Kids have sticky fingers. If they touch your iPhone, expect smudges on your camera lens. That means the next time you take a photo, the pic might have a weird haze about it, and you’ll have to take the photo multiple times. It’s not always your kids’ fault either. Even adults can be to blame for a dirty camera lens. Luckily, with the iOS 26 beta there is a feature that can warn you when your camera lens needs cleaning, that way you don’t waste a perfectly good sunset or other Instagrammable moment.
Apple released the fifth public beta of iOS 26 on Aug. 25. The update brought a new Liquid Glass design, call screening and more to the iPhones of developers and beta testers. The beta also introduced an easy-to-overlook feature called Lens Cleaning Hints. When this feature is enabled, your iPhone will display a warning that your lens needs to be cleaned.
This feature was automatically enabled for me after I downloaded the iOS 26 beta, but here’s where to find it in case it’s not turned on for you. It’s important to note that this feature is only available on iPhone 15 and later models, so if you have an iPhone 14 Pro, you won’t see this option.
And don’t forget, iOS 26 is still in beta. That means the update might be buggy for you, and your device’s battery life may be negatively affected, so it’s best to keep those troubles off your primary device. If you want to try the beta out, I recommend downloading it on a secondary device.
It’s also possible that Apple could adjust Lens Cleaning Hints and other update features before the final version of iOS 26 is released this fall — I’m predicting in the next few weeks.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add as a preferred Google source.
How to enable Lens Cleaning Hints
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Camera.
3. Tap the Lens Cleaning Hints toggle near the bottom of the menu.
Once enabled, your iPhone’s camera will detect if the lens is smudged, and your device will tell you to clean it to improve your image quality. It’s a nice way to make sure you always get a good picture, and it could be helpful if you let your kids play with your phone, leaving smudges all over it.
For more iOS news, here are my first impressions of the beta version of iOS 26, how to enable call screening in the beta and all the new features Apple said it will bring to your device later this year. You can get an early view of the upcoming iPhone features with our iOS 26 cheat sheet.
Watch this: iPhone 17 Event Clues: Everything to Expect on Sept. 9
