Maximize Your iPhone Experience: Unlock 15 Hidden iOS 16 Features to Enhance Your iPhone Usage

Apple's iOS 16, introduced over six months ago, brought a slew of features and improvements to the iPhone ecosystem. With each subsequent update, including iOS 16.4 and iOS 16.4.1, new functionalities and options emerged, such as retracting messages and emails or cropping objects from images. However, some features may have gone unnoticed. In this guide, we will explore 15 hidden gems in iOS 16 that can elevate your iPhone experience, including password-protected photo albums, easily accessible Wi-Fi passwords, and more.

Effortlessly View and Share Stored Wi-Fi Passwords on Your iPhone

Apple has enabled iOS users to share Wi-Fi passwords for some time, but it required placing two Apple devices in close proximity. If that feature didn't automatically function, you couldn't simply retrieve the password from your settings. Moreover, if you wanted to share a saved Wi-Fi password with someone else, such as an Android user or someone on a computer, you had to memorize the password. That is, until now.

Within Settings, navigate to Wi-Fi and tap the small information icon next to the network whose password you want. To see the network password, tap the Password section and then use Face ID or input your passcode. You can then tap Copy to transfer the password to your clipboard and share it.

Locate and Eliminate Duplicate Photos and Videos in Your iPhone's Photo Library

You might have unintentionally saved the same photo multiple times or downloaded a video repeatedly, resulting in duplicate files cluttering your photo album. While this may not be an issue if you have ample storage, if you're running low on space, you can now easily remove all duplicates with iOS 16.

In Photos > Albums, you should find a new Duplicates album under Utilities. Apple scans all your photos and displays any photo or video saved more than once in that album. From there, you can either delete the duplicates or simply press Merge. This option retains the highest quality photo (along with relevant data) and moves the others to the trash.

While it's advisable to review each set of duplicates to confirm that they are indeed identical copies rather than just similar images, you also have the option to tap Select > Select All > Merge to eliminate all photos and videos that Apple identifies as duplicates in a single action.

End Phone or FaceTime Calls on Your iPhone with Siri's Help

Siri is capable of many tasks, such as sending text messages, providing directions, or playing music. However, one thing she hasn't been able to do is end a phone call, which is quite peculiar. Fortunately, this functionality is now available with iOS 16.

In Settings, navigate to Siri & Search and first ensure that Listen for "Hey Siri" is toggled on. If it is, you should see a new option below it – Call Hang Up. Access this option and toggle on Call Hang Up. When you're on a phone call or FaceTime video chat, simply say, "Hey, Siri," and request her to end your current call.

Connect Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons to Your iPhone for an Enhanced Gaming Experience

Apple has long supported pairing third-party controllers, such as the PS5 Sony DualSense and Xbox Core Controller, with your iPhone and iPad, allowing for a more comfortable gaming experience in mobile games like the Apple Arcade library, Minecraft, and Call of Duty. Now, another console controller has joined the list.

If you own a Nintendo Switch, you can now connect your Joy-Con controllers to your iPhone or iPad running iOS 16. To begin, press and hold the small black pairing button on the Joy-Con until the green lights start moving back and forth, indicating that the device is in pairing mode. Next, open your iPhone and navigate to Settings > Bluetooth, then select the Joy-Con from the list. Repeat this step with the other Joy-Con.

Secure Your Hidden and Recently Deleted Albums with Password Protection on Your iPhone

The Hidden album in the Photos app is not truly concealed, as anyone can easily locate it, making it unsuitable for securely hiding private photos and videos. Although Apple provides an option to render the Hidden album "invisible," anyone with access to your phone could make it visible again and view its contents.

With iOS 16, you can now lock the Hidden album. There's no need to activate this feature manually. To explore it, open the Photos app and tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen. As you scroll down, you'll notice a small lock icon next to the Hidden and Recently Deleted albums. To access the content within these albums, you'll need to use Face ID or your passcode.

Replicate Photo and Video Edits by Copying and Pasting on Your iPhone

If you utilize the editing tool in the Photos app, you'll be pleased to know that you can now copy and paste edits, such as saturation, contrast, and brightness, between photos. If you're satisfied with the appearance of an edited photo or video, you can apply those exact edits to any other photo or video in your camera roll.

To achieve this, open the Photos app and view a fully edited photo in full-screen. Next, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select Copy Edits. This option will only appear if the photo has been edited within the Photos app, not with any third-party photo editor. Finally, navigate to the photo you want to apply these edits to, tap the three-dot menu, and select Paste Edits. After a brief moment, the photo edits should appear.

Send Emojis Using Siri on Your iPhone

Siri has long had the capability to send intricate text messages and emails through dictation. However, with iOS 16, for the first time, you can now use your voice to send emojis as well. As long as you know the emoji's name, simply say "face with tears of joy emoji" or "red heart emoji" to insert an emoji into your text via Siri.

If you use the keyboard dictation feature on your iPhone's keyboard, accessible at the bottom right of your keyboard (microphone icon), you can also mention the emoji's name to insert it anywhere you can type text, such as in a note or an Instagram caption.

Add Haptic Feedback to Your iPhone's Keyboard

The iPhone has long featured haptic feedback, which you feel beneath your fingertips when attempting to delete an app from your home screen or entering the incorrect password on your lock screen. Curiously, haptic feedback has never been available for the stock iOS keyboard—until now.

To enable a subtle vibration for every key you type, navigate to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle on Haptic. The sound option you see is the loud, bothersome clacking noise you might hear when typing and your phone isn't in silent mode, so you can leave that disabled.

Pin Your Favorite Tabs in Safari on Your iPhone for Easy Access

Safari limits your open tabs to 500, and if you're approaching that limit, finding the exact tab you need can be quite challenging. You could scroll endlessly, but there's now a more convenient method to locate the specific tab you're searching for.

In Safari, when you press down on an open tab, you'll now have the option to select Pin Tab. This action moves the tab to the top of Safari, where it will appear as a small tab preview, permanently pinned for easy access. Tapping on it will allow you to view its content. If you press down and unpin a tab, it will move to the first position in your grid of open tabs.

Extend the Delay for Unsending Emails on Your iPhone

Accidentally sending an email is a common mistake, especially when multitasking or responding to several threads simultaneously. Fortunately, Apple introduced a feature in iOS 16 that allows you 10 seconds to unsend an email. However, for some, that might not be sufficient time, which is why you can extend the delay.

In Settings, navigate to Mail and scroll down until you find Undo Send Delay. By default, the 10 Seconds option will be selected, but you can also choose 20 Seconds and 30 Seconds as alternatives.

Unlock Your iPhone with Face ID in Landscape Orientation

You might have experienced difficulties unlocking your iPhone with Face ID while it's vertical, such as when you're lying on your side. Previously, Face ID only worked when your iPhone was in portrait orientation or upright. With iOS 16, you can now use Face ID to unlock your iPhone when it's in landscape orientation. However, this feature is only available on iPhone 13 or 14 models running iOS 16.

Enable Notifications During Screen Sharing on Your iPhone

Apple automatically turns off notifications when you share your screen for privacy reasons, whether it's through SharePlay or Screen Mirroring. However, if you don't mind others seeing your notifications, iOS 16 now allows you to enable them. To do so, open the Settings app, navigate to Notifications > Screen Sharing, and toggle on Allow Notifications.

Capture Screenshots Directly to Clipboard Without Saving on Your iPhone

With a new iOS 16 feature, you no longer need to save a screenshot to your photo album to share it with others. You can take a screenshot, copy it to your clipboard, remove it from your phone, and paste it wherever you like. After capturing a screenshot, tap the screenshot preview that appears, press Done in the top-right corner, and then select Copy and Delete to copy the screenshot to your clipboard.

Uninstall Additional Preinstalled Apple Apps on Your iPhone

Starting with iOS 10, you've been able to uninstall some preinstalled iOS apps like Stocks, Maps, and Calculator—though not all. With the launch of iOS 16, three more apps can be added to the list of removable apps: Find My, Clock, and Health. However, be aware that deleting these apps may negatively impact and disrupt compatibility with other apps and connected devices, such as your Apple Watch.

Extend Siri's Listening Duration on Your iPhone for a More Seamless Experience

If you've ever been cut off by Siri, you can now make the voice assistant listen to you for a longer period, ensuring it captures everything you say. The feature is not located in an obvious place—open the Settings app, navigate to Accessibility > Siri, and choose either Longer or Longest. Experiment with both options to find the one that works best for you.

Discover these lesser-known iOS 16 features and unlock the full potential of your iPhone, making your daily tasks more efficient, enjoyable, and convenient.