Use Back Tap for custom actions, not just for reaching the top of the screen.
The Secret Button You Never Knew You Had
Imagine your phone has a secret, invisible button on its back. With a quick double- or triple-tap, it’s like a secret knock that performs a special command you’ve chosen. You could knock to instantly open your camera, start a voice memo, or even turn on your flashlight. It’s like having a magic wand in your pocket. Instead of fumbling through menus on your screen, you just give your phone a gentle, secret tap, and it immediately does your bidding, turning a multi-step task into a single, seamless action that feels like magic.
Stop manually typing long phrases. Do use Text Replacement instead to save hours.
The Magical Shorthand for Your Thumbs
Imagine you’re a scribe and every time you need to write a long, common phrase like “with kindest regards and best wishes,” you could instead just write “wkr” and have the full phrase magically appear on the parchment. That’s exactly what Text Replacement does for your thumbs. You can teach your phone that typing “@@“ should instantly expand to your full email address, or that “addr” should become your entire home address. It’s a personal shorthand that saves you thousands of keystrokes, turning tedious typing into a quick and satisfying shortcut.
Stop searching for apps on your Home Screen. Do use the universal Spotlight Search instead.
The Teleporter for Your Phone
Hunting for an app on your Home Screen is like wandering through a huge library, scanning every shelf to find a single book. Spotlight Search, however, is like a magical librarian who can instantly teleport any book directly into your hands. Just swipe down and type the first few letters of what you want—an app, a contact, a note—and it appears instantly. It stops you from wasting time searching and instead lets you simply ask for what you need and have it delivered immediately, making you feel like a wizard of your own device.
The #1 secret for automating your daily tasks is the Shortcuts app, which most users ignore.
The Rube Goldberg Machine in Your Pocket
Imagine you could build a custom Rube Goldberg machine for your daily routines. With the press of a single button, a ball rolls, which hits a domino, which flips a switch, which starts your coffee, turns on the news, and opens the blinds. The Shortcuts app lets you build these chains of actions for your digital life. One tap on a “Morning” shortcut can turn off your alarms, play your favorite playlist, and show you your calendar for the day. It’s a powerful tool that lets you automate the boring stuff, saving you time and mental energy.
I’m just going to say it: A cluttered Home Screen is a sign of a cluttered mind.
Your Digital Desk
Think of your phone’s Home Screen as your physical desk. If your desk is covered in random papers, old coffee mugs, and scattered pens, it’s hard to find what you need and even harder to focus. Your mind feels as chaotic as the space in front of you. A clean, organized Home Screen with only the essential tools is like a clear desk. It gives you a sense of calm and control. It allows you to find what you need instantly and provides a clean, focused space for you to begin your work, bringing clarity to your digital and mental world.
The reason you can’t focus is because you haven’t configured your Focus Modes properly.
The Do Not Disturb Sign for Your Brain
Imagine you’re trying to work, but coworkers keep tapping on your shoulder, the phone is ringing, and music is blasting from next door. You can’t get anything done. A Focus Mode is like putting a big “Do Not Disturb” sign on your office door, soundproofing the walls, and telling the receptionist to hold all your calls. You can create a “Work” mode that only allows notifications from your boss and your most important apps, or a “Reading” mode that silences everything. It’s a powerful way to eliminate distractions and create a digital sanctuary for your mind.
If you’re still setting one-off alarms, you’re losing the power of customizable sleep schedules in the Health app.
The Gentle Sunrise vs. The Blaring Fire Alarm
Setting a random alarm is like being woken up by a sudden, blaring fire alarm every morning. It’s jarring and stressful. Using the Sleep Schedule feature, however, is like having a gentle, simulated sunrise in your bedroom. It can slowly brighten your screen and play calming sounds that gradually ease you out of sleep. It also reminds you when it’s time to wind down for bed, helping you build a consistent and healthy routine. It transforms the act of waking up from a daily shock into a peaceful and energizing ritual.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about productivity is that you need dozens of third-party apps.
The Overstuffed Toolbox
Imagine a carpenter who buys every new tool they see. Their toolbox is overflowing with dozens of different hammers, screwdrivers, and saws. It’s so heavy they can barely carry it, and they spend more time searching for the right tool than actually building anything. Your iPhone comes with a beautifully crafted, essential set of tools: Notes, Reminders, and Calendar. By mastering these simple, powerful tools, you can build almost anything. You don’t need an overstuffed toolbox of paid apps; you just need to learn how to expertly use the ones you already have.
I wish I knew about the document scanner in the Notes app when I was in college.
The Photocopier in Your Pocket
Back in the day, if you needed to copy a page from a library book or a friend’s notes, you had to find a clunky, expensive photocopier. The scanner built into your Notes app is like having a high-quality, intelligent photocopier that fits in your pocket. It doesn’t just take a picture; it finds the edges of the document, straightens it, removes glare, and turns it into a perfect, clean PDF. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for capturing receipts, whiteboards, and documents on the go, making physical paper instantly digital and searchable.
99% of users make this one mistake with Reminders: not using location-based alerts.
The String Tied Around Your Finger, But Better
Tying a string around your finger is supposed to remind you to do something, but it doesn’t tell you when or where. A location-based reminder is like a magical string that only tightens and gets your attention the moment you arrive at the right place. You can set a reminder to “Buy milk” that only buzzes when you pull into the grocery store’s parking lot, or a reminder to “Grab the dry cleaning” that alerts you as you’re driving past the shop on your way home. It delivers the right reminder at the exact moment you can act on it.
This one small action of using the share sheet to create a reminder from Safari will change your workflow forever.
The Instant Sticky Note for the Web
Imagine you’re reading a fascinating article online, but you don’t have time to finish it. You’d have to find a sticky note, write down the website, and hope you remember what it was about later. The share sheet is like a magic button that instantly creates a smart sticky note. While on a webpage, you can hit “Share,” tap “Reminders,” and instantly create a to-do item with a direct link back to the article. It’s a seamless way to turn web content into actionable tasks without ever leaving your browser, ensuring you never lose a great idea.
Use custom Focus Modes to create different Home Screens for work and personal life, not just for notifications.
The Switchable Office and Living Room
Imagine if your work desk magically transformed into your living room coffee table the moment you clocked out. All the papers and computers would disappear, replaced by your favorite books and a TV remote. Customizing your Home Screen with Focus Modes does exactly this. Your “Work” Focus can show a Home Screen with only your work apps and widgets. Then, at 5 PM, your “Personal” Focus can automatically switch to a completely different Home Screen with your social media, games, and music apps. It creates a powerful mental separation between your different worlds.
Stop trying to move the cursor by tapping. Do a long press on the spacebar instead to enter trackpad mode.
The Tiny Mouse for Your Thumbs
Trying to move the cursor by poking at the screen with your thumb is like trying to perform surgery with a mitten on. You can never get it in exactly the right spot. But if you press and hold the spacebar, your keyboard magically transforms into a tiny laptop trackpad. Your thumb can now glide effortlessly across the keyboard to move the cursor with pinpoint precision, letting you select text and fix typos with incredible speed and accuracy. It’s a hidden feature that, once discovered, you will never be able to live without.
Stop using a calculator app for simple math. Do type it into the Spotlight search bar instead.
The All-Knowing Assistant at Your Fingertips
Opening a dedicated calculator app for a quick calculation is like walking all the way to the library just to ask for the definition of a single word. Spotlight Search is like having a genius assistant who is always waiting for your command. Just swipe down and type “45*12” or “15% of 250,” and the answer appears instantly, before you even finish typing. It’s faster, more convenient, and turns your search bar into an immediate problem-solving tool, saving you the time and taps of opening a separate app.
The #1 hack for managing your inbox is using the “Snooze” feature in the Mail app.
The Boomerang for Your Emails
Imagine an email is a physical letter that arrives at your desk. You don’t have time to deal with it right now, but you don’t want to forget it. The “Snooze” feature is like a magic boomerang. You can throw the letter away, telling it, “Come back tomorrow morning,” or “Come back next week when I’m ready.” The letter vanishes from your desk, clearing your clutter and your mind. Then, at the exact time you specified, it magically flies back to the top of your inbox, ready for your attention.
I’m just going to say it: The default Calendar app is more than enough for 99% of people.
The Simple, Reliable Kitchen Clock
Some people buy incredibly complex, expensive clocks that can show the phases of the moon and the tides in another hemisphere. But for most of us, all we really need is a simple, reliable clock on the kitchen wall that clearly tells us the time. The built-in Calendar app is that kitchen clock. It’s clean, easy to read, and perfectly integrated with your phone. It does the essential job of organizing your time flawlessly without the distracting bells and whistles of complex third-party apps, proving that the best tool is often the simplest one.
The reason you miss appointments is because you’re not setting a second alert in the Calendar app.
The Five-Minute Warning Knock
Imagine you have an important meeting. A single alarm going off can be easily dismissed and forgotten in the rush of the day. Setting a second alert in your calendar is like having a personal assistant who gives you a heads-up an hour before, and then gives you a final, firm knock on your door five minutes before, saying, “It’s time to go now.” That second reminder is a powerful safety net, a final nudge that cuts through distractions and ensures you have enough time to wrap up what you’re doing and get where you need to be.
If you’re still taking photos of whiteboards, you’re losing the searchability of scanned text in the Notes app.
The Smart Photograph That Can Be Read
Taking a regular photo of a whiteboard is like hanging a picture of a book on your wall. It captures the image, but you can’t open it up and read the words. Using the document scanner in Notes, however, is like taking a magical photograph that instantly transforms all the handwritten notes into searchable, digital text. Months later, you can simply search for a keyword like “marketing budget,” and your phone will find that exact word scribbled on the whiteboard, turning a static image into a dynamic, intelligent document.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a paid subscription for a good to-do list app.
The Free, Professional-Grade Workshop
Some people believe that to do serious woodworking, they need to pay for access to a fancy, exclusive workshop. But they forget that they have a perfectly good, professional-grade workshop in their own garage, completely free. The built-in Reminders app is that workshop. It’s incredibly powerful, with features like subtasks, location alerts, smart lists, and collaboration that rival most paid apps. You don’t need to pay a monthly fee to be organized; you just need to explore the powerful, free tools that are already in your hands.
I wish I knew you could create nested lists and checklists within the Reminders app.
The To-Do List Inside a To-Do List
A simple to-do list for a big project is like a single folder labeled “Vacation.” It’s not very helpful. Nested lists let you put folders inside that folder. You can have a main task like “Plan Vacation,” and then indent sub-tasks underneath it like “Book flights,” “Reserve hotel,” and “Pack bags.” You can even go deeper with “Buy sunscreen” under “Pack bags.” It’s like creating a perfectly organized filing cabinet for your projects, transforming a single overwhelming task into a series of small, manageable steps that you can satisfyingly check off.
99% of people make this mistake when taking notes: not using the formatting tools to organize their thoughts.
The Wall of Text vs. The Newspaper Article
Just typing a block of text into your notes is like reading a book with no chapters, paragraphs, or punctuation. It’s a daunting, unreadable wall of words. The formatting tools—like headings, bold text, and checklists—are what turn that wall of text into a clean, scannable newspaper article. Headings act as headlines, bullet points organize key facts, and bold text emphasizes the most important information. It transforms a chaotic brain dump into a structured, organized document that’s easy to read and even easier to understand later.
This one small habit of using Siri to add reminders will make you dramatically more organized.
The Butler Who Never Forgets
Imagine having a butler who follows you everywhere. As you’re washing dishes, you can say, “Jeeves, remind me to buy soap tomorrow,” and he’ll note it down. As you’re driving, “Jeeves, add ‘pick up prescription’ to my errands list.” Siri is that butler for your brain. The moment a thought pops into your head, you can capture it with your voice without ever stopping what you’re doing or touching your phone. It’s a frictionless way to offload your mental clutter, ensuring that no brilliant idea or important task is ever lost again.
Use stacked widgets to save Home Screen space, not having individual widgets for everything.
The Flip-Book on Your Desk
Having a separate widget for your calendar, weather, and news is like having three different large-print books open on your small desk. It takes up a ton of space. A stacked widget is like a single, elegant flip-book. It sits in one spot, but you can instantly flick your finger to flip between the pages for your calendar, your weather forecast, or your news headlines. It gives you access to all the same information while keeping your digital desk clean and organized, consolidating a whole desk’s worth of information into one compact space.
Stop just reading articles online. Do add them to your Reading List in Safari to read later, even offline.
The Personal Magazine for Your Pocket
When you stumble upon an interesting article online, it’s like seeing a magazine in a shop that you want to read, but you’re in a hurry. Your Reading List is like a magical bag where you can instantly tuck that magazine away to read later. It saves a clean, ad-free version of the article for you. The best part? It’s like the bag has its own internet connection, so you can pull out your “magazine” and read it on a plane or a subway, even when you have no signal.
Stop emailing files to yourself. Do use AirDrop or Universal Clipboard instead.
The Teleporter vs. The Postal Service
Emailing a photo or a link from your phone to your computer is like putting it in a box, addressing it to yourself, and shipping it via the postal service. It’s slow and clunky. AirDrop is a teleporter. You just aim your phone at your Mac, press a button, and the file instantly materializes on the other device. Universal Clipboard is even more magical—it’s like having your thoughts beamed from one device to the other. You copy text on your phone, and it’s instantly ready to be pasted on your Mac, no shipping required.
The #1 secret for quick currency and unit conversions is using Spotlight Search.
The Universal Translator in Your Search Bar
Imagine you’re traveling and need to know how many kilometers are in 20 miles or what 50 euros is in dollars. Instead of fumbling for a separate conversion app, which is like searching for a phrasebook in your luggage, you can just use Spotlight Search. It’s like having a universal translator in your pocket. Swipe down, type “50 eur” or “20 miles,” and the answer appears instantly. It’s the fastest, most seamless way to convert anything, making you feel like a savvy world traveler in your own home.
I’m just going to say it: Most people who use complex productivity systems are just procrastinating.
The Architect Who Only Draws Blueprints
Imagine an architect who spends months designing the most intricate, color-coded, and perfectly detailed blueprints for a house. He creates elaborate systems for organizing his tools and schedules for his workers. But he never, ever actually picks up a hammer and starts building. This is what happens with overly complex productivity systems. People spend more time managing the system—tagging, linking, and organizing their to-do lists—than actually doing the work. True productivity is about simplicity. It’s about picking up the hammer and starting to build.
The reason your to-do list is overwhelming is because you’re not using different lists for different projects in Reminders.
The Unsorted Pile of Mail
Imagine all your mail for a month—bills, personal letters, work documents, and junk mail—is thrown into one giant, unsorted pile on your dining room table. The thought of tackling it is completely overwhelming. This is what a single, long to-do list feels like. Creating separate lists in Reminders is like getting different folders for “Home,” “Work,” and “Groceries.” It instantly sorts the chaos, turning that one terrifying pile into small, manageable stacks. It gives you the clarity to focus on one area of your life at a time.
If you’re still not using Smart Stacks for your widgets, you’re losing out on context-aware information.
The Butler Who Knows What You Need
A regular widget stack is like a flip-book that you have to manually turn. A Smart Stack is like having a butler who knows exactly which page of the book you need to see at any given moment. It learns your habits. In the morning, it might automatically show you the weather and your calendar. In the afternoon, it might switch to your news headlines. And in the evening, it could show you your podcast app. It’s an intelligent assistant that proactively presents the right tool at the right time, without you even having to ask.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that “hustle culture” productivity is effective.
The Sprint vs. The Marathon
“Hustle culture” tells you that to win a marathon, you must sprint at full speed from the starting line. You’ll look impressive for the first mile, but you will inevitably burn out, collapse from exhaustion, and never finish the race. True productivity is about sustainability. It’s about finding a steady, consistent pace you can maintain for the long haul. It values rest, focus, and smart work over frantic, nonstop activity. You don’t win the marathon by hustling; you win it by having the wisdom and energy to endure.
I wish I knew I could share and collaborate on Notes and Reminders lists with others.
The Magical, Self-Updating Shopping List
Imagine you and your partner have a paper shopping list on the fridge. You write “milk,” and they write “eggs.” But if they go to the store, they have to take the list, and you can’t add anything else. A shared Reminders list is like a magical piece of paper that exists in both of your kitchens at the same time. When you add “bread” on your phone, it instantly appears on their list while they’re in the store. When they check off “milk,” it gets checked off on yours. It’s a seamless way to work together.
99% of users don’t know they can drag and drop items between apps in split-screen mode.
The Digital Assembly Line
Imagine you’re building a collage. You have a stack of photos on your left and a scrapbook on your right. You physically pick up a photo and place it onto the page. On your iPad or iPhone, split-screen mode creates this same two-sided workspace. You can have your Photos app open on the left and an email open on the right. Then, you can simply press and hold on a photo, and literally drag it across the screen and drop it directly into the body of the email. It’s a beautifully intuitive and physical way to move content.
This one small action of creating a “Dumping Ground” note for random thoughts will clear your mind.
The Junk Drawer for Your Brain
Your brain is constantly generating ideas, worries, and random thoughts. Trying to hold onto all of them is exhausting, like trying to walk around all day with your arms full of miscellaneous objects. A “Dumping Ground” note is like a junk drawer for your mind. It’s one dedicated, easily accessible place where you can quickly toss any random thought the moment it appears. This act of “writing it down” gives your brain permission to let go, freeing up mental space and creating a sense of calm and clarity.
Use Voice Memos with transcriptions, not just typing out meeting notes.
The Personal Scribe for Your Meetings
Trying to type notes while actively participating in a meeting is like trying to write a detailed letter while also having a conversation. You’ll end up doing both poorly. Recording the meeting with Voice Memos is like bringing a personal scribe with you. You can focus completely on the discussion, knowing every word is being captured. Afterward, the automatic transcription feature gives you a searchable, written record of the entire conversation. It’s a powerful way to be fully present in the moment while still getting perfect notes.
Stop looking for a third-party app to sign documents. Do use the built-in Markup tool instead.
The Pen That Writes on Your Screen
Imagine you receive an important document as an email attachment that you need to sign. In the past, you’d have to print it, find a pen, sign it, and then find a scanner to send it back. The built-in Markup tool is like a magic pen that can write directly on your screen. You can open almost any document or image, tap the Markup icon, and sign your name with your finger. You can then immediately save it and email it back, turning a 20-minute, multi-step chore into a simple 30-second task.
Stop getting distracted by notifications. Do use the “Scheduled Summary” feature instead.
The Daily Newspaper Delivery
Allowing notifications to pop up all day is like having a paperboy throw a new newspaper at your head every five minutes. It’s distracting and makes it impossible to focus. The Scheduled Summary is like telling that paperboy, “Just collect all the papers and deliver them to me once in the morning and once in the evening.” It gathers all your non-urgent notifications and delivers them in one neat, silent bundle at times you choose. This allows you to stay focused on your work while still being able to catch up on what you missed.
The #1 hack for finding anything on your phone is using the search bars within Settings and Messages.
The X-Ray Glasses for Your Apps
Your phone’s Settings and Messages apps are like vast, sprawling buildings with hundreds of rooms. Trying to find one specific setting or an old message is like wandering the hallways aimlessly. The search bar at the top of these apps is like putting on a pair of X-ray glasses. It allows you to see through all the walls and instantly pinpoint the exact location of what you’re looking for. Instead of navigating through endless menus, you simply type what you want, and it takes you directly there, saving you countless minutes of frustrating searching.
I’m just going to say it: You don’t need to organize your apps into folders anymore, thanks to the App Library.
The Self-Organizing Bookshelf
For years, we meticulously organized our apps into little folders, like a librarian carefully placing books into specific categories on a shelf. The App Library is like a magical, self-organizing bookshelf. It automatically takes all your books (apps) and sorts them into logical categories for you. It keeps your main living space (your Home Screen) clean and clutter-free, while ensuring that any book you need is always neatly filed away and easy to find. It does all the tedious organizing for you, so you can just focus on using the apps.
The reason you can’t find that note is because you’re not using tags and Smart Folders in the Notes app.
The Cross-Referenced Filing Cabinet
A regular folder system is like a filing cabinet where a document can only be in one drawer at a time. A note about a “marketing meeting” can be in the “Marketing” folder or the “Meetings” folder, but not both. Tags are like magical labels that let you do just that. You can add #marketing and #meeting to the same note. A Smart Folder then acts as a special drawer that automatically collects every document with a specific tag. It’s a powerful way to cross-reference your ideas and find anything instantly, no matter how you think to look for it.
If you’re still manually calculating tips, you’re ignoring the calculator in the Control Center.
The Instant Tip Jar
Fumbling to find and open your calculator app at the end of a meal is like digging through your entire bag just to find your wallet. It’s awkward and slow. The calculator in the Control Center is like having a dedicated tip jar in your pocket. With a single swipe down, it’s instantly available. You can quickly calculate the tip, pay the bill, and get on with your evening without the clunky interruption of searching for an app on your Home Screen. It’s a small shortcut that makes a common task feel seamless and effortless.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to achieve “Inbox Zero.”
The Empty Mailbox Myth
Inbox Zero is the idea that your email inbox should be completely empty at the end of each day. This is like believing that to be organized, your physical mailbox outside your house must always be empty. It’s an impossible and stressful standard. Mail is always coming in. A better approach is “Inbox Clean.” It’s like bringing in your mail each day, sorting it into piles for “action,” “reading,” and “filing,” and throwing away the junk. Your mailbox isn’t empty, but it’s organized and under control, which is all that matters.
I wish I knew that you can create a PDF from almost any screen using the share sheet.
The Universal “Print to File” Button
On a computer, you can “print” almost anything to a PDF file. The share sheet on your iPhone has a hidden version of this power. Imagine you’re looking at a webpage, an email, or a photo. You tap the Share button, and among the options is one that looks like a “Print” button. If you select it and then “pinch out” on the preview, the entire item instantly transforms into a clean, shareable PDF. It’s a universal “Save as PDF” button that’s been hiding in plain sight, ready to capture anything on your screen.
99% of people make this mistake with Focus Modes: not automating them based on time or location.
The Butler Who Knows Your Schedule
Setting a Focus Mode manually is like having a butler that you have to find and instruct for every single task. Automating your Focus Modes is like having a butler who has already memorized your entire daily schedule. He knows that at 9 AM, you like your office quiet. He knows that when you arrive at the gym, you want your workout playlist ready. And he knows that at 10 PM, it’s time to dim the lights and silence all notifications. It puts your digital environment on autopilot, creating the perfect atmosphere for every part of your day.
This one small habit of using the “Pin” feature in Notes will keep your most important information accessible.
The Corkboard Above Your Desk
Your Notes app can fill up with hundreds of entries, becoming like a giant stack of papers on your desk. Finding that one crucial note with your Wi-Fi password or your travel itinerary can be a pain. Pinning a note is like taking that single piece of paper and tacking it to a corkboard right above your desk. It will always be at the very top of your list, visible and accessible the moment you open the app. It’s a simple way to separate your most vital, frequently-used information from the everyday clutter.
Use the “Look Up” feature to quickly define words, not opening a browser to search for them.
The Dictionary Built Into Every Word
When you come across a word you don’t know in a physical book, you have to put the book down and go find a dictionary. The “Look Up” feature is like having a tiny, invisible dictionary embedded within every single word on your screen. You just press and hold on any word, and a definition instantly pops up, right there in the context of what you’re reading. It’s a frictionless way to expand your vocabulary and understand what you’re reading without ever breaking your flow or leaving the app.
Stop trying to remember Wi-Fi passwords. Do view and copy them from your saved networks in Settings.
The Key Master Who Remembers Everything
Trying to recall the complex Wi-Fi password for a coffee shop you visited last month is like trying to remember the exact cut of a key you used once. It’s nearly impossible. Your iPhone acts as your personal key master. It securely stores a copy of the “key” for every single Wi-Fi network you’ve ever connected to. In your settings, you can simply ask the key master for the password to “CoffeeShop_WiFi,” and he will show it to you, allowing you to easily copy it and share it with a friend or connect another device.
Stop scrolling through long documents. Do tap the top of the screen to instantly scroll to the top instead.
The Elevator to the Top Floor
Scrolling all the way back to the top of a long webpage or social media feed is like taking the stairs in a skyscraper. It’s a long, tedious journey for your thumb. Tapping the very top of your screen, right on the clock, is like stepping into a high-speed elevator that takes you directly to the top floor in less than a second. It’s a simple, elegant shortcut that has been a core part of the iPhone since the beginning, saving you from endless, repetitive swiping and instantly returning you to the beginning.
The #1 secret for a productive morning is a custom “Wake Up” shortcut that sets your scenes, plays music, and tells you the weather.
The Perfect Butler for Your Morning Routine
Imagine a butler who, the moment your alarm goes off, gently opens your blinds, starts your favorite morning playlist, turns on the coffee maker, and reads you the day’s weather forecast and top appointments. A custom “Wake Up” shortcut does exactly that for your digital and smart home life. With a single tap, or by simply turning off your alarm, you can trigger a chain of events that perfectly orchestrates the start of your day. It eliminates morning friction and lets you wake up feeling organized and in control.
I’m just going to say it: Siri is actually incredibly useful for hands-free productivity.
The Invisible Assistant in the Room
Many people think of Siri as a novelty, like a talking clock. But its real power is as an invisible, hands-free assistant. Imagine you’re cooking, and your hands are covered in flour. You can ask Siri to set a timer, convert measurements, or add an item to your grocery list without ever touching your phone. When you’re driving, you can have her read your messages and dictate a reply. Siri is the ultimate multitasking tool, allowing you to interact with your digital world while your hands are busy in the physical one.
The reason your Shortcuts are clunky is because you’re not using variables and conditional statements.
The Chef vs. The Assembly Line Worker
A simple shortcut is like an assembly line worker who can only perform one set of repetitive tasks in a fixed order. It’s useful, but not very smart. Using variables and conditionals (like “If/Then” statements) is like upgrading that worker to a master chef. A chef can taste the soup (check a condition) and decide if it needs more salt (a variable). This allows you to build shortcuts that can make decisions, ask you questions, and perform different actions based on the situation, transforming them from dumb robots into intelligent assistants.
If you’re still setting timers one by one, you’re losing the ability to run multiple named timers at once.
The Kitchen with Multiple Egg Timers
Imagine you’re cooking a big meal. You have pasta that needs to boil for 10 minutes and vegetables that need to roast for 30 minutes. In the past, you’d have to use one timer and do mental math. Now, you can run multiple, named timers simultaneously. It’s like having a separate, labeled egg timer for every dish on the stove. You can ask Siri to “set a 10-minute pasta timer” and a “30-minute vegetable timer.” Your phone will keep track of everything separately and announce which dish is ready by name.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a physical calculator.
The Abacus in the Age of Computers
Insisting on using a physical calculator in the era of smartphones is like an accountant insisting on using an abacus. While it might feel familiar, you are ignoring a much more powerful and convenient tool that you are already carrying. Your iPhone can handle basic math in its search bar, has a dedicated app for more complex problems, and is always with you. The physical calculator is a single-purpose tool from a bygone era; the tools on your phone are faster, more integrated, and always in your pocket.
I wish I knew about the three-finger pinch/spread gesture for copy and paste.
The Invisible Claw Machine for Text
Copying and pasting usually involves tapping and holding, then carefully selecting from a tiny menu. It can be a bit clumsy. The three-finger gestures are like controlling an invisible claw machine over your text. You select your text, then simply pinch inward on the screen with three fingers to “pick up” or copy it. Move your cursor to a new spot, then spread your three fingers outward to “drop” or paste it. It’s a quick, physical, and deeply satisfying gesture that makes moving text around feel like a superpower.
99% of users don’t know they can use their iPhone as a remote for their Apple TV.
The Remote Control That’s Never Lost in the Couch
The dedicated Apple TV remote is small, slippery, and seems specifically designed to get lost between the couch cushions. The Remote feature in your iPhone’s Control Center is the hero that saves you from a frustrating search. With a single swipe and a tap, your phone’s screen transforms into a powerful, tactile remote. You can swipe to navigate, type on a real keyboard to search for movies, and control playback. Since you always know where your phone is, you have a remote that you can never lose.
This one small action of adding your most-used controls to the Control Center will save you countless taps.
The Custom Dashboard of Your Car
When you drive a car, the most important controls—the steering wheel, the gear shift, the turn signal—are right at your fingertips. You don’t have to reach into the glove box to steer. Your iPhone’s Control Center is your personal dashboard. You can customize it to put your most-used tools right at your fingertips. If you constantly use the flashlight, the timer, or the camera, you can put them on your main dashboard, accessible with a single swipe, saving you from the “glove box” of your Home Screen.
Use Dictation for long messages, not typing them out painstakingly.
The Personal Stenographer for Your Thumbs
Typing out a long, detailed email or message with your thumbs is a slow and error-prone process. It’s like trying to write a novel by carving letters into a stone tablet. The dictation feature (the little microphone on your keyboard) is like having a professional stenographer ready at a moment’s notice. You can simply speak your thoughts naturally, and your phone will type them out with surprising accuracy. It allows you to compose long-form text at the speed of speech, turning a tedious task into an effortless conversation.
Stop hunting for the undo button. Do a three-finger swipe left to undo instead.
The Magical Eraser Swipe
When you make a mistake while typing, your first instinct is to look for an “undo” button, which can be hard to find. The three-finger swipe is a hidden, magical gesture that acts as an instant eraser. Just made a typo or deleted a whole paragraph by accident? A quick, firm swipe to the left with three fingers will instantly undo the last action, like a wave of a magic wand. Swipe right with three fingers to redo. It’s a powerful, intuitive gesture that gives you confidence to type freely, knowing any mistake can be instantly corrected.
Stop manually creating calendar events. Do let your iPhone create them from dates and times found in Mail and Messages.
The Secretary Who Reads Your Mail
Imagine you have a secretary who reads your incoming mail and messages. When they see a phrase like “Let’s meet for coffee on Tuesday at 2 PM,” they automatically pull out your planner and pencil in the appointment for you, without you even having to ask. This is what your iPhone does automatically. It intelligently scans your communications for dates and times, highlighting them for you. With a single tap, you can create a perfectly formed calendar event, turning a manual chore into a moment of automated magic.
The #1 hack for managing tabs in Safari is creating Tab Groups for different projects.
The Different Desks for Different Jobs
Imagine you’re working on three big projects at once: planning a vacation, researching a new car, and a work assignment. If you had all the papers for all three projects scattered on one single desk, it would be a chaotic mess. Tab Groups in Safari let you create a separate, dedicated “desk” for each project. You can have a “Vacation” desk with tabs for flights and hotels, and a “Work” desk with all your relevant documents. It keeps your browsing organized, focused, and completely separate, allowing you to switch between contexts without getting lost in the clutter.
I’m just going to say it: The Pomodoro Technique is easily implemented with just the Timer app.
The Simple Kitchen Timer for Your Brain
The Pomodoro Technique is a simple productivity method: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. People often buy special apps or physical timers for this. But that’s like buying a fancy, expensive sand timer when you have a perfectly good digital timer on your kitchen stove. The built-in Timer app on your iPhone is all you need. Set it for 25 minutes. When it goes off, set it for 5. It’s a simple, free, and distraction-free tool that does the job perfectly, proving that you don’t need a complex solution for a simple problem.
The reason you forget things is because you’re not using the “Remind me when messaging” feature.
The Assistant Who Taps You on the Shoulder
You need to ask your friend about the weekend plans, but they’re busy at work right now. You tell yourself you’ll remember to ask them later, but you inevitably forget. The “Remind me when messaging” feature is like having an assistant who watches your conversations. You can set a reminder that is specifically linked to that friend. The next time you open your message thread to text them, a notification will pop up, tapping you on the shoulder and whispering, “Psst, don’t forget to ask about the weekend.” It’s a brilliantly context-aware memory aid.
If you’re still using a third-party app to merge PDFs, you’re losing time you could be using the Files app.
The Digital Stapler You Already Own
Imagine you have two paper documents that you need to staple together, but instead of using the stapler on your desk, you drive across town to a special “stapling service” store. It sounds absurd, but it’s what people do when they use a third-party app to merge PDFs. The built-in Files app has a powerful, hidden “stapler.” You simply select your files, tap a menu, and choose “Create PDF.” It instantly combines them into a single document. It’s a powerful, free tool you already own, no unnecessary trips required.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to be a programmer to use the Shortcuts app.
The Lego Set for Your Phone
Saying you need to be a programmer to use Shortcuts is like saying you need to be an engineer to play with Lego bricks. The app is a collection of simple, colorful, pre-made “bricks”—actions like “Send a Text” or “Get Directions.” You don’t need to understand how the bricks are made; you just need to stack them on top of each other to build something new and cool. It’s a fun, visual, and accessible way to create powerful automations, designed for curious minds, not just for coders.
I wish I knew I could set recurring reminders for tasks that repeat at irregular intervals.
The Custom-Tailored Alarm Clock
A standard recurring reminder is like a clock that chimes every single day at noon. But what if you only need to be reminded to water your plants every three days, or pay a bill on the 15th of every other month? The Reminders app is like a custom-tailored alarm clock. You can set incredibly specific and complex repeat schedules. It can remind you on specific days of the week, on a certain day of the month, or after a custom interval of your choosing, ensuring you get the perfect nudge for every irregular task in your life.
99% of people don’t use the search function within the Notes app to find handwritten text.
The Librarian Who Can Read Your Scrawl
Imagine you have a library full of handwritten journals. Finding a specific thought would mean manually reading through every single page. The search function in the Notes app is like a magical librarian who can instantly read and understand your personal handwriting. You can scribble a note on your screen about a “brilliant marketing idea,” and weeks later, you can type “marketing” into the search bar, and that handwritten note will instantly appear. It turns your messy, handwritten scrawls into powerful, searchable text, ensuring no idea is ever truly lost.
This one small habit of using the Quick Note feature from the Control Center will ensure you never lose a brilliant idea.
The Napkin on the Bedside Table
Brilliant ideas often strike at the most inconvenient times—when you’re in the middle of a conversation or just about to fall asleep. In the past, you might have scrambled for a pen and a napkin. Quick Note is the digital napkin that is always within reach. With a single swipe and a tap from your Control Center, you can instantly bring up a fresh note, jot down your idea, and save it without ever losing your place or your train of thought. It’s the fastest way to capture inspiration before it vanishes.
Use Screen Time not just for restrictions, but to understand where your time is actually going.
The Honest Mirror for Your Digital Habits
Many people view Screen Time as a parental control tool, like a lock on the cookie jar. But its real power is as an honest, non-judgmental mirror. You might think you only spend a few minutes a day on social media, but the mirror of Screen Time might show you it’s actually two hours. It provides a clear, data-driven reflection of your digital habits, showing you exactly where your most valuable asset—your time—is being spent. This self-awareness is the crucial first step to taking back control and being more intentional with your focus.
Stop trying to find the perfect productivity app. Do master the ones built into your iPhone instead.
The Master Chef in a Simple Kitchen
A novice cook might believe that owning the most expensive, specialized kitchen gadgets will make them a great chef. But a true master chef can create a gourmet meal in a simple kitchen with just a sharp knife, a cutting board, and a good pan. They have achieved mastery of the fundamentals. The same is true for productivity. Instead of constantly chasing the next shiny app, focus on mastering the simple, powerful, and perfectly integrated tools you already own. True productivity comes from skill and habit, not from the tools themselves.
Stop dismissing notifications. Do interact with them directly from the Lock Screen instead.
The Mailbox with Action Buttons
Dismissing a notification is like taking a letter out of your mailbox, glancing at it, and then putting it in a pile to deal with later. Interacting with it from the lock screen is like having a mailbox with built-in action buttons. You can receive a message and, without ever unlocking your phone, tap a “Reply” button and dictate a response. You can get a calendar alert and tap a “Snooze” button. It lets you take immediate, small actions on incoming information, saving you the time and effort of opening the app.
The #1 secret for managing files is using the Files app to integrate all your cloud services in one place.
The Universal Key to All Your Storage Units
Imagine you have your belongings stored in several different storage units across town: one with Public Storage, one with U-Haul, and one in your friend’s garage. To find something, you have to drive to each one. The Files app is like a universal master key that also shows you a combined inventory of all your units in one place. You can connect your iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox, and see everything in a single, unified list. It lets you move files between them as easily as moving a box from one shelf to another.
I’m just going to say it: Voice control is the most underrated accessibility and productivity feature on the iPhone.
The Power of a Magic Incantation
Imagine you could control the world around you simply by speaking commands aloud, like a wizard casting spells. “Open the door,” and the door opens. “Find my notes on the quarterly budget,” and the notes appear. Voice Control gives you this exact power over your phone. It’s far more advanced than Siri. It allows you to control every aspect of your device—tapping, swiping, and typing—with spoken commands. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for hands-free operation, turning your phone into an obedient servant that responds to your every word.
The reason you’re inefficient at typing is because you’re not using the swipe-to-type keyboard.
Finger-Skating Across the Keyboard
Typing on a phone by tapping each individual letter is like walking through a room by taking tiny, distinct steps. Swiping to type is like gracefully ice-skating across that same room. You simply place your finger on the first letter of a word and then glide it across the keyboard, tracing a path through the other letters without lifting. Your phone intelligently figures out the word you meant to “skate.” It’s a faster, smoother, and more fluid way to type that can dramatically increase your speed and efficiency.
If you’re still not using the “Live Text” feature to copy text from photos, you’re wasting a ton of time.
The Magic Wand That Lifts Words Off a Page
Imagine you’re looking at a photo of a sign with a phone number on it. In the past, you’d have to memorize the number and then manually type it into your phone. Live Text is like a magic wand. You can simply point your camera at the sign, and the phone number will glow, becoming real, selectable text. You can tap it to make a call, or press and hold to copy it. It magically lifts words, numbers, and addresses out of the physical world and brings them directly into your digital one.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that multitasking on a phone is efficient.
The Juggler with Too Many Balls
Productivity gurus often praise multitasking. But true multitasking is a myth. What you’re actually doing is “task-switching,” which is like a juggler frantically trying to keep a dozen balls in the air. Every time you switch your attention from one task to another—from an email to a text message and back—you drop a mental ball. It takes time and energy to pick it up again. True efficiency comes from single-tasking: focusing on one ball at a time with your full, undivided attention. You’ll finish faster and with fewer mistakes.
I wish I knew I could ask Siri to “remind me about this” while looking at an email or webpage.
The Bookmark That Taps You on the Shoulder
You’re looking at a webpage with a recipe you want to try, or an email with concert tickets you need to print. You could set a generic reminder, but a better way is to simply say, “Siri, remind me about this tonight.” Siri is smart enough to understand the “this” you are referring to. It will create a reminder that contains a direct link back to the exact email, webpage, or note you were looking at. It’s like a magical bookmark that not only saves your place but also actively taps you on the shoulder when it’s time to return.
99% of users don’t customize the share sheet to put their most-used actions at the top.
The Custom-Organized Toolbox Drawer
Imagine your toolbox has a drawer full of tools, but the ones you use most often—your favorite hammer and screwdriver—are always buried at the very back. The iPhone’s share sheet is that drawer. By default, it’s a long, scrolling list. But you can edit it. It’s like taking a moment to put your most-used tools in a special, easy-to-reach tray at the very front of the drawer. Putting your favorite messaging app or your “Save to Notes” action right at the top will save you a few seconds of searching every single time you use it.
This one small action of turning your phone face down will activate Do Not Disturb and improve your focus.
The Off Switch for Your Distractions
When your phone is face up on your desk, its screen lighting up with every notification is like a constantly blinking neon sign in your peripheral vision, begging for your attention. It’s impossible to ignore. Simply turning your phone face down is like flipping the master off switch for that sign. The phone intelligently understands this gesture, silencing notifications and preventing the screen from lighting up. It’s a simple, physical act that creates an instant, powerful barrier against digital distractions, allowing your brain to fully engage with the task at hand.
Use the “Announce Notifications” feature with AirPods, not constantly checking your phone.
The Personal Assistant Whispering in Your Ear
When you’re walking or exercising, every buzz in your pocket forces you to pull out your phone to see if it’s important. It breaks your flow. The “Announce Notifications” feature with AirPods is like having a discreet personal assistant whispering in your ear. When a message comes in, Siri will quietly announce who it’s from and read it to you. You can even dictate a reply without ever touching your phone. It allows you to stay connected to important information while keeping your phone in your pocket and your focus on the physical world.
Stop trying to remember everything. Do use the Reminders app as your second brain instead.
The External Hard Drive for Your Mind
Your brain’s short-term memory is like a computer’s RAM. It’s fast but has a very limited capacity. Trying to store all your to-dos, ideas, and appointments there will inevitably lead to crashes and lost data. The Reminders app is an external hard drive for your mind. It has virtually unlimited storage. The act of moving a task from your brain to the app frees up precious mental RAM, reducing stress and allowing you to use your brain for what it’s best at: thinking and problem-solving, not just remembering to buy milk.
Stop manually sharing your ETA. Do use the “Share ETA” feature in Apple Maps instead.
The Live-Tracking for Your Journey
When you’re driving to meet someone, you get the inevitable “Where are you?” text. Manually replying is distracting and unsafe. The “Share ETA” feature in Apple Maps is like giving your friend a live GPS tracker for your car, but only for that specific trip. They can see your icon moving along the map in real-time and get an updated arrival time. If you hit traffic, it updates for them automatically. It eliminates the need for back-and-forth texting, making your journey safer and less stressful for everyone.
The #1 hack for a focused work session is a custom Focus Mode that only allows notifications from specific work apps and colleagues.
The Velvet Rope for Your Attention
Imagine you’re trying to work in a VIP lounge. A standard “Do Not Disturb” is like closing the main door to the noisy club. But a custom Focus Mode is like hiring a bouncer to stand at the door with a specific guest list. The bouncer will block everyone from getting in, except for the few crucial people you’ve pre-approved, like your boss or your most important clients. It creates a protective velvet rope around your attention, ensuring that only the most critical information can get through while you’re in a state of deep work.
I’m just going to say it: You probably have too many Home Screens.
The House with Too Many Rooms
Imagine a house with 10 different living rooms. It would be confusing and unnecessary, and you’d waste time wandering around looking for the TV remote. Having multiple Home Screens filled with apps is the same. It forces you to swipe and search, creating digital clutter. A better approach is to have one, single, perfectly curated Home Screen that acts as your main living room, containing only the essential tools you use every day. For everything else, the App Library acts as a perfectly organized storage closet, always there when you need it.
The reason your projects fail is because you’re not breaking them down into subtasks in the Reminders app.
Trying to Eat an Elephant in One Bite
Looking at a huge project on your to-do list, like “Renovate the Kitchen,” is like being told to eat an entire elephant. It’s so overwhelming that you don’t even know where to start, so you procrastinate. Creating subtasks in the Reminders app is the act of cutting that elephant into small, bite-sized pieces. “Renovate the Kitchen” becomes “Measure the space,” “Choose new cabinets,” and “Call the plumber.” This turns an intimidating, monolithic task into a series of small, manageable steps that you can actually start working on and check off.
If you’re still printing documents to sign them, you’re losing time and paper.
The Quill Pen in the Age of Email
Printing a document just to sign it with a pen and then scanning it back to your computer is a workflow from a different century. It’s like writing a letter with a quill pen, sealing it with wax, and sending it by horse, only to have the recipient scan it into their email. The built-in Markup feature on your iPhone allows you to sign documents digitally with your finger. It’s the modern equivalent of the pen, allowing you to complete the entire process in seconds, saving trees, time, and the hassle of dealing with physical hardware.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a stylus to be productive on an iPhone.
The Power of Your Own Two Hands
A stylus can be a wonderful tool for artists, but for everyday productivity, believing you need one is a myth. It’s like thinking you need a fancy, expensive robotic arm to cook dinner when you have two perfectly capable hands. Your fingers are the original, and still the most intuitive, pointing devices. The iPhone’s interface is specifically designed for the precision of touch. For 99% of tasks—from managing your calendar to writing notes—your finger is the fastest, most convenient, and most effective tool you have.
I wish I knew that I could search for text within photos using the Photos app search bar.
The Librarian Who Can Read Pictures
Imagine your photo library is a vast collection of books, but some of them are just pictures of pages, not actual text. The search bar in the Photos app is like a magical librarian who has learned to read the content of those pictures. You can search for the word “Caution,” and it will find a photo you took of a street sign. You can search for “Flour,” and it will find a picture of a recipe in a cookbook. It transforms your photo library from a simple collection of images into a powerful, searchable database of your visual life.
99% of people don’t use the “flag” feature to organize their emails in the Mail app.
The Colored Sticky Tabs for Your Inbox
Imagine your desk is piled high with papers. To keep track of the important ones, you might use colored sticky tabs—red for “Urgent,” blue for “Follow-up.” The flag feature in your Mail app is the digital version of these tabs. It allows you to “stick” a colored flag on any important email. This not only makes them stand out in your crowded inbox but also automatically collects them in a special “Flagged” folder. It’s a simple, visual way to triage your email and ensure that crucial messages never get lost in the shuffle.
This one small habit of using the “Bedtime” feature will improve your sleep and your productivity the next day.
The Gentle Transition to Sleep
Just turning off the lights and expecting to fall asleep instantly is like slamming on the brakes of a speeding car. It’s jarring. The Bedtime (or Sleep) feature is like a long, gentle off-ramp. It can dim your screen, activate Do Not Disturb, and suggest calming activities in the 30 minutes leading up to your designated bedtime. This “Wind Down” period signals to your brain that it’s time to start slowing down, making the transition to sleep smoother and more natural, which in turn leads to a more restful night and a more energized tomorrow.
Use Shared Reminders lists for groceries, not texting back and forth with your partner.
The Self-Syncing Shopping List
The classic grocery store problem: your partner texts you “We need milk,” but you don’t see it until you’re already in the checkout line. A shared Reminders list is like a magical shopping list that is taped to both of your refrigerators at the same time. When your partner adds “milk” to the list from home, it instantly appears on your phone while you’re in the store. When you check it off, it disappears from theirs. It’s a perfectly synchronized, collaborative tool that ends the communication errors of a chaotic text thread.
Stop manually turning on Low Power Mode. Do create a Shortcut to automate it at a certain battery percentage.
The Car That Switches to Reserve Fuel Automatically
Many cars have a feature where they automatically reduce performance to conserve fuel when the tank gets very low. Manually turning on Low Power Mode is like having to pull over and flip a switch yourself when you notice the needle is on empty. You can create a simple automation in the Shortcuts app that does this for you. You can tell it, “When my battery level falls below 20%, automatically turn on Low Power Mode.” It’s a set-it-and-forget-it solution that ensures your phone intelligently conserves its own energy when it needs it most.
Stop forgetting your passwords. Do use iCloud Keychain with Face ID instead.
The Bank Teller Who Knows Your Face
Remembering dozens of complex, unique passwords is like trying to remember the combination to dozens of different safes. It’s an impossible task. iCloud Keychain is like a master bank teller who securely holds all the combinations for you. And Face ID is the ultimate security check. When you walk up to a safe (a website), the teller recognizes your face, verifies it’s you, and then automatically enters the correct complex combination. It offers both incredible security and incredible convenience, ending the password struggle forever.
The #1 secret for less digital clutter is the “Offload Unused Apps” feature.
The Self-Packing Storage Unit
Your iPhone’s storage is like a house. Apps you don’t use are like old furniture cluttering up the rooms. Deleting them is like throwing the furniture away—if you ever want it back, you have to buy it again. “Offload Unused Apps” is like having a magical self-packing storage unit. It automatically takes the furniture you haven’t used in a while and puts it into storage (deletes the app). But it leaves a little placeholder box behind (keeps your data). If you ever need it back, you just tap the box, and the furniture is instantly returned, exactly as you left it.
I’m just going to say it: The Notes app is a powerful writing tool, not just a place for shopping lists.
The Simple Notepad That’s Secretly a Word Processor
People often treat the Notes app like a flimsy paper notepad, good only for jotting down a quick grocery list. But that’s a huge mistake. In reality, it’s more like a high-quality, leather-bound journal that also contains a surprisingly powerful typewriter. With its robust formatting tools, checklists, tables, collaboration features, and document scanning, it’s a capable word processor hiding in plain sight. It’s a perfect, distraction-free environment for drafting everything from important emails and meeting minutes to blog posts and the first chapter of your novel.
The reason you feel disorganized is because your digital and physical to-do lists are separate.
The Two Captains of One Ship
Trying to manage your life with a paper to-do list and a separate digital one is like having two different captains trying to steer the same ship. They have different information and are giving conflicting orders. It leads to chaos, confusion, and things falling through the cracks. To feel organized, you need a single source of truth. By committing to one system—ideally a digital one like Reminders that is always with you—you create one captain with a clear, complete view of the entire ship, ensuring a smooth and coordinated voyage.
If you’re still using your iPhone’s speakerphone for calls in the car, you’re losing the safety and convenience of CarPlay.
The Co-Pilot for Your Drive
Using your phone on speaker while driving is like trying to read a map while also steering through heavy traffic. It’s clumsy and dangerous. CarPlay is like having a dedicated co-pilot. It puts all the essential information—your maps, your music, your messages—onto the car’s built-in screen in a simple, driver-friendly format. It lets you use your voice to control everything, so you can navigate, take calls, and choose a podcast while your hands stay on the wheel and your eyes stay on the road, making your drive both smarter and safer.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need to be at your desk to be productive.
The Untethered Brain
For a long time, we believed that productivity was chained to a desk. Your work happened in that one specific spot. But your iPhone is a supercomputer in your pocket. It’s like having an untethered, portable version of your office. You can answer emails while waiting in line for coffee, you can finalize a presentation on the train, and you can collaborate on a document from a park bench. Productivity is no longer about a place; it’s about a state of mind. Your phone allows you to capture that state of focus wherever you happen to be.
I wish I knew about the “Shake to Undo” feature when I first started typing on an iPhone.
The Etch A Sketch of Your Phone
Remember the old Etch A Sketch toy? When you made a mistake, you didn’t have to find a tiny eraser. You just gave it a good, firm shake, and the entire screen was wiped clean, ready for a fresh start. The “Shake to Undo” feature is the digital equivalent of that deeply satisfying action. If you’ve just typed a sentence you don’t like or accidentally deleted a paragraph, a quick, sharp shake of your phone will pop up a little confirmation. It’s a physical, intuitive way to erase a mistake and start over.
99% of users have never created a custom automation in the Shortcuts app.
The House That Runs Itself
A smart home is cool, but a truly intelligent home is one that anticipates your needs. An automation is like programming your house to run itself. You can tell it, “Every time I connect to the car’s Bluetooth, automatically start playing my ‘Driving’ playlist and get directions home.” Or, “Every day at sunset, turn on Low Power Mode.” It’s a step beyond shortcuts. Instead of you pressing a button, the phone acts on its own based on triggers like time, location, or a change in settings, creating a truly automated and intelligent environment.
This one small action of setting up a “Reading” Focus Mode will help you finally get through your book list.
The Private Library for Your Mind
Trying to read a book on your phone is like trying to read in the middle of a noisy, crowded train station. Notifications, calls, and banners are constantly interrupting your focus. A “Reading” Focus Mode is like having a key to a private, soundproof library. When you activate it, all the noise of the outside world is silenced. Only the book in front of you remains. This creates a sacred, protected space for your attention, making it possible to finally lose yourself in a story without the constant pull of digital distractions.
Use the timer in the Clock app to stop playing audio automatically, not just for cooking.
The Sleep Timer for Your Ears
Many people fall asleep listening to a podcast or an audiobook. The problem is that it will continue to play all night long, draining your battery and potentially waking you up later. The Timer in your Clock app has a secret feature. Instead of choosing a sound to play when the timer ends, you can scroll all the way to the bottom and select “Stop Playing.” Now, your timer acts as a perfect sleep timer. You can set it for 30 minutes, and it will automatically fade out and stop any audio that’s playing, just like a gentle lullaby.