The whole lot to know in regards to the free iPhone software program replace

It is lastly right here: Now you can obtain iOS 26 in your iPhone — Apple’s different new working methods are additionally obtainable. The primary noticeable factor after putting in the brand new OS? A brand new clear design language that Apple dubs Liquid Glass. The translucent look might be discovered inside apps in addition to your lock and residential screens. (In case you do not prefer it, there is a approach to cut back the transparency.) The overhaul is considered one of a number of huge adjustments that include iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite.

You will additionally see a number of helpful additions within the Telephone and Messages apps. For example, the power to weed out spam texts or unknown senders and an choice to carry your spot on a cellphone name if you’ve been ready for a consultant to select up. And for enjoyable, now you can create polls in group texts. Different new enhancements coming embrace a confirmed AirPods dwell translation characteristic, and a brand new bouncy animation on the passcode display screen and within the Management Middle.

If you do not have a appropriate cellphone however plan to improve, Apple unveiled a number of new fashions at its iPhone 17 occasion — that features the brand new iPhone 17 lineup and the all-new ultra-thin iPhone Air. In case you missed the keynote, you may compensate for all the pieces Apple introduced right here or rewatch the complete iPhone 17 launch. The corporate rounded out its bulletins with three new Apple Watch fashions, in addition to the brand-new AirPods Professional 3.

Most newer iPhone fashions are eligible to obtain iOS 26. We have rounded up a full record of recent options you may have to take a look at.

What’s iOS 26 and will I obtain iOS 18.7 first?

As a substitute of releasing iOS 19, Apple skipped its naming conference forward to iOS 26. 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 methods had been launched in 2025, they’re all designated “26” to replicate the 12 months forward.

Apple additionally launched iOS 18.7 alongside iOS 26 to deal with safety points — nice information if you do not have a cellphone that is eligible to run the most recent OS. In case you’re questioning which one to obtain first, it is actually as much as you. Do you need to watch for Apple to quash any bugs in iOS 26 or would you like entry to all the brand new options everybody’s speaking about now?

What’s Liquid Glass design?

Let’s be trustworthy. Out of all the pieces introduced at WWDC this 12 months, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s residence and lock screens have seemed 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 own 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, properly, the apps and widgets are clear. Nevertheless, the display screen can nonetheless adapt to darkish and lightweight 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 Devindra Hardawar — like the brand new path, even when it is considerably harking back to Microsoft’s translucent Home windows Vista Aero designs from practically twenty years in the past.

That stated, whereas it was in beta mode, Apple integrated some person suggestions into the design, dialing again the transparency in at the very least some locations. And whereas it can proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not be capable of escape it: The corporate says Liquid Glass was designed to make all of its platforms extra cohesive.

Here is a take a look at how the translucent aesthetic appears with the brand new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.

Methods to flip iOS 26 Liquid Glass settings off

In case you discover you do not like the brand new clear take care of downloading iOS 26, you may change a pair Accessibility settings, although you may’t utterly flip off Liquid Glass. For starters, you may cut back the liquid look by going to Settings > Accessibility > Movement > toggle on Scale back Movement.

You may make your drop-down menus extra opaque as an alternative of translucent by going to Settings >Accessibility > Show & Textual content Measurement > toggle on Scale back Transparency.

You can even change your clear apps again to the best way they had been. Simply press and maintain any app in your display screen and choose Edit Residence Display screen. From right here, faucet Edit (prime left) and Customise. You’ll be able to swap out to Default, Darkish or Tinted.

What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26?

iOS 26 has a laundry record of recent options. Among the many most worthwhile:

Telephone app redesign: Now you can scroll by contacts, current 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 may keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.

Dwell Translation in Telephone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 brings the power to have a dialog through cellphone name, FaceTime or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Dwell Translation makes use of Apple Intelligence and it’ll 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: Bored with sorting by what looks as if a whole lot of messages in your group chat? You and your pals can now create polls in group messages to determine 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 assist you to seek for something that is in your iPhone display screen. For example, in case you spot a pair of sneakers somebody is sporting in an Instagram photograph, you may screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to seek out these sneakers (or related ones) on-line.

Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who’s been annoyed with final 12 months’s adjustments to the Photographs app, you may be completely satisfied to know that your tabs are again. Library and Collections have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to seek out what you are searching for.

Digicam app updates: Navigating the Digicam app needs to be less complicated in iOS 26, as all of the buttons and menus are in handy spots — much less swiping, extra photograph taking. Plus, there is a new characteristic that tells you in case your lens must be cleaned.

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 toddler security characteristic that makes use of on-device detection, thus obviating any cloud-based privateness points.

New lock display screen choices: The iPhone lock display screen is extra customizable in iOS 26, with a cooler clock, 3D wallpaper results, extra widgets and higher focus mode choices.

New alarm setting: You will not be caught with the 9-minute snooze setting in your alarms. As a substitute, you now have the choice to alter your snooze time from one to fifteen minutes.

Screenshots look completely different: You will discover a number of new options if you take a screenshot, together with “spotlight to look,” the choice to look your picture on Google and ChatGPT is there for any questions you might have in regards to the picture.

Preview on iOS 26: There is a new app referred to as Preview that allows you to scan paperwork, fill out PDF varieties, in addition to spotlight, underline or strike by textual content in a PDF file. You can even take away backgrounds from photos on this app.

New adjustments with iPadOS 26

Your iPad is not getting left behind in relation to huge updates. Here is what to search for.

Multitasking and actual windowing: If you obtain the most recent replace, you can have a number of apps operating in your display screen on the identical time. When you open an app, it will seem in your display screen as regular however you can resize and transfer it throughout your display screen to make room for different apps. This characteristic is non-compulsory so you may flip it off in case you do not prefer it.

Visible replace: Together with the opposite new OSes, iPadOS 26 additionally has the Liquid Glass aesthetic. This new look seems on the lock and residential screens, in addition to the drop-down menus.

New menu bar: If you swipe down in your display screen, the brand new menu bar will seem with choices like File, Edit, Home windows and extra. There’s additionally a search choice in case you’re searching for one thing particular.

There’s extra past that, so remember to take a look at our first impressions of iPadOS 26.

What about AirPods?

AirPods are additionally getting up to date with iOS 26. Listed below are among the extra notable capabilities.

Enhanced audio recording: Apple calls this “studio-quality” audio recording, and with it, you may discover extra readability whereas in noisy environments.

Digicam distant management: Utilizing this, you may take a photograph or begin and cease video recording with only one press in your AirPods. When taking images, you may get a three-second countdown earlier than your iPhone or iPad snaps the image.

Dwell translation characteristic: Dwell translation is on the market on AirPods Professional 3, AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC when paired with iPhones operating iOS 26. Apple says that when somebody speaks to you in a special language, you need to use your AirPods to translate what they’re saying.

Coronary heart charge monitoring: Apple launched new AirPods Professional 3 earbuds this month, which embrace coronary heart charge monitoring. It should work with Apple’s Well being app and different health apps that monitor coronary heart charges.

Did Siri get an replace?

Siri 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 proper now. However there are reviews 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 12 months. The corporate can also be reportedly engaged on a “stripped-down” AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT.

Which iPhones will be capable of improve to iOS 26?

A couple of iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — aren’t appropriate with the most recent improve. However any iPhones from 2019 or later might be eligible for iOS 26:

• iPhone SE (second era or later)

When to obtain iOS 26?

iOS 26 has formally been launched to the general public free of charge immediately, September 15.

In case you’re extra within the new Apple Intelligence options, this is all the pieces Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and extra throughout WWDC. Additionally, take a look at how iOS 26 screenshots may very well be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.

Replace, September 16: Added particulars about modifying Liquid Glass settings, and new data in regards to the Preview app.

Replace, September 15: Famous iOS 26 is formally obtainable for obtain.

Replace, September 12: Famous iOS 26 is coming to eligible iPhones in only a few days, timing TBD.

Replace, September 11: Added the merchandise Apple launched at its Tuesday occasion and famous when iOS 26 might be obtainable to obtain.

Replace, September 9: Famous the iPhone occasion is beginning quickly.

Replace, September 8: Famous the iPhone 17 occasion is tomorrow.

Replace, September 4: Added particulars about how screenshots are completely different in iOS 26.

Replace, September 3: Famous Apple is predicted to launch iOS 18.7 alongside iOS 26.

Replace, September 2: Added extra new options coming with iOS 26.

Replace, August 29: Added new part about Siri and a hyperlink to what’s new with the iOS 26 Digicam app.

Replace, August 27: Added the official iPhone 17 occasion date, in addition to the potential iOS 26 launch.

Replace, August 25: Added a rumor about new AirPods Professional having coronary heart charge monitoring.

Replace, August 22: Famous that Apple has formally stopped signing iOS 18.6.

Replace, August 20: Famous that iOS 26 public beta 4 and iOS 18.6.2 at the moment are obtainable to obtain.

Replace, August 18: Added particulars a few potential iOS 18.6 replace.

Replace, August 15: Added to hyperlink to what to anticipate on the Apple iPhone occasion and particulars about what’s obtainable within the iOS 26 screenshots editor.

Replace, August 13: Added new AirPods element noticed within the iOS 26 beta.

Replace, August 11: Famous that iOS 26 developer beta has hit beta 6.

Replace, August 8: Added new options coming with iPadOS 26 and AirPods.

Replace, August 6: Famous the discharge of iOS 26 beta 5 and the brand new bouncy characteristic on passcode display screen and Management Middle.

Replace, August 4: Famous that Apple is reportedly engaged on a ChatGPT rival.

Replace, August 1: Added quote from Tim Prepare dinner about iOS 26.

Replace, July 31: Famous that iOS 18.6 is now obtainable.

Replace, July 24: Famous the iOS 26 public beta is now obtainable.

Replace, July 3: Famous new FaceTime characteristic discovered within the developer beta.

Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and reviews that Apple is contemplating further exterior LLMs for Siri.

Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.