Apple’s iOS 26 software program replace for iPhones is on the market in the present day to all customers utilizing iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2, and later. iOS 26’s marquee function was Apple’s Liquid Glass design, which included parts on display that resembled a “glassy” look. Different options included a name screening assistant, a brand new gaming and preview app, in-app translation throughout the system, and updates to Genmoji and Picture Playground apps.
The working system replace additionally went by way of an enormous numerical change as Apple jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26 for 2 key causes. First, it needed to carry all working techniques — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and VisionOS — in sync. And it additionally needed to mirror the 12 months quantity through which nearly all of the individuals will use this replace.
Liquid Glass
Liquid Glass design has been the largest visible overhaul for iOS in years. Apple’s intention with this redesign was to take inspiration from the Imaginative and prescient Professional interface and apply it to all of its working techniques. The weather are supposed to seem like they’re made from translucent glass. This resulted in challenges when it comes to readability and the way parts within the background look.
Since June, Apple has made adjustments to how “glassy” the interface seems to be a number of occasions by way of beta releases. Whereas the corporate is releasing the secure model of iOS 26 in the present day, we’d anticipate visible tweaks for improved readability and usefulness within the coming months. This visible change may take a little bit of time for customers to regulate, and they may not like sure parts instantly.
Apple apps
The Cellphone app has a brand new unified look the place your favorites are up prime in a card format with recents and voicemails on the identical display. You may faucet the filter button on the highest proper and have a look at these sections individually as effectively. In case you don’t like the brand new interface, Apple additionally offers you an choice to change to the traditional look.
iOS 26 additionally brings a name screening function to iPhones and is a private favourite. When an unknown quantity calls you, the system asks for his or her title and the aim of the decision. As soon as they offer this info, the system invokes the ringer and notifies you of the decision. You may have a look at the dialog and interject at any time. Transcription of voicemail doesn’t work effectively for all languages, however name screening has diminished the variety of calls I’ve needed to decide up.
There’s additionally a holding help for when a restaurant or a helpline locations you on maintain; you should utilize name help to inform when an agent begins speaking once more.
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The Messages app is attending to function occasion with different chat apps like WhatsApp and Telegram with backgrounds, new dialog move, polls, textual content choice, photograph previews, and typing indicators in teams. Apple has been engaged on SMS filtering for a couple of years now. The corporate mentioned it has up to date its spam filtering. Plus, it locations messages from unknown senders in a brand new folder. One factor I didn’t like with this replace is that it takes me a few faucets to go to the transactions tab.
The video games app overhaul means which you could have a look at the video games you might be taking part in (or have performed), arcade video games, challenges, and achievements in a single place, together with options for brand spanking new titles. The app additionally exhibits you what your folks are taking part in.
Apple lastly obtained Mac’s Preview app to iOS 26, which implies you possibly can edit, annotate, and signal PDFs extra simply. Apple Music now has automixing for dynamic tune switching, together with lyrics translation and pronunciation. What’s extra, you possibly can pin your favourite songs and playlists.
With iOS 26, Apple Maps permits you to outline most well-liked routes whereas commuting. In case your selection of route has extra site visitors or any incidents, Maps sends you a notification together with suggesting different routes. The app additionally permits you to simply view visited locations by way of a brand new locations library.
The Digicam app in iOS 26 adopts the Liquid Glass design with solely Video and Photograph choices seen by default. You may scroll to the left or proper to change between totally different modes. Apple has positioned some controls like Flash and Night time mode on the highest proper, and you may swap them on/off with one contact. For extra choices like filters, kinds, publicity controls, and timer, you possibly can swipe up from the underside of the display.
In case you didn’t just like the earlier Pictures app design, the tabs are again this model.
AI options
Not like final 12 months’s grand launch of Apple Intelligence, this 12 months’s working system is mild on AI options, particularly given delays in launching and rolling out options. The corporate is making AI-powered translation simply accessible in apps like Messages, FaceTime, and Cellphone. Presently, this function helps English (UK, US), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
By means of iOS 26, the corporate can also be launching stay translation on AirPods, together with the newly launched AirPods Professional 3, AirPods Professional 2, and AirPods 4.
iOS 26 updates visible intelligence to grasp the content material on the display. It’s a must to press Energy + quantity down button to carry up this menu. Apple Intelligence can then recommend occasions so as to add to your calendar. You too can ask questions concerning the content material on the display, utilizing Google Visible Search or ChatGPT. Apple can also be releasing its personal “Circle to look” known as Spotlight.
Probably the most complicated half about this replace is that the buttons used to carry up on-screen visible intelligence are the identical because the screenshot button. Due to this, it takes an additional step to save lots of a screenshot, and I’ve forgotten to avoid wasting vital screenshots.
Apple is updating Genmoji with iOS 26 to allow you to merge two emojis with a textual content immediate and make one thing new. Now you can add expression to individuals in each Genmoji and Picture Playground. Replace to Picture Playground now means that you can modify attributes like hair and facial hair, together with new kinds from ChatGPT.
Different options
- Now you can set totally different snooze occasions for alarms from 1 minute to fifteen minutes.
- The Pockets app replace means that you can create a digital ID by way of a passport to current to TSA on the airport. Plus, the app has a revamped boarding cross display with extra information concerning the airport and flight.
- Voice recording on iOS 26 will allow you to decide the enter supply. It additionally affords voice isolation and the power to seize audio and video regionally simply in your facet. That is helpful for creators who document podcasts utilizing video calls.
- Apple is making reminders clever by auto-generating grocery gadgets from a recipe on a webpage. It could actually additionally floor reminders based mostly on an e mail, web site, or be aware you’re looking at.
- App Retailer now has accessibility vitamin labels to point the presence of options, together with VoiceOver, Voice Management, Bigger Textual content, Enough Distinction, Diminished Movement, and captions
- Apple has up to date parental management to restrict communication from new cellphone numbers with out approval, allow age-appropriate experiences in third-party apps, and the App Retailer.
We now have a listing of tons of small however helpful iOS options right here. You may replace to iOS 26 by going to Settings>Normal>Software program Replace and downloading the newest model.
