Coming across hidden features on your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy is exciting - but for one Reddit user it meant a whole lot more following the death of their parents.
While we think we might know everything there is to enjoy on your smartphone, that's simply just not true. Did you know about the iPhone 'secret' menu with hidden features? Don't lie now.
And don't get us started on what the volume buttons can do.
Advert
Then there's a secret way to find out who called you - but we'll leave it there, you get the picture.
Over on Reddit, the discovery of a little known feature meant a lot more than just coming across a nifty shortcut to streamlining your phone experience.
Creating a new post in the iPhone subreddit, they wrote about how they lost both their parents last year.
Sadly, they didn't have video or audio of either of them and they really missed their voices in the months after the double bereavement.
Advert
But doing through pictures of them on their iPhone, they found an 'amazing' feature that gave them both footage and the sound of their parents in their day-to-day life.
Posting, they said: "Both of my parents died last year and one of the thing I missed about them was their voice.
"I have a lot of pictures obviously, but no videos. It never crossed my mind how I wish to have a stupid, simple video with them and their voice.
Advert
"And that’s the thing that was bugging me about it a lot. I just want to remember their voices. I don’t want to forget it."
The hidden features they found were on Live Photos they had found.
Explaining the discovery, they said: "So I went through my Live Photos yesterday and I found their voices on some random cat photos I did, or cake photo, or even router password photo I did when I visited them. And these are the most beautiful photos I ever did, only because their voices are preserved somewhere in the background. They aren’t even in the photos and they don’t need to be. I never expected a photo of a router to have such meaning to me."
Advert
Praising the feature, they continued: "Apple, whoever did this feature, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It literally changed my life for the better and I can’t even describe how much it means to me.
"I may call myself an Apple fanboy now as I’ll never buy any other phone. It means a world to me."
Responding, one Reddit user posted: "I honestly never realised the value of it until I stumbled upon some old pictures with loved ones and played them live: small comments, half jokes, and laughter are forever preserved in those few seconds that I forgot all about.
Advert
"Seeing a picture is one thing but the extra context with the live takes my brain back in time to that moment and I often remember it more vividly. This is why I always make sure it’s on."
Live Photos has existed on the iPhone since 2015, launching with the iPhone 6S series.
To turn it on, head to your camera app and make sure the camera is set to photo mode.
When Live Photo is on, the Live Photo button appears at the top of the camera screen, which is three circles all inside each other. A slash through the Live Photo button means that the feature is off.
Topics: Apple, Phones, Reddit, Social Media, Technology, iPhone
Tom Earnshaw