Smartphones have become so common that they’ve nestled themselves comfortably into people’s day-to-day lives.
We use them so often throughout our day that it’s easy to get used to the convenience and overlook new features we may be missing out on — even ones that solve simple, yet frustrating, problems.
Check out the following handy phone features that solve annoying problems you might not realize you have.
Transcribe sounds you can’t hear well
Both Apple and Android offer live captioning and live transcription features to assist users with hearing difficulties.
Apple’s Live Captions feature automatically transcribes spoken audio around you, such as conversations, or in apps like Podcasts or FaceTime. It’s available on iPhone 11 and later models and compatible with U.S. or Canadian English.
To turn it on, go to Settings, Accessibility, then Live Captions and toggle the button to the “on” position. The default is to show captions across all apps, but you can also use In-App Live Captions for specific apps.
Android devices also offer a Live Caption feature, which generates captions for media content automatically, and Live Transcribe which translates spoken words into text in real time.
Android also allows users to include sounds in transcriptions, identifying laughter or different environmental sounds like doorbells and music.
Android users can turn on a name notification system as well. Users who turn the feature on will get a vibration whenever someone says a name or word the user has labeled.
Pixel owners can activate these features from Settings. Android users not using a Pixel phone model may have to download an official app from the Google Play Store. (It’s free.)
Make your voice audio clearer
You may have experienced being on a phone call while the ambient noises around you — dogs barking or a neighbor using power tools — interfere with your ability to communicate. Apple and Android both offer speech isolation options to minimize the noise and make it easier for folks on the phone to hear you.
Apple’s feature is available on devices with iOS 15 or later. It’s called Voice Isolation, which uses smart technology to focus on your voice and block out background noise during calls. Conversely, Apple users can also turn on Wide Spectrum, which doesn’t filter ambient noise so your voice and all sounds around you can be heard. Both features can also be used on some third-party apps.
All you have to do is open the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen during your call, then selecting Mic Mode. Once there, you can select from any of Apple’s microphone options: Voice Isolation, Wide Spectrum or Automatic, which selects the Mic Mode that’s best for your call.
Android’s feature is called Clear Calling and works for users with Pixel 7 models and later models. Clear Calling cancels extraneous noise on both ends of the call. Those with Pixel 8 models can apply Clear Calling to third-party apps for Wi-Fi calls. To turn on this feature, go to Settings, click “Sound & vibration,” tap “Clear calling,” then toggle it on or off.
Shut up unknown callers
Spam calls are an annoying part of life — but Apple and Android users alike can cut the noise.
For Apple users with iOS 13 or later, some carriers can automatically detect spam callers. If yours offers this feature, you can go to your iPhone Settings to automatically silence callers your phone carrier interprets as junk. Some third-party apps can help detect spam callers as well if your carrier doesn’t provide that feature.
Any iPhone user with iOS 13 or newer, however, can send unknown callers straight to voicemail. Just go to Settings, then Apps, then scroll down to and tap “Phone.” Tap “Silence Unknown Callers.”
Any 2018 or newer Android phone model can automatically filter spam calls. Users can also automatically block and sometimes even report calls through a toggle in the settings on their phone app.
Once in Settings, tap “Caller ID & Spam,” then toggle “See Caller ID & Spam” to turn it on. Then select “Filter spam calls” or “Block spam and scam calls” to send them right to voicemail.
Transfer your small screen to your smart TV
You might be watching a YouTube, TikTok or some other video and wish you could get a bigger view either for yourself or to share the video with those around you. “Casting” your video can be a big help here, and it can work with both iPhones and Androids.
Apple can cast (a shortened form of “broadcast”) to most smart TVs using AirPlay. Apple phones and iPads can also cast their entire screens, not just videos, to a TV. This is known as mirroring.
To mirror your Android device, you can use a smart TV that supports native screen mirroring or attach a Google Chromecast streaming device to your TV.
Some apps, like YouTube, don’t require a Chromecast to cast videos, but it can only be done through the same app. For example, you’d have to have the YouTube app on your TV to cast a YouTube video from your phone on the same network.
Make your photos level
It can be easy to accidentally take a photo that’s a bit crooked, with a horizon less than level. That’s frustrating — and avoidable thanks to this feature.
Androids and iPhones offer a visual leveling guide to help keep a straight angle when taking photos. Both types of devices will put a line on the screen over your camera view that’ll indicate the angle at which your photo is being taken.
To turn the leveling tool on for an iPhone, go to Settings, then tap “Camera.” There you should see a toggle labeled “Level.” Swipe that on, and you’re set! The feature will appear on the screen while using the camera when you hold your phone horizontally.
This feature on Android devices is called “Framing Hints.” To activate it, open your camera app and click the small camera and gear icon in the lower left corner (or upper left if you’re in portrait mode).
If you’re holding your phone horizontally, you’ll have to flip to vertical view to access this setting. Once there, click “More settings” then use the “Framing Hints” toggle to turn on the leveling feature.
Find where you parked
You’ve exited a building and are staring at a vast lot of cars … and you can’t remember where in the mess you parked yours.
The good thing is that no matter what kind of smart device you have, there’s a tool that can make sure you don’t go through this again.
All you need is the Google Maps app. After parking, you can either set a pin for your car’s location or you can say something along the lines of, “Hey, Google, I parked here,” and your parking location will be saved for you when you’re ready to come back.
Remember passwords
Remembering all of the passwords you’re using is difficult, especially if you’re using secure passwords. To help, there are password managers out there that can work for both your phone and computer.
While some internet browsers offer their own password-managing services, experts don’t recommend them. They’re less likely to be improved over time because web browsers have other priorities, whereas dedicated password managers are more focused on improving security.
Bitwarden is one of the top recommended services. Another top recommendation is 1Password.
Keep track of health records
Medical records can pile up or get dispersed around different patient portals depending on which and how many medical providers you work with. Having a service to keep it all in one place can simplify and consolidate all this information to track and share with providers.
Apple users can use the company’s Health app to access health records from participating providers. You can also use it to set up a Medical ID for critical health information such as allergies or medical conditions. The free app can also track other health metrics such as daily activity, medications and sleep.
Android users can take advantage of CommonHealth, which keeps all of your information in one spot for a better, more organized view of your overall health. The app can help you store your personal health data and share it with providers and services.
Manage your transit fare cards
Collecting transit fare cards can clog up your wallet, and you risk forgetting them at home or losing them. Storing them digitally can avert all of this.
Those with iPhones can store some of these cards on their Apple Wallet. To do so, from the Apple Wallet app, tap the “Add” button, then “Transit Card.” From there, you can select which transit card you’d like to use. This is only available for certain systems though, including:
- Chicago’s Ventra card
- Los Angeles’ TAP card
- New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority card
- Portland’s Hop Fastpass
- The San Francisco Bay Area Clipper card
- The Washington, D.C., SmarTrip card
Android users can take advantage of Google Wallet. Like Apple, you’ll open the wallet app, tap “Add to Wallet,” “Transit Pass,” and then select which transportation system you’d like to use. Google offers a lot more coverage with their service. Users can use Google Wallet to pay for public transportation in more than 500 cities.
Use a keyboard with one hand
People spend about 27% of their time on average multitasking. If that’s you, or if you have a disability, you may be familiar with trying to type with one hand — it’s slower and harder.
Both iPhone and Android have an accessibility feature that allows you to shift the phone keyboard to the side of the screen (left or right), which makes it much easier to type with only one hand.
On an iPhone, simply click the globe icon on the bottom corner of the keyboard. A small menu will pop up, on the bottom of which are three different keyboard icons. Tap the keyboard icon on the left to move the keyboard to the left or click the icon on the right to move it that way. To recenter the keyboard, follow the same steps but tap the middle keyboard icon instead.
When using an Android, open the text field and select the ellipsis icon in the toolbar above the keyboard. An icon labeled “One-handed” will appear on the screen. Click that and you’re set. To switch back to the standard keyboard, tap the icon with four arrows.
