20 Key iPhone Settings to Change (2025)

Apple’s software program design strives to be intuitive, however every iteration of iOS comprises so many additions and tweaks that it is easy to overlook some helpful iPhone settings. Apple centered on artificial intelligence when it unveiled iOS 18 in 2024, however there’s quite a bit underneath the hood that provides to the regular stream of intriguing customizations and lesser-known options from the previous couple of years. A number of useful settings are turned off by default, and it is not instantly apparent change off some annoying options. We’re right here that will help you get probably the most out of your Apple cellphone.

After getting issues arrange the best way you need, it’s a breeze to repeat every part, together with settings, whenever you switch to a new iPhone. For extra ideas and suggestions, learn our associated guides—Best iPhone, Best iPhone 16 Cases, Best MagSafe Accessories—and our explainers on How to Set Up a New iPhone, How to Back Up Your iPhone, and How to Fix Your iPhone.

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Customise the Management Middle

Swipe down from the highest proper of the display to open the Management Middle, and also you’ll see it is extra customizable than ever. You possibly can faucet the plus icon on the high left or faucet and maintain on an empty house to open the customization menu. Right here you may transfer icons and widgets round, take away something you don’t need, or faucet Add a Management on the backside for a searchable record of shortcut icons and widgets you may arrange throughout a number of Management Middle screens. You may as well customize your home screen with iOS 18 to vary the colour and dimension of app icons, rearrange them, and extra.

Change Your Lock Display Buttons

You understand these lock display controls that default to flashlight on the underside left and digicam on the underside proper? You possibly can change them. Press and maintain on an empty house on the lock display and faucet Customise, then Lock Display. Faucet the minus icon to take away an current shortcut, and faucet the plus icon so as to add a brand new one. You may as well change the climate and date widgets, the font and coloration for the time, and choose a wallpaper.

Prolong Display Time-Out

Whereas it’s good to have your display day out for battery saving and safety functions, I discover it maddening when the display goes off whereas I’m doing one thing. The default display time-out is simply too brief for my part, however fortunately, you may regulate it. Head into Settings, Show & Brightness, and choose Auto-Lock to increase it. You will have a number of choices, together with By no means, which suggests you’ll have to manually push the ability button to show the display off.

Flip Off Keyboard Sounds

The iPhone’s keyboard clicking sound whenever you sort is extraordinarily aggravating. Belief me, even when you don’t hate it, everybody in your neighborhood whenever you sort certain does. You possibly can flip it off in Settings, Sound & Haptics by tapping Keyboard Suggestions and toggling Sound off. I additionally advise toggling off the Lock Sound whilst you’re in Sound & Haptics.

Go Darkish

Shield your self from eye-searing glare with dark mode. Go to Settings, choose Show & Brightness, and faucet Darkish. It’s possible you’ll choose to toggle on Computerized and have it change with the solar setting, however I choose to be in Darkish mode on a regular basis.

Change Your Battery Cost Stage

Should you’re decided to squeeze as a few years out of your iPhone battery as doable, think about altering the charging restrict. You possibly can maximize your smartphone’s battery health when you keep away from charging it past 80 %. The iPhone’s default is now Optimized Battery Charging, which waits at 80 % after which goals to hit 100 % if you find yourself able to go within the morning. However there’s a slider you may set to a tough 80 % restrict in Settings, underneath Battery, and Charging.

Set Up the Motion Button

People with an iPhone 15 Pro model or any machine within the iPhone 16 range have an Motion Button as a substitute of the previous mute change. By default, it is going to silence your iPhone whenever you press and maintain it, however you may change what it does by going to Settings, then Motion Button. You possibly can swipe by varied fundamental choices from Digital camera and Flashlight to Visual Intelligence, however choose Shortcuts if you would like it to do one thing extra attention-grabbing. Should you’re unfamiliar, take a look at our information on How to Use the Apple Shortcuts App.

Flip Off Apple Intelligence

A lot vaunted however barely underwhelming, Apple Intelligence isn’t fully baked yet, and we are still waiting for an improved Siri. Should you choose to choose out of sure options or choose out utterly, go to Settings, Apple Intelligence & Siri, and faucet on it to toggle Apple Intelligence off. Should you choose to maintain choose options on, you’ll find directions in our How to Turn off Apple Intelligence information.

Conceal Delicate Apps

Whether or not you’re embarrassed by your Sweet Crush habit or risque images, or maybe you’ve been utilizing the Notes app to plan your associate’s party, you may disguise them from prying eyes. I am not right here to guage. To guard an app, you may have two choices: faucet and maintain on the icon and choose Require Face ID, then Require Face ID or Conceal and Require Face ID. The primary choice leaves the app in place, however nobody can entry it with out a Face ID test. Should you choose to cover the app, select the second choice after which Conceal App, and will probably be obscured inside a Hidden folder on the backside of your App Library that requires a Face ID test to open.

Cease Movies Autoplaying or Looping

Should you discover it irritating that movies routinely play as you scroll by the Photographs app, or it bugs you that they loop and repeat as a substitute of stopping on the finish, you may change that habits. Faucet Settings, Apps, then Photographs, and scroll right down to toggle Auto-Play Movement and Loop Movies off.

Improve Speech in Films and TV Exhibits

It may be robust to make out the dialog in some TV reveals and films, however Apple has a repair for muffled speech in your iPhone. Once you’re taking part in a video, faucet the display to convey up the menu and choose the audio icon. You possibly can choose Improve Dialogue and select Improve or Improve Extra to make the voices louder and clearer.

Set Up Do Not Disturb

At an absolute minimal, you must shut up your iPhone at night so it doesn’t disturb your sleep, however Apple gives a variety of instruments to automate or schedule downtime that will help you focus. Go to Settings, Focus, and select Do Not Disturb to get began. You possibly can flip off notifications however arrange exceptions in order that particular contacts or apps will get by. You may as well go to Display Time and Downtime to set a particular schedule for every day.

Change Your Default Apps

You don’t have to make use of Safari as your browser or Apple’s Mail app for emails. You possibly can change the default apps in your iPhone by going to Settings, Apps, and Default Apps. In case you have legitimate various apps put in for E-mail, Messaging, Browser, and some different classes, you may choose them as a substitute of Apple’s apps.

Hold iCloud Recordsdata Native

You possibly can select to maintain sure recordsdata that you’ve got synced with iCloud saved domestically in your iPhone, which is useful if you wish to entry them when there’s no web accessible. Open the Recordsdata app, go to the Browse tab, and select iCloud Drive. You possibly can faucet and maintain on any folder or file and choose Hold Downloaded to make a copy in your iPhone.

Restrict App Permissions

It’s price reviewing your app permissions and limiting them. There are a couple of routes to do that, however Settings, then Privateness & Safety, is likely to be the best. There’s quite a bit right here, however I counsel Location Companies and eradicating or decreasing permissions for apps you don’t assume want them. You possibly can toggle off Exact Location for a lot of, since an approximate location is usually sufficient for them to operate the best way you need. Different apps to keep watch over are Contacts and Photographs, as each now provide the choice to permit restricted entry.

By the best way, if you wish to flip off Background App Refresh to cease apps sucking down knowledge and draining the battery whenever you aren’t utilizing them, go to Settings, Apps, and select any you don’t must refresh except you open them to toggle it off.

Change Siri’s Voice

Apple gives a complete vary of voices for Siri now. Go to Settings, select Apple Intelligence & Siri, and faucet Voice to see an inventory of variations (American, Australian, British, Indian, Irish, South African) and voices (Irish Voice 2 is my choose). Simply remember that when you select a brand new one, it could take some time to obtain.

Set a Shortcut for Your E-mail Deal with

Neglect about typing out your entire electronic mail deal with each time. Go to Settings, Common, and select Keyboard. Faucet Textual content Substitute after which the plus icon on the high proper to arrange textual content shortcuts, resembling “eml” in your full electronic mail deal with, or “addy” in your mailing deal with. This may additionally work for some other textual content you sort out ceaselessly.

Present Notifications on Lock Display

Apple is all about privateness, however having to unlock your iPhone to see the content material of an incoming message will be annoying. You possibly can change how this works by going to Settings, Notifications, and choosing Present Previews. It’s set to When Unlocked by default, however you may select At all times or By no means.

Make Some AI Artwork

Should you resolve to provide AI an opportunity and fancy producing some artwork with AI help, open up the Playground app. You possibly can choose images, themes, costumes, equipment, locations, or sort prompts. Right here’s a full information on how to use Apple’s Image Playground. It is accessible on Apple gadgets working iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS Sequoia 15.2.

Scale back Automobile Illness

Do you get nauseous whenever you use your iPhone as a automotive passenger? Go to Settings, Accessibility, select Movement, then Present Automobile Movement Cues. You possibly can flip it on or off to show dots that assist scale back movement illness, however when you faucet Computerized, it is going to activate when it detects you’re within the automotive.