More From Your iPhone

Tap the back of your phone to act

Back Tap turns a double or triple tap on the back of the iPhone into an action, such as a screenshot, opening Control Center or running a shortcut you built in the Shortcuts app. It works through most thin cases.

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
2. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
3. Pick an action. Screenshot is a good first choice because you will notice straight away whether it works.

Undo it: return to the same screen and choose None.

Type long phrases with a short code

Text Replacement expands a few letters into something you type often, like your email address or a delivery note. Entries sync to your other Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account.

1. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
2. Tap +, enter the full phrase, then a shortcut such as eml. Pick letters you never type as a real word.
3. Tap Save, then type the shortcut followed by a space anywhere.

Undo it: swipe left on the entry and tap Delete.

Move the cursor without hunting for it

Touch and hold the space bar until the letters fade, then slide your finger to move the cursor exactly where you need it. Lift to stop. For quick fixes, a three-finger swipe left undoes typing and a three-finger swipe right redoes it on iOS 13 or later. If accidental "Undo Typing" pop-ups annoy you, turn off Shake to Undo in Settings > Accessibility > Touch.

Copy text from photos and the camera

1. In the Camera app, point at printed text and tap the Live Text icon in the corner of the frame.
2. In Photos, touch and hold any text in a picture to select it.
3. Tap Copy, Translate or a detected phone number or address.

Undo it: switch off Live Text in Settings > General > Language & Region.

Quiet the right apps at the right time

A Focus lets chosen people and apps through while silencing the rest. Open Settings > Focus, tap +, choose a type such as Work, then pick allowed people and apps. Add a schedule so it turns on by itself. With Share Across Devices enabled, your iPad and Mac follow along.

Undo it: open the Focus and tap Delete Focus at the bottom.

Scan paper documents in Notes

Open a note, tap the camera or attachment icon and choose Scan Documents. Hold the phone over the page; it captures and straightens it automatically. The Files app offers the same option from its three-dot menu, saving a PDF wherever you choose.

Small conveniences worth knowing

• In Calculator, swipe left or right on the number display to delete the last digit.
• Touch and hold the back arrow in Settings and many apps to jump several screens back.
• Type a sum like 18*7 into Spotlight search to get the answer without opening an app.

Nearest equivalents on Android