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Are you using the hidden triple-click shortcut on the iPhone?

When I triple-click my iPhone home button, the colors on the screen invert. Check it out:

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triple click
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This dazzling trick is one of several functions that can be assigned to the iOS accessibility shortcut (see: Settings / General / Accessibility / Accessibility Shortcut).

Along with Invert Colors, other options include the ability to turn on or off VoiceOver, Grayscale, Zoom, Switch Control, and AssistiveTouch.

While these functions are designed for a narrow user base, some may appeal more widely, and they're all more useful when they can be turned on or off in an instant. (Try assigning only one function for maximum speed.)

I'd recommend Invert Colors. Aside from looking cool, this mode is useful for reading in a dark room, as it makes the phone give off less light — which not only helps other people in the room sleep but also helps you sleep, given that light from devices has been shown to screw up your sleep cycle.

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AssistiveTouch is also worth playing around with — indeed, millions of people frequently use this alternate input method (which lets you perform commands without pressing hard buttons or swiping irregularly). While some consider this a more effective way of controlling their phone, however, most who use it do it as a way to avoid pressing the home button for fear of breaking it — and they certainly won't want to use the triple-click shortcut. 

Zoom, which lets you magnify parts of the screen, may appeal to people with bad eyes. It's also got advanced options — detailed at LifeHacker or in the video below — to make it function as a low-light mode. (As for whether to use this or Invert Colors to read at night, that's a matter of choice: Low-light mode plus auto-brightness adjusting for nighttime gets extremely dim, though it may be too dim, while Invert Colors plus auto-brightness can be a good compromise.)

As for the others: VoiceOver reads text on the screen; Grayscale removes all color; Switch Control cycles a cursor around available input fields.

You might as well pick a special function, and some are pretty useful.

iPhone Tips Innovation
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