iOS 10 Tips Every iPhone User Should Know

If you’re still on iOS 10, the top pick for getting more out of your iPhone is mastering the hidden shortcuts in Control Center and the Lock screen — they save the most time with the least effort. These two areas hold the biggest quality-of-life upgrades from Apple’s 2016 release, and they work reliably on every iPhone that supports iOS 10. Below is a practical guide to the best tips, what to look for, and how to choose what to use first.

What to Look For

When evaluating iOS 10 tips, focus on criteria that actually matter for daily use:

Time saved per day — A tip that saves 30 seconds once a week is less valuable than one that saves 5 seconds every hour.
Ease of recall — The best tips are easy to remember because they follow a logical pattern (e.g., swipe, press, hold).
Compatibility — Some features only work on certain iPhone models (e.g., 3D Touch is absent on iPhone SE and older).
Reliability — Avoid tricks that require third-party apps or jailbreaks; native features are always more stable.
Privacy/security — Any tip that involves sharing or syncing should be evaluated for what data is exposed.

1. Master Control Center’s Hidden Controls

iOS 10 redesigned Control Center into a multi-panel interface. Swipe up from the bottom to see the first panel with brightness, volume, and quick toggles. Swipe left on that panel to access the music player, and swipe left again for the “Home” panel (if you have HomeKit accessories). A 3D Touch (or long-press on non-3D Touch devices) on any toggle reveals extra options — for example, pressing the flashlight icon lets you choose low, medium, or high intensity. Press the timer icon to quickly set a countdown without opening the Clock app. Press the camera icon to choose between taking a photo, recording video, or taking a selfie.

Strengths: These shortcuts are always one swipe away and work system-wide.

Trade-offs: The multi-panel layout can feel confusing at first; you may accidentally swipe to the music panel when you meant to adjust brightness.

Who it suits: Anyone who frequently adjusts settings or uses the flashlight, timer, or camera.

2. Lock Screen Quick Replies and Camera Access

On iOS 10, the Lock screen changed dramatically. Instead of “slide to unlock,” you now press the Home button to unlock (or use Touch ID). Swipe right on the Lock screen to open the camera — no need to reach for the Control Center. When a message notification appears, press it (or swipe left and tap “View”) to see the conversation. With 3D Touch, you can press and hold a notification to reply inline without unlocking.

Strengths: Camera access is instant, and quick replies save you from unlocking and opening the Messages app.

Trade-offs: The new Lock screen behavior takes getting used to; the “slide to unlock” muscle memory is hard to break.

Who it suits: People who take lots of photos or text frequently throughout the day.

3. Use Raise to Wake (and Turn It Off If You Don’t Like It)

iOS 10 introduced “Raise to Wake” — when you pick up your iPhone, the screen automatically lights up to show notifications. This is great for glancing at the time or checking messages without pressing any buttons. If you find it too sensitive (e.g., your phone wakes in your pocket), go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle off “Raise to Wake.”

Strengths: One less button press; works with any iPhone that supports iOS 10 (iPhone 6 and later).

Trade-offs: Battery life may take a small hit because the screen turns on more often.

Who it suits: People who check their phone frequently but hate pressing buttons.

4. Declutter Notifications with Rich Notifications

iOS 10 made notifications “rich” — they can show images, videos, and interactive buttons directly on the Lock screen or in Notification Center. For example, a calendar invite can show “Accept” or “Decline” without opening the app. To manage which apps send rich notifications, go to Settings > Notifications, select an app, and enable “Show Previews” and “Sounds.” You can also set notifications to “Deliver Quietly,” which sends them to Notification Center without banners or sounds.

Strengths: Reduces app-switching and keeps you in control of interruptions.

Trade-offs: Not all apps support rich notifications; older apps may show only basic text.

Who it suits: People overwhelmed by notification noise who want to filter without disabling alerts entirely.

5. Use the New Home App (Even If You Don’t Have Smart Home Gear)

The Home app is new in iOS 10, but you can use it even without HomeKit accessories. It provides a central place to control any smart devices you have (lights, thermostats, locks) and lets you set up “Scenes” — for example, “Good Night” that turns off lights and locks doors. If you don’t have any accessories, you can still use the app to see which of your apps support HomeKit and set up automations (like “Turn on lights at sunset”) that will run when you add devices later.

Strengths: Future-proofs your smart home setup; the app is well-organized and easy to navigate.

Trade-offs: Useless if you have no HomeKit devices and no plans to buy any.

Who it suits: Early adopters of smart home tech or people planning to buy smart accessories.

6. Customize Control Center’s Included Apps

You can’t add third-party toggles in iOS 10 (that came later), but you can reorder the built-in toggles and choose which apps appear in the bottom row of the Control Center. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. There you can add or remove toggles like Alarm, Calculator, Flashlight, and even the “Notes” shortcut. You can also change the order by dragging the handles. For example, if you never use the calculator but always use the timer, move the timer to the front.

Strengths: Personalizes the most-used panel without any third-party apps.

Trade-offs: The list of available toggles is fixed; you can’t add shortcuts to your own favorite apps.

Who it suits: Power users who want Control Center tailored to their habits.

How to Choose

Budget: All these tips are free — they require no purchases. The only “cost” is the time to learn them. If you have an older iPhone (like the iPhone 6 or 6s), some 3D Touch features won’t work, but most tips have a workaround (long-press instead of press).

Use case: If you’re a heavy communicator, start with Lock screen quick replies. If you’re a photographer, master the camera swipe. If you’re a home automator, dive into the Home app. If you just want to reduce frustration, start with Control Center customization.

Common trade-offs: The biggest trade-off is between convenience and battery life — Raise to Wake and rich notifications use more power. Another trade-off is between speed and privacy — quick replies can accidentally send a message to the wrong person if you’re not careful. Finally, the learning curve: iOS 10 changed many gestures, so expect a few days of adjustment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do these tips work on iPhone 5 or 5s?
No. iOS 10 supports iPhone 5 and 5s, but some features (like Raise to Wake and 3D Touch) are only available on iPhone 6 or later. The Control Center and Lock screen tips work on all supported devices.

Q: Can I turn off the new Lock screen and go back to slide-to-unlock?
No, there is no setting to restore the old slide-to-unlock gesture. You can, however, disable Touch ID and require a passcode, which makes you press the Home button to reveal the keypad.

Q: Why doesn’t 3D Touch work on my iPhone SE?
The iPhone SE (1st generation) does not have 3D Touch hardware. You can use long-press as a substitute in many places, but not all (e.g., pressing on the flashlight icon will not give intensity options).

Q: How do I stop the screen from waking every time I pick up my phone?
Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle off “Raise to Wake.” This will also slightly improve battery life.

Q: Can I add a data toggle to Control Center?
No, iOS 10 does not allow adding a cellular data toggle. You must go to Settings > Cellular to turn data on/off. This is a common complaint, but there’s no native workaround.

Q: Will these tips work on iOS 11 or later?
Some will (like Control Center customization), but many are specific to iOS 10’s design. For example, the multi-panel Control Center was changed in iOS 11 to a single page. If you’ve upgraded, look for updated guides.

Bottom Line

The single most impactful tip is to master the Control Center’s hidden controls — it’s the quickest way to save time every day. Pair that with Lock screen quick replies if you’re a frequent texter, and turn off Raise to Wake if battery life is your priority. The other tips are valuable depending on your habits, but start with Control Center, then explore the rest. iOS 10 may be old, but these tricks will make your iPhone feel faster and more responsive right now.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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