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iOS 26 Best and Hidden Features

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There are hundreds of changes in iOS 26, some of which are huge updates and some of which are smaller. We've rounded up two lists, one featuring the best features iOS 26 has to offer, and one that includes some of the smaller but still useful changes that are available.


Best iOS 26 Features

  • Visual Intelligence - In iOS 26, Visual Intelligence works with screenshots, so you can ask ChatGPT questions about what's on your screen, or search for items in screenshots on Google.
  • Messages - The Messages app got a major update, and it supports custom backgrounds, polls, and typing indicators for group texts, and even Live Translation if you're chatting with someone that speaks a different language
  • Phone - The Phone app has a feature that will screen your calls, asking callers for their name and reason for calling before they can speak to you. There's also Hold Assist that'll wait for a live agent for you, so you don't need to listen to annoying hold music.
  • AutoMix - AutoMix in Apple Music is a new feature that can seamlessly transition from one song to another with time stretching and beat mixing. It's like a DJ in your pocket.
  • Visited Places - In the Maps app, there's a new Visited Places feature that keeps track of where you've been. If you're on vacation and visit a great restaurant, but don't happen to remember what it was called, you can check in the Maps app so you can visit again.
  • Games - There's an all-new Games app that houses all of your mobile games, and makes it easy to find new ones. It also includes Game Center functionality and features so you can challenge your friends.
Hidden iOS 26 Features

  • Battery - There's a useful new battery feature that lets you know how long it will be until your phone is fully charged.
  • Adaptive Power Mode - Adaptive Power Mode is a new option that can save battery when you're using more battery life on your phone. Maybe you're using Maps more, or taking a lot of photos. It'll let you know your battery usage is up, and will help you trim down features you don't need so that your battery lasts as long as it normally does.
  • Alarm Snooze - When you set an alarm, you can now customize the snooze time. No more nine minute snoozes.
  • Album artwork - When you play songs from Apple Music, Spotify, and other services, album artwork is now full screen on the Lock Screen.
  • Spatial Scenes - Spatial Scenes are a fun new Photos feature that takes your 2D images and adds a 3D feel to them.
  • Apple Music Translation - When you're listening to a song in Apple Music and there are lyrics in another language, you can now see real-time translations.
Do you agree with our picks? Know of a hidden feature we didn't mention? Let us know in the comments below.

Article Link: iOS 26 Best and Hidden Features
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/23/ios-26-best-and-hidden-features/
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quote
Phone - The Phone app has a feature that will screen your calls, asking callers for their name and reason for calling before they can speak to you
endquote

does anyone know if there this can be turned on only for numbers that are not in your Contacts ? if so, id definitely use this.
 
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been trying auto the auto mix for the last couple of weeks and it has a very long way to go to be considered seamless. half the time it cuts one song off with a minute left and goes into the next a minutes into causing me to not here a good chunk of each song and the is no real use of fading most of the time. so far 90% of song transitions have been very noticeable in a bad way.
 
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arc of the universe said:
quote
Phone - The Phone app has a feature that will screen your calls, asking callers for their name and reason for calling before they can speak to you
endquote

does anyone know if there this can be turned on only for numbers that are not in your Contacts ? if so, id definitely use this.
Click to expand...

The feature currently says:

Calls from Uknown Numbers
Screen Incoming Calls
Calls from unsaved numbers will be asked for more information before iPhone rings.
 
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Is the headline feature of WWDC - The new UI style “Liquid Glass” - not count as a feature?
 
So many useful features. Selecting the snooze time for alarms is a huge change. Will be interesting to try out the Spatial scenes on the lock screen.
 
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  • Visited Places - In the Maps app, there's a new Visited Places feature that keeps track of where you've been. If you're on vacation and visit a great restaurant, but don't happen to remember what it was called, you can check in the Maps app so you can visit again.
Truly frightening! So Apple are going to record your location. I hope this "feature" can be turned off.
 
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ChrisMac47 said:
  • Visited Places - In the Maps app, there's a new Visited Places feature that keeps track of where you've been. If you're on vacation and visit a great restaurant, but don't happen to remember what it was called, you can check in the Maps app so you can visit again.
Truly frightening! So Apple are going to record your location. I hope this "feature" can be turned off.
Click to expand...
They have been doing this for years. It’s called “significant locations” and can be toggled in Privacy settings (under location - system services). The only new thing is that they are now displaying these locations in Maps.
 
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kegan forbes said:
been trying auto the auto mix for the last couple of weeks and it has a very long way to go to be considered seamless. half the time it cuts one song off with a minute left and goes into the next a minutes into causing me to not here a good chunk of each song and the is no real use of fading most of the time. so far 90% of song transitions have been very noticeable in a bad way.
Click to expand...
As a DJ myself, I like the potential of this. As a DJ myself, I hate the idea of this. :)

I can just see it now: Couples for weddings trying to save money and using it.
 
ChrisMac47 said:
  • Visited Places - In the Maps app, there's a new Visited Places feature that keeps track of where you've been. If you're on vacation and visit a great restaurant, but don't happen to remember what it was called, you can check in the Maps app so you can visit again.
Truly frightening! So Apple are going to record your location. I hope this "feature" can be turned off.
Click to expand...

Apple isn't Google. They aren't uploading your locations to their database to market you to people.

I just looked at the feature and it shows a number of places I've been to since the beta was released. And it accurately detected a restaurant inside a hotel. Now, if it could automagically link that visit with the pictures of my meal, that would be very handy.
 
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The feature I've been wanting for years is 'outgoing compact calls'. It could be simple, if call is initiated via Siri then make it as a compact call... I have a 2017 Holden Commodore SV6 non-CarPlay car (and my only car upgrade I foresee is to a V8 of the same year), my iPhone in a vent holder and when I use Siri to make the call, I still want to see Maps, not have to touch the screen and risk getting a fine :(
 
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Gubbz said:
The feature I've been wanting for years is 'outgoing compact calls'. It could be simple, if call is initiated via Siri then make it as a compact call... I have a 2017 Holden Commodore SV6 non-CarPlay car (and my only car upgrade I foresee is to a V8 of the same year), my iPhone in a vent holder and when I use Siri to make the call, I still want to see Maps, not have to touch the screen and risk getting a fine :(
Click to expand...
I get that you dont want to touch the screen, but it really is just a simple swipe to go back to the maps.

I do understand your point, though.
 
Beta 2 on my iPhone 15 Pro and iPad Pro works very good for a beta. The only problem I have at the moment is, that I see around 30 App Store Updates but it's not possible to update them. Just a circle is spinning around. On iPad no problems. I logged out and in again my accouont, but no changes.
 
Can we just stop saying "hidden" or "secret" features to make sensational headlines? They are neither...it's not like they are intentionally obscured by Apple. Are they lesser known? Sure. Be better.
 
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ChrisMac47 said:
  • Visited Places - In the Maps app, there's a new Visited Places feature that keeps track of where you've been. If you're on vacation and visit a great restaurant, but don't happen to remember what it was called, you can check in the Maps app so you can visit again.
Truly frightening! So Apple are going to record your location. I hope this "feature" can be turned off.
Click to expand...
I'm sure they have been. Now they are just sharing that data with you
 
unregbaron said:
I use WhatsApp, google maps and YT music over the Apple alternatives so many of these iOS 26 features won’t matter much.
Click to expand...
Same here. I live in Mexico where WhatsApp is the standard, Apple Maps are very weak while Waze and Google Maps are very strong, and I simply prefer the YouTube premium bundle.
 
Still lots of bugs to iron out, like the keyboard covering the password text box when trying to sign in to a wifi network.
 
hsoj1006 said:
I get that you dont want to touch the screen, but it really is just a simple swipe to go back to the maps.

I do understand your point, though.
Click to expand...
I know its a simple swipe, but if there's a motorcycle cop beside you at the lights and they see you 'swipe', you'll get a tap on the window, they'll point you over to the side and give you a fine after taking your details and telling you of the dangers of using your phone whilst in control of a vehicle...

Here in Western Australia the police will even set up booms with cameras on (https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/w...palling-dangerous-driving-behaviour-c-7582369) they recognise people using phones and/or not wearing seatbelts, its not an automatic fine, it gets reviewed manually, then they decide if they believe you were infringing the law... This delay is usually just enough time to ensure dash cam recordings have been overwritten so you have no defence...

I do think it would be good though in the phone settings to have a toggle switch to have Siri activated calls be compact, to be honest, I don't know why its not normal and a simple tap of the bar opens it into full screen for all the functionality that normally you don't need...
 
I am looking forward to the Visual Intelligence and Auto Mix features. Hidden iOS features are not that attractive to me.
 
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