With iOS 7, Apple added hundreds of new features to the operating system that runs the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Some of those new features are major changes—the new interface, Control Center, etc.—but those aren't the only helpful additions. Check out these great, lesser-known features. Once you know them, you may find yourself using them constantly.
1. Swipe to Go Back
Before iOS 7 moving backwards and forwards in apps required tapping back and forward arrows in the app's navigation. Not in iOS 7. Now, you can simply swipe to the left edge of the screen to go back. This tip doesn't work in all apps (the app has to be updated to enable it and have it make sense for the app's interface), but it makes moving through apps like Safari, Mail, and Music easier.
2. Swipe to Close Safari Tabs
Swiping to the left doesn't just let you move through screens; in Safari, it lets you close browser tabs. To use this feature, first tap the square at the bottom right corner of Safari that reveals all of your open tabs. Find the one you want to close and swipe it to the left edge of the screen. Voila: It will move away and close.3. The Return of the .Com Button
Technically this isn't a feature of iOS 7 (it was present in iOS 6, too), but all of the changes in iOS 7 may have you looking for the good old .com button on the keyboard in Safari. From the earliest versions of the iOS, this button helped save some typing when entering website addresses. To find it now, tap and hold on the period button. A menu will appear above it offering a number of options for for website addresses: .com, .us., .net, .org, and ,edu. Slide your finger (without taking it off the screen) to the one you want and, when it's highlighted, take your finger off the screen.
4. Block Calls and Texts
Is there someone in your life that you'd never like to hear from? With iOS 7, you can make that happen by blocking their calls, texts, and FaceTime chats. To block numbers, go to Settings -> Phone -> Blocked. Tap Add New and then select the person from your Address Book (to block someone not in your Address Book, go to Recents screen in Phone, tap I, and then scroll down to Block). To unblock them, tap Edit, the red icon, and then Unblock. More »
5. Turn Off Control Center in Apps
Control Center is a terrific feature—it makes accessing a lot of common tasks much more efficient—but for some people, it gets in the way of using their apps because it gets pulled up even when they don't want it. You can prevent this, though, by turning off Control Center in apps. To do this, tap Settings -> Control Center and move the Access Within Apps slider to off/white. Now, you'll only be able to use Control Center from the Lock Screen and Home screen.
6. Close Multiple Apps At Once
In previous versions of the iOS, you could close one app at a time using the Fast App Switcher. In iOS 7, though, this option is more efficient: you can close up to three apps at a time. To do this, simply double click the home button, find the three apps to quit, then swipe all three of them up the screen at the same time. You can also quit two apps this way.
7. Background App Refresh
IOS7 is smarter than earlier versions because it learns your habits for what apps you use at what times. For instance, if you check your social media accounts every morning at 8 a.m., iOS 7 learns that and uses a feature called Background App Refresh to update your social media feeds before 8, ensuring that you always have the latest content waiting for you. This can drain battery life, though, so if your battery is running down too fast, you may want to turn this option off.
8. Automatic App Updates
Content for your apps isn't the only thing iOS 7 can automatically update; it can even update apps to new versions without you doing anything. When this setting is turned on, if a new version of one of your apps is released, it will automatically be downloaded and installed on your device. This is handy, but it can use a lot of battery life and may install a new version that you don't want.
9. Animated Wallpapers
One of the many changes to the look of iOS 7 comes in the form of Dynamic (aka Animated) Wallpapers. In earlier versions of iOS, wallpapers were always still, static images. Now, though, you can add some visual pizzazz with animations underneath your apps. To use these, tap Settings -> Wallpapers & Brightness -> Choose Wallpaper -> Dynamic. Tap the wallpaper you want and, if you like it, tap Set. Then, watch for the subtle movement on the home screen of your device.
10. Dynamic Type
Is text too small (or thin) for you to read in iOS 7? There's a feature to address that. Called Dynamic Type, it lets you increase the size of text to make it easier to read. It doesn't work in all apps—only those that support it—but it can help. To use it, tap Settings -> General -> Accessibility -> Larger Type. Move the Larger Dynamic Type slider to on/green and then use the slider below to adjust the text size until it's comfortable for you. More »
11. Level Feature in Compass App
Need help making sure you're hanging a photo evenly (who doesn't)? IOS 7 has a level built into its Compass app that can tell you when things are level. To access it, tap the Compass app and swipe to move the app to its second screen. When the onscreen line is even and shows 0 degrees, it will turn green so you'll know things are level.
