Your iPhone is full of hidden iPhone tricks and security tools tucked away in Settings that most people never discover. Here’s a mix of fun finds and the best security settings that actually matter.
Jump to: Fun & Hidden iPhone Tricks | Best Security Settings | A Closer Look | FAQ
- Back Tap — Double or triple-tap the back for a screenshot, flashlight, Control Center, or custom Shortcut. Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
- NameDrop — Hold two iPhones’ top edges together to exchange contact info or send Apple Cash.
- Measure App — Turns your camera into a tape measure. Swipe down and search “Measure.”
- Drag and Drop — Grab a photo, link, or text and drag it into another app instead of using the share sheet.
- StandBy Mode — Turn your phone sideways while charging for a bedside display with clock, photos, and widgets.
- — See who’s calling before answering, or identify a plant or pet from a photo.
- Focus Filters — A Work Focus hides personal email and calendar, a Personal Focus hides work ones.
- Ultra Dark Mode — Enable Reduce White Point under Accessibility, then triple-click the side button for a darker mode.
- Battery Charging Limit — Cap your max charge (like 80%) to slow long-term battery wear.
Best Security Settings to Turn On
- Hide My Email — Disposable addresses for sign-ups so your real email never gets leaked or spammed.
- App Privacy Report — Under Settings > Privacy & Security, shows which apps access your camera, mic, location, and contacts, and how often.
- Face ID Lock on Sensitive Photos — Adds protection beyond your normal lock screen.
- Safety Check — Reviews and revokes access you’ve given to people or apps. Useful after a relationship ends or if someone else may have device access. Apple’s own Safety Check guide walks through every option in detail.
- Carrier Location Limiter — Restricts how precisely your carrier can track your location.
- Automatic Software Updates — Recent iOS updates patched dozens of vulnerabilities. Staying current closes real gaps before they’re exploited.
- Two-Factor Authentication + Passwords App — Generate and store strong, unique passwords instead of reusing the same one everywhere.
Setting Up Safety Check and Hide My Email Step by Step
Two of the settings above are worth walking through in more detail, since both are easy to overlook but do a lot of quiet work in the background.
Safety Check:
Hide My Email: When signing up for a new account or newsletter, tap the email field and look for the “Hide My Email” suggestion above the keyboard, or generate one manually under Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Hide My Email. Each address forwards to your real inbox but can be deactivated individually the moment it starts attracting spam, without touching your actual email address at all. It’s a small habit that pays off the first time a retailer’s mailing list gets breached and you can simply delete that one address instead of changing your real email everywhere.
Why These Hidden iPhone Tricks Are Worth Learning
Most people use maybe 10% of what their iPhone can actually do. Every hidden iPhone tricks list above solves a real, everyday annoyance — finding your cursor faster, sharing a file without the share sheet, keeping your battery healthy longer — and every security setting closes a gap that’s genuinely exploitable if left open. Neither list takes more than a few minutes to work through, and both are worth revisiting after every major iOS update since Apple regularly adds new toggles in the same menus. If you’re also curious about the Mac side of things, our MacBook Pro hidden hacks guide covers the same ground for macOS, and our hidden Android tricks guide covers the same ground for Android.
iPhone Habits That Quietly Cause Problems
A handful of everyday habits account for most of the iPhone support calls our shop sees. Ignoring the “Storage Almost Full” warning is one of the biggest — once local storage runs critically low, photo backups, app updates, and even iOS updates themselves can silently fail, leaving the device more vulnerable over time simply because it can’t install the latest security patch. Reusing the same password across multiple accounts is another; a breach on one unrelated site can cascade into every account sharing that password, which is exactly what the built-in Passwords app and its “Change Weak Password” warnings are designed to catch.
It’s also worth being deliberate about which apps get Photo Library access versus Selected Photos access. Many apps default to requesting full library access during setup, but iOS lets you grant access to only a handful of selected images instead — worth choosing every time a new app asks, rather than defaulting to “Allow Full Access” out of habit. Combined with a periodic App Privacy Report check, this keeps the list of apps that can see your entire photo library meaningfully shorter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the most useful hidden iPhone trick?
Back Tap is one of the most popular hidden iPhone tricks, since it turns a simple double-tap on the back of the phone into a shortcut for a screenshot, flashlight, or custom action.
Is Safety Check something everyone should run?
It’s especially useful after a relationship ends or if you suspect someone else has access to your device, but running it periodically as routine hygiene is a good habit for anyone.
Does Hide My Email cost anything?
No — Hide My Email is included free with any Apple ID and generates unlimited disposable addresses for sign-ups.
How often should I check for iOS updates?
Turn on automatic updates and you won’t have to think about it, but checking manually once a month is a good habit if you’ve ever paused them.
Should I always grant apps full Photo Library access?
No. Choosing “Selected Photos” whenever an app requests library access limits exactly what that app can see, and it’s worth reviewing periodically through the App Privacy Report.
What happens if I ignore a “Storage Almost Full” warning for too long?
Photo backups, app updates, and even iOS security updates can silently fail once storage runs critically low, which can leave the device on an outdated, more vulnerable version of iOS without you realizing it.
Not Sure Your Settings Are Locked Down?
If you’d rather have a professional walk through your security settings, or suspect something’s wrong, bring your iPhone in. We’ll check for anything suspicious and make sure your device and data are protected.
Call (305) 879-5585 to schedule a visit.