Your iPhone will quickly look lots totally different when iOS 26 (named for 2026) comes out within the fall, however there’s extra to see below the frosted glass facade. Introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the newest model of the iPhone’s working system incorporates some options iPhone homeowners have watched their Android associates get pleasure from, plus loads of different enhancements.
For example, the Digicam and Photographs apps are gaining long-awaited practical 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 yr when Siri has been delayed. Listed below are the updates you’ll be able to anticipate to see on the iPhone quickly.
The following model of the working system is because of ship in September or October (seemingly with new iPhone 17 models), however developer betas are available now, with a public beta anticipated in July.
Watch this: Introducing iOS 26 at WWDC25
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 method to view app icons on the iPhone dwelling display. 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 can even have an enhanced 3D impact utilizing spatial scenes, which use machine studying to present 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
Translucency is the defining attribute of Liquid Glass, behaving like glass in the true 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 stretched to accommodate the picture of a canine and even shrunk because the picture shifted to accommodate incoming notifications. The dock and widgets at the moment are rounded, glassy panels that float above the background.
As notifications fill the underside of the display, 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
Digicam and Photographs apps go much more minimal
The Digicam app is getting a brand new, simplified interface. You would argue that the present Digicam app is fairly minimal, designed to make it fast to border a shot and hit the massive shutter button. However the second you get into the periphery, it turns into a bizarre mixture of hidden controls and unintuitive icons.
The Digicam app has fewer distractions.
Now, the Digicam app in iOS 26 incorporates a “new, extra intuitive design” that takes minimalism to the acute. The streamlined design exhibits simply two controls: Video or Digicam. Swipe left or proper to decide on modes. Swipe up for settings equivalent to facet ratio and timers, and faucet for extra preferences.
With the up to date Photographs app, viewing the images you seize ought to be a greater expertise — a welcome change that customers have clamored for since iOS 18’s cluttered try. As a substitute of an extended, difficult-to-discover scrolling interface, Photographs regains a Liquid Glass menu on the backside of the display.
The Photographs app will get a welcome redesign.
The Cellphone app will get a revamp
The Cellphone app has stored extra intently to the look of its supply than others: a sparse interface with giant buttons as for those who’re holding an old style headset or pre-smartphone cellular telephone. iOS 26 lastly updates that look not simply with the brand new general interface however in a unified structure that takes benefit of the bigger display actual property on right now’s iPhone fashions.
The Cellphone app’s unified structure ought to make for much less switching between screens when coping with calls.
It is not simply appears which are totally 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 function routinely solutions calls from unknown numbers, and your cellphone rings solely when the caller shares their title 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 preserve the decision related. As soon as a stay agent turns into obtainable, the cellphone rings and lets the agent know you may be obtainable shortly.
Messages updates
The Messages app might be probably the most 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 every 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 search out out which restaurant Brett urged for lunch that you simply missed. Different members within the chat can even add their very own objects to a ballot.
A extra helpful function is a function to detect spam texts higher and display 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 it will likely be attention-grabbing to see for those who can transfer the bar to the highest of the display). As you scroll, the tab bar shrinks.
Internet pages occupy the complete display and the deal with 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 buddy is taking part in however do not perceive the language the lyrics are in? The Music app features a new lyrics translation function that shows together with the lyrics because the track performs. And for once you wish to sing together with one in all her favourite Ok-pop songs, for instance, however you do not communicate or learn Korean, a lyrics pronunciation function spells out the best method to kind 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 many times, 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 does not get the identical sort of gaming affection as Nintendo’s Change 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 selected 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 to allow you to navigate your entire Apple video games on any system.
Reside translation enhances calls and texts
Though not particular to iOS, Apple’s new stay translation function is good on the iPhone once 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 obtainable within the Messages, FaceTime and Cellphone apps and exhibits stay translated captions throughout a dialog.
Reside translation throughout a voice name
Maps will get extra private
Updates to the Maps app generally contain including extra element to common areas or restructuring the way in which you retailer areas. Now, the app takes notice of routes you journey steadily and may provide you with a warning of any delays earlier than you get on the street.
A Maps widget exhibits a frequently-used route.
It additionally features a welcome function for these of us who get our favourite eating places blended 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 search out the subsequent time.
New CarPlay options
Liquid Glass additionally makes its method to CarPlay in your automobile, with a extra compact design when a name is available in that does not obscure different objects, equivalent to a directional map. In Messages, you’ll be able to apply tapbacks and pin conversations for simple entry.
Widgets at the moment are a part of the CarPlay expertise, so you’ll be able to give attention to simply the info you need, like the present climate circumstances. And Reside Actions seem on the CarPlay display, so you may know when that espresso you ordered shall be completed or when a buddy’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 automobile 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 id verification (although it doesn’t exchange a bodily passport) for home journey for TSA screening at airports.
The app can even allow you to use rewards and arrange installment funds once you buy objects in a retailer, not only for on-line orders. And with the assistance of Apple Intelligence, the Pockets app might help you monitor product orders, even for those who didn’t use Apple Pay to buy them. It could possibly pull particulars equivalent to delivery numbers from emails and texts in order that info is multi functional place.
The Pockets app helps authorized state IDs and nationwide IDs for age and id verification.
New options powered by Apple Intelligence
Though final yr’s WWDC featured Apple Intelligence options closely, enhancements to the AI tech had been much less distinguished this yr, 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 once you’re the final one within the group chat to get the joke,” to make use of Apple’s instance. You can even change expressions in Genmoji of individuals you recognize that you’ve got used to create the picture.
Mix current emoji utilizing Apple Intelligence.
Image Playground provides the power to faucet into ChatGPT’s picture era instruments to transcend the app’s animation or sketch types.
Visible Intelligence can already use the digicam 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, too. It does this by taking a screenshot (press the sleep and quantity up buttons) after which together with a brand new Picture Search choice in that interface to search out outcomes throughout the net or in different apps equivalent to Etsy.
That is additionally a manner so as to add occasion particulars from pictures you come throughout, like posters for concert events or giant gatherings. (Maybe this might work for QR codes as nicely?) 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 every thing matches right into a keynote presentation — even, or possibly particularly, when it is all pre-recorded — however among the extra attention-grabbing new features in iOS 26 went unremarked throughout the massive reveal. For example:
- If in case you have AirPods or AirPods Professional with the H2 chip, you should utilize AirPods Digicam Distant to begin recording video in your iPhone by urgent and holding one of many AirPods.
- You’ll be able to select your individual 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 Digicam app with AirPods and AirPods Professional that include the H2 chip.
- Accessibility options embrace an “all-new expertise designed with Braille customers in thoughts,” extra choices for the Car Movement Cues function to keep away from movement illness and “a extra customizable studying expertise.”
- Reminders makes use of Apple Intelligence to “counsel duties, grocery objects and follow-ups primarily based on emails or different textual content in your system.”
- The Journal app helps a number of journals, inline pictures 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 models. 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 live blog for particulars about Apple’s bulletins.
iPhone fashions appropriate 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 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro 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)
