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3 hidden iPhone features in iOS 16 that Apple kept secret

Published Oct 15th, 2022 10:33AM EDT
apple WWDC ios 16 lockscreen
Image: Apple

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iOS 16 has been out for over a month. Most iPhone users have had plenty of time to explore all of the new features and quirks of Apple’s update. That said, even a month later, there is a chance that you haven’t discovered everything iOS 16 has to offer. Shortly after Apple rolled out its update, we told you about 8 hidden iOS 16 features worth checking out. Those were just the tip of the iceberg, so we thought we’d share a few more.

1. Delete contacts more easily

Removing entries from the contacts list on an iPhone has always been a weirdly complicated process, but iOS 16 eliminates a few steps. Once you update to iOS 16, head to your Contacts app and hold down on a contact you want to remove. A drop-down menu will appear, and at the bottom of the menu, you will see a Delete Contact button.

2. Add Quick Note to Control Center

Quick Notes are one of the more underrated features of iOS 16. If you take lots of notes but hate having to open up the Notes app every time, just add Quick Note to Control Center. You can do this by navigating to Settings > Control Center, and tapping on the plus button next to Quick Note. Once you are done, you’ll see a new button in the Control Center that looks like scribbles on a notepad. Tap it to take a note from anywhere.

3. Open links with chosen apps in Messages

Typically, when you tap a link in Messages, your iPhone will automatically open that link in the correct app. If I tap a link to a website, it will open in Chrome, because that’s my default browser app. But in iOS 16, you can actually choose which apps you want to open some non-rich links in. If you long-press a non-rich URL in Messages, you will occasionally see multiple app names. You can then decide which app you want the link to open.

These are just a few of the many useful additions to iOS 16 you might have missed. Check out our list of the 5 best iOS 16 widgets for your lock screen for more.


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Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.