I have owned an iPhone for seven years. Last month, I watched a ten-minute YouTube video and discovered six features I had never heard of. I thought I knew my phone. I did not know my phone. Here are the ones that actually changed how I use it.

1. Back Tap

Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. You can assign actions to double-tap or triple-tap the back of your phone. I set double-tap to open the camera and triple-tap to toggle the flashlight. I use both at least five times a day. No more swiping down for Control Center in the dark.

2. Scan Documents Without a Third-Party App

Open the Notes app, create a new note, tap the camera icon, and select Scan Documents. It auto-detects the edges of the page, corrects perspective, and saves as a PDF. I have scanned contracts, receipts, and forms with this. The quality is better than any free scanner app I have tried.

3. Hide Photos Without Deleting Them

In Photos, tap Select, choose the photos, tap the three dots, and select Hide. They move to a Hidden album that does not appear in your main library. The Hidden album can be locked behind Face ID too — go to Settings > Photos and toggle on “Use Face ID.” I use this for gift receipts, sensitive documents I photographed, and screenshots of confirmation numbers I do not want cluttering my camera roll.

4. Track Flights in Messages

If someone texts you a flight number (like “AA 123”), tap and hold the number. A pop-up appears with the flight status, gate, and arrival time. No need to open an airline app or search manually. I used this three weeks ago when my sister flew in and I tracked her flight delay from a text she sent.

5. Custom Vibrations for Specific Contacts

Open a contact, tap Edit, tap Ringtone > Vibration > Create New Vibration. Tap out a pattern. Now you know who is calling without looking at your phone. My mom has a distinct pattern. My boss has another. It is a small thing that makes a big difference when your phone is in your pocket.

6. Charging Optimized for Battery Health

Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging > turn on Optimized Battery Charging. The phone learns your routine and waits to finish charging past 80% until right before you usually unplug. It slows battery aging significantly. My iPhone 13 is two years old and still at 91% battery health.

7. Search Photos by Text Inside Them

In the Photos app, search for any word — “recipe,” “license,” “whiteboard,” “menu.” The phone scans the text inside your photos and finds matches. I searched “wine” last week and it pulled up every photo of a wine bottle label I had ever taken. Genuinely felt like magic.

Eight through ten are smaller: Swipe left on the lock screen to open Camera without pressing anything. Swipe the little bar at the bottom of the screen to switch between recent apps without going to the app switcher. And in Calculator, swipe to delete the last digit — you do not have to clear the whole thing and start over.

Seven years. Still learning. Probably still missing things.