When iOS 26 shimmers into view this fall, the translucent new Liquid Glass interface overhaul will not be the one change to the iPhone. Introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention, iOS 26 (named for 2026) will tackle a glance that Apple pioneered with the Imaginative and prescient Professional, with glassy, translucent panels that may echo all through the entire firm’s merchandise.
However this is not merely a beauty overhaul. The Digital camera and Pictures apps are gaining long-awaited useful redesigns; the Messages and Cellphone apps are taking a firmer stand in opposition to undesirable texts and calls; and Apple Intelligence contributes some enhancements in a 12 months when Siri has been delayed. Listed below are the updates you’ll be able to anticipate to see on the iPhone quickly.
The subsequent model of the working system is because of ship within the fall (probably with new iPhone 17 fashions), however developer betas can be found now, with a public beta anticipated in July.
Clear new Liquid glass design
After greater than a decade of a flat, clear person interface — an overhaul launched in iOS 7 when former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive took over the design of software program in addition to {hardware} — the iPhone is getting a brand new look. The brand new design extends all through the Apple product lineup, from iOS to WatchOS, TVOS and iPadOS.
The Liquid Glass interface additionally now permits a 3rd strategy to view app icons on the iPhone dwelling display screen. Not content material with Mild and Darkish modes, iOS 26 now options an All Clear look — each icon is obvious glass with no shade. Lock screens may also have an enhanced 3D impact utilizing spatial scenes, which use machine studying to provide depth to your background images.
The brand new All Clear icon look in iOS 26 is a part of the Liquid Glass design.
Dynamic and adaptable lock display screen
Translucency is the defining attribute of Liquid Glass, behaving like glass in the actual world in the way in which it offers with gentle and shade of objects behind and close to controls. But it surely’s not only a glassy look: The “liquid” a part of Liquid Glass refers to how controls can merge and adapt — dynamically morphing, in Apple’s phrases. Within the instance Apple confirmed, the glassy time numerals on an iPhone lock display screen stretched to accommodate the picture of a canine and even shrunk because the picture shifted to accommodate incoming notifications. The dock and widgets are actually rounded, glassy panels that float above the background.
As notifications fill the underside of the display screen, the topic within the background picture is pushed up and the time numerals resize to accommodate.
Watch this: I am Impressed With iOS 26. Apple Simply Made iPhones Higher
Digital camera and Pictures apps go much more minimal
The Digital camera app is getting a brand new, simplified interface. You can argue that the present Digital camera app is fairly minimal, designed to make it fast to border a shot and hit the large shutter button. However the second you get into the periphery, it turns into a bizarre mixture of hidden controls and unintuitive icons.
The Digital camera app has fewer distractions.
Now, the Digital camera app in iOS 26 includes a “new, extra intuitive design” that takes minimalism to the intense. The streamlined design exhibits simply two controls: Video or Digital camera. Swipe left or proper to decide on modes. Swipe up for settings equivalent to facet ratio and timers, and faucet for added preferences.
With the up to date Pictures app, viewing the images you seize needs to be a greater expertise — a welcome change that prospects have clamored for since iOS 18’s cluttered try. As a substitute of an extended, difficult-to-discover scrolling interface, Pictures regains a Liquid Glass menu on the backside of the display screen.
The Pictures app will get a welcome redesign.
The Cellphone app will get a revamp
The Cellphone app has stored extra carefully to the look of its supply than others: a sparse interface with massive buttons as if you happen to’re holding an old school headset or pre-smartphone cellular telephone. iOS 26 lastly updates that look not simply with the brand new total interface however in a unified format that takes benefit of the bigger display screen actual property on immediately’s iPhone fashions.
The Cellphone app’s unified format ought to make for much less switching between screens when coping with calls.
It isn’t simply seems which are completely different, although. The Cellphone app is making an attempt to be extra helpful for coping with precise calls — those you wish to take. The Name Screening characteristic routinely solutions calls from unknown numbers, and your cellphone rings solely when the caller shares their identify and cause for calling.
Or what about on a regular basis wasted on maintain? Maintain Help routinely detects maintain music and may mute the music however hold the decision related. As soon as a reside agent turns into accessible, the cellphone rings and lets the agent know you may be accessible shortly.
Messages updates
The Messages app might be some of the used apps on the iPhone, and for iOS 26, Apple is making it a extra colourful expertise. You’ll be able to add backgrounds to the chat window, together with dynamic backgrounds that exhibit the brand new Liquid Glass interface.
Enliven your each day chats with backgrounds and extra group options.
Along with the brand new look, group texts in Messages can incorporate polls for everybody within the group to answer to — no extra scrolling again to seek out out which restaurant Brett instructed for lunch that you simply missed. Different members within the chat may also add their very own gadgets to a ballot.
A extra helpful characteristic is a characteristic to detect spam texts higher and display screen unknown numbers, so the messages you see within the app are those you wish to see and never those that distract you.
Safari will get out of its personal manner
Within the Safari app, the Liquid Glass design floats the tab bar above the net web page (though that appears proper the place your thumb goes to be, so will probably be attention-grabbing to see if you happen to can transfer the bar to the highest of the display screen). As you scroll, the tab bar shrinks.
Internet pages occupy all the display screen and the handle bar shrinks to get out of the way in which.
FaceTime focuses on calls, not controls
FaceTime additionally will get the minimal look, with controls within the lower-right nook that disappear throughout the name to get out of the way in which. On the FaceTime touchdown web page, posters of your contacts, together with video clips of earlier calls, are designed to make the app extra interesting.
FaceTime minimizes its controls into one nook.
New Music app options
Do you just like the sound of that track your pal is taking part in however do not perceive the language the lyrics are in? The Music app features a new lyrics translation characteristic that shows together with the lyrics because the track performs. And for whenever you wish to sing together with one among her favourite Okay-pop songs, for instance, however you do not converse or learn Korean, a lyrics pronunciation characteristic spells out the best strategy to type the sounds.
AutoMix blends songs like a DJ, matching the beat and time-stretching for a seamless transition.
And if you end up obsessively listening to artists and albums time and again, you’ll be able to pin them to the highest of your music library for fast entry.
Hold the beat going with intelligence-based track transitions utilizing AutoMix.
New Video games app is a reminder that sure, individuals recreation on iPhone
The iPhone would not get the identical sort of gaming affection as Nintendo’s Swap or Valve’s Steam Deck, however the fact is that the iPhone and Android telephones are used extensively for gaming — Apple says half a billion individuals play video games on iPhone.
Making an attempt to capitalize on that, a brand new Video games app acts as a particular portal to Apple Arcade and different video games. Sure, you will get to these from the App Retailer app, however the Video games app is designed to take away a layer of friction so you will get proper to the gaming motion.
The brand new Video games hub has a easy management display screen to allow you to navigate your entire Apple video games on any gadget.
Dwell translation enhances calls and texts
Though not particular to iOS, Apple’s new reside translation characteristic is good on the iPhone whenever you’re speaking with others. It makes use of Apple Intelligence to dynamically allow you to speak to somebody who speaks a distinct language in near-real time. It is accessible within the Messages, FaceTime and Cellphone apps and exhibits reside translated captions throughout a dialog.
Dwell translation throughout a voice name
Maps will get extra private
Updates to the Maps app generally contain including extra element to widespread areas or restructuring the way in which you retailer areas. Now, the app takes word of routes you journey regularly and may provide you with a warning of any delays earlier than you get on the highway.
A Maps widget exhibits a frequently-used route.
It additionally features a welcome characteristic for these of us who get our favourite eating places combined up: visited locations. The app notes what number of instances you have been to a spot, be {that a} native enterprise, eatery or vacationer vacation spot. It organizes them in classes or different standards equivalent to by metropolis to make them simpler to seek out the subsequent time.
New CarPlay options
Liquid Glass additionally makes its strategy to CarPlay in your automobile, with a extra compact design when a name is available in that does not obscure different gadgets, equivalent to a directional map. In Messages, you’ll be able to apply tapbacks and pin conversations for simple entry.
Widgets are actually a part of the CarPlay expertise, so you’ll be able to deal with simply the information you need, like the present climate situations. And Dwell Actions seem on the CarPlay display screen, so you may know when that espresso you ordered shall be finished or when a pal’s flight is about to reach.
The brand new CarPlay interface with Liquid Glass.
Pockets enhancements
The Pockets app is already dwelling for utilizing Apple Card, Apple Pay, digital automotive keys and for storing tickets and passes. In iOS 26, you’ll be able to create a brand new Digital ID that acts like a passport for age and identification verification (although it doesn’t substitute a bodily passport) for home journey for TSA screening at airports.
The app may also allow you to use rewards and arrange installment funds whenever you buy gadgets in a retailer, not only for on-line orders. And with the assistance of Apple Intelligence, the Pockets app may also help you monitor product orders, even if you happen to didn’t use Apple Pay to buy them. It may possibly pull particulars equivalent to delivery numbers from emails and texts in order that info is multi function place.
The Pockets app helps authorized state IDs and nationwide IDs for age and identification verification.
New options powered by Apple Intelligence
Though final 12 months’s WWDC featured Apple Intelligence options closely, enhancements to the AI tech had been much less distinguished this 12 months, folded into the bulletins throughout the WWDC keynote.
As an alternative choice to creating Genmoji from scratch, you’ll be able to mix current emojis — “like a sloth and a lightweight bulb whenever you’re the final one within the group chat to get the joke,” to make use of Apple’s instance. You too can change expressions in Genmoji of individuals you realize that you’ve got used to create the picture.
Mix current emoji utilizing Apple Intelligence.
Picture Playground provides the power to faucet into ChatGPT’s picture era instruments to transcend the app’s animation or sketch kinds.
Visible Intelligence can already use the digital camera to attempt to decipher what’s in entrance of the lens. Now the know-how works on the content material on the iPhone’s display screen, too. It does this by taking a screenshot (press the sleep and quantity up buttons) after which together with a brand new Picture Search possibility in that interface to seek out outcomes throughout the net or in different apps equivalent to Etsy.
That is additionally a manner so as to add occasion particulars from photographs you come throughout, like posters for live shows or massive gatherings. (Maybe this might work for QR codes as properly?) Within the screenshot interface, Visible Intelligence can parse the textual content and create an occasion within the Calendar app.
Some iOS 26 updates Apple did not point out
Not all the things matches right into a keynote presentation — even, or perhaps particularly, when it is all pre-recorded — however a few of the extra attention-grabbing new options in iOS 26 went unremarked throughout the huge reveal. For example:
- If in case you have AirPods or AirPods Professional with the H2 chip, you should use AirPods Digital camera Distant to begin recording video in your iPhone by urgent and holding one of many AirPods.
- You’ll be able to select your personal snooze length of between 1 and quarter-hour for alarms.
- Audio recording choices have expanded, enabling high-quality recording throughout convention calls and high-definition recording within the Digital camera app with AirPods and AirPods Professional that comprise the H2 chip.
- Accessibility options embody an “all-new expertise designed with Braille customers in thoughts,” extra choices for the Car Movement Cues characteristic to keep away from movement illness and “a extra customizable studying expertise.”
- Reminders makes use of Apple Intelligence to “recommend duties, grocery gadgets and follow-ups primarily based on emails or different textual content in your gadget.”
- The Journal app helps a number of journals, inline photographs and a map view that tracks the place journal entries had been made.
- Parental controls have been up to date in unspecified methods, together with “enhancements throughout Communication Limits, Communication Security and the App Retailer.”
iOS 26 availability
The completed model of iOS 26 shall be launched in September or October with new iPhone 17 fashions. Within the meantime, builders will get entry to the primary developer betas beginning on Monday, with an preliminary public beta arriving in July. (Do not forget to enter any beta software program with open eyes and clear expectations.)
Comply with the WWDC 2025 reside weblog for particulars about Apple’s bulletins.
iPhone fashions suitable with iOS 26
iOS 26 will run on the iPhone 11 and later fashions, together with the iPhone SE (2nd era and later). That features:
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Professional
- iPhone 16 Professional Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Professional
- iPhone 15 Professional Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Professional
- iPhone 14 Professional Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Professional
- iPhone 13 Professional Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Professional
- iPhone 12 Professional Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Professional
- iPhone 11 Professional Max
- iPhone SE (2nd era and later)
