Smartphones have become so common that they have easily integrated themselves into people’s everyday lives.
We use them so often throughout the day that it’s easy to become accustomed to convenience and overlook new features that we might miss — even features that solve simple, yet frustrating, problems.
Check out the following useful phone features that solve annoying problems you probably didn’t know existed.
Transcribe sounds you can’t hear properly
Both Apple And Android Provide live captioning and live transcription features to assist users who are hard of hearing.
Apple’s Live Caption feature automatically transcribes audio spoken around you, such as in a conversation, or in an app like Podcasts or FaceTime. It is available on iPhone 11 and later models and is compatible with US or Canadian English.
To turn it on, go to Settings, Accessibility, then Live Caption and toggle the button to the “On” position. The default is to show captions on all apps, but you can also use in-app live captions for specific apps.
Android devices also offer a Live Caption feature, which automatically generates captions for media content, and Live Transcribe which translates spoken words into text in real time.
Android also allows users to include sounds in the transcription, identifying laughter or various environmental sounds such as doorbells and music.
Android users can also turn on the name notification system. Users who turn on this feature will get a vibration whenever a user says a labeled name or word.
Pixel owners can activate these features from Settings. Android users who are not using a Pixel phone model may need to download a official app From Google Play Store. (It’s free.)
Clear audio of your voice
You may have experienced being on a phone call while the noise around you – dogs barking or a neighbor using power tools – interferes with your ability to communicate. Both Apple and Android offer speech separation options to reduce noise and make it easier for people on the phone to hear you.
Apple’s feature is available on devices running iOS 15 or later. it is called voice isolationWhich uses smart technology to focus on your voice and block out background noise during calls. Conversely, Apple users can also turn on Wide Spectrum, which doesn’t filter out ambient noise so that your voice and all the sounds around you can be heard. Both features can also be used on some third-party apps.
All you have to do is open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen during a call, then select Mic mode. Once there, you can select any of Apple’s microphone options: Voice Isolation, Wide Spectrum, or Automatic, which selects the best mic mode for your call.
Features of Android It’s called Clear Calling and it works for users with Pixel 7 models and later. Clear Calling cancels out external noise at both ends of the call. People with Pixel 8 models can apply clear calling For third-party apps for Wi-Fi calling. To turn on this feature, go to Settings, click “Sounds & vibration,” tap “Clear calling,” then turn it on or off.
Mute unknown callers
Spam calls are an annoying part of life – but Apple and Android Users can reduce noise equally.
For Apple users with iOS 13 or later, some carriers may automatically detect spam callers. If yours offers this feature, you can go to your iPhone Settings To automatically silence callers your phone interprets as junk. Some third-party apps can also help you detect spam callers if your carrier doesn’t offer this feature.
However, any iPhone user with iOS 13 or newer can send unknown callers directly to voicemail. Simply go to Settings, then Apps, then scroll down and tap “Phone.” Tap “Mute unknown callers.”
Any 2018 or newer Android phone model can automatically filter spam calls. Users can automatically block and sometimes report calls through a toggle in Settings on their Phone app.
once in settingsTap “Caller ID & Spam,” then toggle “View Caller ID & Spam” to turn it on. Then select “Filter spam calls” or “Block spam and scam calls” to send them straight to voicemail.
Transfer your small screen to your smart TV
Maybe you’re watching YouTube, TikTok, or any other video and want to be able to either see the video larger for yourself or share the video with people around you. “Casting” your video can be a big help here, and it can work with both iPhone and Android.
Apple Can cast to most smart TVs using AirPlay (short for “broadcast”). Apple phones and iPads can cast not just video, but their entire screen to a TV. This is known as mirroring.
to show my mirror Android device, you can use a smart TV that supports native screen mirroring or attach a Google Chromecast streaming device to your TV.
Some apps like YouTube do not require a Chromecast to cast video, but this can only be done through the same app. For example, you need to have the YouTube app on your TV to cast YouTube videos from your phone over the same network.
Level up your photos
It can be easy to accidentally take a photo that is slightly tilted, with a horizon that is less than flat. This is frustrating – and could have been avoided thanks to this feature.
Androids And iPhone Provide a visual leveling guide to help maintain a straight angle when taking photos. Both types of devices will place a line on the screen above your camera’s view indicating the angle at which your photo is being taken.
To turn on the leveling tool for iPhone, go to Settings, then tap “Camera.” There you should see a toggle labeled “Levels”. Swipe on it, and you’re set! This feature will appear on the screen when you hold your phone horizontally while using the camera.
This feature is enabled Android The device is called a “framing signal”. To activate it, open your camera app and click the small camera and gear icon in the lower left corner (or upper left if you’re in portrait mode).
If you’re holding your phone horizontally, you’ll need to flip to vertical view to access this setting. Once there, click “More Settings,” then use the “Framing Hints” toggle to turn on the leveling feature.
Find where you parked
You’ve walked out of a building and see lots of cars… and you can’t remember where you parked your cars in the dirt.
The good thing is that no matter what type of smart device you have, there is a tool that can make sure you don’t do this again.
All you need is the Google Maps app. After parking, you can either set a Pin for your car’s location or you can say something along the lines of “Hey, Google, I parked here” and your parking location will be saved for you when you’re ready to come back.
remember password
It’s hard to remember all the passwords you use, especially if you’re using secure password. To help, there are password manager There is one that can work for both your phone and computer.
Although some Internet browsers offer their own password-management services, experts do not recommend them. They are less likely to improve over time as web browsers have other priorities, while dedicated password managers focus more on improving security.
Bitwarden One of the top recommended services. Another top recommendation is 1 password.
Keep track of health records
Depending on who and how many medical providers you work with, medical records may be piled up or scattered around different patient portals. Having one service to keep it all in one place can simplify and consolidate all this information to track and share with providers.
Apple users can use the company health app To access health records from participating providers. You can also use it to set up a Medical ID for important health information like allergies or medical conditions. The free app can also track other health metrics like daily activity, medications, and sleep.
Android users can take advantage general healthWhich keeps all your information in one place for a better, more organized view of your overall health. The app can help you store your personal health data and share it with providers and services.
Manage your transit fare card
Collecting transit fare cards can clog your wallet, and you risk forgetting or losing them at home. All this can be avoided by storing them digitally.
Those who have an iPhone can store some of these cards in their Apple Wallet. To do this, from apple wallet appTap the “Add” button, then tap “Transit Card.” From there, you can choose which transit card you want to use. It is only available for some systems However, it includes:
- Chicago’s Ventra Card
- Los Angeles TAP Card
- New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority card
- portland’s hop fastpass
- San Francisco Bay Area Clipper Card
- Washington, DC, SmartTrip Card
Android users can take advantage google wallet. Like Apple, you’ll open the Wallet app, tap “Add to Wallet,” tap “Transit Pass,” and then choose which transportation system you want to use. Google provides a lot of coverage with its service. Users can use Google Wallet to pay more for public transportation 500 cities.
Use keyboard with one hand
people spend approx 27% Their time on average multitasking. If that’s you, or if you have a disability, you may be familiar with trying to type with one hand – it’s slow and difficult.
Both iPhone and Android It has an accessibility feature that allows you to move the phone keyboard to the side of the screen (left or right), making it much easier to type with just one hand.
On iPhone, simply click the globe icon at the bottom corner of the keyboard. A small menu will pop up, with three different keyboard icons at the bottom. Tap the keyboard icon on the left to move the keyboard to the left or click the icon on the right to move it that way. To refresh the keyboard, follow the same steps but tap the middle keyboard icon instead.
When using Android, open a text field and select the ellipsis icon in the toolbar above the keyboard. An icon labeled “One-Handed” will appear on the screen. Click on that and you’re set. To return to the standard keyboard, tap the four arrow icon.