Tricks and tips for your iPhone

Whether you use your iPhone for work or play, or both, it’s helpful to get to grips with all its features. It’s amazing what you can do on these handy devices with the relevant know-how. If your phone runs on iOS 7, these top tips could help you get more from your handset.

 

Increase the font

 

If you sometimes struggle to read the thinner version of the Helvetica Neue font used in iOS 7, you’re not alone. The good news is, there’s something you can do about it. Simply go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Larger Text to make the default font size on your handset bigger.

 

Meanwhile, if you want to make the text a little bolder, follow the same instructions and, after reaching Accessibility, enable the Bold Text slider. Bear in mind that you’ll have to restart your mobile to enable this feature.

 

Walking directions

 

Most of us are used to using turn-by-turn driving directions. However, did you know it’s possible to get turn-by-turn walking directions too? To do this, simply tap the Directions button in the top left hand corner of your screen, select the Walking icon, enter your destination and hit Route.

 

If you’d prefer to make this your default directions setting, go to Settings > Maps and scroll down until you find the Preferred Directions section. Here, you’ll be able to choose between Driving and Walking.

 

Block unwanted calls

 

Mobiles are great, but one thing that may annoy you about the items is the unwanted calls you receive. Luckily, it’s simple to block these. To do so, go to the Recents or Voicemail sections of the Phone app and tap the ‘i’ button next to the entry of the relevant number. Then simply scroll down and choose ‘Block this Caller’.

 

Bear in mind that if you do this, you’ll also block any texts, iMessages or FaceTime calls from that contact.

 

Check message time

 

If you want to check the precise time that you sent or received a message on your handset, simply swipe and hold left on the conversation you have in mind. This will expose a set of timestamps covering each text that you and your contacts have sent.

 

Know who’s who in Messages

 

If lots of your contacts have the same first names, things can quickly get confusing when you’re using your Messages app. To clear things up, you can make messages appear under senders’ first initials and surnames. To enable this Short Name feature, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Short Name and switch on the Short Name toggle.

 

It’s also possible to select first name and last initial or last name only. You can even opt for nicknames if they have been set in a contact record.

 

Make typing faster

 

To make your typing faster, rather than pressing full stop and then adding a space at the end of sentences, try tapping the spacebar twice. This does the same thing, just quicker.

 

Also, if you find yourself switching between numbers and letters a lot, press and hold the ‘123’ button when you want to input a number and slide up to the character you’re after. When you let go, the standard keyboard will return.

 

Author bio: Anna Longdin writes regularly about consumer and business technology. To ensure she’s always up to date with the latest industry news and developments, she visits sites such asChess.

 

Tricks and tips for your iPhone