iOS 18.6: Enhance Your iPhone with New Settings and Critical Security Updates

Customizable Lock Screen:: Personalize your iPhone by changing the default lock screen buttons to access frequently used functions quickly.

Prioritize Notifications:: Use Apple Intelligence to filter and prioritize important notifications, reducing distractions from less relevant alerts.

Action Button Customization:: For iPhone 15 Pro and later models, configure the Action button with new options like Visual Intelligence or Control Center shortcuts.

Home Screen Arrangement:: Freely position app icons on your home screen and customize the appearance with Dark Mode and tinted icons.

Control Center Configuration:: Rearrange and resize controls in the Control Center for quick access to essential settings.

App Locking and Hiding:: Secure sensitive data by locking and hiding apps using Face ID or Touch ID.

Web Browser Security:: Update to iOS 18.6 to patch a critical web browser flaw (CVE-2025-6558) that affects Safari and other browsers.

Mail Categories:: Turn off mail categories to view the inbox chronologically.

Touch and hold anywhere on the lock screen until the Customize button appears.

Unlock the phone using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

Tap Customize and choose Lock Screen.

Remove a button by tapping the – (minus) button on the icon.

Replace the button by tapping the + icon and selecting a new function.

Tap Done when finished.

Go to Settings > Notifications.

Under Apple Intelligence, tap Prioritize Notifications.

Enable or disable priority notifications for individual apps.

Go to Settings > Action Button.

Swipe sideways to select an action.

For Controls, Shortcut, and Accessibility options, tap the Choose button to pick a specific action.

Arrange Apps: Touch and hold the home screen to enter “jiggle mode” and drag icons to new positions.

Set Dark Mode: Touch and hold the home screen, tap Edit, and choose Customize. Select Automatic, Dark, or Light mode.

Tinted Icons: In the Customize options, choose Tinted as the icon style and adjust the Hue and Luminosity.

Large Icons: Open the Customize options and tap the Large button to remove app labels and increase the size of the icons

Swipe down from the top-right corner to reveal the Control Center.

Touch and hold or press the + button at the top-left corner to enter edit mode.

Drag controls to reposition them and use the bottom-right handle to resize them.

Tap Add a Control and scroll through the available options ranging from starting a Screen Recording to a host of accessibility options.

Touch and hold the app icon and choose Require Face ID or Require Touch ID from the menu.

Confirm your choice.

To hide the app, choose Require Face ID and then tap Hide and Require Face ID in the dialog. Confirm the action by tapping Hide App on the next screen.

Why this matters:: This security update is crucial to protect your device from potential cyber attacks, especially those targeting high-risk individuals such as politicians and journalists. All users are advised to update immediately.

Update Your iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update to install iOS 18.6.

Update Chrome/Safari: Ensure your Chrome or Safari browser is running the latest version.

Stay Informed: Keep an eye on cybersecurity news and advisories to stay ahead of potential threats.

Q: How do I customize the lock screen buttons on my iPhone?

Q: What is the Prioritize Notifications feature?

Q: How do I lock or hide apps on iOS 18.6?

Q: What is CVE-2025-6558?