Here are some of the most surprisingly helpful hidden features your smartphone already has, but you probably don’t use.
This is easily one of Apple’s cleverest features, and almost no one uses it. The back of your iPhone can function as an extra, invisible button. With a double-tap or triple-tap, you can trigger almost anything.
You can set it to:
- turn on the flashlight
- take a screenshot
- lock your phone
- open the camera
- run a shortcut (for example, WhatsApp a pre-typed message)
How to enable:
Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap
Once you try it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Imagine being able to subtitle any audio, YouTube videos, podcasts, Instagram Reels, voice notes, instantly, and without internet.
Live Caption does exactly that.
Perfect for moments when:
- you can’t turn on sound
- you’re in a noisy place
- you’re watching videos secretly during class or meetings
- you want to understand an accent better
It’s one of Android’s most thoughtful accessibility features.
How to enable:
Press Volume Button → Tap the Caption icon
(or search in Settings)
Your phone camera is far more than a camera. It can now understand the world.
On iPhone (Visual Lookup) and Android (Google Lens), you can point your camera at almost anything and get instant information.
You can identify:
- plants
- dog breeds
- insects
- landmarks
- artworks
- recipes from food photos
- books and products
Google Lens also lets you copy text from the real world, translate signs instantly, and even shop by scanning objects.
This feature turns your phone into a pocket-sized encyclopedia.
Ever handed someone your phone to show a picture and watched them start scrolling through your gallery?
Awful feeling, right?
Screen Pinning (Android) and Guided Access (iPhone) lets you lock your phone to one app so no one can open anything else.
Great for:
- kids
- friends who over-scroll
- letting someone watch a video
- filling forms in public
It brings instant peace of mind when sharing your device.
Forget installing scanner apps, your phone already has a built-in system that produces better results.
On iPhone:
Notes App → Camera → Scan Documents
On Android:
Google Drive → + → Scan
You get clean, shadow-free, auto-edited PDFs perfect for:
- college forms
- ID proof
- business documents
- receipts
- handwritten notes
This one feature alone can replace an entire scanning machine.
These tools aren’t flashy, but they quietly protect your mental energy.
Focus Mode (iPhone) lets you:
- hide distracting apps
- silence notifications
- switch lock screens for different times
- block apps during work/study
Android’s Digital Wellbeing does the same with timers, usage alerts, and calm modes.
If you constantly fight distraction, this feature feels like a lifesaver.
Most iPhone users have no idea that their phone can function as a tape measure. Apple hid a surprisingly accurate measuring tool inside the Measure app.
You can:
- measure objects in real time
- check furniture dimensions before buying
- measure wall height
- use the built-in spirit level for hanging frames
- measure room sizes
It’s shockingly accurate once calibrated and incredibly useful for home setup, DIY projects, or even comparing luggage sizes at the airport.
On Android, Google’s AR Measure apps (found on Play Store for compatible phones) offer similar functionality.
Most of us use only 20–30% of what our phones can actually do. The rest remains hidden behind menus we never open. These small features may not be “viral,” but they quietly make daily life smoother, whether you’re traveling, studying, working, or simply trying to stay organised.
Your phone has grown smarter every year. Maybe it’s time how you use it grows too.
