Apple’s software program design strives to be intuitive, however every iteration of iOS comprises so many additions and tweaks that it is simple to overlook some helpful iPhone settings. Apple targeted on artificial intelligence when it unveiled iOS 18 in 2024, however there’s so much below the hood that provides to the regular stream of intriguing customizations and lesser-known options from the previous couple of years. A number of useful settings are turned off by default, and it isn’t instantly apparent how you can swap off some annoying options. We’re right here that will help you get essentially the most out of your Apple telephone.
After you have issues arrange the way in which you need, it’s a breeze to repeat every thing, together with settings, if you switch to a new iPhone. For extra suggestions and proposals, learn our associated guides—Best iPhone, Best iPhone 16 Cases, Best MagSafe Accessories—and our explainers on How to Set Up a New iPhone, How to Back Up Your iPhone, and How to Fix Your iPhone.
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Customise the Management Heart
Screenshots courtesy of Simon Hill
Swipe down from the highest proper of the display screen to open the Management Heart, and also you’ll see it is extra customizable than ever. You possibly can faucet the plus icon on the high left or faucet and maintain on an empty house to open the customization menu. Right here you may transfer icons and widgets round, take away something you don’t need, or faucet Add a Management on the backside for a searchable record of shortcut icons and widgets you may arrange throughout a number of Management Heart screens. You can even customize your home screen with iOS 18 to alter the colour and measurement of app icons, rearrange them, and extra.
Change Your Lock Display screen Buttons
You realize these lock display screen controls that default to flashlight on the underside left and digital camera on the underside proper? You possibly can change them. Press and maintain on an empty house on the lock display screen and faucet Customise, then Lock Display screen. Faucet the minus icon to take away an current shortcut, and faucet the plus icon so as to add a brand new one. You can even change the climate and date widgets, the font and coloration for the time, and choose a wallpaper.
Prolong Display screen Time-Out
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Whereas it’s good to have your display screen day out for battery saving and safety functions, I discover it maddening when the display screen goes off whereas I’m doing one thing. The default display screen time-out is just too quick for my part, however fortunately, you may alter it. Head into Settings, Show & Brightness, and choose Auto-Lock to increase it. You will have a number of choices, together with By no means, which suggests you’ll have to manually push the ability button to show the display screen off.
Flip Off Keyboard Sounds
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The iPhone’s keyboard clicking sound if you kind is extraordinarily aggravating. Belief me, even for those who don’t hate it, everybody in your neighborhood if you kind certain does. You possibly can flip it off in Settings, Sound & Haptics by tapping Keyboard Suggestions and toggling Sound off. I additionally advise toggling off the Lock Sound when you’re in Sound & Haptics.
Go Darkish
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Defend your self from eye-searing glare with dark mode. Go to Settings, choose Show & Brightness, and faucet Darkish. You could want to toggle on Computerized and have it change with the solar setting, however I want to be in Darkish mode on a regular basis.
Change Your Battery Cost Stage
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In the event you’re decided to squeeze as a few years out of your iPhone battery as potential, think about altering the charging restrict. You possibly can maximize your smartphone’s battery health for those who keep away from charging it past 80 p.c. The iPhone’s default is now Optimized Battery Charging, which waits at 80 p.c after which goals to hit one hundred pc when you find yourself able to go within the morning. However there’s a slider you may set to a tough 80 p.c restrict in Settings, below Battery, and Charging.
Set Up the Motion Button
Of us with an iPhone 15 Pro model or any machine within the iPhone 16 range have an Motion Button as an alternative of the previous mute swap. By default, it would silence your iPhone if you press and maintain it, however you may change what it does by going to Settings, then Motion Button. You possibly can swipe by way of varied fundamental choices from Digicam and Flashlight to Visual Intelligence, however choose Shortcuts in order for you it to do one thing extra fascinating. In the event you’re unfamiliar, try our information on How to Use the Apple Shortcuts App.
Flip Off Apple Intelligence
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A lot vaunted however barely underwhelming, Apple Intelligence isn’t fully baked yet, and we are still waiting for an improved Siri. In the event you want to choose out of sure options or choose out utterly, go to Settings, Apple Intelligence & Siri, and faucet on it to toggle Apple Intelligence off. In the event you want to maintain choose options on, you’ll find directions in our How to Turn off Apple Intelligence information.
Conceal Delicate Apps
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Whether or not you’re embarrassed by your Sweet Crush habit or risque images, or maybe you’ve been utilizing the Notes app to plan your accomplice’s birthday celebration, you may disguise them from prying eyes. I am not right here to evaluate. To guard an app, you’ve got two choices: faucet and maintain on the icon and choose Require Face ID, then Require Face ID or Conceal and Require Face ID. The primary choice leaves the app in place, however nobody can entry it with no Face ID examine. In the event you want to cover the app, select the second choice after which Conceal App, and it is going to be obscured inside a Hidden folder on the backside of your App Library that requires a Face ID examine to open.
Cease Movies Autoplaying or Looping
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In the event you discover it irritating that movies routinely play as you scroll by way of the Photographs app, or it bugs you that they loop and repeat as an alternative of stopping on the finish, you may change that conduct. Faucet Settings, Apps, then Photographs, and scroll right down to toggle Auto-Play Movement and Loop Movies off.
Improve Speech in Motion pictures and TV Reveals
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It may be robust to make out the dialog in some TV reveals and films, however Apple has a repair for muffled speech in your iPhone. Whenever you’re taking part in a video, faucet the display screen to convey up the menu and choose the audio icon. You possibly can choose Improve Dialogue and select Improve or Improve Extra to make the voices louder and clearer.
Set Up Do Not Disturb
At an absolute minimal, it is best to shut up your iPhone at night so it doesn’t disturb your sleep, however Apple affords a variety of instruments to automate or schedule downtime that will help you focus. Go to Settings, Focus, and select Do Not Disturb to get began. You possibly can flip off notifications however arrange exceptions in order that particular contacts or apps will get by way of. You can even go to Display screen Time and Downtime to set a particular schedule for every day.
Change Your Default Apps
You don’t have to make use of Safari as your browser or Apple’s Mail app for emails. You possibly can change the default apps in your iPhone by going to Settings, Apps, and Default Apps. You probably have legitimate different apps put in for E mail, Messaging, Browser, and some different classes, you may choose them as an alternative of Apple’s apps.
Hold iCloud Recordsdata Native
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You possibly can select to maintain sure recordsdata that you’ve synced with iCloud saved domestically in your iPhone, which is helpful if you wish to entry them when there’s no web obtainable. Open the Recordsdata app, go to the Browse tab, and select iCloud Drive. You possibly can faucet and maintain on any folder or file and choose Hold Downloaded to make a copy in your iPhone.
Restrict App Permissions
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It’s price reviewing your app permissions and limiting them. There are a couple of routes to do that, however Settings, then Privateness & Safety, is likely to be the best. There’s so much right here, however I counsel taking a look at Location Companies and eradicating or lowering permissions for apps you don’t assume want them. You possibly can toggle off Exact Location for a lot of, since an approximate location is commonly sufficient for them to perform the way in which you need. Different apps to regulate are Contacts and Photographs, as each now provide the choice to permit restricted entry.
By the way in which, if you wish to flip off Background App Refresh to cease apps sucking down knowledge and draining the battery if you aren’t utilizing them, go to Settings, Apps, and select any you don’t must refresh except you open them to toggle it off.
Change Siri’s Voice
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Apple affords an entire vary of voices for Siri now. Go to Settings, select Apple Intelligence & Siri, and faucet Voice to see a listing of variations (American, Australian, British, Indian, Irish, South African) and voices (Irish Voice 2 is my choose). Simply bear in mind that for those who select a brand new one, it could take some time to obtain.
Set a Shortcut for Your E mail Handle
Overlook about typing out your complete e-mail deal with each time. Go to Settings, Basic, and select Keyboard. Faucet Textual content Substitute after which the plus icon on the high proper to arrange textual content shortcuts, corresponding to “eml” to your full e-mail deal with, or “addy” to your mailing deal with. This could additionally work for every other textual content you kind out steadily.
Present Notifications on Lock Display screen
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Apple is all about privateness, however having to unlock your iPhone to see the content material of an incoming message will be annoying. You possibly can change how this works by going to Settings, Notifications, and deciding on Present Previews. It’s set to When Unlocked by default, however you may select All the time or By no means.
Make Some AI Artwork
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In the event you determine to offer AI an opportunity and fancy producing some artwork with AI help, open up the Playground app. You possibly can choose images, themes, costumes, equipment, locations, or kind prompts. Right here’s a full information on how to use Apple’s Image Playground. It is obtainable on Apple units operating iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS Sequoia 15.2.
Scale back Automotive Illness
Do you get nauseous if you use your iPhone as a automotive passenger? Go to Settings, Accessibility, select Movement, then Present Automobile Movement Cues. You possibly can flip it on or off to show dots that assist cut back movement illness, however for those who faucet Computerized, it would activate when it detects you’re within the automotive.
