26 Hidden iOS 26 Tricks to Change How You Use Your iPhone

[MacRumors]

Apple released iOS 26 in mid-September, bringing a range of new features and changes to iPhones across the globe. But not all of the included improvements have been showcased with Apple's typical fanfare, and many are likely to have been overlooked.

Below, we've highlighted 26 lesser known additions and enhancements that could potentially change how you use your iPhone on a daily basis. Got any favorite iOS 26 tips we haven't covered here? Let us know in the comments section at the end of this article.

1. New Background Sounds

Apple has added eight new Background Sounds in iOS 26, including Babble, Steam, Airplane, Boat, Bus, Train, Rain On Roof, and Quiet Night. Add the Background Sounds control to Control Center to try them out, or go to Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Audio & Visual ➝ Background Sounds.

2. Tint Icons to Match iPhone Color

Apple's Home screen customization options can match the color of your app icons with the physical color of your iPhone. Long press a space on your Home screen and tap Edit ➝ Customize. Then Choose Tinted and tap the far-left iPhone button under the two horizontal color sliders.

3. Reduce Loud Sounds

A new "Reduce Loud Sounds" option in Settings ➝ Sounds & Haptics compresses your iPhone speaker's volume range, making loud sounds softer while preserving quieter details. If you frequently switch between apps with wildly different volume levels or watch videos with inconsistent audio mixing, it could be worth enabling the toggle to improve your listening experience.

4. Selectively Copy Messages Text

When you tap and hold on any message bubble, a new "Select" option now appears alongside the familiar copy and reaction choices, finally solving one of Messages' most persistent frustrations. It allows you to highlight specific portions of text within a message rather than copying the entire message.

5. Send Photos Faster

Apple quietly added a neat new option that lets you send smaller-sized previews of images over Messages so that recipients get them right away, before the full-resolution images arrive. Find the option in Settings ➝ Apps ➝ Messages ➝ Send Low-Quality Photo Previews. If you're traveling with limited cellular data or using a metered data connection, the recipient only gets a compressed preview version – ensuring the original high resolution image doesn't hoover up your data.

6. Ask ChatGPT About Onscreen Content

Start by taking a screenshot: Quickly press and release the iPhone's Side button and the Volume Up button at the same time. Then tap Ask to open a text box where you can pose a question to ChatGPT about the screenshot's contents. For example, you can ask for an explanation of a term or details about an object.

7. Get a Callback Reminder for a Missed Call

Keeping track of missed calls can be challenging if you're juggling several tasks during the day. In iOS 26, you can set callback reminders directly from the Phone app, making it less likely that you'll forget to return important calls. Tap the Calls tab, scroll down to Recents, then swipe left across a missed call and tap the blue clock icon. Choose one of the following: Remind Me in 1 hour, Remind Me Tonight, Remind Me Tomorrow, Remind Me Later...

8. Screen Messages From Unknown Senders

Apple in iOS 26 provides more control over unwanted texts, separating spam messages from unknown senders into distinct categories. In the Messages app, tap the filter menu icon in the top-right corner and Select Manage Filtering, then toggle on Screen Unknown Senders in Messages' settings. Once filtering is active, messages from contacts not saved in your address book automatically go to the Unknown Senders section. You'll see a number in brackets next to Unknown Senders in the filter menu indicating new messages, but you won't receive disruptive alerts.

9. Set a Custom Ringtone

Setting custom ringtones on your iPhone is dramatically easier in iOS 26. Open the Files app, long press an MP3 or M4A audio file that's less than 30 seconds long, tap Share, then choose Use as Ringtone. The change will be made immediately.

10. See Your Gaming Achievements

The new Games app is split into four tabs, including Home, Arcade, Play Together, and Library. The Library tab includes all of the games that you have played across all of your devices. The Library lets you see all of your achievements in one place separated by game, with filters to separate them by platform.

11. Move Widgets to Bottom of Lock Screen

In iOS 18, the row of widgets on your Lock Screen was literally locked in place right below the clock. In iOS 26, however, Customize mode lets you drag them down to the bottom of the screen. The new optional positioning makes tapping a widget during one-handed use a lot easier.

12. Use AirPods as Microphone When Shooting Video
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Article Link: 26 Hidden iOS 26 Tricks to Change How You Use Your iPhone

 

[boswald]

Didn’t know about the remixed ringtones. Thanks!

 

[janwerbinski]

What's the point for background noise? After turning it on in quiet room my phone started playing noise. To mask what? Silence?

 

[timborama]

#26. I see no Visited Places setting in maps…

How is that different from Significant Locations?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Not directly related this, but the ChatGPT example needs pointing out....Don't use AI to determine if you should eat a mushroom/fungus. There are too many variables and things that can't be determined from a photo.

Jack O'Lantern (quite toxic) and common chanterelles (very tasty) look identical in a photo and in person without closer inspection, for example. You have to see where they were picked, what trees are in the vicinity, and the shape of the gills to determine which is which.

 

[Puonti]

What's the point for background noise? After turning it on in quiet room my phone started playing noise. To mask what? Silence?

To mask tinnitus for example, help you calm down, or let your mind wander.

 

[NightFox]

I guess it's an inevitability of increased functionality, but I do miss the early days of the iPhone when you could just pick it up and within minutes intuitively work out how to fully use it without even having to look at any instructions, rather than have to rely on articles exposing 'secret tricks' and having to wade through YouTube videos whenever I want to do something beyond day-to-day usage.

 

[I7guy]

All good tips. Didn’t know about asking ChatGPT about screen contents.

 

[I7guy]

I guess it's an inevitability of increased functionality, but I do miss the early days of the iPhone when you could just pick it up and within minutes intuitively work out how to fully use it without even having to look at any instructions, rather than have to rely on articles exposing 'secret tricks' and having to wade through YouTube videos whenever I want to do something beyond day-to-day usage.

Intuitive wasn’t a word I would describe iOS with, even back in the day. That wasn’t me. I took an iOS class from the Apple Store because I found iOS at that time confounding.

 

[Parowdy]

Very nice list, thanks.
The Visited Places feature doesn’t appear on my 15 Pro here in Germany, neither does the Messages Filter option you have in your one screenshot.
I’m most curious about the Reduce Loud Sounds feature. But isn’t it interesting that Apple removed the headphone volume limit some years ago and added a speaker volume limit like last year?

 

[Tig_one]

Any tricks to upgrade Liquor Glass from alpha to beta?

 

[NightFox]

Intuitive wasn’t a word I would describe iOS with, even back in the day. That wasn’t me. I took an iOS class from the Apple Store because I found iOS at that time confounding.

I think it was at launch, I even remember my technophobe wife commenting on it. But as soon as touch-and-hold for cut/copy/paste was (finally) added, those days were over.

 

[Parowdy]

Intuitive wasn’t a word I would describe iOS with, even back in the day. That wasn’t me. I took an iOS class from the Apple Store because I found iOS at that time confounding.

My first iOS device was the first iPod touch running iOS 3.1.3.
To me it was magical, there wasn’t a single pane or setting I didn’t play around or was familiar with on that thing. I’d argue iOS was a lot more intuitive those days, because there wasn’t too much you could do with it anyway. Obviously it lacked obvious things like the Control Center, but the things that were available were great.
Granted, I was still in my early teenage years and had more interest and time to play around than most adults might.

 

[Parowdy]

Any tricks to upgrade Liquor Glass from alpha to beta?

If you’d be so nice to elaborate where to find this Liquor Glass you’re talking about, I’m more than willing to test it out.
Don’t expect me to report back before tomorrow though

 

[phenste]

Not directly related this, but the ChatGPT example needs pointing out....Don't use AI to determine if you should eat a mushroom/fungus. There are too many variables and things that can't be determined from a photo.

Jack O'Lantern and common chanterelles look identical in a photo, for example. You can have to see where they were picked, what trees are in the vicinity, and the shape of the gills to determine which is which.

when I saw that, all I could think of was @blackforager on Instagram and how badly she would be cringing 😂 (check her out if you like cool content related to this kinda stuff!)

 

[S.B.G]

13. Restore Safari's Old Layout

Oh, such sweet relief!

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I noticed yesterday when I was on a call with some company and was on hold waiting for my turn in line, a message came on the screen to put the call on hold and my phone would notify me when someone is on the line (instead of music). I tried it, but apparently it didn't notify me and when the agent picked up, they ultimately hung up (as the call showed it was disconnected).

Is that a new feature because I haven't seen it before (and not so impressed on how it doesn't work).

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Intuitive wasn’t a word I would describe iOS with, even back in the day. That wasn’t me. I took an iOS class from the Apple Store because I found iOS at that time confounding.

I didn't think so either...I'm extremely tech proficient, but it took me a while to get the hang of iOS. That was back in the 2G/3G days.

 

[Tevosn]

I think #22 was maybe useful in some scenarios, the rest I don’t personally care about.

 

[QCassidy352]

What's the point for background noise? After turning it on in quiet room my phone started playing noise. To mask what? Silence?

Many people find background noise helpful for falling asleep.

 

[surfsofa]

And still I continue to wait patiently for an option to have a slowly increasing volume on my alarm. Such a simple thing, and much appreciated by those of us who sleep lightly and want to minimize disturbance to those sleeping beside us.

Yes, I know about bedtime routine, but that's too restricting imo.

 

[DailySlow]

Me too. iPhone 14. Also lens cleaning reminder? Nowhere to be found.

 

[dead.cell]

Background sounds is cool; also found that w/ my Beats Fit Pros (and probably AirPods too), you can just click the Ear icon from the Control Center to access the background sounds easily too, as well as choosing them!

The ringtones thing is huge though, didn't know about that at all. Fantastic article! 👏👏👏

 

[RogueWarrior65]

Now, we just need the "Ask for reason for calling" to be tied into AI to force the caller to give the REAL reason for calling. Saying "We've been trying to reach you" or "Please call us back" or "This is our final call" are not real reasons.
The AI would look for bullsh*t phrases and then tell the caller "Your response is invalid, please try again."

 

[BruiserB]

One of the best things about the iPhone was that one could use it with no instruction manual. I suppose one can still do that, but there are so many obscure features added through the years that it's nearly impossible to keep up. I usually read these articles and think "Oh, I should set that up sometime when I have time," only to forget about the feature completely.