Summary
- iOS 26 introduces a large clock option for the Lock Screen, allowing you to customize its size and appearance for a unique look.
- The new Adaptive Power mode uses AI to intelligently manage performance, helping to extend your iPhone’s battery life during high usage.
- You can now change your alarm’s snooze duration, choosing a length from 1 to 15 minutes instead of the default 9-minute snooze.
While we’re all waiting to get our hands on the new iPhone 17 models and AirPods Pro 3, Apple has released iOS 26 to the public. The new iOS 26 update brings several features, including a new Liquid Glass design that adds a more translucent, fluid motion to the OS, mimicking real glass by reflecting and refracting surroundings.
There are many other changes as well, including redesigned icons, an improved Control Center, and a revamped design for several first-party apps. Beyond these, iOS 26 also introduces smaller, lesser-known features. Here are some of the easily missed but useful iOS 26 settings you should change on your iPhone as soon as you install it.
8
Try the big clock on the Lock Screen
Apple finally lets you go bold with a larger clock design
iOS 26 is all about Apple’s new design language, and one of its standout features is the ability to make the Lock Screen clock bolder and more front-and-center. It looks especially aesthetic when paired with the right wallpaper.
To use this feature on your iPhone, tap and hold the Lock Screen and tap Customize. Then tap the Clock widget and select the first clock font. You’ll notice a new corner bracket at the bottom right of the clock. Drag it to adjust the clock size as you like. Once you’ve set your desired style, tap Done at the top right.
7
Match your icons with the Liquid Glass design
Makes your setup feel new
Apple already allows you to customize app icons on iPhone with iOS 18, but with iOS 26, the company has introduced new “Clear” glass-like icons. While you can still stick with the default iOS icons, the Clear option transforms all app icons into layered, transparent glass, giving them subtle depth.
The best part is that this feature applies the “Clear” theme to all the icons, even to apps that don’t natively support the feature yet.
To try it, tap and hold an empty area on your Home Screen, select Edit at the top left, then tap Customize, and choose Clear. Instantly, all your app icons will adopt the new glass-like theme, blending seamlessly with iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design.
6
Turn on Adaptive power mode for better battery life
Intelligently adjust your iPhone’s performance
While Apple may not have emphasized AI much in iOS 26, the company has added an AI-powered Adaptive Power Mode feature that helps extend iPhone battery life by making small performance adjustments when usage is higher than usual.
It conserves resources by dimming the display, letting some activities take longer, and automatically enabling Low Power Mode when the battery drops below 20%. Think of it as a smarter Low Power Mode that learns your patterns and decides which tasks to keep running in the background more aggressively.
For now, this feature is limited to iPhone models with Apple Intelligence, including the iPhone 15 Pro and later. To enable it, go to Settings > Battery > Power Mode and toggle on Adaptive Power. If your iPhone feels slower, you can always turn the feature off.
5
Personalize iMessage with new backgrounds
Set custom backgrounds for your chats
Another customization feature Apple has added in iOS 26 is the ability to set custom backgrounds for iMessage chats. You can pick a solid color, use one of your photos, select from preset animated live backgrounds, or even create your own unique backgrounds with Image Playgrounds on Apple Intelligence-powered iPhones.
To use this feature, open a conversation in the Messages app and tap the group or contact name at the top. Select Backgrounds and choose the option you like. You can preview different styles before setting one. Once selected, tap the checkmark to apply it to the conversation.
4
Choose between the classic and redesigned Phone app
If you’re not ready for Apple’s bold new Phone UI
A part of iOS 26’s new design is the redesigned Phone app. Apple now offers a “Unified” interface that combines your Recents, Favorites, and Voicemail into a single tab for easier access. If, like me, you prefer the old UI with separate tabs, you can quickly switch back.
It’s also worth noting that while some may prefer the new Unified interface, it sometimes glitches and removes contact posters for your favorites.
To switch back to the old Phone app UI, head to the Calls tab. Tap the filter icon on the top right and select Classic. You can always return to the new UI by tapping the filter icon again and selecting Unified.
You can also create reminders for missed calls in the Recents tab. Just swipe left on a recent call and select the blue reminder icon.
3
See battery charging ETA directly on your Lock Screen
No more battery guessing
One feature still missing on the iPhone, but common on most Android phones, is showing the charging time left. Android devices usually display the estimated time as soon as you plug them in, while Apple hasn’t offered this. Well, that is sort of changing with iOS 26.
You can now see how long it will take for your iPhone to reach 80% battery on the Lock Screen a few moments after plugging it in. Once it hits 80%, the ETA shifts to full charge. This small but useful addition comes in handy when you’re short on time and need to know when your phone will have enough charge to head out.
2
Adjust snooze time for iPhone alarms
No more being stuck with Apple’s 9-minute standard snooze
With iOS 26, Apple has finally added the ability to customize the default snooze time for iPhone alarms. Until now, users were stuck with the traditional fixed 9-minute snooze. With iOS 26, you can set snooze durations anywhere between 1 and 15 minutes.
To change snooze duration, open the Clock app and set a new alarm using the “+” button on the top right. Tap Snooze Duration, then choose your preferred snooze length from 1 to 15 minutes. Once done, tap the checkmark on the top right to save the alarm.
Note that the setting applies per alarm, so you will need to choose snooze times individually; otherwise, they will remain the default 9 minutes.
1
Bring back the old screenshot editing interface
If you find the redesigned screenshot UI clunky
One of the major new additions in iOS 26 is the updated screenshot UI. Now, when you take a screenshot, you see a large preview that fills the screen, along with tools like annotation options, a share button, and even a new Ask button powered by ChatGPT right after the capture.
If you prefer the old-style screenshot UI with a small preview in the bottom left, you can switch back. Open the Settings app, go to General, then select Screen Capture and disable Full-Screen Previews.
Once disabled, screenshots will again appear as a small thumbnail in the corner, just like earlier iOS versions. Of course, you can still tap the thumbnail preview to edit, share, and even use new tools like Visual Search before it disappears automatically.
- Brand
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Apple
- SoC
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A19
- Display
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6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 pixel resolution Super Retina XDR
- Storage
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256GB, 512GB
- Ports
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USB-C
- Operating System
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iOS 26
The iPhone 17 is a major upgrade over its predecessor. It features a slightly bigger 6.3-inch OLED screen with up to a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the iPhone 17 is powered by Apple’s A19 processor. Apple has also improved the rear camera system with a new 48MP ultra-wide lens, while the selfie camera gets added features. The phone still uses an aluminum and glass build and is said to deliver longer battery life.
