10 interesting hidden features on iOS 18

iOS 18 is a significant update over previous versions. Along with notable additions like home screen customization, satellite messaging, RCS support, control center improvements, etc., it also packs in a number of hidden features. Here are some of our favorites!

1. Hide distracting items on web pages in Safari

People spend a large portion of their day on multiple websites. This means taking a few minutes each day to close pop-ups asking for cookie consent, ads, and other distractions on those websites so you can better focus on the main content.

iOS 18's Distraction Control feature solves this problem, and it's one of the reasons why many people have started using Safari instead of Firefox to browse and read online content on their iPhones. With this feature, you can easily remove any distracting items on a web page. The best part is that any items you hide will remain hidden even if you exit and revisit the website.

2. Use T9 Dialing to find contacts quickly

One of the Android features you'll miss on your iPhone for a long time is T9 Dialing. That's changing with iOS 18, though, as Apple has finally brought the feature to its native Phone app.

Thanks to T9 Dialing, you can easily look up contacts by name directly from the keyboard. Just tap the numbers corresponding to the letters in the contact's name and all the matches will be provided. This approach is not only more intuitive, but also saves you the trouble of having to go to the Contacts tab to look up contacts.

3. Pause video recording

While I love the iPhone for its video quality, it's a shame there's no option to pause recording, as this means you have to shoot separate clips and then edit and merge them later.

Thankfully, Apple recognized this inconvenience and introduced the ability to pause with iOS 18. Now, whenever you start recording a video, the Camera app will display a pause button on the screen. You can tap it to pause the recording in progress. Then, tap it again to resume.

4. Swap lock screen controls

Another favorite Android feature that finally makes its way to iOS is swappable lock screen controls. While the Flashlight controls are pretty handy, the Camera controls always felt redundant since the Camera app can be accessed by swiping left on the lock screen.

Therefore, you can replace it with a shortcut to open other frequently used apps on your iPhone. This way, you can launch any app when needed.

5. Lock and hide apps

Many people have used the Shortcuts app to lock apps on their iPhone. However, it was unstable and felt slow. Thankfully, users no longer have to rely on it because iOS 18 allows locking apps on their iPhone by default. Compared to the Shortcuts method, it not only feels natural but also works more reliably.

Locking and hiding apps in iOS 18 is easy. When you lock an app, it's locked behind Face ID or Touch ID, which significantly limits its access. But if you want more privacy, you can also hide the app. This will hide the app from everywhere except the Settings app, and you won't receive any notifications.

6. Voice Memos Transcription

Many people use the Voice Memos app on their iPhone to jot down random thoughts or capture story ideas. But until now, reviewing a memo involved playing it back and jotting down highlights, which can seem like a tedious task.

However, after updating to iOS 18, you can now use the transcription feature in Voice Memos. This feature is extremely useful because you can copy the recordings into Simplenote, where you can work on them later to prepare presentations. Another great thing is that the recordings are searchable, so you can quickly look up a specific section.

7. Adjust the flashlight beam

Apple has long offered the ability to adjust the intensity of the flashlight beam on iPhones. However, starting with iOS 18, you can adjust its width and make the beam as wide or narrow as you need.

It may sound like a gimmick, but it's actually quite handy in some situations. For example, when trying to locate ports on the back of a wall-mounted TV, narrowing the flashlight beam allows you to quickly find the correct port.

Unfortunately, this feature is not available on the standard iPhone 14 and older models with a notch.

8. Convert units in the Calculator app

The Calculator app on iOS 18 has received a number of changes. The best change is that it now allows conversion of multiple units, including currencies. Additionally, the app allows for swapping values ​​between units, making conversions quite convenient.

9. Customize your collection in the Photos app

The Photos app has been significantly redesigned in iOS 18. Unlike before, it no longer has tabs at the bottom. Instead, it shows a unified library with all your photos, videos, and collections (albums, people, etc.) on one page by default.

10. Search call history

iOS and Android users have long wished they could search their iPhone call history as easily as they can on their Android phones. iOS 18 has fulfilled that wish by introducing searchable call history.

You can now quickly and easily search your call history in the Phone app to look up past calls you had with someone. You can do this by entering someone's name or phone number. You can also enter a month followed by a name or phone number to find call history with that contact for a specific month.

These are some of the hidden features that are really useful when using iOS 18. But that's not all; there are many other small additions in this update. So update your iPhone now and take some time to explore iOS 18.