TechTipADay

TechTipADay

iPhone cheat sheet

A one-page iPhone checklist. Paths are the ones used on iOS 18 and iOS 26. If a row is missing on your phone, use the search field at the top of Settings.

Read the iPhone tips

  1. Hold the spacebar to move your cursor precisely

    Stop poking at the middle of a word. Your phone keyboard has a hidden trackpad. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone, Android (Gboard).

    Why it matters. You land the cursor on the letter you meant, instead of the one next to it.

    1. iPhone: press and hold the spacebar until the letters go blank, then slide your finger. The keyboard is now a trackpad.
    2. Still holding, tap a second finger on the keyboard to start selecting text.
    3. Android with Gboard: swipe left or right along the spacebar to nudge the cursor one character at a time.

    Full tip

  2. Send unknown callers straight to voicemail

    Settings > Apps > Phone > Unknown Callers. Saved contacts still ring. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. Sales calls stop ringing. So do the doctor and the delivery driver, until you save their numbers.

    1. Open Settings > Apps > Phone.
    2. Turn on Unknown Callers. If the row says Silence Unknown Callers, that is the same switch.
    3. Call yourself from a number that is not a contact, if you want to see it go to voicemail.

    Full tip

  3. Type to Siri instead of saying the command out loud

    Turn on Type to Siri. The side button then gives you a text field. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. You can set a timer or start a shortcut in a quiet room without talking to the phone.

    1. Open Settings and tap Siri. If you do not see Siri, search Settings for Type to Siri.
    2. Turn Type to Siri on.
    3. Press the side button. A text field should appear instead of the phone listening.
    4. Type the request and send it. If the phone still only listens, the switch did not stick. Open the setting and check it again.

    Full tip

  4. Schedule Night Shift so the screen warms up at sunset

    Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. Set it to sunset to sunrise. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. A cooler screen at midnight is harsher than it needs to be, and you will not remember to toggle it.

    1. Open Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift.
    2. Turn Scheduled on and choose Sunset to Sunrise, or set your own hours.
    3. Drag the color temperature slider. Warmer is more amber. Less warm still looks like the normal screen.

    Full tip

  5. Turn on Low Power Mode before the phone dies

    Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode, or ask Siri. The icon turns yellow. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. You get more time when you are away from a charger, by slowing the things you will not notice for an hour.

    1. Open Settings > Battery and turn Low Power Mode on.
    2. Or open Control Center and tap the battery icon, if you have added that control.
    3. Leave it on until you can charge. The phone offers to turn it off once the battery is back up.

    Full tip

  6. Show the battery percentage in the status bar

    Settings > Battery > Battery Percentage. The number replaces the guesswork. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. A icon that looks half full is not a number you can plan an afternoon around.

    1. Open Settings > Battery.
    2. Turn Battery Percentage on.
    3. Look at the status bar. The number sits in the battery icon.

    Full tip

  7. Turn on the camera level so horizons stay straight

    Settings > Camera > Composition > Level. A line appears, then turns yellow when you are level. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. You stop cropping a tilted photo later to hide the crooked horizon.

    1. Open Settings > Camera.
    2. Under Composition, turn Level on. Turn Grid on too if you want the rule-of-thirds lines.
    3. Open Camera and tilt the phone. A broken line across the middle becomes a solid yellow line when the phone is level.

    Full tip

  8. Pull the top of the iPhone screen down

    Reachability drops the whole screen halfway so a thumb can hit the top row. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone with Face ID, iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. The status icons and the back button stop being a two-hand stretch.

    1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
    2. Turn Reachability on.
    3. On a Face ID iPhone, swipe down on the horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen.
    4. Tap the empty area at the top to send the screen back.

    Full tip

  9. Shrink the iPhone keyboard to one side

    Settings > General > Keyboard > One-Handed Keyboard. Or long-press the globe key. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. A large phone becomes typeable with the thumb you are actually holding it with.

    1. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > One-Handed Keyboard and pick Left or Right.
    2. Or, while the keyboard is open, touch and hold the globe or emoji key and choose the left or right keyboard icon.
    3. Type. Tap the arrow at the edge of the keyboard to restore the full width.

    Full tip

  10. Double-tap the back of your iPhone to run a shortcut

    The back of the phone is a button. It does nothing until you assign it. Easy. About 1 min. iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26.

    Why it matters. Flashlight, camera, or a shortcut opens without finding the icon.

    1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
    2. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
    3. Pick an action. Flashlight, Camera, Screenshot, and Shortcut are the ones that earn their place.
    4. Leave Settings and tap the back of the phone, firmly, near the camera.

    Full tip