The capabilities of smartphones are seemingly infinite — and but peoples’ use of their units typically stays restricted to areas they already learn about. A smartphone can accomplish that way more than simply surf the online, make video calls, play music, stream video, and ship texts.

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One large downside is that there at the moment are so many options packed right into a smartphone that discovering them, remembering them, and utilizing them is a real problem. A few of these hidden smartphone options may also help enhance your productiveness and make on a regular basis duties simpler. If there’s one thing you have to get executed, there is a fairly good probability your smartphone may also help you do it.

To deliver your smartphone use to the subsequent stage, we have rounded up some smartphone options that you simply may not learn about, however that are positive to make on a regular basis duties simpler. 

1. Scan paperwork 

In case you have ever needed to signal a bodily doc after which submit it digitally afterwards, you understand how a lot of a trouble it may be to print out, scan, after which e mail the doc. The excellent news is that you simply not have to show to your clunky scanner. With each iPhones and Android units, you should use the smartphone to scan a doc and export it. 

Additionally: The right way to scan and fax out of your iPhone

On iPhones, all it’s important to do is open your Notes app, click on the digital camera icon, after which hit the “scan paperwork” button, and also you’re set. On an Android gadget, the method is much more seamless. All it’s important to do is open your digital camera app, hover it over the doc, and faucet “scan doc” for Pixel telephones, or the yellow “T” icon for Samsung units.

2. Begin your automobile 

Earlier than you get your hopes up, your means to make use of your telephone as a key or car-starter will rely totally on the mannequin, make, and 12 months of your automobile. 

Fortunately, plenty of vehicles have the sort of performance. Two explanation why you may need to reap the benefits of this characteristic embrace the flexibility to remotely begin your automobile from the consolation of your individual residence or setting the automobile temperature simply the way in which you prefer it earlier than you get in.

Additionally: The perfect automobile devices

Should you’re on this characteristic, search for your automobile on the net and see if there’s an app that may assist. For instance, Ford has an app referred to as FordPass, which permits Ford automobile house owners to unlock and lock vehicles, remotely begin the automobile, and even schedule distant begins from the app. Android units have a characteristic referred to as digital key on choose smartphones, which works in tandem along with your automobile producer’s app or the producer’s e mail to make your telephone a digital key.

3. Show you how to change channels 

There are few issues extra irritating than on the point of watch a present, sitting on the sofa, settling down along with your blanket and snacks, after which realizing you may’t discover the distant. As soon as this realization hits, it’s important to dig to seek out the distant, solely to seek out out that the batteries are flat. To spare you this hassle, many TVs are able to syncing to your smartphone to show your gadget right into a distant. 

In case you have an iPhone, you should use it to manage appropriate TVs together with Roku or Hearth TVs, or an Apple TV 4K. It is as simple as being logged on to the identical community because the TV, going to the screen-share possibility, after which hitting the distant icon. If you wish to use your iPhone as a distant management, we’ve got a useful how-to.

Android smartphones have the identical functionality with Android TVs. All it’s important to do is open the Google TV app, faucet the distant icon on the underside proper, after which scan units and select your gadget to finish pairing, in keeping with Android. As well as, Android has TV distant apps for Roku and Hearth TVs, and even third-party distant apps for Apple TV.

4. Measure stuff

Haven’t got a tape measure? No downside. You may take measurements of something you have to in your telephone utilizing your smartphone’s digital camera and AR expertise. All it’s important to do is drop some extent initially of the thing you are measuring and pin one other level on the finish to get the precise measurement.

Additionally: 8 cool methods to make use of LiDAR in your iPhone and iPad

iPhones include the Apple Measure app preloaded, however when you’re an Android person, do not fret. You may merely use Measure Up, Google’s instrument that permits you to do what the Apple Measure app does, however in your telephone’s browser as a substitute of through an app. 

5. Take photographs for you

Have you ever ever needed to take an image, however had nobody to take it for you? The surroundings is gorgeous and your outfit is ideal, however you may’t spot anybody round — so your photograph alternative is ruined. Positive there may be your telephone’s timer, however that may be close to ineffective as a result of it’s important to set every little thing up for only one photograph to be taken. Fortunately, Lens Buddy is an app made to unravel that downside. 

Additionally: Shaky photographs? You are holding your telephone flawed. Do this

With Lens Buddy, you may totally customise the timer, together with the velocity and intervals of the images, so you may get the right shot. As an alternative of getting to arrange a ten second timer on your telephone solely to snap one photograph, you may set a timer that takes many photographs over a custom-made interval (ex: each three seconds) for so long as you need. With Lens Buddy, you’ve got plenty of choices to select from from one session as a substitute of only one. The app is simply accessible on iOS. Nonetheless, there are camera-timer options within the Google Play Retailer, akin to Selfer, which does the identical factor.

6. Monitor your coronary heart price 

Regardless of the plethora of smartwatches and health trackers in the marketplace, it’s potential to observe your coronary heart price with simply your smartphone. Coronary heart-rate monitoring apps use your again digital camera and flash to find out how a lot blood is pumping by way of your pores and skin, and get your coronary heart price by way of a follow referred to as photoplethysmography. To get your outcomes inside seconds, all it’s important to do is place your finger over the digital camera and flash. 

Additionally: The perfect health rings

These cellular heart-rate monitoring apps don’t come along with your telephone as commonplace, however could be downloaded in your smartphone’s app retailer. To determine which one to obtain, I like to recommend going to the app retailer and downloading a free app with probably the most constructive opinions. There are a lot of perks to usually monitoring your coronary heart price, together with being extra in-tune with you physique. I personally used one among these apps to observe my irregular coronary heart price and, finally, received my coronary heart situation identified.

7. Maintain your medical insurance coverage card 

Should you personal a smartphone, you might be possible accustomed to the idea of a digital pockets. With a digital pockets, you may add playing cards, boarding passes, tickets, and extra to your smartphone for straightforward entry when paying or getting into sure occasions. 

Additionally: The right way to add your driver’s license to Apple Pockets

However do you know you can additionally add your medical health insurance card? I like this characteristic as a result of my pesky medical health insurance card at all times will get caught to different playing cards in my pockets simply while you want it. 

Additionally: The right way to add your transit card to Apple Pockets

To your comfort, many insurance coverage suppliers, together with Cigna and Aetna, permit for cellular entry to your insurance coverage card. All it’s important to do is obtain the app on your insurance coverage supplier and register. There, each iPhone and Android customers will discover your cellular medical health insurance card, which you’ll then current at any healthcare supplier. If you’re an iPhone person, you get the added perk of including it to your Apple Pockets. 

Bonus characteristic

Simply as a reminder for these of you who may need forgotten: in addition to working as a compass, flashlight, TV distant, and hundreds of different features you can obtain as apps, your smartphone can even… make calls. Sure, actually!