These features try to turn iPhones into more powerful work and organization tools.
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Reviewing iOS 26 for power users: Reminders, Preview, and more
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I have been wondering whether they track stats for enabling the accessibility features which make it suck less. The person who implemented the contrast-y, labeled version should be in charge of the whole OS.
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The "Power User" feature I've been waiting for is better filesystem management. Nothing fancy, just the ability to clean out caches, decide what is retained on the device, and generally make sure data I'm not using is deleted.
For example, there's a lot of potential in iCloud for photo management with large libraries, but iOS Photos simply has two options: "Download Originals" and "Optimize Storage". The latter seems to be ideal - with the ability to download the photos when you need them and keep them on cloud storage otherwise. However, there's no way to manually flush the caches or decide what is retained.
With "Optimized" storage, Photos can often be consuming 10GB of space, with no way to free this up, even if it is needed. On several occasions, I've had to blow away the whole library just to free up space. Even then, this is taken as a gentle request, not a command, and it often takes an hour or more before the deletion actually occurs and space starts to free up.
I'd much prefer this kind of "Power User" feature over better grocery lists.
For example, there's a lot of potential in iCloud for photo management with large libraries, but iOS Photos simply has two options: "Download Originals" and "Optimize Storage". The latter seems to be ideal - with the ability to download the photos when you need them and keep them on cloud storage otherwise. However, there's no way to manually flush the caches or decide what is retained.
With "Optimized" storage, Photos can often be consuming 10GB of space, with no way to free this up, even if it is needed. On several occasions, I've had to blow away the whole library just to free up space. Even then, this is taken as a gentle request, not a command, and it often takes an hour or more before the deletion actually occurs and space starts to free up.
I'd much prefer this kind of "Power User" feature over better grocery lists.
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You're too young to remember this, but: "To Err is Human; To Really Foul Things Up Requires a Computer." (Bill Vaughan, 1969)
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I guess Bookmarks may require two taps (one on the "three dots" button, then Bookmarks), but for seeing your open tabs I learned two faster ways to open it from a previous Ars thread.
You can just swipe up from the middle URL bar to open the tab thumbnails, or you can double tap the "three dots" button. Bless the posters who shared each of these.
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Agreed. Not really seeing anything in this article specific to actual power users.
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I have no idea why you would think I'm too young to remember that.
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I like the Douglas Adams reference to Nutro Matic synthetic tea.
I've been sick of the AI push, here and everywhere. The few times I try it, it is more like an unruly asshole in the backseat popping my car out of gear while I'm driving.
I went to 26 and so far haven't been impressed like I hoped to have been.
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I get so much spam these days. Most of it from "legitimate" sources like stores that have given me an account I didn't really want and haven't closed yet. Do I really want AI sorting through those "special offers" and setting me reminders. The real urgent stuff: bills, etc will just be lost in the mire.
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Still no mention from Ars about the new travel eSIM feature (shown in a single screenshot during the announcement): Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone
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I installed iOS26 on my iPad Pro to check it out. I'm so glad I did before installing on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. I'm hoping Apple will be reading the comments here and making signifiant changes before I have no choice but to install it on my iPhone.
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Having used iOS 26 on a 16 Pro for a week or so:
- thanks to all forum commenters pointing out the Safari shortcuts
- I'm neutral about Liquid Glass: it hasn't been a real hindrance, nor has it been an improvement
- the delay in unlocking due to the new "icons dropping in" animation still annoys me, but it's minor
- the separate Preview app is long overdue: I hated trying to switch between a document in Files, to another app to paste something
- there is at least one UI inconsistency remaining: the iTunes Store app search is still at the top of the screen
- non-Apple apps need to get on the same page (or screen position)
- the Priority notifications have been accurate (medications reminders, etc.) but I don't have very complex calendar events to track
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Still struggling with the new "Phone" app. Much harder to search for a contact... And why conflate Favorites into Calls?
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In case you don’t know - you can tap the 3 horizontal lines icon shown in the upper right corner of the “Recents “ tab, in the Phone app, and it will give you the option to switch the view to “Classic”. This will make the Phone app look much more similar to how it was in iOS 18.
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There are some countries where eSIMs are not common, or restricted to postpaid accounts. Ask me how I know.
As for apps offering eSIMs, for travel. When I looked at a few of them and compared prices against local phone companies at the destination, the app-based ones were significantly more expensive.
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Smart move testing on the iPad first! Hopefully Apple takes feedback seriously before the iPhone rollout
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