Luke's Apple Tips

Luke Zilioli × starbellysw 2∞&=>

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Apple Tips

Discover quick tips, hidden features, and productivity hacks for your Apple devices and the software you use on them. From keyboard shortcuts to lesser-known settings, these bite-sized insights will help you get more done with iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and your favorite apps.

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All 215 Tips 32 Wishlist 183

2-Finger Tap Opens New Tab in Safari

iOS iPadOS

App Privacy Report

iOS iPadOS

Auto-Unlock Rotation When Opening YouTube

iOS

Automation: Accountability Ping

iOS

Can't spell it? Dictate it.

iOS iPadOS macOS

Collapse the Safari Toolbar for More Screen Space

iOS iPadOS

Continuity Camera: Scan Documents with iPhone from Mac

macOS iOS

Copy as Pathname in Finder

macOS

Create custom walking and hiking routes in Apple Maps

iOS iPadOS

Custom Alert at 100% Charge

iOS

Get Rain Alerts from the Weather App

iOS iPadOS

Grab Full-Quality Images via the Network Tab

macOS Windows

Hard-Lock Your iPhone (Disable Face ID Instantly)

iOS

Identify Plants, Animals, and More with Visual Look Up

iOS iPadOS macOS

Mac modifier keys

macOS

Manage App Store subscriptions fast

iOS iPadOS

Move the text-cursor with the keyboard

iOS iPadOS

Multi-stop routing in Apple Maps

iOS iPadOS

Safari: switch Tab Groups (⌘⌥↑ / ⌘⌥↓)

macOS

Save Anything as a PDF on iOS (Pinch-Out Trick)

iOS iPadOS

Scan Documents on iPhone

iOS iPadOS

Schedule iMessages to Send Later

iOS iPadOS

Screenshots on a Mac

macOS

Select text using the keyboard

iOS iPadOS

Share WiFi Passwords Instantly

iOS iPadOS macOS

Siri: remind me about this

iOS iPadOS macOS

Swipe to Select Multiple Photos

iOS iPadOS

Three-Finger Gestures for Copy, Cut, and Paste

iOS iPadOS

Two-Finger Swipe to Multi-Select

iOS iPadOS

Unlock Your Mac with Apple Watch

macOS watchOS

Use Live Listen with AirPods

iOS

Use Live Text to Copy Text That Won't Highlight

iOS iPadOS macOS

4×4 and advanced window grid for macOS fullscreen

macOS

Affordable Apple Display ($1,000-1,500)

macOS

AirPods spatial audio with Apple TV

tvOS iOS macOS AirPods

Allow more than 4 icons in iPhone dock

iOS

Allow Plex to surface personal library in TV app

tvOS iOS macOS

Auto-disable Night Shift during video playback

iOS macOS

Bring back classic Spaces & Exposé

macOS

Contextual Shortcuts prompts at top of UI

iOS iPadOS

Convert Voice Memos to text

iOS macOS

Device-scoped Reminders (e.g., 'On my Mac')

iOS macOS iPadOS

Fix Raise-to-Siri reliability on Apple Watch

watchOS

Fix Shortcuts in Control Center

iOS iPadOS

License SF Symbols for web and cross-platform use

Web Design

App Library enhancements & merge with Home-screen folders

iOS

App Library: 'Not in Home Screen' section

iOS iPadOS

App Store Upgrade Pricing

iOS macOS App Store

App Store: show price of purchased apps

iOS macOS

Apple Pencil support on iPhone

iOS

Apple Pencil: auto-switch to pen after color selection

iOS iPadOS

Apple Watch: toothbrushing detection

watchOS

Better Focus-mode switching UI

iOS macOS

Bring back App Store Wish List

iOS macOS

Bring back Cover Flow in Music app

iOS macOS

Calendar: copy & paste events

iOS macOS

Calendar: easy alarm setting like Calvetica

iOS

Calendar: improved drag & drop to reschedule

iOS iPadOS

Change Apple Card bill-cycle date

iOS

Change Apple Watch face based on time/location

watchOS

Cleaner 'Open In…' chooser in Files

iOS iPadOS

Clock alarms: dark/light shading for AM vs PM

iOS

Contacts list: show contact photos

iOS macOS

Customize Control Center screen icons

iOS iPadOS

Delete Activity awards

watchOS iOS

Delete Find My left-behind suggestions

iOS macOS watchOS Find My

Device-specific permissions in Home app

iOS macOS HomeKit

Document Scanner API Should Support User Preferences

iOS iPadOS

Drag & drop and multi-select in Music app

iOS iPadOS

Enable AirPods Max microphone when using Lightning-to-3.5 mm cable

iOS macOS AirPods

Face ID on Mac

macOS

Folding iPhone

iOS

Grouped notifications on macOS

macOS

HDMI display mode on iPad Pro (external input)

iPadOS

HDMI picture-in-picture on Apple TV (external source)

tvOS

Hide automation-only Focus modes from system switcher

iOS macOS

Hide Hidden Photos album behind FaceID/TouchID

iOS macOS

Home app wallpaper sync across devices

iOS macOS HomeKit

Home-wide timers on HomePod

homeOS iOS

HomeKit automation UI overhaul

iOS iPadOS HomeKit

iMessage: arrow-key support in recipient field

macOS

iMessage: arrow-key support when addressing recipients

macOS

iMessage: bubble unread threads to top

iOS macOS

iMessage: mark conversations as unread

iOS macOS

iMessage: mark conversations as unread

iOS macOS

iMessage: schedule messages

iOS macOS

Lock Notes containing PDF/audio attachments

iOS macOS

Lock Notes with PDFs

iOS macOS

Lock Notes with PDFs

iOS macOS

Magic Keyboard/Trackpad auto-switch between Apple devices

macOS iOS iPadOS visionOS

Mail: ability to edit smart folders on iOS

iOS

Mail: Gmail-like message snoozing

iOS macOS

Mail: smart folders sync with iOS

iOS macOS

Make Find My optional in Family Sharing setup

iOS Find My

Mark episodes as unwatched in TV app

iOS tvOS macOS

Music should follow me around the house

iOS homeOS AirPlay

Music: better UI for rating a single song

iOS macOS

Name Apple Watch faces

watchOS

Name Control Center pages

iOS iPadOS

Name home screens

iOS iPadOS

Native Apple password manager to rival 1Password

iOS macOS

NFC-triggered Shortcuts should receive tag payload as input

iOS

Offer to resume Music after a meeting ends

iOS macOS watchOS

Paste button on iPhone keyboard

iOS

Pause other devices' audio when making a phone call

iOS macOS iPadOS

Performance and reliability fixes for shortcuts

iOS iPadOS

Photos export should retain Live/Burst features

iOS macOS

Photos: ability to modify smart albums on iOS

iOS

Photos: protect Hidden album with Face ID / Touch ID

iOS macOS

Photos: single library with subset synced to iCloud

iOS macOS

Photos: single library with subset synced to iCloud

macOS iOS

Photos: sync Smart Albums from macOS to iOS

iOS macOS

Photos: sync smart albums to iOS

iOS macOS

Pinch to zoom out to home screen pages view

iOS iPadOS

Query Notes by folder in shortcuts

iOS iPadOS

Read and modify file tags in shortcuts

iOS iPadOS

Restore ability to customize Music app tab bar

iOS

Revamp mini-audio player in Messages & Files

iOS iPadOS

Revert Settings › Apps sub-section design

iOS

Save any notification as a Reminder

iOS

Season 2 of Defending Jacob

Server-side Apple Card sync with financial apps

iOS

Set default Maps & Calendar apps on iOS

iOS

Shared video watching in FaceTime (SharePlay Files)

iOS macOS

Shortcut bundles (embed referenced shortcuts)

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts action to toggle Orientation Lock

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts action: play ambient sounds

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts action: read/write NFC tags

iOS

Shortcuts actions to toggle any system setting (keyboard clicks, etc.)

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts app multi-window support

iPadOS macOS

Shortcuts: append photo to existing note

iOS macOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: built-in persistent data store

iOS macOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: collapsible IF / REPEAT blocks

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: delete app permissions no longer used

iOS

Shortcuts: fetch list of Music playlists

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: functions and subroutines with parameters

iOS macOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: Handoff between all AirPlay 2 devices

iOS iPadOS AirPlay

Shortcuts: native support for prettier menus

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: pick multiple AirPlay speakers as destination

iOS iPadOS AirPlay

Shortcuts: send message to existing iMessage thread

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: Switch-case block

iOS iPadOS

Shortcuts: Wait fractions of a second

iOS iPadOS

Show app storage size inside Settings › App info

iOS

Show which finger unlocked Touch ID on Mac

macOS

Siri: execute multiple commands in one request

iOS macOS watchOS

Sling, Philo, Netflix integration with TV app

tvOS iOS

Small Widget Live Animations

iOS iPadOS watchOS

Sort options in Find My

iOS macOS iPadOS Find My

Specify device in Hey Siri phrase (e.g., 'Hey Siri on Watch')

iOS watchOS macOS

Specify which device to download an app to

iOS

Split-view multitasking on iPhone Pro models

iOS

Spotify-like cross-platform music control

iOS macOS watchOS

Standalone Touch ID reader for external keyboards

macOS

Streamlined Safari tab movement between profiles

macOS iOS iPadOS

Sync ALL Smart Playlists with macOS and allow editing on iOS

iOS macOS

System-wide multi-selection like Sublime Text

macOS iOS

Third-party Control Center items should be resizable

iOS iPadOS

Third-party watch faces

watchOS

Tie HomeKit scenes & Shortcuts to Focus modes

iOS iPadOS macOS HomeKit

Time interval triggers for shortcut automation

iOS iPadOS

Tooth-brushing detection for Apple Watch

watchOS HealthKit

U1-powered room-level automations

iOS watchOS homeOS HomeKit

Update Apple-built apps separately from OS releases

iOS iPadOS macOS

User-defined smart folders in Shortcuts Gallery

iOS iPadOS

User-defined smart lists sync with macOS

iOS macOS

Version history and undo for shortcuts

iOS iPadOS

View Live Photos natively in Finder

macOS

While loop support in shortcuts

iOS iPadOS

Wi-Fi network preferred order UI

iOS iPadOS macOS tvOS watchOS visionOS
Implemented

Access macOS shared files from iOS

iOS
Implemented

AirPods Pro as hearing aids

iOS AirPods
Implemented

AirPods volume control without Siri or device

iOS macOS watchOS AirPods
Implemented

Allow third-party Shortcuts to take input & produce output

iOS
Implemented

Always show menubar in fullscreen apps (toggle)

macOS
Implemented

Amazon Prime in TV app

tvOS iOS
Implemented

Apple TV stays paired with AirPlay 2 device after sleep

tvOS AirPlay
Implemented

Backup & restore Shortcuts from files

iOS
Implemented

Better UI for notification settings

iOS macOS
Implemented

Books app: improved PDF annotation tools

iOS macOS
Implemented

Calendar view in Reminders app

iOS macOS
Implemented

Color coded Reminders lists

iOS
Implemented

Dark mode on iOS

iOS
Implemented

Don’t pause music while dictating or talking to Siri

iOS
Implemented

Extract two-factor authentication codes from SMS

iOS
Implemented

Fine-grained contact privacy controls

iOS macOS iPadOS
Implemented

Folders in the Shortcuts app

iOS
Implemented

Full iCloud Drive access and path scripting for shortcuts

iOS iPadOS
Implemented

Home Screen widgets

iOS
Implemented

HomeKit automations triggered when I get home

iOS
Implemented

iCloud Keychain password management on iOS

iOS
Implemented

iMessage group photos

iOS
Implemented

iMessage: Inline contact avatars

iOS
Implemented

iMessage: Proper Color button when messaging from API

iOS
Implemented

iMessage: Quick Reply

iOS
Implemented

iMessage: Timestamps

iOS
Implemented

Jump to album/artist from song in Music app

iOS
Implemented

Less-intrusive Siri and background requests

iOS
Implemented

Maps for iCloud.com

Web
Implemented

Mentions in iMessage

iOS
Implemented

Multiple timers on HomePod

iOS
Implemented

Multiple windows of the same app open side by side

iOS
Implemented

Native screen sharing (Sidecar)

iOS macOS
Implemented

Night Shift on macOS

macOS
Implemented

Now playing across all devices in a single interface

iOS
Implemented

Open whole folder from Files app in another App

iOS
Implemented

Quicker event entry in Calendar app

iOS
Implemented

Quickly toggle AirPods mute with a gesture

iOS macOS watchOS AirPods
Implemented

Screen sharing in FaceTime

iOS macOS
Implemented

Send an email to all members of a contact group

iOS
Implemented

Shortcuts action: OCR image/pdf

iOS iPadOS
Implemented

Shortcuts: toggle Rotation Lock

iOS iPadOS
Implemented

Threaded conversations in iMessage

iOS
Implemented

True file downloads in Safari on iOS

iOS
Implemented

Turn off lights/TV when I fall asleep

iOS
Implemented

Wi-Fi & Bluetooth toggles in Control Center

iOS