Today’s phones are even smarter than you think. Hidden within the configuration of many models, you’ll find amazing features that can help keep you safe, healthy and productive.
You also don’t have to download an additional app. Most of these super powers are built into the latest Android and Apple operating systems, though they may not be apparent when you first set up your phone or even after months of using it.
For Android users, instructions and capabilities may vary from brand to brand and model to model. But, in a pinch, you can always use the search function in your phone’s settings to find the features highlighted below.
Health and Safety
Share emergency medical information on your phone screen
In the event of an emergency, your phone can display life-saving medical information, such as allergies and blood type, for first responders. You can choose to make information accessible even if your phone is locked.
• On An Android phone: Go to Settings> About phone> Emergency information. Enter the message you want to display on your lock screen. To obtain medical information, press “Edit information”. For emergency contacts, tap “Add Contacts.” (Samsung phone owners can find this setting in Settings> Security & emergency and Settings> Lock screen).
• On an iPhone: Go to the Health app. Enter your basic information, then click Get started under Set up your medical ID. At the bottom, you can add emergency contacts, who will be notified when you contact the emergency services.
Send an SOS with a mano
Newer phones can be set to automatically send messages to your emergency contacts when you press the hardware buttons. Your phone can also share your current location. iPhone and Samsung phones have this built in. With other Android phones, you can set up an autoresponder that does the same thing when you invoke Google Assistant with the command “Hey Google”.
• On an Android phone: Say “Hey Google, open Google Assistant”. Tap Routines, then the plus sign (+) to add a new routine. Select “Voice Command”. Use something like “Emergency Code Red” or “SOS” as a phrase. Then tap “Add Action”> Communicate & Announce> Send a text message. Enter the contact number and the message you want to send. (Samsung phone owners can go to Settings> Security & Emergency> Send SOS Messages).
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Emergency SOS.
Lock and wipe a phone lost or stolen
If your phone is lost, you can protect the data with a passcode and post a help request on the screen to help in rescue tasks. You can also remotely wipe the device to further protect your personal data. Turn on your computer, visit the following web pages and follow the instructions.
• On an iPhone: Go to icloud.com/find
• On an Android phone: Go to android.com/find.
Let people know where you are
This is not only a safety tip, but also a time saving tip for those who are tired of explaining to their friends how to find a picnic spot or a backyard party. Simply have your phone send a map pinpointing your location.
• On an Android phone : Open Google Maps, touch and hold your finger on your current location until a card with the address appears, then touch Share> Messages.
• On an iPhone: Open a text message, tap on the sender’s profile in the top of the screen. Then tap Send my current location.
Fights eye strain (and maybe insomnia)
Reading text on a bright white screen can tire your eyes and keep you awake. Studies show that blue shades of light make the nervous system more awake. But many phones allow you to reduce blue light and reduce glare by casting the screen in an amber glow. In some cases, you can even set a time period for the feature to turn on automatically.
• On an Android phone: Go to Settings> Display> Night Light. (Samsung phone owners will find a similar feature called “Eye comfort shield” or “Blue light filter” by swiping down from the top of the screen to access the quick settings panel).
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Display & Brightness> Night Mode.
Sleep better
Your phone can help you get more rest by encouraging you to stick to a consistent sleep schedule. In addition to prompting you to go to sleep and wake up on time, the Bedtime feature on Android and iOS can activate Do Not Disturb mode to silence notifications and calls.
• On an Android phone: Open the Clock app and tap Bedtime. On the Schedule card, tap the time below Bedtime to set your nightly schedule. Then tap the time below “Wake up” to set your morning schedule.
• On an iPhone: Open the app Health. Under “Set sleep”, tap “Start” and follow the prompts to set your bedtime and wake up time. You can also set sleep goals (ie the number of hours you would like to sleep).
Keep an eye on a child or an elderly parent
If you have a child who walks to school or a parent with Alzheimer’s disease , you can use the location tracking technology built into their smartphones to monitor their travels. Google’s Family Link app works on both iOS and Android and can also help you set screen time limits and manage apps.
• On an Android phone: Download and open the free Google Family Link app and follow the setup instructions. • On an iPhone: Go to Settings>> Family sharing> Share location. This will allow you to create an account for the child and invite other family members to share their location data.
Tracking your screen time
Are you worried that you or your child are not disconnecting enough? Here’s how to monitor your digital distraction and set limits or timers to find a better balance.
• On an Android phone: Go to Settings> Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls.
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Screen time.
Ease of use
Make text and icons easier to read
With these easy ways to increase font size and icons, you don’t have to squint to read texts and emails on your phone.
• On an Android phone: Go to Settings> Display> Font size and slide the dot at the bottom of the screen to adjust the text size. To increase the size of everything on the screen, go to Settings> Display> Screen size and slide the dot to adjust both the font and icon size. (Samsung phone owners, please find “Font Size & Style” and “Screen Zoom” in Display settings).
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Display & Brightness> Text Size and drag the slider. To increase the size of the icons (and everything else on the screen), go to Settings> Accessibility> Zoom.
Choose an alert from vibrate for specific contacts
Many people choose personalized ringtones to identify who is calling, but you can go one step further and customize vibration alerts to identify who is texting or calling you when your phone is in your pocket.
• On an Android phone: Open the Contacts app> Select the contact you want to customize> Tap Edit> Scroll down to More Options> Vibration pattern. Select a vibration pattern other than the default. To create a custom vibration pattern, you need to install a third-party app.
• On a iPhone: Open the Contacts app> Select the contact you want to customize> Tap Edit ringtone> Vibrate. You can choose a standard pattern or choose Create new vibration to create a custom vibration pattern.
Shake or swipe to undo a typo
To clear an error in an email, note, or text message, you can simply shake vigorously the Iphone. Samsung phone owners need to enable the undo gesture to remove those latest changes. If you delete something by mistake, shake the phone well or slide it in the opposite direction to restore what you deleted.
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Accessibility> Touch> Shake to undo.
• On a Samsung phone: Go to Settings> General management> Samsung keyboard settings> Swipe, tap & feedback> Keyboard controls. keyboard slide. Select “No swipe gestures.” When you want to erase what you’ve typed, simply swipe from right to left on the keyboard with two fingers. To restore what you had deleted, swipe from left to right.
Control your cursor
If it’s hard to accurately move your phone’s tiny cursor with your chubby fingers, here’s a foolproof way to do it.
• On an Android phone: Hold down the spacebar and swipe left or right. • On an iPhone: Hold down the space bar until the keyboard turns gray, then slide your finger to move the cursor within the text.
Schedule text messages
How do you say good morning to an early riser? And good night to a night owl? With a timely text message, of course. Scheduling a text message is built into Android and is possible on iPhone with a somewhat cumbersome solution.
• On an Android phone: Open the Messages app> Write your text message> Press and hold Send> Choose from suggested options> Press Send.
• On an iPhone: Open the Shortcuts app> Go to Automation> Create personal automation> Time of day. Set the time and date you want the message to be sent> Next> Add action> Send message je> Enter the message you want to send and the recipients. On the next screen, turn off the “Ask before running” option to have this run without input. To finish, press Done.
Scroll through the tabs quickly
Instead of pressing your phone repeatedly to navigate through web browser tabs, you can get the same results with a simple swipe. The gesture works on Android and Apple phones.
• On an Android phone or an iPhone: Swipe from left to right on the address bar to view the previous tab. To see the next tab, swipe from right to left. To open a new tab on an iPhone, swipe all the way to the right.
Productivity
Scan documents
Do you want to digitize a receipt, a prescription or a public document to do a text search? Your phone has everything you need to use it as a scanner, no third-party app required. The steps below convert photos of documents into sharp PDFs.
• On an Android phone: Open the GoogleDrive app. Tap the plus sign (+)> Scan> and take a photo of the document. You can also crop the image, change it from black and white to color, rotate it and add pages if you wish.
• On an iPhone: Open the Apple Notes app. Tap the new note icon at the bottom> the Camera button> Scan Documents. If your phone is in automatic mode, it will scan the document immediately. Otherwise, press the shutter button or one of the volume buttons to take the photo. You can then drag the corners to fit the scan to the page, rotate the document, or add pages. To save as a PDF, press the Share button on the scanned document and choose Create PDF.
Enlarge small font
Need a little help reading that tiny print on the prescription label? Your phone’s camera can work as a magnifying glass.
• On an Android phone: Go to Settings> Accessibility> Magnification> and turn on the Magnification shortcut. (Samsung phone owners will find this in Settings> Accessibility> Visibility Enhancements> Magnification.) To activate it, open the camera app, tap the accessibility button, and drag with two fingers to zoom.
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Accessibility> Accessibility shortcut> Magnifying glass. To activate it, click the side button 3 times. Then drag the slider to zoom in or out.
Make your phone read to you
Many phones can read the content of the screen aloud, whether it is a text message, an email or a newspaper article. This text-to-talk feature is great for hands-free “reading” or if you have trouble seeing the screen.
• On an Android phone: Go to Settings> Accessibility> Select to speak. Depending on your version of Android, a small icon of a person or a speech bubble will appear on the screen of any application; press it and the phone will start reading. (For Samsung phones, there’s a similar feature called TalkBack, but it’s always on and reads everything you press or select on the screen.)
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Accessibility> Spoken Content> Speak Selection. Once enabled, you can highlight the text and click the Speak button to have the selection read. If you have Speak Screen enabled, you can listen to the entire screen by swiping down with two fingers. Or, you can ask Siri to “read the screen”.
Listen remotely
Turn your phone into a microphone that plugs into your headphones or earphones so you can better hear people on the other end of your phone. the room. You can also use this feature to monitor a baby crying in another room, listen to a TV or speaker at a louder volume than others around you prefer, or any other remote microphone use you can think of.
• On an Android phone: This function is built into Google Pixel phones, but other Android users can download the Google Sound Booster app from Google Play. To use it, open Sound Amplifier, accept the permissions, connect your wired or Bluetooth headset to your device, and press the accessibility button, which looks like a person, or swipe up with two fingers.
• On an iPhone: Apple Live Listen is compatible with AirPods, Powerbeats Pro and Beats Fit Pro. First, add Live Listen to Control Center. For that, go to Settings> Control Center. Then press the plus sign (+) next to the Audition button. Then open Control Center, tap the Hearing button and tap Live Listen.
Turn your phone into a toolbox
Measuring and making sure you hang picture frames straight has never been easier, as your phone can double as tape measure and leveling tool. The iPhone’s Measure app can even provide a person’s height in the camera field.
• On an Android phone: Google removed its augmented reality Measure app in the middle of 2021 and also does not offer an leveling bubble, so you need to use a third party app for both functions.
• On an iPhone: Open the Measure app and follow the instructions to move your phone. Move the mark from the start point of the measurement and press the plus sign (+), then press it again after moving the mark to the end point. The Leveling feature allows you to straighten images using a digital interface on the phone.
Create and send a screenshot
Need to send an image of an error message to technical support? Share what’s on your screen in an instant with these shortcuts.
• In a Android phone: Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Tap the image to edit or share it.
• On an iPhone: Press the side button and the volume up button at the same time. Tap the thumbnail that appears in the lower left corner of the screen to open and share it.
Record an instructional video
You can share any of these hidden tricks by creating a step-by-step video of what’s on your phone screen, along with your voice tutorial.
• On an Android phone: Swipe down from the top screen, then tap the Screen Recorder icon (you may need to swipe right to find it)> Start Recording and a countdown will begin. To pause, annotate, or stop the recording, use the toolbar that appears on your screen. You will find the recording in Google Photos.
• On an iPhone: Go to Settings> Control Center> and press the plus sign (+) next to Screen Recording. Then open Control Center and hit the circular recording icon. To stop recording, tap the red status bar at the top of the screen.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the February issue of 2019 of Consumer Reports magazine. It has been updated with new advice.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer , safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a fair, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.