7 Essential iOS 8 Tricks You Should Master

Apple’s latest operating system is a delight to use, especially if you know your way around it. Here is a guide to some essential iOS 8 tips and tricks you must master to optimize the use of this operating system:

1. Get remote access to Siri

Driving on a freeway and want to know where the nearest gas station is? Want to check the time without getting up from your bed? Use the Siri voice command remotely without picking up your device.

Activate this feature via – Settings>General>Siri>Allow Hey Siri. There is only one restriction – your device needs to be plugged in or within a battery case while using this feature.

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2. Do more with photos

Have some personal photos on your device that you wouldn’t like others to see? iOS 8 is on top of your needs; the Photos app has the ability to hide specific images. Go to Photos app, tap and hold the photo you want to hide. Tap Hide>Hide Photo within the pop-up notice and the photo(s) will disappear. It will be hidden from – Moments, Collections and Years but will be available in Albums.

Instant photo editing is another feature that is a personal favorite of mine. Now you can edit and apply filters immediately after taking a photograph; no need to open image editing apps for this purpose.

Finally, the Camera app in iOS 8 has a Selfie timer! Choose a time interval ranging from 3- 10 seconds and click away. It also has a Burst Mode, which clicks 10 shots in a sequence when you hold down the Shutter icon. Select the best snaps and discard the others.

3. Type better with enhanced keyboard options

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iOS 8 brings predictive text on board with the QuickType feature. It takes into account your writing style and predicts what you are going to type next. Although the feature is highly useful, some users might be annoyed with constant predictions on their screens. This can be managed by selecting Settings>General>Keyboard and turning off the Predictive switch.

Even with the Predictive text turned off, you can enhance your typing speed using Keyboard Shortcuts. Go to Settings>General>Keyboard>Shortcuts and you will get various shortcuts while typing.

Another important change in iOS 8 is introduction of third-party keyboards. Get the option from Settings>General>Keyboard and download your preferred keyboard (which will be available as an app)! You can also access the Emoji keyboard by following the same steps and tapping on Emoji from Add New Keyboard option.

4. Choose what to clear from your browsing history

You have the freedom to choose what you want to clear from your browsing history. Go to the Safari browser and open the history menu. Tap Clear, which is at the bottom-right side of your screen, and select what you want to delete. Apart from bulk selection, you can also delete individual URLs by swiping over them.

5. Have more fun with your messages

iOS 8 offers a number of new interesting options for messaging. To begin with, you can now send an iMessage as an SMS. Select the option from Settings>Messages.

If you have too many unread messages that are lined up and hogging space in your Messages app, go to the Edit option at upper left corner and select Read All. This will mark all your messages as read. To clear out conversations you no longer need, you can set time to delete them automatically. You can set the time through – Settings>Message. This option is also available for audio clippings.

Want to share your current activity with a friend or family member? Send them a photo/video or an audio clip via Message app. Click on the camera icon to take a photo or video, and instantly and attach it with your text message. You can also select Photo Library and choose multiple images or videos to send them all at once from the app. To send audio, click on the microphone icon and tap and hold it to record audio clips.

You can even let your loved ones know where you are at present by opting for Details>Send My Current Location. This will send a map link in the Message to show them your current location.

Not to mention the great potential of Interactive Notifications in iOS 8.

6. Use your device as a Medical ID

Your health gets priority with Medical ID in the Health app. Fill up essential details such as blood type, emergency contacts, allergies, or any other medical conditions. This information will be available in case of an emergency even if your device is locked. For instance, emergency healthcare professionals or paramedics can access the log-in screen with the number pad and tap Medical ID to access your information. As of now, this is only available on iPhones.

Here are some more details about using Medical ID on your iPhone.

7. Save battery juice

Want to increase battery juice on your iPhone? iOS 8 allows you to do this by letting you see which apps are draining the battery. Go to Settings>General>Usage>Battery Usage. You will be able to see a list of apps that consume maximum battery power over a period of time. Save battery by using these apps in moderation.

Those are the essential tips and tricks that will make you a pro in using iOS 8 devices. Do you have any tips of your own? Feel free to share them with us in the comments!

About the author:

Jaykishan Panchal is a content marketer at MoveoApps, an iphone app development company. He enjoys writing about Technology, marketing, and industry trends. He is tech enthusiast and loves to explore new things. You can follow him on Twitter @jaypanchal8.