Little-known iPhone feature means you'll never forget to say 'happy birthday' again
iPhone users have been sharing their surprise after discovering a clever 'hidden' feature that allows them to pick exactly what time they want to send a text message
Apple updates its iOS every eyar, unleashing a slew of new apps, handy shortcuts, and enhanced features annually.
It can leave some users wondering whether a feature was always there or whether it has been newly introduced. A TikTok video by Simple Alpaca shares that you can now schedule texts to be sent in advance — be it hours or days ahead. Just hit the plus (+) symbol by the iMessage box, draft your text, then tap 'Send Later' to fix the timing.
A customizable blue bubble will appear above your message, ready for you to pick the perfect moment. Some TikTokers noted this is a perfect way to send birthday greetings right at the appropriate time without forgetting.
One person wrote: "I'm going to just go ahead and send happy birthday to everyone ahead of time so I don't forget." Another person chimed in: "This is how I call out sick so I don't actually have to wake up." Someone else quipped, "2:32am texting into work 'I'm sick'." And then another commenter said: "Sending 20 'good morning' text as once at 7:37 every morning."
But not everyone was impressed; some pointed out that this could be done on iPhones using the shortcuts feature even before the update, while Android users gloated about their platform having such features for years. One commenter noted: "Whoa. I thought all phones could already do that... Android has been able to for years."
Another remarked, "Pretty sure you could always do that with the shortcuts app." A third reminisced, "I had an android back in 2012 and I could do this."
The buzz around convenient phone hacks follows a viral iPhone trick revealing how to swiftly remove backgrounds from numerous photos simultaneously. To achieve this, you simply go to your camera roll, select the desired images, tap the share button, and then save them to files.
Next, head over to your files app, choose the pictures you moved there, hit the three dots for more options, and select 'Remove background'. Your photos are now background-free in bulk, all thanks to this nifty shortcut.