USA TODAY International Edition
Smartphone tricks to measure, magnify and more
Remember back when we used phones for only calls? Today, our smartphones hold our entire digital life.
That includes, of course, your precious photos and videos.
Speaking of photos, how often do you spend way too much time hunting for a photo you know is hidden somewhere in your gallery?
Your iPhone or Android has a ton of hidden goodies. Here are 10 tricks you’ll come back to time and time again:
1. Start using back tap
Instead of fumbling through pages of apps, you can instantly do a specific task with your phone. I take a lot of screenshots, and I do it by tapping the back of my phone twice. Three taps and my driveway entry gate opens. A friend of mine turns on his back patio lights.
On an iPhone 8 or newer, you can use your finger to tap on the back of your phone two or three times to trigger a custom action. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Select Double Tap or Triple Tap.
From there, choose a specific action. While this is handy, I warn you that you might accidentally trigger an action from time to time.
2. Shortcuts for most- used apps
Want to add a shortcut to a specific app to your home screen? Not all apps have shortcuts, but you can find out by holding down on the app.
Here’s how to do it on Android:
● Press down on an app, then lift your finger. If the app has shortcuts, they will appear.
● Touch and hold the shortcut.
● Move the shortcut to where you want it and lift your finger.
On your iPhone, this is a super handy shortcut. Press down on the Messages app icon, and you’ll see a few of your conversations. Select and hold one of your most messaged contacts. Drag it to your home screen. Now you tap that button to have a chat.
Trick in a trick: When you’re trying to find an app on your phone, stop going from page to page. On your iPhone, swipe right until a search bar appears at the top. Then, type in the name of the app you want to use. On Android, swipe up from the middle of the screen. In the app drawer, tap Search.
3. Stop missing great action shots
If you’ve ever tried to get a good picture of your kids playing, you know how tough it is to capture movement. Burst mode allows your camera to take pictures faster than humanly possible. You get multiple photos for each second and then you can select your favorites.
Touch and hold the shutter button if you have an iPhone X or earlier. Swipe the shutter button to the left if you have an iPhone Xs or later.
Either way, lift your finger to stop burst mode. Then select the pictures you want to keep by tapping Burst > Select > Done.
On Android phones, hold down your camera’s shutter button to enable burst mode.
4. Get rid of the clutter
When’s the last time you all your phone’s browser tabs? Don’t waste time going through them one by one. On Android, open Chrome. Tap the number next to the URL bar to see a grid of all your tabs. Tap the three- dot menu, then select Close all tabs.
On an iPhone, you can do the same in Safari. Tap the icon with two overlapping boxes in the lower right corner. A menu will pop up. Choose Close All Tabs.
5. Use iPhone as magnifying glass
The last time I had to read out a tiny serial number, I remembered how helpful it is to use the iPhone’s built- in magnifying glass. No more squinting or running for your readers.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier and turn it on. Now your Magnifier is an accessibility shortcut. This works on iPads too.
To access it quickly when you need it, add it to your Control Center. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. Tap the + button next to Magnifier. You’ll see the magnifying glass icon in your Control Center when you swipe down from the top of your screen.
6. Correct Google Assistant
Is your smart assistant always getting names wrong? It may seem silly to teach your phone how to pronounce a name. Make a change so Google understands you the first time when you call someone in the future.
● Say, “Hey Google, open Assistant settings.”
● Choose You, then tap Your people > Add person.
● Select a Contact.
● Under “Name pronunciation,” Choose Record your own > Record.
● Choose Play to hear it back, then tap Save to finish up.
You can do the same with Siri on an iPhone.
7. Sign documents the quick way
When someone emails you a document you need to sign, you don’t have to print it, sign it, and scan it. Just use your iPhone. First, download the PDF, click the pen icon in the top right and sign with your touchscreen. Click Done on the top left of the screen.
You can reply to the email with the newly signed attachment.
If you use AirDrop, you can share the documents you sign with your other Apple devices.
8. Tell them to forget it
Siri and Google Assistant both make distinctive noises, so you know when you have accidentally activated them. To stop Google Assistant from recording the rest of your conversation, say, “That wasn’t for you.” This deletes whatever it just started recording.
You can say the same to Siri, but know that Apple hasn’t said whether this wipes your recording from memory.
9. Measure or level anything
Want to see if something is level? Whip out your iPhone and open the Measure app. This helpful app uses augmented reality to turn your device into a fantastic measuring tool.
It’s simple to use. Say you want to measure a frame. Open the app, then tap the screen on one side of the frame. Scan your phone across the frame and tap the opposite end. The measurement will pop up on the screen.
You may have to move your device around so your camera can capture an object’s dimensions. Save your measurement by tapping Copy, which adds the numbers to your clipboard.
10. Get captions for video or audio
If you’re having trouble understanding something or you’re in a loud place, try Android’s Live Caption. Use them for podcasts, videos or phone calls. This feature is available on Pixel 2 and newer and some select other Android phones.
● Press the volume button.
● Under the volume controls, tap the Live Caption icon.
● Live Captions are now on for all media on your device.
● To turn off Live Captions, press the volume button and tap the Live Caption icon again.
Learn about all the latest technology on the Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando. com.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.