Apple unveiled iOS 26 final week at WWDC 2025. Whereas Liquid Glass and iPadOS definitely stole the present, there’s a lot of smaller options for iPhone customers that I believe lots of people will nonetheless take pleasure in, and I’ll be diving into them right here.
Customized Ringtones get a lot simpler
That is definitely a “lastly” function – however for the primary time within the 18 yr historical past of the iPhone, now you can set a customized ringtone merely inside iOS. No want for GarageBand or iTunes.
After getting an audio file downloaded, you’ll now have the choice to set it as a ringtone from the share sheet.
Calling options
There’s a brand new pair of options that can assist you handle calls in your iPhone. In the beginning, there’s Name Screening. With Name Screening, your iPhone will mechanically reply unknown callers and ask them why they’re calling – all within the background. If it’s a reliable name, your iPhone will start ringing.
On prime of that, there’s Maintain Help – permitting your cellphone to deal with calls when you’re on maintain. No extra needing to hear to carry music – the method will exist completely within the background. As soon as there’s a reside agent, you’ll get notified to return to the decision.
Polls in Messages
Beforehand, should you needed to run a ballot in an iMessage group chat, you’d both have to depend on a 3rd celebration iMessage app, or simply depend on trusty outdated tapbacks. Now, with iOS 26, you possibly can natively create a ballot and have individuals vote on it.
AutoMix in Apple Music
There’s a neat new function in Apple Music known as AutoMix. Suppose Crossfade, however higher. It transitions from one tune to the following, however matches beats and stretches sure points to create a very nice sounding transition between two songs in playlist. You’ll be able to learn extra about AutoMix right here.
Apple Music additionally now has Lyrics Translation that can assist you out should you’re listening to a tune that isn’t in your native language.
Adaptive Energy Mode
There have been a lot of rumors about an “Apple Intelligence powered” battery administration mode main as much as WWDC25. That function is now right here, although it isn’t beneath the Apple Intelligence umbrella. Now, with iOS 26 – you’ll have the ability to assist protect your iPhone’s battery life with Adaptive Energy Mode.
The function works by making “small efficiency changes” to increase your battery life. Your show could dim barely extra repeatedly, and your cellphone may run a bit slower if you don’t want full efficiency. Moreover, Low Energy Mode will fairly persistently activate at 20% reasonably than simply being a immediate.
In principle, Adaptive Energy Mode learns out of your habits and may make decisions that align with what you’d do, that method you don’t even really feel what’s taking place. On prime of Adaptive Energy Mode, your iPhone is now in a position to inform you how lengthy it’ll take to your battery to cost.
Wrap up
Total, iOS 26 is a reasonably large launch. The redesigned interface with Liquid Glass is definitely going to seize most peoples consideration – however that doesn’t take away from the truth that this yr’s launch continues to be full of nice options.
One final honorable point out: The digicam app now has a brand new popup telling you to scrub your digicam lens at any time when it’s smudged. This’ll definitely cut back the variety of dangerous pictures taken on iPhones and make customers extra conscious of how essential a clear lens is – in order that’s a giant plus.
What do you consider iOS 26 to this point? Tell us within the feedback.
You’ll be able to learn extra of our iOS 26 protection right here.
My favourite Apple accent suggestions:
Comply with Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram
FTC: We use revenue incomes auto affiliate hyperlinks. Extra.
