The 5 finest iOS 26 options I would like Android to repeat ASAP

Nicely, Apple has finished it. After releasing iOS 18 in 2024, this yr’s iPhone replace jumps up by eight to iOS 26. Not solely is the brand new title vital, however due to Apple’s new Liquid Glass redesign, it’s additionally some of the drastic iOS updates we’ve seen in years.

Whereas I hope the entire Liquid Glass factor stays far, far-off from Android, there are some parts of iOS 26 that I truly fairly like. They aren’t drastic options, however they’re issues I’d like to see come to Android — as blasphemous as which will sound.

Certainly one of my favourite updates in iOS 26 is extremely unimportant, however I can’t assist however find it irresistible. The lock display clock now mechanically adjustments in dimension to take up all of the free area above/across the topic of your lock display picture, and it seamlessly adjustments from image to image.

What I significantly love is how, as notifications seem, the clock shrinks just a little bit with every new notification card that pops up, after which expands once more as you swipe them away. It’s a lot extra reactive than something on Android, and whereas it’s purely an aesthetic contact, I believe it seems unbelievable — and I’d like to have it on my Android telephone.

For the entire AI calling options Google has added to Pixel telephones over time, the Google Cellphone app itself seems fairly archaic. It’s not poorly designed or tough to make use of, but it surely simply feels outdated and in want of a contemporary coat of paint.

If/when Google refreshes the Cellphone app, I’d like to see the corporate take inspiration from what Apple is doing with its Cellphone app in iOS 26. As a substitute of remoted pages to your current calls, voicemails, and so on., the brand new Calls web page teams the whole lot collectively in a extremely intelligent method.

Your favourite contacts are pinned on the high of the app for simple entry, whereas the Recents timeline not solely reveals current calls you’ve made or obtained, but in addition any voicemails you may have. It places a lot extra info on the display without delay, and it’s infinitely higher than Google’s Cellphone app — or any of the opposite producer telephone apps on Android at this time.

As somebody who was on a aircraft final yr extra instances than I can depend, I do know the significance of a great digital boarding go. Boarding passes in Apple Pockets and Google Pockets are each stable as of late, however iOS 26 is making Apple’s variations even higher.

Now, boarding passes in Apple Pockets embody just a few further controls not beforehand obtainable. My favourite possibility is the “Share Flight Tracker” button, which lets you rapidly share your flight with a contact, and if they’ve an iPhone, it’ll seem for them as a Stay Exercise. My mother continually asks me to share my flight information together with her at any time when I journey, and having one thing like this on Google Pockets boarding passes would make my life ten instances simpler.

I additionally admire the brand new choices for viewing an airport terminal map or monitoring your baggage immediately out of your boarding go. They’re issues you may already do in different purposes, however having them surfaced for you proper by your boarding go simply is sensible.

Going again to the lock display for a second, I completely love that iOS 26 now enables you to see animated album art work from Apple Music on the lock display. Apple Music is crammed with attractive animations for thus many albums, and solely with the ability to see them with the Apple Music app open is a rattling disgrace.

Whereas not a needed function by any means, it’d make me so blissful to see Android comply with go well with right here, though I think about implementing it could be harder. Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal all have animated album covers, they usually all have Android apps, so there could be sources to tug from if Android ever added stay album art work to the lock display. And hey, possibly it could encourage YouTube Music to lastly get on the animated album art work prepare.

I’m a giant bank card particular person, with money again and factors scattered throughout a number of totally different playing cards and accounts. However as a rule, I by no means suppose to redeem my bank card rewards, so that they usually sit unattended for months (if not years) at a time.

iOS 26 introduces the power to immediately redeem your money again/factors when utilizing Apple Pay in particular person, which I believe is improbable. Whereas I save my Chase and Amex factors for journey redemptions, it’d be nice to pay for espresso or lunch utilizing my Uncover or US Financial institution money again. It’s a comparatively small function and one I admittedly wouldn’t use on a regular basis, but it surely’d nonetheless be nice to see Google Pockets on Android supply one thing comparable.

As Picasso as soon as stated in a quote Steve Jobs was famously impressed by, “Good artists copy; nice artists steal.” Everybody copies everybody within the cellular tech world, and it’s one thing we’ve seen repeatedly — whether or not it’s Apple copying one thing from Google or vice versa.

Whereas I believe what we’ve seen of iOS 26 to date largely pales compared to Google’s Android 16 replace (particularly, Android 16 QPR1), it’s vital to offer Apple credit score for what it acquired proper with this yr’s iPhone software program. I’m definitely not a fan of the whole lot Apple did with iOS 26 (significantly, what’s going on with Liquid Glass), however I’m fairly impressed with the options talked about right here — and I hope to see all of them make their method to Android sooner fairly than later.