iPhone 13 tips and tricks: 6 ways to make your phone smarter

On the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro series, you can check out some of these tips and tricks to make the overall user experience better. The tricks also work on some older iPhones.

These iPhone 13 tips and tricks are possible with the latest iOS 15 update released a few weeks ago. (HT Tech / Amritanshu Mukherjee)

So, you have got the shiny new iPhone 13 (or any of its variants) and are exploring the new features on offer. Surely, the regular iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini have some fun new camera features and a beefier battery to play with, while the iPhone 13 Pro models have a treasure trove of new goodies to in store. We hope you will get a thrill out of it all, but are you making the most out of your new iPhone 13?

There is more to a brand-new iPhone 13 than just a new camera system as well as larger battery. If you dig around the software, your precious iPhone 13 has a lot more to offer. And we guarantee that some of these tricks we have for you are going to make life easier on the go. Try these out today for yourself.

iPhone 13 tips and tricks

iPhone 13 Mini  ((HT Tech/Amritanshu Mukherjee))

iPhone 13 Mini  ((HT Tech/Amritanshu Mukherjee))

Stop apps from tracking you

With the iOS 15 update, Apple gives all iPhone users an option to prevent apps from tracking your data. This is a great feature for privacy lovers; one that got Facebook worried not long ago. Hence, if you want the apps to leave you alone, head over to Settings > Privacy > Tracking and turn off the “Allow apps to request to track” option. All apps installed on your iPhone will not track your data anymore.

Make a magazine out of rubbish notifications

You know those useless notifications from your food ordering app, or insurance app, bothering you throughout the day – they can be annoying. In iOS 15, you can now stack them together and let your iPhone deliver them when you want. The feature is called Scheduled Summary and you can enable it from Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Notifications. You can choose the disturbing apps and the time at which you want to be served.

Back Tap shortcut

Did you know that tapping on the back of your iPhone can be a shortcut for many functions? Yeah, we are not kidding. The Back Tap feature has been around for a while and you can either double tap or triple tap to do an assigned shortcut, for example, taking a screenshot or tuning off the display. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and now select "back tap", and then select your shortcut of choice.

Use live text

Just like Google Lens, iOS 15 on the iPhone 13 series and some older iPhone models can grab text directly from the camera as well as screenshots. In the camera app, you will see a small document icon on the bottom right corner of the viewfinder when you point it at some text. You can then copy or translate it. Long tap on screenshots or photos from your gallery to do the same.

iPhone 13 Pro Max (HT Tech / Amritanshu Mukherjee)

iPhone 13 Pro Max (HT Tech / Amritanshu Mukherjee)

Focus mode

An enhanced version of DND mode, Focus mode lets go selective with the kind of interruption you want. Head over to Settings > Focus and then choose your preferred styles. You can have one for Driving, another one for work-related calls and apps only, and more.

Trackpad keyboard

Do you hate placing the cursor manually between a long text? You can do it more easily by long pressing the Space bar key. Your iPhone will vibrate and you can drag along the cursor by sliding your finger across the keyboard. Leave it at the point where you want the cursor to be and you are done. Easy.

Be sure to use these iPhone 13 tips and tricks, they are not just fun, but also time saving, not to mention boosting productivity.