Tips

Developers keep discovering more and more new features in the iOS 7 beta everyday. Here are few new discoveries since Apple released the third beta on July 8th.

Previously iOS users could only make video calls while using FaceTime, but Apple has added the ability to have audio-only voice chats when using the video conferencing feature. To make an audio call using FaceTime, just locate and tap the person's name you want to contact, then tap the new telephone icon to place the call. You will be able to perform other tasks like muting the microphone or switching to a video chat once the call is connected.

Not too long ago developer HASHBANG Productions brought iPhone owners the jailbreak tweak LiveWire, a free mod that changed the iOS unlock animation. After all, on every iOS device the animation that happens when unlocking to bring up the home screen is exactly the same. Now the same team has released LiveWire Pro, with even more creative transitions for unlocking.

Besides requiring a jailbroken device running iOS 5 or later, LiveWire Pro costs $0.99. So what does one get for their money? The pro version offers no less than seven different unlock animations to choose from, all configurable from the Settings once the tweak is installed.

If your iPhone 5 battery is acting up, it might be covered under warranty. For those who prefer to go it alone, iFixit covers the steps on how to replace the battery yourself. Not only are iPhone 5 batteries available for $10 online, the repair can take as little as 15 minutes if you're already comfortable working with your iOS hardware.

A few tools are necessary, including an iPhone penalobe screwdriver, Phillips #00 screwdriver, plastic opening tools and a small suction cup. Of course, iFixit sells a Pro Tech Toolkit designed to help the intrepid do-it-yourself fan to open and repair a multitude of modern electronic devices. These items can also be purchased individually to help safely gain access to the insides of your iPhone 5.

Code for an Android-like voice dictation feature has been discovered in iOS 7 by Hamza Sood. While iOS 6 currently features the ability to use voice commands to write text, the process requires that data be sent to Apple's servers so the speech can be converted. This can result in Siri-like mistakes, long loading times, and other internet related problems such as data consumption. The new string of code discovered in both iOS 7 betas shows Apple is testing the possibility of introducing an offline version of dictation.

This means all iOS devices could potentially feature the ability to locally process and convert speech, allowing for faster voice dictation of emails, text messages and notes. 9to5Mac has learned some internal Apple devices already have this service up and running.

Quick Response (QR) codes are supported by many iPhone apps, but iOS has no built-in ability to read or generate the codes. The jailbreak tweak NativeQR seeks to change all that, by adding native QR code support to iOS. After installation, the stock Camera app will include an option to Enable QR in the same menu as HDR and Panorama.

Turning this on makes it possible to scan and recognize a QR code directly with the camera, no third-party app required. As soon as a QR code enters the field of view and is recognized, the link appears and an option to copy the text is presented. If you're not interested in the QR code just tap Cancel. No special action besides focusing on the QR code with the camera is required.