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iPhone tips, tricks, and shortcuts you need to know for iOS 12.1

iOS 12 is packed with loads of useful features. The only problem is that if you don't know about them you might never know they are there! Here's a compilation of my favorite features. Many use the 3D Touch feature, and this is present for all iPhones from the iPhone 6S to the latest iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but is not available on the iPhone XR.
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer
Camera app: Quick access
3 of 11 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Camera app: Quick access

One thing about photography is that that perfect shot can come and go in moments, so having quick access to the camera features you want can make the difference between getting the shot, and telling people about that cool shot you missed!

3D Touch gives you a quick and easy way to access Take Selfie, Record Video, Record Slo-mo, and Take Portrait in the Camera app.

Press and hold until the pop-up appears and then choose where you want to jump to.

Stop apps harassing you for feedback
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Stop apps harassing you for feedback

I know that feedback is important to app developers, but sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming for users. This is probably one of the things in apps that annoys me the most.

Fortunately, Apple now offers users a way to put an end to it. Unfortunately, the setting is buried and unless you know where to look for it, you'll probably never come across it

Here's how to access it:

Settings > iTunes & App Store and then toggle In-App Ratings & Reviews to off.

Find out what's burning your battery
8 of 11 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Find out what's eating your battery

Is your battery draining faster than usual? Is your iPhone not making it through the day? Chances are there's an app that's gone rogue and is running in the background.

First, go to Settings > Battery and look at the Battery Usage list. Tap anywhere on the list to change it from showing percentages to also showing you a breakdown of how much screen time and background time the running apps are taking.

Remember that while some apps -- the Music app for example -- are designed to work in the background, most apps are not and could be the cause of the problem.

If you notice an app with unexplained high background usage, then you may have solved your problem. Go into Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn off background refresh for that specific app.

Also look to see if you have No Cell Coverage on the list. If this is responsible for high battery usage, then you've found your problem -- being out of cell coverage or in an area with poor coverage. If this figure is high, try putting the iPhone into Airplane Mode when cell coverage is poor (you can still turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth independently) to see if that helps.

Turn the iOS keyboard into a trackpad
10 of 11 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Turn the iOS keyboard into a trackpad

Enhanced Do Not Disturb
11 of 11 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Enhanced Do Not Disturb

Make it easier to get time away from your iPhone by getting better control over the Do Not Disturb feature. You can now set Do Not Disturb specifically for events such as meetings or while you're at a particular location.

Press and hold down the Do Not Disturb icon in Control Center (the one that looks like a crescent moon) to bring up this menu of options.

What's more, iOS 12 will turn it off automatically as soon as your event ends or you leave that location.

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