Iphone 6 top 20 tricks and tips

Make the most of the iPhone 6 with these 20 essential tricks and tips

Nonetheless, the aptly-titled Tips app built into iOS 8 doesn’t cover all bases, especially considering just how vast and varied the innate features baked into Apple’s latest mobile can be. Most of us need a little extra help to get the most out of the $750 megaphone, whether you’re simply trying to traverse the device’s expanded real estate or capture slow-motion video of your dog drooling on the sofa. Below are 20 of our favorite tips and tricks for the iPhone 6.

How to reach the top of the screen using one hand

Apple has always wanted consumers to use the iPhone with a single hand hand — hence, the iPhone 6’s new Reachability feature. Simply double-touch the Home button to shift the screen down closer to your thumb, and once you make your selection, it will conveniently slide back up to its natural position. No second hand required.

How to opt out of group iMessages

Certainly a long-sought feature, iPhone 6 users can now opt out of iMessage threads. To do so, launch the Messages app as you would normally, and choose the group thread you’d like to opt out of. Afterward, tap Details in the upper-right corner, and select the Leave this conversation option at the bottom of the menu. It’s a really nice feature, but sadly, it only allows you to leave conversations when everyone included on the thread utilizes iMessage. If you’ve got a friend who texts via SMS — ahem, Android users — the feature won’t do you any good.

How to create a medical ID

When Apple issued iOS 8, the company added the highly-rumored Health app to its arsenal. The somewhat complicated app provides a quick means for charting various metrics regarding your health and physical activity, along with a way for others to to access a wealth of information vital to your health in case of an emergency. You can create a Medical ID that’s accessible via the Emergency function located on your device’s lock screen.
To create a Medical ID, launch the Health app as you would normally, and select the Medical ID tab in the lower-right corner. Afterward, enter any information you want accessible through the lock screen — i.e. allergies, medications, blood type, emergency contact numbers — and click Done in the upper-right corner before enabling the function at the top of the app window.

How to capture smoother video

The iPhone 6 has stellar video recording capabilities, especially when you enable 60 FPS. The feature essentially doubles the amount of frames per second when recording, taking iPhone 6 videos from 30 to 60 frames per second. To enable said feature, tap the Photos and Camera option within the main Settings, and toggle Record video at 60 FPS to on.

How to capture slow-motion video

Unlike previous iPhone models, the iPhone 6 is capable of capturing slow-motion videos, which are great for recording action videos. To enable the feature, launch the Camera app as you would normally, and select SLO-MO from the sliding wheel at the bottom of the screen. Then, choose between 120 and 240 frames per second.

How to capture photos using the volume keys

Snapping photos using the volume button is as easy as it sounds. With the Camera app open, simply press either the volume up or down button housed on the left-hand side of the smartphone. The process even works when using a pair of headphones featuring an inline remote and volume keys.

How to identify which apps are draining your battery

The iPhone 6 battery is certainly better than past models, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep an eye on which apps are draining your battery. To discover which are the most intensive, select General from within the main Settings panel. Afterward, select Usage followed by Battery Usage on the resulting page to see the list of culprits.

How to instantly send voice messages

Sending long-winded texts can be difficult, but fortunately, iOS allows you to send voice messages with ease. To record your message, tap and hold the microphone icon to the right of the text field when viewing a thread. Then, when finished recording, simply swipe up to send your message or slide right to cancel.

How to listen and respond to Audio messages like you would a phone call

Love sending audio messages, but hate listening to them alongside everyone in your vicinity? Enabling the Raise to Listen feature allows you to listen and reply to audio recordings like you would a normal phone call. To do so, select Messages within the main Settings panel, and toggle Raise to Listen to on.

How to change Siri’s pronunciation

Siri isn’t always the sharpest tool in the shed, at least when it comes to pronouncing more obscure names and words. That’s why Apple included a way to change how Siri pronounces specified terms. To do so, simply say “That’s not how you pronounce that” after Siri mispronounces a name or term. Afterward, Siri will ask you for the correct pronunciation and you’ll be given a list of viable pronunciation options to choose from.