8 lesser-known iOS 26 settings I modified instantly on my iPhone

Whereas we’re all ready to get our arms on the new iPhone 17 models and AirPods Pro 3, Apple has launched iOS 26 to the general public. The brand new iOS 26 replace brings a number of options, together with a brand new Liquid Glass design that provides a extra translucent, fluid movement to the OS, mimicking actual glass by reflecting and refracting environment.

There are various different modifications as nicely, together with redesigned icons, an improved Management Middle, and a revamped design for a number of first-party apps. Past these, iOS 26 additionally introduces smaller, lesser-known options. Listed below are a number of the simply missed however helpful iOS 26 settings you need to change in your iPhone as quickly as you put in it.

Attempt the large clock on the Lock Display

Apple lastly enables you to go daring with a bigger clock design

iOS 26 is all about Apple’s new design language, and considered one of its standout options is the power to make the Lock Display clock bolder and extra front-and-center. It appears particularly aesthetic when paired with the suitable wallpaper.

To make use of this characteristic in your iPhone, faucet and maintain the Lock Display and faucet Customise. Then faucet the Clock widget and choose the primary clock font. You may discover a brand new nook bracket on the backside proper of the clock. Drag it to regulate the clock dimension as you want. As soon as you’ve got set your required fashion, faucet Carried out on the high proper.

Match your icons with the Liquid Glass design

Makes your setup really feel new

Apple already means that you can customise app icons on iPhone with iOS 18, however with iOS 26, the corporate has launched new “Clear” glass-like icons. Whilst you can nonetheless persist with the default iOS icons, the Clear possibility transforms all app icons into layered, clear glass, giving them refined depth.

The most effective half is that this characteristic applies the “Clear” theme to all of the icons, even to apps that do not natively assist the characteristic but.

To attempt it, faucet and maintain an empty space in your Dwelling Display, choose Edit on the high left, then faucet Customise, and select Clear. Immediately, all of your app icons will undertake the brand new glass-like theme, mixing seamlessly with iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design.

Activate Adaptive energy mode for higher battery life

Intelligently alter your iPhone’s efficiency

Whereas Apple could not have emphasised AI a lot in iOS 26, the corporate has added an AI-powered Adaptive Power Mode feature that helps prolong iPhone battery life by making small efficiency changes when utilization is larger than regular.

It conserves sources by dimming the show, letting some actions take longer, and mechanically enabling Low Energy Mode when the battery drops beneath 20%. Consider it as a better Low Energy Mode that learns your patterns and decides which duties to maintain working within the background extra aggressively.

For now, this characteristic is proscribed to iPhone fashions with Apple Intelligence, together with the iPhone 15 Professional and later. To allow it, go to Settings > Battery > Energy Mode and toggle on Adaptive Energy. In case your iPhone feels slower, you may all the time flip the characteristic off.

Personalize iMessage with new backgrounds

Set customized backgrounds on your chats

One other customization characteristic Apple has added in iOS 26 is the power to set customized backgrounds for iMessage chats. You’ll be able to decide a strong colour, use considered one of your photographs, choose from preset animated dwell backgrounds, and even create your personal distinctive backgrounds with Picture Playgrounds on Apple Intelligence-powered iPhones.

To make use of this characteristic, open a dialog within the Messages app and faucet the group or contact identify on the high. Choose Backgrounds and select the choice you want. You’ll be able to preview totally different kinds earlier than setting one. As soon as chosen, faucet the checkmark to use it to the dialog.

Select between the basic and redesigned Cellphone app

When you’re not prepared for Apple’s daring new Cellphone UI

Part of iOS 26’s new design is the redesigned Cellphone app. Apple now provides a “Unified” interface that mixes your Recents, Favorites, and Voicemail right into a single tab for simpler entry. If, like me, you favor the outdated UI with separate tabs, you may rapidly change again.

It is also value noting that whereas some could choose the brand new Unified interface, it typically glitches and removes contact posters on your favorites.

To modify again to the outdated Cellphone app UI, head to the Calls tab. Faucet the filter icon on the highest proper and choose Basic. You’ll be able to all the time return to the brand new UI by tapping the filter icon once more and deciding on Unified.

See battery charging ETA immediately in your Lock Display

No extra battery guessing

One characteristic nonetheless lacking on the iPhone, however widespread on most Android phones, is exhibiting the charging time left. Android gadgets normally show the estimated time as quickly as you plug them in, whereas Apple hasn’t supplied this. Properly, that’s kind of altering with iOS 26.

Now you can see how lengthy it would take on your iPhone to achieve 80% battery on the Lock Display just a few moments after plugging it in. As soon as it hits 80%, the ETA shifts to full cost. This small however helpful addition turns out to be useful whenever you’re brief on time and have to know when your cellphone can have sufficient cost to go out.

Alter snooze time for iPhone alarms

No extra being caught with Apple’s 9-minute commonplace snooze

With iOS 26, Apple has lastly added the power to customise the default snooze time for iPhone alarms. Till now, customers had been caught with the standard fastened 9-minute snooze. With iOS 26, you may set snooze durations anyplace between 1 and quarter-hour.

To vary snooze period, open the Clock app and set a brand new alarm utilizing the “+” button on the highest proper. Faucet Snooze Period, then select your most well-liked snooze size from 1 to fifteen minutes. As soon as executed, faucet the checkmark on the highest proper to avoid wasting the alarm.

Notice that the setting applies per alarm, so you have to to decide on snooze occasions individually; in any other case, they’ll stay the default 9 minutes.

Convey again the outdated screenshot enhancing interface

When you discover the redesigned screenshot UI clunky

One of many main new additions in iOS 26 is the up to date screenshot UI. Now, whenever you take a screenshot, you see a big preview that fills the display, together with instruments like annotation choices, a share button, and even a brand new Ask button powered by ChatGPT proper after the seize.

When you choose the old-style screenshot UI with a small preview within the backside left, you may change again. Open the Settings app, go to Common, then choose Display Seize and disable Full-Display Previews.

As soon as disabled, screenshots will once more seem as a small thumbnail within the nook, identical to earlier iOS variations. In fact, you may nonetheless faucet the thumbnail preview to edit, share, and even use new instruments like Visible Search earlier than it disappears mechanically.

Model

Apple

SoC

A19

Show

6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 pixel decision Tremendous Retina XDR

Storage

256GB, 512GB

Ports

USB-C

Working System

iOS 26

The iPhone 17 is a serious improve over its predecessor. It includes a barely larger 6.3-inch OLED display with as much as a 120Hz refresh charge. Beneath the hood, the iPhone 17 is powered by Apple’s A19 processor. Apple has additionally improved the rear digicam system with a brand new 48MP ultra-wide lens, whereas the selfie digicam will get added options. The cellphone nonetheless makes use of an aluminum and glass construct and is alleged to ship longer battery life.