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25 iOS 7 Tips, Tricks and Hidden Features

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This is the ultimate list of iOS 7.1 and iOS 7 tips, tricks and hidden features. Check out a collection of the best iOS 7 tricks to get more out of your iPhone and iPad as well as some iOS 7 hidden features that will help you get more for the money you already spent.

iOS 7 brings a collection of amazing new features to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch which Apple is highlighting in ads and on their website, but there are also a lot of hidden iOS 7 features that won’t jump out at users after installing iOS 7.

We’ve been using iOS 7 and iOS 7.1 for several months to discover all of the hidden features that sit behind menus and don’t make the cut for Apple’s marketing team.

With this list of iOS 7 tips and hidden features users will learn how to get more out of their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with the new iOS 7 or iOS 7.1 software installed.

Read: 41 Siri Hidden Features

Users don’t need to buy any accessories or spend money on apps to take advantage of all of these features. All of these iOS 7 & iOS 7.1 features will work without spending any cash, and some will even help you save money.

Our list of iOS 7 hidden features contains features that are hard to find, or that most users won’t discover on their own. There is no iOS 7 jailbreak required, which is good because there is no jailbreak yet, and there is no need to enter a special code to unlock anything. Just grab your iPhone or iPad running iOS 7 and learn how to get more out of it.

Read: How to Get Better iOS 7 Battery Life

25 Hidden iOS 7 Features Video

Here are 25 of the lesser known iOS 7 features we found while using iOS 7 since for the past several months. Users can install the iOS 7 update to gain access to all of these features for free. Some of the features will only work on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, while others will work on all devices running iOS 7.

Make FaceTime Audio Calls to Save Cash

FaceTime Audio is a new iOS 7 feature that is pretty hidden compared to the Control Center and Spotlight. You are probably familiar with FaceTime video calls which let iOS and OS X users make video calls over WiFi and LTE, and now you can do the same with audio only.

FaceTime Audio in iOS 7 sounds great.

FaceTime Audio in iOS 7 sounds great.

This is huge, because there are plenty of times you want to make a call, but can’t handle a video chat and because the call quality is vastly better than on a phone. While making FaceTime Audio calls the caller sounds like they are in the same room, rather than talking through a paper bag.

Users can make FaceTime Audio calls from the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, which lets users essentially turn the iPad and iPod touch into a phone, though one that can only call other Apple devices.

Finally, FaceTime Audio calls skip minutes and use WiFi or LTE, so you won’t go over any minute limits or need to pay for international calling.

iOS 7 Hidden Features - 4

You can start a FaceTime Audio call by pressing the small phone icon next to FaceTime in a contact, add a FaceTime Audio favorite for frequent callers and even pick it as an option in iMessage.

Better Do Not Disturb Options

If you haven’t already started using Do Not Disturb, iOS 7 is the perfect time to turn on this sanity saving feature.

Do Not Disturb will mute calls, texts and alerts during specific times or when manually turned on. Most users use it during a meeting or dinner manually and set a Do Not Disturb schedule for night.

New Do Not Disturb options in iOS 7.

New Do Not Disturb options in iOS 7.

If someone has an emergency there is an option to let the call come through if there is a consecutive call. Users can also let favorites and contact groups through at all times.

The new iOS 7 Do Not Disturb option lets users control when the iPhone makes noise even more. Now, users can choose Always and the iPhone will stay quiet when it is locked or unlocked, or choose Only while iPhone is locked and it will send alerts if you are using the iPhone.

To change these settings go to Settings -> Do Not Disturb -> Silence at the bottom of the screen.

Close Multiple Apps at Once in Multitasking

The iOS 7 multitasking is completely new, offering a better look at your apps, that shows what is happening inside of an app. This makes it easier to see what app you want to pick when you start the iOS 7 multitasking mode. Double tap the home button to open Multitasking and see your recently used apps.

Close several apps at once on iOS 7.

Close several apps at once on iOS 7.

It’s easier to close an app in iOS 7 since you just need to swipe up and the app is closed. What you may not know is that you can swipe up on multiple apps to close several apps at once. Give it a try. The apps stop running in the background, but they are not uninstalled.

Block Calls and Text in iOS 7

Do Not Disturb is great for specific time periods, but if you want to block calls or texts on the iPhone you need something more. In iOS 7 there is an option to block calls, texts and FaceTime from a specific contact.

Block calls, texts and FaceTime on iOS 7.

Block calls, texts and FaceTime on iOS 7.

To do this, go to Contacts, open up the contact who keeps pestering you, scroll to the bottom and tap Block this Caller. This will block them across text, calls and FaceTime. Right now you cannot block just one means of communication.

Track Data Used By Each App & Cut Them Off

In iOS 7 you can now see how much data each iPhone or iPad app is using, which is wonderful news for users on limited data plans. With this hidden iOS 7 feature you can find out which app is using too much data and even turn it off to prevent any more data usage.

Check the data used by each app in iOS 7.

Check the data used by each app in iOS 7.

To use this, go to Settings -> Cellular -> Scroll down until you see apps. Tap on the toggle to the right to turn off data access.

Users can also see how much data they use while using the iPhone 5s as a personal hotspot by scrolling down and tapping System Services.

Shoot Multiple Photos in semi-Burst Mode

Apple makes a big deal about Burst Mode on the iPhone 5s, but iPhone 5 owners also get a small upgrade that may help them get over any lingering jealousy.

Holding down the shutter button on the iPhone 5 with IOS 7 will shoot about three photos per second, a far cry from the 10 per second on the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5 also cannot pick the best photo like the iPhone 5s. Still, it’s a handy hidden iOS 7 feature.

Smarter Updating

With Background App Refresh in iOS 7 your apps can update smarter based on the connection you have and it should eventually learn when is the best time to update information.

Apps can refresh in the background with iOS 7, so you won't need to wait for updates after opening an app.

Apps can refresh in the background with iOS 7, so you won’t need to wait for updates after opening an app.

Read: How to Stop iOS 7 Apps from Refreshing in the Background

Unfortunately, turning on Background App Refresh may lower iOS 7 battery life. If this is the case you can turn it off, or turn off specific apps.

Zoom While Shooting Video

The iPhone 5 also gains a hidden iOS 7 camera feature for video. Users can zoom in while taking video on the iPhone 5 with a pinch to zoom gesture. To do this just pinch on the video while recording or when setting up your shot.

Zoom while shooting video in iOS 7 on the iPhone 5.

Zoom while shooting video in iOS 7 on the iPhone 5.

This is a handy feature for staying close to a subject who is running or riding away from you, or for getting closer to the action at a play or sports game. This does not work on the iPad or iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.

Download Bigger Apps While on LTE

Apple limits the size of apps you can install over LTE in order to prevent users from going over data limits, but sometimes you just need to download those apps even if they are big.

iOS 7 lets users download apps up to 100MB in size, which means it is easier to get games and large apps even on the go. Just make sure you don’t blow through any data limits.

Get Walking Directions in Apple Maps by Default

If you walk more than drive you can make Apple Maps offer walking directions as the default option. This is perfect for users in a large city without a car, or tourists getting around on foot.

Get walking directions by default in iOS 7.

Get walking directions by default in iOS 7.

Go to Settings -> Maps -> Scroll down and tap on Walking. This will make walking directions as the default, but you can still pick driving when needed without changing the settings.

Share Videos on Photo Stream

Photo Stream is a great iCloud feature that lets you share a collection of photos with friends or family, and continually add to it. Team members use it to share photos of their kids and pets with people they know, without overloading Facebook friends.

Share videos in Photo Stream on iOS 7.

Share videos in Photo Stream on iOS 7.

In iOS 7, users can now share video which makes it easier for parents to share a cute video of their kid without posting it for the world to see on YouTube or for all their friends on Facebook.

Tap on a video in the Photos App -> Tap Share -> Tap iCloud -> Select a Photo Stream and you are good to go.

Fast Access to Safari Buttons

When you start scrolling in Safari on iOS 7 the address bar and the bottom buttons disappear. This is great for getting a little more room to browse, but you have to scroll too far to make them come back.

Safari has several hidden features.

Safari has several hidden features.

Instead of scrolling, tap on the very bottom edge of the screen and the options will pop right up so you can go to tabs, bookmarks and more.

Turn on Auto App Updates

If you hate seeing a huge badge icon telling you that there are 57 updates waiting in the App Store you can turn on Auto App Updates and iOS 7 will download and update your apps on WiFi for you.

Read: How to Enable Automatic App Updates in iOS 7

This is great if you don’t mind dealing with the occasional issue that may come from an app update. If you have a mission critical app that an update might break, you may want to hold off on this feature.

Listen to Explicit iTunes Radio & Discover Music

If you use the new free iTunes Radio app inside of the Music app you will notice that by default stations do not play songs with explicit lyrics. To turn this on, start playing a station -> tap on the small “i” in a circle at the top of the screen, and the toggle Allow Explicit Tacks.

Listen to Explicit tracks and fine tune stations in iOS 7.

Listen to Explicit tracks and fine tune stations in iOS 7.

On this screen you can also fine tune a station to deliver hits, variety or for discovery. With hits, you’ll hear the top songs that match the station. With variety you’ll get some new music, and discovery will help you find new artists to listen to.

See iMessage Time Stamps

When you first look at an iMessage conversation you will only see times for old messages and the status of your last message, but a small trick will show you when you sent or received any message.

Pull right to left on the screen to show the timestamps for each message. This is handy in case you are debating a followup call or text, but forget when you last tried.

Swipe to Go Back Almost Anywhere

Instead of tapping on a back icon or tapping in the upper left to go back in settings and Apple Apps, swipe in from the left edge fo the screen.

This swipe back works in iMessages, Settings, Notes and many other apps. It also goes back a page in Safari and a swipe in the opposite direction goes forward a page.

Control Settings with Siri

Siri is out of beta and while the service is still not perfect, users can do a lot more with this feature. Possibly one of the nicest things is controlling settings with Siri.

Yes Control Center offers fast access, but users can also ask Siri to control WiFi, Bluetooth Airplane mode and more for even faster, voice controlled access.

Swipe Up To Dismiss Notifications

The notification banners are new for iOS 7 with a larger banner that shows more information. It’s great for reading more information on a notification, but it can cover up the buttons in many apps.

Slide up to dismiss notifications in iOS 7.

Slide up to dismiss notifications in iOS 7.

To dismiss a notification just push up on it and it will slide away. You can also pull down to go straight to the Notification Center in iOS 7.

Compass is Also a Level

The Compass app gets a new look for iOS 7 and Apple adds a new bubble level that will let you use it as a go to level in the garage or at home.

The compass is also a level in iOS 7.

The compass is also a level in iOS 7.

Open the Compass app, swipe to side and you have access to the bubble level. This will work best without a case, which may add some tilt.

Make iOS 7’s Text Easier to Read

iOS 7 uses a new skinnier font that some people have trouble reading the new font. Apple makes it easy to make the font bold and to make it bigger throughout iOS 7.

Make iOS 7 text easier to read.

Make iOS 7 text easier to read.

Go to Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> Bold Text On to get started.

If you need larger text go to Settings -> General -> Text Size and move the slider to change the font size throughout iOS 7.

Scan Gift Cards with the Camera

Entering a long iTunes gift card number into the iPhone is a pain, and with IOS 7 it’s something you don’t need to do anymore.

Scan a gift card with iOS 7 to add it to iTunes.

Scan a gift card with iOS 7 to add it to iTunes.

When you go to the iTunes app and tap Redeem you will then be able to tap on Use Camera to scan the iTunes gift card barcode. Just like that it’s in your iPhone and your account.

Change Siri’s Voice

If you are sick of a female voice for Siri Apple now lets you change the Siri voice to a male voice without changing the language.

Customize Siri in iOS 7.

Customize Siri in iOS 7.

Go to Settings -> General -> Siri -> Voice Gender -> Male or Female. Doing this will not change any Siri capabilities and both gender voices come with a more natural cadence.

Create Pages Within a Folder

In iOS 7 you no longer are limited to putting a few apps in a folder, which led to lots and lots of folders. Now you can create pages in a folder that hold more apps.

Put multiple pages in a folder.

Put multiple pages in a folder.

The pages act almost like a new home screen and show up as a small dot in the folder, just like the home screen indicator. To do this, open a folder and then drag one app to the right until it moves over one page. You can create multiple pages and apps will also flow over to a new page when needed.

Tap on Times and Dates in iMessage to Schedule

If you use iMessage to schedule events and meetings you can now tap on a time, date or location to add it to your calendar.

Quickly create events from iMessage.

Quickly create events from iMessage.

You’ll still need to fill in some of the details, but it is an easy way to make sure you don’t forget an event, and more reliable than Siri.

iOS 7 Knows Your Favorite Places

After a few days with iOS 7 the new software will learn your habits including your favorite places. This makes an appearance in the new Notification Center which can tell you how long it will take to drive home or to work.

iOS 7 knows your favorite locations.

iOS 7 knows your favorite locations.

It’s possible to turn this off, but we really enjoy seeing any changes in the time it takes, which tip us off to any traffic issues or accidents.

58 Comments

58 Comments

  1. Georgio

    09/20/2013 at 6:39 am

    nice one.

  2. Mark G

    09/20/2013 at 7:04 am

    Thanks for the tips. Where did you get the phone stand?

    • iou812

      09/25/2013 at 1:20 pm

      the fle market

  3. lev

    09/20/2013 at 7:44 am

    PFFT, almost all of those ‘Hidden Options’ are in Android for about 3 years already…

    • levtroll

      09/20/2013 at 8:47 am

      played

    • trupti

      09/20/2013 at 10:45 am

      gud fr u.. use android :) lets rest use iOS 7 buddy

      • RJ

        09/21/2013 at 6:55 am

        Spoken like a true iPhone user

    • Christhekid

      09/20/2013 at 5:53 pm

      I had a lot of these options 5 years ago on my iphone. Jail broken iPhones shit on androids. And that’s probably were android got all their ideas

      • Jonatch

        09/20/2013 at 6:40 pm

        Ur a faget

        • Ryan

          09/21/2013 at 1:09 am

          maybe but he’s right. lol

      • chris the kid to be gone

        09/25/2013 at 1:23 pm

        no dude thats where apple got a lot of ios 7 look and ideas from, your head is in the apple toilet, shall i flush???? swishhhh cabooom your gone

    • Serghei

      10/07/2013 at 8:49 pm

      What the hell are you doing here ?? It’s an iphone forum you dork

  4. Ed Hansberry

    09/20/2013 at 11:44 am

    FYI – call blocking instructions are wrong. For some asinine reason, you CANNOT go to contacts to do this. You have to open up the Phone app, then select contacts.

    • Betsy

      09/20/2013 at 7:43 pm

      It depends on if you have a 4s or 5. On the 4s you can do it right in the contact, 5 users we have to go into settings

      • Lk

        09/23/2013 at 2:25 pm

        Does not work with 4s in contacts.

  5. Ryan Anderson

    09/20/2013 at 6:18 pm

    Great Stuff. I have not upgraded due to wanting to keep my jailbreak however this makes me want to take the plunge a little bit more.

    • Levi

      09/21/2013 at 7:59 pm

      Don’t do it. iOs7 is crap compared to a jailbroken phone. The “Hidden Features” described are crap also. His post is crap, which is evident by his comment at the start that we don’t even need a jailbreak. Roll out Evasi0n I say.

    • larry

      09/25/2013 at 1:29 pm

      do yourself a HUGE FAVOR DONT YET!! its just cool colors and a few new features, i lost my jailbreak to ios 6.1.3 ya wait on that there ryan!! its comming slowly but surely

  6. Selvin

    09/20/2013 at 9:38 pm

    Not bad at all I new I missed some features but Man U r on point very nice tht really helped me !

  7. Pyrex

    09/21/2013 at 1:42 am

    I just want to make sure that we are clear, jailbreakers have had most of these features in iOS 7 for years now. It’s quite scary how very alike they are. Lol

  8. james

    09/21/2013 at 2:08 am

    That’s it ? Really? How pathetic
    I have most pf these features on my GS3 for more than a year ago

  9. vemu

    09/21/2013 at 2:10 am

    how to disable activation lock feature?

  10. Tom Casey

    09/21/2013 at 3:25 am

    Very nice video. Great info. Thanks.
    One question – what is the desk stand you are using in the video?

  11. Harald Stoll

    09/21/2013 at 9:33 am

    wow so innovative! erhm.. iOS is late to the game as usual.

  12. alison

    09/21/2013 at 10:00 am

    I dont like how when u go to set a picture for your wallpaper and when it says to move and scale picture it will not size it to the screen. New and old pictures will not resize to fit screen there all to big…. I hope this is a bug there going to fix. Has anyone heard anything about this

  13. Martine Moeykens

    09/22/2013 at 12:09 am

    Thanks for all the tips. The only one I couldn’t find is the radio, I have an 4S. The zoom mode does work for photos for a 4S!

  14. momoss

    09/22/2013 at 6:48 am

    Listen the battle between iOS and android needs to stop. They are two different os and each have their own good features. I’m happy with my iPhone and happy using an android device for some things to. Think it’s funny how it has to be a competition really there is no winners just people who prefer iOS over android. PS Just saying.

  15. Drive Party (@driveparty)

    09/22/2013 at 11:34 am

    Why would you call it hidden, unless you wish to trick search engines with some search-spam…?

  16. Kris

    09/22/2013 at 1:12 pm

    What? Why would apple limit your app download size limit? If its 100 mb now, what was it before? 50mb? It should be a user choice if they want to DL more than that on LTE. Stupid restrictions.

  17. Tim

    09/23/2013 at 5:17 pm

    I would just like to know why my 4s used to turn my voicemail into texts….i5 does not :(

  18. rh

    09/23/2013 at 7:07 pm

    Apple blows. still doesn’t do half the stuff Samsung is capable of

  19. bvs

    09/24/2013 at 7:32 am

    My English teacher would roll over in his grave if he could see the grammar and punctuation in these comments. Most of you should put down your phones and pick up a grammar textbook!

  20. ann

    09/25/2013 at 7:42 am

    Thanks for the update – I did learn a few interesting things today – however when is IOS going to fix the email so that I can get into my folders like I can on my android

  21. Zevrix Solutions (@Zevrix)

    09/25/2013 at 10:01 am

    iOS 7 is just horrible and ugly. the worst thing are all the added transitions, animations, jerking, twitching, fading, zooming and other convulsions of the UI. if Apple doesn’t improve it shortly I’m looking for another phone.

    • Hannah

      10/07/2013 at 7:52 am

      Look for another phone if you want. Whatever. I’m sticking to apple though. My sister hates iOS 7 so she uninstalled it. That’s what you can do if you want to, or if you don’t – well, that’s up to you

  22. John Montgomery

    09/26/2013 at 8:51 am

    I wouldn’t have allowed the upgrade to happen on my iPad had I seen it first-don’t like it at all-and now I find out that I cannot revert……..not happy-the icons look really childish and things that didn’t need to be moved have been-change for the sake of it.

    John

  23. Chad Wright (@deerewright)

    09/27/2013 at 2:29 pm

    Not a fan of the look, but love the new gestures – can you say “webOS”? Still missing my Pre… ;-/

  24. Marco

    09/27/2013 at 5:17 pm

    cheap and cr@ppy imitation of android OS

  25. Regan

    09/27/2013 at 9:15 pm

    Thanks for the info about the new features. Looking forward to trying them out.

  26. Wen

    09/28/2013 at 4:52 pm

    Has anyone found a way to crate contact groups?

  27. Micke Richardson

    09/30/2013 at 7:05 am

    Great article about FaceTime audio. https://eldartech.com/news/ftaios7

  28. vasant sakpal

    10/01/2013 at 12:16 pm

    Like your post, Great feature with great OS. :-)

  29. Rita

    10/01/2013 at 4:57 pm

    I have had zero issues with ios7 upgrade. I do however have a complaint that is a minor aggravation. After an app updates they just sit there and do not disappear like before. Has anyone else had this issue and is there a fix for it?

  30. CH

    10/02/2013 at 5:43 am

    ‘gender’ does not appear as an option on all language settings. e.g. the Australian English Siri can only be female.

    https://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/

  31. romain

    10/03/2013 at 6:18 am

    nobody cares about your android rants, if you love your shitty cheap androids so much go shove em up ur ass, take em out, melt em down, turn them into a ring and put em on your ring finger cause take a guess what im gonna say next…..nobody cares buddy. only reason u defend android so much is because uknow iphones are better. and sorry bbut i do like android, i just like iphones better, so shoot me ffs

  32. john

    10/04/2013 at 10:49 pm

    I cant believe people argue about which system is better, its kindergarten stuff!! like what you like but shut the hell up already! oh, and most of these features are whoppdee doo!

  33. Selvin

    10/05/2013 at 11:24 am

    I’ve learned a lot about iOS and how to best make it work for me thks great vid !

  34. george

    10/06/2013 at 8:00 am

    Keeping my jailbreak on 6 for my iphone 4s. Still more control and looks better. control centre needs to be able to control togles more.

  35. blue_orchid

    10/13/2013 at 6:17 am

    Guys, no point fighting if which phone is better. I believe it all depends on one’s preferences. I use both iPhone and an Anroid phone but I like them! I’m enjoying the best of both worlds!!

  36. S

    10/18/2013 at 9:41 am

    The only problem I have with the I phone 5c is that when I turn it on to go to text the volume goes down on its own. When I increase the volume it comes back down again. The bell volume icon does not go away and I can’t see my text or worse the autocorrect. Any fixes??

  37. Aileen

    10/23/2013 at 1:52 pm

    Am really disappointed in the most recent software update for my IPAD. As a teacher, I make use of airplay to display the ipad on the classroom computer, and now I cannot do this without cables. Tried all day to fix without success. I also no longer can find my sliding control center icons that allow me to lock screen orientation, control volume, etc. I look forward to a quick fix!

  38. Mandi

    10/25/2013 at 7:26 am

    What is a jailbreak?

  39. Marco d

    01/16/2014 at 4:56 am

    any way to lock the IPhone 5s to camp on LTE only?

  40. Kenny

    02/12/2014 at 12:23 am

    Burst Mode also works on the iPhone 4s. As long as you hold down the volume up button or touch the on screen shutter button, the camera will repeatedly shoot photos.

  41. Da realest

    05/25/2014 at 7:05 pm

    Ya guys R whak dogs, a dude dAts smart alwys gets da android n google. Apples R fruity thangs fo fake brothas.

  42. Da realest

    05/25/2014 at 7:11 pm

    Shit be crzy doggs just buy a gat n yull b set fo da hood, ill be dere wid my.hommies n we all be watin dere for ya n den well be on dat bentley sceemin wild fo da night or love dat bro on da ceiling

  43. Zeke

    05/25/2014 at 7:12 pm

    Pretty neat

  44. best digital camera 2014

    08/17/2014 at 2:03 am

    I hardly leave a response, however I browsed some comments here 25 iOS 7 Tips,
    Tricks and Hidden Features. I actually do have a couple
    of questions for you if you tend not to mind. Could it be only me or
    does it appear like a few of these responses come across like
    they are left by brain dead visitors? :-P And, if you are posting at additional online sites, I would like to keep up with everything fresh you have to post.
    Would you make a list of all of your public sites
    like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

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