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iOS 26, Apple’s new operating software for the iPhone, is almost here, and it’s arguably the most significant update Apple has delivered in years. With a redesigned interface, some new AI capabilities, and app-specific upgrades, Apple is hoping that this version of iOS will improve both the look and functionality of your iPhone.
In this article, you’ll find a breakdown of the key updates and what they mean for your device went he update eventually rolls around to a public release.
1. New Features At A Glance
| Category | Feature | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Liquid Glass | New design with fluid, glass-like elements across Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, and apps. |
| Lock Screen | Updated icons with light/dark modes, colour-tinted, or clear Liquid Glass style. | |
| App Icons | Updated icons with light/dark modes, color-tinted, or clear Liquid Glass style. | |
| Unified Design | Consistent look across apps and devices. | |
| Apple Intelligence | Live Translation | Real-time translation in Messages, FaceTime, and calls. |
| Visual Intelligence | Smart screen actions: generative search, automatically add events to calendar, ask questions based on the on-screen content. | |
| Image Playground | Automate tasks like summarising text or generating images using Apple Intelligence. | |
| Intelligent Shortcuts | Automatically handles unknown calls, alerts you after the caller speaks. | |
| Communication | Call Screening | Phone app waits on hold for you and alerts when an agent is available. |
| Message Screening | Detects spam and separates unknown senders in Messages and Calls. | |
| Hold Assist | Phone app waits on hold for you and alerts when agent is available. | |
| Polls in Messages | Personalise chat backgrounds with built-in or custom images. | |
| Message Backgrounds | Personalize chat backgrounds with built-in or custom images. | |
| Discovery | Preferred Routes in Maps | Learns your regular routes and favourite stops along the way. |
| Visited Places | Saves places you’ve been for easy recall and sharing. | |
| AutoMix & Lyrics Translation | DJ-style song transitions and translated lyrics in Apple Music. | |
| Wallet Upgrades | Use U.S. passport to create digital ID. | |
| New Games App | Gaming capabilities now collated into a single app. | |
| Additional Features | Accessibility | New Braille experience, better motion cues, customisable reading options. |
| Family & Parental Controls | High-quality audio capture in video calls and with AirPods H2 chip. | |
| Audio Recording | Suggests tasks and organises items using Apple Intelligence. | |
| Reminders | Automatically suggests tasks and organises items using Apple Intelligence. | |
| Photos App | Redesigned with Library and Collections tabs; supports 3D spatial scenes. | |
| AirPods Camera Remote | Start video recording via AirPods H2 chip. | |
| Clock App | Custom snooze durations from 1–15 minutes. | |
| CarPlay Enhancements | Tapbacks in Messages, Live Activities, and more glanceable info. | |
| Journal App | Multiple journals allowed, inline images, and location-based map views. |
2. Release Timeline and Device Compatibility
iOS 26 was officially announced at WWDC 2025 in June, with the first developer beta released immediately after the keynote. Apple then released an updated developer beta three days later on 13th June, which is unprecedented. A more refined public beta is expected to land in July 2025, and the final version is scheduled for release in September 2025, likely aligning with the iPhone 17 launch.
Here is a breakdown of the release timeline:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Developer beta released | June 9, 2025 |
| Updated developer beta for iPhone 15/16 | June 13, 2025 |
| Full public beta expected | July 2025 |
| Final release | September 2025 |
The update is compatible with devices running the A13 Bionic chip and newer, which includes the iPhone 11 and all subsequent models. However, the more advanced features that fall under Apple Intelligence are limited to iPhones with the A17 Pro chip and above, currently found only in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models and later.
Related: iPhone 16 review
3. A New Look: Liquid Glass
iOS 26 includes a visual overhaul Apple is calling “Liquid Glass.” This design update applies a translucent, layered effect across the operating system, aiming to bring more depth and dynamism to the user interface. As the name suggests, it is supposed to imitate glass.
The new effect will appear on things like quick menus, the toolbar for Safari or icons when watching videos. You will be able to partially see through these features as the iPhone adapts to whatever is being displayed behind it. While it remains consistent with previous iOS designs, it also introduces smoother transitions and animated gestures.
On the Lock Screen, the time display now adjusts its size dynamically to your chosen background. For example, the clock will appear larger if there is more clean space in your lock screen background. Widgets are also now positioned near the bottom for easier interaction.
In more updates to the lock screen, wallpapers will feature a subtle parallax effect, giving a sense of movement as you navigate or tilt your phone screen. That means people or objects will appear slightly three-dimensional and will catch the ‘light’ in different ways.
App icons and UI elements have also been updated to match the new aesthetic, with rounded corners and a glass-like transparency mode which turns all icons see-through.
4. Apple Intelligence: New AI Features
For compatible iPhones, Apple has introduced some new generative AI tools as part of Apple Intelligence. These aren’t the full suite of upgrades Apple was hoping to introduce. In 2024, Apple stated that a more intelligent LLM would be released at WWDC 2025 to vastly improve Siri’s usefulness and conversation naturality.
Related: iPhone 16 Pro Max review
This didn’t materialise and has now been delayed to 2026, meaning the Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26 are more restricted than expected. But there are still some, starting with a very useful one.
Live Translation
Live Translation allows for real-time, on-device translation during calls, video chats, and messages. This feature transcribes and translates speech live when conversing in more than one language without having to leave the Phone app.
Visual Intelligence
Photos and screenshots can now be scanned for recognisable elements. This means users can interact with objects in images, such as copying text, looking up landmarks, or sharing content by selecting or drawing around them, like Google’s Circle To Search function. The system uses local machine learning to keep this functionality fast and local.
Google’s AI: Check it out in our Google Pixel 9a review
Smarter Shortcuts and Reminders
The Shortcuts and Reminders apps now use AI to suggest or create new tasks based on long-term patterns of user behaviour or recent activity. These suggestions are generated automatically and adapt over time.
Genmoji and Image Playground
Users can create custom emojis, called Genmoji, by describing them with text. The new Image Playground app also enables users to generate illustrations from short prompts, adding a basic creative tool into the OS. You can also now combine two emojis into one to create a unique, new emoji.
Developer Tools
Apple has introduced a framework that lets third-party apps adopt Apple Intelligence features with minimal setup. This is a big change for developers as it enables them to work directly with Apple Intelligence, leading to wider availability of AI-powered tools within popular iOS-specific apps.
5. Core Improvements and System Updates
Battery Management
A new Adaptive Power Mode optimises background processes and screen activity to extend battery life without major performance sacrifices. The battery usage screen now includes more detailed data and predictive insights.
Best smartphone battery? Read our OnePlus 13 review
Security and Privacy
New settings give users more control over wired accessory permissions, and there’s a centralised blocklist for better spam and threat protection.
Voice Input and Display Options
Dictation has been improved to offer real-time, word-by-word feedback. For devices with Always-On Displays, wallpaper blur has been added to reduce distractions and save battery.
6. Updates to Built-In Apps
Phone
- Call Screening: Unknown callers are automatically answered by your iPhone. Once they state their name and reason for calling, you can decide whether to answer.
- Hold Assist: Waits on hold for you and notifies users when a person is back on the line.
- Call translations are available in real time.
Messages
- Group conversations now support typing indicators.
- Users can set custom chat backgrounds.
- In-chat polls and Apple Cash payments are now supported in-app.
- Improved message filtering and spam detection are included.
Apple Music
- AutoMix offers smoother transitions between tracks, like an automatic DJ that mixes your songs together.
- Lyrics can be translated in real-time, and there are updates for lyric-following modes.
Maps
- Route suggestions are now calculated on-device for better privacy.
- Visited Places: Apple Maps will better remember your favoured routes and stops and remember them for future route-planning requests. You can choose a route based on your preferences as part of the options provided in the app.
Games
- A new Games app consolidates Apple Arcade, Game Centre, and game-related activity into one hub.
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Wallet
- Boarding passes now provide more detailed travel updates from the wallet app.
- In the US, digital passports can now be added to Wallet and used to create a digital ID.
Photos and Camera
- The Photos app has returned to a simpler, tab-based layout. You can now select between the Library and Collections layouts.
- The Camera app includes new reminders to clean the lens when needed.
Notes and Reminders
- Notes now supports audio transcription of voice notes.
- Reminders offer AI-based task suggestions like follow-up tasks and grocery items, along with improved organisation via automated categorisation.
Best smartphone AI? Check out our Samsung S25 Ultra review
Home and Accessibility
- HomeKit has received a backend upgrade for better stability.
- Accessibility options have expanded to include better screen reading, braille support, and personalised audio adjustments.
7. Final Thoughts
iOS 26 introduces a number of functional and design changes that aim to make the iPhone more useful and visually consistent. While its full capabilities are reserved for the most recent hardware, the system-wide design updates and app enhancements still offer a healthy dose of change for most users, with some genuinely useful features built in, like automatic call screening.
1 Comment
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