Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you\u2019ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide \u2014 free when you join my\u00a0CyberGuy.com\/Newsletter<\/p>\n
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Updating to iOS 26 takes just a few minutes of time. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/p>\n
How to update your iPhone to iOS 26<\/p>\n
Updating to iOS 26 takes just a few minutes, and it ensures you get the latest features and security fixes. Make sure your iPhone is charged and connected to Wi-Fi before you start.<\/p>\n
Follow these steps:<\/p>\n
Open the\u00a0Settings app on your iPhone.Tap\u00a0General.Select\u00a0Software Update.If iOS 26 is available, tap Upgrade to iOS 26.Click\u00a0Update Now.Enter your\u00a0passcode if asked, then agree to the terms.Wait for the\u00a0download and installation to finish. Your iPhone will restart with iOS 26. ![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Your phone will restart with the new update after following the process. <\/p>\n
iOS 26 compatible devices:<\/a><\/p>\n iOS 26 works on a wide range of iPhones, from the iPhone 11 series through the latest iPhone 17 lineup. Compatible models include:<\/p>\n iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).<\/p>\n 1) Smarter spam message detection<\/p>\n Spam texts<\/a> arrive at the worst times. iOS 26 filters these unwanted messages into a separate folder, keeping your main inbox clean. \u00a0 Here’s how to use this feature:<\/p>\n Open the\u00a0Messages\u00a0app.Click the\u00a0horizontal lines in the upper right of the screenGo to the\u00a0Unknown Senders folder.Review texts moved there automatically.Click the\u00a0right arrow and\u00a0mark as known or delete the spam.<\/p>\n You can check the “Unknown Senders” folder anytime, mark trusted contacts, or delete the clutter without ever being disturbed by lock screen notifications.<\/p>\n Users are also able to instantly share location via Maps.\u00a0 <\/p>\n 2) Instantly share your location in Maps<\/p>\n iOS 26 makes it simple to send your location without even opening the Maps app. Here’s how:<\/p>\n Touch and hold the\u00a0Maps icon on your Home Screen.Tap\u00a0Send My Location.From there, you can choose how to share it.\u00a0AirDrop works best if the person is nearby, while\u00a0Messages lets you send it instantly to friends or family anywhere.<\/p>\n This shortcut removes the hassle of digging through menus and makes sharing directions effortless. The new update also allows users to sort and view call history by contact. <\/p>\n 3) View call history by contact<\/p>\n No more endless scrolling. Now you can quickly see every incoming, outgoing, and missed call in one organized list.<\/p>\n Open the\u00a0Phone app.Click the\u00a0search icon.Type the\u00a0contact’s name and click the\u00a0search icon.\u00a0Select the\u00a0contact’s name. New updates make it easier to view all calls with one person at a glance. <\/p>\n Select\u00a0Call History<\/a>There you will see all\u00a0calls associated with that person.<\/p>\n This makes it easy to check all your calls with one person at a glance, without scrolling through your entire log.<\/p>\n Specific text can also now be selected in a text message. <\/p>\n Sign up to get more of my Tech Tips in my FREE CyberGuy Report. Sign up for free here: 4) Select specific text in a message<\/p>\n Sometimes you only need one detail instead of the entire message bubble. Here’s how to grab it:<\/p>\n Open the Messages app.Long-press the message you want.Tap\u00a0Select from the menu.Drag the\u00a0selection handles to highlight just the part you need.Click the\u00a0right arrow > to choose to\u00a0copy, look up, translate,\u00a0search web,\u00a0speak or share it instantly.<\/p>\n It’s a quick way to pull out only the detail you need, whether that’s an address, a code, or just a single word.<\/p>\n The new update permits users to disable “tap recents to call.”\u00a0 <\/p>\n 5) Disable “Tap Recents to Call”<\/p>\n Accidental calls can be embarrassing. iOS 26 lets you turn this off, so tapping a number in Recents won’t instantly dial; you’ll have to press the call button on purpose. Here’s how to toggle off or disable the feature:<\/p>\n Open\u00a0Settings.Scroll down and tap\u00a0Apps.Choose\u00a0Phone.Toggle off\u00a0Tap Recents to Call.<\/p>\n Now your call log stays drama-free. Tapping a number in Recents won’t instantly start a call anymore. You’ll need to press the call button on purpose. That means no more accidentally ringing your boss when you just wanted to double-check the number.<\/p>\n EVEN WITH TRUMP’S TARIFF BLESSING, APPLE HIKES IPHONE PRICES<\/a><\/p>\n The above illustration features steps to disable “Tap Recents to Call” in the Settings App. <\/p>\n 6) Customize alarm snooze options<\/p>\n Not a fan of the default 9-minute snooze? iOS 26 lets you set the interval that actually matches your morning routine. Follow these steps to adjust it:<\/p>\n Open the\u00a0Clock app.Tap the\u00a0Alarms tab.Select an existing alarm (or tap\u00a0+ to create one).Tap\u00a0Snooze\u00a0Duration.\u00a0Choose your snooze time\u00a0from 1 to 15 minutes.Tap\u00a0Save.<\/p>\n Your mornings become more manageable, whether you’re grabbing a quick 5-minute reset or easing into the day with a longer break.<\/p>\n The above illustration shows steps to customize alarm snooze options in Clock App. <\/p>\n 7) Get a dirty lens warning<\/p>\n Nothing ruins a photo faster than a smudged lens. With iOS 26, you can turn on\u00a0Lens Cleaning Hints, so your iPhone warns you before you take a blurry shot. Here’s how:<\/p>\n Open\u00a0Settings.Scroll down and tap\u00a0Camera.Find\u00a0Lens Cleaning Hints.Toggle the switch\u00a0on.<\/p>\n Now, when your camera detects smudges or haze, iOS 26 will display an on-screen hint in the Camera app, reminding you to\u00a0“clean the camera lens” before taking your shot.<\/p>\n Here are steps to get a dirty lens warning in Settings App. <\/p>\n 8) See estimated charging time<\/p>\n Ever wonder how long it will take to fully charge your iPhone? iOS 26 now shows you an estimated charging time so you can plan your day better. Here’s how to view it:<\/p>\n Plug your\u00a0iPhone into a charger.Wake your phone, and the\u00a0Lock Screen will display the estimated time until fully charged.For more details, open\u00a0Settings.Tap\u00a0Battery.Look for the\u00a0Estimated Full Charge Time under the charging status.<\/p>\n This makes it easy to tell whether you’ll be at 100% before leaving the house or if you should pack a charger for later.<\/p>\n This makes it easy to tell whether you’ll be at 100% before leaving the house or if you should pack a backup charger. <\/p>\n 9) Make the clock on your Lock Screen bigger<\/p>\n Want your time display to stand out more? iOS 26 lets you adjust the size of the clock on your Lock Screen for a bolder look. Here’s how:<\/p>\n Long-press on your Lock Screen.Tap\u00a0Customize at the bottom.Use the\u00a0pull handle on the bottom right to adjust the size.Tap\u00a0Done to save your changes.<\/p>\n On certain wallpapers, the clock even has a depth effect, slipping behind the subject in your photo. With Photo Shuffle wallpapers, the clock can adjust dynamically, and it also stretches in areas like the Notification Center, giving your iPhone a fresh and lively feel.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n Users can also modify their clock appearance. <\/p>\n 10) Create a poll in iMessage<\/p>\n Can’t decide what color to paint your walls, where to eat, or which movie to watch? iOS 26 lets you create quick polls right inside group chats so everyone can vote. Here’s how:<\/p>\n Open the\u00a0Messages app.Enter a\u00a0conversation (this works in group chats or individual messages).Tap the + button next to the text box.From the pop-up menu, select\u00a0Polls.Tap each choice field and type your options (add more choices by typing into the next blank field).When you’re done, tap\u00a0Send\u00a0(Up arrow).<\/p>\n Now your friends or coworkers can vote directly in the chat, and you can decide whether to follow the results or just order what you were craving anyway.<\/p>\n Users can also now create a polls for others in iMessage. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)<\/p>\n Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?<\/p>\n Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you\u2019ll get a personalized breakdown of what you\u2019re doing right \u2014 and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here:\u00a0Cyberguy.com\/Quiz<\/p>\n Kurt’s key takeaways<\/p>\n iOS 26 goes beyond security patches; it’s about convenience and personalization. You can finally adjust your snooze to match your mornings, keep your inbox free from spam, see how long charging will take, and even get a heads-up if your camera lens is dirty before snapping a shot. These small but meaningful updates add up to a smoother iPhone experience.<\/p>\n Which iOS 26 feature are you most excited to try first: polls in iMessage, spam filters, or something else entirely? Let us know by writing to us at\u00a0CyberGuy.com\/Contact<\/p>\n Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.\u00a0 All rights reserved.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt\u2019s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! iOS 26 has arrived, bringing a mix of practical upgrades…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185443,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[517,8543,109060,4536,165,65235,172,74],"class_list":{"0":"post-185442","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-apple","9":"tag-apps","10":"tag-how-to-tech","11":"tag-iphone","12":"tag-mobile","13":"tag-personal-tech","14":"tag-tech","15":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/4-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/6-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
CYBERGUY.COM\/NEWSLETTER\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/7-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/8-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/9-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/10-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/11-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/12-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/13-10-ios-26-tricks-that-help-you-get-more-out-of-your-iphone.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you\u2019ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide \u2014 free when you join my\u00a0CYBERGUY.COM\/NEWSLETTER<\/p>\n