Each new version of iOS tends to modify built-in features and settings on your iPhone. And iOS 18.5 is no different.
While tweaking settings might not sound as flashy as getting new emoji or camera features, these simple adjustments can transform how you use your phone daily.
Here are six settings you absolutely need to review after updating to iOS 18.5:
1. Update your apps
Some apps are just waiting to take advantage of all the new improvements that come with iOS 18.5. That's why your first move after installing the latest version should be updating every single app on your phone.
To do so, open the App Store app, tap your profile image in the upper right corner, and swipe down to refresh the screen. Tap the 'Update All' link and all your apps will receive their most recent updates, then tap 'Done' and you're good to go.
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2. Turn contact photos in the Mail app on or off
iOS 18.2 brought contact photos to the Apple Mail app. While it's handy to put a face to an email contact, the photos do take up space that could otherwise show more of the actual message.
If you want contact photos or want to turn the feature off to free up space, just tap the three dots in the upper right of your inbox and toggle 'Show Contact Photos' on or off.
3. View All Mail easier
In the iOS 18.2 update, email categories were added to split inboxes into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. But sometimes you just want to view your entire inbox without the extra folder navigation.
With iOS 18.5, swipe left on the Category row and you'll see your complete, unfiltered inbox.
4. Set up Back Tap
Back Tap is one of those features that sounds gimmicky until you try it. It essentially allows you to trigger specific actions by tapping the back of your phone two or three times. The problem was that you never really knew if it worked.
iOS 18.2 brought contact photos to the Mail app. (dontree_m / Getty)
iOS 18.5 fixes that annoyance by showing a banner message when Back Tap activates, plus it tells you exactly how many times you tapped.
To set it up, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch, then scroll down to Back Tap. Select what you want to do with Double Tap and Triple Tap, and toggle the banner notification on or off.
5. Change your battery charge limit
Constantly charging your battery to 100% can hurt its long-term health, so setting a lower limit can be beneficial. Go to Settings > Battery > Charging and slide that limit down to somewhere between 80% and 90%.
Alternatively, you can keep it at 100% but turn on 'Optimized Battery Charging' - this keeps your battery at 80% until you actually need to use your phone.
6. Check out Apple's new Pride Harmony wallpaper
iOS 18.5 also includes a new Pride Harmony wallpaper that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with colours that shift around as you move and lock your phone.
The wallpaper is available for the iPhone and iPad and as a face for the Apple Watch.
To try it out, press and hold your Lock screen, tap the plus sign at the Customize screen, then scroll down until you find the Pride section and select Harmony.