iOS 26 Includes These Five Smaller Features You Might Have Missed

[MacRumors]

While the dust is beginning to settle on the first iOS 26 beta, we continue to take a closer look at new features coming with the update.

Below, we recap five smaller changes that you might have missed.

Emoji Game

Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. and Canada can play a new Emoji Game, which tasks players with completing words and phrases with emoji.

This is the fifth game that is available with an Apple News+ subscription. The others are Crossword, Crossword Mini, Quartiles, and Sudoku.

Weather via Satellite

iOS 26 will offer Weather via satellite, allowing you to view up-to-date weather forecast information while outside of Wi-Fi or cellular range.

This feature is referenced within the code for the first iOS 26 beta, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, but it is not live yet.

Look for this feature to be enabled in a later iOS 26 beta version.

Custom Ringtones

iOS 26 allows you to set custom ringtones on the iPhone without using the GarageBand app.

To set a custom ringtone on iOS 26, open the Files app and tap on an MP3 or M4A audio file that is less than 30 seconds long. Next, tap on the share button in the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap on More, and tap on Use as Ringtone. Then, that audio file will be listed as a ringtone option in the Settings app under Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone.

Apple continues to sell 30-second song ringtones for $1.29 each through the iTunes Store app.

Digital Passport

iOS 26 lets you create a digital version of your U.S. passport on your iPhone.

After creating a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app, based on your U.S. passport, you can present it in person at select TSA checkpoints for identity verification purposes during domestic travel. However, Apple says it is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel and border crossing purposes.

Apple says the Digital ID feature is secure, private, and compliant with REAL ID.

The passport-based Digital ID can also be used for age and identity verification in apps, online, and in stores, according to Apple.

'Select' in Messages

A new "Select" option in the Messages app on iOS 26 lets you select and copy a portion of text within a message bubble in a conversation.

On earlier iOS versions, you can only copy an entire message bubble.

Article Link: iOS 26 Includes These Five Smaller Features You Might Have Missed

 

[jclardy]

Select in messages is huge, so annoying when you are trying to grab out a piece of text and have to either copy the entire thing and use notes, or screenshot and use OCR to do text selection.

 

[winxmac]

Custom ringtone is the one feature new in iOS 26 that would convince me to upgrade, however, because of performance degradation observed in iOS 18.x I will keep my iPhone 11 Pro Max on iOS 17.7

You will still get the best performance with the iOS version designed for your device, iOS 18 for iPhone 16, iOS 15 for iPhone 13, etc.

 

[Corpuscle]

Custom ringtone is the one feature new in iOS 26 that would convince me to upgrade, however, because of performance degradation observed in iOS 18.x I will keep my iPhone 11 Pro Max on iOS 17.7

You will still get the best performance with the iOS version designed for your device, iOS 18 for iPhone 16, iOS 15 for iPhone 13, etc.

Not at all true!!

 

[Populus]

Since iOS 12, each year we have a increasing number of “finally”, as the system has slowly opened up and becomes less and less restricted.

I’d say one of this year’s “finally” is being able to easily select an audio as a ringtone. I mean… FINALLY!

 

[sos47]

Smaller features are nice.
Smaller iPhones are nicer.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Custom ringtone is the one feature new in iOS 26 that would convince me to upgrade, however, because of performance degradation observed in iOS 18.x I will keep my iPhone 11 Pro Max on iOS 17.7

You will still get the best performance with the iOS version designed for your device, iOS 18 for iPhone 16, iOS 15 for iPhone 13, etc.

Custom ring tones and system tones have been an option on iOS since version 4 or 5.

I always made the .m4r files then drop them on my phone via iTunes or Finder, and they show up.

 

[jdavid_rp]

Custom ringtone is the one feature new in iOS 26 that would convince me to upgrade, however, because of performance degradation observed in iOS 18.x I will keep my iPhone 11 Pro Max on iOS 17.7

You will still get the best performance with the iOS version designed for your device, iOS 18 for iPhone 16, iOS 15 for iPhone 13, etc.

say that about the iPhone X with iOS 11 😂

 

[Unami]

Custom ring tones and system tones have been an option on iOS since version 4 or 5.

I always made the .m4r files then drop them on my phone via iTunes or Finder, and they show up.

Sure, but it has still been cumbersome as hell (and we all know, why):
Shorten a song to below 30sec (below 20, iirc, for message sounds. Save as m4a. Rename to .m4r. Drop to iphone via itunes. And you have to know all that, and be technical-minded. Everytime I told that to "normal" people, they didn't bother.

Compare that to my old sony-ericcson dumbphone from 2003: click options on any .mp3 on your sd-card, no matter the length. Select: use as ringtone.

 

[scrapesleon]

custom ringtones was needed in 2014-16 ish not sure anybody is interested in doing that now always late Apple

 

[russell_314]

custom ringtones was needed in 2014-16 ish not sure anybody is interested in doing that now always late Apple

Apple is always late to the party. Hopefully by iOS 30 we get custom app tones 😂

 

[cupcakes2000]

Since iOS 12, each year we have a increasing number of “finally”, as the system has slowly opened up and becomes less and less restricted.

I’d say one of this year’s “finally” is being able to easily select an audio as a ringtone. I mean… FINALLY!

I have to agree here. I mean what ridiculous omissions in the first place. None of this has suddenly become technically possible - rather Apple now allows it. This is my whole beef with Apple. Previously Arbitrary restrictions passed off as new features. Come on.

 

[thiscatisfat]

Finally, FINALLY, we can easily select multiple photos/attachments and delete them in Messages. Finally we don’t need to tick each photo individually, sliding across the grid selection is finally there. Even on my 14 Pro! Glad I won’t need to buy a new iPhone to have this feature. Gotta be grateful for every single trickle from Apple nowadays. Thankfully they “support” their devices with updates for years and years.

 

[foobarbaz]

And still a 30 second limit? Whyyyy? I’ve been waiting for 15 years …

 

[Elmo1938]

I score that 0 for 5. I may stick with my iPhone 15

 

[darkpaw]

I don't mind that users not in the US and Canada don't get those games in their News+ subscriptions, but if we're paying the same for less content we should get a discount or something else to make up the difference.

LinkedIn manages to give everyone five daily puzzles and you don't even have to be a paying subscriber to access them.

 

[Boeingfan]

I don't mind that users not in the US and Canada don't get those games in their News+ subscriptions, but if we're paying the same for less content we should get a discount or something else to make up the difference.

LinkedIn manages to give everyone five daily puzzles and you don't even have to be a paying subscriber to access them.

I'm beginning to get ticked off with the expanding volume of US/CAN only stuff. There are other countries on the planet.

 

[Momof2.1107]

And still a 30 second limit? Whyyyy? I’ve been waiting for 15 years …

I get a 40 second limit with the app I use to clip my songs into ringtones.

 

[I7guy]

It’s about time for easy way with custom ringtones.

 

[jgleigh]

Digital ID would be amazing...if the TSA actually supported it with any certainty.

 

[hokuspokus]

Wow. I've been wanting to be able to select and copy a subset of text in text messages ever since I got my first smartphone. I'm surprised this hasn't been implemented until iOS 26. Even the Google Voice app only allows you to copy entire messages only.

How is it on Android nowadays? It's been a few years since I've had an Android phone.

 

[Octavius8]

Why not can it be open for any app, like a general feature of “edit”???. Why just for Apple own app that is only used in one country?. That is why Apple is dying slowly in more and more markets. So poor management decisions in this age

 

[aUniqueName]

Features that allow more and more communication options via satellite (like weather access) is pretty cool. Hope they keep developing both hardware and software in this regard.

 

[ypl]

[…]
You will still get the best performance with the iOS version designed for your device, iOS 18 for iPhone 16, iOS 15 for iPhone 13, etc.

I cannot agree. This aspect significantly improved in iOS17 on my iPhone 13. I was surprised that OS finally behaves as expected.
My theory is that Apple improved energy consumption management in iOS17 knowing that new features like AI will “need energy”. I may be wrong though. Anyway, I was very satisfied with iOS 17. Will see what will iOS18 bring. I’m now using developer beta so have no huge expectations in this area of course for now.

 

[Linkinsadler]

That emoji game example was HARD!! Took me a minute but I got “mixed signals” “capricorns” and “rubbing elbows.” 😮‍💨