Top iOS 18 Settings to Change for Enhanced iPhone Performance

Deal Desk

Even with some features not yet present (notably Apple Intelligence, which just rolled out in a limited way for developers), iOS 18 is filled with both large and small changes that will affect how you use your iPhone every day. Here are 7 things to do first — some to fix previous annoyances and others to flex what this new iOS version is capable of.

1. Change the Default Buttons on the Lock Screen

In iOS 18, you can finally replace the flashlight and camera buttons on the lock screen with other functions, or remove them entirely.

How to Change:

  1. On the iPhone’s lock screen, touch and hold anywhere until you see the Customize button. Unlock the phone using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
  2. Tap Customize and then choose Lock Screen.
  3. Remove a button by tapping the minus (-) button on the icon.
  4. Replace the button by tapping its space (now with a plus (+) icon) and choosing the new function.
  5. Repeat for the other button if desired.
  6. Tap Done when finished.
  7. Tap the lock screen again to exit customize mode.

2. Set Up New Features on the Action Button

The Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max gets new capabilities in iOS 18. You can now choose a control from Control Center or other features.

How to Change:

  1. Go to Settings > Action Button.
  2. Swipe sideways to select and activate an action.
  3. For Controls, Shortcut, and Accessibility options, tap Choose to pick the specific action.

3. Give Your Home Screen a Radical New Look

In iOS 18, apps can be positioned nearly anywhere on the home screen, and Dark Mode can now be applied to all of the iPhone’s home screen with options for coloring icons and affecting wallpaper brightness.

How to Change:

  1. Arrange Apps: Touch and hold the home screen to enter “jiggle mode,” then drag icons to new positions.
  2. Set Dark Mode: Touch and hold the home screen, tap Edit, choose Customize, and select Automatic, Dark, or Light mode.
  3. Tinted Icons: Choose Tinted as the icon style and adjust the hue and luminosity.
  4. Large Icons: Open Customize options and tap Large to remove labels and increase icon size.

4. Change How the Control Center Looks

Control Center is now a configurable playground in iOS 18, allowing you to position and resize controls and add new ones on multiple screens.

How to Change:

  1. Swipe down from the top-right corner (or swipe up from the bottom on the iPhone SE) to reveal Control Center.
  2. Enter edit mode by touching and holding or pressing the plus (+) button.
  3. Drag controls to reposition them, resize some controls, and remove or add controls as desired.

5. Lock or Hide Your Sensitive Apps

iOS 18 adds the ability to lock and hide apps, ensuring sensitive data stays out of sight.

How to Change:

  1. Touch and hold the app icon and choose Require Face ID or Require Touch ID (or Require Passcode).
  2. Confirm the choice.
  3. To hide an app, touch and hold the app icon, choose Require Face ID, and then tap Hide and Require Face ID.
  4. Access hidden apps in the Hidden folder in the App Library by authenticating with Face ID.

6. Adjust the View of Your Calendar

The Calendar app in iOS 18 includes new ways to view your schedule, including a zoomable Month view and a Multi-Day view in portrait orientation.

How to Change:

  1. Month View: Pinch with two fingers to zoom in and see more details.
  2. Day View: Tap View and choose Multi-Day to see two consecutive days.

7. Improve Movie and TV Show Dialogue in the TV App

The TV app in iOS 18 includes a high-tech workaround to make dialogue easier to discern.

How to Change:

  1. While watching a video, tap the More (…) button.
  2. Expand the Audio heading.
  3. Tap Enhance Dialogue and choose Enhance or Boost.

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