It is true: Apple’s iOS 26 (not iOS 19) is coming your manner this fall with some cool new options you may wish to strive. For these of us who’ve been loyal to the iPhone for almost 20 years, we’re most excited concerning the contemporary residence and lock display screen redesign. Dubbed Liquid Glass, the brand new appear and feel will prolong throughout all of Apple’s upcoming working techniques. The overhaul was certainly one of a number of large adjustments coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite, all of which had been showcased in the course of the firm’s WWDC keynote on June 9. In case you’re a developer, you’ll be able to 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 targeted extra on primary high quality of life enhancements this yr. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Telephone and Messages apps in your iPhone, for example: Apple execs outlined the flexibility to weed out spam texts or different unknown senders and an possibility to carry your spot on a telephone name while you’ve been ready for a consultant to choose up. Plus, a treasured characteristic that we took with no consideration is coming again (trace: it is within the Images 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 “in the coming year,” so that you should not count on any main adjustments within the present betas. However there are studies that Apple is aiming to offer Siri a much bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party artificial intelligence models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which might make 2026 a pivotal yr.
Preserve studying to take a look at essentially the most notable options coming to your iPhone this fall, based on Apple. Additionally, be sure your iPhone is eligible to download the iOS 26 update (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, just like automotive mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working techniques will likely be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to mirror the yr forward. (In the meantime, iOS 18 is still getting new versions this summer, too.)
What’s Liquid Glass design?
Let’s be trustworthy. Out of every little thing introduced at WWDC this yr, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s residence and lock screens have seemed just about the identical yr after yr — the final thrilling factor (in my view) was the choice so as to add your individual aesthetic to your house display screen 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 material” since, nicely, the apps and widgets are clear. Nonetheless, the display screen can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You will additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Telephone and Maps. They’re designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless simple 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 path, even when it is considerably paying homage to Microsoft’s translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from almost twenty years in the past.
That stated, as of the newly launched iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing again the transparency in no less than some locations. And whereas it should 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 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:
Telephone app redesign: You will lastly have the ability to scroll by contacts, current calls and voicemail messages all on one display screen. It additionally comes with a brand new characteristic known as Maintain Help that’ll notify you when an agent involves the telephone so you’ll be able to keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.
Reside Translation in Telephone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the flexibility to have a dialog through 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 lots of of messages in your group chat? You and your mates will quickly have the ability to create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automotive you take 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: Much like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will permit you to seek for something that is in your iPhone display screen. For example, in the event you spot a pair of sneakers somebody is carrying in an Instagram picture, you’ll be able to screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to seek out these sneakers (or related ones) on-line.
Images tabs are again: For anybody who’s nonetheless annoyed with the Photos changes made last year, you may be comfortable to know that your tabs are coming again. Library and Collections can have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to seek out what you are on the lookout for.
Which iPhones will have the ability to improve to iOS 26?
A number 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 likely be eligible for the iOS 26 update.
Not listed below are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or possibly iPhone 26?) which can be all however sure to be introduced and launched in September.
When will the iOS 26 beta be obtainable?
In case you’re a developer, you’ll be able to try the iOS 26 beta 2 now. The iOS 26 public beta will turn into available in July through the Apple Beta Software 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 join together with your telephone quantity or e mail handle. It is free.
When you’re in and the beta is accessible, you’ll be able to set up it by going to Settings > Common > Software program Replace and choosing iOS 26 public beta.
A phrase of warning: Do not join together with your important iPhone until 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 likely be launched to the general public this fall. It often 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, this is everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more throughout WWDC. Additionally, try how iOS 26 screenshots could possibly be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.
Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and studies that Apple is contemplating further exterior LLMs for Siri.
Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.
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