25 Key iPhone Settings to Change (2025) Leave a comment

Apple’s software program design strives to be intuitive, however every iteration of iOS accommodates so many additions and tweaks that it is easy to overlook some helpful iPhone settings. Apple targeted on synthetic intelligence when it unveiled iOS 18 in 2024 and adopted it with Liquid Glass in iOS 26 (the identify is now tied to the next 12 months), however many intriguing customizations and lesser-known options lurk beneath the floor. A number of useful settings are turned off by default, and it is not 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.

Upon getting issues arrange the way in which you need, it’s a breeze to repeat all the pieces, together with settings, if you swap to a brand new iPhone. For extra ideas and suggestions, learn our associated Apple guides—just like the Finest iPhone, Finest iPhone 16 Instances, Finest MagSafe Equipment—and our explainers on Easy methods to Set Up a New iPhone, Easy methods to Again Up Your iPhone, and Easy methods to Repair Your iPhone.

Up to date September 2025: We’ve added just a few new iPhone ideas and up to date this information for iOS 26.

Allow Name Screening

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Make cold-calling pests a factor of the previous with Apple’s new Name Screening function. Go to Settings, Apps, and choose Telephone, then scroll right down to Display screen Unknown Callers and choose Ask Motive for Calling. Now, your iPhone will robotically reply calls from unknown callers within the background with out alerting you. After the caller offers a motive for his or her name, your telephone will ring, and you can see the response onscreen so you possibly can determine whether or not to reply. You must also ensure that Maintain Help Detection is toggled on, so your iPhone detects when you’re positioned on maintain, permitting you to step away, then alerting you when the decision has been picked up by a human.

Activate RCS

The texting expertise with Android homeowners (inexperienced bubbles) acquired critically upgraded final 12 months when Apple determined to lastly assist the RCS messaging customary (wealthy communication companies). RCS has been round for a number of years on Android, and permits for a modernized texting expertise with options like typing indicators, higher-quality images and movies, and skim receipts. Group chats should be wonky, however they’re nonetheless a major enchancment. Nonetheless, on a brand new iPhone, RCS is disabled by default (naturally).

Be sure you flip it on for the very best messaging expertise. Head to Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging and toggle it on.

Customise the Management Middle

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Swipe down from the highest proper of the display to open the Management Middle, and also you’ll see it is extra customizable than ever. You’ll be able to faucet the plus icon on the high left or faucet and maintain on an empty area to open the customization menu. Right here you possibly can transfer icons and widgets round, take away something you don’t need, or faucet Add a Management on the backside for a searchable checklist of shortcut icons and widgets you possibly can arrange throughout a number of Management Middle screens. You may as well customise your private home display to vary the colour and measurement of app icons, rearrange them, and extra.

Change Your Lock Display screen Buttons

these lock display controls that default to flashlight on the underside left and digicam on the underside proper? You’ll be able to change them. Press and maintain on an empty area on the lock display and faucet Customise. Faucet the minus icon to take away an present shortcut, and faucet the plus icon so as to add a brand new one. You may as well change the climate and date widgets, the font and coloration for the time, and choose a wallpaper. One of many clocks will even stretch to adapt to your wallpaper.

Prolong Display screen Time-Out

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Whereas it’s good to have your display timeout for battery saving and safety functions, I discover it maddening when the display goes off whereas I’m doing one thing. The default display timeout is simply too quick for my part, however fortunately, you possibly can regulate it. Head into Settings, Show & Brightness, and choose Auto-Lock to increase it. You’ve got a number of choices, together with By no means, which suggests you’ll have to manually push the facility button to show the display 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’ll be able to flip it off in Settings, Sounds & 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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Shield your self from eye-searing glare with darkish mode. Go to Settings, choose Show & Brightness, and faucet Darkish. It’s possible you’ll 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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For those who’re decided to squeeze as a few years out of your iPhone battery as attainable, think about altering the charging restrict. You’ll be able to maximize your smartphone’s battery well being for those who keep away from charging it past 80 %. The iPhone’s default is now Optimized Battery Charging, which waits at 80 % after which goals to hit one hundred pc when you’re able to go within the morning. However there’s a slider you possibly can set to a tough 80 % restrict in Settings, underneath Battery, and Charging. If it bugs you, that is additionally the place you possibly can flip Optimized Battery Charging off.

Flip On Adaptive Energy Mode

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For those who get nervous about operating out of battery, go to Settings, Battery, and scroll down to pick out Energy Mode, the place you possibly can toggle on Adaptive Energy. This mode will detect when you’re utilizing extra battery life than regular and make little tweaks, like reducing show brightness or limiting efficiency, to attempt to get you thru to the top of the day.

Set Up the Motion Button

Of us with an iPhone 15 Professional mannequin, any iPhone 16 mannequin, or any iPhone 17 have an Motion Button as a substitute of the previous mute swap. By default, it should silence your iPhone if you press and maintain it, however you possibly can change what it does by going to Settings, then Motion Button. You’ll be able to swipe via varied fundamental choices from Digicam and Flashlight to Visible Intelligence, however choose Shortcuts in order for you it to do one thing extra fascinating. For those who’re unfamiliar, try our information on Easy methods to Use the Apple Shortcuts App.

Customise Digicam Management

{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu

The iPhone 16 collection debuted Digicam Management, a bodily button that sits under the facility button and triggers the digicam with a single press. Once you’re within the digicam app, urgent it should seize a photograph, and a long-press will report a video. Urgent and holding Digicam Management exterior of the digicam app triggers Apple’s Visible Intelligence function (form of like Google Lens). However what I discover most annoying is Digicam Management’s second layer of controls: swiping. You’ll be able to swipe on the button within the digicam app to slip between pictures kinds, zoom ranges, or lenses. It is neat in principle, however approach too delicate.