Three Tricks iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Owners Need to Know
In a lot of ways, the version of iOS 8 that runs on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is identical to what iPhone 5S or 5C owners use—except for three features that take advantage of the newer models' larger screens. If you've got an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, getting to know these three features will help you enjoy your iPhone even more.
Display Zoom
Both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have bigger screens than any iPhone before them (4.7 and 5.5 inches, respectively, versus the 4-inch screen available on the previous three models). Thanks to a feature called Display Zoom, you can take advantage of those larger screens in two ways: to show more content or to make the content bigger.
Choosing the Standard or Zoomed option in Display Zoom is part of the set-up process for both phones, but if you want to change your selection, simply follow these steps:Display Zoom lets you choose the way your screen displays content. Because the iPhone 6 Plus' screen is 1.5 inches bigger than the screen on the iPhone 5S, for instance, it can use that extra space to show more words in an email, more of a website, etc.
Display Zoom is also helpful for users with poor eyesight or who just prefer bigger onscreen elements. In this case, the bigger screen is used to enlarge the text, icons, images, and other elements displayed on the phone to make them easier to read.
- Tap the Settings app
- Tap Display & Brightness
- Tap Display Zoom
- On this screen, you can tap Standard or Zoomed to see a preview of each option. Swipe side to side to see the option in different scenarios so you can get a good idea of how it will look.
- Make your selection and tap Set.
Reachability
The new, larger screens on the 6 and 6 Plus are great for a lot of things, but getting more screen real estate means giving up some things, especially the ability to easily use the phones with one hand. On iPhones with smaller screens, holding the phone with one hand and reaching to even the farthest icons with your thumb is possible for most people. Only people will big hands (or who really stretch) will be able to easily make that reach on the iPhone 6, while almost no one will be able to do it on the 6 Plus.
When you find yourself wanting to tap something that's out of reach, double tap the Home button. It's important to just tap the button—don't press it. Pressing the home button twice will bring up the multitasking interface. Tap the Home button in the same way that you'd tap an app icon.Luckily, Apple has added a feature to help out: Reachability. It moves what's being shown at the top of the screen towards the middle to make it easier to reach. Here's how to use it:
- The contents of the screen will move down.
- Tap the item you want.
- The screen will move back to normal. To use Reach ability again, repeat the double tap.
Landscape Layout (iPhone 6 Plus only)
The iPhone has supported landscape layout—turning the phone on its side and having the content reorient to be wider than tall—since its debut. Apps have used landscape for all kinds of things, from being the default layout for some apps to providing access to hidden content in others.
One thing that never supported landscape mode, though, was the homescreen. That's changed now. This only applies to the iPhone 6 Plus due to its much bigger size, but if you've got one, it may come in handy.
When you're at the home screen, simply turn your 6 Plus so that it's wider than tall and the screen will reorient to move the dock to the edge of the phone and shift the icons to match the screen's orientation.
That's neat, but it gets even cooler in some of the built-in iOS apps like Mail and Calendar. Open those apps and turn the phone to landscape mode and you'll reveal new interfaces for the apps that show information in different ways.