19 Things You Didn't Know Your Smartphone Could Do

The Swiss Army knife of technology can replace the GPS, pedometer, even kitchen timer that you used to buy separately

Edward C. Baig,

AARP

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En español

Published December 01, 2021

/ Updated August 01, 2024

a woman recording herself cooking on her smartphone

Want to create a video for all the world — or just your friends — to see? Newer smartphones allow you to take high-quality video that used to mean buying a bulky camera.

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In this story

Versatile minicomputer • Battery tester • Calculator • Document scanner • Emergency alerts • Flashlight • Foreign language translator • GPS • Kitchen timer • Library • Magnifying glass • Metal detector • Pedometer • QR code reader • Radio • Tape measure • Video camera • Voice recorder • Weather forecaster • Your wallet

Smartphones have become the Swiss Army knives of technology, going way beyond making and receiving calls while you’re on the go.

Yes, they’re often described as a minicomputer in your pocket. But you also have a radio, a flashlight — even a level for when you’re doing handiwork around the house.

As smartphones added new features throughout the years, people began relying on them to take pictures, be their address book, wake them up in the morning and manage their appointments. Nearly 9 in 10 people age 50 and older own a smartphone, according to a 2024 AARP Research report.

But your smartphone can do much more. Here are 19 additional ways to use your iPhone or Android device and how to tap into those capabilities. All of the features are either baked into your phone already or available as free downloads from Apple’s App Store or the Google Play store for Android.

Tip: Sick of fumbling with your phone? Some of the functions here can be launched just by talking to it. For iPhones, say “Hey, Siri,” or just “Siri,” then state your command. For Android phones, say “Hey, Google,” or “OK, Google,” then your command.

1. Battery tester for remote controls

Both: See if the batteries in your TV remote controls have enough power to do their jobs. Launch the Camera app and switch to the front-facing selfie camera, though in some cases the rear camera also works. Point your remote control at the camera, then press and hold any button on the remote. If all is well, you’ll see a pinkish-purplish light flickering from the tip of the remote control, the infrared beam that sends signals to your TV and other tech gear. Replace the remote control batteries if the flickering light is especially dim or you don’t see any light at all.

woman scanning a document with her smartphone

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2. Calculator

Both: Open the Calculator app. You can perform basic math functions when holding the phone vertically. Rotate the phone on its side to summon a scientific calculator that can give you square roots, sines and other more advanced actions.

3. Document scanner

iPhone: Open the Notes app. Tap the icon in the lower-right corner. Tap the camera icon at the bottom of the screen and select Scan Document. Place the document in view of the camera. If your device is in Auto mode, your document will automatically scan. To manually capture a scan, tap the shutter button or one of the volume buttons. To adjust the edges of the scan, drag the corners to fit your document, then tap Keep Scan or Done.

Android: On recent Samsung Galaxy smartphones, open the Camera app and position the document you want to scan in the center of the viewfinder. Tap the yellow “T” button that appears, which places a yellow border around the document. You can drag corners to adjust your scanning area. Tap Scan on the upper left. If satisfied, tap Save it, if not, tap Retake. Scanning capabilities are also built into Google Drive, which is preloaded on some Android phones and also available for the iPhone.

4. Emergency Broadcast System

iPhone: You can receive Amber Alerts, extreme weather alerts or public safety alerts from your local government without watching TV. These are turned on by default when you get your device. To turn them off, tap Settings | Notifications, then scroll to the very bottom of the screen to see toggle switches for various government alerts.

Android: Open Settings | Notifications | Wireless Emergency Alerts. You can choose which type of alerts — from extreme threats to public safety messages — that you would like to receive.

5. Flashlight

iPhone: Tap the Flashlight icon found in the Control Center — on newer phones, access by swiping down from the upper-right corner of your home screen; on older phones, swipe up from the bottom edge. Tap again and hold to bring up its brightness controls.

Android: On Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones, drag your finger down from the top of the display and tap the on-screen Flashlight button.

Learn more live and online

AARP’s free online classes can help you learn more about your smartphone, its capabilities and its apps.

• Senior Planet from AARP has live courses that can help you choose and use the best phone for you.

• AARP’s Virtual Community Center has a Tech Help area with interactive events that include smartphone use.

6. Foreign language translator

iPhone: You can translate text, voice or a conversation through Apple’s Translate app. To translate text or your voice, tap Translation and select one of more than a dozen languages to translate between. Tap Enter Text, and type the words you want to translate. You’ll see results in real time. Tap the microphone icon instead to speak a phrase you want translated out loud. Tap the button with the arrow to play the audio translation. To translate a conversation between two people, tap Conversation | microphone icon and speak in one of the two languages. If you tap the circled icon with three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the display, you can also tap Auto Translate to initiate a conversation in which the phone automatically detects when you start and stop speaking. Tap the Camera button to have the phone translate what it sees.

Android: Download Google Translate from the Google Play store, if it’s not already on your phone. Launch the app. Tap the button showing the language you are using and then the one in which you wish to read a translation. Google has been leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to add new languages to Translate; at last count, the app can translate 243 languages. Enter text or tap the microphone button to speak the phrase. If you tap Conversation | Auto, the app can listen for both languages. Tap the Camera button inside Translate to enable the app to translate what it sees.

a person using a smartphone g p s in their car to map out a route

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7. GPS navigation system

Both: Google-owned Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps — all free — are the leaders in this category, but you can download more than 50 alternatives to help you get where you are going. Some are specialized, including AllTrails, Maps.me, Organic Maps: Offline Maps and OsmAnd. AllTrails and Organic Maps include trails you can use while biking off road.

a person using the timer on their phone for jump rope intervals

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8. Kitchen timer

Both: Open the Clock app. Tap Timer. Also in the app (may vary on Android phones): Set an alarm, run a stopwatch or check the time in cities around the globe.

9. Library

Both: Hoopla and Libby are popular free apps that allow you to borrow e-books with your library card. You can also download free books from Project Gutenberg that you can read with a Kindle or other e-reader apps.

10. Magnifying glass

iPhone: Open the Magnifier app. It’s automatically loaded on phones with up-to-date operating software. If you don’t see it on one of your home screens, go to your App Library at the end of your set of home screens and look in the Utilities folder. You can zoom in on small type and adjust the brightness and contrast to make it more legible. Swipe up to find other controls.

Android: Open the Camera app. Use your fingers to “unpinch” — move your fingers apart rather than closer together — to magnify fine print.

11. Metal detector

Both: You’re unlikely to uncover a buried treasure. But you can visit the App Store or Google Play to fetch any number of metal detector apps, some that play sounds or vibrate when your phone approaches needles, pins or other metal objects you may have inadvertently dropped, including precious rings or earrings. The apps leverage the magnetometer built into most modern smartphones. While many are free, they also typically have ads. In our tests, quality and usability were mixed.

a smartphone on a table showing its pedometer function

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12. Pedometer

iPhone: The pedometer built into your iPhone’s Health app automatically counts the steps you take while your phone is in your pocket, in your hand or strapped to your arm. To check how far you’ve gone, click on the Health app, click the Summary tab and scroll down to Steps. Keep your phone with you when you walk.

Android: If your phone has the Google Fit app, open it and tap Home | Steps and then Day, Week or Month to check out your steps data. On Samsung phones, you can track your steps through the Samsung Health app.

a person scanning a q r code with their smartphone

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13. QR code reader

iPhone: QR codes are plastered practically everywhere these days: on ads, tickets, websites and more. Open the Camera app and choose the rear-facing camera. Make sure the QR code appears in the viewfinder. If the code is recognized, you’ll see a notification that shows the website you’ll go to. Tap the notification to open the link associated with the code. If you’re not having any luck, visit Camera Settings and make sure the Scan QR Codes setting has been enabled.

Android: Open the Camera app and point it at the QR code. Tap on the notification that appears if the code is recognized, which will typically take you to a web page. No luck? On a Pixel phone, make sure the Camera scan suggestions setting has been flipped on inside the Camera setting. On a Samsung Galaxy, the setting appears as Scan QR code.

14. Radio

Both: You can download free apps that stream on-the-air stations from around the world or special online-only stations. The list of free radio apps is long and includes Audacy, iHeartRadio, Pandora and TuneIn. You also can listen to podcasts , including Today’s Tips from AARP.

15. Tape measure

iPhone: Open the augmented-reality-driven tape measure app. Tap the Measure icon at the bottom of the screen. Point your phone camera at the object you want to measure, lining up a circled dot on your screen with the starting point. Tap the plus + button. Move your phone to the end of the measurement and tap plus + again. The app also includes a level function.

Android: Several third-party apps are available. Samsung’s Quick Measure app, preloaded on some smartphones, works similarly to iPhone’s app.

16. Video camera

iPhone: Open the Camera app. Swipe in either direction so the Video option appears in yellow above the red Record button. Tap the red button to start and stop. You can also shoot in slow motion by swiping so that Slo-Mo is selected, and on some models apply a Cinematic style that adds depth-of-field effects to blur backgrounds while keeping the main subject in focus.

Android: On a Samsung Galaxy, swipe so Video is above the white and red Record button. Tap the red Record button to start and stop. Tap More for additional shooting modes, which may include slow motion, super slow motion and pro video options that allow you to adjust the camera’s exposure settings.

17. Voice recorder

iPhone: Open the Voice Memos app. Tap the red Record button to start and stop. On a specific recording, tap the icon with three horizontal lines ≡ for options that include changing the playback speed or skipping pauses.

Android: Free voice recording apps are available in the Google Play Store. Hitting the red Record button on the Google Recorder app built into Google’s Pixel phones automatically generates a searchable transcript.

a woman checking the weather on her smartphone

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18. Weather forecaster

Both: Launch the Apple Weather app on an iPhone or fetch any of the fine third-party choices on iOS and Android whether you’re concerned about a big chill, searing heat wave or whether to carry an umbrella. Some will tell you what to expect hour by hour.

19. Your wallet

iPhone: The Apple Wallet app allows you to use Apple Pay or any of your credit or debit cards in digital form, and you can add boarding passes, movie tickets, rewards cards and, in select states, digital driver’s licenses to the mix. To start, enter one or more of your payment cards. In a store, hold the phone near the payment terminal and either double tap the side button on an iPhone with Face ID to authenticate with facial recognition, or on a model without Face ID, lightly press the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the Home button. You will see a circled check mark and the word Done when the transaction is complete.

Android: If your phone doesn’t have Google Wallet, download the app from the Google Play store. You can add boarding passes, coupons and payment cards and transact via Google Pay. At retail, unlock the phone with your face, fingerprint, passcode or other methods depending on the model. Next, place your phone near the terminal until you see Done and a check mark on the screen.

This story, originally published Dec. 1, 2021, has been updated to include new smartphone features.

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Edward C. Baig covers technology and other consumer topics. He previously worked for USA Today, BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report and Fortune, and is author of Macs for Dummies and coauthor of iPhone for Dummies and iPad for Dummies. Follow him on LinkedIn; Threads; and X, formerly known as Twitter.