Apple has packed iOS 26 with some big changes that made the headlines, but there are also plenty of smaller tweaks that make day-to-day use more convenient. Here are ten of the more subtle changes that we were pleased to see.
Wallet boarding passes
The Wallet app is much smarter in iOS 26. Boarding passes now appear as Live Activities, meaning you can see flight updates at a glance on your Lock Screen – similar to what third-party apps like Flighty already offered. Apple has also added context-aware extras beneath your pass, including Apple Maps directions to the right terminal and shortcuts to Find My for baggage tracking.
ChatGPT styles in Image Playground
Image Playground expands with ChatGPT-powered styles – just choose ChatGPT from the style drop-down to unlock options like anime, oil painting, vector, and watercolor. There’s also an “Any Style” mode that lets ChatGPT mimic just about anything you can describe. Unlike Apple’s own image models, this also supports more realistic photo output. Note that this mode takes longer, and requires sharing any reference photos with OpenAI’s servers.
Automix and translated lyrics in Music
The Music app gets a DJ-style upgrade with AutoMix. Instead of simple crossfades, songs now blend together by matching tempo and key, creating seamless transitions. You can enable it in Settings under Music > Song Transitions. Apple also quietly added live lyric translation, so you can understand songs in other languages as they play.
Accessibility Reader
Accessibility Reader is a new system-wide tool that makes any text easier to process. You can reflow content into your preferred font, size, and color scheme, or have it read aloud with word-by-word highlighting. It works in Safari, PDFs, and even real-world text through the camera, with settings synced across devices.
Apple Cash in group chats
Sending money is easier when chatting in groups. iOS 26 adds support for Apple Cash requests and payments directly inside Messages group conversations.
Custom snooze times
After years stuck with a nine-minute snooze, iOS 26 finally lets you set your own. Alarms can now be configured with snooze durations anywhere between one and 15 minutes, and you can even set different snooze times for different alarms.
eSIM transfer from Android
Switching between platforms is less of a headache thanks to new eSIM tools. When adding an eSIM in iOS 26, you’ll see a “Transfer from Android” option. Scanning the QR code on an Android phone migrates the profile without needing to call your carrier.
Smarter Reminders
Apple Intelligence powers two new tricks in Reminders. Lists can now auto-categorize themselves into sections, neatly sorting your tasks for you. On top of that, Suggested Reminders analyze the content you share into the app – like emails or websites – and prompt you with useful tasks to add.
Multiple journals
The Journal app now supports multiple journals, so you can separate personal, work, and travel entries. Journals can include text, photos, drawings, and even maps of where your entries were created.
Recovery Assistant
If your iPhone fails to boot properly, iOS 26 introduces Recovery Assistant. Instead of leaving you stuck, the phone can enter a recovery screen that automatically looks for problems and tries to fix them. With help from another Apple device, you can also reinstall iOS remotely to revive a broken phone without a trip to the Genius Bar.