5 hidden iPhone features you might not know

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5 hidden iPhone features
Discover hidden iPhone features you might not know about with our latest video.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

You might think you know everything there possibly is to know about your iPhone, but there’s always something new to learn. These hidden iPhone features will save you time every single day.

5 hidden iPhone features

As iOS gets more complex, Apple’s sneaky engineers continue to cram cool features into the operating system. In the Cult of Mac video below, I’ll run you through a handful of hidden iPhone features you might not know.

Close all Safari tabs

close all tabs
Too many Safari tabs to handle? No problem. Close them all at once!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

People often complain online about not being able to close all Safari tabs with one quick maneuver. Little do they know, the feature they’re requesting is hidden in plain sight. You can close all your open tabs at once using one of two very similar methods. Either tap the tabs icon at the bottom right within Safari, then press and hold the Done button, or just press and hold the tabs icon. Either way, after a second or two you’ll see the option to “Close XX Tabs.” Tap to make it happen. Simple!

Adjust flashlight brightness

Flashlight

I use the flashlight on my iPhone at least once daily, whether it’s to look under the sofa for my Apple TV remote or to see where to put my key in the door when I get home. But different situations may require different brightnesses. For example, I don’t want my iPhone to be beaming out the brightest light when I’m reading a book in bed, as it may disturb my fiancee.

Thankfully, you can easily adjust iPhone flashlight brightness using 3D Touch. A firm press on the flashlight icon within the Control Center will reveal low, medium and high settings for the flashlight. Pick the one that’s appropriate for your situation.

Let Siri announce a caller’s name

Siri settings
Siri will tell you who’s calling with this simple trick.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’ve constantly got your earphones in, pulling out your iPhone from your pocket or backpack to see who’s calling can become a bit of a pain, especially if you’re working out.

Siri can help you out by telling you who’s calling. That way, you can accept or ignore a call without looking at your phone. To enable it, go to Settings. Scroll down, tap Phone and then Announce Calls. From there, pick your poison: You can instruct Siri to always say who’s calling, or to make the announcements only when you’re wearing headphones, or when you’re wearing headphones and connected to a car stereo via Bluetooth. (The default is set to never.) Super-handy.

Hide your phone number

Hit #31# before your iPhone calls to keep your number private.
Hit #31# before your iPhone calls to keep your number private.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’re a bit of a prankster and want to hide your number when making a call, this iPhone trick is perfect. Simply hit #31# before starting your call — your number won’t be visible to whoever picks up on the other end.

Apple Pay shortcut

Apple Pay Terminal
Did you know this Apple Pay shortcut?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Finally, if you’re an Apple Pay user, you’ll already know you can open the Wallet app or double-tap your iPhone’s Home button when you’re ready for a transaction. But did you know you don’t have to do either of them? You can simply hold your iPhone next to a compatible payment terminal — your iPhone will automatically open Apple Pay. Much easier.

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