iPhones, and more generally iOS, have a large number of settings to finely customize the behavior of the device. Here are some must-haves.

With the iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, the iPhone range now has eight devices, with various sizes and prices, from the small iPhone SE to the larger iPhone 13 Pro Max. (iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 14 are coming soon). There are some hardware differences between the models, but each generally runs on the same software. No matter what version you have, you can customize some settings.

All iPhones you can buy from Apple today are running iOS 15, a version that brings some improvements to FaceTime, Safari, and a host of new features. Except for the new options in iOS 15, there are several features that have been around for a long time that you might have missed.

Bring back full screen incoming call alerts

Before the iOS 14 update, the incoming calls screen took up all the space when your iPhone was unlocked. It's annoying, but at least it does the job of alerting you.

With iOS 14, Apple changed things up by making it a classic alert, id is a small notification that appears at the top of the screen. Sometimes this causes calls to be missed because the alert disappears thinking of a classic notification.

To restore this full screen, go to Settings > Phone > Incoming calls > Full screen.

Change Siri voice

Siri has two new voices since iOS 14.5. And for the first time, Siri no longer has a female voice by default. When you set up a new device, the system asks you to choose. When you've made your choice, Apple will change the voice of Siri on all devices linked to your Apple ID.

You can view and change this choice in Settings > Siri & Search > Siri Voice.

Disable 5G

Apple touts its Smart Data feature, specific to its 5G phones (iPhone 12 and 13), which automatically switches from a 4G LTE network to a 5G network depending on how you use the device. This saves battery power. That being said, it may have the opposite effect. If you don't want to sacrifice battery life for faster 5G speeds, turn the option off. You can always turn on 5G whenever you feel like it, or when the network arrives or improves.

To deactivate 5G on your iPhone 12 or 13, force the system to use 4G LTE, go to Settings > Cellular > Data options > Voice & Data and tap on LTE. Similarly, if you want iPhone to only use a 5G connection when available, select 5G On.

Refine the amount of data on 5G connections

If you're happy with 5G performance, here's a setting to check out. Go to Settings > Cellular > Data Options > Data Mode. Three options are offered: “Allow more data in 5G”, “Standard” and “Low Data”.

According to an Apple help document, the first allows you to enjoy FaceTime videos and calls in high quality. It also means your phone can download software updates, stream in high definition with Apple TV and Apple Music, and allow third-party developers to improve their apps.

The default value for this setting depends on your carrier and plan.

Unlock phone with mask

One of the frustrating aspects of wearing a mask in public is that Face ID usage is largely compromised. Indeed, half of your face being covered, Face ID no longer works. It is then necessary to return to entering the password, far from being as practical.

Fortunately, it is possible to activate another unlocking feature, as long as you have an Apple Watch.

Once the two devices are paired, in Settings then Face ID & Passcode, scroll down to the Unlock with Apple Watch section.

Put Safari's address bar back where it belongs

Apple moved Safari's address bar to the bottom of the screen by default in iOS 15. A change meant to offer something more natural since the keyboard itself is at the bottom of the screen. But it can be confusing.

To put it back on top, head to Settings > Safari, then choose the Single Tab option in the Tabs section.

Organize alerts with a summary of notifications

Apple wants to help you manage your notifications in iOS 15 thanks in particular to the summary of notifications. Rather than letting notifications pile up on your home screen, you can schedule non-emergency alerts to arrive at a particular time of day. Important notifications like calls, direct messages and the like will always appear immediately.

To try this mode of operation, go to Settings > Notifications > Scheduled summary.

Customize Features When iPhone is Locked

There may be times when you need certain information even when your phone is locked. This is why Apple allows you to activate certain features without having to unlock it. This includes the Notification Center, Control Center, the ability to reply to messages, and the Wallet app, among others.

To personalize them, go to Settings > Face ID & Code, enter your code when asked. Scroll down to the Allow access when locked section and enable/disable features as desired.

Set default email application or web browser

It took a long time, but iOS 14 finally allowed you to define your default email application and web browser. This means that these applications open automatically each time you click on a link or a button to send an email.

Open Settings and select the app you'd like to use as default. You should then see a “Default Mail App” or “Default Browser App” button. Tap and you're done.

Show full notifications on your home screen

The first time you use Face ID, it is noticed that it is impossible to see the contents of new alerts and notifications on the lock screen. For example, we only have a generic message for the arrival of a new SMS.

By default, all iPhones with Face ID thus hide content on the lock screen, a way to prevent prying eyes from having access to it. Which is great, but can be frustrating on a daily basis.

You can change this in Settings > Notifications > Show previews and then select Always. Or Never if you don't want to.

This camera feature is to be deactivated… for the moment

The iPhone 12 and 13 can shoot in HDR with Dolby Vision. This is to say that videos are brighter with more accurate colors and improved contrast. But not all apps and services support HDR video.

Developers need to update their apps to support HDR videos, but even then the viewer will need to have a compatible device to see the difference. For Apple devices, you need an iPhone 8 or later, an iPad Air from 2020 or later, a second generation iPad Pro or newer and some Mac models.

So there are several options:

Avoid home screen clutter

With the release of iOS 14 in 2020, iPhone users got more options and control over their home screen. The App Library, for example, acts as a big app drawer, allowing apps to be removed from the home screen without uninstalling them. It is even possible to customize everything with icons and widgets.

If you prefer a minimalist look, make sure that newly installed apps don't automatically land on your home screen but rather in the App Library. To do this, Settings > Home screen then Add to home screen or App library only.

Use pretty wallpapers

Apple has added new wallpapers in its latest updates. In Settings then Wallpapers, make sure that “Dark mode dims the wallpaper”, under the two previews of your wallpaper is activated. Now tap Choose New Wallpaper and select Stills or Live. See the circle next to the button? He is half black, half white.

This circle means that the wallpaper has a light theme version and a dark theme version, it changes according to the choice of the system on your phone.

Activate dark mode, you won't regret it

Speaking of dark mode, if you don't want to have to constantly adjust screen brightness, you can use the dedicated dark mode that preserves battery life. Dark mode also converts all white wallpapers in apps to a black background. Your phone will therefore be able to save energy by displaying darker colors.

The option is activated in Settings > Screen & Brightness then select the Dark option at the top.

Apple apps will automatically switch to dark mode, as will most third-party apps.

Use Focus mode to manage notifications

We receive a lot of notifications every day. Not all are important all the time. With iOS 15, Apple introduces a Focus mode. Think of it as a particular Do Not Disturb mode, tailored to specific circumstances.

This keeps notifications from important people and apps still visible, so you don't miss anything really important while blocking others. You can set different types of Focus modes depending on the situation. Apple offers options for Do Not Disturb, Personal, Sleep, Work, Driving, Sports, Gaming, Wellbeing, and Reading, but you can create your own. You can also schedule Focus modes to activate automatically and then display a status in apps so others know your notifications are muted.

To get started, head to Settings then Focus and choose an option to set your preferences. Tap the + symbol in the upper right corner to add a new Focus.

Make text easier to read

With several taps on the screen, you can adjust the font size of the text, to make it easier to read. In Settings then Screen & Brightness and Text size, you can adapt it to your liking.

You can even enable Bold Text (just below the button for size).

Add an alternate appearance to Face ID

Apple's facial recognition feature, Face ID, constantly learns different aspects of your face. If you're having trouble getting recognized, try the Alternate Appearance option. In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode then Set Alternate Appearance.

Disable automatic brightness to save battery life

The brightness level of the screen has a big impact on the autonomy of the device. By default, iOS adjusts screen brightness automatically based on ambient light, but you can turn all of that off. It is then you, and only you, manually, who will determine the brightness of the screen.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Screen & Text Size. At the bottom of the page, you'll find a switch to turn off auto-brightness.

Now, to adjust the screen brightness, one needs to open the control center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen on a device with a home button or by swiping down from the top right corner for the device that do not have one.

Manage privacy settings

The first time you set up a phone and all the apps, you find yourself bombarded with windows asking for permissions to a whole bunch of data. It's easy to get used to saying yes all the time to go faster, but take the time to read and manage things finely, according to what suits you and what you are ready to allow.

Control center puts everything at your fingertips

The control center is a very well thought-out place to access a number of settings, such as changing songs, activating airplane mode, connecting Wi-Fi, starting a timer. It is also possible to activate the flashlight, check a time or start recording your screen.

Customize the apps and features available in your Control Center by going to Settings > Control Center. Delete an option by tapping the red – button and add one with the green + button. Move features up or down with the three-line icon on the right side of the screen.