iOS 8 Tips And Tricks

Apple has just released the newest version of its mobile operating system, the iOS 8. Just as promised, the latest iOS brings new features that should please newbies and diehard iOS fans alike. A lot of articles have been written about iOS 8's upgrades and no doubt, people are very eager to try them out on their iPhone 6s or iPhone 6 Plus's. But what about the features that are not so obvious? In this article, we will share some tips and tricks on how you can take advantage of iOS 8's hidden features.

What's Eating Your Battery Life?

Some of your apps may be draining your battery faster than you expect. But which apps exactly? With iOS 8, you can now find out which apps you need to close in order to preserve your battery. Just go to Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage to find out which app is using up power and keep track of how long you have until your battery goes kaput.

Finding Your iPhone's Last Location

Left your iPhone somewhere and you have forgotten where? No need to fret -- the Find My iPhone/Find My iPad lets you track down your iOS device even if the battery has died. Just go to Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone/iPad and then select Sent Last Location.

Using The Timer For Selfies

Indulge your inner narcissist -- take selfies with the use of a timer. Just open the iOS 8 Camera app, tap the clock icon, and then select either 3 seconds or 10 seconds, and then click away. A countdown display will tell you just how long you should freeze that golden smile.

Adjusting Photo Brightness

You can now adjust the brightness of the images you capture while you are in the process of taking them. Just tap the display screen as you take the photo, then swipe up to brighten the image, or swipe down to darken it.

"No Touch" Siri Assistance

Get Siri's help without touching your iOS device. You only have to call out "Hey, Siri." But first you need to activate the feature by going to Settings > General > Siri, and then activating the "Hey Siri" switch.

Tracking Email Threads

Want to keep track of important email threads? You can set your notifications to appear every time somebody adds a new message to the thread you are following. Just click the small flag icon on the lower left side of an email message, select Notify Me..., and then Notify Me again.

Minimizing QuickType

If you are not a fan of QuickType word-guessing anything you compose, you can minimize it by swiping down from the top of the QuickType bar. If you want to restore it, simply swipe back.

Composing Emails

What if you are in the middle of composing an email and you want to get information from another email message in your inbox? You can minimize the email you are working on by swiping down on message, and it will settle on the bottom of the screen. If you want to bring it up again, just tap the minimized message.

Switching Between Texting and Using Apps

As soon as you get a text message notification of your screen, pull it down in order to display the quick-reply box. After you hit Send, the box collapses and leads you back to the last app you were using.

Texting With Photos, Videos, or Audio

When you are chatting via the Messages app, hold down the microphone icon on the lower right corner in order to record an audio message. When you are done, tap the arrow above it to send (or tap X to erase). If you want to send an image or video, hold down the camera icon on the lower left corner, and then tap the top icon to take a picture, or tap the right-hand icon to make a video. Remember that in order for your recipient to receive the image or video, they need to have an iPhone as well.