Best iOS 13 Tips and Tricks For iPhone

Right when Apple introduced iOS 13 at WWDC 2019, it took a lot of users by surprise due to a variety of new features included in it. Especially, the dark mode, Ahh!, has it got more attention lately than the latest iPhone 11 series? Well, that’s all the new iOS 13 made for you! We’ve come up with some of the best iOS 13 tips and tricks that will enhance your overall experience while you use your iPhone.

We’ve found out some of the best iOS 13 tricks during our extensive research on this latest iOS 13 features. These tricks will surely improve the productivity levels when you use your iPhone running on iOS 13. So without any further ado, let’s have a look at these tips and tricks in iOS 13.

Tips and Tricks to Enhance Overall Experience of Using an iPhone

To make it easy for you to understand, I have split every section separately in this guide. So here you go with all-new tips and tricks which you can perform on your iPhone!

Quick Access:

Tip #1. Disable 3D Touch in iOS 13

With most of the users now upgrading their iPhone to all-new iOS 13, people are loving Haptic touch more as compare to the old 3D touch which was released back in 2015. The demand and interest of 3D touch have gradually gone down. So if you want to disable 3D touch on your iPhone, here’s what you need to do!

Step #1. Open the Settings App on your iPhone.

Open Settings App on iPhone

Step #2. Scroll down to tap on Accessibility.

Tap on Accessibility in iOS 13 Settings App on iPhone

Step #3. Next, tap on the Touch option and then tap on 3D & Haptic Touch.

Tap on 3D Touch & Haptic Touch in Accessibility on iOS 13 Running iPhone

Step #4. Now, turn off the toggle next to 3D touch from green to white.

Turn Off Toggle to Disable 3D Touch in iOS 13

That’s how simple it is to turn off 3D touch in iOS 13. If you miss the 3D touch any time, you can simply toggle on the switch of 3D touch from above-given steps.

Tip #2. Turn On Dark Mode in iOS 13

Dark Mode has been trending now for a while and people are loving it. Not many know that there are two ways to turn on dark mode in iOS 13. If you are one of them, have a glimpse at the methods to enable dark mode in iOS 13!

Method 1

Step #1. Head over to the control center by swiping up from the bottom if you have iPhone 8 or earlier and swipe down from the top right corner if you own iPhone X or later iPhone models.

Access Control Center on iPhone or iPad

Step #2. Tap and hold the display brightness option.

Tap and Hold Display & Brightness in iOS Control Center

Step #3. Now tap on Appearance Light right below the brightness adjuster. Once done, it turns everything into the dark mode. Of course, it will just turn only those apps that support dark mode in iOS 13. And if you want to force all apps to use the dark mode, you need to follow tip #3 below.

Enable Dark Mode from iOS 13 Control Center

Method 2

In this method, you’ll be using the Settings app to enable dark mode on your iPhone.

Step #1. Launch the Settings app and then tap on the Display & Brightness option.

Tap on Settings then Display & Brightness in iDevice Settings

Step #2. Next, select the dark option if it’s in light mode or you can also toggle on Automatic option if you want your iPhone to decide which mode is suited as per the lighting outside.

Activate Dark Mode on iPhone or iPad

That’s it! The dark mode is now activated on your iPhone which is running on iOS 13.

Tip #3. Force All Apps to Use Dark Mode in iOS 13

If you have already turned on the dark mode and didn’t found dark mode feature in your favorite app, little did you know that not all apps support dark mode. To force all apps to use this feature, follow the below given procedure.

Step #1. Launch Settings app on your iPhone.

Open Settings app on iPhone running iOS 13

Step #2. Scroll down to tap on Accessibility and tap on Display & Text Size.

Tap on Accessibility and Select Display and Text Size in iOS 13 Settings

Step #3. Now, toggle ON Smart Invert option to force all apps to use dark mode on your iPhone.

Turn ON Smart Invent in iOS 13 and iPadOS

It can change most of the apps to use dark mode by default with this simple change. Try it now!

Tip #4. Crop and Trim Video in iOS 13

iPhone has one of the finest cameras in the world and with iOS 13 update, it’s now possible to edit videos right on your iPhone. You can crop and trim the video in iOS 13 by following the below given steps.

How to Crop Video

Step #1. Open the Photos App on your iPhone.

Open Photos App on iPhone in iOS 13

Step #2. Tap on Videos or select any Album in which videos are present.

Tap on Videos folder in iOS Photos App

Step #3. Now select video you want to crop and tap on Edit from the top right corner.

Select the video and tap on Edit in iOS 13 Photos app

Step #4. Tap on Crop Icon from the bottom of the screen.

Tap on the Crop icon in iOS 13 Photos App

Step #5. Now adjust the frame that appears in the editing window by pulling in or out.

Crop a Video in Photos App in iOS 13 on iPhone

Step #6. If you need a customized crop, tap on the Aspect Ration option from the upper right corner and tap on the Original tab to change the orientation from the landscape. 

Step #7. You can also select Freeform cropping or select the presets.

Crop the Video using Tools in iOS 13 Photos App

Step #8. Once satisfied,tap on Done to end the video cropping. That’s it, this ends the process of cropping a video on iPhone running on iOS 13.

Tap on Done to Save Crop Video in iOS 13 Photos App

How to Trim a Video

Step #1. Launch the Photos  Album  Select Video  tap on Edit.

Tap on Edit in Video in iOS 13 Photos App

Step #2. Now tap on Video icon from the bottom left of the screen.

Tap on Video icon in iOS 13 Photos App

Step #3. Select the trim, tap on Play to preview and tap on Done.

Trim a Video in iOS 13 Photos App

So that’s how simple it is to trim and crop a video on your iPhone running on iOS 13 latest version.

Tip #5. Quickly Convert a Live Photo to Video in iOS 13

Have you ever tried to capture a live photo on your iPhone running on iOS 13? If not, try it now because you can now convert that live photo into video as well. Here’s how to do it.

Step #1. Launch Photos App and head over to select the live photo of your choice.

Step #2. Tap on Share button from the left bottom corner.

Tap on Share button in Live Photo in iOS 13 Photos App

Step #3. Select Save as Video option from the share sheet.

Convert Live Photos into Video in iOS 13

You can now view the video in your Photos App in the videos section or the album of your choice.

Tip #6. Track Friends Using Find My Friends in iOS 13

This feature is a perfect combination of Find My iPhone and Find My Friends altogether. Be it to find your friends’ location or receive location updates from a friend, this feature is a boon for iOS 13 users. Here’s how you can track your friends using Find My app on your iPhone.

Step #1. Launch Find My Friends App and select the friend you wish to track from People section at the left bottom corner.

Choose the person under People Tab in iOS 13 Find My App

Step #2. Once selected, tap on Directions to track the exact location of your friend. If the directions option isn’t clickable, you need to click on Ask to Follow Location from the pull up menu.

Tap on Direction to Track Friends in iOS 13 Find My App

That simple it is to track friends using this amazing feature. Try it today.

Tip #7. Enable Low Data Mode in iOS 13

Saving your data when not in use or set a certain limit to the data usage can save lots of data for you. But that doesn’t mean you need to do everything manually, instead, you can simply use low data mode on your iPhone and leave the rest to iOS 13. Here’s how to enable it on your iPhone.

Method 1: For Cellular Data

Step #1. Open Settings App and tap on Mobile Data/Cellular.

Tap on Mobile Data in iOS 13 Settings

Step #2. Now tap on Mobile Data Options.

Tap on Mobile Data Options in iOS 13 Mobile Data Settings

Sep #3. Toggle ON Low Data Mode option right away.

Turn ON Low Data Mode in iOS 13 on iPhone

This was for cellular data mode. But if you’re using Wi-Fi and if you want to enable low data mode on Wi-Fi networks too, here’s how you can do it.

Method 2: For Wi-Fi Data

Step #1. Launch Settings App and tap on the Wi-Fi option.

Tap on WiFi in iOS 13 Settings

Step #2. Tap on “i” button which can be seen right next to your Wi-Fi network name on the right side.

Tap on i icon next to Connected Wifi in iOS 13 Wifi Settings

Step #3. Now toggle ON Low Data Mode from the options appearing on the screen.

Turn ON Low Data Mode for WiFi in iOS 13

That’s how simple it is to save data on both cellular and Wi-Fi mode. I hope you save tons of data by enabling low data mode in iOS 13.

Tip #8. Set and Share Custom iMessage Profile Picture

To customize your iMessage profile in iOS, the first step is you need to create and set a picture. So let’s start with that and later on we will see how to share it.

Step #1. Launch iMessage App and tap on ••• (new ellipsis) option from the top right corner.

Open iMessage App and Tap Ellipsis in iOS 13

Step #2. Now tap on Edit Name and Photo from the bottom and tap on Edit option right below the photo.

Tap on Edit Name and Photo and Tap on Edit on Profile Photo in iOS 13 iMessage App

Step #3. Now tap on Camera, capture the photo, crop it to fit in the circle and tap on Done. You can also select the existing photos from All Photos option right beside the camera option after step #2. Now that you’ve created the profile picture, it’s time to see how you can share it with others.

Tap Done to Set Custom iMessage Profile Photo in iOS 13

Step #4. Open iMessage App → Tap on (•••) horizontal dots → tap on Edit Name and Photo.

Tap Edit Name and Photo in iMessage App in iOS 13 on iPhone

Step #5. Now, tap on Name and Photo Sharing and toggle it to ON.

Tap Share Name and Photo Option and Toggle it ON in iOS iMessage App on iPhone

Step #6. Under share automatically section, either select Contacts Only or Always Ask if you are comfortabl e with that. It’s up to you to decide. Once you select it, tap on Done at the end to save the process.

Choose Option to Show Your Profile Photo and Display Name in iMessage on iPhone

Once done, the users you are messaging will now see a profile picture of yours in the iMessage App. By far, I loved this particular feature that was introduced in iOS 13.

Tip #9. Shuffle Songs or Playlists in Apple Music in iOS 13

Music is a way to relax and to groove on the beats. But your relaxation has taken a complex route to shuffle between the songs in iOS 13. So here’s how you can shuffle songs or even playlists in Apple Music on your iPhone.

Step #1. Launch Apple Music app and select any song from the playlist or album.

Play Song from Apple Music Playlist on iPhone

Step #2. Tap on now playing strip from the bottom of the screen.

Tap on Now Playing Strip in Music App

Step #3. Now tap on 3 horizontal lines (not dots) from the bottom of your screen. After that you’ll now see the shuffle button which is on the right of  Up Next option, tap on shuffle button.

Shuffle Songs in Apple Music on iPhone and iPad Running in iOS 13

This will now start shuffling your music so that you enjoy random music all the time.

Tip #10. Bookmark All Open Tabs in Safari in iOS 13

Safari has got a revamped version of it with iOS 13 updates. And there are a plethora of features that got changed in Safari. One of them is to bookmark all open tabs which are essential in increasing productivity for many iPhone users.

Step #1. Launch Safari app on your iPhone.

Step #2. Now, ensure that you have opened multiple websites that you want to bookmark.

Step #3: Now open Any tab of the opened website and long press bookmark button from the bottom of the tab.

Step #4. If you had opened 5 tabs, it will show Add Bookmarks for 5 Tabs, select this option. Now give it an appropriate name and tap on Save.

This will bookmark all the existing tabs into a single folder. So the next time you want to visit your favorite websites, you just need to tap on that folder to open all the websites.

Tip #11. Change the Safari Download Location in iOS 13

Besides the bookmark feature, it’s now possible to change the download location of Safari in iOS 13. Here’s how you can do it.

Step #1. Launch Settings app and tap on Safari by scrolling down.

Open Settings and Tap on Safari on iPhone

Step #2. Now tap on the Downloads option.

Step #3. Select the Other option right below on my iPhone option.

Tap on Other in Safari Downloads Settings on iPhone

Step #4. Next, tap on iCloud Drive or any third-party storage option connected to your device. Now select the desired folder or create one folder within it.

Create New Folder to Save Safari Download Files on iPhone

Step #5. Tap on Done once you select the desired folder.

Tap on Done to Change Safari Default File Download Location on iPhone or iPad

Well, that’s how simple it is to change the location of Safari downloads in iOS 13.

Tip #12. Save and Share Webpage as PDF in Safari in iOS 13

It’s often observed that you want to share a document from a website’s content and you run out of options to share with the readers. But with iOS 13 update, it’s now possible to share a webpage as PDF in Safari. Here’s what you need to do.

Step #1. Launch Safari on your iPhone and visit any website or iGeeksBlog.com. Let the website load completely so that you get the full webpage in the PDF.

Step #2. Next, press and hold the home button and sleep button or volume up button (for iPhone X, Xs, Xs Max, XR or later) at once so that it can capture a screenshot in Safari.

Take Screenshot of Safari Web page on iPhone

Step #3. Tap on the Screenshot on the left bottom corner and tap on Full Page. Now tap on Done from the top left corner.

Open Webpage Screenshot and tap on Full page in iOS 13 Screenshot Markup

Step #4. Next tap on Done and  Save PDF to Files option from the bottom.

Save Web Page as a PDF in Safari in iOS 13

Step #5. Select the folder in which you want to save this PDF and tap on Save from the top right corner.

Select the Location to Save Safari Webpage on iPhone

Step #6. If you want to share this PDF directly without saving, in step #3, after tapping on Full Page, tap on Share button from the top right corner. Once done, select any platform to share and tap on Send.

Share a Web Page as a PDF in Safari in iOS 13

This is how simple it is to save and share a webpage as a PDF file in Safari on your iPhone.

Tip #13. Download Apps Larger Than 200MB Over Cellular Data in iOS 13

Downloading apps larger than 200MB requires your permission to download it via cellular data. Now if you want to download them automatically over cellular data, here’s what is required.

Step #1. Open Settings App and tap on iTunes and App Store by scrolling down.

Tap on iTunes and App Store in iOS 13 Settings

Step #2. Now tap on App Downloads.

Tap on App Downloads Under iTunes and App Store in iOS 13 Settings

Step #3.  Tap on Allow option to skip the limit of 200MB large app download. You can also select Ask If Over 200MB if you want to make sure that you’re not using cellular data too much in a day.

Download Apps of up to 200 MB from App Store in iOS 13 on iPhone

So, in this way, it’s easier to download apps that are larger than 200MB over cellular data in iOS 13. If your iPhone is still running on iOS 12, here’s what you need to do.

Tip #14. Automatically Silence Unknown and Spam Calls in iOS 13

Anonymous and spam calls consume a lot of time these days because of telemarketing. To avoid calls and automatically silence such calls on iOS 13, follow the below given tips.

Step #1. Launch the Settings app and scroll down to tap on the Phone option.

Tap on Phone in iOS 13 Settings

Step #2. Now scroll down in the iPhone settings section and Toggle ON Silence Unknown Callers option.

Toggle ON Silence Unknown Callers to Automatically Silence Spam Calls on iPhone

With this, you can silence those calls whose contacts aren’t present in your contacts list, messaging app or mail. Other than that, all the calls would be directed to voice mails so that you can check when you get free and see if you missed any important call whose number isn’t saved on your list.

Tip #15. Stop Siri from Announcing Messages in iOS 13

Not all incoming messages need your attention. So to avoid Siri from announcing messages on your iPhone and iPad, follow the detailed procedure below.

How to Stop Siri from Announcing Messages in iOS 13 on iPhone and iPad

Step #1. Head over to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on Notifications by scrolling down.

Step #2. Now Toggle OFF Announce Messages with Siri option from the notifications list.

That’s it! Siri will not announce any messages on your iPhone and iPad with this small change in your settings. But if you want specific apps to announce messages and want to stop only a few apps, you can check the detailed guide here!

Tip #16. Share Live Route ETA in Apple Maps in iOS 13

Estimated Time of Arrival is a new feature introduced in Apple Maps which you can share with your friends. If your iPhone is updated to iOS 13 latest version, you can now share live route ETA in Apple Maps.

Find the destination and tap on Go to start to navigate in iOS 13 Apple Maps

Step #1. Open Apple Maps, search for the desired destination and tap on Directions → Go. This will start the navigation within a fraction of seconds.  Step #2. Now tap on Share ETA option from the bottom of the screen.

Tap on Share ETA in iOS 13 Apple Maps

Step #3. Next, tap on any of the recent contacts or select the Contacts option to share 1 or more contacts at the same time.

Tap on Contacts and Choose the contact you wish to Share ETA route in iOS 13 Apple Maps

Once you share this, it will be done. Your friends will now know when you’ll reach the destination.

Tip #17. Switch Wi-Fi Networks and Manage Bluetooth from Control Center in iOS 13

Switching between Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices just got easier with iOS 13 update. You can now switch between multiple networks and devices from the control panel itself.

Step #1. Swipe up from the bottom or swipe down from the top right corner to open the control center on your iPhone.

Swipe Down from Top Right Corner to Access Control Center on iPhone X

Step #2. Touch and hold the four icon platter which has Airplane Mode, Bluetooth, Mobile Data and Wi-Fi options.

Long press on the four-icon platter in iOS 13 Control Center

Step #3. Now touch and hold the Wi-Fi icon.

Touch and Hold WiFi icon in iOS 13 Control Center

Step #4. Now you’ll see the available networks. Enter the password and join the network.

Switch WiFi networks from Control Center in iOS 13

Right below the available Wi-Fi networks, you can also manage Wi-Fi settings by tapping on it.

Access WiFi Settings From Control Center in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13

Step #5. Now after step #2, touch and hold the Bluetooth icon if you want to explore more devices. Next, tap on connect on the device which you want to connect.  Below the Bluetooth devices list, there’s an option of Bluetooth settings, you can also manage Bluetooth Settings if you want to.

So this is how simple it is to manage multiple Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks from Control Center without opening settings app.

Tip #18. Install Fonts in iOS 13

Installing custom fonts is a hobby for many and a lot of people try fancy fonts that attract most of you. So are you one of them? If yes, here’s how to install and use custom fonts on your iPhone running on iOS 13.

Step #1. Select any font app from the App Store or download Fonteer and tap on Get button. Once installed, tap on Open and now tap on ‘+’ icon from the top left.

Open Fonteer App and Tap on Plus Icon on iPhone

Step #2. Now give a name in the Collection Name box and tap on OK button.

Give Collection Name in Fonteer App

Step #3. Next, tap on ‘+’ icon, choose Google Fonts and select the fonts you want to add.

Tap on Plus and Select Google Fonts in Fonteer App

Step #4. Once you select the fonts, tap on Add to collection and select OK option from the screen.

Select the Fonts you wish to Install and Tap on Add to collection in iOS Fonteer App

Step #5. Now tap on Back option from the top left and tap on Install Fonts → Allow → Close. 

Tap on Allow to Download Profile on iPhone

Step #6. Launch Settings App → General → Profile.

Tap on General and Profile in iOS 13 Settings

Step #7. Tap on Font and collection name. (here, Fonteer – Fontabulous)

Tap on Font Profile in iOS 13 Settings
Install the Font Profile on iPhone or iPad

Step #8. Next, tap on Install → Enter Passcode and tap on Install again→ Done. Step #9. Launch Settings app again, tap on the General → Keyboard option.

Tap on General and Keyboard in iOS 13 Settings

Step #10. Now tap on KeyboardsAdd New Keyboard and tap on Fonts. This will now activate the new font on your iPhone.

Add Installed Custom Fonts to iPhone or iPad Keyboard

Step #11. To use the new fonts, open any chatting app in which Keyboard is used. Long press the Globe icon from the bottom left corner and select Fonts from the list.

Tap on Globe and Select Fonts in iOS 13 Keyboard

You can now see all the fonts on the top of the keyboard. Select your favorite font to get started.

Use Custom Fonts in iOS 13 on iPhone or iPad

So that’s how you can install and use custom fonts on your iPhone in iOS 13.

Tip #19. Use QuickPath Swipe Keyboard in iOS 13

Swiping keyboard was a dream for every iPhone user till iOS 12 last year. But now with iOS 13, the dream has come true. Here’s what you need to do to use QuickPath swipe keyboard in iOS 13 on your iPhone.

Step #1. Launch Settings App and head over to the General option from the list.

Open Settings and Tap on General on iPhone in iOS 13

Step #2. Now tap on the Keyboard option and Toggle ON Slide to Type option by scrolling down.

Enable iPhone Swipe Keyboard in iOS 13

Step #3. Open any app that pop-ups the keyboard and start swiping to experience QuickPath swipe keyboard.

With this, you will now use the QuickPath keyboard in all the apps that pop-ups the keyboard. Of course, you have custom fonts as well now. So this would be a fun typing experience overall on your iPhone.

Tip #20. Control HomeKit Device with NFC Tag

To start with, you need to have NFC tags, HomeKit compatible devices and most importantly, your iPhone must be running on iOS 13. Once you have all these in the box, you can proceed to the following guide to control HomeKit device with NFC tag.

Step #1. First off, you need to stick the NFC Tag to the HomeKit compatible appliance.

Step #2. Launch Shortcuts App to create a command/trigger.

Launch Shortcuts app on iPhone running iOS 13

Step #3. Tap on Automation from the bottom center of the screen and then select Create Personal Automation.

Tap on Create Personal AUtomation in iOS 13 Shortcuts app

Step #4. Tap on NFC setting by scrolling down from the menu. Tap on Choose option which is next to Tap an NFC Tag.

Use NFC to Control your Home with iPhone in iOS 13

Step #5. Make sure that you hold your iPhone near the NFC tag. Once it gets scanned, give it a name and tap on Next button. Next, Add an Action and search for the action which you want to implement, for example, Turn On the Lights.

This now sets up the action. So whenever you tap on the NFC tag with your iPhone, the lights will turn on automatically.

Summing Up…

So these were some of the best iOS 13 tips and tricks you would love to try on your iPhone today. Let us know if we are missing out on something important that needs to be added to the list.

Recommended Posts on iOS 13 You Might Like!

Readers like you help support iGeeksBlog. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more.

Author Profile

Suraj is an operations head on the iGB team. He contributes to the social media section along with tips and tricks for iPhone, Apple Watch. Apart from blogging, he likes to work out as much as he can in his gym and love to listening to retro music.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.