When the iPhone 17 Pro Max lands in your hands, it can feel overwhelming. The size alone takes getting used to—we're talking 6.9 inches of premium real estate. But here's what most people miss: this phone has dozens of features hiding in your settings that can genuinely transform how you use it daily.
I've spent time with this device and pulled together the tips that actually matter, organized by what'll have the most impact on your experience.
Make This Phone Usable With One Hand (Seriously)
The first thing you'll notice? This phone is big. Reaching the top to pull down notifications becomes a two-handed operation, which defeats the purpose of carrying a phone.
Reachability is your first move. Head to Settings → Accessibility → Touch, then enable Reachability. Now when you swipe down on the bottom edge of your screen, the entire top half slides down into reach. It sounds simple, but it transforms one-handed use completely.
But there's more. That wide keyboard makes typing a pain. Long-press the globe icon while typing and you'll see options to shift your entire keyboard left or right. Pick one that matches your dominant hand. Your typing speed will noticeably improve—especially during quick messages or emails.
Camera Lens Smudges Are Silently Ruining Your Photos
Your fingers gravitate toward that camera lens. It happens constantly on a phone this size, and you won't always notice the smudge until you check your photos.
iOS 26 introduced something called Lens Cleaning Hints. Go to Settings → Camera and scroll down to enable it. Now your phone will notify you when your lens needs cleaning. It's a small feature that prevents dozens of ruined shots over months of use.
The Action Button Is More Powerful Than You Think
That button on the left side? Most people set it to trigger reminders. That's fine, but you're severely underutilizing it.
Instead of a basic action, create shortcuts that map useful features to that button. The best option? Spotlight Search. Here's how:
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Create a new shortcut and search for "Open Search"
- Go back to Settings → Action Button → Shortcuts
- Select your new Spotlight shortcut
Now one press opens your search. It's dramatically faster than swiping down from the top.
You can do this with Control Center too, giving you instant access without reaching the top of the phone.
This Hidden Trick Saves Time With Every App
This might be my favorite discovery with this phone: accessing app settings without leaving the app itself.
Here's the problem it solves: You're in an app, need to change a setting, and suddenly you're digging through Settings → Apps → [Find Your App]. It's friction.
The solution requires downloading a free shortcut (available in the video description), then adding it to your Control Center. Now when you pull down Control Center in any app and tap the settings icon, it opens that app's settings instantly.
It's available for first-party apps like Notes and Phone, plus third-party apps. Once you start using this, you'll wonder how you lived without it.
Dual Capture: Record From Two Cameras at Once
The iPhone 17 introduces Dual Capture—simultaneously recording your rear camera while showing your front-facing camera in a Picture-in-Picture window.
The tip most people miss: you can move that front-facing window around during recording. If your selfie feed is blocking something you're trying to show with the rear camera, just drag it. That movement carries through to your final video.
Also, enable the indicator so Dual Capture shows in your camera app consistently. Settings → Camera → Indicators → turn on "Dual Capture" under Composition.
Fast Charging Actually Requires a Specific Charger
Your iPhone 17 Pro Max can charge 0 to 50% in 20 minutes—but only with a 40-watt charger. Using anything less and you're leaving speed on the table.
Here's the practical part: if you do a lot of video work or ProRes recording, battery drains fast. That rapid charging ability becomes genuinely useful, not just a spec to brag about.
Protect Your Battery for the Long Game
If you plan on keeping this phone for 3+ years, change one setting: go to Settings → Battery → Charging and set your charge limit to 90%.
Here's why: lithium batteries degrade faster when constantly charged to 100%. By capping at 90%, you're doing the battery a favor without noticing any real-world impact on usage. Your phone still lasts all day.
If you upgrade every year or two, skip this. But if you're the type to hold onto your phone, this simple change adds months—sometimes years—to your battery's usable lifespan.
Video Audio Quality Just Got a Major Upgrade
This is huge if you record videos: you can now change your microphone source in real-time while recording.
In the Camera app during video recording, swipe down to access the controls panel. You'll see an audio input option. If you're wearing AirPods Pro, select them instead of the iPhone's microphone. Now you can set your phone 10+ feet away and still capture crisp, clear audio.
This single feature transforms video quality for anyone recording tutorials, podcasts, or content on their phone.
Your Home Screen Icons Can Match Your Phone's Aesthetic
iOS 26 added the ability to tint your home screen icons to match your iPhone's color or case.
Long-press your home screen → Edit → Customize → scroll to "Tinted." You'll see options to match your phone's color (cosmic orange, anyone?) or match your official Apple case. It's a small visual touch that makes your phone feel more cohesive.
If you're not into tinted icons, the new "Clear" option pairs beautifully with a high-quality wallpaper and shows off the liquid glass design.
The 48MP Telephoto Lens Demands Your Attention
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the first iPhone ever with a 48-megapixel telephoto lens. The camera now offers 4x and 8x optical zoom (up from the previous 5x).
But here's the actual useful tip: when zooming far in, a small preview window appears in the top right corner. Watch that preview instead of the full screen. It's easier to lock onto your subject and frame it properly at extreme zoom levels.
Front-Facing Camera Smart Features
The new 18MP front-facing camera has a square sensor that enables some genuinely clever features.
The biggest one? Auto Zoom and Auto Rotate. It automatically adjusts your framing based on how many people are in the frame and which orientation would work best—all without physically moving your phone. It's impressive technology.
One caveat: disable Center Stage for FaceTime calls. While the feature keeps you framed perfectly, it feels "professional" rather than personal in conversation. You'll find the toggle in the top right during FaceTime, or swipe down to access it from the control panel.
If Your Eyes Hurt on OLED, This Setting Is Life-Changing
Some people experience headaches when looking at OLED screens in low light. It's called PWM (pulse-width modulation) sensitivity, and Apple finally added a fix.
Go to Settings → Accessibility → Display and Text Size, then scroll down to "Display Pulse Smoothing." Enable it. This changes how the display dims at low brightness, reducing the flickering that causes headaches for sensitive people.
Raw Photo Settings That Actually Matter
If you shoot RAW photos in Lightroom or other editing apps, you need to know this:
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and ensure "Pro Raw and Resolution Control" is turned on. Then, in Pro Raw Format, consider switching from JPEG Lossless to JPEG XL Lossy.
Here's why: same quality, dramatically smaller file size. We're talking 75MB per raw photo dropping to 20MB. Over time, when you're shooting hundreds of raws, that's massive storage savings.
Only do this if you're actually editing raw photos and understand the format. Otherwise, stick with lossless for maximum compatibility.
Lock Your White Balance During Video Recording
Professional-looking video requires this one setting: Settings → Camera → Record Video, then scroll down and turn on "Lock White Balance."
This prevents your camera from constantly shifting color temperature based on lighting changes. The result? Videos that look intentional and polished, not like amateur footage with random color shifts.
ProRes Video: Store It Externally
If you're shooting ProRes video (the format filmmakers use), those files are huge. A short ProRes clip can eat gigabytes.
The solution: connect an external SSD to your iPhone (either MagSafe-compatible or via USB-C). Record directly to the SSD instead of your phone's storage. You'll shoot significantly more video without filling your phone.
Also, when transferring ProRes files, use the Files app instead of AirDrop. It's dramatically faster.
Adjust Your Camera Control Sensitivity
The camera control button can be finicky. If you're accidentally triggering actions or struggling to use it properly, go to Settings → Accessibility → Camera Control.
You can adjust the sensitivity (firmer or lighter press needed), slow down double-press speed, and even test it right there on the screen. Tuning this to your preferences eliminates the frustration.
One hidden tip: you don't have to use the button itself. You can control the camera menu with your finger too. It defeats some of the purpose, but it's there if the button isn't cooperating.
Photographic Styles Are Underrated
Most people skip photographic styles, thinking they're like Instagram filters. They're actually much more sophisticated.
You get undertones (better for skin tones) and moods (broader aesthetic filters). The best part? You can adjust them after taking the photo. Shoot normally, then swipe up in the photo preview to apply or tweak any style.
The grid interface lets you dial in tone and color precisely. Even if you use Lightroom professionally, these are surprisingly capable for quick edits in-app.
Auto Brightness Is Essential for Peak Performance
Your iPhone 17 Pro Max can hit 3,000 nits of peak brightness outdoors. But you'll never reach it by manually maxing out brightness.
The reason: you need Auto Brightness enabled. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Display and Text Size, then turn on Auto Brightness.
This isn't just about brightness—it saves battery too. Your phone uses only as much brightness as the environment requires. Over a day, that adds up.
One More Thing: Spatial Scenes on Your Lock Screen
iOS 26's spatial scenes are one of the best features in years. They create a 3D depth effect on your lock screen where objects appear to move in front of the clock.
Add one to your lock screen by tapping the plus icon and selecting a spatial scene or any photo. Tap the designated icon and it generates the effect automatically. The 17 Pro Max's large screen makes this particularly stunning.
It seems like a minor visual feature until you see it in action. Then it becomes one of those details that makes you genuinely happy every time you unlock your phone.
The Bottom Line
The iPhone 17 Pro Max isn't just a bigger phone—it's a platform designed for people who want control. These settings transform it from good to genuinely excellent. Start with the reachability and keyboard tweaks, add the app settings shortcut, then customize based on what you actually use.
Your experience will be noticeably better within 15 minutes of setup.