Use your iPhone playlist as a sleep aid

Use your iPhone playlist as a sleep aid
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Have you ever wanted to fall asleep to your favourite playlist but didn’t want to burn down your battery or wake up to the music playing? The iPhone now has a sleep timer that lets you turn off your music at a specific time. Simply go to the Clock app, tap on the Timer option on the bottom-right corner of your screen, and choose the specific amount of time that you want your music to play for. Next, tap on the option for When Timer Ends. Now scroll all the way to the bottom and choose Stop Playing. Then all you have left to do is tap Set at the top right-hand corner of your screen. Voilà! Now you can enjoy your music without worrying about it playing all night long.

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Turn your phone into a high-tech medical ID bracelet

Turn your phone into a high-tech medical ID bracelet
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Your iPhone has the power to provide emergency medical personnel with the information they need to save your life. It can essentially function as an advanced medical ID bracelet. Since many people always have their phone with them, it can be easier to remember, too. With the Medical ID function, medical personnel can instantly access necessary information about your medical needs and history from the Lock screen. To set this up, go to the Your Health app and click on the Summary tab. Tap on the profile photo of yourself in the upper right-hand corner. Tap Medical ID under the Medical Details option, then choose to edit it. Now input all the information that someone may need to know to act and protect your health during an emergency.

Set your phone to answer itself

Set your phone to answer itself
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You have the option of setting your iPhone to automatically answer itself. If you are often in a situation where you don’t have your hands free or can’t quickly grab your phone when it rings, having your phone automatically pick up can help ensure you don’t miss important calls. Go to the Accessibility option, then select Call Audio Routing. Toggle the Auto-Answer Calls option to the green “on” option. When you activate this feature, it will answer any call and let you speak with the caller automatically.

Access the calculator’s hidden backspace button

Access the calculator’s hidden backspace button
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It’s no secret that the iPhone has an iOS Calculator app, but many Apple customers don’t know about the hidden backspace button. Once you’ve entered a lot of numbers or started your calculations on the app, it seems like you have to press clear and start over if you accidentally press a wrong number or two. However, if you swipe to the left on the area where the numbers are displayed, the last few numbers will be deleted without erasing the rest of your work.

Connect your computer to your iPhone’s hotspot

Connect your computer to your iPhone’s hotspot
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Your smartphone can serve as your own mobile hotspot and router, providing Internet for all the computers in your household. Since most data plans have a limited use, it’s best to use this option only in a pinch. For example, if your power goes out or you are not able to access your home’s Wi-Fi network, the hotspot can provide a high-powered way to connect. Simply go to Settings, choose the Personal Hotspot option, and make sure it is set to “on.” As long as you have a hotspot option with your phone plan, you can use the password on the Personal Hotspot page to wirelessly connect your laptop, iPad, and other devices to the Internet.

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Track your menstrual cycle and other health data

Track your menstrual cycle and other health data
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Need to track your menstrual cycle in a way you can easily access at the doctor’s office without a lot of effort? Your iPhone can help you track your monthly symptoms (including PMS), basal body temperature, when you have spotting, and more. Go to the Health app, click on Browse, and select Cycle Tracking. Now swipe the correct day for when you last started your period and tap the oval option to log the date. Do this each month. If you want to add more data, scroll down, and choose the category where you want to provide more information on your menstrual cycle to have it readily available.

Sign documents

Sign documents
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Electronic signatures are more often becoming the acceptable norm for business contracts and new-hire employee forms. You don’t have to buy expensive software to sign something electronically—you can do so easily within the Mail app using the markup option on your iPhone. Open the document from the Mail app on your iPhone. If it wasn’t sent to you via email, forward it so that you can easily access it from the Mail app.

Now, go to the email and tap on the attached document that you want to sign. If you haven’t downloaded it already, click to download it. Next, scroll through the document until you pull up the lines where you need to provide text. Tap on the lines and fill them out as directed. For the line with your signature, tap the mark-up symbol. (If you are unfamiliar with the mark-up option, it’s the small icon that looks likes a pen in the upper-right corner.) An assortment of pen options will appear along with a plus sign. Select the plus sign and then the signature option that will appear. A screen will open that allows you to use your finger on the screen to write your signature. When you finish writing your signature, click done. You can then place your signature precisely where you want it on the document. While we’re on the subject, find out how to sign a document on your computer, too.

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Find a photo based on who or what’s in it

Find a photo based on who or what’s in it
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Have you ever been daydreaming about a time you went somewhere special such as the Eiffel Tower? Or wished you could sort through all the photographs you have of you and your best friend? If you want to find that special moment to post a Throwback Thursday or a Flashback Friday online, it’s now possible to search for a photo on your iPhone based simply on what’s in the picture. Go to your Photos app, then click on the search bar. Your phone will offer you suggestions of people, places, and things. Choose the right one or type in exactly what you’re searching for. A group of photos matching your description should appear, so you can pick the ones you want to look at, send, or post online.

Use different (good) vibrations for each contact

Use different (good) vibrations for each contact
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Many people know about custom ringtones, but now you can also choose a different vibration notification for each friend in your contact list. That way, when you’re out with friends or in a meeting, you don’t have to check your phone every time you get a text. You’ll know when it’s someone you really need to check on. To set the vibrations for certain contacts, go to Settings and choose Sounds & Haptics. From there, tap Vibration and choose an available vibration pattern, or choose Create New Vibration to create a custom vibration all your own.

Locate your vehicle

Locate your vehicle
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Who hasn’t found themselves in the humiliating situation of not being able to find their car in a big parking lot? Happily, the next time that happens, you can rely on your iPhone to immediately locate your vehicle and get on with your day. Make sure that you still have the Maps app that came installed on your iPhone, then check to see that your phone is connected to CarPlay or Bluetooth while in your car.

To make sure you can locate your vehicle, go to the Settings menu, and choose the Maps app. Next, scroll to the bottom of the list under Maps and turn on Show Parked Location under the option of Your Car. The toggle button will be green to confirm that it’s on, and your phone will be all set to show your car’s location any time you park it. When you park your car, the Maps app will drop a parked-car marker so you can easily find your way back.

To find your car when it seems lost, open the Maps app on your iPhone and tap the search field. Choose the Parked Car option from the suggestions list, and the app will show you exactly where your car is.

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