With Apple's iOS 26 update officially released to all iPhone users, there are now many new features and improvements worth exploring. If you've just installed this update and want to take full advantage of it, don't know where to start? We've prepared this guide that outlines the most important steps and settings you should perform first.
Lock screen customization
The first thing you'll notice after installing iOS 26 is the new "liquid glass" design on the lock screen. To apply this effect:
Long press the lock screen to enter customization mode.
In the clock settings, you can choose your preferred font and color, then enable the Glass option to add a transparent glass touch to the time display. To manipulate the clock size, swipe from the right corner of the clock. If you choose a photo background, the clock size will automatically change depending on the depth; otherwise, you can set the size manually.
While selecting a wallpaper, you can take advantage of the new Spatial Scene feature: simply use a 2D image to create a 3D depth-based wallpaper. This wallpaper creates a subtle motion effect when you move your phone, enhancing the sense of depth.
Don't forget to add widgets and Control Center settings when customizing your Lock screen. In iOS 26, widgets can now be placed at the bottom of the screen, not just below the clock.
After you've made the desired adjustments, save your settings and then move your phone around a bit; you'll notice a slight movement of the background and subtle shimmers on the liquid glass elements.
Customize your home screen
In addition to the Lock screen, iOS 26 offers more customization options for the iPhone Home screen.
Long press on the home screen and select "Edit," then tap "Customize" to access various settings. You'll find options for displaying icons in new shapes:
Clear mode: All icons appear transparent, like glass, allowing you to see the background behind them. You can choose between a light or dark theme, depending on your preference.
Default mode: Icons retain their original colors, with a new design touch that makes them appear arranged in layers of glass.
Tinted mode: All icons are uniformly colored with a slight transparency, giving a less transparent appearance than pure mode.
Apple has also added buttons to customize the color of the icons to match the color of your iPhone or the color of your iPhone case if it's from Apple. You can tap the icons in the Color section to try out colors that match your device.
With these modifications, you get a personalized and modern home interface where icons appear in harmony with the chosen background.
Visual Intelligence Experience in Pictures
Visual Intelligence has become even more useful in iOS 26, now working with screenshots. This feature allows you to identify the content of images on the screen. For example, after taking a screenshot (press the Volume Up and Side buttons together), you can tap the "Ask," "Find," or "Highlight to Search" option to select a part of the image and ask about it.
You can search for images on Google or shopping sites like Etsy, or even ask ChatGPT what the image contains. It's worth noting that to fully benefit from this feature, you must have an iPhone 15 Pro or later, as it supports artificial intelligence technologies.
AI features require an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Activate call filtering
The new Call Screening feature provides a smart way to handle unknown numbers. When enabled in the phone settings under the Calls section, your iPhone receives the call and asks the caller for their name and the reason for calling, before sending you a summary of the information so you can decide whether to answer or ignore the call.
Apple has also added new settings to identify and block spam calls, including annoying voicemails. This way, you can better control your calls and focus on important conversations without unwanted interruptions.
Some features only work in the US, but you can switch your device region to the US to enable these features.
Choose backgrounds for messages
The Messages app in iOS 26 lets you add a personal touch to your conversations by customizing a wallpaper for each conversation or group. You can do this by tapping on the person's or group's name at the top of the screen and selecting "Wallpapers."
In the menu you'll find presets like sky, water, or aurora images, or you can choose a solid color.
If you want unique images, you can choose an image from your device or even create a new wallpaper using the built-in Image Playground feature.
Important noteThe background you choose will be visible to all participants in the conversation, so make sure you don't choose something private that you don't want others to see. If you don't prefer custom backgrounds in conversations, you can disable this feature in the Messages settings under Settings.
Activate live translation
iOS 26 added a "Live Translation" feature to the Messages app to automatically translate incoming messages if they are in another language. To enable this feature in an individual or group conversation, tap the person's name at the top of the conversation and enable "Auto-Translate."
The service will then translate any message sent by the other party into your language, and automatically translate your messages into their language, making it easier to communicate with friends or colleagues who don't share the same language. Live translation supports several popular languages, including English (US and UK), Chinese (Simplified Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
Live translation can also be used in other applications, such as FaceTime, where the translation appears as text on the screen during a call, and the Phone app for voice translation during regular calls.
AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and fourth-generation AirPods also support live translation during face-to-face conversations. It's worth noting that these features require a recent iPhone that supports AI technologies, such as the iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Create Genmoji
In iOS 26, Apple introduced a fun new way to express yourself through Messages called "Genmoji." This feature allows you to combine two or more emoji to create a new, unique emoji. To try it out:
Open the Messages app, tap the emoji button, and then choose Genmoji.
You can write a description of the model you want or directly select two emojis from the list to combine. For example, combining an emoji with a specific element might produce a new image with an expressive face.
Additionally, Apple has enhanced the Image Playground feature to take advantage of emotion-related emoji. You can use an emoji, such as a smiling or sad face, to change the facial expressions of people in the images you create in Image Playground.
Apple has also added integration with ChatGPT to create images with expanded options within Image Playground. These Genmoji and Image Playground features require an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Gaming app experience
iOS 26 brings a new dedicated Games app preinstalled on your iPhone. The Games app gives you access to all the games available on the App Store and Apple Arcade in one place.
Additionally, the app offers new features for interacting with your friends while playing; you can send them invitations or challenge them to achieve the highest score, adding a fun, competitive spirit to the gaming experience.
Customize ringtones and alerts
You can now try new ringtones in iOS 26. Variations of the popular “Reflections” ringtone (when you tap the “Reflections” option in Sound Settings) and a new ringtone called “Little Bird” have been added.
To change your ringtone, open the Settings app, then Sound & Touch, and tap Ringtone to choose your preferred ringtone.
It's also easier to set custom ringtones through the Files app and the Share menu.
To ensure a more restful morning wake-up, you can adjust the snooze duration for your alarm. Apple used to default to 9 minutes, but now you can choose anything between 15 and XNUMX minutes. To adjust this duration, open the Clock app, go to the Alarms tab, select an existing alarm or create a new one, and tap Snooze Duration to choose the appropriate time. This way, you can set your alarm to better fit your daily routine.
Select Safari preferences
iOS 26 also includes changes to Safari to improve the browsing experience. These changes include a "Compact" view for the tab bar, which makes the bar more streamlined by hiding some elements. If you find this view doesn't suit you, you can easily switch back to the traditional top or bottom bar by adjusting the settings in the Safari section of the Settings app.
As we've seen, iOS 26 offers many features and settings that make your iPhone experience more personal and efficient. We highly recommend trying these steps and making the appropriate adjustments to your phone to take advantage of new designs like the Liquid Glass display, intelligent features like Live Translation and Call Filtering, and entertainment updates like Genmoji and the Games app. The more you use these features, the more you'll discover new ways to liven up your device and enhance your daily communications.
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