The Cellphone app would not typically get plenty of consideration with iOS updates, however that is altering in iOS 26. There are a number of new options to forestall undesirable calls and to avoid wasting you time.
Unified Design
The Cellphone app has a brand new unified design, however there’s an choice to make use of the unique iOS 18 format as properly. The unified design places latest calls, missed calls, and voicemails on a single display.
Favourite contacts stay on the high of the interface, and there is nonetheless a tab for swapping over to contacts and the keypad. You may flip the unified view on or off by tapping on the icon with three strains within the higher proper nook of the show.
Name Screening
Apple has expanded name screening performance in iOS 26. There’s an choice to ask unknown callers (aka individuals who you do not have saved in your Contacts record) for his or her title and purpose for calling. When enabled, that is an automatic course of.
The iPhone intercepts an incoming name, and requests the particular person’s title and a brief purpose for calling. The knowledge is transcribed to textual content and relayed to you, and you’ll determine whether or not to ask for extra info, settle for the decision, or decline the decision.
The particular person on the opposite finish of the decision receives an automatic response much like a voicemail asking for extra info, and they’re positioned on maintain whereas you decide on accepting or declining the decision.
To make use of this characteristic, toggle on “Ask Purpose for Calling” within the Cellphone part of the Settings app.
Silence Unknown Callers
Relatively than asking for extra info from unknown callers, there’s nonetheless a silence unknown caller choice that may be turned on as an alternative. As in iOS 18, toggling this on silences calls from unsaved numbers, sending them to voicemail robotically. Calls which can be silenced will present up on the Recents record, and additionally, you will see the voicemail for details about why somebody was calling.
In case you do not wish to use silence unknown callers or the ask purpose for calling characteristic, you may set the Display screen Unknown Callers choice to “By no means.” With this setting, calls from unsaved numbers ring as regular, and missed calls are proven on the Recents record.
Name Filtering
Along with improved name screening, iOS 26 has new name filtering options. There’s an choice to maneuver missed calls and voicemails from unsaved numbers to a devoted Unknown Callers record, hiding them from the principle view.
There’s additionally a toggle to robotically silence calls which can be marked as spam by a provider. When you’ve got Verizon, for instance, Verizon robotically marks some numbers as spam, and the iPhone can robotically ship these calls to voicemail and transfer the calls to the Spam record. This setting will range by provider.
With these choices turned on, you may faucet on the icon within the higher proper of the cellphone app to see calls which have been moved to the Unknown Caller part or marked as spam.
Spam Voicemails
Whenever you faucet right into a voicemail from an unknown quantity, there’s now a “Report Spam” button. Tapping on it sends the voicemail to Apple, and you’ll both report the message as spam and hold it, or report it and delete it. Deleting a voicemail from an unknown quantity additionally brings up the choice to report it as spam, and there’s an choice to report spam proper when listening to an incoming voicemail as properly.
Reporting a voicemail as spam doesn’t block the caller, and that must be accomplished with a separate step. Faucet on the “i” button, scroll down on the contact card, and faucet on Block Contact to dam a spammer.
Maintain Help
In case you make a name and are positioned on maintain, there is a characteristic in iOS 26 that can look forward to you so you are able to do different issues. It listens for maintain music enjoying, after which alerts you when an individual comes on the road so you may decide up the decision.
You may activate Maintain Help on any name by putting the decision, then tapping on the “…” button as soon as the decision has related. Your cellphone will ring and you can be alerted to choose up when an individual is on the road. If the iPhone detects maintain music, it could additionally robotically immediate you to activate Maintain Help.
For the reason that characteristic works by detecting maintain music, it may be imperfect when a quantity has a voice-based automation reminding you to remain on the road, or if there’s music with distinct lyrics. You will notice a transcript of any spoken phrases, so you may decide when an individual is definitely on the road.
Dwell Translation
Dwell Translation is a characteristic that may translate incoming cellphone calls from one language to a different. When a name is in progress, faucet on the “…” button after which faucet on Dwell Translation to make use of the characteristic.
You may then choose the language that you just wish to translate from (the language spoken by the particular person you are speaking to) and the language that you just wish to translate to (your language). As of now, Dwell Translation for the Cellphone app helps English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.
When a translation is in progress, you will see a small discover on the backside of the cellphone app that claims “Translating [Language]” and there will probably be a reside transcript of the decision. An AI voiceover will audibly translate what’s mentioned from one language to a different, with a slight delay whereas that is taking place.
Dwell Translation works on the iPhone to translate what you are listening to and what you are saying, so the particular person on the opposite finish doesn’t have to have an iPhone or perhaps a smartphone in any respect.
Name Historical past
There’s an prolonged name historical past obtainable for every of your contacts in iOS 26. Within the Cellphone app, faucet on the “i” subsequent to any title or quantity, after which faucet on the “Name Historical past” choice. From there, you may see each time you’ve got spoken with that particular person, relationship years again.
Kind to Siri
Whereas on a cellphone name, now you can use the Kind to Siri characteristic to ask Siri questions or to finish a activity.
Display screen Sharing and SharePlay
Apple added SharePlay and display sharing assist to the Cellphone app in iOS 26. When on a name with an individual that has a appropriate gadget, faucet on the “…” button after which select both SharePlay or Display screen Sharing to entry the options.
When utilizing SharePlay, you are in a position to choose an app to make use of with the characteristic, similar to Apple TV or Apple Music.
With display sharing, you may ask for distant entry to a tool, which is helpful for serving to troubleshoot tech issues.
Each individuals must be utilizing a tool with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS Tahoe to make use of display sharing and SharePlay with the Cellphone app.
eSIM Enhancements
If it’s essential switch an eSIM to Android or an Android eSIM to an iPhone, the method has been streamlined in iOS 26. Within the iPhone’s mobile settings, there’s a “Switch to Android” choice for an present SIM, in addition to an choice to “Switch From Android” when including a brand new SIM to an iPhone.
Cellphone App for iPad and Mac
The Cellphone app has expanded to the iPad in iPadOS 26 and the Mac in macOS Tahoe. The entire options like Name Screening, Maintain Help, and Dwell Translation additionally work on the iPad and the Mac.
To make use of the Cellphone app on iPad or Mac, you do want an iPhone on the identical Apple Account, and it’s essential activate Wi-Fi Calling in order that calls might be accepted on different units.
Learn Extra
Extra on the options which can be obtainable in iOS 26 might be present in our iOS 26 roundup.
