- iOS 26 has arrived with a massive selection of new features for iPhones
- Some of the most interesting updates flew under the radar
- These are five of the best iOS 26 features you might have missed
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) saw the company announce a massive array of new features in iOS 26. But aside from all the best iOS 26 features that were highlighted, there are plenty more that flew under the radar.
Here, we’ve picked out five of our favorite new iOS additions that you might not have spotted at WWDC. Each one will bring exciting new capabilities to your iPhone, so they’re well worth a look – and if you install the iOS 26 beta you’ll be able to give them a try.
1. Battery boosts
Looking after your iPhone’s battery is vitally important for ensuring it chugs along for as long as possible. The good news is that just a few small tweaks here and there can make a big difference, and iOS 26 will help you do exactly that.
Apple’s software update comes with a bunch of handy features that are all dedicated to preserving and extending your battery life. For instance, there’s a new Adaptive Power option in your iPhone battery settings, the purpose of which is to intelligently make small changes that can prevent your battery from draining too quickly. That includes lowering your screen brightness and permitting some tasks to “take a little longer,” according to Apple. It’ll also enable Low Power Mode when your battery hits 20%.
Elsewhere, the battery section of the Settings app now comes with much more in-depth information, including how much usage time you’ve got left based on your current charge level, a more detailed breakdown of which apps are using significant battery power, and more. And when you’re charging up your phone, you’ll now see roughly how long you’ve got to wait until you hit 100%.
2. Message filtering
If you’re sick of sifting through a barrage of spam texts, there’s some good news in iOS 26: Apple is bringing message filtering to your phone. This can be found in the updated Messages app.
Now, messages from unknown senders are automatically filtered out of your inbox and stored in a separate area. These texts cannot make it into your inbox until you approve their senders.
You can allow time-sensitive messages through – for instance, tracking alerts for parcels or food delivery updates. There are different categories for filtered messages, including personal messages from businesses, transactions, promotions and more. Each group can be toggled individually.
3. Background sounds
Background sounds have featured on iPhones for a little while now, but the number and type of sounds has been expanded in iOS 26. There are now options for rain on rooftops, airplanes, crackling fire, quiet nights, and more.
These can provide a soothing ambient environment to help you work, sleep or concentrate. You can enable them in the Settings app, or add them to your Control Center for easy access.
4. Dirty lens reminders
The more you use your iPhone, the greater the chances of you accidentally smudging its camera lenses – given that they’re such large protrusions on the back of your phone, they’re pretty hard to avoid.
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But greasy fingerprints can ruin your photos in subtle ways that you might not even notice until the moment has long since passed.
To avoid this scenario, iOS 26 can alert you when it thinks your lenses have been dirtied up, and let you know it’s time to give them a gentle clean.
5. Improved flight features
Whether you’re a frequent flyer or someone who just takes the occasional airline trip, you can benefit from iOS 26’s boarding pass upgrade. This makes it much easier to get your passes ready and track flights in real time.
While you could previously store boarding passes in Apple’s Wallet app, this update now brings even more functionality to your iPhone. You’ll be able to see Apple Maps directions to get you to the right terminal, track your luggage with the Find My app, and more.
There’s also a new Live Activity that displays relevant flight-tracking info, such as arrival terminal, baggage claim number, flight progress, plus other helpful details. This was previously available in apps like Flighty, but it’s the first time Apple has offered it as a native iOS feature.
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