iPhone users urged to change 5 settings on iOS 18.6 as soon as possible

Daily Record

6 days ago

Changing these settings will make it feel like you have a new phone, according to tech experts.
The new iOS update for iPhone has been officially rolled out as users welcome the new features of iOS 18.6 ahead of iOS 26, which launches next month. But tech experts are urging iPhone owners to change five settings on their devices before the next update to 'feel like you've got a new phone'.
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According to the pros at Cnet, the best features of the new iOS 18 aren't obvious immediately after updating, and users may have to play about with the settings in order to maximise its benefits. Some of these changes can make your home screen look sleek, customised and colourful, and others can help protect your private information from anyone who might get their hands on your phone.
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The experts said: "Apple released iOS 18.6 to address important bug fixes and security updates, so grab it the next chance you get. But while you're updating to keep your iPhone safe, this is a great opportunity to re-evaluate how you're using it. With just a few changes, you can improve your day-to-day iPhone experience and get ready for iOS 26 when it arrives next month."
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Here is their expert advice for making the most out of your iPhone's new features.
5 iPhone settings to change to feel like your phone is brand new
1. Change the default buttons on the lock screen
The most easily-reached buttons on your lock screen are at the bottom corners, and before the new iOS update, these buttons controlled the torch and camera features, with no way of changing them.
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But now, users can choose to either remove them entirely or replace them with more useful controls.
Cnet says: "You can add buttons to recognize music via Shazam, enable Dark Mode, set an alarm/timer, enable Airplane Mode, open your Wallet, send money via Tap to Cash and more."
You can make the changes through the 'customise' button, which appears when you touch and hold your lock screen.
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2. Prioritize your notifications
Perfect for those of us who get screeds of spam texts and emails, a new feature allows Apple to determine which of your notifications are important, and which may be spam or scams.
This is easy to change, just go to Settings > Notifications, and under Apple Intelligence, tap Prioritize Notifications.
The tech experts add: "For example, texts from people in your contacts could be flagged in favour of random scam messages. On that settings screen, you can enable or disable priority notifications for individual apps."
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3. Give your home screen a makeover
Usually, the apps on your home screen are set in a locked grid from top-to-bottom and left-to-right, but users can now arrange the icons wherever they like on the page, without having to set them directly next to each other.
While the apps still adhere to a grid, they can now be placed freely.
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To arrange them, simply touch and hold the home screen to activate 'jiggle mode', and drag the icons as you see fit.
You can also now tint the icons to make them all the same colour.
To do this, the tech pros say: "Customize options at the bottom of the screen, choose Tinted as the icon style. You can then adjust the Hue (the slider with the colour spectrum) and Luminosity (the slider with the dark to light range) to choose the colour tint you prefer."
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You can also make some icons larger than others.
4. Change the look of the Control Centre
While the Control Centre usually holds settings for Flight Mode or Brightness, you can now customise it how you like.
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You can position controls where you want, resize many to reveal more information and add new controls on multiple screens.
Swipe down from the top-right corner to reveal the Control Centre (or swipe up from the bottom on the iPhone SE).
To enter edit mode, touch and hold or press the + button at the top-left corner, and change the features to suit your needs.
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5. Lock or hide any of your sensitive apps
Private apps like online banking or even the notes app can now be hidden or locked on your home screen, so that a password or Face ID is required before entering the application.
Cnet shares how to lock certain apps, saying: "Touch and hold the app icon you want to lock and choose Require Face ID or Require Touch ID (or Require Passcode if Face ID or Touch ID are not enabled) from the menu that appears.
"Confirm your choice by tapping Require Face ID (or similar) in the next dialog."
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