18 Secret iPhone Features in iOS 26 You Probably Didn't Know Existed

With more than a decade of experience, Nelson covers Apple and Google and writes about iPhone and Android features, privacy and security settings, and more.

The launch of iOS 26 brought several high-profile additions like Liquid Glass and AI in the form of Apple Intelligence, but the real magic is buried deep within the sub-menus. There's a veritable litany of new additions to the library of features your phone boasts, in fact. 

Unlocking the full potential of the new software means venturing past the default setup to find the quality-of-life tweaks Apple didn't advertise so much. From improved notifications to smarter battery management and hidden interface shortcuts, these small adjustments can streamline your phone use in a big way. If you haven't dug into your settings yet, you're only using a ...