I’m only a couple levels higher at 6. However, just in these last two levels especially, I’m noticing small but fundamental changes in how I perceive the kanji and their readings. You subconsciously start to look for the parts of a kanji that differentiate it from similar-looking kanjis instead of all parts of the kanji. Jukugo kanji readings come more naturally and you start to pull from past learnings instead of rote memorization. I’m still new myself but I would guess that as you keep practicing, your mind learns more techniques.
Also if you haven’t already, check out this script that tries to fix the issue of similar looks.