Turn an App Into a Widget

Apple introduced interactive widgets with iOS 14, but many users still rely on static app icons. With iOS 26, turning any app icon into a live widget is even easier. Simply long-press an app icon on the Home Screen, and a small menu appears. At the top, you'll see several squares representing widget sizes — small, medium, and large. Tapping one instantly converts the icon into a widget that displays dynamic information like weather, calendar events, or news headlines. This feature works with any app that offers a widget, including third-party apps like Spotify and Todoist. If you want to revert back to a standard icon, long-press again and tap the icon with four squares in the top-left corner. This flexibility lets you personalize your Home Screen without digging into the widget gallery, saving you a few taps every time you need information at a glance.

See Where You've Been

The Maps app on iOS 26 includes a detailed location history feature that goes beyond simple navigation. To access it, open Maps, tap your profile icon (or initials), select "Places," then tap "Visited Places." Here, you'll find a timeline of locations you've visited, organized by category like Shopping, Leisure, or Food & Drink, and grouped by city. This can be a lifesaver when trying to recall the name of that great restaurant you stumbled upon during a weekend trip. You can scroll through days, weeks, or months back. If privacy is a concern, you can delete your entire history by scrolling to the bottom of the Visited Places screen and tapping "Clear History." To control how long Apple keeps this data, go to Settings > Maps > Location > Visited Places and choose a retention period (e.g., 30 days, 90 days, or forever). If you'd rather not have this history recorded at all, toggle off "Visited Places" entirely. This transparency gives users control over their digital footprint while still benefiting from personalized map suggestions.

Set Custom Vibrations

Most iPhone owners know they can assign unique ringtones or text tones to contacts, but custom vibration patterns fly under the radar. If you keep your phone on silent — as many do in meetings, at night, or in public — distinct vibrations can tell you who's texting without looking at the screen. To set one up, open the Contacts app, select a person, and tap "Edit" in the top-right corner. Next, tap "Text Tone" or "Ringtone." On the sound selection screen, tap "Haptics" to see pre-made patterns like "Sonic," "Alert," or "Heartbeat." But for a truly personal touch, scroll down and tap "Create New Vibration." You'll see a blank canvas; tap or press the screen to create a rhythm. For example, a short tap followed by two quick taps can signal urgent messages from a family member. Once you've recorded up to 20 seconds, tap "Stop," give it a name, and save. The vibration pattern will then play whenever that specific contact calls or texts, even in silent mode. This is especially useful for separating work and personal notifications without needing a smartwatch.

Customize Your Lock Screen Buttons

Since iOS 16, the Lock Screen has allowed widgets and customization, but many users still have the default flashlight and camera shortcuts at the bottom. With iOS 26, you can replace those two icons with any Control Center toggle — even ones from third-party apps. For instance, you could set the left button to open the Notes app and the right button to activate a smart home scene. To customize, long-press on your Lock Screen to enter edit mode. Tap "Customize" if you're editing your current wallpaper, or the plus button to create a new Lock Screen. Then tap the minus sign on the existing icons (left or right side) to remove them, and tap the plus sign to choose a new control from the list. The list includes system shortcuts like Calculator, Apple TV Remote, or Translate, as well as any third-party app that supports Control Center integration, such as Shazam or a specific smart light. This eliminates the need to unlock your phone and swipe into Control Center for common actions, saving you time and keeping your home screen cleaner.

Back Tap Gestures

Back Tap is one of the most versatile accessibility features, yet it remains largely undiscovered. It lets you assign actions to double- or triple-taps on the back of your iPhone (just below the camera bump). The feature uses the device's accelerometer and gyroscope to detect taps, so it works through most cases. To set it up, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. You'll see options for Double Tap and Triple Tap. Tap each to select an action from a long list: screenshot, lock screen, volume up/down, flashlight, control center, or even run a custom Shortcut. For example, you could set a double-tap to take a screenshot and a triple-tap to open the camera. Since iOS 26, Back Tap can also trigger actions in specific apps using Shortcuts automation — like logging a mood in a journal or adding a task to a to-do list. The sensitivity is adjustable, but the default works well for most users. This is especially handy when holding your phone one-handed; you can quickly access features without stretching your thumb to the top of the screen.

Screenshot a Webpage

Taking a screenshot usually captures only what's on the screen, but iOS 26 includes a hidden full-page capture mode for web pages, PDFs, and long emails. After you take a screenshot (side button + volume up), tap the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-left corner (if you've disabled the floating preview, you need to enable it in Settings > Screenshots). At the top of the editing interface, you'll see two tabs: "Screen" and "Full Page." Tap "Full Page" to see a scrolling preview of the entire webpage or document. You can then crop it by dragging the handles, or tap "Done" to save it as a PDF. The PDF is automatically saved to the Files app in a "Screenshots" folder by default, but you can choose a different location. This is far more efficient than taking multiple screenshots and stitching them together. Additionally, if you use Markup tools, you can annotate the full page before saving — ideal for archiving a recipe, an article, or a receipt.

Hide Apps

If your Home Screen feels cluttered or you have apps you'd rather not display publicly, iOS 26 offers two ways to hide them. For individual apps, long-press the app icon and tap "Require Face ID" (or Touch ID on older models). This hides the app from your Home Screen and moves it to a hidden folder in the App Library. To access it later, you'll need to authenticate with Face ID or your passcode. For a whole page of apps, long-press an empty area of the Home Screen to enter jiggle mode. Tap the page dots at the bottom, then deselect any page you want to hide. The apps on that page remain installed and accessible via Spotlight Search and App Library categories. However, they won't appear in the hidden folder — they are simply not shown on any Home Screen page. To unhide, repeat the process and tap the checkbox again. This flexibility lets you maintain a minimalist Home Screen without deleting apps, and it's great for keeping social media or utility apps out of sight when you need to focus.

Quick Set a Timer

Instead of opening the Clock app and fiddling with the timer wheel, iOS 26 lets you set a timer instantly from Control Center. First, make sure the Timer control is added: open Settings, go to Control Center, tap the green plus next to Timer. Now, when you open Control Center (swipe down from the top-right on Face ID models), you'll see a timer icon. Long-press it, and a slider appears with preset durations ranging from 1 minute to 2 hours. Simply swipe to your desired time (e.g., 10 minutes for a nap or 45 minutes for a workout), then tap "Start." The slider snaps to round increments, but you can also tap the numeric display to type a custom time. This method saves at least three taps compared to the traditional route. Additionally, if you need to stop the timer early, you can long-press again and tap "Cancel" or simply tap the timer notification on the Lock Screen. For power users, you can even create a Shortcut automation that starts the timer when you enter a certain location or start a specific app.

Remove Photos Location Data

When sharing photos, you might not want recipients to see where the picture was taken. iOS 26 makes it easy to strip location metadata before sending. In the Photos app, open any image and swipe up to reveal the Info panel. Under the map thumbnail, tap "Adjust Location." A search and list of recent locations appears; tap "No Location" at the top to remove the GPS coordinates entirely. Alternatively, when you tap the Share button (the square with an arrow), a share sheet opens. Tap "Options" at the top of the sheet, then toggle off "Location." This applies only to that specific share action — the original file retains its metadata. You can also choose to remove other metadata like photo date and caption from the same options panel. This is crucial for privacy, especially when posting to social media or sending images to acquaintances. The change is non-destructive and reversible for your original file only if you haven't saved the adjusted version.

Use a Timer to Turn Off Media

Falling asleep to music, podcasts, or audiobooks is common, but leaving them playing all night drains battery and disturbs sleep. iOS 26's Clock app has a built-in "Stop Playing" feature for the timer. Open the Clock app, tap the Timers tab, and set the desired duration (e.g., 30 minutes). Then tap "When Timer Ends" — at the bottom of the tone list, you'll see "Stop Playing." Select that, then tap "Start." When the timer expires, your media (from any app — Apple Music, Spotify, Overcast, etc.) will pause immediately. The timer still counts down normally, but instead of playing an alarm sound, it stops playback. This works great for winding down at night, and you can easily adjust the duration via Control Center if you added the Timer control as described in the previous tip. Note that this does not stop video playback on apps like YouTube (it only affects audio), but it works perfectly for podcasts, music, and sleep sounds. You can also combine it with a Shortcut that runs when the timer ends, such as turning on a smart light or enabling Do Not Disturb.

Source: MacRumors News