The Best iOS 26 Features Worth Using

Apple’s newest software update, iOS 26, comes with a lot of useful upgrades. Some of the best features are easy to miss, but they’re worth using. Whether you’ve already updated or are thinking about it, this guide will walk you through the top iOS 26 features that are worth checking out.

From real-time translation to intelligent call screening, these tools can elevate your iPhone experience. Let’s dive into what they are so you know how to find and use them.

1. Call Screening and Hold Assist

With iOS 26, you can get your iPhone to handle unknown calls for you. Call Screening uses AI to ask unknown callers to identify themselves before your phone rings. You’ll see a live transcription so you can decide whether to answer, decline, or block the number. 

How to enable Call Screening:

• Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers > Ask Reason for Calling.

Credits: Apple, Stuff

Hold Assist is another handy addition: it waits on hold for you during support calls and alerts you when a real person joins.

How to use Hold Assist:

• Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Hold Assist Detection.

2. Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Calls

Live translation is now built into everyday communication so you don’t need to switch between apps anymore. Whether you're texting, FaceTiming, or speaking on a call, iOS can automatically detect languages and provide on-screen translations. 

Real-time translation is quite impressive, but currently, it’s limited to English (UK, US), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. 

Credits: Apple

How to use Live Translation:

• In Messages: Open a conversation > Tap on the person’s name > Scroll down and turn on Automatically Translate.

• In Phone/FaceTime: Tap the More button > Live Translate icon during the call.

• Set your preferred languages in Settings > General > Language & Region > Live Translate.

Note: This feature requires Apple Intelligence and is limited to iPhone 15 Pro models and newer ones.

3. Adaptive Power Mode

iOS 26 takes iPhone battery optimisation to the next level. Unlike the traditional Low Power Mode, Adaptive Power learns your usage patterns and automatically optimises background activity and system performance when needed, without sacrificing functionality.

Credits: Jeff Carlson

Adaptive Power Mode is on by default on Apple’s latest iPhone 17 series and the iPhone Air. On all other iOS 26 compatible devices, you need to manually turn it on. 

How to turn on Adaptive Power Mode:

• Go to Settings > Battery > Power Mode.

• Select Adaptive instead of Standard or Low Power.

• Tap “Battery Usage” to see how it’s affecting performance.

4. Visual Intelligence: Interact With What’s on Your Screen

Visual Intelligence is a new AI feature on iOS 26 that lets you interact with anything visible on your iPhone screen. You can now:

• Tap and hold on an image to extract text, search it, or get contextual info

• Ask Siri to summarise or explain a screenshot

• Create calendar events or reminders based on what's shown on-screen

This is part of Apple’s new Apple Intelligence suite, bringing smart, contextual features without sharing your data to the cloud.

Credits: MacRumors

How to use it:

• Take a screenshot > Tap the preview > Select the "Ask" or “Info” icon.

• Or just long-press on text/images in Safari, Messages, and Notes.

• You can also say, “Siri, what’s on my screen?”.

Note: You’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer to use Visual Intelligence. 

5. Messaging Upgrades: Polls, Backgrounds, and Smart Filters

Messages gets a significant upgrade in iOS 26, making group chats a lot more interactive. Here's what's new:

• Polls: Easily create a poll in any conversation.

• Custom Chat Backgrounds: Set unique backgrounds per conversation, or use AI-generated ones.

• Unknown Sender Filtering: Messages from unknown numbers are auto-sorted into a separate tab and silenced until approved.

Credits: iDB

How to use it:

• For polls: Open Messages > Tap "+" > Select Poll.

• For chat backgrounds: Open Messages > Tap contact or group icon > Tap Background.

• For filtering: Go Messages > Tap on the three lines in the top right corner > Turn on Screen Unknown Senders.
  

iOS 26 reflects Apple’s continued shift toward personalised software powered by Apple Intelligence. Features like adaptive battery management, live translation, and screen-aware AI work quietly in the background or require user activation, which means they’re easy to miss, but incredibly valuable once discovered. As Apple continues to integrate AI-driven features into its ecosystem, iOS 26 sets the foundation for a more responsive and intuitive iPhone experience going forward.