The Hidden World of iOS 18: 25 Tricks You Didn’t Know You Needed

So you’ve got an iPhone, and you’d like it to work harder so you don’t have to. From iOS 18’s new call-recording feature to lesser-known dragging gestures that might make your head spin, here are 25 ways to get more done on your phone—hopefully without feeling like your phone is done with you.

1. Tap-Drag Text

When you want to move text around in a note or Pages document, you can skip the copy-paste charade. Select some text, then tap and hold to literally pick it up and relocate it. Drag it anywhere within that same note, or drop it at the beginning so you can rearrange everything in record time.

2. Forget Shake to Undo

Stop impersonating a human maraca. Rather than flailing your phone to “undo,” just place three fingers on the screen and swipe from right to left. Want to redo? Three-finger swipe left to right. And if your fingers need a break, a quick three-finger tap pops up an edit menu to undo, redo, and copy.

3. Cross-App Drag-and-Drop

That same text-dragging magic works between apps, too. If you’re working on a note but need to text a paragraph to someone, start dragging the text and use your other hand (or your superhero-level multi-touch skills) to switch apps. Drop the text into Messages, Reminders, Mail—go nuts.

4. Drag Entire Conversations into Reminders

Bet you didn’t know you can tap and hold a conversation in Messages, then drag it onto another app’s icon. For instance, open Reminders and drop the conversation in. You’ll get a fresh reminder with a direct link to that chat. It’s the perfect way to remember that your friend owes you pizza money.

5. Select Multiple Items by Swiping with Two Fingers

Gone are the days of laboriously tapping each item. In lists (Mail, Notes, Shortcuts, etc.), just swipe down with two fingers to highlight multiple entries at once. Delete them, move them, gawk at them—whatever. Multitasking gets a whole lot easier when your phone acknowledges the power of two-finger gestures.

6. Capture Info from the Camera Without Snapping a Photo

Open the Camera app and let your iPhone do its recognition magic. It’ll scan phone numbers, email addresses, or any text it can spot—no need to even take a picture. If you do take a picture, the Photos app also detects text, so you can copy phone numbers or entire paragraphs right off the snapshot. Very CSI: iPhone.

7. Schedule Texts to Send Later

Composing a late-night text but don’t want to be that person who sends “Hey! What’s up?” at 1 AM? In iOS 18 Messages, tap the plus button near the compose box, find the “Send Later” option, and set your desired time. You can reorder that shortcut to sit higher in the list—because good features shouldn’t play hide-and-seek.

8. Record Calls (Legally, We Hope)

iOS 18 finally rolled out a built-in call-recording feature. While on a call, tap the record icon at the top left, and the other person receives an alert that the line’s being recorded. You’ll get an audio file and a transcription (both sides!) saved automatically in a new Apple Note. Perfect for those “I never said that” moments.

9. Automate Audio Transcriptions

Speaking of transcripts, any audio file attached to an Apple Note—podcasts, voice memos, your best friend’s questionable singing—will get transcribed automatically. If your device has Apple Intelligence, you can even get a summary of that transcript. Finally, an easier way to skip to the good parts in your meeting recordings.

10. Hide Home Screens You Don’t Need

Been rearranging your apps and have about five too many Home Screens? Enter jiggle mode by tapping and holding on any app, then tap the dots at the bottom of the screen. Uncheck the home screens you’d like to hide. You’ll still see all your apps in the App Library, but your Home Screens stay clutter-free.

11. Move Multiple Apps at Once

Tired of tediously dragging apps one by one? Press and hold one app until it floats, then use another finger to tap additional apps. You can move them en masse to another screen (or into the App Library) like the iOS pro you secretly are.

12. Tap-and-Hold for Quick Actions

Most apps have shortcuts if you just press and hold their icon. For example, in Bear (or any notes app), start a new note or scan a document instantly. For YouTube, jump to Search. For Camera, open directly in selfie mode. A nice time-saver—because apparently opening an app normally is too old-school.

13. Two-Finger Tap on Links in Safari

Don’t bother with the long-press ritual just to open a link in a new tab. When browsing in Safari, place two fingers on a link and voilà, it opens in a new tab automatically. Swipe the bottom address bar to jump between open tabs. Efficiency is satisfying, isn’t it?

14. Instant Reader Mode

No one likes distractions when reading. Tap and hold the “AA” icon at the top-left of Safari to instantly open Reader Mode. If you’re rocking Apple Intelligence on your device, you can also summarize that page in Reader Mode. Let the AI do the reading for you while you sip your coffee.

15. Turn Any Website or Email into a PDF

When you tap the Share button on a website, select Options and choose PDF. That page is now a shareable PDF—great for archiving, printing, or convincing your friends you found the coolest recipe. For Mail, tap the reply arrow and hit Print. Then pinch out on the preview to transform it into a PDF you can share, save, or frame on your wall (no judgment).

16. Quote-Only Replies in Mail

If you only want to respond to a specific nugget of an email, highlight that bit of text before hitting Reply. Mail automatically pastes only that selection into your response. Finally, a chance to focus your email chatter on the important stuff (like who’s on coffee duty).

17. Live Calculations as You Type

No need to open Calculator mid-email or note. In iOS 18, if you type something like “1000 x 3000 =” your iPhone shows the result right there. Tap it to insert the equation or just the final number. There goes your last excuse for messing up simple math.

18. Live Currency Conversions

If you type “$50 =” your iPhone offers a currency conversion to other denominations (e.g., Euros). This also works in Notes, Mail, or basically anywhere you can type text. Your iPhone’s basically your personal currency converter now—if only it could pay your bills for you.

19. VIPs in Mail

Add important people as VIPs by tapping their name in an email and selecting Add VIP. Then in Notifications > Mail, choose to only notify you about VIP emails. Because your cousin’s chain letters? Not quite VIP material.

20. Customize Control Center

Remember you can add or remove toggles and shortcuts in Control Center. One of the best? A quick screenshot shortcut that automatically frames your screen capture with a nice border. You can do a ton more with custom shortcuts, but let’s not go down that rabbit hole today.

21. Scan Documents in the Files App

Open Files, tap the three dots at the top, and choose Scan Documents. Your iPhone will auto-detect a page, snap it (or let you do it manually), and convert it into a PDF. Multiple pages are supported, so you can pretend you own that fancy office scanner you definitely do not have.

22. One-Finger Zoom in Apple Maps

Zooming with two fingers while holding your latte is not for the faint of heart. Instead, tap once on Maps to focus, then tap again and keep your finger on the screen. Drag up or down to zoom smoothly with just one finger. Fewer spills, more clarity.

23. Kanban Boards in Reminders

Reminders now features a Kanban-like board view. It’s shockingly powerful and might save you from paying for more complex tools if all you want is a quick, visually organized list. Because sometimes you want to look like you’re working on a million-dollar project, even if it’s just grocery errands.

24. Universal Clipboard

Copy something on your iPhone, then paste it on your Mac or iPad—like magic. Works for text or images. Make sure all devices are signed in to the same Apple ID and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. You’ll never want to go back to a world without it.

25. Universal Control

Apple’s Universal Control is a dream if you have multiple Apple devices. Move your cursor from your Mac to your iPad seamlessly, drag files between them, and basically treat both screens like one big workspace. Great for multitasking, or for impressing friends who are still figuring out how to open Safari.

Use these tips as you see fit—together, individually, or while showing off at the next family gathering. If there’s a tip you think is missing, drop a comment (the polite, friendly kind) and let me know. Now go forth and conquer your iPhone like the productivity wizard you truly are.