Prepare as a result of Apple iOS 26 (not iOS 19) is headed your method this fall with some cool new options you may wish to attempt. What’s most enjoyable? The contemporary house and lock display screen redesign we have been ready to see for years. Dubbed Liquid Glass, the brand new appear and feel will lengthen throughout all of Apple’s upcoming working programs. The overhaul was considered one 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 throughout the firm’s WWDC keynote on June 9.
After overpromising on AI plans final 12 months, Apple stored its iOS roadmap centered extra on fundamental high quality of life enhancements this 12 months. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Telephone and Messages apps in your iPhone, for example: Apple execs outlined the power to weed out spam texts or different unknown senders and an possibility to carry your spot on a cellphone name if you’ve been ready for a consultant to select 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 12 months,” so that you should not count on any main adjustments within the present betas. However there are studies that Apple is aiming to provide Siri an even bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party synthetic intelligence fashions like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which may make 2026 a pivotal 12 months.
If you happen to’re a developer, you possibly can take a look at the iOS 26 beta 2 now; the general public beta is coming this month. With every beta, it looks as if further new enhancements are popping up, like newly found FaceTime characteristic that’ll freeze your video if it detects nudity. Most newer iPhone fashions are eligible to obtain iOS 26 (each the betas and closing model). Need to see the complete checklist of recent options coming this fall? Learn on.
What’s iOS 26?
Whereas the present iPhone working system is iOS 18, Apple is skipping the numbering forward to iOS 26 later this 12 months. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, just like automobile mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working programs will probably be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to mirror the 12 months forward. (In the meantime, iOS 18 continues to be getting new variations this summer season, too.)
What’s Liquid Glass design?
Let’s be trustworthy. Out of every part introduced at WWDC this 12 months, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s house and lock screens have regarded just about the identical 12 months after 12 months — the final thrilling factor (in my view) was the choice so as to add your individual aesthetic to your private home 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 materials” 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 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 almost twenty years in the past.
That mentioned, as of the newly launched iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already included some person suggestions into the design, dialing again the transparency in no less than some locations. And whereas it would proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not be capable to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes extra cohesive. This is a have 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 checklist of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:
Telephone app redesign: You will lastly be capable to scroll by way of contacts, latest calls and voicemail messages all on one display screen. It additionally comes with a brand new characteristic referred to as Maintain Help that’ll notify you when an agent involves the cellphone so you possibly can keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.
Reside Translation in Telephone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the power to have a dialog through cellphone name or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Reside Translation will translate your dialog in actual time, which ends up in some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.
Polls in group chats: Bored with sorting by way of what looks as if a whole bunch of messages in your group chat? You and your mates will quickly be capable to create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automobile 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: Just like a reverse Google picture search, this new characteristic will will let you seek for something that is in your iPhone display screen. As an example, in case you spot a pair of sneakers somebody is sporting in an Instagram picture, you possibly can screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to seek out these sneakers (or comparable ones) on-line.
Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who’s nonetheless annoyed with the Photographs adjustments made final 12 months, you may be completely satisfied 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.
FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic: A more moderen addition to iOS 26 seems to be the FaceTime “Communication Security” characteristic that pauses communications if and when nudity is detected. The characteristic seems to be a baby security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.
Which iPhones will be capable 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 appropriate with the most recent 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 might be all however sure to be introduced and launched in September.
When will the iOS 26 beta be obtainable?
The iOS 26 public beta will develop into obtainable this month (July) through the Apple Beta Software program Program. If you happen to’re not already a member, you may want to enroll to check out all the most recent options. Simply go to beta.apple.com and enroll along with your cellphone quantity or electronic mail deal with. 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 deciding on iOS 26 public beta.
A phrase of warning: Do not enroll along with your major 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 per week of the Apple iPhone occasion. Final 12 months, it rolled out to iPhone customers on September 16 — precisely one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was introduced.
If you happen to’re extra within the Apple Intelligence options coming, this is every part Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and extra throughout WWDC. Additionally, take a look at how iOS 26 screenshots might be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.
Replace, July 3: Famous new FaceTime characteristic discovered within the developer beta.
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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