Helpful iOS 9 Tips for Apple Enthusiast

You may find it hard to distinguish the difference between iOS 8 and iOS 9 at first glance, but if you look into it a little closer you'll find that the newest Apple software has a lot to offer. The new iOS 9 is loaded with a bunch of new apps, added features, and some cosmetic modifications that aim to make some major improvements on iOS 8.

Here are some of our favorite tips, tricks, and secret additions that will help you become an expert of Apple's latest operating system.

How to search

Simply swipe right on the home screen, and you'll get the new search screen. You can find Siri suggestions here based on your previous activity, so you may find contacts, news, or other information that you might be interested in. Apple has also added more natural language support into the search function, so you can easily phrase questions.

If you go to Settings, you'll also see that Apple added a search bar at the top, specifically for finding that baffling toggle without having to go through all those menus.

How to launch Siri hands-free

If you own a new iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus, you can now say "Hey Siri," anywhere at any time, and Siri will respond to you. Back in iOS 8, this was only possible if your iPhone is plugged in and charging. Unfortunately, users of iPhone 6 and below also had this experience. To enable this feature, go to Settings, then General. Now, go to Siri, and then toggle Hey Siri on. You'll do a quick spot of training to ensure that Siri only responds to your voice, and then you're all set.

Back to App

In an effort to improve app switching and multitasking, iOS 9 offers a very convenient way to move between several applications. For example, opening a link sent via Messages will take you to the URL, but instead of double-tapping to bring up the app-switcher, there will be an option to go Back to Messages found at the top left corner of the screen.

Group Notifications

Instead of viewing all your notifications in a purely sequential list, you now have the option to group notifications by app. This can be done by going to Settings, then Notifications, and then enableGroup by App. So, instead of searching for your most recent CNN updates within a giant unorganized list, your notifications will be grouped according to the app it relates to.

Disable Shake to Undo

Shake to Undo is a hidden feature in iOS 9 that lets you quickly delete the last few words typed with just a quick shake of your iPhone. There have been reports that it has been overly sensitive and the pop-up appears to be frustrating. Now, you can disable it altogether by going to Settings, then Accessibility. Next, go to Shake to Undo, and then toggle the slider to enable it.

Turn a video into a floating window (for iPads only)

As part of Apple's effort of integrating multitasking better into the iPad, iOS 9 enables you to turn a video into a floating window and have it show up even when you exit the app. This is perfect for catching up on some TV while you knock out an email, and it also works for FaceTime calls.

Currently, it only works with the native Videos app and some websites, just tap the icon above (furthest left on the video player) and prepare for a much enhanced multitasking. You can resize the window by pinching it or shut it down completely by hitting the X icon.