Transform Your iPhone: iOS 26 Features You Didn’t Know Existed

Apple's iOS 26, which was launched in September, brings a lot of changes for iPhones, among them the option to customize the lock screen more freely than before, new ringtones and call screening. The update is a continuation of the previous changes brought by iOS 18, and it gives users more power over the way their devices communicate with them.

One of the biggest changes in iOS 26 is letting the users enlarge the lock screen clock. Users can make the clock so huge that it takes up almost a third of the display of the iPhone 16 Pro. This way, it will be very easy to tell the time even when the phone is placed on a table or held.

To do that, users must:

First, open Settings and choose Wallpaper.

Then, tap Customize under the desired lock screen.

Finally, drag the clock icon at the bottom right corner to resize it.

Users can pick between Glass or Solid styles and modify the clock's color and width. Right now, changing the font is limited to the default left-aligned option, but it is possible that more fonts will be available in future updates.

With iOS 26, the users have the ability to change the position of the widget dock on the lock screen. They can now place the dock at the lower part of the screen, right above the control buttons.

To move widgets:

Go to Settings > Wallpaper > Customize for the lock screen selected.

Drag the dock down to the bottom.

If using an enlarged clock, the dock automatically moves to the bottom of the screen and cannot be adjusted to other positions.

The new spatial scene effect for lock screen wallpapers is one of the great advantages of iOS 26. It makes photos look like they have been given a 3D depth effect and it shifts according to the movement of the device thereby creating a feeling of reality.

To achieve that effect:

Go through the path Settings > Wallpaper > Personalize.

Hit the hexagon symbol at the bottom-right.

This function is solely for user pictures and does not include wallpapers such as Weather or Emoji collections provided by Apple.

The lock screen control has been slightly changed too. iOS 26 will by default treat these buttons with color accents. The user can add or customize the controls to be more conspicuous and to his/her liking.

Apple is still in the process of making the lock screen design to be totally under user control. To get more personal, iOS 26 has clock resizing, widget repositioning and 3D wallpaper effects. There could be more developments on these tools in next updates that will give people even more freedom.

Besides, for the people who want more, iOS 26 also includes the AI-powered battery management, call and text screening, and a plethora of new ringtones. Detailed instructions are provided to help users configure these settings for easier access and better usability.