Join the Fun!

#2

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use For Microsoft Windows users: If you have to copy and paste more than one part of a text or if you want to paste something that was copied some time ago hold the windows button and press "V" instead of ctrl + V. It will show you a list of recently copied Texts/Pictures that you can paste.

Noticed7 , ready made/Pexels Report

Final score:

230points

POST

Debra Robinson 1 month ago

Cool

36points

Curious to know more about the hidden features we come across in common things, Bored Panda got in touch with London-based product designer Oyindamola Ajibike. While we might dismiss them as happy accidents, Ajibike reveals that most are the result of thoughtful design.

These features, she explains, exist to spark a sense of discovery. In fact, many products are crafted to encourage exploration, rewarding us with unexpected functions that enhance our interactions with them. For example, Google’s search page has fun Easter eggs, like the dinosaur game in Chrome when there’s no internet connection. “I’ve used a bank app that brings up the help chat when you shake your phone,” Ajibike adds. “I thought that was quite interesting.”

#3

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Lifetime warranties on products such as Columbia jackets and Jansport backpacks allow you to file claims online if issues like zipper failure, material separation, or loss of water repellency occur. You typically cover shipping costs to the manufacturer's facilities, where they will repair the item or provide a similar replacement. This process helps companies improve product quality by learning from returned items while ensuring long-term customer loyalty.

itskattxo , Trix Dev/Pexels Report

Final score:

176points

POST

Tabitha 1 month ago

LLBean too. I bought my husband a parka from them in 2003. A couple years ago the zipper finally broke. Called LLBean, and they said to send it back and they’d replace the zipper. I had it replaced locally because I needed it fixed fast. They said to email them the receipt, which I did, and they reimbursed me for 100% of the cost.

76points

#4

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use The star symbol next to one of the floors on the elevator button panel is the floor that leads you out to the street.

WeAreTheMisfits , Kelly/Pexels Report

Final score:

173points

POST

Will Cable 1 month ago

Well that's another wrinkle in my bum (phrased used by grandparents when learning something new)

63points

SweetBonniexo , summercityfun/Flickr Report

Humans are wired to love discovery, which is why novelty plays a big part in design. Neuroimaging studies show that our brains respond three to five times more strongly to new experiences, according to Dr. Sylvain Moreno, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Simon Fraser University.

“Let’s say a musician, who’s very experienced in sound differentiation, hears a sound they’ve never heard before; their brain will react very strongly because their brain is already trained to capture differences in sounds,” he says. “The same would go for someone who isn’t a musician, just to a lesser degree.”

The heightened response comes down to our evolutionary development. “It’s rooted in survival,” Dr. Moreno explains. “We need to understand if novel stimuli in our environment is dangerous or not.” This triggers a dopamine release, a neurotransmitter linked to reward, which makes encountering new things inherently exciting.

#5

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use The little pepper looking thing that hangs off of most pin cushions is filled with emery powder to help clean/sharpen your pins and needles.

Final score:

161points

POST

Biofish23 1 month ago

Pepper? It's clearly a strawberry! But, yes, that's what it's for.

92points

#6

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Nearly all dishwashers have a filter, usually in the bottom, that can be removed and cleaned. If you have a dishwasher and you’re not familiar with the filter, I bet the filter needs cleaning.

ENOFCK , Castorly Stock/Pexels Report

Final score:

157points

POST

giku T 1 month ago

hard to believe believe so few people know this..and i bet they dont know about the filters in washing machines either.

56points

handtoglandwombat , Ono Kosuki/Pexels Report

Nevertheless, hiding features isn’t just about excitement; it’s also practical, especially in the digital realm. “From a design perspective, [it] can help with decluttering or streamlining a product’s functionality,” says Ajibike. Too much information at once can be overwhelming, so concealing certain elements makes things easier to navigate.

“Advanced features in a product can be hidden for users to find later on. This, I believe, can minimize overwhelming them. As users become more familiar with the interface, they gradually discover more complex [ones],” she explains. Think of the settings on your phone—you don’t need to explore them all right away, but they’re there when you need something specific.

However, there’s a downside. Ajibike acknowledges that some hidden functions might go unnoticed, which can be frustrating. In such cases, “it is important to ensure users understand how a product works, particularly when accessibility is a key factor,” she adds.

That said, when done well, hidden features can contribute to a seamless and delightful product experience. In the bigger picture, this is what sets good design apart from bad. When everything feels intuitive and natural, it’s a clear sign of excellent craftsmanship.

So, the next time you discover a secret feature, take a moment to appreciate the thought and creativity behind it. Hopefully, these little surprises will continue to make your everyday life a bit easier and more enjoyable.

#7

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use The metal part on the end of your tape measure isn’t loose, it’s designed to wiggle by the exact amount necessary to ensure you always get the correct measurement whether you’re measuring from an inside edge or an outside edge.

Final score:

149points

POST

Ali H M Salehuddin 1 month ago

The amount of people who do not know this, but they should, is staggering. They are QC inspectors, fabricators and welders. Yes, I am speaking from experience.

55points

etherealperennial , RF._.studio/Pexels Report

#8

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Expo marker ink will remove Sharpie ink. Cover completely and simply wipe away.

Final score:

140points

POST

KittyGaming 1 month ago

I can confirm, I do this all the time

52points

#9

The metal rods on car headrests can be used to break out windows if you are trapped.

Pfffftttttt_Okay Report

Final score:

137points

POST

Nancy Bourque 1 month ago

Or you can just buy one of the gadgets specifically meant to break the windows so you're not wasting time by fighting with the headrests while you're about to drown.

79points

UnwillingHummingbird , Yusuf P/Pexels Report

#10

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use If you own a windows computer, do this from time to time, especially if it's behaving oddly and a reboot doesn't seem to fix the issue:

1. Run CMD/PowerShell/Terminal as admin (easiest way is to right click the start button and select it.

2. type in this and press enter:

sfc /scannow

3. Let it run and look at the results.

I work in IT, and this fixes a range of problems. Why Windows isn't set up to run this automatically in the background occasionally, I have no idea.

Final score:

122points

POST

David 1 month ago

From the net: "sfc /scannow. The sfc /scannow command will scan all protected system files, and replace corrupted files with a cached copy that is located in a compressed folder at %WinDir%\System32\dllcache."

71points

Strawberry____Blonde , Denise Krebs/Flickr Report

#11

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use You can use staple removers to open up keyrings.

Final score:

121points

POST

LaserBrain 1 month ago

My fingernails work pretty good too

31points

BusRevolutionary2536 Report

#12

The "end" of a roll of tape doubles as a temporary mustache for impromptu spy missions—perfect for undercover operations in the office.

Final score:

121points

POST

PFD 1 month ago

Finally a useful tip

101points

originalchaosinabox , George Milton/Pexels Report

#13

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use When working with spreadsheets, tab moves you to the next cell, but shift+tab moves you back.

I was working in a grocery store, and they were teaching me how to do the end-of-night spreadsheets. Put in a wrong number, tabbed to the next cell.

"Great," said my boss. "Now you've got to hold down tab for like 10 minutes to go all the way around and get back to that cell."

I look at her. I hit shift+tab. Her jaw dropped.

EDIT: For the folks asking, "Why didn't she just point and click on the cell?" This was 20 years ago. It was old-back-then software custom built for our chain of stores. DOS-based. All keyboard entry. No mouse.

Final score:

106points

POST

David 1 month ago

TAB / SHIFT - TAB works in most Windows fields, not just spread sheets. Online forms, jumping between clickable links and so forth.

43points

m_sporkboy , jacqueline_cuiping/Pexels Report

#14

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Aluminum foil comes on a roll in a box. At the ends of the box are triangular cutouts that you are meant to push in, forming a spindle for the roll to rotate on.

Final score:

98points

POST

ZGutr 1 month ago

all nice and well, but would it not be better if the started printing how many hats you can fold off the roll along with some instructions of nice hat models ?

73points

TryharderJB , Anete Lusina/Pexels Report

#15

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use On many xacto knives / box cutters, the butt end of the handle is removable and has a slot cut into it. This is to break off the tip of the blade for when it gets dull.

Final score:

93points

POST

B 1 month ago

Remember to aim it at the floor when you break it off so you don't risk eye injury.

48points

dave_890 , cottonbro studio/Pexels Report

#16

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use If your car key gets stuck in the ignition (a safety feature to prevent you from removing the key if the transmission isn't in Park), look for a small plastic/rubber ring around the ignition. Pry it away from the lock and you'll find a small button underneath. That's the manual key release.

Final score:

92points

POST

JoNo 1 month ago

Why not put the car in park and remove the key that way?

63points

#17

Super Glue - stick the metal end of a tack/push pin with the plastic top in the hole instead of the screw top. Keeps the glue fresh & always easy to remove.

Caulk in a caulk gun - use a plastic electrical wire nut on the end to keep the caulk fresh after use.

TheHobbyWaitress Report

Final score:

80points

POST

Daniel Atkins 1 month ago

I have always used a spike nail.

28points

#18

If someone walks into your space and you don’t want them to see the stuff on your screen (Windows) all you have to do is hold down the Windows key and tap the letter “L”.

Win+L (it’s not case sensitive)

It immediately gives you the LOCK screen.

You might have your Cayman Island bank accounts open, or “something else”…😬.

BluesHand Report

Final score:

72points

POST

John Mosley 1 month ago

Whatever you actually had up, they are immediately going to assume it was "something else" when they see you lock it.

56points

#19

Cars have a little arrow on the gas tank icon that tells you which side has the refueling hatch. You're welcome.

AVBforPrez Report

Final score:

70points

POST

2econdSelf 1 month ago

Also, if you ever find yourself locked in the trunk (boot) of a car, look for a luminescent tab to release the hatch...usually near the center of the hatch. I hope you don't need to do this, but it's a good thing to know.

57points

#20

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Some truck beds have indented slots on the sides so you can put 2x6 boards across the bed to section it to keep stuff from sliding around.

inkseep1 , Kendall Hoopes/Pexels Report

Final score:

69points

POST

Matthew Currie 1 month ago

On smaller pickups which do not have a full 4 foot floor width between the fender wells, those slots allow you to put boards across to hold 4 x 8 sheets of plywood or sheetrock flat at a higher level. 5/4 x 6 decking works just fine.

23points

#21

The lines on the red SOLO cup are measurements: 1oz, 5oz and 12oz.

jmerrilee Report

Final score:

69points

POST

ThePinwormsrock 1 month ago

Yep. Shot, wine, beer :-D

40points

Educational-Piece-18 , Tobi/Pexels Report

#22

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Some vehicles have extendable sun visors. This blew a buddies mind when I extended the visor in their truck to block the sun that the visor otherwise didn't reach.

Final score:

68points

POST

Thee8thsense 1 month ago

All vehicles should have these.

51points

WaspsHaveKnees , RDNE Stock project/Pexels Report

#23

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use I dunno about other phones, but Apple phones have a neat typing feature. If you hold down the spacebar, you can gently slide to other parts of the messages if you make a typo or something. So much easier than trying to manually go back in the message.

Final score:

68points

POST

T.O.S.o.R. 1 month ago

Same with Android phones.

64points

#24

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Most ceiling fans have a summer and winter switch on the head above the blades.

fruntside , Curtis Adams/Pexels Report

Final score:

66points

POST

Toothless Feline 1 month ago

To explain this in a little more detail, the switch reverses the direction the blades rotate. You ideally want them rotating counterclockwise (looking from below) in the summer and clockwise in the winter. You should always fully stop the blades before flipping that switch (just like you fully stop the car before shifting into reverse gear), and while you’ve got the fan stopped, you should dust the blades (I use a vacuum cleaner with an extension), because if you don’t, when it starts spinning in the other direction, all the dust that had accumulated on the leading edge of the blades will suddenly be on the trailing edge, and it will all fall on whatever’s under the fan. It’s amazing what you can learn when you read the manual!

75points

Wii_wii_baget , Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels Report

#25

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Potato peelers have a notch to help pick out the spaces that your peeler doesn’t get so you don’t waste any potato trying to peel it.

Final score:

62points

POST

PFD 1 month ago (edited)

That's for gouging out eyes, isn't it? ETA Potato eyes, I'm not a psychopath

154points

#26

Babies clothes: The neck hole flaps are not for some sort of weird baby style points. They are to allow the garment to be pulled down over the shoulders and be pulled off the legs in the event of a poopocalypse (or whatever else).

When a cousin who told me this over a year in to ours, she was like "🤯🤯🤯 right?!??" She was excited to tell me because she had JUST learned it and didn't know herself, and her kids are both out of college haha.

Almost every new parent I talk to now, I ask if they want a couple tips, two important things no one told us and that we didn't read anywhere, this is the first. Not that I talk to that many new parents, but so far the score is 7 of 8 didn't know.

savant_idiot Report

Final score:

59points

POST

Mia Hamsa 1 month ago (edited)

As someone who worked twenty years in the technical side of kids clothing I can categorically say it is not true. You can use it as such, if you like. The flaps and anything around the neck is there to accommodate for the disproportionately large head babies and toddlers have in comparison to the rest of their bodies. You wouldn't be able to fit tops and onesie over their hat without the ability to extend the neckline

47points

NaomiBK29 , Max Vakhtbovycn/Pexels Report

#27

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use You can turn the standby light off on tvs. I like to sleep in the pitch black and spent years covering the light with an object until I was made aware that there was a setting to turn it off!

Final score:

58points

POST

Kalikima 1 month ago

I hate getting tips, but no instructions on how to do it. Smdh

49points

LordEmostache , Charlotte May/Pexels Report

#28

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use This should be common knowledge as it's obvious but people do still seem to miss it. Most toasters come with a little removable tray which collects crumbs for easier cleaning.

The paper sauce-holders in McDonalds peel open to make a bigger sauce tray for easier dipping and more sauce-to-surface ratio.

Final score:

57points

POST

Alecto76 1 month ago

I always shake my toaster upside down before I sweep like a heathen.

47points

#29

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Fisher & paykel washing machines can play 3 different national anthems. (US, NZ, Aus.)

No, I don't know why, either.

KeaAware , Florian Olivo/Pexels Report

Final score:

55points

POST

David 1 month ago

Can you play it any time or just when you are washing flags? /j

60points

#30

When you pop open a can of soda, you can turn the popper around and insert a straw through the hole.

Writer_feetlover Report

Final score:

55points

POST

Kel_how 1 month ago

It keeps the straw from being pushed out by the carbonation

33points

AdministrationTop933 , cottonbro studio/Pexels Report

#31

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use You can switch the direction that refrigerator doors open.

Final score:

53points

POST

David 1 month ago

On SOME fridges. I think it is more common these days but it isn't all models.

55points

#32

On those gas station pumps that advertise to you while you fill up your vehicle: there are buttons on each side of the screen. Pressing the second from the top on the right side will mute the speaker.

Is this a USA only thing?

TastyRamenNoodles Report

Final score:

52points

POST

Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 1 month ago

I've never seen that here in England.

21points

#33

Most "modern" European windows have a 3rd setting called "Spaltlüftung" (gap ventilation). It's a setting between the tilting and full opening of the window, that just leaves a tiny gap. Extremely useful if you have a pet, but nearly no one knows about it.

Duosnacrapus Report

Final score:

52points

POST

Ample Aardvark 1 month ago

I think it's a great invention, specially because I like to keep windows open a tiny bit in the bedroom all year round

16points

blakemorris02 , Liliana Drew/Pexels Report

#34

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Oven doors come off so they can be cleaned properly.

Final score:

50points

POST

Matthew Savestheworld 1 month ago

Everything can come off of anything if you are motivated enough

160points

MryyLeathert , cottonbro studio/Pexels Report

#35

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use A lot of microwaves have an option to turn the sounds off. I you think this would be useful, the manual will have instructions on how to do this.

Final score:

49points

POST

JoNo 1 month ago

I need the sound on so I remember something's in the microwave.

59points

#36

Can't believe I'm admitting this, but the little black slider on the lid of Yeti mugs is magnetic. It comes completely off of the lid so you can wash all the nooks and crannies. I only discovered this after accidentally dropping the lid once and it flew off. I spent years washing around that little black piece. I felt so dumb.

More_Than_Words_ Report

Final score:

46points

POST

Heather Menard 1 month ago

This is a new feature so don't feel bad

12points

#37

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Mose staplers have a hole in the sides allowing you to see if you are running low on staples so that you don’t have to dry fire or open it up to check.

On Swinglines the staple pusher thingy is copper colored so that it stands out through the hole.

grandpacracy , John Diez/Pexels Report

Final score:

45points

POST

John Mosley 1 month ago

And, and I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were merry, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept ...

69points

#38

Kraft Parmesan cheese lids that screw on also fit on mason jars. Side by side refrigerators do not have enough space so we keep a small mason jar of the cheese in there with the larger container in a garage fridge.

nBoarDn Report

Final score:

45points

POST

David 1 month ago

Related - I have a ziplock bag of various small lids I've saved. If you drop a bottle of this or that and the lid breaks - I use a spare one. But also - many of the sizes fit other things. The lid on my melatonin broke - a different one fit. A spice mix I use only had a screw lid, but another lid with a flip top feature and sprinkle holes fit.

23points

Straight-Cut-2001 , R+R Medicinals/Unsplash Report

#39

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use If you need to open a tube of ointment. Screw the cap off and turn it around, there is usually a pointed cone built into the top to puncture the seal of the ointment.

Final score:

44points

POST

ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago

Gods bless this poster for qualifying their statement with “usually” as opposed to most of the others, which are stating the common knowledge as fact/given.

44points

#40

Most garbage disposals can be reset easily if it stops working. It’s a red button under the disposal device you can press and it resets.

ObviousMousse4768 Report

Final score:

44points

POST

David 1 month ago (edited)

so it does. TIL EDIT: I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. I made this comment yesterday and I'd swear it had nothing to do with garbage disposals. The red button would be a thermal reset. Many things have them but on a lot of stuff it auto resets (bimetalic, changes shape as it cools down). Some stuff it is a manual button.

11points

#41

The spot in between the handles on scissors to open bottles. When we first started dating I blew my wife's mind when I used scissors to open a bottle of soda that was screwed on very tight.

bgfoot1000 Report

Final score:

44points

POST

Robert T 1 month ago (edited)

Pretty sure not all scissors are designed that way. May just be a happy coincidence.

42points

#42

If your car has a memory drivers seat there's a decent chance your car ties the setting to a specific key fob. So you and your partner can each have their own key fob that automatically adjusts to your setting when you get in the car.

DonkeyDome Report

Final score:

41points

POST

Auntriarch 1 month ago

I love these, since there's a significant difference between the length of Mr Auntriarch's legs and mine

23points

#43

Most prescription bottles with childproof lids have a second pair of threads, so you can flip the lid over and it will screw on normally without the annoying childproof feature.

ZorroMeansFox Report

Final score:

40points

POST

Toothless Feline 1 month ago

Only some pharmacies use this style of vial and lid. Around me, Walgreens is the primary one that does. But there’s a trick you can use on the ones that aren’t reversible like this. The standard childproof caps are made of two pieces that have to be pressed together so that the inner part can actually unscrew; otherwise the outer part just spins (this is what makes it childproof, as most children are incapable of pressing down hard enough to engage the inner layer). You can use a screwdriver or bottle opener to pry off the outer piece, and then you’re left with just the part that actually screws on, easy to open.

31points

Conical , Francesco Ungaro/Pexels Report

#44

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use If you put the Konami code into the Fisher-Price baby video game controller toy, it does a special sound effect and tells you that you won.

Edit - Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A. For those who are curious.

Final score:

39points

POST

Daniel Atkins 1 month ago

Did the poster forget select and start from the code?

19points

#45

Your mattress might have a winter side and a summer side. Check its edge for a tag.

jebotecarobnjak Report

Final score:

39points

POST

PrettyJoyBird 1 month ago

Who else just checked haha

14points

#46

Not sure if it’s only people around me that tend not to know this, but for most vacuums you should be able to rotate the top hook that holds the cable 180 degrees to take off the wire coil all at once instead of having to unwind the entire thing.

SillySlimeSimon Report

Final score:

38points

POST

Toothless Feline 1 month ago

This is common on devices that have hooks for winding the power cable on.

20points

#47

Most People Don’t Know About These 50 Hidden Features In Things Of Everyday Use Your bic lighter is also a bottle opener, when you're cool.

Gwaiian , Jozsef Hocza/Pexels Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Bret Sander 1 month ago

That's not a Bic

49points

#48

I didn't always know that most dish brushes have a scraping edge on the top.

It thought it was pretty useful when I found out.

Paltenburg Report

Final score:

34points

POST

ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago

I mean, c’mon. Are we really becoming that dense of a species that we can’t identify the scraper as a scraper?

43points

#49

On a Apple phone, if you text yourself a flight number, tapping the number will reveal flight information. Don’t know if it works with whatsapp, but for text messages it works great!

Old_Lead_2110 Report

Final score:

33points

POST

Aisling Raye 1 month ago

To build on this. If someone sends you a text with a currency amount in it, a line will appear underneath. If you tap the amount it will show you currency conversions.

25points

#50

Have you ever noticed the hole in the handle of a pasta spoon? It's actually there to measure out a single serving of spaghetti. Yeah.

LyingNourishment Report

Final score:

29points

POST

David 1 month ago

from the net -- The hole in a wooden spoon can serve several purposes, including: Stirring risotto: The hole allows some rice to pass through, which can result in a smoother stir that's gentler on the grains and prevents them from breaking. This can help keep risotto from becoming too mushy. Measuring spaghetti: The hole can be used to measure out the recommended serving size of spaghetti for each person. You can thread dry spaghetti through the hole to fill it as needed. Lifting a boiled egg: The hole can be used to lift a boiled egg out of boiling water.

28points