iOS 15 hidden options and iPhone methods you did not know you wanted

Apple usually does an incredible job of showcasing its hottest options every time it drops a brand new iOS replace. With iOS 15, the tech big talked up its Do Not Disturb substitute, in addition to enhancements and additions to FaceTime and Maps — however there are hidden options that it both did not speak a lot about, or actually even point out.

And generally, it is these hidden options that actually improve your expertise greater than among the greater and well-liked updates.

On this information, we’ll be going via a number of lesser-known options on iOS 15: together with tips on how to use your digital camera to live-scan textual content, transfer the deal with bar in Safari again to the place it was and drag-and-drop photographs and different recordsdata between apps.

Learn extra: Every part we find out about iOS 15.1 and the iOS 15.2 beta

Use your iPhone’s digital camera to scan any textual content

Have you ever ever wished you may level your iPhone’s digital camera at an indication or piece of paper and have it mechanically determine after which copy the textual content into an electronic mail or a doc? With iOS 15, it is doable and extremely cool. 

To make use of the iPhone’s new “scan textual content” instrument, long-press inside a textual content discipline as if you are going to use the copy-and-paste immediate. Solely, you will now see a Scan Textual content button. You may additionally see a button that makes use of simply the scan icon, which seems like a bit of paper with brackets round it. 

Faucet the button, which is able to change your keyboard along with your iPhone digital camera’s viewfinder. Level your digital camera at no matter you need to scan, after which observe the prompts on the display screen. For example, if you happen to’re shifting the digital camera too quick, you will see a “Gradual Down” message flash on the display screen. 

As you are lining up the digital camera and textual content excellent, you will see a reside preview of the textual content your iPhone is figuring out and able to place in your doc. Faucet the Insert button if you’re prepared. 

This can be a neat and straightforward technique to shortly scan an electronic mail deal with off a enterprise card, a cellphone quantity on an indication or, as you may see within the screenshots above, scan the again of a ebook and insert it as one big block of textual content. 

Transfer Safari’s deal with bar again to the highest of your display screen

Apple has made numerous modifications to Safari for the iPhone and iPad. One of many main modifications you will discover after putting in the replace in your iPhone is that the deal with bar with all of its included performance has been moved to the underside of the display screen. 

The thought is that by shifting the deal with bar to the underside it is simpler to get round Safari and browse the net as a result of all the buttons are nearer to your thumb, however the change will not be splendid for everybody. And Apple is supplying you with a selection within the matter by permitting you to maneuver the deal with bar again to the highest of the display screen. 

When utilizing Safari in your iPhone, faucet the Aa button on the deal with bar (do not long-press, only a faucet is okay). On the prime of the menu that exhibits up you will see a brand new possibility labeled Present Prime Handle Bar. Faucet it to maneuver the deal with bar up prime.

Get real-time precipitation alerts from the iPhone’s climate app

When Apple purchased the favored climate app Darkish Sky, I instantly hoped that the official iPhone climate app would acquire the real-time rain and snow alerts I had come to depend on to maintain me dry. These alerts are making their debut in iOS 15, usually arriving a couple of minutes earlier than Darkish Sky’s alerts — which is A-OK with me. 

When you’re operating iOS 15, you may activate the brand new precipitation alerts by opening the Climate app, then tapping the three-line icon within the backside proper nook of the display screen. Subsequent, faucet the circle icon with the three dots within the prime proper nook of the display screen adopted by Notifications. 

Slide the swap subsequent to My Location to the On place after which faucet Completed. You probably have extra cities added to the Climate app, you may activate alerts for each. 

The subsequent time rain or snow is getting near you, your iPhone will warn you a couple of minutes earlier than it may begin. You may additionally obtain one other alert when the rain is sort of completed.

Drag-and-drop between apps involves the iPhone

The iPad has lengthy allow you to drag-and-drop paperwork, textual content or photos between apps. And now, it is the iPhone’s flip. When you’re going forwards and backwards between Messages and Images to share photos from a current night time out with mates, for instance, now you can drag them from the Images app to the Messages app. 

To check out the brand new function, open the Images app and think about your current photographs. Do not faucet on an image to open it full-screen; as a substitute place a finger on the photograph and begin to drag your finger throughout the display screen. With out lifting your finger when the thumbnail begins to drift over the remainder of the photographs, swap again to the Messages app. 

You may see a inexperienced circle with a plus register it present up on the thumbnail indicating that you could raise your finger and the photograph will probably be positioned within the textual content discipline, prepared so that you can ship. 

Fairly straightforward, proper? You should utilize this identical method to connect a doc from the Recordsdata app to an electronic mail. 

Extra data is on the market about your photographs 

I’ve all the time had to make use of a third-party app if I needed to view any of the finer particulars saved within the EXIF information a couple of photograph I used to be despatched or took myself. Now everytime you’re viewing a photograph within the Images app, you may swipe up on it to open an data view that may element the place you saved the photograph from, in addition to all the EXIF data equivalent to shutter velocity, location and the digital camera used. 

The added data is a welcome addition even if you happen to do not care about all the finer particulars. On the very least, having the ability to see the place you saved the image from (together with who despatched it to you) is sufficient. 

Change the scale of textual content utilized in particular apps

At the moment, you may change the systemwide font dimension to suit your desire. However with iOS 15, there is a new instrument that allows you to change the scale of the font on an app-by-app foundation. Which means for instance that you could have the Mail app and Twitter be in numerous font sizes.

To make use of the brand new function, open the Settings app, then go to Management Heart and scroll down till you discover the choice labeled Textual content Measurement by tapping on the inexperienced plus signal. 

The subsequent time you are in an app and also you need to alter the scale of the textual content, open Management Heart (swipe down from the highest proper nook of the display screen on an iPhone that has Face ID, or up from the underside of the display screen on an iPhone with Contact ID) and faucet the Textual content Measurement button. Slide the button on the backside of the display screen to the left aspect of the toggle to point that you just solely need your modifications utilized to the app you are presently utilizing, after which alter the font dimension up or down. 

If you have not but gotten your palms on iOS 15, this is a easy information you may observe to obtain the most recent cellular working system in your iPhone. You may as well try our assessment on iOS 15, which covers most of the main new options. And if you happen to’re trying to improve to iOS 15 however have a a lot older cellphone, learn our assessment on the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Professional and iPhone 13 Max.