Apple has delivered a steady stream of iOS software updates throughout 2025, starting with point releases to iOS 18 early in the year and culminating in the major release of iOS 26 in September. Together, these updates introduced a broad range of new features for iPhone users, all available for free. While headline features like Apple Intelligence and the Liquid Glass redesign in iOS 26 grabbed much of the spotlight, Apple quietly rolled out numerous smaller enhancements that make the iPhone experience more customizable, immersive, and convenient.
Many of these additions have gone largely unnoticed, either because they weren’t prominently marketed by Apple or because they reside deep in settings and menus where casual users rarely venture. Whether you recently purchased a model from the iPhone 17 lineup or updated the software on an older iPhone, here are some of the subtly powerful features introduced lately.
Custom snooze times let users finally ditch the default nine-minute alarm snooze that’s been around since the original iPhone. With iOS 26, you can choose snooze intervals from one to 15 minutes. This flexibility is handy not just for waking up but also for managing alarms as reminders during the day, allowing short delays for quick tasks or extended buffers before meetings.
Adaptive Power battery mode provides smarter battery management by automatically balancing performance and energy savings. Using machine learning, it predicts when you’ll need extra battery power and adjusts accordingly. This feature comes pre-enabled on the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 models, while users of the iPhone 16 series and iPhone 15 Pro variants can turn it on manually in the settings.
Priority Notifications, powered by Apple Intelligence, help declutter your Lock Screen by prioritizing alerts that are most relevant to you. This sorting ensures important notifications stay front and center, reducing distraction from less critical updates. It’s available on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, and can be enabled in the Notifications settings.
Ambient Music, introduced in iOS 18.4, adds an easy-to-access widget in Control Center where you can play curated background sounds and music designed for specific moods: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. You don’t need an Apple Music subscription to use it, making it an effortless way to set the ambiance without opening an app.
Lastly, the Liquid Glass redesign in iOS 26 offers a fresh, transparent look across menus and buttons. For those who find the effect overwhelming, Apple added a toggle in iOS 26.1 to reduce transparency with a frosted tint, improving readability while retaining the sleek aesthetic.
These subtle but impactful features show how Apple has balanced bold innovations with thoughtful refinements, enhancing daily iPhone use in ways users may not immediately notice but will undoubtedly appreciate over time.
