These Hidden iOS 26 Features Changed How I Use My iPhone Every Day
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iOS 26 will be one of the biggest iOS updates in years, including the new Liquid Glass UI design. But beyond the look and feel of the interface, the update introduces numerous smaller but thoughtful features and tweaks to improve your iPhone, some of which can be easily overlooked or hidden.
Presently, iOS 26 is available as a beta for public testers and developers. It's on the seventh developer beta and fourth public release, meaning the final update is almost upon us. The definitive update should be out in the coming weeks, aligning with the iPhone 17 launch.
We've listed all the small but noteworthy enhancements in the beta releases that you can expect to arrive on your iPhone.
Adaptive Power Notifications
The Adaptive Power mode is one of the major AI-powered tools that debuted with iOS 26. Basically, it's a smarter version of the low power or battery saver mode. The AI reads your iPhone's battery level and usage and enables the feature when necessary, such as when too much power is being drawn. Otherwise, it turns on the mode automatically when your battery hits 20%, and all of this happens in the background without you even being notified.
In the latest beta, a toggle for Adaptive Power Notifications has been quietly added, which is linked to when Adaptive Power is enabled. When turned on, users will be notified that the mode is enabled, which is one way to help keep you in the loop, so, you can apply any necessary adjustments.
Adaptive Power is powered by Apple Intelligence, so it's available to the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) and later models.
Wi-Fi Icon Security in Control Center
There's also a subtle but useful enhancement to Wi-Fi security. When you tap and hold the Wi-Fi button in the Control Center, it will now show a list of available Wi-Fi networks with a security icon for password-protected networks. The networks without the security icon are usually open and less secure. This prevents users from connecting to unsecured networks.
Lens Cleaning Alert
Another small but meaningful addition in iOS 26 is Lens Cleaning Hints. This uses AI to detect smudges or dirt on your iPhone's camera lens and alerts the user with a cleaning recommendation.
The setting is enabled by default in the camera settings in the beta stage, so there's a chance it will be the same in the final update.
Faster Passkey Creation for Websites
A less-noticed but crucial security tool added in iOS 26 is the "Allow Contacting Websites" toggle in Safari. It is turned on by default to check websites that support passkeys and offer migration. It will also suggest stronger password creation and alert users about compromised credentials.
Call Screening Options
Call Screening is one of the standout security protections in iOS 26 announced by Apple during WWDC. It's powered by Apple Intelligence to protect you from unwanted and malicious callers like spam and scams, sending you a transcript before you can answer.
In the beta version, Apple enhanced it with new call screening options. Inside the Phone app settings, you can choose from the options of Ask Reasoning for Call, Silence, and Never. The first option prompts callers to state their name and reason before a transcript is sent. The Silence option automatically sends the filtered calls to voicemail without ringing, while Never allows flagged calls to go through.
Blood Oxygen Feature
Users with a U.S. variant of the Apple Watch and who reside in the States are getting the Blood Oxygen tracking feature back. Apple removed the feature from the Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2, and Watch Series 10, and only re-enabled it with the recent iOS 26 Beta and iOS 18 update.
The function has been redesigned. The Apple Watch will monitor and measure the blood oxygen saturation level while users can view them on the paired iPhone. This does not affect non-U.S. Apple Watch models and those sold in other countries.
Fresh Wallpapers and Ringtones
There are also a new set of wallpapers debuting with iOS 26. These are already added in one of the beta installments. Users will have original wallpapers like Sky, Halo, Shadow, and Dusk that support a dynamic color shift.
At the same time, there is a new "Little Bird" ringtone and six variants of "Reflections" ringtones added.
Have you discovered other smaller but important features and changes in iOS 26? Share your answers in the comments.
