15 iPhone Features Every Traveler Should Know About Before Their Next Adventure

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April 18, 2025

Remember the days when traveling meant carrying a separate map, guidebook, translation dictionary, and camera?

Thankfully, those days are over. With the right iPhone setup, you can turn your device into a travel assistant, photographer, safety companion, and personal concierge—all in one sleek package.

Whether you’re heading on a weekend getaway or trekking across continents, these iPhone features will help make your adventure smoother, safer, and far more enjoyable.

1. Activate eSIM for Hassle-Free Connectivity

Gone are the days of swapping out physical SIM cards at the airport kiosk. With eSIM technology, you can set up a prepaid data plan directly from your iPhone before landing. Websites and platforms now let you download data packages for dozens of countries.

France, with its charming cities, world-class cuisine, and rich cultural heritage, is a dream destination for many travelers. Whether you’re strolling through Paris or relaxing in the French Riviera, staying connected shouldn’t be a hassle.

By using esim card france, you avoid exorbitant roaming charges and the confusion of dealing with unfamiliar mobile providers. Just visit a trusted website, choose your plan, and activate it. It’s especially useful for multi-country trips across Europe or Southeast Asia.

2. Enable Find My iPhone (and Send Last Location)

Losing your iPhone abroad can be devastating, but you can prepare ahead by enabling Find My iPhone. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone. Toggle on Send Last Location so your device sends its last known location before powering off.

This feature can help local authorities or hotel staff recover your phone, and it’s a good idea to also share your Apple ID credentials with a trusted family member, just in case.

3. Download Offline Maps

Not every destination has reliable service. Before your trip, download offline maps using Google Maps or Apple Maps. You’ll still be able to navigate using GPS without eating up mobile data.

Bonus tip: Drop pins on key places (hotels, attractions, airports) so you can easily access them without Wi-Fi.

4. Low Power Mode for Long Travel Days

When you’re on a long tour or exploring remote areas, battery life is gold. Turn on Low Power Mode via Settings > Battery or directly from the Control Center. This reduces background activity, screen brightness, and mail fetching.

Want even more power savings? Set your screen to auto-lock after 30 seconds and turn off haptic feedback to squeeze out extra juice.

5. Use Power Reserve When the Battery Is Dead

Even if your iPhone dies, it’s not entirely dead. With Power Reserve, you can still access key features like Apple Wallet, which includes hotel key cards, boarding passes, and payment options for up to five hours.

Just hold your iPhone near a contactless reader—your digital wallet still works, even when your phone seems lifeless.

6. Capture Stunning Photos with ProRAW and Night Mode

Your iPhone is a DSLR for your pocket. Turn on ProRAW to capture uncompressed images that allow for advanced editing. Perfect for vibrant landscapes or street scenes you want to polish later.

And when the sun goes down, Night Mode ensures crisp, bright photos without needing flash—even in candlelit cafés or moonlit beaches.

7. Utilize Ultra-Wide and Panorama Modes

Want to capture a massive waterfall, mountain range, or ornate cathedral? Switch to Ultra-Wide or Panorama mode. These features let you photograph entire scenes without needing to take several steps back—or risk falling off a ledge.

Ultra-wide is especially useful in narrow alleyways, market stalls, and crowded tourist hotspots.

8. Create Travel Albums in the Photos App

Organizing your travel photos into albums by location or day makes it easier to relive memories later. Just open your Photos app, tap “Albums,” and create a new one with a custom name.

Bonus: Tag friends using facial recognition and add captions for storytelling later. This is incredibly helpful when posting to social media or creating printed photo books after your trip.

9. Share Location with Travel Companions

When you’re traveling with others, it’s easy to get separated. Use the Share My Location feature under Find My to let everyone keep track of each other in real-time.

It’s great for shopping trips, busy festivals, or when exploring separately. You can also set up location-based notifications—like alerting someone when you arrive back at the hotel.

10. Use Visual Look Up to Identify Landmarks

Snapped a picture of a beautiful building but not sure what it is. Open the photo, swipe up, and tap the sparkle icon for Visual Look Up. Your iPhone will scan and identify landmarks, artworks, plants, and more.

It’s like carrying a digital tour guide, giving you instant context wherever you go.

11. Set Up a VPN Before Using Public Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi at airports or cafés might be convenient, but it’s often insecure. Download a trusted VPN app like NordVPN or ExpressVPN and enable it before accessing any public network.

A VPN encrypts your data, preventing hackers from stealing sensitive info like passport scans, bank logins, or credit card numbers.

12. Activate Emergency SOS for Local Help

The Emergency SOS feature works worldwide and connects you to local emergency services with one gesture. Press and hold the side button and a volume button until the SOS slider appears, or continue holding to automatically trigger a call.

You can also share your location with emergency contacts. Go to Settings > Emergency SOS to set it up before your trip.

13. Translate Menus Instantly with Your Camera

Language barriers can make even ordering lunch feel intimidating. Use apps like Google Translate to point your iPhone’s camera at foreign text—signs, menus, maps—and instantly read translations overlaid on your screen.

It’s incredibly useful in places where English isn’t widely spoken, and can help avoid ordering something…unexpected.

14. Track Flights with Home Screen Widgets

Don’t miss a gate change or delay while grabbing a snack. Use FlightAware or Flighty to track flights in real-time. Add their widgets to your home screen so you can glance at updates without opening the app.

Some apps even include push alerts when flights are delayed or boarding starts—no more last-minute airport scrambles.

15. Pack MagSafe Power Accessories

MagSafe-compatible battery packs and wallets make travel lighter and more convenient. Snap-on chargers provide extra power without messy cables. Combine that with a MagSafe wallet that holds your ID and hotel key card, and you’ve just streamlined your pocket essentials.

Look for third-party MagSafe accessories like Anker or Belkin for solid performance and sleek design.

Final Thoughts: Your iPhone, Your Travel Companion

Your iPhone isn’t just a gadget—it’s your lifeline on the road, keeping you connected, safe, entertained, and organized. Whether you’re navigating a new city, translating a street sign, or capturing a perfect sunset, your device is more than capable of supporting your next big adventure.

Master these features before departure, and you’ll travel smarter, lighter, and more confidently than ever before.

FAQs

1. Can I use my iPhone internationally without buying a local SIM card?

Yes, with eSIM technology, you can download a data plan before arrival and avoid the hassle of physical SIM cards or high roaming charges.

2. How do I make sure my iPhone stays secure while using public Wi-Fi abroad?

Download a trusted VPN app before your trip and activate it whenever you connect to public Wi-Fi networks to protect your data from hackers.

3. What iPhone settings should I enable before traveling internationally?

Activate Find My iPhone, Low Power Mode, Emergency SOS, and download offline maps in advance to ensure connectivity, safety, and navigation without relying on mobile data.

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About the author

GeoSn0w

GeoSn0w is an iOS and Jailbreak enthusiast who has been around for quite some time in the community. He developed his own jailbreaks before and is currently maintaining iSecureOS, one of the first iOS Anti-Malware tools for jailbroken devices. He also runs the iDevice Central on YouTube with over 149.000 Subscribers!With over a decade of iOS jailbreak experience and several jailbreak tools built by him, GeoSn0w knows the jailbreak scene quite well having been part of several releases over the years.GeoSn0w is also a programmer focused primarily on iOS App Development and Embedded programming. He codes in Swift, Objective-C and C, but also does PHP on the side.