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10 more hidden features in iOS 9

Published Sep 17th, 2015 10:20AM EDT
iOS 9 Features
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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Apple’s new iOS 9 software is definitely making waves already. The latest version of the company’s popular mobile platform was just released to the public on Wednesday and it has already been installed on millions of iPhones and iPads around the world. Of course, there are tons of new features baked into iOS 9 that Apple fans are eager to check out, but where should you start?

On Wednesday following iOS 9’s release, we told you about the 9 best new features in iOS 9. We also showed you 15 great new hidden features in Apple’s iOS 9 software. So many people loved those posts that we’re back today with another round of 10 hidden features in iOS 9 that every iPhone and iPad user definitely needs to check out.

DON’T MISS: iOS 9: The 9 best new features

Search Messages: The ability to search for text in the Messages app is not new. Simply pull down from the contact view and a search box will appear. In iOS 9, however, opening a search result will actually scroll to the correct spot and briefly highlight your search term.

Safari address bar secret: Copy a URL from anywhere on your phone. Now open Safari and press and hold on the address bar. You’ll see a new button labeled “Paste and Go” that will save you a step. You can also to the same thing with any text that isn’t a URL, and you’ll get a “Paste and Search” button instead.

Dismiss a photo: In the updated Photos app, you no longer have to reach all the way up to the top-left corner to dismiss a photo and back out to the album you’re in. Simply swipe down instead — and this is especially useful for iPhone 6 Plus users.

Select multiple photos: Tapping on a dozen photos to select them is so 2014. With iOS 9, simply tap on the first photo and then drag your finger around to select more.

Rapid scrolling in Photos: Speaking of the Photos app, you can also scroll through your photos faster than ever in iOS 9. Tap on one photo to open it and you’ll see a new visual timeline beneath the image. Simply drag it around to scroll through all of your pictures.

Video zoom: Guess what: you can now zoom in and out on videos during playback. Just use the familiar pinch in and out gestures you typically use on photos and web pages.

Who needs a calculator?: Calculations and currency conversions can now be done from right within the Spotlight search bar. Simply swipe down for the middle of any home screen or swipe right from your first home screen to access Spotlight, and off you go.

Grouped notifications: Go to Settings > Notifications > Group By App and slide the toggle to on. Now, notifications for each app will be grouped in your Notification Center instead of spread out based on time.

Request desktop site: This isn’t a new feature, but it’s simplified in iOS 9. When you load a mobile site in Safari but you’d rather see the desktop version, simply press and hold on the address bar. After a few moments, you’ll see a “Request Desktop Site” button pop up at the bottom of the screen.

Save any website as a PDF: Some people will find this more useful than others, but it’s pretty cool to be able to save any website as a PDF in Safari for offline viewing. Simply bring up the Safari share sheet while on any web page and scroll to “Save PDF to iBooks.”

Check out our earlier post to see 17 more great hidden features in iOS 9

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.