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

Abstract

• iOS 26 introduces a big clock choice for the Lock Display, permitting you to customise its measurement and look for a singular look.
• The brand new Adaptive Energy mode makes use of AI to intelligently handle efficiency, serving to to increase your iPhone’s battery life throughout excessive utilization.
• Now you can change your alarm’s snooze length, selecting a size from 1 to fifteen minutes as an alternative of the default 9-minute snooze.

Whereas we’re all ready to get our fingers on the new iPhone 17 fashions and AirPods Professional 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 numerous different modifications as effectively, 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 few of the simply missed however helpful iOS 26 settings you need to change in your iPhone as quickly as you put in it.

Strive the massive clock on the Lock Display

Apple lastly permits 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 seems to be particularly aesthetic when paired with the precise wallpaper.

To make use of this function in your iPhone, faucet and maintain the Lock Display and faucet Customise. Then faucet the Clock widget and choose the primary clock font. You will discover a brand new nook bracket on the backside proper of the clock. Drag it to regulate the clock measurement as you want. As soon as you’ve got set your required type, faucet Completed on the prime 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 follow the default iOS icons, the Clear choice transforms all app icons into layered, clear glass, giving them refined depth.

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

To strive it, faucet and maintain an empty space in your Dwelling Display, choose Edit on the prime 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 regulate your iPhone’s efficiency

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

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

For now, this function is restricted 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 function off.

Personalize iMessage with new backgrounds

Set customized backgrounds in your chats

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

To make use of this function, open a dialog within the Messages app and faucet the group or contact title on the prime. Choose Backgrounds and select the choice you want. You’ll be able to preview completely 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 Telephone app

In case you’re not prepared for Apple’s daring new Telephone UI

Part of iOS 26’s new design is the redesigned Telephone 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 previous UI with separate tabs, you may shortly swap again.

It is also price noting that whereas some could want the brand new Unified interface, it generally glitches and removes contact posters in your favorites.

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

It’s also possible to create reminders for missed calls within the Recents tab. Simply swipe left on a latest name and choose the blue reminder icon.

See battery charging ETA straight in your Lock Display

No extra battery guessing

One function nonetheless lacking on the iPhone, however widespread on most Android telephones, is exhibiting the charging time left. Android gadgets often show the estimated time as quickly as you plug them in, whereas Apple hasn’t provided this. Nicely, that’s type of altering with iOS 26.

Now you can see how lengthy it would take in your iPhone to succeed in 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 is useful while you’re brief on time and have to know when your cellphone can have sufficient cost to move out.

Modify snooze time for iPhone alarms

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

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

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

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

Carry again the previous screenshot modifying interface

In case you discover the redesigned screenshot UI clunky

One of many main new additions in iOS 26 is the up to date screenshot UI. Now, while 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.

In case you want the old-style screenshot UI with a small preview within the backside left, you may swap 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. After all, you may nonetheless faucet the thumbnail preview to edit, share, and even use new instruments like Visible Search earlier than it disappears robotically.