Apple’siPhone 15lineup may look very similar to last year’s models, but there are plenty of new features to be found across the board, especially with theiPhone 15 Pro. Below, I’ll go over 15 of my favorites – many of them will workon iPhone 15and even some older phones, as long as you’rerunning iOS 17. I admit, some are old tricks from the book that you just have to know, but the new ones are sure to have you headed to settings to change how you use your iPhone 15 Pro.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
How to transfer Apple Music playlists to Spotify on your iPhone
There’s a simple iPhone app you can use to transfer all your carefully curated playlists from Apple Music to Spotify. You’re welcome.
1Use the Action button to recognize music
An iPhone 15 Pro specialty
The Action Button on iPhone 15 Pro replaces the old mute switch, and you can use it to turn on the flashlight, record a voice memo, and launch the camera, among other abilities. But you can also use it for Siri Shortcuts, which opens it up to a host of great functions.
I found the Shazam integration to be incredibly useful. Just with a press and hold of the button it recognizes music playing near me. If you have Shazam installed – head to Settings > Action Button and then scroll across to shortcut and tap the shortcut option.
Now find the recognize music option, and you’ll have a dedicated Shazam button. Press and hold the Action Button, and your iPhone will show the Shazam music recognition graphic on your Dynamic island and then tell you when it finds the song. For more on the Action Button, check outour dedicated guide.
Apple is warning iPhone owners worldwide about ‘mercenary spyware attacks’
Victims are likely being targeted for political dissent or their identity.
2Drag multiple apps into a folder at once
Effectively organize your iPhone 15’s home screen
You can quickly and easily drag a selection of apps into one folder by tapping and holding one app icon, dragging it and then tapping on other icons while holding it. Once you’ve chosen all the additional apps you want to move, drag the collection into an existing folder and let go.
7 note-taking apps I use to stay organized
If your mind runs at a mile a minute like mine, you probably have a million lists lying around. These are the apps I use instead to stay organized.
3Limit your battery to only an 80% charge
Battery health is all the rage
One way tokeep your battery healthyfor a long time is to charge it up to 80% and no further. There’s now a setting in iOS that lets you do this on your iPhone 15. To activate it, open Settings and go to Battery > Battery Health and Charging and on the next screen, choose Charging Optimization. Select the 80% limit from the list of options.
5 essential tips for extending the life of your iPhone’s battery
Due to chemical aging, iPhone batteries naturally degrade over time. Here’s how to make your battery last as long as possible.
4Generate rain sounds with a button press with the iPhone 15
Keep calm thanks to your iPhone
One feature in iOS is the ability togenerate background soundswith a triple click of the side button. First, you have to choose which sound you want it to generate.
To enable the ability to launch that sound with your iPhone’s side key:
9 essential productivity apps I install as soon as I get a new Mac
If you day is draining away while working on your Mac, try these 9 apps to make you infinitely more productive.
5Capture text and translate with the iPhone 15’s camera
Want to feel like a magician?
There’s a feature in the camera that can automatically detect when you’re pointing it at text. You’ll see a little icon appear that looks like three lines in an outlined square as soon as your phone realizes there’s text in the camera view.
Tap that icon, and it’ll grab the text, then give you the option to copy it, select it all, look it up, translate it, or share it. You can even drag to highlight a specific portion and perform those same options with the highlighted text.
How to share audio between AirPods
If you forgot your AirPods or want to share audio with friends, iOS makes it simple to play music on multiple pairs of headphones with a few taps.
6The easiest way to crop photos with the iPhone 15
Pinch to zoom has a superpower
Rather than going through the photo editing options and cropping that way, there’s a really easy way to crop into your photos on iPhone. Just head to Photos, open the image you want, and then pinch to zoom until the edges hit the side of the screen.
Once you’ve got the size you want, just tap Crop in the top right corner or tap and hold it to choose a set ratio, then tap Crop to set it to your chosen ratio. Hit done when you’re happy.
6 AI-powered Canva features every creative pro needs to try
Canva can now use AI to generate custom graphics to add to your designs, but that’s not the only new feature to get excited about.
7Create a sticker from any photo
And then use it in Messages to impress your friends
iOS 17 comes with the ability to create custom stickersto send in iMessage. you may create them in the Messages app, but one better method lets you make them from the Photos app.
Just open the Photos app on your iPhone and choose a photo with a subject in the foreground. Now press and hold that subject until you see the glowing lines that show it’s been separated from its background.
Lastly, just tap ‘add sticker’ from the pop-up menu, choose an effect, and you’re done.
We now know more details about Apple’s RCS implementation in iOS 18 Messages
It looks like China’s rules are forcing Apple to stay reasonably current.
Never get lost without a signal again
The new version of Apple Maps lets you download select areas for offline navigation.
How to quickly find your parked car with Apple Maps on iPhone
Apple’s parked car feature can be a real lifesaver when you’re new to a city or unfamiliar with an area. Here’s how to turn it on and use it.
9Look up laundry care icons
Or warning lights in your car
Visual Look Upgot a lot smarter with iOS 17, recognizing more than just historical landmarks, plants, and animals. If you take a photo of a laundry care label – as an example – then tap the Visual Look Up ‘i’ icon with stars in the bottom toolbar under the image, then choose Visual Look Up from the pop-up menu, it’ll show you what those laundry care icons mean on that specific label.
Smart home platforms, ranked worst to best
How does your favorite smart home ecosystem stack up?
10Use the iPhone 15’s Apple logo as a secret button
Have iPhone 15 Pro without an Action Button?
With the right settings enabled, you can take a screenshot or launch another function by tapping the back of the phone near the Apple logo.
I chose Screenshot, but choose whatever you like. You can also add one for a triple tap.
How I turned my iPhone’s Apple logo into a secret button
You can activate built-in accessibility features to add a secret “button” to your iPhone. Here’s what you can do with it.
