Listed here are all the brand new o...

It is true: Apple’s iOS 26 (not iOS 19) is coming your approach this fall with some cool new options you may wish to strive. For these of us who’ve been loyal to the iPhone for almost twenty years, we’re most excited concerning the recent residence and lock display screen redesign. Dubbed Liquid Glass, the brand new appear and feel will prolong throughout all of Apple’s upcoming working methods. The overhaul was one among a number of massive adjustments coming to iOS, macOS, iPadOS and the remainder of Apple’s software program suite, all of which have been showcased in the course of the firm’s WWDC keynote on June 9. When you’re a developer, you’ll be able to take a look at the iOS 26 beta 2 now; the general public beta coming in July.

After overpromising on AI plans final yr, Apple saved its iOS roadmap targeted extra on primary high quality of life enhancements this yr. There are a number of helpful additions coming to the Cellphone and Messages apps in your iPhone, for example: Apple execs outlined the power to weed out spam texts or different unknown senders and an possibility to carry your spot on a telephone name whenever you’ve been ready for a consultant to choose up. Plus, a treasured function that we took as a right is coming again (trace: it is within the Photographs app).

Siri, in the meantime, is in a holding sample. Apple has beforehand specified that its smarter voice assistant — first promised at WWDC 2024 — is delayed till some level “in the coming year,” so that you should not count on any main adjustments within the present betas. However there are reviews that Apple is aiming to offer Siri a much bigger mind transplant by basing it on third-party artificial intelligence models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which might make 2026 a pivotal yr.

Preserve studying to take a look at probably the most notable options coming to your iPhone this fall, based on Apple. Additionally, be certain that your iPhone is eligible to download the iOS 26 update (fortunately, most up-to-date fashions are).

What’s iOS 26?

Whereas the present iPhone working system is iOS 18, Apple is skipping the numbering forward to iOS 26 later this yr. The corporate has determined to line up its iOS model numbers with a year-based system, much like automotive mannequin years. So whereas iOS and its sibling working methods might be launched in late 2025, they’re all designated “26” to mirror the yr forward. (In the meantime, iOS 18 is still getting new versions this summer, too.)

What’s Liquid Glass design?

Let’s be sincere. Out of every thing introduced at WWDC this yr, the new Liquid Glass design was the star of the present. The iPhone’s residence and lock screens have regarded just about the identical yr after yr — the final thrilling factor (in my view) was the choice so as to add your individual aesthetic to your private home display screen by customizing your apps and widgets. So seeing the house and lock screens’ new facelift is refreshing.

So what precisely is Liquid Glass? Apple calls it a “new translucent material” since, properly, the apps and widgets are clear. Nevertheless, the display screen can nonetheless adapt to darkish and light-weight modes, relying on environment. You may additionally discover buttons with a brand new floating design in a number of apps, like Cellphone and Maps. They’re designed to be much less distracting than the present buttons, however are nonetheless simple to see. Whereas the design overhaul has confirmed to be controversial since its announcement, some — together with Engadget’s personal Devindra Hardawar — like the brand new path, even when it is considerably paying homage to Microsoft’s translucent Windows Vista Aero designs from almost twenty years in the past.

That stated, as of the newly launched iOS 26 beta 2, Apple has already incorporated some user feedback into the design, dialing again the transparency in at the very least some locations. And whereas it is going to proceed to evolve, Apple customers will not be capable to escape it: Liquid Glass was designed to make all of Apple’s OSes extra cohesive. This is a take a look at how the translucent aesthetic will look with the new macOS Tahoe 26 in your desktop.

What are the brand new and notable options of iOS 26?

iOS 26 has a laundry listing of latest options. Among the many most worthwhile:

Cellphone app redesign: You may lastly be capable to scroll via contacts, latest calls and voicemail messages all on one display screen. It additionally comes with a brand new function known as Maintain Help that’ll notify you when an agent involves the telephone so you’ll be able to keep away from the elevator music and proceed on with different duties.

Dwell Translation in Cellphone, FaceTime and Messages: iOS 26 is bringing the power to have a dialog by way of telephone name or textual content message with somebody who speaks one other language. Dwell Translation will translate your dialog in actual time, which leads to some stop-and-go interactions within the examples Apple shared throughout its presentation.

Polls in group chats: Bored with sorting via what looks like a whole bunch of messages in your group chat? You and your mates will quickly be capable to create polls in group messages for deciding issues like which brunch spot you are consuming at or whose automotive you take on a highway journey.

Filtering unknown senders in Messages: If you have not obtained spam texts about unpaid tolls or different citations, you are fortunate. For these of us who’ve, these annoying messages will quickly be filtered away in a separate folder.

Visible Intelligence: Much like a reverse Google picture search, this new function will assist you to seek for something that is in your iPhone display screen. As an illustration, for those who spot a pair of sneakers somebody is sporting in an Instagram picture, you’ll be able to screenshot it and use Visible Intelligence to search out these sneakers (or related ones) on-line.

Photographs tabs are again: For anybody who’s nonetheless pissed off with the Photos changes made last year, you may be completely happy to know that your tabs are coming again. Library and Collections can have their very own separate areas so you do not have to scroll to infinity to search out what you are on the lookout for.

Which iPhones will be capable to improve to iOS 26?

A number of iPhone fashions that run the present model of iOS — iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — will not be appropriate with the newest improve. However any iPhones launched in 2019 or later might be eligible for the iOS 26 update.

Not listed below are the presumed new iPhone 17 models (or possibly iPhone 26?) which might be all however sure to be introduced and launched in September.

When will the iOS 26 beta be out there?

When you’re a developer, you’ll be able to take a look at the iOS 26 beta 2 now. The iOS 26 public beta will change into available in July by way of the Apple Beta Software Program. When you’re not already a member, you may want to enroll to check out all the newest options. Simply go to beta.apple.com and enroll along with your telephone quantity or e-mail tackle. It is free.

When you’re in and the beta is out there, you’ll be able to set up it by going to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace and deciding on iOS 26 public beta.

A phrase of warning: Do not enroll along with your important iPhone until you are OK with any dangers that happen with utilizing an OS that is not finalized.

When will the ultimate model of iOS 26 be launched?

iOS 26 might be launched to the general public this fall. It normally is available in September, inside every week of the Apple iPhone occasion. Final yr, it rolled out to iPhone customers on September 16 — precisely one week after the iPhone 16 lineup was introduced.

When you’re extra within the Apple Intelligence options coming, here is everything Apple revealed for iOS, macOS and more throughout WWDC. Additionally, take a look at how iOS 26 screenshots may very well be an intriguing preview of Apple’s delayed Siri rework.

Replace, June 30: Famous ongoing iOS 18 releases, and reviews that Apple is contemplating further exterior LLMs for Siri.

Replace, June 25: Famous adjustments added in iOS 26 beta 2.

When you purchase one thing via a hyperlink on this article, we might earn fee.