10 Things you didn't know your smartphone could do - Talkmobile 2026 guide

Key Points:

• iOS and Android phones can do dozens of things that aren't advertised by Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers in 2026.
• Some quality of life features include productivity features, such as more accurate typing or document scanning, but you can also add more buttons or check battery health.
• AI is at the heart of the recent Android and iPhone experience, with powered options such as detailed keyword searching and smart lock, based on your GPS.

Whether you're using an Android or Apple iPhone, today's smartphones are basically supercomputers in your pocket, giving you instant access to all the information in the world, featuring powerful processors, incredible cameras, and a wealth of connectivity options at the touch of a button (or screen). However, with (seemingly) limitless potential, there are so many things you may not be aware of. To get the most out of your Talkmobile SIM Only plan in 2026, here are our 10 surprising uses that you can try out right now.

A lesser-known feature for both Android and iPhones, you can press and hold the spacebar on the virtual keyboard, which greys out all of the keys and gives you superior control over your typing experience. It's handy to fix typos, insert links, or do more when writing messages or working.

You may know that today's smartphones feature QR code readers built into the default camera system, but are you aware that you can also use the camera (on Android) or the default Notes app (on iPhone) to scan in documents? Instead of taking a poor-quality, shadowed image of important text/files, this feature makes a custom version as a PDF that adapts what's right in front of you, with no need for a third-party app or a trip down to the print shop.

If you want to keep your display clear, you can turn the rear of your phone into its own button that an Android or iPhone smartphone can respond to. To do this, enable Back Tap on iOS in the Accessibility settings or Quick Tap on Android. You'll be given the option of enabling via either double or triple taps on the rear plastic/glass/metal back of the device.

Also known as Trusted Places, you can bypass having to constantly type your PIN code in or line up FaceID with Extend Unlock, provided you're at a trusted location that uses your smartphone's GPS. You can mark areas as safe, like your home or work office, and it'll mean the phone remains unlocked and ready to go when you need it.

Smartphone cameras feature infrared light detection that can check the condition of batteries. While invisible to our eyes, you can check if the batteries in your TV remotes (or similar devices) are dead by seeing if there's any purple (or pink) flashing light on your screen. If there's nothing there, then those batteries are dead, and it's time to break out the AAs, AAAs, 9Vs, etc.

Both Android and iPhones feature their own respective versions of Live captioning, adding universal text-to-speech with ease. It's an accessibility option for iOS and a system-wide feature in Android known as Live Caption (handily enough). It uses your smartphone's onboard AI functionality (NPUs baked onto most chips) to generate real-time subtitles for any audio playing. This could mean trying to watch a video without audio (in a quiet place) so you don't miss out.

A recent addition to both Apple Photos and Google Photos is the AI image recognition, which can be searched via keywords. Basically, you can find things based on what they are; this could be a car, a location, or a rough time frame, which can save you minutes (even hours) of scrolling through hundreds (or thousands) of images instead.

Some flagship Android phones can be used as a dedicated power bank through reverse wireless charging. Essentially, this means you can share the battery life easily with someone else (like a friend or family member) without having to break out a USB-C cable. You just put the rear of the phone against whatever compatible device that needs charging (like a pair of earbuds or another smartphone), and it'll do the rest. It's enabled from the Battery drop-down in the Settings menu.

Whether you do confidential work or have things that aren't child-friendly on your smartphone, you can create private spaces (also known as Hidden Folders) from Android and iOS menus that require a PIN code or Face ID. Private Space on Android can be set up from the Security and Privacy menu, whereas Hidden Folder can be enabled from the Quick Actions menu as a Privacy Option. It'll also disappear from the home menu, only revealed via a sub-menu.

Rapidly clicking your smartphone's power button five times can trigger an emergency signal and call the relevant emergency services. You could be in danger, unable to look at your phone or scroll through the menus. By rapidly clicking the button, you can get help quickly and easily. It's well worth knowing, as you might never need it, but you'll always have the option now.