Apple Reveals iOS 26 Features

 

Apple unveiled iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, introducing a bold redesign and a suite of AI-powered features that redefine the iPhone experience. With a "Liquid Glass" aesthetic, enhanced Apple Intelligence, and practical updates across core apps, iOS 26 (skipping sequential numbering to align with 2026) is set to launch in September 2025 alongside the iPhone 17 series. Compatible with iPhone 11 and newer models (excluding iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max), this update brings a futuristic interface and smarter functionality. Here’s a deep dive into iOS 26’s standout features.

A Stunning New Look: Liquid Glass Design

iOS 26 introduces Liquid Glass, a translucent, glass-like interface inspired by visionOS, creating a unified aesthetic across Apple’s ecosystem (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and more). App icons, widgets, and controls adopt a frosted-glass appearance with rounded corners and subtle depth, offering a sleek, immersive feel. Users can choose between Light, Dark, or the new All Clear mode, which maximizes transparency for a striking effect.

The Lock Screen gets a dynamic upgrade: the clock adjusts its size to complement wallpaper subjects, and spatial scenes create a 3D effect when the phone is tilted. Systemwide animations are smoother, with controls that morph seamlessly, making interactions feel fluid and intuitive.

Apple Intelligence: Smarter, More Personal

Building on its debut in iOS 18, Apple Intelligence (available on iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 models) powers iOS 26 with privacy-focused AI. Key enhancements include:

Live Translation: Real-time translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps. It handles text and audio, displaying live captions on FaceTime or speaking translations during calls, breaking down language barriers effortlessly.

Visual Intelligence: Now systemwide, it analyzes screenshots to identify objects, events, or details, enabling actions like shopping, calendar integration, or information lookup.

Genmoji and Image Playground: Create custom emojis by mixing existing ones or tweaking attributes (e.g., adding a new hairstyle). Image Playground supports ChatGPT-inspired styles like anime or watercolor for AI-generated art.

Shortcuts and Reminders: New AI-driven Shortcuts summarize text or generate images, while Reminders auto-suggests tasks or grocery items based on emails and messages, with intelligent list categorization.

Phone App: Smarter Calls, Less Hassle

The Phone app gets a practical overhaul:

Unified Layout: Merges Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails into a single, streamlined view.

Call Screening: Automatically answers unknown calls, asking for the caller’s name and purpose, then displays the info for you to decide whether to pick up.

Hold Assist: Detects hold music, waits on the line, and notifies you when a live agent is available, saving you from endless hold times.

Messages: Connected and Organized

The Messages app enhances communication with:

Spam Filtering: Unknown senders’ messages are sorted into a dedicated folder for easy screening, marking, or deletion.

Group Chat Upgrades:

Create polls with up to 12 options (AI-suggested on compatible devices).

Add custom backgrounds, including AI-generated ones via Image Playground.

See typing indicators and send Apple Cash in group chats.

Live Translation: Automatically translates incoming and outgoing messages, making multilingual chats seamless.

Camera and Photos: Capture and Relive Moments

The Camera app adopts a cleaner design:

Swipe between Photo and Video modes, with settings like flash or resolution accessible via a swipe-up gesture.

Alerts notify you if the lens is dirty (discovered in beta).

The Photos app reverts to a tabbed interface (Library and Collections) after iOS 18 feedback, and adds the ability to convert 2D photos into 3D spatial photos for a more immersive experience.

Apple Music: Sing, Mix, and Pin

Apple Music gets creative with:

Lyrics Translation and Pronunciation: Phonetic lyrics help you sing along to songs in other languages.

AutoMix: DJ-like transitions between songs using time stretching and beat matching.

Music Pins: Pin favorite albums, artists, or playlists for quick access.

Karaoke Feature: Use your iPhone as a microphone for Apple TV karaoke, with amplified vocals and real-time lyrics.

Apple Maps: Smarter Navigation

Apple Maps becomes more intuitive:

Visited Places: Securely logs places you’ve been (e.g., restaurants or shops) with end-to-end encryption.

Routes: Learns your regular commutes, suggests preferred routes, and alerts you to delays with alternatives.

Apple Wallet: More Than Just Payments

Apple Wallet evolves with:

Digital ID: Store a U.S. passport for TSA checkpoints or app use.

Order Tracking: AI extracts order details from emails for seamless tracking.

Payment Options: Pay in installments or with rewards for in-store Apple Pay purchases.

New Games App: A Hub for Play

A dedicated Games app consolidates gaming, offering access to Apple Arcade titles, leaderboards, and multiplayer features, making it easier to discover and play.

CarPlay: Liquid Glass on the Road

CarPlay adopts the Liquid Glass design with light/dark modes, a compact call view, Tapback options, pinned conversations, and Live Activities (e.g., flight updates) synced from your iPhone.

Battery and Accessibility: Thoughtful Touches

Adaptive Power Mode: Adjusts brightness or slows apps to save battery, auto-enabling Low Power Mode at 20%. A new charging time estimate predicts when your battery will hit 100%.

Accessibility: Includes a Braille Access interface, Accessibility Reader, and updates to Live Listen and Background Sounds.

Parental Controls: Simplified Child Account setup, app download exemptions, and blurred sensitive content in FaceTime and Shared Albums.

Smaller Features, Big Impact

Custom Alarm Snooze: Set snooze durations from 1 to 15 minutes.

Safari: Double-tap the three-dot menu to bookmark pages.

AirPods: Studio-quality recording and enhanced call/video audio (AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2).

Bilingual Keyboard: Suggests words in Latin and local scripts for 10 languages.

Release Timeline and Compatibility

Announced on June 9, 2025, iOS 26 is currently in developer beta, with a public beta expected in July 2025 and a full release in September. It supports iPhone 11 and newer models, but some AI features require iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16. The numbering jump from iOS 18 to iOS 26 aligns Apple’s OS versions for 2026.

Final Thoughts

iOS 26 blends a visually stunning redesign with practical, AI-driven features, making the iPhone smarter and more intuitive. While some additions—like Call Screening or Visited Places—echo long-standing Android features, Apple’s focus on privacy and polish sets iOS 26 apart. Whether you’re translating a call in real time, creating custom Genmoji, or navigating with smarter Maps, iOS 26 feels like a leap toward a more connected, personalized future.