With the recent announcement of iOS 26, we got a sneak peek at what’s coming to our iPhones when Apple releases this major update for everyone in the fall.
While most of the focus since the beta’s release has been on the liquid glass design and other big features, the update also introduces a bunch of small and more meaningful and quality-of-life changes to iOS that will help you in your day-to-day life.
1. Call Screening
In iOS 26, iPhone will help users better manage unwanted calls with the new Call Screening feature. With this feature, iOS will automatically answer unknown callers without interrupting you.
Once the caller shares their name and reason for calling, your iPhone will ring and show you this info. You can then decide whether to pick up or ignore the call.
2. Clock Snooze Customization
One change that every iPhone user will appreciate is the ability to customize the snooze duration in the Clock app’s Alarm section.
Previously, the snooze was stuck at 9 minutes with no option to adjust. But starting with iOS 26, you’ll be able to select a custom snooze time, from as short as 1 minute to as long as 15 minutes. You can set this when creating a new alarm or edit it anytime later.
So, if you’ve been using third-party alarm apps just to get a custom snooze, you can finally switch back to the built-in Clock app.
3. Password Change History
iOS 26 adds a super handy feature to the Passwords app: Password History.
Now, the app will keep track of your old passwords and show them right inside the app. If you’ve changed a password for a website or app, you’ll see a ‘View History’ button that reveals previous passwords along with the dates they were changed.
This is great for those moments when you forget what your last password was or accidentally overwrite an old one.
4. Live Translation
Live Translation is another cool addition that will make your iPhone even more useful in day-to-day communication. Powered by Apple Intelligence, this feature will automatically translate messages, display live translated captions during FaceTime calls, and even give you spoken translations for phone conversations.
This is going to completely change the way you interact with people who speak different languages.
5. Hold Assist
The new Hold Assist feature in the Phone app is a total game-changer.
With this feature, your iPhone can hold your place in line when you’re calling a customer support number. It monitors the call for you and sends a notification when a real person is ready to talk—no more listening to hold music or waiting with your phone glued to your ear.
This means you can go about your day while your iPhone keeps your spot for you. Super convenient!
So these are some of our favorite underrated features of iOS 26 so far. Did we miss an underrated feature that you are excited about? Share those with us in the comments below.
