhone to launch actions—no screen fumbling required. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap, then assign double or triple taps to screenshot, flashlight, or custom shortcuts. Double-tap for the camera during a spontaneous moment at India Gate, or triple-tap to open Control Centre while cooking with messy hands—it’s discreet and lightning-fast, with haptic feedback confirming each tap.

This works on iPhone 8 and later, and it feels like haptic magic. Use it with accessibility features like Magnifier for scanning receipts in low light or VoiceOver for hands-free reading during commutes. Chain Back Tap with Shortcuts for power user moves like this: Triple tap set to “Low Power Mode + Do Not Disturb + Text ‘In a meeting, back soon via WhatsApp.’“ It works with Live Activities in iOS 19, tap to pause workouts and see your Uber ETA from the lock screen, ideal for multitasking power users like content strategists.

Test it now: double-tap for a screenshot of a fintech dashboard, then edit using the trackpad keyboard—seamless for capturing blog inspiration or documenting a UPI demo. Customise further by creating a Shortcut for “Log current location and battery to Notes” for travel expense tracking. The beauty lies in its customisation, turning the back of your phone into a personalised command centre for Delhi’s fast-paced life.

Personalise Notifications and Calls

Customise vibration for your contacts so that you can tell who’s calling without checking the screen. Edit the contact and select Ringtone or Text Tone > Vibration > Create New Vibration. Tap the screen in various rhythms. Quick buzzes for work emails from the fintech team and long vibrations for the family. Pure genius in silent meetings or at the multiplex in Saket.

This feature allows you to silence and/or block unknown numbers on your phone automatically, via Settings > Silence Unknown Callers. You can also mute notifications for group chats for a period of time based on how long you would like to snooze the notifications (1 minute – 2 hours) from your lock screen. This feature allows you to have greater control over how you receive notifications when you’re trying to do deep work.

The availability of Focus modes can also be scheduled to automatically trigger based on your sleep schedule, and/or when you work in custom places using “Writing Mode.” When you use “Writing Mode,” notifications will be dimmed for approximately 2,000 words of writing on your blog regarding personal finance. With iOS 19, you can receive notifications grouped together in summary form from artificial intelligence, such as app update notifications being grouped into one notification. You can reply to emails on the lock screen without having to unlock your device, and you can use @mentions to give certain group members (tagged people) exclusivity to receive notifications—this is a great way to keep group projects moving without having constant pings from marketing teams.

Home Screen and App Magic

Hide entire home screen pages for a cleaner look—long-press an empty spot, tap Edit > Page Dots, then uncheck pages to vanish them. Apps stay in App Library; swipe left for instant search, reclaiming real estate for widgets.

Reorder or hide effortlessly, and remove app names under home icon settings for a sleek vibe. Move multiple apps by entering jiggle mode, dragging one, then tapping others to stack. In iOS 19, custom app icons skip delays for native tweaks.

Folder stacking merges collections; long-press to peek. Hide apps via “Remove from Home Screen.” Widgets gain interactive smarts—tap weather for Delhi monsoon alerts, stack to cycle. Build a “Fintech Hub” with a calculator, stocks, and Notes for MSME references.

Camera and Photo Hacks

Boost photos to 48MP HEIF via Settings > Camera > Formats. Record discreetly from the lock screen or Back Tap. Scan text to Notes: tap camera > Scan Text for receipts—drag to edit, ideal for MSME invoices. Measure with the app, Live Text for OCR on menus. Photographic Styles tweak live; burst for 10 shots/sec. Macro on 13+, Night mode for Delhi evenings. Edit videos frame-by-frame, add spatial audio.