TOP TIPS FOR iOS 14

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF APPLE’S NEWEST OFFERINGS

Find the Best Emoji Faster with Search

While we used to add emojis by scrolling through endless pages of flags and symbols or hoping a word we typed would lead to the right suggestion, we can now use iOS 14’s emoji search bar! Just tap the emoji icon as usual, but instead of endless scrolling, tap Search Emoji and type in the theme or mood you are looking for. Whether you know the exact emoji name or only a general description, your iPhone has you covered with a side scrolling list of filtered results. Tap the emoji of your choice and it will be inserted into your text. Predictions start before you’ve even finished typing the word, saving you time and energy, and your favorites are suggested right away. Try it out. You might discover some you’ve never used before!

Pin Contacts to the Top of Your Messages App for Easy Access to Important Messages

I’ve been getting a lot of text messages from local politicians lately, and while I appreciate the outreach, these message threads push my friends and family down in my list of messages. If you’d like to keep certain people or groups at the top of your list, just press and hold or swipe right on that conversation in your messages thread. A menu will pop up with the option to pin this contact or group to the top. Select that and bring your most important message thread out of the shuffle of incoming texts. To unpin, simply repeat these steps on a pinned contact or group, but select Unpin instead of Pin.

Get a Friend’s Attention by Tagging a Contact in a Group Chat

Group chats can be overwhelming, with many topics vying for attention. Now with iOS 14, you can ensure your message isn’t lost in the fray by tagging a contact so they will be specifically notified when you mention them. This works even when the person you’re tagging has notifications for the chat turned off. They will be notified that you mentioned them and can easily find the message meant for them. To use this, all you have to do is press the @ symbol on your keyboard, and then type the name of the contact. Type immediately after the symbol without a space. Once you type a taggable name, it will show up in a light gray color, and turn blue once you hit space to let you know you’ve successfully tagged them.

Hide App Pages & Reduce Clutter

While having several pages of apps can keep your favorite apps at your fingertips, scrolling through too many screens can be arduous. Some people prefer seeing only their Home screen or wish they could have just one fewer page filled with apps. To hide a page, just press a blank part of your Home screen until the icons start to wiggle. Then tap the gray dots toward the bottom of your screen. A menu will pop up: just tap the check mark underneath the pages you want to hide, then hit Done. If you ever want to bring them back, just follow these steps again and check the pages that were unchecked. Tap Done again on the top right of your screen.

Add Widgets to Your Home Screen

Widgets are a fun way to add featured photos, the weather, or other useful information to your Home screen for at-a-glance information. Not only can you add them to your Home screen itself, but there are many options to choose from. To explore your widgets and choose which ones to add, just long press a blank part of your Home screen until the icons wiggle. Press the plus button on the top left of your screen. Choose from the selection of widgets that appear, then tap Add Widget. The widget will be added to your Home screen. When you’re done, tap Done on the top right of your screen and you will exit the menu. To remove a widget, just hit the minus sign when the icons are wiggling.

Enjoy Next-Level Organization with the New App Library

A fun new feature of iOS 14 called the App Library groups all your apps by category and offers a search feature so you don’t have to scroll to find what you’re looking for. To access the App Library, scroll to your last page of apps (the farthest right) and swipe to the left one more time. From there, you can either scroll through the categories your phone has compiled for you (games, social, suggestions, etc.) or tap the search bar at the top to type in the app you’re looking for. There’s also an alphabetical search option on the right side of the screen to help you quickly scroll to the app you want.

Amy Spitzfaden Both is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, an award-winning novelist, and an iPhone enthusiast. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and daughter. When she’s not writing or glued to her iPhone, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and creating her own tea blends.