iOS 26 Customization Updates: Five New Ways to Personalize Your iPhone

With iOS 26, Apple introduced the striking Liquid Glass design language. Since then, incremental updates have added more ways to tailor not only how your iPhone looks, but also how it behaves. From visual tweaks to practical usability improvements, here are five recent customization settings worth exploring.

1. Fine Tune the Liquid Glass Look

The Liquid Glass interface brought a glossy, translucent aesthetic across the system. While many users appreciate the modern feel, others found readability challenging.

Apple’s solution was not to redesign it for everyone, but to offer a choice.

Under Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass, you can now select between two options:

• Clear
  
  

• Tinted

The Clear option preserves the original transparent effect. The Tinted option increases opacity and contrast, making text and interface elements easier to read. This small toggle gives users control over visual comfort without sacrificing the overall design language.

2. Control the Lock Screen Camera Swipe

For years, swiping left on the Lock Screen has been a quick way to open the Camera app. Even after Apple introduced a dedicated Camera button, the Action button shortcut, and new camera controls, the swipe gesture remained active.

Now, with iOS 26.1, that changes.

Inside Settings > Camera, you will find a new toggle labeled “Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera.” It is enabled by default, but you can now disable it if you frequently trigger the camera accidentally.

This update reflects Apple’s broader focus on user choice, allowing you to streamline gestures based on your habits.

3. Choose Between Slide or Single Tap for Alarms

The familiar “Slide to unlock” style gesture has made a return, but in a new context. In iOS 26.1, Apple replaced the simple Stop button for alarms and timers with a “Slide to stop” gesture to prevent accidental dismissals.

While this change improves intentional interaction, some users prefer a faster tap-based method.

If you fall into that category, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and enable “Prefer Single-Touch Actions.” This restores single-tap buttons instead of requiring a sliding motion for alarms and timers.

It is a small but meaningful accessibility enhancement that adapts to different preferences.

4. Add a Screen Flash for Notifications

Apple has long offered a camera flash alert for incoming notifications. In iOS 26.2, the company expanded that idea.

Under Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Flash for Alerts, you will now see a new “Screen” option. When enabled, the entire display briefly lights up when a notification arrives.

You can use it on its own or combine it with the camera flash alert for a stronger visual cue. This feature is particularly useful for users who rely on visual signals, but it can also help ensure important notifications are never missed.

5. Greater Control Over the Lock Screen Clock

The Lock Screen remains one of the most customizable parts of iOS, and the Glass clock style introduced in iOS 26 has become a favorite for many users.

Recently, Apple expanded the opacity slider for the Glass clock style. You can now adjust it to be more transparent or more opaque than before.

To access it, make sure the clock style is set to Glass rather than Solid, then experiment with the slider to match your wallpaper and personal aesthetic. The expanded range gives you finer control over how bold or subtle your Lock Screen appears.

Personalization Goes Beyond Settings

Customizing your iPhone is not just about visuals and gestures. It also includes how you manage and move your content when upgrading devices or switching platforms.

If you are moving to a newer iPhone running iOS 26, transferring your data smoothly is essential. This is where Smart Transfer can help you share files easily without unnecessary complications. Smart Transfer is a third party app designed to share files over WiFi, allowing users to move photos, videos, contacts, and documents directly between devices.

Whether you need to share files online across platforms or complete a direct device to device transfer, Smart Transfer offers flexibility beyond built in tools. As iOS 26 expands personalization features, Smart Transfer ensures your content transitions seamlessly to your new setup.

A More Personal iPhone Experience

iOS 26 and its recent updates demonstrate Apple’s shift toward flexibility. Instead of forcing a single experience, the company is giving users more ways to adapt their devices to personal preferences.

From refining the Liquid Glass interface to adjusting alarm interactions and notification effects, these updates may seem small individually. Together, they create a more tailored and user controlled iPhone experience.