The iPhone is a smartphone from Apple that runs the iOS mobile operating system. Between its apps, communication features, the camera, mobile internet access, and other functionalities, the iPhone has quickly become an integral part of many peoples tech lives.
You can change the name of your iPhone, which is used by iCloud, AirDrop, Bluetooth®, your Personal Hotspot, and your computer, so it’s the name you’ll see in all those places. You can enter a new name whenever you like.
With Screen Time, you can use Time Allowances to set how long you use your apps each day, and Schedules to set when during the day you can use them.
For example, you can create schedules for weekdays and weekends with time windows for things like work, dinner, and the evening. You can also create Time Allowances for different categories like Entertainment, Games, or Social Media, and choose apps and contacts to allow at all times. You’ll need iOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices to use them.
Note: Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances need iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices. And in a Family Sharing group, every device needs to be upgraded to iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 or later before you set these features up.
With a custom schedule for your iPhone, you can control which apps you can use at different times of day. Icons in each time window show which Time Allowance categories are available, so at a glance, you’ll know what types of apps you can use at that point in your day.
Time Allowances make it easier to manage the time you spend in apps across categories like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. Apps in each category stay usable until they’ve reached either the category’s allowance or the daily total. And if an app declares an associated website, the Time Allowance applies to both.
Apps and contacts you pick can stay available at all times, no matter which Screen Time schedules or Time Allowances you’ve set. You might add the Health app or family members to Always Allowed for emergencies, for example.
You can change how quickly or when Siri responds, have Siri listen for atypical speech patterns, have Siri audibly share notifications, and more.
You can give yourself more time to finish speaking by setting a longer Siri Pause Time, change how fast Siri speaks, and choose whether Siri responds aloud or in text. Depending on your iPhone model, you may also be able to type to Siri instead of speaking.
Here’s how to change Siri accessibility settings on iPhone.
Typing to Siri may be an option, depending on your iPhone model.
If you have an iPhone model that supports Apple Intelligence,* this option may not be shown.
If your primary language is set to English (U.S.), Siri can listen for atypical speech. That may help with an acquired or progressive condition that affects speech, like stroke, cerebral palsy, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Siri, then turn on Listen for Atypical Speech.
If you speak a word or make a sound of your choosing, iPhone can perform an action you teach it.
Siri can announce notifications and calls from apps like Messages through your iPhone speaker, on supported headphones and MFi hearing devices, and when you’re using CarPlay.
*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.
If you can’t see your screen and your content includes audio descriptions, you can listen to an audio description, a separate audio track that narrates or describes the visual content of a clip, show, or movie. You turn on Audio Descriptions in Accessibility settings.
Control Center on iPhone gives you instant access to useful controls, including Airplane Mode, Do Not Disturb, flashlight, volume, screen brightness, and more. It’s customizable. You can see more groups of controls, change them to suit you, and temporarily disconnect from a Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth devices.
To open Control Center, use the method that matches your iPhone:
You can jump to specific groups of controls by swiping through the icons on the right edge of the screen. Swipe up through the icons to go back to the first group.
To close Control Center, swipe up from the bottom center of the screen (on an iPhone with Face ID), or press the Home button.
Many controls offer additional options. To see available options, touch and hold a control. For example, you can do the following in Control Center:
You can rearrange, add, and remove controls in Control Center.
In Control Center, tap the Wi-Fi Switch button; to reconnect, tap it again.
To see the name of the connected Wi-Fi network, touch and hold the Wi-Fi Switch button.
Because Wi-Fi isn’t turned off when you disconnect from a network, AirPlay and AirDrop still work, and iPhone joins known networks when you change locations or restart iPhone. To turn off Wi-Fi, go to the Settings app, then tap Wi-Fi. (To turn on Wi-Fi again in Control Center, tap the Wi-Fi Switch button.)
In Control Center, tap the Bluetooth Switch button; to allow connections, tap the button again.
Because Bluetooth® isn’t turned off when you disconnect from devices, location accuracy and other services are still enabled. To turn off Bluetooth, go to the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, then turn off Bluetooth. To turn on Bluetooth again in Control Center, tap the Bluetooth Switch button.
Go to the Settings app on your iPhone, tap Control Center, then turn off Access Within Apps.
You can send a poll in any iMessage conversation to decide what to eat, which movie to see, where to travel, when to meet, and more. Everyone in the conversation can contribute options and watch as votes come in.
You start one from the Add button in a conversation, and with Apple Intelligence, you can even create a suggested poll quickly. You can also add an option to a poll, vote, and check on the results of a poll.
Note: Starting, seeing, or voting in a poll requires iMessage on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, or visionOS 26 or later. Anyone who can’t see it gets a message saying a poll was sent to the group.
A poll can have up to 12 options.
Tap the Send button to send the poll to everyone in the conversation who can participate in the poll. Those who can’t participate receive a message that you sent a poll.
Note: Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*
Tap again to remove your vote. You can vote for none or all of the options.
Regardless of who started the poll, anyone participating in it can add other options.
Note: Options are added without any votes, so tap to vote for any option you add.
You can see who hasn’t voted yet, or how people voted.
*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.
While you’re following driving or cycling directions, you can add stops along your route, and your route is updated right away. A multistop driving route can have up to 14 stops, and you can switch the starting point and destination, or choose a different one.
Note: Turn-by-turn spoken directions aren’t available in all countries or regions.
Get directions.
Do one of the following: Switch the starting point and destination: Touch and hold the Reorder button for the starting location, then drag it below the destination.
Your route can include up to 14 stops.
Get driving directions, then do one of the following: Tap Add Stop, then search for the place you want to stop.
Your newly added stop appears as your final destination.
Get driving or cycling directions, then tap Go.
The chosen destination is now the next stop, and your route updates.
If you’re cycling and you decide not to take the detour, tap Resume Route at the top of the screen.
Create a multistop driving route, as above.
Do one of the following: Before you tap Go: Swipe left on any stops you want to delete, then tap Delete.
Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Stop navigating.” Or without using Siri: Go to the Maps app on your iPhone.
You can play audio from iPhone on wireless devices like HomePod, Apple TV 4K, AirPlay 2-enabled smart TVs, and Bluetooth® headphones and speakers. With AirPlay 2, you can play audio on multiple devices on the same Wi-Fi network, like a party playlist playing on HomePod speakers in the living room and kitchen.
Note: AirPlay 2-enabled devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to appear in the list of playback destinations. And with a Bluetooth device, moving it out of Bluetooth range sends the playback destination back to iPhone.
To select the playback destination, you can also tap the Playback Destination button on the Lock Screen or in Control Center.
Using AirPlay 2, iPhone can play audio on several AirPlay 2-enabled devices on the same Wi-Fi network. A party playlist could play on HomePod speakers in the kitchen and living room, for example, as well as on an AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV in the den and an Apple TV 4K in the bedroom.
Siri: Ask Siri something like:
Playback destinations can also be chosen from the iPhone screen.
Note: A stereo pair counts as a single audio device.
While playing audio from Music, Podcasts, or another audio app, bring iPhone close to the top of HomePod.
For audio handoff to work, you need all of the following:
To disable Handoff between iPhone and HomePod and other devices, go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity.
You can customize your preferences for the Translate app in Settings. Download languages, use on-device translation, or choose a different default translation app.
On-device translation keeps processing on your iPhone instead of Apple servers, even without an internet connection. With Automatic, translations may be processed on Apple servers when the languages aren’t downloaded. With Always, translations are always processed on your iPhone using your downloaded languages, which also work for Live Translation and offline use.
Here’s how to change your Translate settings on iPhone.
For on-device translation, Live Translation, or offline use, download languages first.
On-device translation processes your translations on your iPhone rather than on Apple servers, and it works even without an internet connection.
You can change the default if you have multiple translation apps.
With Flash for Alerts, you can set the iPhone indicator light, the screen, or both to blink when you receive a notification. That’s useful if you can’t hear the sounds that announce incoming calls or other alerts, or if you might miss audible alerts in a noisy environment.
The indicator light is the LED on the back of iPhone, next to the camera lens. You can choose LED Flash, Screen, or Both, and the light can flash even when iPhone is unlocked or in Silent mode.
