The 4 iPhones Apple launched final week, which can be found for preorder till Friday when in-store gross sales will begin, will ship with iOS 26 preinstalled. iPhone 17 and iPhone Air patrons will get to expertise the brand new working system proper out of the field. A few of them will already be acquainted with the iOS 26 expertise, and particularly the brand new Liquid Glass design that Apple unveiled in June at WWDC 2025, after testing iOS 26 beta releases on their earlier iPhones. Others will uncover iOS 26 for the primary time with the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air fashions.
Additionally, present iPhone house owners who do not plan to improve the {hardware} and who haven’t put in the beta will expertise iOS 26 for the primary time this week, as Apple will make the ultimate iOS 26 launch obtainable for obtain on Monday.
These iPhone house owners who’ve used iOS 26 beta releases over the summer season have in all probability gotten used to the brand new options the working system has to supply, and could also be acquainted with what follows under. Nonetheless, these customers seeing iOS 26 for the primary time this week may need to tweak their experiences by adjusting particular settings and studying a couple of of the brand new options in iOS 26.
Liquid Glass transparency, Messages backgrounds, and full-screen screenshots
The Liquid Glass design is definitely essentially the most polarizing aspect in iOS 26. Apple has been testing varied levels of transparency in Liquid Glass over the summer season. In the event you assume the default expertise is simply too clear for you, there is a setting to enhance it. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Show & Textual content Measurement > Cut back Transparency and allow the toggle. The Differentiate With out Colour setting may additionally assist enhance legibility. These iPhone customers who desire a extra clear look can arrange clear (totally clear) icons for all apps by long-pressing the wallpaper, after which tapping Edit > Customise > Clear.
The Messages app additionally will get a design customization characteristic some folks may like. You’ll be able to arrange chat backgrounds in Messages, like in different messaging apps. Others won’t prefer it, and the excellent news is which you could completely disable it. Head to Settings > Apps > Messages > Dialog Backgrounds and disable the toggle to make use of the default white/black background for all messaging.
The final design-related tweak in iOS 26 you must strive considerations the screenshot expertise. You’ll be able to see screenshots in full-screen reasonably than having them seem minimized within the high proper nook of the display as was the case earlier than iOS 26. Go to Settings > Common > Display Seize > Full-Display Previews to allow the characteristic. That is additionally the place you allow CarPlay Screenshots in the event you want it. The benefit of full-screen screenshots in iOS 26 is that you’re going to rapidly use Visible Intelligence from the total screenshot view on supported gadgets.
Name Screening and Maintain Help (Telephone) and Display Unknown Senders (Messages)
Now that you have tweaked the design expertise in iOS 26, you may need to allow two safety features the brand new working system introduces for the Telephone and Messages apps. The brand new name screening characteristic (Display Unknown Callers) may enable you cut back the variety of spam calls you get. Go to Settings > Apps > Telephone and scroll for the Display Unknown Callers characteristic. You’ll be able to set the brand new Ask Cause for Calling possibility, so the telephone will deal with the decision in your behalf earlier than the iPhone rings.
Whilst you’re there, you may need to allow the brand new Maintain Help characteristic that may have the iPhone maintain the decision for you while you’re making an attempt to talk to a buyer care consultant and you need to wait in line. The iPhone will ring when a human agent is obtainable.
The Messages app has the same characteristic known as Display Unknown Senders, which hides notifications from unknown numbers and strikes these chats to a unique folder. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages to allow it.
New battery methods, customized snooze time, and the Preview app
iOS 26 additionally delivers enhancements to the battery expertise and battery life (on some fashions). First, the iPhone will inform you how lengthy it takes to achieve 80% (on the Lock Display). Go to Settings > Battery to see how lengthy it takes to achieve a full cost. When you have an iPhone that helps Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Professional or later), you may need to allow Adaptive Energy in Settings > Battery > Energy Mode, so your iPhone can learn the way you employ the telephone and lengthen battery life based mostly in your habits.
One other helpful characteristic in iOS 26 is the assist for customized snooze instances. You’ll be able to lastly set any time frame in your snoozes as an alternative of the 9-minute default that wasn’t customizable earlier than iOS 26. Go to Clock > Alarms, choose an alarm, and faucet the Snooze Period menu to set your required time (as much as quarter-hour).
Extra necessary than the snooze time setting is the brand new Preview app for iPhone and iPad. You may need to set up the app from the App Retailer in case your iOS 26 obtain does not set up it mechanically. After that, the Preview app will allow you to view all types of paperwork you may need saved on the telephone within the Information app. It is a good instrument for trying out PDFs or photos and paperwork, as you will not have to put in any third-party apps for a selected kind of file.
Spatial wallpapers and AutoMix music playback
The final two iOS 26 options you may need to customise when you arrange your iPhone concern the wallpaper/photograph expertise and Apple Music.
First, Apple helps you to flip any photograph right into a Spatial Scene. Go to the Photographs app, choose a picture, after which faucet the brand new Spatial Scene button that seems close to the highest proper nook. The same button is obtainable for the Lock Display wallpaper. Lengthy-press on the Lock Display wallpaper, faucet the Customise button, and search for the Spatial Scene button close to the decrease proper nook. Enabling it is going to give your wallpaper a 3D look.
The following helpful iOS 26 trick you may need to strive considerations the music expertise. iOS 26 helps AutoMix, a mode that may automate transitions between songs based mostly on the important thing and tempo of the music, much like how some DJs play their units. Go to Settings > Apps > Music > Tune Transitions to allow it.
