Kids have sticky fingers. If they touch your iPhone, expect smudges on your camera lens. That means the next time you take a photo, the pic might have a weird haze about it, and you'll have to take the photo multiple times. It's not always your kids' fault either. Even adults can be to blame for a dirty camera lens. Luckily, with the iOS 26 beta there is a feature that can warn you when your camera lens needs cleaning, that way you don't waste a perfectly good sunset or other Instagrammable moment.
Apple released the fifth public beta of iOS 26 on Aug. 25. The update brought a new Liquid Glass design, call screening and more to the iPhones of developers and beta testers. The beta also introduced an easy-to-overlook feature called Lens Cleaning Hints. When this feature is enabled, your iPhone will display a warning that your lens needs to be cleaned.
This feature was automatically enabled for me after I downloaded the iOS 26 beta, but here's where to find it in case it's not turned on for you. It's important to note that this feature is only available on iPhone 15 and later models, so if you have an iPhone 14 Pro, you won't see this option.
And don't forget, iOS 26 is still in beta. That means the update might be buggy for you, and your device's battery life may be negatively affected, so it's best to keep those troubles off your primary device. If you want to try the beta out, I recommend downloading it on a secondary device.
It's also possible that Apple could adjust Lens Cleaning Hints and other update features before the final version of iOS 26 is released this fall -- I'm predicting in the next few weeks.
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How to enable Lens Cleaning Hints
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Camera.
3. Tap the Lens Cleaning Hints toggle near the bottom of the menu.
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