Okay, so nine out of ten times an iPhone 'hack' does the rounds online, we get to enjoy that smug feeling of 'yeah, we already knew it could do that'. But every now and then, something comes along that genuinely takes us by surprise – like this brilliant feature that has been sitting (quite literally) under our noses all along.
Along with thousands of Twitter users, we were today years old when we discovered that the iPhone can take a full-page screenshot in just a couple of taps, with no extra apps or software required. Just when we think we knew everything about the best camera phones, a new (and embarrassingly obvious) feature pops up to surprise us.
It is quite frankly humiliating that I never once thought to wonder what the Full Page button did. I’ve taken seventeen thousand screenshots ffs pic.twitter.com/hHY5H7wzXMFebruary 4, 2021
A TikTok video has gone viral on Twitter (now there's a confusing sentence), showing how easy it is to capture a full web page. All you have to do is take a screenshot as normal, then, while viewing the screenshot preview, toggle across to 'Full Page'. The full page screenshot can then be saved as a PDF – which means it doesn't have to clog up your camera roll.
'Full Page' only appears as an option for screenshots of Safari or Apple's in-built Mail app, which could go some way to explain why so few users were aware of it – anyone who uses Chrome, Gmail or any other third party apps won't have access to the feature. For now, those users will have to carry on taking seven screenshots to save that new recipe (or there's always, you know, bookmarks).
Much like Back Tap and the incredibly powerful braille keyboard, this is a super-useful tool that Apple hasn't made much of a song and dance about. While most iOS 14 users are aware of headline features like widgets and customised homescreens, the iPhone is full of lesser-known hacks that could seriously speed up your workflow. Indeed, it seems we're by no means the only ones who hadn't thought to try tapping 'Full Page':
I had no idea. This is going to change my life. https://t.co/87ieLlTERiFebruary 9, 2021
Seriously, how did I miss this?! https://t.co/URHBM1XS3JFebruary 9, 2021
This is sorcery....! How have I only just learned this...? 🤯 https://t.co/yR1MbLCI4AFebruary 8, 2021
Huh! I have never noticed this before either! 😲 https://t.co/U4Nhutcc19February 8, 2021
WHAT https://t.co/MEZyKiXAloFebruary 8, 2021
While there are some genuinely impressive iPhone 13 rumours doing the rounds, it's always nice to have our minds blown by a (blatantly obvious, yes, we know) feature on the device that's actually in our hand/pocket. What's next? Are we going to discover you can do the same thing on a MacBook? (Only joking – here's how to take a screenshot on a Mac.)
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