Today’s smartphones are amazingly multitalented, so much so that it can be hard to keep track of all their capabilities. The following are 12 incredible things you probably didn’t know your smartphone could do:
Find dropped metal objects.
If you’re someone who does a lot of home decorating or renovation projects, you’ll be glad to know that your smartphone can find that tiny nail you dropped on the floor before someone’s foot does. A number of apps, such as Metal Detector for iPhone or Android devices, take advantage of your phone’s built-in magnetic sensor to detect nearby objects that contain steel or iron.
Measure height and distance.
No more guessing whether the new sofa you bought is going to fit through the doorway. The Dot Measure app for iPhone quickly sizes up critical dimensions of rooms, stairwells, and doorways, and identifies key distance measurements like how many feet there are between your front door and the furniture delivery truck. You may never need to use a tape measure again.
Translate foreign language signs.
This amazing free feature available in the Google Translate app is an absolute must-have for international travelers. Simply point your phone’s video camera at any printed text, such as a road sign or a restaurant menu, and the app will replace the words you’re looking at with an English translation.
Warn you about speed traps.
Your smartphone is your best friend when it comes to keeping your daily commute free of hazards and speeding tickets. Apps like Trapster send you mobile alerts about real-time locations of speed traps and hidden cameras. You can also receive early warnings of dangers on the road or notifications when you exceed posted speed limits.
Control your other gadgets.
A number of apps can turn your smartphone into a multifunctional remote control for your other gadgets and devices. Take better selfies by using your phone to control your digital camera, turn down the volume on the television in the next room, or breeze through your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation at work by clicking through slides on your phone.
Keep an eye on your kids.
Apps like Find My iPhone are not only great for keeping track of your own phone, they can also help you keep tabs on where your kids are. Thanks to the GPS tracking feature on your kids’ phones, you can opt to receive alerts when phones arrive at or leave a designated location, like school or soccer practice.
Stop you from making calls you’ll regret.
In the middle of the night, it might seem like a good idea to call up your old flame, but chances are that if you actually make that call, you’ll wish you hadn’t later. Keep yourself regret-free with Designated Dialer, an app that can either lock your phone or simply block you from dialing certain contacts. To regain use of your phone, you’ll need to pass a test to proving you’re fully functioning and not, shall we say, under the influence.
Monitor your heart rate.
Apps like Instant Heart Rate let you easily take your pulse and then calculate your heart rate using your smartphone camera. A great tool that can help you make the most of your workout, these apps can also give you valuable insight into your fat-burning ability and your heart-rate recovery time after exercise. You can also store records of these tests for easy sharing with your doctor.
Let you know what song is playing.
Want to know the name of the catchy song they often play at your favorite coffee place? Your smartphone can tell you! Apps like Shazam or SoundHound can identify a huge range of songs after just a few seconds of “listening.” Best of all, if you like what you hear, you can use these apps to instantly download the song in question and add it to your personal music library.
Block unwanted calls.
If you’re tired of unwanted calls from telemarketers, it’s easier than ever to block those numbers on your iPhone. Simply go into your call log, select the number you want to block, and tap “block this caller.”
Create digital documents.
You’ll never need a separate scanner again with easy-to-use apps like CamScanner. Just take a picture of the document you want to scan, like a receipt or an invoice, and use the app to convert it instantly to a PDF or JPG file. Additional features let you adjust for low lighting or enhance documents with light printing or handwriting, ensuring that the final images are high-quality and easily legible. This is a must-have app for freelancers or workers on the go.
Turn off music automatically.
Do you like to fall asleep listening to music but don’t want to have your phone running all night? Using the iPhone Timer feature, you can easily set your device to automatically turn off the music after a set period of time. This gives you the music you want without draining your battery unnecessarily.