10 hidden features in iOS 12

With any software upgrade, there is a lot to unpack.

IOS 12 of Apple is no different. You have probably noticed the display times, the grouped notifications and the funny photo effects just after the update. However, it's the small changes that can make all the difference.

We have browsed through iOS 12 and found 10 hidden features that will enhance your iPhone experience.

1. Appearance of a face identity

The TrueDepth sensor from Apple is the secret to how Face ID allows you to unlock your iPhone in the blink of an eye. However, if you often wear sunglasses, wear makeup often or change your wig regularly – all common practices such as acting – facial recognition can fail a lot of the time.

Well, you can now scan a second time without throwing the original. Open Settings> Face ID and Access Code> Authenticate and tap "Set up another appearance" when prompted for your password.

2. Automatic filling verification codes

Two-factor authentication is more secure but adds an extra step to the connection. You usually have to request the text, switch to messages, copy the code, go back to the application you are in and paste it. Yes, the fight is real.

iOS 12 eliminates middlemen. Instead of forcing you to play music apps, it will automatically recognize messages with security codes and ask you whether or not you want to complete them without going back and forth. The new version of macOS, Mojave, has a similar functionality to Safari. Just make sure you can receive text from your iPhone on the Messages app on your Mac.

3. AirDrop Passwords

Need to share a password at a pinch? You can now long-press a password in your iCloud keychain to transfer it to another device. Your friend's iOS device will receive an AirDrop notification in which he will set the password their keychain, asking if they want to register it as a new entry or update the login if the service is already there. This can be useful if, for example, someone in a family manages the password for Netflix and has to share it with other users in the account.

This is a tiny update that offers users a safer way to share passwords.

4. Lock USB accessories

Locking your iPhone now also means protecting it from USB accessories that connect via the Lightning port. This reflects the ongoing privacy and security concerns of third-party devices that can access your phone when locked.

If your phone is stolen, this feature can theoretically prevent the thief from accessing third-party tools. To enable or disable this, go to Settings> Face ID and Access Code> USB Accessories. It notes that it will block the connection of USB devices if it's been over an hour that you have locked the iPhone.

5. Lyrical Search in Apple Music

If you're like me, the lyrics come naturally, but not the song titles. Apple understands this and now allows you to search for songs by lyrics in Apple Music in iOS 12. I have used them throughout the beta, which is convenient. For example, I can search for "tramps like us" to find Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" or "everyone is watching me now" for "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus.

6. Inhibition notifications

Do Not Disturb is convenient, but it's easier to remember than reactivate it. But if you simply press the button in Control Center, you will find three new presets. You can turn it on for an hour, until the evening or until you leave a place. In addition to these three presets, Siri may suggest not to disturb for events. If he recognizes that you have an event, he may recommend that you enable the Do not disturb via notification option.

7. Deliver notifications quietly

Deliver Quietly could be my new favorite feature. I care about all my notifications, but I do not particularly like to be inundated with them. For an application like Trello that offers hundreds of pings a day, I choose to have them delivered quietly. It does not delete the notification; instead, it sends them directly to the Notification Center without having hit you with a badge or banner.

8. Hear better with AirPods and an iPhone

Apple brings Live Listen, the possibility for an iPhone to act as a microphone for hearing aids, for AirPods. It is available for hearing aids with the Made for iPhone label, and this support will open technology to anyone with Apple's wireless headphones. It can be enabled and disabled in the Control Center if you add the button. Put your iPhone on a table and insert your AirPods. Activate Live Listen and listen to the conversation through the headphones.

9. Just drag to close an application on iPhone X

The way the iPhone X closes apps in iOS 11 is banana. You must slide into multitasking, long-press an application to display the "-" sign, and then drag it. Fortunately, Apple has corrected this in iOS 12, and the intermediate step has disappeared: just go to the application switch to close applications with a simple scan. This is how multitasking on end-to-end Apple phones should have been done from the first day.

10. iOS can now handle updates on its own

You had to manually upgrade to iOS 12, but you can now configure it to manage updates automatically. Head to Settings> General> Software Update> Automatic Updates. From there, you can enable or disable the feature. With it, iOS will install updates overnight after downloading them when connected to WiFi.