Apple finally took the wraps off the next-gen operating system for the iPhone. As expected, the version is called iOS 26, not iOS 19. The new OS features a new Liquid Glass design, Apple Intelligence enhancements, enhanced fitness tools, a new Apple Games app, and more.
This post details everything you need to know about the new iOS 26, from design changes to new features to compatible devices and availability.
A Fresh New Look: Liquid Glass Design
The biggest takeaway associated with the iOS 26 update is its brand-new look, called the Liquid Glass design. It brings a cleaner, more modern feel to your iPhone with:
- Translucent menus and smooth animations.
- Rounded app icons that look more dynamic and interactive.
- Refreshed Home and Lock Screens with new customization options.
- Clearer app widgets that can now match your wallpaper style.
This design makes your iPhone feel more alive and visually stunning while still being easy to navigate.
Apple Intelligence: Smarter Features Powered by AI
Riding on the past year’s success, iOS 26 introduces more Apple Intelligence tools that work smartly in the background across the system to make your life easier. Some of the highlights include:
- Live Translation: Apple Intelligence can now translate phone calls, FaceTime calls, and text messages in real time to help you communicate in different languages with ease. Rest assured, translation is performed entirely on-device, ensuring your conversations remain secure.
- On-Screen Visual Intelligence: The Visual Intelligence experience now extends to your iPhone’s screen. You can use it to search or ask ChatGPT about what is currently shown on your screen.
- AI-Powered Shortcuts: Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools and Image Playground, are now available as dedicated actions to use in custom shortcuts.
- Genmoji and Image Playground Enhancements: You can mix your favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions to create something completely new.
Redesigned Core Apps
Apple has also given some of its most-used apps a refresh in iOS 26. Here’s what’s new:
- Safari: Web pages now stretch from top to bottom, so you see more of the content while keeping tools like search and refresh easily accessible.
- Photos: In iOS 18, Apple revamped the Photos app, eliminating the tab-based layout and replacing it with a single scrollable screen view. However, a majority of users didn’t like the redesign and complained about the same. With iOS 26, Apple listened to user demand and introduced a new layout that separates the Library and Collections views, making it easier to organize and find your pictures.
- Camera: The interface is now cleaner and simpler, helping you stay focused on the shot.
- Apple Music & Podcasts: These apps now have floating tab bars that adjust as you scroll, keeping your content front and center.
Upgraded Phone App
The Phone app, the most important app on the iPhone, has also received a thoughtful redesign with new features in iOS 26.
- Unified Layout: Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails are now all in one convenient view — making it easier than ever to find what you need without switching tabs. You can switch between the new unified and the older classic view.
- Call Screening: Building on the Live Voicemail feature, Call Screening silently answers calls from unknown numbers in the background. The feature then gathers information from unknown callers and displays their message or purpose before your iPhone rings, helping you decide whether to answer based on the information on the screen.
- Hold Assist: Tired of waiting on hold? Hold Assist automatically detects the hold music, stays on the line for you, and notifies you the moment a real person comes on — so you can focus on other things while you wait.
Messages App Gets Smarter, More Fun, and More Secure
iOS 26 enhances the Messages app with new tools for privacy and personalization.
- Message Screening: Messages from unknown senders now go to a separate folder similar to the Message Request folder in the Instagram app. You can mark them as known, request more info, or delete them — and they stay silenced until you accept them.
- Custom Backgrounds: You can now use Image Playground to set unique chat backgrounds in an iMessage conversation.
- Polls in Group Chats: The Messages app in iOS 26 lets you create polls directly in group chats to make decisions faster. Apple Intelligence can even suggest a poll when it detects a conversation involving decision-making.
- Group Chat Upgrades: Typing indicators and built-in Apple Cash make group conversations more interactive and convenient.
CarPlay Enhancements
As CarPlay Ultra won’t be available to every user, Apple has significantly improved the standard CarPlay experience with iOS 26. Here’s what’s new:
- Sleek New Interface: CarPlay now features a more compact view for incoming calls, so you can see who’s calling without covering up essential info like navigation directions.
- Messages Improvements: It allows you to react to messages with Tapbacks (like thumbs up or heart) and pin important conversations, making it easier to stay connected — safely.
- Widgets and Live Activities: These allow you to glance at real-time information (such as weather or music playing) without taking your eyes off the road.
Apple Games App
As reported earlier, iOS 26 brings along a brand new Apple Games app to your Apple devices. If you enjoy gaming on your iPhone, you’re sure to appreciate the new Apple Games app. The app functions as a central hub for all your games, in-game achievements, events, updates, and more, similar to something you find on PlayStation or Xbox consoles.
Think of it as your personal game library where you can easily jump into your favorites or discover new ones
Apple Music: Sing Smarter
iOS 26 makes your music experience more fun and inclusive with:
- Lyrics Translation: When listening to a song in a different language from your iPhone’s system language, iOS 26 live translates the lyrics to help you understand the meaning of songs.
- Lyrics Pronunciation: Learn how to say the lyrics correctly and sing along with ease.
- AutoMix: Enjoy DJ-style transitions between songs using smart beat-matching and time stretching.
Apple Maps: Remember Where You’ve Been
There’s a new Visited Places section in Apple Maps to help you remember places you previously visited. You can allow your iPhone to detect where you currently are—like restaurants or shops—and save them securely in Apple Maps, and view all previously visited places in that category.
Additionally, the on-device intelligence on your iPhone now offers your preferred routes for frequent trips, such as commuting, and notifies you of delays with alternative suggestions.
Rest assured, the Visited Places and preferred route data are protected with end-to-end encryption; not even Apple can view it.
Apple Wallet: Travel and Pay Smarter
With iOS 26 installed on your iPhone, you can:
- Choose to pay with Apple Pay using points or in installments during in-store purchases.
- View Live Activities with real-time flight updates on the Lock Screen.
Additionally, iOS 26 links the Wallet app to Maps, Find My, and other key travel tools to help you track luggage, find terminals, and stay on time.
Device Compatibility
Apple dropped support for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR in iOS 26. Thus, only iPhone 11 or newer models (including the second and third generations of iPhone SE) support iOS 26.
Release Timeline
- Developer Beta: The first iOS 26 developer beta is already out, and you can download it right away.
- Public Beta: Expect the first iOS 26 public beta to be released in mid-July 2025.
- Final Release: The final stable release is expected to arrive in September 2025.
iOS 26: A New Era of Intelligence and Design
With iOS 26, Apple transformed the iPhone experience by combining the beautiful Liquid Glass design with powerful intelligence, making it one of the best updates in recent years. Whether you’re excited about the new look, the smarter features, or just want to try out the latest updates, there’s a lot to love in this update.
Which feature are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments below.
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