You probably already know that your phone can do a ton of thing you don't know about — but how exactly does one go about unearthing all these lesser-known (and sometimes downright secret) functions? Easy: You hit the Internet. We've already talked a little about some of the iPhone's hidden features, but now an AskReddit has come to the rescue by adding a few more — along, of course, with some tips for Android and Windows phones, too.
Last night, a Redditor going by the name CranialFlatulence posted a thread in the AskReddit sub simply titled, “What is something my smartphone can do that I am probably unaware of?” The denizens of Reddit were happy to oblige — and although there are quite a few joke-type responses to sift through, there's plenty of useful knowledge floating around the thread, too. They're the kinds of things that, unless you actually read through your entire manual (and really, who actually does that?), you probably wouldn't even think a phone would need to be able to do — and yet, the fact that it can do them is all sorts of awesome.
Here are 12 of my favorites; head on over to AskReddit to check out the whole thread. It's worth a look — promise. Isn't technology cool?
1. Your phone's camera is useful for more than taking pictures.
Yep. Definitely wouldn't have thought of either of those uses for the camera.
2. Siri can tell you about the airplanes flying over your head.
And I thought “Siri, what song is this?” was impressive. Apparently something called Wolfram Alpha will perform the same function on Android phones.
3. Your phone knows exactly where you've been ever since you booted it up for the very first time.
I actually discovered this weird and somewhat disturbing little factoid a few years ago. It still freaks me out. Google does the same thing for Androids, too. NO ONE IS SAFE.
4. Google Now has a boatload of Easter eggs hidden inside it.
One of them includes being able to initiate new searches by saying “OK Jarvis.” That amuses me greatly. Here's the list of Google Now Easter eggs, for the curious, although note that it's by no means complete.
5. Androids can correct for colorblindness.
I'm not colorblind, but I really appreciate that this feature exists. That's pretty dang cool.
6. You don't have to use the home button as your home button.
Good to know.
7. You can set location-based alerts on your iPhone.
I'll admit that, upon reading this one, I wasn't totally sure why I would ever need to use it — but then Redditor Roanin demonstrated this feature's magnificent power, and now I think it's the best thing ever:
Haha. Hahahahahaha.
Here's how to set location-based reminders on an iPhone, and here's how to do it with Siri.
8. Your Galaxy S5 can detect crying babies.
Apparently it's for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Like the color correction thing for people who are colorblind, this is pretty nifty.
9. Cortana is a Harry Potter fan.
From what I gather, Cortana is the Windows phone equivalent of Siri. It's nice to know she has her priorities straight when it comes to sports (although some have pointed out that maybe it would have been more appropriate for her to follow Grifball, given her Halo connection).
10. Siri can help you play Dungeons and Dragons.
Forgot your dice? No problem — just ask Siri to roll a D20. Roll for initiative, everyone!
11. The iPhone's Compass app can function as a level.
Y'know, the type that measures whether or not you're on an incline. Just open the app and swipe left (not right — trust me, I tried both and left was the only one that worked). The screen turns green when your phone is… well, level.
12. Your phone can make actual phone calls.
Just, y'know… in case you forgot what a phone's primary purpose is.
Images: Giphy (4)
