Apple’s iOS 26 software program replace for iPhones is offered right now to all customers utilizing iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2, and later. iOS 26’s marquee characteristic was Apple’s Liquid Glass design, which included components on display screen that resembled a “glassy” look. Different options included a name screening assistant, a brand new gaming and preview app, in-app translation throughout the system, and updates to Genmoji and Picture Playground apps.
The working system replace additionally went by means of a giant numerical change as Apple jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26 for 2 key causes. First, it wished to deliver all working techniques — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and VisionOS — in sync. And it additionally wished to replicate the 12 months quantity wherein nearly all of the individuals will use this replace.
Liquid Glass
Liquid Glass design has been probably the most important visible overhaul for iOS in years. Apple’s intention with this redesign was to take inspiration from the Imaginative and prescient Professional interface and apply it to all of its working techniques. The weather are supposed to appear to be they’re made from translucent glass. This resulted in challenges when it comes to readability and the way components within the background look.
Since June, Apple has made modifications to how “glassy” the interface appears to be like a number of occasions by means of beta releases. Whereas the corporate is releasing the secure model of iOS 26 right now, we would count on visible tweaks for improved readability and value within the coming months. This visible change may take a little bit of time for customers to regulate, and they may not like sure components immediately.
Apple apps
The Telephone app has a brand new unified look the place your favorites are up prime in a card format with recents and voicemails on the identical display screen. You may faucet the filter button on the highest proper and have a look at these sections individually as properly. (For those who don’t like the brand new interface, Apple additionally offers you an possibility to modify to the traditional look.)
iOS 26 additionally brings a name screening characteristic to iPhones, which is a private favourite. When an unknown quantity calls you, the system asks for his or her title and the aim of the decision. As soon as they offer this data, the system invokes the ringer and notifies you of the decision. You may have a look at the dialog and interject at any time. Transcription of voicemail doesn’t work properly for all languages, however name screening has lowered the variety of calls I’ve needed to choose up.
There’s additionally a holding help for when a restaurant or a helpline locations you on maintain; you should utilize name help to inform when an agent begins speaking once more.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025
The Messages app is attending to characteristic social gathering with different chat apps like WhatsApp and Telegram with backgrounds, new dialog movement, polls, textual content choice, picture previews, and typing indicators in teams. Apple has been engaged on SMS filtering for just a few years now. The corporate mentioned it up to date its spam filtering with this launch. Plus, it locations messages from unknown senders in a brand new folder. One factor I didn’t like about this replace is that it takes me a few faucets to go to the transactions tab.
The video games app overhaul means that you could have a look at the video games you’re taking part in (or have performed), arcade video games, challenges, and achievements in a single place, together with solutions for brand new titles. The app additionally exhibits you what your folks are taking part in.
Apple lastly added Mac’s Preview app to iOS 26, which suggests you may edit, annotate, and signal PDFs extra simply.
In the meantime, Apple Music now has automixing for dynamic track switching, together with lyrics translation and pronunciation. What’s extra, you may pin your favourite songs and playlists.
With iOS 26, Apple Maps permits you to outline most popular routes whereas commuting. In case your selection of route has extra visitors or any incidents, Maps sends you a notification together with suggesting various routes. The app additionally permits you to simply view visited locations by means of a brand new locations library.
The Digital camera app in iOS 26 adopts the Liquid Glass design with solely Video and Photograph choices seen by default. You may scroll to the left or proper to modify between completely different modes. Apple has positioned some controls like Flash and Night time mode on the highest proper, and you may change them on/off with one contact. For extra choices like filters, kinds, publicity controls, and timer, you may swipe up from the underside of the display screen.
For those who didn’t just like the earlier Images app design, the tabs are again on this model.
AI options
Not like final 12 months’s grand launch of Apple Intelligence, this 12 months’s working system is mild on AI options, particularly given delays in launching and rolling out options. The corporate is making AI-powered translation simply accessible in apps like Messages, FaceTime, and Telephone. At the moment, this characteristic helps English (UK, US), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
Via iOS 26, the corporate can also be launching stay translation on AirPods, together with the newly launched AirPods Professional 3, AirPods Professional 2, and AirPods 4.
iOS 26 updates visible intelligence to know the content material on the display screen. You need to press Energy + quantity down button to deliver up this menu. Apple Intelligence can then counsel occasions so as to add to your calendar. You can too ask questions concerning the content material on the display screen, utilizing Google Visible Search or ChatGPT. Apple can also be releasing its personal “Circle to look” known as Spotlight.
Essentially the most complicated half about this replace is that the buttons used to deliver up on-screen visible intelligence are the identical because the screenshot button. Due to this, it takes an additional step to save lots of a screenshot, and I’ve forgotten to avoid wasting vital screenshots.
Apple is updating Genmoji with iOS 26 to allow you to merge two emojis with a textual content immediate and make one thing new. Now you can add expression to individuals in each Genmoji and Picture Playground. Replace to Picture Playground now means that you can modify attributes like hair and facial hair, together with new kinds from ChatGPT.
Different options
- Now you can set completely different snooze occasions for alarms from 1 minute to fifteen minutes.
- The Pockets app replace means that you can create a digital ID by means of a passport to current to TSA on the airport. Plus, the app has a revamped boarding cross display screen with extra information concerning the airport and flight.
- Voice recording on iOS 26 will allow you to choose the enter supply. It additionally provides voice isolation and the power to seize audio and video regionally simply in your aspect. That is useful for creators who report podcasts utilizing video calls.
- Apple is making reminders clever by auto-generating grocery gadgets from a recipe on a webpage. It might additionally floor reminders primarily based on an e mail, web site, or be aware you’re looking at.
- App Retailer now has accessibility vitamin labels to point the presence of options, together with VoiceOver, Voice Management, Bigger Textual content, Ample Distinction, Lowered Movement, and captions
- Apple has up to date parental management to restrict communication from new telephone numbers with out approval, allow age-appropriate experiences in third-party apps, and the App Retailer.
Now we have an inventory of tons of small however helpful iOS options right here. You may replace to iOS 26 by going to Settings>Basic>Software program Replace and downloading the most recent model.
