Mastering Your iPhone 17: Unlocking Hidden Features & Settings with These Top Tips & Tricks

Apple’s iPhone 17 series is making headlines with its bold features, including the long-awaited 120Hz ProMotion Display. The lineup includes the base iPhone 17, the innovative iPhone Air, and the professional-grade iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. These new entries also come with the latest iOS 26 user experience, featuring a visual departure from previous releases with Liquid Glass and other new additions.

Whether you’re new to the iPhone 17 series or a long-time iPhone user upgrading to one of Apple’s latest models, this guide offers helpful tips and tricks. It’s written by someone who has reviewed almost every iPhone model from the last decade and has spent a lot of time optimizing the iOS experience.

Most of the tips in this guide are applicable across the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, as well as recent older models like the iPhone 16 series. Let’s dive into the full rundown.

### Customise the Lock Screen Clock

With iOS 16, Apple introduced the ability to customize the lock screen clock’s font and color. With iOS 26, you can now also scale the clock and choose between the Liquid Glass aesthetic or the traditional flat appearance. To customize the lock screen clock:
– Press and hold on a blank area on the lock screen until it zooms out.
– Tap the “Customize” button at the bottom of the screen.
– Drag the grab handle to extend the clock to your preferred height.
– Adjust the font, color, and toggle between Glass and Solid appearance.

### Spatial Scene Lock Screen

iOS 26 introduces Spatial Scene lock screens, which create a faux 3D effect on compatible images. To create a Spatial Scene lock screen:
– Head to Settings and tap on Wallpaper.
– Add a new wallpaper or choose a photo from the Photos app.
– Enable Spatial Scenes on your lock screen by tapping the hexagonal icon.
– Create a new lock screen and set it as Wallpaper Pair.

### Spatial Scene in Photos

You can view compatible images as Spatial Scenes directly in the native Photos app. To enable the Spatial Scene effect on your photos:
– Open Photos and tap on an image.
– Tap the hexagonal icon to enable Spatial Scenes on the image.

### Faster Haptics for a Better Feel

Enhance the feel of interacting with your iPhone by adjusting the Haptic Touch duration in Settings. Choose between Default, Slow, or Fast haptic touch duration options.

### Hidden Keyboard Shortcuts

Discover hidden features of the iOS keyboard, including swipe-typing, accessing capital letters and numbers without toggling, and using left and right-justified compact keyboards. Long-press on keys to access these shortcuts.

### Disable Control Centre on Your Lock Screen

Protect your device from unauthorized access by disabling Control Centre on your lock screen. Head to Settings, tap on Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and disable Control Centre access from the lock screen.

### Set a Custom Ringtone

Easily set a custom ringtone by downloading an audio file to the Files app, long-pressing on the file, tapping Share, and selecting Use As Ringtone.

### Battery Percentage

Monitor your device’s battery life by enabling Battery Percentage in Settings. This feature displays the battery percentage in the top right corner of the screen.

### Set a Charge Limit

Extend your battery’s lifespan by setting a charge limit in Settings under Battery. Limiting the charge to 80% can help preserve the battery health over time.

### Enable Adaptive Power Mode

Enhance battery life by enabling Adaptive Power Mode in Accessibility settings. This feature adjusts power usage dynamically to prolong battery life.

### Turn on Vehicle Motion Cues

Reduce motion sickness while using your phone in a moving vehicle by enabling Motion Cues in Accessibility settings. This feature adds dots to the screen to counteract motion effects.

### Make Apple Intelligence More Intelligent

Improve the AI experience on your iPhone by enabling ChatGPT in Apple Intelligence & Siri settings. This feature enhances the AI capabilities of your device.

### 4K 60fps Video by Default

Capture high-quality video by default by setting your camera to record in 4K at 60fps. Adjust the resolution and frame rate in Camera settings.

### Add a Grid and Level to Your Camera

Improve framing and alignment in your photos by enabling the grid and level tools in Camera settings. The grid helps with framing, while the level ensures your camera is perpendicular to the ground.

### Disable Macro Control

Disable the automatic switch to Macro Mode when shooting close-up photos. This feature can be disabled in Camera settings under Macro Control.

These tips and tricks will help you make the most of your iPhone 17 series and enhance your user experience. Explore these features and settings to optimize your device’s performance and functionality.