Your iPhone can do a lot more than you think, but only if you’ve got the right settings turned on. Each iOS update adds new tools and improvements designed to make your phone more useful, but many of them stay tucked away in menus most people never check. If you haven’t updated your preferences in a while, you could be missing out on easy wins like saving battery life, cutting down on distractions, or customizing your experience to fit your day-to-day life better.
Whether you’re looking to clean up your home screen, silence unnecessary alerts, or just make your iPhone feel more like yours, a few simple tweaks can go a long way. These 24 iOS settings will help you get more from your device with less effort.
For the latest iPhone news, be sure to check out everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025.
Take a Closer Look at the iOS Settings You Should Change Right Now
1. Stop apps from tracking your exact location
Apps like Doordash and Postmates require your exact location to deliver food accurately. However, not every application needs to know precisely where you are at all times. You can prevent an app from tracking your exact location.
In the Settings app, choose an application (like Instagram), tap Location, and toggle off Precise Location. This way, any app with Precise Location off will only know your approximate location within a few miles.
2. Turn the back of your iPhone into a button
The back of your iPhone can act as a secret button to activate certain actions such as taking a screenshot or enabling low power mode. The Action Button on newer iPhone models does something similar, but if you have an older model, the back of your iPhone works too.
In Settings, go to Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap, and choose either double tap or triple tap. Then select an action, such as opening your camera or turning on the flashlight.
3. Extend the lifespan of your battery
With the iPhone 15 and newer models, head to Settings > Battery > Charging and move the Charge Limit slider to optimize your battery’s health.
Lowering your charge limit can help prolong battery lifespan as lithium-ion cells last longer when they aren’t kept fully charged for long periods. Try setting it to 95% and adjust based on your daily usage.
4. Enable Live Voicemail to get real-time voicemail transcriptions
With iOS 17, you can read real-time transcriptions of any voicemail being left, enabling you to decide whether to pick up the call immediately. This feature isn’t enabled by default, so go to Settings > Phone > Live Voicemail and turn it on to get started.
5. Bring back full-screen incoming call alerts
If you’re not fond of the new banner-style incoming call notifications, you can switch back to the more disruptive full-screen alert style. In Settings > Phone > Incoming Calls, select Full Screen.
6. Turn off 5G coverage you don’t want or have
If 5G speeds are causing your battery to drain quickly, consider turning off 5G entirely. Go to Settings > Cellular > Primary > Voice & Data and select LTE to conserve battery life.
7. Fine-tune how much data is used by a 5G connection
To get the most out of your 5G experience while managing data usage, navigate to Settings > Cellular > Primary > Data Mode to choose from three options: Allow More Data on 5G, Standard, and Low Data Mode. Adjust based on your data plan and preferences.
8. Stop apps from cluttering up your home screen
The App Library is a great way to access applications without cluttering your home screen. To stop newly downloaded apps from appearing on your home screen, go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library and select App Library Only.
9. Unlock your phone while wearing a face mask
Unlocking your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask can be frustrating. With the latest iOS updates, you can enable a feature that allows Face ID to work even when your face is partially covered. Turn it on by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and enabling Face ID With a Mask.
10. Put the address bar in Safari back on top
If you prefer the address bar at the top of Safari instead of the bottom, go to Settings > Safari and select Single Tab under the Tabs section.
11. Add features that can be used when your iPhone is locked
To streamline your experience, enable features that can be accessed on the lock screen, such as notifications, Control Center, or the Wallet app. Navigate to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and toggle access under Allow Access When Locked.
12. Make your favorite email app or web browser your default
Set your preferred apps for email or web browsing to override the default settings. Open Settings and select the app you’d like to set as default, such as Google Chrome, and tap the Default Mail App or Default Browser App option to make your choice.
13. Get full notifications on your lock screen
To allow notifications to show previews on your lock screen, head to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and select Always.
14. Turn off (or on) HDR video for sharing videos
To control how your iPhone records video, head to Settings > Camera > Record Video and toggle HDR Video to Off if you wish to capture standard dynamic range.
15. Customize your home screen with fancy wallpaper
Enhance your home screen aesthetic by choosing a wallpaper that shifts with light and dark modes. In Settings > Wallpaper, select a dynamic wallpaper option that changes based on your device’s settings.
16. Turn on dark mode to save your battery
To help save battery life, switch to dark mode by going to Settings > Display & Brightness and selecting the Dark option. This helps reduce power consumption by utilizing darker interface colors.
17. Manage your notifications with Focus Mode
Focus Mode allows you to customize which notifications come through based on your current activity. Access it via Settings > Focus and tailor your settings to filter out distractions.
18. Make your screen text bigger or smaller
For better readability, adjust the font size by navigating to Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size and using the slider to find your ideal size. You can also enable Bold Text for additional clarity.
19. Add an alternate appearance to Face ID
If Face ID struggles to recognize you, utilize the Alternate Appearance feature by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and re-enrolling your face.
20. Disable auto-brightness for longer battery charge
If you want to manage your screen brightness manually, disable auto-brightness. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle off Auto-Brightness.
21. Triage your privacy settings
Take time to go through your privacy settings carefully instead of approving every access request. This will help ensure you manage what each app can see regarding your personal information.
22. Use the Control Center to access apps with a swipe or tap
The Control Center provides quick access to various functions and apps. Customize what appears there through Settings > Control Center.
23. Organize alerts with Notification Summary
The Notification Summary feature lets you bundle non-urgent alerts for delivery at a more convenient time. Set this up via Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary.
24. Change Siri’s voice
In the latest iOS revisions, you can select Siri’s voice according to your preferences. Go to Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice to explore the available options.
No matter how many settings you toggle off and on, battery life will always be an issue, especially if you’re traveling and don’t always have access to your fast charger. For on-the-go users, consider investing in a slim MagSafe charger that can quickly give your iPhone a boost.