Apple buried these 5 iOS 26 features — and they're genuinely useful

1. Check how long your iPhone needs to charge

iOS 26 now tells you exactly how much time remains until your iPhone reaches a full charge, removing the guesswork from whether you have enough time to top up before leaving.

Navigate to Settings and tap Battery. You'll see estimated times showing when your iPhone will reach 80% and 100% charge (or whatever your charge limit is set to). The estimates update in real-time as charging speed fluctuates.

This feature is especially helpful when you're in a rush and need to know if you have enough time for a meaningful charge. Rather than unplugging prematurely or waiting longer than necessary, you can plan around the actual time remaining.

2. Screenshot magnifier is back!

Apple brought back the magnifier loupe tool for screenshots, making it easier to highlight specific details you want someone to notice.

Take a screenshot as you normally would. When the preview appears tap markup then the plus icon in the bottom-right corner, and you'll see Add Loupe as one of the options.

Tap Add Loupe and a circular magnifier appears on your screenshot. You can drag it to position it over the area you want to emphasize, and the loupe magnifies that section while keeping the rest of the image at normal size. Adjust the size of the loupe by dragging the blue handles around its edge.

This is particularly useful when you're trying to point out small text, an icon, or a detail that might otherwise be missed. Instead of adding arrows or circles, the loupe draws attention naturally while showing both the zoomed detail and its context in the full image.

3. Isolate your voice in memos

If you record voice memos in noisy environments, iOS 26's voice isolation feature can clean up background noise and make your recordings sound significantly more professional.

First, go to Voice Memos and hit record. Whilst recording, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center. Then tap Voice Memos Controls at the top of the screen. From here, select Voice Isolation from the options provided.

This produces remarkably clean audio even if you're recording in a busy coffee shop or on a noisy street. It's especially useful for recording interviews, lectures, or any situation where you need clear speech without distracting background noise.

4. Create custom playback settings for podcasts

iOS 26 added granular podcast controls that let you customize playback speed and audio settings for each show individually, so you don't have to constantly readjust settings when switching between podcasts.

Open the Podcasts app and tap the Library tab at the bottom of the screen, then tap Shows. Next, touch and hold the specific podcast show you want to adjust, and tap Settings from the menu that appears.

Tap Use Custom Adjustments for This Show. You can now set specific playback speed, skip intervals, and audio enhancements that apply only to this podcast. Every episode from this show will automatically use these custom settings, even as new episodes are released.

Instead of manually changing settings every time you switch shows, iOS 26 remembers your preferences for each podcast.

5. Share your IMEI as a scannable barcode

If you've ever had to read out your IMEI number digit by digit at a carrier store, this feature will save you the frustration. Apple added a barcode option that lets store employees scan your device information directly instead of manually entering it.

Open Settings, tap General, then About. Scroll down until you see your IMEI number. Instead of copying it or reading it aloud, press and hold on the IMEI field. A menu appears with an option for Barcode — tap it.

Your iPhone displays a scannable barcode that contains your IMEI. If you select Share Device Identifiers, you can also share both your eSIM ID (EID) and IMEI by having someone scan the barcodes all at once.

This is particularly useful when activating a new line, troubleshooting network issues, or getting in-store carrier support. It eliminates the tedious process of dictating long strings of number, reducing the chance of errors.