iPhone 7 Hacks: Tips, Tricks And Hoaxes For Apple's New Camera, Headphone Jack And Battery

Some guy on the internet recently figured out that if he just drills a hole into his new iPhone 7, people will watch a YouTube video about it. Of course, we did and so did millions of others. But, as expected, that “hack” doesn’t get you much further than a laugh and — if you’re particularly gullible — a hole in your new phone.

For those of us who don’t have the cash to destroy a nearly $700 device, here are some ideas to “hack” your iPhone 7 and make the best of your new smartphone:

Literally Hack (Jailbreak) Your Phone. This can be a dangerous if you enjoy your warranty but can be helpful if you’re looking to install apps that aren’t approved by Apple. It’s a pretty difficult process for the average user, but it has been done. If you decide to take this route, you’ll be able to install Cydia apps that a power user would want.

Get Flashes For Notifications. The iPhone 7 lets you quickly check notifications simply by lifting up your phone or taking it out of your pocket but you can also make the camera flash on and off until you look at a new message or notification if you want, Recombu reported. This is probably best for people who have a hard time paying attention to their phone on the weekends when they get messages from their friends — which is the case for this reporter and a source of frequent missed brunches.

Shoot 4K Video or 60 Frames-Per-Second (FPS) Video. You can capture some stellar video with the new iPhone7 camera. You can shoot Full HD video at 60 fps or Ultra HD 4K resolution footage. Just head over to your phone’s main settings and select “Photos & Camera.” You’ll have all the options right there. The dual cameras are capable of some pretty remarkable things in general. The "Portrait" mode is getting a lot of attention. Check it out.

Make Your Phone Kid Friendly. Look, we’re all adults, so whatever shameful thing you’re doing with your phone that minors shouldn’t know about is your business. If there are some children around that you need to keep from certain apps, the iPhone 7 has a restrictions section that allows you to disable apps and features like Siri or Airdrop. You can also keep kids from adding or deleting apps.

The restrictions option is under your general settings menu. Once you tap on the option to select it, you'll be able to set up a passcode and choose which apps and functions you don't want kiddos to be using.

Make Your Phone A WiFi Hotspot. If you’re out and about and need to get a WiFi network stat, you’re in luck. Unless your network contract forbids this sort of thing, you can simply go to the settings and start the hotspot up and change your password to be more secure.

Save Some Battery. If you’re constantly running out of battery, you may consider changing the timeout length for your home screen. This allows your phone to go dark faster or slower, depending on your preferences. A shorter timeout will help save battery. You can also dim your phone, which also conserves on battery.

Make Your Own Headphone Jack. Just kidding, you’re out of luck. Go buy some Bluetooth headphones.