It is true: Apple’s iOS 26 (not iOS 19) is coming your manner this fall with some cool new options you may need to attempt. For these of us who’ve been loyal to the iPhone for practically twenty years, we’re most excited concerning the recent house and lock display redesign. Dubbed Liquid Glass, the brand new feel and look will prolong throughout all of Apple’s upcoming working techniques. The overhaul was one in every of a number of massive adjustments coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite, all of which have been showcased in the course of the firm’s WWDC keynote on June 9. In case you’re a developer, you possibly can try the iOS 26 beta 2 now; the general public beta coming in July.
After overpromising on AI plans final yr, Apple saved its iOS roadmap centered extra on primary high quality of life enhancements this yr. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Cellphone and Messages apps in your iPhone, as an example: Apple execs outlined the power to weed out spam texts or different unknown senders and an possibility to carry your spot on a telephone name whenever you’ve been ready for a consultant to choose up. Plus, a treasured characteristic that we took without any consideration is coming again (trace: it is within the Photographs app).
Siri, in the meantime, is in a holding sample. Apple has beforehand specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed till some level “within the coming yr,” so that you should not anticipate any main adjustments within the present betas. However there are experiences that Apple is aiming to provide Siri a much bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party synthetic intelligence fashions like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which might make 2026 a pivotal yr.
Maintain studying to take a look at essentially the most notable options coming to your iPhone this fall, in accordance with Apple. Additionally, be certain that your iPhone is eligible to obtain the iOS 26 replace (fortunately, most up-to-date fashions are).
What’s iOS 26?
Whereas the present iPhone working system is iOS 18, Apple is skipping the numbering forward to iOS 26 later this yr. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, much like automobile mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working techniques will probably be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to replicate the yr forward. (In the meantime, iOS 18 continues to be getting new variations this summer season, too.)
What’s Liquid Glass design?
Let’s be sincere. Out of all the things introduced at WWDC this yr, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s house and lock screens have appeared just about the identical yr after yr — the final thrilling factor (for my part) was the choice so as to add your personal aesthetic to your property display by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the house and lock screens’ new facelift is refreshing.
So what precisely is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a “new translucent materials” since, properly, the apps and widgets are clear. Nevertheless, the display can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You may additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Cellphone and Maps. They’re designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless straightforward to see. Whereas the design overhaul has confirmed to be controversial since its announcement, some — together with Engadget’s personal Devindra Hardawar — like the brand new course, even when it is considerably paying homage to Microsoft’s translucent Home windows Vista Aero designs from practically twenty years in the past.
That stated, as of the newly launched iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already included some consumer suggestions into the design, dialing again the transparency in a minimum of some locations. And whereas it’s going to proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not have the ability to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes extra cohesive. This is a take a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the brand new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.
What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26?
iOS 26 has a laundry listing of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:
Cellphone app redesign: You may lastly have the ability to scroll by contacts, current calls and voicemail messages all on one display. It additionally comes with a brand new characteristic referred to as Maintain Help that’ll notify you when an agent involves the telephone so you possibly can keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.
Reside Translation in Cellphone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the power to have a dialog by way of telephone name or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Reside Translation will translate your dialog in actual time, which leads to some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.
Polls in group chats: Uninterested in sorting by what looks as if a whole lot of messages in your group chat? You and your folks will quickly have the ability to create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automobile you are taking on a highway journey.
Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not acquired spam texts about unpaid tolls or different citations, you are fortunate. For these of us who’ve, these annoying messages will quickly be filtered away in a separate folder.
Visible Intelligence: Just like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will can help you seek for something that is in your iPhone display. As an example, if you happen to spot a pair of footwear somebody is carrying in an Instagram photograph, you possibly can screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to search out these footwear (or related ones) on-line.
Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who’s nonetheless pissed off with the Photographs adjustments made final yr, you may be blissful to know that your tabs are coming again. Library and Collections may have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to search out what you are in search of.
Which iPhones will have the ability to improve to iOS 26?
A couple of iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — will not be suitable with the newest improve. However any iPhones launched in 2019 or later will probably be eligible for the iOS 26 replace.
Not listed below are the presumed new iPhone 17 fashions (or perhaps iPhone 26?) which can be all however sure to be introduced and launched in September.
When will the iOS 26 beta be accessible?
In case you’re a developer, you possibly can try the iOS 26 beta 2 now. The iOS 26 public beta will turn into accessible in July by way of the Apple Beta Software program Program. In case you’re not already a member, you may want to enroll to check out all the newest options. Simply go to beta.apple.com and enroll along with your telephone quantity or e-mail handle. It is free.
When you’re in and the beta is offered, you possibly can set up it by going to Settings > Common > Software program Replace and choosing iOS 26 public beta.
A phrase of warning: Do not enroll along with your predominant iPhone except you are OK with any dangers that happen with utilizing an OS that is not finalized.
When will the ultimate model of iOS 26 be launched?
iOS 26 will probably be launched to the general public this fall. It normally is available in September, inside every week of the Apple iPhone occasion. Final yr, it rolled out to iPhone customers on September 16 — precisely one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was introduced.
In case you’re extra within the Apple Intelligence options coming, here is all the things Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and extra throughout WWDC. Additionally, try how iOS 26 screenshots might be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.
Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and experiences that Apple is contemplating further exterior LLMs for Siri.
Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.
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