iOS 26 Messages App: All the New Features You Need to Know

With iOS 26, Apple has overhauled its core apps, and the Messages app is no exception. Announced at WWDC 2025, this update brings a sleek Liquid Glass design, customizable backgrounds, in-chat polls, live translation, and much more to make texting more interactive, secure, and enjoyable. Here’s a complete look at everything new in the Messages app with iOS 26.

A Fresh Look: Liquid Glass Design

The Messages app now flaunts Apple’s Liquid Glass aesthetic—a glossy, translucent design that brings a premium, futuristic feel to your conversations. Interactions feel fluid, menus are visually cleaner, and your favorite chats appear at the top. The design is consistent across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 Tahoe.

Custom iMessage Backgrounds

You can now personalize individual chats with dynamic or custom photo backgrounds. Everyone in the conversation sees the same themed look, adding cohesion and flair to group chats.

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Apple Intelligence even lets you generate custom backgrounds using text prompts, such as “sunset beach” or “gaming night.” Prefer simplicity? You can turn backgrounds off anytime.

Live Translation in Messages

Powered by Apple Intelligence, Live Translation translates both text and audio messages in real time. Just tap your contact’s profile and enable “Automatically Translate.” It’s perfect for multilingual conversations and currently supports major languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Japanese, with more languages being added through 2025.

iMessage Group Chat Upgrades

This year, Apple has taken cues from popular features in third-party apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, and made group chats more engaging. 

Built-in Polls

Group chats just got a lot smarter with the new built-in polls. This feature was long requested in iMessage and finally making its way with iOS 26.  

Now, you can create polls in iMessage group chats to quickly gather opinions, like choosing a restaurant or planning a movie night. Apple Intelligence even suggests polls when it detects a question that could use one, such as “Where should we eat?” You can watch votes come in real-time, and who voted for which option. 

Apple Cash Integration

Sending or receiving money is seamless in iOS 26. With Apple Cash directly integrated into group chats, you can handle shared bills, gifts, or expenses without leaving Messages. Just tap the interactive payment prompt and go.

Real-Time Typing Indicators

iOS 26 also adds typing indicators to group chats, allowing you to see who is typing in real time rather than the vague “someone is typing” label. This is the same feature that Apple introduced in one-on-one conversations.

Add Contact Button

Adding new people to your Contacts app is now simpler with a dedicated “Add Contact” button in group chats. Tap the group chat name at the top to see the Add button. This makes it quick to save someone’s info without leaving the Messages app.  

Spam and Unknown Message Filtering

Spam texts can be a hassle, but iOS 26 tackles this with a new screening feature. Messages from unknown senders are now filtered into a dedicated “Unknown Senders” folder, accessible via the Menu icon at the top-right corner. From there, you can mark a number as known, request more info, or delete the message.

These chats stay silenced until you approve them, so you won’t receive annoying notifications. Apple Intelligence ensures time-sensitive texts—like verification codes—don’t get lost in the process. This feature helps reduce inbox clutter caused by spam.

Enhanced CarPlay Experience

In CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra, the Messages app supports Tapbacks and pinned chats. Notifications now display in a compact layout, allowing them to avoid obstructing navigation. This upgrade helps drivers stay connected and focused.

Related: How to Use Emoji as Tapback Reactions in Messages

Other iMessage Improvements in iOS 26

Along with the major updates, Apple included many small quality-of-life improvements in Messages. 

• Allow Notifications for Specific Messages: You can choose which type of messages trigger alerts. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Allow Notifications. Here, enable/disable Time Sensitive, Personal, Transactions, or Promotions. 
• Better Message Selection: Tap and hold a message bubble and choose the Select option to highlight parts of a message, not just copy the entire bubble. 
• Natural-Language Search Within Chats: Powered by on-device intelligence, you can search photos in conversations by describing the image, e.g., “Juli with stickers on her face.” 
• Low-Data Photo Previews: When Low Data Mode is on, Messages initially sends low-quality photo previews. Full-resolution images will be available later when bandwidth is available. You need to enable Send Photo Previews in the Messages settings. 
• End-to-End Encrypted RCS Support: For conversations over RCS (green bubbles), Apple announced the addition of end-to-end encryption—making them just as secure as iMessage (blue bubbles). 
• Suggestions in Genmoji: When you tap the Genmoji option inside the Message app, you will see new suggestions at the bottom. Also, you can select emojis to give expressions to your Genmoji.  

Compatibility and Availability

Most features are available on all iOS 26 supported iPhones. Advanced AI features, such as background generation and Live Translation, require Apple Intelligence, which is available only on devices like the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 series, and M1+ Macs and iPads.

• Developer beta: Available now
• Public beta: July 2025
• Full release: September 2025

These features will also roll out on iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe, keeping the experience consistent across your Apple ecosystem.

Elevate Your Messaging Game with iOS 26

The iOS 26 Messages app update makes everyday texting more creative, secure, and efficient. The new Liquid Glass design brings a fresh, modern look, while features like polls, Apple Cash, and live typing indicators make group chats more engaging. Spam screening and Live Translation highlight Apple’s focus on privacy and global connectivity.

Eager to try these features? You can install the iOS 26 beta now or wait for the full release in September. What’s your favorite new addition? Let us know in the comments below!

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