Apple’s iOS 26 software program replace for iPhones is accessible immediately to all customers utilizing iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2, and later. iOS 26’s marquee characteristic was Apple’s Liquid Glass design, which included components 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 a giant numerical change as Apple jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26 for 2 key causes. First, it needed to deliver all working programs — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and VisionOS — in sync. And it additionally needed to replicate the yr quantity by which nearly all of the folks will use this replace.
Liquid Glass
Liquid Glass design has been essentially the most important 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 programs. The weather are supposed to seem like they’re fabricated from translucent glass. This resulted in challenges when it comes to readability and the way components within the background look.
Since June, Apple has made modifications to how “glassy” the interface appears a number of occasions by beta releases. Whereas the corporate is releasing the steady model of iOS 26 immediately, we would anticipate visible tweaks for improved readability and usefulness within the coming months. This visible change would possibly take a little bit of time for customers to regulate, and they may not like sure components immediately.
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 possibly can faucet the filter button on the highest proper and have a look at these sections individually as effectively. (Should you don’t like the brand new interface, Apple additionally offers you an possibility to change to the traditional look.)
iOS 26 additionally brings a name screening characteristic to iPhones, which 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 provide this data, the system invokes the ringer and notifies you of the decision. You possibly can 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 lowered the variety of calls I’ve needed to choose 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 characteristic celebration with different chat apps like WhatsApp and Telegram with backgrounds, new dialog circulate, 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 up to date its spam filtering with this launch. Plus, it locations messages from unknown senders in a brand new folder. One factor I didn’t like about this replace is that it takes me a few faucets to go to the transactions tab.
The video games app overhaul means you can have a look at the video games you might be enjoying (or have performed), arcade video games, challenges, and achievements in a single place, together with ideas for brand new titles. The app additionally reveals you what your pals are enjoying.
Apple lastly added Mac’s Preview app to iOS 26, which suggests you possibly can edit, annotate, and signal PDFs extra simply.
In the meantime, Apple Music now has automixing for dynamic track switching, together with lyrics translation and pronunciation. What’s extra, you possibly can pin your favourite songs and playlists.
With iOS 26, Apple Maps allows 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 allows you to simply view visited locations by a brand new locations library.
The Digicam app in iOS 26 adopts the Liquid Glass design with solely Video and Picture choices seen by default. You possibly can 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’ll swap them on/off with one contact. For extra choices like filters, types, publicity controls, and timer, you possibly can swipe up from the underside of the display.
Should you didn’t just like the earlier Photographs app design, the tabs are again on this model.
AI options
Not like final yr’s grand launch of Apple Intelligence, this yr’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 obtainable in apps like Messages, FaceTime, and Cellphone. Presently, this characteristic helps English (UK, US), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
By means of iOS 26, the corporate can be launching reside translation on AirPods, together with the newly launched AirPods Professional 3, AirPods Professional 2, and AirPods 4.
iOS 26 updates visible intelligence to know the content material on the display. You need to press Energy + quantity down button to deliver up this menu. Apple Intelligence can then recommend occasions so as to add to your calendar. You can even ask questions in regards to the content material on the display, utilizing Google Visible Search or ChatGPT. Apple can be releasing its personal “Circle to go looking” referred to as Spotlight.
Essentially the most complicated half about this replace is that the buttons used to deliver up on-screen visible intelligence are the identical because the screenshot button. Due to this, it takes an additional step to avoid wasting 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 folks in each Genmoji and Picture Playground. Replace to Picture Playground now lets you modify attributes like hair and facial hair, together with new types from ChatGPT.
Different options
- Now you can set totally different snooze occasions for alarms from 1 minute to fifteen minutes.
- The Pockets app replace lets you create a digital ID by a passport to current to TSA on the airport. Plus, the app has a revamped boarding cross display with extra data in regards to the airport and flight.
- Voice recording on iOS 26 will allow you to choose the enter supply. It additionally gives voice isolation and the flexibility to seize audio and video regionally simply in your aspect. That is helpful for creators who report podcasts utilizing video calls.
- Apple is making reminders clever by auto-generating grocery objects from a recipe on a webpage. It might additionally floor reminders based mostly on an e-mail, web site, or notice 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, Adequate 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’ve got a listing of tons of small however helpful iOS options right here. You possibly can replace to iOS 26 by going to Settings>Basic>Software program Replace and downloading the newest model.
